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Fairfax County’s plan to hold a public hearing on Oct. 15 for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan’s Policy Plan is facing pushback from Citizens for Great Falls (CFGF), which is asking the Planning Commission to postpone the review until early 2026 to allow more time for public input.

On September 10, 2025, Fairfax County released a draft amendment that would revise the Policy Plan portion of the Comprehensive Plan. A public Hearing is scheduled for October 15, 2025, by the Planning Commission. The draft document and staff report consist of more than 300 pages of content and address general countywide policy on land use, transportation, housing, the environment, heritage resources, economic development, and public facilities, including public parks, recreation, and trails. The draft also contains new sections on Equity and on Data Centers.

Citizens For Great Falls submitted a request to Planning Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner asking that the public hearing be postponed to the first calendar quarter 2026 to provide opportunity for the public to review and comment on the revisions of proposed by the amendment.

In addition to the Policy Plan hearing, three other zoning amendment hearings are scheduled for October 8, 16, and 22.

CFGF President issued a statement on safety conditions concerning the newly opened Walker Road two-lane bridge.

Fairfax County's zoning regulations are being applied in a manner that would permit outdoor pickleball courts on residential properties without adequate protections for nearby homes — a situation made possible because current zoning and noise ordinances fail to address the sport’s uniquely disruptive noise, leaving nearby homes vulnerable to constant disturbance.
Pickleball is here to stay. We support recreation but reject poorly planned development that harms residents.

Click here: https://chng.it/cXYsNdgYyc

As the Oct. 14 public hearing approaches, the county is ramping up public outreach through community forums, digital engagement, and informational materials. Officials say these efforts are designed to ensure that residents have the facts they need to weigh in on the future of trash collection in Fairfax County.
While the county sees USDs as a way to modernize and streamline waste services, small businesses and many residents fear losing the competition, care, and control they currently value.Fairfax County’s move toward establishing Unified Sanitation Districts (USDs) continues to draw strong opposition from small, local trash-hauling companies. With the public hearing now delayed to Oct. 14, private haulers are intensifying their critique, claiming the new system will severely harm their businesses and the consumer experience.

As our community has commercial and Industrial districts in proximity to residential districts, CFGF has significant concerns regarding the anticipated expansion of BESS in Fairfax County, particularly due to the increasing preference for Lithium-Ion batteries, which are valued for their power density, operational performance, and economic advantages. These batteries present well-documented risks of fire and explosion, with certain incidents demonstrating that such fires can be difficult to control or extinguish promptly. Allowing BESS installations in densely populated areas may introduce unnecessary risk to local communities, particularly if By-right.

The CFGF is especially concerned that, in addition to potential noise and environmental impacts associated with future BESS facilities, Fairfax County should be evaluating stronger regulatory measures, including additional possible restrictions within specific zoning districts.

Citizens For Great Falls (CFGF), the recently organized non-profit civic association, has hit the ground running. Beginning in April, while CFGF was still being organized by a group of concerned Great Falls residents, correspondence was forwarded to the Regional Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) expressing concerns over the impact of the release of fuel into the Difficult Run Tributary off Leigh Mill Road in Great Falls.

Data center development is continuing at a fast pace in Northern Virginia. They are becoming larger and growing in scale to accommodate increasing demands fueled by technology.

Against the backdrop of increasing community concerns over energy and water resource consumption, and the growing environmental impacts involving air quality caused by data centers, industry is balancing a global demand for increased computing power and developing strategies to navigate community opposition and government regulation. Engaged citizens should be prepared for what the future holds.

Citizens for Great Falls has learned that the Fairfax County School Board has authorized the acquisition of the King Abdullah Academy. Located in Herndon, the 40-acre site previously housed high school and middle school students for an enrollment of about 800 students. Currently assessed at $117,665,760, it is a fully equipped high school complete with state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, and an eight-lane Olympic-style, 25-yard competition pool.

Agenda Item Details
Meeting
Jul 17, 2025 - Regular Meeting
Category
Action Items - 8:10 p.m.
Subject
Revision to Policy 8130 Regarding Phasing

Recommended Action
That the School Board adopt the revised Policy 8130, as detailed in the item on BoardDocs.
Subject: Revision to Policy 8130

A Letter was submitted to the editor Great Falls Connection on July 1 concerning the proposed Unified Sanitation District.

Under the provisions of the Virginia Code, the volunteer officers of the newly formed Citizens for Great Falls selected John Halacy as President. Halacy assumed his duties immediately upon the vote of the officers.

Membership in CFGF is open for all residents of the 2206 Zip Code in Fairfax County and for residents who are in the Langley High School Pyramid designation. Annual Dues are $20 per member.

A membership meeting is being planned for July to kick-off plans for the upcoming legislative session and to raise other community items that members would like to put on the agenda.