Planning Commission agrees to consider plan amendment nominations

The Fairfax County Planning Commission took a preliminary vote on May 22 to recommend that a mixed-use development opposed by residents at Willow Run in Annandale not go forward.

Numerous community residents spoke out at a Planning Commission workshop on the Site-Specific Plan Amendments (SSPAs) proposed for Mason District against a 186-unit multifamily building at 6675 Little River Turnpike.

The project is not dead, however. The Planning Commission vote was close, with several commissioners abstaining. The commission will take a formal vote at its June 4 meeting to determine which SSPA nominations should be presented to the Board of Supervisors. The BoS will then adopt a final Comprehensive Plan Work Program.

The 1.9-acre site on Little River Turnpike – currently occupied by Pro Computers and a garden retailer – is located between Randolph Drive and Columbia Road.

Several nearby residents urged the Planning Commission to reject the project, saying it’s way too dense for the site, it’s incompatible with the nearby single-family homes, and would exacerbate existing stormwater problems and traffic congestion.

Planning staff had previously agreed with those concerns and recommended that the project not be added to the work program.

In 2023, the property owner proposed a similar project – with 109 units – that was ultimately rejected.

Residents and several of the commissioners complained that instead of revising the project to address the same issues raised two years ago, the property owner is now proposing a project with even more density.

Alis Wang, the planning commissioner representing Mason District, put forth a motion to designate the proposal as Tier 3 – meaning much more work would need to be done – and consider decreasing the number of units to 90-140.

The project as proposed would add too much density to a single-family neighborhood, Wang said, but keeping it in the work program for further study would be a way to see if the property could be developed in a way that’s more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

Several residents noted that the property owner didn’t make an effort to meet with or listen to residents. Commissioner Mary Cortina (Braddock) said the owner could have spent the last couple of years revising the proposal but didn’t and left it up to staff to do the work.

Planning Commission Chair Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner said he could support retaining the nomination in Tier 3 if the applicant is serious about taking into account feedback from the community. If the project doesn’t go forward, the property could remain undeveloped for years.

The board’s action on May 22 is still preliminary, he stressed. “We still have two weeks to work through the issues.”

Related story: Planning staff recommends rejection of apartment building on Little River Turnpike

During the workshop, the Planning Commission approved motions to advance to the next stage several other plan amendments for Mason District, including the following:

• They agreed to move forward with a plan to develop 101 single-family townhomes on the parking lot of the Jefferson Apartments at 6166 Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners despite numerous complaints from neighbors about density, stormwater, and traffic.

The Jefferson, a five-story building with 300 units, was acquired in 2024 by Eagle Rock Properties. Land use attorney Scott Adams said the owner resolved some of the residents’ previous complaints about poor management by installing a new trash compactor, security enhancements, and fencing.

The proposal also calls for adding a parking garage and eliminating the service road in front of the property.

Residents of the Lee Boulevard Heights neighborhood behind the Jefferson said there is significant flooding on Olin Drive and Brook Drive, which would be exacerbated by adding more impervious surfaces.

Neighbors also complained about increased traffic, overflow parking in the neighborhood, and pedestrian safety on narrow streets.

Wang acknowledged the flooding problems and potential loss of trees, but moved to keep the project on the agenda to address the need for new housing in Seven Corners.

Several people at the workshop urged the Planning Commission to consider the traffic impact of the Jefferson project in conjunction with a major proposal to develop the Sears property across the street.

• The SSPA nomination for the Sears site at 6211 Leesburg Pike calls for development of up to 600 units with two multifamily buildings and townhouses or just townhouses – along with a modest amount of community-serving retail.

A Comprehensive Plan amendment for Seven Corners was approved in 2017 that included an urban village concept for the Sears property with a mix of housing, retail, office, and entertainment uses.

Since then, there has been no movement to develop the site, even after Sears closed in 2020.

Martin Machowsky of Ravenwood Park, a member of a community task force that spent three years developing the Comprehensive Plan amendment 10 years ago, urged the Planning Commission to revise that plan rather than start over.

Adams noted that changing market conditions in recent years require a fresh look at the property.

He said the development should also include the office building between Sears and Bailey’s Upper Elementary School.

Several residents urged the Planning Commission to reject the nomination due to traffic, stormwater problems, and said it would be overly dense and thus incompatible with the adjacent single-family neighborhood.

In calling for the SSPA nomination to move forward, Wang said the project should include the office building on the other side of Sears and consider the future Bus Rapid Transit line planned for Leesburg Pike.

• Concerns were also raised about traffic and incompatibility during the discussion of a proposed multi-phase redevelopment of a five-acre site at 7616 Little River Turnpike, Annandale.

The nomination calls for converting two existing office buildings to housing and adding two more residential buildings with retail and a commercial building between Hummer Road and Woodland Road.  

In recommending the nomination proceed at the Tier 1 level, Wang noted there is decreased demand for office space and increased demand for housing.

• The Planning Commission voted 7-5 to move ahead with a residential conversion project proposed for 5300 Shawnee Road in Lincolnia, despite a recommendation against it by planning staff.

The SSPA nomination proposes replacing an office building with a 50-unit multifamily building.

Wang said she disagreed with planning staff, saying the proposal merits a further look, as the office building is underutilized and more housing is needed.

Several commissioners noted that building housing on a property zoned industrial would encroach on what little industrial land is left in the area and would discourage development of nearby parcels.  

• Neither planning commissioners nor residents raised significant concerns about an SSPA nomination calling for the redevelopment of the New Grand Shopping Center on Little River Turnpike in Lincolnia.

The proposal would replace the retail center and gas station with 835,000 square feet of mixed-use development, including multifamily housing, retail, and a 10-story building at the corner of Little River Turnpike and Bragg Street that could be used for a hotel or senior housing. The site is between Beauregard Street, the City of Alexandria border, and the Morningside Apartments.

Wang said she supports the staff recommendation to have this proposal move forward as Tier 1 but wants to see more data on traffic in one of the area’s most congested areas.

• A townhouse project with about 36 units proposed for Edsall Road next to Bren Mar Park raised concerns about the loss of trees.

The property owner, Bruce Olcott, promised to save the trees lining Edsall Road and add a sidewalk along Collier Lane between Edsall and the playground in Bren Mar Park.

A letter submitted by the presidents of six HOAs urged the Planning Commission to consider the project in the context of the data center and substation planned for the Plaza 500 site across the road.

• The Planning Commission also agreed to move ahead with the Strawbridge Square proposal as a Tier 3 item.

This SSPA nomination proposed by Wesley Housing calls for adding four new buildings with up to 131 units at a multifamily community at 5100 Lincoln Ave., in Lincolnia.

Wesley Housing has not yet determined whether the new units would replace or add to the existing residences. Strawbridge Square currently has 42 apartments and 86 townhomes.

Several planning commissioners urged the developer to consider concerns about stormwater, parking, noise from I-395, and the displacement of existing residents.