Proposed Concept Plan for 2806 Popkins Lane
Community feedback provided to developers who are considering a complete reimagining of the Belle View Shopping Center caused the developers to defer a presentation to the South County Site Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) Mount Vernon District Task Force.
The task force hosted an online meeting of as part of the SSPA process Tuesday evening. The SSPA process allows anyone to submit nominations to make changes to the county’s comprehensive plan, which acts as a decision making guide for the long term vision and future development in southern Fairfax County.
Two nominations were up for discussion at the meeting. The first was the proposed redevelopment of the Belle View Shopping Center, at 1632 Belle View Blvd.
The second was a proposal to increase the density for future residential development of a currently vacant lot east of Richmond Highway at 2806 Popkins Lane.
David Gill, an attorney with Wire Gill, spoke on behalf of the owners of the Belle View Shopping Center. The nominators requested that the presentation be deferred to the Sept 14 meeting of the Mount Vernon District Task Force.
Gill said that the Oct 21, 2019 fire that destroyed much of the shopping center, followed by the challenges posed by Covid-19 prevented them from focusing on the nomination.
He continued by saying that the nominators remained committed to their goal of being the “living room” for the surrounding area but realized that the proposal needed significant changes in light of community feedback.
The original proposal called for tearing down the existing one-level shopping center built in the 1960s in favor of a mixed-use development of 900 apartments on top of retail space as well as the building of some townhouses.
The proposal received strong backlash from community members who were concerned about increased traffic, the height of the proposed buildings, damage to local wildlife and its impact on the floodplain nature of the area.
When asked if density changes were being considered as part of the amendment, Gill responded by saying they were “definitely on the table.” He emphasized they will be reevaluating the plan due to reactions from residents who live near the shopping center.
The task force voted to defer the presentation until the Sept. 15 meeting but said the nominators would need to submit the revised proposal by Aug. 14 so that the staff could review the proposal and make their recommendations in time for the meeting.
The new proposal will be posted on the SSPA website as soon as it is received and staff recommendations will be posted one week prior to the meeting so that the public will have time to review and comment on the revised proposal.
Townhomes Proposed for New Popkins Lane Development
Sheri Akin with McGuireWoods represented Verizon, which owns the 4.2 acres of land discussed in the 2806 Popkins Lane proposal. The land is not currently for sale or being discussed with developers.
However, nominators are requesting a change to the existing plan, which calls for moderately-priced housing at no more than 2-3 residential dwelling units per acre (du/ac).
Akin said that this limitation would allow for only 12 units to be built on the site which would not be desirable or cost effective for future developers. Instead, the nominators propose keeping the existing switching station and changing the density to 5-8 du/ac which would allow up to 33 townhomes on the site along with resident amenities. Development would help address the drainage issue on the property and the problem of loitering in the area.
Task force staff recommended that the proposal be adopted to be studied as part of the work program only if a significant percentage of the proposed units be affordable or workforce dwelling units and that development remained compatible with the surrounding area.
The proposal nominators argued that the maximum proposed 33 units would not meet the 50 + units necessary for affordable dwelling units and that this requirement would inhibit developers. The issue would be better discussed as part of any future rezoning of the area.
After some discussion among the task force and comments from the public, the task force passed a motion to move the 2806 Popkins Lane proposal to the work program, without the affordable housing recommendation.
For more information and to learn about opportunities for public engagement on South County SSPA nominations, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/plan-amendments/sspa/south/track-nomination.
