New details emerge on Southeast Quadrant project in Bailey’s Crossroads
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| A rendering of the proposed apartment building calls it “Columbia Crossroads.” |
Plans under discussion for the “Southeast Quadrant” of
Columbia Pike include a five-story apartment building and a new urban-style
elementary school.
Columbia Pike include a five-story apartment building and a new urban-style
elementary school.
This 7.4-acre site lies between Moncure Avenue and Radley
Acura. Part of that site, currently occupied by the Bailey’s International Center office building, Safari Restaurant, Falls Church Automotive Center, and
other businesses along Columbia Pike, is in the process of being purchased by
AvalonBay.
Acura. Part of that site, currently occupied by the Bailey’s International Center office building, Safari Restaurant, Falls Church Automotive Center, and
other businesses along Columbia Pike, is in the process of being purchased by
AvalonBay.
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| The site plan shows the apartment building on the right and the school on the left. Columbia Pike is on top. |
The Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter on Moncure Avenue is on a
section of the property owned by Fairfax County. The temporary Bailey’s
Crossroads Fire Station, also on that property is expected to be removed
imminently, if it hasn’t already happened.
section of the property owned by Fairfax County. The temporary Bailey’s
Crossroads Fire Station, also on that property is expected to be removed
imminently, if it hasn’t already happened.
In July, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Mason
Supervisor Penny Gross to begin a Comprehensive Plan amendment and rezoning
process allowing development in the Southeast Quadrant.
Supervisor Penny Gross to begin a Comprehensive Plan amendment and rezoning
process allowing development in the Southeast Quadrant.
The project will be presented to the Mason District Land Use Committee Oct. 28. It will come before the Fairfax County Planning Commission
on Nov. 5, and the BoS will take it up on Dec. 2. A rezoning proposal could be
approved by spring or summer 2015.
on Nov. 5, and the BoS will take it up on Dec. 2. A rezoning proposal could be
approved by spring or summer 2015.
AvalonBay representative Mark Looney of Cooley LLP; Brent
Krasner of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning, and Kevin
Sneed of Fairfax County Public Schools described the project at a meeting of the Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners Redevelopment Corporation Oct. 21.
Krasner of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning, and Kevin
Sneed of Fairfax County Public Schools described the project at a meeting of the Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners Redevelopment Corporation Oct. 21.
According to Looney, the apartment building would have about
250 to 270 units. About 60 percent of the units would be efficiencies and one-bedroom apartments; and 40 percent would have two bedrooms. The county requires
12 percent of the units to have affordable rents; the rest would have
market-rate rents.
250 to 270 units. About 60 percent of the units would be efficiencies and one-bedroom apartments; and 40 percent would have two bedrooms. The county requires
12 percent of the units to have affordable rents; the rest would have
market-rate rents.
The project would have 1.6 parking spaces per apartment, the
minimum required by the county. There are discussions about reducing parking
requirements for apartments, as renters in the target market, millennials, have fewer cars,
Looney said. The building would be close to bus routes on Columbia Pike.
minimum required by the county. There are discussions about reducing parking
requirements for apartments, as renters in the target market, millennials, have fewer cars,
Looney said. The building would be close to bus routes on Columbia Pike.
AvalonBay and Fairfax County would form a public-private
partnership for developing the school, which is expected to take longer than
the apartment building. In the meantime the school site would be reserved for a
park or other public use.
partnership for developing the school, which is expected to take longer than
the apartment building. In the meantime the school site would be reserved for a
park or other public use.
The school design would be based on an urban model already
developed by FCPS for the Tysons area. The five-story building would have about 38 classrooms and a capacity for
about 950 students, Sneed said.
developed by FCPS for the Tysons area. The five-story building would have about 38 classrooms and a capacity for
about 950 students, Sneed said.
The school is needed to relieve overcrowding at Glen Forest Elementary and other nearby schools, which means there would be a
boundary change process affecting several schools. Sneed acknowledged that
overcrowding also needs to be addressed at Glasgow Middle School and Stuart
High School.
boundary change process affecting several schools. Sneed acknowledged that
overcrowding also needs to be addressed at Glasgow Middle School and Stuart
High School.
The Bailey’s Community Shelter would need to be relocated,
and a group is actively working on finding another site in the Bailey’s
Crossroads area.
and a group is actively working on finding another site in the Bailey’s
Crossroads area.
The Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan calls for several road improvements in Bailey’s Crossroads, including extending Seminary Road to
Columbia Pike, connecting Moncure Avenue to Seminary, and widening Columbia
Pike.
Columbia Pike, connecting Moncure Avenue to Seminary, and widening Columbia
Pike.
23 responses to “New details emerge on Southeast Quadrant project in Bailey’s Crossroads”
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"AvalonBay and Fairfax County would form a public-private partnership for developing the school, which is expected to take longer than the apartment building."
…"The school is needed to relieve overcrowding at Glen Forest Elementary and other nearby schools."
So after the apartments are built and before the school is completed, those students will be schooled…where?
That is essentially the last bit of commercial development at Baileys Crossroads that needs to be cleaned up and rebuilt after the completion of the shopping center at Leesburg Pike and Charles St.
