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Body found in Manassas area, Lyft driver charged with sexual assault. Public Safety, Page 3

July 25, 2018 | Serving Haymarket, Gainesville and Western Prince William County | Vol. 17, No. 30 | www.PrinceWilliamTimes.com | 50¢

Back to green: new park plan for Woodbridge, Page 6

Crossroads Village advances in Haymarket By James Ivancic

the project during that meeting.

Times Staff Writer

Crossroads Village – a mixed-use project that aims to add 79 townhomes, three fast-food restaurants, a new hotel or assisted-living facility and other commercial outlets in downtown Haymarket – received support this week from the town’s planning commission and now heads to the town council for final approval. The project is proposed by Chantilly-based developer Meladon Group, which built the Cascades Overlook Town Center in Sterling. It’s planned for 21 acres bordered by Washington Street, U.S. 15 and Interstate 66. The development would eventually add three entrances on Washington Street between Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant and the Chick-fil-A restaurant. The hotel or assisted-living facility will be capped at a height of no more than 75 feet, according to the proposal the commission recommended for approval Monday, July 16. The Haymarket Town Council will have the final say on whether the new development proceeds. The council meets Monday, Aug. 6, and could schedule a future public hearing on

Impact on overcrowded schools

Crossroads Village’s impact on school enrollment and traffic have raised the most questions from the planning commission and the public since it was first proposed earlier this year. The Prince William County school division anticipates the 79 new townhomes will generate a total 49 new students, including 24 elementary-schoolers; 11 middle-schoolers; and 14 high-school students. The area is zoned for Haymarket Elementary, Reagan Middle and Battlefield High School. Of the three, only Haymarket Elementary is projected to remain under capacity at 86.5 percent this school year. Both Reagan Middle and Battlefield High School are already overcapacity. Battlefield High will again be the most crowded school in the county when school begins in August. With a projected enrollment of 3,022 students, Battlefield will be 969 See CROSSROADS, Page 2

Stewart aide says he has no ties to white nationalists Three other county staffers formerly paid by Stewart campaign By Jonathan Hunley Times Staff Writer

PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD

Part-time Prince William County staffer Brian Landrum, right, has come under fire for being part of a Facebook chat group that included white-nationalist Jason Kessler. Landrum, an aide to Corey Stewart, said he doesn’t recall being added to the group. He was photographed at Stewart’s victory party in June. INSIDE Calendar.............................................13 Classifieds...........................................15 News....................................................4 Obituaries.............................................8

Opinion.................................................9 Puzzle Page........................................10 Real Estate..........................................14 Sports.................................................11

A part-time staffer for Prince William Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart is under fire for what’s being characterized as a possible connection to white-nationalist Jason Kessler. Multiple media organizations are reporting that Brian Landrum was part of a closed Facebook group set up by Kessler, organizer of the August 2017 Unite the Right rally that resulted in the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer in Charlottesville. However, Landrum, who works in Stewart’s county office and also volunteers on his U.S. Senate campaign, said Friday he doesn’t recall being added to the group or making a comment that’s been attributed to him: four laughing-face emojis and the message “what in all f---.” Landrum reportedly made the comment in May in response to another comment in the thread. Two See STEWART AIDE, Page 3

86 WARRENTON, VA

PUBLIC SAFETY / FROM PAGE 1

Gainesville/Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | July 25, 2018

Man’s body found in Manassas area Police investigate burglary at Police are investigating after a The body was taken to the Medman’s body was found in the Manas- ical Examiner’s Office in Manassas Woodbridge B-Thrifty store sas area Sunday. Officers responded to the 7700 block of Coppermine Drive in the Manassas area of Prince William County at 4:52 p.m. Sunday, July 22, to investigate a report of a body found there, Prince William County police said in a news release. A caller contacted police after discovering a body in a wooded area while walking back from an area park, police said in the news release.

for an autopsy and to determine the cause of death, police said. The victim was identified as James Eugene Harvey, 33, of Manassas. “At this time, there is no public threat or need for concern,” police said in the news release. The investigation continues and police will release more information when it is available, police said.

A man broke into a Woodbridge store last week and stole moneybags from a safe, Prince William County police said. Officers were called to the B-Thrifty store at 13412 Jefferson Davis Highway at 7 p.m. on July 17 to investigate a burglary reported to have occurred early that morning, Prince William County police said in a news release. A store employee told police that

an unknown man entered the business around 1:45 a.m. that day and took moneybags from a safe before fleeing on foot, the news release said. There were no signs of forced entry, police said. The investigation continues. The suspect is described as black, with black hair, a mustache and a beard. He was last seen wearing a bright neon green Nike shirt.

