At the June 29 meeting of the Fairfax County Planning Commission, some residents expressed mixed feelings about expanding the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) parking lot on Roberts Parkway in Burke. While those who spoke seemed generally pleased with the design of the proposed parking structure, they feared that it would draw more cars and further congest local roads.
The parking lot currently has spaces for 600 cars, for commuters on the VRE. The new garage will increase that capacity to 1,550 and cost an estimated $17.9 million.
“That’s 900 more than the number of spaces today and to those of us living nearby, it’s going to have a significant impact,” said Kevin Morse of Burke. Morse, however, did say he generally supports the project with some reservations.
Since the garage expansion is to be built by a government agency, specifically the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, it must be reviewed by the Planning Commission to ensure that the location, character and extent of the proposed project conforms to Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan.
The final design is the result of a two-year task force, and some of those on the task force also expressed reservations about the number of parking spaces.
“The county is going ahead with 1,550 spaces on the site, which is more than we endorsed,” said Mary Cortina of Burke. However, she is generally supportive of the project, as long as the current design is implemented. “I think its a better project because we all worked together,” Cortina said. “They really did listen to us.”
The proposed structure will have five levels, four of which will be above ground. It will include a clock tower that will reach a height of 87 feet, and terraced plantings to improve the facade on the west side.
A study performed for the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services calculated that the demand for parking at the lot would reach 1,700 spaces by 2025. The lower number is the result of a compromise with neighboring residents, said Carey Needham of Public Works.
The lot will also serve as a home for the Burke Farmers' Market, and can provide parking for the adjoining baseball field.
Although the Comprehensive Plan calls for a lot of only 800 spaces, it also calls for planning for anticipated future development, said David Jillson of the Department of Planning and Zoning. Therefore, Jillson said, the proposal to increase the size of the lot does conform to the Comprehensive Plan.
A portion of the site lies next to a stream, but new construction will not encroach into the 100-foot buffer along the stream, Needham said.
At its June 29 meeting, the commission voted to approve the plan. Construction is slated to begin late this year or early next year, but several more steps are necessary before construction can begin. The parking expansion is part of the Board of Supervisors Four-Year Transportation Plan.