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Vulcan drops plans to expand North Stafford quarry

By Uriah Kiser

Vulcan Quarry has withdrawn its application to expand its North Stafford mining operation.

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Vaccine mandate issued after School Board orders meeting room cleared

By Uriah Kiser
Residents kicked out of a Prince William County School Board meeting call elected members "tyrants" working to silence public opinion.

The school superintendent announced that the more than 11,000 teachers and employees of the Prince William County Public School division must get a coronavirus vaccination or submit to weekly testing. 

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A new savings account could help fund growth near Stafford Regional Airport

By Rick Horner
Stafford Regional Airport Terminal [Photo: Rick Horner]

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors will consider creating an Economic Infrastructure Fund that will secure future funds for infrastructure improvements along Centreport Parkway, near the Stafford Regional Airport.

Conceptually, the fund would be used as a savings account that would use a portion of the county's tax revenue to support future growth and development in the area where a new 200,000 square foot Amazon fulfillment center will open. 

The new center is expected to create at least 100 full and part-time associate jobs and potentially hundreds of driver opportunities.

The Centreport area has long been targeted by the county's Community and Economic Development Committee as an area with potential for both industrial and distribution businesses. 

According to county documents, the fund model is based on the use of future tax revenues as opposed to other options such as Community Development Authorities, which raise funds through additional taxes.

Such authorities, as well as proffers, are considered to be examples of bad incentives when trying to attract new private investment.

While the county considers the current infrastructure in the Centreport area adequate to support real estate and personal property, the committee realizes that it may be overwhelmed by potential economic development.

According to county officials, the main concerns would be stress on roads and other infrastructure by increased commuter travel and the presence of new residents in the area. They say the savings account could allow the county to use tax revenue for such infrastructure projects as roads, water, sewer, fiber, and other infrastructure needs.

The economic development committee plans to present the fund concept at a future meeting of the county's board of supervisors. The committee meets monthly inside the county Government Center on the first Tuesday of each month.

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Stafford at a crossroads with Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail

By Rick Horner

The Stafford County Infrastructure Committee has a choice to make regarding the Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail system's final phase.

Since 2019, the committee has been working towards completing the sixth and final phase of the project, which would add to the already two-and-a-half long trail from Route 3 at River Road and end at the Ferry Farm Shopping Center in the George Washington District.

However, the county has run into complications from topography issues, land acquisition, and the Virginia Department of Transportation approvals that may be difficult to achieve.

If the county decides to move forward with the construction of the trail segment, the expectation from VDOT would be to begin the effort by the end of 2020. 

The first option would be to construct the trail and align it along Old Dairy Lane to the CSX railway tunnel along Naomi Road. The trail would cross Route 3 at Jett Drive from Naomi, running along the north side of Route 3 and ultimately ending at the Ferry Farm Shopping Center.

Should the county make this decision, it would require $775,340 in additional costs to the project, that funding is expected to come from the Federal Transportation Alternatives Program. 

Known also as TAP, this program came about with the signing of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act by then-President Barack Obama in December 2015. The county's application for funding with the program is currently under review with the Federal Highway Administration.

The other option would be to cancel the project and repay $130,000 to the program.

The decision is expected to be taken up at the next Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting as new business on September 21.

When complete, the Belmont-Ferry Farm trail, linking the historic Belmont Plantation with the President George Washington boyhood home, will provide residents and visitors with more than two miles of paved hiking trail through southern Stafford County.

The trail cuts through the Historic Port of Falmouth Park, a popular swimming hole on the Rappahannock River. 

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Bags now subject to search at Prince William School Board meetings

By Uriah Kiser
Parents filled the seats at a Prince William County School Board meeting on September 1, 2021 to protest proposed changes to citizen public comments at meetings, and the school division's forced masking policy for children.

You won’t be hearing your favorite band take the stage at a major concert venue, nor will you be boarding a flight. 

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New county center would connect veterans to government benefits

By Uriah Kiser
The James McCoart Building at the Prince William County Government Center. [Photo by Uriah Kiser/Potomac Local News]

More help for veterans could be coming to Prince William County.

