The 10th Annual Occoquan River Spring Clean-Up with take place on Saturday, April 9 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Join your neighbors and Friends of the Occoquan volunteers in sprucing up the shoreline in town! Meet at Town Hall wearing sturdy shoes. Gloves and trash bags will be provided.

According to the 2010 census figures, the resident population of Occoquan soared by 23% during the 10 year period from 2000 to 2010. I say that in jest because it grew from 759 to 934 people. Yes, you have 175 new neighbors. Most, I assume, live in the Occoquan Reach development on Occoquan Road.

According to Mayor Porta, the astounding population growth does not put Occoquan in any new categories under state law that might require additional regulations or oversight.

1- Finally, VDOT will open the 4th lane of I-95 Southbound, which spans a five-mile distance from the Fairfax County Parkway south to the U.S. 1 exit, just north of the Occoquan River Bridge, per Fredericksburg.com. (Commuters rejoice!)

2- According to the News & Messenger, a shoreline boardwalk may soon come to town, stretching from the existing pier at Madigan’s Waterfront, through the Gaslight Landing development, all the way to the Mill House Museum at the end of town. More details coming soon.

3- ChesapeakeBoating.net just published the feature article from the November issue of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, which recounts a weekend trip from Annapolis to Occoquan and puts the town in a wonderful light.

On the first four Saturdays of October (weather permitting), Mayor Ernie Porta will be leading historic tours of Occoquan River by kayak and on foot.  The kayak tours will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Occoquan Regional Park (kayaks will be available for rent) and the walking tours will begin at 1:15 p.m. at the Mill House Museum.  Both tours will last approximately 45 minutes and are free, but donations will be accepted for the Prince William Red Cross’s Heroes Campaign.

The Occoquan River Festival will be reborn this Saturday in the Historic Town of Occoquan. This year the Occoquan Merchants Association will be hosting the event, which will include a petting zoo, pony rides, craft demonstrations, costumed reenactors, live music, sidewalk sales, boat tours, a Taste of Occoquan. The OMA website has complete details!

Last night, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors approved a major development plan to revitalize the “challenged” area between the Town of Occoquan and Belmont Bay. This is a huge development.

The Occoquan waterfront is going to change dramatically. Lots of new residential space and street level retail. New roads (Marina Drive extension) and traffic improvements (an overpass at the intersection of routes 1 & 123). Horner Road is going to become a walkable main street and the ghastly strip malls from the 1970s can say bye-bye.

You can download the complete Urban Mixed Use Area Master Plan here.

Goals for the North Woodbridge Urban Mixed Use Area Master Plan:

• Office: 500,000 to 750,000 gross square feet
• Residential: 2,500 to 3,500 multifamily units
• Retail: 250,000 to 500,000 gross square feet
• Hotel: 260 rooms

The Washington Examiner has published an article with more details.

Two very interesting articles about the future development of the Occoquan waterfront region were published last week. The first article, from the Washington Business Journal contains details about the construction of Belmont Bay and the Rivergate. Teaser:

In the past decade Belmont Bay has constructed nearly 1,000 condos and townhouses — all overlook the bay. Just 23 remain unsold. Belmont Bay can build out an additional 873 condos and townhouses, something that Miller predicts will take 10 more years — at least — to complete.

The second article, published in the Washington Post, details a dense development plan to revitalize the north Woodbridge area situated between historic Occoquan and Belmont Bay. It also has some interesting road construction details. Teaser:

The vision for north Woodbridge, an area county officials said extends from the Occoquan River to Occoquan Road and from Route 1 to Horner Road, is to develop up — not out — and to have office and commercial space on one level with residential units above.

The plan calls for 2,500 to 3,500 multifamily units, up to 750,000 square feet of office space, up to 500,000 square feet of retail development and a hotel. The development would be phased in, so residential development does not outpace commercial, county officials said.

Finally, the Town of Occoquan Merchant Association is hosting the Second Annual “Art on The Occoquan” Art Walk this Saturday, May 08, 2010 (4:00 PM-8:00 PM). Enjoy an eclectic showcase of creative, fine arts in various mediums from local artisans. More details

As previously noted, Belgique Gourmande has been up for sale. The authentic Belgian restaurant is located right in the center of town and has a very nice outdoor eating area on Union Street. My wife & I have eaten there many times (ice cream & waffles for breakfast, yum!) and although a bit dingy, the food is tasty and the location convenient.

Now comes word that the restaurant has been sold! The new owners are planning to rebrand the restaurant the Cock & Bowl. This is great news, I’m looking forward to having a new restaurant in town. Will post more details as they become available.

In 2010 the residents of Occoquan will once again have the opportunity to elect a Mayor and new Town Council. Voting will take place at Town Hall from 6:00am – 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 2. Reminder, you must be registered to vote by April 12 in order to participate.

