Manassas Park hears public concerns and staff recommendation on 213-unit 'Overlook' project

Manassas Park’s governing body on Sept. 16 heard more than two hours of presentations and public comment on “the Overlook,” a proposed rezoning and comprehensive-plan amendment that would convert two parcels south of West Corondale Drive into a planned-unit development residential community of 213 homes.

City planning staff and the planning commission recommended approval of the comprehensive-plan amendment (CPA 25-02), rezoning (RZ 2025-02) and six public-facilities waivers. Staff described the project as 77 townhomes and 136 stacked condominium units, with 11 for-sale affordable dwelling units (ADUs) reserved under the city’s ADU policy and a central 30,000-square-foot community amenity and roughly 4–4.85 acres of open space.

Why it matters: The Overlook would add housing near the city’s downtown, a development the applicant and former city manager Laszlo Palco said supports local economic development and retail. Opponents and nearby homeowners said the project’s density, the effect on on-street parking and bus-stop placement, and legal questions tied to Blooms Crossing homeowners association declarations need fuller resolution before the council acts.

Staff overview and the applicant’s case Samantha Steckety, a senior land-use planner with Ballard Spahr speaking for the applicant, said the site totals about 13.1 acres and the proposed mix includes 47 front-load townhomes, 30 rear-load townhomes and 136 stacked condos for a total of 213 units. Steckety said the proposal provides 499 parking spaces — 67 above the zoning ordinance requirement of 432 — with 80 off-lot surface spaces, and that garage spaces count as half a space under the code. She said 11 ADUs (5% of units in the proposal) are planned as for-sale homes for first-time buyers and workforce purchasers, consistent with the city’s policy dated Oct. 1, 2024.

City planning staff (identified at the hearing as Mickey) recommended approval of all three items — the comprehensive plan change, rezoning to PUD-residential and the requested public-facilities waivers including a reduced private-street width to 26 feet — and outlined proposed mitigation for traffic and bus-stop relocation in coordination with OmniRide.

Traffic, schools and utilities Transportation consultants told the council the project’s trip-generation profile differs from the site’s prior use as a private school and that overall intersection operations at West Corondale and Manassas Drive would remain around a level-of-service B. The applicant acknowledged a right-turn taper documented in the traffic study could warrant relocating the existing bus stop and would reduce on-street parking in that immediate area.

On schools, the applicant used Prince William County student-generation factors to estimate roughly 36 elementary, 19 middle and 21 high school students (about 76 students total). The applicant and a consultant cited an 11.6% enrollment decline over the last seven years and Weldon Cooper Center projections to argue the additional students would not harm school capacity.

Concerns raised by residents and HOA representatives Karen Miller, president of the Blooms Crossing Association, asked the council to defer action so Blooms Crossing’s attorneys and the developer can resolve whether the subject parcels are legally and practically separable from Blooms Crossing’s declarations and how assessments and maintenance obligations would be handled. Miller said: “We do not oppose this project provided that it can be legally separated from our community.”

Other residents asked for clarification about a proposed retaining wall, the extent of tree preservation along the shared property line, potential construction-traffic routes (the applicant said they will use existing site access and not Belmont Station roads), and whether the central green preserves features such as the community’s sledding hill. Applicant team members said the sledding knoll and a 1.2-acre tree-preservation area will remain and that the wall is limited to areas where significant grade differential exists.

Affordable homes and distribution Council members and public advocates pressed the applicant on the placement of ADUs. One councilor noted all 11 ADUs are currently proposed in the smaller 2-over-2 condominium product and urged dispersion through the project. The applicant replied the units were proposed in the smallest product type but said they would be open to putting “a couple” in townhomes if feasible.

Next steps The council closed the public hearing by voice vote; no final rezoning or plan amendment vote was taken Sept. 16. Staff and the applicant indicated the item is likely to return for a formal vote at a later meeting (applicant-dependent), giving the governing body and neighbors additional time to negotiate details such as HOA withdrawal, bus-stop placement and possible density changes.

Key quote: “We are open to modifying the density,” Samantha Steckety said of the applicant’s willingness to consider changes following the governing-body feedback.

What’s next: The governing body may consider a revised application or a formal vote in October depending on when the applicant files changes or preferences requested by the council.