Fairfax County kicks off the South County Site Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process that allows anyone to nominate site specific land use changes to the Comprehensive Plan, the guiding document for land use and development decisions in Fairfax County.  The SSPA nomination process will run from September 3, 2019 until December 3, 2019.  Community involvement is key in all stages of the SSPA process, from making a proposal to change the Plan, participating in the community task force review, or speaking at the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors public hearings to ensure that Fairfax County continues to be an attractive, safe and sustainable area for generations to come.

This year’s SSPA effort will focus on the southern portions of the county, which consist of the Mason, Springfield, Braddock, Lee, and Mount Vernon Supervisor Districts. In preparation for the South County SSPA, on July 19, 2019 the Board of Supervisors approved modifications to the eligibility criteria, including a significant expansion of eligible sites from the north county cycle. The Board’s action removed some restrictions on residential use proposals, resulting in all types of land use proposals (residential, non-residential, or mixed-use)  being eligible in the south county districts.

Established in 2017, the first iteration of SSPA focused on the northern portions of the county. As a result of this process, four plan amendments were accepted for review, including proposals to allow mixed-use development at Inova’s Merrifield campus, the Fairview Park office park, the West Falls Church Metro Station, and Sully Station Shopping Center. The review of these sites remains ongoing.  

For more information on the site-specific process or the Comprehensive Plan amendments, visit the South County SSPA webpage or contact the Planning Division of the Department of Planning and Development at 703-324-1380, TTY 711. To get the latest on land use, follow the Fairfax County Land Use Planning page on Facebook.