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Implementation of the Corridor Plan recommendations will establish an interconnected hierarchy of greenway parks, local history-oriented community parks, multi-use trails, trail head parking areas, and private open space, which is intended to preserve and enhance the significant environmental and cultural assets found within the Corridor –
Such as:
Little Bull Run
Catharpin Creek
Lick Branch
Conway-Robinson State Forest
Manassas National Battlefield Park.
New public parks will connect and highlight a variety of cultural and natural resources that are protected, researched, interpreted and opened to the public.
An extensive multi-use public trail network (accommodating bicycle, pedestrian, orienteering, and equestrian uses) will connect and provide access to new cultural and natural resource parks.
New non-public uses in the Corridor shall be limited to data centers, at a maximum overall gross land area intensity of 0.30 FAR for the entire Corridor.
This lower transitional level of development is approximately 1/3 of that allowed in the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District and 1/2 of that established in the adjacent Gainesville Crossing data center campus (which is located across Route 29 and abuts the Manassas National Battlefield Park).
A transition to a lower intensity of development within the Corridor is appropriate, given the close proximity of the Manassas National Battlefield Park, Conway-Robinson State Forest and three major tributaries of Bull Run.
This lower intensity and the “enhanced practices” recommended herein, are intended to result in (i) lower building heights where warranted to protect important viewsheds, (ii) appropriately-sized natural area setbacks from properties abutting the perimeter of the Corridor, and (iii) the preservation of protected public and private open space in natural area corridors and on important historic interpretative sites.
This protected open space includes:
Extension of the Catharpin Greenway Linear Park
Enlargement of the Manassas National Battlefield Park
Establishment of a community park highlighting the minority community history of the “Settlement” and the Thornton Schoolhouse
Expansion of Conway-Robinson Forest.
The design of data centers in the Corridor should be context-sensitive and responsive to adjacent uses and activities.
Building heights for individual data centers should be established based on the site’s existing and/or proposed topography and vegetation (informed by detailed viewshed studies performed with each site-specific zoning review).
Screening techniques such as berming, afforestation and preservation of existing tree canopies should be employed in areas where there are viewshed impacts from Manassas National Battlefield Park (to the east), as well as Heritage Hunt and Catharpin Valley (to the west).
Where appropriate, height suitability to protect specific viewsheds should be evaluated during rezoning, using LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology-assisted line-of-sight analyses, drone vertical horizon visual testing, Augmented Reality, massing digital imaging, or other similar techniques and technologies.
This purpose and vision can only be accomplished if certain key land use and development “enhanced practices” are utilized.
These recommended objectives and standards are intended to be 3 in addition to (and not a replacement of) other applicable Comprehensive Plan recommendations and County Ordinance Standards.
Proposed rezoning applications which implement this Corridor Plan are encouraged to be creative and will be reviewed for enhanced implementation, proffers and impact mitigation strategies.
A heightened emphasis on environmentally sensitive design, including the use of indigenous plants and the preservation of environmental resources is appropriate, in order to ensure that the data centers blend into their natural surroundings. Innovative ways to deploy energy and water saving technologies is encouraged.