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A plan to replace a small office complex in downtown McLean with 56 homes and ground-floor retail has secured the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s support, moving the mixed-use project closer to final approval.
Commissioners voted 10-1 Wednesday to recommend Cypress Real Estate Company’s proposal for a 0.56-acre site at the northwest corner of Beverly Road and Elm Street. The rezoning request now heads to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The Reston-based developer plans roughly 87,000 square feet of development, including 2,120 square feet of retail. The project would replace the McLean Office Center at 1368 Beverly Road, which consists of two small office buildings and surface parking.
Seven of the 56 residential units would be reserved as workforce housing, serving households with incomes above traditional affordable-housing thresholds but below what is generally needed for market-rate homes. A mostly underground garage would be accessed from Beverly Road.
Land-use attorney Evan Pritchard, representing the property owner, said community feedback had helped improve the proposal since its initial version last year. He said the design was intended to offer architectural variety while fitting into its surroundings.
The Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the development, according to organization president Paul Kohlenberger, the only speaker at the public hearing. He said the project advances the community’s vision for a more walkable, mixed-use downtown, which was formalized through a comprehensive plan amendment adopted in 2021. Kohlenberger also conveyed support from the McLean Planning Committee.
Small Parcel Draws Scrutiny
The application seeks to change the property’s zoning from C-6 to PRM, or planned residential/mixed use. The site is substantially smaller than the 2-acre minimum typically required for that district.
Franconia District Commissioner Chris Landgraf cast the only opposing vote, citing the parcel’s size and the project’s limited publicly accessible park space.
County planner Sunny Yang said staff supported the rezoning despite the undersized property because the proposal demonstrated reasonable uses for the site.
Pritchard said Cypress attempted to persuade neighboring property owners to join a larger redevelopment effort, but they firmly declined. The property is controlled by Beverly & Elm Development LLC, a Cypress subsidiary.
Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina said she had struggled with the parcel-size issue but concluded that requiring property consolidation could impede development where numerous small parcels have different owners.
“Consolidation can be the enemy of progress,” Cortina said.
Park Funding Would Cover Shortfall
Plans include a corner plaza and a linear park along Elm Street, providing 0.09 acres of park space instead of the 0.15 acres typically required. The developer would contribute an equivalent amount of funding toward other McLean parks to compensate for the shortfall.
At-large Commissioner Candice Bennett also raised broader concerns about insufficient attention to universal design in projects reviewed by the commission and supervisors. Such design aims to make buildings usable by people of different ages, sizes and abilities.
Bennett said new construction offers an opportunity to make housing available to more people, noting that accessibility modifications can become expensive or impractical after buildings are completed.
The Board of Supervisors must approve the requested rezoning. The Planning Commission separately approved the developer’s concurrent final development plan under its own authority.