BOCS Approves Two Woodbridge Proffer Amendments

The Board of County Supervisors unanimously approved two proffer amendments for Woodbridge development projects on Tuesday evening.

The amendments changed the planned use of the Rippon Center project and the Potomac Town Center project, after both received the recommendation of approval from the Planning commission and county staff.

The Rippon Center amendment included the building of a 600-space parking garage for the VRE station, as well as reducing the amount of office spaces in the plans and lowering the building heights from 10 stories to five stories.

County staff recommended approval despite citing the reduction of office space and the lower building heights as weaknesses in the amendment. Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi took issue with that judgment, saying those changes were not weaknesses and might even be improvements. “A reduction from 10 stories down to five would perhaps be aesthetically better for the view,” Principi said. 

The board voted unanimously to approve the proffers, and Principi congratulated the applicant. “This is a long time coming,” he said.

The amendment for the was more limited, changing the configuration of a road to improve access and adding some retail space. Principi clarified that the amendment does not add any residential use or reduce any office space. The board also approved this amendment unanimously, and Principi said it is “another great mixed use project moving forward in Woodbridge.”

At the same meeting, the board also unanimously approved a plan to allow façade signage larger than 300 square feet at the Dumfries Wal-Mart.