Pyramid Center development proposal for Liberia Ave. corner needs more work

Plans for the Pyramid Center, a mixed-use development which would include rerouting Prince William Parkway at Buckhall Road, were pulled from the June 18 agenda of Prince William Board of County Supervisors by the applicant who said he has “some unfinished work to do with (county) planners and the neighbors.”

Carlos Montenegro said in a telephone interview June 25 realigning the parkway would relieve traffic congestion at Hastings and Hinson drives, at Liberia Avenue and at the parkway. He is co-manager of Prince William Development, LLC, contract purchaser of the 101.43-acre tract at the parkway and Liberia Avenue.

Montenegro, an Oakton attorney, said the new road would be north of the existing Buckhall Road and would join Liberia extended near Lake Jackson Road.

The developer wants a comprehensive plan amendment (CPA) and a rezoning. Supervisors first would have to vote to initiate a CPA. If it were initiated, county planning staff would study the proposal, which then would have public hearings before both the planning commission and the board of supervisors.

Marty Nohe, (R-Coles District) said by phone June 25 CPAs for residential projects must be filed in January each year, while those with commercial segments can be filed out-of-turn. Montenegro’s proposal was filed last August. Nohe added he was concerned with the project because it is too dense.

The county planning department’s staff report prepared for the June 18 meeting showed the developer wants to change the site from community employment center (CEC), semi-rural residential (SRR) and environmental resource (ER) to general commercial (GC), suburban residential high density (SRH) and ER.

SRR provides for one home on one to five acres, with average lots set at 2.5 acres. SRH can have 20 dwelling units per acre.

Existing plans have 50.08 acres set aside for CEC, 51.25 acres of SRR, no GC or SRH. The amendment would change this to 19.83 acres of GC and 81.5 acres for SRH. ER would remain the same at 0.1 acres.

The existing planned land use shows the property could employ from 836 to 2093 workers, while the proposed use drops these figures to 285 to 572 employees. Existing plans envision 73 to 129 dwelling units for 203 to 351 residents. The CPA would alter this to 611 to 978 dwelling units with 1487 to 2382 residents.

The rezoning part of the application proposes a 200,000-square-foot shopping center, which would have an estimated 442 employees, 300 single-family attached homes and 600 multi-family units for up to 2256 residents.

After studying the application, county planning staff recommended supervisors not initiate the CPA because of its inconsistency with the county’s land use plan. Staff said the change would reduce the planned office employment capacity in the area and cut the planned 131 acres of CEC envisioned for the area.

The staff report noted “the purpose of the CEC is to provide areas for low-to-mid-rise offices, research and development, lodging and mixed-use projects. The proposed amendment is not consistent with the purpose of CEC and diminishes the ability of the remaining CEC to be developed in a manner consistent with this purpose.”
The staff report pointed out the purpose of general commercial is to identify “areas of existing commercial activity,” noting adding new general commercial areas “is discouraged specifically in the comprehensive plan.”

Staff agreed the transportation part of the proposal would improve the weekday peak hour level of service at the parkway/Liberia Avenue/Wellington Road intersection.

Nohe reported he’d named a focus group of about six people from the immediate neighborhood and homeowner associations to study the project after it was filed last summer.

“The feedback I got was that it was too dense. No one said they loved it, and some said ‘let’s talk,’” the supervisor remarked. He said the group also was concerned with traffic and the impact of the project on schools.
Nohe called the Pyramid Center “a very dramatic change” for the area.

“It won’t go forward until we have more details and some level of community support,” he pointed out.

Montenegro explained that he’s willing to work with neighbors on the plan.

“Anytime you put 100 acres together, issues are raised,” he asserted.

Montenegro questioned the viability of more office space in the area.

“There’s no office market in that (Liberia Avenue) corridor. It’s not warranted,” he contended.
Montenegro also developed nearby Evergreen Center, home to a gym and an events center.