Metro West, Virginia

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This article is about a planned development in Virginia. For the region in Massachusetts, see MetroWest, Massachusetts.
 This article or section contains information about expected future buildings or structures.
Some or all of this information may be speculative, and the content may change as building construction begins.

Metro West is a proposed Transit Oriented Development to be built by Pulte Homes adjacent to the Vienna Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia. It will replace 65 single-family detached houses with a mixed-use neighborhood including up to 2,248 residential units, up to 190,000 square feet (18,000 m²) of retail space, and up to 300,000 square feet (30,000 m²) of office space. The north boundary is Saintsbury Drive (south of the southern entrance to the Vienna/Fairfax Metro station), and the south boundary is Lee Highway (U.S. 29).

The project spurred significant local opposition [1] due to its relative density compared to the surrounding area, which is generally suburban in character. Neighbors fear increased development will lead to increased traffic congestion, while planners argue that dense development clustered near transit stations and diverse land uses generates less traffic congestion on a per unit basis than low density development, and is the only way to reduce or manage congestion on a regional basis[2].

The primary proposal was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 27, 2006[3], to incorporate all of the former Fairlee residential subdivision, as well as some adjacent parcels. Fairlee has been razed and at the time the project was approved, construction was expected to begin in 2007, with the first residential units available for occupancy in 2008.

Development has been postponed indefinitely due to a housing market correction that has impacted Fairfax County as well as most densely populated areas in the United States.

Update: As of May 1, 2008, no construction has begun. However, three drill rigs have been performing perculation tests over the past week. These are in different locations than the perc tests performed over a year ago.

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