The City of Fairfax Planning Commission on Oct. 27 held a work session to introduce the commission’s role in reviewing the city’s Capital Improvement Program for FY2027–2031 and unanimously appointed Chair Jim Feather as the commission’s temporary representative to the Board of Architectural Review through the end of the year.

Planning Department staff said the commission will not receive a draft CIP before the Nov. 10 meeting, when the city’s chief financial officer will present the document publicly for the first time. "Each year, the Planning Commission reviews the capital improvement program as presented in the city code and makes a recommendation to city council," a Planning Department staff member told the commission, summarizing the statutory and procedural context.

The Planning Department staff explained why the Planning Commission is involved: the CIP should implement the Comprehensive Plan and typically covers a five-year window with an annual capital budget adopted by City Council in June. Staff said this year the city intends to limit the CIP to traditional capital projects (facilities and infrastructure) and move maintenance, vehicles, and equipment into the operating budget; as a result, the commission will review the full set of capital project proposals when the draft is released.

The presentation outlined required public‑facilities reviews under the Code of Virginia. The staff member said projects not specifically identified in the Comprehensive Plan must be evaluated separately to determine whether they conform to the plan’s general nature; if the commission conducts a public‑facilities review, staff intends to schedule that public hearing immediately before the CIP hearing so the commission can support or reject individual projects before making a recommendation to City Council.

Staff identified several large projects likely to appear in the five‑year CIP based on prior years’ materials: renovations to two elementary schools, a new roof at Fairfax High School, the Sherwood Community Center project (recently approved for a special use permit by City Council), replacement of Fire Station 3, and redevelopment of the city property yard following a feasibility study. Staff said some projects are for later years of the five‑year cycle while others may appear in the next fiscal year’s capital budget.

Commissioners discussed the scope of the commission’s review. Commissioner Rice urged caution about excluding certain repair and maintenance items entirely from the commission’s review, noting a past stormwater surveillance and repair program that produced sizeable long‑term savings. "There may be some benefit in including things that have to do with infrastructure," Rice said, while others said the commission should focus primarily on true capital investments and rely on other budget processes for routine maintenance. Commissioners also discussed outreach options, including inviting advisory boards and staff from departments such as parks and transportation to one or more work sessions if specific projects warrant more detailed review.

Staff outlined a compressed timeline: the draft CIP presentation on Nov. 10; draft posted the following day for public review; and a sequence of Planning Commission meetings through January (including Nov. 24, Dec. 8, Jan. 12 and Jan. 26) culminating in a public hearing and a planned presentation of the commission’s recommendation to City Council in early February. Staff warned the schedule could be tight because of city staffing transitions and the finance department’s workload.

The commission also handled procedural business. The commission unanimously adopted the evening’s agenda and the minutes from the Oct. 13 meeting. For the single formal appointment on the agenda, a commissioner moved and the commission unanimously approved a motion to appoint Chair Jim Feather as the Planning Commission’s representative to the Board of Architectural Review through the end of the calendar year; Feather said he volunteered and "look[ed] forward to serving on that board again." The appointment will be revisited in January during the commission’s regular annual appointments.

In a staff report, staff reminded commissioners that City Council on Oct. 14 approved a special use permit for the Sherwood Community Center; staff said that approval did not finalize project funding. Staff also noted City Council will consider the Courthouse Plaza redevelopment on Oct. 28 (the hearing record is closed and no new submissions will be accepted), and will review options for the George Snyder Trail after bids exceeded available funds. Other items staff flagged for commissioners were an update to the city solid waste management plan, potential future changes to the city noise ordinance, and a vacancy on the façade improvement grant committee following Commissioner Coleman’s recent resignation.

The commission closed the meeting by confirming potential availability for an additional meeting on Nov. 24 and encouraging commissioners to review the CIP packet when it is posted after the Nov. 10 presentation.