Demolition Considered For 6 Fairfax County 'Eyesore' Properties

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will be hosting an unusual number of spot blight abatement public hearings during its regular meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Structures on six properties around the county are being considered for demolition due to their rundown conditions.

"It is unusual for us to have six," said Jack Weyant, director of the Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance (DCC). "These properties have all been issues or concerns for the past many years. But, we've just kind of reached a point of deciding to say, 'Hey, let's just bring them all in at one time to the board for blight abatement.'"

The Spot Blight Abatement Ordinance allows the board to declare any structure or improvement to a property blighted if it "endangers the public health, safety, or welfare because it is 'dilapidated, deteriorated, or violates minimum health and safety standards.'"

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, when developers were losing money and couldn't maintain vacant buildings, spot blight abatement actions were more common, according to Weyant.

"That seems to have gone away now with property values being what they are in the county," he said. "But we still have some properties like these six that have been sitting there and they are a menace to the neighborhood and an eyesore."

Typically, DCC first learns about a blighted property when a citizen files a complaint, which they can do by visiting the office's website or calling 703-324-1300.

The complaint then goes before the Neighborhood Enhancement Task Force (NETF), which is a group of county employees from DCC and the county's departments of Health, Public Works, and Taxation. They then review the complaint, determine if it qualifies for spot blight abatement, and then schedule a public hearing with the Board of Supervisors.

The six properties under consideration for spot blight abatement are:

• 1045 Bellview Road, McLean, VA 22102 (Dranesville District)
• 2506 Fleming St., Alexandria, VA 22306 (Mount Vernon District)
• 3110 Covington St., Fairfax, VA 22031 (Providence District)
• 6012 Pike Branch Drive, Alexandria, VA 22310 (Lee District)
• 7821 Belvedere Drive, Alexandria, VA 22306 (Mount Vernon District)
• 7704 Schelhorn Road, Alexandria, VA 22306 (Mount Vernon District)

For the last five to six years, DCC officers have been investigating these six properties, which have fallen into disrepair for one reason or other. In some cases, the owner died or moved way.

The abandoned home at 1045 Bellview Road in McLean has an unusual history. Although the property was abandoned about five or six years ago, owner Mishal Al Thani, with a mailing address in care of the Embassy of Qatar, has continued to pay property taxes on it.

"It's very secluded in McLean," Weyant said. "It's kind of on a long private driveway that goes back to it. And it's adjacent to a stream in McLean. People started breaking into it. Gangs started hanging out there, having parties. The police were getting calls on the weekends. We ended up going in and boarding the house, putting plywood on the doors and windows."

Last Halloween, the house caught fire, leaving an ugly and unsafe structure in a neighborhood filled with mansions on large lots.

"It's just totally destroyed now," Weyant said. "They've prepared a plan to demolish the house and they're going to try to rebuild a new house on it. That's their plan, but we're still moving forward with a public hearing, until they are going to make that happen."

The abandoned home at 3110 Covington St. in Fairfax is currently designated as "improved land with dilapidated structure," according to Fairfax County real estate tax records. The 2021 assessed value of the property was $451,400, which was a combination of land ($440,000) and building ($11,400) value.

Fairfax County records also show that as of June 1, 2021, the owners had not paid real estate taxes for 2020. A note on the county's website says the matter has been turned over to a collection attorney and additional fees were assessed as a lien on the property. The total amount owed to the county, including interest and penalties, is $3,060.15.

Weyant said spot blight abatement does not absolve a homeowner from paying any outstanding penalties or taxes owed to the county. They are still subject to the county's tax enforcement process.

The owner of one of the six properties moved to Portugal five years ago, leaving her son responsible for maintaining the structure on it, which he hasn't done.

"We'll tear the house down and if it costs $50,000 for the demolition, we'll just add that to his tax bill," Weyant said. "And we'll grade the property to a nice flat piece of land and with grass seed on it. He's still the owner and he will have to decide what he wants to do with it."