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The Coalition for Smarter Growth (a network of regional environmental, transit and civic groups), the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities and the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club joined in supporting the proposed MetroWest mixed-use development at the Vienna Metro Station. “Transit-oriented, mixed-use and walkable development like that proposed for the Vienna Metro station offers the best opportunity to reduce traffic congestion, save open space, provide housing close to jobs, and accommodate growth expected in Fairfax County,” said Cheryl Cort of the Washington Regional Network. The MetroWest project by Clark Realty and Pulte Homes would include highrise residential and office buildings close to the Metro station, ground floor retail, mid-rise apartments, stacked townhouses and townhouses with about 2250 residential units on approximately 70 acres. The groups estimated that the same number of units would consume anywhere from 750 acres (3 houses per acre) to 2250 acres (1 house per acre not including roads and services) if developed at typical suburban densities. The market for compact, walkable communities with transit access has been growing with increasing numbers of young professionals, empty nesters, and retirees seeking such neighborhoods. "We recognize neighborhood concerns centered on traffic and density, but as modified, this is a well-designed development made better by the hard work of Supervisor Smyth, Planning Commissioner Lawrence, the staff, and neighboring citizens. With the additional requirements for traffic management and retail -- especially a grocery store -- this mixed-use, walkable, transit-oriented development will reduce car traffic significantly compared to typical large suburban projects in Fairfax,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “At the same time, it is incumbent upon the developers to achieve the promises of this plan amendment by producing the best possible neighborhood that meets the highest standards of new urbanism.” “The Sierra Club supports this development because it will increase transit ridership, walking and biking; reduce pollution from automobiles; and by developing more compactly it will help to reduce loss of open space and habitat in the region,” said Roger Diedrich, Chair of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. “However, it is incumbent on Fairfax County to match its approval of higher density near transit and in mixed-use communities, with aggressive measures to protect remaining open space, stream valleys and forests. This is essential to earn and maintain citizen support,” said Diedrich. The groups urged Fairfax County to prioritize development next to transit and in the thousands of acres of parking lots found in strip shopping centers and office parks, matching this with protection of key forested and open space parcels through the use of land swaps and other creative mechanisms. “The biggest traffic generators are scattered single use developments that give residents and workers no choice but to drive,” said Cort. “We hope that the County is now and will in the future make it easier for walkable, mixed-use development, especially that near transit and that which converts large parking lots, while making it harder for the single use, scattered projects that remain all too common and contribute the most to the county’s traffic problems,” said Schwartz. ### The Coalition, WRN and its partner groups have demonstrated that strong transit-oriented development policies in the region can cut traffic congestion and air pollution, reduce the consumption of land, and create more walkable communities. The 1996 Network of Livable Communities report by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Environmental Defense found these policies would cut vehicle trips by 15%, vehicle miles of travel by 11.5%, and vehicle hours of travel by 22% compared to more highways and sprawl. A Balanced Land Use study in Montgomery County achieved similar results through increased transit-oriented development, reduced sprawl, and closer links between jobs and housing. A recent analysis
of the entire Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor found that the addition of about
30 million square feet of development has meant little to no traffic increases
at intersections throughout the corridor. Seventy percent of households
in the corridor have only one or no car, with just 1.11 vehicles per household
and .68 vehicles per eligible driver. Twenty-five percent of renters in
Rosslyn do not own a car. 73% of Metro users walk to and from the stations,
and just 12.9 percent drive (including drop-offs).
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 Coalition for Smarter Growth 4000 Albemarle St, NW, Suite 310 Washington, DC 20016 (202) 244-4408 (202) 244-4438 fax  www.smartergrowth.net © 1999-2005 Coalition for Smarter Growth. All Rights Reserved. |
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