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Manassas council approves two planning actions, three budget/resolution votes and defers an EDA property transfer
Summary
At its July meeting the council approved a historic overlay and a columbarium resolution, approved a $300,000 CSA funding resolution and several procedural hearings, and deferred a proposed $725,000 transfer from capital reserves to the Economic Development Authority for property acquisition.
The Manassas City Council on July 15 took a string of formal actions on planning, budget and administrative items. Several items passed by roll call; one funding transfer to the Economic Development Authority was deferred for a later meeting following council discussion.
Key outcomes at a glance:
• Annenberg Park historic overlay (Ordinance O-2025-909): Council voted to approve first reading of a single‑site historic overlay district for Annenberg Park and Historic Site (9201 Maple Street). The ordinance received support from staff, the Planning Commission, the Architectural Review Board and the Historic Resources Board and passed on first reading by roll call (motion by Councilman Smith, seconded by Councilwoman Ellis; Councilmembers Smith, Ellis, Hudson and Vice Mayor Wolf voted yes).
• Pierce Funeral Home columbarium (Resolution R-2025-910): Council approved a resolution allowing an indoor columbarium at 9605 Center Street. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval; the resolution passed on roll call (motion by Councilman Smith, seconded by Councilwoman Ellis; unanimous recorded yes votes).
• CSA mandated expenditures (Resolution R-2026-010): The council amended the FY2025 budget to appropriate $300,000 of state/federal/city revenue for mandated Children’s Services Act expenditures. The resolution passed on roll call (motion moved and seconded; recorded yes votes by members present).
• Public hearings (R-2026-005 and R-2026-006): The council opened and subsequently closed public hearings on two FY2026 budget amendments that would budget school fund balance: $10,750,000 for a property purchase at 8700 Centerville Road (R-2026-005) and $2,000,000 for a pilot alternative education program (R-2026-006). Council closed both public hearings by motion and roll call; no public speakers were recorded for those two hearings.
• Pennington Traditional School special use permit (R-2026-012): Council closed the public hearing and scheduled formal action at the next regular meeting. The hearing generated public testimony from parents, teachers and a nearby resident; staff recommended approval with conditions (see separate report).
• Proposed transfer to the Economic Development Authority (Resolution R-2026-008): The council considered a request to transfer $725,000 from the city’s capital reserve fund to the EDA to support purchase of property near the Manassas Shopping Center (staff described the property as 909137 Portner Avenue / adjacent to redevelopment plans). After discussion, a substitute motion to defer the appropriation passed and the council voted to defer the request to the next meeting (final recorded votes: Councilwoman Hudson yes; Councilman Smith yes; Councilwoman Ellis no; Vice Mayor Wolf yes). The EDA had requested assistance because its own funds were planned toward other adjacent acquisitions.
• Closed‑session authorization and certification (R-2026-022 and R-2026-023): The council voted to convene a closed session to discuss terms for sale of city‑owned property in response to an unsolicited public‑private proposal and subsequently adopted the standard certification resolution after returning to open session (motions approved by roll call).
Motions and recorded votes are reflected in the formal minutes and roll calls taken during the meeting; the items above represent the council’s recorded outcomes on ordinances and resolutions that were acted on at the session.
