A nomination by a developer to build 2,700 apartments to replace the current Beacon Hill Apartments may not move forward.
The Lee District Task Force, a group considering nominations through the Site Specific Plan Amendment process in Fairfax County, concluded that a proposed redevelopment of the Beacon Hill Apartments is inappropriate for the neighborhood.
The Lee District Task Force met Monday evening to consider the proposed redevelopment of the Beacon Hill Apartments as part of the SSPA. The Beacon Hill Apartments area is located on 36.7 acres around 3100 Southgate Dr. between Richmond Highway and South Kings Highway. It is bordered by a few single-family homes, Lenclair Park and a cemetery across S. Kings Hwy.
The apartments presently located there include 734 affordable workforce housing units in 3-4 story brick buildings. The current Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan recommends the area for residential development of 16-20 dwelling units per acre.
Venable LLP, which represents the owners of the property, has proposed increasing the residential use to 65-75 units per acre for a maximum of 2,746 low and mid-rise multifamily units of up to 7 stories. They also recommended that the area be incorporated into the Beacon/Groveton Community Business Center (CBC) in anticipation of the planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station and a potential expansion of the Metro Yellow Line to that area.
Staff of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development recommended that the nomination not be added to the South County Site-Specific Plan Amendment Work Program because it was not appropriate to the surrounding area.
A member of the public was concerned that current residents in that area would be displaced and wanted to make sure any new development would set aside an appropriate amount of units that would be affordable. Members of the task force, echoed this concern.
Further, task force members thought the proposal was premature and that the height and density of the proposed residential buildings was not appropriate to the area. Some members of the task force thought the area does need redevelopment and that the proposal had some merit. They were concerned it would take another 4 years for a new proposal to be reviewed.
In the end, the task force voted not to promote the nomination to redevelop the Beacon Hill Apartments. Their recommendation will be submitted to the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
