A look at economic development, rezoning, and residential and commercial projects happening in Northern Virginia. 

ARLINGTON COUNTY

Arlington grants approval for Amazon’s helix-shaped HQ tower

The Arlington County Board gave unanimous approval Saturday to Amazon’s plans to build a unique, helix-shaped tower as the centerpiece of its emerging second headquarters in northern Virginia. Amazon announced the plans in February 2021 for the eye-catching, 350-foot tower to anchor the second phase of its redevelopment plans. The new office towers will support a second headquarters for Amazon that is expected to welcome more than 25,000 workers when it’s complete.

Arlington Board votes to adopt certain elements of the Clarendon Sector Plan

The 2022 Clarendon Sector Plan - An Update to the 2006 Clarendon Sector Plan includes updates to policies and design guidelines related to the future development within a study area generally defined as the area between Washington Boulevard, Kirkwood Road, 10th Street North, and North Hudson Street, specifically related to Building Heights, Receiving Sites, Building Form, Use Mix, Public Spaces, Preservation, and Transportation, and other editorial, style, and graphic updates applicable to the entire station area. The 2022 Plan, if adopted, would continue to provide planning guidance for the entire Clarendon Metro Station Area, superseding previous guidance within the 2022 study area included in the previously adopted 2006 version.  Through the use of diagrams, exhibits, maps, and narrative, the 2022 Plan establishes expectations for land use, transportation, building heights and form, preservation, urban design, and public spaces in a focused study area in a balanced approach that considers certainty and flexibility. The updated draft of the Clarendon Sector Plan and its associated implementation proposals will be available online at: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Projects/Plans-Studies/Land-Use/Clarendon-Sector-Plan-Update

                RELATED: Arlington Chamber Supports Clarendon Sector Plan

Arlington Long Range Planning Committee to Examine Melwood Amendment

On May 12, the Arlington County Long Range Planning Committee will kickoff the study of a GLUP amendment for the Melwood project located on 23rd Street South between South Hayes Street and South Grant Street. The Applicant proposes to develop a five-story multifamily residential building with approximately 104 units and approximately 22,200 square feet on the first two levels, which will house a community service use that will provide similar services as the existing educational occupational training center for people with disabilities. All units in the proposed development will be provided as committed affordable units and approximately 30 of those units will be set aside for people with disabilities.

Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Support for Indoor Arlington County Farm, Creating 30 New Jobs

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Area 2 Farms, a Public Benefit Corporation, will operate a new organic, indoor farm and retail farm store in Arlington County. In addition to growing and selling fresh produce, the company’s plans include the production of value-added products featuring items grown at Area 2 Farms. Over the next three years, the project will create 30 new jobs, more than $1.8 million of new capital investment, and produce nearly $3.6 million of Virginia-grown leafy greens, herbs, root vegetables, alliums, and fruits. 

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA

City to Close Last Block of Lower King Street to Vehicles

The pedestrian zone on Lower King Street near Waterfront Park will be closing to vehicular traffic this summer. City Council on Saturday approved the closure of the "unit" block of King Street, east of Union Street, including a portion of The Strand. The closure will allow pedestrians to more safely walk from the already-closed 100 block of King Street to Waterfront Park and other restaurants along the river. The closure may affect some parking along The Strand. The closure of the last block of Lower King Street will start Memorial Day and continue through Labor Day before city officials decide whether to make the change permanent.

Council Approves Rezoning and Special Uses at 901 North Pitt Street

At its April 23 public hearing, the Alexandria City Council considered and approved Rezoning #2022-00001 an amendment to change the zone for the site from OC/Office Commercial to CRMU-X/Commercial Residential Mixed Use (Old Town North) and Special Use Permit and Site Plan modifications to redevelop the existing office building and associated parking lots into a multifamily residential building comprised of 250 units with ground-floor restaurant or retail and an arts and cultural anchor.  The site is bounded by Montgomery Street to the south, N. Pitt Street to the west, N. Royal Street to the east, and the Watergate of Alexandria Condominium Complex to the north.  City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendation with an amendment.

Big changes to historic Alexandria housing type headed to Planning Commission

Alexandria is seeking to update its zoning for accessory apartments in commercial zones, that is: housing typically built above commercial spaces as commonly seen in Old Town and other parts of Alexandria.“The Zoning Ordinance currently allows for ‘Accessory apartments’ across all commercial zones, so the concept of housing above commercial uses is not new, and in fact, dates back hundreds of years,” a staff report said. “Staff found the regulations could allow for more flexibility while staying within the spirit of the Zoning Ordinance.”

