Fairfax County Staff Backs Residential Option For Lincoln Park Site Near Centreville Road

DULLES, VA — Fairfax County planning staff is recommending a Comprehensive Plan change that would allow residential development on about 26.88 acres near McLearen Road and Centreville Road, where the county’s existing plan calls for campus-style office uses.

The proposed amendment, known as SSPA 2023-III-5UP, covers five parcels in the Lincoln Park area of the Dulles Suburban Center in the Sully District. The Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposal at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold its public hearing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.

The staff report recommends adding a residential option of up to 18 dwelling units per acre for Tax Map Parcels 24-4 ((1)) 6D3, 6D5, 6D6, 6E and 6F. If the full study area were redeveloped under that option, it could allow up to 483 dwelling units, according to the report.

The land is currently planned for high-quality, campus-style office development at an intensity of 0.50 to 1.0 floor area ratio, with an option for a training facility or hotel/conference center. The properties are zoned I-5 and are developed with four office buildings, surface parking and one vacant lot.

County staff said the amendment would reflect a broader shift in that part of the Dulles Suburban Center, where nearby areas have transitioned from planned office development toward mixed-use and residential development. Discovery Square, located south and west of the study area, includes townhouses, stacked townhouses and apartments.

The staff report says the residential option would be “a logical extension” of the existing residential area to the south, provided that redevelopment includes coordinated site planning, appropriate transitions to surrounding office and industrial uses, pedestrian access, public open spaces and buffering.

Two related rezoning applications are under review, though the staff report says the Comprehensive Plan amendment should not be considered a recommendation on those zoning cases. One rezoning application proposes up to 186 units on parcels 6E and 6F. A second proposes up to 95 units on parcel 6D3. Together, the two applications would allow up to 281 dwelling units on about 15.53 acres.

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The staff report says a residential option would generate fewer vehicle trips than the office development allowed under the current Comprehensive Plan. The residential option is projected to generate about 3,342 daily trips, compared with 9,864 daily trips under the adopted office plan. That would be a reduction of 6,522 daily trips. Compared with existing development, however, the residential option would add 385 daily trips, while reducing peak-hour trips.

Transportation improvements would still be needed, according to the report. Centreville Road and McLearen Road are both planned to be widened from four lanes to six lanes, and future redevelopment should preserve enough right of way for those improvements. County transportation staff also recommended pedestrian and bicycle upgrades, including improved crossings, additional buffers, street trees and pedestrian-scale lighting.

The report also identifies potential public facility impacts. The proposed residential option could generate about 1,043 new residents, creating a need for about 1.56 acres of publicly accessible onsite urban parkland. The final amount and design of park space would be reviewed as part of future development applications.

Fairfax County Public Schools estimated that 483 housing units could generate 192 students, including 55 high school students, 30 middle school students and 107 elementary school students. The report says Westfield High School and Rachel Carson Middle School are approaching capacity deficits, while Floris Elementary School has sufficient capacity for current programs and future growth.

The staff report also says sanitary sewer infrastructure serving the area does not currently have capacity for the additional flows associated with the proposed plan potential. A sanitary sewer study would be required during the development review process to identify any needed upgrades.

The proposed plan language would require residential development to include a variety of housing types, such as single-family attached and multifamily units. It also calls for at least 15 acres of parcel consolidation or coordinated phasing to achieve a cohesive site design, along with pedestrian and bicycle improvements and upgraded crossings at area intersections.

More information is available on the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development’s Lincoln Park plan amendment page. Questions may be directed to Samantha Archibald at 571-407-6485.