According to the Washington Business journal, Arlington-based home builder BCN Homes is attempting to fight through neighborhood opposition to replace a church in the Ballston neighborhood with a mix of 10 townhomes and 98 condos. Developer NVR had similar plans, got them approved by The Arlington County Board but then threw in the towel and sold the 1.2 acre site. Opposition from local neighbors have so far, put the kibosh on the deal.
NVR never started work and opted not to pursue it, opening the door for BCN to pursue it instead. The developer is pitching some minor edits to NVR’s approved plans, shrinking the number of for-sale townhomes on the north block and converting the proposed apartment building into a condo building, according to a letter from BCN’s land use attorneys to the county.
Those would be part of a building that stands seven stories tall and slopes down to four stories as it approaches nearby residential buildings, similar to what NVR was originally pitching. County officials have scheduled a Jan. 27 hearing for the Planning Commission’s Site Plan Review Committee to begin scrutinizing the project.
BCN has plenty of history working in the county (and was previously named one of the WBJ’s fastest growing companies in 2014) though this would be among the developer’s larger projects. The company generally specializes in custom homes in North Arlington neighborhoods, but it’s also worked on several popular restaurants across Arlington and Falls Church.
