A wooded area along Chain Bridge/Ox Road near the City of Fairfax line is being rezoned for upscale townhouses as part of a joint effort between the city and Fairfax County zoning offices.
Although the case involves separate municipalities, the joint effort is designed to develop the land in the best possible scenarios for both. While most of the land is in the Braddock District, some is in the City of Fairfax as well. Supervisor Sharon Bulova (D-Braddock) has seen the plan change over the years. The land is owned by the Fairfax County Housing Authority.
"Their plan was to build affordable houses, but the City of Fairfax was very unhappy. They looked at that as a gateway to Fairfax," she said.
"We just heard it was about to happen and we thought it was better for mixed use," said Michelle Coleman, City of Fairfax senior planner.
According to Florence Naeve, chief of staff in Bulova's office, the plan now is for garaged townhomes similar to the Crestmont townhouses one block away that are within city boundaries. The proposed townhouses will be priced in the $400,000-$500,000 range. Rocky Gorge is the developer.
"We think it will be a nice addition to the Braddock District. The challenge has been to come up with a design that will work with the county and city," Naeve said. "After a decade long effort, we decided to go forward with the option for garage townhouses," she said, admitting "our closest neighbors are really GMU."
Bulova worked with former Mayor John Mason on this issue, which incorporated the realignment of University Drive at one point.
"This became rather a large venture," she said, remembering the original plans that included townhouses, condos, retail, a conference center and a small hotel.
"No one was interested in building those things," she said.
Coleman said that mixed-use development is still part of the city's comprehensive plan.
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY graduate student, Sriklanph Celamkoti passes the area on the way to class.
"It's good the way it is rather than more commercial. There are better places than here," he said.
GMU freshman Tomoko Korehisa walks past there as well.
"I feel it's dangerous to walk here," she said. "It's dark." Korehisa would like to see more student housing in the area, but the upscale townhouses that are planned would hardly fit a student's budget.
Jason Kim is the owner of the convenience store right across Ox Road from the site. He gets a lot of business from the GMU students in the immediate area. He was contacted about the zoning hearings.
"It's good for the progress. I'm not against it, if they don't build it someone else will build. It's good for the city," he said.
There is a tree on the property with gangly branches that was going to be the centerpiece of the property, said Naeve. There was going to be a sitting area around the tree, but "it's deceased and we won't be able to save it," she said.
However, Bulova did say that some of the trees will be saved.
"It will have some amenities where people can sit and enjoy the existing environmental properties it has now," she said.