The Fairfax County Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) Process, which opens almost the entire county up for comprehensive plan amendments, will begin in January 2025 and is the only opportunity for the next two years for real estate owners and developers to nominate properties for land use changes. As discussed in previous alerts in August and October 2024, the SSPA process is an opportunity to add value and reposition real estate to respond to market changes and better reflect its highest and best use, whether as a long-term strategy or as part of a near-term redevelopment project.
The SSPA process is also an opportunity for the county to create logical alignment with evolving policies and objectives on subject matters including economic development, office building repositioning, and housing supply and diversification.
Nominations will be accepted from Jan. 13, 2025, to Feb. 13, 2025. Fairfax County has published a guide to the upcoming SSPA process, which suggests that, as a baseline, nominations require a concept plan, narrative statement and owner consent to file.
