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NEWS | DEVELOPMENT | LIFESTYLE
ISSUE #7 August 1, 2012
LOGISTICS
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 2
COVER PHOTO BY
TYSONS ENGINEER
A Distant Fourth
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY AND
GRAPHICS WITHIN THIS
PUBLICATION RIGHTS
RESERVED TO THE ARTIST
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THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 4
The silver line received a pivotal yes
vote (5-4) this month from Loudoun
County’s Board of Supervisors. The
project includes two stations and four
miles of rail within Loudoun (as well
as the Airport Station).
The cost of the project is 270 million
for Loudoun County and includes
annual operational expenses which
will be funded via a special tax
district (7-2 passed vote). The pivotal
yes vote came from Supervisors Reid
and Volpe who were on the fence
about whether this is the right
direction for Loudoun. With the
approval MWAA can move forward
with preliminary engineering plans to
determine final construction plans, a
step that would have been
complicated by removal of stations
and the relocation of the terminus rail
yard and parking conditions).
We think this area just got better
connected with the approval of this
plan, and most importantly is finally
moving forward on this project 40
years in the making. We look forward
to the day that commuters from
Ashburn can get to Tysons and Reston
instead of using the Toll Road or Route
7, as well as residents of Fairfax being
able to enjoy employment in the
growing aerospace and telecomm
industries of Loudoun.
T h e Ty s o n s C o r n e r
A p p l a u d s L o u d o u n
Board of Supervisors
PAGE 5
It’s not shocking that Tysons Corner
circa 11am to 2pm any given weekday
becomes a miniature truckapalooza.
With over 100,000 corporate employees
who have no choice but to drive to
brick and mortar restaurants, the
arrival of the trucks is about as
predictable as the rising of the sun.
Unfortunately, unlike DC, Arlington, and
even Reston once the commuters head
out of town Tysons is all but forgotten
for any special events.
As a Tysons resident, I understand, its
hard to tell where people actually live
around here (yes there are some people
who live hear… 10,000 in 2007 and
rising closer to 15,000 now and
growing). On top of the issue of a
disconnected residential network, there
is no logical location for a food truck to
park for a weekend stop where they are
assured to see good foot traffic. Unlike
other regions we lack a common park or
space, we don’t have a farmers market,
and most events are held indoors (away
from unfriendly pedestrian spaces like
Route 123, 7, and 495). Additionally,
unlike Reston, no one in the food and
drink industry has reached out to create
a symbiotic benefit and forming a “wine
and lobster night”, an event that Red
Hook Lobster Pound and Tasting Room
have made into a weekly occurrence.
I don’t blame the food trucks for
avoiding us in off hours, if I were
running a business I would go to the
sure bets too. However, this city does
have a significant population, and while
people who drive solely to the mall on
the weekends wouldn’t see us (we are
tucked away on Westpark away from
the traffic), we are here. A business
who can create an event feel for those
of us that stay around 24/7 could find a
hidden gem of untapped and
competition free customers.
The Tysons Corner is a
website in its infancy,
started in 2011, created
to discuss the local issues
specific to eastern Fairfax
including the regions of
Tysons Corner, Falls
Church, McLean, Vienna,
and Merrifield. Our goal is
to provide a deeper
analysis of progressive
topics centered around
the new urbanism
concepts of a 21st century
Northern Virginia. We
have seen the region grow
from a quiet suburban
community to a cultural
and economic contributor
of the east coast rivaling
other more established
cities. The area for many
years grew without
direction leaving a
disconnected community
of micro-developments
without any coordinated
design concept. Our goal
is to create a unified,
or cacophonous, voice of
residents and interested
parties to discuss what the
future vision for the
region could or should be.
We look to fill the
questions that many have
and provide the depth of
coverage that is difficult
for overall news
publications to provide.
We are currently
looking for interested
bloggers who are
looking for a forum to
discuss their ideas as a
writer for TTC. This
could be done as an
exclusive TTC format
or as a cross post with
other independent
blogs. If you are
interested in reaching
a large base of readers
specific to this region
think about joining.
