Residents oppose industrial rezoning
After hearing numerous complaints from local residents about a proposal to rezone the industrial Plaza 500 property in the Alexandria area of Mason District, the Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred a decision to Nov. 16.
At an Oct. 26 hearing, people who live nearby urged the Planning Commission to reject the proposal, citing noise and truck traffic. The Mason District Land Use Committee voted against approval on Oct. 25.
Plaza 500, at 6295 Edsall Road, is currently split among two zoning designations, I-3 and I-5. The owner is applying for a rezoning to have the entire property designated I-5. They say that would permit additional uses, such as warehouses, which are currently allowed in I-5, but not I-3, zones.
Members of the Planning Commission and neighbors who live the property raised concerns against rezoning the property to I-5 when the owner isn’t revealing what they plan to use it for. According to the owner’s attorney, Robert Brant of Walsh Colucci, the rezoning will give them “more flexibility in leasing.”
The potential for developing a data center on the site raised alarm bells about noise, security, and other problems. Data centers require an electrical substation and extensive water use.
If a data center is proposed in the future, it could be developed by-right, and the public won’t have a say in the matter.
All nine people who spoke at the Planning Commission opposed the rezoning.
Benjamin van Zyl, representing the Ridges of Edsall HOA, said an I-5 district would add more noise to an already noisy site where current tenants operate heavy machinery and large trucks run their refrigeration all night.
Related story: New townhouse development going up on Edsall Road
All that “prevents the peaceful enjoyment of our properties,” van Zyl said.
Since Plaza 500 was built in 1973, residential communities have grown up around it. “It’s no longer an isolated industrial area,” he said.
Ridges at Edsall road resident Mehreen Husain said heavy trucks bounce over speedbumps, and Precision Doors & Hardware makes metal doors at night, disturbing peoples’ sleep.
Other Plaza 500 tenants include Paxton Van Lines and a lumberyard,
“More industrial activities are inconsistent with the character of the community,” said Tyler Ray, a resident of Bren Pointe, a new townhouse community on Edsall Road. Fifty-three Bren Pointe residents signed a letter opposing the rezoning.
Other nearby residents said more industrial uses don’t conform to trends in the area, which encompass residential and mixed-use projects, such as West End at the Landmark Mall site.
Plaza 500 Property Owner LP purchased the property in June from MFVI Plaza 500 LLC for $165 million. Several spaces totaling about 48,000 square feet are available for lease, according to LoopNet.
Brant said the applicant is committed to pedestrian improvements along Edsall Road, including a sidewalk and crosswalk, and reserving land by Turkeycock Run for a future trail.
The pedestrian improvement bit is weird. A) they have not stated any actions they’ve taken, just ideas
B) there literally already is a cross walk and side walk so I’m confused what they would be adding?
The site is across from a real park with a trail – what value do they think their little strip of trees would be compared to that?
I moved away from that area because of the noise (and crime). The noise is relentless. Trucks rolling through constantly. They didn’t mention there is also a construction yard btwn Pickett and Eisenhower right there also. I couldn’t leave my windows open because the sill and my curtains would be covered in soot from the trucks.
The property managers at the rental properties also aren’t forthcoming about the noise levels, at least in my experience.
So it takes 9 random people to peer pressure the planning commission into changing their plans.
Noted….
They probably carpooled 🚐
Actually it takes a coordinated community effort in opposition to expanded industrial use in a residential community, including opposition from all the surrounding communities HOA’s, hundreds of emails to the planning commission, public awareness raising through the press, and research behind the site plans, just to name a few.
I agree with Anne’s comment. The county is determined to ride itself of Industrial sites- This location has been there since at least 1973 or earlier. New residential was created, now the new owners do not want this in their neighborhood. Didn’t they look at the area prior to purchasing. If the county eliminates Industrial areas where do you think companies will go- Loudoun, Western Prince William, Stafford. Then they have to drive to N.Va for the service you may so dearly need and the cost will be much more expensive=, which will cause you to complain.
Fairfax County erred in not providing a larger set off distance between Industrial and Residential….I believe the county is intentionally trying to exclude Industrial so that they can jam more high-density housing in smaller areas for a larger tax base.
The county actually prefers industrial and commercial from a purely budget perspective because those areas pay taxes but use very few services, whereas residential pays but also utilizes much more services.
Just because a decision is deferred doesn’t mean the proposal is dead – it’s actually far from it. Various boards use deferment as a tool to separate the public input date – when there may be a lot of people present voicing concern – from the decision date – where often you see officials claiming to have addressed concerns without allowing for public to refute such claims, and then the board goes and approves it. The deferment also allows officials to ensure they have a majority vote to allow passage before bringing it to the floor for a vote (they can’t meet as a group, but they are allowed to meet 1-1 privately).
I suspect that there will be proffer language added that prevents some of the most concerning I-5 uses on the site, such as the datacenter use, and then they will recommend approval with the proffers.
The community was not asking to get rid of the industrial use at the site, but not to approved EXPANDED industrial use, when the county has also approved residential communities all around the site since 1973. Residents knew what we were getting when we moved to the area, but we didn’t know we would be getting MORE which is what this zoning application does.
Fun fact, prior the 1973, this site was in fact zoned residential.
If Fairfax didn’t want residents opposing increased industrial activity in their neighborhoods, the planning commission shouldn’t have approved a new residential development right next to plaza 500. The county can pick, more houses, or more industry. They are trying to pass both right next to each other which is patently unfair for the people who did research on the area and moved in thinking the area was moving away from industry, not escalating it.
As a resident of Jefferson Green, I don’t want the already speeding trucks through Edsall road and through traffic to Van Dorn to increase. We don’t want the increased traffic and noise in the neighborhood.