Fairfax County staff propose zoning changes to expand and clarify rules for congregate living facilities

Fairfax County staff on Tuesday presented a draft amendment to the county zoning ordinance that would expand where congregate living facilities can locate, clarify which populations those facilities serve and add development and submission standards to guide review.

Staff member Janine Kato, of the Zoning Administration Division, told the Land Use Policy Committee the proposal "revises and clarifies the definition" of congregate living facilities to explicitly include "persons experiencing homelessness, survivors of violence or abuse, youth in crisis, families in medical crises," and certified recovery residences with more than eight residents. "By identifying these populations, the ordinance will better reflect the facilities already operating and it also ensures clarity for applicants and for staff and distinguishes this use from others," Kato said.

The draft would retain special-exception review for congregate living facilities but add commercial districts C5 through C8 and industrial districts I2 through I4 to the list of locations where a facility could be considered; staff said it does not propose expanding permissions into heavier industrial I5 and I6 districts. Under current rules, congregate living facilities are permitted by special exception in conventional residential districts (except rural agricultural) and in commercial C1–C4 districts; staff said six…