LINCOLNIA REDEVELOPMENT & PRESERVATION STRATEGIES BRIEFING BOOKLET 02/02/17 This briefing booklet provides information on the Lincolnia area of Fairfax County, Virginia for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Washington Chapter’s Technical Assistance Panel (TAP). A mini-TAP is being conducted for the Lincolnia area near the intersection of Little River Turnpike (Route 236) and N. Beauregard Street.
40
Embed
LINCOLNIA REDEVELOPMENT & PRESERVATION STRATEGIES · LINCOLNIA REDEVELOPMENT & PRESERVATION STRATEGIES ... A mini-TAP is being ... the City of Alexandria has adopted plans for an
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
LINCOLNIA REDEVELOPMENT &
PRESERVATION STRATEGIES BRIEFING BOOKLET 02/02/17
This briefing booklet provides information on the Lincolnia area of Fairfax County, Virginia for the
Urban Land Institute (ULI) Washington Chapter’s Technical Assistance Panel (TAP). A mini-TAP is being
conducted for the Lincolnia area near the intersection of Little River Turnpike (Route 236) and N.
Beauregard Street.
Page 2 of 40
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Sponsors
II. Assignment
a. Problem Statement
b. Questions for the panel
III. History of the Study Area
IV. Description of the Study Area
a. Physical Description
b. Economics
c. Demographics
d. Housing
e. Commercial Development
V. Governmental Role
a. Federal
b. State
c. County
VI. Additional Information
VII. Appendix
Maps
o Figure 1 (Aerial Map)
o Figure 2 (Parcel Map)
o Figure 3 (Existing Land Use Map)
o Figure 4 (Building Typology Map)
o Figure 5 (Age of Development Map)
o Figure 6 (Environmental Features Map)
o Figure 7 (Landcover Map)
o Figure 8 (Impervious Surfaces Map)
o Figure 9 (Existing Transit Map)
o Figure 10 (Competing Retail Centers Map)
o Figure 11 (Fairfax County Concept for Future Development Map)
o Figure 12 (Free & Reduced Lunch Eligibility Map)
Charts
o Chart 1 (Business Summary)
o Chart 2 (Household Income)
o Chart 3 (Occupation of Residents)
o Chart 4 (Age Cohort)
o Chart 5 (Commute)
o Chart 6 (Education Levels)
o Chart 7 (Languages Spoken at Home)
o Chart 8 (Rent Burden)
Contacts
Page 3 of 40
I. SPONSORS
The Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) is the primary sponsor of the Lincolnia
ULI mini-TAP. While DPZ is the primary point of contact for the study, DPZ staff is working closely with
other Fairfax County agencies such as the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, along with the
Mason District Supervisor’s Office in order to support the ULI team.
II. ASSIGNMENT
A) PROBLEM STATEMENT:
DPZ is interested in evaluating the benefits and challenges of designating an approximately 200-acre
portion of the Lincolnia Planning District as a Community Business Center (CBC). See section “V.
Governmental Role” subsection “C. County” for further information on CBCs and the Comprehensive
Plan. The potential CBC is located within Fairfax County along Little River Turnpike (Route 236)
between the existing Annandale CBC (also a designated revitalization area) and a recently re-planned
Landmark Mall within a neighboring jurisdiction to the east, the City of Alexandria. Interstate 395 is a
significant barrier between Fairfax County and the majority of the City of Alexandria. With respect to
potential future connectivity, the City of Alexandria has adopted plans for an east-west Bus Rapid
Transit system along Duke Street (Route 236) connecting the redeveloped Landmark Mall with the King
Street Metro station. Landmark Mall would also host a stop on a north-south Bus Rapid Transit system
along Van Dorn Street/Beauregard Street connecting the Pentagon with the Van Dorn Metro station.
The City of Alexandria is aware that Fairfax County is interested in exploring extending the Duke Street
BRT into Fairfax County along Route 236 to N. Beauregard Street. The socio-economic, racial, and
ethnic makeup of the potential CBC and surrounding areas is very diverse. The current housing stock
within the potential CBC is mostly affordable market-rate rental units. Many of the businesses and
services in the area cater to the existing residents and are locally owned.
B) QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL:
Corridor Planning/Regional Context/Connectivity:
How can synergy among the potential Lincolnia CBC, the Annandale CBC, and the areas to the
east in the City of Alexandria be leveraged to create a vibrant mixed-use area?
What regional or national examples are there of potential redevelopment that highlight
appropriate development intensity and scale, as well as appropriate transitions to nearby
neighborhoods?
What opportunities exist to enhance connectivity, including pedestrian and bicycle connectivity
1) between the potential CBC area and from the surrounding neighborhoods, especially along
Route 236 connecting to points west and east 2) and within the potential CBC area?
Affordable Housing and Social Equity:
How can redevelopment be used as a tool to preserve and expand affordable and workforce
housing?
Page 4 of 40
How can the current businesses and services that serve the current population in the area be
retained should this area redevelop?
Economic Impact:
From the economic development perspective, what are the benefits in designating the area in
question as a CBC and what might be the market future if this area is not designated as a CBC?
