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Planning commission recommends denial of Maple Valley Grove rezoning after hours of public comment on schools, traffic and watershed
Summary
After extensive public comment raising concerns about schools, traffic and the Occoquan watershed, the commission voted to recommend denial of the Maple Valley Grove rezoning (REZ2024‑00048), which proposed multifamily development and an affordable‑housing element near Hoadley Road.
The Prince William County Planning Commission on Nov. 19 voted to recommend denial of the Maple Valley Grove rezoning (REZ2024‑00048), a proposed PMR rezoning for roughly 23.4 acres that had sought up to 274 residential units, including a pledged Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) building.
The applicant Jonelle Cameron of Walsh Colucci presented a proposal for a mixed multifamily community with 55% open space and landscape buffers, a monitored parking plan, and proffers including a monetary contribution for a STARS traffic study and interim fixes at the failing Hoadley Road/Prince William Parkway intersection. Staff recommended approval overall but flagged environmental and school capacity concerns in their review; school staff concluded projected enrollment would exceed capacity at assigned elementary and high schools.
Residents and civic organizations opposed the rezoning. Martin Jeter, speaking for the Mid County Civic Association and Prince William Conservation Alliance, urged commissioners to protect the Occoquan Reservoir watershed and to use the comprehensive‑plan transect ranges conservatively in areas without high‑capacity transit. "This parcel was in the semi‑rural designation previously," Jeter said; he argued the proposed density sits at the top of the MU‑3 transect and is inappropriate for the location absent stronger transit or infrastructure commitments.
Other speakers cited traffic and safety worries at Hoadley Road, potential stresses on Colgan High School and nearby elementary capacity, and the loss of mature forest that buffers neighborhoods and supports watershed recharge. Several residents requested stronger tree-save requirements, larger buffers along Prince William Parkway and additional proffers for school capacity and interim transportation improvements.
Staff and the applicant disputed some of the claims while offering concessions: Scott Meyer (planning staff) said the application exceeds the plan’s open-space targets and meets PMR intent; the applicant emphasized proffers to fund STARS study work and interim fixes and said the LIHTC building — if placed — would average 60% AMI in that building and otherwise commit units at up to 80% AMI.
After public comment and deliberation, the commission first failed to approve the rezoning (an approval motion resulted in a tie), then reconsidered and voted to recommend denial, citing the sharp density transition, school capacity and unresolved environmental concerns. The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the Board of County Supervisors for final action.
Quote: "We don't think this project at this density range…is a viable project here and unfortunately can't support it," Martin Jeter told the commission, summarizing the civic opposition.
