Coles District Newsletter SUPERVISOR YESLI VEGA November & December 2020 10th Edition Dear Neighbor, It’s almost the end of the year and that means the holiday season is in full swing. This can be a very hectic time of year but as we transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas and other reflective holy times I hope we can all find some quiet moments to give thanks and bask in the peace and joy of that which is most important to us. The work of your county government continues which we’ll highlight in this double issue of the Coles District Newsletter. A couple of big land use cases in the district were deferred, though it appears some may be coming forward in the first quarter of next year. Stay tuned. Law enforcement was also very much in the news as we hired a new Chief of Police. We also saw a spike of high profile gang busts and homicides, and the Strategic Plan Development Team initiated a debate over taking away some funding for the police. I hope you’ll enjoy this even more packed than usual double November/December Edition of the Coles District Newsletter. And from my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! For Coles, Yesli Vega /ColesDistrict 1 November & December 2020 10th Edition Table of Contents Kline Farm Development Deferred & Preserve at Long Branch Deferred ......................................................... 4 Upcoming Coles Land Use Cases .......................................................................................................................... 5 Key Planning Commission Meetings in December ............................................................................................. 6 Police Blotter: Board Objects to Striking ‘Defund the Police’ Language from Strategic Plan .......................... 7 Police Blotter: Prince William Police Department 235 Officers Short of Standards ......................................... 8 Police Blotter: 12 MS-13 Gang Members Charged In Connection with Death of Four PWC Residents .......... 9 Police Blotter: 12 MS-13 Gang Members Charged (Continued) ...................................................................... 10 Police Blotter: Life sentence issued in gang-related killing in Nokesville ........................................................ 11 Police Blotter: Gang members indicted in murder in Charlottesville, two murder attempts in PWC ........... 12 Police Blotter: Jail To Lose ~$100k Due to End of Fed Partnership & CA Drops Riot Charges ................... 13 Police Blotter: Double Homicides in Woodbridge............................................................................................. 14 Police Blotter: Prince William Hires Peter Newsham as New Police Chief ..................................................... 15 Police Blotter: The Next Recruiting Open House is Scheduled for December 5 ............................................. 16 Police Blotter: PWC Enhances 9-1-1 Services and Emergency Notification with Smart911 ......................... 17 Sup Vega Donates Office Savings & Meet the Board Video............................................................................... 18 Strategic Plan Update .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Strategic Plan Update (Continued) .................................................................................................................... 20 Prince William County Voter Turnout Percentage Declines from 2016, Well Short of Expectations ............ 21 County Releases Results of Planning Director Survey ...................................................................................... 22 Sup Vega Directive to Protect Water from Occoquan Reservoir & Yorkshire Trash Pick Up Options ........... 23 COVID-19 Vaccine Development & Hospitalizations from Coronavirus Remain Low in PWC ..................... 24 Northam’s New Lockdown / Record Tourism in 2019 / Unemployment in County Declines ....................... 25 How COVID-19 Relief Funds Received By County Will Be Spent .................................................................... 26 Community Feeding Taskforce Continues to Serve & PWC Offering Child Care Scholarships ...................... 27 Parents Allowed to Send Some Younger Students Back to School Part Time ................................................. 28 PWEA Protests Reopening Schools .................................................................................................................... 29 School Board Defies Will of Residents on School Calendar .............................................................................. 30 2 November & December 2020 10th Edition Table of Contents Schools Begin Search for New Superintendent & School’s Missed Opportunity to Save Money ................... 31 Sup Candland’s Resolution to Define Equity in Housing and Env Concepts in Land Use Defeated .............. 32 Supervisor Vega Attends Reopening of New Central Library ........................................................................... 33 Supervisor Vega Questions County’s Use of Term ‘Latinx’ ............................................................................... 34 Legislative Affairs Update ................................................................................................................................... 35 Legislative Affairs Update (Continued) .............................................................................................................. 36 Parks Department Earns Accreditation from the National Recreation and Parks Association...................... 37 Sup Vega Meets Solar Panel Advocates / Greater PW Trails Coalition / Turf Replacement at Hellwig ........ 38 Woodbine Cemetery Update & Supervisor Vega Tours Mooney Wastewater Treatment Plant ..................... 39 Volunteer Businesses Ambassadors Needed & Temporary Activity Permits .................................................. 40 “Rebuild! VA” Grants / Construction and Renovation Permit Rebate / ELEVATE Program ........................ 41 Dev Services helps 250 Startups, Entrepreneurs Open & Simpler PPP Forgiveness for Loans ..................... 42 County Landfill Update / Development Services Drop-Off / Deadline Extended for Real Estate Taxes ....... 43 Sup Vega Recognizes Indian American Heritage Month & Anniversary of Attacks on Pearl Harbor ............ 44 Dog Licensing Program Changes ........................................................................................................................ 45 Inova Hosts Free Flu Shot Clinics for the Uninsured........................................................................................ 46 Wreaths Across America at Quantico Cemetery & Salvation Army Christmas Kettle .................................... 47 Un-Trim-A-Tree Holiday Gift Program / Toys for Tots / Bull Run Festival of Lights .................................... 48 Tom Smith Becomes Director of Public Works & Joe Gilkerson Becomes Director of HR ............................ 49 VRE Welcomes Back Riders & Matt Villareale Becomes Director of Facilities and Fleet Management ....... 50 Cat Saved From Tree & Prince William County Creates ‘Racial and Social Justice Commission’ ................. 51 Board / Commission / Committee Meetings ..................................................................................................... 52 Board of County Supervisors Meetings - October, November, December ....................................................... 53 Contact Information: Board of Supervisors & School Board ............................................................................ 54 Contact Information: Supervisor Vega’s Citizen Appointments....................................................................... 55 Contact Information: Statewide Officials, State Senate & House of Delegates ................................................ 56 Contact Information: U.S. Senate / U.S. House / County Departments .......................................................... 57 3 November & December 2020 10th Edition Kline Farm Development Deferred On November 10th, Stanley Martin Homes requested a deferral of their Standard Use Permit, CPA, and Rezoning of the Kline property scheduled to go before the Board on November 17th. The deferral request was to “a date uncertain.” The deferred plan would have placed 251 new housing units in addition to 145,000 square feet of commercial space at the busy intersection of Prince William Parkway and Liberia Avenue. According to VDOT estimates, the proposed plan would have added nearly 12,000 more car trips per day along heavily trafficked roads like the Prince William Parkway, Wellington Road, and Liberia Avenue, in addition to Yates and Davis Ford Road’s. Other issues related to the density included the degradation of neighboring wells and the added strain on the County’s public school system. In 2019, Prince William County Schools stated its opposition to the plan because of the negative impact it would have had on school overcrowding. Over 9,000 residents signed a change.org petition opposing the project. Because of the issues stemming from the plan’s density, Supervisor Vega opposed the since deferred proposal. “Given the massive community opposition to this proposal and the negative impact it would have had on the quality of life for our existing residents here in the County, I hope Stanley Martin, if retained by the applicant, will come back to us with a much more humble plan.