Crossroads Village advances in Haymarket

Chick-fil-A. The third will be in between those two entrances, where the developer will ask VDOT to install a traffic signal as part of the second phase of the development. Haymarket Town Councilman Steve Shannon, a liaison to the planning commission, said he is most concerned about the impact of the entrance closest to the very busy Chick-fil-A driveway. “I can’t fathom more traffic there,” said Shannon, who works for VDOT and said he’ll be talking to his colleagues to get their take on whether his concerns are justified. The three fast-food restaurants, each with a drive-thru, and a bank with a drive-thru continue to be a source of concern. It’s not yet known which restaurants might occupy the spaces. Don Wooden, Meladon’s chief executive officer, said the trend in the restaurant industry is to put in drivethru lanes. The development is also adjacent to I-66, which would make it all the more attractive to drive-thru restaurants. It’s not known yet which ones will take advantage of the opportunity. “Restaurants are changing based on consumer demanding more convenience,” Wooden said. During citizens’ time, Maureen Carroll, a former planning commissioner who resigned July 1, said she believes the additional traffic to and from the development “will further dirty our air and will foster gridlock.” Jim Carroll, her husband and fellow former planning commissioner, told the planning commission it “should

not be a rubber stamp for the mayor or town council,” a comment that prompted Planning Commission Chairman Matt Caudle to respond: “That’s not factual.”

CROSSROADS, from Page 1 students over its intended capacity of 2,053 students, according to school-division projections. Battlefield will is slated to have 18 portable classroom trailers on its Gainesville campus this fall, according to school-division documents. Some overcrowding relief will come on the high school level in 2021 when the school division is expected to open the county’s 13th high school near Jiffy Lube Live. The 2,500-student school is planned to relieve overcrowding at both Battlefield and Patriot High School. Reagan Middle will be the county’s fifth-most-crowded middle school this year at 135 students over its capacity of 1,233 students. Reagan will have five portable classrooms parked around its

Haymarket campus in August. Crossroads Village’s developer has pledged a cash donation to the school division of $10,300 per townhouse, or about $813,700 total, to mitigate the effect of the new students.

Impact on traffic

Gifford Hampshire, of Blankenship and Keith, a land-use law firm working for the developer, said the Virginia Department of Transportation had accepted the traffic impact analysis that was filed. Crossroads Village will generate 8,055 new weekday trips per day, according to the analysis. Crossroads Village will have three entrance points off Washington Street. One will be just to west of Giuseppe’s restaurant, and one will be east of the driveway serving

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Vote challenged

Also during citizen time prior to the vote, Bob Weir, a former member of the Haymarket Town Council and Planning Commission, challenged the commission’s ability to vote with only three members. The commission was recently downsized from seven members to five and is currently awaiting the appointment of two more members. Weir cited a 2010 opinion from then-Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) involving a school board issue that Weir said applied to the Haymarket Planning Commission. The opinion said any action by the school board at issue in was invalid until it had its full five members. The town council appoints the planning commissioners. Tony James was recently appointed and joins Shannon and Caudle as members. Weir was warned later by Caudle, the planning commission chairman, that he faced expulsion from the meeting after he challenged the resumption of discussion on the Crossroads Village application. Caudle said after the meeting the town’s attorney confirmed the vote is legal with just three members. “We wouldn’t do it if it was illegal,” Caudle said. Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@ fauquier.com

Community Editor Anita Sherman, 540.351.1635 asherman@fauquier.com Staff Writers ISSN 1050-7655, USPS 188280 Amanda Heincer, 540-878-2418 Published every Wednesday by aheincer@fauquier.com Piedmont Media LLC James Ivancic, 540-878-2414 jivancic@fauquier.com How to reach us Leland Schwartz, 540-351-0488 ADDRESS: lschwartz@fauquier.com 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, Virginia 20186 Jonathan Hunley PHONE: 540-347-4222 jhunley@fauquier.com FAX: 540-349-8676 HOURS: 8 a.m. 5 p.m. weekdays, Sports Editor 24-hour answering service Peter Brewington, 540-351-1169 pbrewington@fauquier.com Publisher Catherine M. Nelson, Sports Staff Writer 540-300-4780 Jeff Malmgren, 540-874-2250 cnelson@fauquier.com jmalmgren@fauquier.com NEWSROOM ADVERTISING Editor in Chief Ad Manager Chris Six, 540-212-6331 Kathy Mills Godfrey 540-351-1162 csix@fauquier.com kgodfrey@fauquier.com Managing Editor Classified Sales Consulatants Jill Palermo,540-351-0431 Jeanne Cobert, 540-878-2491 jpalermo@fauquier.com jcobert@fauquier.com Associate Editor Evelyn Cobert, 540-878-2492 John Toler, 540-351-0487 jtoler@fauquier.com ecobert@fauquier.com

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Gainesville/Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | July 25, 2018

Body found in park identified as Woodbridge man A body found in a Woodbridge park last week has been identified as that of a 31-year-old Woodbridge man, according to Prince William police. The police department’s homicide unit confirmed the identity of the man as Robert Frederick Rother III, 31, of Woodbridge, according to police department spokesman Officer Nathan Probus. Police have discovered “no obvious signs of trauma” but have yet to determine the cause of his

death, Probus said. Probus would not say where in Woodbridge Rother lived or whether he was found near his home. Rother’s remains were discovered at about 6:47 a.m. Friday, July 13, by a resident walking along a path in Marumsco Acre Lake Park. The park is located east of U.S. 1 near the area of Veterans Park. Marumsco Acre Lake Park is in the 14400 block of Melbourne Avenue in Woodbridge.

