Chronology of Vienna Metro Planning
From the Office of Supervisor Linda Smyth
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

The most recent planning efforts and rezoning application review of the south side of the Vienna Metro transit station area has occurred over a nearly four year period. The review of the rezoning application has been ongoing for nearly a year.

Comprehensive Plan Changes

• The modification of the Comprehensive Plan south of the Vienna Metro
  Station to allow higher density mixed-use development on this site was the subject of discussion and debate for more than three years.
• Replanning of this portion of the Vienna Metro Transit station goes back to the 2001 APR cycle. The 2001 APR nomination involved a consolidation of the Fairlee subdivision that had a number of fundamental problems. The Planning Commission (Commissioner Smyth’s lead) denied the nomination because of unresolved issues with design, transportation and consolidation.
• Subsequently, the owners of the adjoining property joined the Fairlee consolidation to complete transportation links and to address design issues.
• At the point of full consolidation, then Providence District Supervisor Gerry Connolly authorized an Out-of-Turn-Plan Amendment S02- II-V2 to look at the possibility of a Transit Oriented Development on this site, and added the WMATA property to form a coherent land unit.
• There was a large community meeting in March of 2003 where the initial proposal was presented to the surrounding neighborhoods.
• Following another three months of staff review, the proposal came to the Planning Commission for a formal public hearing on June 25th 2003.
• Planning Commissioner Smyth deferred decision until the end of the summer to work with the community.
• Supervisor Connolly and Commissioner Smyth attended two additional community meetings, including a meeting of the Vienna Town council to answer questions about the proposal, and a meeting sponsored by concerned Providence residents.
• Based on their reservations and community concerns, Supervisor Connolly and Commissioner Smyth decided that a considerable amount of work was needed and deferred the plan amendment indefinitely.
• In the fall of 2003 Supervisor Connolly set up a work group representing neighborhoods that had expressed concerns about the OTPA.
• The work group met frequently with the applicant and planning staff for nearly 9 months between October of 2003 and June of 2004. The work group identified many issues of concern and reported on its work including a series of recommendations on the plan amendment.
• The formal public hearing for the revised application was heard by the Planning Commission on July 22, 2004.
• Through testimony and correspondence, many groups and individuals provided input on the proposed plan amendment.
• To allow for further public discussion the Planning Commission decision was deferred by our current Planning Commissioner, Ken Lawrence, until September and again deferred to October.
• During this period there were meetings to discuss concerns with neighborhood associations, the Providence District Council and members of the Fair Growth group.
• Supervisor Smyth also received and read many correspondences and took their concerns into consideration during the ongoing review and refinement of the proposed plan text.
• During this time there were also multiple meetings between the staff and the applicant to address many of the concerns raised by residents. As a result of these meetings the proposed plan text underwent significant changes.
• The revised proposed text came before the PC for decision on October 13, 2004. The PC approved the draft plan and approved supplemental recommendations regarding traffic and metro capacity concerns.
• The formal Board hearing on this case was held October 18, 2004. It included both hours of testimony and multiple written statements.
• To ensure ample time for public comment Supervisor Smyth deferred decision on this OTPA until November 15, and again deferred it to December 6, 2004.
• Following the public hearing Supervisor Smyth met with neighborhood associations and held a series of meetings in her office with representatives of Fair Growth and other residents to look at suggested revisions to the proposed plan text. Included 9 separate meetings with representatives of Fair Growth and other residents.
• Many of their suggestions were integrated into the final plan language.
• In looking at the issues raised during this long process, the most significant issues that are addressed in plan text or in other ways are the following: Metro capacity, replacement of Metro parking, school capacity, transportation and Transportation Demand Management (TDM’s), environmental issues, the appropriate mix of uses and the protection of stable neighborhoods.

Issues of Concern identified During Planning Efforts

• With the signing of “Metro Matters” and the passage of our bond
  referendum, funding will be in place for capacity improvements
  including additional rail cars and the mitigation of the Rosslyn portal issue.
• The county and WMATA are also looking at platform and access issues and how they can be addressed through a comprehensive design plan for improvements to the Vienna station.
• The plan text (page 18) section entitled “Partnership with WMATA.” calls for the
  developer, WMATA and Fairfax County to develop a comprehensive and integrated long term design plan for improvements to the Vienna Metro station that will include platform, mezzanine, circulation and pedestrian access.
  • Supervisor Smyth made a motion after approval of the Out of Turn Plan Amendment that the Board of Supervisors formally initiate discussions with WMATA to develop a comprehensive design plan for the Vienna Metro.
• On March 21 2005 Supervisor Smyth and Kauffman sponsored a motion approved by the Board of Supervisors to include funding for a capacity study of the Vienna Transit Station on the list of consideration items for the FY2006 budget.

