Pair of homes proposed in Herndon would occupy floodplain

RestonNow.com January 18, 2024 at 11:04am

The Town of Herndon is considering the placement of two single-family homes in a floodplain on Monroe Street.

First approved in January 2022, the proposal has returned to the Herndon Town Council after the applicant sought to increase the footprint of the proposed residential structures.

Because the homes are in the floodplain overlay district, the units are subject to additional planning and development criteria.

David Stromberg, the town’s zoning administrator, said the applicant wants to increase the footprint of a house at 1317 Monroe Street from 2,200 square feet to 3,500 square feet and a house at 1315 Monroe Street from 2,850 to 3,680 square feet.

Town staff recommended approval of the project at a council work session on Tuesday (Jan. 16), reporting that the plan won’t result in an increase in flood heights or the size of the floodplain.

Stromberg emphasized that the applicant must also maintain a 100-foot buffer from resource protection areas and use the most up-to-date flood information available to guide stormwater management.

Councilmember Kevin LeBlanc said he was curious to see how the development proposal would affect runoff in the overall neighborhood — a criterion generally not evaluated within the scope of this proposal.

“They still have to meet all the stormwater requirements that are out there as far as making sure the drainage doesn’t go onto an adjacent property…and that you are meeting stormwater quality requirements,” Stromberg said.

He noted that the applicant must comply with all additional zoning ordinances and receive compliance approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The special exception request will get a public hearing and final vote before the Herndon Town Council later this month. The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 23.