Planning commissioners recommend approval of Westridge Towns rezoning and site plan over neighborhood objections

The Alexandria Planning Commission recommended approval of a rezoning and development special use permit for the Westridge Towns project on April 1, voting 6-1 to send the rezoning and the development special use permit (DSUP) to City Council.

The project would rezone part of the site from R‑8 (single‑family) to RA (multiunit) and allow construction of 19 townhouse‑style homes with rear garages, three multiunit buildings and one single‑family dwelling on a site that lies between Nob Hill Court and Longview Drive north of Duke Street. The developer, Oak Creek Homes LLC, also requested site‑plan modifications including compact parking spaces and bonus density under section 7‑700 of the Alexandria zoning ordinance.

Staff planner Leon Vines told the commission the plan includes an on‑site three‑bedroom affordable for‑sale unit priced for households at 70–100% of area median income and monetary contributions of $143,000 to the city’s Housing Trust Fund and $12,000 to the public art fund. He said the development would provide about 12,000 square feet of private open space for the townhouses, would meet stormwater treatment requirements and would generate an expected three students for Alexandria schools.

In public comment, nearby homeowner Ronald Garner said he did not oppose the idea of more housing but raised parking, safety and shadowing concerns. "I am not up here to stand in opposition to this development in principle," Garner said. He warned that a plan that counts one compact stall per garage could push cars onto Longview and surrounding streets and hamper sight lines for children playing in the neighborhood.

Duncan Blair, attorney for the applicant, said the design responds to the street and offers two on‑site parking spaces per house; he defended compact parking dimensions based on the firm’s experience in completed projects. Blair also told commissioners that litigation over Virginia’s "zoning for housing" reforms has chilled some financing options and influenced developers’ choices about building types and parking requirements.

Commissioner Richard Brown cast the lone vote against the recommendation, saying the proposal’s density is inconsistent with the Taylor Run‑Duke Street small area plan and that rezoning isolated parcels to permit townhouse development risks setting an undesirable precedent. "What they're saying is that this project could circumvent the careful zoning for housing process," he said.

The commission voted 6‑1 to recommend rezoning and then approved the DSUP by the same margin; the record shows the staff recommendation carried forward to City Council for final action.

What the commission approved

- Rezoning application 202500001: recommendation to change a portion of the site from R‑8 to RA to allow the proposed multiunit and townhouse development. Motion to recommend approval passed 6‑1 (Commissioner Brown opposed).

- Development special use permit (DSUP): recommendation to approve the site plan and requested modifications, including compact parking spaces and bonus density under section 7‑700. Motion to recommend approval passed 6‑1 (Commissioner Brown opposed).

Where it goes next

The commission’s recommendations are advisory; the City Council will take the final vote on rezoning and the DSUP at a future hearing. Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions in the staff report and said final details — including landscaping and lighting fixture choices — would be resolved through the final site plan process.

Community reaction and context

Neighbors voiced concerns about parking spillover, pedestrian safety and loss of light and privacy. Supporters and the applicant argued the design provides needed housing, includes an on‑site affordable unit, reduces curb cuts and provides stormwater improvements. Commissioners were split between urging use of the new zoning‑for‑housing tools where feasible and approving a rezoning tied to on‑site affordable housing and design tradeoffs the developer offered.

The DSUP package and related letters from residents and commissioners are part of the public record; staff said it forwarded an updated plan set to the commission in the days before the hearing.