[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6644388,"mediaKeyId","5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1","parentId",5346865,"title","Developer seeks rezoning for 4131 Cambridge Road; council holds work session on 276‑unit mixed‑use proposal","audioSeconds",4652,"startMs",1746000,"endMs",6398000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1&start=1746&end=6398","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1/thumbnail_1746000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6644388/Fairfax-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Developer-seeks-rezoning-for-4131-Cambridge-Road-council-holds-work-session-on-276unit-mixeduse-proposal","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644388-1102615e14fddeac3e3d12c0cbf227d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146646&Signature=RsG6XRtPk8be0V~EM6aPqIj282nV3yazhLbWOnANitfBEmIUz-uL6MroBPwTOU76QBdUQMQQtLLhno8FO76kCDOiu-p555oBdnRUaFQrvrQePGJyj896x75~P0tzZekRglUdCw~aW90qlkmCuDm6~zEKbn~ZD2ngVefp~A9qtqvQNcGDKIYKakkHiWIAH4BMsoXxbIcRTET9GVU3aM2okD~CTdB7Vg7u7b6EH6W6aMY6APJwbntEiRzCZ~eV2DXMH8xqh0pwCxzxr7e1nJL9J4wHT4E~0tR85DjVhVjHlB85Q9eCxaNJhqGIVWNnHrkmgXdIYJMBy7JCEV2CJb7b3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fairfax City","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","At a Jan. 28 work session, Fairfax City staff and the applicants for 4131 Cambridge Road outlined a revised plan to rezone the Davie(s) property to Commercial Urban and approve a general development plan for an upper‑story mixed‑use project that would include 276 apartments, roughly 6,400 square feet of street‑front retail, about 4,200 square feet of office space and three levels of structured parking.

The project team, led by Paradigm Development Company on behalf of Hill & Davies LLC, told the council the application reduces density and height from earlier submissions and provides a 43‑foot greenway across the site with a 15‑foot clear maintenance/pedestrian path in the center. Michelin Caston Smith, Paradigm’s principal on the project, said the team has revised the design after multiple reviews and “we appreciate the opportunity to walk through the project and to hear your comments and thoughts.”

City planner Albert Frederick told council the property, in the Old Town small area plan and the activity center place type, would require a zoning map amendment from the current residential medium district to the Commercial Urban (CU) district and multiple special exceptions. Frederick summarized the proposal and the outstanding technical items: sanitary sewer capacity to be addressed (the developer will either upgrade downstream mains or show calculations demonstrating the system can support the development); a traffic impact study that staff had just received and was reviewing; undergrounding of on‑site utilities with noted inconsistencies in the plans; and approvals/permission needed to remove off‑site trees.

Architect Luis Montes Delgado said the design attempts to follow the Old Town small area plan and transition overlay district guidelines by stepping the mass toward University Drive, using differing material palettes to reflect the Cambridge Road and University Drive contexts, and placing roof mechanicals away from pedestrian view. He noted one of the primary design challenges is topography: Cambridge Road is roughly 24 feet higher than University Drive.

Landscape architect John Lytle described the proposed greenway and streetscape. He said the 43‑foot cross‑section includes a central 15‑foot grass‑paved maintenance drive and pedestrian path and raised planters over the parking garage to obtain sufficient soil volume for tree canopy. “We are actually meeting canopy now with this design. We are at 10%,” Lytle said, referring to the city’s canopy target for the site.

The applicant is requesting several special exceptions, according to staff and the project attorney David Houston: relief from the CU district’s 75% ground‑floor nonresidential requirement for mixed‑use buildings; a density increase well above the 24 dwelling units per acre currently tied to the CU district (the applicant’s submission would amount to about 102 units per acre on the less‑than‑3‑acre site); and height relief to exceed the 40–48 foot limit in the transition overlay district. Frederick said the Planning Commission found the current submission an improvement over earlier concepts but that the number of exceptions reflects the mismatch between the small area plan’s urban recommendations and the older zoning code.

