Sustainable, efficient, equitable land use is core to a healthy future and ensuring a high quality of life for everyone. For nearly two years, Montgomery County has been working on a new general land use plan called Thrive 2050, a blueprint for how and where the county will grow over the next 30+ years.
Category: Transit-Oriented Development
We won a transit-oriented West Falls Church!
With your help, we did it! The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the West Falls Church plan to transform acres of parking lots into an inclusive, walkable, bike-friendly, transit-oriented community. Thanks to all of you who took action and helped make this a success!
Comments in Support of West Falls Church Plan Amendment 2018-II-1M
Chairman McKay and Members of the Board,
Please accept the attached joint comments on the West Falls Church Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) 2018-II-1M before you tomorrow. We write to express our support for the redevelopment of the West Falls Church Transit Station Area and urge you to consider our recommendations below and vote in favor of the CPA.
These comments are being submitted jointly on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Audubon Naturalist Society, the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, the Sierra Club Great Falls Group, Friends of Holmes Run, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, and the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling.
Thank you,
Sonya Breehey
Take Action: Last chance to support a transit-oriented West Falls Church!
While we are pleased the Planning Commission recommended approval of the West Falls Church plan, it’s not a done deal yet. Tomorrow the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing and then make their decision. Will you speak up and urge them to support the plan that will allow redevelopment of the West Falls Church Metro station area into a walkable, bike-friendly, transit-oriented community?
Here are two actions you can take:
1) Send an email to the Board of Supervisors, and
2) Sign up to speak at the public hearing (PA 2018-II-1M) on July 13 at 4 pm.
Fairfax County is considering a comprehensive plan amendment that would allow acres of underutilized parking lots at the WMATA and Virginia Tech sites to be transformed into a well designed mixed-use community. The new transit-oriented development will provide significant transportation improvements helping reduce traffic congestion while providing greater access for people walking, biking, and using transit.
Redevelopment of the West Falls Church station area would complement and connect to the City of Falls Church’s mixed-use redevelopment already underway. Together these projects will create a new inclusive, vibrant, and livable neighborhood with great access to transit in West Falls Church. Let’s make sure it’s approved.
CSG Testimony: Comments in Support of West Falls Church Redevelopment Plan
For nearly 25 years since our founding by the region’s leading conservation groups, we have helped the region work toward a vision for a network of transit-oriented communities, a vision committed to by Fairfax County and endorsed by all 23 jurisdictions in the Council of Governments’ Region Forward plan and supporting plans. It is a vision shared by the conservation community, affordable housing, bike/ped and transit advocates, and much of the business community.
We support the West Falls Church TSA – with recommendations: 1) swift action to make the streets that surround the Metro station site safer for local residents, bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit-
users and 2) addressing climate change by slashing our emissions from transportation. L
We are signatories to the joint supportive comments submitted by leading conservation and housing groups in the Fairfax Healthy Communities Network – which you have in your packet. In addition to CSG, the signatories are Audubon Naturalist Society, Northern VA Affordable Housing Alliance, Sierra Club – Great Falls Group, Friends of Holmes Run, and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions.
Joint Letter: Comments in Support of PA 2018-II-1M WFC TSA
Please accept these comments on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Audubon Naturalist Society, the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, the Sierra Club Great Falls Group, Friends of Holmes Run, and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. We write to express our support for the redevelopment of the West Falls Church Transit Station Area and urge you to consider our recommendations below and vote in favor of the comprehensive plan amendment (CPA) (2018-II-1M).
The proposed plan amendment will help realize Fairfax County’s vision of providing a network of transit-oriented development (TOD) along its transit corridors. This vision is outlined in the County’s Comprehensive Plan guidance, which calls for development close to transit stations to focus on reducing dependence on driving and increasing transit ridership.
Event: Envision the Future of Lee Highway
Arlington County wants to hear from you as the community lays out a vision for the Lee Highway corridor! The Plan Lee Highway team is hosting a community meeting this Thursday, May 27th to present and get feedback on corridor-wide and neighborhood area plans for the Arlington East Falls Church, North Highlands and Lyon Village neighborhoods.
You are also invited to join the Plan Lee Highway team for a walking tour on June 12th to discuss visions for the future. Walking tours are a great opportunity to think about how we can transform commercial corridors into more walkable, sustainable neighborhoods.
Plan Lee Highway Community Meeting
Arlington East Falls Church – North Highlands – Lyon Village
May 27, 2021 at 7 pm
Join the Meeting
Walking Tour
June 12, 2021 at 10 am
Join the Walking Tour
Community members’ input helped to shape the preliminary land use scenarios for five neighborhood areas. The scenarios offer different land use mixes to provide diverse housing options, enhanced open space and stormwater management, safer streets and better transit. Feedback will be used to help develop a preferred Concept Plan.
Thursday’s community meeting will focus on Neighborhood Areas 1 and 5 including Arlington East Falls Church, North Highlands, and Lyon Village neighborhoods. Two other community meetings were already held for Neighborhood Area 2 (John M. Langston, Yorktown, Tara Leeway Heights, Leeway Overlee), Area 3 (Waverly Hills, Donaldson Run, Old Dominion, Glebewood, Waycroft Woodlawn), and Area 4 (Cherrydale and Maywood). The recordings and presentations for all the meetings are posted on the project website here.
You can provide feedback for all neighborhood area and corridor-wide concepts via an online survey through June 20th.
For more information about the Plan Lee Highway process, visit the project website.
Take Action: Help Fairfax develop a strong climate plan!
Fairfax County is holding two virtual public meetings next week to get input on the goals and strategies recommended in its Community-Wide Energy and Climate Plan (CECAP). This is the last opportunity to provide feedback before the plan is finalized and presented to the Board of Supervisors. The meetings will be held Tuesday, May 18 and Thursday, May 20, from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. Both will provide the same information so you only need to attend one.
Your input is critical to ensure Fairfax adopts a bold plan that not only addresses green buildings, renewable energy, and electric vehicles but also includes walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented communities as a core climate solution.
Transportation is the leading source of climate emissions in the county, but cleaner fuels and even electric vehicles won’t be enough. We must reduce how much we need to drive and to make that easier we need our communities to be easier to walk, bike, and use transit to meet daily needs.
Please make your voice heard! Attend one of the public meetings ensuring the plan includes reducing the amount we have to drive by investing in transit, walking, biking, and more homes in walkable, transit-accessible communities. You can learn more about the meetings and register on the CECAP public engagement page.
For more information on the climate and smart growth connection, you can check out this CSG report and presentation.
West Falls Church Forum Materials
Sonya, our Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager, showed the following presentation at CSG’s West Falls Church Forum on May 5th, 2021:
Evan Goldman of EYA showed the following presentation at our West Falls Church Forum on May 5th, 2021: