A new police building in Annandale nears completion

The Fairfax County Police Department’s new building for its Operations Support Bureau is expected to open in February, says project manager James Sun.

That’s three years after the facility, at 3911 Woodburn Road in Annandale, was originally supposed to be completed. The facility houses the SWAT team, bomb squad, K-9 unit, crash reconstruction unit, motorcycle unit, backup 911 service, and other operations.

“We initially estimated a three-year construction schedule, but it has been primarily extended due to the complexity of construction phasing that was necessary to maintain continuous operations of the existing police facility and 911 call center during construction.”

The construction delay has been especially challenging for families in the surrounding Winterset Varsity Park neighborhood.

When Amanda Schmidt moved to the neighborhood with an infant in December 2021, she was looking forward to using the playground at Winterset Varsity Park. But shortly afterwards, as construction on the police facility began, the playground was closed and relocated to a less-accessible site on the property.

Related story: Residents take issue with plans for expanding Pine Ridge police facility

“My infant is off to kindergarten this year, and the playground is nowhere near reopening as the neighborhood was initially promised,” Schmidt says.

“In fact, the playground has fallen into disrepair, complete with rusted swings, as it has sat empty and unused over all these years,” she says. “The site around the playground has broken fences and looks completely unkempt with overgrown grass, bushes, and trees surrounding it,” she says. Due to the lack of maintenance, the site around the playground violates the county’s own ordinance on grass height.  

“It is disappointing to see how little regard the county has had for the neighborhood during this project. The unnecessary towering fences installed on the soccer field are not only unsightly but have destroyed the feeling of a small neighborhood park,” Schmidt says.

The field reopened in fall 2022, Sun says, although there’s still a sign on the property saying “Athletic field closed. Keep off. No Trespassing.”  

Related story: Planning Commission approves Pine Ridge police facility in Annandale

In response to residents’ requests at the start of the project, the county agreed to add a pedestrian path from Woodbine Lane in the Winterset Varsity Park neighborhood to Woodburn Road. The path was completed several months ago, but now there’s an opaque fence, about nine feet high, separating the path from the operations center, rather than a landscape buffer as originally discussed.

In response to an email from Schmidt, Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez said access to the playground will be improved.

Capital facilities staff “are working to adjust the construction fencing to allow access to the sidewalk connecting the playground to Winterset Park while still maintaining safety and site security,” Jimenez wrote. “Once that fencing is relocated, we will ensure the contractor addresses any overgrown vegetation in the surrounding area.”

The Park Authority is responsible for overseeing the playground equipment. Jimenez says capital facilities staff are in discussions with the Park Authority “to understand what plans are in place to address the condition of the playground itself, including any repairs or replacements that may be needed.”

According to Sun, “My understanding is that there are no plans to replace the playground at this time.”

After the police move into the new building, the existing facility will be demolished, and construction will begin on the public parking area along the north side of the site. That phase is expected to be completed by June.