Pleased with both businesses' willingness to help the local community, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Monday said yes to Wendy's and Midas Muffler.
The two needed county approval for a rezoning so they could build on the former site of Wood's Farm Market in Centreville. It's a triangular, 1.85-acre parcel bounded by Routes 28 and 29 and Old Centreville Road (OCR).
Burger King's already there, and Chevy Chase Bank is rapidly joining it. Wendy's and Midas will set up shop north of them, near Westview Drive. And although some residents initially worried that so many businesses in that tiny spot would be too intense a use of the site, it seems as if things worked out amicably.
"It's in conformance with the [county's] Comprehensive Plan for community-serving retail uses there," said Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully). "And the Wendy's is actually replacing the one that was lost [to make way for the Route 28/29 interchange]."
Furthermore, the proffer package was too good to pass up. The businesses will install sidewalk all along OCR and crosswalks from the nearby neighborhood so people coming from the bank or Burger King may walk there.
And thanks to Frey, the developer will construct a full, four-lane section of OCR in front of the park across the street from the site. It will provide access to the parking lot so the park's soccer fields may be used.
"My biggest issue was traffic and improving Old Centreville Road — and they've proffered to do it," said Frey. "They will widen and improve the road so it's large enough to put in adequate turn lanes into the park."
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs