Vienna Town Council to Hold Hearing on Rescinding Approved Rezoning for Maple Avenue Project

After voting a little more than two weeks ago to approve plans to redevelop 380 Maple Avenue, the Vienna Town Council has decided to hold a public hearing on possibly rescinding the rezoning application.

Back in May, the Town Council delayed voting on the proposed project after a resident questioned if the town had notified Fairfax County about the proposed rezoning, which the town hadn’t, and then again at the beginning of June to allow residents and the developer more time to try to reach a consensus through a mediation process.

The Town Council approved the redevelopment, which would add a mixed-use, four-floor building with ground floor retail and more than three dozen multi-family residential condominium units, during its June 17 meeting.

At the latest meeting on Monday (July 1), Town Manager Mercury Payton said that Councilmembers Howard Springsteen and Pasha Majdi requested in late June that a motion to rescind the rezoning application be placed on the agenda for the Monday meeting.

During the Town Council’s meeting Monday night, Majdi shared some of the underlying reasons to revisit the project and, instead of having a motion to rescind, Majdi suggested a joint public hearing with the Planning Commission to review the issues.

“For the rezoning application, I think there were some mistakes made, and I think there are some changes in circumstances we need to recognize,” Majdi said.

First, Majdi said that there was an open question about whether Fairfax County ever received proper notification about the rezoning in a timely fashion. Additionally, Majdi said that safety concerns about the narrowing of Wade Hampton Drive and a new state law about proffers for rezoning applications as reasons for considering rescindment.

“Proffers are probably the most important of a rezoning application,” Majdi said. “The proffer law has changed effective today [July 1].”

The council voted 5-2 — with Mayor Laurie DiRocco and Councilmember Linda Colbert voting no — to hold the public hearing on Monday, July 15.

The meeting on Monday also saw two newcomers sworn onto the council — local small business owner Nisha Patel and Steve Potter, who is a founding member of the Vienna Citizens for Responsible Development.

Photo via Town of Vienna Planning and Zoning