Annandale could be transformed into an ‘urban village’

If you want to know what the new, revitalized Annandale business center might look like in a few years, visit Clarendon, Reston, or West Hyattsville. These are some of the “urban village” models driving the Fairfax County planners who put together the design guidelines that are part of the revised comprehensive plan. The plan is expected to be completed next summer.

The new design guidelines, developed by the Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment (OCRR) and the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee, “shifts development away from a suburban form to a more pedestrian-friendly, urban form focused on a town center at its core.”

The plan is the first in Fairfax County to propose “FAR-based development,” says Matthew J. Flis, revitalization program manager in the OCCR. FAR stands for “floor-area ratio,” a formula that determines how much development you can have on a particular property. The FAR concept gives developers a lot more flexibility and more of an opportunity to be innovative if their building designs fit the parameters in the guidelines.

To make the streets more pedestrian-friendly, the plan prohibits things like giant parking lots and loading docks next to the street. Flis predicts a lot of smaller projects will be built in Annandale and large developers will do small projects. He doesn’t expect the Kmart will be replaced by a larger development any time soon, noting that the Annandale Kmart is among the most profitable in the country. It is possible, though, that the Kmart could be incorporated into a larger development in that spot.

One of the key hurdles to redevelopment in Annandale is the predominance of small parcels. (That characteristic paved the way for so many businesses owned by Korean-Americans, who purchased small family-owned shops as owners aged and put their properties on the market.) The revitalization plan encourages the consolidation of small parcels by permitting higher density for larger sites.

Under the design guidelines, the higher-density town center consists of the 35-acre area centered on the intersections of Little River Turnpike, Annandale Road, Ravensworth Road, Backlick Road, and Columbia Pike. The guidelines include the following suggestions:

• To create a consistent “street wall” along the front of the property line, buildings should be placed on the inside of the sidewalk, with parking at the rear, underground, or in parking structures. Buildings should have easily identifiable entrances on the main streets.
• Retail and service-oriented business should be street level.
• Special paving, lighting, and landscaping should be used to highlight building entrances.
• “Urban parks” should be created with seating, shade, and bike racks.
• Variations in building height and setback should be promoted to avoid large, boxy buildings. A variety of roof lines should be created by using such elements as gables, dormers, towers, and roof-top terraces and gardens.
• Buildings on prominent intersections should be emphasized by having their facades face the corner.
• Decorative architectural elements, window groupings, and awnings should be used to enhance visual interest on buildings. At least 60 percent of the first floor of storefronts should be glass.
• Signs on buildings should be limited. Signs should have a coordinate design and include English translations.
• Dumpsters and utilities should be hidden from public view.
• The streetscape should be enhanced with shade trees, planters, and benches.