Planning Commission

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8:00 AM-4:30 PM M-F
703-324-2865 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 552
Fairfax, VA 22035
Jill G. Cooper
Executive Director

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Meetings and Procedures

 

The Planning Commission holds approximately 75 meetings per year and usually meets every Wednesday and Thursday evening, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Commission meetings vary in length, depending on the number and complexity of agenda items, as well as the number of citizen speakers. The Commission generally does not meet during scheduled Board of Supervisors budget hearings, and holiday periods, such as the first week of July, the month of August, Thanksgiving week, or the last half of December.

Meetings are held in the Board Auditorium of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, and broadcast live on Fairfax County Government's Cable Television Channel 16. Meetings are also recorded, a copy of which can be made available for review by contacting Channel 16.

Note: On of June 9, 2021, returned to in-person meetings. But due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, safety provisions will continue to be observed. Those provisions include exercising social distancing and mask wearing for those who are not vaccinated.

The Planning Commission Office is located in Suite 552 of the Government Center. County Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Commission members are employed elsewhere during the day; therefore, questions and correspondence should be addressed to the Planning Commission Office, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 552, Fairfax Virginia 22035-0042. You may also contact Commission members and Planning Commission office staff via email by sending a message to plancom@fairfaxcounty.gov.

All persons wishing to present their views on these subjects may do so by providing their testimony in person, over the phone, or through a YouTube Video submission. Those wishing to testify must call the Planning Commission Office at 703-324-2865, or register online at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planningcommission/speaker no later than 1:00 p.m. the day of the meeting, to be placed on the Speakers List; and videos need to be submitted no later than 9:00 a.m. the day prior to the Planning Commission meeting, and then may appear and be heard via pre-recorded video or telephone. In addition, written testimony and other submissions will be received at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 552, Fairfax, 22035 and Plancom@fairfaxcounty.gov.

To learn more about ways to provide your testimony, including how to submit a video testimony, please view Ways to Provide Public Hearing Testimony.

Copies of the full text of proposed ordinances, plans and amendments, as applicable, as well as other documents relating to the aforementioned subjects, are on file and available for review at the Planning Commission Office and on the County’s website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov. To make arrangements to view the documents, please contact the Planning Commission Office at 703-324-2865.

Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities and supports the Americans with Disabilities Act by making reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. All televised government meetings are closed captioned. For other accommodations, please call the Planning Commission Office, 703-324-2865, TTY: 711 (Virginia Relay Center), as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the public hearing.

For detailed video instructions on the procedures for public testimony, please view this link.

Conduct of Public Hearings

The Planning Commission establishes its own rules for the conduct of public hearings to ensure a smooth and orderly process. The public hearing procedures and policies adopted by the Planning Commission are listed below for your convenience.

All persons planning to testify should sit in the front several rows of the Board Auditorium to help expedite the public hearing process.

When called upon to speak, or as an unlisted speaker approaching the Commission after all of the scheduled speakers have spoken, you must be recognized by the Chairman, and you must state your name and address for the public record. Our Planning Commission Office staff needs to clearly understand this information to accurately note your testimony in the public record.

Please remember that all presentations are timed. A light on the podium will illuminate green at the beginning of each speaker's testimony. A buzzer will sound and the red light will indicate that your allotted time has expired. All speakers exceeding the time limit will be asked by the Chairman to immediately conclude their remarks. If you do not finish your presentation, be sure to provide a copy of your statement to the Planning Commission Office as soon as possible. The entire presentation will then be entered as part of the public record.

In order to minimize repetitive testimony, organizations are encouraged to have only one person speak for the group, with other members of the organization standing to show their support.

Each person may testify only once per application, unless called back to the podium at the request of a Commission member.

The Board Auditorium is equipped with a variety of audio-visual equipment you may use to assist your presentations. Materials, such as slides, maps, graphs, blueprints, and videos can be presented simultaneously to both the Commission and the audience. If you need to use any of the audio-visual equipment, please contact Cable Programming at 703-324-5930 no later than 4:00 p.m. on the scheduled public hearing date.

Speaking Time for Public Hearing

7 Minutes • Registered Associations: A representative of a civic, citizens or homeowners' association; a business or professional association; or similar organization shall be entitled to a ten minute presentation in front of the Commission. Other members of the same group may register as individuals, and speak as individuals, on the Speakers List

7 Minutes • Registered Individuals: All persons who are appearing on their own behalf or on behalf of a business shall be allotted five minutes to address the Commission.

