Planning commission forwards recommendations on 258 North Washington site plan after debate over parking, design and historic context

The Falls Church Planning Commission on March 18 reviewed a site-plan application for 258 North Washington Street, where a proposal would add eight apartments to an existing historic farmhouse and build a three‑story, roughly 9,700 sq. ft. addition behind the house.

Planning staff introduced the application, saying the submission (received Feb. 23) generated technical comments on sewer and stormwater and flagged inconsistencies with the comprehensive and downtown small‑area plans. “Staff completed their first review on March 11,” Jeff Holland told the commission, noting staff corrected an earlier miscalculation: the T1 zone requires one parking space per unit and the project therefore requires nine spaces, and the affordability requirement is one ADU at 80% AMI rather than two.

Charles Warren of Taze Warren Architects, representing the applicant, presented design concepts, calling the new building “an addition to the existing house” with a modern expression that seeks to preserve the farmhouse’s porch and introduce materials such as composite panels and wood accents. He described…