Notices provide details of procedural and program changes impacting the land development and permit application process.
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Receive alerts from the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) by subscribing to the PLUS email distribution. Emails will be sent about PLUS training, scheduled maintenance and other tips and instructions about PLUS.
- Visit “Stay Connected” at fairfaxcounty.gov/plan2build/plus.
- Type in your email address and click on the red “Subscribe” button.
On Oct. 31, 2022, PLUS will be the central Fairfax County platform for customers doing business with the following:
- Environmental Health (Department of Health)
- Department of Code Compliance
- Department of Planning and Development
- Land Development Services
- Office of the Fire Marshal (Fire and Rescue Department)
Land development-related processes, including creating and submitting applications, scheduling inspections, paying fees, tracking application status and submitting complaints to the Department of Code Compliance will be performed in PLUS.
Contact Us for PLUS Support If you have department-specific questions about records in PLUS, such as applying for a permit or submitting a complaint, please use the following phone numbers and email addresses: Planning and Development:
Land Development Services:
Health Department’s Environmental Health Division:
Office of Fire Marshal:
Department of Code Compliance:
If you have technical questions (e.g., account setup, password issues) regarding the PLUS system, please call 703-324-2222 or email PLUSSupport@FairfaxCounty.gov. All numbers use TTY 711. |
Recent changes to the Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) Regulations § 9VAC25-870-65.D.1. impact the use of certain proprietary Best Management Practices (BMPs).
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued new technical guidance on Sept. 15, 2021, regarding proprietary BMPs. The new guidance requires manufacturers of proprietary stormwater BMPs to provide documentation to DEQ if their BMP was listed on the BMP Clearinghouse website prior to July 1, 2020. The documentation must show that another state, regional or national certification program has verified and certified its nutrient or sediment removal effectiveness to continue to be approved by DEQ. DEQ has updated the list on the Virginia Stormwater BMP Clearinghouse to show which BMPs meet or do not meet the new requirement.
To ensure compliance with DEQ guidance, Land Development Services will process stormwater management plans submitted as part of any Site, Subdivision or Grading Plan as follows:
- Plans submitted on or after January 1, 2022, may only include proprietary BMPs shown as approved on the Virginia Stormwater BMP Clearinghouse website.
- Plans submitted before January 1, 2022, that include a complete stormwater management plan using a prior-approved proprietary BMP may be resubmitted until December 31, 2022.
- Plans not incorporating proprietary BMP remain unaffected by this change.
The list of Manufactured Treatment Devices Approved for Use in Fairfax County has been updated to clarify those proprietary BMPs that meet the new requirement and have been approved by the Land Development Services Director for use in Fairfax County in accordance with Public Facilities Manual § 6-0402.3B. If you have questions, please email Thakur Dhakal, or call 703-324-1780, TTY 711.
For additional guidance, see the DEQ’s Technical Guidance Memo No. GM21-2006.
A new interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) tool allows users to pick a point on a map and the tool will automatically delineate the basin draining to that point for any location in the county. Drainage basins, or watersheds, are areas of land that drain streams and rainfall to a common outlet.
This valuable data provides engineers quick estimates of the drainage areas to a given point and can be used by landowners to estimate drainage areas on and around their own property. County staff ecologists use this same data to evaluate the relationships between land use and hydrology, and their influence on stream condition, water quality and aquatic life.
To explore the drainage basin of your interest, check out the newest GIS app: Drainage Basin Delineation Tool, which uses LiDAR data (the most accurate elevation surface available), to delineate drainage basins. To learn more about watersheds, visit Watersheds | Public Works and Environmental Services.
This is only one of many GIS applications developed by Land Development Services (LDS). To explore more LDS GIS applications please visit our LDS Mapping Applications homepage.