Sign for the Woody’s Golf Range located on Route 7 in Herndon. After 35 years in operation, business owner Woody FitzHugh is closing the range. Photo by Ryan Dunn.
Ashwell Property/Herndon’s Downtown
Elden Street
Following the purchase of the Ashwell property which created a contiguous 4.675 acres of Town-owned land in Herndon’s downtown, the Town issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Nov. 2, 2015.
The town’s vision for redevelopment calls for four-story (mixed-use/residential) and three-story (mixed-use/commercial) structures, a jointly-funded public/private parking structure, and an 18,000-square-foot arts center, among other features.
Initial proposals are due in February 2016.
Herndon’s Council voted in May to purchase 1.67 acres of land in Herndon’s historic downtown from Ashwell, LLC for $3.519 million.
The process will be executed in two phases: an initial concept phase, open to all proposers, and a detailed phase, open to proposers upon invitation following review of initial concept phase proposals.
According to the RFP, Herndon: “hereby solicits submission of proposals for the redevelopment of 4.675 acres of land in historic downtown Herndon into an attractive, mixed-use development, including a parking structure in which the Town has fee interest to a minimum of 220 spaces. The Town envisions a development of excellent design and quality providing the historic town core with additional vitality while respecting and reflecting the heritage of the downtown,” according to Town documents. “The Town envisions these benefits to be utilized to develop a superb environment for outdoor pedestrian enhancements including outdoor dining and passive and programmed activities.”
The Town will have circulator bus service from the downtown to the future Metro station.
See progress on the downtown projects on its website www.herndon.va-gov.
“The Town of Herndon has been envisioning a comprehensive redevelopment in our downtown for decades,” said Mayor Lisa Merkel. “Until this purchase, however, we have been limited in our ability to effectively position downtown Herndon for comprehensive redevelopment, as much of the necessary land was under private ownership.”
See http://www.herndon-va.gov/Content/Zoning/Downtown_Planning/PatternBookFINALTCadoptedJan292013.pdf for Herndon’s guide for downtown development.
Herndon Fire Station
680 Spring Street
The new Herndon Fire Station, estimated to cost $13.35 million, is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2016. The 14,500 square-foot fire station at 680 Spring Street will be a two-story facility with below-grade parking. A temporary fire station has been constructed at 791 Elden Street so Fire and Rescue can maintain service during construction. The project is funded through a bond referendum that Fairfax County voters approved in November 2014. The former fire station on Spring Street was the oldest station in operation in Fairfax County.
Innovation Center Metrorail Station (Fairfax County Board of Supervisors)
PCA/FDPA 2009-HM-017
South side of Dulles Toll Road and Sunrise Valley Drive, West of Dulles Station Boulevard
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors seek to amend the approved proffers associated with RZ 2009-PR-017 previously approved for transit oriented development near the future Innovation Center Metrorail Station consisting of approximately 1.65 million square feet of residential, office, hotel, retail and public use development (including bonus density associated with the provision of workforce dwelling units). Changes proposed include requirements for tree preservation, landscaping, stormwater management and sign locations. No change to the previously approved floor area ratio (FAR) of 3.05 for the original rezoning application area is proposed.
The Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing for Feb. 3, 2016 at 8:15 p.m. and the Board of Supervisors has a scheduled hearing for Feb. 16, 2016, at 3:30 p.m.
http://ldsnet.fairfaxcounty.gov/
Herndon Silver Line
http://www.dullesmetro.com/silver-line-stations/herndon/
“We are so fortunate,” Mayor Lisa Merkel said of the Silver Line. “This is a huge project, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country. There’s aren’t many towns that can get involved in projects like this.”
Construction will begin on Herndon’s future Silver Line Stop in 2016 with its opening within five years.
The entire Silver Line will be a 23-mile extension of the existing Metrorail system from East Falls Church, through Tysons and Reston, and eventually to Washington Dulles International Airport west into Loudoun County.
The Herndon Town Council approved 38 acres to be set aside for its future Metro stop in February 2012. The Herndon Metro Area Station Plan envisions: a mix of retail, hotel, office and residential space, to include 3.2 million net square feet of additional commercial floor area and 2,400 dwellings by 2035; a promenade, pedestrian and bicycle-friendly trails and enhancements, and recreational amenities; premier office space; parking garages with short-term spaces for kiss-and-ride passengers; and pull-offs along Herndon Parkway for vehicles dropping off and picking up passengers.
“We passed a resolution in February advocating for the County to put a Circulator Bus route for Phase II because we want our residents to get to the Metro without having to get in the car,” Mayor Merkel said. “If we have reliable, frequent transit options, people will use it.”
Merkel wants everything in place by the time the Silver Line’s doors open to Herndon in four or so years.
“People are going to establish their commuting patterns on that first day,” Merkel said. “We are working with Fairfax County because we do want to be ready on day one.”
Vinehaven Homes
800 Vine Street, Center and Vine streets
Evergreene Homes has already sold more than half of the 17 new homes at the intersection of Center and Vine streets and along the W&OD Trail in Herndon’s Historic District. Evergreene Homes is marketing its new development to promote its proximity to the Silver Line as well as being in historic Herndon.
See http://myevergreenehome.com/
Junction Square/Tradition Home
Monroe and Elden and Nachman Way
Tradition Homes LLC began construction of three buildings, including five multifamily homes, 15 townhomes and 55,000 square feet of retail/residential space at the corner of Monroe and Elden streets. The Town Council approved the rezoning of the property in December 2014.
The retail will consist of 2,500 square feet of storefront units along Elden and a standalone building containing 3,000 square feet of office and retail at the corner of Lynn Street.
The W&OD trail runs alongside the site. Townhouses will range in size from 2,100 to 3,000 square feet. All homes will offer two-car garages and rooftop decks. Six of the townhouse-style condo units along Elden will contain elevators.
JLB - RZ 2013-DR-017
Dulles Technology Drive/River Birch Road
JLB Dulles Tech plans to develop a 450-unit multi-family development on 11.6 acres. The site is approximately one half mile south of the planned Innovation Center Metro Station on the south side of Dulles Technology Drive east of its intersection with River Birch Road, and is outside the Town of Herndon. The project was approved by the Board of Supervisors on July 28, 2015.
See http://ldsnet.fairfaxcounty.gov/ldsnet/ZAPSMain.aspx?cde=RZ&seq=4181075.
Trinity Land, Woody’s Golf Range
SE 2014-DR-052
11801 Leesburg Pike, Herndon, VA 20170
In June, The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Trinity Land’s application for a special exception to build 30 single family units using a cluster development configuration on the 28.9 acre property formerly known as Woody's Golf range. The site is zoned R-1 (one dwelling unit per acre) and is located in the Dranesville Tavern Historic Overlay District.
“Woody's Golf Range is now closed. We want to thank you for letting us be part of such a wonderful community. We have loved serving our customers for over three decades, and we will always cherish the memories of our great customers. We hope that you will continue to keep up with us to see where we go next,” according to Woody’s website.
See http://ldsnet.fairfaxcounty.gov/ldsnet/ZAPSMain.aspx?cde=SE&seq=4192058 and http://ldsnet.fairfaxcounty.gov/ldsnet/ldsdwf/4498561.PDF for details.