By Brian Trompeter
A building at Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean that has reduced visibility from being positioned away from Old Dominion Drive now will be allowed to have signage on its rear as well as front, following unanimous approval Oct. 24 from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The applicant, FR Chesterbrook JV LLC, requested a special exception from the county government that would waive some sign regulations and allow increased signage on Building C at the shopping center, located at 6246 Old Dominion Drive.
Building C’s stores face the shopping center’s parking lot and the structure’s rear is visible from Old Dominion Drive, making it harder for potential customers to notice stores there, the applicant contended. There also is an elevation issue, as abutting sites are situated 7 feet higher, officials said.
County regulations had permitted a maximum of 201.9 square feet of building-mounted sign area on that one-story structure, or 1.5 square feet of signage for every linear foot of the structure’s frontage.
Building C currently has LED-lighted signage along its front. Supervisors agreed with the applicant’s request to double the amount of signage to 403.8 square feet and permit signs on the building’s rear as well.
The additional signs will accord with ongoing pedestrian, place-making and signage improvements at the shopping center, said Mike Van Atta, the applicant’s representative.
With Building C’s front facing away from the public right-of-way, “you’ve just got a unique visibility issue for those tenants,” Van Atta said.
Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) thanked the applicant for making “significant” investments in Chesterbrook Shopping Center.
“It’s coming along great,” he said. “It’s going to be a really nice addition to the McLean community.”
