The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved alterations on May 22 to a mixed-use residential building already planned for Tysons West.
The building at 8740 Yard Street is proposed to be a five- to eight-story multi-family building with up to 265 dwelling units and 5,000 square feet of retail space. Owned by JBG Smith, the property is situated near Leesburg Pike (Route 7) and is currently undeveloped.
The county originally approved a development plan for Tysons West in 2013 that allowed up to 1.6 million square feet of residential, office and retail uses across 16 acres near the Spring Hill Metro station. At that time, “Building C” was envisioned as a five- to six-story building with up to 450,000 square feet of space, including a maximum of 400 residential units and 5,000 square feet of retail.
For this second phase of construction, following the completion of the existing retail buildings anchored by Walmart, JBG Smith said it would construct part of a new private street, Yard Street, that will eventually connect Cornerside Blvd to Leesburg Pike. The building would also come with a 10-foot-wide concrete sidewalk along Leesburg Pike and three urban park spaces.
As part of the revised proposal, county staff recommended certain conditions for its approval, including the color of concrete retaining walls, the planting of an additional tree, and assurances that the applicant will work “diligently” to verify trees can be planted in the suggested locations and provide snow removal and pedestrian lighting along the pedestrian route.
At last week’s public hearing, Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter asked the applicant’s attorney, Robert Brant, to address how the development will incorporate affordable housing.
“There will be up to 34 workforce dwelling units, assuming that all of the 265 units will be constructed,” Brant said.
Carter also said he was a bit concerned with the schools “keeping up” with a potential influx of students, since there aren’t any new schools planned to be constructed in the Tysons West area.
Sully District Commissioner Evelyn Spain asked how the number of ADA parking spots was determined. In addition to limited on-street parking, a parking garage will be built underneath the building with a total of 269 spots, according to the staff report.
Brant said the number of on-street ADA parking spots — three, to be exact — is in line with ADA guidelines and was suggested to the applicant.
Carter said he appreciated the addition of on-street parking, as he felt this was an extra step made by the developer. He later motioned to approve the application, which was unanimously accepted.
“You see the mixes of uses and densities is right, the transportation system remains intact – including the sidewalks – and future placemaking items,” Carter said. “The open space…it matches [the Tysons West plan] almost perfectly.”
A conceptual development plan for the downsized building was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in January as part of a proposal to convert the adjacent former Sheraton Tysons Hotel into housing.
