Winchester BZA Grants Waiver For Planned Cedar Creek Place

City of Winchester:

“The owner of a proposed apartment complex was granted a waiver Wednesday to construct one building a bit taller than allowed in part because the structure is being built into the side of a hill. The Winchester Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5-0 to grant the variance request for Cedar Creek Place LLC. In December, City Council rezoned the property so the company, headed by Scott Rosenfeld, could build 132 apartments and about 10,000 square feet of commercial space at 940 Cedar Creek Grade.

But the topography of the lot — it sloped 31 feet from back to front — created an issue for the developer. One of two four-story buildings planned on the site would measure 59 feet, 6 inches on the elevation facing Cedar Creek Grade. City regulations stipulate that the street-facing elevation is the one used, and the maximum height allowed is 55 feet.

Don Crigler, of city-based DFC Architects, told board members that many area jurisdictions use average elevations to determine the building height, and the average for the unit in question was below the maximum (less than 54 feet). He also said the other four-story building on the site has the same configuration, but it is perpendicular to Cedar Creek Grade and its side elevation is less than 55 feet. The design calls for garages to be on the ground level of the building with four residential floors above it. However, Crigler said the garages only make use of the slope into which the structure is built and do not add to the height.”

~ Writes Vic Bradshaw of The Winchester Star

Click here to learn more

BZA Denies Appeal on Single Family Home in Resort District

Colonial Beach

“On Nov. 19, Colonial Beach property owner Sharron Fortier appealed the decision of Colonial Beach Building and Zoning Director Gary Mitchell, who had determined that, according to Article 7 of the zoning ordinance, her property, located in the town’s resort commercial district, could not be used as a single-family dwelling. Coincidentally, in September of this year, amendments to Article 7 were put on hold at the town’s council level by now-former council member Tim Curtin, and three other council members. The changes proposed to Article 7 did not affect the section of the ordinance that covers the disallowance of single-family dwellings within the Commercial Resort District.

At the Nov. 14 regular town council meeting, the council unanimously passed Ordinance 635, approving amendments to Article 7 of the building and zoning ordinance, after it had been tabled back in September.”

~Writes Linda Farneth of The Journal

Click here to learn more

City’s Planning Head Seeks to Overturn City Zoning Administrator’s Order

City of Falls Church

“It seemed likely to be a contentious meeting of Falls Church City’s Zoning Board of Appeals. On the agenda for tonight’s meeting was the rare situation of one City official asking the board to overturn another City official’s order. Jim Snyder, the City’s planning director, had filed a motion seeking to overturn an order by City Zoning Administrator John Boyle. Mr. Boyle’s ruling would have allowed the new owners of an historic house at 311 Grove Avenue to demolish the home.

But the meeting was abruptly canceled Thursday afternoon, just hours after the Falls Church Times wrote about the issue. City Attorney John Foster informed Mr. Snyder that, in his opinion, Mr. Snyder lacked standing to file the appeal. At this juncture, it is unclear why, making an already bizarre situation even more so.”

~Writes Stephen Siegel of the Falls Church Times

Click here to learn more