A plan to construct 32 four-story townhomes at the site of two Old Town office buildings is still struggling for the blessing of the Board of Architectural Review.
Members of the review board are requesting more exterior variety and colonial influence in the proposed townhomes, after reviewing new renderings of the project at 333 N. Fairfax Street. The board did not vote on the item during last night’s public hearing (Wednesday).
After a lengthy discussion that included two public comments pressing the body to reject the proposal, Board Chair Nastaran Zandian said it “still needs a lot of work.”
“It’s in the heart of Old Town. It’s very historic,” Zandian said. “I mentioned this before too, but I haven’t seen any changes. But you can hear the Board and the community who lives there, and we all want to see the historic and colonial style.”
EYA, LLC Senior Vice President of Architecture and Planning Jack McLaurin represented the firm, which is joined by partner Simpson Development, during last night’s meeting.
After a Sept. 3 Board hearing, developers made some design alterations, such as opting for lighter toned materials, punched window patterns and new ornamental iron balconies and pergolas.
“I do feel you’re listening,” Board member James Spencer said. “So, I think it’s going in the right general direction, but is it — I’m going to steal from my friend Miss [Margaret] Miller over there — I don’t think it’s quite — not quite there yet, I think is her phrase she always uses.”
Board members generally voiced desires for more diversity across aspects like building height, window size and brick color. Some addressed one public comment that likened the designs to “barracks.”
“I was in the Army for 14 years, and it does look like barracks,” Board member Andrew Scott said. “I think that your designs here somewhat read as also, condominiums, or even maybe like a school house, in some cases. So, my suggestion would be, maybe, to just vary each individual design.”
In a closing statement, McLaurin advocated for designs that “honor Alexandria’s architectural DNA, while allowing for modern expressions that meet today’s needs for sustainability, accessibility and contemporary life.”
“This is straight out of the old historic guidelines, where the guidelines should be viewed as a distillation of previously accepted design approaches in the historic districts,” he said. “The guidelines should not be viewed as a device that dictates a specific design response.”
Following the board’s feedback, McLaurin said EYA would gather and “figure out our next steps.” The developers eventually hope to receive a certificate of appropriateness.
The BAR’s next public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 3, when it will also complete officer elections.
