Church Seeks to Build on Crowell Road at Hunter Mill

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is seeking a zoning change in order to build a 16,558-square-foot location at Crowell and Hunter Mill Roads.

The LDS Church has filed a special permit exception with the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals. The church is seeking to build a place of worship on land designated residential on the Vienna-Reston line.

Land Use attorneys and other church representatives are holding a community meeting Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 2719 Hunter Mill Rd. in Oakton.

Lori Greenlief, a planner with McGuire Woods, which is representing the church, said the parcel is 7.15 acres of land. It is across Crowell from where the Oakcrest School is building a new home and down the road from where Fairfax County is considering building a new septic tank dumping site.

Both of these developments have caused traffic concerns for Hunter Mill-area residents.

The church plans a one-story building with 292 seats and 233 parking spots.

Area LDS churches in North Reston (which is expanding its parking) and Oakton will not be closing if the project is approved, Greenlief said.

Greenlief said the church has completed a traffic study, which showed minimal to no impact during peak weekday morning and evening traffic. The main activities at the church will take place on Sundays, she said.

A BZA public hearing has tentatively been scheduled for June 15. Because it is a special permit, the church would not have to go through the Fairfax County Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors for final approval.