Listed below are the amendments to the Public Facilities Manual (PFM) and the County Code:
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Proposed Amendments to the Public Facilities Manual (PFM) regarding Chapter 12 (Tree Conservation)
The proposed amendment to Chapter 12 is divided into two parts. The first part is known as the Landscaping and Screening Amendment and the second part is known as the Resilient Trees Amendment.
The Landscaping and Screening Amendment makes minor editorial changes to parking lot landscaping and related requirements contained in Chapter 12 of the PFM to align these provisions with the Zoning Ordinance as recently amended by ZOA 112.2-2024-4. The Landscaping and Screening Amendment further modifies PFM subsection 12-0309.2A to require that tree preservation plans identify the percentage amount of the Critical Root Zone (CRZ) impacted by construction activities, which is a standard industry practice and is necessary to demonstrate conformance with the requirements of PFM subsection 12-0203.5A.
The Resilient Trees Amendment updates Table 12.14, Tree Selection and Canopy Cover Guide and associated text in Chapter 12. This table is provided as a recommendation to designers and project arborists for appropriate tree species selection during plan development; it is not a mandatory planting list and includes species which are commonly available and performed well for their listed traits. The proposed changes are summarized below:
Related Documents:
The following proposed amendments to the Fairfax County PFM and the County Code are scheduled to be authorized or have been authorized for advertisement of public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Please note that hearing dates and times may be subject to change. For the convenience of the public, copies of the Staff Reports for the proposed amendments are available for review in portable document format (PDF) below.
Amendments to the Public Facilities Manual (PFM) Regarding Chapter 7 (Streets, Street Lights, Parking and Driveways)
Chapter 7 of the PFM, at Section 7-8000, sets guidelines for streetlight design. While the PFM provides general placement guidance, individual designs must address site-specific conditions such as road geometry, road classification, pedestrian level, and existing lighting. Current PFM provisions for streetlights could be clarified and updated, particularly in light of Fairfax County’s urban centers and revitalization areas that utilize non-standard streetlights. Centralizing certain streetlight design requirements currently found in Technical Bulletins and design guidelines within the PFM would improve clarity and consistency for both applicants and staff. Currently, a typical applicant prepares a rough streetlight layout, after which County staff refines that layout by running lighting calculations and finalizing fixture placement and spacing. Since the requirements for nonstandard fixtures are spread across multiple Technical Bulletins and Urban Design Guidelines, some of which have been superseded, the results are extended coordination and frequent redesigns.
The attached Staff Report includes full text of the proposed amendment. Key updates are summarized below:
Timing:
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Written comments may be forwarded to: Fairfax County Land Development Services, Site Code Research and Development Branch, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 608, Fairfax VA 22035-5503, or via email.
Persons wishing to speak at the public hearings on these topics may call the Office of the Clerk to the Planning Commission, 703-324-2865, TTY 703-324-7951, and the Office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors, 703-324-3151, TTY 703-324-3903, to be placed on the respective speaker's list, or you may appear at a public hearing and be heard.
Sign up for the speaker's list online: Planning Commission | Board of Supervisors
Amendments to Appendix Q (Land Development Services Fee Schedule) of the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia Regarding Adjustment of the Fees Charged by Land Development Services for Plan Review, Permits, and Inspection
The amendment adjusts Appendix Q (Land Development Services Fee Schedule) for plan review, permits, and inspection services to meet the Board’s direction for approximately 100% cost recovery through plan review, permits, and inspection fee revenue. Adjustments to Appendix Q will also cover enhancements for customer service.
Public hearings have been scheduled regarding proposed changes to that include a 5% increase across most of the fee schedule. The proposed 5% increase does not apply to elevator permits and inspections, the technology surcharge percentage, code academy levy percentage or zero fee applications – these will remain unchanged. LDS’s applications and services which currently do not require a fee will also remain unchanged. The amendment also proposes minor adjustments to the 5% increase for smaller fees where the 5% increase does not round to a penny. The amendment further proposes a fifty percent (50%) increase in fees related to major Water Quality Impact Assessments (WQIA) for bonded and non-bonded lots and exceptions under Article 6 of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance (Chapter 118 of County Code) which require a public hearing to reflect the significant staff time associated therewith.
The proposed 5% increase addresses inflation as directed by the Board and noted above and ensures that service levels do not decrease as costs increase. Notwithstanding, LDS continues to implement enhancements to the development process, which directly benefit applicants including:
Effective Date: July 1, 2026 (FY 2027)
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Amendments to the Public Facilities Manual (PFM) Regarding Sanitary Sewer and Editorial Changes
Public hearings have been scheduled regarding miscellaneous amendments to the Public Facilities Manual (PFM), including but not limited to: (1) Reducing the recommended sanitary sewer design flow rates for single family, multi-family, and office developments, and specifying design flow rates for new categories of common commercial and medical uses. (2) Updating and reducing the peak flow rates for existing and new sanitary sewer infrastructure. (3) Updating miscellaneous PFM provisions to align with recent updates to the Erosion and Stormwater Ordinance (County Code Chapter 124.1) and the Virginia Stormwater Handbook. (4) Updating PFM provisions related to stacked townhomes to align with the Zoning Ordinance (County Code Chapter 112.1). (5) Updating Plate 20-7 related to the construction of driveway entrances along existing streets to align with Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) standards. (6) Codifying current policies related to sump pump discharge locations for single-family detached develop developments.
