Winter 2011/2012

PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
WOODBRIDGE VA
PERMIT NO 196
Woodbridge Vision
Frank J. Principi
Woodbridge District Supervisor
Vision of a NewWoodbridge
Resident Better Transportation Better Neighborhoods Better Development Woodbridge District Have You Noticed The Change?
Visit Us @www.NewWoodbridge.org @NewWoodbridge Frankly Speaking @NewWoodbridge Send your email address to WoodbridgeDistrict@pwcgov.org Get this by email. Winter 2012
I’ve been spending more and more time out‐
side. And as I walk, bicycle, and drive around Woodbridge, I am noticing a change! I’ve seen road engineers wearing orange safety vests walking up and down Route 1, milling and paving of our roads, improvements at Veterans Park and Marumsco Plaza, upgrades to Potomac Library, construction cranes towering above Potomac Town Center, and new landscaping. Change ‐ spurred by new public and private investment – is delivering on our commitment for a New Woodbridge! After working for the last four years with my local, state, and federal counterparts, we are beginning to see the vision of a New Woodbridge become a reality. I recently calculated the public and private investments that are already approved and moving forward in the Woodbridge District and the total dollar amount surprised even me – particularly since we are still in tough economic times. Woodbridge is now experiencing nearly $1 billion in public and private sector projects. This includes improving roads, schools, bridges, the library, our parks, trails, VRE and bus capacity, and the In This Issue
Frankly Speaking..….….......1 Better Development………..3 Better Neighborhoods ….....5 Better Transportation……...6 Continued on Page 2 WPCCA ……….…...….……8 www.NewWoodbridge.org www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 (703) 792‐4646 Better Neighborhoods cont’d
Frankly Speaking, con’t
Winterizing
construction of new commercial and academic buildings. These projects are helping to revitalize our community, improve our quality of life, and reduce traffic congestion. Well, it’s about that time. Those of us in colder climates are feeling the freezing temperatures sneaking up and if we haven’t winterized our homes yet, we’re also starting to feel that nagging stress that comes from procrastination. So without further ado, here’s a checklist of to‐dos for making sure you’re prepared for the bitter months ahead… Of the nearly $1 billion of investment, approximately $200 million is being invested in our community by the federal government. The newly opened Blackburn Bridge, for example, at nearly $3 million, is a prime example of the federal government’s investment in our infrastructure. The bridge closed due to the damage done by Tropical Storm Lee, and detoured nearly 6,000 vehicles each day onto Route 1. Thankfully, the new bridge opened just in time for the start of the school year. Outside • Clean the leftovers of Fall out of your gutters. • Make sure your down spouts are carrying drainage away from your foundation. • Check your house’s foundation and basement windows for access points rodents might use to help themselves to the warmth and comfort of your home. Block them. • Turn the water off to your outside spigots. • Cover your basement’s window wells. • Consider planting evergreen trees/bushes close to your home to block the winter wind. Heating • Have your furnace inspected by a professional. • Stock up on filters for your furnace. • Change your filters monthly. • Vacuum out your ducts if you haven’t in the last couple years. • Make sure your cold air returns aren’t blocked. • Shut vents in areas you don’t use. • Clean vents and baseboard heaters. • Bleed your radiator valves. • Reverse the direction your fans spin to keep the warm air down where you are. The federal government is also helping us fund a $180 million Route 1 road widening project between the Occoquan River and Marumsco Plaza. A second Route 1 widening project ‐ funded with local tax dollars – will widen our main roadway between Featherstone Road and Neabsco Mills Road. Federal funds have also been invested in expanding our transit systems. Woodbridge commuters now benefit from the more than $20 million in federal dollars for 9 new VRE locomotives and 8 new PRTC buses. In fact, recently, PRTC announced it is the recipient of an additional $1 million in federal aid to build a bus maintenance facility on Balls Ford Road in Western Prince William County. Sincerely, Frank J. Principi Woodbridge District Supervisor 2 www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 11 Better Transportation cont’d
Mixed‐Use Transit‐Oriented Development
Breaks Ground at Potomac Shores
A recent Washington Post article by Jonathan OʹConnell announced that “the Federal Railroad Administration [will] provide $74.8 million for commuter rail in Northern Virginia.” This investment will fund “the construction of an additional 11 miles of track from Stafford County to Prince William County and a third Virginia Railway Express line stretching from [DC to a future station] at Potomac Shores.” This is exciting news, not only for Prince William County commuters, but for golfers too. Residents have been waiting for years for the famed Jack Nicholas golf course to open in the Harbor Station community. California Developer, Suncal, recently purchased the Harbor Station property and renamed it Potomac Shores. According to well‐known golf blogger, Tony Korologos, the golf course opening will “coincide with the debut of a new 7,500
