2-Story Office Building Proposed For Warwick Avenue Property

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City Board of Architectural Review will consider a proposal at its Wednesday night public hearing to build a two-story office building at 10540 Warwick Ave. The property is currently occupied by a 1934 Cape Cod residential style home.

Edward Zamin LCC is proposing to build the two-story office building and make associated improvements on the property, according to city documents. Each floor of the the two-story building will be 1,500 square feet in size. A 10-space parking lot will be located at the front of the building. A centered driveway will exit the parking lot to the south and onto Warwick Avenue. The applicant will landscape the property using Chinese Elm, Red Maples, Inkberry Holly, Winterberry Holly, and Highbush Blueberry.

The section of Warwick Avenue were the building would be located has commercial and office uses on one side and medium residential on the other.

The board originally considered applicant's proposal in 2017 and 2018, and granted the applicant a certificate of appropriateness in March 2018, according to the city staff report. However, the certificate became null and void after 18 months, since the applicant made no significant improvement or change on the property.

Edward Zamin LCC told county staff that it was unable to meet the 18-month deadline because the permit plan review took about two years. In addition, the pandemic and structural engineers caused other delays.

The plan under consideration Wednesday night is only slighted changed from the earlier proposal. Most notably, the applicant will be adding a bike rack in the surface parking at the front of the building. In addition, columns located on the front of the building will be moved to create better accessibility for the ADA parking space.

The property is zoned CR Commercial Retail — Architectural Control Overlay District. In addition to the Cape Cod home at the front of the property, most of the lot is undeveloped and covered with overgrowth, according to the staff report.

City staff recommended the board approve the proposal, saying it is consistent with the city's zoning ordinance and design criteria.

The Board of Architectural Review's public hearing is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, in Council Chambers at City Hall, which is locate a 10455 Armstrong St. in Fairfax.