Annandale residents say a large mixed-use development would destroy their neighborhood
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| Woodland Road, Annandale, the site of a proposed mixed-use development. |
Residents of Hummer Woods and surrounding neighborhoods in Annandale are organizing to fight a proposed redevelopment project.
The proposal by Nicholas Development calls for 575 mid-rise multifamily residential units, 156,000 square feet of office space, and 100,000 square feet of retail on a 10-acre site currently occupied by two office buildings and four or five residential properties.
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| The view from Susan Jollie’s deck on Walton Lane, just a few blocks from the proposed mixed-use project. [Susan Jollie] |
The development would include four new buildings in addition to the two office buildings. About four or five residential properties, mostly on Woodland Road, would be demolished.
Nicholas Development is seeking approval for an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to expand the Annandale Commercial Business Center to include a residential area.
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| The area proposed for redevelopment is inside the red lines. |
Susan Jollie, president of the Hummer Woods Civic Association, which represents 250 households, says “the traffic on Hummer Road is already unacceptable. Adding 5,000 trips a day won’t be manageable.” The access points to the new development would be on Hummer Road and Woodland Road.
Related story: Two Annandale development proposals deemed worthy of further consideration
County planning staff does not endorse the project, citing the negative impact of what would be a high-density project on nearby single-family neighborhoods. According to staff, that area is not appropriate for more commercial development.
A Mason District task force, however, voted in September to let the project proceed to the next step, which would include further analyses on traffic and other issues.
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| The proposed development would not replace these businesses along Little River Turnpike. |
The Planning Commission is scheduled to have a public hearing on this proposal along with other Site-Specific Plan Amendments Nov. 18-19.
Jollie is reaching out to other nearby communities to organize a campaign against the project. Many local residents aren’t aware of what is being proposed, she says. “With COVID, it’s been hard to make connections and share our positions.”
Jollie is concerned the project would cause major environmental damage, including degradation of the Accotink watershed, disruption of groundwater, and would harm the wildlife in nearby parks.
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| Woodland Road |
The task force meeting, which was held virtually, wasn’t conducive to public dialogue, she says. The developer’s slide show shared at the meeting included photos from other unrelated developments and didn’t give task force members an accurate description of what is being proposed. As a result, “the task force wasn’t able to critically evaluate this proposal.”
Jollie takes issue with Nicholas Development’s promise to create a mini version of the Mosaic District with outdoor restaurants and open space, which sparked enthusiasm from task force members.
However, she noted, the development does not cover the low-rise commercial properties along Little River Turnpike and Hummer Road, such as McDonald’s, the Liberty service station, 7-Eleven, Breeze Bakery, and Yechon.
“A lot of us would like to see appropriate development in Annandale, but not in this location,” Jollie says. Redevelopment makes sense for the commercial center of Annandale, not next to a quiet residential area.”
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| Andy Levitz’ houses on Horseshoe Drive. |
Andy Levitz, a resident of Horseshoe Drive just a few feet from one of the existing office buildings, is concerned about declining property values and unsafe levels of traffic if high-density apartments go up across the street.
Levitz, a disabled Navy veteran, was “thrilled to be able to buy a house two and a half years ago in a nice neighborhood” after barely qualifying for a VA loan. “This is my only asset. This is the American dream,” he says.
While some of his neighbors were able to sell their properties to Nicholas Development for a big profit, that wasn’t available to Levitz or some of his other neighbors.
“I wouldn’t buy into a neighborhood that was going to be developed as a commercial development,” he says, so why would anyone else buy the homes on his street?
“This is an actual neighborhood,” he says. “Zoning laws are supposed to protect neighborhoods.”
Mark Moscato, a resident of Royce Court, has been handing out leaflets around the community urging people to oppose the development.
Noting that the county planning staff opposed the project, he says, allowing commercial mixed-use development in the area “would unjustly impact the neighborhood and any sense of community we currently share.”
Traffic congestion and pedestrian safety are big problems, too, Moscato says. “I was unfortunately privy to seeing police officers put a sheet over an individual in April who was a hit and run victim on Hummer. This was followed up one month later when an individual hit a utility pole and knocked out power to our neighborhood for four or five hours.”
Due to traffic backups on Hummer, he says, it can take as much as 10 minutes to be able to turn left into Royce Court.
Moscato also says that new office buildings aren’t needed. The two existing buildings are only 50 percent occupied, and many companies are looking to downsize their office space post-COVID.
“I am not against smart planning that protects residential space and seeks to harmoniously blend into the community and respect spatial boundaries,” Moscato says. “However unbridled growth makes no sense.”
What was the justification by the task force for advancing this?
Here are portions of the preliminary County staff report not recommending it:
…"The five remaining parcels included in the nomination are located outside of the CBC and are zoned R-2 and developed as single-family detached houses. The nominator proposes expanding the CBC boundaries to include these parcels. This is contrary to CBC-wide objectives that recommend establishing transitional areas between the CBC and neighboring residential neighborhoods and preventing the encroachment of higher intensity, commercial uses into such areas."
