Adult day care center proposed for Lincolnia Road

This house would be replaced with a day care facility for seniors.

Representatives of the Agape Adult Day Healthcare Center presented plans to the Mason District Land Use Committee (MDLUC) Jan. 22 for a new facility on Lincolnia Road at the site of a former children’s daycare center.

There are three buildings on that property. Two would be demolished to make way for a new 12,900 square-foot structure, said Peter Rigby of Paciulli Simmons & Associates. The third, a small, vacant house, would be used for administrative offices.

The Agape Adult Day Healthcare Center would serve approximately 120 elderly clients, most of whom would be bused in from several senior housing facilities, including the Evergreen House in Annandale. At the current facility, the average age is 86. It would be open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Javier Arencibia shows drawings of the proposed facility.

The center’s president, Dong Chul Choi, said the new site, at 6349 and
6353 Lincolnia Road, would be  more pleasant for the seniors than its
current location in an industrial area near the intersection of
Interstate 395 and the beltway.

The architect, Javier Arencibia, said the main floor would have a large area for meals, movies, and other group programs and smaller rooms for crafts, games, meditation, and other activities. There would be a large commercial kitchen in the basement level. Because some of the clients have dementia or other health issues, there would be a raised, protected patio so they could enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment, and there would be a fence around the perimeter so no one could wander off.

The proposal was presented for informational purposes, not a decision by the MDLUC. Committee Chair Roy Lounsbury said he didn’t think there would be any problems, since the proposed use is similar to what was on the property before. “I can’t see any major objections,” he said. He urged the developers to solicit community input on the proposal before the MDLUC takes it up again Feb. 26. The Fairfax County Planning Commission is expected to review it March 14.

Joseph Gorney, a planner with the Fairfax County Zoning Evaluation Division,
said he expects the staff will approve Agape’s request for a special
exception. There would likely be a requirement that the developer put in
more plantings in a resource protection area on the property. The
proposal would also have to be approved by the Fairfax County Health Care Advisory Board,
and because the property is zoned R-2, a special exception would have
to be approved  by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. 

John Calvin Presbyterian Church.

Preschool proposed for church

Also at the Jan. 22 meeting, the MDLUC agreed to recommend the Planning Commission approve a request for a special exception application for a child care center at John Calvin Presbyterian Church on Columbia Pike and Whispering Lane. The plan was presented by Pastor Rev. Dr. Lisa Rzepka and attorney Lynne Strobel of Walsh Colucci. 

The church is seeking a special exception to accommodate the Sleepy Hollow Preschool, which has to move out of its current space at First Presbyterian Church of Annandale. John Calvin would be leasing the space to the preschool, not operating it. If approved, it would open next fall.

The preschool would serve up to 99 2, 3, and 4-year olds within the existing church building. The only change to the facility would be the addition of a small entry area next to the existing entrance, said Strobel. The playground would be redone, and there would be some curb and gutter, parking lot, and landscaping improvements, including the removal of invasive bamboo and English ivy.

A staff report by the Fairfax County Planning Department is expected to recommend the project be approved.

Harry McCarty, president of the Sleepy Hollow-Forest Hills Civic Association, said the neighborhood is “very supportive of the project.” The only concern, he said, is the impact on traffic flow if drivers are backed up on Columbia Pike waiting to pick up or drop off their children.

Brightview project moving forward

Andrew Teeters, senior development director for Brightview Senior Living at the Shelter Group, gave an update about his company’s plans to build a 95-unit assisted living facility on Gallows Road. At the request of county planning staff, he said the development will include supplemental landscaping and additional tree preservation.

The building will have a mid-century modern design to fit in with the Holmes Run Acres community on the other side of Gallows Road. Teeters said he plans to meet with VDOT to determine if there needs to be a left turn lane on Gallows Road to make it easier for people to get into the facility. At previous community meetings, nearby residents raised concerns about increased traffic on Gallows.

“I heard nothing negative from the neighborhoods,” said MDLUC Chair Roy Lounsbury, and none of the members of the committee raised any objections at last night’s meeting. Aaron Frank, the Mason District land use specialist, said the county planning staff supports the project, although they haven’t issued a report yet.

A plan to develop the Peace Valley Lane property in Seven Corners, which was on the Jan. 22 agenda, was deferred to the MDLUC’s Feb. 26 meeting.