In 1981, Fairfax County condemned about 50 acres of trees and trailers on Richmond Highway. Now, more than a quarter-century later, officials are moving forward with plans for the troublesome lot.
The property is called North Hill, part of the former Woodley Nightingale Mobile Home Park that sits atop unstable marine clay and is rife with steep topography. The surrounding community has debated for years whether to turn the property into park space or redevelop it as affordable housing after the county relocated most of the mobile homes on the site.
Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development Director Paula Sampson said a compromise has been forged — tentatively. She said the county may install additional mobile homes on about 11 acres to accompany the 15 acres of trailers still on the site and keep some of the remaining 23 acres as parkland.
“We know the there’s concerns from the community, and we’re kind of in a wait and see mode,” Park Authority spokeswoman Judy Pedersen said. “We’re certainly interested. We think there’s great possibility, but we want it tosettle out a bit. It’s a little early for us to commit to anything.”
The debate over the property represents a clash of two of the county’s priorities: preserving open land versus strengthening the stock of affordable homes. Both are major problems related to the recent building boom, which hastened the loss of vacant land in Fairfax and dramatically drove up home prices.
