LDS Church Ready to Make Case for Hunter Mill Road Facility

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will go before the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals next week to get clearance to build a new church on Hunter Mill Road.

The church, which was supposed to appear before the BZA on June 15, asked for a postponement until July 13. The church has filed a special permit exception in order to build a 16,558-square-foot location at Crowell and Hunter Mill Roads.

The special permit exception would allow the church to build a place of worship on land designated residential on the Vienna-Reston line.  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.

Lori Greenlief, a planner with McGuire Woods, which is representing the church, previously 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.