WASHINGTON 鈥� Prince William County is once again feeling the heat.聽 This time, it鈥檚 because the聽county聽wants聽to move another small cemetery, this one from the 1800s, to聽build a new firehouse.
The county got lambasted by the community聽in 2013 after moving聽remains at聽an unmarked聽graveyard on the site of the county’s newest聽new聽high school.
But this time the community is, by law, being included in the decision-making process. The at the new high school聽prompted the Virginia General Assembly to amend and re-enact聽Virginia code () in 2014.
Potomac Local 聽that there are four options on the table for the new . The station will be built by the old fire house on聽Dumfries Road in Manassas.
Chief Kevin McGee, of Prince William County Fire and Rescue,聽would prefer the first option 鈥斅爐o move聽the small cemetery.
Option two calls for the use of a temporary facility while the new station is being built. This would cost an extra $1.2 million.
Option three is one the fire chief doesn’t like聽鈥斅燽uilding a two-story facility. The chief says it would increase response times and cost an extra $888,000.
Option four calls for building around the small cemetery.聽 This would reduce a sound buffer for residents who live nearby, and it would cost an extra $1 million.
Chief McGee tells Potomac Local, “When looking at the site it was very difficult to locate a station without moving the cemetery.” You can look at a map of the cemeteries .
But the Prince William County Historical Commission doesn鈥檛 agree with the chief.聽 Bill Olsen, a commission member, says cemeteries should not be considered 鈥渕ovable.鈥�
Susan Tansill is the wife of a direct descendant whose family is buried at the cemetery.聽 She tells Potomac Local that the dignity of the deceased should be protected and the county should work around the graveyard.
A public hearing on the options is scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the McCoart Building in Woodbridge. After聽the hearing, the County Board of Supervisors will pick one of the four options聽so the county can move forward with project. McGee tells Potomac Local that once approved, the project will take 18 months to finish.
