Two lawsuits against the Town of Vienna have been resolved now that Sunrise Senior Living’s plans are moving forward to occupy a different Maple Avenue location.
Steven Briglia, the town’s attorney, told the Town Council on Monday (March 9) that “soon the ink will be dry on both.”
The first lawsuit involved a Vienna couple suing town officials for approving the rezoning for a mixed-use development at 380 Maple Avenue.
“The parties have agreed it can be dismissed with prejudice,” he said. “It has been removed from the court docket.”
The mixed-use development site is now being considered for a Sunrise Senior Living Facility.
After the Town Council killed Sunrise’s original plans to bring a facility at the corner of Maple Avenue and Center Street, Sunrise sued Vienna officials for $30 million.
Sunrise then proposed to take over the 380 Maple Avenue spot and its plans have been moving forward with the town.
Briglia said that on Friday (March 6) that the Sunrise has agreed to drop the case.
“They are very happy with locating to 380 [Maple Avenue] and to move forward on that,” he said, adding that the non-suit “will remove the cloud on that property.”
The Vienna Town Council voted last night (Monday) to back plans to turn a previously approved mixed-use development along Maple Avenue into a Sunrise Senior Living Facility.
Sunrise is looking to open an 85-unit assisted living facility at 380 Maple Avenue — the site of an approved redevelopment for multi-family condos. The facility would have 950 square feet of restaurant and cafe space, structured parking and public art.
The Vienna Town Council killed plans last year for a Sunrise facility farther up Maple Avenue. Dennis Rice, the owner and developer at 380 Maple Avenue, has said that having the assisted living facility on his site could address neighbors’ concerns about the condos.
“I think this might be a win-win for the town and the residents,” Councilmember Howard Springsteen said last night.
Residents who testified at the public hearing mostly agreed that the new plans are a better fit for the neighborhood, with one calling it a “better building.”
However, most of the 10 people who testified did have some sort of concern, like worries about light pollution from the proposed acorn lights, size and pedestrian safety along Wade Hampton Drive SW and Glen Avenue SW.
“I support this project even though it remains too big,” resident C. John Pott said.
“We hope to pretend the building isn’t even there and those lights will destroy our illusions,” one resident said about the lights.
Several councilmembers said they are open to residents’ pleas to close — or place cut-thru signs at — Wade Hampton Drive or look into adding sidewalks along Glen Avenue and Wade Hampton Drive.
“If this project goes forward, it would be nice to put sidewalks on Glen [Avenue] and try to close Wade Hampton [Drive],” Springsteen said. “We can close Wade Hampton [Drive] very quickly at very little cost.”
Most of the people who testified praised Sunrise for having representatives listen to neighbors’ feedback on the proposal.
The Vienna Town Council approved Sunrise’s amended proffers and modification requests after the hearing.
Plans to turn a previously approved mixed-use development into a Sunrise Senior Living Facility are set to head to the Vienna Town Council next week.
Sunrise wants to open an assisted living facility at 380 Maple Avenue — the site of an approved redevelopment for multi-family condos — after the Vienna Town Council killed plans last year for a Sunrise facility farther up Maple Avenue.
The former plans for both projects faced backlash. Sunrise’s original plans for a site at the corner of Maple Avenue and Center Street received a myriad of concerns from residents and councilmembers over parking, retail space and the downtown location.
Meanwhile, residents questioned if the town had properly notified Fairfax County about the proposed rezoning (which it hadn’t) and raised safety concerns about the narrowing of Wade Hampton Drive for the condos at 380 Maple Avenue.
But with the two projects now looking to combine, Dennis Rice, the owner and developer at 380 Maple Avenue, has said that having the assisted living facility on his site could address neighbors’ lingering concerns.
The council will hold a public hearing on the plans on Monday night (Jan. 27). The meeting starts at 8 p.m. at Town Hall (127 S. Center Street).
Image via Town of ViennaÂ
Land along the Dulles Toll Road may get developed into a residential community for people ages 60 and older.
Pulte Homes is looking to turn almost 5 acres of land — four consolidated parcels — at the northwestern intersection of the Dulles Toll Road and Spring Hill Road into 59 dwelling units: 36 multi-family units in one building, 14 single-family attached units and nine affordable units.
