NORTHRIDGE/ROSEMONT

SMALL AREA PLAN

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ADOPTED 1992 MASTER PLAN

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Amended 12/12/1998, Ordinance 4030 Amended 12/16/2003, Ordinance 4321 Amended 3/18/2006, Four Mile Run Master Plan Amended 11/12/2022, Ordinance 5462

AMENDMENTS TO NORTH RIDGE/ROSEMONT SMALL AREA PLAN - as of 1/12/2023

NORTHRIDGE / ROSEMONT

SMALL AREA PLAN

ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL

Mayor Patricia S. Ticer

Vice Mayor William C. Cleveland

Kerry J. Donley

T. Michael Jackson

Redella S. Pepper

Lonnie C. Rich

David Speck

CITY MANAGER

Vola Lawson

PREPARED BY:

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Staff:

Sheldon Lynn, Director

Larry Grossman, Chief Comprehensive Planning

Project Planner:

Ralph Rosenbaum

Graphics:

William Benjamin

JUNE 13, 1992: ORDINANCE 3576

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Purpose of Plan

Background and Issues

Plan Recommendations

LIST OF MAPS

LIST OF TABLES

PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

The purpose of this document is to update the Adopted 1974 Consolidate Master Plan for the North Ridge/Rosemont area and to adopt a 1989 Plan as part of the City's new Master Plan. Once adopted, the Small Area Plan will serve as the basis for future City Council policy initiatives and actions affecting land use, zoning, capital improvements and programs in the North Ridge/Rosemont area.

ORGANIZATION AND CONTENTS

The Small Area Plan is organized into two sections: Background and Issues and Plan Recommendations. The first section reviews and analyzes existing conditions and trends in the study area including physical description, demographics, land use, zoning, economic development activities and trends, transportation and urban design. This section also retraces past City policies in the area, including the 1974 Master Plan, rezoning, resolutions and capital improvement programs. Based on this analysis this section identifies issues which need to be addressed in the plan for this area.

The second section lists the goals, objectives and specific recommendations on land use, zoning, transportation and urban design.

PLANNING PROCESS

The final draft of this Plan will be sent to the Master Plan Task Force for review and to the Planning Commission and to City Council for review and adoption. Once approved, the plan will be referred to the Zoning Task Force for input into the City-wide zoning code revision effort.

BACKGROUND

DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA

The North Ridge/Rosemont study area occupies an 847.5 acre pentagon of land in the eastern half of Alexandria. The study area is delineated by Four Mile Run, Glebe Road, Russell Road, King Street and Quaker Lane. (See Map 1, Study Area.)

The Fairlington/Bradlee commercial area is not included in the study area. Instead, Fairlington/Bradlee is the subject of a separate study.

From the corner formed by the intersection of King Street and Russell Road the topography of the North Ridge/Rosemont area rises in a series of rolling hills. At 200 feet above sea level, Beverly Hills is the apogee of the rise and from there the topography falls away to Four Mile Run's flood plain.

The hilly topography lends itself well to the suburban detached housing that is now so characteristic of the North Ridge/Rosemont Area. Although streets of detached, single family houses surrounded by mature trees are typical of much of the area, the Northwest corner of North Ridge/Rosemont is the site of garden apartments and townhouses. These apartments and townhouses comprise the attractively landscaped Parkfairfax Condominium and Lloyd apartments.

HISTORY OF THE STUDY AREA

Indians lived in the North Ridge/Rosemont area as long as 12,000 years ago, but it was only in the early 19th century that many permanent homes, were built in the area. Until 1847 North Ridge/Rosemont was part of the District of Columbia; thereafter, the area was retroceded to Virginia.

During the nineteenth century North Ridge/Rosemont was the site of farms and some large houses such as Mount Ida, Lloyd House and Oaklands. As the nineteenth century waned the farms became summer residences. Later Mount Ida and the Lloyd House would become private girls schools. These houses are now part of the St. Mary's Academy and St. Agnes Episcopal School.

The North Ridge/ Rosemont neighborhoods were transformed into so called "street car suburbs" with the advent of an electric streetcar system along Commonwealth Avenue. Constructed at the turn of the century, the streetcar system linked North Ridge/ Rosemont with Old Town and with Washington D.C..

In 1905 the electric streetcar was joined by the railroad. The railroad moved its tracks to their present location and constructed Union Station at the intersection of King Street and Russell Road.

