Here we go again!!!!!

Arcola Center Plan Calls For 1,194 Homes

By Dusty Smith
(Created: Thursday, October 11, 2007 8:26 AM EDT)

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A proposal to rezone 312 acres in Arcola calls for more than 2.2 million square feet of office/industrial uses, 430,000 square feet of retail uses and 1,194 homes on land previously zoned only for nonresidential uses.

Rezoning and special exception requests for the project are on the planning commission's public hearing agenda Monday.

The adjacent Shops at Arcola project approved earlier this year allows 750,000 square feet of retail development. Another adjacent project, Dulles Landing, won approval earlier this year for 800,000 square feet of mostly retail uses.

All those projects are intended to be part of a re-make of the Rt. 50 corridor in an attempt to provide more service, shopping and dining options for residents in the Dulles South area. Proponents have said the goal is reduce the need for residents to leave the area to obtain their needs. In addition, new office uses are intended to attract new businesses that can provide jobs and, potentially, further reduce the number of commuters leaving the area to go to work.

The subject property was previously zoning for 200,000 square feet of office uses, 811,500 square feet of retail uses and nearly 1.9 million square feet of industrial uses. The new proposal calls for 590 single-family attached homes, 69 homes located over retail or office uses, 15 "live/work" units and 604 multifamily units in addition to the nonresidential uses.

In the request, the Arcola Limited Partnership, proposes a phasing plan in which certain nonresidential uses must be constructed before homes are built. The first phase would include up to 500 homes and 500,000 square feet of nonresidential uses; the second phase would include an additional 250 homes and an additional 250,000 square feet of nonresidential uses; the third phase would include another 250 homes and another 250,000 square feet of nonresidential uses; and the fourth phase would include the remaining homes and another 200,000 square feet of nonresidential uses.

The county staff report indicates that such a proposal means only 45 percent of the nonresidential uses would be required before 100 percent of the homes are built.

In exchange for the approval, the applicant has offered to construct a series of road improvements, including the dedication and off-site construction of a portion Arcola Boulevard ($4.2 million); construction of another portion of that road ($2.5 million); and off-site construction of a portion of a third westbound lane on Rt. 50 ($1.1 million).

The applicant is seeking capital facilities contribution credit for those improvements as well as for other items, including the contribution of the 10-acre slave quarters site to the county ($2.25 million); dedication of the 1.5-acre Arcola Methodist Church site ($450,000); and the construction of a community center and pool ($750,000).

In total, the capital facilities contribution credit request amounts to nearly $25 million, which includes the applicant's proposed $13.7 million cash contribution.

The staff report raises concerns that many of the proffered road improvements are not adequate to mitigate the project's impacts. A series of outstanding issues were outlined in the staff report with respect to community planning, the environment, zoning, transportation and public school impacts.

The Arcola item is one of 15 items on the commission's public hearing agenda Monday. For a complete list, visit the planning commission's Web page at www.loudoun.gov/planning/pcomm.htm and follow the links to either the Planning Commission Meeting Calendar or the Planning Commission Public Hearing Packets.

 

Lee, do you know of a website link to the site plan for this area? The Dulles Landing (http://www.klnb.com/PropDocs/2355.aspx) and Arcola Center (http://www.klnb.com/PropDocs/2422.aspx) brochures show a great deal of retail as Lee's quote states along with what is across of Rt. 50 at South Riding Center and Avonlea Plaza (http://www.cbre.com/NR/rdonlyres/C5477B7E-D307-4FD8-81AD-BC973347E26D/0/Site_PlantoCBRElabeledRt.pdf). Hard to imagine how anyone can think traffic will not be at an absolute standstill in that whole corridor.

I already see how busy Loudoun County Parkway/Ryan Rd. is now during the rush hours (starting at 7 AM) from Brambleton to the Greenway and beyond. That is with just 2,500 or so homes I would estimate of the eventual 15,000 or more in that area and only one shopping center (Brambleton Town Center).

 

That's completely nuts. Is there ANY plan as to what will go into those offices? Or will it be the standard "medical, dental, nails, cleaners, Starbucks, bank, Thai Place, "deli", eatery, eatery, and UPS store"?

And exactly where will these 1,800 additional cars commute to??? And which roads will they clog up?

I have a radical idea - let's contact Blackwater, buy all of the about to be surplused rocket launchers and have target practice between 0100 & 0300 after teh construction equipment arrives.

 

1,194 MORE homes?? Who is buying all these homes?

In driving around I see home construction all over the place BUT on the flip side keep hearing how grim the housing market is and continue to see "For Sale" signs lingering for MONTHS on homes here in the neighborhood. What a mess and I have a bad feeling we may all be in trouble when we want/need to sell. Time will tell.

 

I don't have time to debate this today but look at the two site plans and there is a huge difference . A small example the arcola piece has oceans of parking exposed one Loudoun the parking is in garages hidden, surrounded by the buildings. I can go on and on about the differences which are tremendous. Don't be fooled. Way more separation from residential to commercial and way more parkland. One Loudoun also has the off site transportation system going into effect and being built as we speak. Arcola is way before it's time with no major off site road improvements it is more of the same with a fancier dress on to foll the public.
Later I can go into great detail in the differences if you all want. Don't be fooled by the one rendering of arcola that is not totally representative of what they will build first and what it really will look like. That is an architect feeding bull and not representing the total picture only what they want you to see now. Have the architect designing acola give us a total fly thru of the project and you and you might see a very different picture between the two.

Lee j

 

Believe me this forum has a lot more effect then many of you might think. Why do you think Barbara spends so much time here hmmmmmm You might be surprised what private conversations I have had because of this forum and a few others. Don't under estimate the these forums and the internet.

Lee j

 

I dont want to debate you. Take your concerns up with the planning commission and the BOS- this forum is not "public record for comments". Its either going to be this plan or flex industrial for that area....The section you are referring to with acres of parking has already been approved. This is a different rezoning app. for the rest of the property. I would encourage you to read the rezoning apps rather than applying blanket statements to them...

There is room for improvement on this app. (like there also was on One Loudon when it was first submitted) in terms of transportation proffers, etc...