A church’s plan to add 71 townhouses on its Idylwood property won unanimous support from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Aug. 26).
The proposal represents a “rare and valuable opportunity” to meet a number of county goals, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said.
It also represents the culmination of three decades’ of work by leaders of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church to find additional uses for its 10.59-acre site at 7426 Idylwood Road near Leesburg Pike (Route 7).
After several false starts, the congregation partnered with developer EYA in 2023 on the latest proposal, which required a rezoning and an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan for the property.
More than 20 community meetings were held over two years to build community consensus.
“This is how we grow responsibly,” said Mostafa El Nahas, who supported the project on behalf of the YIMBYs of Northern Virginia at the public hearing preceding the board’s vote.
He called the proposal “a textbook example” of transit-oriented development, as the site is not far from the West Falls Church Metro station.
Under the development plan, the existing church and its associated child care center would remain. The housing would be built in an area that’s currently heavily wooded; in response to feedback from the community, the development partners agreed to bolster its tree preservation efforts.
The removal of trees and resulting impact on air quality were concerns for nearby resident Jane Marden, who spoke at the public hearing. She also voiced concern about the impact of additional vehicles using the site.
“We do not need more vehicular traffic on Idylwood Road,” Marden said.
A recurring point of contention as the county seeks to revitalize the West Falls Church Metro station area, traffic issues emerged as a general concern at Tuesday’s public hearing even among those who were enthusiastic about the project — including the church’s pastor, Rev. Mark Shaltanis.
“It’s complex,” he said of conditions around the parcel. “We’re all concerned about traffic.”
Still, Shaltanis, who has served the congregation for 26 years, said the time had come to make use of the excess land.
Palchik also acknowledged that traffic and pedestrian safety would “continue to be a challenge” around the site.
“We’ve worked on this for years,” she said.
As conditions of the plan’s approval, the development partners agreed to make four homes available at below-market prices, implement streetscape improvements on Idylwood Road, dedicate right-of-way for trails and the future Route 7 bus rapid transit system, and support Capital Bikeshare.
The nearly 1.5 acres of open space dedicated as publicly accessible parkland will include a pollinator garden, nature trails and a central park, according to EYA.
Under a special permit approved in 2005, the church retains the ability to construct a 10,700-square-foot addition to its existing 17,000-square-foot building and child care facility. No immediate expansion plans have been announced, though.
In 2019, the St. Paul’s congregation had partnered with Toll Brothers on a development proposal for the site, but it ultimately did not move forward. It had proposed a mix of single-family townhouses and two-over-two multifamily units.
The church campus will be connected to the townhome community by a “signature staircase,” EYA noted in a press release issued yesterday (Wednesday) after the board’s vote. All of the units will feature rooftop decks with an option to add an elevator.
“Our work with St. Paul’s has been grounded in a shared commitment to creating something lasting and meaningful. This important project is a reflection of what can be achieved when vision and expertise align,” EYA Executive Vice President Aakash Thakkar said in the release. “This has been a true partnership, which will result in a neighborhood that reflects the values of the congregation and the character of the surrounding area.”
The developer anticipates beginning construction on the project in late summer 2026, with home sales beginning later next year.
