Two pieces of land will be split up in order to create new housing lots in the Town of Vienna. Steve Bukont of Ayrhill Homes applied for two different subdivision plans. The first is at the corner of Ayito Road, S.E., and Redwood Drive S.E. "It’s two lots turning into three lots," Bukont said.
The project will but and include part of a different development that was approved two years ago. Bukont proposed combining the stormwater management requirement of the two separate projects because he said it will save more trees.
The Vienna Town Council approved the plan unanimously at its meeting on Monday.
The other proposal will turn one lot into two on McHenry Street, S.E. Stormwater management was also discussed during this development. While typical stormwater management calls for detaining water and releasing it slowly after a storm, the relative proximity to a stream in this case makes that goal undesirable, Bukont said. "It would make more sense in this case to get the water into the stream as early as possible," Bukont said.
Instead, Bukont will plant a landscaped area to soak up and filter the runoff. "The water quality device, if you want to call it that, is the landscape," said Patrick Kessler, engineer for Bukont’s firm.
Councilmember Edythe Kelleher noted that nothing is in place to stop future homeowners from tearing out the landscaped area, therefore destroying the stormwater management. "It really wasn’t clear to me whether a good solution to that issue was come upon," she said.
Councilmember Maud Robinson pointed out that, since the area is in a Resource Management Area, removing the landscaped area would be a violation of the zoning ordinance.
The council approved the plan unanimously.
THE COUNCIL also approved the following measures unanimously.
* Continue participation with Fairfax County in a federal grant program which assists with housing.
* Continue a contract for tree maintenance with Quality Tree Care of Alexandria for a maximum of $25,000.
* Continue a contract with Silver Communications of Sterling for printing the Parks and Recreation Department’s quarterly brochure for $12,892.65.
* Approved $50,104 to Siemens Business Communications for the town’s phone system.
* Adopted two separate ordinances updating the town’s vicious dog ordinance and the town’s building code.