Fairfax County, Virginia

Zoning Ordinance

Located on the western edge of the Washington, D.C., metro area, Fairfax County, Virginia, is home to 1.2 million of the nation’s best educated and most affluent citizens, as well as numerous corporate headquarters and offices and productive agricultural lands.  In Late 2017, Clarion Associates was selected by Fairfax County to lead a team of consultants to complete a thorough modernization of its 1970s-era zoning ordinance. The Clarion Team includes Dover Kohl and Partners; Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates; Mosaic Urban Partners;  Greehan, Taves & Pandak; and Urban Interactive Studios.

Phase 1 of this important and challenging project included  extensive public engagement to identify strengths and weaknesses of the current regulations, and a complete modernization of the County’s complex land use controls.  The Clarion Team is restructuring the entire ordinance with a more user-friendly and graphically rich format.  Phase 2 will include in-depth analysis to revise specific development.