Preliminary Staff Recommendation:
"PC19-MA-005 is not recommended to be added to the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program. The nomination diverges from Plan recommendations in several respects. It proposes to extend the commercial use beyond the area currently zoned and developed as commercial uses and lacks a significant buffer between the proposed commercial
development and the existing residences to the north, as recommended in the adopted plan. Furthermore, the Plan recommends that development on the nominated parcels within the CBC be oriented toward Little River Turnpike, which this nomination does not propose. The proposal to introduce commercial uses beyond the existing CBC boundaries may result in inappropriate encroachment of commercial uses into the residential neighborhood, which is contrary to the Plan’s vision of well-buffered commercial development centered on Little River Turnpike."
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/sites/planning-development/files/assets/documents/compplanamend/sspa/south/pc19-ma-005/one_pager_ma-005_w_annandale_final.pdf
Please let this development proceed. Annandale is woefully underdeveloped and therefore property prices are not what they could be. Let us finally move into the 21st century. Annandale is stuck in the 50s, not in a good way. Good location & good start. I am sure they will expand roads etc.
Thanks for your input, Mr. Nicholas Development.
Agreed, let this proceed. Everywhere in fairfax county is moving towards the future, besides Annandale. When people drive through Annandale they don’t want to come live here, because it looks like it’s stuck in the 1960s. People need a new look when the exit the highway into Annandale.
I think the concentration of poverty, turning a blind eye to code violations, and dilapidated buildings are a bigger issue in central Annandale. My favorite example of Annandale being left behind is the building across from the Safeway plaza and next to the Shell station. I think the owners put up one piece of siding each season.
I do agree the developer's feet should be held to the fire with reasonable concessions on footprint, parking, and buffers. The concerns of the surrounding neighborhood should not be ignored. But, stomp out the project entirely? Not if folks want some semblance of renewal in the area. I believe there’s a middle ground. We can aim higher than a SUPER (!!!!) thrift store in the abandoned K-Mart and new fast-food joints on LRT.
Absolutely agree.
The Thrift Store is an abomination.
I’m
So sick of these anti-progress NIMBYs opposing development and progress. Sell your houses and move to the wilderness. The rest of us are ready to bring Annandale into the 21st century!
We did buy and move out to the wilderness in 1942 where we built our own home in a town they call ANNANDALE . I was surrounded by the woods, wilderness , empty fields and I Still RESIDE here. I’ve witnessed all the changes in the last 78 years. Some for the better , some for the worse and some that are just plain out wrong. So move on Mr. Developer to a more appropriate area unless we can all happily come to agreement and make all the necessary changes to live happily ever after together.
We are all in this together after all , right ??
Sincerely the 1920’s
Our entire county government has been restructured to accommodate development. Yet, the staff doesn't think this is a good idea. The community next door doesn't think it is a good idea to put townhouses through their stable community, the traffic certainly can't handle more at that intersection, but still the NIMBY argument is invoked just to spew. Maybe it's just not a good idea? Personally I'm happy to see redevelopment, but the additional townhouses and traffic are a deal breaker for me. But just accepting anything for the profit of the developer is not good policy either just for the sake of something. This rare time, I agree with staff.
In summary, the NIMBYs say…
We want development in Annandale!
Just not by OUR neighborhood.
Fix up that (gasps in horror) low rise strip
mall instead!
Put redevelopment in the “commercial center of Annandale not a quiet residential area”
In the next breath, whining that their streets are already horrifically busy.
So which is it, a quiet area — or one that’s already busy?
Don’t like it? Don’t buy a house adjacent to such a busy area then. I didn’t, because I don’t want the problems these folks have already. I bought a house deep within a neighborhood that’s actually quiet and isolated from thru-traffic. Imagine moving next to a busy street and then complaining about it being busy. Genius.
Your anticipation of the loss of “sense of community” doesn’t supersede this plan. Get out of the way of improving this area.
Wow, what a thoughtless jerk! You don't even realize what makes sense and what doesn't. It's perfectly logical to want development in the dilapidated business areas while NOT wanting it in a residential area. Horseshoe Drive is a very peaceful street despite its location because there is no over-development next to it. Obviously, you don't care because you don't live anywhere near this area. So I wonder who the real NIMBY is.
The "sense of community" absolutely supersedes some out-of-town developer who only cares about making money. Who was here first? Who pays taxes? Who votes for this district's representatives?
Hey, guess what. When we bought our houses 30 years ago it wasn't a busy area. Guess what else. We stayed here in reliance on the Comprehensive Plan that said the area would not be further developed. So . . . I was going to make an obscene comment but will refrain.
I’m totally agreed with you on this, these people complaining about traffic and homes. So what? We aren’t in the Stone Age anymore, this is the 2021 age. The modern age, leap towards the future with us or stay stuck in the past. I live on Hummer rd, there’s barely traffic. Before the pandemic there was traffic because of those distracted drivers on their damn phones leaving huge gaps while there’s a green light. but other than that,
I didn’t see any intentional traffic jams.
