Lincolnia Task Force to consider transportation improvements

The intersection of Little River Turnpike and N. Beauregard Street is the focus point of the Lincolnia Community Business Center.

The Lincolnia Task Force reconvened March 27 to start Phase 3 of the Lincolnia District Planning Study.

In Phase 3, the task force and county staff will come up with recommendations for transportation improvements in conjunction with recommendations about where more development should take place.

The final recommendations will be submitted to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors and, if adopted, incorporated into the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan.

The Lincolnia District Planning Study was authorized by the BoS in 2013 to determine whether a Community Business Center (CBC) should be created in Lincolnia in the area surrounding Little River Turnpike and N. Beauregard Street.

During Phase 1 of the study, Fairfax County planning officials analyzed existing conditions in the Lincolnia study area. The task force was convened for Phase 2, which started in October 2016.

The task force held 16 meetings in 2017, where they considered the potential challenges and opportunities in Lincolnia and sought input from the City of Alexandria, the Urban Land Institute, and the public.

The task force decided that a CBC should be created and set its boundaries. Its final recommendation, approved last August, states that a CBC designation would help create a vibrant neighborhood destination with public open spaces, parks, outdoor dining and cafes, and entertainment areas.

Within the proposed CBC, the task force supports a higher-density mixed-use development – consisting of a hotel or assisted living facility – at the eastern edge of Landmark Plaza, a proposal sought by the shopping center owner, Landmark HHH LLC.

The Task Force recommendation was adopted by the Board of Supervisors March 6. As a result, the Lincolnia CBC is the first CBC created in Fairfax County in the past 20 years.

At the March 27 meeting, land use planner Michael Burton and transportation planner Kristin Calkins outlined what will happen over the next few months.

At the next meeting, the task force will engage in a visioning exercise, which should lead to a consensus on which areas in the Lincolnia CBC should remain stable and which areas should be developed.

In subsequent meetings, county staff will share the results of a transportation analysis by a consultant and review various scenarios. The task force will then discuss potential land use recommendations and come up with a preferred scenario combining land use and transportation options. Burton hopes Phase 3 will be completed by fall 2018 but it could take longer if needed.

There will be two community meetings during the coming months to gather feedback from the public.

“The key to the success of this is community engagement,” said Task Force chair Daren Shumate. Public comments can be submitted online through May 4.

The public is welcome at task force meetings. The next one is April 17, 7 p.m., at Holmes Middle School.