Planning Team Envisions the Future of Dale City

What will Dale City look like over the next 50 years? A team of experts brought in by Prince William County has called for changes to two major intersections to revitalize the bedroom community.

The Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) is putting together a study with recomendations to make Dale City viable for the next five decades, according to a county statement. The study is based on what the team saw during a recent three-day tour. They met with residents and county officials in several meetings and drove down Dale Boulevard, the community’s main artery.

The team includes two architects, an urban designer, a real estate strategist, a transportation expert and an environmental planner. They concluded that Dale Boulevard’s intersections with Minnieville Road and Mapledale Avenue “would be the prime areas to consider for revitalization,” the county statement said.

SDAT suggests that the two intersections could be redesigned with bike paths, street lighting, landscaping, parks and other features to attract more businesses and bring people together.

One expert also recommends that in the next 10 years, the county should direct more office, retail and residential rental development to Dale City.

Steve Hall, Prince William’s community development manager, said the team will deliver its final report to the county in about two months. The county will use the report to develop a series of strategies to carry out SDAT’s recommendations. To find out more about the team’s work, check out the county government’s Web page here.