Annandale residents say a large mixed-use development would destroy their neighborhood

The proposal by Nicholas Development calls for 575 mid-rise multifamily residential units, 156,000 square feet of office space, and 100,000 square feet of retail on a 10-acre site currently occupied by two office buildings and four or five residential properties. 

The view from Susan Jollie’s deck on Walton Lane, just a few blocks from the proposed mixed-use project. [Susan Jollie]

The development would include four new buildings in addition to the two office buildings. About four or five residential properties, mostly on Woodland Road, would be demolished. 

Nicholas Development is seeking approval for an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to expand the Annandale Commercial Business Center to include a residential area.

The area proposed for redevelopment is inside the red lines.

Susan Jollie, president of the Hummer Woods Civic Association, which represents 250 households, says “the traffic on Hummer Road is already unacceptable. Adding 5,000 trips a day won’t be manageable.” The access points to the new development would be on Hummer Road and Woodland Road.

Related story: Two Annandale development proposals deemed worthy of further consideration

County planning staff does not endorse the project, citing the negative impact of what would be a high-density project on nearby single-family neighborhoods. According to staff, that area is not appropriate for more commercial development. 

A Mason District task force, however, voted in September to let the project proceed to the next step, which would include further analyses on traffic and other issues. 

The proposed development would not replace these businesses along Little River Turnpike.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to have a public hearing on this proposal along with other Site-Specific Plan Amendments Nov. 18-19.

Jollie is reaching out to other nearby communities to organize a campaign against the project. Many local residents aren’t aware of what is being proposed, she says. “With COVID, it’s been hard to make connections and share our positions.”

Jollie is concerned the project would cause major environmental damage, including degradation of the Accotink watershed, disruption of groundwater, and would harm the wildlife in nearby parks. 

Woodland Road

The task force meeting, which was held virtually, wasn’t conducive to public dialogue, she says. The developer’s slide show shared at the meeting included photos from other unrelated developments and didn’t give task force members an accurate description of what is being proposed. As a result, “the task force wasn’t able to critically evaluate this proposal.” 

Jollie takes issue with Nicholas Development’s promise to create a mini version of the Mosaic District with outdoor restaurants and open space, which sparked enthusiasm from task force members. 

However, she noted, the development does not cover the low-rise commercial properties along Little River Turnpike and Hummer Road, such as McDonald’s, the Liberty service station, 7-Eleven, Breeze Bakery, and Yechon. 

“A lot of us would like to see appropriate development in Annandale, but not in this location,” Jollie says. Redevelopment makes sense for the commercial center of Annandale, not next to a quiet residential area.” 

Andy Levitz’ houses on Horseshoe Drive.

Andy Levitz, a resident of Horseshoe Drive just a few feet from one of the existing office buildings, is concerned about declining property values and unsafe levels of traffic if high-density apartments go up across the street. 

Levitz, a disabled Navy veteran, was “thrilled to be able to buy a house two and a half years ago in a nice neighborhood” after barely qualifying for a VA loan. “This is my only asset. This is the American dream,” he says.

While some of his neighbors were able to sell their properties to Nicholas Development for a big profit, that wasn’t available to Levitz or some of his other neighbors.  

“I wouldn’t buy into a neighborhood that was going to be developed as a commercial development,” he says, so why would anyone else buy the homes on his street? 

“This is an actual neighborhood,” he says. “Zoning laws are supposed to protect neighborhoods.” 

Mark Moscato, a resident of Royce Court, has been handing out leaflets around the community urging people to oppose the development. 

Walton Lane, like many streets in Hummer Woods, doesn’t have gutters or curbs. [Susan Jollie]

Noting that the county planning staff opposed the project, he says, allowing commercial mixed-use development in the area “would unjustly impact the neighborhood and any sense of community we currently share.”

Traffic congestion and pedestrian safety are big problems, too, Moscato says. “I was unfortunately privy to seeing police officers put a sheet over an individual in April who was a hit and run victim on Hummer. This was followed up one month later when an individual hit a utility pole and knocked out power to our neighborhood for four or five hours.”

Due to traffic backups on Hummer, he says, it can take as much as 10 minutes to be able to turn left into Royce Court. 

Moscato also says that new office buildings aren’t needed. The two existing buildings are only 50 percent occupied, and many companies are looking to downsize their office space post-COVID. 

“I am not against smart planning that protects residential space and seeks to harmoniously blend into the community and respect spatial boundaries,” Moscato says. “However unbridled growth makes no sense.”