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 10.9 acres of largely wooded land along Beulah Street and Steinway Street into an 86-unit age-restricted (55+) independent living community.
The proposed development calls for four-story townhomes approximately 50 feet in height, each equipped with an elevator, on land currently zoned R-1 at one dwelling unit per acre. A related Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPN-2025-IV-FR-031) is also under consideration.
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 (Nov. 25, 2025); Fairfax County PLUS Record SE-2025-FR-00044; FR-031 One Pager.
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 May 5, 2026, 219 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 the single proposed access point on Steinway, 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.
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 remains scheduled for October 5, 2026. A second community engagement meeting is being planned for late June or mid-July — details will be posted here and shared with the mailing list as soon as they are confirmed.