Washington Plaza Cluster Association

Subject:

Meeting Notes

April 23, 2007

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Members of the Washington Plaza Cluster Association have attended all of the recent meetings to discuss the future development potential for the Lake Anne Village Center. The following outline summarizes the comments from the most recent general meeting of the Washington Plaza Cluster Association on April 23, 2007.

GENERAL COMMENTS

The Washington Plaza Association is concerned with the size of the building program. The program is significantly larger that the building program recommended by the economic consultants hired by Fairfax County. Our association is also concerned that a concept plan has not been prepared to test the building program to ensure compatibility with the existing village center. In addition, the Washington Plaza Cluster Association recommends that a significant amount of additional attention be focused on ensuring design excellence appropriate to this special site in Fairfax County.

The following items summarize the general comments from the recent general meeting of the Washington Plaza Cluster association.

· Consider funding an international competition to examine the building program, pedestrian connections, green neighborhood technology, and design excellence in community building before the final selection of a developer(s)

· Retain the original Reston concept of a village center that is not in competition with the Reston Town Center

· Provide a significant amount of underground parking

· New buildings must be compatible with the architecture of the existing, planned community historic district

· Augment and enhance the existing pedestrian connections to the plaza Address green neighborhood planning and green building technology

· Increase the variety of housing types

· Eliminate the retail located a significant distance from the existing plaza

· Provide civic space to serve the community and consider the following:

o expanded space for the existing community center

o place of worship

o indoor pool

· outdoor space for the farmer's market and other civic events

· covered outdoor space

· Provide for phasing of improvements including parking to allow the existing retail spaces to remain in business

· Retail space should be concentrated adjacent to the existing commercial space instead of included throughout the future development

COMMENTS FOR EACH SITE

The following building program was discussed for each of the five sites by the representatives of the Washington Plaza Cluster Association. The building program proposed in the Draft Comprehensive Plan should be revised to more closely match the program proposed in the economic study. The building program should also be verified by a concept design for the entire site that would provide compatibility with the existing village center before the Comprehensive Draft Plan is approved.

Lake Anne Revised Building Program

Site	Economic Study Recommendations	Draft Comprehensive Plan	Washington Plaza Alternate (maximum)
Site No.1
Residential	0	176 dwelling Units	70 dwelling units
Office	105,000 SF	62,500 SF	50,000 SF
Retail	0	62,500 SF	50,000 SF
Site No.2
Residential	Not addressed	76 dwelling units	30 dwelling units
Office		175,000 SF	50,000 SF (additional)
Retail		10,000 SF	0
Site No.3
Residential	44 dwelling units	267 dwelling units	100 dwelling units
Office	0	0	0
Retail	0	5,000	0
Site No.4
Residential	825 dwelling units	897 dwelling units	500 dwelling units
Office	0	0	0
Retail	0	0	0
Site No.5
Residential	Not addressed	264 to 567 DU’s.	250 dwelling units
Office		0	0
Retail		5,000	0
Totals
Residential	869 dwelling units	1,680 - 1,983 DU’s.	.950 dwelling units
Office	105,000 SF	237,500 SF	100,000 SF
Retail	0	82,500 SF	50,000 SF

The following comments summarize the items discussed at the meeting of the Washington Plaza Cluster Association on April 23, 2007.

Site No.1: lake Anne Village Center Parking lot

· Limit the height of new buildings to 3 to 4 stories compatible with the building height and scale of the existing buildings

· Provide an extension of the existing plaza as a significant pubic space connecting to North Shore Drive and include the following:

o space for the existing farmer's market

o outdoor public space

· Locate parking underground

· Provide all the parking to serve the existing retail area and the new buildings, adjacent parking areas should not be used to serve the parking needs of the plaza

· Increase the combination of green space and plaza space from 15 percent to at least 25 percent green space

· Provide roadways that do not cross the extension of the plaza

Site No.2: Lake Anne Office Building

· Limit the additional office space to 50,000 square feet

· Limit the residential space to 25 units, 3 to 4 stories high to match the building height and scale of the existing adjacent buildings

· Exclude retail space

· Provide a safe, attractive pedestrian connection to the plaza activated by adjacent office and residential space

· Increase the combination of green space and plaza space from 15 percent to at least 25 percent green space

Site No.3: Existing Church and Adjacent Green Space

· Consider retaining the existing building for a church or office building

· Retain the existing green space and trees

· Augment and enhance the existing pedestrian pathways to strengthen the connection to the plaza

· Serve all parking needs on-site

· Eliminate additional retail

· Increase the combination of green space and plaza space from 15 percent to at least 25 percent green space

Site No.4: Crescent Apartments

· Reduce the total number of units

· Increase the green space to 35 percent minimum instead of the 15 percent proposed

· Ensure a significant mix of low-rise buildings and a limited number of high rise residential buildings

· Improve the character of Village Avenue through landscaping and significant setbacks to improve the entrance to the Lake Anne Village

Site No.5: Fellowship House

· Reduce the amount of additional residential space to approximately twice the size of the existing elderly housing project

· Improve the character of Village Avenue through landscaping and significant setbacks to improve the entrance to the Lake Anne Village

· Increase the green space to 35 percent minimum instead of the 15 percent proposed

· Provide significantly improved pedestrian connections to the plaza such as a pedestrian bridge, and improved crosswalks at Village Avenue and Chimney House Road

CONCLUSION

The Washington Plaza Association remains concerned with the size of the building program, the compatibility of the proposed buildings with the existing village center, and the need to address design excellence.