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Engineer says VDOT-approved street sections and tree list are ready for 'Village at Stephens City'; council must choose road width before public hearing
Summary
At a Feb. 6 joint session, Pennoni engineer David Frank presented VDOT-coordinated revisions to street sections for the Village at Stephens City subdivision — including 31-foot and 37-foot typical sections, utility relocations to keep 15 feet from planted street trees, and a VDOT-approved street-tree list. Town staff said a road-width decision is needed to advertise a public hearing.
David Frank, an engineer with Pennoni, told the Stephens City Town Council and Planning Commission at a Feb. 6 joint session that his firm had coordinated with the Virginia Department of Transportation to refine two typical street sections for the proposed Village at Stephens City subdivision and to pre‑approve a list of street trees for planting within the right of way.
Frank said the revised layouts shift the water and sanitary utilities to maintain 15 feet of separation from planted trees and provide two options for the neighborhood streets: a 31-foot pavement section and a 37-foot pavement section. He provided plan packets and drawings showing the cross sections and the recommended VDOT-approved species list for trees within the right of way.
Town Manager Mike Majher told the council that staff needs a decision on the proposed road widths so the town can run the advertisement for a public hearing. The town plans to present the engineered typical-section drawings and the tree list at that hearing; no final subdivision approvals were taken at the Feb. 6 meeting.
The VDOT-approved tree list included species such as river birch, serviceberry, crape myrtle, Yoshino and Sargent cherry, American hornbeam and kousa dogwood; Pennoni noted the final permit documents will stipulate that any other trees in the right of way require approval by both the town and VDOT.
Next steps: the town must select the street-section standard it wants to use (the 31-foot or 37-foot option) so staff can schedule the public hearing and allow the Planning Commission and the public to review the complete subdivision plans. The council did not vote on a road-width decision at the Feb. 6 meeting; the packet included Pennoni e-mails and plan sheets that the firm asked commission and council members to review in advance of the public hearing.
