Opponents of the current proposal to reshape the Tysons Corner Center say the plan is still unacceptable, despite revisions by the developer.
California-based developer Macerich isvying to turn one of the region’s largest shopping areas into a mixed-use urban community built alongside Metrorail. The proposal is now in the pipeline of approval by county land-use officials, who deferred voting on it last month after a salvo of community concerns were raised over traffic, planning and timing.
The plan calls for a combination of residential and commercial space and a 300-room hotel, built alongside public amenities and open space. Macerich recently submitted new plans that would delay about a third of the project and change some planned commercial space to new dwellings.
Not good enough, say the critics, who want Macerich to do more to handle new traffic generated by the redeveloped center and delay the entire project until an overarching plan for all of Tysons Corner can be cemented.
“There are a lot of nice things about the project, and we’ve acknowledged that,” said John Foust, who chairs the planning and zoning committee of the McLean Citizens Association. “There are a lot of horrible things, too.”
“The point is, the transportation network is already inadequate for what they’ve got there,” he said. “They’re practically doubling the transportation demand that’s going to be created.”
The project is timed with a planned extension of Metrorail through Tysons Corner along Route 123, and is part of a wider trend of clustering heavy development around rail stops.
About 20 pending development proposals have been delayed until the Tysons Land Use Task Force completes a broad planning effort for the future of the area. The mall proposal, however, is still operating largely outside of that planning effort.
“They’re saying ‘let’s lurch ahead now with this project before we actually even know what form rail is going to take and what road improvements are going in,’” said Providence District Council Chairman Charlie Hall. “And I think, most crucially, what will connect the Tysons Corner Center with the rest of Tysons development.”
An attorney representing the developer could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
