First Sonic In NoVA's I-95 Corridor Approved By PWC Board
DUMFRIES, VA — A drive-thru Sonic will soon serve up its slushies and fast food near the intersections of Route 234 and Interstate 95 in southern Prince William County. On Tuesday, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved the Sonic special use permit at 4115 Talon Drive in Dumfries, paving the way for the first Sonic in Northern Virginia's Interstate 95 corridor.The Sonic will be located at Barracks Row at Quantico. County staff said the applicant agreed to a new condition based on community feedback to submit a construction management plan to address construction traffic. The Prince William County Planning Commission had unanimously recommended approval of the permit. Before supervisors unanimously approved the permit, a homeowners association on Talon Drive near the site shared its opposition. Roger Kacmarski, speaking on behalf of the Keswick Estates homeowners association, said drive-thru restaurants were not authorized when residents chose to move there. Kacmarski did thank Supervisor Andrea Bailey (D-Potomac) for helping to get a traffic signal installed at Talon Drive and Route 234. "We bought our houses, we did other things, that was not going to be any drive-thrus in that area," said Kacmarski. "Now for that to become the primary use, is something we definitely opposed to."A county staff report supported the drive-thru, saying they are usually community-serving uses and must follow conditions set under the special use permit. In addition, county staff said redevelopment of the site could help attract new business uses. Supervisors tried to assure opposed residents that county officials and developers would work on concerns with the project. Chair Deshundra Jefferson, who lives in the Potomac District close to the site, said she understands the concerns and is familiar with the intersection. Jefferson said residents can contact her office to work on concerns."Change is hard. Having a commercial development close to your residence, I understand the concerns," said Jefferson. "I think that this is a net positive, and I am hoping and we will work with the developers to make sure to mitigate any concerns regarding this project."Bailey said her job as supervisor means working with those who opposed to projects and that they are "never ignored.""The Potomac District is very different in that it's very old, and it just needs a little lift," said Bailey. "And sometimes that lift, that change...is not very comfortable. And so I certainly respect that. But I guarantee you, the person that is owning the company, that is owning the Sonic is a community partner."Supervisor Victor Angry (D-Neabsco) said the planning commission did its due diligence and heard concerns before recommending approval."I don't think it's at our level that we want to challenge their decision to then look further into an application," said Angry. "They got it to a point where they felt it was ready for prime time being us."Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin (D-Woodbridge) pointed to the greater revitalization work happening in the eastern part of Prince William County."When you look at this area, it's really a sign of the redevelopment that's taking place," said Franklin. "I think that's kind of coalescing with the eastern end of the county, particularly with the work that we're doing on Route 1, and the more that we bring some of these opportunities, particularly on the retail and commercial side, to the eastern end, I think the more that we can see that revitalization happening in real time."Supervisor Bob Weir (R-Gainesville) noted that there was significant public feedback on the proposal at the planning commission hearing. Weir did not object to the planning commission's recommendation. However, he requested proposals like this should not be on the Board of County Supervisors' consolidated agenda. "Regardless of how the planning commission votes, if there is serious resident concern with respect to the application at the time...I'd prefer that they didn't appear on essentially the consolidated agenda, so that everybody has an opportunity to say something at the regular time with a full presentation," said Weir. Bailey thanked the Keswick Estates homeowners association and the applicant for being involved in the process, which included town halls. Bailey said the applicant has made changes based on listening to local residents."It's been a long time coming, and it's been not a very easy project, but a project that has been very supportive of the community," said Bailey.The article First Sonic In NoVA's I-95 Corridor Approved By PWC Board appeared first on Woodbridge, VA Patch.
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