Related Developments
County policy discussions and zoning activities that may be relevant to our neighborhood.
About This Page
In addition to the specific Special Exception application (SE-2025-FR-00044), the county periodically considers broader policy changes that could affect residential neighborhoods. This page tracks relevant discussions as they arise.
Residential Building Height — Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment
Status: Under research. Not yet authorized for public hearing.
Last public discussion: Board of Supervisors Land Use Policy Committee, March 10, 2026
Fairfax County staff are developing a potential Zoning Ordinance amendment concerning building height. The Board of Supervisors Land Use Policy Committee received a staff presentation on March 10, 2026. As of late July 2026 the amendment remains in the county’s “actively being researched and evaluated” category and has not been authorized for public hearing before the Planning Commission or Board.
What It Actually Covers
The county describes the amendment as considering “revisions to the definition of building height and other provisions of the Zoning Ordinance to clarify how building height is measured for detached residential dwellings.”
The 35-foot height limit for single-family construction has been in place since 1959 and is currently defined as the vertical distance from “average grade” to the roof. Because average grade can be interpreted in several ways, the same house can measure differently depending on method. The amendment is aimed at that ambiguity rather than at changing height limits.
How This Relates to SE-2025-FR-00044, and How It Does Not
The connection is narrower than it may first appear, and it is worth being precise about.
Building heights for an independent living facility are governed by Zoning Ordinance Section 4102.4.Q(14), not by the single-family standard. That section sets a maximum of 50 feet in residential districts, except 35 feet for structures “designed to look like a single-family detached dwelling.” The June 16, 2026 application proposes 67 townhome-style units at approximately 44 feet and 9 detached-style units at 35 feet.
So the potential relevance is limited to the measurement question: if the county clarifies how height is measured for detached dwellings, that could affect how a 35-foot figure is applied to the nine detached-style units. This amendment would not change the 50-foot maximum that applies to the rest of the proposal.
Following the Amendment
Materials from committee meetings, including staff presentations and recordings, are posted on the county’s website. If the amendment is authorized for public hearing, notice will be published and the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will each hold a hearing.
Sources: Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments page; Board of Supervisors Land Use Policy Committee meeting, March 10, 2026.