In a recent county-sponsored survey of residents, three out of four people opposed construction of more town houses, part of overwhelming dissatisfaction with the pace and scale of development in Prince William. But some say free-market forces will solve the problem without county involvement. Roy Beckner, president of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association's Prince William chapter, said developers already are moving away from building town houses because the market is so saturated. Government, he said, should stay out of it. Often inhabited by young families, inexpensive town houses cost the county far more in schools and other services than they contribute in taxes, officials say.
High densities mean little space for parks and other amenities.
And stagnant town house values are dragging down assessments in entire neighborhoods, further depressing resale prices and the county's tax base. Yet developers happily build more, some officials and real estate agents say, because prices are so low that many town house buyers find they can buy a brand-new unit for just about the same price as an older one. We need to stop this big push for the town houses. Dianne Barbrey, departing president of the Prince William Association of Realtors, estimates that it would take four to five years to sell the backlog of town houses currently on the market. The builders are good friends of ours, and they've provided us with a good product.