The timeline for the planned Kingstowne Regional Library has been accelerated by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The plan was filed by Lee Village at Silver Lake LLC in late June 2006. The site location is at the corner of Manchester Lakes Boulevard and Beulah Street.
The public-private partnership would include the building of the library in exchange for the ability of Clark Ventures to construct 147 apartments on the property, which the county purchased for $3.5 million. Also part of the proposal would be the relocation of the Lee District Supervisor’s office.
On March 12, Lee District Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D) won the unanimous support of his colleagues on the board, passing two rezoning amendments and a final development plan amendment, which will result in the commencement of the citizen review process, the initial step before going to the board for approval.
The 40,000-square-foot, two story “green” library would have a drive-through, a caf and more than an acre of landscaped open space.
Without the proposed plan, Kauffman said, “Fairfax County’s current Capital Improvement Program indicates that we are unlikely to incorporate the library into our bond referendum until 2016. The applicant’s proposal could deliver the library by 2010.”
The rezoning application filed by Clark Ventures called for the rezoning of 2.82 undeveloped acres to be added to the 6.6 acre site, which would become planned mix-use residential space.
The board also approved a measure to consider an out-of-turn amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan that would allow the construction of the 92 workforce housing and 55 “active adult” housing units.
The Department of Planning and Zoning has been directed to expedite the handling of the land use applications and will shortly schedule a public hearing.
Under the proposed plan, 20 percent of the housing units would be offered for families earning 50 percent or less of the area median income, while 80 percent of the units would be sold and rented to families earning between 70 and 90 percent of area median income.
Claudia Meer, Managing Director for Lee Village at Silver Lake LLC, said, “This is smart growth. We are utilizing county land and providing a mix of full services for the county. It’s going to be a win-win for all concerned.”
Meer said she hoped the Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposal sometime this year.
Lee District Planning Commissioner Rodney Lusk was optimistic about the project, but could not say when the plan would be offered to the Planning Commission for review.
As for the relocation of the supervisor’s office from the Franconia District Police Station, “If you think about it, the police in there could use the extra space,” Lusk said.
