Willard-Sherwood Community Center
in progressStatus set at Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session on May 11, 2026 · ▶ watch the moment
Project wiki — a maintained overview, meeting history, and recorded positions.
- Proposed
- Under reviewSep 3, 2024
- DecidedMay 6, 2025
Summary
The Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center is a joint redevelopment project between the City of Fairfax and Fairfax County for a shared health, wellness, and recreation facility at 3740 and 3750 Blenheim Boulevard. The project has been under discussion and planning since at least September 2024, when the City Council received an initial update. Key financing milestones include the unanimous approval of Resolution R-24-32 in November 2024, authorizing the City of Fairfax Economic Development Authority to issue up to $54,500,000 in revenue bonds to help fund the project. Land use approvals — a Special Use Permit, two special exceptions, and a Certificate of Appropriateness — were granted by City Council on October 14, 2025, on divided 4-3 votes (with the Certificate of Appropriateness passing 4-2). By February 2026, the project was in site and building plan review with contractor pricing received, and it drew sustained public support at multiple Council meetings. On April 28, 2026, Council unanimously adopted Resolution R-26-13 authorizing the project to proceed to construction, though the optional performing arts space renovation at the existing Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center was explicitly excluded and will not move forward at this time.
Official city record
City Project
Fairfax City & Fairfax County are redeveloping the Joseph Willard Health Center and Stacy C. Sherwood Center sites into a single destination for health, wellness, fitness, and child care. Located at Layton Hall Drive and Blenheim Boulevard, the new Willard-Sherwood Health & Community Center will provide integrated city- and county-operated community, health, and human services to all residents.
Open questions & options on the table
- No further formal Council actions or next steps have been explicitly identified in the record following the April 28, 2026 construction authorization; construction timelines and procurement milestones have not yet been publicly recorded.
- The optional performing arts space renovation at the existing Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center was excluded from R-26-13 and its future disposition — whether it may be reconsidered in a later budget or CIP cycle — has not been resolved.
- The FY 2027–FY 2031 CIP recommended by the Planning Commission (PC-26-01) and its final Council adoption, including any updated Willard-Sherwood funding figures, has not yet been recorded as finalized.
What members have said
At the September 9, 2024 Planning Commission meeting, Chair Feather noted that he had communicated to City Council the importance of the Willard-Sherwood facility's connection to comprehensive plan goals.
At the May 6, 2025 special meeting, McQuillen voted in favor of the amendment to defer the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget (which failed 3-3), and voted against the SUP, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness at the October 14, 2025 hearing. McQuillen ultimately voted yes on the final April 28, 2026 resolution to proceed to construction.
Hall voted in favor of deferring the Willard-Sherwood expansion to FY 2027 at the May 6, 2025 meeting (motion failed 3-3), and voted against the SUP, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness at the October 14, 2025 hearing. Hall voted yes on the April 28, 2026 resolution to proceed to construction.
Peterson voted in favor of deferring the Willard-Sherwood expansion to FY 2027 at the May 6, 2025 meeting (motion failed 3-3), voted against the SUP and special exceptions at the October 14, 2025 hearing, and was also opposed on the Certificate of Appropriateness. Peterson voted yes on the April 28, 2026 resolution to proceed to construction.
Presented the Willard-Sherwood project update at the April 22, 2025 work session, introducing city and county staff, architects from Grimm and Parker, and the city's project management consultant from Blue Heron Leadership Group. On February 10, 2026, Hardin reported that the project was in site and building plan review with contractor pricing received.
At the February 24, 2026 Council meeting, Pitches spoke on behalf of the City of Fairfax School Board to express the board's support for the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[1a] Council received a discussion and update on the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center project; no formal action was taken.
[10] City Council received an update on the Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center project at its September 3, 2024 meeting; Chair Feather noted he expressed to Council the importance of the facility's connection to comprehensive plan goals.
[11a] Listed as an anticipated capital expenditure to be funded through the $54.5M revenue bond issuance.
passedAdoption of Resolution R-24-32 requesting the City of Fairfax Economic Development Authority to issue revenue bonds up to $54,500,000 for general government capital project costs.✓ Bates✓ Doyle Feingold✓ Greenfield✓ Lim✓ Ross✓ Stehle[1c] Staff provided an update on the Willard-Sherwood development during the work session. No formal action was taken.
