New houses concern neighbors
By Monty Tayloe
A plan to build 19 homes on a 22-acre lot that opens out onto Georgetown Pike in Great Falls has neighbors worried.“It's already zero visibility at that intersection, with wall-to-wall cars,” said Falls Bridge Lane resident Celia Dallas at a recent meeting of the Great Falls Citizens Association's land use committee. Falls Bridge lies right across the Georgetown Pike from the proposed development.
It's a familiar comment in Great Falls, where citizens say that Route 193 is so congested during rush hours that entering Georgetown Pike from non-signalized intersections can be a frightening experience.
Neighbors on Falls Bridge fear that the additional traffic entering the road at the exact same point as they do will trap them in their neighborhood during rush hours. The neighbors and members of the citizens group have pointed out that the property in question also has the capability to open out onto the Leesburg Pike, which runs behind the lot.
“Another entrance so close to Seneca Road? That's a problem,” said Eric Knudsen, of the GFCA Transportation Committee.
If such a configuration is possible given the physical layout of the proposed site, it is still not likely that the property owners would support it. Sources close to the local real estate market have pointed out that a housing development opening onto the Leesburg Pike would be worth considerably less than one on the Georgetown Pike.
The neighbors' concerns about entering Georgetown Pike echo the comments of residents of Riverbend and Seneca Roads, both Great Falls neighborhoods that open onto the road. In both locations, residents say traffic is so heavy that cars have to make way to allow them to enter the Pike, and that poor visibility leads to high risk.
“When you take that left-hand turn onto the Georgetown Pike, you have to hold your breath,” said Alison Beckwith, of Falls Bridge Road.
Currently, the subdivision plans are under review by Fairfax County planners.