Fairfax County supervisors this week rewrote zoning restrictions that had long prevented renovations to older homes.
The board passed a new policy Monday that allows residents to apply for a special permit to build certain structural additions. Many homeowners could not build outside of their building’s footprint because of strict setback requirements that applied to older homes grandfathered into county zoning, according to Donna Pesto, senior assistant to the Fairfax County zoning administrator.
Now, improvements like modernized kitchens, as well as additional bedroom space and bathrooms will be possible for half-century-old homes, she said, which were previously constrained by an unbuildable zone between the edge of the lot and the structure.
“This could allow them to build on a location that’s otherwise encumbered by the setback,” she said.
The change was prompted by a request from Fairfax County residents, Pesto said. Others, she said, were opposed to allowing the permit, arguing it would spark a rise in “McMansions,” a derogatory term describing expansive, cookie-cutter homes.
