Proposed Downtown Manassas townhomes to start at $600,000

[Updated] The Manassas City Council was shown a preview of a plan for a new townhouse development that raised many questions.

During a work session meeting earlier this month, Greenway Engineering gave the council a presentation proposing a 24-unit townhome project located between Lee and Wall Streets in what the city considers to be its downtown sector.

About five homes dot Wall Street, some dating back to the the first half of the 20th century. A catering business sits on Lee Court, while Bull Run Harley Davidson sits one block east.

Jessica Pfeiffer and Jose DeSilva, Greenway’s lawyer and architect, respectively, provided the presentation to preview what the council could expect from the project before the firm filed a rezoning application.

The project would consist of 24 new townhomes on nearly two acres, taking up three parcels of land. The townhomes would 128 feet tall, each with four bedrooms. The homes would come with garage parking and driveways to park additional vehicles.

Pfeiffer told the council that environmental impact and technical reviews would be forthcoming. The firm would need to win a rezoning decision from the City Council, changing the land-use designation from industrial to residential. According to Councilman Mark Wolfe, industrial space is at a premium in the city.

Members of the council had many questions regarding the issues that have plagued similar past projects. One major issue was parking. The plans for the project showed no parking spaces beyond the garages and driveways. Greenway’s representatives intended that the driveways serve as visitor parking, but the council members were skeptical of that proposal.

Wolfe stated that forcing homeowners to make their driveways available for visitor parking would be unsound.

Another issue brought up by council members was the townhomes. Manassas seeks ways to provide affordable housing for residents, including options of all shapes and sizes, said Councilman Tom Osina. He questioned why townhomes were the only option considered.

Osina also took Greenway to task when they couldn’t give a set price on the cost of the homes. Pfeiffer did provide an estimate of about $600,000 per house. Pfeiffer couldn’t say what the price of the units would be in 18 months once the project was completed.

Greenway expects to file a rezoning application this month. Afterward, the City Council will then have an official look at the project on January 10.

Correction: An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect height for the town homes.