Lyft driver charged with sexual assault Man stabbed in Woodbridge A Lyft driver was arrested after a passenger reported that he sexually assaulted her after giving her a ride home, Prince William County police said. At 9:28 p.m. on Wednesday, July 18, officers responded to investigate a sexual assault that was reported to have occurred in the Gainesville area earlier that day, Prince William County police said in a news release. A 33-year-old woman reported to police that she contacted Lyft, a ride-booking service, via a phone app shortly after midnight that day to request a ride to her residence in Gainesville. Upon arriving in the area of the

victim’s home, the driver allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, police said in the news release. The woman returned to her resiAmir Sami dence and contactHandouk ed police later that day. The driver, identified as Amir Sami Handouk, 33, of White Post, was arrested and charged with rape and object sexual penetration. He is being held without bond and his court date is pending.

A Woodbridge woman was arrested after police said she stabbed a man during a fight. At 5:09 p.m. on Friday, July 20, officers were called to investigate a stabbing on the 4100 block of Gardensen Drive in Woodbridge, Prince William County police said in a news release. A 46-year-old man told police he was involved in an argument with a male family member inside a residence when the argument escalated and the men began to physically fight. During the fight, a girlfriend of one of the men identified as Cindy

Catherine Luna, retrieved a kitchen knife and stabbed the victim in the back, police said in the news release. The parties then separated and the Cindy Catherine victim went to Luna an area hospital, where police were contacted. Luna, 20, of Mellowdew Court in Woodbridge, was arrested and charged with aggravated malicious wounding. She was held without bond and has a court date on Aug. 22.

County aide to Corey Stewart says he has no ties to white nationalists STEWART AIDE, from Page 1 months’ worth of chatter from the group, from May to June, was printed by the left-leaning news site, Unicorn Riot. The Facebook messages became public after they were requested by the City of Charlottesville, which is involved in litigation with Kessler. Landrum made no comments having to do with the planning of the rally, according to news reports. “Anybody can add somebody to a group like that,” he said.

Stewart: Landrum ‘not that kind of guy’

Landrum also said he’s not friends with Kessler – on Facebook or in real life. “No. No. Of course not,” he said. He acknowledged the firestorm that’s erupted around him, though. “It’s certainly been shocking, some of the things people are saying about me,” he said. For his part, Stewart said he can’t believe that Landrum would be involved with Kessler. “There’s no way,” he said. “He’s not that kind of a guy.” Stewart himself has fought allegations that he is connected with Kessler because Stewart appeared with Kessler at a rally in support of the Robert E. Lee statue in downtown Charlot-

tesville in February 2017. Stewart has since denounced the controversial figure, and he said he discourages anyone from attending the rallies in Charlottesville and Washington next month that Kessler is planning. “We of course have nothing to do with that rally, and we strongly discourage anyone from attending it,” Stewart said. Landrum also was in the news this week when a New York Times reporter sought to reach him to talk about his possible Kessler connection. Landrum and Stewart say the journalist entered Landrum’s apartment without permission, while the newspaper said its employee never stepped foot inside the residence. Prince William County police are investigating the matter, but no charges had been filed as of Friday. Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker, however, is calling on Stewart to fire Landrum from his county job. “First it was Corey calling a proud white supremacist and anti-Semite his personal hero; now his paid county staff is part of a group coordinating a white supremacist rally. This has to stop,” Swecker said in a prepared statement. “Corey needs to fire his aide now and explain to the taxpaying citizens of Prince William

County why they were footing the bill for an alt-right troll.”

Landrum, three other former Stewart campaign staffers now on the county payroll

As a part-time employee for Stewart’s county office, Landrum makes $20 per hour. He previously worked full-time for Stewart’s office from Jan. 8 to June 30, 2018, and earned $30,962 from Prince William County taxpayers during that time, according to employment records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Landrum, 25, is a 2017 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in urban planning and policy from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014, where he was chairman of the College Republicans. He is currently events director for the Virginia Tea Party, according to his LinkedIn account. Landrum is not the only county staffer who has connections to Stewart’s political work. At least three other aides currently on the county payroll were paid by Stewart’s campaign. Stewart is the GOP nominee running to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D). Heather Mitchell, for example, was Stewart’s political director for

the primary campaign season and now works in his county government office. Mitchell is paid $35 per hour, and the campaign paid her $17,574 when she was employed by it, according to county records and federal campaign finance records. Thomas Wagner, who works in Stewart’s office at an annual salary of $42,000, was also paid $9,470 by Stewart’s campaign, according to county and campaign-finance records. And Conor Coyle is an intern in Stewart’s office, being paid $17 per hour. He was paid $709 by the campaign, records show. There are no county staffers who are also currently being paid by the campaign, Stewart said. If any of his county employees wants to work for the campaign they must volunteer and do it on their own time, he said. “We want to keep it separate,” he said. Stewart also said he’s not worried about the perception of having political people on the county payroll. It’s only natural that an elected official would want to hire as aides those who have done a good job on a campaign, he said. “It’s pretty standard,” he said. Reach Jonathan Hunley at jhunley@fauquier.com

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