Due to relentless opposition from nearby St. James School parents and neighbors to the site, the developer seeking City of Falls Church’s approvals to build a Hilton Garden Inn hotel on W. Broad St. may modify his plan to build the hotel “by right,” without needing any City government OKs. The News-Press learned
that developer Robert Young of Jefferson One L.L.C. has drafted alternative plans for the hotel that stay within the existing height limit permitted under the current Falls Church Zoning Code. In that event, the hands of all interested parties would be tied as he exercises his right to build on the land he owns. In an unusual move at the Falls Church City Council work session Monday night, spokesmen for St. James parents and
neighborhood residents were given 10 minutes each to speak to the Council about their objections. They centered on traffic congestion and storm water runoff issues, and not on fears many had publicly expressed earlier that the hotel would be a haven for pedophiles. Normally, no citizen input is allowed at work sessions, but is limited to public hearings, of Continued on Page 4