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Neighbors ask Falls Church City Council to pause South Lee Street rezoning over stormwater, schools and parking concerns
Summary
Residents and nearby property owners urged council to withhold approval of a requested rezoning at 106–108 South Lee Street, saying a by-right 12-unit townhome project would strain stormwater, school capacity, traffic and parking and that a neighborhood-wide study is needed before piecemeal rezonings proceed.
Residents from South Lee Street told the Falls Church City Council on May 27 they want the council to hold off on a developer’s rezoning request that would allow demolition of two single-family homes and construction of a 12-unit townhome project.
The comments came during public comment. Eunie Doe, who lives across from the affected lots, said, “This zoning change directly impacts me as it is across the street from my home,” and asked the council to consider a comprehensive approach rather than “piecemeal plot-by-plot rezoning.”
Why it matters: Residents said the request would set a precedent for similar spot rezonings and would add demand the neighborhood’s infrastructure is not prepared to handle. They pressed the council to require a neighborhood- or city-level study of cumulative effects before approving individual rezoning requests.
What residents told council: Doe and nearby resident Andy Kim said stormwater is a particular concern on the narrow block that already flooded in February 2019. Doe noted that existing storm and sewer systems there “are known to be inadequate,” and said additional development would introduce new risks.
School capacity and student estimates also drew criticism. Doe and other neighbors said Falls Church City Schools are already planning to add more than 100 seats next year; they disputed the developer’s assertion that a new townhome project would bring only three to four school‑aged children. “It grossly underestimates the number of school‑aged children,” Doe said.
Traffic and parking were additional concerns. Kim described South Lee as “sandwiched” between Broad Street and Oak Street Elementary and said traffic already funnels down Lee Street because of the signal at Lee and Broad; adding ten net homes, he said, would reduce on‑street parking and worsen safety for students who walk or bike to school.
Community ask and next steps: Neighbors said more than 40 households on South Lee and adjoining South Oak Street cosigned a letter to council asking that the council withhold granting the rezoning until an in‑depth study gauges impacts on stormwater, traffic, parking, school capacity and other neighborhood systems. The petitioners specifically asked council to consider a neighborhood‑scale rather than parcel‑by‑parcel approach.
What the record shows: Written comments read into the record included a letter from Neil Kumar of Rushmark Properties raising design concerns and a comment from Bike Falls Church asking that bike lanes on South Mabel not be removed for additional parking. The council did not take a vote on the rezoning during the meeting; public comment was noted for the record.
What’s next: The applicant’s rezoning remains under council consideration. Residents asked council to require a cumulative‑effects study before deciding; the council did not announce a deadline or formal direction at the meeting.
Ending: The public comment period closed for the evening after those remarks. Council members and staff will have the written comments and public testimony available as part of the official record for any future action on the South Lee Street rezoning request.
