FAQ & Glossary

Common questions about the proposal, the review process, and key terms you’ll encounter in county documents.

Jump to: General Questions · The Review Process · Glossary of Terms

General Questions

What is being proposed?

CM Beulah LLC (an affiliate of Craftmark Homes) is seeking a Special Exception to build 86 age-restricted (55+) townhome-style units on approximately 10.9 acres of largely wooded land at the corner of Beulah Street and Steinway Street. The buildings would be four stories (approximately 50 feet tall) with elevators. A related Comprehensive Plan Amendment is also under review.

See full proposal details.

Is this a done deal?

No. The application is still under county review. No public hearing has been scheduled yet. The applicant must demonstrate that their proposal meets the legal criteria for a Special Exception, and the county can impose conditions, require changes, or deny the application entirely.

Who decides whether this gets approved?

The Planning Commission reviews the application and makes a recommendation. The Board of Supervisors makes the final decision. Both hold public hearings where residents can speak.

Can I still do anything about it?

Yes. The application is in its early review stages. The most impactful things you can do are: sign the community petition, submit a written comment to the county, document local wildlife, and attend public hearings when they’re scheduled. See How to Participate for detailed guidance.

What is the Beulah & Steinway Community Coalition?

The BSCC is a group of local residents who live near the proposed development site on Beulah Street and Steinway Street. The coalition includes neighbors from Steinway Street, Queens Court, Windsor Knoll, and areas along Kingstowne Commons Drive. This site serves as a shared information resource for all affected neighbors.

Isn’t housing for seniors a good thing?

Age-restricted housing serves a real need. The questions here are about scale, location, and process — whether 86 units at four stories on R-1 zoned land is the right fit for this specific site, and whether the applicant has met the legal burden required for a Special Exception. Those are the criteria the county evaluates.

Where will traffic go?

All vehicle access — residents, visitors, deliveries, medical transport, staff, rideshare — would use a single driveway on Steinway Street. The property has Beulah Street frontage but no proposed access from Beulah. A Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) has been required by the county, which means the expected traffic impact is considered non-trivial.

What happens to the trees?

The site is approximately 90% forested with mature canopy. The applicant has requested a waiver from standard tree preservation requirements, which indicates a significant portion of existing trees may not be retained. While the site plan shows some perimeter landscaping, replacing 11 acres of mature forest with buildings and pavement fundamentally changes the environmental character of the area.

The Review Process

What is a Special Exception?

A Special Exception is a land use approval that allows a specific use not normally permitted in a zoning district — but only if the applicant proves it meets certain legal criteria. Unlike a rezoning, the underlying zoning stays R-1. The applicant must demonstrate that the proposed use is in harmony with the Comprehensive Plan, compatible with surrounding development, and will not adversely impact the area.

What is a Comprehensive Plan Amendment?

The Comprehensive Plan is the county’s long-range vision document that guides land use decisions. The current plan designates this site at 1–2 dwelling units per acre. The applicant is seeking to change that guidance to support approximately 8 units per acre — a fourfold to eightfold increase. A plan amendment (CPN-2025-IV-FR-031) is being considered alongside the Special Exception.

What does “burden of proof” mean here?

The applicant — not the neighbors — bears the legal responsibility to demonstrate that all Special Exception criteria are satisfied. Neighbors don’t need to prove the project is harmful. They need to show the applicant hasn’t adequately proven it’s not harmful. This is an important distinction in how you frame your comments.

What is the PLUS process?

PLUS stands for Pre-submission Land Use System. It’s the county’s internal review where staff from different departments (transportation, environment, zoning, etc.) evaluate an application before it goes to public hearing. Comments from staff during PLUS review often shape conditions on the final approval.

When is the public hearing?

No hearing has been scheduled yet. The application is still in staff review. Hearings are typically scheduled after the PLUS process is complete. Check Updates for the latest timeline, or track it directly on the Fairfax County PLUS portal.

What is a TIA and why does it matter?

A Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) is a formal engineering study that measures how many vehicle trips a development will generate and whether surrounding roads and intersections can handle them. The fact that the county required a TIA for this project (determination dated November 25, 2025) means the expected traffic impact was considered significant enough to warrant professional analysis. The TIA will examine trip generation, peak hour impacts, intersection capacity, and whether road improvements or signal changes are needed.

Glossary of Terms

Terms commonly found in county documents related to this application.

R-1 Zoning: A residential zoning district that permits one dwelling unit per acre. This is among the lowest-density residential zones in Fairfax County. The Beulah/Steinway site is currently zoned R-1, meaning the land is designated for single-family homes on large lots.
Special Exception (SE): A type of land use approval that allows a use not normally permitted “by right” in a zoning district, subject to the applicant meeting specific criteria. Unlike a rezoning, the zoning classification doesn’t change. The Board of Supervisors makes the final decision.
Comprehensive Plan: Fairfax County’s long-range policy document that guides decisions about land use, development density, transportation, and public facilities. It’s advisory (not law), but the county weighs it heavily when evaluating applications. The current plan designates the subject site at 1–2 dwelling units per acre.
Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA / CPN): A formal change to the Comprehensive Plan’s guidance for a specific area. The applicant is seeking CPN-2025-IV-FR-031 to increase the recommended density from 1–2 du/ac to approximately 8 du/ac.
Dwelling Units per Acre (du/ac): A measure of residential density. The current plan allows 1–2 du/ac for this site. The proposal at 86 units on 10.9 acres equals approximately 7.9 du/ac — a fourfold to eightfold increase over what the plan envisions.
Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA): A professional engineering study that estimates how many vehicle trips a development will generate and whether nearby roads and intersections can accommodate them. Required by the county when expected traffic impact is considered significant.
PLUS (Pre-submission Land Use System): Fairfax County’s internal review system where multiple county departments evaluate a land use application before it goes to public hearing. Staff comments during PLUS often influence conditions placed on approvals.
Transitional Screening: Required landscaping and buffering between different land uses or zoning intensities. Designed to protect existing neighborhoods from visual, noise, and light impacts of adjacent development. The applicant has requested reduced screening requirements.
Barrier Requirement: A physical barrier (typically a wall or fence) required between certain land uses. The applicant has requested elimination of the barrier requirement along the southern property line where the site abuts existing homes.
Tree Preservation Waiver: Fairfax County ordinances require developers to preserve a certain percentage of existing trees. A waiver request means the developer is asking to preserve fewer trees than normally required. The applicant has requested this waiver for the Beulah/Steinway site, which is approximately 90% forested.
Stormwater Management: Systems designed to handle rainwater runoff from developed land. Forested land absorbs rainfall naturally; buildings, roads, and parking create impervious surfaces that redirect water as runoff. The application references underground stormwater facilities to manage this transition.
Age-Restricted (55+): Housing where at least one resident in each unit must be 55 years or older. This is governed by the Housing for Older Persons Act. While it limits who can live there, it does not eliminate traffic, construction, or other neighborhood impacts.
Independent Living: A category of senior housing where residents live autonomously in their own units (as opposed to assisted living or nursing care). The proposed 86 units are classified as independent living, which typically means less on-site medical staffing but still generates 24/7 operational activity including staff shifts, deliveries, and services.
Board of Supervisors (BOS): The elected governing body of Fairfax County. The BOS makes final decisions on Special Exception applications after reviewing Planning Commission recommendations. The Franconia District supervisor represents this area.
Planning Commission: An appointed body that reviews land use applications and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. The Planning Commission holds its own public hearing before forwarding its recommendation.
Impervious Surface: Any surface that prevents water from soaking into the ground — buildings, roads, sidewalks, driveways, parking areas. Converting forested land to impervious surfaces increases stormwater runoff and can affect neighboring properties and waterways.

Have a Question?

If there’s a term or topic not covered here, it may be addressed in the Proposal Details or How to Participate pages. You can also look up the application directly on the Fairfax County PLUS portal using reference SE-2025-FR-00044.