Next stop is the Planning Commission for a proposal to build a four-story apartment complex in Fair Oaks. Called Camden Monument Place, it would have a plaza and some small retail businesses and would be at the corner of Monument Drive and Fair Lakes Parkway, near Fair Oaks Mall.
But Fairfax County's Comprehensive Plan designates this land for office use, so the developer needs the county to OK a plan amendment to convert this site from office, mixed-use to multi-family, residential use.
Since the Springfield District/Fairfax Center Land-Use Committee first heard about the idea, March 4, county staff scrutinized the proposal and recommends approval of the plan amendment. The matter returned to the land-use committee, April 1, for its final review and decision.
Under the present plan, 402,000 square feet of office space would be built there. But Texas-based developer Camden would instead like to construct 372 units on the 7 1/2-acre site; 60 percent of the apartments would be one-bedroom, and 40 percent, 2-bedroom.
The buildings would have elevators and would front on Monument and Fair Lakes, with a trail along Monument. Virtually all the parking would be contained inside one of the buildings, on the back side. Parking would not be allowed on either Monument Drive or Fair Lakes Parkway.
The land has been zoned for offices since 1985, but no one's built any there, and Camden believes that a more urban, residential project would support the office uses here. The retail component, such as a small deli and small, sit-down restaurant, is intended mainly for the residents' use.
Camden attorney Tony Calabrese told the land-use group that having all the buildings interconnected — "a doughnut with parking in the middle" — is good for security. And he stressed that, with a residential, rather than office use there, "the reduction in traffic would be dramatic." But, he added, "A left turn from Monument Drive into our site is critical."
In examining this proposal, county staff looked at its impact on schools, roads and parks. Allison Kriviskey of the county's Department of Planning and Zoning agreed that the impact on the road system would be "significantly lower" than something designed for jobs.
"It's a type of residential project that hasn't yet been proposed for Fairfax Center," she said. What sets it apart from the garden apartments usually seen here, she said, is its high density of 50 homes per acre, the parking inside a structure, the majority of one-bedroom units and the elevators.
"So we change the formula by which we evaluate this project so we can know what the impacts will be," explained Kriviskey. "Garden apartments are predominantly two- and three-bedroom, with more children and higher impacts on schools and parks."
Calabrese said the School Board estimates less than 40 students would come from Monument Place's apartments. The reality, he said, is that most of the residents "will be young folks — and mostly single."
And since Camden plans to have a swimming pool, gym and rec center on site for its residents, Kriviskey said these things will mitigate some of the impact on the county parks. Overall, she said, the proposal "comes out to the office/residential ratio that's in the Comprehensive Plan, so it is a good mix of uses."
One area of disagreement, however, concerns affordable dwelling units (ADUs). Fred Seldon, also with Planning and Zoning, said, "We think it's important to have ADUs in the Fairfax Center area, so we believe there should be a specific percentage of units set aside [for them]. For example, many single firefighters and policemen could live in these apartments."
Land-use member Jeff Saxe wondered if Camden could, instead, earmark a monetary contribution for the county's Housing Trust Fund, and Calabrese agreed. Besides, said Calabrese, "Because of the type of project it is, the developer has no [legal] requirement to provide ADUs."
Member Steve Wallace was concerned that the project might generate more drivers heading onto I-66. "Would there be contributions to traffic improvements?" he asked.
Calabrese said it's premature for Camden to know now where all its residents would work: "We'll evaluate this, and I imagine we'll be asked, at some point, to make a financial contribution taking into consideration our impact on roads, schools, parks, etc."
Member Sherry Fisher warned that, sometimes, when funds are donated, "nothing ever happens to them or they're not enough to do the work." But she added that her brother lives in a similar Camden project in Texas and "it's beautiful; I'd like to see something like that here in Fairfax County."
John Farrell, representing nearby Fairfax Assembly of God, said the church favors the project as proposed and agrees with Calabrese that Camden shouldn't have to provide a certain number of ADUs.
In its report, county staff said the developer should "consider" removing the existing sidewalk along the east side of Monument Drive in order to provide a single trail with improved landscaping, including street trees. However, Camden wants the word "consider" deleted so the sidewalk would actually be removed, and Springfield District Planning Commissioner Pete Murphy concurs.
Calabrese said a trail and a sidewalk aren't both needed there, side by side. Added Murphy: "Let's work with VDOT on this. I think [just a trail] would be more harmonious with what's planned."
Staff also stated that, since the intersection of Monument Drive and Fair Lakes Parkway is such a major focal point in that area, that corner should be visually attractive to both drivers and pedestrians. It suggested elements such as public art or a clock, but Camden and the land-use group believed that was too specific and might not be best.
In the end, Saxe moved and Tom McDonald seconded that their group approve staff's suggestions, with some changes. The group agreed with Camden on the ADUs and the intersection, saying that "architectural treatment" could be listed as one of the ways to define that corner. It supported Murphy on the sidewalk removal and stated that neighborhood-serving retail should be required, so long as there's a market for it.
"I understand the concerns about adding more traffic," said Saxe. "But this is an employment center — there's a healthy market here. Given that there's so much office [use] here already, I think it's fine to have more residential here."
Earlier, a frustrated Dave Russell of Leehigh Village said, "This will be a transportation nightmare. When will Metro be built here — in my lifefime?" Murphy replied that, beginning in 1989, the county spent 2 1/2 years reviewing every parcel of land it had.
"Fairfax Center was always looked at as a job center with high-density residential," he explained. "But [Springfield District Supervisor] Elaine McConnell and I put language in the Comprehensive Plan putting rail to Centreville, a Metro station in Fairfax Center and one at Stringfellow Road."
The latter two stations are now being built. Peterson Cos. is currently constructing one as part of its Fairfax Corner mixed-use entertainment complex, and the two developers doing a massive redevelopment of the Centreville Farms community donated land to the county for a Metro station there.
Meanwhile, Camden's proposal heads to the Planning Commission next Thursday, April 24, and to the Board of Supervisors on May 19.