Please feel free to contact us;
navid@thetysonscorner.com
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 6
BE PART OF YOUR
COMMUNITY BY
DESCRIBING THE
COMPLEXITY OF
OUR OWN BACKYARDS
LOOKING FOR
E N T E RTA I N M E N T
W R I T E R S
U R B A N I S T S
T H I N K E R S A N D
I N N O VATO R S
ART SCENE
REPORTER S
PAGE 7
Dear WMATA
My Bus Driver… After a long day in a cubicle in downtown
DC, I begin an equally arduous task of commuting back
to Virginia from Northeast DC. It would seem that a
metro ride and a seven minute bus ride would be
straightforward, but recently, it seems that my
commute is getting tougher to tolerate. I don’t think
that there has been a significant influx of riders in the
past few months, but it appears that WMATA and the
Fairfax Connector bus system are struggling to provide
timely service. Summers in the DC area are miserable;
this is a general expectation. For Metro to be unable to
keep up maintenance of air conditioners in their cars is
a little sad, not to mention the other issues that plague
the system.
Since the July 1 increase on fares in both Metro and
buses, the quality of service has decreased noticeably
during my daily commute. What was once a dependable
bus route that came every 10 minutes has recently
morphed into a 20-plus minute wait with no bus in sight
and no explanation as to why there are no
buses. Having to wait in 100 degree heat is pretty
unpleasant, but considering that it is becoming faster to
drive and park instead of using public transportation,
it’s time for Metro and bus lines to recognize the need
for improving service if they are going to continue
raising fare.
I consider myself pretty lenient and patient when it
comes to transportation. I know that issues come up,
but the bar on service has dropped remarkably. I can’t
keep encouraging public transportation if it continues to
be so unreliable. Step up the service and make my 9-5
a little more tolerable, please?
Like The Constant Shopper and
want more? Follow @diaryofd on
Twitter or at her personal blog
DiaryofDee.com
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 8
Federal Transportation
Bill Encourages
Regional Incorporation One of the strangest conversations
a Fairfax resident often finds
themselves in is “where do I live?”
We’ve all grown accustomed to
defining our regions one way or
another, by school district,
geographic designation, postal
definitions, and in very rare cases
in Northern Virginia, by township
or city incorporation. I remember
as a child I thought of myself as a
Springfield resident, even though I
attended Lake Braddock High
School where 95% of students were
from Burke. When my parents
moved to a new house ten years
ago, they suddenly became Burke
residents, by moving 1 mile west.
Of course anyone who has lived in
Burke or Springfield knows just
how nebulous these definitions
are.
In the absence of a geographic
definition, regions such as West
Falls Church, Merrifield and Tysons
Corner have developed out of the
recognized towns/cities Falls
Church, Vienna, and McLean. The
reality is that almost all Fairfax
County residents are living in
unincorporated Fairfax County.
Unfortunately this arrangement
provides greater control to State
planners and policy makers in
Richmond, instead of local
planners who could make decisions
that best meet resident
preferences.
Follow us on twitter for daily
food truck alerts forwarded
from the trucks.
Existing Benefits of Being an Incorporated
City
1. Incorporated Cities in Virginia typically
receive between $10,000 and $17,000 per
lane mile of road. Counties only receive
approximately $6,000 per lane mile.
2. Cities own their roads and therefore
attain design and maintenance
responsibilities. This allows cities greater
control on how to spend operational
funds and design efficiencies such as
reduced lane width, traffic calming like
low speed rumble strips and urban
intersection designs that promote multi-
modal usability. This can also be used to
create revenue from those who use
infrastructure within the city but do not
live within the city through the use of toll
zones and parking assessments, see the
successful London Congestion Zone
Charge, or through the sale of air rights
to private development.
3. Cities have the ability to excise a
variance of local fees beyond real estate
taxes, with the exception of income
taxes.
New Benefits of Being an Incorporated City
(Via Federal Transportation Bill)
1. Attain 50% of formula federal funding per
capita for a specific region in need of
bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
2. Attain a higher likelihood of attaining
grants from federal sources due to a
narrower definition of the municipality
which would increase per capita
improvement impacts. In other words, in
a County of 1 million people, a project
that only helps 50,000 might be seen as
wasteful and without impact. In a City of
200,000 people, a project that helps the
same number of people would be seen as
important and wide reaching.
3. Independent definition of a regional
transit and transportation department
which can attain funding from Federal
sources for BRT and similar transit
projects without going through the State.
This will avoid competition with projects
within other regions of the state that
would ultimately be decided by the State
and subject to political preferences.
PAGE 9
Politics makes strange bedfellows, and
it is odd that in this case the smart
growth groups could be aligned with
Republican leaders who want greater
responsibility to be provided to more
local jurisdictions. Unfortunately the
GOP in Virginia wants to eat their cake
and have it too by suggesting Counties
take over their road funding and yet
not take over the ownership of these
roads, essentially granting Richmond
tens of thousands of acres of free and
operationally maintained land in the
most expensive parts of the state.
