Community Opposition Remains Strong as Residents Wait for New Redevelopment Plan for Rose Hill Plaza

For the past eighteen months since it was first presented, opposition to Combined Properties’ plan to redevelop the Rose Hill Plaza shopping center has increased dramatically after several meetings, Rambler articles and e-mail announcements.

We now have a definitive statement from Supervisor Rodney Lusk (included below) on his position on the proposal and the process and a promise from Combined to provide a new proposal by the end of the year.

In response, this is an attempt to encapsulate the community’s opposition, which apparently has not totally reached the ears of the decision makers and the property owners. In short, RHCA, its members and neighbors are overwhelmingly opposed to anything that aggravates issues such as traffic, schools, environment and the community’s quality of life.

Additional residential development affects the already high traffic volumes and the capacity of our schools. Tall buildings are not compatible with Rose Hill and its neighbors.

We like our retail center and support plans that will enhance our shopping needs. We particularly appreciate the center’s convenience and its mix of retail and professional services.

We suggest that any redevelopment of the center remain generally in line with Fairfax County’s adopted Comprehensive Plan for our area. We oppose the Site-Specific Plan Amendment process being used to circumvent the adopted plan and judge the project in a vacuum, disregarding the adjacent communities. We have said that since the beginning.  

For everyone’s information, we are referencing the specific language of the current comprehensive plan for sectors RH 2, RH4 and RH5 of the Rose Hill Planning District that has been in effect since the 1970s. It outlines our expectations for density, traffic, schools, environment, parks and recreation and infrastructure necessary to accommodate what exists and what is planned.

Pictured below, RH2 encompasses the area north of Franconia Road across from the shopping center. RH4 is the area of the shopping center and west of Rose Hill Drive and RH5 includes the area east of Rose Hill Drive.

We look forward to a plan that will enhance the community, not add to its already spiraling deficiencies in traffic and school capacity.