Mixed-Use Development in Annandale Sparks Interest

This is the final part of a three-part series on the housing market and real estate in Annandale and how it has evolved over the years. Read part one and part two .

In Annandale, the proverbial inn is full.

Annandale’s building boom of the 1950s and 1960s, which slowed to a trickle in recent decades, has capitalized on most suitable housing space in the community, said Leman “Pete” Howell, owner/president and managing broker at Annandale’s Century 21 .

“There’s no place to build,” Howell said. “About all the buildable places have been built upon, the majority.”

Projected housing growth in the Annandale district between 2010 and 2040 is slightly less than 15 percent, compared to more than 27 percent for Fairfax County on average. The districts projected to see the highest percent of housing growth include Jefferson, Lower and Upper Potomac, McLean, Mount Vernon, Springfield and Vienna.

Fred Selden, director of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning, said a lack of buildable land could slow housing growth in Annandale but that a recent amendment to the county’s comprehensive plan, which allows for more flexibility in mixed-use development, could drive up housing growth estimates in the district.

“Yes, Annandale is made up of a lot of single-family neighborhoods,” he said. “There’s not a lot of vacant land. … (But) my sense is that potential is not reflected in this data.”

Both community leaders and the county are closely eyeing reclaiming space for mixed-use development.

“We would like to see more mixed-use development in older commercial areas,” said Matt Flis with the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment. “The general trend is we think people are more interested in living in those loft-like communities where they can live, shop and have access to entertainment options. And it helps reduces traffic – you don’t have to drive to those places.”

Annandale has a “small town” feeling that attracts many people, both young and old, Flis said. And although mixed-use developments are often touted as a way to draw in younger residents, Flis said many retiring baby boomers also find them appealing because they are close to needed services, reducing the need to drive.

“I think it’s attractive to a wide range of people,” he said.

Annandale’s population is older than the county average, according to data from the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment. The difference is most notable among young adults: Less than 13 percent of Annandale’s population is between the ages of 21 and 34, compared to roughly 20 percent in the county as a whole. Also, almost 19 percent of Annandale residents are age 65 or older, compared to slightly more than 10 percent on average for the county.

Vicki Burman, executive director, said she sees apartments or condos in mixed-use developments as a way to draw more young adults into the community.

“I think there’s going to be a need some more leasable space for young professionals,” Burman said. “I think that’s the one demographic that’s not being attended to in our current market.”

Burman also said she sees a promising market for refurbishing older homes.

, who lives on the Alexandria end of the greater Annandale area in the Parklawn community, is also first vice chairwoman for the Mason District Council and won the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations’ 2010 Citizen of the Year Award for her work in helping revitalize local neighborhoods.

When examining the future of housing in Mason District, she said, the quality and upkeep of homes must be taken into consideration.

“We’re seeing a lot of neighborhoods that don’t have homeowners’ associations are just crumbling because they don’t have people volunteering for stuff,” she said.

Loeffler said she would like to see “smart” residential development in Annandale, such as mixed-use development.

In Annandale, Howell said, low-to-moderate priced homes, selling at up to a loan threshold of $417,000, sell the fastest. The housing market is still down in Annandale, as in much of the rest of the United States, he said.  

“Hopefully it goes up in the future, but it is slower than usual right now,” he said. “But, I think things still sell on the market if the price is right.”