Rose Hill Plaza - Copyright 2024 Rose Hill Coalition LLC

Proposed redevelopment of the Rose Hill Plaza shopping center in Alexandria, VA, would reduce retail by more than 70% and add 400+ residential units. (Combined Properties SSPA Nomination: CPN22-LE-001)

Goals

Inform the community about Combined Properties’ SSPA application to convert the Plaza to mixed-use residential (+400 rental apartments) and retail (70% less)
Support the 25+ businesses in Rose Hill Plaza that serve our community.
Ensure the success of Rose Hill Plaza as a primarily commercial center for community-oriented retail.
Work with Combined Properties and the local community to make Rose Hill Plaza an asset (not a blight) for all stakeholders.

What’s Happening Now

The Rose Hill Plaza is in the #2 Planning and Zoning Review Stage (Work Program Phase). Franconia District Supervisor Lusk asked Combined Properties to submit a new design/concept that addresses the community’s demands for substantially more retail and considerably less residential. A new concept was expected to be submitted in the fall 2023. (No updates as of 4/9/24)

On August 3, 2023, Supervisor Lusk issued a statement on the current status of the Rose Hill Plaza nomination, his position, recent discussions with Combined Properties, and an outline of next steps. Read the full statement: PDF

TIMELINE (2021-2024)

PROPOSAL
An overview of the first and second proposals submitted by Combined Properties on the redevelopment of Rose Hill Plaza in 2022.

COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS (2022)
Rose Hill Civic Assn
Brookland-Bush Hill Civic Assn (see Draft Meeting Minutes)

IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY

COMBINED PROPERTIES (property owner)

KEY DOCUMENTS

SSPA PHASES

ROSE HILL PLAZA INFO

YARD SIGNS

impact on our community

Reduction in walk-able retail and office from 154,000 square feet to less than 56,000 square feet. The small businesses currently occupying the shopping center will be gone.
Demolition and construction will last two years during which there will be no neighborhood shopping center. (McDonald’s is separately owned.)
The closest stores will be more than 2 miles away via the already busy Van Dorn intersection.
Increased density does not equate to “affordable housing”. Only 8% of new multifamily housing is required to initially offer affordable/subsidized units.
Increased traffic from additional 400+ residents in already stressed transportation corridor on Rose Hill Drive, Franconia Road, and Van Dorn (north and south).
Additional emissions due to increased traffic from 400+ more vehicles from renters, visitors, and retail support.
Local schools are already at- or over-capacity with no future plans for expansion. (https://rosehillcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/School-capacity_2023.jpg)
School traffic in the morning and afternoon already significantly impedes drive-thru residential traffic on Rose Hill Dr, Westchester St, and Franconia Rd.
CP’s design reduces retail from 154,000 sq ft to 56,000 sf, thus negating future walk-ability if there is little to “walk to”.
The current residential low-density neighborhood district is mandated by the Comprehensive Plan for the Rose Hill Planning Area.
The proposed four- and six-level apartment complex will tower over the surrounding one- and two-level single-family homes.
Our local infrastructure is not designed to support an additional 400 units of residential apartments. “Older suburban areas such as Rose Hill do not have the benefit of state-of-the-art water quality control practices. They are a particular challenge in the county’s efforts to improve surface water quality and meet the spirit of the Chesapeake Bay Act.” (p.6 https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/sites/planning-development/files/assets/compplan/area4/rosehill.pdf)
The current infrastructure systems are already stressed and no future plans or funding are in place to improve them.
Rose Hill is not part of Fairfax County’s Revitalization Program. Furthermore, the statistics cited on the revitalization website are outdated (1995-2010).
CP’s design creates a new four-way intersection at Westchester St and Franconia Rd. (VDOT has historically refused to consider a light at this junction due to its proximity to Rose Hill Dr.)

ZONING

Rose Hill Plaza is currently zoned for Commercial. See Support Rose Hill Plaza

“Commercial” means property devoted to usual and customary business purposes for the sale of goods and services and includes, but is not limited to retail operations, hotels, motels and offices.

“Commercial” does not include residential dwelling units, including apartments and condominiums, or agricultural or forestal production, or manufacturing, processing, assembling, storing, warehousing, or distributing.
Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter22/section15.2-2223.1/

In 2022, Combined Property Acting Director of Marketing Jon Stollberg estimated the Rose Hill Plaza redevelopment “project could cost between $150 million to $185 million”.

