McGuireWoods is closely monitoring how Northern Virginia jurisdictions are adjusting policies and procedures in response to COVID-19. At the time of this writing, Fairfax County is still proceeding with development reviews, inspections and permitting, albeit with adjusted procedures. For zoning cases, the Department of Planning and Development is primarily working remotely and has adjusted to receiving electronic resubmissions. The Department of Land Development Services has provided detailed information on revised procedures.
Below is a review of current Fairfax County practices.
Department of Planning and Development
Land Development Services
As mentioned above, the Department of Land Development Services (LDS) and its partner agencies have created a comprehensive website that is regularly updated. LDS has significantly improved its electronic submission capabilities in the past year and recently released its Site Records Viewer, which includes digitized versions of previously approved site documents. The e-Plans program continues to accept many types of site plan submissions. Additionally, all non-e-Plan submissions can now be sent through ProjectDox. Instructions are accessed here. All in-person counter operations have changed to drop-off operations located on the first floor of the Herrity building. The county highly recommends doing as much as possible online (e.g., permit applications, ePlan submissions, etc.). This will facilitate electronic review, as more and more county personnel are telecommuting.
McGuireWoods will continue to monitor the day-to-day operations for Fairfax County and send updates as needed. If you have any questions or concerns related to specific projects, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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