Fairfax County’s zoning ordinance has officially been modernized — for good this time.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the code overhaul known as zMod on Tuesday (May 9) even after overwhelming opposition at the public hearing. The readoption took effect immediately.
As Northern Virginia continues to cement its position as a global base for data centers, Fairfax County leaders say the time has come to reevaluate the impact of the facilities and, potentially, set some boundaries for the future.
At its meeting this morning (Tuesday), the Board of Supervisors directed county staff to research environmental issues linked to data centers and what’s being done to address them. Staff will also develop guidelines for site locations and the process for approving them.
Earlier this spring, the Virginia Supreme Court declared Fairfax County’s modernization of its zoning ordinance (zMOD) invalid because it was adopted at virtual meetings.
In light of the pending re-adoption of the new zoning ordinance, Reston Association is pitching a change that would clarify if additions or enhancements require a Planned Residential Community (PRC) plan — a lengthy process that involves the development of detailed plans and public hearings before the county Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
Spurred by the pandemic, outdoor dining in Fairfax County is likely here to stay.
The county is considering a proposal to formalize standards and regulations for outdoor dining in parking areas that were first introduced during the pandemic.
Cheers went up after the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) ruled last year that a natural gas pipeline planned through the residential neighborhood of Pimmit Hills will need to be reviewed and approved by the county.
However, even when proposing that decision on Feb. 2, 2022 after a multi-day public hearing, BZA Vice Chairman James Hart acknowedged that the case over the sixth phase of Washington Gas’ Strip 1 Tysons project was likely headed to court.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is going to take a second stab at its ambitious Zoning Ordinance Modernization Project (zMOD) after Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the prior approval.
The county’s zMOD overhaul involved a variety of sweeping changes to the zoning ordinance, from loosening limits on accessory dwelling units to changes in regulations governing flags and flagpoles.
Aware of a growing need for more variety in its housing options, the Town of Vienna is taking a harder look at its standards for multifamily residential development.
Changes currently under consideration include the introduction of minimum parking requirements for bicycles, according to draft regulations for apartments, townhouses, and other residences allowed in a new residential multi-unit (RMU) zone.
The amount of residential development on Villa Park Road in Springfield could see a boost if Fairfax County approves a proposal to increase the number of houses allowed in the area.
A community meeting is on the proposal is slated for April 17. The proposal, if approved, would increase the density allowed by the county’s comprehensive plan in the Springvale Community Planning Sector from 4-5 dwelling units to 8.5 dwelling units per acre.
Fairfax County staff have pared down the draft of Reston’s proposed comprehensive plan from 180 pages to 133.
At a Fairfax County Planning Commission workshop on March 30, staff walked through their amendments to the proposed plan, a process that kicked off more than two years ago with a community-driven task force initiated by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
Redevelopment proposals in the Merrifield area will likely get high-priority consideration by Fairfax County planners, as the county nears the finish line of its reconfigured site-specific plan amendment (SSPA) process.
After a nearly four-hour-long workshop on Thursday (March 23), the Fairfax County Planning Commission gave its support to staff’s recommendation that the pitches for Merrifield and an AT&T office site in Oakton be designated as “Tier 1” in the SSPA work program.
