New zoning rules encourage small-scale manufacturing in commercial buildings

Vegan desserts made by GreenBerries, an example of a small-scale production company cited by Fairfax County as an appropriate use for an underutilized commercial property.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted new zoning rules earlier this month that make it easier for entrepreneurs to launch small-scale manufacturing companies.

The new rules encourage clean, quiet small-scale production and artisan manufacturing involving furniture, custom jewelry, textiles, baking, coffee roasting, vertical farming, 3D printing, and similar businesses in underutilized buildings.

The new zoning rules greatly expand the areas where artisan manufacturers can set up shop. While these businesses had been restricted to industrial districts in the past, they are now are now allowed in most commercial and mixed-use districts, including Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, and Seven Corners.

The county’s Made in Fairfax initiative is aimed at encouraging more artisan and craft production facilities as a way to help revitalize neighborhoods, fill empty buildings, and create new jobs. Craft manufacturers can fill vacant commercial space no longer viable for traditional retail while enlivening older commercial areas with new activities and local enterprise.

While the news has been full of massive job layoffs at large factories, small, handmade craft manufacturing is making a comeback. More than two-thirds of manufacturers in Virginia employ 20 people or fewer, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The new zoning ordinance fits in with a policy amendment approved by the Board of Supervisors in October that makes it easier to convert vacant stores into other uses, including small-scale production; healthcare facilities; schools; and arts, cultural activities, and entertainment activities. That effort is an outgrowth of a previous initiative to allow more flexible uses in vacant office buildings.

The new rules define small-scale production broadly to include the entire manufacturing process from design to production to packaging and distribution.

To bolster this placemaking function, the zoning regulations call for these manufacturers in commercial or mixed-use districts to offer retail sales, tours, classes, or other direct interaction with the public.

Small manufacturers would be limited in size to 6,000 to 10,000 square feet, depending on the zoning district where they’re located. However, most craft manufacturing businesses are less than 5,000 square feet. To prevent noise and odors, production and storage must be indoors.