Living near affordable housing may boost home values, new study finds

There’s a question that comes up over and over again when new affordable housing projects are being pitched to homeowners in cities like Alexandria: How will this affect home prices? The widespread assumption, elected officials say, is that new public or subsidized housing units will cause a depreciation in the value of nearby homes. But a new study from the Urban Institute think tank indicates that in small, high-density cities like Alexandria, the opposite may be true.

FAIRFAX COUNTY

Planning Commission to Consider Westfields Residential Community “Northridge”

At the May 4 Fairfax County Planning Commission meeting, the commission will consider a rezoning application to build residential community to frame a key entrance to Westfields while contributing to the overall mixed-use vision. The property is known as "Northridge", with Tax Map Number 43-2-((2))-29G3 (the "Property"), an 11.3 acre vacant parcel located at the northwest corner of Stonecroft Boulevard and Northridge Drive in Westfields. The Applicant is proposing a community that provides homeownership opportunities with "2 over 2" multi-family units (approximately 144 units total) at a density of .5 FAR (up to a .56 FAR with provision of WDUs/ADUs), all consistent with the goals identified in the Plan Amendment.

Fairfax to Consider Amending Airport Noise Policy for New Residential Development

The Fairfax County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing May 18 considering an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan’s airport noise policy that would allow new residential uses between the 60 and 65 DNL airport noise contours, subject to noise mitigation, notification requirements, and construction techniques for any such uses.

Here’s the new plan to redevelop the Commons of McLean apartments

The Commons of McLean’s days are numbered. As anticipated, developer LCOR has filed a new plan with Fairfax County for the Tysons East apartment complex that provides fewer housing units in favor of more commercial space, including potential senior living, office and hotel facilities. Though the overall density proposed is about the same, the new McLean Crossing plan splits the 2.6 million square feet up across 12 buildings instead of the seven mostly residential buildings previously approved in 2013.

Key Route 7 intersection to open this spring, as road widening continues

The widening of Route 7 is roughly 60% complete, remaining on schedule for completion by July 2024. The $314 million project is expanding Route 7 from four to six lanes with significant updates at 19 intersections and shared-use paths along both sides of the road between Reston and Tysons. Other projects include replacing the bridge over Difficult Run.

FAIRFAX CITY

WillowWood Plaza Residential Concept Discussed in Fairfax City

The WillowWood Plaza Office Center is located on Eaton Place with an office building (10400 Eaton Place) to the west, the Accotink Creek to the north, Fairfax Boulevard to the east, and Fairfax Shopping Center/Point 50 (10342-10412 Fairfax Boulevard) to the south. The conceptual plan proposes to replace existing surface parking at WillowWood Plaza with 282 units in a 7-story multifamily building, approximately 2,100 square feet of retail space and a parking garage in Phase One (10306 Eaton Place) and 64 two-over-two multifamily units with 128 parking spaces and a parking garage with 375 spaces to serve the existing office (10300 Eaton Place) in Phase Two. The intent of this preapplication briefing on April 25 was to receive initial feedback from the Planning Commission before the potential applicant proceeds to the City Council pre-application briefing and any eventual application is filed. Although a formal application has not yet been submitted, the potential applicant has prepared a design concept for discussion.

Fairfax City Council Discusses a potential Multifamily and Commercial Office at 9640 Fairfax Blvd

The potential applicant, Blankingship Keith for The Lamb Center and Wesley Housing, is proposing to Redevelop the site with an upper story residential/mixed use consisting of approximately 56 dwelling units and office space/parking spaces on the ground floor of the building. The upper story residential/mixed use requires a Special Use Permit within the CR Commercial Retail Zoning District. The design may require various Special Exceptions

CITY OF FALLS CHURCH

Falls Church To Get $8.4M From Virginia Tech's Redevelopment Plans

Virginia Tech's plans to establish a center for smart construction at its Northern Virginia campus in Falls Church would result in a payment of $8.4 million to the City of Falls Church as part of a real estate transaction, according to city officials. Plans for the redeveloped property in Falls Church also include a new headquarters office building for HITT Contracting, as well as 400 new apartments, retail, parking and road networks.

