The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors tooks steps on Tuesday (Feb. 4) that it hopes will ease the administrative burden on those organizing small-scale outdoor special events throughout the county.
Supervisors voted unanimously to amend administrative-permit rules for special events that are open to the public. The vote came at the very tail end of the board meeting.
The action mirrored, with a few tweaks, the mid-January recommendation of the Fairfax County Planning Commission, which gave its support to changes proposed by county staff after hammering out details about which events will qualify for the administrative process and how much will be charged in permitting fees.
Under the newly approved changes, which will take effect on March 1, permits for relatively modest public events that last just a single day will cost $120 — half of the existing rate — and last for two years. Currently, permits need to be renewed for each event.
More importantly, from the Board of Supervisors’ perspective, the turnaround time for the county government to approve permits for smaller events is expected to be cut significantly.
Currently, it takes just under two weeks, on average, for an event permit to get approved, though the county website advises that it could take “approximately 30 days” even if no additional information is required to be submitted by organizers.
The board pressed county zoning staff to get that down to just 48 to 72 hours for smaller, community-based events.
“It’s essential for us to simplify this,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said. “I’m looking for a [staff] commitment.”
Given the bureaucratic steps involved, organizers of smaller, neighborhood-based events sometimes opt to avoid interacting with the county government at all, he noted.
“We want people to come and get the permit,” McKay said, as the review process helps county officials red-flag any potential problems.
Leslie Johnson, the county’s zoning administrator, said it was impossible to promise every permit for the smaller “Tier 1” events would be processed within three days, particularly if there is incorrect or missing information on the submission.
But she said staff “will do our very, very best” to meet that timeline.
“Typically, it’s reviewed within 24 hours,” Johnson told supervisors.
The revisions would not impact other administrative processes that might be required, depending on the nature of the event. In some cases, event organizers need to get approvals from the county fire marshal and health department, or the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Johnson said county zoning staff will also increase online information available to event organizers, and perhaps host an event for nonprofit organizations explaining the application process. Staff will return to the Board of Supervisors in coming months with an update on the average time taken to approve permit requests.
Not every community event requires a permit. Backyard weddings and end-of-season swim-club parties open only to members are typical of those that would not.
As defined by county officials:
“A ‘special event’ is defined as a temporary outdoor activity held on private property, including, but not limited to, seasonal sales, the display of goods and merchandise associated with a retail use, community or cultural events, musical or arts events, celebrations, festivals, fairs, carnivals and circuses.”
Larger (“Tier 2”) special events lasting multiple days will continue to get more intense permitting scrutiny by county staff. The fee for those was maintained at $240.
Over the past four fiscal years, a total of 329 special-events administrative permits have been issued, county staff say. Most of them fell within the smaller-scale category that will now be known as Tier 1.
Special events not eligible for administrative review and approval are regulated by the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals. Applications must be submitted there at least 120 days before the proposed event.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors concurrently approved a staff proposal that will authorize food trucks to operate in smaller commercial areas than previously allowed, and permit food-truck operation for more days each year on any given location within residential neighborhoods.
