Fairfax County Streamlines Site Plan and Subdivision Plan Review Timelines

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors officially adopted amendments to the county's Subdivision and Zoning Ordinances on October 28, 2025, to conform with recently adopted legislation out of the Virginia General Assembly. Virginia House Bill 2660, which was adopted as part of the 2025 legislative session, was specifically designed to shorten the review times and processing of plats, site plans and subdivision plan as follows:

• Shorter Review Deadlines. The law reduced the maximum time localities must review submissions from 60 days to 40 days, and resubmissions from 45 days to 30 days.
• Faster Distribution to State Agencies. Local governments must now forward plans to relevant state agencies within five days (down from 10 days).
• Director-Level Review. For plans resubmitted three or more times, a director or equivalent official must review comments and make a decision within 14 days.
• Clearer Feedback. The law also requires that any reasons for disapproval be specific and reference the relevant ordinances or regulations.

To provide more information on the state legislation, Fairfax County issued a Technical Bulletin dated June 20, 2025, just prior to the legislation taking effect on July 1, 2025. It is important to note that the Technical Bulletin advises that resubmissions with substantive changes to the project scope or significant modifications to the design concepts may be considered an initial submission, pending approval from the Site Development and Inspections Division (SDID) director. Such substantive changes may include substantial expansions to the limits of disturbance, introduction of additional development phases, major alterations to stormwater management approaches or a comprehensive redesign of the site layout and roadway network. This policy equally applies to plan revisions. Furthermore, if more than two years have passed since the previous review was completed, the resubmission may also be considered a first submission. The determination will depend on factors such as the extent of staff effort required for the review, whether prior comments remain relevant and the magnitude of changes in documentation. Other considerations include effects on external review agencies and regulatory consequences. Each situation will be assessed individually to determine the most appropriate processing procedure.

To determine if a resubmission involves substantive changes, Fairfax County staff advises applicants to meet with the site reviewer to assess whether first submission processing is necessary. If this meeting does not occur prior to resubmission, the SDID director will decide within seven days if first submission processing is required. Applicants may appeal to the Land Development Services (LDS) director within seven days; if the appeal is successful, the review timeline will reset. First submissions require a new application, payment of fees and a new review period.

The Technical Bulletin also includes a helpful chart summarizing the review times that will apply to new applications submitted on or after July 1, 2025:

How Holland & Knight Can Help

Whether you're exploring new projects, repositioning assets or engaging with public partners, Holland & Knight's D.C. and Northern Virginia Land Use Team is ready to guide you through this evolving landscape with insight, agility and strategic foresight.