On Tuesday, April 11, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) is expected to set public hearings to consider readopting the Modernized Zoning Ordinance (zMOD), originally adopted in 2021, and subsequent amendments. This action follows a Virginia Supreme Court ruling last month that the virtual adoption method used in 2021 was invalid. The ruling addressed solely the adoption process and did not address the content. The current situation has created some uncertainty related to previously approved and in process applications, so time is of the essence in mitigating that uncertainty.

Hearings on readoption of zMOD will likely be scheduled for the Planning Commission on Wednesday, May 3, and the BOS on Tuesday, May 9, if the Planning Commission has reported its recommendation.

Fairfax County updated its 1978 Zoning Ordinance after extensive in-person and virtual public outreach. The multi-year project was launched in 2017 to make the ordinance easier to understand and navigate, and to update and modernize land uses, including the establishment of new, more general zoning categories.

County staff held numerous in-person and virtual meetings over the course of more than three years to directly engage the community on the proposal. The new zoning ordinance was developed in multiple installments, allowing residents to provide feedback that helped staff develop the final 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.

“The board will consider readopting the updated zoning ordinance at a public hearing. zMOD was approved during the COVID pandemic through the electronic meeting policy,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “The ordinance was built on a foundation of thorough and comprehensive public input over three years. As we all learned during the pandemic, electronic meetings increased public engagement by allowing more people to participate from any location. When zMOD was originally approved, 70 speakers participated in the Board of Supervisors’ public hearing, which was open to the public and broadcast live, as are all public hearings.”

Residents and business owners can learn more at the Zoning Ordinance webpage. 

Media Relations Contact: Tony Castrilli, Anthony.Castrilli@fairfaxcounty.gov