Old Town
Summary
Old Town is a defined district within the City of Fairfax that has been the subject of multiple overlapping municipal initiatives spanning safety, parking, land use, and redevelopment. An Old Town Small Area Plan was adopted on June 23, 2020, though two major events since adoption — the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020) and evolving development patterns — have raised questions about its continued applicability. As of October 2024, the Police Department proposed hiring security guard support in Old Town using Old Town Service District funds as a pilot effort, coinciding with a broader security pilot discussion. A parking study focused on Old Town was presented to Council at a June 2025 work session, with no formal action taken. In June 2026, Old Town was identified among four areas with adopted Small Area Plans under potential review and update. By July 2026, a significant mixed-use redevelopment application for a site in "Old Town South" was under active Council discussion, involving rezoning from commercial office (CO) to commercial urban (CU), up to 392 residential dwelling units, and approximately 29,640 sq ft of new office space — against Small Area Plan benchmarks of 1,250 units and 20,000–25,000 sq ft of new office. Design compatibility with Old Town's architectural character (particularly brick and pedestrian scale) and the role of high-density residential in supporting retail vibrancy were prominent themes in the July 2026 discussion.
Open questions & options on the table
- Whether the Old Town Small Area Plan (adopted June 23, 2020) will be formally reviewed and updated, given post-COVID changes and new development activity — no action taken as of June 2026.
- Status and outcome of the security guard pilot proposed for Old Town using Old Town Service District funds — no formal action was recorded on this specific proposal.
- Where overall Old Town development stands against Small Area Plan benchmarks (residential units, office square footage) across all projects currently under development — a spreadsheet was referenced but results not recorded in the material.
- Whether a partnership with George Mason University on any Old Town project will materialize — noted as a possibility with no active agreement as of July 2026.
- Whether the specific mixed-use redevelopment application discussed on July 7, 2026 (rezoning, SUP for standalone multi-family Building C, certificate of appropriateness) will receive formal Council approval, and how outstanding Board of Architectural Review design concerns (Chambers Road facade, pedestrian scale, vehicular entrance on University Drive) will be resolved.
Recent updates
[11a] Old Town was identified as one of four areas with adopted Small Area Plans under potential review and update discussion.
[1c] The Old Town area of the City of Fairfax was the subject of a parking study presentation at this work session.
What members have said
One speaker expressed that the proximity of George Mason University is a benefit to Old Town buildings and noted openness among all parties to a potential Mason partnership on an Old Town project, though nothing was currently on the table. The same or another speaker raised concern that the proposed development's visual design felt generic — could be 'anywhere in America' — and lacked the brick typically associated with Old Town, suggesting a mismatch with local architectural character. A speaker also made the case that high-density residential is essential to building retail and restaurant vibrancy in Old Town, arguing that residents who walk to businesses are the engine of that vitality. Another speaker asked whether staff had data on all other Old Town projects' contributions to Small Area Plan unit and square footage benchmarks, beyond the current applicant's figures.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Full history
- Oct 8, 2024City Council · item 10b
[10b] Old Town was identified as a location where the Police Department proposed hiring security guard support using Old Town Service District funds as a pilot effort.
- Jun 3, 2025City Council · item 1c
[1c] The Old Town area of the City of Fairfax was the subject of a parking study presentation at this work session.
- Jun 23, 2026City Council · item 11a
[11a] Old Town was identified as one of four areas with adopted Small Area Plans under potential review and update discussion.