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Originals

Councilman quick to dismiss residents concerned about proposed gambling resort “The Rose”

By Uriah Kiser

If you don’t live in the 1.5-square mile town of Dumfries, and you’re concerned about a new 305-room gambling resort, the message is clear: Buzz off and butt out.

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Originals

Leaders praise opening of Gainesville High, Potomac Shores Middle schools

By Rick Horner

When a coronavirus state of emergency set by Governor Ralph Northam was lifted this summer, it allowed students to return to the classrooms.

Some Prince William County students started the new academic year in two new schools built during the pandemic.

Potomac Shores Middle School is located near Dumfries, in the Potomac Shores neighborhood.

With its mascot, the Cardinal, Gainesville High School sits just outside Gainesville Magisterial District, neighboring Brentsville Magisterial District, directly behind the Jiffy Lube Live concert venue.

Prince William County Potomac District School Board member Justin Wilk praised the success of the new middle school's openinand its staff andas mentioned some challenges the school is experiencing. 

"I'm very happy that things have gotten off to such a good start. The school is staffed with quality teachers, and Principle Joe Murgo has done a phenomenal job. There have been some challenges, we do need some crosswalks to ensure that the students can get to school safely. There's also the issue of so many parents driving their kids to school and getting everyone in on time."

Wilk's involvement in the naming of Potomac Shores involved taking meetings with residents whose children were drawn into the new school's boundaries. In a press release made by Prince William County Schools about the naming of Potomac Shores in Oct. 2020, Wilk stated that the name earned overwhelming support from residents who wanted the name to represent something based in the community.

Gainesville High School, the 13th high school to be opened in Prince William County, has also received praise from Brentsville District School Board member Adele Jackson, who sent a statement to Potomac Local News.

"I had the pleasure of visiting Gainesville High School a few times since school started and I am very impressed with the building, as well as the students and staff. I extend my gratitude to our supportive staff and Gainesville families. It's exciting to have the school year up and running at Gainesville High School."

Other names that were in the competition included naming the school after county police officer Ashley Guindon, who was shot and killed on her first day of duty in February 2016 while responding to a domestic dispute. Also in the running was Lillian Orlich, a 67-year career teacher, and counselor who spent the majority of her career at Osbourn Park High School.

Prince William County, the state's second-largest school division, welcomed back about 90,000 students at the start of the school year on August 23. It's the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 that the majority of students have been back in a classroom for five days a week.

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City pressured to find a new home for youth baseball league

By Uriah Kiser

Manassas leaders have promised to help find its youth baseball league a new home if it sells the 18-acre E.G. Smith Baseball Complex to the city’s largest employer, Micron Technologies. 

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Originals

Utility disconnections to restart in January as delinquencies hit $1.6 million

By Rick Horner

Stafford County leaders want to give residents more time before a moratorium on utility disconnections ends.

While the moratorium was lifted in August, the county has discussed waiting until January 2022 before shutting off utilities for delinquent payments. Governor Ralph Northam had placed the moratorium in March 2020 to provide relief for Virginia residents who had experienced financial hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic, as many were furloughed for fired from their jobs.

The county's Utilities Department plans to notify residents of the moratorium's end later in September, giving those with delinquent accounts a four-month head start to get things in order.

During the disconnection moratorium, the number of delinquent accounts had risen by 11 percent to a total of 9,474 while the amount of money due to those delinquencies rose by 40 percent to $1.6 million. The county provided almost $500,000 in relief funds to customers through the COVID-19 Municipal Utilities Relief Program.

Northam had declared a state of emergency due to the pandemic in March 2020 which led to the moratorium. 

The Virginia General Assembly recently adopted House Bill 7001, in order to appropriate $120 million from the latest round of federal funds from President Biden's American Rescue Plan. Funds from this cut will be used to provide direct assistance to residents who are 60 days behind on their utility payments.

The Stafford County Utilities Department plans to apply for all the grant and assistance opportunities that they are eligible for. The funds will be awarded based on the total of accounts that are 60 days behind on their utility payments.





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