I live in a completely different area but one equally as crowded and I have to sit at that intersection all the time to get home. Spew away… it doesn't change the facts that this will be disruptive to the existing community since they are single family homes, plopping townhouses and more pavement in the middle of those is objectionable. If they come up with a better design I'll look at it, but I agree with staff, this is not the right location and it isn't even my back yard. So get over yourself.
Calling people NIMBY's is the developers formula for marginalizing and stamping out legitimate objections to modifying or make their proposed projects more palatable to the community they are disrupting. This is the NAIOP and NVBIA formula, see for yourself:
https://www.slideshare.net/fairfaxcounty/courbanize-nvbianaiopfairfax-county-meeting-october-17-2019 — Check out pages 4-6-11 of the slide show – The Silent Supporters
AKA the relatives and employees of the developer.
I think you hit the nail on the head! No one who actually lives in the area and would be affected by it would be in favor of this nuttiness.
The Annandale area does need revitalization, but this is not a good location for this development. It is not physically possible for the streets to be enlarged in that area and it is not physically possible to have the required buffer area between the six, eight story mixed-use buildings and the surrounding residential area. This proposed development needs to be defeated so that another, more reasonable development can be proposed.
This is about a Developer that wants to make money by buying up 4+ acres of green, wooded currently residential housing space, knocking the homes down to pave it over for 4 additional 8 story commercial buildings (in addition to the 2 already there). It is contrary to the county professionally developed growth plan but the developer wants to try and rezone it. You the tax payer-local resident will have to deal with the cost to expand any roads to alleviate the projected development and any other related ecological concerns in eliminating more green space inside the beltway. Annandale does need intelligent growth and better planning to attract mainstream retailers…this proposal isn't doing that. For those NIMBY commenters, you seem to think if anyone has more money than you it's fair game for them to alter your community or next door lot. Good luck with that approach
I've been a resident of Annandale for nearly 30 years and live 3 blocks from this proposed development. There is no other way to say it: this is a nightmare proposal from the perspective of traffic congestion and safety, environmental protection, and the type of responsible development needed to improve–rather than degrade–Annandale. The obvious severe adverse impacts on the quality of life will be felt not just by the neighbors most immediately impacted, but by anyone who needs to drive through Annandale for any reason. County planning documents are put together with public input and much deliberation on how best to balance competing interests– as such the county plan represents a compact with current residents and existing businesses. This proposal seeks to trample all of that with an irresponsible expansion of the commercial district into established wooded residential neighborhoods counter to the county plans. Yet, the burden to ensure common sense prevails seems to fall on the residents. County officials need to step in and stop this now!
The developer's suggestion that this proposed development will be some sort of mini-Mosaic District is laughable. Mosaic District was built on the site of a commercial towing lot, an industrial tool rental business and a large multi-screen movie theater complex that included a massive parking lot. This proposal seeks to pave over established residential neighborhoods that provide a wooded buffer for nearby streams and parks. Unlike Mosaic District it is not near a Metro station and there is no way that existing roads can accommodate a projected minimum of 5,000 additional vehicle trips per day. Whatever it aspires to be, this is the wrong proposal in the wrong place.
The revenue we will generate for that will be more than enough reason to spend more money on more roads or ways to improve congestion. Or Ideally build transit that connects to it which would be amazing!
And I am sick of the B.O.S. imposing more global monoculture on Annandale and the rest of Fairfax County! Why, oh why, B.O.S, can you not make do with the office buildings we alreayd have (like in Bailey's!)???
There should STILL be some places left in the world that are UNIQUE and DISTINCT. We should be different and NOT have to conform to stifling, traffic-ridden development, all in the name of "progress."
And No, there's nothing wrong with late fifties / early sixties architecture, thank you very much!
Right-on!
Studley Geek I feel your pain!!! We have over 2 million square feet of empty office space in Fairfax County and they want to build more. "No one wants an old building to lease" they say… I say "what company wants to spend money on a lease? Honestly, it is unconscionable this drive for constant development.
The roads in this area are jam-packed and the proposed development will be ENORMOUS. The planning process has been led by people who have little or no knowledge of the site. Those who are pushing for another Mosaic there don't seem to realize that that is not the right place for one, and forcing anything like what's currently proposed into the lot will probably push more people away from Annandale almost immediately. Bigger is not always better; if the developers insist on their plan (they always do–"compromise" is not in their vocabulary), it will be a huge, harmful disappointment for many people in the area, on many levels.
–kda
Agree that Annandale needs new development but I cannot support this given the ecological damage it will cause. Developers should be required to draft proposals that minimize harm to our wildlife and parks.
-broyhill crest resident
I agree. Responsible development considers all impacts — environmental, social, and economic. A Mosaic-type mixed use development (with affordable housing) would be great to have in Annandale but is not possible without accessible public transportation options. The proposed development's failure to account for increased traffic and impact on the existing residential areas is irresponsible and unsustainable. Decision makers should never have let it advance.
Most of these people complain about traffic and lots 1. The traffic situation isn’t bad you all are just impatient and can’t wait 3-7 minutes.
2. Most of the proposed lots are vacant or the one big house on woodland rd used as a Rental party house.
3. Stop complaining and move on to the future like the rest of fairfax county is doing.