Rosemont has the distinctive plan of a streetcar suburb. City blocks have their short side facing the railway and their long face at right angles to the rails. This layout was meant to reduce the length of a commuters walk to the street car.

Houses began appearing in Rosemont after 1900 and in the early 1920's there was a second period of growth in Rosemont. Braddock Heights and Beverly Hills also began to be developed in the 1920's. It was also in this decade that bus service was introduced and the ownership of autos became common. Both of these innovations gave further impetus to suburban growth.

All of North Ridge/Rosemont was not incorporated into the City of Alexandria until 1930 and it was after the incorporation that the construction of housing in North Ridge began in earnest. The Permanesque Homes company offered all electric houses for $5,850 in Beverly Hills during the latter half of the 1930's. This company was responsible for most of the development in Beverly Hills.

Map 1

Study Area

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Amended 12/12/98, Ord. 4030

North Ridge/Rosemont

The last large development to occur in North Ridge/Rosemont was Parkfairfax. Parkfairfax's 1684 apartments and townhouses were built by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company between 1940 and 1943. The housing here ceased to be rental in 1977 when Parkfairfax was converted to condominium ownership.

The history of North Ridge/Rosemont is that of twentieth century suburban growth. It is the intent of this plan to maintain the suburban and residential nature of the area into the twenty first century.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Population

Between 1970 and 1980 the population of North Ridge/Rosemont declined by 18%, falling from 13,320 to 10,933 people. The decline was due to a trend toward smaller average household sizes. This is a long term national trend that in North Ridge/Rosemont meant the average household size was half a person smaller in 1980 than 1970 (Table 1).

TABLE 1

Population Characteristics North Ridge/Rosemont Area

SOURCES: 1970 and 1980: U.S. Census. 1985, 1990 and 2000: COG Cooperative.

A contributing cause of the decline in average household size was the aging of the area's population. The form this aging took was the loss of children. North Ridge/Rosemont had only half the number of children in 1980 as it had in 1970.

The trend towards smaller households is expected to continue but at a slower rate. By the year 2010 the average household size may fall to 2.05 people. The decline will slow because children are now a smaller portion of the population so there are fewer children to grow up and leave the area.

In other parts of Alexandria the loss of population will be offset in the future by new housing construction. This is not possible in North Ridge/Rosemont, where the opportunities for new housing are few. Most of the vacant land that is available for new housing is in lots of less than a half acre. These lots are not conducive to large new housing developments.

Housing

The potential for new housing is limited to infill projects. These projects will yield only a few hundred units during the next two decades or average of ten units a year.

Household ownership has increased since 1970. This increase is due to the conversion of Parkfairfax and Parc East to condominium ownership.

Even with the conversion to condominium ownership, Parkfairfax and Parc East are still major sources of rental housing in North Ridge/Rosemont. Approximately 43% of all of the rental housing in the area are in these condominiums.

Employment

North Ridge/Rosemont is primarily a residential area and not the site of commerce or industry. Taking this into consideration, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' "Regional Employment Census was still able to locate 944 jobs in the area in 1985 (Table 2). This, however, was little more than 1 % of all employment in Alexandria.

TABLE 2

Employment North Ridge/Rosemont Area

SOURCE: COG Regional Employment Census 1976, 1980, 1985.

Half of the employment in the area are service jobs. These range from the professions such as doctors and lawyers to barbers and janitors.

Between 1976, the date of the first Regional Employment Census, and 1985 employment in the area rose by 20%. Three quarters of the 156 jobs created in North Ridge/Rosemont between the two employment censuses were the result of increased self employment.

By 1990 it is estimated that there will be 1658 employees in the study area. This 75% increase in employment will result from businesses moving into Shirlington Gateway, an office building constructed in 1986. This building has 198,280 gross square feet of space.

Employment in the area is not likely to change significantly after 1990. There are no new office buildings under construction or proposed for North Ridge/Rosemont nor are there any sites for the development of large commercial buildings.

Summary - Demographics

o Over the last fifteen years the population of North Ridge/Rosemont has declined because of a national trend towards smaller average households.

o Over the last fifteen years the number of people employed in North Ridge/Rosemont grew because of the increase in self employment and the construction of a large office building.

EXISTING LAND USE

The North Ridge/Rosemont study area encompasses 847.5 acres of land. This land is used for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and recreational purposes. By far, the major use of land is for residential purposes (Table 3 and Map 2) with the other uses scattered through the residential land.

