To some, they may look like the borders of a gerrymandered congressional district. Others may see the hints of a Rorschach inkblot test.

It’s a strange problem surfacing in Fairfax County, where developers have drawn up serpentine, illogically shaped lots to pack more land for housing into a single subdivision. The discovery of the strange property lines has prompted elected officials in Fairfax County to bring down the hammer — or, perhaps the ruler.