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project

Beacon Landing

in progress

Status set at City Council Meeting on Mar 10, 2026

Project wiki — a maintained overview, meeting history, and recorded positions.

  1. Proposed
  2. Under review
    Mar 10, 2026
  3. Decided

Summary

Beacon Landing is a 54-unit supportive/affordable housing development by Wesley/Lamb in the City of Fairfax, financed through 23 separate sources including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). The project required a city investment as a condition of securing its broader financing package. The city grant — drawn from cash-in-lieu affordable housing funds that had accumulated over roughly seven years from developments such as Mount Vineyard and the Enclave — totaled approximately $700,000. The project closed on financing in September 2025, broke ground in November 2025, and is anticipated for completion in December 2026. The grant was incorporated into the FY 2027 Budget, adopted unanimously (6-0) at the May 5, 2026 Special Meeting, with the funding routed through the Fairfax Renaissance Housing Program. The July 2026 work session context indicates that the Beacon Landing grant also spurred the city to develop formal affordable housing funding guidelines and an application process going forward.

Open questions & options on the table

  • Finalization of grant agreements between Wesley Housing/Beacon Landing, the Economic Development Authority/Office, and the City of Fairfax (referenced as a next step at the March 10, 2026 work session, pending Council proceeding with budget inclusion).
  • Project completion, anticipated December 2026, has not yet been confirmed in the record.
  • Formal affordable housing funding guidelines and application process, developed in response to Beacon Landing's ad hoc grant, were under presentation as of July 14, 2026 — their adoption status is not recorded in the available material.

What members have said

Hall

At the May 5, 2026 budget adoption, Councilmember Hall specifically noted the inclusion of a one-time grant to support Beacon Landing as a meaningful element of the FY 2027 budget, describing it as part of 'real progress' in the budget. Hall's April 28 work session comments also reflect support for retaining the Beacon Landing grant in the budget scenario under consideration, calling it 'a critical thing that is protected.'

McQuillen

At the July 14, 2026 meeting, McQuillen provided detailed context on the genesis of the grant: explaining that cash-in-lieu funds had sat unused for approximately seven years, that Beacon Landing had 23 financing sources and required city investment to unlock the rest, and that the $700,000 investment yielded 54 affordable units — characterizing it as a well-invested use of funds. McQuillen also noted the lack of a prior formal application process as the impetus for developing new guidelines.

Peterson

At the March 10, 2026 work session, Peterson (identified contextually as the questioner) asked whether the grant could be structured differently — for example, as a bridge grant — and noted that the Beacon Landing discussion raised broader questions about affordable housing commitments the city might be taking on in future years.

Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.

Discussion time

Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.

Nov
Dec
Dec
Feb
Mar
Apr
Apr
May
Jul

Full history

  1. Mar 10, 2026City Council· item 11ain progress#

    [11a] Staff briefed Council on the history of the Beacon Landing tax grant request by Wesley/Lamb; the project closed on financing in September 2025, broke ground in November 2025, and is expected to be completed in December 2026. No Council action was taken.

    minutes ↗agenda ↗
  2. May 5, 2026City Council· item 3g#

    [3g] The adopted FY 2027 budget includes a one-time grant to support Beacon Landing, as noted in Councilmember Hall's statement.

    passedAmend the main budget motion to incorporate all changes in the Budget Adjustment Sheet (Attachment I).
    ✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson
    passedSet the real estate tax rate at $1.0725 per $100 of assessed value, personal property and machinery/tools tax rate at $4.13 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property tax rate for qualifying volunteer fire/rescue members at $0.01 per $100 of assessed value, all effective January 1, 2026.
    ✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson
    passedAdopt the FY 2027 Budget (all sub-funds), FY 2027 Schedule of Rates and Levies, FY 2027–2031 CIP, FY 2027 health benefit contribution rates, 2.0% market rate adjustment for general pay scales (July 1, 2026), 1.0% COLA for general employees (July 1, 2026), 2.0% COLA for public safety employees (July 1, 2026), 3.0% salary adjustment for eligible general scale employees (January 1, 2027), and programmed annual step increase for public safety employees.
    ✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson
    passedApprove appropriation resolutions R-26-16 through R-26-24 for the General, Capital, Wastewater, Transit, Stormwater Utility, Cable, Old Town, Transportation Tax, and Debt Service Funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.
    ✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson
    minutes ↗agenda ↗

Discussed alongside

Topics that come up in the same meetings.

FY 2027 Budget2 meetings