Residents Raise Accessory Living Units (ALU) Concerns

Proposed Fairfax County ALU Zoning Changes Could Affect Our Semi-Rural Neighborhood Character, Wells, Septic Systems, Infrastructure, Country Roads and More

An ALU is a “secondary dwelling unit established in conjunction with and subordinate to a single-family detached dwelling unit. An ALU is sometimes referred to as an in-law suite or accessory dwelling and can be either interior or attached to the dwelling or detached (freestanding).”

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GFCA Calls for Planning Before Policy Changes: The Accessory Living Units (ALU) amendment will consider changes to the use-specific standards for the current ALUs Ordinance. A GFCA survey found 71% of participating residents favored retaining current Accessory Living Unit (ALU) standards. Top concerns included owner occupancy, private well and septic capacity, parking, roads and road safety, tree canopy, and watershed.

The 2026 Virginia Senate Bill 531 exempts Fairfax County from eliminating existing safeguards. Yet county staff proposes removing owner-occupancy and relaxing parking requirements. Why?

GFCA urges the Board of Supervisors to retain owner-occupancy requirements, adequate off-street parking, and site-specific review of detached ALUs in semi-rural districts like Great Falls. Before changing these protections, GFCA urges the County to coordinate long-term planning and evidence that infrastructure can support added development without harming groundwater, trees, and streams.

GFCA supports additional housing opportunities but ask the Board to retain safeguards and demonstrate benefits before changing policies seem adequate already and meet state requirements.

What’s in the ALU Amendment?

The proposed changes to the ALU Zoning Ordinance include:

• Streamline the process
• Remove unnecessary requirements including owner occupancy
• Update the standards
• Remove the zoning administrative permit requirement, renewal, recordation, owner occupancy, and parking requirements.
• Allow more lots to have a detached ALU by revising the current two-acre minimum lot size and special permit requirements for a detached ALU.
• The amendment would allow a detached ALU by right on a lot that is 36,000 square feet (equal to about 0.83 of an acre) in size or greater, and with Special Permit (SP) approval on a smaller lot.

Please Note: The proposed text for the amendment includes changes to the Zoning Ordinance as recommended by staff as well as alternative options for consideration by the Planning Commission (PC) and Board of Supervisors. For instance, regarding the minimum lot size for a detached ALU, the PC and Board may consider any size larger than the staff recommendation of 36,000 square feet (up to two acres) or smaller, which could include no lot size requirement.

Your Voice Matters: Speak at a Public Hearing

Reading about the proposal at project webpage, view the staff report and read the FAQ. Speaking directly to County decision-makers is an opportunity to explain how these changes could affect your property and neighborhood.

Upcoming public hearing

• Board of Supervisors: November 17, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

Hearing is scheduled at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA. Check the County’s official meeting information for the correct location, registration instructions and any schedule changes.

For more information regarding this proposal, please contact Casey Judge at casey.judge@fairfaxcounty.gov and Carmen Bishop at carmen.bishop@fairfaxcounty.gov, or by phone at (703) 324-1314.

Support Crosswalk Projects in Great Falls

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has set a goal to invest $100 million in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements between 2021 and 2027. So far, $82.12 million has been committed, with the remaining $17.88 million expected to be allocated within the targeted timeframe.

Two projects in Great Falls are being considered for funding:

• Walker Road / Columbine Street - Improve the existing marked crosswalk on Walker Road that connects the Village Centre shopping plaza north of Columbine Street to the shopping center on the east side of Walker Road by installing upgrade signage and a pedestrian refuge.

• Utterback Store Road / Loran Road - Construct approximately 1,100 feet of Active Transportation facilities on the west side of Utterback Store Road from Leesburg Pike to Loran Drive including a marked crosswalk, upgraded curb ramps, and pedestrian signage across Utterback Store Road at Loran Road near Forestville Elementary School.

To learn more visit about the Active Fairfax Transportation Plan, click here.

Plastic Jersey Barriers on the Springvale Road
One-Lane Bridge over Piney Run

Orange and white plastic barriers were installed recently on either side of the Springvale Road bridge over Piney Run. See photo below.  

Asked about the purpose of the barriers, Sam Fallaha, NOVA District Bridge Engineer with the Virginia Department of Transportation, answered: “These barriers were placed to shift traffic toward the center of the structure, relieving the exterior beams which are experiencing ongoing corrosion.”  

He offered this information on replacement of the bridge, a project which has been identified on VDOT’s web site for some time: “Regarding the bridge replacement, design work has not yet begun and is not expected to commence before 2028 due to funding constraints. Given the typical three-year timeline for design, public involvement, right-of-way acquisition, and Utilities relocation, construction is unlikely to start before 2031. In the interim, we will continue with necessary maintenance and repairs to keep the bridge in safe service until the replacement bridge is constructed.”