Proposed overhaul of Taco Bell in Herndon recommended by planning commission

A Taco Bell in Herndon is moving towards final approval for a rebuild.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission voted unanimously on April 3 in favor of the plan to redevelop the existing fast-food restaurant at 2710 Centreville Road with a larger building and a second drive-thru lane.

The new restaurant will have the company’s modern look and more space. The building area would expand from 2,380 square feet to 2,710 square feet to make space for a larger freezer.

The restaurant’s hours will also expand from 6 a.m. to midnight to 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day — a move that was piqued by demand, according to county planner Andrew Stone.

The two drive-through lanes would wrap around the northwestern side of the building and stack 11 vehicles. Matt Roberts, a Hirschler attorney who represented the applicant, said the current drive-thru lane holds about eight cars.

Braddock District Planning Commissioner Mary Cortina noted that the proposed landscaping along Parcher Avenue, particularly the trees, appeared somewhat inadequate.

“It just looks a little sparse,” she said.

Because the site is leased and not owned, the applicant — the Summerwood Corporation, a fast-food restaurant franchise operator — was limited in its ability to update the site, Roberts said.

The company does plan to increase the imprevious surface area from 88 to 53%.

The application for a special exception to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan still needs to get approved by the Board of Supervisors, but a hearing date doesn’t appear to have been set yet.

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