Planning Commission approves Final Development Plan for multifamily building in Bailey’s Crossroads
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| The entrance to the multifamily building would be at the corner of Columbia Pike and Moncure Avenue. |
The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved a Final Development Plan (FDP) Oct. 13 for a major project at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Moncure Avenue in Bailey’s Crossroads.
The project, proposed by DRI/WP Alta Crossroads LLC, consists of a five-story, 393,000-square-foot multifamily building with 370 units plus three separate single-family townhouses.
There would be a parking garage and two interior courtyards for residents and 0.4 acres of open space accessible to the public, including a pocket park next to the townhouses.
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| Three townhouses would be built on Moncure Avenue. |
During a public hearing on the FDP on Oct. 6, Mark Viani, an attorney who represents the applicant, said several residents of Moncure Avenue had raised concerns about traffic, parking, sewer capacity, stormwater runoff, and construction noise. Parking and traffic are problems already due to a couple of churches and a daycare center on Moncure.
Related story: Construction to start next year on an apartment building on Columbia Pike
After the hearing, Viani and Julie Strandlie, who represents Mason District on the Planning Commission, met with residents again and agreed to additional development conditions in response to their concerns.
Those improvements include more robust stormwater provisions; limits on construction hours, including no construction on Sundays; restricting dumpsters to the loading dock; and enhanced fencing and screening between the townhouses and the existing home next door.
The applicant has committed to setting aside 12 percent of the units as Workforce Dwelling Units (WDUs). One-third of the WDUs will serve households with incomes up to 70 percent of the Area Median Income, one-third will be for households up to 100 percent of AMI, and a third will be for households up to 120 percent of AMI.
This process has been going on for over 4 years the developer and county met with the residents the first time 2 days before the board hearing, the residents requested continuance to work with the county and developer which was not considered. The residents were promised the county /developer would keep in touch. The residents are still waiting to hear back. The residents are working with an attorney to reach out to surrounding neighbors via next door and flyers (plz keep an eye out) to have a meeting to raise major concerns and see options to improve this situation. We would like a balance between development with more green space.
That's so typical that surrounding residents don't hear about a development until it's already approved by the Planning Commission. I don't remember Penny mentioning this new development in any of her newsletters. Does anybody else? I do remember driving pass a big yellow Fairfax County board sign on Columbia Pike announcing something but I couldn't read it while driving. Residents are not part of the land development process in Mason District. It's amazing how readily Julie Strandlie and the developer quickly agreed to things residents wanted after the Planning Commission had approved the development. That was probably the first time both of them heard residents' issues.
I love the idea of improving the area. Since in its current state it is very much an eyesore and not keeping up with the surrounding areas. But the big issue with these high density housing areas is that we have an overcrowding issue with our schools in this corridor. If money is not being set aside for more elementary/middle and gasp high schools we are setting ourselves up for long term failures. The Columbia Pike corridor has some pretty crowded schools. Land development needs to implement safety, infrastructure, green space, amenities, services, and education if you want to improve an area. We have shot ourselves in the foot by not pushing all of these in a project. We need development badly and this is a great idea, but we need to think big picture.
Couldn't agree more that we need to think big picture, but it is impossible for Fairfax County Planning to take a holistic approach in anything they do. From what I can observe this is an issue that is not only the fault of county officials but also of county residents that are relentless in their NIMBYism.
We desperately need to increase the housing supply in Fairfax County, and you are completely right that we need to improve infrastructure along with increases in density. But first we need to collectively accept that the future of Mason District is not a suburban landscape. We need to let go of this idea to implement effective solutions.
This is one time that I totally agree that the NIMBYs need to shut up. We need investment in Baileys that is not one of Penny's socialism projects. The development planned for this intersection is not additional Section 8 housing. If we are to change the economics and the landscape of Mason successfully we must be visionary and look forward. That does not include failed 1970s thinking and planning.
NIMBYs I warn you, that if you don't stop your chronic resistance you will be surrounded by more Culmore like development choking the life out of Mason.
LOL on the additional development conditions. the county will never enforce or check they did any of them. developers know this so will agree to anything and its all one big joke
Wow amazing article ,really highlights the issues that neighbor hood would have to deal with. I am farther out by Dawes ,I could see this affecting my kids including the daily walks we have through the-quite streets in our beautiful neighborhood. What a nightmare with all this new traffic.
I love this development! I am so excited to see modern, mixed use development finally advancing over the Arlington County line on Colombia Pike into Fairfax County. I hope it will accelerate down Columbia Pike to include Annandale, which badly news modern mixed-use development.
Hugo what are u talking about mixed used development? There is no retail only a 400 unit ugly huge apartment complex that stands and Does not belong in that area, that looks just alittle better then fairfax county jail, if that’s what you want in your Neighborhood with all that traffic , cars dogs peeing on your grass and going to bathroom in your yard. That apartment complex is much better suited for arlington. Our schools , streets can not handle all this traffic .