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Area 2 Farms presents vertical farm and street farm stand at Fairfax Boulevard; BAR presses for design, traffic and landscaping changes
Summary
Area 2 Farms presented plans for a prefabricated indoor growing structure (approximately 1,809–1,893 sq ft; structure shown as 57 ft by 27 ft) and a small retail farm stand at 9571 Fairfax Boulevard. The Board provided detailed feedback on ingress/egress at the traffic circle, building orientation, facade softening, mural scale on corrugated metal, materials (polycarbonate panels) and landscaping; no final action was taken (work session).
Area 2 Farms, represented by founder Morgan Poplitz, presented a work session on Sept. 3 for an indoor growing facility and retail farm stand at 9571 Fairfax Boulevard. The Board of Architectural Review provided detailed design guidance but took no formal action; the project will proceed to additional site‑plan review and follow‑up with staff.
Staff said the proposal would place a prefabricated metal growing structure behind a smaller retail farm stand on a long, narrow commercial parcel that has been vacant for years. "The applicant proposes an indoor growing area and retail building... The growing structure would be made of metal and the color would be metallic gray. It would be 57 feet in length and 27 feet in height," Anna said. Staff flagged concerns about the large metal facade, the lack of landscaping, and the potential blocking of an existing north entrance by proposed planter boxes.
Morgan Poplitz described Area 2 Farms’ operations and the rationale for the tall structure: "This will be our second farm location... customers participate in what's known as a CSA or Community Supported Agricultural Plan... and then they will come and pick up those baskets," she said. Poplitz explained that vertical farming requires stacked growing systems and robotics: "The plants live on 8 levels going up... the robots move them around..." which creates a need for the internal height shown in the plans.
Board members focused on several recurring concerns: vehicle access and safety at the Fairfax Boulevard circle, the visual scale of the tall metal growing building compared with the low retail stand, and the mural’s legibility and technique on corrugated metal. A board member asked whether the parking surface would be permeable; Poplitz said the intent is to repave with asphalt and that maintenance and minor site improvements are planned. The board repeatedly recommended that the applicant soften the frontage with additional landscaping, revise renderings to show accurate scale from the circle, integrate the mural design with the corrugated surface and explore rotating or reorienting the buildings if parking can be reconfigured.
The board requested that the applicant return with clarified renderings, more accurate scale views from the circle and any minor site plan materials; Poplitz said the team will submit a minor site plan package and make revisions reflecting the board’s feedback.
