A Maryland developer is looking to fit a new residential subdivision on eight acres in Lorton between Route 123 and Ox Road.
L&F Laurel Highlands LLC submitted a rezoning application to Fairfax County on Tuesday (Aug. 27) proposing 23 new single-family homes on the mostly vacant land.
The development will require the consolidation of five lots and an increase in the zoning density from less than one unit to 2.86 dwelling units per acre, according to the application.
Surrounded by other single-family home subdivisions, most of the property is currently an empty meadow with trees, but there are three existing houses that will be demolished if the development is approved.
Initially, Laurel Highland planned to build as many as 70 townhomes under an October 2022 site-specific plan amendment (SSPA) request, the process that Fairfax County uses to consider land use changes for individual properties.
However, the developer scaled down its vision after “over a year” of discussions with the South County Federation, a nonprofit organization that represents southeastern Fairfax County residents.
“The Applicant’s work with South County Federation led to the density and type of dwelling unit proposed with the distinct purpose of ‘matching’ the look, feel and density of Cavanaugh Crossing subdivision which is located across Ox Road to the east of the Property,” McGuireWoods Senior Land Use Planner Lori Greenlief wrote in a statement of justification for the developer.
According to the submitted rezoning plan, Laurel Highlands has proposed adding landscaping features, including trees for visual buffering, a central open space intended for “passive recreation,” a playground at the southern tip of the site, and enhancements to pedestrian pathways. The subdivision will be linked internally by private streets with an entrance from Ox Road.
The project is not subject to the county’s affordable housing requirements, but a monetary contribution will be made to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which is used to build and preserve affordable units.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors accepted the developer’s SSPA request and authorized staff on April 16, 2024 to develop a comprehensive plan amendment that would increase the allowed residential density for the properties at 9224, 9300, and 9304 Ox Road.
The plan amendment was designated as a “Tier 2” priority, meaning county staff would start working on it after the developer submitted a rezoning application. The application hasn’t been officially accepted for review yet.
