A group of organizations support mixed-use development on the AT&T site due to housing, multimodal transportation and more benefits.
Patch Staff
OAKTON, VA — While some community groups have expressed concerns about the redevelopment of the AT&T regional headquarters site in Oakton, others have chimed in to support a more walkable core area near Interstate 66.
On Wednesday, the Fairfax County Planning Commission will consider a county comprehensive plan amendment for a mixed-use residential development at the 3033 Chain Bridge Road campus. The proposal calls for 543 multifamily units, 310 townhomes and two-over-two units, and over 110,000 square feet of retail. AT&T has used the site as regional headquarters, but the company has scaled back occupancy of the campus and is not expected to return to full occupancy.
The proposal came from Fairfax County's Site-Specific Plan Amendment Process, which considers land use changes for specific sites. A rezoning proposal is also proposed for the site.
The Coalition for Smarter Growth, a DC-based organization advocating for walkable communities, says the project will provide needed housing, reduce reliance on cars and reduce climate pollution. Joining the coalition in supporting the redevelopment project are the Sierra Club, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Fairfax Families for Safe Streets, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Nature Forward, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance and YIMBYs of NoVA.
"The community of Oakton and Fairfax County have the opportunity to say yes to a winning vision for a more walkable, vibrant Oakton center – by supporting the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment before the Fairfax County Planning Commission this Wednesday, Feb. 26," said Sonya Breehey, a Fairfax County resident who serves as Northern Virginia advocacy manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth. "The Comp Plan Amendment is fully in keeping with the County’s vision for more walkable communities, and would support the upcoming rezoning proposal to replace the aging, obsolete AT&T office building and its acres of parking, with much needed housing in a walkable community with new parks and greenspace."
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SEE ALSO: Office-To-Residential Proposal Draws Concerns From Oakton Community Groups
With a mix of multifamily units, townhouses and two-over-two units proposed for the site, the Coalition for Smarter Growth supports the boost in housing supply the project would give Oakton. Several other sites across Chain Bridge Road are being redeveloped into residential projects, all of which will make residential uses more prominent in the corridor.
"The plan amendments will enable development of 850 much-needed homes for a range of incomes, a mix of uses, including grocery and retail, a network of connected, pedestrian-friendly streets, significant open space including a park, trails, tree preservation, and updated stormwater management," said Breehey.
The proposed density for the site is a 1 floor area ratio, which the county staff report notes is equivalent to the highest residential densities in the immediate surrounding area. That would be an increase from the 0.4 floor area ratio density currently approved for the site. The report notes that modern townhouse sizes would produce 16 to 20 dwelling units per acre based on a 0.8 to 1 floor area ratio.
The site is located off the busy Chain Bridge Road close to the Interstate 66 exit. A county staff report notes that the Flint Hill Suburban Center that contains the AT&T site lacks a defined core center with "higher development intensities, a mix of land uses, and a more urban character."
Stewart Schwartz, the Coalition for Smarter Growth's executive director, says walkable mixed-use developments like the proposed project have been shown to reduce driving while increase walking, biking and transit. That in turn can drive down greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, Schwartz says.
"Don’t just take our word for it –studies by the region’s Transportation Planning Board have confirmed these transportation results," said Bill Pugh, a senior policy fellow at Coalition for Smarter Growth. "That’s why Fairfax County and the region’s Council of Governments have adopted a regional plan for transit-accessible communities as the most sustainable and equitable way to grow, and reduce the amount of driving."
One of the concerns from opposed residents is additional residential units in an area already busy with traffic and posing pedestrian safety concerns. Breehey says the proposed plan amendment seeks transit, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, as well as potential reconfiguration of the Chain Bridge Road and Jermantown Road intersection. That "quadrant intersection" would move the left turns from eastbound Jermantown Road to northbound Chain Bridge Road, as well as westbound Jermantown Road to southbound Chain Bridge Road to the intersection with Rose Forest Drive/White Granite Road.
Another proposal from the plan amendment nominator includes a shared-use path for pedestrians that could connect to the new trail along I-66.
Breehey said Providence District Supervisors Dalia Palchik is expected to direct staff to do an area-wide transportation study to identify transportation alternatives.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the proposed plan amendment at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 26. If recommended by the planning commission, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider it at its 4 p.m. public hearing on March 18.