Commission Rejects Proposal to Expand Service District

To almost nobody's surprise, the developers lost round one in their efforts to win county approval for a 1,000-home new town concept at Bealeton.

Fauquier's planning commission last Thursday unanimously recommended denial of Bealeton Gateway LLC's comprehensive plan amendment request to add 125 acres to the Bealeton Service District.

About 225 acres of Mintbrook's proposed site lie in the service district, a designated growth area at U.S. 17 and Route 28.

Bealeton Gateway contends the 125 acres must be added to the service district for Mintbrook to succeed as conceived.

The planners and public hearing speakers believe that expanding the service district at this time raised a number of land-use concerns.

Commission Chairman Jim Stone (Cedar Run District) believes the developer also should have filed a rezoning application, which would have included greater details about Mintbrook, a compact, walkable community with a mix of housing, retail, entertainment and recreational opportunities.

Without such detail, Stone suggested he couldn't support enlarging the service district.

Commissioner Adrienne Garreau (Scott District) believes the scope of the comprehensive plan amendment request, if approved, would subvert the citizen review process to update service district plans.

It disturbs me when developers come in seeking large-scale changes to the comprehensive plan, Garreau said.

Seven residents spoke against the request.

Mary Root of Remington said the Mintbrook proposal defies the common-sense planning expressed in the Bealeton Service District plan. Root served on a citizen panel that helped update the district plan.

For the full story, read the April 1 Fauquier Times-Democrat