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Buckland Bypass Concept
This area, threatened by encroaching development, is historically significant and merits protection. Buckland Village is already on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. We understand efforts are underway to nominate the “Buckland Races” battlefield and Buckland Farm to these Registers, and we applaud these efforts. PWCA is very concerned that discussion of protecting Buckland seems to be focused on building a major new road around it. The current idea suggests that diverting traffic to the perimeter would protect the historic district. As we can see at Manassas National Battlefield Park, perimeter road construction does little to enhance the quality of cultural resources. And it does not guarantee that the traffic impacts of Route 29 will be lessened. This strategy could be counterproductive to Buckland preservation efforts over the long run. A new road would add considerable development pressures to the area just west and north of Buckland, degrading the rural environment surrounding it. In addition, such a road and attendant development would have a significant impact on Broad Run and its adjacent wetlands, which feed into Lake Manassas, a major drinking water supply. Furthermore, it is unlikely that such a road would relieve pressure on Rt. 29 for long. Transportation studies repeatedly demonstrate that “induced demand” leads to more vehicle trips when new capacity is added. This will fill up the new road as well as Rt. 29. These impacts should be comprehensively reviewed and considered. The long and the short of it, however, is that there's no money in the foreseeable future for the roads that are planned much less one that's not on VDOT's list. Efforts that focus on ways to reduce impacts from existing traffic could help. VDOT is scheduled to begin the public process for the realignment of Vint Hill Road at Route 29 to the edge of Buckland Farm (rather than through the Farm) this coming October, which will improve sighting at the intersection, help traffic flow more smoothly, and lessen the impact on Buckland. In our view, conservation easements are a practical opportunity and would be an effective next step in protecting Buckland. In addition to protecting the land's historic and conservation values, conservation easements provide financial benefits to landowners and strengthen broader preservation efforts. The Prince William Conservation Alliance supports protection for the Buckland Historic District. Preservation goals focus on the future. A focus on long-range goals that consider regional connections and impacts can protect historic resources over the long run. We hope the PW Historic Commission actively supports conservation opportunities at Buckland. However, we urge you not to endorse proposed road changes without further studying their potential impacts on the region, including Buckland. This timeline includes information that is available online and may not be complete.
News Clips Skeptical, Downey takes hard line on bypass plan Don DelRosso, Fauquier Times Democrat; November 14 2006 It will take a lot of convincing to win his support for a Buckland/Gainesville bypass. Fauquier Supervisor Bill Downey ( Scott District ) believes a four-lane highway from U.S. 29 at New Baltimore to Interstate 66 could expose the largely rural area to massive growth pressure. "The mistakes of what's happening in Gainesville , we are at risk of repeating again with any bypass," Downey said in an interview. Rather than ease area traffic, a bypass could very well exacerbate the problem by creating another development corridor, he warned. Last week, Prince William County released the " Buckland/Gainesville Bypass Study Report ." Gainesville-Buckland Bypass Routes Studied; I-66 Shortcut May Be Controversial Nick Miroff, Washington ; November 26, 2006 A new study has outlined three possible routes for a Gainesville-Buckland bypass designed to reduce traffic on Route 29 and soothe some of the region's most road-weary commuters with a high-speed shortcut to Interstate 66.Whichever course the road eventually takes, though, it's likely to carve a costly and contentious path through the western edge of Prince William County. Transportation, battlefield dominate service district hearing Don Del Rosso, Fauquier Times Democrat; November 14 2006 … The save-the-battlefield people believe widening U.S. 29 would do little, if anything, to relieve short- or long-term congestion along the traffic-clogged roadway. They believe a Buckland/Gainesville bypass linking U.S. 29 at New Baltimore to Interstate 66 would move regional and local traffic more efficiently than six-laning U.S. 29 to Gainesville . More importantly, they argue a bypass would accomplish that without ravaging the battlefield. Downey and others worry that a Buckland/Gainesville bypass would create just another development corridor, pushing development further west of Gainesville . [Fauquier] Board holds Nov. 9 hearing on New Baltimore land-use plan Don Del Rosso, Fauquier Times Democrat, Novemer 8, 2006 Blake believes the New Baltimore Service District plan should recognize transportation alternatives and the historic importance of Buckland Farm. Besides studying a bypass, Fauquier officials also must consider effects of PrinceWilliam roads planned, proposed or under construction in the area that would ease U.S. 29 congestion, he said. Planning Commissioner Holder Trumbo ( Scott District ) said he appreciates such suggestions. But the district plan zeros in on district rather than regional transportation issues. "It's not the New Baltimore Service District plan's position that we would fix the Prince William (transportation) problems in Gainesville ," he said. "It's not the New Baltimore Service District Plan's job to say what should happen in Prince William." There's no money anyway Letters, Peter Schwartz, Fauquier Times Democrat; October 17 2006 The Democrat's editorial of last week plugging the Buckland Bypass is wrong-headed, although some of your observations are correct. It is true that Prince William County has failed egregiously to control curb cuts on U.S. 29 from the Fauquier County line to Gainesville . Having ruined U.S. 29 as a through-corridor, they then walked away from the opportunity to maintain U.S. 15 running north to Haymarket as a limited access bypass corridor. I believe that there is no realistic chance whatsoever that Prince William will resist the potential development pressure in order to control access along a new "Buckland Bypass" corridor, even if Fauquier County is able to do so. The sprawl - and the traffic it generates - will just spread further west. [Prince William] Historical Commission defers vote on controversial resolution Tara Slate Donaldson, Gainesville Times; June 11 2006 Without discussion or dissent, the Prince William Historical Commission decided Tuesday to put off a vote on a resolution supporting the Buckland Bypass. Buckland residents and members of the Buckland Preservation Society had urged the commissioners to adopt the resolution, which is primarily a recognition of the area's historic and cultural value. However, several clauses in the resolution refer to the bypass, a longstanding but mostly theoretical plan to divert Route 29 traffic around Buckland. While Buckland residents support the proposal, the county's conservation groups oppose it. Buckland bypass enters next phase of planning Cheryl K. Chumley, Gainesville Times; April 21 2006 So far, a road plan to ease traffic congestion on us. 29 and through Gainesville is just lines on a page, officials at a joint Fauquier-Prince William meeting on Friday said repeatedly. But for Fauquier Supervisor Bill Downey, concerns are still great that designers of the Buckland Bypass proposal will not respect the differences between the two counties' Comprehensive Plans and goals for growth. You Can Sit on Your Parks, or Save Them New York Times; September 15, 2005 Fighting Sprawl, Virginia Town Seeks to Save Past Reuters; June 01, 2005 The Journey to Hallowed Ground Embracing the Past In Tiny Buckland, Va.; Residents Hope Historic Value Deters VDOT Buckland Makes [Cultural Landscape Foundation] Endangered List Group Wants to Preserve Buckland, Supports a Bypass Tiny Buckland Wants Respect, Traffic Bypass |
