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Residents urge council to limit festivals in Old Town, preserve GMBL fields and clarify stormwater/tree work
Summary
During public comment, residents asked the council to limit the frequency and type of festivals in Old Town because of parking impacts, urged the city not to sell or relocate the GMBL baseball complex and expressed concern about tree removal tied to local stormwater projects.
Several Manassas residents used the public‑comment period on April 14 to press the council on multiple community concerns, including festival scheduling in Old Town, preservation of the GMBL baseball complex and tree loss from stormwater management projects.
A longtime Old Town property owner asked the city to limit the number and types of food‑focused festivals because they reduce parking availability and draw customers away from restaurants and retailers. The speaker suggested caps on the number of festivals per year and limits on repeat events by the same organizer.
Martin Phillips, a lifelong Manassas resident and parent whose children play at GMBL, told council the baseball complex is a community asset that should remain in place. He urged the council to reject proposals to sell or relocate the fields and suggested coordinated fundraising (for example, restaurant food‑truck donations) to support GMBL.
A resident from the Lee Manor neighborhood said recent stormwater work near their property removed trees and expressed disappointment at not being informed about tree removals; they asked the city to report on tree replacement plans and the nature‑trail impacts.
Council members acknowledged the comments; the council did not take immediate action during the April 14 meeting but will continue to consider park land, event scheduling and stormwater project communications in future discussions.
