Food trucks in Fairfax County commercial districts could soon operate six hours a day instead of four under a staff proposal to modernize zoning rules for service businesses.

County staff presented the plan, called Commercial and Industrial Modernization (CI-MOD) Part 1, to the Board of Supervisors' Land Use Policy Committee on Sept. 1. The proposal would also let child care centers and small restaurants open by right in certain zones, changes that could affect how McLean's commercial corridors operate.

"These seem all modest in my mind," Board Chair Jeff McKay said at the Sept. 1 meeting, as reported by FFXnow. "Frankly, I think some of these are long overdue … I feel like we're catching up to real-time demand and consumer interest."

Lily Yegazu of the county's Zoning Administration Division presented the proposal, which targets what the county calls "associated services uses." Those are businesses like restaurants, laundromats and child care centers inside office or apartment buildings. Staff said those businesses now advertise online to the wider community, and that enforcing the same operating hours as a building's main tenant is "no longer viable."

The proposal would scrap the blanket "associated services" category and replace it with use-specific rules. Key changes include:

• Food trucks: The daily cap would rise from four hours to six in commercial and industrial districts. The Board could consider allowing up to eight hours. The four-hour limit would stay in residential areas.
• Child care centers: Centers with up to 60 children would be allowed by right in high-density residential districts (R-20 and R-30). Larger centers would need a special exception permit.
• Restaurants: Eateries up to 2,500 square feet could open by right in commercial and industrial zones if they occupy no more than 10% of the building's floor area. Hours would be capped at 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Restaurants would remain prohibited in high-density residential districts.
• Specialized instruction centers: Tutoring studios, music schools and similar facilities under 6,000 square feet would be allowed by right in all commercial districts and most industrial zones. Larger facilities would be barred from residential zones.
• Other businesses: Business services, garment cleaners and convenience stores in commercial zones would each be capped at 2,500 square feet.

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez praised the food truck changes at the Sept. 1 meeting, saying the expanded hours would give truck owners "an ability to work an entire day."

The proposal is countywide and applies to commercial and industrial zones throughout Fairfax County, including McLean. No specific McLean streets or shopping centers were named in the county presentation.

Several thresholds remain under discussion. Staff presented ranges for business size (1,500 to 2,500 square feet), cumulative building caps (10% to 30% of gross floor area) and child care enrollment (50 to 99 children). No figures are final. The Board has not voted on any of the numbers.

The Planning Commission's Land Use Process Review Committee is scheduled to discuss the proposal on Oct. 8. Community and industry outreach is planned for fall and winter 2026, with a Board authorization vote tentatively set for January 2027 and public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board in February and March 2027.

Residents can follow the proposal at the county's CI-MOD project page or contact Yegazu at [email protected].