[3e] An amendment to defer the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget failed 3-3; the project remains funded in the FY 2026–2030 CIP as adopted.
failedMotion to defer consideration and appropriation of the FY 2026 budget to a date certain of May 13, 2025.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Read✕ Bates✕ Hardy-Chandler✕ AmosfailedAmendment to set the real estate tax rate at $1.75 (resulting in reductions of approximately $500,000 for pay study implementation, $188,000 for merit increase, and ~$100,000 in nonprofit funding).✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerfailedAmendment to defer the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerfailedAmendment to implement 50% of the pay study in FY 2026 and 50% in FY 2027.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerpassedAmendment to incorporate all changes included in the Budget Change Document (Attachment I, previously published) into the main budget motion.✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ Hall✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonfailedMotion to set the real estate tax rate at $1.0550 per $100 of assessed value, personal property and machinery and tools tax rate at $4.13 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property tax rate at $0.01 per $100 for qualifying volunteer fire/rescue members, effective January 1, 2025 (first vote).✓ Bates✓ Amos✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ Hall✕ PetersonpassedMotion to set the real estate tax rate at $1.0550 per $100 of assessed value, personal property and machinery and tools tax rate at $4.13 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property tax rate at $0.01 per $100 for qualifying volunteer fire/rescue members, effective January 1, 2025 (second vote).✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ PetersonpassedMain motion to adopt the FY 2026 Budget (all funds), FY 2026 Schedule of Rates and Levies, FY 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Program, FY 2026 health benefit contribution rates, 2.0% merit increase effective January 1, 2026 for eligible general scale employees, and programmed annual step increase for public safety employees, as amended by the Budget Change Document.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ PetersonpassedMotion to approve appropriation resolutions R-25-10 (General), R-25-11 (Capital), R-25-12 (Wastewater), R-25-13 (Transit), R-25-14 (Stormwater Utility), R-25-15 (Cable), R-25-16 (Old Town), R-25-17 (Transportation Tax), R-25-18 (ARPA), and R-25-19 (Debt Service) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson[11a] Land use applications for the joint-use City of Fairfax and Fairfax County health, wellness and recreation facility at 3740 and 3750 Blenheim Boulevard were presented during the work session; no formal action was taken.
[7] City Council held a work session on a potential land use request for the Willard-Sherwood Community Center at the June 10, 2025 meeting, as reported by staff.
[7a] Council approved the Special Use Permit for expanded government use, two special exceptions, and a Certificate of Appropriateness for the joint City-County Health and Community Center redevelopment at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard.
passedApprove Special Use Permit for expanded government use in RM district at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard (Tax Map 57-2-02-175A).✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonpassedAdopt resolution approving two special exceptions (required side yard modification and parking reduction) at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard (Tax Map 57-2-02-175A).✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonpassedApprove Certificate of Appropriateness for architecture and landscaping at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard (Tax Map 57-2-02-175A).✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✕ Peterson[10] City Council approved the Special Use Permit for the Willard Sherwood Community Center at its October 14, 2025 meeting.
[6a] The Willard-Sherwood project was cited by commissioners during CIP discussion as a significant capital priority; a work session on the project was also noted as scheduled for City Council the following evening.
passedMotion to adopt Resolution PC-26-01 as shown in Attachment 1, recommending City Council approve the Capital Improvement Program FY2027–FY2031 as proposed, subject to the considerations discussed.✓ Feather✓ Cunningham✓ Lockhart✓ McCarthy✓ Rice[11b] Community Development Director Brooke Hardin reported the project is currently in site and building plan review with contractor pricing received; no Council action was taken.
[5] Seven members of the public, including a representative of the Green Acres Senior Center Senior Council and the Chair of the City of Fairfax School Board, addressed the City Council in support of the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project.
[5 & 8] Numerous residents and Jennifer Rose, Executive Director of the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, spoke in support of the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project during the general public comment periods.
[12a] Multiple community members spoke in support of the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project during public comment periods, and one speaker requested funding be included in the FY27 budget.
[9b] Council unanimously adopted R-26-13 authorizing the project to proceed to construction; the optional performing arts space renovation at the existing Sherwood Community Center was excluded and will not proceed at this time.
passedAdopt resolution (R-26-13) authorizing the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center Project to proceed to construction, excluding the optional performing arts space renovation, and adopting amendments to the Joint Development Agreement with Fairfax County.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson[10] City Council voted to proceed with the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project at the April 28, 2026 meeting, as reported by staff.
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