Fairfax County’s zMOD Program is developing a new zoning ordinance with the objective of completing the task in March.  Hearings are scheduled to begin in January.  A consolidated draft of the new ordinance was published on zMOD’s Web site on 30 Jun for public comment.  

In the consolidated draft, zMOD is proposing more than 100 changes to ordinance regulations.  The paper linked to this page recommends that seven of the changes should not be published as final zMOD Program proposals.  Three of the proposals would deprive residential neighborhoods of essential protection against encroachment of incompatible high-density development.  The remaining four should be revised both to better serve the needs of residents and to be clear regarding their meaning and intent.  Pages 3 and 4 of the paper concisely summarize the comments on the seven changes recommended for reconsideration.

Residents interested in neighborhood-friendly development of the county and its communities are urged to read the paper and email their comments to their supervisor and planning commissioner.  The paper is organized into 10 sections, each just 2 or 3 pages long, and each of the seven issues has its own section.  So very little reading is necessary.  Please pick one or two topics from among the seven, and when you are comfortable with them, send your comments. zMOD’s restructured and amended zoning ordinance potentially will affect many aspects of land use management and development in the county.  The new ordinance deserves our attention.

I am Clyde Miller, President of Holmes Run Valley Citizens Association in Mason District and Secretary of Mason District Council.  You can reach me at HolmesRunValley@gmail.com.

Thank you.