Key Takeaways
- The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has made the Suburban Village Center initiative a top priority, expediting the planning process.
- Eligible sites designated as Suburban Village Centers can proceed directly to zoning applications without first obtaining a site-specific comprehensive plan amendment.
- Designations will be assigned in phases; early engagement with county staff and the planning process is critical to securing favorable outcomes.
- Property owners and developers with interests in suburban commercial areas should act now to advocate for inclusion and influence plan recommendations.
On Aug. 25, 2026, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff to advance a new Comprehensive Plan amendment for “Suburban Village Centers” as a Tier 1 priority item on the County’s Plan Amendment Work Program. For property owners and developers at eligible sites, the practical significance is substantial: Once the county’s Area Plans are updated to designate specific locations as Suburban Village Centers, those sites should be able to proceed directly to zoning applications for mixed-use redevelopment — without first obtaining a property-specific comprehensive plan amendment.
What Are Suburban Village Centers?
The Suburban Village Center concept was formally introduced in Phase I of the county’s Plan Forward initiative, adopted on Dec. 9, 2025. As defined in the updated Land Use element, Suburban Village Centers are “mixed-use community focal points within Suburban Neighborhoods.” These transit-ready areas along arterial roadways provide a range of services adjacent to lower-density communities and may be suitable for mixed-use development, including medium-intensity residential use. The designation envisions development less intense than the county’s established Suburban Centers, Community Business Centers and Transit Station Areas, but would open neighborhood and community shopping centers to mid-rise housing, townhouses and employment uses and allow repurposing of office or retail space.
The Streamlined Entitlement Path: Why This Matters
Under the current framework, a property owner seeking to redevelop a suburban shopping center for mixed-use or higher-density residential must often secure a site-specific comprehensive plan amendment before filing a rezoning or special exception application. The plan amendment process is time- and resource-intensive, requiring board authorization, community meetings, Planning Commission workshops and screening, staff analysis and public hearings.
The Suburban Village Center designation fundamentally changes this calculus. The board’s Aug. 25, 2026, motion directs staff to update the Area Plans to identify and designate Suburban Village Center locations with appropriate use and density/intensity recommendations already embedded in the plan. Once a site carries this designation, the Comprehensive Plan will already support mixed-use redevelopment at that location — eliminating the need for a property-specific plan amendment as a precondition to rezoning.
This will reduce risk. The Comprehensive Plan would already recommend mixed-use at the site, and staff and decision-makers would evaluate the zoning application for conformance with an established framework rather than ask whether the plan should be changed at all. There are also corresponding cost savings. Eliminating the plan amendment stage reduces consultant fees, legal costs and carrying costs.
Anticipated Process and Timing
County staff has already begun identifying potential locations based on criteria established in the Land Use element. Public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will be required before any Area Plan amendments are adopted. The board’s motion authorizes staff to process the amendment in multiple phases, meaning some sites may be designated before others. Stakeholders should monitor the county’s Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program for updates on phasing and scheduling.
Take Action Now
The early stages of this process are the most consequential for shaping outcomes. Whether a particular property is included in the initial phase of designations — and what use/density recommendations are assigned — will be determined through staff analysis and public input over the coming months. Property owners, developers and other stakeholders with interests in Fairfax County’s suburban commercial areas should engage now.
- Advocate for inclusion of their site in the Suburban Village Center designation;
- Influence the criteria and plan recommendations that will govern future development;
- Position projects to move quickly to zoning once designations are adopted.
McGuireWoods’ Land Use and Zoning team is actively monitoring this initiative and is prepared to help clients assess whether their properties are candidates for designation, develop engagement strategies for the planning process, and prepare to file zoning applications as soon as designations are in place. Contact us to discuss how this initiative may accelerate your development timeline in Fairfax County.