Council members and staff pressed the applicant on technical and operational matters. Questions included whether the greenway would accommodate emergency access (the applicant and the fire marshal described a plan in which emergency personnel can reach pedestrians from the main access drive while a 15‑foot central zone would allow limited service vehicle access), whether the private east‑west access drive should have sidewalks on both sides (the applicant requested relief from installing a sidewalk on the north side), whether short‑term curbside spaces were sufficient for ride‑hailing and deliveries (the applicant later added several short‑term spaces off the access drive), and how trash and loading would be handled (the applicant described internal loading areas and a chute/down to a central trash room for each building with private, daily pickup).

Frederick also told council the sanitary sewer capacity study shows the site will increase flows and that the applicant must either upgrade mains or otherwise demonstrate adequate sewer capacity. Staff said the transportation impact study had just been submitted and was under review.

The project team said the application includes 17 affordable dwelling units (6% of the total, which the applicant said reflects the city’s current minimum requirement for projects over 30 units), 424 structured parking spaces spanning both buildings, and public‑access easements for the greenway. Owner Gail Bankhead Davies described the property’s family history and said the owners prefer a redevelopment that they believe fits the block and Old Town’s future character.

Frederick outlined next steps: staff will issue a comment letter addressing technical and Planning Commission input; the applicant will submit revised materials; if needed the council could hold another work session; and once comments and requirements are satisfied the application would move to public hearings before the Board of Architectural Review, the Planning Commission and city council.

Council members asked staff to provide the results of the city’s recent historic resources and archaeological work before any final council action, and several members said they wanted to see further refinements on canopy, the amount of ground‑floor commercial, short‑term parking and the alignment and permanence of the greenway as adjacent properties redevelop. No rezoning or formal vote was taken at the work session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting\tJan 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a Jan. 28 work session, Fairfax City staff and the applicants for 4131 Cambridge Road outlined a revised plan to rezone the Davies property to Commercial Urban and approve a general development plan for an upper‑story mixed‑use project that would include 276 apartments, roughly 6,400 square feet of street‑front retail, about 4,200 square feet of office space and three levels of structured parking.","taxTitle","Fairfax City, Fairfax County, Virginia","taxId",59088,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6644383,"Davenport affirms Fairfax City’s AAA ratings; staff warn school tuition spike and project borrowing will press future budgets",405,6402000,6807000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1&start=6402&end=6807","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1/thumbnail_6402000.jpg","/articles/6644383/Fairfax-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Davenport-affirms-Fairfax-Citys-AAA-ratings-staff-warn-school-tuition-spike-and-project-borrowing-will-press-future-budgets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644383-175f97fb8bc16d56d4c744eeb939d0b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146646&Signature=jOR4rjzRKZz-CZ8pwZ1Zu~KbLu3rdTgcUxxH3guXkse2Vfttsj4OEgpBsxRawCu7MvoYP36hE3repNPIuAwG4zAnFdN-pGfz2UJidxZ18fk~n4bfKLGlwmzJXRjuOjxCS45fxAIoafyIcirZ6QKAZ72aRsLaGXf2AnZzA-fZud6lnQKTq8sQC9igWVkfDWQ3G~JZtEiP3JoGqzKw2CFvjdBnBk7APlo7Hi2L5T9mA36dKDNKtEFBNV7N~ksXaF5aXQTFW2xV5DCYlDfuTIGOmRxa42ENsXnYjUy0h2hfd0xqv6wgsHNzqLPJVsBwe74-V109DmoL5-2zXv3jgZPf4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Davenport & Company, the city’s financial adviser, and City Chief Financial Officer J.C. Martinez briefed the council on Jan. 28 and confirmed that Fairfax City retains two triple‑A credit ratings — a position Davenport described as rare and advantageous for borrowing costs.

