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Applicant proposes street-facing self-storage with ground-floor maker space at 11301 Route 50
Summary
A developer proposes a multi-story self-storage building at 11301 Route 50 with a publicly accessible ground-floor maker/art studio (~900 sq ft) and plaza, plus a right-in-only access plan and a 40-ft right-of-way dedication along Route 50; staff recommended overlay-level conditions emphasizing architecture, screening, active ground-floor uses, and pedestrian connectivity.
An applicant team proposed a street-oriented self-storage building with a ground-floor maker/art studio and public plaza at 11301 Route 50, arguing the configuration would improve streetscape and reduce peak trips compared with an office alternative.
Bernie Sitto, the applicant's land-use planner, described the 2.09-acre site as long-troubled by access constraints at Waples Mill Road and said prior concepts for multifamily and hotel uses were limited by circulation and safety concerns. "We came up with the use of a self storage facility," Sitto said, noting market data suggesting high occupancy for such facilities in Northern Virginia and explaining a concept with a three-story (about 40-foot) building above grade, some below-grade area, and a street-facing façade with active ground-floor potential.
The proposal intentionally includes a publicly accessible maker or art studio at the ground level — a small, flexible space the applicant described as roughly 900 square feet organized as two bays — to provide pedestrian activation and contribute to an emerging arts character near the Fairfax City boundary. "The spaces will be flexible ... and give us multiple access points from that public park area," said Steve Kraton, a developer involved in the concept, who noted prior projects that combined storage uses with arts programming.
Staff's impact analysis emphasized transportation constraints: Waples Mill Road is a planned six‑lane arterial and the planned interchange at Route 50/Waples Mill is long-range and unfunded; staff recommended ensuring sufficient right-of-way on the Route 50 frontage to preserve interchange options. Staff also noted regional and local trail plans, recommended pedestrian and bicycle connections, and stressed that loading/unloading areas should be screened or fully enclosed.
Staff's draft overlay-level recommendation for the 11301 Route 50 site would allow surface storage up to 0.7 FAR with conditions: a multi‑story structure up to 65 feet where architecture should avoid an industrial appearance, enclosed screening for loading areas, an active ground-floor frontage along Waples Mill Road to enhance pedestrian environment, vehicular access limited to right‑in only on Waples Mill (with internal interparcel access to Random Hills Road), enhanced landscape screening, and a 40‑foot right-of-way dedication along Route 50 to support future interchange planning.
Commissioners asked for more detail on the maker-space size and circulation plans; the applicant said the maker space concept is approximately 900 square feet in two 15‑by‑30‑foot bays and that the team has worked on securing an interparcel connection to improve sight lines and circulation. The proposal also includes potential publicly accessible open space along the Waples Mill frontage and provisions for pedestrian infrastructure.
The plan amendment, if advanced by staff and the Braddock District committee, will go to the Planning Commission and then the Board of Supervisors; staff will post presentation materials and the meeting recording and continue outreach.
No votes or rezoning decisions were made at this meeting; staff framed the discussion as part of a plan-amendment study that would precede any zoning application or site-plan review.
