Developers’ site proposals feed a testing scenario staff says could require water main, pump station and park upgrades
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Summary
Staff reviewed eight landowner proposals (including Fair Oaks Mall, Oakwood, Greenwood and Fairfax Town Center), presented FAR‑based concepts and said modeling shows a net shift toward residential uses; staff flagged potential public‑works upgrades (West Ox Road water main and a Route 50/66 pump station) and called out parks and school capacity as implementation considerations.
At the Fairfax County Phase 3 task force meeting, staff walked through eight site‑level concepts submitted by landowners and summarized the transportation scenario’s implications for utilities, parks and schools.
The concepts included Fair Oaks Mall redevelopment proposals (a 64% residential, 16% retail, 20% office split was one example), Oakwood and Greenwood multifamily and townhome concepts (Oakwood concepts ranged from about 1.14 FAR for townhomes to ~1.95 FAR for multifamily with structured parking), and a Fairfax Town Center concept at roughly 0.8 FAR that would largely remain within current plan guidance. The Reserve at Fairfax Corner was noted as a site‑specific plan amendment nomination proposing a modest FAR increase (~0.42–0.44). Staff emphasized the FARs and unit counts were used to create a consistent baseline for transportation modeling, not as final approved entitlements.
Infrastructure notes: public‑works staff told the group that local pipes generally can handle the modeled demand but that a new or upgraded water main along West Ox Road has been a long‑standing recommendation to support area growth. Sewage treatment capacity is expected to be adequate through 2045 under adopted and proposed scenarios, but staff flagged a previously identified need to upgrade a Route 50/66 pump station in nearby study areas that could affect future needs in the core.
Schools and parks: Stewart said school capacity projections are typically run on a five‑year horizon, making long‑range projections difficult at the comprehensive‑plan scale; staff noted Fairfax High School and Katherine Johnson Middle School approach overutilization in five years under existing plan assumptions. Parks calculations tied to the transportation scenario produced an estimate of about 12.3 acres of urban parkland need across the core area if the multifamily counts materialize.
Developer engagement: property‑owner representatives asked to present their proposals to the task force at a future meeting; staff agreed to facilitate owner briefings as requested.
What remains: staff will refine numbers as the transportation study returns results, coordinate with public works and the Park Authority on infrastructure and parks, and use those inputs when drafting plan text and possible site‑specific guidance.