What Is This About?
Fairfax County is reviewing a Special Exception application (SE-2025-FR-00044) filed by CM Beulah LLC, an affiliate of Craftmark Homes. The proposal would develop approximately 10.97 acres of largely wooded land along Beulah Street and Steinway Street into a 76-unit age-restricted (55+) independent living community.
As most recently revised on June 16, 2026, the proposal calls for 67 townhome-style units of up to three stories and approximately 44 feet, and 9 detached-style units of up to 35 feet, on land currently zoned R-1 at one dwelling unit per acre. Access would be from a single new entrance on Beulah Street. A related Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPN-2025-IV-FR-031) was withdrawn on November 24, 2025.
The 44-foot and 35-foot figures come from the applicant’s Statement of Justification, which is not a binding document. Note 17 on the plat still states a maximum of 50 feet and four stories, which is also the maximum the Zoning Ordinance allows for this use in a residential district. See the proposal page for detail →
This site provides factual information to help neighbors understand what is being proposed, what the review process looks like, and how to participate constructively.
Current Site vs. Proposed Development
Satellite imagery via Google Maps. Proposed overlay from applicant site plan.
Key Facts
Sources: Applicant Statement of Justification (June 16, 2026); Special Exception Plat (June 16, 2026); Fairfax County PLUS Record SE-2025-FR-00044.
Not sure what R-1 zoning or a Special Exception means? See our glossary of terms.
Why This Area Matters
Many of us chose to live here because this neighborhood offers something increasingly rare in Northern Virginia: easy access to shops, major roads, and the D.C. metro area without giving up mature trees, wildlife, privacy, and quiet.
The wooded land at the center of this proposal serves as a natural buffer that shapes how the surrounding neighborhoods feel and function every day. This isn't about opposing all development. It's about ensuring that any development is thoughtfully designed, appropriately scaled, and considers the people who already live here.
Community Response
As of July 27, 2026, 231 neighbors have signed in support of a thorough county review of this proposal. About a quarter included a written comment. The most frequently raised concerns are traffic and site access, the loss of mature tree canopy and wildlife habitat across the largely forested site, school capacity at Lane Elementary, and the cumulative impact of nearby development along the Beulah corridor. Most signatures were collected while the application proposed access from Steinway Street; the June 16, 2026 revision relocated the entrance to Beulah Street.
Key Developments
The KROC Board of Trustees voted 6–0 to oppose the Special Exception application as currently presented, citing concerns about density, building height, operational intensity, stormwater, and cumulative infrastructure impacts. KROC represents approximately 5,300 homes in the Kingstowne community. Read the letter (PDF) →
Separately, a Fairfax County zoning determination confirmed that the site's subdivision is already density-nonconforming under R-1 zoning, and that the applicant's proposal would further aggravate that nonconformity. Read the determination (PDF) →
Share With Your Neighbors
Help spread the word. Download and print our one-page neighborhood flyer with key facts, before-and-after images, and a QR code linking back to this site.
Thank You for Continued Engagement
Thank you to everyone who turned out for the April 22 community meeting at the Franconia Government Center, and to those who joined the Franconia District Land Use Committee's May 4 virtual FYI session. New voices took part in the May 4 meeting, and the committee was attentive to community input.
The May 4 session was informational; no recommendation vote was taken. The committee’s recommendation vote is expected on October 5, 2026, though that date has not been reconfirmed. A second community meeting is being planned for late August — details will be posted here and shared with the mailing list as soon as they are confirmed.