Fairfax County ARB adopts revised design guidelines covering 15 historic overlay districts
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Summary
The Fairfax County Architectural Review Board unanimously adopted new, illustrated general design guidelines and updated district-specific guidance for 15 historic overlay districts after a presentation by preservation consultants EHT Traceries. The board said the documents will be posted online soon.
The Fairfax County Architectural Review Board unanimously approved revised general design guidelines and updated guidance for 15 historic overlay districts at its Feb. 12 meeting.
Sarah Banish, director of preservation planning and project manager with EHT Traceries, told the board the project began in October 2019 and included site visits, multiple draft iterations and eight public information sessions. "It's been a long process, and I really want to thank DPD staff, the ARB for your work and thoughtful input along the way," Banish said.
The revised materials replace the county's 1992 guidance with a user-focused, illustrated manual that staff said will help applicants and reviewers apply the Secretary of the Interior standards and assess character-defining features. The new packet includes universal chapters on the ARB's role and project review process plus district-specific appendices for the county's 15 historic overlay districts.
A board member moved to adopt the guidelines as presented at the Feb. 12 meeting, noting the proposal met the requirements of zoning ordinance 3,101 (historic overlay districts). The board conducted an individual roll-call; the motion passed unanimously.
Board members asked when the documents would be available to the public. Staff said the guidelines would be posted online "very soon" and that printed copies were not planned at this time but could be considered.
The full list of districts named in the motion includes Bull Run Stonebridge; Centerville; Govan Run Mill; Dranesville Tavern; Huntley; Lake Anne Village Center; Langley Fork; Mount Air; Bogota Church; Roby's Mill; St. Mary's Church; Soley; Woodlawn; and the general design guidelines themselves. The board read a letter into the record thanking DPD heritage resource staff Denise Dressel and Jonathan Caplan and several former board members for their service to the project.
Next steps: staff will post the adopted guidelines online and notify stakeholders, and applicants should expect the updated guidance to be used in future reviews.
