Board of Supervisors rejects huge mixed-use proposal for western Annandale
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| The Board of Supervisors meets virtually on Jan. 26. |
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed Jan. 26 to eliminate from the Comprehensive Plan work program for 2021 a huge 575-unit mixed-use project proposed for western Annandale.
That project would have been located on Little River Turnpike between Hummer Road and Woodland Road.
Mason Supervisor Penny Gross made a motion to exclude that project from the South County Site-Specific Plan Amendment Process because of “significant community opposition.” Gross said she received about 180 messages from local residents opposing that project and only three messages in support of it.
Related story: Planning Commission endorses a revised redevelopment plan for western Annandale
Members of the community raised concerns about traffic, open space, stormwater runoff, building height, and high-density development that would be too close to a single-family neighborhood.
As a result, that proposal won’t be included in the county planning staff’s work program for amending the Comprehensive Plan.
Related story: More details emerge on affordable senior housing project on church property in Seven Corners
Four other development proposals in Mason District will be included in the 2021 Comprehensive Plan work program: an expanded storage facility in central Annandale and three proposals for Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners.
For the proposed affordable senior housing project on the grounds of First Christian Church, the board approved a motion by Gross to modify the proposal to address stormwater concerns raised by the Ravenwood Park community.
That change directs the planning staff to consider the need for stormwater management controls that would go beyond what’s required in the current regulations.
That’s crazy what’s going to happen to the building between the shell gas station and the animal hospital and I think they should remodel the McDonald’s in central Annandale who agrees
Penny Gross continues to side with stagnance and letting Mason District rot. Glad so many vote for this, for like 30 years or something… Nice. ,
VDizzle – if you read the article it said that she had 180 people call her in opposition and 3 in favor. Where is she supposed to find the balance between significant community opposition and the need for redevelopment? It is likely that the developers will come back with something more appropriate in scale than this huge thing. But wasn't Supervisor Gross being responsive to her community – those that contacted her? Is she supposed to not care? What if the Supervisor okayed something that you didn't want next door to you…how would you respond?
It's a pattern, if you've lived here for more than a couple of years. Fed up with the mismanagement. Frankly, she may even be correct on this one, but if it's not a pet project, nothing gets done here. Status quo wins.
It's good that this particular project got the axe, and apparently 180 people agree lol. The fact that we are building these mixed-use developments left-and-right without appropriate transportation infrastructure to make them useful is mind boggling. I can't imagine the traffic impact analysis of a project like this in a place with no viable public transit, no walkability, virtually no bicycle-friendly roads. What is the conclusion? We build a 7 story parking garage with 2 ways in and out? We are missing the point of mixed-use development. It's madness.
On a surface level it appears to be a cash grab for developers in a growing area. Very little thought as to how these developments can be properly integrated into the landscape. We need a comprehensive plan that is, well, more comprehensive.
Wow thank god that the community was herd at this board of supervisors meeting! I cannot imagine living here and living next to so many people that would lead to more crowding and less space, this area is already stressful enough to live in, and this plan would have made it worse. I am glad we were herd and that people were able to save their homes!
45k people live in annandale and 180 neighborhood karens called to complain so they win??? Annandales going down hill with or without this anyways.