‐square‐foot luxury clubhouse in the summer of 2013. The planned clubhouse complements Potomac Shores’ mid‐Atlantic architectural style with a Georgian Plantation home feel and a wraparound porch.” In early December, Supervisor Principi and others broke ground on the construction of that clubhouse. Suncal plans a mix of 4,000 new residential units, a movie theater, a large hotel, over 3 million square feet of office space, additional access to Route 234, two new schools, and plenty of parks, trails, and ball fields. Unlike many other Town Centers in the region, this shoreline community will be accessible by rail, giving it the possibility to revitalize a large section of the Route 1 corridor from the Woodbridge District into Dumfries. 10 Potomac Nationals Stadium
Minor League Baseball in Woodbridge
In late September, Roadside Development (developer for Potomac Town Center) and the Potomac National’s team owner, Art Silber, joined Chairman Corey Stewart, Supervisor Principi and staff from PWC Planning, PWC Transportation, and VDOT at a town hall meeting to discuss future plans for Potomac Town Center. The owners of Potomac Town Center and the Potomac Nationals presented a proposal to build a 6,000 seat minor league baseball stadium for the Potomac Nationals, a structured parking garage with 1,000 commuter parking spaces, and a five story office building. The proposed stadium would be located in land between Wegmans and Sentara Hospital ‐ fronting Opitz Blvd and visible from Interstate 95. Home plate will be located at the northwest corner of the property, so baseball fans will sit facing Neabsco Mills Road, with their backs to Potomac Mills Mall. It will contain 7,000 seats and be sunken into the ground, with 400 feet from home plate to center field. The five story office building would be located at the corner of Neabsco Mills Road and Opitz Boulevard and have approximately 200 surface parking spaces. Behind this building and fronting Neabsco Mills Rd, VDOT plans to build a five deck parking garage with capacity to hold 1,000 commuter vehicles. The stadium’s entry plaza, with the ticket booth and a playground, would be between the office building and the parking garage. Inside the stadium, the owner proposes a crab shack and a year round baseball themed sports bar with a rotating display of signed baseballs. www.NewWoodbridge.org www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 (703) 792‐4646 3 Better Development cont’d
Principi Sponsors Resolution to Address
Potomac Nationals Stadium (continued)
Five Hour Wait at the Polls
The recent opening of additional restaurants and entertainment venues has made Potomac Town Center an entertainment shopping destination for the region. Roadside Development believes if their proposal is approved, it will add to the uniqueness and economic success of the Center. This proposal is still very early in the planning process. Once an application is submitted to the County, it will be reviewed by several county agencies prior to going before the Planning Commission and then to the Board of Supervisors. Residents have the opportunity to comment before either of these meetings. In addition, Supervisor Principi will hold several town hall meetings concerning the project. Blackburn Bridge—Reopens
With a Sidewalk
The Virginia Department of Transporta‐
tion has completed replacement of the Blackburn Road Bridge over Neabsco Creek in Woodbridge. VDOT closed the bridge in January after a routine inspection revealed severe vertical cracks on the bridge abutments. VDOT bridge engineer Nicholas Roper noted, “The new bridge has a deeper foundation and a larger opening for the waterway that will improve overall durability and performance during high‐
water events.” A sidewalk has also been added to allow pedestri‐
ans to safely walk across the bridge. The bridge carries about 6,000 vehicles a day. 4 www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 Election Day is perhaps the greatest expression of our democracy and part of the right to vote is accessibility to the polls. This past November, thousands of voters consistently waited 3 to 5 hours in line to exercise this right. The last ballot was cast at the River Oaks precinct at approximately 10:45 pm. “This is completely unacceptable,” says Principi. “The residents of Woodbridge deserve better. Woodbridge residents face one of the longest commutes in the nation, and having to miss a day’s work to cast their vote is unconscionable. Prince William is the seventh most affluent county in the nation; this cannot ever happen again.” At the November 20th Board of County Supervisor’s meeting, the Board unanimously passed Principi’s resolution to create a bi‐partisan Commission of private citizens to investigate and make recommendations about the Election process in PWC. Was it the antiquated technology, an operational shortfall, a budget issue, or a combination? The Commission will aim to have this resolved before the 2013 State Elections. As Supervisor Principi went from precinct to precinct on Election Day, he was uplifted by the positive, patient, and determined citizens waiting in line, as well as the hardworking and empathetic Election Day volunteers. It was remarkable and inspiring. A sincere thanks to every person who voted this year. www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 9 Congratulations to the 2012‐2013
Civic Association Board!
