Fairfax County has purchased land in the Dogue Creek watershed near Fort Belvoir for $2.8 million in a bid to prevent future development, remove an “eyesore” and restore the creek.
In a release, Fairfax County said the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services purchased three parcels of land, around 7.9 acres in total.
The parcel is located at 8800 Richmond Highway and was purchased with a $2.8 million grant from the Virginia Community Preparedness Fund as well as money from the county’s Stormwater Service District Fund.
The purchase of Dogue Creek is part of an ongoing effort by Fairfax County to preserve the sensitive floodplain and resource protection area. The creek is a tributary of the Potomac River that drains almost 20 square miles of Fairfax County — including Huntley Meadows and Fort Belvoir.
The restoration will include a revitalization of the natural stream buffer, the planting of native plants and removing invasive plants from the creek.
“This important acquisition marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to protect and restore our local natural resources,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “By enhancing the health of Dogue Creek, we are investing in the long-term well-being of our community and the environment.”
The release noted that Fairfax County has received multiple proposals to redevelop the site with residential or mixed uses since 2017.
“However, redeveloping the property with new buildings conflicts with a number of county policies because of the risk of flooding and the county’s desire to restore environmentally sensitive lands,” the release noted.
A potential comprehensive plan amendment that would’ve opened the door for townhouses on the property was put on hold indefinitely in 2018.
The property currently features a few structures and impervious surfaces that the county said will be removed once the property is transferred and the current tenants’ leases end. Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck referred to the structures around the creek as a “long-standing eyesore.”
“While it sits in a floodplain and resource protection area, it also has significant runoff and impervious surfaces,” Storck said. “Preserving these environmentally sensitive lands, removing blight from the corridor and creating the opportunity to open access to the beautiful Dogue Creek and potential future park land is a huge win for our residents.”
This story’s headline and first sentence have been updated to clarify that Fairfax County has purchased just three parcels in the Dogue Creek watershed, not the entire creek.
