An Open Letter to County Officials: Deny John’s Wood Redevelopment
Dear Community Officials:
I urgently request that you deny the current Saint John’s Wood Apartments redevelopment proposal because of its serious non-conformities with the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan.
Though I am also a signatory of the Susanne Andersson-Tosado’s online petition and a member of Reclaim Reston, I make this request as an individual citizen of Fairfax County and resident member of the Reston Association, without any claim to represent the opinion of others.
The reasons for requesting denial of the SJW proposal are detailed in my attached “Analysis of SJW’s Non-Conformity with the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan Generally and the Reston Master Plan Specifically,” dated Oct. 24, 2016. As noted in my analysis, there are other possible concerns that I do not have the time and/or competence to examine (e.g. stormwater management) and another analysis (traffic-impact) that I will complete and submit to you later.
My analysis has two main parts. The first and shorter part is a discussion of the policy and legal framework of the SJW proposal, the second a discussion of four areas (with traffic impact the possible fifth) in which I find SJW in non-conformity with the comprehensive plan.
Here, in summary form, are my concerns:
Policy and Legal Framework.
1) Because SJW’s underlying comprehensive plan designation remains “low-density multifamily” and because of the primacy accorded by the comprehensive plan to stable and largely unchanging existing residential neighborhoods as “the cornerstone of community structure,” the SJW proponents, not its opponents, bear the burden of proof in the question of conformity with the comprehensive plan.
2) Contrary to some public statements, SJW is not entitled to the possible increased density allowed by the comprehensive plan for Reston “village centers,” because SJW is not a part of the North Point Village Center.
Specific Areas of Non-Conformity
1) The SJW proposal includes 46 townhouses, not foreseen by the comprehensive plan for multifamily-designated areas such as SJW.
2) SJW massing and architecture are seriously incompatible with the surrounding neighborhoods — with 28 cluster associations, seven condo associations, two apartment complexes (other than SJW), and about 198 single-family homes (for a total of about 2,813 individual dwelling units) within one-half mile of SJW periphery. The individual cluster, condo, and single-family units are typically two to three stories. The buildings in the two apartment complexes are up to four stories.
a) The proposed increase of units of SJW is from its current 250 (all apartments) to a total of 513 (467 apartment units, 46 townhouses).
b) The height of the proposed SJW (66 - 69 ft.) would be nearly double that of the existing SJW (about 36 ft.). Though its developers typically describe SJW as five stories stepping down at points to 4 or lower, it in fact extends to 6 stories in a few sections
c) The visual impact of the four “faces” of SJW two main buildings (Buildings A and B, not counting the 40-ft. tall, 142-ft. wide, and 480-ft. long bank of townhouses) would be jarring.
i) Its western face, seen from Reston Parkway, would be 66 ft. tall and 337 ft. long.
ii) Its northern face, bordering the Devonshire and Windsor Park clusters, would appear from some perspectives as 66-69 feet tall and as much as 863 ft. long.
iii) Its eastern face, seen from North Village Road, would be 69 ft. tall and 337 ft. long, extended by the shorter edge of the bank of townhouses.
iv) Its southern face, seen from Center Harbor Road, would appear from some perspectives as 66-69 ft. tall and as much as 822 ft. long, further burdened by the long edge of the bank of townhouses.
d) In terms of overall mass, SJW’s Buildings A and B would each be more than 10 times larger than the largest building in either of the other two neighboring apartment complexes. From some perspectives, the combination of Buildings A and B and their intervening courtyard would be experienced as a single mass 30 times larger than the largest neighboring apartment building. Of course, it would utterly dwarf the individual buildings in the surrounding clusters, condos, and single-family areas.
e) In conclusion, SJW height, horizontal dimensions, and massing would make it the defining architectural structure in the North Point area of Reston.
3) SJW’s tree-preservation plan falls significantly short of the goals of the comprehensive plan, and it would technically qualify with the requirements of the Fairfax County Public Facilities Manual only if it qualifies as a mid-density multifamily development, which is the precise claim I contest.
a) According to its own drawings, the SJW redevelopment would remove 60.1% of the existing tree canopy on site.
b) This would include about removal of about 40% of the existing tree canopy along Center Harbor Road and a significant section on its southern edge along Reston Parkway.
4) Traffic Impact. [Analysis pending]
5) SJW is likely to have negative impacts on Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS):
a) Traffic impacts [to be detailed later]
b) Student-Enrollment Increase. The comprehensive plan requires that developments mitigate their impacts on public schools. SJW most recent proffer statement (September 6, 2016) includes no proffer for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) since the most recent FCPS student-yield analysis showed that the SJW redevelopment would decrease, rather than increase, the number of students in the school system. My analysis discusses the limits of the understandably simplified student-yield ratios used by FCPS, plus additional evidence for a probable student increase due to SJW, possibly a significant increase.
I would welcome your feedback and the opportunity to discuss these concerns with any of you as soon as possible.
John R. Mooney
Reston