Section 15.2-2223 of the Virginia Code, requires each jurisdiction to adopt a comprehensive plan to serve as a guideline for land development. It is intended to be a roadmap to “coordinated, adjusted, and harmonious development” that, given present and “probable future needs and resources, best promote(s) the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare” of the residents.

The Comprehensive Plan creates a vision for the future of Prince William. It is used as a guideline for evaluating and negotiating development applications. Generally, development applications that fail to match Comprehensive Plan goals and actions can be denied.

The Comprehensive Plan includes a map that shows planned land uses on a parcel-to-parcel basis. It lists specific goals and actions that are needed to make the vision a reality.

The Comprehensive Plan includes some mandatory actions. These are transferred (repeated) in the Zoning Ordinance, where where they can be enforced throughout the duration of development projects. Everything else written in the Comprehensive Plan is optional and subject to negotiation.

The Capital Improvements Projects budget is intended to implement the Comprehensive Plan by funding projects in areas the Comprehensive Plan is targeting for development.

How the Plan is used

The County's review and approval/denial of development applications - Comprehensive Plan amendments, rezonings, and special use permit applications - is based on the goals, policies, and action strategies that are listed in the Comprehensive Plan.

First, planning staff completes an analysis based on the Comprehensive Plan and makes recommendations to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission holds a public hearing, votes to approve/deny and forwards their consensus recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for each development application.

Next, planning staff forwards their report and the Planning Commission recommendation(s) to the Board of Supervisors. A Board vote to approve/deny development applications is held following a public hearing.

Land Use Categories Used in the Comprehensive Plan

POTOMAC COMMUNITIES

Urban Residential Low (URL)

• Attached or detached residential development at a density up to eight units per acre
• Includes associated community facilities such as schools, churches and public safety stations.
• This density is an effort to spur reinvestment and redevelopment of underutilized residential areas.

Urban Residential Medium (URM)

• Attached residential development at a density of eight to 20 units per acre
• Includes associated community facilities.
• This density is an effort to provide economically viable alternatives to strip retail development.

Urban Residential High (URH)

• Attached residential development at a density of 20 to 30 units per acre
• Includes associated community facilities.

Residential Planned Community (RPC)

• Previously approved mixed residential communities with specific masterplans.
• No additional RPC areas are recommended.

Urban Mixed Use

• Coordinated projects, or an integrated group of projects, consisting of at least three components – residential, office or regional employment, and recreation – combined to take full advantage of properties with excellent transportation access.
• Additional uses, such as neighborhood or general commercial, may be included
• Mass-transit shall be included in any UMU development, with pedestrian connections to the various uses.

URBAN AREAS

The urban designations are intended to encourage development at densities high enough to bring regional mass transit to Prince William County and better link the County to its region via mass transit.

Mass Transit Node (MTN)

• For areas surrounding existing Virginia Rail Express (VRE) commuter rail stations. VRE should be the focal point of the development.
• MTN projects should be designed to provide opportunities for residents to live, work, and recreate in the same area without being dependent on the automobile.
• Residential is multifamily, with a minimum density of 30 dwelling units per gross acre, less the Environmental Resource (ER) designated portion of a property.

Regional Employment Center (REC)

• For sites close to or with good access from major interstate highways
• Primary use is mid- and high-rise office
• 75% Employment use, 25% retail and/or residential (16-30 d.u./acre)
• Phasing plan required
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required; office design guidelines
• Retail located on site to primarily serve employees/residents; drive-in/through discouraged
• Minimum height of 4-6 stories preferred

Regional Commercial Center (RCC)

• For sites close to or with good access from major interstate highways
• Primary use is large-scale retail that serves a regional market
• 75% regional retail, 25% local-serving small retail, retail service and/or residential
• Phasing plan required
• Residential in mixed-use building; 16-30 d.u./acre
• Drive-in/through discouraged
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required

General Commercial (GC)

