Massive Multigenerational Home Addition Sparks Furious Debate in Virginia Community

Multigenerational living is on the rise as Americans battle the soaring cost of living.

But in one Fairfax County, VA, neighborhood, a three-story home addition being built to accommodate three generations is causing significant concern for neighbors—especially Courtney Leonard, who lives next door.

Leonard says she was blindsided by the sheer size of the addition, and that many other neighbors are outraged.

And now she’s pushing to change the zoning laws that permitted the addition in the first place.

An alarming addition

Leonard has lived in her home for a decade, and her next-door neighbors have lived in theirs even longer.

"They're a very nice family, and we've never had any issues with them whatsoever," she tells Realtor.com®.

She says they're a multigenerational family—a grandpa, grandma, their adult son, his wife, and three kids.

In August, the family began building an addition onto their home.

When the first story went up, Leonard wasn't worried. "We have a privacy fence and some bushes, so we weren't concerned," she says.

But when a second level went up, Leonard started to feel uneasy about the amount of visibility and sunlight that was taken away from her property.

"When the third level went up, I became very concerned," Leonard says. "It looked like a large townhome, and I started getting calls immediately from other neighbors. I posted a photo of the addition on our neighborhood Facebook page, and the general outrage kind of took off."

Primary concerns

Leonard says she has a long list of concerns.

"I'm concerned about my property value and my ability to sell the home if we ever decide to," she says.

Parking is another issue. "They used to park two or three cars in their driveway, and now they can only park one," she says.

Leonard's also worried about lack of privacy. "Their windows are looking into our backyard now," she says, "and they can see inside my daughter's window if her blinds are open."

The lack of sunlight is an additional concern. "We are living in the shadow of this big building, and your enjoyment of your home takes a hit when you don't have sunlight filling your house anymore," she says. "We're also concerned about our solar panels and the effect their addition will have on how much solar we can collect."

Zoning issues

Leonard says she knew her neighbors were doing an addition, but was not given any advance notice about how this would affect her family. "But I'm more upset with the county and the county's zoning regulations for allowing this build in the first place," she admits.

There's no HOA in the neighborhood to complain to, so Leonard reached out to the county.

"I threw a wide net out," she explains. "I sent emails to the chairman of the board of supervisors, the director of land development services, and the director of permitting and code administration."

She also submitted a complaint on the county's website stating all her concerns.

"Someone from the board of supervisors visited my home, but they kept telling me it was within regulatory limits and they were building within their zoning rights," she says.

Leonard had an engineer help her with some additional calculations, and then went back to the county.

"Last Wednesday, they basically came with their final answer to me, and said I understand your frustrations, but there is no path forward to prevent similar outcomes in the future," Leonard says. "They held strong to the fact that our neighbors are within their rights."

Since she got that email, however, there have been some new developments.

"A building permit was issued by Fairfax County for the addition because the proposed structure met the Zoning Ordinance standards, including height and setbacks," William D. Hicks, director of Fairfax County Land Development Services, said in a statement issued to Realtor.com. "However, a recently submitted survey indicates the construction, as currently built, does not meet the required 8-foot side yard setback."

Hicks says Fairfax County staff has notified the property owner and "is meeting with them to determine the plan to correct this issue and bring the construction into compliance with the county's regulations."

Construction has now been paused, but Leonard says she has not heard anything about that yet.

"I am more concerned about the addition being three stories high than I am about it being too close to my property," she says.

A path forward

Leonard says she respects her neighbor's rights, but she firmly believes that the zoning laws need to be changed.

"It's really hard for all of us to understand how this was approved," she says. "I understand they have a multigenerational home and I respect their space, but there is a way to do that without having this impact on your neighbors and property values."

A county supervisor agrees that a structure like this has no place in suburban neighborhoods.

"An addition of this height and length that contrasts so starkly with the neighborhood clearly does not belong, especially when it is located directly next to and in such close proximity to the adjacent property," Pat Herrity of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors tells Realtor.com.

He intends to address the issue at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Nov. 18.

"I believe the zoning ordinance needs to be amended, and I will be making a motion that begins the process," Herrity says. "It will direct county staff to look into the matter with the goal of addressing these issues."

Leonard says she respects the fact her neighbors are spending a lot of money to build this new addition, and doesn't want them to have to lose their investment. "But I also don't want to have to take a hit on our property values, and I don't think I should have to live in the shadow of this structure, either," she says. "I didn't buy next door to a townhouse for a reason."