“The affordable dwelling units comprise 15% of the total number of units,” according to county documents.
According to county documents, the development would include:
- a four-story multi-family building with 32 two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units atop of parking podium
- open space with a 2,000-square-foot clubhouse and pickle ball and bocce ball courts
- housing for roughly 80-100 residents
The community would have a villa-style architectural design with a “slightly more contemporary with a flat roof,” the documents say. The land currently has several aging single-family homes.
“The Applicant believes that this community will appeal to residents in McLean and the surrounding area who are seeking to downsize and enjoy less maintenance of their homes while continuing to live in the community,” according to the documents.
A Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing on the proposal is tentatively slated for June 10.
Image via Google Maps
Sunrise’s new proposal to build a senior living facility at 380 Maple Avenue will go before the Town of Vienna’s zoning and architectural review boards this week.
The new plans include approximately 950 square feet of ground-floor restaurant space and 85 assisted living units and common areas, along with structured parking and one level of underground parking, according to town documents.
Tonight (Wednesday), the plans head to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a public hearing on the request for the conditional use permit.
Then on Thursday (Dec. 19), the Board of Architectural Review will hold a public hearing on exterior modifications for Sunrise’s plan.
Both public hearings start at 8 p.m. at the Vienna Town Hall (127 Center Street S.)
Image via Sunrise
Vienna residents voiced support for new plans for Sunrise Senior Living Facility to use the spot of an approved mixed-use development to the town’s Planning Commission.
Sunrise wants to come to the site of an approved mixed-use development at 380 Maple Avenue after the Vienna Town Council killed Sunrise’s controversial plans for a facility farther up Maple Avenue.
At last night’s meeting, locals praised Sunrise for listening to and incorporating feedback from residents for its plans.
In September, the owner and developer behind the mixed-use development told the Vienna Town Council that selling the project to an assisted living facility could address neighbors’ concerns.
Now, Sunrise wants Vienna officials to approve its tweaks to the approved building designs and use at 380 Maple Avenue.
Representatives from Sunrise said that they want to make “minimal changes” to the previously approved building design for 380 Maple Avenue, adding that they are mindful of the location as a “gateway to the town.”
The majority of the roughly half of a dozen people who testified at the public hearing said they support the project, but do have lingering concerns about cut-thru traffic on Wade Hampton Drive.
Most of the discussion at the meeting focused on whether or not adding time-restrictions to the road would address the issue.
“I really do appreciate the look of the building,” resident C. John Pott told the commissioners before echoing concerns about traffic and safety.
By the end of the meeting, the Planning Commission indicated support for the new plans. The proposal now heads to the Board of Zoning Appeals and Town Council for consideration.
If the changes are approved by the Town Council, a Sunrise representative said that the facility would take 20-24 months to build.
Three images via Sunrise; map via Google Maps
Vienna’s Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing this week on Sunrise Senior Living’s new proposed spot in the town.
After the Vienna Town Council killed plans for a Sunrise facility farther up Maple Avenue, Sunrise now wants to move to an approved mixed-use development at 380 Maple Avenue.
The spot is currently the site of a contentious, approved redevelopment, which would add a four-floor building with ground-floor retail and multi-family condominium units.
The hearing is set to start at 8 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at Town Hall (127 Center Street).
Sunrise is eyeing the site of an approved mixed-use development after the Vienna Town Council killed plans for a Sunrise facility farther up Maple Avenue.
Now, Sunrise wants to open an assisted living facility at 380 Maple Avenue, according to a Nov. 1 submission to the town.
That spot is currently the site of a contentious, approved redevelopment, which would add a four-floor building with ground-floor retail and multi-family condominium units at 380 Maple Avenue.
From Families to Seniors
The Vienna Town Council approved the plans for 380 Maple Avenue in June. But after new councilmembers joined in July, the Vienna Town Council decided to hold a public hearing on possibly rescinding the rezoning application.
In September, Dennis Rice, the owner and developer behind the development at 380 Maple Avenue, told the Vienna Town Council that selling the project to an assisted living facility could address neighbors’ lingering concerns.
