A new 28-home subdivision could be coming to Lee Highway just west of Merrifield, replacing a private, heavily forested plot on the Bear Branch stream.
Today, the 10-acre lot is mainly forested with a few small buildings. A narrow gravel road is closed off with a fence, but maps show it leads to a small clearing at the center of the property.
The new development will replace that woodland with new houses, with 1.8 acres preserved and dedicated to the Fairfax County Park Authority. The application notes that 86 percent of the current vegetation on the property will be destroyed.
The new homes would be located on the northern border of Armistead Park, an 11-acre public park. A six-foot-wide trail would also connect the existing trail in Armistead Park to Lee Highway.
The application says an existing pond on the property will be rehabilitated as an amenity for residents, with a dock and seating area for fishing or community gatherings.
An application for the subdivision was filed in December, with pre-staffing for the project scheduled for next Monday (March 18). The subdivision is tentatively scheduled for a Planning Commission hearing in July.
Photo via Google Maps