A craft brewery or veterinary hospital could be in Woodland Park Crossing’s future, if Fairfax County approves.
The owner of the Harris Teeter-anchored shopping center, located just west of the Herndon Metro station’s south entrance, is seeking amendments to the development plan that would allow more flexibility in terms of the types of businesses it can host.
In the nearly two decades since Woodland Park Crossing was built, the rise of online shopping, decline of big-box stores and other trends have changed customer behavior and the kinds of retail that are viable, Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh partner Andrew Painter said in a Dec. 3 statement on behalf of the property owner, Willard Retail.
However, Woodland Park Crossing’s ability to compete with newer developments, such as Reston Station and the expanding Reston Town Center, has been “hampered” by limits in the original development plan on what retail it can lease and the amount of floor area some uses can occupy, according to the application.
“The Applicant believes it to be critical, therefore, to introduce additional flexibility to recognize recent marketplace changes and ensure the Property is not at a competitive disadvantage relative to newer mixed-use projects,” Painter wrote.
Constructed in 2007 as part of a mixed-use project that includes the Point at Monroe Place apartments, the shopping center portion of Woodland Park Crossing is still governed by a development plan that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved in October 2004.
One proffer or condition of the plan’s approval specified a range of uses allowed in the development, including housing, offices, restaurants, financial institutions, health clubs, child care centers and more. Other than housing, however, “secondary uses” as designated by the county’s zoning ordinance could only take up 10% of the project’s total gross floor area.
In the Planned Development Commercial (PDC) district where Woodland Park Crossing is zoned, secondary uses include all recreational and entertainment options — except for banquet or reception halls — as well as convenience stores, drive-thru or carryout restaurants, and many community facilities like child care centers or museums, among other amenities.
Those conditions have now become obstacles to the property’s retail leasing potential, “resulting in underutilized and underperforming vacant spaces,” Painter wrote.
Willard acquired the property at 2307 Woodland Crossing Drive for $23.25 million on April 10 — a sizable drop from the $62.3 million that the previous owner paid in 2011, according to Fairfax County property records.
An online site plan for Woodland Park Crossing shows eight vacancies, including a second-floor space with over 6,000 square feet, though there are also three suites listed as “at lease” to undisclosed tenants.
Willard Retail wants to expand the uses permitted in Woodland Park Crossing to include:
- Veterinary hospitals (secondary use)
- Pet grooming establishments (principal use)
- Carryout restaurants (secondary)
- Craft beverage production establishments (secondary)
- Indoor commercial recreation, excluding shooting and archery ranges (secondary)
The developer also proposes increasing the ceiling for secondary uses to 75% of the development’s floor area, aligning with the current zoning ordinance’s guidelines for the PDC district.
The changes would enable Willard to attract more “service-oriented uses and community-serving businesses” to Woodland Park Crossing, addressing needs of visitors and residents that can’t be easily replicated online, the application says.
“With increased flexibility, the Applicant can ensure that the center continues to attract local residents and businesses, adapts to evolving market trends, and contributes to the vitality of the Woodland Park/Great Oak District and greater Herndon [Transit Station Area],” Painter wrote. “It will also facilitate economic success for the County by generating new employment, sales taxes, business licensing taxes, and revenue.”
The rezoning application hasn’t been accepted for review yet by county staff.
