German-owned grocery chain Lidl is seeking to expand its rapidly-growing presence in the Washington area by opening a store on the edge of Great Falls. The proposed grocery store would be located on land currently occupied by Meadows Farms Nurseries, on the northeast corner of Route 7 and Springvale Road (10618 Leesburg Pike, Vienna).
The site, currently owned by Meadows Farms Virginia LLC, consists of three parcels totaling approximately 5.78 acres with R-1 zoning (Residential – 1 dwelling unit per acre). To the east, the site borders one of four undeveloped parcels zoned R-1 Residential, while immediately adjacent to the north is the Springvale Woods subdivision. The Great Falls Hunt neighborhood is located west of the property on the opposite side of Springvale Road.
As currently planned, the proposed 30,000 sq. ft. sloping-roof store would have a significant tree buffer that would shield the store and its loading dock from its residential neighbors to the north. The parking lot entrance would be from Springvale Road, near the northwest corner of the property. The existing entrance to Meadows Farms from Route 7 is being permanently closed in conjunction with the Route 7 Corridor Improvements Project.
Last November, Lidl’s attorney Lynne Strobel and representatives from the company presented conceptual plans to Great Falls Citizens Association’s Land Use and Zoning Committee in order to begin a dialogue with the community and get feedback on their development plan. During the presentation it was disclosed that the project, if undertaken, would require both a zoning change from R-1 to C-5 (commercial) and an amendment to Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan.
Since the November meeting, Lidl has surveyed a sample of residents in Great Falls and the surrounding communities on their grocery store preferences, and surveyors have reportedly have conducted field work on the site. GFCA has also done its own survey, focusing on the rezoning issue and the long-term implications to the Route 7 corridor and the Great Falls community should an application be submitted to the county.
A meeting with nearby residents, scheduled in the spring, had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, a virtual meeting is being planned for Wednesday, June 3 at 7:00 PM. For more information on this meeting, and to register to attend, see https://gfca.org/event-3855669.