After that, we need to move on to the Culmore area with the redevelopment of the apartments
How Culmore is redeveloped is going to be a real touchstone for whether FFXCO is actually interested in being a "livable, walkable, diverse community" and all that jazz or just a sprawly, chain-bistro bureaucratic Beverly Hills.
Culmore will never be re developed
Sounds neat but the total lot size is approx 7.4 acres. Half of that is 3.7 acres – which would make the school lot the second smallest in the county.
So,get rid of the homeless shelter so only the exclusive can live and shop.Yep,sounds like you're in Fairfax County. Who give home to the rich, and relocate their poor.Heaven forbid the homeless shelter to be seen from the road.Could be you someday.
And the funding from the school comes from where? Even without having to purchase the land, it's $10-12 M for the building, maybe even more. It's not been bonded, and the next bond election won't be until next year, so where is FCPS coming up with the money for this?
As a driver who frequents Columbia Pike through Arlington, Bailey's, seven corners and falls church (including Rt 50 and Broad st.) how many units/people are these new large developments adding to traffic/schools to already gridlocked roads/overcrowded schools?
Much of this new construction should be the single residential units that the county wants. Affordable housing, limiting traffic and overcrowding our schools
way too much development getting shoved through 7 Corners and Bailey's recently and none of it is planned/smart growth. the county has no plan.
I vote for condos and NO MORE FREAKING OVERCROWDED APARTMENTS FULL OF ILLEGALS.
Last sentence 10:08 PM comment should have said "limiting traffic and overcrowding IN our schools"
End comment, but here are the details…
There are three new large Apartment complexes on Col. Pike east of Jefferson St (the proposed streetcar route)
However, the Bailey's project between Moncure and Leesburg Pike adds how many units? equaling how many people? with obvious overcrowding in that area? No increase in public transportation. School "to be built later"
Continue west on Leesburg Pike, how many units/people are planned for the THREE developments at Seven Corners?
No increase in public transportation. School "to be built later"
West on Rt 50 at south street, how many units in the that development?
No increase in public transportation. School "to be built later"
West on Rt. 7 (Broad St.), how many units in the development west of Maple Ave (home of the old FC Post Office)
No increase in public transportation. School "to be built later?"
Between 50 and 7, how many units on Cherry St?
No increase in public transportation. School "to be built later?"
I thought the SRUs were the answer to our problems?
ALL OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS over-qualify as SRUs … public transit routes, available for young and old alike … dignified affordable housing that working people can afford … NOT multi-family boarding houses
( see comment above RE: "only the exclusive can live …sounds like you're in Fairfax County. Who give home to the rich…")
Good thing Mason District is the last bastion for the
working class and is in no danger of becoming "home to the rich" That doesn't mean we can't improve the quality of life.
The correct term is SRO (Single room occupancy), not SRU (single residential units) mentioned in the original post
Great, I wonder how quickly these apartments will be crammed with multi-families while the Mason District looks the other way. Couple this with birth rate stats and it becomes clear why you have such overcrowded schools. In the case of Bailey's I believe roughly 300 out of boundary students are brought in . Which leads me to think how can you lay claim to be severely overcrowded when you bring in roughtly 20% of the student population from out of boundary, but that is discussion for another board I am sure. Folks want to argue the point to build more schools, but is that simply putting a band-aid on the problem. How many schools should be built and why? Who pays for this? It is easy to sit back and say let's build another school and/or add more apartments. Does anyone really believe that by adding more apartments you are going to eliminate and/or reduce multi-families living together in this area? County officials need to peel back the problem(s) and get to the root of issue and effectively address it. While I am all for upgrading the area, and god knows it certainly needs it, I fear that any development will resemble the culmore model in short order.
WELL SAID – we do not need anotherCulmore – it already looks horrid there – you can change the buildings – but the people are here. Word spread quickly – this place is the place to be if you illegal and want free education for your five kids and growing family.
getting a bit racist in here
Hey, whoever is claiming "racism" is just another sell-appointed monitor of political correctness trying to shut down free speech. The fact is that people who do not have a legal right to live in America are living in America by the millions.
It is certainly more politically correct to call them "undocumented immigrants" or "New Americans" but the fact is that they do exist.
Simply acknowledging that these people exist and live among us and to express your opposition to it is not "racist."
Anonymous 10/23 2:55
This has nothing to do with racism so don't bring that crap on here.
more units won't reduce overcrowding UNTIL the cost per unit is affordable … hence RSU's.
anonymous10:41 – IMO overcrowding will only be reduced when the county enforces ordinance laws. Or how about immigration laws but that isn't happening. Sadly I think even RSU's will have multi-families living in one unit.
who is shutting down free speech? no one asked that your racist stuff be deleted, just called you out for your racist attitude . you wouldn't be getting so worked up if it wasn't true.
BORING! ZZZZZZZZZZZ
Anonymous10/23/14, 5:43 PM
Playing the "race" card is the obvious sign of an empty-head who has nothing to add to the conversation. Take your self-righteousness and move it to some where else.
If the FFX BOS would build metro or the new trolley down columbia pike these apartments would be viable for young singles. But no mass transit, no bike lanes, and lots of crap equals junkland USA.