Hundreds of housing units could be coming near the Herndon Metro station.
At its Sept. 23 meeting, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval of a rezoning and development plan amendment to support the proposed Woodland Park redevelopment. A Board of Supervisors hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The rezoning application comes with two development options that could produce between 429 and 584 units. The first option calls for 319 townhouses and 110 stacked townhouses. The second is for 244 townhouses, 110 stacked townhouses and 230 multifamily units.
The properties are owned through LLCs controlled by Bethesda, Md.-based real estate development firm Buchanan Partners. The zoning applications are through an LLC controlled by The Pinkard Group, a D.C.-based real estate investment firm. It’s unclear if Pinkard is purchasing the properties, which the county has valued at more than $100 million.
The proposal covers four parcels spread across 34.7 acres sandwiched between Sunrise Valley Drive and the Dulles Toll Road and partially bisected by Wood Oak Drive. The parcels are currently home to four office buildings, a day care, three parking garages, a surface parking lot and a tennis court. One office building and one parking garage would remain and a second garage could also stay in place, depending on the development plan. The undisturbed office building is fully leased to defense contractor MANTECH.
The properties are under industrial zoning that created two large industrial parks covering 196 acres in 1978 and 1981. If the rezoning is approved, about 17.5 acres would keep the industrial zoning while the rest would be planned development housing.
Twelve percent of the constructed units would be designated as affordable or workforce dwellings. Of those for sale, they would be split evenly for those making 70%, 80% and 100% of Fairfax County’s median income. Rental units would be split with half for those making 80% of AMI and a quarter each for those making 70% and 60% of AMI. Fairfax County’s AMI for 2026 was $166,100 for a household of four people, as calculated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Between 2.68 and 2.88 acres are proposed for public park space. The development also includes sidewalks throughout, a 10-foot wide shared-use path along Sunrise Valley Drive and between 1,595 and 1,744 parking spaces.
Planning Commission Chair Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner commended the developer for providing connectivity and a cohesive design.
“The consideration of sidewalks, the landscaping, the pedestrian experience, all that stuff will enhance the overall quality of the development,” he said.
Construction would occur in four phases as the developer builds roads, trails and parks. The developer is leaving space to extend Woodland View Drive to meet Cooperative Way at its intersection with Wood Oak Drive. That extension, however, is not planned until an adjacent parcel is redeveloped.
