FAQ & Glossary

A number of neighbors raised questions during the Franconia District Land Use Committee's May 4 FYI session. We are collecting those questions and will post answers here as we receive responses from the applicant, county staff, and other sources.

If you raised a question on May 4 and would like to make sure it is captured, or if you have a follow-up question, please get in touch.

What is being proposed?

CM Beulah LLC (an affiliate of Craftmark Homes) is seeking a Special Exception to build 76 age-restricted (55+) units on approximately 10.97 acres of largely wooded land at the corner of Beulah Street and Steinway Street. As revised on June 16, 2026, the proposal is 67 townhome-style units of up to three stories and approximately 44 feet, and 9 detached-style units of up to 35 feet. A related Comprehensive Plan Amendment was withdrawn in November 2025.

See full proposal details.

Is this a done deal?

No. The application is still under county review. No public hearing has been scheduled yet. The applicant must demonstrate that their proposal meets the legal criteria for a Special Exception, and the county can impose conditions, require changes, or deny the application entirely.

Who decides whether this gets approved?

The Planning Commission reviews the application and makes a recommendation. The Board of Supervisors makes the final decision. Both hold public hearings where residents can speak.

Can I still do anything about it?

Yes. The application is in its early review stages. The most impactful things you can do are: sign the community petition, submit a written comment to the county, document local wildlife, and attend public hearings when they’re scheduled. See How to Participate for detailed guidance.

What is the Beulah Corridor Community Coalition?

The BCCC is a group of local residents who live near the proposed development site along the Beulah Street corridor. It includes neighbors from Steinway Street, Lincoln Heights, Queens Court, Winford, Windsor Knoll, and areas along Kingstowne Commons Drive. This site serves as a shared information resource for all affected neighbors. It is not affiliated with any homeowner association or with Fairfax County.

The group was previously called the Beulah & Steinway Community Coalition. The name was changed in July 2026 to better reflect the range of neighborhoods involved, which extends beyond the two streets at the site itself.

Isn’t housing for seniors a good thing?

Age-restricted housing serves a real need. The questions here are about scale, location, and process — whether this proposal at this size is the right fit for this specific site, and whether the applicant has met the legal burden required for a Special Exception. Those are the criteria the county evaluates.

Where will traffic go?

The June 16, 2026 revision relocated all vehicle access to a single new entrance on Beulah Street, approximately 475 feet north of Steinway Street. Earlier versions proposed access from Steinway Street. Beulah Street is a five-lane minor arterial with a posted speed of 35 miles per hour.

The county issued a Tier 1 transportation determination on November 25, 2025. That determination was made for 86 units with access from Steinway Street, before the entrance was relocated.

What happens to the trees?

The applicant’s own vegetation mapping records approximately 334,707 square feet of upland forest, about 7.7 acres of the 10.97-acre site. The plat records a tree preservation target of 100,868 square feet and states that 10.3% of that target would be met, with a deviation requested. The post-development sheet records 0.00 acres of forest or open space remaining.

What is a Special Exception?

A Special Exception is a land use approval that allows a specific use not normally permitted in a zoning district — but only if the applicant proves it meets certain legal criteria. Unlike a rezoning, the underlying zoning stays R-1. The applicant must demonstrate that the proposed use is in harmony with the Comprehensive Plan, compatible with surrounding development, and will not adversely impact the area.

What is a Comprehensive Plan Amendment?

The Comprehensive Plan is the county’s long-range vision document that guides land use decisions. The Plan recommends this site for residential use at 1–2 dwelling units per acre. A related plan amendment, CPN-2025-IV-FR-031, would have created an option for increased density; it was withdrawn on November 24, 2025. The Special Exception now proceeds under the Zoning Ordinance’s independent living provisions, which allow the planned density to be increased by a multiplier.

What does “burden of proof” mean here?

The applicant — not the neighbors — bears the legal responsibility to demonstrate that all Special Exception criteria are satisfied. Neighbors don’t need to prove the project is harmful. They need to show the applicant hasn’t adequately proven it’s not harmful. This is an important distinction in how you frame your comments.

What is the PLUS process?

PLUS stands for Pre-submission Land Use System. It’s the county’s internal review where staff from different departments (transportation, environment, zoning, etc.) evaluate an application before it goes to public hearing. Comments from staff during PLUS review often shape conditions on the final approval.

When is the public hearing?

No hearing has been scheduled yet. The application is still in staff review. For Special Exceptions, Planning Commission hearings are typically scheduled approximately 5–6 months after acceptance. See the formal review process for detailed deadlines, or check Updates for the latest timeline.

What is a TIA and why does it matter?

A Traffic Impact Analysis is a formal engineering study that measures how many vehicle trips a development will generate and whether surrounding roads and intersections can handle them. For this application the county issued a Tier 1 transportation determination on November 25, 2025, which is the county’s lightest review category and does not require a full traffic impact analysis. That determination was made for 86 units with access from Steinway Street; the entrance was subsequently relocated to Beulah Street in the June 16, 2026 revision.

What does “harmony with the Comprehensive Plan” mean?

The Special Exception general standards in the Zoning Ordinance (§ 4102.1.F) require, among other things, that the proposed use be in harmony with the Comprehensive Plan and with the general purpose and intent of the zoning district. The Comprehensive Plan currently recommends 1–2 dwelling units per acre at this site. The R-1 District’s stated purpose, in the ordinance’s own words, is “low-density residential character.” These are independent tests the Board must affirmatively find satisfied. See the Zoning Reference for the verbatim text.

What does R-1 zoning actually allow?

By right, the R-1 District allows one dwelling unit per acre, with a minimum lot size of 36,000 square feet in a conventional subdivision or 25,000 square feet in a cluster subdivision, single-family building heights capped at 35 feet, and large yards. A cluster subdivision may reach 1.1 dwelling units per acre if approved by special exception. The full table of R-1 standards is in the Zoning Reference.

What modifications is the applicant requesting?

The June 16, 2026 filing requests three modifications, down from six in the original November 2025 filing: age-related residency under the federal Fair Housing Act, relief from the required physical barrier on the southern boundary, and a deviation from the Public Facilities Manual’s tree preservation target. An earlier request for relief from the requirement of direct access to a collector or arterial street was withdrawn when the entrance was relocated to Beulah Street. Each is described in plain language with the underlying ordinance section in the Zoning Reference.