TABLE 3

Existing Land Use North Ridge/Rosemont Area

Residential Land Use

Approximately 85% of the land (718 acres) is used for residential purposes. With the notable exceptions of Parkfairfax, Lloyd apartments, and Parc East almost all of the residential land is occupied by single family detached housing.

Parkfairfax and the Lloyd apartments which are in the north west of the study area are townhouses and garden apartments. The only high rise apartment building in the North Ridge/Rosemont area is the 283 unit Parc East. These apartments are located north of Parkfairfax between Martha Custis Drive and Four Mile Run.

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Map 2

Existing Land Use (1992)

RL - Residential Low RM - Residential Medium RH - Residential High P - Park, Recreation and Open Space INS - Institutional C - Commercial I - Industrial

North Ridge/Rosemont 6

Inclusive of all types of housing in the study area there were an estimated 5,084 housing units in North Ridge/Rosemont. With only 12.3 acres of vacant residential land available, the number of housing units in the area is forecasted to rise by only 160 units in the next twenty years. A few acres of land now zoned for industrial use are recommended for rezoning to residential. If this land is redeveloped, the number of new houses in the study area would be slightly higher.

Commercial Land Use

Commercial land use is very limited in North Ridge/Rosemont. Only 6.1 acres are used for commercial purposes. The study area's commercial needs are served by the adjacent Fairlington/Bradlee area, an area of shops and offices.

Almost all of the land used for office uses is located in the triangle of land north of I-395. This is the location of Shirlington Gateway, a new high-rise office building.

There are few opportunities to expand commercial land use in the study area. There are only 1.7 acres of vacant commercial land in North Ridge/Rosemont area and it is unlikely that much more land will become available for commercial use.

Other Land Use

There are 4.2 acres of land used for industrial purposes in North Ridge/Rosemont. All of his acreage is adjacent to Parkfairfax and is used by this condominium for maintenance activities.

There is a small amount of land in the study area used by a utility. Virginia Power Company has a 2.6 acre parking lot on the south side of West Glebe Road which serves its office building on the north side of Glebe Road.

Institutional land use accounts for 10.3% of the land in North Ridge/Rosemont. These uses include schools, cemeteries, hospitals, churches and government uses. Much of the institutional land in the study area is occupied by schools, both public and private schools. The public schools include George Mason, Maury and Charles Barrett Schools. The private schools in the area are St. Marys Academy and St. Agnes Episcopal School. Together the schools account for over 42 acres of land in North Ridge/Rosemont.

Ivy Hill Cemetery on King Street also accounts for a large portion of the study area's institutional land. This cemetery covers 22.7 acres and is the largest single open space in the study area.

Circle Terrace hospital, the only hospital in the North Ridge/Rosemont, area has been closed. The 1.6 acres occupied by the hospital will remain in institutional use and may become a nursing home. There is an existing nursing home in the area, Woodbine, which occupies a four acre site on King Street.

Parks occupy 16.8 acres of North Ridge/Rosemont. The two largest parks are Timber Branch Parkway with 5.6 acres and Monticello Park with approximately 5 acres located on Beverly Drive.

Other parks in the study area include Beverly park on Overlook Drive - 1.9 acres, Leidner Park on Kenwood Avenue - 1.3 acres, and Beach Park on Junior Street - 1.3 acres. These parks are augmented by recreational facilities located on the area's three public school sites.

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Summary - Land Use

o Residential land accounts for 84.8% of all of the land in North Ridge/Rosemont.

o There is little commercial land in the study area and most of that is confined to the area north of I-395.

o There are few parks in the area accounting for 16.8 acres.

o There is little vacant land whether for residential or commercial uses and most of the vacant land is in lots of less than a half acre.

ZONING

Almost all of the North Ridge/Rosemont area is zoned for residential development. Only 12.3 acres or less than 2% of the acreage in the study area is zoned for commercial or industrial purposes (Table 4). The non-residentially zoned land is located adjacent to I-395 and next to Fairlington/Bradlee.

TABLE 4

Existing Zoning North Ridge/Rosemont Area

Residential Zoning

R-8 is the most common residential zoning in the study area. Almost 65% of the land in North Ridge/Rosemont has this zoning. This zoning allows as many as five single family dwellings per acre, a density not uncommon in older suburbs.

