By Scott McCaffrey
Rendering of affordable housing on Franconia Governmental Center site (via Soto Architecture & Urban Design/Fairfax County)
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved a rezoning of the former Franconia Governmental Center site that will permit it to be redeveloped with affordable housing.
Though criticized by some, the proposed 120-unit apartment building won support from housing advocates, and the overall development plan “improved dramatically” during a lengthy community review, Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said after yesterday’s 8-0 decision.
“In response to the concerns that were raised, we have seen a number of significant changes,” Lusk said.
The vote to support rezoning from residential (R-2) to planned development (PDH-40) was unanimous except for Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, who was away from the dais, and Braddock District’s Rachna Sizemore Heizer, who was not at yesterday’s board meeting.
The March 17 vote is another step forward for Franconia Development Partners’ plan to bring 120 units of one-to-three-bedroom apartments to the 3.3-acre site at 6121 Franconia Road.
The apartments will be available to those earning an average of 60% of the area median income (AMI), although units will range from 80% AMI down to 30%. As of July 2025, Fairfax County’s AMI for a household of four people was $163,900.
According to county figures, which are updated annually, apartments restricted to households earning 60% AMI or less would have an income limit of $68,850 for one person or $98,350 for four people. They would pay a maximum of $2,049 a month in rent for a two-bedroom unit.
In addition to repurposing the Franconia Governmental Center site as the county facility relocates to a he development would move the county closer to its goal set in 2022 of a net increase of 10,000 new affordable units by 2034.
Franconia Development Partners is a consortium of SCG Development, NFP Affordable Housing Corp. and Good Shepherd Housing. The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority will be a financial partner in the project.
Former site of the Franconia Governmental Center, where Franconia Development Partners has proposed an 120-unit affordable apartment building (via Fairfax County)
The proposal won support from housing advocacy organizations but over the past 18 months has faced opposition from a number of civic associations in the vicinity. While some of that criticism dissipated throughout the review process, critics remained up to the March 17 vote.
Elaine Anderegg of the Franconia Forest Homeowners Association told supervisors they were making a mistake by allowing housing in proximity to five gas stations.
“It defies common sense,” she said, calling the new development “a threat to the health of the residents.”
In previous meetings held by the Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County Planning Commission, county health staff said there’s no evidence the location of the apartments would adversely impact health of residents. But some speakers remained unconvinced.
“Gas stations weren’t designed to exist next to housing — it isn’t safe, period,” said Joy Wahler of the North Franconia Civic Association.
Housing and smart-growth advocates called the development plan a net positive for the Franconia area.
Katherine Bourdon, a Franconia Forest resident who testified at the March 17 public hearing, said lower-income workers should be able to live closer to where they are employed.
“It’s a mistake for us to price out people who make up the fabric of our community,” she said.
“Fairfax workers would like to live in Franconia, but can’t. The market is so tight,” said Mary Paden, who chairs the housing committee of the Fairfax County NAACP.
The private sector is not providing housing for those earning under 60% of the area median income, some joint public-private partnerships need to fill in the gap, she said.
Under the development plan, about 40% of the parcel will remain open space. Changes made over the past year included increasing the number of parking spaces to more than one per unit, and incorporating Universal Design features into the apartments.
Apartment residents will also have access to park space planned on an adjacent lot at 6400 Beulah Street, where developers have proposed replacing an office with townhouses and a multifamily residential building.
A trail would link the Franconia Governmental Center redevelopment with a separate housing project proposed on adjacent parcels along Beulah Street and Grovedale Drive (via Fairfax County staff report)
Under questioning by Herrity about costs, Fairfax Department of Housing and Community Development Director Thomas Fleetwood said the final financing plan for the project, including any county government contributions, will be shared at a later date.
“We’re not quite ready to go on the record,” he said.
Lusk praised the high quality-of-living standards planned for the new facility. Herrity countered that the new residents will occupy “nicer units than many of our taxpayers who are going to be paying for this.”
The proposal had the support of county staff. In February, the Planning Commission approved a final development plan for the site and recommended supervisors approve the rezoning request.
By the time the proposal arrived in front of supervisors, critics acknowledged they weren’t going to be able to stop it.
The March 17 vote was “just a rubber stamp” for preordained decisions, Wahler said.
Board Chair Jeff McKay pushed back on the assertion that county leaders made up their minds early in the process, rendering more than a year of community engagement moot.
County leaders did absorb the concerns raised by neighboring residents, McKay said.
“We sat here for many hours” during previous meetings, he said, but “listening to someone and agreeing with them are two different things.”
If anything, he suggested the review process had stretched on for too long.
“The main regret I have is how long it took to get here,” McKay said. “There are people who are desperately looking for affordable housing.”
Paden with the Fairfax NAACP said she believes the new residents will quickly be integrated into the fabric of the Franconia community.
“We hope existing residents will welcome them and find they have much in common,” she said.
The Franconia Governmental Center at 6121 Franconia Road served the community for decades. In addition to government offices, it has housed a district police station and community museum.
Operations are being relocated to a new facility at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd that will house the police station, Franconia District supervisor’s office, active adult center, museum and an expanded Kingstowne Library, which will be upgraded to a regional branch.
Lusk’s office began moving in mid-February and anticipated resuming walk-in services at the new site this week, while the library is expected to open sometime this spring.
Reprinted from FFXNow. See the original by clicking here.