March 19, 2024
County staff continue to implement additional improvements to the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) to serve you better. Check out these new PLUS fixes for Land Development Services (LDS) customers.
PLUS Enhancement
LDS Customer Benefit
Updates to Building
Added help text to residential and commercial building record applications.
Added help text to building record applications to better direct customers on what is required when completing the “estimated cost of construction” and “estimated cost of materials” fields as part of the permit application process.
Updated the Building Records Issued Report.
Added the 2024 reporting year to the existing Building Records Issued report dropdown criteria, allowing customers to view permits issued during the 2024 calendar year.
Updated the Critical Structures record.
Updated the logic for critical structures records to allow for submission while an amendment or revision is being processed under the parent building permit.
Launched the Elevator Revision record.
Allows elevator customers to amend, revise and extend their existing elevator record.
Update to Site
Updated how conditional fees are assessed and invoiced for minor plan records.
Fees associated with minor plan records approval conditions such as pro rata share, stormwater permits and conservation escrow deposits will be calculated and assessed during application submittal but not invoiced until technical plan approval (i.e., log out). The fee amounts will still be published under the Conditions tab in PLUS. This allows customers to pay resubmission fees on subsequent submissions, without being required to pay their associated approval condition fees when their plan is not yet approved. Minor plan records include conservation plans (CON), infill lot grading plans (INF), rough grading plans (RGP) and minor site plans (MSP).
Parcel validation required at application submittal.
Customers will be required to enter valid parcel numbers to submit site record applications. Help text is included as is a search option to help find the valid parcel number. This will ensure accurate project information and eliminate errors related to invalid parcels.
Created deck stamp for plats related to bonded grading plans.
In accordance with Technical Bulletin 24-01 , staff will review standalone deck applications for residential projects associated with an active (i.e., bonded) grading plan and approve with a specialized stamp noting the associated approval conditions.
Created adjoining property notice approval condition, when applicable.
Updates have been made to the appropriate record workflows to ensure Adjoining Property Notice requirements are noted in PLUS. A Pre-Approval Condition has been added to provide clarity for customers.
Updated the Site Records Approved Report.
Added the 2024 reporting year to the existing Site Records Approved report dropdown criteria, allowing customers to view approved site-related plans under the 2024 calendar year.
We welcome your feedback on future PLUS enhancements. If you have ideas to improve the system, please take a moment to enter them here: LDS Customer PLUS Feedback Form.
March 19, 2024
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized an 18-month extension for an exemption of all electrical and building permit fees for electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS). The current exemption, which was scheduled to expire on May 1, 2024, has been extended through October 31, 2025.
The exemption supports the county’s climate goal for a carbon-free Fairfax —“a future for Fairfax County that is healthy, sustainable, and economically prosperous without local greenhouse gas emissions”—as well as the Environment Community Outcome Area of the Countywide Strategic Plan. Eliminating the permit fees for EVCS may encourage the use of electric vehicles, which is an important step toward achieving the overarching goal of community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050.
A permit is still required for any new installation of EVCS, in accordance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code, and the permit holder is subject to the re-inspection fee. No permit is required if you are plugging a stand-alone charging station into an existing outlet. In addition, EVCS must comply with zoning requirements (for detailed information, see the memorandum “Applicable Zoning Provisions for Electric Vehicle Charging Spaces.”)
A new GIS application was created to let the public see the distribution of Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) permits across Fairfax County for the first 12 months of the trial period. This application overlays the location of LDS Commercial and Residential Electrical Permits for EVCS against the Fairfax County Vulnerability Index Map to show equity impacts.
For general information on permits for EVCS and to access the GIS application, please visit Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Permits.
March 18, 2024
Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance Article 6 Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements
The county has just released an electronic calculator to assist in determining required parking for land uses in Fairfax County. This calculator incorporates changes to Section 6100 of the Zoning Ordinance. Using the calculator, you can determine the expected minimum parking for:
Any use in the ordinance
Uses located in tiered framework areas defined in Section 6100.5 of the ordinance
Bicycles
Vehicle loading
The calculator can be used to determine parking requirements associated with changes in site uses and incorporates the ordinance changes from Parking Reimagined designed to create more flexibility for shopping centers, office buildings, and industrial uses.
The Electronic Parking Calculator can be accessed through Section 6100.4 of the ordinance as well as other key areas within Article 6. In addition, the calculator and training resources associated with the updated regulations are available through the LDS Off-Street Parking webpage.
If you have any questions, please contact Michael Davis, Parking Program Manager, in the Site Development and Inspection Division at 703-324-3065, TTY 711.