Planning Commission rejects development proposal for Little River Turnpike
The Fairfax County Planning Commission rejected a site-specific plan amendment nomination for a mixed-use development on Little River Turnpike, but agreed to proceed with four others.
The Planning Commission reviewed five redevelopment proposals at a workshop on March 9 to determine whether they should be added to the planning staff’s Comprehensive Plan work program for 2023.
The proposed plan amendment for Little River Turnpike called for 105 multifamily units in a four-story building with ground-floor retail between Columbia Road and Randolph Drive in Annandale.
Shortly before the meeting, the developer, NPR Properties, submitted a revised proposal reducing the project to 50 units, but it was too late to do anything about it, said Michael Burton, with the Fairfax County Planning and Development Department.
The discussion at the meeting focused on the original 105-unit proposal. County staff had opposed the project, stating the increased density would not fit in with the character of the neighborhood.
Several people who live on Randolph Road urged the Planning Commission to reject the nomination, citing concerns with traffic, pedestrian safety, and incompatibility with the nearby single-family homes.
Related story: Multifamily housing proposed for Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners
The Planning Commission agreed to move forward with three of the plan nominations on a consent basis. The planning staff had recommended adding them to the work program, and no one had signed up to speak at the workshop.
Those plan nominations included a multifamily project on Church Street in Bailey’s Crossroads, a new mixed-use building at the Cavalier Club apartments with 300 units and retail on Wilson Boulevard in Seven Corners, and an eight-story, 450-unit multifamily building on the site of Pistone’s Italian Restaurant and Grand Mart on Arlington Boulevard in Seven Corners.
The Planning Commission also agreed to add a proposal for single-family homes on Gallows Road in Annandale to the work program, but had a discussion as there was one speaker.
Madison Homes would assemble seven properties between Libeau Lane and the Raintree condominium in Annandale and build 20 large single-family detached homes.
The project would require a zoning change to allow three to four homes per acre. The land is currently zoned R-2. Four existing entrances on Gallows Road would be eliminated, and three homes on Libeau Lane would be removed said Russ Rosenberger with Madison Homes.
Gerry Andrianopoulos, president of the Raintree Homeowners Association, urged the Planning Commission to reject the proposal. His main objections had to do with traffic and stormwater.
In 2018, a proposal by another developer for a much larger independent living facility for seniors on that property was withdrawn following widespread opposition.
150 to 50 is quite a change. Makes one wonder how “developers” plan these projects. Or do they just try to get away with whatever they can bribe BoS and County staff into accepting? And what if the developer happened to be affiliated with the group that happens to run every VABC and gas station in our area and who also happen to be related to so many county staff members. This is not coincidental.
Thankful, for once, the planning commission rejected the little river turnpike proposal. Even at 50 units it was and is a bad idea for traffic and the neighborhood. If the planning commission is reading this – thank you.
Neighborhood score:1
Developers score:3
Don’t know enough about the others but seven corners is a mess and not sure if this will help or hurt.
Thank you planning commission. This was a very bad idea for development and hopefully continues second thoughts for other projects in Annandale going forward.
Glad they rejected the proposal on Little River Turnpike. It would have ruined the neighborhood. If people want to see what happens when you pack in development, look at Columbia Pike in Arlington. It’s ruined.
How is Columbia Pike ruined? The only problem I see is not enough space for pick up/drop off so cars double park…and perhaps the quality of the developments leaves something to be desired…but that is true of many new developments.
Having Columbia Pike with high density and the side streets with town homes and single family homes seems like a good idea.
Ugh. NIMBYS are holding Mason back!
Yup, this area will always be stuck in the 50’s with street facing parking lots and single story buildings. People on this site complain constantly about how this area is going down hill. I think it’s because all the nimby’s are holding it back. Who wants to live here compared to vienna, falls church, merrifield, etc. All the places in the county experiencing growth with walkable friendly atmosphere with modern amenities.
Raises pitchfork. Down with the nimby’s
Exactly my thought! I was excited when I first heard about it and thought finally Annandale is moving forward. I guess 50s living is here to stay.
I don’t believe County staff live in the neighborhood, Javier, and they recommended not moving forward with the Little River proposal.
Where is Beautiful 236 plan from Fairfax county??
Annandale is looks dungeon and dark. It is stuck in the 50’ is right.
Well developers seem to propose trashy, high density, projects based on their false assumptions about current crime levels and demographic in the immediate area – They totally overlook the prime location of A’dale, proximity to the beltway, Arlington, FC, etc. The potential is enormous. The county just keeps trying to isolate the area as a poverty pocket vs build better connections to neighboring hubs. A thoughtful hub design benefits everyone – but instead we have god awful roads that narrow into deadly traffic knots at every border. For example Sleepy Hollow improvement abruptly stop at Columbia Pike. Annandale and Gallows road is literally a deadly intersection. Residents aren’t anti-development – just anti junk development.
I Agree, the next Mason District Supervisor needs to come up with a comprehensive plan to update and modernize Annandale while keeping its identity as a cultural/foodie hub and not forcing out small businesses. The biggest concern about doing this is more traffic congestion and overcrowding schools. If we make Annandale a more walkable community and push for a possible Columbia Pike metro line since the silver line is now complete, it surely wouldn’t take nearly as much time to accomplish. As for the schools Falls Church HS and Annandale HS are currently under-enrolled and same goes for the middle schools from what I hear. As for the elementary schools adding one to each pyramid shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. It may take a little time, but if we can accomplish it, I think it will be worth it.
Some development proposals are good and some are awful. It is equally wrong to pursue harmful density for the sake of modernizarion as it is to oppose all development. A⁰djacent neighborhoods need to be consulted and contribute to evaluating what is good or bad in individual ptojects.
An eight story residential building on the site of Pistones in 7Corners staggers the imagination. Who dreamed up the idea of a 450 unit apartment house smack in the middle of the worst intersection in northern Virginia? Sounds like a nightmare in progress. Imagine even half of those people heading out to work on a weekday morning! Unreal…
And it stands in the “circle” development area, to be built by VDOT by 2045.
I live there now and think this is great. I grew up in this area and it’s becoming increasingly apparent to me that if we don’t build things like this wherever we can that the only people able to live in northern Virginia are going to be the shockingly wealthy or those who bought in 50 years ago