Nohe Addresses Economy and More

Dale City Patch sat down with Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe on Friday to talk about the economy, truck traffic on Spriggs Road, the upcoming redistricting process, and more.

Most Important Issues for Coles District 

Nohe said the Coles district reflects the rest of the county, and the main issues right now are “the economy, jobs, and the economy. Did I mention the economy?”

Nohe said Prince William County is blessed to have low unemployment relative to the rest of the nation, and that the foreclosure crisis would be the biggest continuing challenge.

“What I’m hearing from real estate agents is that there’s huge demand for housing, but the housing stock we have available for sale doesn’t match up to what people are asking for,” Nohe said.

“That challenge is going to continue. It’s not so much foreclosures that are the problem; it’s the impact that vacant housing has on neighborhoods. When there’s a house in the neighborhood that isn’t occupied, that means it’s a house that isn’t being taken care of…. If you allow one house in the neighborhood to not be well maintained, you’re inviting others to not maintain their community.”

Nohe also said that he is hearing form many residents who want the county to restart capital improvement projects such as road and schools that the county had begun before the “painful cuts” the county took in response to the recession.

“As the jobs are coming back, as the economy is recovering, I think we really have to ask ourselves the question of, ‘What kind of community do we want to be?’”

As jobs are returning, Nohe said, so are traffic problems and commuter issues. The recent reduction of commuter parking at Potomac Mills Mall affects the entire community, Nohe said, and he is committed to finding a solution.

Economic Development and Community Concerns 

Nohe said he tries to find the balance between development and individual property rights with environmental concerns and other community concerns. “It’s all about walking a tightrope. With so many of the decisions we make, it requires a thick skin. You have to accept the notion that almost no matter what you do, someone is not going to like the decision.

Ideally, Nohe would like to find a compromise that satisfies everyone, but he said that rarely happens. Sometimes victory comes in the form of making everyone less upset than they could be. "As often as not, the right balancing point ends up being the place where everyone’s only a little upset,” he said.

Nohe said the recent Harris property rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment proposal was an example of balancing differing interests and expectation. Nohe said he thought an agreement was nearly achieved between the landowner and the neighbors, but last-minute issues derailed a consensus at the time the board was supposed to make a decision.

The board voted to indefinitely defer the requested rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment because, Nohe said, everyone needed to step back and take a longer look at the issue. He expects the issue to come up again and is hopeful that a satisfactory conclusion can be reached.

On Spriggs Road Truck Traffic

The Board of County Supervisors voted at its last meeting to request the removal of the through truck restriction on Spriggs Road, a motion that Nohe opposed. Nohe said the issue arose because the restriction was placed when Spriggs was a two-lane road. Since the expansion to four lanes, Spriggs no longer meets the Virginia Department of Transportation standards for a through-truck restriction.

Nohe said he heard last-minute concerns from citizens, mainly about the effect of the schools on the road, including Hylton High School, meaning the road is heavily used by inexperienced drivers. 

“I understand why the state’s position and the county staff’s position is that the restriction should be lifted,” Nohe said. “I understand the argument perfectly. But I think there are mitigating circumstances.”

Nohe proposed a part-time truck restriction to disallow truck traffic during times that the road is heavily used by students, but the board wanted to move forward with removing the restriction. Nohe said he is working with county staff to explore the possibility of a part-time restriction and he is hopeful that will be an option.

Redistricting and its Effect on Dale City

Nohe said that the upcoming redistricting process will affect Dale City as the Neabsco and Coles Magisterial Districts change. Most likely, the boundaries of Neabsco will expand to include parts of Dale City that are now in the Coles district.

“Whatever sections of Dale City move from the Coles district to Neabsco district is a neighborhood where I’ve got relationships with the people there,” Nohe said. “I don’t want to give up any of it,” he said.

Dale City might not be affected as much if the county decides to add an eighth magisterial district, Nohe said. That possibility would mean that the lines of the Neabsco and Coles districts would likely change very little.

Nohe said county staff just received the census block data that will be used to draw new district lines. Nohe expects the board to have preliminary maps drawn and ready for public comment by the end of March.