A modest single-family house on a sprawling 8.3-acre lot in Reston could be parlayed into dozens of new homes for seniors if a recently submitted development proposal is approved.
Under the name SMT Land Holdings, the Reston-based home builder Gulick Group is seeking a special exception from Fairfax County for an independent living community to replace a one-story house that has stood at 11000 Baron Cameron Avenue since 1966, per local property records.
Restricted to people 60 and older, the 70 proposed homes would take the form of townhouses and function as condominiums owned, not rented by, residents. Eleven of the units would be designated as affordable dwelling units, meeting the county’s 15% minimum requirement for independent living facilities.
“This type of senior housing [with] single units … has become very popular in this area,” Gulick Group said in the application. “The ability to live in a moderately-sized owner occupied home and have immediate access to services and amenities designed for the 60+ lifestyle with the freedom to live a lock-and-leave lifestyle appeals to empty nesters who no longer need/want a large single family home, but who don’t want to give up the privacy of a single unit home to live in an apartment sized condo.”
The owner of the existing house, Irene Bettius, died in October 2022 at 88 years old. A trust led by her children gave its support to the proposed development, according to authorizations included in the application.
The future community would be supported by an approximately 3,600-square-foot, three-story clubhouse with a multi-purpose room, a fitness center, a catering kitchen and bar area, a community library, a room for physical therapy or physician appointments, and other amenities overseen by an on-site manager.
According to the application, the condominium association would also contract a home health care agency to provide regular doctor visits, health awareness seminars and other medical services, such as physical therapy, post-surgery care, prescription pick-ups and home exercise or rehabilitation programs.
Proposed outdoor amenities include ADA-compliant walking trails with seating, a central green area for classes and gatherings, and grilling areas.
“The on-site trails will be continuous with marked distances and will be designed to have long and short ‘loops’ for those of differing physical abilities,” the application says.
As part of the project, the developer says it will install an 8 to 12-foot-wide trail along Baron Cameron Avenue in front of the site, as currently shown on Fairfax County’s Countywide Trails Plan. The trail will connect with an existing asphalt sidewalk to the north, but to the south, the trail would need to be continued by the adjacent property if it redevelops.
All of the homes would come with garages, and 37% would also have driveways where vehicles can park. Surface parking provided near the houses and trails would bring the total number of available spaces up to 255.
In its application, Gulick Group stresses the need for more housing in general in Northern Virginia and, more specifically, options for older residents who want to downsize without having to leave their established neighborhood.
According to the “SHAPE the Future of Aging” plan adopted by Fairfax County in 2023, rising costs for housing and other expenses, including property taxes, accessibility improvements and health care, make it challenging for older residents, particularly those on fixed incomes, to afford to live in the county.
Among other strategies, the plan proposed convening a workgroup that could study practices used by other localities to help residents age in place and determine how current zoning regulations affect the availability of smaller homes and efficiency apartments.
Gulick Group’s application doesn’t specify how how many floors and bedrooms the condos would have, but it proposes a maximum building height of 45 feet and says the homes will allow “one-floor living with the options, as needed, for an in-home care giver or live-in nurse and an elevator so they can age in place.”
“This application for an independent living community presents an excellent opportunity to provide a type of housing greatly needed in the County,” Gulick Group wrote. “… The development is designed to offer its future residents both indoor and outdoor activities and health, social, and recreation services which are targeted to the senior adult population.”
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