A proposed new residential building on the western edge of Ballston’s urban core has drawn concerns about its height.
But in a twist, it isn’t that the planned building is viewed as too tall. Some in the public and serving on the site-plan review committee (SPRC) evaluating the development plan see it as not tall enough.
Penzance plans to tear down the existing 12-story Ballston One office building at 4601 Fairfax Drive, replacing it with a seven-story, 83-foot-tall apartment building totaling 328 units on the 2.28-acre site.
Going any higher would require changes to construction methods that could make the property too expensive to finance, said Matt Roberts, a land-use attorney representing Penzance.
Even if lenders could be convinced to financially back it, the costs of a taller building would necessitate rents at a precariously high level, he said.
“We don’t see … those higher rents being sustainable,” said Roberts, an attorney with Tysons-based Hirschler Fleischer.
His comments didn’t stop several SPRC members from seeking more height at the March 20 meeting, with several suggesting 10 or 11 stories with the building stepping back as it rose. Under the zoning for the site, a maximum of 16 stories would be allowed.
Concern about the relatively low height also figured in an online survey of local residents conducted earlier this year. Some of the respondents called it a “lost opportunity,” given that the site is located just two blocks west of N. Glebe Road
But Matt Pfeiffer, a county site-plan review supervisor, said staff did not have an issue with the proposed height.
While not as tall as allowed by existing zoning, the developer is seeking more apartment units than currently are permitted. To make that possible, the County Board will need to approve a major site-plan amendment for the site.
Before that, there will be a second SPRC meeting — slated tentatively for April 28 — plus a walking tour of the site for committee members and nearby residents.
Hearings before the Transportation Commission, Planning Commission and County Board will follow, but no dates have been set.
The office building occupying the parcel was constructed in the 1980s. Its primary tenant is the General Services Administration, which will not be renewing its lease, Roberts said.
While Penzance considered retaining the office building, the firm determined it was “out of place” with evolving development trends.
“We want to create a building that is going to fit with the current and future urban context of Ballston,” Roberts said.
The developer does plan to retain the existing underground garage, which is in “good shape,” he said.
The redevelopment proposal was filed last April.
The parcel is located at the point where Fairfax Drive merges into entrance and exit lanes for Interstate 66. At the SPRC meeting, desires were raised that the four-lane Fairfax Drive be narrowed at that point to slow traffic and lessen the chance of incidents involving pedestrians, bicyclists or local vehicular traffic.
Any decision on that would rest with the Virginia Department of Transportation, which owns the roadway.
