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SOURCE: FFXnow by James Jarvis
Fairfax City will soon see the construction of a seven-story residential and retail building next to WillowWood Plaza along Eaton Place following a near-unanimous vote of approval from the city council earlier this week.
The new development, dubbed “N29 Apartments,” will replace a 328-space, 2.96-acre parking lot at 10306 Eaton Place, adjacent to a 1980s-era office complex.
First proposed in 2022, the project includes 260 residential units — 16 of which will be affordable single and two-bedroom units. It will also have 5,000 square feet of retail space and a 10-level parking garage.
The mixed-use development, which was approved by the city planning commission in April, marks the initial phase of a two-stage project by D.C.-based developer Capital City Real Estate.
Originally, the developer also proposed a four-story, 64-unit apartment building on a different parking lot opposite the N29 Apartment development. However, city staff required Capital City to file a separate application because the properties aren’t contiguous.
A representative from Capital City Real Estate told city council members on Tuesday (July 9) that they will return “soon” to discuss the second phase in more detail. Capital City has no plans to redevelop the parking lot to the north of the office complex, which is owned by a separate entity.
The project site is part of the Northfax Small Area Plan, which was adopted by the city council in June 2020 and “strongly” encourages mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development “that allows for multiple activities to take place,” city staff said in a report for the council.
The N29 Apartments will provide up to 23,200 square feet of on-site recreational facilities, such as a swimming pool, fitness center, club lounge and courtyard for residents. The developer also plans to include nearly 19,000 square feet of pervious areas with trees around the development, a multi-tier stormwater improvement system and outdoor seating areas.
While most council members voiced support for the development, Councilmember Jeffrey Greenfield — the sole dissenting vote — expressed concerns about the projected increase in traffic.
A traffic study commissioned by the developer estimated that the new building will generate an additional 119 morning peak-hour trips and 142 afternoon peak-hour trips.
“[Under] current conditions, 2 o’clock to 3 o’clock in the afternoon, traffic is backed up three quarters of the way down western Eaton,” Greenfield said. “…So, how are we going to add 260 cars to Eaton and not make that worse?”
However, Curt McCullough, a traffic engineer with the city’s Department of Public Works, said staff are in the process of designing additional improvements at the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place. He noted the improvements are expected to be completed before the first phase of the WillowWood development is built out, likely improving traffic conditions.
“We do expect the traffic out there to get better with that new project,” McCullough said.