Incorporation sidesteps that restriction.
Ironically in order to become
incorporated within the State of
Virginia you must be granted a charter
by, who else, the State of Virginia.
The only way to be granted
independence from these controls is to
wait until a more empathetic
leadership is in place in the Statehouse.
Until then the state will continue to
reap 30-40% of it’s tax revenue from
Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington while
returning 6 to 8% of state funds to
those same jurisdictions.
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 10
The New City and the
Complexity of Urbanization By NovaBroker
I originally wanted to espouse the
benefits of the Silver Line and
mixed-use development for my
second post, but I henceforth
spare you from such shameless
propaganda. Sitting in my cubicle
on a Friday afternoon in late June,
I long for the day when I too end
the work week golfing with
potential clients instead of
pestering secretaries to connect
me to CEO’s who just stepped out
of the office. Meanwhile, my
junior associate will be the one
halfway through one-hundred very
unsuccessful dials and his fourth
coffee. I love my job, but this
passion is predicated on expected
returns. Furthermore, the
dividends of my current struggle
are inextricably linked to Fairfax
County’s proposed development
plans. Has this glaring bias blinded
me from all contrarian arguments?
The biggest drawback is price, a
figure that is both astronomical
and enigmatic. Quadrupling the
size of a congested
corporate/retail hub into a
cohesive, 24-hour metropolis is
not a cheap gamble. Any Galleria
shopper hopped up on skinny
vanilla latte would think twice
before buying this exclusive brand
of urbanization. Residents will pay
higher taxes for awful traffic
exacerbated by never-ending
construction. Many of these
people will not live to reap the
benefits of what they paid for.
The plan also emphasizes the
importance of a walkable
environment while the proposed
infrastructure will not alleviate
increased traffic to and from the
area. The future plight of McLean
and Vienna residents exemplify
the notable collateral damage to
surrounding communities. Fairfax
County will no doubt have to beef
up transportation infrastructure
outside of Tysons as well.
As I researched the impending
wave of transit-oriented, mixed-
use development (experts have
adjusted their annual delivery
projections from 700,000 to over
2,000,000 SF due to the influx of
seventeen current rezoning
applications), this post morphed
into a reality check. I never
thought that new office buildings,
residential towers, and retail
PAGE 11
shops would necessitate more
schools, additional police and fire
stations, another electrical
substation, and countless other
additions to public infrastructure.
The logistics of these necessities
are frightening. If we want wider
sidewalks to increase walkability,
what should the ratio of sidewalk
to street area be for a “Boulevard
Streetscape” as opposed to an
avenue or local street? Better yet
what constitutes a “Boulevard
Streetscape”?
Bureaucracies evolved to
establish this type of necessary
order in rapidly growing societies.
The utter frustration of waiting at
the DMV is an opportunity
cost. Alternatives to the cruel and
unusual anticipation of hearing
number B219 over the loudspeaker
at your local DMV are stagnation,
chaos, and a more conscientious
application of the Eight
Amendment by our Supreme
Court. Fairfax County is thriving
when much of the world is
teetering on the brink of another
recession.
The Dulles Toll Road is at the
forefront of the tech industry
second only to Silicon Valley; the
federal government is a unique
impetus to our local economy.
Opportunity is attracting
jobseekers and amplifying
population growth. Tysons Corner
has 18,000 residents and 100,000
jobs. Fairfax County’s plan
estimates that Tysons will have
100,000 residents and 200,000
jobs by 2050. Yes, more people
will be driving to Tysons, but this
is inevitable. Mixed-use, high-
density development ensures that
a much greater percentage of
residents will live and work here
reducing per capita stress on
public infrastructure. Our future
necessitates a new approach to
development.
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 12
In my day to day debates on transit
and land use policies in this region I
am often criticized as being a
stooge for WMATA and consistently
promoting the benefits of mass
transit use. It is true, I think mass
transit is the most powerful
transportation tool available to
planners and engineers and no one
has ever disputed mass transit's
efficient capability of removing
single occupancy vehicles from
congested corridors. However there
are times in life when you just wish
the people you defend would stop
doing such seriously stupid things.
The case in point, WMATAs 2013
budget.
To call the 2013 operating expenses
and projected revenues a budget is
likely giving it too much credit. In
an era where most people are
desperate to find any employment,
WMATA is planning on expanding it's
payroll expenses by 100 million
dollars, 70 million of which goes
towards benefits costs. To be fair,
much of the payroll increase is
attributed to new capital employees
(849) for construction and
engineering services associated with
system improvements, but for 100
million dollars this increase in
employees would constitute an
average $118,000 per new hire.
