Plans to redevelop a portion of the Courthouse Plaza Shopping Center near Old Town Fairfax into housing were rejected by Fairfax City Council members late last month, leaving the aging site’s future in limbo once again.
The 4-2 vote on Oct. 28 came three months after council members opted on July 22 to delay a final decision in hopes a revamped proposal by developer Combined Properties would address concerns raised by critics throughout the development process.
In the end, the effort to find common ground failed.
“I certainly hope we see housing on the site at some point, but also that we expand on the opportunities it has, given the location,” said Councilmember Anthony Amos.
Amos was joined by Councilmembers Stacy Hall, Thomas Peterson and Rachel McQuillen in voting against a series of nine zoning changes that would have been required to make the redevelopment a reality. Councilmembers Billy Bates and Stacey Hardy-Chandler supported the developer’s requests.
Backers of the plan for 10300 Willard Way only needed to sway one vote to create a 3-3 tie and leave the final decision in the hands of Mayor Catherine Read, who said she would’ve supported the plan in order to bring some vibrancy to the site.
“I’ve been going to that shopping center for 44 years, and it has not changed in 44 years,” she said.
Turning down the proposal “is, in my mind, a lost opportunity” — one that included 19 committed-affordable apartments as part of the package, Reid said.
Combined Properties came to city leaders in May 2024 with plans to construct apartment buildings with a combined 315 multifamily units and 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail while retaining some of the existing shopping center, including anchor tenant Safeway.
The shopping center sits on an 8.7-acre lot bounded by Blenheim Blvd to the east and University Drive to the west. It is ringed by surface parking that occupies more than two-thirds of the site, an attorney for the property owner said in July.
As the project worked its way through the review process, critics raised concerns about the 71-foot height of the two planned six-story buildings, as well as the density of 36 residential units per acre — 50% higher than what’s allowed on the site under its existing zoning.
Besides Amos, none of the council members who voted against the project on Oct. 28 added to their comments from the July meeting when they explained their concerns.
Supporters of the planned redevelopment, however, did elaborate on their past comments. Bates said the plan represented “an opportunity to make more efficient use of prime real estate,” while Hardy-Chandler said it “offers us an opportunity for diversified housing, which is a significant priority.”
At the Oct. 28 meeting, city staff maintained its opposition to the project, which they say doesn’t meet guidelines of the city’s Comprehensive Plan or the Old Town Fairfax Overlay District.
Getting through a series of final votes on the matter took just 12 minutes, in part because public comment had already been taken at the July meeting.
Amos said he’s hopeful the property owner will return, when feasible, with a new plan for the parcel.
“At the end of the day, we do appreciate Combined Properties as a partner,” he said.
