The below message is from Supervisor Yesli Vega, Coles District.
Dear Neighbor,
On Tuesday’s Board meeting agenda will be a request for $1 million to further study a proposed alternative to the previously approved alignment of the Route 28 Bypass.
The original proposed alignment is dead after Fairfax County officials pulled out of the deal due to the human impact it would cause their residents by way of the taking of their homes through eminent domain.
Fairfax County’s opposition comes despite the fact that the number of discarded residential homes on their side was far fewer (estimated to be 5) than what was approved by the Prince William Board Majority for the Prince William County portion of the alignment. The number of estimated homes to be taken in Prince William County under the plan Fairfax rejected (for five) was for 55 homes plus an unknown number of trailers in the Bull Run Mobile Home Community, which apparently do not count as “homes” but parcels – per Prince William County.
While Fairfax County is saying “No” to the discarding of five residences’, the proposal we’re being asked to spend another $1 million to look into on Tuesday is actually projected to increase the number of homes being taken from Prince William County residents from 55 to 70 (not including the mobile home community, as mentioned above).
To summarize, Fairfax County is pulling out due to five homes being taken on their side. In response, Prince William County’s counter would be to increase the number of homes being taken to 70+ on our side.
Per our own estimates, neither Bypass proposal will result in fewer cars being on Route 28 in the future compared to today. And the new alignment we’re being asked to look into will likely create even more of a traffic headache for our residents as the traffic from the proposed bypass (much of which will be traffic from vehicles outside of Prince William County) would just be dumped back onto the Prince William County portion of 28, as opposed to Fairfax County.
Between the increased negative element to humanity and the fact that it will not make 28 less congested than what it is today, I remain opposed to the project and will not stick taxpayers with an additional million dollars just to fund a study for a project that, per its own estimates, will not make anyone’s life any better than it is today.
As always, you are welcome to make your voices heard this Tuesday at our 2pm meeting (1 County Complex Court, Woodbridge, VA 22192) or by emailing the Board at BOCS@pwcgov.org.
For Coles,
Yesli Vega
mailto:yvega@pwcgov.org”
(703) 792-4620