Haymarket finds faults with VRE, BRT expansion proposals
By Dan Roem
When it comes to the future of mass transit in western Prince William County, the Haymarket Town Council isn't happy. "VRE got their way," said council member Bob Weir Monday night at town hall as he discussed a proposed expansion project for the Virginia Railway Express. He referred to a vote of support taken by the PW Board of County Supervisors last month to approve of a plan that would allow VRE to add a track south bound from the Broad Run station at Manassas Regional Airport to Nokesville and a westward route extending through both Gainesville and Haymarket. While the Gainesville station has garnered unanimous support from local and state politicians, the town council insists it's unnecessary for there to be a station near its town because of the traffic it could create, a potential negative affect on home values -- which VRE disputes -- and that the Haymarket station would likely be the docking station for trains at the end of a route. When asked what are some of the legal ways the town could preemptively stop VRE from coming to Haymarket, town attorney John Bennett could not offer a solution because a location has not been determined yet. "I think the town council has to decide what it's position is regarding that issue and decide what course of action they want to pursue," said Bennett. As for what has to be in place for the town to request VRE cease its planning operation, Bennett said there are too many scenarios for him to figure out what would happen. "Two miles here.. I don't know what it buys. It buys them $100 million cost to do that," said Cole. State Sen. Chuck Colgan (D-29th) has previously mentioned that he supports VRE eventually expanding all the way out to Front Royal, and a station in Haymarket could potentially be a link to that. That would allow VRE to corner the Piedmont market in places like Fauquier and Warren County before Metro ever extends west of Vienna. BRT The council also has issues with a proposed bus rapid transit terminal station being set within the town's borders. According to vice mayor John Cole, not everyone realizes the town is incorporated and it does have some independence from the county, though it cannot overrule decisions made by the county government that affect it. Recent discussions at the county level pinned a potential station along Washington Street in the Town of Haymarket, which Cole said the council opposes because it would eat up retail space. Weir said that even if the terminal was across the street and away from the town's borders, it could still create traffic problems along U.S. 15. "When they make these plans and stuff they plot things down there thinking that we're county, and we have to educate them; we're not," said Cole. Paying the bills Mayor Pamela Stutz took part of her designated discussion period to inform that council that entertainment for this year's Haymarket Day festival will cost $16,100 and needs to be paid out of the current budget even though it's not until well-after the next fiscal year begins. "I don't want the same thing that happened with the banners," she said, referring to the costs of Christmas decorations hung around town this past year that were paid for despite exceeding the budget line item. The council later retroactively corrected the mistake. Stutz told the town treasurer James Naradzay that she needed to pay 25 percent of the cost up front, which amounts to about $4,000. "I don't want someone to say, 'Oh, no one ever told me that,'" said Stutz, before adding that she didn't want to hear, "'Oh, you shouldn't have spent that money because it wasn't in the budget.'" "You have to have the money drawn from some particular line item," said Weir.