3 Minutes • Unregistered Speakers: All persons who are not listed on the Speakers List will be allowed to address the Commission after the pre-registered list is completed. They will be allotted three minutes.

After all names have been called, anyone not on the Speakers List will have an opportunity to address the Commission. To submit written copies of public hearing testimony, provide 17 copies to the Clerk. After questions and comments from the Commissioners, the Chairman will close the public hearing.

Public Hearing Procedures for Applications

The following is an outline of the public hearing procedures followed by the Commission when a land use application is presented. The items are listed in the order in which they usually occur.

The Chairman will call for the public hearing by naming the specific case and the application by its proper name. At this time, the Chairman will ask the applicant, or the authorized agent for the application, to reaffirm that the affidavit is correct and accurate as of the hearing date. The Chairman will then recognize any members of the Commission who need to make disclosures based on the information contained in the affidavit.

After the affidavit is confirmed and all required disclosures have been made, the Chairman will ask the County Planning Staff to present the case. The staff coordinator will describe the property, comment on the application, and present the staff's recommendation.

The Chairman will then allow the applicant, or authorized agent, to make his\her presentation. The time limit for the applicant's presentation is normally ten (10) minutes; however, the Chairman may allow up to fifteen minutes (15) for complex cases.

After reviewing the public hearing procedures, the Chairman will call for citizen testimony. Persons will be recognized in the order in which their names appear on the Speakers List. After all names on the Speakers List have been called, the Chairman will recognize any additional speakers in the audience wishing to testify. Remember, you can submit a written statement to the Planning Commission Staff if you do not want to speak directly to the Commission. All written correspondence is entered into the public record for each application.

Following the completion of the citizen testimony, the applicant will have the opportunity to respond to questions and/or issues raised by the Commission and/or citizens. The time limit for the applicant's rebuttal testimony is normally five minutes.

After the applicant's rebuttal, the Chairman will recognize the staff coordinator for closing comments and/or responses to questions. In addition to the closing remarks from staff, Commission members will be recognized for their questions, concerns, or comments on this application.

Following all comments, the Commissioner handling the application will offer a motion for Commission action.

Presenting at PC Hearings

People presenting to the Commission have the ability to share images and presentation using several methods:

  • Computer presentations, videos and still images using a laptop

    • The Board Auditorium is equipped with a ClickShare desktop sharing device.

    • When you arrive, ask a camera operator for a ClickShare “Button” and directions.

    • This “Button” plugs into your laptop via the USB port

    • After running a small program on the USB, a click of the button will share your screen

    • Both audio and video can be sent to the TV booth such as:

      • PowerPoint presentations (can contain video and audio)

      • Pictures

      • Videos (non-copyrighted material) (can contain audio)

         

    • Press the ClickShare button to send your materials to the TV booth

    • When the button is RED, the TV booth can see your desktop

    • After you introduce yourself and start speaking, the TV booth will show your visuals after you introduce yourself and start speaking

    • You (or someone you bring with you) will need to advance your slides or photos.

    • When you are finished presenting, push the ClickShare button to turn it white, unplug the USB and return it to the Camera operator seated in the auditorium

    • ClickShare buttons work with almost all laptops (PC & Mac) but you should also bring a copy of your presentation on a USB memory stick as an emergency backup in case of a technical issue.

  • Phones and tablets via HDMI
    • The TV booth has HDMI adapters for certain common phones and tablets

    • When you arrive, ask a camera operator for assistance with connecting and testing your device

    • After you introduce yourself and start speaking, the TV booth will show your visuals

  • Photos, paper maps, physical items using a document camera

    • The Board Auditorium is equipped with a document camera and with advanced notice, it can be supplied for special presenting needs.

    • Photos, paper materials, etc. placed under the camera are viewable by the TV booth for display.

    • The TV booth will show your visuals after you introduce yourself and start speaking

    • You (or someone you bring with you) will need to change photos or turn pages.

    • The document camera has zoom and focus controls for optimal framing of photos, etc.

 

Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of inclement weather, the County Executive may close all County offices or may grant unscheduled leave to County employees. In the case of a County closure, all Planning Commission meetings and public hearings scheduled for that day shall be cancelled and the applications rescheduled for the next available meeting date which can accommodate the hearings and allows sufficient time for re-advertising. In the case of unscheduled leave, or in the case of inclement weather regardless of County operating status, the Chairman may cancel or hold meetings at his/her discretion. This determination will be made by 1:00 pm on the day of the hearing or meeting.

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