John Karhnak, Chairman Marumsco Acres “Mac” McLaurin, Vice‐Chair Belmont Bay Jay Du Von, Secretary Bayside Park Reuben Johnson, Treasurer Belmont Bay Linda Silverstrand Harbors of Newport Collin Davenport Belmont Bay R. Keith Easter Powell’s Run at Rippon Landing Debbie Eversole Marumsco Acres Join us and help make a difference in the Woodbridge District! The Civic Association is open to any resident, business, non‐profit, or property owner in the Woodbridge District, eighteen years of age or older. They focus on issues of land‐use, transportation, and beautifica‐
tion. Membership requires attendance at least one meeting a year. Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month from 7‐9pm in various locations across Woodbridge. To register at no cost, or to read more about the upcoming programs, please go to www.NewWoodbridge.org. Upcoming Meeting Schedule:
January 17, 2013 @ 7pm Topic: PWC Strategic Plan Hear from the Woodbridge Representatives on the Strategic Plan Task Force about the vision for the future of our county. Location: Sentara Hospital’s Hylton Education Center, Rooms B&F February 21, 2013 @ 7pm Topic: 2013‐2014 PWC Budget Hear from PWC staff about how your tax dollars are spent. Location TBA March 21, 2013 @ 7pm Topic: State Legislators Town Hall Ask our representatives to the General Assembly about what’s happening in Richmond. Location TBA 8 Potomac Science Center Coming to
Belmont Bay
Building design is underway for George Mason University’s new Potomac Science Center coming to Belmont Bay in the fall of 2015. The Potomac Science Center mission is to foster a greater understanding of the natural processes in ecosystems, watersheds and landscapes—and the need to protect them. The four‐story Potomac Science Center will feature 50,000 square feet of academic, research and laboratory space along the Potomac River. This state‐of‐the‐art facility will house specialized programs from George Mason’s College of Science, including the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center and the Geoinformatics Training & Research Center. There will be 8 full‐time faculty and about 25 additional personnel housed at this location. Students of all levels will learn here – from undergraduates to doctorial students. Plans include structured parking for 200 vehicles, an outdoor teaching pavilion, and direct access to the water via a floating dock. A public education space will feature exhibits and programs to serve K‐12 students during the daytime and the general public on nights and weekends. www.NewWoodbridge.org www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 (703) 792‐4646 5 Passenger Ferry Service Analysis
Moves Forward
Northern Virginia needs additional reliable transit choices for residents, and one of the most promising alternatives to I‐95 is regional passenger ferry service along the Occoquan, Potomac, and Anacostia Rivers. Under the leadership of Supervisor Principi and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), a Stakeholders Group made up of public and private stakeholders from Maryland, D.C and Virginia took on this task. This past summer, Nelson\Nygaard, a national consulting firm with extensive maritime experience, was hired to conduct the market analysis to ultimately answer these questions: If we build it, will you ride it? At what price point? At what origin and destination locations? The study began with focus groups (elected officials; local, state, and Federal transportation and land use professionals; investors; developers; etc.) to gauge their perspectives. Kevin Moran, President of the National Ferry Corporation/DC Harbor Cruses, offered his 149 passenger commuter ferry vessel to the Stakeholders group to observe the landside infrastructure at three potential landing sites along the Potomac River: Quantico Marine Corp Base, Indian Head, 6 www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 and Fort Belvoir. Approximately 50 transportation professionals from DC, Maryland, and Virginia were present for the ride, including representatives from US Department of Transporta‐
tion (USDOT), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the National Park Service (NPS), the City of Alexandria, Prince William and Fairfax Counties, and the three proposed docking sites. The exercise provided the opportunity to take pictures and discuss the existing landside docks, roads, and parking capabilities, as well as security concerns for the two military sites. The next step in the analysis was to determine the top five origin and destination points. They took into account population, employment, planned development, opportunities to transfer to bus or Metro, environmental feasibility, tourism, etc. Woodbridge was included in a list of top ten locations, including National Harbor, Georgetown, Alexandria, and the Kennedy Center to name a few. After surveying the public, a service model will be created to determine ridership demand. Nelson\Nygaard will deliver their final report in March of 2013, which will detail the project methodology, the results of the analysis and recommendations to move forward. www.NewWoodbridge.org (703) 792‐4646 7