Townhouse Proposal In Vacant Space Finds No Early Support In Vienna

VIENNA, VA — A developer's proposal for townhouses in the technology park area of Vienna was presented Monday, but Town Council indicated they do not want to pursue it at this time.

Bethesda-based developer EYA had been working with the town to propose 115 townhouses at 901 Follin Lane SE. This location is between the Navy Federal Credit Union headquarters, FBI screening center and a mostly vacant warehouse.

The developer had highlighted the townhouse project as a viable development amid a struggling office market. According to David Levy, Vienna's director of planning and zoning, the site has not been fully used since 2013 and has been fully vacant since 2017-2018. The site previously had a government use, but the property owner has failed to lease the property for nearly a decade.

"Our idea would bring four acres of park to the site," said McLean Quinn, CEO of EYA. "It would introduce high quality, luxury housing consistent with the character of Vienna to the property. It would increase the site's fiscal contributions to the Town of Vienna 900 percent."

The town's comprehensive plan sets the area's land use as an employment center. Levy said a change in zoning and a new vision for the area sought by Town Council would be needed to pursue the redevelopment. The height limit in the area is 45 feet, which would allow the townhouses EYA is pursuing.

Councilember Ed Somers said he is generally supportive of the idea but raised concerns about affordability of the proposed housing.

Quinn said EYA would seek 20 of the homes to be attainable for first-time homeowners and young professionals.

"I'd like to see more," Somers said. "We have plenty of homes going into Vienna in the million-dollar range, and I know it's great for the tax base, but I'd like people's children to be able to theoretically buy a house here."

Councilmember Springsteen said he couldn't support the project now but said it could be revisited. He noted a variety of concerns, including affordability and whether the town is obligated to help a property owner losing money on a property.

Councilmember Nisha Patel said she couldn't support the project, raising concerns about traffic, affordability

"I would love to see a proposal come back that has commercial," said Patel. "There's a lot of service industries that can be implemented here...this is a great large piece of land that if you could even hybrid it with commercial, it would be a much easier sell."

Mayor Linda Colbert told the developer the project isn't likely to advance at this point based on lack of support from Town Council members.

"In the future, perhaps, but right now I think we're not moving it forward," said Colbert.