Replacement of Metro Parking

• Many residents are concerned about the closure of the privately owned temporary parking lot and the loss of 650 spaces.
• A number of ways have been identified already to address the loss of parking including adjustments to the reserved parking policy, the use of satellite parking and shuttle bus service and expediting the construction of a third parking garage.
• The County is also reviewing ways to improve bus service to the Vienna Station. Additionally, the existing temporary lot will be maintained as parking for as long as possible. However, it should be noted that with or without this plan amendment, the temporary parking lot will be closed in the future under existing Special Exception approval.
• The cooperative capacity planning effort has gone forward over the past year. To that end Supervisor Smyth has convened eight meetings with WMATA and County staff.

Transportation – TDM’s

• The plan text now calls for repeated measurement and validation of the effectiveness of proposed road improvements and the effectiveness of the TDM targets.
• Supervisor Smyth’s modifications would require that the TDM program be evaluated in at least three stages, at time of rezoning, during construction and after project completion.
• If analysis shows that the TDM targets can not be met at rezoning, density will be reduced.
• The plan envisions a comprehensive TDM program that would be phased in and would continue to be implemented in the future by the occupants of the development.
• The success at meeting the Plan’s TDM targets will be checked through periodic surveys and reports based on empirical measurements.
• The TDM targets set by this plan language have the highest reduction of peak hour trips in county history.
• Transportation demand management is an integral part of the new Vienna Metro Plan and is being comprehensively integrated into the County transportation policy and land use planning.

School Capacity

• Supervisor Smyth has worked with Fairfax County Schools Facilities Division and asked them to provide the most detailed analysis that they have ever prepared for a land use case.
• Unlike previous analyses, the school facilities staff used planning information on approved, pending, planned and proposed residential development in the area.
• According to their analysis, the children generated by the development envisioned under this plan can be accommodated.
• Moreover, the plan further mitigates the impact of redevelopment by converting some of the multifamily units to senior housing.
• Plan text also requires the developer to work directly with the community and the school facilities staff during the rezoning process to offset impacts to schools.

Environmental Issues

• In accordance with Fairfax County’s environmental positions, the plan text calls for a development that utilizes innovative storm water management techniques including the use of pervious pavers and green roofs.
• Storm water management must minimize runoff to the greatest extent possible. The plan text also requires open space to exceed minimum requirements and overall should total at least 35 percent.

Mix of Uses

• The existing development around the Vienna Transit Station currently lacks focus and a mix of uses. Residents can only access community support retail and services outside their neighborhood by car.
• The proposed mix of uses under the amended plan language will help to create a synergy of uses resulting in an opportunity for both current and new residents to walk to shopping and other services in their neighborhood. The new plan raises the minimum requirement for retail services and other uses to 100,000 sq. feet, and sets a minimum square footage for office and for a full service grocery store.

Protection of Stable Neighborhoods

• The comprehensive plan, increased density is focused and constrained in a core area within a quarter mile of the Metro station platform.
• The purpose of focusing the density is twofold: first TOD studies show that the highest percentage of transit ridership is generated by development within ¼ mile of the platform and that transit ridership drops off past the quarter mile. Secondly, the protection of stable neighborhoods requires that higher density be constrained and that density does not creep beyond clear, logical boundaries.
• While the core area has a 2.25 FAR that mirrors the Merrifield transit station area, the other half of this land bay is planned as transitional residential density to blend with the adjacent residential neighborhoods.
• These transitional densities are actually at or below the old plan text densities.
• The overall size of any proposal is provided by plan text “caps” the number of residential units at 2,250 inclusive of all affordable, elderly and bonus units.

The Rezoning Application RZ/FDP 2003-PR-022

After approval of the Comprehensive Plan changes Supervisor Smyth encouraged and anticipated continued citizen participation in the rezoning process. She specifically identifying an expectation that the developer will need to listen to and work closely with the community through the next steps of the process.

Partial List of Meetings residents participated in
since the submission of the rezoning application

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