5-Story Assisted Living Facility Proposed For Lee High Inn Site

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City's Board of Architectural Review is studying a proposal to build a five-story assisted living facility on a piece of property on Fairfax Boulevard that's currently occupied by the Lee High Inn.

CR Properties Holdings, LLC is seeking the board's approval to tear down the motel, which was built in the 1950s, and replace it with The Claiborne at Fairfax, a 125-bed assisted living facility, according to company's proposal.

The property, which is located at 9865 Fairfax Blvd., is zoned commercial retail and is in an Architectural Control Overlay District. The property is surrounded by other commercial retail development on three sides, with single-family homes and Fairfax High School bordering to the south. A wooded area separates the proposed building from the closest residential property, which is approximately 175 feet away.

Anna Kohlbrenner, an urban planner with the city, told the board during a work session last Wednesday the applicant does not need approval from the City Council for its proposal because the developer is not seeking a special exception to the zoning ordinance.

The assisted living facility is considered an appropriate use for an area designated as commercial retail. The applicant will submit a site plan and zoning permit. Once the board has determined the applicant has met all of the city's requirements for landscaping and architecture, it will issue a certificate of appropriateness.

The proposed building will have a setback of approximately 11 feet from Fairfax Boulevard, 22 from the eastern edge of the property, 75 from the west, and 55 from the south property line.

Most of the parking on the property would be located at the rear of the building, which would wrap around an interior courtyard. This would provide open space for the facility's future residents.

In terms of landscaping, the developer is proposing to plant deciduous trees, shrubs, and perennials along Fairfax Boulevard in a series of tiers. Similar plants would be scattered throughout the rest of the property.

Once the developer has finalized its site plan and addressed all of the board's suggestions, the board will schedule a public hearing, when it will vote on the certificate of appropriateness.