“Kyle Laux of Davenport said, “You as a city enjoy two triple‑A credit ratings,” noting the ratings were reaffirmed in a recent review. Davenport emphasized the city’s strong, diverse tax base, formal financial policies and low long‑term liabilities as reasons for the affirmation.

Martinez presented the city’s second‑quarter financial review for fiscal year 2025 and said the city was projecting a $1.4 million negative variance for FY 2025 based on the information available as of Jan. 14. Total revenues are running about 3.2% — roughly $6 million — above budget, he said, with drivers including roughly $2.6 million from higher real estate assessments, about $1.3 million in increased state school aid, roughly $700,000 in additional investment earnings, and about $500,000 in personal property tax receipts.

The single largest expense driver is a higher projected Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) tuition payment. Martinez said the city is facing an anticipated roughly $7.2 million increase in its tuition contract payment; after recent large increases the city and schools are discussing the unusual increase and the city expects to pursue further discussions with FCPS and Fairfax County. Martinez said staff would likely use the budget stabilization fund to cover the FY25 shortfall; the planned draw would reduce the budget stabilization fund balance from about 2.6% to an estimated 1.7% of general fund revenues while leaving the city’s unassigned fund balance above the 15% policy minimum.

Looking to FY 2026, Martinez presented a planning projection that assumes no rate changes and conservative revenue growth (roughly 2% annually). That projection showed a possible $11.2 million gap in FY 2026 under current assumptions — equivalent to about a 13.5‑cent increase on the current real estate tax rate if no other offsets are identified. Martinez cautioned these are planning figures and that the city will continue to refine assumptions, including updated revenue estimates and any state or federal developments affecting grants.

Davenport also reviewed the city’s capital plan and the recently approved school referendum the city expects to finance over several years rather than all at once; the firm explained how staggered borrowing and a strong fund balance can preserve the city’s AAA ratings while financing generational projects. Davenport used conservative assumptions, including a 5% interest rate in its planning examples, and noted that a one‑percent sales tax for school construction — a measure approved by some jurisdictions in Virginia via local referendum and then by the General Assembly — would largely cover the proposed school program if that state authorization and local voter approval were to occur in the future.

Council members pressed staff to pursue further dialogue with FCPS about the tuition invoice dynamics and asked for continued updates on transportation, stormwater and other capital assumptions tied to the city’s five‑year capital improvement program.","Davenport and the city CFO reported the city’s two AAA credit ratings were reaffirmed. Staff said FY25 shows a projected $1.4M shortfall driven by a $7.2M tuition bill increase; fund balance remains above policy and a proposed school referendum and future borrowing were discussed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6644385,"Council approves consent agenda; awards $3.13 million Government Center Parkway extension contract",77,481000,558000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1&start=481&end=558","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1/thumbnail_481000.jpg","/articles/6644385/Fairfax-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Council-approves-consent-agenda-awards-313-million-Government-Center-Parkway-extension-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644385-5165de4f7a4eea987db7c649e54f4778/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146646&Signature=bi74NHSE9uaPRtWsJ09qeigFTyjIv5vhlFgQ1HcduNO6yI2B0e7QIYpOZV0swMQM~W5TTlKf~XzOQ2~uldtjfQXkuIgYVqKpjMzR0GY4ou2~Jx5BcTleYyl61le-DndYX8ZeGHNMxwTbfooQxYQ1fdyT7IAFUwwAXDZALpp8AxGzdftjZ7KPgK52rDXGaza-F6EpytW7rbMCG6HowMwC9m0RAg9fTJpegc2FUiMPaAkk-Swo-EPmEsAhLpbx9ZfsEuM9zW4GXZgXlXlpOEpGWc8SmzY0zeqQrgVzGpQwqoQeZw-C2CZE5SwDQXwEN951i-tuX6tV9m3goLVNmfzTmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fairfax City Council unanimously adopted its Jan. 28 consent agenda, covering meeting minutes, board and commission appointments, a special events road race request and a construction contract award to Ardent Company, LLC.

