FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A proposal that could replace more than 700 aging garden apartments in Merrifield with nearly 3,000 homes near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station cleared a major hurdle Tuesday when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a change to the county's Comprehensive Plan.
The board adopted a site-specific plan amendment allowing redevelopment of the 35-acre Merrifield at Dunn Loring Station Apartments property with as many as 2,975 multifamily homes and up to 25,000 square feet of retail space. The property, west of Gallows Road, currently contains 706 low-rise apartments built in 1968 and sits within roughly a quarter-mile to half-mile of the Metro station.
Tuesday's action does not approve the redevelopment itself. A rezoning application has already been filed and remains under review, meaning details including building design, phasing, transportation changes, affordable housing commitments and protections for existing residents still must be worked out.
The Comprehensive Plan amendment allows residential mixed-use development at an intensity of up to 1.9 floor area ratio. County documents say the redevelopment could include up to 2,975 multifamily units and 25,000 square feet of retail, along with transportation improvements, parks and open space.
The plan envisions high-rise buildings along Gallows Road and mid-rise buildings farther inside the property, as well as a linear park along a planned north-south street and an expansion of nearby Hartland Park. Buildings could reach 150 feet in some areas, although structures within 75 feet of existing residential areas to the northwest and south are recommended to be no taller than 50 feet.
RELATED: Merrifield Redevelopment Plan Adds Nearly 3,000 Homes Near Metro
The amendment would also reduce a long-planned "ring road" through the area from four lanes to two and create a street network intended to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections to Metro. County staff said specific questions about parking and the exact road configuration will be addressed during the rezoning review.
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik (D) said the proposal had undergone nearly three years of public review and had changed substantially since an earlier version generated criticism from the community.
Palchik said the redevelopment represents another step toward making Merrifield a more connected, walkable community, with housing, parks and public spaces near transit.
She also emphasized that significant details remain unresolved.
"There is still a great deal of work ahead in the rezoning," Palchik said, pointing to building heights, building massing, phasing and the effect redevelopment could have on current residents.
Much of Tuesday's discussion focused on what would happen to people living in the property's 706 apartments.
County staff said asking rents at the existing complex are generally affordable to households earning between 71 percent and 80 percent of area median income. Because those rents are above the county's threshold for its multifamily affordable housing preservation policy, that policy does not apply to the property.
The plan amendment nevertheless adds site-specific guidance encouraging relocation assistance and opportunities for current residents to remain on the property or return after redevelopment.
Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) questioned language saying opportunities for residents to remain on-site or move into later phases should be identified "where feasible," saying the phrase could weaken the guidance.
County staff acknowledged the language could be clearer, but Palchik chose to leave it unchanged, saying more specific commitments would be addressed during the rezoning process.
Palchik said supervisors had heard calls for "clear commitments on resident notification, relocation assistance, the opportunity for existing residents to remain in or return to the community as redevelopment occurs."
Board Chairman Jeff McKay (D-At-Large) also stressed the distinction between Tuesday's planning action and the eventual rezoning.
"The plan lays out a long-term broad vision," McKay said. "The rezoning is the instrument that's used to execute that vision."
McKay said supervisors would be watching affordable housing commitments and other concerns raised during the public hearing as the rezoning moves forward.
Several speakers supported adding housing close to Metro but urged the county and developer to strengthen affordability and displacement protections. One resident of the existing Merrifield apartments asked supervisors to ensure replacement units remain within reach of current tenants and that the right to return is enforceable.
Other speakers raised concerns about traffic and parking, including how a proposed connection to Park Tower Drive could affect existing parking spaces.
Palchik moved to adopt the Planning Commission's recommendation for the plan amendment. McKay seconded the motion, which passed on a voice vote with no opposition or abstentions recorded in the meeting transcript.
The Planning Commission had previously recommended the amendment on a 10-0 vote in July. County staff also recommended approval.
The next phase will be review of the rezoning application, where the county and applicant will work through the development's more detailed commitments and design.
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