Center Zone
About 75 acres and the tallest of the three: up to seven stories and 92 feet. One area of up to six acres may be considered for ten stories and 128 feet under stated conditions.
PVC Roofs in McLean, VA: What the Downtown Plan Says
Downtown McLean has its own section of the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. It speaks about roofs in a few places: what sits above the height limit, what may be planted or played on, and how rain is held back. It never mentions a roofing membrane. Below, that text and what a PVC question looks like for the buildings it describes.
The plan area
How tall are the buildings the McLean business center plan has in mind?
The plan covers the McLean Community Business Center, about 230 acres around Chain Bridge Road and Old Dominion Drive. It splits the area into three zones.
General Zone
About 54 acres of low to mid-rise buildings, up to five stories and 68 feet, meant as the step down toward the edges and nearby houses.
Edge Zone
About 85 acres, mostly residential, the lowest intensity in the center and a buffer to the single-family streets beyond it.
The area already holds mid- to high-rise apartments along Fleetwood Road, Beverly Road, Laughlin Avenue and Lowell Avenue, townhomes near its edges, shopping centers, professional offices and former houses used as small offices.
The roof level
What does the plan let stand on top of a McLean roof?
The height maximums leave out mechanical penthouses, architectural elements and solar equipment, provided those features stay under 20 feet or 25 percent of the building height, whichever is less. Except architectural elements, they should be screened from neighbors.
Elsewhere the plan allows rooftop sport courts where ground-level space is not feasible, asks that tree planting on intensive green roofs be explored, and names green roofs among the ways to hold back stormwater. So a roof here may carry equipment, panels, soil or people.
Why it matters for a sheet roof
Penthouses, solar frames, planters and walking areas all mean curbs, penetrations and foot traffic. The plan does not say how to choose a membrane for them, so that falls to the design team and the maker's written instructions.
Three cases
Is PVC a candidate for a mid-rise, a converted house or a new roof deck?
The cases below are built only from the plan text and the rules named in them. They are not past jobs.
Scenario: illustration, not a past job
An owner of an older apartment building on a street the plan lists
Situation
The plan names several streets with mid- to high-rise apartments. Whether any given roof is flat is not in the plan.
What to check
Slope first, then layers. Virginia's existing-building text bars a new covering over a roof that is water soaked or already has two or more applications, so core cuts come first.
Likely path
One layer and a dry base keeps a recover possible. Two layers or wet insulation points to tear-off. PVC is one of three sheet families to compare on one scope.
Scenario: illustration, not a past job
An owner of a former house used as an office near Ingleside Avenue
Situation
The plan describes converted houses working as small offices along Ingleside Avenue, Whittier Avenue and parts of Chain Bridge Road.
What to check
Is the whole roof pitched, or is there a flat addition, porch or rear section? A sheet membrane belongs only on the low-slope part, so walk the roof lines before anyone mentions PVC.
Likely path
Pitched sections belong under roof replacement, and any flat part is a separate, smaller scope.
Scenario: illustration, not a past job
A design team planning a Center Zone building with a rooftop amenity
Situation
A Center Zone building may rise to seven stories, and the plan mentions rooftop sport courts and green roofs. The roof becomes a working surface.
What to check
Ask for the membrane data sheet and its ASTM number: the building code lists PVC under D4434. Then ask the maker, in writing, whether that exact sheet is meant for the planned traffic, planters or equipment.
Likely path
The architect specifies the system and the permit drawings go to the county. The plan is silent on membranes, so no one can say it points to PVC or away from it.
Plan says and does not say
What the downtown text covers, and what it leaves to others
The word roof appears in the plan section three times, all in the uses above. It names no roofing material, no flat-roof rule and nothing about re-roofing. The Board of Supervisors also made the area a Commercial Revitalization District on October 12, 1998, a zoning overlay with flexibility and urban design measures such as streetscape and landscaping. Its description names no roof requirement.
Roof permits and code limits sit with Fairfax County Land Development Services and the state building code, covered on the McLean page. Whether a like-for-like re-roof touches the plan at all is a question for the county, parcel by parcel.
Short answers
What do owners near downtown McLean ask about PVC?
Does the downtown McLean plan call for PVC?
No. It names no roofing membrane, so it neither favors nor rules out PVC.
Do rooftop units and solar count toward the height limit?
The plan excludes mechanical penthouses, architectural elements and solar equipment from the maximum if they stay under 20 feet or 25 percent of building height, whichever is less.
Can a McLean roof carry a green roof or a sport court?
The plan mentions both as acceptable ideas in certain cases. It does not say which membrane suits them.
What does a Commercial Revitalization District change for a roof?
It is a zoning overlay adding flexibility and design measures like streetscape. Its description names no roof rule, so ask the county about your parcel.
Is my Tysons-side McLean address covered by this plan area?
No. The business center is the area around Chain Bridge Road and Old Dominion Drive. See the Tysons PVC page for that side.
How does a PVC sheet differ from a TPO sheet in how it is joined?
Both are thermoplastics with hot-air welded seams. Color does not tell them apart; ask for the data sheet and standard number.
How often should a flat roof on a mid-rise be checked?
The single-ply trade group says at least twice a year and after any major storm, covering perimeters, flashings and drains.
Keep reading
Where to go next from downtown McLean
The McLean hub explains who issues permits. Also see the large buildings by decade and the county historic guide that names EPDM. For how the single-ply sheets compare, see the flat roof guide and the TPO guide for Northern Virginia. Neighbors: Vienna and Great Falls.
Talk through the next step
Bring the roof plan, not just the address
Tell us the street, the number of stories, what stands on the roof and who owns it. A short call can sort out whether PVC is one of the options.
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