Friends,

A developer is planning to build 11 houses on land that is zoned for 3 houses. They will be spaced 6 feet apart (you read that right, only 6 feet apart). Each house will be 1,500 square foot, 2-story, 2-bedroom + den and list for about $700,000, and targeted to age 55+. The property site is 1¼ acre, and is right behind our house and next to the bike path (W&OD Trail). We and our neighbors believe the proposed project design (Railroad Cottages) is much too dense and the compact site will not accommodate the amount of people nor the amount of cars it will generate.

We are concerned by the density, increased traffic (it is on a dead-end, one-lane street), fire emergency response risk, inadequate parking, storm water drainage issues, W&OD Trail impact, increased noise, and removal of almost all vegetation and trees.

We and our neighbors applaud the concept of affordable senior housing, but not at the expense and disregard for the current residents and how it will significantly impact them. We ask you: Is this type of housing good for the community in this location, or is the developer primarily interested in potential profit (he stands to profit several million)?

An ordinance was passed a few years ago that prevents building 2 houses on 1 lot. This is 11 houses on 3 lots. If someone can change the rules and build this behind our house what is to prevent them from building something like this behind YOUR backyard too? We do humbly suggest the developer only build the 3 houses the site is zoned for, or at a bare minimum, significantly scale back the overall scope and scale of their design.

Go see it for yourself. The address is: 1006 Railroad Ave (take West St to Fowler, then Fowler to the end, turn right on Railroad Ave and go to the end).

What can you do?

1. Attend the April 17 Planning Board meeting at courthouse building at 7:30pm
2. Sign our online petition “No to Railroad Cottages”
3. Put a sign in your yard (“No to Railroad Cottages”)- we will provide the signs
4. Email or call the city manager Wyatt Shields: city-manager@fallschurchva.gov 703-248-5004

Please forward this email and tell everyone you know! Thank you for your support.