A proposal to replace two aging office buildings with 37 residential units and a small retail facility has met with mixed responses from members of the Fairfax City Council.
While some members praised the proposal for redevelopment of 3541 Chain Bridge Road with housing, others voiced concern about the decline of commercial property in the Northfax area of the city.
Members of the Fairfax City Council have reacted generally favorably to the latest proposal to redevelop the Courthouse Plaza Shopping Center.
Representatives from Combined Properties, which owns the 10-acre site, detailed its latest proposal at a July 28 City Council work session.
Homeowners in the City of Fairfax who want to allow elderly parents to move in, obtain rental income or perhaps even install a luxury “She Shed” can now add another dwelling on their property with less bureaucratic hassle.
The city council voted 4-2 on Tuesday (July 28) to approve code amendments permitting detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right within city boundaries.
Fairfax City voters will decide in November whether to approve a general retail sales tax increase of up to 1% that could generate up to $13.5 million to fund construction projects and long-term maintenance of the city’s schools.
The Fairfax City Council voted unanimously last Tuesday (July 14) to request that the Fairfax Circuit Court order a special election on Nov. 3 asking voters whether the city should levy the tax. Long sought by the city, the ability to implement the sales tax was authorized by the General Assembly’s new state budget late last month.
Planning is underway for a Northfax Linear Park that will one day have open green spaces, capture stormwater, and connect neighborhoods with a trail and retail plaza in Fairfax City.
During the Fairfax City Council’s work session on Tuesday (June 23), staff presented an early concept for what the park could look like, along with a timeline for finalizing the design guidelines.
The Fairfax City Council has unanimously approved the first pay raise for its members and the mayor in over a decade, increasing annual compensation to $22,000 for members and $24,000 for the mayor.
The new rates are the maximum allowed under Virginia law, and will take effect July 1, 2027. The current pay is $12,000 for council members, and $13,000 for the mayor.
The Fairfax City Council has unanimously approved an updated noise ordinance that clarifies the maximum possible sound levels, tweaks the hours the law is applicable, and gives the city more ability to enforce noise violations — including a new criminal penalty intended for rare cases.
Passed at yesterday’s city council meeting, the ordinance expands prohibitions on certain noises that are currently banned from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Starting July 15, restrictions will change to be in effect from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.
Fairfax City is eyeing a potential solution to fix a trail project that was approved and fully funded while minimizing financial penalties as a result of the city council canceling a different planned extension earlier this year.
During a council work session on Tuesday (May 26), staff proposed that the project — previously called the George Snyder Trail Extension — be renamed the Wilcoxon Trail Extension, and add on-street paths along Draper Drive, instead of connecting to existing trails by cutting through parkland.
The Fairfax City Council recently approved an updated waste management plan that it says is needed due to projections that landfills across Virginia may reach capacity in less than 20 years, a rising population, and soaring costs for disposing of municipal waste.
Council members unanimously voted May 12 to accept the 87-page plan with 54 actions planned across two decades. The plan emphasizes developing effective government systems; education and outreach to city residents; reducing waste overall and emphasizing reuse; increasing the amount and quality of items recycled; and resource recovery for food and yard waste.
The last time the Fairfax City Council approved a pay raise for its members, the year was 2015. The amount was $12,000 for council members, and $13,000 for the mayor.
During a work session on Tuesday (May 12), council members unanimously agreed it’s time to raise their own salaries — potentially up to the maximum allowed by Virginia law. For cities with a population between 20,000-34,999 people, that’s up to $24,000 for mayors and $22,000 for council members.
