Office-To-Residential Proposal Draws Concerns From Oakton Community Groups

OAKTON, VA — Community organizations are raising concerns about the size of a mixed-use development proposed at the AT&T corporate campus on Chain Bridge Road in Oakton.

As part of Fairfax County's Site-Specific Plan Amendment Process, a county comprehensive plan amendment was proposed to allow a mixed-use residential development at the 3033 Chain Bridge Road campus. The proposal calls for 543 multifamily units, 310 townhomes and two-over-two units, and over 110,000 square feet of retail.

The current 33.1-acre site has a three-story, 443,750-square-foot office building. It is home to AT&T’s regional headquarters, but the company has scaled back occupancy of the campus and is not expected to return to full occupancy. This area of Chain Bridge Road has a mix of office, retail and restaurant uses and is near the Interstate 66 exits.

In addition to a plan amendment, a rezoning proposal is being considered for the site. The density of the site — a 0.4 floor area ratio — would increase to a 1 floor area ratio under the proposal. According to a county staff report, the density is the equivalent of a recently-approved residential development across the street. The report also notes modern townhouse sizes would produce a 16 to 20 dwelling units per acre based on a 0.8 to 1 floor area ratio.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the proposed plan amendment at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 26. If recommended by the planning commission, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider it at its 4 p.m. public hearing on March 18.

Community organizations in Oakton have been voicing concerns ahead of the planning commission meeting.

Five civic associations — the Greater Oakton Community Association, Options for Oakton, Smart Growth for Oakton, Oakton HOA/Civic Leader Coalition, and Miller Heights Neighborhood Association — called for a delay in planning commission action. The groups are requesting a vote be delayed until completion of a full transportation study of Oakton’s Chain Bridge corridor and plan of action with estimated costs is approved by Fairfax County and VDOT.

In a letter to planning commissioners, the organizations outlined the concerns about greater residential density on traffic and pedestrian safety. The organizations noted other by-right residential development projects are being planned across Chain Bridge Road from the site.

"Most of our community agrees that the concept of redevelopment of the AT&T site is appropriate, and it is important for our County to revitalize underperforming commercial space and generate tax revenue," the letter said. "The community also recognizes the need for housing, especially affordable housing, and is in favor of a limited mixed-use development with a vibrant community space. However, we continue to hear great concerns from our members about the impact the proposed project as currently shaped would have on density and intensity in the face of already difficult traffic and pedestrian safety conditions throughout the greater Oakton area."

The groups noted hundreds of Oakton residents have attended meetings and communicated to the developer the need to downsize the proposal. Over 1,000 people have signed a petition to keep the 0.4 density, an approximately 12 to 16 dwelling units per acre density similar to surrounding sites. The petition also calls for maintaining landscaping, seeking proffers for about four acres of park land, and constructing new roads to mitigate traffic impacts and pedestrian safety.

A county staff report recommended the proposal for a plan amendment, noting the site's potential for a core center in the Flint Hill Suburban Center zone of Oakton.

"Unlike the county’s other suburban centers, Flint Hill currently lacks a defined core area where
higher development intensities, a mix of land uses, and a more urban character are envisioned," the staff report says. "As a relatively small suburban center that was largely built out in the 1980s, Flint Hill has not experienced the mixed-use development interest that would allow for the opportunity to create a core supporting the envisioned suburban center designation."