The escalated speed of the system
upgrades will hopefully get the
headaches that riders have
experienced over with quicker but
surely isn't worth $100,000,000 in
this years cost. This is especially
apparent when silhouetted against
the backdrop of significant fare
increases.
Speaking of fare increases, this
years increases (already enacted),
unfairly continue to bear the cost of
operating a 4:1 discrepancy of bus
cost vs revenue on the backs of rail
riders. Bus services barely reaches
$150 million in revenue and yet
costs $565 million to run. That gap
continues to get larger and yet no
one is coming up with ANY ideas on
how to retain some sanity to the
mess. Instead of evaluating the
benefits packages of bus drivers,
they retain levels of benefits, which
increases the payroll from natural
wage increases. Instead of
addressing the extremely low priced
fares for long haul buses, they
provide a cost of inflation increase
in fare of 6%, yes on average a
WHOLE DIME!
I am all for hard working people
getting their fair share. I think a
happy employee is also one who is
more attentive and careful to retain
their job. But as it is the benefits
package accounts for nearly 40% of
payroll expenses, which outpaces
every major transit organization in
the country as well as the most
generous of private industry unions.
WMATA Budget Policies, We Need Change
PAGE 13
It's not that WMATA doesn't have a great
network. It moves more people than
any system in the country other than
New York and frankly it's been pretty
safe over its 40+ year history and for the
most part far more reliable than our
NYC counterparts. The problem is
WMATA has always been a system that
seems to be barely getting by instead of
being one that is planning for the
future. Consider this, if WMATA were
just to retain the same operating
expenses for 2013 as 2012, that would
be 100 million dollars more that could
go towards saving for real improvements
for the next decade. This lag in cost
increase, associated with fare increases
that from this point would keep up with
natural payroll increases (a steady 2-3%
increase). Add in a possible analysis of
which locations actually use their buses
and how to make that system more in
control and we could be looking at an
inflow of a couple hundred million
dollars.
I think that the jurisdictions should be
chipping in more towards capital
improvements as budgeted, but I don't
think it is fair to shuffle around these
funds accompanied by a fare increase to
justify unwise increases in an already
stifling payroll cost. That increase in
jurisdictional subsidies should be going
towards saving up for Metro
2.0 including connection between lines
(Completing a metro beltway and
adding new river crossings) that will be
more difficult to find funding for
through private sources (as was the case
with the Silver Line).
Taking the 100 million dollar increase in
subsidies from the jurisdictions
proposed this year away from payroll
financing and transferring to a no touch
fund for future improvements will add
up to 1 billion dollars in 10 years. By our
accounts this could help pay for 1/3 to
1/2 of a new river crossing that will be
necessary by 2020 if current trends
continue and more importantly will help
to finance projects through money in
hand instead of the increased cost of
financing. WMATA, I hate to say it as a
transit supporter, but you NEED
CHANGE.
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 14
The Fairfax Times ran an article this
past week about how the Tysons Metro
Rail is a complete monstrosity and
aesthetic horror. Outside of clearly
being a soft news day for them, based
on the fact that they are running an
opinion piece as subjective as “Green
Peppers on Pizza Tastes Bad” (more at
7), the story completely disregards the
fact that they are viewing a project still
being built. In no way did the article
fairly discuss what future streetscape
could do to modify the commuter and
pedestrian interaction with the system,
nor did they highlight the fact that
some of the tallest buildings in the
region will be located directly behind
the rail making it ultimately muted in
comparison. Finally the article has the
same kind of defeatism that is
prevalent in our society during these
tough times, it is what it is and there is
no way to fix it now.
Complete and utter gibberish. Now let
me be clear, when Bechtel and
Washington Group International
announced in 2006 that full tunneling
through Tysons would
be unfeasible while remaining under
the federal funding maximum budget, a
part of me felt defeated and crushed
too. I believe it could have helped
reduce the total right of way involved
along the Route 7 and 123 corridor,
helped bring buildings closer in, and
overall creating a safer ultimate
pedestrian condition. What done is
done, and while we think Bechtel’s
argument should continue to be
reviewed for accuracy and oversight, it
is time to come up with solutions.
Many people have brought up the point
that elevated rails inherently ugly, and
that 1st world nations around the world
continue to create subway systems
instead. Actually, the facts prove
otherwise, as other nations face budget
restraint a clear trend has risen towards
the use of integrated elevated rail as is
the case in the photo to the left in
Holland. What are some tricks in
creating this integration?