Through its affiliate, Haft Equities Rose Hill LP, Combined Properties acquired the site in 1985 for about $8 million. County assessment records have the current value at $28.5 million.
Source: Washington Business Journal, 3/30/22
https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2022/03/30/combined-properties-inc-rose-hill-shopping-center.html

Property Tax in 2022*: $361,590
Assessed Value*: $28,505,340

*Source: https://www.commercialcafe.com/commercial-property/us/va/alexandria/rose-hill-plaza/

COMBINED PROPERTIES (CP)

According to Combined Properties’ website:
“The Company strives to shape its properties into innovative lifestyle residential, retail and hospitality communities that instill pride and joy in the people that live, shop and stay there.” (https://www.combined.biz/portfolio/overview/)

Combined Properties has “extensive capital resources, decades of experience, and solid reputation in the Washington, DC metro area…. Our private ownership and entrepreneurial philosophy allows us to pursue acquisitions quickly and nimbly, without bureaucratic obstacles.” (https://www.combined.biz/)

Other recent Combined Properties developments in Fairfax:
Scout-on-the-Circle (Fairfax)
Penn Daw (South Alexandria)

Combined Properties SSPA Application (PDF)
Combined Properties (CP) submitted a formal Site Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA), Nomination Number CPN22-LE-001, to Fairfax County on October 25, 2022, to meet the County deadline under the new SSPA application process. Note that the application does not specify square footage. However, more detailed draft plans (first and revised) were presented by CP to the Rose Hill Civic Association and the Brookland-Bush Hill Civic Association earlier in 2022. See Community Presentations above.

CP Legal Representative
Gregory A. Riegle, McGuireWoods LLP
www.mcguirewoods.com
“Riegle works closely with clients to conduct feasibility analysis, analyze applicable development requirements, prepare necessary development-related applications, and present such proposals in meetings and public hearings before decision-making boards and commissions. He has extensive contacts with local government officials and is able to anticipate, identify, and creatively address issues related to the acquisition, development and disposition of real property.”

Mr. Riegle and his firm have considerable experience in dealing with Fairfax County.

key documents

Fairfax County:

sspa phases

SSPA Nomination Number: CPN22-LE-001

The Rose Hill Plaza is currently in #2 Planning and Zoning Review Stage. Within that stage, there are several “Phases”.

I. NOMINATION PHASE (October 2022)

Proposals for land use changes to the Comprehensive Plan are submitted to the
Department of Planning & Development during the Nomination Phase.

Nomination applications deemed complete are forwarded to the Board of Supervisors (Board). An Action Item was included on the December 6, 2022, Board meeting agenda to confirm which nominations will move forward to the “Screening Phase”. The Board action to accept the nomination application concluded the Nomination Phase.

Combined Properties (CP) submitted a formal Site Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) application to Fairfax County on October 25, 2022. On December 6, 2022, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the application to move forward in the SSPA review process.

Combined Properties SSPA Application (PDF)

II. SCREENING PHASE (December 2022 – March 2023)

Following Board acceptance (12/6/22), the nominations were reviewed by County Staff for consistency with County policy and priorities relative to other long-range planning activities. The review determines which nominations should advance for further review. Community engagement during the “Screening Phase” consist of community meetings, involving staff and nominator presentations and community discussion.

Community Engagement Meeting was held on January 23, 2023
Planning Commission Workshop was held March 9, 2023.
See Timeline of Events.

After the Planning Commission Workshop, an “Action” document (pdf) is available on the Planning Commission Action web page and includes the vote, all motions (including any follow-on motions), and any waivers and modifications. The full meeting can be accessed afterwards as well as through bookmarked video recordings. You can view the whole meeting or select a specific segment. (Nomination Number: CPN22-LE-001)

III. 2023 WORK PROGRAM PHASE (started April 11, 2023)

The Rose Hill Plaza nomination submitted by Combined Properties is in deferral and will not proceed within the Work Program until they submit a new proposal to Supervisor Lusk and “further engage” with the community. No formal guidelines for such engagement exist and thus are determined entirely on Supervisor Lusk.

Nominations (not in deferral) that have been added to the Work Program by the Board will be evaluated in greater detail as “Plan Amendments”. The community engagement model and timeline for each Plan Amendment will vary based on the unique circumstances of each amendment, including its level of complexity, the intended development timeline, prioritization with other Plan Amendments currently on the Work Program, and the availability of staff and community resources. More information will be posted on this phase along with info on opportunities for public input when the nomination resumes. Currently, this nomination is in deferral until further notice.
(https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/sites/planning-development/files/assets/documents/compplanamend/sspa/countywide/2022_2023_sspa_nominator_guide.pdf)