Residents oppose multifamily housing on Little River Turnpike
Residents of Willow Run and nearby neighborhoods filled a conference room at the Mason Government Center on May 6 to confront the developer of a proposed 120-unit multifamily building at 6675 Little River Turnpike in Annandale.
The residents complained that such a large building is inappropriate for the property, which is currently the site of Pro Computers and the Miracle Garden Center between Randolph Drive and Columbia Road.
They charged that such a large building would exacerbate traffic congestion, pose a threat to pedestrian safety, and result in overflow parking on narrow streets.
Too big for the space
Last June, the Board of Supervisors agreed to consider the proposal by developer George Hong as a Tier 3 project in the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan Work Program after it had been recommended for rejection by county planning staff.
In 2023, the Planning Commission rejected Hong’s proposal for a 105-unit building on that site, which also generated strong community opposition. Now, county officials are considering Hong’s proposal for an even bigger project.
Mark Viani, a land use attorney with Bean Kinney & Korman who represents Hong, told the audience at the community meeting that it’s not a done deal. It still has to go through lengthy comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning processes.
And because it’s a Tier 3 project, it won’t be considered unless Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez submits a resolution to the Board requesting it be added to the work plan. “It’s on the shelf until the board approves a resolution,” said Viani.
Related story: Supervisors add redevelopment proposals to Comprehensive Plan Work Program
Jimenez did not attend the community meeting; he told us earlier in the day that he had a family event that evening.
Hong wasn’t there either. In fact, he never met with residents in all the years since the project was on the table – even after the Planning Commission urged him to engage with the community.
Randy Noranbrock, who lives on Randolph Drive, questioned why Hong came back with a proposal for 120 units after the 90-unit project didn’t get approved. “Now you’re trying to get buy-in from the community for something worse than was already presented two years ago,” he told Viani.
No retail
Several residents said they want the site to be developed and preferred townhomes or a low-rise office building rather than a high-intensity multifamily building.
According to Viani, the project will most likely be a condo, rather than rental apartments. It will have underground parking with 190 spaces, a stringent stormwater management system, and buffering and transitional screening. There won’t be any surface parking.
There will be just one access point, on Columbia Road. Existing access on Little River Turnpike and Randolph Drive will be closed.
The building also won’t have any retail; an earlier version of the project indicated ground-floor retail, but Viani said the community opposed it.
Ava Helm with KGD Architecture said the building will be designed to look like townhouses. It will have four stories along Little River Turnpike and will step down to two stories in the rear. A six-foot-high wall will be built along the back of the 1.89-acre property.
Traffic and parking problems
Both Randolph Drive and Columbia Road are narrow with no sidewalks, no room for street parking, and a ditch on the side of the road.
As a result, residents noted, people walk their dogs and the Thomas Jefferson High School track team runs in the street, which will become more dangerous with more traffic. Also, there are backups on Columbia Road caused by people trying to get to the Pure gas station on Little River Turnpike.
Transportation consultant Will Johnson with Galloway & Company displayed a slide showing that traffic during peak hours would be much less with the multifamily building than it would have been with an office building, as previously proposed. A large multifamily building, however, would generate much more traffic than if the property weren’t redeveloped at all.
Residents also questioned where Amazon and FedEx trucks will park. Johnson said the plans call for a loading area and short-term delivery parking next to the parking garage entrance.
“We already have parking problems. The roads are not safe. There’s no room for current vehicles. This is totally out of step with our neighborhood,” said Randolph Drive resident Cathy Liss. “Enough is enough.”
The neighborhood “has poured a lot of energy into this,” said another resident. “It’s tiresome and frustrating to be at another meeting with no change and no response.”
It’s all about the ROI
Julie Strandlie, a former member of the Planning Commission, suggested the only reason the proposed plan amendment was approved by the Planning Commission was because current Planning Commissioner Alis Wang added an alternative option for townhouses.
The board also directed the plan to be further refined through engagement with the community and an analysis of the impact of traffic on neighborhood streets, pedestrian safety, and parking.
“We support housing, but this is the wrong place for it,” said Strandlie. A major multifamily building like this is better suited for a commercial site, like the Annandale Giant, she said, urging Viani to “go back and do the townhouse plan.”
Related story: Planning Commission advances multifamily proposal in Willow Run neighborhood
“Does George Hong care about our community?” asked Neil McLeod. “Since he bought the property in 2021, he never said one word to us, despite the Board of Supervisors telling him in 2024 that he needs to engage with the community. That’s a guy who wants to get his money and get the heck out.”
McLeod noted that a medical office building had previously been approved for the property and was ready to go, but it was dropped when the financial crisis of the late 2010s halted new development.
The previous owner listed the property for sale in 2010 for $2.8 million, but got no offers at that price for 12 years, he said. Then Hong showed up, offering $2.8 million “without thinking of the ramifications or doing any studies.” he said.
According to McLeod, Hong didn’t have any experience in developing or managing residential properties. “The bottom line is, now we have to pay the price so he can develop the property and get his money back.”
Several people questioned why Jimenez didn’t come out against the project when the entire community opposes it. The answer, suggested one resident, is political; Hong’s associate Kevin Yun contributed $20,000 to his election campaign.
When the neighborhood voted for Jimenez, McLeod said, “We thought he would have our back. Clearly, this voting block is going to see things a lot differently next time.”
Related story: Planning Commission rejects development proposal for Little River Turnpike
This developer needs to get community buy-in first. The developer seems clueless and arrogant.