Effective: April 15, 2026
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Amendments to Chapter 124.1 (Erosion and Stormwater Management Ordinance) of The Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia to Implement Changes to the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Regulation
The purpose of the amendments is to implement changes to the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Regulation (Regulation) and clarify existing requirements in the Erosion and Stormwater Management Ordinance (ESMO), including a clarification that failure to maintain installed stormwater management facilities, as prescribed in a maintenance agreement, is a violation of the ordinance. In addition to the amendments made in response to the changes to the Regulation, an amendment to the right of entry provision is also proposed in accordance with HB2008/SB1093. The major changes are to the water quality control requirement for new development, the methodology for demonstrating compliance with the water quality control requirement for both new and redevelopment, and the design of both construction (erosion and sediment controls) and post-construction facilities (Best Management Practices) as follows:
Effective Date:
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Proposed Amendments to Chapter 101 (Subdivision Ordinance) and Chapter 112.2 (Zoning Ordinance) of The Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia related to processing and review times for plats, site plans and subdivision plans
These amendments implement changes to the Code of Virginia §§15.2-2259 and 15.2-2260 made by Chapter 100 of the 2025 Virginia Acts of the Assembly (House Bill 2660) and Chapter 594 of the 2025 Virginia Acts of the Assembly (Senate Bill 974). The amendments reduce the time to distribute copies of submitted plans to state agencies from ten days to five days; reduce the review times that county staff has to review plats, site plans and subdivision plans from 60 days to 40 days for 1st submission, and from 45 days to 30 days for resubmissions. In addition, the amendments create a new requirement for the Director, or equivalent official having supervisory authority over the agent, to review the comments on 3rd or subsequent resubmissions within 14 days and determine if the plat or plan should be approved, allow the applicant to revise the plat or plan, or disapprove the plat or plan with the comments. The proposed amendment also includes other minor changes and editorial corrections.
Effective Date:
Related Documents and information:
Amendment to Chapter 118 (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance) of the Code of the County of Fairfax (CBPO) regarding Preservation of Mature Trees and Coastal Resilience and Adaptation to Sea Level Rise
The proposed amendment to the CBPO is to add criteria regarding the preservation of mature trees, and coastal resilience and adaptation to sea level rise and climate change. These changes are necessary to incorporate revisions to the state Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and Management Regulations adopted by the State Water Control Board.
Effective Date:
October 9, 2024, at 12:01 a.m., and the requirements be applicable to any new plans and applications submitted on or after this date, except that all previously approved Water Quality Impact Assessments and RPA exception and exemption requests remain valid for the period indicated in the approval.
Applicants who submit a plan or application before the effective date that is then accepted for review without further modification may continue to use the criteria in effect at the time of the submission only if the plan or application is approved within six months of the effective date and any previously approved Water Quality Impact Assessments and RPA exception and exemption approvals remain valid for the time period granted in the approval.
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Amendment to the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia (County Code) to adopt new Chapter 124.1 (Erosion and Stormwater Management Ordinance) and repeal Chapter 104 (Erosion and Sedimentation Control) and Chapter 124 (Stormwater Management Ordinance) in their entirety.
The amendment consolidates the existing erosion and sediment control requirements, stormwater management requirements, and provisions to satisfy the County’s state-issued municipal separate storm sewer permit into a single ordinance. The ordinance clarifies program requirements, eliminates redundancies, and corrects inconsistencies between the existing ordinances. There are no substantive changes to existing erosion and sediment control minimum standards or to the post-construction stormwater management technical criteria. The ordinance requires all land-disturbing activities equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet to provide erosion and sediment control, water quantity control, and water quality control. The Board did not adopt the optional provision that would have exempted land-disturbing activity equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet and less than one acre for construction of single-family detached residential structures not part of a common plan of development or sale meeting certain criteria from providing water quality control.
Effective Date:
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The adopted amendments are necessary to make technical and non-technical updates, clarifications, and editorial changes to the PFM. This effort is a result of goal three of the Strategic Plan for Economic Success in Fairfax County: to improve the speed, consistency, and predictability of the land development review process. This effort has been dubbed the “PFM Flex Project.” Phase 1 of the PFM Project was approved by the Board on December 4, 2018. This adopted amendments are for Phase 2 of the PFM Flex Project.
Effective Date:
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