At an in-person hearing on Tuesday, May 9, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) readopted the Modernized Zoning Ordinance (zMOD), originally adopted in 2021 and subsequently amended over the next two years. This action comes after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the virtual adoption method used in 2021 was invalid. While the board has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider the ruling, the readoption takes effect immediately and allows residents and businesses to move forward with zoning applications free from the uncertainty that followed the March court ruling.

zMOD is a comprehensive update to the county's 1978 Zoning Ordinance. The aim of zMOD is to make the ordinance easier to understand and navigate while modernizing land uses, including the establishment of new, more general zoning use categories.

The county developed zMOD with extensive community input that informed the final product. County staff held numerous in-person and virtual meetings over the course of more than three years to engage the community and gather feedback on the proposal. A complete list of outreach events, community meetings and hearings dating back to 2017 is available on the county’s Planning and Development webpage.

"Fairfax County is committed to serving the needs of our residents and businesses. zMOD represents a significant improvement over the 40-year-old Zoning Ordinance that it replaces and will help make our community more livable, sustainable and inclusive,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “Engagement from our residents and businesses was crucial in developing the final version of zMOD that was readopted today and in ensuring that the new regulations meet the needs of our community."

Learn more about zMOD on the Department of Planning and Development webpage.