News

Over the course of two years, only one restaurant participated in a pilot program that Herndon council members created with the hope of expanding outdoor dining options within the Town.

That lackluster response — followed by Mile 20’s decision not to obtain another permit in 2026 — led to council members’ unanimous agreement at a work session on Tuesday (Jan. 13) to let its “streetery” initiative expire.


News

Fairfax County supervisors on Tuesday (Jan. 13) set public hearings for later in the winter to consider expansion of zoning districts where group homes, also known as congregate living facilities, would be allowed.

The proposal also would update nearly quarter-century-old standards for the facilities.


Countywide

Fairfax County supervisors on Tuesday (Jan. 13) set a pair of future public hearings on proposed revisions to zoning rules for large-scale battery storage in the county.

The proposed changes would impact what are known as Battery Energy Storage Systems, or BESS. Language in the amendments would add a new definition for BESS and add new use standards and submission requirements, including minimum setbacks and the completion of a noise study before a site plan can be approved.


Countywide

Fairfax County is one step closer to updating its regulations for manufactured homes for the first time in nearly half a century.

At its meeting last Wednesday (Nov. 19), the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors amend the Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance guidelines for manufactured homes, which are sometimes called mobile homes or trailers.


Countywide

Fairfax County leaders appear ready to battle any efforts in the 2026 General Assembly session to strip powers of local government to regulate creation of new housing.

“We want affordable housing,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said, but the county’s lobbying efforts in Richmond would be focused on “making sure the General Assembly doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all” approach that erases local decision-making powers.


News

A divided Fairfax City Council narrowly approved a major redevelopment plan at its July 22 meeting that will see a century-old home replaced with up to 276 apartment units, plus ground-floor commercial and retail space, on a key parcel in Old Town Fairfax.

The 4-3 vote to support the staff recommendation for redevelopment marked the conclusion of a nearly decade-old process to determine the future of the 2.7-acre site at 4131 Chain Bridge Road.


Countywide

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors tapped Celebrate Fairfax on Tuesday (July 15) to manage logistics of the county’s celebration of the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday.

The organization will work with the Fairfax County 250th Commission and community groups to support an “inclusive-community-driven experience,” Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said.


Countywide

Fairfax County planning officials say they have the resources to meet new, stricter turnaround requirements for submissions by property developers.

“We’ve already changed our process. We’re in compliance,” Jerry Stonefield, a Land Development Services staff member, told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a land use policy committee meeting last Tuesday (July 8).


News

The first major rewrite of zoning rules governing Fairfax’s manufactured home communities since the 1970s soon could head to county supervisors by the end of this year.

If approved, the new regulations would guide future development at the seven existing residential parks, which are mostly located in the Route 1 corridor. They also potentially would provide more protections for residents in cases of redevelopment or other displacement.


Countywide

Fairfax County supervisors wrapped up the 2024-2025 Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) cycle at their meeting on Tuesday (June 10) with a few tweaks to recommendations from the Planning Commission.

Projects that made the cut will now be placed on a county staff work plan for further review and community outreach. Rejected submissions can return in the next cycle, expected to start in about 18 months.


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