Site-specific Plan Amendment process to start Jan. 13
The nomination process for site-specific plan amendments to Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan will start Jan. 13 and run through Feb. 13.
The Comprehensive Plan is the guiding document for land use and development decisions and sets forth the community’s vision for the future.
Site-specific amendments are generally submitted by developers, but anyone can propose a plan amendment as long as the owner of the property consents.
Nominations should be submitted through Fairfax County’s Planning and Land Use System (PLUS).
Nominators must submit a one to two-page statement of justification describing how the project would meet the objectives of the county’s planning documents and how it would align with the Strategic Plan, One Fairfax policy, Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan, or Economic Success Plan.
The statement should also explain known planning issues, such as whether the project would affect existing affordable housing or an environmentally sensitive area.
There are a few changes in the SSPA process this year. For one thing, nominators will need to submit property maps using the county’s vulnerability index. That will ensure that socioeconomic factors are considered.
Related story: Eight redevelopment projects proposed for Mason District in 2022
Incomplete nominations will not be accepted. Nominations deemed complete will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors. The board will then approve an Action Item at its March 4 meeting stating which nominations are accepted for the screening phase.
Plan amendment nominations that make it to the screening phase will be reviewed by staff to determine whether they conform to county policies and priorities and whether they should be included in the Comprehensive Plan Work Program. Community meetings will be held during the screening phase, most likely in March-April.
The Planning Commission will hold a public workshop on the nominations, open to the public, in May-June. It will then will submit a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on a revised work program.
Not all plan amendments are expected to make it that far. Those that do will be evaluated in greater detail. The Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will then hold hearings on the plan amendments.
