Help us say “no” degrading Fairfax County’s drinking water!


Photo from the Montgomery planning office via the American Planning Association.

UPDATE AS OF JUNE 23, 2021

We are incredibly disappointed to report that protections in Fairfax County’s “Residential-Conservation” zoned areas around the Occoquan Reservior were weakened on June 22 when the Board of Supervisors voted 7-2 in favor of by-right agritourism development.

Read our blog update here.

 

ORIGINAL BLOG POST

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is having a public hearing on what seems on the surface to be “just a zoning amendment” on the topic of agritourism. But, the precedent setting decision could have ramifications for years to come and we need resident voices to speak up!

What’s the issue?
Fairfax County is updating their zoning ordinance to allow commercial agritourism activities “by right” in residential areas. “By right” is technical speak for allowing a landowner to do something that is consistent with the zoning of that property without any additional approval.

Why is this a concern?
Most problematically, the Board is  seeking to allow this by-right development in an area currently zoned “R-C” which stands for “Residential-Conservation”.

The R-C areas of the Occoquan Watershed were intentionally “downzoned” in 1982 (in a case that went all the way to the Virginia Supreme Court!) as a way to restrict development in order to protect the Occoquan Reservior. This reservoir supplies drinking water to Fairfax County and is a designated backup source for the whole DC region in times of drought. Allowing by-right development here literally paves the way for more impervious surface and environmental impacts in this protected area.

What are advocates saying?
Many organizations provided feedback at the May 12 Planning Commission public hearing (listen to testimony here) including, but not limited to:

  • The Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC advises the Board of Supervisors) were not proactively consulted by the County and ultimately opposed the language as proposed via written comments.
  • Audubon Naturalist Society was not able to testify live, but we submitted written comments in May 2021 to the Planning Commission opposing the proposed language.
  • Virginia Tech’s Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, spoke up opposing this proposal (1.35.25 in video above)
  • Fairfax Water, the utility that supplies our water, spoke up and voiced concerns (2:02:12 in video above)
  • Great Falls Group of the Sierra Club voiced their opposition as well (2:34:30 in video above)

SPEAK UP IN PERSON on JUNE 22nd @ 4:30pm

You can write an email (see next section), but I also encourage you to take the extra step of signing up to speak on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 22nd, for no more than three (3) minutes, live in person, live via the phone, or to submit video testimony for the Board to listen to live. The public hearing is at 4:30pm, but if you’d like to speak live, it would likely be later. When you sign up to speak via the phone, they will call you when it’s your time to speak.

Even a quick 1 min. opposition and ask to “make agritourism activities in the R-C by Special Exception” is a helpful ask. Your voice matters and its easier than ever to be heard!

You can sign up online here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speakers-form
– Date of public hearing: 6/22/21
– Application number or subject: Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment Re: Agritourism and Related Changes

WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BELOW!

​​​​​​​​​​While Agritourism must be allowed in Fairfax County due to state code, it may be regulated if it impacts the health, safety, or welfare of residents. Send an email today to our Board of Supervisors and ask them to uphold their commitments to protecting our drinking water quality!
Click on the red START WRITING button below to get started!

You can use these talking points (but include them in your own words for more impact!)
Talking points can be taken from ANS’s June 16, 2021 letter to the Board of Supervisors, but suggestions from the letter are called out below for convenience. A simple letter with the simple asks below will help get your voice heard!

  • Thank the Planning Commission for the May 19, 2021 proposed changes attempting to improve the environmental outcomes of enacting this zoning ordinance.
    • However, the proposed changes don’t go far enough.
  • Ask the Board to:
    • Protect our water quality by adhering to the commitments made in 1982 via the landmark downzoning case which created the R-C zoned areas.
    • Explicitly disallow any agritourism activities which do not directly relate to farm-related activities (e.g. picking pumpkins in a pumpkin patch is good, hosting events like weddings and corporate picnics is not directly furthering the agriculture operation directly and should be disallowed).
      • Note that other locales in VA have done this – Fairfax County should be a leader in protecting our water quality and follow suit.
    • Only allow agritourism activities in the R-C be via Special Exception (not by-right). Retaining a public process ensure accountability and transparency.
    • Include additional asks from our letter as you see fit!

About Renee Grebe

Renee is the Northern Virginia Conservation Advocate at ANS.
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