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The Airston Group has optioned to buy 159 acres of combined parcels that include the Purcell farm which is between Bacon Race Road and Asdee Lane and ends at Davis Ford Road. The optioned property includes land on both sides of Asdee Lane, and extends all the way to the River Falls community in the east.

The preliminary plan from Airston is at a density of one home per acre overall density, with actual lot size closer to one-half acre. Open space has been left in the area of the Purcell home and along Bacon Race Road. There is some RPA-protected property, around 11 acres, that would also remain undisturbed. The preliminary plan involves moving Asdee Lane to the south, which means the intersection with Davis Ford Road would be closer to the Prince William Parkway. Airston would proffer to the county 20-30 acres on the south side of the re-aligned Asdee. The Airston purchases are contingent on sucessful re-zoning of the parcels to Airston's satisfaction. All proposed homes would be serviced by public water and sewer.

All of the area that Airston plans to build homes on is designated SR-1 on the county Comprehensive Plan. This means that the recommended density for the overall parcel is 2.5 acres per home average. The proposed plan from Airston is 1 acre per home average density. The way the county does business is that developers can use the proffer process to increase density over the recommended limits. In this case, Airston has offered to proffer the approximately 30 acres to the south of Asdee in return for more density, taking the parcel from the Comp-plan recommended 60 homes to the Airston proposed 140 homes. Please keep in mind that this proposal is very preliminary at this point, and Airston is encouraging community response to their plans. You have a chance to help shape your community!

Update 8/17/06: The latest plan for the Purcell Farm and connecting parcels was revealed by Bob Guaglione, President of Airston Homes and Jay DuVon of Welsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Terpak at the August 17th MIDCO meeting. The latest plan involves 72 homes on 125 acres. This is a welcome change from the original 140 homes on 140-150 acres, but still shy of the one home per 2.5 acres that the Comprehensive Plan calls for. The connecting trail residents asked for between Bacon Race and Asdee Lane is included, and the 5 acre parcel that the Purcell's live on will still remain unchanged and they will continue to live there. There is a minimum fifty-foot buffer along all external property lines.

Airston's plan no longer calls for the re-alignment of Asdee Lane, although they still plan to purchase the same acreage on the McCoart side of Asdee. That property would remain undeveloped for now. The smallest lots, around 1/2 acre, are mostly along Asdee Lane on the other side. Some lots are as large as four or five acres, and these are more towards the central part of the parcel. The density of the project is taken as an average over the whole parcel with the overall number of lots divided by the total number of acres.

As stated above, the plan still falls short of the recommended one home per 2.5 acre density recommended by the County Comprehensive Plan. The approximate density of the current proposed plan is one home per 1.75 acre, or 22 homes more than recommended. If the number of homes were reduced, the 1/2 acre lots could possibly be made larger so more trees could be retained and less grading would be required.

The next likely step for Airston is to file the plan with the County. It will then be scheduled for a Planning Commission meeting where there will be a public hearing and a vote up or down by the Commission. The Planning Commission advises the Board Of County Supervisors(BOCS), who will make a final decision on approval or denial when the plan is heard at one of their meetings. There will also be a public hearing at the BOCS meeting. Citizens have two opportunities to be heard on this plan.

Update 8/24/06: After getting more input from the community, Bob Guaglione has decided to remove six more lots from his plan, resulting in 66 home sites total and increasing the minimum lot size to approximately one acre. The overall density is now at approximately 1.9 acres per home. The rest of the plan will remain very similar to what was presented at the MIDCO meeting last week (and on the MIDCO web site at midcopw.org). We'd like to get your input on this, and ideas on possible proffers (donated improvements for roads, etc.) to go along with this rezoning.

Update 11/1/07: This project is on indefinite hold by the developer. A family member has expressed interest in purchasing the farm house, outbuildings, and some surrounding property.

We will update this information as it comes in.

MIDCO would like your feedback on this, and all issues affecting our area. Please feel free to contact us with comments.