Councilmember Hardy Chandler moved adoption of the consent agenda items 7a through 7f, and Councilmember Peterson seconded. Roll call recorded all ayes and no dissent. The consent agenda items voted together included consideration of minutes from multiple meetings (Jan. 7 special meeting; Jan. 14 regular meeting; Jan. 21 special meeting), appointments to city boards and commissions, and the award of a construction contract in an estimated amount of $3,131,100 to Ardent Company, LLC for the Government Center Parkway Extension.

The motion passed unanimously and no items were pulled from the consent list for separate discussion.","Council unanimously approved the consent agenda including minutes, board and commission appointments, special event request and a $3,131,100 construction contract to Ardent Company LLC for the Government Center Parkway Extension.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6644387,"Fairfax City Council adopts updated procedural resolutions; staff to consider codification",252,984000,1236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1&start=984&end=1236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5346865-0c0a20ab30594a98b810891c2d59fcb1/thumbnail_984000.jpg","/articles/6644387/Fairfax-City/Fairfax-County/Virginia/Fairfax-City-Council-adopts-updated-procedural-resolutions-staff-to-consider-codification","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644387-796eb9dfbfa2307e8dc32f111cec7af9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146646&Signature=kMg9i436vnyQYi2K3jLtyTx58sGG4RjwIbWEdIkqBbAoSHIL7OhR8ayk8sPRWq0wSmQdgQY2mgMP6ycZVitqCmIRZ6T7lgIgdnLEla~i3J7a7-R84Gv3Ts0J-5e1nWfgOloRp5GIkipIg7xE0ndHnucTiDlKgpRG~3~Yv1jTI50AavySqEi2z3sKHxC4ChBPAxOMxTyLjehdjD-DoqxAHytzSOOwzPuAse4AmrAuyDuxal2rOPV-We4qnVA70j5DLd~X0m0oDHsCtf2ao6hZs2cuwAcCowxXZAVXGN-96pokHN3ASgvmJfntaKa6GFl-kVnb8u4r8wx6T-lrH7OUDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fairfax City Council unanimously approved a package of revised procedural and operational resolutions at its Jan. 28 meeting that formalize how the council interacts with staff, how public participation is handled at regular meetings and how mayor and council reimbursements and benefits are administered.

Brian Lovekaman, the city attorney, told council the revisions mostly reflect stylistic and organizational edits but also incorporate changes from recent General Assembly actions and the city’s separate remote participation policy. “What we’re trying to do is make sure that everybody gets the same information and that the items, request for information, request for research are properly briefed,” Lovekaman said, describing how councilor requests to staff are expected to be routed through the city manager to ensure consistent briefings for the full body.

Councilmember Hardy Chandler moved approval of the four resolutions as presented and Councilmember Peterson seconded the motion. A roll call vote recorded unanimous approval: Councilmember Amos, Councilmember Hall, Councilmember Hardy Chandler, Councilmember Peterson, Councilmember Bates and Councilmember McQuillan all voted aye.

Lovekaman told the council staff will return at a future work session to discuss whether the rules should be codified into city code rather than adopted every two years by resolution, and staff also plans to present options for a code of conduct or ethics for elected and appointed boards.

The action was taken as a single motion approving all four resolutions; council did not request separate votes for individual policies.","Council unanimously approved a set of procedural and operational resolutions clarifying rules for staff requests, remote participation policy inclusion and next steps for possible codification or a code of conduct.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Developer seeks rezoning for 4131 Cambridge Road; council holds work session on 276‑unit mixed‑use proposal

Davenport affirms Fairfax City’s AAA ratings; staff warn school tuition spike and project borrowing will press future budgets

Council approves consent agenda; awards $3.13 million Government Center Parkway extension contract

Fairfax City Council adopts updated procedural resolutions; staff to consider codification