MetroWest (Virginia)
MetroWest is a transit-oriented development being developed by Pulte Homes (residential) and CRC (previously Clark Realty) (commercial) adjacent to the Vienna Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia. It replaces 65 single-family detached houses with a mixed-use neighborhood including up to 1,174 residential units, up to 190,000 square feet (18,000 m2) of retail space, and up to 1,000,000 square feet (90,000 m2) of office space. The north boundary is Saintsbury Drive (south of the southern entrance to the Vienna/Fairfax Metro station), and the south boundary is Lee Highway (U.S. 29). In July 2009, Fairfax County approved Pulte's request to change the allocation of space to provide more office space and less apartment space.
The project spurred significant local opposition due to its relative density compared to the surrounding area, which is generally suburban in character. Neighbors fear increased development will lead to increased traffic congestion, while planners argue that dense development clustered near transit stations and diverse land uses generates less traffic congestion on a per unit basis than low density development, and is the only way to reduce or manage congestion on a regional basis.
The primary proposal was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 27, 2006, to incorporate all of the former Fairlee residential subdivision, as well as some adjacent parcels. Fairlee was razed at the time the project was approved, construction begun in 2007.
In addition to a Transportation Demand Management Plan to reduce congestion in the development's immediate vicinity, Pulte released a list of proffers as agreed to with Fairfax County. Among these are commitments to maximum density, construction schedule, and amenities/buildings accessible to all (such as a community center, seasonal skating rink and town square).
Development was postponed due to a housing market correction that has impacted Fairfax County as well as most densely populated areas in the United States, but finally began in November 2008. In June 2009, Pulte requested a modification to the plan to swap out approximately 700,000 square feet (65,000 m2) of planned residential space for use as office instead; this request was approved by Fairfax County in July 2009, reducing the total number of planned residential units to 1,174.
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