A developer has submitted a rezoning request for "White Marsh," a 310 unit residential subdivision & mixed use development to be built on 97 acres in the Bealeton Service District. The development would be north of Liberty High School on Rt. 17.

At this time it is difficult to analyze the submitted application because it was submitted incomplete. On August 27, 2009 the Planning Commission scolded the applicant for wasting its time, county staff 's time, and the public's time by bringing forward such an incomplete application. Read below for some of the project details that have been submitted so far and for PEC's initial reaction to the project.

The Planning Commission is expected to discuss this application during a Public Hearing scheduled for Wednesday, December 9th, 2009.

Current Zoning & the Rezoning Request
The four parcels in question are currently zoned Rural Agricultural, Residential, and Commercial, and would be rezoned to Mixed Use Special District-- with a "Core Area" and "Residential Area."

Mixed Use Core Area:
The Mixed Use Core Area of the development would be located on 20.3 acres. This section would have 137 residential units, including 110 apartment/condo units and 27 live/work units. The developer also envisions 278,500 sq ft of commercial space with retail, restaurants, bank, offices, and a boutique hotel, along with 22,500 sq ft for public, civic and institutional uses.

Mixed Use Residential Area
The Mixed Use Residential Area of the development would be located on 76.8 acres. This section would have 173 homes, including 27 townhomes and 146 single family homes. It would also have 23,000 sq ft for public, civil and institutional uses.

Problems With White Marsh Proposal
Early analysis suggests that, regardless of the merits, this proposal is in the wrong place. As proposed, the development would be sandwiched in between the Village of Liberty and Liberty High School, with 4 access roads onto Rt. 17 (see map). This number of access roads in a short stretch would slow traffic and lead to accidents. At its core, this is a cul-de-sac development, a type of development that Virginia is rapidly moving away from (see the May 2009 Washington Post article). While modern design concepts contain grid designs with multiple access points, the current design does not have outside access on three sides of the project.

In addition to White Marsh, the proposed Mintbrook development is also winding its way through the zoning approval process. These two projects are directly opposite each other on Rt. 17. It is essential that the County retain its own independent traffic/design consultant and plan how it wants the Bealeton road network to function. Any development approved for Mintbrook or White Marsh must then conform to the County's plan. Simply responding to each independent proposal will not serve Bealeton or the County.

For More Information

The Planning Commission is expected to discuss this application during a Public Hearing scheduled for Wednesday, December 9th, 2009. For more information on the meeting, please visit Fauquier County's Planning Commission website.

Additional details are available in the Fauquier County staff report. For questions and more information, please contact Todd Benson, PEC's Fauquier Field Officer, at 540-347-2334.

Documents Last Updated on 8/31/09.