Big increases proposed for building and zoning fees

Fairfax County building and rezoning fees could rise as much as 35 percent under a proposal drafted by county staff.

Bill Hicks, the director of Land Development Services, told the Board of Supervisors’ Land Policy Committee that the fees have to be raised because of inflation, increased staffing, increased employee compensation, and the requirement that fees have to cover the department’s expenses.

The fees haven’t been updated since 2015, Hicks said, while the fees charged in Fairfax County tend to be lower than those in surrounding jurisdictions.

The Planning Commission scheduled a hearing on the land development fee changes for April 3. The Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on April 16. New fees would take effect on July 1.

Here are some of the changes proposed by Land Development Services:

• The technology surcharge on all fees would rise from 4 percent to 10 percent.
• A new 2 percent surcharge would be added to cover the cost of staff training.
• All building-related fees – except elevator fees – would be increased by 25 percent.
• Site-related fees would be increased by 10 percent.
• A new fee would be added for pedestrian bridges, although the amount hasn’t been determined.

Board Chair Jeffrey McKay and several other supervisors said raising the fees by 35 percent in one year is way too high and suggested making incremental changes more frequently.

Related story: Proposed county budget would raise taxes

Tracy Strunk, director of the Department of Planning and Development, gave an overview of proposed fee changes related to the Zoning Ordinance. Some of those changes include the following:

• Fees for administrative permits, currently from $100 to $205, would be increased to $135 to $275.
• The fee for appealing a code violation would rise from $600 to $750.
• The fees for special permits currently range from $435 for something like home-based childcare to $16,375 for much larger projects. Those fees would be increased to $585 to $22,105.
• The fees for special exception applications, currently ranging from $4,085 to $16,375, would increase to $5,515 to $22,105.
• The fee for a rezoning application for a residential district is currently $27,280 plus $570 per acre. That would be increased to $36,830 plus $770 per acre.
• The fee for a rezoning application for a commercial or industrial district is currently $27,280 plus $910 per acre. That would be increased to $36,830 plus $1,230 per acre.
• The fee for recreational facilities in a planned district would be increased from $1,900 per dwelling to $2,400.
• A variance to increase the maximum height of a fence or wall in a residential district would rise from $435 to $585.
• The fee to appeal a zoning matter to the Board of Zoning Appeals would rise from $600 to $720.
• An application for a home-based business permit would be increased from $100 to $135.
• The fee for a sign modification would go from $8,260 to $11,045.

The fees administered by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department would also rise, said FCFRD Assistant Chief John Walser.

Permit and inspection fees administered by the Office of the Fire Marshal would be increased by 30 percent, from $150 to $195.

The fee for plan review and testing, currently at $156 per hour, would be increased 33 percent to $208 per hour.

According to Walser, fire marshal fees haven’t been updated since 2015. Cost recovery has trended downward, from nearly 100 percent in 2016 to an estimated 71 percent in 2024. During that period, fire marshal costs have increased 35 percent.