Falls Church planning commission approves Quinn mixed‑use senior living site plan and subdivision

The Falls Church City Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a subdivision consolidation and a site plan that together clear the way for a proposed 10‑story mixed‑use senior living building at the Quinn/Homestretch site, contingent on final technical notes and staff review.

The approved actions consolidate three parcels at 350 and 360 South Washington Street and 303 South Maple Avenue into a single 1.86‑acre lot and authorize the site plan and requested waivers and modifications needed to construct a senior living building with medical office, retail, nonprofit space and a partially underground garage. The votes were unanimous.

Staff and the applicant told commissioners the project has been revised in response to multiple rounds of review. Laura Arseneault, the case planner, said the application is “considered for final action tonight” and summarized staff recommendations including a required note about a sanitary‑sewer force‑main arrangement. She told the commission the city manager and Arlington County have confirmed sanitary sewer capacity and that the project’s force‑main connection to Arlington remains a key implementation item.

The project’s legislative history includes a Feb. 26, 2024 City Council resolution that approved two special exceptions allowing residential use within a mixed‑use project and bonus height. Arseneault described 13 requested “minor deviations” from that earlier approval; the city manager approved deviations 1–11 but did not support deviation 12 (loading activities) or 13 (garage door design), saying they contradicted voluntary concessions negotiated earlier.

Staff recommended that the commission grant three waivers included with the site plan: (1) required loading spaces, (2) a proposed 46.3% reduction in required parking, and (3) a waiver of the 100‑foot distance from a vehicular commercial entrance/exit to a residential district. The planning staff report also required that the applicant add a note stating that a sanitary‑sewer force‑main arrangement must be approved before the as‑built plan is submitted and that all remaining Development Review Committee (DRC) comments, including comprehensive sign‑plan items, be addressed.

During discussion, commissioners asked for clarity on the sanitary‑sewer note’s timing. Arseneault said the city wants the MOU completed before the as‑built submittal; she and other staff explained that the as‑built is produced after construction, so the MOU timing needed explicit wording. Arseneault explained: “The intent of this is that we’re asking the applicant to put a note in the site plan, and we’re going to effectively go into an MOU with the applicant. … We’re asking that the MOU be completed before the as built is submitted.”

Applicant representative Andrew Painter of Walsh Colucci said the team had refined the design through multiple appearances and was ready to move forward. “This is our third appearance before the planning commission on the site plan,” Painter said. “We have solved many issues. We’ve refined our architecture. … We are certainly ready to realize its promise and make this investment.”

Public comment raised concerns about construction and long‑term parking impacts for nearby residents. A resident who identified herself as a representative of tenants at 304 South Maple said current tenants rely on curb parking and feared construction vehicles would displace them. Commissioners and staff noted the project’s voluntary concession of $10,000 to support establishing or enforcing a residential permit parking district in the area; staff said the city’s transportation group would conduct a study and begin the permit‑district process if warranted.

Commissioner Duncan (participating remotely) and others also pressed the applicant and staff for details about ground‑floor commercial sequencing tied to certificates of occupancy. Arseneault cited voluntary concession condition 17: before issuance of any first certificate of occupancy for the continuing care facilities, 75% of ground‑floor commercial space must be leased and at least 50% of storefront spaces must be delivered to a “warm white box” or shell condition.

After deliberation, the commission approved the subdivision consolidation and then the site plan, with the site plan vote conditioned on the applicant resubmitting an updated final site plan and subdivision plat for administrative review and on addressing the sanitary‑sewer note and all DRC comments.

The approvals require several follow‑up steps before construction permits and occupancy: staff must confirm the force‑main MOU language is added to the plan, the applicant must address outstanding DRC and comprehensive sign‑plan comments, and the planning director must approve the final administrative submittals.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved subdivision application munis 2023‑0129 to consolidate three parcels and approved site plan application 2023‑19‑0129 with conditions. The roll‑call for both votes recorded all commissioners present voting yes.