Fairway to Heaven: Decision on Redevelopment Project Postponed Again

Once again, the Fairfax County Planning Commission has kicked the can deferred a decision about the fun Fairway Apartments redevelopment project. Depending on what you read, a decision has been postponed until Nov. 3 or indefinitely.

The move comes after a spate of letters criticizing the project -- which would raze the existing Fairway Apartments and replace them with a combination of midrise buildings and a mauvescraper -- from everyone from the Reston Citizens Association to the National Council of Churches (not really). Most recently, the Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth weighed in, saying among other things, that the project would disrupt "stable neighborhoods."

One of the key County objectives in redevelopment of portions of the County is the protection of stable neighborhoods. Superimposing a high density development in the midst of medium density neighborhoods far from retail and transit runs counter to this objective. This proposed development is much more suited for a high density area around one of the future metro stations.

Fairfax County staff has also recommended rejection of the project, saying, among many other things, that the "proposed development will dwarf and overwhelm the surrounding neighborhood" and reduce the overall amount of affordable housing, which developer JBG had sneakily -- and shamefully -- tried to eliminate altogether earlier in the process.

It's a shame in some ways, because redevelopment isn't necessarily the worst option for an aging garden apartment complex. But given the lack of proximity to future Metro stations, the fake downtown, or a village center -- which is where massive mauvescraper-style redevelopment should be concentrated, any project on this space should probably be considerably less dense.

So that's that, at least until November. But because we love the random bollard-like images that seem to accompany all these planning documents, here's a fun one:

Irony upon irony.