In 2008, the elections were a bit of a drag because there was only one mayoral candidate and only 5 Town Council candidates (vying for a total of 5 open seats). Out of 593 registered voters, only 131 cast votes (22% turnout). James Walbert was elected to the Town Council with only 90 votes!

If you are interested in running for Town Council, now is your opportunity. You may obtain the necessary filing forms by contacting the Office of General Registrar at (703) 792-6470 or by downloading the forms from the State Board of Elections website.

The current Occoquan Town Council consists of:

• Mayor Earnest W. Porta, Jr.
• Vice Mayor Ken Brunsvold
• Council Member James N. Walbert
• Council Member Denise M. Bush
• Council Member Joao Paul “JP” Cunha
• Council Member Barry G. Dean

The festival includes a number of events in and around the town of Occoquan. The festival culminates with a firework extravaganza at 7:30, viewable from anywhere along the Occoquan River.

Here is a rundown of the planned events:

Occoquan Regional Park
Family Paddle Event (10:00AM – 1:00PM)
Exhibitor Area Open (10:00AM – 7:00PM)
Food Wagon (10:00AM – 7:00PM)
Family Bicycle Fun (12:00AM – 4:00PM)
Northern Virginia Ultimate Frisbee Championship (12:00PM – 7:00PM)

Historic Town of Occoquan (10:00AM – 7:00PM)
Farmers Market (8:00AM – 12:00PM)
Sidewalk Sale
Roaming Musicians
Craft Demonstrations
Historical Re-enactments
Carriage Rides
Children’s Activity Area
Ghost Walks
Taste of Occoquan with wine pairing samples at Madigan’s Restaurant

Prince William Marina (11:00AM – 5:00PM)
Children’s Inflatable Midway
Carnival Food Vendors

Belmont Bay (11:00AM – 5:00PM)
Wet & Wild Wheels Show (Boat, JetSki, ATV, Motorcycle)
DJ & Bud Booth
Steamed Crabs by Osprey’s Landing Restaurant
Vendor’s Area Open
Wine Tasting by Potomac Point Winery
Golf Putting Contest, Golf Clinics & Golf Pro-Shop Discounts at Osprey’s Landing Golf Course
Moon Bounce & Festival Concessions
Food by Dixie Bones
Bungee/Trampoline Rides (12:00 – 4:00)
Live Country-Rock Band at Village Green

Pavilion Workhouse Arts Center (10:00AM – 6:00PM)
Shops Open
Live Music on the Quad
Live fireworks concert (7:00PM – 8:30PM)

Vulcan Quarry (10:00AM – 4:00PM)
Public Tours

Rivergate (11:00AM – 4:00PM)
Classic Car Show

The Occoquan River Festival is the brainchild of the Occoquan River Communities organization. Click here to download event schedule PDF.

Finally, the 80′s are back! The weather this weekend is going to be amazing. Time to de-winterize and fire up those engines! To get things started, the Potomac River Party Boaters Association is hosting the 2009 Spring Dust-Off this weekend!

Let’s meet up at Tim’s Rivershore around 2:00 on Saturday, April 25th. After everybody has had their fill of crawfish and bikini fuzz at Tim’s, we’ll cruise over to Mattawoman Creek for the evening, and stay until Sunday…whenever. RSVP on Facebook. All are welcome!

The Peak Bloom Period prediction for the beautiful Cherry Blossom trees that encircle the Tidal Basin in Washington DC has been revised to April 1 – 4, 2009! The peak bloom date is defined as the day in which 70 percent of the blossoms of the Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) trees are open. The entire blooming period prediction spans from March 28 to April 11.

The blooming of the cherry trees has come to symbolize the natural beauty of our nation’s capital city. The famous trees, a gift from Japan in 1912, signal Washington’s rite of spring with an explosion of life and color that surrounds the Tidal Basin in a sea of pale pink and white blossoms. Thousands of city residents and visitors from across the nation and around the world come here to witness the spectacle, hoping that the trees will be at the peak of bloom for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

One of the most popular activites is to rent a paddle boat and peddle around the Tidal Basic. Reservations are recommended. Now you can make them online. Of course, if you have a boat and live in Occoquan, your best option is to dewinterize and head north! It only takes about 30 minutes to reach the spot in between the Key Bridge and the 14th Street Bridge, where you’ll discover the best vantage point.

Looking to head up to DC as part of an armada? Check out the Potomac River Party Boaters Association to see if you can find any takers!

No worries though, getting your license is pretty easy. You just need to buy a DVD from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. The DVD is only 60 minutes long, broken out into 10 minute chapters. It looked like the video was filmed by BoatU.S. in 1987. Then you have to take a 50 question multiple choice test (open book) and mail your scantron back with $5.

It took about 2 weeks for us to get our licenses in the mail. We sent a copy to our insurance company and chopped 10% off our boat insurance.