Pulte Home Company is planning to build two apartment buildings in the existing Caywood at Woodland Park office complex near the Herndon Metro Station.
The proposed development is set to go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission tonight (Wednesday). If approved, the county would rezone the 12-acre site from planned development commercial to residential in order to allow 72 multi-family residential units across two five-story buildings.
The two six-story office buildings and some of the accompanying surface parking would be retained, according to Pulte’s rezoning application. The residential buildings will be up to 65 feet tall with a parking podium on the first floor.
With some parking spaces getting replaced by a new, northwest private street, vehicles would access the development from Sunrise Valley Drive and Cooperative Way, which will be reduced in width from 35 to 25 feet and get a new 6-foot-wide sidewalk and trees. Wood Oak Drive would also be reduced in width from 47 to 22 feet.
A new 8-foot-wide sidewalk and two rows of street trees would be added on Sunrise Valley Drive, facilitating the construction of an off-street cycle track along the road’s entire length in the future.
The park next to Woodland Park Road would remain, but two linear parks with a central plaza would be built along Wood Oak Drive and Sunrise Valley Drive, totaling about 0.81 acres.
The developer’s vision for the park spaces includes public art that pays homage to key figures behind Reston’s development, including founder Robert E. Simon, Waterview townhomes architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith and original Reston Community Center director Jane Wilhelm.
“The centrla plaza, featuring public art that represents the legacy of Reston leaders, will serve as a focal point for visitors to the park system,” the development plan says. “The linear park system is a testament to the outstanding growth and development that Reston is known for, and it will continue to inspire others for years to come.”
Other planned park amenities include sidewalks, benches and other seating, lawn areas with lawn games, chess tables, tiered gardens, an outdoor gym, ping pong tables and swings, according to a county staff report published Oct. 2.
Per the staff report, no affordable housing units are expected, but 18% of the units will be dedicated as workforce dwelling units (WDUs) in exchange for 20% bonus density. The targeted income range will be 71% to 120% of the area median income if the WDUs are for-sale condominiums or 80% AMI and lower if they’re rental apartments.
Noting that the development will “replace excess surface parking,” county staff are recommending approval of Pulte’s application, despite continuing to push for landscaping or other measures to mitigate noise impacts on the park spaces.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is also advocating for the developer to set a transportation demand management (TDM) goal of reducing vehicle trips to the site by 25%.
“As this site is within the Herndon [Transit Station Area], one mile from the nearest Metrorail Station, is served by relatively frequent bus service, is extremely close to the Dulles Toll Road HOV lanes, and is close to many technology and consulting firms supporting telework options, FCDOT recommends the applicant commit to achieve a 25-percent TDM reduction,” the staff report said.