One hundred and sixty-three acres in the northwest part of North Ridge/Rosemont are zoned R-B. R-B zoning allows multi-family dwellings and townhouses. It is used exclusively in the study area to zone Parkfairfax, Parc East, the Lloyd Apartments townhouses on West Glebe Road between Old Dominion Boulevard and Executive Avenue and townhouses near Fairlington/Bradlee.

The rest of the residential zoning in the study area is R5, R12 or RA. The first two zones are for areas of single family housing. R-12 zoning permits houses on lots 12,000 square feet or more while R-5 zoning is for more modest houses on lots as small as 5,000 square feet. Mansion Drive is an example of R-12 zoning while the higher density found in R-5 is characteristic of streetcar suburbs such as Rosemont.

A small area of North Ridge/Rosemont along Glebe Road is zoned RA. Although this zoning allows multi-family housing, the land in this case is used for townhouses, as well as small apartment buildings.

Non-Residential Zoning

There are small amounts of C-1, C-2 and I-1 zoning in North Ridge/Rosemont. Collectively these zones account for 12.3 acres much of which is near I-395.

In North Ridge/Rosemont, land used for commercial purposes is zoned either C-1 or C-2. Property zoned C-1 can be used for a wide variety of purposes including professional and business offices, banks, drug stores, laundries, child care homes and schools. C-2 zoning permits all of the uses allowed under C-1 zoning as well as a wider variety of retail uses, caterers, contractors, repair shops and radio and television stations. Both C-1 and C-2 allow residential uses. Uses not mentioned may be allowed in these commercial zones with a Special Use Permit.

C-2 zoning permits office buildings with up to a 3.0 Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and up to a 150 foot building height. The Shirlington Gateway building is an example of an office project developed under the C-2 zone. The FAR for this 13 story project is 1.74.

There are also over eight acres of industrially zoned property in the study area. I-1 zoning allows all of the commercial uses allowed under C-1 and C-2 and allows warehousing and manufacturing. Other uses are allowed with a Special Use Permit. Residential uses are not permitted by right. The I-1 zone allows development of up to 2.5 FAR by right and buildings up to 77 feet by right.

Theoretical Development Envelope

Although there is a relatively small amount of commercial and industrial zoning in the North Ridge/Rosemont neighborhood, theoretically, under current zoning, there could be developed some 1.3 million square feet of office space in the area.

Summary - Zoning

o Over 98% of the land in North Ridge/Rosemont is zoned residential.

o Over 79% of the land in North Ridge/Rosemont is zoned for detached single family housing.

o Although less than 2% of the land in North Ridge/Rosemont is zoned for commercial or industrial use, if this land was redeveloped to its maximum F.A.R, approximately 1.3 million square feet of commercial space could be built.

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY AND TRENDS

The study area has only one major commercial building, Shirlington Gateway, located north of I-395. There are no commercial buildings under construction or currently proposed for the North Ridge/Rosemont area. This situation is unlikely to change drastically in the future because the area only has 1.7 acres of land that are vacant and zoned for commercial purposes.

There are two new small town house developments in the study area. These are Beverly Crest on West Glebe Road and Glen Devon on the north side of Dogwood Drive (Map 3). These two developments add thirty townhouses to the approximately 5,000 dwellings already in North Ridge/Rosemont. Small increases in housing such as those created at Glen Devon and Beverly Crest are typical of possible housing development in the study area.

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Map 3

Recent Development (1992)

1 - Shirlington Gateway - Commercial 2 - Beverly Crest - Residential 3 - Glen Devon - Residential 4 - St. Agnes School - Addition 5 - Woodbine Nursing Home - Addition

North Ridge/Rosemont 10

Large increases in the number of housing units in the area are unlikely because there are only 12.3 acres of vacant residential land in the study area. Not all of this limited amount of vacant residential land can be used because some of the land is divided into substandard lots. These lots are too small to be used for housing construction under the current zoning. A small amount of additional residential acreage could be added by rezoning industrially zoned land and this land could be redeveloped for housing in the future.

Summary - Development Activity

o Shirlington Gateway, an office commercial building of 198,280 square feet, was constructed in 1986. This is the only commercial building erected in the study area in recent years.

o Beverly Crest and Glen Devon are two small townhouse developments in North Ridge/Rosemont. These recent developments are typical of the kind of housing that might be built in the area in the future.

