Flag Changes Not Recommended By Fairfax Planning Commission

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — On Wednesday, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended against new regulations for flags and flagpoles to the Board of Supervisors.

Under the current zoning ordinance, all lots can have up to three flags with no maximum flagpole height limit. Flagpoles may be in front yards and are subject to local regulations for freestanding accessory structures in side and rear yards.

County staff had proposed specific regulations as part of a zoning ordinance
modernization (zMOD) project. That includes a maximum flagpole height limit of 25 feet for single-family properties and 60 feet for other principal uses. Up to two flags would be allowed on single-family properties and up to three would be allowed for other principal uses.

The proposal also calls for freestanding flagpoles to be set back five feet from any front lot line and follow local regulations in side or rear yards. Flags could have a maximum of 24 square feet for a single-family home and 96 square feet for other principal uses. Small garden flags would be exempt from the two-flag limit for single-family properties.

Flag and flagpole limitations in other jurisdictions were cited in the proposal. Stafford County's amended zoning ordinance limits flagpole heights to the zoning district height limit, which is 35 feet in most single-family residential zoning districts. The City of Fairfax also limits flagpole height to the maximum zoning district height and up to three flags no more than 40 square feet each. Arlington County limits most flagpoles to 35 feet in height with flags up to 60 square feet each. Single-family and two-family lots are limited to two flags, and other lots are limited to three flags.

At-large Planning Commission member Timothy Sargeant noted there were a large number of public comments with concerns. One of the opposing groups is the Great Falls Citizens Association, according to a report from Great Falls Connection. The association wrote to the Planning Commission that the ordinance should not be applied to American flag displays.

"I felt that it was a solution looking for a problem," said John Uldfelder, Dranesville District representative on the Planning Commission. "I suspect based on a lot of comments we received, a lot of other people received it the same way...if it ain't broken don't fix it."

A Board of Supervisors public hearing on the entire zoning ordinance modernization project is scheduled for March 9 at 4 p.m.