West End’s Long Boulevard Plan to Begin Soon

The Falls Church City Council pressed ahead with the next stage of its complicated agreement to advance the development of the extraordinary mixed use development project at the site of now demolished George Mason High School. It OK’d a series of moves to convey the property to the City’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) and open the way for the West Falls Partners group to commence with work on the 10 acre site. The steps also involved, in a separate action, the conveyance of 7.5 acres of City owned land that Virginia Tech had been leasing for 25 years adjacent the City’s 10 acres and that plans to be folded into a massive plan for over 40 acres to link the City-owned site, the Virginia Tech site and 23 acres owned by WMATA at the West Falls Church rail station into one seamless whole.

HERNDON

Townhome Complex to Replace Four Office Buildings in Herndon

Stanley Martin Companies has acquired an 8.8-acre site located within the Herndon Corporate Center in Herndon, Va., for $21.3 million, which it will use to develop 55 traditional townhomes and 56 two-over-two townhomes. The two-over-two townhome concept consists of a townhome divided into two, two-story units stacked on top of each other. This configuration, which contains garage areas along the alleyway, represents the most efficient use of available land, the developers said.

Planning Commission Considers Elden Street Rezoning

The Herndon Planning Commission held continuing Public Hearings on an application for a Zoning Map Amendment, ZMA #21-01, at 315 Elden Street on March 28 and April 25.  The application allows the conversion of an existing hotel to multi-family residential with a workforce housing component. The site is approximately 6.4 acres and is currently improved with 168 rooms spread across 11 buildings. The proposed conversion would result in up to 174 dwelling units (28 dwelling units per acre). The property is located at the southwest corner of the Elden Street and Herndon Parkway intersection and is bordered by Grove Street to the south.

LOUDOUN COUNTY

Loudoun County Planning Commission Considers Innovation Station Developments

The Loudoun Planning Commission heard public testimony on two separate Innovation Station area projects during the April 26 meeting:

ZMAP-2021-0003, SPEX-2021-0004, SPEX-2021-0011, SPEX-2021-0018, ZMOD-2021-0003, ZMOD-2021-0004, ZMOD-2021-0005, ZMOD-2021-0006, ZMOD-2021-0047 & ZMOD-2021-0092, Rivana at Innovation Station is a rezoning request for 80 acres of land to develop a mixed-use community located within a half mile of the Innovation Center Metrorail Station. The proposal includes up to 2,719 multifamily (MF) units and 3,297,000 square feet (SF) of nonresidential development.

ZMAP-2021-0007, ZMOD-2021-0025, ZMOD-2021-0026, ZMOD-2021-0007 & ZMOD-2021-0027, Innovation Multifamily is a Zoning Map Amendment (ZMAP) to convert low density residential use to the Town Center use in order to develop 415 attached multifamily (MF) units on four acres.

After approximately 3 hours of public testimony the Planning Commission voted to forward both proposals to a future work session for further discussion.

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors hold Public Hearing on Blue Ridge Single Family Development

ZMAP-2020-0004, ZMOD-2020-0008, ZMOD-2020-0009, & ZMOD-2020-0010, Fleetwood South (Blue Ridge) The purpose of this item is to rezone approximately 86.97 acres from the Transitional Residential 3 – Upper Broad Run Upper Foley (TR3-UBF) zoning district to the SingleFamily Residential – 4 (R-4) zoning district to develop 246 single-family detached residences. The applicant has requested Zoning Modifications (ZMOD) that modify lot size and setback standards for single-family home lots. The site is located on the west side of Fleetwood Road, and south of Sleeping Woods Court in the Blue Ridge Election District. The Planning Commission held a Work Session on February 10, 2022. The Commission discussed the application’s consistency with 2019 GP development phasing in the TPA, impacts to environmental resources, provision of ADUs, and proffered transportation contributions. The Commission forwarded the applications to the Board with a recommendation of denial. Staff cannot support approval of the applications. The applications are ready for action. The critical action date is May 15, 2022.

Loudoun Supervisors Approve Multiple Residential Development Projects at April Business Meeting

ZMAP-2020-0013, SPEX-2020-0009, ZMOD-2020-0030, ZMOD-2020-0031 & ZMOD2021-0019, Commonwealth Center Residential (Broad Run) is a request to rezone 23.03 acres from commercial use to residential use in order to develop a maximum of 507 residential units, including 222 multifamily stacked (MFS) units and 285 multifamily attached (MFA) units. The site is located on the south side of Route 7, north of Russell Branch Parkway, and east of Loudoun County Parkway. Supervisor Glass moved that the Board of Supervisors approve the request and the motion passed 8-1: (Supervisor Umstattd opposed.)

