Frederick County planners review Madison 2 LLC rezoning; commissioners press for earlier commercial delivery, traffic fixes and design standards

Frederick County planning staff presented a rezoning application from Madison 2 LLC on the commission’s work-session agenda, proposing to rezone roughly 149 acres near Fairfax Pike from RA (rural) to the R-4 Residential Planned Community district to allow up to 866 mixed residential units and a minimum of 20,000 square feet of commercial space. "No action is required at this time," staff said, and the commission scheduled a public hearing for Dec. 3.

County staff told commissioners the request follows a comprehensive plan amendment (Policy Amendment 123) approved Jan. 10, 2024, that added the site to a Lake Frederick urban development area. Staff said the proposal does not fully implement the plan’s expectation that commercial and medical uses form the core of the neighborhood village and that the application provides limited detail on the quality of materials and site design.

The applicant’s proffers include a mix of design modifications and development commitments. Those elements noted in the staff presentation and draft voluntary proffers include: a density increase sought in the R-4 district from about 4 dwelling units per acre to roughly 5.1; removal of some internal buffering in favor of perimeter screening; allowance of 60-foot building heights for age-restricted multifamily units (60 feet is already allowed for non-age-restricted multifamily under current rules); a proffered cap of up to 866 residential units distributed across three land bays; a phasing limit of no more than 200 residential units per year; and a minimum commercial building commitment of 20,000 square feet. Staff also described a cash proffer of $2,000,000 intended to help pay for off-site intersection work at two nearby nodes.

Craig George of Valley Engineering, representing the applicant, said the team has worked with county staff since 2023 and "this has not been rushed" and that they have attempted to coordinate trail and roadway connections to minimize environmental impacts. George clarified that multifamily would be permitted in the central land bay only and that the applicant has agreed to deed roughly 1 acre to the state to help connect a trail around Lake Frederick.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on three principal areas before the application returns to the commission: phasing and timing of commercial and medical uses; transportation mitigation and a firm commitment to implement whatever the VDOT signal-justification process recommends; and building heights, materials and overall design quality. Several commissioners expressed that the $2 million cash contribution may be insufficient for the off-site improvements likely needed and asked the applicant to consider phasing triggers tying additional residential buildout to commercial milestones (for example, commercial square footage delivered after a specified number of residential units).

Staff noted the capital impact model (CAPM) shows the schools expected to serve the development—Armel Elementary School, Aylor Middle School and Sherando High School—are at strained capacity in the 2024 snapshot and that the model does not incorporate pipeline projects or future redistricting associated with a planned fourth high school. Commissioners and staff requested clearer school-impact calculations that account for known nearby projects and the timing of planned school capacity additions.

On transportation, the applicant said a signal justification report (SJR) will be completed and reviewed by VDOT when individual uses are determined; the applicant and staff committed to implementing the solution VDOT and staff approve, while several commissioners asked for stronger guarantees that the intersection will be made safe even if VDOT recommends treatment other than a traffic signal.

Public-safety questions included whether local fire and rescue forces have ladder-truck capability and response capacity for 60-foot buildings. Staff said fire code and site-plan review will determine compliance and noted the county has purchased property for a future Station 22; commissioners asked staff to follow up with engineering specifics on aerial access and response times.

The commission took no vote at the work session; staff summarized requested clarifications and asked the applicant to return with more specific phasing, transportation and design commitments for the Dec. 3 public hearing and subsequent formal review.

What's next: a public hearing on the rezoning is scheduled for Dec. 3, when members of the public may speak and the commission will consider formal action.