Planning Commission endorses Community Business Center in Lincolnia

The busy intersection of Beauregard Street and Little River Turnpike.

The creation of a Community Business Center (CBC) in Lincolnia cleared a hurdle, as the Fairfax County Planning Commission endorsed the concept Jan. 25. The Board of Supervisors has scheduled a public hearing on it for March 6.

Under Phase 2 of the Lincolnia Planning District Study, a community task force was convened last year to determine whether a CBC should be established in the area centered on the intersection of N. Beauregard Street and Little River Turnpike.

After many months, the task force recommended that a CBC should be designated, covering approximately 160 acres on both sides of Little River Turnpike, roughly bordered by the City of Alexandria boundary, Eighth Street, Manitoba Drive, Chowan Avenue, Brookside Drive, Turkeycock Run, Wingate Street, and Lincolnia Road.

The task force recommendations, which have been approved by Department of Planning and Zoning staff, also call for an option of higher density, up to a maximum 3.0 FAR (floor area ratio), on a two-acre portion of the CBC at the southeast corner of the Plaza at Landmark to allow the development of a hotel or assisted living facility

The owner of that shopping center is interested in a redevelopment project, but no specific plans have been proposed.

Designation of a CBC would encourage mixed-use development in a more coordinated way than piecemeal development. According to the staff report on the Lincolnia Comprehensive Plan Amendment, “The proposed CBC is envisioned to create a vibrant and diverse focal point for the larger community, providing a variety of neighborhood commercial and retail services.”

The next step is a transportation analysis by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. Both county staff and task force members agree that traffic congestion at the intersection is a major impediment to future development.

Lincolnia Task Force chair Darren Shumate told the Planning Commission he is pleased with the results of the group’s work on Phase 2 and looks forward to addressing Phase 3, which will flesh out more details for guiding future development, including the high-density area on the Landmark Plaza site.