Co-Located Fire Station, Homeless Station Near Route 1 To Be Considered By Board

GROVETON, VA — The first step of a proposal to co-locate the Penn Daw Fire Station with a relocated Eleanor U. Kennedy Shelter will be considered by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

At the Board of Supervisors' December meeting, the board approved Mount Vernon District Supervisors' measure directing staff to prepare a proposal for the co-located facility. The proposal involves a comprehensive plan amendment for the site, the former Hybla Valley Nursery location (2801 Beacon Hill Road, Alexandria, VA) that the county purchased for a new Penn Daw Fire station construction.

A comprehensive plan amendment, which sets a vision for individual development sites, would be the first step in constructing a co-located facility. At the board's meeting, Chairman Jeff McKay noted that the land use process would follow the comprehensive plan amendment.

In presenting the board matter, Storck noted the current Penn Daw fire station was built in 1967 and is one of the county's oldest and busiest stations. Amid challenges with maintaining the current Eleanor U. Kennedy Shelter and a long search for alternate locations, county staff suggested the option of co-locating the shelter with the fire station.

"There's been very strong board support about the criticality of addressing our human needs for modern emergency responses from our members as well as for our best in class fire and rescue department, for folks needing just a healthy home for the night," said Storck. "Our current facilities are not up to these standards and have needed to be replaced for more than a decade. A new co-located facility concept is supported by the county's strategic plan and aligns with our Housing First goals and efforts to prevent and end homelessness."

Funding for the fire station was provided through a 2015 bond referendum, while a 2016 bond referendum provided funding for a new south county emergency shelter, according to Storck. Fairfax County had purchased the 3.5-acre former Hybla Valley Nursery site in June 2020 as a site for the new Penn Daw Fire Station to serve northern Richmond Highway. The county said the current fire station presents challenges to expand or rebuild and has outdated features like apparatus bays that cannot host larger, heavier equipment.

The current Eleanor Kennedy Shelter, located along Richmond Highway in Fort Belvoir, is a 50-bed homeless shelter that can house 38 men and 12 women and is operated by New Hope Housing. The 103-year-old building was converted from a pump home location on Fort Belvoir and does not provide options for supportive housing. The county says expansion potential is limited due to the building's historic status and location within a 100-year floodplain and resource protection area.

Storck had formed an advisory committee in November 2020 to evaluate potential programs for the fire station site and engage with the community on the proposal. The committee is made up of residents from neighboring communities, public safety representatives, faith communities, affordable housing providers, the Mount Vernon Council of Civic Association, the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Fort Belvoir representatives.

Storck noted the county is moving forward with the site after "due diligence" to consider alternate sites. A concept design for the co-located fire station, shelter and affordable housing was revealed over the summer. Storck said the design process continues with the opportunity for community input.