Multifamily housing and gas station proposed for Mason District

Of the four development proposals for Mason District reviewed at a community meeting on April 9, the only one to draw concern from residents was a townhouse project on Edsall Road.

The virtual meeting addressed four of the 11 proposals submitted to the Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process.

The Edsall Road proposal calls for amending the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to increase the density on a 3.5-acre wooded site adjacent to Bren Mar Park to allow 12 units per acre. The Comprehensive Plan currently recommends three to four units per acre.

Bruce Olcott, the representative for the developer, said the project would be a high-end townhouse community with about three dozen homes.

HOA presidents at five nearby communities sent a letter to the Planning Commission calling for the developer to commit to preserving the tree canopy, reduce the zoning request from R-12 to R-8, add a sidewalk on Colliers Lane, and add a crosswalk on Edsall Road.

Olcott said the developer is committed to saving as many trees as possible and funding improvements at Bren Mar Park.

The HOA presidents – representing Bren Pointe, Overlook, Jefferson Green, the Ridges at Edsall, and Landmark Mews – suggested the developer fund memberships at the Bren Mar Pool for the new residents. Olcott said “that’s a fantastic idea.”

In addition, they urged the Planning Commission to consider the plan amendment within the context of the proposed data center and electric substation at Plaza 500 on Edsall Road, which would have a harmful impact on residents’ health and quality of life.

A virtual community meeting on three other plan amendment proposals for Mason District will be held today at 7 p.m. The meeting will address three projects on Leesburg Pike, including the Sears site. Access the meeting here. The third meeting on Mason District proposals is scheduled for April 21.

The community meetings on the SSPA process are the first step before county staff undertake a formal evaluation on the proposed amendments, said Michael Burton, a planner with the Department of Planning and Zoning.

Another plan amendment proposal discussed on April 8 calls for replacing two buildings on Cherokee Avenue in Lincolnia with a Sheetz gas station and convenience store. The property currently has a four-story office building training facility for parkour and related sports.

Ashley Kyle, the developer’s representative, said Sheetz offers healthier prepared food and more grocery items than other gas station stores. The plan amendment proposes changing the zoning from commercial to retail.

“Most people who go to Sheetz are on the road anyway, so it wouldn’t generate a lot of extra traffic,” Kyle said.

She also described another SSPA proposal nearby: the replacement of an office building at 5300 Shawnee Road with a four-story multifamily residential building with up to 50 units. Five of the units would be affordable.

The developer is proposing to change the zoning designation from office to residential use with 15 to 20 units per acre. The new building would be about the same size as the existing one.

The fourth SSPA proposal calls for changing the zoning at 6850 Versar Center in the Springfield area of Mason District to allow vehicle sales and storage.

Related story: Planning Commission endorses zoning special exception for vacant buildings

The Board of Supervisors approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment for the site in 2023. However, the zoning designation allows vehicle rentals and the sale and rental of heavy equipment – such as dump trucks, buses, and tractor-trailers – but not vehicle sales.

Backlick Run bisects the site, and a large section of the property is a protected floodplain. The owner’s representative, David Schneider of Holland and Knight, said when the earlier Comprehensive Plan amendment was approved, extensive environmental reviews were done.

The Planning Commission will hold a series of workshops – open for public comment – before determining which plan amendments should be added to the work program. The workshop for the SSPA proposals for Mason District is expected to be held in late May. The work program will be presented to the Board of Supervisors by mid-June.