Fairfax County, VA Wins 2021 Commonwealth Plan of the Year

Congratulations to the Planning staff in Fairfax County, VA for receiving the APA Virginia Commonwealth Plan of the Year award for the zMOD Zoning Ordinance Modernization project. Although Don Elliott and Tim Richards led the zMOD consultant team, the real congratulations go to Barbara Byron, Leslie Johnson, Carmen Bishop, Casey Judge, and all the other talented Fairfax County staff that made this project a success!
https://www.apavirginia.com/planning-awards

In the Spring of 2021, the Board of Supervisors adopted a new and modernized Zoning Ordinance to replace a document first adopted in 1978! The new Ordinance is easier to read and understand, includes supporting tables, graphics, and hyperlinks to be accessed through a user-friendly online platform and is about half as long as the old one. Along with substantially reorganizing and modernizing land uses and regulations, the new ordinance includes a number of notable changes to promote affordability and equity, including a new administrative process for approving interior accessory living units and a simpler approach to home-based businesses. The regulations became effective on July 1, 2021.