It’s tIme to Stop Whining About
Elevated
RAIL
PAGE 15
We need to start visualizing the
system with its next step. View
the original construction as part
one of a multi decade evolution
of the system. The utility is
complete, and in late 2013
commuters will be able to get to
work in an alternative manner.
Step two will be integrating and
urbanizing the system, without
public funds, via a myriad of
options. Some stones, brick, or
other aesthetic materials can be
lain as a facade to hide the
concrete bones of the system.
The system to the left is the
elevated passenger rail through
Italy. Piers have been covered
over providing pedestrian friendly
tunnels which can be used as
public space or simply to connect
from one side to the other.
Another interesting option is seen
in France’s elevated passenger
rail. Here the elevated system
and piers have been covered with
a facade, but the locations
between the piers have also
become interior spaces sheltered
from the weather which could be
part of the train station (as in this
case) or could be converted to
retail store fronts and popup
stores as well. Think Union
Station. Yes, its a rail station, but
its retail and interior space has
been privately developed outside
of the rail system and
incorporated into the
architecture. Also note that the
facade has projected forward
several feet providing space along
the roof for landscaping which
can provide screening and
aesthetic benefit.
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 16
Another method for integration occurs completely
separate from the rail line itself. It involves the
structures that surround the system. The mind
converts what our eyes see in very interesting
ways. Often something that by itself would be
viewed as “ugly” can become beautiful when
viewed as a whole with its surroundings. Think of a
Monet painting. When isolated and focused in it is a
mess of color without any recognizable image, but
when you step back the image comes into focus
and becomes pleasing. A rail line being placed in
front of 2-story 1970s brick office construction
sticks out as an eyesore.
The entire view is plain old ugly because the piers
and track become over powering and there is
nothing to pull your eye away other than the
concrete monster. However, when a series of 300′
or 400′ high rises with unique architecture are
placed behind the rail, the system appears smaller
and less overpowering. In some cases the
architecture can actually be incorporated into the
rail as is the case with the London Docklands Light
Rail. Buildings can encompass or partially cover the
railway creating an elevated subway. The
additional cost of spans over the rail are
acceptable for a developer when this design
returns far greater density potential and therefore
more lease, rental, or sales space.
PAGE 17
Finally, and most simply, landscape
architecture will be essential to how we
observe the system. Visiting any construction
site whether high rise or subdivision will
highlight one fact, a half built site has NO
trees. We are seeing a half built site right now
along Route 123 and Route 7. Review of the
plans from developers like Cityline, Capital
One, and Georgelas all show significant
landscaping occurring on the developer side of
the tracks. Additionally, review of Fairfax
County’s streetscape concepts from the
Comprehensive plan also shows significant
landscaping. Just as a house with a plain grass
(or sod) front looks off putting and uninviting,
a metro with construction fence and dirt looks
unwalkable and unattractive. Integrating
pedestrian walkways and trees will be the most
effective early step to giving the system a
sense of place as is the case in Edmonton
Canada and Miami Florida.
It’s time to move forward with ideas not
complaints. Let’s learn from this as a lesson in
penny wise but pound foolish, but let’s not
become crippled to the new design constraints.
We have to continue to innovate and improve.
By providing either airspace or ground space
within the metro rail right of way, the
improvements can be funded and constructed
by the private developers who will attain the
revenue from the additional assets. Don’t fall
prey to the snobs and mockers who have no
vision and start seeing the opportunities to
make a unique identity for Tysons Corner.
PAGE 18 THETYSONSCORNER.COM
The first new high rise
building since the approval of
the comprehensive plan for
Tysons Corner is beginning to
go vertical. Oddly, the Park
Crest towers, are not part of
the new comprehensive plan
process as they fall outside of
the TOD designated districts.
However with the transit
center within a tenth of a
mile, and less than a mile
walk to two of the future
Silver line stations, Park Crest
Two should be considered a
well integrated building.
This week Clark Builders
Group, the management
company for the new
tower, launched their
websitewhich has provided
more information on the
future of Park Crest Two. The
most important bit of news is
that Park Crest Two will be an
apartment tower, and not a
new condominium building
similar to Park Crest One.
Rumors had been circulating
about this for the past few
months but it had not been
publicly announced. The 300
unit, 19-story tower, also
includes a courtyard pool,
patio area with bocce ball
court and fireplace, dog park,
and water park.