ZMAP-2021-0001, Gum Spring Residential (Dulles) is a proposal to rezone a two-acre parcel from the Single Family Residential – 1 (R-1) zoning district to the Single Family Residential – 8 (R-8) zoning district in order to develop up to 12 single-family attached (SFA) residential dwelling units. The subject property is located north of Braddock Road on the east side of Gum Spring Road in the Dulles Election District

Chair Randall moved that the Board of Supervisors approve the project and the motion passed 7-2 (Supervisors Letourneau and Umstattd opposed.)

ZMAP-2016-0011, SPEX-2016-0037, SPEX-2020-0003, ZMOD-2021-0010, ZMOD-2021- 0011, ZMOD-2021-0012, ZMOD-2021-0013, ZMOD-2021-0014 & ZMOD-2021-0048, Avonlea II (Dulles) is a request to rezone approximately 15.54 acres from the PD-CC(SC) (Planned Development – Commercial Center (Small Regional Center)) zoning district to the R-24 (Multifamily Residential-24) zoning district in order to develop up to 447 attached multifamily residential units. The remainder of the property, 13.27 acres, is proposed for office and retail development under PD-CC(SC) standards. The subject property is located on the south side of Route 50, east of Pinebrook Road (Route 827) and west of Loudoun County Parkway (Route 606). Supervisor Letourneau moved that the Board of Supervisors approve the project and the motion passed 8-1 (Supervisor Umstattd opposed.)

Loudoun weighs ending long-standing affordable housing exemption for some projects Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

Loudoun County leaders are discussing whether to scrap an inclusionary housing exemption long enjoyed by mid-rise multifamily projects in the county, but how to do so without walloping a developer's bottom lines. Removing the exemption would put “one more tool in the toolbox” for the county government to increase housing affordability, said Supervisor Mike Turner, D-Ashburn, chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors' transportation and land use committee, in an interview.

CITY OF MANASSAS

Separate plans call for outdoor bar, school in Manassas

Two old Manassas properties may have new life breathed into them if the city’s Architectural Review Board signs off on proposals that would serve vastly different clienteles.

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY

Prince William Planning Commission to Hold Public Hearing April 27

During the hearing, the Commission will hear Rezoning #REZ2022-00002, Williams Property to rezone ±36.13 acres from A-1, Agricultural, to SR-1C, Semi-Rural Residential Cluster, to allow development of up to 25 single-family detached dwellings. The property is located along the south side of James Madison Hwy at its intersection with Somerset Crossing Dr; is addressed as 6702 Somerset Crossing Dr; and is identified on County maps as GPIN 7297-27-9016. The site is designated SRR, Semi-Rural Residential, and ER, Environmental Resource, in the Comprehensive Plan; is located within the I-66/Route 29 Sector Plan special planning area; and is partially within the James Madison Highway Corridor Overlay District.

Rezoning #REZ2018-00026, Village at Independent Hill was deferred by the Planning Commission to a public hearing date of May 11, 2022. This proposal would rezone ±69 acres from A-1, Agricultural, to PMR, Planned Mixed Residential, to allow for 210 residential units and 219,000 square feet of commercial and office development and associated waivers and modifications. The subject property is located in the southeast quadrant of the Dumfries Rd and Independent Hill Dr intersection and is located within the Independent Hill Small Area Plan. The site is located within the Domestic Fowl Overlay District, Data Center Opportunity Overlay District, and is also partially located in the Dumfries Road Highway Corridor Overlay District.

Stack announces 84MW campus in Prince William County, Northern Virginia

The company announced plans for a 34-acre, 84MW data center campus development in the Northern Virginia county. The 84MW project will comprise a minimum of two buildings spanning 602,000 square feet; the first phase will be delivered in Q3 of 2023.

Mason’s Science and Technology Campus is about to be transformed

George Mason University’s 50th anniversary celebration continued Friday, with the official unveiling of a project designed to transform its Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Virginia. The university broke ground on a new Life Sciences and Engineering Building and the much-anticipated Innovation Town Center and University Village at Innovation projects, which will allow the SciTech Campus to provide a full array of academic offerings and university life experiences for students and community members. Officials from project partners Stanley Martin Homes and Castle Rock Partners LLC joined state, local and university officials among the roughly 200 guests on hand to usher in the new era.