Eaton Place
Summary
Eaton Place is a road in the City of Fairfax that serves as a recurring reference point across several active planning and transportation matters. It is most prominently associated with the pre-application development proposal for 3541 Chain Bridge Road (Fairfax Professional Building), a site located at the southeast corner of Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place, currently occupied by four two-story office buildings (~17,000 sq ft, 124 parking spaces). The prospective applicant, Northwest Related Partners (represented by Robert Brandt), presented a concept plan on June 22, 2026 to the Planning Commission proposing a mixed-use rezoning (commercial retail to commercial urban) with 37 residential units (29 townhomes and multifamily), open space, and ground-floor retail along University Drive, consistent with the Northfax Small Area Plan's activity center place type. A pre-application briefing before City Council was scheduled for July 28, 2026, and that session occurred with further member discussion of the concept. Separately, Eaton Place is identified in city transportation planning as the location of a future intersection improvement at Chain Bridge Road, a potential shared-use path on its south side between University Drive Extension and Chain Bridge Road is under discussion, and a road diet previously proposed for Eaton Place has been ruled out. Eaton Place also gained minor mention on January 13, 2026, when the Executive Director of the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, based at Eaton Place, spoke in support of the George Snyder Trail supplemental appropriation (which ultimately failed 3-3).
Open questions & options on the table
- What formal land use applications (rezoning, special use permit for townhouses and multifamily, general development plan approval, major certificate of appropriateness) will the applicant submit for 3541 Chain Bridge Road, and on what timeline?
- Will the proposed shared-use path on the south side of Eaton Place between University Drive Extension and Chain Bridge Road be pursued, and if so, by the city or as a developer obligation?
- How will the planned intersection improvements at Eaton Place and Chain Bridge Road be coordinated with the 3541 Chain Bridge Road redevelopment, including the interparcel connection identified in the concept plan?
- How will the applicant address noise mitigation for residential units fronting Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place, as flagged by staff?
- What are the outcomes and next steps following the July 28, 2026 City Council pre-application briefing on the Fairfax Professional Building?
- How will existing office tenants at 3541 Chain Bridge Road be relocated, and will the city's economic development office facilitate relocation within the city?
What members have said
At the June 23, 2026 meeting, Council Member Bates noted that the concept plan for 3541 Chain Bridge Road includes a 10-foot-wide shared-use path and expressed hope that this would continue and fill gaps along Eaton Place in the future. He indicated that height should be among the considerations reviewed as part of the application process.
At the July 28, 2026 Council pre-application briefing, a speaker identified as living across the street on Eaton Place — consistent with the record of Council Member Peterson — stated that they actually like the project but have suggestions, including a preference for townhouse-style stackable units over the proposed configuration to keep building heights lower along Chain Bridge Road, and suggested potentially repurposing interior townhomes as stackable units.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[7e] The Executive Director of the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, based at Eaton Place, spoke in support of the George Snyder Trail project.
failedApprove the supplemental appropriation resolution in the amount of $4,600,000 from Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Concession Funding for the George Snyder Trail✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ Peterson[7a] The project site sits at the corner of Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place.