MVCCA Committees Approve Inova Expansion, Dairy Queen Site

The MVCCA Planning & Zoning committee and Transportation committee met at Whitman Middle School Monday night and voted to approve the two development projects.

The committees heard presentations on the and Memorial Ventures’ development of the old Dairy Queen site.

The civic association representatives were also given the chance to address the Fairfax County planning commission staff report that was made available in the beginning of July.

The comprehensive plan recommends expanding in a series of stages, but as of now no order is set for construction.

“We don’t know the order the phases will come in,” Inova Hospital Systems' legal representative Sarah Hall said. “We need that flexibility to follow what the market demands.”

Concerned citizens spent a large amount of their discussion making requests for transportation improvements around the location of the hospital.

Their main concern revolved around commuter traffic flooding Sherwood Hall Ln and Collingwood Rd, which they said could potentially make it hard for emergency vehicles to get through.

Hall said Inova plans to make a contribution to the county for transportation improvements near the site.

“Contributions will go into a pot when each phase goes in. From that pot, a decision will be made on what improvement projects will be completed,” Hall said. “The expected 1.7 to 2.2 million dollar in contributions will be spent in the immediate area surrounding the hospital.”

She also argued that Inova’s development plans won’t cause a major increase in traffic, because the hospital doesn’t plan to significantly increase the amount of beds it has available for patients.

“Improved space means more space, but the same number of people. We’re moving from semi-private, to private rooms,” developer J. David Sittler added. “There won’t be much more staff and we don’t expect a huge increase in patients.”

Tree preservation was a hot topic with the community and despite several requests for a tree canopy preservation plan, the developers were unable to provide specifics about trees being cut down.

Hall said that nothing can be reported until site planning begins and the trees are marked.

“While I would love to try and save them, I can’t save every tree,” Sittler said. “Under the current plan, we’re trying to retain the original landscaping and in a lot of the places nothing will happen, we’re not even touching them.”

With a final approval vote of 11:1 for Transportation and 13:2 for Planning and Zoning, the committee’s recommendation will go on record as supporting the staff report, but with exceptions.  Inova’s application is scheduled to go before the Planning Commission on July 20th.

“The promises that INOVA makes may never happen, resident Neil McBride said. “Be aware of the facts now. We’ve been burned several times before and we don’t want to be again.”

Also on the agenda was a return application from Memorial Ventures who are looking to develop the old Dairy Queen site on Richmond Highway from Lee Ave to Popkins Ln.

The planned 6,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space was presented to the committees last month, but developers returned to present a plan that addressed some of the community’s concerns, chiefly the location of parking.

“Consistently we feel that there needs to be parking available out front. Teaser parking if you will, People need to be able to see so they know they can park,” Sara Mariske from Memorial Ventures said.

“A row in the front, a row in the back would create a vast amount of impervious surface. We’re working to balance the needs of the community and the creation of a beautiful space.”

After debating the project’s merits, the Generalized Development Plan was approved 12:0.

Some of the site’s selling points included a screening for residents behind the complex, a twenty-eight foot green space and ten foot trail along the road and a potential LEED certification.

The next meeting for both committees will be held on September 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Walt Whitman Middle School.