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Architectural board backs Holland Hills permit amendment with conditions on lights and noise
Summary
The Fairfax County ARB recommended approval of a special-permit amendment for the Holland Hills Civic Association's pool, tennis and pickleball facilities, adding requirements for a photometric study, sound mitigation (quiet paddles and exploration of quieter balls) and consideration of professional management to enforce rules.
The Fairfax County Architectural Review Board recommended approval on April 9 of a special-permit amendment sought by the Civic Association of Holland Hills for recreational facilities at 1601 Paul Spring Road, but asked the association to meet several conditions addressing neighbors' concerns about lighting, noise and parking.
The association's presenter told the board the amendment would formalize how the club already operates: it would reinstate rear tennis courts to the permit, expand the family-membership cap to reflect combined pool, tennis and pickleball membership, and set seasonally adjusted hours that generally end play at sunset on weekdays and by 3 p.m. on weekends. The presenter said the club plans to require —quiet paddles— and is exploring quieter ball options, and noted that current weekday hours already end at sunset and weekend hours at 3 p.m.
John Burns, an ARB member who disclosed a personal interest at the meeting, called transparency important before discussion. Board members, neighbors and the applicant debated several technical issues: the height and color temperature of 30-foot lights installed in 2023, whether photometric testing has measured spillover onto adjacent properties, the relative loudness of pickleball compared with tennis, and how volunteer enforcement would work.
Questions from ARB members pressed the applicant on membership makeup and parking: board members noted materials stating a large share of players live outside Holland Hills and asked whether the club's internal caps will shift use. The presenter replied that about 6% of pickleball memberships are from Holland Hills and that internal limits and incentives are being used to increase resident membership.
After discussion, the ARB moved and passed a recommendation that the county approve the amendment as submitted but with three explicit recommendations: require a county-approved photometric study of the existing fixtures and any proposed changes to document compliance with Fairfax County light-spill rules; require the association to pursue sound-mitigation measures (quiet paddles as a mandatory internal rule, consider quieter balls, and evaluate surface or barrier changes); and evaluate whether a professional management firm would better enforce hours and equipment rules than volunteer oversight. The board said the association must return to the ARB for any subsequent amendments.
Next steps: the ARB's recommendation will be forwarded in the county review process; the association must provide the requested photometric analysis and document any additional mitigation before a final county determination.
