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Small Area Plans
INTRODUCTION
The Prince William County Board of County Supervisors initiated an update to the County’s Comprehensive Plan that included the creation of small area plans to direct growth to key locations throughout the County.
Small area plans provide greater emphasis on detailed planning, visioning, economic development, and design guidelines in order to develop plans that represent each small area plan with its own character, vision, and implementation strategy.
- Strategic Plan implementation
- Design guidelines
- Economic development analysis
- Level of service analysis
- Implementation and phasing plans
CURRENT SMALL AREA PLANS
- Dale City (Adopted December 10, 2019)
- Independent Hill (Adopted March 16, 2021)
- Innovation Park (Adopted December 15, 2020)
- The Landing at Prince William (Adopted November 19, 2019)
- North Woodbridge (Adopted October 8, 2019)
- Triangle (Adopted October 19, 2021)
FUTURE SMALL AREA PLANS
- Yorkshire
- Fairgrounds/New Dominion
BENEFIT TO PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY
Small area plans provide a foundation to guide growth and development for the County. In addition, small area plans create the opportunity to address Prince William County’s Strategic Plan goals, and help identify necessary improvements to the multi-modal transportation network. As a result of small area plans, the County expects to highlight the potential for defined mixed-use town centers, increased private sector investment, and improved transportation infrastructure.
Project Methodology
Expand all- Task 1: Conduct Background Research
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Review existing documents, studies/reports, comprehensive plan elements, and zoning text.
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Conduct site analysis including site visits and constraints identification and mapping.
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- Task 2: Hold Preliminary Stakeholder Meetings
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Meet with County agencies, external agencies, and other stakeholders to collect background information and input.
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- Task 3: Hold a Public Town Hall Meeting
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Introduce the small area plan project.
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Execute a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) exercise, for the development of the vision, goals, objectives, and design guidelines.
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Conduct a visual preference survey in order to help establish design objectives/guidelines. Potential VPS topics for a study area may include:
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Architecture/Density
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Streetscapes
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Sidewalks and Trails including bicycles
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Public/Open Spaces
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Parking
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- Task 4: Hold a Visioning and Design Charrette
- Introduce the project and charrette process
- Conduct an exercise exploring the site analysis of existing conditions including assets and liabilities in the study area
- Conduct a visioning exercise: vision statement, goals, objectives
- Draft plan alternatives (ideally 2-3 alternatives)
- Draft preferred illustrative plan
- Create an implementation plan with specific action strategies and timeframe
- Task 5: Draft Document
- Staff will draft the document based on all of the information from research, meetings, and charrettes.
- Task 6: Hold a Planning Commission and Board of County Supervisors Work Session
- Present draft plan and provide opportunity for review/comments from the public and the Planning Commission.
- A Board of County Supervisors work session may be scheduled prior to the Board hearing date.
- Task 7: Hearing Process
- Planning Commission Hearing
- Board of County Supervisors Hearing
Questions or comments?
- Phone: 703-792-7615
- Fill out the Planning Comment Form
Please note that under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, comments, including any personally identifiable information that is included in the comments, are subject to public inspection.
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