Seven Corners residents oppose housing proposal at the Jefferson
Residents of the single-family neighborhood that backs up to The Jefferson Apartments in Seven Corners expressed significant concerns about a proposal to add more housing to the site.
The property owner has submitted an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to add 101 additional multifamily units on the surface parking lot at the Jefferson, at 6166 Leesburg Pike. The existing apartment building, with 310 units, would remain.
That proposal is one of three site-specific plan amendments (SSPA) reviewed at a virtual community meeting on April 10. The other proposals call for additional housing at the Sears property in Seven Corners and the Food Star site in Bailey’s Crossroads.
Scott Adams, a land use attorney with McGuireWoods, said two options are under consideration for the Jefferson: (1) a mix of townhouses and triplexes; or (2) stacked townhouses. Under both options, the new units would be for sale. A new parking structure is proposed for apartment residents.
Some of the new housing would be sited along Leesburg Pike, with landscaping and a new sidewalk replacing the service road, Adams said. The project would include green spaces and pedestrian connections to the adjacent neighborhood.
Matthew Sage, president of the Lee Boulevard Heights Civic Association, said residents of the single-family homes that back up to the Jefferson oppose adding more density to the property.
Related story: Multifamily housing and gas station proposed for Mason District
Sage said the project would lead to more traffic, overflow parking on neighborhood streets, and a deteriorating quality of life due to more noise, trash, crime, and vagrancy.
He also cited poor property maintenance at the Jefferson, including overflowing dumpsters, trash in the creek, and the failure to address drug use and public urination on the property. He has seen no improvements since Eagle Rock Properties acquired the Jefferson in November.
“The Jefferson has always been a problem; last year, it’s become a nightmare,” said longtime Lee Boulevard Heights resident Hassan Wahdan. He’s seen homeless people sleeping on mattresses by the creek and “rats as big as cats” in his backyard.
LaTasha Perkins, a family physician who lives next to the Jefferson at the corner of Olin Drive and Brook Drive, expressed concerns about the potential for increased traffic creating safety hazards for children. More vehicle exhaust will lead to deteriorating air quality, causing respiratory problems, she added.
“My childhood community is no longer safe,” said another resident, pointing to increased crime and drug use at the Jefferson. She’s seen liquor bottles and people passed out on her lawn. Also, increased congestion on neighborhood streets would make it difficult for rescue vehicles to respond to an emergency.
Other residents brought up concerns about overflow parking on neighborhood streets, more flooding due to an increase in impervious surfaces, and overcrowded schools.
The one person who offered a positive comment, Sonya Breehey of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, called the proposed development an opportunity to address the lack of affordable housing in the county.
Related story: Seven Corners apartments have a new owner
There were also complaints at the meeting about a proposal to redevelop the Sears site at 6211 Leesburg Pike with up to 600 residential units and a modest amount of ground-floor retail.
Land use attorney Mike Van Atta of McGuireWoods said the property owner is considering three different concepts: (1) 130 townhomes; (2) a mix of apartments, condos, and townhomes for a total of 340 units; and (3) up to 600 multifamily units.
The Seven Corners Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2015 recommended 300 housing units plus office, retail, and entertainment uses on the Sears site. That won’t work now, Van Atta said, because extensive commercial development is no longer viable.
Nearby resident Marty Machowsky, who was involved in drafting the previous Comprehensive Plan amendment, said that process included extensive community participation over a three-year period. “That should be the starting point,” he said. Rather than starting over, planners should consider “how we can tweak that at the margins to accommodate the changing marketplace.”
Jeff Longo, a resident of Sleepy Hollow Manor, expressed frustration that the current proposal diverges so much from what was already approved. Without more community-serving retail on the site, he would rather see the vacant Sears building remain.
Jessica Swanson said her neighbors in Ravenwood Park are concerned about increased density, school overcrowding, more traffic on Route 7, apartment residents parking on neighborhood streets, and cut-through traffic.
The other SSPA proposal considered at the meeting calls for increased density at the Food Star site at 5521 Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads.
The Board of Supervisors approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment for the property in 2023 allowing three multifamily buildings ranging from five to 14 stories with 900 to 1,300 units and 65,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
The owner, George Hong, is now requesting another plan amendment calling for a maximum height of 20 stories plus 37,000 square feet of retail.
Land use attorney Sara Mariska with Odin Feldman Pittleman said the project would include structured parking and a public park. It would also incorporate Food Star into one of the buildings.
Related story: Food Star redevelopment advances
Since all three SSPA proposals are on Leesburg Pike, several people asked about the impact of the future Envision Route 7 Bus Rapid Transit on the redevelopment plans. Michael Burton of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, said the BRT will be considered along with the proposed projects.
A BRT along Route 7 between Falls Church and Alexandria is still a long way off, as more studies and analysis need to be done, said Kyle Kelly of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. The section between Falls Church and Tysons is further along.
On April 21, there will be a community meeting on four other SSPA proposals for Mason District, including two on Little River Turnpike in Annandale and two in Lincolnia.
After that, the Planning Commission will hold workshops open for public comment to determine which projects should be added to the Comprehensive Plan work program and which ones should be prioritized. The final decision on the work program will be made by the Board of Supervisors.
4 responses to “Seven Corners residents oppose housing proposal at the Jefferson”
Leave a Reply to Jessica Swanson Cancel reply
Gosh, I wonder why housing and rents in the area keep endlessly getting more and more expensive? Maybe because of NIMBYs and BANANAs who block every proposal to relieve the massive backlog?
Important to clarify that Ravenwood Park residents aren’t against the redevelopment of the Sears site. We’d just like to see new development honor the intent of the density agreements we made in that careful engagement over several years.
The overflow of parking, increase in trash, and petty crime are all very real concerns happening now and impacting the long established neighborhoods around the sears development site. If mass developments like this continue, you will see long time residents, who pay immense amounts in property taxes, leave the area.
Kindler, where exactly in Falls Church do you live? How close is it to the 3 proposed new residential developments within 1/2 mile of each other? Have you driven on RT7 during the morning & evening rush hour? I’m assuming you have not or you would understand why we are against more traffic in the area. Have you seen the parking on Patrick Henry Drive & Peace Valley Lane? Most of those who park here don’t belong to our community. Have you seen the number of cars that use Ravenwood Park as a cuthrough? I’m happy to meet you any day & we can observe this! Then you would understand why the community wants the developer to stick with the original agreement they discussed with us 3 years ago!