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Silver Lake to become conservatory
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(Jeff Mankie/Examiner)
Manuel Torres power-washes the driveway at one of the newly built homes at Dominion Valley Country Club in Haymarket. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted Tuesday to defer a rezoning application from Toll Brothers to expand the development to 3,200 homes. Toll Brothers has plans to donate more than 280 acres of open space to Prince William County in return for approval of some 400 new homes in a 2,800-home community. County supervisors delayed a vote last month on the Toll Brothers application to expand its Dominion Valley gated community off Route 15 due to environmental and traffic concerns. In response to the community’s concerns, the developers said they would donate 282 acres surrounding Silver Lake to the county for a school, nature conservancy and a therapeutic horseback riding facility, according to a letter from Michael Lubeley, a Toll Brothers attorney. Toll Brothers will build the trails for horses and hiking and will turn the property over to the Bull Run Conservancy. The dozen homes slated for the south side of Silver Lake have been removed from the plan, said Steve Griffin, the county’s planning chief. The county is still reviewing environmental reports regarding fuel tanks at the quarry north of Silver Lake, he said. “This has the potential to create an over 500-acre park and natural open space area for the public to be able to enjoy,” said Sean Connaughton, Prince William County Board of Supervisors chair. The developer’s proposal includes fast-tracking the Route 15 widening project from Interstate 66 to just beyond the community’s boundary. No building permits would be applied for until the Route 15 project is completed. Toll Brothers will contribute $50,000 toward affordable housing in the county, according to Lubeley’s letter, addressing a concern raised by Woodbridge Supervisor Hilda Barg. “I think they tried to address each and every concern they heard at that meeting [last month], both by the citizens and by the board,” Griffin said. The proposal in still in the process of being completed. The final proposal will be presented to the Board of Supervisors at Tuesday night’s meeting. A public hearing will follow. cgoodman@dcexaminer.com |