The Oaks III Development Near Occoquan: An Overview

With every new development in Prince William County, the need for economic development must be weighed against the negative effects that the development could have on the surrounding area.

The site for the planned Oaks III development near Occoquan sits near Old Bridge Road and Tanyard Hill Road, at the intersection of a busy road and a scenic, tree-lined drive. The development will impact town traffic and town stormwater management, among other issues.

Developer Ken Thompson first became interested in the site as a place to put 15 new parking spaces for his current Oaks II office building. The NRA, the current owners of the 18-acre plot, would only sell him the whole plot, and not just a portion for the parking lot.

On June 20, Thompson and his representatives presented his plan to the Occoquan public. In this plan, he said he will use 2.8 acres of the 18 acres for a 32,500 square foot low-rise office building. An additional 1.5 acres will be used for the parking lot. Finally, he wants to build one home on a one-acre lot. (The plan allows for “up to” 34 houses on the plot.) He claims that the remaining acres will be put into a conservation easement “for perpetuity.”

As planned, the office building and the parking lot can be accessed by turning right off of Old Bridge Road. However, the main entrance and exit will be on Tanyard Hill Road. One of Thompson’s representatives claimed June 20 that this development will bring an extra 560 cars onto Old Bridge Road every day, with about 100 during peak hours. He said that cars would only have to wait for about 50 seconds before being able to turn back onto Old Bridge Road from the development during peak hours. He said that Tanyard Hill Road would see an extra 11 cars per day as a result of the development, with two during peak hours.

Thompson and his representatives said this data was gathered from national averages and from the traffic that Oaks II receives. Oaks II cannot be accessed from Tanyard Hill Road, so it is uncertain how the Tanyard Hill Road traffic numbers were calculated.

Thompson claimed that lane widening and road straightening was necessary to improve the portion of Tanyard Hill Road nearer to Old Bridge Road. He hopes to put a 12-foot-wide “island” in the middle of the road with a sign welcoming visitors to Occoquan.

Stormwater management is a huge issue for the Town of Occoquan, as they fight the erosion and pollution caused by water runoff. Thompson claimed that this development will not have a significant impact on stormwater. Since he said he is putting a large portion of the land into a conservation easement, he claims that this will mitigate the runoff. He also promised to maintain Phelps Creek, a stream that runs through the plot, although he also cited a new study stating that the stream was intermittent. A 2005 study found the stream to be perennial.

Since Occoquan is an incorporated town, they are responsible, under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, for any costs or efforts involved in maintaining their waterways and managing pollution.

This story was an overview of some of the issues involved with the development. The information was taken from various sources, including personal interviews, emails, the official plans, and the Occoquan Town Hall meeting on June 20. This story is the first part in a continuing series on the Oaks III development.