Politics & Government
Full House? Fairfax County May Limit The Number Of Visitors To Your Home
Grandma may have to stay at home if you plan on having a large family gathering.
Planning a party for 50 at your home?
Soon, you may have to cut a person or two from your guest list. And if your extended family is larger than 49 people, grandma might just have to sit at her own home.
Fairfax County officials are considering banning any gatherings within private homes that exceed 49 people in one day — and forbidding any “large” gatherings more than three times in a 40-day period.
Just how large “large” will be has yet to be determined. The county’s zoning administration has scheduled three meetings to get public feedback.
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“If you’ve got 60 or 70 people gathering on a regular basis, that can cause quality of life problems for your neighbors,” says Fairfax County Public Information Officer Brian Worthy, adding the issue has been ongoing.
“We’re certainly not intending to regulate anyone’s holiday party or realtors’ open houses,” Worthy says.
In a statement released to Watchdog.org, County Supervisor Pat Herrity said, “I believe the county is risking a lawsuit and/or a constitution challenge by interfering with peoples’ right to assemble.”
Worthy had no information on the number of complaints about overflowing houses, but Herrity told Watchdog.org that only six complaints about too many people crammed into homes were received last year.
Meetings in Fairfax County are scheduled for public feedback on the following dates and locations:
Wednesday, May 7, 7 – 9 p.m. at South County Government Center: 8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, in the Main Conference Room (SCC221)
Monday, May 12, 7 – 9 p.m. at Fairfax County Government Center: 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, in the Board Auditorium
Monday, May 19, 7 – 9 p.m. at Lemon Road Elementary School: 7230 Idylwood Road, Falls Church, in the school cafeteria.
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