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TextAbout Us-Planning Commission
Who we are and what we do
More specifically, the duties of the Planning Commission, with the advice and assistance of the County Staff, include the following:
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Prepare and recommend a Comprehensive Plan
for the physical development of the County, and review that Plan at
least once every five years for updates and changes.
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Prepare and recommend amendments to the
Zoning Ordinance.
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Prepare and recommend amendments to the
Subdivision Ordinance.
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Prepare and recommend amendments on the
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for public infrastructure
development in the County.
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Prepare and recommend amendments to the
Official Map for the County.
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Review and make recommendations on all
amendments to the Official Zoning Map.
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Review and make recommendations on
applications for special exceptions, and when deemed necessary, on
appeals and applications for special permits filed with the Board of
Zoning Appeals (BZA).
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Approve final development plans.
- Approve or disapprove the general or approximate location, character and extent of streets, parks or other public areas, public buildings, public structures, public utilities, or public service corporations, other than railroads, whether publicly or privately owned.
Authority and Establishment
The Fairfax County Planning Commission currently has 12 members, appointed by the Board of Supervisors to four-year terms. To provide stability, the terms of the members are staggered, so that no more than 1/3 of the Commission terms expire in any one year. If a vacancy occurs outside of the scheduled appointment timeframe, the Board of Supervisors will fill this vacancy for the remainder of the term. Also, Commissioners are minimally compensated for their many hours of service, at an amount set, and periodically adjusted, by the Board of Supervisors.
To be eligible for appointment to the Commission, members must be residents of the County, living in the District he or she represents, and be qualified by knowledge or experience to make decisions on questions of community growth and development. (Note: At-Large representatives may reside anywhere within the County's boundaries.) In addition to this requirement, at least one-half of the members must be property owners.
Commission Structure
The Commission has established four officer positions to help insure its smooth operation: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Parliamentarian. These officers are elected for one (1) year terms, and the election is generally held at the third regular meeting in January of each year. However, if an appointment to the membership by the Board of Supervisors is pending, the annual election may be postponed until the first regular meeting after the appointment, upon vote of the Commission.
A candidate receiving a majority vote of the membership is elected and takes office immediately. Officers serve for a one-year term, or until a successor takes office. Vacancies in office are filled immediately by regular election procedures.
The Commission also establishes various committees to help distribute its workload. These committees each elect a chairman for a one year term at their first meeting of the calendar year. For additional information on committees, please refer to the Planning Commission Committees.
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