Nominations may be submitted through PLUS from January 13 - February 13, 2025. The form will require information regarding the nominated property or properties, contact information for the nominator and property owner, and information on the current Comprehensive Plan recommendation for the site and the proposed change. 

In addition to the identifying information listed above, the form will also require: the property owner’s consent to the nomination, a copy of the nominator’s notification letter to the property owner(s) (which should describe the nomination and include a map of the property), an illustrative concept plan visually describing the nomination, and statement of justification (generally 1-2 pages in length) describing the nominated change to the Comprehensive Plan. The justification should explain how the proposal would:

• Address an emerging community concern or change in circumstances;
• Advance planning objectives of the county’s Policy Plan, Area Plans, and/or Concept for Future Development, and not be contrary to long standing county policies;
• Align with the goals of the county’s Strategic Plan, One Fairfax Policy, Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan, Economic Success Plan, or other Board-adopted policies;
• Additionally, the statement of justification should include an explanation of any known planning issues presented by the nomination. Such issues include, but are not limited to, preservation or redevelopment of existing affordable housing, inconsistency with the Concept for Future Development, encroachment into Resource Protection Area (RPA) or other environmentally sensitive areas, known transportation generated noise, consolidation and access issues, infrastructure constraints, etc.;
• If a proposal has been re-submitted from a previous SSPA cycle, describe in detail why a change in circumstances (emerging trends, further community outreach) warrants an additional review. 
• The statement of justification should include a summary of the anticipated timeline for the implementation of the nomination (ie. submission of a development application). Nominations with near-term development prospects that clearly meet the justification criteria may be prioritized. 
• The statement of justification should note any community stakeholders who have been or are anticipated to be engaged in the review of the nomination. 
• If the adopted plan recommendation for the nominated site is similar to the surrounding area, why should the nominated site be considered in isolation? Please note that if the nominated site does not constitute a logically planned study area, it might be screened out or expanded into a small area planning study. 

During the nomination period, DPD staff will be available to answer questions about preparing nominations. Staff may contact during this time to request materials or request clarification on the submitted nominations. 

Following the conclusion of the Nomination Phase, the Board of Supervisors will be forwarded the nominations and will take action to accept or reject the individual nominations into the SSPA process. This acceptance will take place in the form of a County Executive Action Item (tentatively scheduled for February 2025). Any requested modifications to the submission criteria for the nominations will be noted in the action item and will be considered with the Action Item. The nominations that are accepted by the Board will next be reviewed by staff, which will hold a series of community meetings to ensure those living and working near the nominated sites know about the proposed changes and can provide early comments. The comments at the meetings will be summarized by staff and provided to the Planning Commission. The community meetings are anticipated to take place in March-April 2025. Following the community meetings, Following the community meetings, the Planning Commission will hold workshops on the nominations on May 1, 15, and 22, 2025, during which staff and the nominators will provide presentations, and the public may provide comments. The Planning Commission will provide a recommendation on a revised Work Program, which may include some of the nominations. Finally, following the Planning Commission’ workshops, the Board will take action on the revised Work Program in June 2025.

Nominations that are added to the Work Program will proceed to the Evaluation Phase for formal review as Plan Amendments. The community engagement model and timeline for each amendment will vary based on the unique circumstances of the amendment, including the complexity of the review, the intended development timeline, plan amendment prioritization, and the availability of staff and community resources. In some instances, plan amendment studies may proceed through established means of community review, such as land use committees, whereas in others, specially appointed groups, such as task forces, may be considered. The specific engagement model for each of the nominations that are added to the Work Program would be identified in coordination with the applicable Board member. Following community review, all amendments will continue to provide notification of neighboring properties and advertisement of public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board.

The Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program lists authorized current and future planning studies and amendments. Nominations that are authorized by the Board of Supervisors as Plan amendments will be assigned a priority as Tier 1, 2, and 3.   

Tier 1: These nominations support an identified County priority, such as providing affordable housing or enhancing office development, and represent the highest priority for staff resources and timing.

Tier 2: These nominations are typically reviewed in conjunction with the submission of a development application and as staff resources are available. If a concurrent application is anticipated, please contact DPD to discuss a schedule for the Plan amendment and associated case. 

Tier 3: These nominations are deferred studies, with the timing of the review to begin following completion of other studies, planning efforts, or other actions that would influence the policy context.