The Manassas Park Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend approval of a rezoning and related waivers that would allow a 321-unit mixed-use redevelopment of a former auto sales and service site near the city center.
The recommendation covers Rezoning RZ 2026-01, Zoning Waiver WAI 2026-01A, and Public Facilities Waivers PFW 2026-01A through PFW 2026-01D and PFW 2026-01F. The motion, subject to the fourth submission of the general development plan and a proffer statement dated August 12, 2026, now advances to the Governing Body for a final decision.
The 6.67-acre site at 8503 and 8505 Euclid Avenue is currently zoned B-2 General Business and occupied by auto sales and service uses. The proposal would rezone the property to the MUD Downtown Mixed Use zoning district.
It calls for 321 multifamily units, of which 98 percent would be income-restricted at 60 percent of area median income, approximately 2,100 to 2,128 square feet of retail fronting Bank Street, and 5,400 square feet of Career and Technical Education space for public schools. The plan includes 668 structured parking spaces, including public spaces identified in the comprehensive plan, and roughly one-third of the site dedicated to open space and the public realm.
RST Development, led by Danny Copeland, is the applicant. Land-use attorney Evan Pritchard of Wire Gill, LLP, presented the application. Proffers commit to high-quality materials, including brick and fiber cement, sound attenuation for traffic noise, EV infrastructure, and specific traffic improvements on Bank Street and Manassas Drive. Those improvements include restricting outbound movement from Bank Street to right-turn-only onto Manassas Drive and reconstructing the eastbound right-turn lane with additional storage.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Michelle Barry recommended approval. She noted that the project aligns with comprehensive plan guidance for city-center mixed-use redevelopment, significantly increases green space compared with the current paved condition, and places the structured parking largely out of public view behind a residential wrap. Staff supported the requested residential-percentage waiver allowing 96.9 percent residential use, citing the site’s location on the periphery of the redevelopment district.
Mike Smith of 102 Colfax Drive was the sole public speaker. He voiced support for the green space, EV spaces, and school component, and emphasized consistency with the downtown vision, while raising concerns about density and traffic. He also asked for clarification of the 60 percent AMI standard and whether local taxpayers would bear any costs.
Pritchard responded that 60 percent AMI for a family of four in the Washington-area median is roughly $60,000 to $65,000. He described the project as targeting middle- and lower-middle-income households, such as teachers and others early in their careers, and confirmed it is financed through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits with no local taxpayer contribution requested. Traffic impacts, he said, can be managed through the planned improvements, walkability, and proximity to a Virginia Railway Express station.
