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TextSpringfield Connectivity
At the direction of the
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Department of Planning and
Zoning and the Department of Transportation initiated the Springfield
Connectivity Study to address several challenges and opportunities facing
Springfield, Virginia. The Springfield study area includes the
land area surrounding the interchange of Interstate-95 and Franconia
Road, generally located south of Interstate-495. The Study examines
both the recommendations offered by a May 2006 Urban Land Institute
Advisory Services Panel report and the challenges associated with the
2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) actions for Fort Belvoir,
which will affect the Springfield area. ULI presented their
recommendations on Springfield to the Lee District and other interested
parties on May 26, 2006: ULI Final
Presentation: Springfield, Virginia, May 26, 2006.
The Final Report of the Connectivity Study recommends improvements for the Springfield area in regards to multimodal accessibility and mobility and to revitalize its urban form into a walkable, vibrant, and active community. In order to achieve this vision for Springfield, staff worked with a consultant team to test a series of land use and transportation alternative. The impacts of each alternative were measured by assessing elements, such as potential needed roadway improvements, levels of public transit ridership, and the ability to improve vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle functions. The following documents are the final products, dated August 2008, from the study:
Springfield Connectivity Study Final Report
Executive
Summary
Existing
Conditions and Plans Report
Final
Report Part 1: Transportation and Land Use Evaluation: The
Transportation and Land Use Evaluation describes each of the land
use and transportation scenarios in detail, providing floor-to-area
ratios (FAR), jobs-to-household ratios, and depictions of the various
transportation networks. This report volume also describes the
preferred alternative and its included elements.
Final
Report Part 2: Framework Plans and Street Typology: The
Framework Plans and Street Typology explores the urban design
concepts and organizing principles for the study area. The
Framework Plans illustrate improvements to the urban realm that support
improved connectivity relative to future development and redevelopment
for the preferred alternative.
Recent Activities
On June 1, 2009 the Board of Supervisors authorized Plan Amendment (PA) S09-CW-3CP (formerly S09-IV-FS1), in an effort to bring together the final report recommendations of the Springfield Connectivity Study and the land use changes proposed in several BRAC Area Plans Review (APR) nominations, located in the Springfield area (BRAC APR 08-IV-5FS, 08-IV-7FS, and 08-IV-9FS). The subject area for the Plan amendment included the study area for the Springfield Connectivity Study (the Franconia-Springfield Transit Station Area and the Springfield Community Revitalization District), in addition to several parcels that were nominated in BRAC APR 08-IV-7FS, adjacent to the study area. Click here for the map of the Plan amendment study area and the BRAC nominations.
The PA authorization requested that staff evaluate the transportation and placemaking recommendations from the Connectivity Study to determine if these elements could facilitate the revitalization of the Springfield subject area. A land use “strawman” was created for the areas involved in BRAC APR nominations, which consists of two, incremental levels of redevelopment. The "strawman" was presented to the Lee District Land Use Committee on June 22, 2009 and was modified, based on comments received, to the July 29, 2009 version. These land use scenarios are currently being evaluated.
Staff Report for Plan Amendment S09-IV-CW3 and the Proposed Text
Plan Amendment S09-CW-3CP proposed revisions to the Franconia-Springfield Area of the Comprehensive Plan, including the Springfield Community Business Center (CBC) and the Franconia-Springfield Transit Station Area. The revisions primarily focused on new areawide guidance pertaining to urban design, streetscape and placemaking concepts. Portions of the CBC, north and south of Old Keene Mill Road were recommended for redevelopment as an urban village and commuter parking facility, respectively. The amendment also reorganized the structure of the Plan text for the Franconia-Springfield Area and remove the Engineer Proving Ground recommendations from the area guidance. Copies of the report are available from the Department of Planning and Zoning, Suite 730, Herrity Building, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, Virginia, (703) 324-1380
Chapter 1: Staff Report for PA S09-CW-3CP
Chapter 2: Proposed Comprehensive Plan Text for PA S09-CW-3CP
Proposed Areawide Text
Proposed Land Unit Text
Proposed Urban Design and Streetscape Guidance (Appendix)
Associated Modifications Proposed to the Springfield Planning District
Text
Chapter 3: Attachments
Attachment
I: Summary of 2008 BRAC APR Nominations in the
Franconia-Springfield Area, August 6, 2009
Attachment II: Draft Strawman Alternative for Springfield
CBC, July 29, 2009
Attachment III: Proposed Franconia-Springfield Land Unit
Map
Attachment IV: VDOT comments on Chapter 527 Review
Attachment V: 2030 Background Volumes for Chapter 527
BRAC APR Applications
Attachment VI: Proposed Comprehensive Plan Land Use Figure
Changes
Public Hearings & Actions
The Fairfax County Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed Plan Amendment on Wednesday, December 9, 2009. The Planning Commission voted unanimously in support of the nomination with two minor modifications. One modification related to the proposed Transportation Map on page 27 of the staff-recommended text. The second modification involved the text that addresses the northern edge of the Springfield CBC. The Planning Commission verbatim can be found on the Planning Commission's website. The recommendations pertaining to the Springfield CBC, as modified at the public hearing, can be located here.
The Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the Plan amendment on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the amendment as recommended by the Planning Commission with a few, minor revisions to further revise the map notations and to add language that addresses interim uses and by-right development within the study area. The Clerk to the Board of Supervisors' Summary for the January 12, 2010 meeting can be found on the Board of Supervisors' website. The modifications, as adopted by the Board, can be found here.
Adopted Text for Plan Amendment S09-CW-3CP (Adopted No. 2007-17)
Website Survey 