City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan

The City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan is the city's long-range land use and policy framework document. A five-year review process, initiated in summer 2023 in accordance with Code of Virginia §15.2-2230, included community outreach, input from city boards and commissions, and a compilation and refinement phase through 2024. The Planning Commission held a work session and public hearing in September 2024, and on October 8, 2024, the City Council unanimously adopted Resolution R-24-30 approving the updated 2035 Comprehensive Plan dated September 27, 2024, completing the five-year review cycle. Separately, the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan was approved by the Planning Commission on July 8, 2024 (Resolution PC-24-02, 5-0) and recommended to City Council, subject to final approval of associated Comprehensive Plan amendments. Staff has presented Implementation Guide updates related to the Plan and approved Small Area Plans at Planning Commission work sessions in July 2024 and a scheduled session in July 2026. Since adoption, a new potential review of the Plan relating to mixed-use development outside activity centers has been discussed by both the Planning Commission (March 2025) and City Council (September 2025), though no formal action has been taken on that initiative. A Comprehensive Plan Amendment was also requested in connection with the Highlands at Mantua project, which was the subject of a Planning Commission public hearing on July 27, 2026 (2026-07-27 Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session, Agenda Item 6a); no minutes or actions report for that hearing is yet available.

In this wiki

• Meeting history — every action, vote, and update, with links to the moment in the meeting video
• Positions & open questions

2024-07-08 — Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session

Agenda item 6a: Public hearing and recommendation to City Council on the proposed Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan (watch the moment)

• Outcome: Planning Commission adopted Resolution PC-24-02 approving the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan and recommended City Council approve and adopt the draft dated June 24, 2024, subject to final approval of associated amendments in the update to the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan and modifications provided by the Commission, 5:0.
• Vote (passed): Motion to adopt Resolution PC-24-02 approving the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan and recommending approval and adoption to City Council in the draft dated June 24, 2024, subject to final approval of associated amendments in the update to the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan, and specified modifications including property access preservation, a transportation safety study, analysis of widening walkways/shared use paths, and three textual edits to the plan document. — Feather: yes, Briggs: yes, Coleman: yes, Rice: yes, Cunningham: yes, Denton: absent, Lockhart: absent
• [6a] Approval of the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan was made subject to final approval of associated amendments in the update to the 2035 Comprehensive Plan; a Comprehensive Plan review work session was noted for the July 22, 2024 Planning Commission meeting.

2024-07-22 — Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session

Agenda item 8c: Presentation of updates to the Implementation Guides related to the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan and approved Small Area Plans (watch the moment)

• Outcome: Presentation made by staff; no formal action taken.
• [8c] Staff presented updates to the Implementation Guides related to the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and approved Small Area Plans; no formal action was taken.
• Status after: in_progress

2024-09-10 — City Council Regular Meeting

Agenda item 13a: Work Session – Five-Year Review of the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan (watch the moment)

• Outcome: Discussed in work session; no formal action taken.
• [13a] Council discussed the five-year review of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan during the work session; no formal action was taken at this meeting.
• Status after: in_progress

2024-10-08 — City Council Meeting

Agenda item 8a: Public hearing and Council action to consider approval and adoption of amendments resulting from the five-year review of the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan

• Outcome: Public hearing held; Resolution R-24-30 approved unanimously (6-0), adopting the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan dated September 27, 2024.
• Vote (passed): Adopt Resolution R-24-30 approving and adopting the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan dated September 27, 2024 — Bates: yes, Doyle Feingold: yes, Greenfield: yes, Lim: yes, Ross: yes, Stehle: yes
• [8a] The five-year review amendments to the 2035 Comprehensive Plan were adopted by the City Council via Resolution R-24-30 at this meeting.
• Status after: approved

2025-01-11 — City Council Retreat

Agenda item 3: Overview of Land-Use Application Processes, Comprehensive Plan, Fact Book, and Small Area Plans

• Outcome: Scheduled per agenda for 9:30 a.m. A presentation was listed. No minutes or actions report available.
• [3] The Comprehensive Plan was listed as a topic in the scheduled land-use overview presentation; no outcome recorded as no minutes or actions report exist.

2025-03-24 — Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session

Agenda item 8a: Discussion of a potential review of the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan related to mixed use development outside activity centers (watch the moment)

• Outcome: Staff presented a report on a potential review of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan related to mixed-use development outside activity centers. The report was incorporated into the record by reference. No vote taken; item was for discussion.
• [8a] Staff presented a report discussing a potential review of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan related to mixed-use development outside activity centers; the matter was discussed but no formal action was taken.
• Status after: in_progress

2025-09-09 — City Council Meeting

Agenda item 11b: Work Session: Discussion of a potential review of the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan pertaining to mixed-use development outside activity centers

• Outcome: Discussion held during work session. No formal action taken.
• [11b] Council discussed a potential review of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan relating to mixed-use development outside activity centers; no formal action taken.

2026-06-08 — Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session

Agenda item 10: Staff Report (watch the moment)

• Outcome: Staff provided updates on recent and upcoming meetings and activities.
• [10] A comprehensive plan implementation group meeting was noted for June 25, 2026.

2026-07-13 — Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session

Agenda item 8c: Presentation of updates to the Implementation Guides related to the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan and approved Small Area Plans (watch the moment)

• Outcome: Scheduled as a work session presentation per the agenda; no minutes or actions report available to confirm outcome.
• [8c] The City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan is referenced as the basis for Implementation Guide updates scheduled for presentation at this work session.

2026-07-27 — Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session

Agenda item 6a: Highlands at Mantua – Public Hearing (watch the moment)

• Outcome: Public hearing scheduled per the agenda; no minutes or actions report available.
• [6a] The City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan is implicated by the requested Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the Highlands at Mantua project.

Open questions

• Whether the City will formally initiate a Comprehensive Plan review related to mixed-use development outside activity centers (discussed by Planning Commission in March 2025 and City Council in September 2025, but no formal action taken by either body)
• Confirmation of outcomes from the July 13, 2026 Planning Commission work session presentation on Implementation Guide updates (no minutes or action report available)
• Whether City Council will separately take up and adopt the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan (the Planning Commission's July 8, 2024 recommendation to Council remains pending confirmation of Council action in the record)
• Outcome of the July 27, 2026 Planning Commission public hearing on the Highlands at Mantua Comprehensive Plan Amendment request (no minutes or actions report available)

Member commentary

• Feather (Planning Commission Chair) — Presided over the July 8, 2024 Planning Commission meeting; accepted and facilitated the motion to adopt Resolution PC-24-02 approving the Fairfax Circle Small Area Plan with specified modifications, voting yes.
• Staley (Council Member) — Made the motion at the October 8, 2024 City Council meeting to adopt Resolution R-24-30 approving and adopting the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan dated September 27, 2024, and voted yes.
• Lim (Council Member) — Seconded the October 8, 2024 motion to adopt Resolution R-24-30 and voted yes on the Comprehensive Plan adoption; abstained on a separate consent item (7C) at the same meeting.
• Ross (Council Member) — Was recognized for comments during the October 8, 2024 Council discussion on the Comprehensive Plan adoption motion, though the specific substance of those comments is not captured in the available transcript excerpt; voted yes on adoption.
• Napty, Paul (Planning Division Chief — staff) — Served as the primary staff presenter throughout the five-year review process: provided the staff presentation at the September 10, 2024 Council work session, presented the staff report at the September 23, 2024 Planning Commission public hearing describing the review timeline beginning in summer 2023, presented at the October 8, 2024 Council public hearing, and presented the staff report on the potential mixed-use development outside activity centers review at the March 24, 2025 Planning Commission work session.