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.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval at its July 22 meeting of a proposal that could more than quadruple the number of residential units at the Merrifield at Dunn Loring Station Apartments.
County staff’s comprehensive plan amendment would pave the way for Malkin Properties — which has owned the 35-acre garden-apartment complex at 8130 Prescott Drive since its construction in the late 1960s — to replace the existing 706 units in phases with up to 2,975 apartments in high-rise and mid-rise buildings near the Dunn Loring Metro station.
Fairfax County staff are beginning preparations for adhering to a new state law loosening zoning regulations on development of affordable housing.
Legislation known by proponents as the “Faith in Housing” bills was enacted by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) earlier this year. Set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, it requires localities to establish a streamlined process for construction of affordable units on land owned by religious organizations or nonprofit groups.
Fairfax County supervisors have directed staff to consider ways to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for those seeking to provide child care services in their homes to the public.
Getting approval from the county government “takes way too long,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at a Land Use Policy Committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
The Herndon Town Council has cleared the way for a redevelopment of the Van Buren Office Park.
The council voted unanimously last month (June 23) to approve a zoning map amendment allowing the office park at 250 Exchange Place to be converted from office and light-industrial uses to a mixed-use community with residential and commercial space.
A new law from a Fairfax County state delegate will set statewide limits on minimum parking requirements years after the county completed a major overhaul of its standards.
Del. Irene Shin (D-8), who represents parts of Herndon, Oak Hill and Chantilly, introduced HB 888 to limit the minimum amount of parking that localities can require for mixed-use and residential developments within a half-mile of mass transit facilities or public transportation stations.
It’s not clear yet if many Fairfax City homeowners will have the option one day to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — more commonly known as “granny pods” or “in-law suites” — in their yards. But despite some hesitation expressed during a May 12 work session, Fairfax City Council members are ready to hear public comments on the issue.
In a presentation to the council, city staff laid out the implications of a new zoning ordinance that would let significantly more homeowners build detached accessory units in their yards.
A proposal that would’ve established zoning rules for casinos is expected to be withdrawn when it goes before the Herndon Town Council later this month.
The Herndon Planning Commission indicated at a work session on Monday (May 4) that it will recommend denial of the zoning ordinance amendment, which defined a casino and set parameters for how one could be approved, Mayor Keven LeBlanc confirmed to FFXnow and other outlets, including Patch.
Casino gaming still isn’t permitted in Northern Virginia, but that hasn’t stopped the Town of Herndon from considering zoning parameters for a potential establishment.
At a work session tonight (Monday), the Herndon Planning Commission is scheduled to discuss a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would add a casino gaming establishment as an indoor entertainment use allowed near the town’s Metro station.
An office complex in Tysons that currently hosts some data centers could become exclusively devoted to processing digital data, if its current owner secures Fairfax County’s approval.
Serverfarm, a California-based operator that appears to be making its first foray into the D.C. region, applied earlier this year for a special exception that would allow it to replace the existing, “groaning” office buildings at 7990 and 7980 Quantum Drive with a “completely modernized” data center.