• For sites, especially those along Route 1, Route 234, Route 28, and at the Minnieville Road-Smoketown Road intersection
• Primary use is retail that serves a local market
• Infill of existing commercial “strips”: Route 1, Sudley Road, Route 28 at Yorkshire, Minnieville-Smoketown
• Designation of new GC areas is discouraged
• Offices only up to 25%; Office design guidelines
• Access from main road; pedestrian access to abutting residential areas encouraged
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required
• Minimum office building height of 2-3 stories preferred

SUBURBAN AREAS

Flexible Use Employment Center (FEC)

• Light manufacturing, “start-up” business, offices; retail = secondary use, limited to 10% of project area
• Secondary use = warehousing, wholesale, storage, distribution; outdoor storage up to 10% of land area
• Most intense use at core of site; less intense on periphery (except storage)
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required; office design guidelines

Industrial Employment (EI)

• Manufacturing, industrial parks, truck and auto repair, wholesale/distribution, warehouses
• Stand-alone offices and office-like facilities discouraged
• Retail, retail service = secondary use, limited to 10% of project area
• Most intense use at core of site; less intense on periphery (except storage)
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required
• Performance standards for off-site impacts applied.

Community Employment Center (CEC)

• For sites at or near intersections of principal roads or commuter rail stations
• 75% Employment use, 25% retail and/or residential (6-12 d.u./acre--no townhouses)
• Phasing plan required
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required; office design guidelines
• Retail located on site to primarily serve employees/residents; drive-in/through discouraged
• Minimum office building height of 3-5 stories preferred

General Commercial (GC)

• For sites, especially those along Route 1, Route 234, Route 28, and at the Minnieville Road-Smoketown Road intersection
• Primary use is retail that serves a local market
• Infill of existing commercial “strips”: Route 1, Sudley Road, Route 28 at Yorkshire, Minnieville-Smoketown
• Designation of new GC areas is discouraged
• Offices only up to 25%; Office design guidelines
• Access from main road; pedestrian access to abutting residential areas encouraged
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required
• Minimum office building height of 2-3 stories preferred

Office (O)

• Office uses, retail/retail service discouraged--contained within building, for use by tenants/residents
• Less intense office uses at periphery of site
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required; office design guidelines
• Minimum office building height of 3-5 stories preferred

Neighborhood Commercial (NC)

• 15 acres/80,000 GSF; no single use (except grocery, drug store) to exceed 8,000 SF--retail, retail service uses
• No NC within one mile of GC, CR, other NC and vice-versa
• To serve surrounding neighborhoods; pedestrian access encouraged
• Project access from neighborhood road(s) rather than roads serving pass-through/pass-by traffic
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required--site planned, developed comprehensively
• Second- and third-floor residential uses permitted with SUP

Suburban Residential High (SRH) (10-15 d.u./acre)

• Apartments, condominiums preferred

Suburban Residential Medium (SRM) (4-6 d.u./acre)

• Single-family detached preferred, SF attached limited to 25% of total land area
• Clustering permitted at density of conventional development, must meet objectives of Environment Plan and Fire & Rescue Plan

Suburban Residential Low (SRL) (1-4 d.u./acre)

• Single-family detached
• Clustering permitted at density of conventional development, must meet objectives of Environment Plan and Fire & Rescue Plan

SEMI-RURAL AREAS

Areas where a wide range of larger-lot residential development can occur, as a transition between the largest-lot residential development in the Rural Area and the more dense residential development found in the Development Area.

Semi-Rural Residential (SRR)
(1 d.u./1-5 ac. for 1-2 lots total; 1 d.u./2.5 ac. for more than 2 lots)

• Density = 1-5 acres for single lots or for division of land into two lots
• Average of 2.5 acres/d.u. when more than two lots, to be achieved with any combination of lots of 1-5 acres in size but average density maintained. (recommended)
• Clustering permitted at density of conventional development, must meet objectives of Environment Plan and Fire & Rescue Plan
• Public sewer or individual on-site sewage systems

Rural Areas

The purpose of the Rural Area designation is to help preserve the County's agricultural economy and resources, the quality of the groundwater supply, and the open space and rural character presently found there.