“I think the town needs an assisted living facility, and it’s a good location for it,” Rice told the council in September, adding that having the development house seniors instead of families would eliminate concerns about the number of new students going to local schools.
First Proposed Facility Faced Backlash
Sunrise’s original plans to bring a facility to the Maple Avenue and Center Street received a myriad of concerns from residents and councilmembers over parking, retail and the downtown location.
In June, outgoing Councilmember Tara Bloch put forward a motion to approve the project, which would have needed five “yes” votes to pass because of a protest petition, and the Town Council ended up rejecting the proposed 82-unit facility with a 3-4 vote.
A month later, Sunrise Senior Living decided to sue Vienna officials for $30 million, alleging that the Town Council’s rejection violated the Virginia Fair Housing Law by discriminating against seniors and people with disabilities and that the Town Council treated Sunrise differently from other developers seeking rezoning under the Maple Avenue Commercial Zone.
The Town of Vienna disputes the allegation that the council violated the Virginia Fair Housing Law, according to Town Attorney Steve Briglia.
Next StepsÂ
Town officials will soon look over Sunrise’s new plans.
The Board of Architectural Review is scheduled to discuss the facility at its work session tomorrow (Friday) at 8 a.m.
Next Wednesday (Nov. 13), the Planning Commission’s work session is set to focus on a proposed proffer amendment and conditional use permit for Sunrise.
Image via Town of Vienna, map via Google Maps
The McLean Medical Building’s days are numbered now that Sunrise Senior Living is building a senior living facility on the site.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently approved the facility, which will add 140 beds, 40 employees at peak times and a public garden, along with open space for private use by the residents.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust praised Sunrise at the meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 15), calling the facility’s public garden “an excellent contribution to downtown McLean.”
Sunrise tried to bring a senior living facility to McLean two years ago.
In 2017, the board nixed Sunrise’s plans to open a facility at 1988 Kirby Road over concerns that it would overwhelm the surrounding residential area and worsen traffic.
“The last time Sunrise came before this board in Dranesville, it wasn’t this much fun,” Foust said. “The funny thing was a lot of the testimony pointed to this [location].”
Now, Sunrise plans to raze the McLean Medical Building on the site at 1515 Chain Bridge Road. A historical link was uncovered earlier this year tying the building, which is not listed on any official historical register, to the doctor behind the first polio vaccine.
“They have taken the perfect site and done it exactly right,” Foust said.
First image via DPZ, second image via Fairfax County
Plans are no longer in the works for an assisted living facility in the Vienna area after facing criticism by the Planning Commission and residents.
The proposed 86-bed facility would provide accommodations for people with dementia or memory loss at 2347 Hunter Mill Road, adjacent to the United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd.
The applicant, Orr-BSL Hunter Mill, LLC, wanted to build a two-story building with approximately 43,680 square feet of space, along with outdoor courtyards and a garden for the facility’s residents.
Fairfax County planners gave the proposal a favorable recommendation in the staff report, writing,”In staff’s opinion, the development has been thoughtfully designed to be compatible with adjacent residential uses and to preserve the property’s rural character.”
Many residents opposed the proposed project during a four-hour-long public hearing in July, arguing to the Planning Commission that the proposal does not meet the county’s comprehensive-plan requirements.
Some of the commissioners agreed — including John Carter, the commissioner who oversees the Hunter Mill District.
Carter and another commissioner brought up a long list of issues with the proposal and special needs of the site at the Sept. 12 meeting — like pointing out that emergency vehicles might have trouble traveling to and from the site, which has a two-lane scenic by-way policy.
Carter also said the proposed facility’s size would not fit in with surrounding buildings. “It’s a football field in length,” he said.
Carter deferred the proposal indefinitely — essentially killing it since he said that other developers are eying the site.
“This is only one case. I expect more cases on this site,” he said.
Dranesville District John Ulfelder added that the site is pending being listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
While Ulfelder said that schools and churches would be appropriate on the site, he said that he was worried that a medical facility would “erode” the site’s history.
The application was withdrawn at the end of September.
Image via Fairfax County
