Residents and commissioners press developer on trees, buffers and utilities for 14‑unit Mantua townhome plan

The Fairfax City Planning Commission reviewed a post‑submission application on Feb. 10, 2025, for 14 front‑loaded townhomes at the Mantua Professional Center (addresses on Silver King Court and Pickett Road). The project team told commissioners it submitted revised plans showing three stories and pitched roofs, and staff outlined a series of outstanding technical items.

The proposal and scope: Staff said the development would replace roughly 20,150 square feet of office space with 14 townhomes on about 2.12 acres. The applicant proposes townhomes roughly 24 feet wide by 40 feet deep, a maximum building height shown to the peak of 47 feet in some materials but presented as conforming to a three‑story place type for zoning purposes, and roughly 40% of the site as open space. The plan shows a private one‑way street, 25 surface parking spaces and an applicant‑stated four spaces per unit (applicant materials and narrative to be reconciled as part of review).

Neighborhood concerns: Bill Fort of Pickett’s Reserve told commissioners he and his HOA have followed the project for more than a year and worry the 2.12‑acre parcel is too small for the proposed height and will provide inadequate buffering to existing homes; he told the commission his group believes the developer plans to remove more than 100 trees and urged strong protections. "We count on the trees for buffering, for sound, and for vision, and we would hate to see us lose all of those trees," Fort said.

Staff and applicant responses: Applicant representatives (David Houston and engineer Eli Goldman) said the site includes a 30‑foot conservation easement on the Pickett’s Reserve side and additional rear‑yard setbacks, and they estimated preserved tree buffers of roughly 44 feet at a critical pinch point. Goldman said most new on‑site utility feeds would be underground, but that removing or relocating existing poles and off‑site lines could be costly and use existing easements; staff confirmed a meeting was scheduled to review utility routing. Engineers said a single‑way private drive would be engineered for fire access (applicant cited a 23‑foot width used on similar developments) and that the Board of Architectural Review preferred three stories and pitched roofs in initial feedback.

Outstanding technical items: Frederick and staff listed items in the packet the applicant must address, including confirmation of Pickett Road right‑of‑way dimensions (possible dedication), a detailed tree‑preservation and landscape plan, cross sections showing elevation relationships to adjacent properties, a lighting plan to demonstrate compliance with section 4.8 of the zoning ordinance, and information to support any request to modify the undergrounding requirement in section 4.11.

Why it matters: The site borders existing single‑family neighborhoods in Fairfax City and Fairfax County; commissioners flagged potential visual impacts from the grade differential, the longevity of preserved trees, stormwater and emergency apparatus turning radii. Commissioners also asked whether the city needs additional townhome inventory while noting the comprehensive plan lists this parcel as a possible candidate for alternative uses.

Next steps: Staff said the applicant has a Feb. 25 follow‑up work session and that, if the applicant proceeds, the proposal will go through development‑review team meetings, resubmission, and public hearings before the Board of Architectural Review and City Council.