TRANSPORTATION

The street system in North Ridge/Rosemont is designed for local residential traffic and not through traffic. The arterial roads servicing the study area are Quaker Lane and King Street, both of which primarily run along the edge of the study area.

In Rosemont the streets form a grid pattern that is common to street car suburbs. The grid has the narrow face of the blocks facing the tram line to reduce the walk of a commuter.

In North Ridge the streets are not a strict grid but are modified to follow the area's topography. Later suburbs such as North Ridge also had curving streets because such streets had desired connotations of the countryside.

1974 Major Thoroughfare Plan

The 1974 Major Thoroughfare classified streets throughout the City into five categories: expressway, arterials, primary collectors, residential collectors and local streets. (See Map 4)

There is a small portion, less than 1,500 feet, of I-395 in the northwest corner of North Ridge/Rosemont. This is the only expressway or regional highway in the study area. I-395 does separate a small triangle of land used for commercial purposes from the rest of the study area.

Arterial streets connect the principal traffic generators within the City and handle large volumes of traffic. King Street and Quaker Lane are the only two arterial streets in the study area.

With the exception of a short length of Quaker Lane that parallels I-395, the arterials servicing North Ridge/Rosemont run along the southern and western edges of the study area. The traffic on King Street and Quaker Lane, therefore, has a limited impact on the area.

Collector streets are secondary streets that serve the City's internal traffic. Collectors move traffic between local roads and arterials or connect other collectors to arterials.

Primary collectors connect two arterials or other collectors to arterials. They serve traffic that usually is making a longer trip than the traffic on residential collectors. Primary collectors can also be alternatives to arterial roads and often provide direct links to shopping areas. In North Ridge/Rosemont, Braddock Road, Glebe Road, part of Valley Drive and a small portion of Gunston Road are primary collectors.

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Map 4

1974 Major Thoroughfare Plan

12

North Ridge/Rosemont

Residential collectors basically serve to connect residential areas with arterials or other collectors. Russell Road, part of Cameron Mills Road, part of Valley Drive, Kenwood Avenue, Crest Street, .pa Summit Avenue, Monticello Boulevard, Old Dominion Boulevard, High Street and Windsor Avenue are the residential collectors in North Ridge/Rosemont.

Existing Traffic Flow

North Ridge/Rosemont's street system is adequate to serve its existing and future land uses. Traffic is mainly carried around the study area rather than through it.

Most of the roads within the study area that are not local streets function as primary and residential collectors. These streets are designed to link residential areas with other collectors or arterials. In North Ridge/Rosemont, Braddock Road and Glebe Road are primary collectors. Residential collectors are roads such as Crest Street, Valley Drive and Summit Avenue.

The majority of the streets in the study area are local streets. These streets are not continuous connecting streets like those in the Major Thoroughfare Plan System. Argyle Street, Enderby Drive, Sanford Street and Timber Branch Parkway are examples of local streets.

With the exception of I-395 none of the roads in the study area are near capacity. Even with the heavy traffic on I-395 there is rarely a backup on the Gunston Road ramps to this highway.

Traffic is increasing on King Street, but this is due to through traffic generated by development outside of North Ridge/Rosemont. Traffic on King Street is limited by two congested intersections, one at each end of the study area. There is the possibility of improving the flow at each of these intersections by altering turning movements or by changing traffic light cycles.

The traffic light cycle at King Street and Russell Road has been changed. The cycle facilitates King Street movement and provides less green time to Russell Road.

Planned Capital Improvements

There are no planned capital improvements in North Ridge/Rosemont. There are proposals for capital improvements in the areas adjacent to the study area and these improvements could smooth the flow of traffic on streets in the study area.

The Fairlington/Bradlee Plan recommends that the Quaker Lane, King Street and Braddock Road intersection be studied to determine possible improvements. Improvement to King Street near the railroad underpass will also be studied.

Bike and Pedestrian Paths

There are four designated bike trails in North Ridge/Rosemont. All of these are on street trails. One trail connects bike trails in Arlington by crossing over I-395 and running along Martha Custis Drive and Glebe Road. A second bike trail runs along Braddock Road. A third trail runs along Timberbranch Parkway and Masonic Avenue. A small part of a fourth trail runs south along Radford to King Street and from King to Chinquapin Park.

