Farr House aka Five Chimneys

Summary

The Farr House, also known as Five Chimneys, is a historic property built in 1880 and located at 10230 Main Street on approximately 9.38 acres, owned by Ann Farr Lewis. Ox Hill Development Company has proposed redeveloping the site into a 96-room, three-story hotel with a spa and pool, a 20,000-square-foot conference and event center, and restaurants, which would require rezoning the property from its current RM (single-family residential) designation to commercial status. On February 10, 2025, the Planning Commission received a staff-presented pre-application briefing on the project with no formal action taken. On February 25, 2025, the City Council held a pre-application work session discussion on the concept, also without formal action. At both meetings, neighboring residents — primarily from the adjacent Farcroft subdivision — appeared in opposition, citing concerns about noise, traffic, crime, tree loss, and the change in neighborhood character. A separate Ox Hill Development project, Ox Block A (a 170-room, seven-story Hilton hotel with a 2,400-seat concert venue and 27,000-square-foot convention center), was also referenced by residents as context for the developer's activity in the city.

Open questions & options on the table

• No formal application has yet been submitted; the project remains at the pre-application/concept stage pending any formal rezoning or land use application by Ox Hill Development Company.
• A rezoning from RM (single-family residential) to commercial zoning would be required and has not yet been filed or acted upon.
• No future hearing or review dates have been scheduled or announced for this project.

Discussion time

Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.