Supervisor Lusk Seeks Deferral Of Rose Hill Plaza Redevelopment Plan

ROSE HILL, VA — The owner of Rose Hill Plaza in Franconia should reach out to the community for more feedback about the proposed redevelopment of the shopping center because the current proposal is "unacceptable," Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said Thursday.

The supervisor urged the shopping center's owner, Combined Properties Inc., to engage with the community again before it submits a revised plan for the site at the corner of Franconia Road and Rose Hill Drive.

Lusk, in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon, said he has asked staff of the Fairfax County Planning Commission to recommend deferral of the Rose Hill project to give Combined Properties time to have more conversations with residents in Rose Hill and surrounding communities, many of whom oppose the current redevelopment plans for the shopping center.

Lusk's request aligns with a recommendation made by the Fairfax County Planning Commission on March 29 for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to defer the project until Combined Properties, conducts “further community outreach.”

Under the current proposed redevelopment plan for the 60-year-old shopping center, Combined Properties would add up to 400 apartment units at the site. A grocery store would remain at the site as part of the proposed mixed-use redevelopment of the 11-acre shopping center, according to the owner.

But many residents worry they will lose the convenience of walking or taking a short drive to neighborhood shops if the apartment complex leads to a big reduction in the number of stores.

READ ALSO: Opponents Of Rose Hill Plaza Redevelopment Urge 'Full Stop' On Plan

“Following the comments we received from the public, I determined that the current proposal is unacceptable to the community and that it is unacceptable to me as well,” Lusk said Thursday.

On April 11, the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on which “nominations” should be added to the “work program” for formal planning and study following the planning commission’s preliminary decision. The vote will not be an endorsement of any plan or redevelopment application, Lusk emphasized.

The supervisor noted he remains committed to continued conversations with Combined Properties and residents, with the goal of "arriving at a proposal that will best serve the Rose Hill community and the surrounding neighborhoods."

"I am hopeful that we will be able to reach that conclusion," Lusk said.

At a March 9 meeting, the planning commission recommended that the Rose Hill Plaza nomination be added to the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program — a list of planning studies across Fairfax County — as a Tier 3 “deferred” project, meaning staff would not begin working on it until other work has been completed. In the case of the Rose Hill Plaza project, additional outreach by Combined Properties would be needed.

The Rose Hill Coalition, a group formed last fall in opposition to Combined Properties' current redevelopment proposal, welcomed Lusk's decision to recommend deferral of the project.

"We applaud this decision by Supervisor Lusk and will continue to seek engagement with Combined Properties and the community to ensure that the needs of the community are met," the Rose Hill Coalition said in a statement Thursday.

The coalition also urged residents "to stay engaged as this process moves forward."

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• Franconia Residents Protest Redevelopment Of Rose Hill Shopping Center
• Rose Hill Shopping Center Redevelopment Proposed, Feedback Sought