Public Transit Facilities

The North Ridge/Rosemont area is served by Metrobus and DASH. There are two DASH routes serving the study area. The A.T.4. route joins the Pentagon and Hunting Towers by running along Martha Custis Drive, Cameron Mills Road and Braddock Road. The A.T.3. route runs along Martha Custis Drive, Glebe Road, Russell Road and Braddock Road and joins the Pentagon with Old Town.

Metrobus runs a number of routes through North Ridge/Rosemont. Some of these routes originate in Fairfax County and terminate at the Pentagon. One route, the 28 AB, travels down King Street or Braddock Road and ultimately connects Tysons Corner with Old Town.

Future Traffic Flow

The opportunities for development in the North Ridge/Rosemont area are few, therefore little additional traffic will be generated internally. Future growth outside of the study area will increase the traffic on I-395 and the arterials on the periphery of the study area.

Summary - Transportation

o The capacity of the area's streets is adequate for the traffic currently generated.

o Delays along King Street could be alleviated by improvements at the King, Braddock, Quaker intersection and at the underpass east of the King and Russell intersection.

POLICY HISTORY

The adopted land use plan map for North Ridge/Rosemont is based on the 1974 Master Plan and is shown on Map 5. Most of the land in the study area is designated for residential uses with institutional uses the second most common category.

The 1974 Plan does not show any uses for the triangle north of I-395 although in 1974 the land in the triangle was used for industrial purposes.

The 1974 Master Plan expected that Planning District II, the district in which North Ridge/Rosemont is located, would remain residential with single-family homes predominating. The following recommendations are from the 1974 Master Plan:

1. Maintain the residential character of most of Planning District II.

2. Encourage the protection and upgrading of Parkfairfax as a residential community for middle income families.

Rezoning

Since 1974, rezonings have been rare in North Ridge/Rosemont. The major rezoning involved all of the W.O. & D. railway right of way which parallels West Glebe Road. The right of way was rezoned from R-8 to R-B. This rezoning allowed the construction of townhouses or multi-family housing in an area that had previously been zoned for single family housing.

The change from single family to townhouse and multi-family zoning is typical of the rezonings which have occurred in the study area. Rezonings were needed for the construction of Glen Devon and Beverly Crest. Both of these townhouse projects are located on the edge of North Ridge/Rosemont. Glen Devon is adjacent to the Parkfairfax Beverly Shopping area and Beverly Crest is on West Glebe Road opposite apartment building. These rezonings do not indicate a general policy towards higher density housing but were appropriate because of the density of development near the rezoned site.

Summary - Policy History

o The 1974 Master Plan goals for North Ridge/Rosemont emphasized the protection of the residential character of the study area.

o A limited number of rezonings that allowed townhouse development on land previously zoned for single family houses have occurred. These rezonings do not represent a general policy to introduce higher density development in the area.

ISSUES

The North Ridge/Rosemont area is almost completely developed. There has been very little additional development in the study area in recent years.

The major issues facing the North Ridge/Rosemont area are the following:

1. The need to preserve existing neighborhoods in the North Ridge/ Rosemont area.

2. The need to rezone property now zoned for high density commercial development to zones which are more compatible in uses and scale with adjacent residential areas.

3. The need to discourage through traffic in residential areas.

4. The need to deal with substandard lots.

Substandard Lots

The single family development located in the North Ridge area is part of the Jefferson Park, Braddock Heights and Beverly Hills subdivisions. The original plats for these developments were prepared between 1924, when the area was part of Arlington County, and the early 1940's, after annexation by the City of Alexandria. The lots range in area from 2300 square feet to 40,000 square feet and have lot frontages which start at as little as 50 feet. A large number of the lots in the subject area are in the 5,000, 6,000 and 7,000 square foot range.

When the current zoning code was adopted in 1951, the R-8 single family residential zone was applied to most of the single family land in the North Ridge area. This zone required a minimum lot area of 8,000 square feet of land, a minimum lot frontage of 65 feet and a minimum width of 65 feet at the front building line. Because many of the lots in North Ridge did not conform to these minimums, the lots became substandard.

The main consequence of substandard platted lots is that, by virtue of a later City Council action, a substandard lot which is in the same ownership as an adjacent lot cannot be developed. Recently, City Council voted to revise that provision to allow those substandard lots to be developed with a special use permit if they meet one of two tests which assures that the substandard lot is substantially the same size and width as most of the lots in the same block face.

