Davies Property
approvedStatus set at Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session on Jul 28, 2025 · ▶ watch the moment
Project wiki — a maintained overview, meeting history, and recorded positions.
- ProposedSep 23, 2024
- Under reviewJan 13, 2025
- approvedJun 23, 2025
Summary
The Davies Property project is a mixed-use redevelopment of 4131 Chain Bridge Road (2.69 acres), proposed by The Hill, A Davies Family, LLC. The application sought to rezone the site from RM (Residential Medium) to CU (Commercial Urban), retaining the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District (TOD), with a General Development Plan for up to 276 multifamily units and approximately 10,796 sq ft of ground-floor commercial space, served by a 3-level below-grade parking garage. A new application was first noted by staff in September 2024. A Planning Commission work session was held on January 13, 2025, and a City Council work session followed on January 28, 2025. On June 23, 2025, the Planning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend denial, finding the proposal not in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and other adopted City goals and policies. Despite that recommendation, City Council voted 4-3 on July 22, 2025 to approve all three motions: the rezoning and General Development Plan with proffers (Ordinance 2025-05), special exceptions (Resolution R-25-23, including a tree canopy condition), and a Certificate of Appropriateness (with conditions including Urban Forester landscaping review and a standing seam metal roof along University Drive). The approval was confirmed in staff reports to the Planning Commission on July 28, 2025. Subsequent transcript excerpts from mid-2026 reference the Davies project in the context of a neighboring redevelopment application, noting the approved private road, greenway connection, and sidewalk obligations expected of the next developer to the north.
Official city record
Private Development
The applicant is proposing to replace a single-family home with up to 276 apartments, up to 6,608 square feet of retail, up 4,188 square feet of office, and 424 spaces in structured parking on approximately 2.69 acres. The subject property is located in the Old Town Transition Overlay District (TOD) and the Old Town Small Area Plan.
What members have said
In December 2024, Feather noted he had reviewed the staff report and saw improvements to the proposal. At the June 23, 2025 vote, Feather voted yes on the motion to recommend approval and no on the motion to recommend denial, indicating support for the project before the Planning Commission. Transcript excerpts from a later neighboring application reference 'Jim Feather' as having raised concerns during a Board of Architectural Review meeting specifically about the horizontal setback of a fitness center from the curb on an adjacent project, not the Davies property itself.
Coleman voted yes on the motion to recommend approval and no on the motion to recommend denial at the June 23, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, aligning with Chair Feather in support of the project.
Briggs voted no on the motion to recommend approval and yes on the motion to recommend denial at the June 23, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, finding the proposal not in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and other adopted City goals and policies.
Cunningham voted no on the motion to recommend approval and yes on the motion to recommend denial at the June 23, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, finding the proposal not in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and other adopted City goals and policies.
Lockhart voted no on the motion to recommend approval and yes on the motion to recommend denial at the June 23, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, finding the proposal not in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and other adopted City goals and policies.
Rice voted no on the motion to recommend approval and yes on the motion to recommend denial at the June 23, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, finding the proposal not in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and other adopted City goals and policies.
Mayor Read voted yes on all three approval motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting, supporting the rezoning/GDP, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness for the Davies Property.
Councilmember Amos voted yes on all three approval motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting.
Councilmember Bates voted yes on all three approval motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting.
Councilmember Hardy-Chandler voted yes on all three approval motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting.
Councilmember Hall voted no on all three approval motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting.
Councilmember McQuillen voted no on all three approval motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting. A transcript excerpt from a later neighboring-project meeting attributed to McQuillen expressed concern about density levels across City projects, referencing the Davies approval at 103.8 units per acre as an example of what the speaker found difficult to understand.
Councilmember Peterson voted no on all three approval motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[10] Staff noted a new application submission for 4131 Chain Bridge Road, Davies Property, as an upcoming item.
[10] A post-submission work session for the Davies Property at 4131 Chain Bridge Road was noted as a future agenda item for the January 13, 2025 Planning Commission meeting; Chair Feather noted he had reviewed the staff report and saw improvements to the proposal.
[8a] A work session was held on the proposed rezoning from RM to CU (retaining the TOD overlay) and a General Development Plan with proffers for a mixed-use building of 276 apartments, ~6,319 sq ft retail, ~4,188 sq ft office, and structured parking on 2.69 acres; staff report presented and incorporated into the record.
[12a] The City Council discussed a request from The Hill, A Davies Family, LLC for the redevelopment of 4131 Chain Bridge Road during the work session; no action was taken.
[10] A work session presentation on the Davies proposal was held at the January 28, 2025 City Council meeting, as reported to the Commission.
[10] The Davies property redevelopment application at 4131 Chain Bridge Road was mentioned as a forthcoming item before the Planning Commission.
[6a] The applicant's proposal for a 276-unit mixed-use building with ground-floor retail/commercial and a 3-level below-grade parking garage received a Planning Commission recommendation for denial 4:2.
failedMotion to recommend approval of Rezoning Application Z-23-00073 (RM to CU) and General Development Plan with proffers.✓ Feather✓ Coleman✕ Briggs✕ Cunningham✕ Lockhart✕ RicepassedMotion to recommend denial of Rezoning Application Z-23-00073 (RM to CU) because the proposal is not in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan and other adopted City goals and policies as currently presented.✓ Briggs✓ Cunningham✓ Lockhart✓ Rice✕ Feather✕ Coleman[9] A public hearing on The Davies proposal was noted as scheduled for the upcoming July 22, 2025 City Council meeting.
[7a] Council approved the rezoning, general development plan with proffers, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness for the Davies Property mixed-use development (up to 276 multifamily units and ~10,796 sq ft ground-floor commercial) at 4131 Chain Bridge Road.
passedApprove rezoning application Z-23-00073 (Ordinance 2025-05) to rezone 4131 Chain Bridge Road from RM Residential Medium to CU Commercial Urban, retaining the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District (TOD), and approve the general development plan with proffers.✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonpassedAdopt Resolution R-25-23 approving special exceptions pursuant to City Code Section 110-6.7 for 4131 Chain Bridge Road (Davies Property), with conditions including tree canopy coverage increase or up to $10,000 contribution for offsite plantings.✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonpassedApprove Certificate of Appropriateness per City Code Section 110-6.5.6.B for 4131 Chain Bridge Road (Davies Property), with conditions including conformance with plans, securing permits, Urban Forester review of landscaping, and standing seam metal roof along University Drive.✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ Peterson[9] City Council approved the proposal for the Davies property at its July 22, 2025 meeting, as reported by staff.
Discussed alongside
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