Dulles Greene Cricket Ground Seen As Possible Affordable Housing Location

HERNDON, VA — Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust introduced a measure during Tuesday's Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting to consider replacing the Dulles Greene Cricket Ground with an affordable housing development.

Located at 13500 Dulles Greene Drive in the Dranesville District, the 9.63-acre parcel of county-owned land is currently being used on a temporary basis as an athletic field by the county's cricket community.

"The property presents an opportunity for the creation of an affordable housing community as a transit-oriented development within one-third of a mile of the Silver Line's Innovation Metro Station and nearby recreational and commercial amenities," said Foust, who proposed the measure with Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn. "Inclusion of affordable housing accessible to multiple modes of transport within an amenity-rich area is consistent with the board's equity goals as described in its One Fairfax policy."

In making his proposal, Foust referenced the board's ongoing efforts to increase its affordable housing stock and to meet its goal to provide a minimum of 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2034. As such, the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development has been investigating the feasibility of using board-owned land for affordable housing development.

In the past, county has been able t0 successfully leverage the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act to partner with private development and resources like low-income housing tax credits to produce affordable housing, according to Foust.

Just last week, the county broke ground on The Lodge at Autumn Willow, an independent living community in the Springfield District. Funded through a public-private partnership, the project, when completed, will add 150 units to the county's affordable housing stock.

In his motion, Foust asked the board to authorize county staff to schedule a public hearing to consider the conveyance of the 9.63-acre parcel of county-owned land to the Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority for the development of affordable housing.

The proposal contained two stipulations. First, if FCRHA decided not to pursue the project, it would transfer ownership back to the board. Second, FCRHA would allow use of and access to the site until development activities begin.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, who described himself as being very involved in the local cricket community, noted that there was a severe shortage of cricket fields in the county. He asked the board if anyone had reached out to either the cricket community or the Fairfax County Park Authority to see if they would be able to replace the field.

"That's the whole point of the provision, that we're going to look for alternative sites," Foust said. "We have proffer money that I was able to obtain through other developments in that area that is probably adequate to address this issue. ... We have resources to do something really nice in terms of a cricket field."

The board voted 9 to 1 to approve Foust's proposal, with Herrity voting in opposition.