Fairfax County Considers Residential Rezoning for Samuel Morse Drive

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Fairfax County is considering a Comprehensive Plan amendment for the 6.4-acre Samuel Morse Drive property in Reston, Virginia. The site is currently developed with 48,000 square feet of office space, but the Board of Supervisors has requested that staff explore the possibility of rezoning the land to allow for residential uses, including a mix of single-family attached and multi-family units.

Why it matters

The proposed plan amendment reflects the county's efforts to diversify the housing options in the Reston Transit Station Area, which has historically been dominated by office and commercial development. Introducing residential uses could help create a more balanced and vibrant community near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.

The details

The Samuel Morse Drive property is located south of Sunset Hills Road and north of Reston Station Boulevard, within the Reston East Non-TOD District of the Wiehle-Reston East Transit Station Area. The current Comprehensive Plan recommends office, industrial, and institutional uses up to 0.5 floor area ratio (FAR). However, the Board of Supervisors has requested that staff consider residential uses with a mix of single-family attached and multi-family residential units. A concurrent rezoning application (RZ-2022-HM-00003) is also being reviewed.

• On April 11, 2023, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized the consideration of a Comprehensive Plan amendment for the Reston Transit Station Area (2023-III-6UP).
• On July 25, 2023, the Plan amendment was reauthorized and moved to Tier 1 on the work program.

What’s next

The Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will review the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment and the concurrent rezoning application before making a decision on the future of the Samuel Morse Drive property.