No matter where it goes, the Oakcrest School seems to struggle constantly with space limitations — which is exactly why the school has mastered the art of making the best use of the space it has.
The private Catholic school for girls first opened its doors in Washington D.C. in 1976. Just one year later, it moved two miles down the street to a larger facility, adding a grade each year until it completed the upper school grades.
The school remained at that facility until 2000. After several years of searching for a larger site, it moved into the church located at the intersection of Balls Hill Road and Georgetown Pike in McLean. Now, six years later, the school has applied for a special exception amendment that would allow it to decrease its number of parking spaces from 228 to 104, and increase the amount of allowed outdoor recreational area from 12,000 square feet to 17,436 square feet. By doing this, the school hopes to better accommodate its recreational needs.
In addition, the school has requested that some of the development conditions originally placed on Oakcrest be rescinded in light of the fact that they are impractical for the school’s day-to-day operations. For example, the school is currently subject to limited hours of operation, summer camp activities and facility leasing capabilities.
At its monthly Board of Directors meeting last month, the McLean Citizens Association (MCA) voted to approve a resolution supporting Oakcrest’s special exception amendment application. The MCA Board resolution urges the Fairfax County Planning Commission and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to approve the application, particularly since the “residents of the neighboring communities maintain a very good relationship with the school and clearly understand and support the special exception amendment and proffered condition amendment application.”
A public hearing on the Oakcrest application will take place before the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Thursday, April 19 at the Fairfax County Government Center. For more information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning staff at 703-324-1290.