Agricultural or Estate (AE)
(1 d.u./10 acres)

• Clustering permitted at density of conventional development, must include a minimum of 50% open space and meet objectives of Environment Plan
• Public water but no public sewer

Convenience Retail (CR)

• Clustering permitted at density of conventional development, must meet objectives of Environment Plan
• Nodes” to serve rural areas located within 10-15 minutes' driving time-- 5 miles from NC, GC, CR uses
• Retail/retail service uses for basic, daily needs of rural residents--not uses normally found in Development Area
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required--site planned, developed comprehensively
• Community Design Plan: clusters of small buildings rather than one or two large buildings, “rural” design
• Limited to 15,000 SF with no use over 8,000 SF--retail gas stations as accessory uses, attached to CR use
• Project access from lesser road(s) rather than roads serving pass-through/pass-by traffic
• Combination gas station-quick service-fast-food uses and drive-in/through uses discouraged
• Architectural, planting, sign, lighting plans required--site planned, developed comprehensively
• Pedestrian access to any nearby residential neighborhoods
• Second-floor residential uses permitted with Special Use Permit (SUP)
• Two-story height limit

Countywide Categories

Environmental Resource (ER)

All 100-year floodplains, Resource Protection Areas, areas with 25 percent or greater slopes, areas with 15 percent or greater slopes in conjunction with soils that have severe limitations, soils with a predominance of marine clays, public water supply sources, and critically erodible shorelines and stream banks. Notable omissions from the ER designation definition include wetlands and intermittant streams.

LAND USE COMPATIBILITY MATRIX

The Land Use Compatibility Matrix provides a general evaluation technique to ensure compatibility in areas where different land use categories meet.

• Land use classifications in the matrix that are identified as "Compatible" are those uses that are—when adjacent—harmonious and consistent with one another.
• Land use classifications identified as "Incompatible Except with Mitigation Measures" will require significant buffering and transitions, depending on the Long-Range Land Use Area and specific land uses.
• Land use classifications identified as "Incompatible" should only be located adjacent to each other when extensive and extraordinary mitigating measures can effectively address all compatibility concerns.

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:

Generalized development plans (GDPs)

• GDPs for nonresidential projects must include plans for building architecture, sign, lighting and landscaping compatibility.
• Sign programs must be developed for nonresidential developments and provided with the application.

Community Design Plan

The policies and action strategies in the Community Design Plan must be addressed in all applications for rezoning, special use permit, and public facility review, such as:

• Providing pedestrian links between residential and commercial properties and community facilities.
• Providing wide sidewalks in commercial areas.
• Incorporating crime prevention principles into site and building designs.
• Providing parking at the rear of commercial buildings.
• Locating new structures close to the street edge.
• Eliminating or limiting large parking lots between public streets and building entrances.
• Preserving natural and scenic resources in rural areas.
• Designing commercial structures in the Rural Area as building groupings, with no large, single-use structures.
• Protecting historic properties through appropriate design of adjacent properties and preservation of views to and from the historic properties.
• Designing of natural stormwater management designs, as wet ponds and as architectural features of new developments.
• Protecting and restoring the natural terrain, drainage, and vegetation.
• Aligning new roads to the natural contours of the land.
• New design guidelines for office buildings, and for major County gateways and road corridors.

Historic Resource Management Overlay areas and Designated Cultural Resources (DCRs)

• Phase I level archaeological/historical studies must be performed site-wide and provided with the application.
• Based on the results of the Phase I studies, Phase II and III studies might also be required, at a minimum for the area to be disturbed. These studies must be provided prior to final site plan approval.

