Over months of review by county staff and a citizen task force, the number of proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan in the Braddock District has been whittled down from 21 to the 16 here.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission conducted its Public Hearing on the proposed changes on Thursday, June 22. As is typical during the process, the decisions about all of the changes were deferred and are scheduled to be made on Wednesday, July 26.
To see the original proposals, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/apr/nominations/braddock/
To see the final staff reports, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/apr/staffreports0506sc/
Residents who wish to comment on any of the proposals should send their comments to plancom@fairfaxcounty.gov or Planning Commission, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 330, Fairfax, VA 22035.
Heritage Mall (05-I-13A)
Nominator: Bristow Shopping Center Limited Partnership (Martin Walsh attorney)
Size: 11 acres
Task Force Date: Feb. 21
Current Plan: Retail and other
Nominated Change: Add option for about 378,000 square feet of mixed use, 77 percent residential, 14 percent retail and nine percent office.
Staff Recommends: Defer for further study.
Task Force Recommends: Defer for further study.
Southeast Corner of Braddock and Rolling Roads (05-I-14A)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 7.73 acres
Current Plan: Office Retail and Other
Nominated Change: Add option for office and parking facility for part of the area.
Staff Recommends: Approval with minor modifications.
Task Force Recommends: Approval with minor modifications.
Ridge Manor Subdivision (05-II-1F)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 22.73 acres
Current Plan: Split between residential of 1-2 houses per acre and 2-3 houses per acre.
Nominated Change: Maintain density and add language to discourage future consolidation.
Staff Recommends: Modifying nomination to specify that new development should not exceed one house per acre and that institutional uses are inappropriate.
Task Force Recommends: removing specific density level from staff alternative and continuing to original nominated text discouraging consolidation.
Land Along Olley Road fronting Athens Road (05-II-2F)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 37.4 acres
Current Plan: Residential density of one house per acre with a possible option of 2-3 per acre if certain conditions are met.
Nominated Change: Remove the 2-3 option.
Staff Recommends: Approval with editorial changes to make the text more specific.
Task Force Recommends: Staff alternative with minor editorial changes.
Properties along Clara Barton Drive (05-III-4P)
Nominator: Planning and Zoning Staff
Size: 1.54 acres
Current Plan: Incorporation into Burke Centre RPC or residential 2-3 houses per acre.
Nominated Change: Editorial change for some properties excluded from a 1998 plan amendment.
Staff Recommends: Approval
Task Force Recommends: Approval
Middle Run Planning Sector (05-III-5P)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: N/A
Current Plan: N/A
Nominated Change: Modify transportation section of the sector plan to include plan text referring to continuation and expansion of local shuttle or similar transit services.
Staff Recommends: Approval with a clause that states the shuttle buses “should be provided at levels warranted by demand.”
Task Force Recommends: Staff alternative removing the reference to demand.
Land north of Fairfax County Parkway and west of Heritage Landing (05-III-6UP)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 6.13 acres
Current Plan: Residential at .2-.5 houses per acre
Nominated Change: Add text emphasizing existing zoning of one house per acre.
Staff Recommends: Add text stating that density should not exceed one house per two acres.
Task Force Recommends: Staff alternative with minor editorial change.
Target Store at Roberts and New Guinea roads.
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 10.43 acres
Current Plan: Residential at 5-8 houses per acre.
Nominated Change: Add text emphasizing current plan.
Staff Recommends: Approval with minor editorial changes.
Task Force Recommends: Approval with minor editorial changes.
The following three nominations were considered together
Target at Roberts and Guinea roads (05-III-8P)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 2.7 acres
Current Plan: Low-density industrial, also a possibility for public park or open space.
Nominated Change: Wetlands mitigation. Any development such as trails or pedestrian overpass should be designed to minimize visual impacts on nearby residents.
Staff Recommends: Approval with minor changes
Task Force Recommends: Staff alternative
Abandoned portion of Guinea Road and parcel to the south (05-III-10P)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 2.7 acres
Current Plan: N/A
Nominated Change: Proposes a kiss and ride at the VRE station, a path parallel to the tracks to the east and a pedestrian bridge across the tracks to the north of the parking garage.
Staff Recommends: Approval, but not the kiss and ride due to safety concerns.
Task Force Recommends: Approval including the kiss and ride.
General area around VRE station (05-III-12P)
Add text recommending a north-south trail connecting to the VRE station.
Staff Recommends: Approval with minor changes
Task Force Recommends: staff alternative
VRE Tracks and Roberts Road (05-III-9P)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 8.74 acres
Current Plan: light industrial
Nominated Change: Add guidance to minimize noise and environmental impacts.
Staff Recommends: denial – proposed change does nothing that isn’t already required under the law.
Task Force Recommends: approve with minor modifications
Clara Barton Drive and Fairfax County Parkway (05-III-11P)
Nominator: Task Force
Size: 35.4 acres
Current Plan: Light industrial use
Nominated Change: Add guidance that future uses should minimize impacts to the watershed.
Staff Recommends: denial — proposed change does nothing that isn’t already required under the law.
Task Force Recommends: Approve with minor modifications.