Developer scales down Econized Closets site plan; planning commission holds second work session

At a March 5 work session the Falls Church City Planning Commission reviewed a revised site plan for a proposed Econized Closets showroom, offices and small coworking space on a narrow corner parcel at West Broad and Spring Streets.

Applicant team members said they reduced the building program substantially from an earlier proposal — the most recent submission shows a three‑story commercial building (basement plus two above‑grade levels) totaling roughly 11,740 square feet — and added landscaping, buffering and a transportation‑demand management (TDM) narrative intended to reduce peak parking demand. The owner said the basement will be used for small private offices or remote‑work space while the main floor will serve as the company showroom and the mezzanine and rooftop serve staff and limited gathering functions.

Staff described five waiver requests included in the revision: a reduced interior parking‑lot landscaping percentage (below the 5% standard), a waiver relating to the rear‑yard setback where the site adjoins a residential parcel (as it affects the trash enclosure), a requested 30% reduction in required parking (the application documents show 26 spaces required versus 18 provided on site), reduced parking‑island dimensions, and a waiver to allow a vehicular entrance within 100 feet of the art district standard.

Architectural materials in the updated submission show the building massing and elevations the applicant plans to construct: a white masonry façade with black metal canopies, a modest rooftop deck (approximately 700–900 square feet in the drawings provided), and two bicycle racks near the Broad Street frontage. The applicant said the rooftop will use a low‑profile tray system (porcelain pavers and thin plant trays) and that the rooftop planting is not intended to be an intensive green roof that would be credited for stormwater calculations.

The applicant’s presentation pointed to constraints that drive the waiver requests: the corner lot is narrow, and providing full code‑compliant parking and interior landscaping would materially reduce the buildable footprint and the feasibility of the project. The owner and architect said they reduced the building from an earlier, larger design to address previous comments, eliminated a previously proposed medical use for the basement, and provided a TDM narrative and no‑parking signs in the trash‑pickup area to address collection truck access.

Staff review comments provided to the applicant in late February focus on clarifying parking calculations and the requested reduction, final details of the TDM measures, the trash‑truck turning path and no‑parking enforcement for collection times, and a suite of stormwater pre‑ and post‑development calculations the city requires for approval. Staff told the commission they consider the current submission generally responsive but noted several technical items remain outstanding and said that the next submission should include the TDM plan, stormwater details, and final site plan clarifications.

Commissioners generally praised the revised massing and materials and several said they were encouraged the applicant had reduced building size and increased buffering on the residential edge. Commissioners raised the following items for the next submission: more detail on how on‑site and curbside parking will be managed (staff noted that on‑street parking is not under the applicant’s exclusive control and cannot be counted as guaranteed parking), additional screening or a low fence/knee‑wall along the residential property line to reduce headlight glare while preserving tree and planting buffers, and the outstanding stormwater calculations required before the plan can be scheduled for a public hearing.

No public comments were recorded for this work‑session item. Staff said they expect the applicant’s next submission to address the outstanding technical comments and — if complete — to be suitable for a public hearing at a future commission meeting, with staff estimating an April meeting as the earliest likely public hearing date depending on the applicant’s timing.

What the applicants proposed (high‑level): a roughly 11,740‑sq. ft. showroom/office building, basement coworking/office space, two bicycle racks, 18 on‑site parking spaces plus two curb spaces shown on plan, a low‑profile rooftop deck with thin planting trays, and architectural masonry/metal canopy details to match the Broad Street streetscape.

What remains outstanding: final stormwater pre/post calculations and details, clarified parking and TDM measures, finalized dumpster/trash‑truck access operational notes, and any additional screening measures for the adjoining single‑family property. Staff and the applicant agreed to continue technical review; the commission requested the next submittal include the TDM narrative and the stormwater package.