Land Use & Zoning Committee News

Status: Great Seneca Properties LLC (current owner) will be applying for a Special Exception to develop vacant land (Tax Map 0064 03 0001,1020 Seneca Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066, 3.23 acres) with a bank branch w/drive thru and pharmacy w/drive thru under the site’s existing C‐8 zoning. Republic Land Development LLC (contract purchaser) has the property under contract. The sale is contingent on the approval of the SE.

Action‐Future: LUZ Committee will be meeting with the applicant and will commence public outreach once the SE app is accepted by the county.

Status: Haydown Family LP, et al, (current owner) has applied for Rezoning (RZ) to develop a former horse farm and riding stable (Tax Maps 0072‐01‐0017 & 0072‐01‐0023, 439 & 439A SpringvaleRd, Great Falls, Virginia 22066, 50.00 acres) with single family detached dwellings under the cluster subdivision option. Basheer Edgemoore Company (contract purchaser) has the property under contract. The sale is contingent on rezoning the property from RA (Rural Agricultural District) to RE (Residential Estate District) and approval of cluster subdivision. Fairfax County has not yet accepted the RZ app.

Action‐Future: A LUZ hearing is scheduled for 11‐19‐14 so that the applicant can present its plans and receive public comment.  (This has been rescheduled to 12-3-2014).

Trinity Land LLC Special Exception Application (SE 2014‐0373)

Status: Trinity Land LLC (current owner) has applied for a SpecialException (SE) to develop the former Woody’s Miniature Golf and Driving Range (Tax Maps 0063‐01‐0033 & 0033A, 11801 Leesburg Pike, Herndon, VA 20170, 30.0256 acres) as a residential cluster subdivision under its existing R‐1 zoning. NV Homes (contract purchaser) has the property under contract. The sale is contingent on the approval of the SE. Fairfax County accepted the SE app on 08‐12‐14.

Action‐Past: LUZ hearing was held on 09‐10‐14. Applicant presented SE planand indicated SE app unlikely to go before PC and BOS until 1Q2015. Attendees voiced concerns on ingress/egress, landscaping,lot yield, RPA, school pyramid and trails

Action‐Future: LUZ will continue with public outreach and schedule a follow‐uphearing if necessary.

The possibility that Woody's may soon be closed is leading to mixed reactions in Great Falls ranging from woe to whoa! Operating for almost 35 years, Woody's holds a soft spot in the heart of many members of our community. The owner of the land currently operating as Woody's Miniature Golf and Driving Range has filed for a Special Exception from Fairfax County to develop the property as a residential cluster subdivision. The property is roughly 30 acres in size.

GFCA's Land Use and Planning Committee has scheduled a hearing on this matter
for Wed Sep 10, 7:30 - 9:30 pm, at the Great Falls Library. The purpose of the hearing is to (i) provide the applicant with the opportunity to present its plans to the Great Falls community and (ii) to allow members of the Great Falls community to comment on the application.

TD Bank’s Special Exception Application (SE 2013-DR-001)
The applicant, TD Bank, has submitted a Special Exception (SE) application to develop a bank branch with two drive-through lanes. The application has been accepted by Fairfax County. The application requests three waivers (i.e., (1) loading space requirement, (2) minimum lot area, and (3) minimum lot width).

The applicant’s property is located at 9901 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066 (i.e., Fairfax County Tax Map 0131-01-0005A), which is the former Exxon service station. The applicant has made six (6) presentations to LUZ thus far and continues to seek input from the Great Falls community. To date, attendees have voiced concerns about the planned architectural design, ongoing environmental remediation, proliferation of existing bank branches, and potential traffic impacts.

The fuel pumps, underground storage tanks and contaminated soil in the vicinity of the underground storage tanks were removed from the facility in September 2012 under the direction of the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality. The property owner, Fairfax Petroleum Properties, LLC, is currently working with its environmental engineers to formulate a long-term Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for the property, which will be submitted to VDEQ for review and approval.

At the last public meeting that was held on June 11, 2013, the applicant submitted revised architectural drawings in accordance with the recommendations made by two of Great Falls long-standing architects, John Colby and Bob Mobley, and the revised plans were well received by the audience. View the TD Bank design, click here. 3rd Submission by TD Bank 4-29-13, click here

A public hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission is scheduled for July 18, 2013.

Molster’s Special Use Permit Application (SP 2013-0013)
The applicant, Charles and Sharon Molster, has submitted a Special Use Permit (SP) application to operate a riding/boarding stable. The application has not yet been accepted by Fairfax County due to deficient submission items that remain outstanding.

The applicant’s property is located at 815 Blacks Hill Road, Great Falls, VA 22066 (i.e., Fairfax County Tax Map 0064-01-0026). A notice of violation (NOV #84504) was issued to the Molsters on June 12, 2012 by the Fairfax County Code Compliance Division for allegedly operating a riding/boarding stable on a property in an R-E District without an approved special permit. The Molsters appealed said NOV to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).Thus, the NOV is stayed until the BZA hears this matter.

The SP application is early in its life cycle and the related plat by Tri-Tek Engineering can be reviewed at this time. LUZ plans to hold future meetings on this issue as additional information becomes available and will be inviting the applicant to make a presentation.

A public hearing before the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA Case #A-2012-DR-019) is scheduled for October 9, 2013 at 9:00 am.

DC Water’s Special Exception 2010-DR-002 (Potomac Interceptor Long-Term Odor Abatement Project)
The applicant made a pre-construction presentation in compliance with the development conditions that were imposed when this special exception was approved on January 11, 2010. DC Water staff and its outside engineers discussed the Health and Safety Plan for the project and addressed construction activities, traffic safety, etc.

Great Falls residents in the vicinity of Deepwoods Drive, Yarnick Road and River Park Lane were contacted regarding this land use matter.

Bond Release for the Great Falls Fire Station
Supvr. Foust requested that LUZ analyze and provide comments on the proposed bond release for the new Great Falls Fire Station. An inspection was made of the land and improvements and Capt. Sean Evans of the Fairfax County Fire Department was interviewed.

Based on LUZ’s inspection and analysis, several incomplete items (on-site and off-site) were brought to the attention of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (i.e., indoor shower drain problem, utility connections and road repair along apron to rear entrance, etc.).

Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment for Residential Studios
Supvr. Foust requested that LUZ analyze and provide comments on the proposed zoning ordinance regarding residential studios. The Department of Planning and Zoning and other county agencies have been investigating the opportunities to establish a housing product that would serve as long-term, permanent housing predominantly for small households with an income of not more than sixty (60) percent of the area median income (AMI), with a small percentage of units available to households with higher incomes.

Zoning staff has prepared a draft Zoning Ordinance Amendment for Residential Studios and is soliciting public input on the proposal before formally presenting the draft amendment to the Board of Supervisors for consideration. The GFCA Executive Committee debated the preliminary draft and elected to defer making any comments until such time as a final draft amendment is presented to the public.

Fairfax County Blight Abatement Program
LUZ has received complaints from Great Falls residents regarding the physical condition of two properties – 9901 Georgetown Pike (commercial) and 900 Walker Road (residential) – and is in the process of evaluating these properties as potential test cases in connection with Fairfax County’s Blight Abatement Program.

It appears that the county’s program has been ineffective at remedying the problems at 900 Walker Rd. over the past 2 ½ years despite receiving numerous complaints. Under Va. Code Ann. 36-3, the county has the right to clear, secure and even demolish a blighted structure and charge the owner for the cost thereof.