Starting Langston Boulevard's Walkable Neighborhood Transformation at the Walgreens Site
Level of Effort: 5 minutes, at home, in your PJs
Deadline: Tues 2/4 11:59pm

After years of planning, we ended up with a great plan for Langston Boulevard to transform it into a series of walkable, bike-friendly, sustainable neighborhoods.  At long last, the first proposed development since plan adoption has been submitted, at the Walgreen site near Langston Boulevard and Kirkwood Road.

The proposal looks great, with new sidewalks, street trees, bike facilities, stormwater management features, and hundreds of much-needed new homes.  Let's set a solid precedent for this plan and move this development quickly through the public process.

Suggested Feedback

Land Use and Density

This site is the perfect location for residential density. Walk to Clarendon, Science Focus Elementary, and W-L HS, bus to DC, bike to DC and Rosslyn/Ballston corridor, or drive on I-66 to the west. It’s also a perfect location for retail units to serve residents and transform Langston from a speedway to a ped/bike-friendly Main Street.

Site Design

The site design is appropriate, though it appears to lack the 'greenway' along the west side of Kirkwood Road that was envisioned by the Langston Boulevard plan.

Building Height, Form, and Architecture

This site is appropriate for residential density, so the design proposal is appropriate in reaching the maximum height (up to 136’) allowed by the Langston Blvd Area Plan. Further stepbacks are not appropriate as the visual impact of the building is already mitigated by distance and grade.

Transportation, Parking, and Loading

The parking ratio and loading access are appropriate.  The developer should allow for flexible use of parking between retail and residential users to maximize the use of parking.

Transportation, Streetscapes

Site and street design should prioritize peds and bikes over cars.  For example, there should be a crosswalk across Langston immediately in front of the building’s front door to the EAST (not just to the west) of the I-66 off-ramp, to shorten pedestrians’ time to reach the building from the west-bound bus stop, the Lyon Village Shopping Center, and the Custis Trail. The proposed design seems to lack the greenway along the west side of Kirkwood Road envisioned by the plan.

Stormwater Mitigation

The proposed design does not seem to adequately address the 'greenway with stormwater requirements' recommended by the sector plan.

Open Space and Landscaping

Additional landscaping along the west side of the site should be used to soften the impact of I-66.

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