Tweaks sought for major Aurora Station at Dulles development near Innovation Metro

A major mixed-use development near the Innovation Center Metro station could see some tweaks, if Fairfax County approves changes requested by developer Pomeroy Companies.

The applicant behind Aurora Station at Dulles is seeking more flexibility in the previously approved residential makeup in eight planned land bays on nearly 21 acres of the 39-acre property, which is bounded by Frying Pan Road, Sunrise Valley Drive and Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.

Overall, nearly 1.6 million square feet of residential development is proposed at 13710 Frying Pan Road in Herndon, along with 438,000 square feet of non-residential uses, according to an application submitted on Dec. 9.

Specifically, the developer wants to swap the previously approved land use for one area currently approved for an independent living facility in Land Bay C with 50 residential units. The square footage allotted for that facility would then be shifted to another area — Land Bay F.

Pomeroy is also seeking more flexibility for Land Bay B, whose upper area was approved for 64 townhouses while the lower was approved for 24 townhouses or one multifamily building. Now, the company wants the option of another 93 side-by-side townhouses or 98 stacked townhouses for the upper area and three multifamily buildings for the lower area.

“The options proposed for Land Bays B and C of the approved development further the application’s conformance with the Comprehensive Plan recommendations for the Property and will implement the County’s vision for development in the Dulles Suburban Center,” Scott Adams, a land use representative from McGuire Woods, wrote in a Dec. 9 statement.

Notably, the application doesn’t propose any increases to the development’s maximum densities under the original rezoning. In total, the plan calls for a little over 1,000 residential units, retail and commercial development.

First approved in 2019, the conceptual development plan was one of two developments that Pomeroy had in the works at the Innovation station. The developer also partnered with CRC Companies on an adjacent One Sunrise Valley project, which could add up to 1.5 million square feet of residential and retail development as well as the site for a new, public elementary school.

The Aurora application has not yet been accepted for review by the county.