A second consequence of substandard lots is that under the current zoning code, buildings located on these substandard lots may not conform to the yard restrictions of the zone in which they are located. Consequently, these homeowners have not been permitted to make improvements such as adding a porch, making an addition, or adding a patio or deck as a matter of right. Instead, they have been forced to apply to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance, and to make a case for hardship.

GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goals of this plan are to protect and preserve existing residential areas and to protect the residential neighborhoods from non-local traffic. These goals translate into the following objectives:

• Protect the residential nature of the study area by changing commercial and industrially zoned sites to zones more appropriate adjacent to residential areas and by controlling professional home occupations in residential zones.

• Protect the density and scale of existing residential areas by allowing the development of substandard vacant lots with a SUP only when the size and dimensions of the lots are essentially identical to existing developed lots.

• Ensure preservation of existing open space and, if opportunities occur, expand the amount of recreational or open space in the area.

• Discourage improvements to local streets when such improvements will bring through traffic into the study area.

LAND USE RECOMMENDATIONS

Map 5 shows the existing (1974) land use plan for the area. The proposed land use concept is shown on Map 6, and the specific proposed land use is shown on Map 7. The land use reflects the existing primarily residential character of the area. There are significant institutional land uses throughout the study area and several parks.

There are four areas of commercial use in North Ridge/Rosemont. These include the triangle north of I-395, the west end of Dogwood Drive, a funeral home at Braddock and Kenwood Roads, and an auto repair shop at Four Mile Run and West Glebe Road.

The land north of Charles Barrett School and along the south side of West Glebe Road, previously designated for industrial use, has been proposed for redesignation to commercial, residential and park uses.

Each of the proposed changes to the land use plan is shown on Map 8 and described below.

Recommendations:

1. From Undesignated on the 1974 Land Use Plan to Office Commercial High

   The existing use is primarily the Shirlington Gateway office building. The change reflects this use.

2. From Commercial to Residential Medium

   The existing use is the Parkfairfax maintenance yard and buildings, an accessory use to the Parkfairfax residential condominium.

3. From Commercial to Commercial General

   The existing use of this site is an auto repair garage. Commercial General is appropriate for auto-related commercial uses.

4. From Commercial to Utility/Transportation

   The property is former railroad right-of-way that runs along the south side of West Glebe Road just north of the Charles Barrett school. This strip of land is owned by VEPCO but has easements that allow it to be used by the school for recreational purposes.

5. From Residential Low and Residential Medium to Utility/Transportation

   This change reflects the current use of the site as a parking lot for VEPCO.

6. Residential Low and Residential Medium to Institutional

   The existing uses on these sites are the Fair Park Baptist Church and the Church of St. Clement. The change would reflect the current use and be in keeping with the townhouses that share the block.

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Map 5

1974 Land Use Plan

RL - Residential Low RM - Residential Medium C - Commercial Park - Parks and Open Space INS. - Institutional

North Ridge/Rosemont

18

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Map 6 Land Use Concept (1992)

North Ridge/Rosemont

19

Ord. number unknown, Please refer to the Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan for exact boundaries.

Ord. 4321 RM

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Map 7

North Ridge/Rosemont

Land Use

as amended

RL - Residential Low RM - Residential Medium RH - Residential High CL - Commercial Low CG - Commercial General OCH - Office Commercial High U/T - Utility/Transportation INS - Institutional

Amended 12/16/03, Ord. 4321 Amended 3/18/06, Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan, Ord. number unknown

North Ridge/Rosemont 20

This map is for historic reference only, For currently approved land use, please see Map 7.

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Map 8 (1992)

Proposed Land Use Changes

1. From not shown to OCH
2. From C to RM
3. From C to CG
4. From C to U/T
5. From RL and RM to U/T
6. From RL and RM to INST
7. From RL to CL
8. From C to RM
9. From RL to RM
10. From RM to P

North Ridge/Rosemont 21

7. From Residential Low to Commercial Low

This is Everly Wheatley funeral home, a use which is most appropriately located in a commercial area. The Commercial Low land use designation allows very low density commercial development, which would be compatible with the adjoining medium density residential. More intense commercial activity is not appropriate for this site.

8. From Commercial to Residential Medium

This change reflects the existing residential use of the site.

9. From Residential Low to Residential Medium

This reflects the construction of the Devon Place townhouses.

10. From Residential Medium to Parks and Open Space

This reflects the existing use of the space.

ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS

Please see Map 7 for currently approved land use.

