Board Denies Prince William Academy Rezoning

The Board of County Supervisors voted 5-3 Tuesday to deny Samia Harris’s request for a rezoning and Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the property where the Dale City campus of the Prince William Academy sits.

A large group of neighbors who live in the area surrounding the property turned up at the public hearing to voice opposition to the rezoning request, saying they did not want a commercial property in the middle of their residential neighborhood.

Harris had been attempting to get her property on Spriggs Road rezoned from Suburban Residential Low to Neighborhood Commercial. She said the school has been losing money and she wanted to bring business to the property.

After the board , Harris added proffers to respond to some of the concerns neighbors expressed at public hearings. The proffers would limit the building height to three stories, ensure that buildings would conform to the style of the surrounding neighborhood, and prohibit stand-alone restaurants or any type of restaurant other than a deli or coffee shop.

Harris said she had done everything she could to address the concerns, but the neighbors reiterated Tuesday that they had many concerns which ruled out the possibility of any kind of commercial area regardless of the proffers.

Despite the fact that the county staff recommended denial of the rezoning, they highlighted the “mixed use” aspect as a strength; bringing commercial property to an area dominated by residential. Harris said that in 2007 when she applied to put housing on the property, the Board of County Supervisors had encouraged her to seek a commercial rezoning, telling her that they wanted to bring commercial use to the area. But neighbors who live in the area surrounding the property made it clear Tuesday night that they are not in favor of a commercial property in their neighborhood at all.

Ten neighbors spoke at the public hearing, all opposed to the rezoning request. They also presented a petition with over 100 signatures from the neighborhood surrounding the property, asking the board to deny the rezoning.

Two parents who have children at the Prince William Academy spoke in favor of Harris, as well as two other people. Harris’s supporters argued that jobs are desperately needed in the current economic climate and that Harris’s project would contribute to the local economy. 

Coles district Supervisor Marty Nohe said the process had been drawn out in an effort to reach a consensus, but in the end, the purpose of having a Comprehensive Plan and requiring a public hearing was to allow the neighbors the opportunity to give input. Nohe said the proposed use was simply beyond what the neighbors were comfortable with and he did not believe, in the end, that it was a good fit for the area. 

Harris blamed the board—specifically Nohe—for encouraging her to seek the rezoning and then denying it in the end. Harris said she has spent $200,000 in the process. “This time Marty was counting the votes,” Harris said.

Harris said she will stop keeping up the property. “I’m not going to put any more money into it,” she said. “They can enjoy looking at a property that’s run down.”