The Proposal
What is being proposed, based on the applicant's own filings with Fairfax County.
Overview
CM Beulah LLC, an affiliate of Craftmark Homes, has filed a Special Exception application with Fairfax County's Department of Planning & Development. The application, prepared by Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh PC (agent: Allison Reynolds), requests permission to build a 76-unit independent living community restricted to residents aged 55 and older.
The site comprises approximately 10.97 acres on the east side of Beulah Street, north of its intersection with Steinway Street. The land is currently largely wooded, with two existing single-family residences. The parcels are zoned R-1 (one dwelling unit per acre).
The application has been revised twice since it was filed. The figures on this page reflect the most recent resubmission, dated June 16, 2026.
Source: Statement of Justification, June 16, 2026; Special Exception Plat, June 16, 2026.
What the Application Proposes
Scale and Design
76 units in total: 67 townhome-style units and 9 detached-style units. The Statement of Justification describes the townhome-style units as three stories with a maximum height of approximately 44 feet, and the detached-style units as two stories with a basement and a maximum height of 35 feet. Total gross floor area is stated as approximately 246,730 square feet. The development would operate as an independent living community, not an assisted living facility.
One figure on the plat has not been updated to match. Note 17 on sheet P-0102 still states that all independent living units will have a maximum height of 50 feet and 4 stories, which was the height proposed in the original November 2025 filing. The Zoning Tabulation on the same sheet states 44 feet and 35 feet. Fifty feet is the maximum the Zoning Ordinance allows for this use in a residential district.
Source: Statement of Justification, June 16, 2026; Special Exception Plat sheet P-0102, June 16, 2026.
Access
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 of the application proposed access from Steinway Street. Internal circulation would use private streets.
Source: Statement of Justification, June 16, 2026; Transportation Statement, revised June 16, 2026.
Hours of Operation
The community would operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. This is relevant to lighting, service vehicles, staffing, and activity levels at the site.
Source: Statement of Justification, June 16, 2026.
Affordable Units
The Statement of Justification commits to providing a minimum of 15% of the total dwelling units as affordable dwelling units, administered under Section 5101 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Source: Statement of Justification, June 16, 2026.
Utilities
A county notice dated February 9, 2026 indicates that the property currently relies on a well and/or septic system. Development of 76 units would require transition to public water and sewer infrastructure, introducing additional construction, environmental disturbance, and coordination with Fairfax Water and the Department of Public Works.
Source: PLUS Record SE-2025-FR-00044, Condition Notice, 02/09/2026.
Modifications Requested
The June 16, 2026 filing requests three modifications of standard county requirements. Earlier versions requested six, then four.
Tree Preservation
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 site's existing vegetation is mapped as approximately 334,707 square feet of upland forest, roughly 7.7 acres of the 10.97-acre site. The post-development plan sheet records 0.00 acres of forest or open space remaining.
Source: Special Exception Plat sheets P-0203, P-0204 and P-0504, June 16, 2026.
Barriers and Screening
The application seeks relief from the required barrier along the southern property line, citing the presence of an existing 100-foot wide VEPCO transmission easement along that boundary. The plat states the request is made under Zoning Ordinance Section 5108.6.B.1.
Source: Special Exception Plat sheets P-0102 and P-0402, June 16, 2026.
Comprehensive Plan Amendment — Withdrawn
A related nomination, CPN-2025-IV-FR-031, would have created an option for increased density on these parcels. It was withdrawn on November 24, 2025 and is no longer under consideration. The Comprehensive Plan recommendation for these parcels remains residential use at 1–2 dwelling units per acre.
The Special Exception application proceeds under Zoning Ordinance Section 4102.4.Q, which allows the planned density for an independent living facility to be increased by a multiplier. The plat calculates an allowable 87 units on that basis and proposes 76, a density of approximately 6.93 dwelling units per acre.
Source: PLUS Record SE-2025-FR-00044; Special Exception Plat sheet P-0102, June 16, 2026.
County Finding: Site Is Already Density-Nonconforming
In a March 18, 2025 determination letter, Fairfax County Deputy Zoning Administrator Sara Morgan confirmed that the W. J. Cash subdivision (which includes the subject parcels) is already density-nonconforming under R-1 zoning. The subdivision's current density of 1.05 du/ac exceeds the R-1 limit when measured against the 1978 Zoning Ordinance. The applicant's proposal to remove lots from the subdivision for rezoning would further increase the remaining subdivision's density to 1.77 du/ac.
The determination states that under the Zoning Ordinance, no subdivision may be approved that exceeds the maximum density of the district in which it is located, and that land area cannot be removed from an existing subdivision if doing so aggravates a density nonconformity.
Surrounding Context
The surrounding area includes residential communities of varying densities: Queens Court townhomes to the north (3–4 du/ac), Windsor Knoll to the west (4 du/ac), Windsor Park to the southwest (8 du/ac), and Lincoln Heights single-family homes to the south (1 du/ac). Lane Elementary School, a childcare facility, and Beulah Park are nearby.
Source: FR-031 One Pager.
KROC Position
On March 31, 2026, the Kingstowne Residential Owners Corporation (KROC) Board of Trustees formally opposed the Special Exception application in a letter to Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk and Planning Commissioner Christopher Landgraf. The Board voted 6–0 to oppose the application as currently presented.
The letter identifies concerns across six areas: density relative to zoning, building height and massing, proximity to existing neighborhoods, stormwater management and marine clay soil conditions, operational intensity of a 24/7 managed facility, and cumulative infrastructure impacts in the Franconia corridor. KROC represents approximately 5,300 homes in the Kingstowne community.
Status
Application SE-2025-FR-00044 was received November 26, 2025, and accepted February 4, 2026. Status: In Review. No Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors hearing has been scheduled. The county issued a Tier 1 transportation determination on November 25, 2025, which calls for a Transportation Statement rather than a full Traffic Impact Analysis.
The Franconia District Land Use Committee held its first FYI presentation on this proposal on May 4, 2026. A tentative second FYI is noted for September 14, with a recommendation vote scheduled for October 5, 2026. The committee's recommendation is advisory; it goes to the Planning Commissioner and Supervisor Lusk. See the Updates page for full details.
A pre-application record (PRE-2025-FR-00051) exists, indicating that the applicant received staff feedback prior to filing. The staff coordinator is Nicholas Cicero; the branch chief is Cathy Lewis.
Track this application: Fairfax County PLUS
Official Records
PLUS — Application SE-2025-FR-00044
Zoning Application Status Reports
Public Hearings & Staff Reports