Fairfax County planners are backing another office-to-residential conversion near Dulles International Airport.
At its Oct. 14 meeting, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval of two rezoning applications to support the Lincoln Park development, which would transform approximately 15 acres of land in the Sully Square area north of Chantilly and south of Herndon into a townhouse neighborhood.
Developer K. Hovnanian Homes plans to develop three parcels at 3076 and 3078 Centreville Road with 278 housing units across 161 stacked townhomes and 117 traditional townhouses.
The Lincoln Park I application calls for 109 stacked townhouse units and 74 side-by-side townhouses on two parcels that total just over 10 acres in size. One of those parcels has an office building, and the other is undeveloped, though another office building was previously approved for the site.
Lincoln Park II covers 5.45 acres and would replace a two-story office building with 42 traditional townhouses and 52 stacked units.
Requesting to change the zoning from industrial to planned residential housing, K. Hovnanian is proposing to provide 33 affordable units for people making between 70% and 100% of Fairfax County’s median income.
The properties are part of a larger area targeted in a recent comprehensive plan update that envisions up to 483 residential units across 27 acres in the Dulles Suburban Center corridor.
David Gill, an attorney with Wire Gill LLP representing the developer, however, said two other properties likely won’t be developed anytime soon. One is owned by Dominion Energy, which he said is happy with their operations at the location. The other property owner couldn’t be reached; “we believe” that’s because it’s a sensitive facility owned by a federal agency, Gill said.
Coupled with a pending proposal for nearby Discovery Square to add 108 multifamily residential units and about 31,400 square feet of retail, commissioners said the area will soon be changing.
“That’s a significant addition to our inventory of housing in a very important location,” said Commission Chair Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner.
Across the overall Lincoln Park development, K. Hovnanian plans to provide 2.28 acres of public park space across 10 spaces, including a common green with outdoor kitchens, an open lawn and a trellis adjacent to a private outdoor swimming pool with a clubhouse for residents. A playground, dog run and gardens are also proposed in multiple recreational parks.
“I love the splash pad and the clubhouse area,” said Sully District Commissioner Evelyn Spain. “The community has a gathering space to enjoy with neighbors and friends and family and host community meetings.”
The proposal also includes a 10-foot shared-use path along EDS Drive and pedestrian improvements along Centreville Road.
Dranesville District Commissioner Alyssa Batchelor-Causey was the lone abstention from the commission’s otherwise unanimous vote. She was concerned about a jet fuel pipeline that travels along the edge of the property and the impacts on traffic.
Gill said the fuel is inert in the pipeline and becomes combustible when it’s mixed at the airport.
The proposal is scheduled for a hearing before the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 17.
