Mason Task Force seeks major changes in Public Storage redevelopment proposal
 |
| Task force wants the Public Storage expansion project to incorporate the adjacent gas station property. |
[Revised April 15] The Mason District Task Force agreed April 14 that a plan to expand the Public Storage facility in Annandale should not go forward unless the project includes the adjacent gas station property.
The Task Force was formed to advise the Fairfax County Planning Commission on whether the county’s Comprehensive Plan should be amended to facilitate certain redevelopment projects.
The owner of Public Storage wants to replace the one-story 37,000-square-foot self-storage center at 4312 Ravensworth Road with a four-story 153,000-square-foot structure.
The Comprehensive Plan discourages storage facilities in the Annandale Commercial Business Center unless the facility includes other uses, such as retail, office, or community-serving uses.
Department Planning and Zoning (DPZ) staff preliminarily recommends that achieving the Annandale vision – which calls for active ground-floor uses that encourage pedestrian activity – isn’t possible unless there is parcel consolidation with the 3 United gas station next door.
The task force agreed with that assessment and recommends the Planning Commission not approve Public Storage’s proposal for a plan amendment unless the gas station property is included.
Related story: Mason Task Force questions impact of Public Storage expansion project in Annandale
The DPZ staff and the task force also agreed that there should be pedestrian/bicycle connections inside the block, that ground-floor retail should face the street, and that the building form and façade meet the Annandale Design Guidelines.
Mark Viani, the agent for Public Storage, said all those ideas are fine, except, “the one challenge we have is with consolidation. The gas station owner doesn’t want to sell.”
Bryan Botello of DPZ said the gas station property is the most important point and undergirds the rest of the staff’s recommendations. It would not be feasible to have ground-floor retail unless it’s facing the street. The bulk of the Public Storage facility is in the middle of the block, with very little frontage on Ravensworth Road.
The official staff report on the project would be issued in early June. The Planning Commission will consider the project at a public hearing on June 23. The Board of Supervisors has scheduled a hearing for July 27. If the board approves the project, the next step would be a rezoning application.
Viani noted that he could rebuild the storage facility by right if it’s not expanded. In that case, it wouldn’t need a plan amendment or rezoning.
6 responses to “Mason Task Force seeks major changes in Public Storage redevelopment proposal”
Leave a reply
The task force didn't outright reject the redevelopment – in fact, the task force does not have any authority to do so.
What the task force did was it voted to recommend approval of the preliminary staff suggested language to the comprehensive plan.
Right now, according to the existing comprehensive plan, self storage usages are explicitly discouraged. With that language, it is extremely highly unlikely that the applicant would be able to redevelop at higher intensities should they apply.
The staff-recommended language that was endorsed by the task force would allow for self storage usage with certain preconditions that take into account the rest of the comprehensive plan, such as the encouragement of parcel consolidation and street facing ground-floor retail.
Did the task force put a rubber stamp on the project? No. But it did provide a recommendation of a path forward that balances what the community has stated is its vision for annandale as expressed in the existing comprehensive plan, as well as what the applicant has stated they would like to do.
The planning commission and ultimately the board of supervisors will further review this comprehensive plan amendment. Opportunity for further community feedback will exist at that time.
Just make these into section 8 apartments and I am certain zoning would approve it.
i'm glad it didn't go through. I really enjoy going to that gas station, and i am glad the owner doesn't want to sell.
Just let the people build the new building. The construction jobs and maybe
a couple new employees.
This project will gain instant approval if the new building includes space for another thrift shop and a Korean bbq.
Anonymous
Just say no. Keep the gas station. There is another storage place up the street.