Residents Still Unhappy with Revised 'Enclave of Burke' Redevelopment Plans

A rezoning application to develop more than 10 single-family homes on Spring Lake Drive in Burke raised some issues for residents at a community meeting Tuesday at the West Springfield District Governmental Center in Springfield.

Tree preservation, stormwater management and the density of the proposed development were three of the main concerns discussed during the meeting. 

The application, filed by Madison Homes, Inc.., was previously introduced to the community earlier this year. The plan originally indicated 15 single-family detached homes would be built on 5.28 acres of land adjacent to Calvary Christian Church, located at 9800 Old Keene Mill Road. However, representatives for Madison told residents community feedback from a public meeting in May prompted the developer to revise their plan.  

Madison Homes filed their revised plan with Fairfax County on May 22, according to the application. The application still asks for the property, currently zoned R-1 for up to one dwelling unit per acre to be rezoned R-3 to allow for up to three dwelling units per acre. Instead of 15 homes, the application now asks for 13.

“This new plan preserves more trees than the initial plan because of how we adjusted the number of homes,” said Elizabeth Baker with Walsh Colucci Lubeley Emrich & Walsh, attorneys for Madison Homes, Inc. “We’re very proud of the changes.”

The new plan shows the two units were removed from along Spring Lake Drive near the southern end of the property by the proposed detention pond. 

Residents Still Frustrated Despite Plan Revision

Despite the changes to the plan, many of the residents expressed frustration at Madison Homes ignoring density and safety concerns raised at the May meeting. Although two units were removed, residents said they only want 10 homes built on the property.

“We’re not opposed to building, we just want responsible building,” said one resident during her remarks.

In addition to reducing the density, the tree lines around the property were adjusted and rearranged in order to preserve more of the trees surrounding the property and in the center of the development.

A resident who lives near the western end of the property worried about tree preservation and argued that the number of homes should be decreased.

“There’s five homes there and three at the bottom. You’re creating a wall for me to see from my yard,” said the resident.

When asked why more of the safety issues such as creating a path for pedestrian access were not addressed in the new plan, Baker said saving the trees was the priority and a path would mean losing many of the trees. For now, Madison is considering a curb-and-gutter section to create a pedestrian path, but Baker said they’re open to community suggestions for a better solution.

Also among the changes was a redesigned stormwater pond, which is smaller than previously proposed in order to preserve some of the trees and allow room for additional plantings.

Residents questioned the decision to decrease the size of the pond and asked Madison to consider moving the pond to a more central location on the property or connect the homes to the existing pond already on the church’s property near the parking lot.

“Why can’t you just make it continue around the parking lot to serve those homes?” asked one resident. A representative from Fairfax County said the pond on the church’s property would make it difficult for runoff to reach the pond from the homes. For cost purposes, the property is better served by having its own pond, the representative said, but residents maintained that the addition of a pond would be an eyesore to the community. The location of the pond near Spring Lake Drive also allows runoff to collect naturally in the pond due to gravity. 

The public hearing date for the meeting has been deferred and will be announced a later date.