Wednesday, September 9, 2026 

Great Falls Library Meeting Room 

Doors open 6:30 p.m. Meeting begins 7:00 p.m.

The GFCA will hold a membership meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Meeting Room at the Great Falls Library to vote on the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.  All attendees are invited to stay for a presentation on George Washington’s ties to Great Falls. Please note that this meeting falls on a Wednesday rather than the association’s usual Tuesday meeting night. 

Budget Presentation and Vote 

The principal business of the meeting is the annual budget vote. As required by the GFCA Bylaws, the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 was formulated and approved by the GFCA Executive Board and must now be presented to the membership for approval. Treasurer Henry Lippincott will present the budget and take questions before the vote is taken. 

The GFCA fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. The budget supports the work of the association’s committees along with general administrative costs. GFCA is a 100 percent volunteer 501(c)(4) organization supported by member dues. 

Only GFCA members in good standing may vote, and the Bylaws require at least 20 members to be present for the association to transact business. Members are asked to arrive early so that voting eligibility can be verified before the meeting is called to order. 

A Look at George Washington in Great Falls 

Following the budget vote, local historian Karen Washburn will give a presentation titled “George Washington, Fairfax County’s Best and Brightest in Great Falls,” exploring the connections between Washington and our own Great Falls community and the stories that bring this part of local history to life. 

This is a repeat of the presentation given in June, offered for the benefit of those who were unable to attend. All are welcome, members and non-members alike, and residents are encouraged to bring friends and neighbors. 

Before the Meeting 

Click here to review the budget

Submit budget questions in advance: Treasurer@GFCA.org

Community Town Hall

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Great Falls Library at 7:00 pm

Fairfax County is considering changes to the zoning standards governing Accessory Living Units (ALUs). An ALU is a secondary dwelling unit associated with and subordinate to a single-family detached home and may be located inside, attached to, or separate from the main house. 

The Great Falls Citizens Associationwill host a community town hall on Thursday, September 17, 2026, to present the County's proposal and hear directly from Great Falls residents. All viewpoints are welcome. 

County staff states that the proposed amendment is intended to provide additional housing options and flexibility for older adults, young professionals, caregivers, military personnel, and households seeking rental income, while clarifying the regulations and streamlining the approval process.  

The following are County staff recommendations and have not been adopted as positions of GFCA: 

• Eliminate the separate Administrative Permit for interior ALUs and for detached ALUs on lots of at least 36,000 square feet. Zoning review would generally occur through a related building permit or upon request. 

• Remove the owner-occupancy, permit-renewal, and land-record recordation requirements. 

• Allow detached ALUs by right on lots of at least 36,000 square feet and through a Special Permit on lots between 15,000 and 36,000 square feet, replacing the current two-acre minimum and Special Permit requirement for all detached ALUs. 

• Generally, limit both interior and detached ALUs to 1,200 square feet or 40% of the principal dwelling, whichever is less, while allowing the Board of Zoning Appeals to consider a larger detached ALU. Proposed height standards vary by lot size and would include a 35-foot maximum on lots larger than 36,000 square feet, with the ALU remaining subordinate to the principal dwelling. 

• Increase maximum occupancy from two to three people and either remove the ALU parking review standard or eliminate only the requirement for one additional ALU parking space. 

Residents are encouraged to review the County's ALU Community Toolkit before the meeting. The toolkit includes an 11-minute introductory video, presentation slides, a summary of the proposed changes, the full white paper and draft ordinance text, discussion prompts, and a feedback form.

The town hall is intended as a listening session, not an effort to promote a predetermined outcome. GFCA's goal is to identify areas of community consensus and accurately report areas where opinions differ. Following the meeting, the Committee will prepare a neutral report for Fairfax County and Dranesville District Supervisor James Bierman. The County has requested community-group feedback by September 28, 2026, although it will continue accepting comments afterward.

Residents who cannot attend may send comments to zoning@gfca.org so their feedback can be considered in the GFCA summary. Individual comments may also be submitted directly to County staff at casey.judge@fairfaxcounty.gov and carmen.bishop@fairfaxcounty.gov, or by calling 703-324-1314.