Manassas council holds public hearing on 2045 comprehensive plan technical update; vote deferred to Oct. 27

City planning staff presented a technical update to the Manassas Comprehensive Plan (Manassas 2045) during a public hearing Sept. 22, and the City Council voted to continue the matter to its Oct. 27 meeting for final action.

Christian Samples, planning staff, told the council the 2040 plan adopted in February 2020 remains the community’s guiding document and that the current effort is a limited technical update — not a rewrite. Staff incorporated 2020 census data, removed completed projects, added statutory updates required by the Code of Virginia and updated maps and tables where conditions have changed since 2020.

Key technical changes described by staff included increased emphasis on redevelopment of the Mathis Avenue corridor; consideration of a tourist‑corridor overlay district along Centerville Road to connect to downtown; allowance for increased density in the downtown neighborhood character area while retaining traditional neighborhood design guidance; clarification of height transitions in the Mathis character area; encouragement of missing‑middle housing and accessory dwelling units; updated mapping of affordable housing and park classifications; and incorporation of the Mobility Master Plan and the Climate Action Plan elements (including greenhouse‑gas considerations and expanded pedestrian and bicycle facilities).

A planning commission subcommittee and staff held outreach including an online survey and a planning commission public hearing on Aug. 6. Planning Commission Chair Dheeraj Jagadev and staff were introduced at the council meeting; there was no public testimony during the council’s hearing.

Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about HUBZone and Opportunity Zone designations, the character‑area design principles (which are detailed in the land use chapter), and how the plan addresses access for people of all ages and abilities; staff confirmed these elements appear in the mobility and land‑use chapters and said the HUBZone mapping will be corrected in the final document to reflect a current SBA reevaluation (the map in the draft had indicated an expiration date of 2028 but staff confirmed that the Small Business Administration is reevaluating boundaries rather than an absolute expiration).

After public hearings, council voted to defer the final vote to the Oct. 27 meeting to allow time for final corrections and for the public comment period to close. The council’s motion to continue final action to Oct. 27 was made by Councilmember Vasquez Luna, seconded by Councilmember Ocina, and carried on roll call.