Date of Creation: July 15, 2008.

Development Services:  On July 15, 2008 the Board of County Supervisors approved a resolution (RES 08-755) to create the Department of Development Services. The fee-funded Department was created to improve the commercial development process in Prince William County by creating a partnership culture and streamlining the commercial development process. The department comprises the Land Development Division, Building Development Division, Early Assistance Desk, Development Ombudsman, Director's Office, and Business Management.

Number of Employees: 97 FTE (full time equivalent).

Director of Development Services: Wade Hugh is the Director of Development Services. Mr. Hugh’s role is to foster accountability for program outcomes and establish a single point of management authority across the development process.

Mission Statement: The Department of Development Services promotes a culture where staff and customers work in partnership to create and sustain a better quality of life and environment in which to live, work, and play. 

Our development processes are designed to be effective and efficient and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. 

We support economic development, revitalization, infrastructure improvements, and the protection of natural resources. Our staff provides customers with the highest quality of service and respect. 

We supply the public with development information through effective communication and education.

Vision Statement: The Department of Development Services staff recognizes its role in the creation of a safe and healthy community through a balance between the protection of natural resources, the built environment, and development.

Staff pledges to create a partnership approach with customers and stakeholders that includes mutual trust, accountability, and proactive issue resolution while ensuring professional and streamlined development processes.

Staff will honor and support this pledge by empowering each other to do the right thing for the customer through valuing input, providing necessary resources, exercising options thinking, and providing a positive work environment that is conducive to professional development and continuous quality improvement.

Project Approach: In the past, customers were responsible for navigating the development process to obtain the various approvals necessary for a single project. The new project approach ensures that services are comprehensive and seamless from the customer’s perspective. County staff will first identify for the customer the approvals and permits that make up the immediate project's objective. Staff will then work in partnership with the customer to facilitate the process steps, from providing early assistance and information on requirements of the process to coordination of final close-out and occupancy of the completed project.

Project Facilitation: This method promotes coordinated County responses to a project. The Process Facilitator is assigned at the onset of the project to serve as the single point of contact in order to improve communication and accountability throughout the process. In addition, a Multi-Disciplinary Team is formed with representatives from each technical area involved in the project. This group works with the customer and his designated representatives throughout the project.

The goal of Project Facilitation is to accomplish the project as defined by the customer, rather than simply completing a technical review or issuing an individual permit. The approach ideally results in less iterations of review and shorter time frames. Currently all commercial projects are receiving Project Facilitation (this does not include special use permits or rezoning projects). Please see the Project Facilitation Program for more information.

Customer Feedback: The County offers several ways to accommodate customer feedback and interactions, such as an online survey, customer meetings and standing committee meetings. If you have thoughts or ideas you’d like to share, contact Wade Hugh, Director of Development Services or Jamie Slapinski, Commercial Development Ombudsman, at 703-792-6930 or projectfacilitation@pwcgov.org.