Given the recent commercial trends, particularly commercial space trends, what general mix of
uses might facilitate economic success of this area, should the area be designated as a CBC?
III. HISTORY OF THE STUDY AREA
General
Lincolnia is an ethnically and racially diverse area, with development that is older and more densely
developed than most other parts of Fairfax County. Many Lincolnia neighborhoods were built in the
1950s and 1960s, or earlier. Little River Turnpike, bisecting the study area, was built in the early 1800s
to connect the northern Virginia farms and countryside with the port and market of the City of
Alexandria. In the past 50 years, Route 236 has evolved into a significant commercial corridor, with the
Lincolnia segment connecting to points of activity to the west including I-495 and Annandale as well as
to points to the east including I-395 and Alexandria. Along Route 236, there are three garden-style
apartment complexes built in the 60s. Two 1960s era strip shopping centers, Plaza at Landmark and
Brighton Mall (Grand Mart), anchor commercial uses to the east. Tenants at these centers have evolved
over time from traditional retail to vibrant international markets, along with longtime standard
franchise stores, reflecting the changing demographics of the region. Smaller retail, office and
institutional uses are spread out along Route 236’s remaining frontage as well as along N. Beauregard
Street. In the more recent past, Lincolnia has become a home to many immigrants, some of whom
were refugees. This is one of the factors that has led to the broad ethnic and racial diversity of Lincolnia.
Residents of Hispanic origin also make up a significant portion of the population, more than in the
larger Fairfax County.
Immediately to the east are properties within the City of Alexandria with a variety of uses including
hotel, office, retail and high-rise residential (condominiums and apartments), as well as several
institutional uses. Most of the development in Alexandria was built in the 1980s or earlier.
Planning
The larger Lincolnia Area, as well as the potential Community Business Center area has not been
comprehensively studied for 25+ years. In 2013, the Board of Supervisors authorized a study of the
Lincolnia Planning District. The first phase of this study concluded in 2015 with publication of an
existing conditions report and editorial updates to the Comprehensive Plan for the Lincolnia Planning
District. The second phase of this study is ongoing, with a community task force currently being formed
to address the question of establishing a Community Business Center and subsequent potential
substantive changes to Comprehensive Plan guidance. The task force will begin meeting in February of
2017. For additional information on the currently adopted planning guidance, please see section “V.
Governmental Role”, subsection “C. County”. In 2009, during the county’s Area Plans Review process,
Page 5 of 40
the owner of the roughly 23 acre Plaza at Landmark retail center, which is about 412,000 sf of mostly
retail use developed at an intensity of about .4 FAR, submitted a nomination to add a mixed use
redevelopment option. The requested uses included 611,000 sf office, 470,000 sf retail and 750,000 sf
residential use, or 715 dwelling units. After detailed analysis, staff did not support the proposal due to
resulting traffic impacts that could not be adequately mitigated by the nominated site alone. The
nomination was withdrawn.
IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA
A) PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
For a series of maps displaying the existing built and natural environment along with the planned built
and natural environment, please see Appendix Figures 1-9.
The potential CBC is approximately 200 acres. It is bounded on the east by the City of Alexandria and I-
395, on the north by N. Beauregard Street and Lincolnia Road, and low density residential
neighborhoods to the northwest. The potential CBC is bounded on the west by Chowan Avenue, and on
the south by Evangeline Lane and 8th Street. Little River Turnpike (Route 236) serves as the main
commercial corridor through the area, running east-west. North Beauregard Street is a smaller but still
heavily travelled road intersecting with Route 236, running north-south connecting to several major
arterials and activity points to the north including Mark Center federal office building. Interstate 395
and its Route 236 interchange serves as an eastern boundary for this part of Lincolnia.
Some slivers of land exist between the
study area and I-395 are within the City
of Alexandria (see map to the right).
This city land is mostly commercial uses
consisting of hotel uses, as well as high
density residential. On the eastern side
of I-395 in the City of Alexandria is the
Landmark Mall redevelopment project,
an approved significant node of activity.
See section “VI. Additional Information”
for details on the redevelopment
project.
About 2.5 miles to the west along Route
236 is Annandale, a 240 acre
unincorporated area within the county.
Annandale is designated in the
Comprehensive Plan as a Community
Business Center (CBC) and is planned
for an intense mix of uses to
complement its existing 2 million square feet of commercial development. Annandale CBC is also a
Page 6 of 40
Community Revitalization District, a Zoning Ordinance overlay district providing greater flexibility in
applying regulations and a speedier development review process.
Existing Land Use
The existing land use (by development gross square footage) is mostly residential. The vast majority
(95%) of residential development is multi-family, mostly garden-style apartments. The non-residential
development is mostly retail in character with some office and institutional uses.
Bicycle Plan
According to the Fairfax County Bicycle Route map, there are no existing bicycle facilities within
the study area. However, there are several bicycle facilities planned.
The Bicycle Master Plan designates Route 236 as a Policy Road, meaning the road requires
further study is needed to determine the appropriate facilities. In 2016, the road was studied