On the Docket: Changes to Townhouse Plans For Sunrise Valley Drive

The Fairfax County Planning Commission will review and make a decision on an amended plan for 54 townhomes at 11720 Sunrise Valley Dr. at its meeting on Wednesday.

There was a public hearing on the project in July, but the commission had some concerns with driveway size and delivery accessibility for Rooney Properties’ plans to convert an office building to a residential neighborhood.

The proposed project sits just across Roland Clarke Place where another Rooney property, the Marcel Breuer-designed former headquarters of the American Press Institute. That building was recently approved for demolition by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, clearing the way for 34 townhouses and 10 condos.

Since the 11720 project’s July hearing, the applicant has gone back and updated the development plan to outline a proposed designated delivery area in the southwestern corner of property. Rooney has proposed one delivery vehicle space on the southwestern corner of the property.

The planning commission and the county planning staff also had an issue in July with Rooney’s lack of proffers to provide transportation demand management (TDM) such as traffic lights.

The applicant has since revised the proffers to provide this commitment, and an updated staff report says the “issue has been adequately resolved.”

Rooney has also addressed a potential garage dimension issue. The planning commission had concerns that townhouse garages of 19 feet wide by 20 feet deep, which would be space for two vehicles, would be too small for anything else.

The applicant now says space has been provided for the storage of two trash cans and the HVAC units are to be located on the roofs, so they will not interfere with the ingress and egress of vehicles to the dwellings. However, the developer says it will point out the small garage size in homeowners association documents.

The planning staff says that the amendments are satisfactory and it recommends approval of the project.