The Board of County Supervisors approved for-rent townhouses at the site of the Kid's Choice Sport & Fun Center that burned down.
WOODBRIDGE, VA — Redevelopment of the former Kid's Choice Sport & Fun Center into rental townhouses was approved 6-0 by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Tuesday.
The site of the proposal is where a December 2024 fire started at a single-family home spread to the Kid's Choice Sport & Fun Center in Woodbridge due to high winds in the forecast. The fire burnt down the center.
The redevelopment proposal calls for 80 for-rent townhouses and 243 parking spaces with garage parking in units. Eight of the units will be affordable to households making 80 percent of the area median income. For example, that income limit is $74,800 for a household of one and $85,450 for a household of two. The proposed density of the housing is 10.25 dwelling units per acre, which sits on the lower end of the eight to 24 dwelling units per acre in the county's planning guidelines for the area.
The townhouses planned for the site include 68 of the 2,200 square foot larger units and 12 of the 1,800 smaller units. Green space proposed at the community includes a dog park, exercise stations, open play area, community gathering area, grilling stations, tot lot, gazebo, walking path and trail access. The developers are planning 72,100 square feet of tree coverage, which is above requirements.
Developers presented supervisors with a traffic estimate showing 80 townhouses could produce an 696 average weekday daily trips. That's below what developers estimate for the children's sport club use — 2,397 average weekday daily trips.
Supervisor Kenny Boddye (D-Occoquan), whose district the project is located in, addressed resident concerns such as traffic, stormwater management and density near the two-lane Devil's Reach Road. The supervisor noted the proposal has been amended over time, including cutting units from about 160 to 80.
"To the folks broader throughout the Devil's Reach community, I know this is a special piece of paradise for you," said Boddye at Tuesday's meeting. "This is literally a semi-rural road surrounded by urbanized growth and I know that's part of the reason why you care about and take such pride in your road and your neighborhood. And that character's worth protecting."
Boddye pointed to the targeted renters for the townhouses such as military service members.
"At the same time, I recognize that are others that are drawn to this convenience and this sense of place, and this proposal would open that opportunity up to more people at various life stages who need more flexibility with housing options," said Boddye.
The supervisor added that he directed staff to look at a sidewalk project on Devil's Reach Road and said grant opportunities could be available.
"You have my commitment that even as this project is going through we're going to be looking at schools, we're going to be on top of VDOT, public works as was said is going to be coming in to address a lot of the stormwater management issues, and you have our commitment that we continue to stay on top of this and ensure you are neglected no more," said Boddye.