Question About Fauquier County and the Rural Crescent? (Manassas, Fairfax: for sale, lawyers)

[Thruway]

I wanted to take a nice drive into the country after being in Manassas.
I kept going on RT 28.

It still is rural, but you just have to go a lot longer on the road.
I remember it used to be after 234 it was all rural, now though you go into Nokesville.
Even then they still have a subdivision there.

Anyway the drive was really nice until I approached RT 17.
Out of nowhere there was a pretty long backup at about 4:30, along with a pretty new and big subdivision.

It was really strange because for 15 or so miles you're just driving on RT 28 and it's all nice, green pastures before BAM, you see a subdivision in the middle of everything.

There also was a lot of traffic on RT 17.

I wanted to know a couple of things
1) Is the RT 28 corridor in Fauquier rural, is it safe and protected or are there imminent plans to develope it like they have done past Manassas in Prince William County?

2) What was going with all the traffic on RT 17, 29, and to a lesser extent 28 in central Fauquier?
As far as I could see the area was very rural, where were these people commuting to and from on 17, 29, and 28?
Fredericksburg?

3) Driving back at 5 PM on 29 east, I was surprised at how crowded the road was in both directions.
I don't understand why there was so much traffic going east at this hour, any thoughts?

4) Further I thought PWC had the "rural crescent" that was supposed to protect the western area from developement, keeping it rural?
However when driving Gainesville has been completely paved over, all the way past the route 15 intersection.
What happened to the rural crescent and PWC rural conservation?

5) Overall, is this area, west Prince William and Fauquier still rural, deeply threatened, or is there a good chance it can sustain it';s natural beauty unlike the rest of the region?

Thanks.

[DavidS827]

The answer to your first and last questions largely depend on whether or not the current land owners are able to sell the land they own. From what I hear, many of them have put a "make me move" price on their land and are just waiting for a developer to come running with the money. Eventually, I think they will all sell, so the only question really is when.

As far as the traffic goes, there are a lot of people that have taken lower paying jobs with a reverse and/or much shorter commute, or opened a new office in the western suburbs to take advantage of the boom that occured over the last 6-7 years. I can't tell you how many doctors, lawyers and small business owners that I know that have opened up new offices in the 29/17 corridor.

In Gainesville, the rural crescent only helps the northeast side of the town, so if you came off of 66 and went down 29, you passed it and then crossed over it south (i think) of 15.

[Thruway]

Doctors and professionals, were are they setting up shop?
West PWC and commuting into Fauquier or Fairfax?

Are you stating even in Fauquier the 28 corridor is primed for developemet, along with 29, and 17?
I thought that area was protected to remain rural?
Why would landowners do this to such a prestine region?
I would be saddened to see it paved.

[DavidS827]

Many of them are setting up shop in Gainesville, Haymarket and Bristow and then moving there. Fauquier hospital is also growing quite rapidly, so there are also some doctors moving out to Warrenton and the surrounding communities. They can have the same income, half the expenses and two or three times the land and house.

I think that it is inevitable that most of that land will be developed. The part that is in the rural crescent will turn into estate homes and the rest will be golf course communities, town centers and the like. I know that Brandy Station is slated to be the next Great Falls...nothing but mega mansions for the filthy rich.

For the land owners, I imagine that it is difficult to turn away the money that some of the developers are offering them. I know of someone that currently has 300 acres in that region for sale for 8 million...and they will eventually get it....and perhaps a lot more if we see another housing boom.

People will blame this all on the developers, but none of the land can be developed if it isn't ever sold by the land owners...

[Thruway]

Are you speaking about just PWC or Fauquier?
That's really depressing.
When I see Fauquier I see a far out rural county with a still agarian lifestyle, and I'd hate to see it ruined.

It's a multi facet problem.
Yes the landowners sell, but they don't own all the land and tress.
Also when the value is raised the taxes rise, the traffic increase, as does noise, pollution, simple their quality of life decline and the cost of living goes up to unaffordable amounts.

I thought Fauquier took steps to preserve agriculture as did PWC for the western portion.
Do you forsee RT 29, 17, and 28 in west PWC and Fauquier becoming like Loudon OR will these areas retain their character?

I would hate to see RT 29, 28, and 17 in Fauquier become like they are in Fairfax.
That would really hurt.

[DavidS827]

Both Fauquier and Prince William. Although I think Fauquier will take longer. There is an amzing amount of "old money" out there, so the numbers ($$$) that some of the developers are bringing wont be as jaw dropping to many of those land owners as it will have been to others.

Both counties have taken steps to preserve some of the land and in the areas that they set out to preserve, I think they have done a very good job. The rural crescent is a prime example of this.

I think the problem is that it just isn't possible to stop development completely and when land owners demand high prices for their land, the developers have two choices. One is to build estate homes and charge more for each home. The other is to build more homes and charge less. The former has people screaming for "affordable" housing, but applauding the land preservation and the latter has people complaining about preserving the land, but applauding them for building "affordable" housing. It's a no win situation and basically just becomes a business decision...which one will make the developer more money.

I hope this region never turns into Fairfax. You know there is a big misconception about why people move to this area. Most of the people that I have worked/talked with didn't move out here b/c they had to, but b/c they wanted to get away from everything that Fairfax has become and are willing to have a longer commute, or just flat out find another job to "get out". (as they put it)

[Thruway]

I don't want Fauquier to become Fairfax, or Western Prince Wille, because they have too much beauty in the mountains that need protected big time.

[DavidS827]

Originally Posted by tberg224

I don't want Fauquier to become Fairfax, or Western Prince Wille, because they have too much beauty in the mountains that need protected big time.

I couldn't agree with you more!