The Mount Vernon Council of Citizens' Associations
Comprehensive Plan APR Nominations

LRSP-2009-09:  Richmond Highway Corridor

WHEREAS, the MVCCA is participating in the Area Plan Review 2009-2010,

WHEREAS, the Long Range and Strategic Planning Committee of the MVCCA has facilitated numerous charrettes and gathered input from community stakeholders and MVCCA members,

WHEREAS, nominations for the Area Plan Review Comprehensive Plan have been formulated,

WHEREAS, the Long Range and Strategic Planning Committee has spent the past several months reviewing the current Comprehensive Plan as applicable to the Mount Vernon Magisterial District and adjoining areas and has recommended a change nomination to that Plan for the Area Plan Review 2009-2010, such nomination containing the following features:

Offer Incentives to Reduce Stormwater Runoff in
Richmond Hwy Corridor

Nomination Overview

Nomination Subject:   Storm Water Runoff Reduction- Richmond Highway Corridor

Location:   Richmond Highway Corridor from Cameron Run to Fort Belvoir.

Vision Overview:
Consistent with Fairfax County watershed management plans, add the following land use recommendation to the Comprehensive Plan for Richmond Highway Corridor:

· Offer incentives for development and redevelopment projects to reduce imperviousness and achieve better control of stormwater runoff in the Richmond Highway Corridor.

Incentives that might be offered include: 

· Zero setbacks on one side of a building

· Reduced parking requirement minimums for commercial
developments

· Provide for an additional story on a building by way of FAR and bulk plane provisions

· If a stormwater user fee is initiated, provide reduced rates to Low Impact Development sites and others.

Modify the transportation recommendations for Richmond Highway Corridor as follows:

· Road widening projects should better control runoff from existing paved areas that lack stormwater management controls.

· Consideration should be given to removing service drives that are no longer used in order to reduce imperviousness, and to converting them into bioretention or vegetated and treed swales to reduce stormwater runoff.

These changes might be adopted by creating an overlay district for the Richmond Highway Corridor.

Development Conditions Overview: 

The Comprehensive Plan contains an option for high intensity uses in Penn Daw and Beacon/Groveton Community Business Centers if conditions are met.  Incentives for developers to reduce stormwater runoff should be actively pursued, especially in these CBCs, to reduce imperviousness, control stormwater runoff, and reduce impacts on the three watersheds that drain the Richmond Highway Corridor (Dogue, Little Hunting Creek, and Belle Haven) and on the Chesapeake Bay.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Co-Chairs of the MVCCA are hereby directed to prepare and submit a Comprehensive Plan change nomination which incorporates the foregoing features.