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A neglected 7.9-acre property along Richmond Highway could eventually become protected open space, replacing its vacant buildings, gravel lot and scattered debris with restored forest and improved access to Dogue Creek.
Fairfax County announced March 3 that it plans to acquire the land at 8800 Richmond Highway with help from a $2.8 million state grant. Officials intend to remove development and impervious surfaces, reforest the site and restore part of Dogue Creek, which runs along the property’s southern edge before passing beneath U.S. 1.
Much of the site lies within the 100-year floodplain and a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area. Those designations carry conservation requirements intended to reduce flooding risks and improve water quality.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay called the acquisition an important step in protecting and restoring the county’s natural resources.
Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck said preserving the environmentally sensitive property—and potentially opening Dogue Creek and future parkland to the public—would be a major benefit for residents.
The county expects to preserve the land as open space permanently. Officials will also coordinate with the Virginia Department of Transportation over right-of-way and easement needs connected to the Richmond Highway expansion project, along with other stakeholders.
Development Proposals Give Way to Conservation
The property has attracted several redevelopment proposals since 2017, including a 2018 plan by its owners to seek exceptions needed to construct 43 townhomes.
Opponents argued that new construction should not be approved in a floodplain and environmental quality corridor. They instead promoted restoring the land as part of a conservation corridor linking Pole Road Park with Dogue Creek, which flows into the Potomac River.
The debate also highlighted a shortage of parkland along Richmond Highway. The Embark Richmond Highway plan identifies a need for 38 additional acres of parks in that area of Fairfax County.
Embark is a revitalization initiative covering 7.5 miles of the Richmond Highway corridor. Its plans include mixed-use centers, bus rapid transit, road improvements, better pedestrian and bicycle connections and an eventual Yellow Line extension to Hybla Valley. County planning documents also call for enhanced parks and open spaces.
Long before interstate highways, U.S. Route 1 served as a major route between Maine and Key West, Florida. Storck said the property’s history reaches back to colonial times and includes connections to the Dogue Indians, George Washington and the roadside attractions that emerged as Route 1 became a popular travel corridor—including an amusement park once located there.
If restoration proceeds, the long-neglected roadside property could begin a new chapter as a natural retreat beside Dogue Creek.