The housing is badly needed. The community was equally arrogant and angry both times.
The fact that rabble-rousers can block development of much-needed housing on _private land_ is absurd, and a major factor in why housing costs in this area continue to escalate beyond affordability.
Agreed, the owner doesn’t seem to get it. He keeps shooting higher and there doesn’t seem to be any buy-in from the Board, residents, etc. One would think that he would realize he has to compromise if he wants this land to ever become something (he must be losing money left and right). I wonder if he is the guy who sells bonsai trees and apples every day in front of the Garden Center.
This townhouse development should not happen — not enough parking is planned — surrounding roads are not equipped for such a development — many of us use Pro Computers currently located on the property — a small office building would be better suited for this area and would allow space for Pro Computers a small business. Our current Mason District Supervisor should listen to his constituents concerns on this matter!
Your opinion should be disregarded as its not helpful, if its not an apartment it will be townhomes. This is a useless suggestion
no, no, and no, this is how many times the community has had to say we do not want this. This issue needs to have it’s final death.
Some level of redevelopment is appropriate for this site (although I would usually prefer no increase in density), but this giant development proposed just seems way over-sized for the location.
Unfortunately, I never hear of Jimenez really helping our community, usually just going along with developers.
Your representative voted to put a Casino walking distance from my single family home, so I am not surprised.
This is crazy. Who are you to say what is and isn’t needed in an area that desperately needs more housing. Where is your data to support your arguments.
Parking, traffic… Where is your evidence of such things? How much worse will the traffic be than it is?
I think the local community needs to compromise as well. I’m not saying the developer is perfect, but the level of ignorance I see from local residents is crazy.
I don’t live in this neighborhood and don’t have a dod in the fight. I read all the comments and I don’t see anything crazy or ignorant except your comment.
Common sense dictates that if you add hundreds of new people in one block with hundreds of cars, traffic will be worse. Data isn’t needed to make that assertion because it’s common sense. Maybe the residents of the nice single family neighborhood don’t want hundreds of people in their souped up 20 year old Honda Accords racing by their homes. Not crazy or ignorant… on the contrary, it’s a very understandable position.
Our Mason District supervisor made the calculated decision NOT to attend this community meeting. If he cared about “us”, he would have attended and listened to our long-time, valid concerns with this proposed development. But that would mean he would have to explain and justify to his Mason District citizens why he supports this developer’s overreach of a development. Instead, he hides from his community… again.
The next Democratic primary for Mason District Supervisor is June 2027. Jimenez narrowly squeaked by fellow Democrat, Reid Voss, in 2023. We all need to remember that this current supervisor has his own political ambitions in mind; ambitions that are funded by the area’s developers’ deep pockets. The Mason District community deserves better. VOTE HIM OUT !
I’m not particularly enamored by our current Supervisor either, and though I voted for him in the primary, he wouldn’t have been my choice for Mason Supervisor. But Reid Voss was a closet Republican, NOT a “fellow Democrat”, when he lost in the primary to Jimenez three years ago (https://annandaletoday.com/reid-voss-is-hiding-his-republican-background/). Given the trajectory of our nation under the GOP, keeping an opportunistic Democrat-in-name-only out of office essentially forced me, and many I know, to vote for the candidate most likely to deny Voss the election.
Supervisor Jimenez is shamelessly failing this substantial Mason District community in order to advance his own political agenda. That is so very unacceptable. Mason District deserves an unselfish leader who will show up for community meetings and offer common sense resolutions. Hopefully the next Democratic primary will flush out a new supervisor who will actually listen to his/her voting constituents. This specific dispute has shown a bright light on Jimenez. Actions are stronger than words… We won’t be fooled again!
My 2 cents:
My family lives about 1 mile away from the project so it will not likely have a significant impact on my family, save a likely increase in traffic near the new building. I support the addition of new affordable housing in Annandale as long as proper due diligence is performed beforehand.
An essential element of the plan is an acceptable site location. Placing a 90- or 120-unit multifamily building adjacent to an existing single-family house neighborhood is not acceptable. A site similar to the old K-Mart location would be more appropriate and would not incur the local community’s level of wrath as evident from the article and the numerous posted comments.
FYI, 190 (projected) parking spaces falls inline with the national average of 1.57 spaces per multifamily unit; however, the selected site has a dearth of public transportation options so car travel is practically necessary. It seems reasonable that most families residing in the building would need two cars because of the distance to shopping, work, doctor appointments, etc. This would boost the minimum number of private parking spaces to 180 for the 90-unit option and 240 for the currently proposed building. Private parking on site should be incentivized as the primary method; otherwise, the adjacent neighborhood(s) should request parking by a limited number of county permits for the local streets.
It would be worth while to uncover how Mr. Hong came to the 190-parking space count AND the 120 unit building size.
Supervisor Jimenez is not representing his constituents. He also didn’t vote to oppose the casino in Tysons Corner.
Sorry I voted for him! I won’t be fooled by him again.
I agree Aileen!!!!
Aileen – just to set the record straight, it wasn’t Supv Jimenez’ role to “vote” on the casino. That role fell to the VA General Assembly. And Supv. Jimenez came out VERY clearly AGAINST the casino; he signed the 3/13/2026 letter to the the Ffx Co Delegation of the General Assembly indicating his opposition, as did his eight Democrat colleagues on the BoS. My recollection is that Supv Herrity was the only Ffx Co BoS rep who didn’t sign this letter of opposition.
Anyone getting kickbacks or getting donations to re-election campaigns?