The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved a new update to the long-range plan for Centreville that aims to guide the area’s future growth. The vision includes a more defined town center plus mixed-use housing, transportation, and improved walkability.
Supervisors unanimously approved the plan at a public hearing on June 23. It had been approved by the county’s planning commission earlier this month.
The comprehensive plan covers an area of about 2,700 acres, centered around the crossroads of Route 28, Route 29, and I-66. This is the first major update to the existing long-range plan in 25 years.
The updates are the result of a multi-year study of the Centreville area, which began in October 2022. That process included community engagement such as open houses, surveys, and the creation of a Centreville Task Force that sought to understand the needs of the community.
Increased Housing
The plan lays the groundwork for continued growth in the Centreville area that would create a more defined town center. One major element of that would be the introduction of more mixed-use and affordable housing. The staff report noted that there is potential to raise the number of residential units from 13,866 to 20,455.
It identified two county-owned sites — the Centreville Regional Library and the Stone Road Park & Ride — as possible locations for affordable housing. The county has already begun exploring the idea of redeveloping the library’s site to establish a new, updated library and introduce affordable housing units in the same building, FFXNow reported.
Transportation Revisions
The plan also identifies possible transportation revisions, including the placement of a future Metrorail station along I-66, west of Trinity Parkway. That would include a commuter parking lot.
To improve connectivity in the area, the plan recommends upgrading bike, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure. Other transportation revisions included recommendations to:
- Remove three interchanges from the Comprehensive Plan: Route 29 and Stringfellow Road, Route 28 and New Braddock Road, and Route 29 and Stone Road.
- Modify New Braddock Road (west of Centrewood Drive and with an extension over I-66 west of Store House Drive to connect with Route 29 at Stone Road) to a two-lane local/collector with sidewalks/shared use paths and buffers to support street trees.
- Add Pickwick Road south of Leland Road as a planned 2-lane improved local/collector road. The existing road in this area has a half-street section with no pedestrian facilities.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