The existing zoning for the area is shown on Map 9, and the proposed zoning is shown on Map 10. The proposed zoning is based on the Proposed Land Use Map. The Plan recommends no changes to residential zones. All of the commercial and industrial designations are changed.

Each of the proposed changes to zoning is shown on Map 11 and detailed below.

1. Rezone from I-1 and C-2 to a zone consistent with Office Commercial High

The property is along the northern half of the triangle north of I-395. The change reflects current use of this site for the Shirlington Gateway office building.

2. Rezone I-1 to R-B

The property is north of Charles Barrett School and is owned by Parkfairfax. The condominium uses this property for maintenance and repair work. RB zoning will continue to allow accessory uses as a function of the Parkfairfax condominium.

3. From I-1 to a zone consistent with the Commercial General land use designation

This is an auto-repair garage. Designated for Commercial General on the proposed land use, the site should be zoned accordingly. The CG zoning should allow for the existing use and similar auto-oriented commercial activity, but should not allow for redevelopment in high density commercial uses.

4. From I-1 to a zone consistent with the Utility/Transportation land use designation

The property is former railroad right of way that runs along the south side of West Glebe Road just north of the Charles Barrett school. This strip of land is owned by VEPCO but has easements that allow it to be used by the school for recreational purposes.

This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps page, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 9 - Existing Zoning

This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps page, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 10 - Proposed Zoning

This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps page, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 11 - Proposed Zoning Changes

5. From I-1 and RA to a zone consistent with the Utility/Transportation land use designation

This is a VEPCO parking lot. The proposed Utility/Transportation zone would allow the existing use or some other VEPCO related use. The Utility zone would be designed to restrict use of the site to utility related functions whereas the existing industrial zone allows a wide variety of uses including high density office which is not appropriate near lower density residential areas.

6-11. From RB, R-8 and R-5 to a zone consistent with the Park and Open Space land use designation.

These are all public parks within the North Ridge/Rosemont Area.

12. From C-2 to RB

This is the St. Clemens Church. Although designated Institutional on the land use plan to reflect the church use, an Institutional zone is not envisioned for the City. The site is recommended for rezoning to the RB zone which is located on all of the surrounding parcels. If the church was ever to leave, this would ensure residential redevelopment.

13. From C-1 to a zone consistent with the Commercial Low land use designation

The Everly Wheatley Funeral Home was designated Commercial Low in the land use plan. The CL zoning should allow for this existing use and only very low intensity commercial uses which would not impact the surrounding medium density residential areas. Residential uses would also be appropriate for this site.

Other Zoning Recommendations

14. Study the desirability of changing the R-8 zone

Any change in the existing R-8 zoning would have two purposes. First, to make it easier to improve existing property and second, to protect residential areas from redevelopment at excessive densities.

15. Promote Affordable Housing

A study of alternatives will be developed with the consultation of residents in order to promote the area's "fair share" of affordable housing, while preserving the current housing stock and the value thereof for current residents.

For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map located on the GIS Standard Maps page, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

HEIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS

Map 12 shows the existing height limits, and Map 13 shows the proposed height limits for the area. Map 14 details the differences between the existing and proposed height limits. The height limits are those dictated by the proposed zoning.

TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

Delays along King Street could be alleviated by improvements at the King, Braddock, Quaker intersection and at the underpass east of the King and Russell intersection. However, these improvements will increase the amount of traffic flow, and mitigating alternatives such as those addressed in Plan Recommendations will need to be pursued.

Valley Drive from West Glebe Road to Allison Street and Gunston Road from Quaker Lane to Valley Drive should be designated residential collectors instead of primary collectors.

The City should undertake a comprehensive transportation study and identify the transportation systems management actions needed for efficient traffic flow.

⬚ figure

Map 12 (1992) Existing Height Limits

North Ridge/Rosemont

28

⬚ figure

Amended 11/12/22, Ord. 5462

Map 13 North Ridge/Rosemont Height Limits, as amended

Ord. 5462 45’

North Ridge/Rosemont

29

⬚ figure

Map 14 (1992)

Proposed Height Limit Changes

1. From 77' to 45'
2. From 77' to 50'
3. From 77' to 50'
4. From 45' to 35'
5. From 60' to 45'
6. From 60' to 35'
7. From 45' to 35'
8. From 45' to 35'
9. From 77' to 50'

North Ridge/Rosemont

30