The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 13) approved comprehensive plan amendments that could lead to the redevelopment of key parcels near the intersection of I-66 and Route 50.
“These plans have all really come as a result of I-66. It increases the development potential,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, whose district contains one of the three parcels.
That parcel is known as Land Unit K, totaling 129 acres in the Fairfax Suburban Center area just east of I-66 and Route 50.
The site currently is home to a mix of office buildings, light industrial operations, multifamily housing and a hotel. It is surrounded by residential development to the north; the Fairfax Court shopping center, offices and townhouses to the south; and townhouses, multifamily units and commercial properties in Fairfax City to the east.
Waples Mill Road runs north-south throughout the site, which has been undergoing a phased planning study since 2023.
Under the staff proposal, a new development scenario allowing for 1,341 multifamily units, 20,000 square feet of retail and about 400,000 square feet of office space would be permitted as an option across the site.
Both county planning staff and the Fairfax County Planning Commission supported adding the development option. The 10-0 vote by the Board of Supervisors paves the way for property owners to develop plans for future submission to county officials.
“I look forward to seeing how this land area develops,” Herrity said.
Redevelopment of another parcel within Land Unit K is moving forward, with a developer seeking to raze the existing High Ridge office building at 3877 Fairfax Ridge Road, replacing it with 400 residential units.
In a second action, supervisors voted unanimously to allow a site-specific comprehensive plan amendment impacting Sub-Units J1 and J2, immediately south of Unit K on the southern side of Route 50.
The parcels in the sub-units currently are home to 914,000 square feet of office space, 186,000 square feet of retail space and 91,000 square feet of vacant land, bordered by Ridge Top Road to the west and Fairfax City to the east.
As part of the plan amendment, two property owners within the larger parcel requested and were granted land-use changes for planned development.
Owners of other parts of the parcel, including the Fairfax Court shopping center, have expressed interest in long-term redevelopment but have no specific proposals on the table, county planning staff said.
One of the two sites targeted for more immediate redevelopment options is located at 4035 Ridge Top Road. Totaling 6.78 acres, it currently is home to just under 200,000 square feet of office space plus structured parking.
The owner, Crown Ridge LLC, seeks to build 128 traditional and stacked townhouses on the site, with a half-acre, publicly accessible urban park and playground in the center.
Under its preliminary plans, the project would be phased in, beginning with 54 stacked townhouses and the park, while retaining an existing office building and the parking garage. Future development, including 74 attached townhouses, would follow later.
Under a separate proposal considered at the same time, the owner of a 2.1-acre site at the southwest intersection of Route 50 and Waples Mill Road has proposed building a three-story self-storage facility coupled with an urban park space and artist studio.
As part of the project, part of the site would be transferred to the Virginia Department of Transportation for improvements to the Route 50 and Waples Mill intersection.
Both sites are located in the Braddock District. Rachna Sizemore Heizer, the district supervisor, praised the property owners for thinking creatively.
“It is all part of the envisioning of the Fairfax Core area as a mixed-use, residential [area] with placemaking and walkability,” she said.
“It was really important to me that these parcels fit that,” Sizemore Heizer said.
Supervisors voted 10-0 to support the site-specific plan amendment, allowing the development plans for the two sites to move forward to their next phases.
Both projects had the support of county staff and the Planning Commission. A later phase of the county study will evaluate the overall mix of uses and density in the broader J1 and J2 sub-units.
On Oct. 27, supervisors are expected to consider the third phase of the Fairfax Center Area Study, incorporating parcels largely to the west of the I-66/Route 50 interchange and spanning both Braddock and Springfield districts.
In early 2027, supervisors are expected to consider the second phase of a Fair Lakes planning study that will incorporate parcels even further to the west.