PAGE 19
The building will share its underground
parking with Park Crest One, of which I am
a resident. Hopefully the dog park and
patio area will also be shared with Park
Crest One as currently there is only a 6′
trail that has become the defacto dog play
area for the neighborhood. The project will
be LEED silver certified, always an
important indication of the seriousness of
the builder towards a sustainable building.
Also of note, the building will incorporate a
mix of studios, 1 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms
of varying sizes. We have long touted the
importance of variance in the rental and
condo market in reducing the overall
unaffordability of the region. These studios
join a very small stock of Fairfax units and
hopefully will help provide a base line for
young professionals moving to the region.
Construction for earthwork has been
performed over the past 3 months in
congruence with the completion of Avalon
Park Crest next door but only recently did
the 250 foot crane join the skyline of
Westpark. The foundation columns are now
beginning to ascend out of the ground and
within the next two months drivers along
Westpark will begin to see the building
taking shape. Completion of Park Crest Two
is set for mid 2014.
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 20
PAGE 21
Arbor Row’s property along Westpark
might surprise a few commuters this
week. What used to be two eyesore
office buildings are now reduced to
rubble. We indicated a couple of weeks
ago that demolition had begun on parcel
G but we noticed today that in fact two
buildings were removed. In our quick
correspondence with Cityline Vice
President Keith Turner he indicated that
more information, including a
presentation on the project’s status, will
be coming up in the next month or two.
We look forward to finding out when this
ambitious and landmark project looks to
get started.
For more information on the project see
the conceptual development plans here;
And the Final Development Plans for
part of the project here;
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 22
Rezoning Takes a Big Step Forward
PAGE 23
It has been a long time since we heard any news from
the Capital One campus on their rezoning plans along
Route 123. Yesterday the first update came from
Fairfax County staff who recommended approval of
the Rezoning, proffered condition amendment, and
final development of a proposed office and hotel high
rise buildings located within the master property.
The staff report located here denotes the projects
request to build closer to Route 495, in line with the
comprehensive plans goals of building massing, use of
an underground stormwater management structure in
a residential area, and request of unique planting
materials known as planting cells which reduce the
necessary root zones for streetscape trees.
The ultimate build out of the site will include office,
residential, hotel, retail, and public use encompassed
within 14 buildings of which 2 already exist. The new
capital one project incorporates a lot of marquee
architectural features and innovative designs
including incorporation of vertical planter walls,
public art installations, and public terraces. The
premier building 12, a 28-story 392′ office tower will
be a striking feature along Route 123.
It might seem like more of the same office park in
steroids if you were driving along Route 123, but if
you delve into the property after build out you would
find a half dozen residential towers atop retail store
fronts. At the front edge of these residential units
will be a large metro park commons plaza at the foot
of the metro station. Additionally, the plans show our
first glimpse of the plans to screen the elevated
metro structure which has been called by out of
towners anything from a monstrosity to an eyesore.
THETYSONSCORNER.COM PAGE 24
As anticipated the region underneath the
tracks will incorporate a range of
decorative trees and shrubs to help
reduce the visual impact along Route 123.
The plans also show an interesting trend
of avoiding Route 123 by shielding all
higher end uses (residential and retail) on
the non-123 side of the development. This
indicates that the plans funneling into
Fairfax County already disagree with
FCDOT and VDOT’s assertions that Route
123 must be an arterial highway in order
to spur development (as always people
will never want to have dinner or a
balcony on their residence overlooking a
polluted and crowded 8-lane highway).
We are disappointed that the plans do not
provide any indication of the crossing
under Route 495 and therefore remains
disconnected from much of Tysons Corner
in terms of walkability (though admittedly
this is outside of the scope of the Capital
One development). Pedestrians would
need to use the vehicle prioritized Route
123, in combination with walking 1 mile
out of the way, to get to this site without
this link. It is unclear when Scotts Run
Crossing will be extended to Jones Branch
Drive under 495 and if this improvement
will included dedicated bike and
pedestrian paths. This is an important
internal connection that must be made
within Tysons Corner to connect
neighborhoods and improve walking
access. Instead FCDOT and VDOT have
focused on more commuter road
connections to outside regions of Tysons
such as the debacle currently known as
the Boone Boulevard OnRamp.
The final decision will be up to the Board
of Supervisors on whether this project can
start construction on Block A, but with all
reviewers returning approvals it is likely
this project will be green lit for 2013.
For more information on the Rezoning
Plan see the submitted plans here;
For more information on Block A Final
Development Plans see the submitted
plans here;
PAGE 25
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