Historic, prehistoric resources

• Appropriate records research--and the results of that research--are required for potential historic/prehistoric resources on a site for which a rezoning, special use permit, or public facility review application is submitted. The records in the Planning Office may be used, or the applicant can use, and provide, the results of research undertaken in other credible sources.

LEVEL OF SERVICE (LOS) CHAPTERS
(Fire & Rescue, Library, Parks & Open Space, Transportation)

The County agencies responsible for providing fire and rescue stations, libraries, parks and recreation areas, roads, and schools have established level of service (LOS) standards. These agencies have also quantified the cost, per residence or per nonresidential square footage, of providing these facilities and services to new development. The standards and costs are newly delineated in the appropriate Comprehensive Plan chapters.

Environment Plan

• Applicants for rezonings, special use permits need to perform and submit environmental constraints analysis with the application. This analysis must be done up front , addressed in application, not site plan or subdivision.
• Constraints analysis identifies areas of site to NOT be developed. Set aside as preservation/conservation area—rezoning proffer, etc.
• New areas added to list of environmentally sensitive areas, areas to be identified in environmental constraints analysis, put in preservation/conservation area.
• Much less emphasis on mitigation/engineering solutions to environmental constraints; greater emphasis on avoidance, preservation/conservation.
• Adds low-impact design (LID) techniques, and incorporates the Center for Watershed Protection manual.
• Applicants must identify means of avoiding/ mitigating areas of highly erodible, highly permeable, and marine clay soils for rezonings, special use permits, and PFRs.
• Discourage development adjacent to perennial streams in a number of instances.
• Encourage cluster development in areas of the County that have steep slopes and highly erodible soils.
• Use the County's informal registry of Historic and Champion Trees in evaluating rezoning and special use permit applications, to determine if any such trees are located on the property in question.

Long-Range Land Use Plan

The Long-Range Land Use Plan is now site-specific, except for where the zoning is A-1. In that case, the particular dividing line between long-range classifications—if that line is not now clear—would be decided on a case-by-case basis.

• Height limit guidelines for REC, GC, CEC, and O projects.
• Government offices encouraged in REC, FEC, and O.
• Infill at densities shown in Plan.
• Land in GMU Sector Plan area, north of Wellington Road—sector plan to be amended, this area taken out, and REC changed (perhaps to FEC/EI).
• Comprehensive Plan amendment procedures added.
• Public land sold for other use must have a CPA.
• Encourage high end of the density range in REC, SRH, FEC, O, and RCC.
• Rezonings and special use permits will be evaluated based, in part, on the Development Evaluation Criteria contained in the Introduction to the 1998 Comprehensive Plan.

Phasing

Phasing plans must be provided for rezonings within Regional Employment Centers (RECs), Regional Commercial Centers (RCCs), and Community Employment Centers (CECs), as well as for RRCs. (The phasing requirements are provided within and at the end of the Long-Range Land Use Plan.)

Transportation/Thoroughfare Plan

• To achieve/maintain LOS D, other measures than roadway widenings will be considered.
• Where roadway is already below LOS D, and where property is not in a designated MTN, it is possible to recommend development at the lowest end of the density range or to recommend denial of the rezoning or SUP.
• Public Works will do corridor plans for LOS E or F corridors/segments, to determine what measures need to be undertaken to bring LOS up to D.
• Encourage large developments, including town centers, to include transit services and/or facilities and/or commuter lots.
• Provide trip generation credits to large developments, including town centers, where enforceable TMPs or other travel demand reduction techniques are provided.
• Encourage neighborhood-based or employer-provided shuttles or other methods to feed to/from commuter rail stations, transit centers.
• Encourage commuter lots in commercial areas near major arterials, at edge of adjacent residential areas.
• For roads operating at less than LOS “D” (see Transportation Plan), require applicant for rezoning and special use permit to address mitigation techniques to maintain existing LOS. Background traffic must also be considered.

Click here for the full text of the Comprehensive Plan.