General Information

ZAPS Individual Application Search – Zoning Application Number Known

ZAPS Standard Search – Search For Zoning Application(s) Using Standard Criteria

ZAPS Custom Search – Search For Zoning Application(s) Using Selected Criteria

ZAPS Search Results – Main Information Categories For a Zoning Application

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Zoning and Planning System (ZAPS) portion of the Land Development System (LDS) contains information on zoning applications. To access this data, click on one of the following selections listed on the LDS Main Screen:

• "Search by Zoning Application Number (ZAPS)": and enter a zoning application number.
• "Search PAWS/ZAPS by Type, Date, Participant, or Location": and enter information into the available fields.
• "Custom Search": and enter information into the desired fields.

Click on the desired application number in the search results to access the Query portion of the system. An overview screen will provide basic information and a menu of detailed information which is available, including location information, zoning district information, etc.

To print the current window on a screen, click on the "File" menu and then click on the "Print Frame" entry on the menu. If "Print Frame" is not available or ‘grayed out’, click on a specific field and then back on the original window, and the "Print Frame" entry on the "File" menu should be available.

The user can return to the

• overview page select another menu option,
• LDSnet search window and run a new search,
• LDSnet Home Page, or
• Fairfax County Home Page

by clicking on the applicable navigation field located at the bottom of the windows.

Some sections have several levels. Clicking on the field at the bottom of the window takes you back to the previous level.

Contact the ZAPS Administrators at (703) 324-1290 for additional information or assistance.

USING THE SEARCH BY ZONING APPLICATION NUMBER (ZAPS) LINK

Click on the "Search by Zoning Application Number (ZAPS) link on the LDSnet main page to search on a

Specific zoning application number

Temporary application number

Set of related zoning applications, i.e. proffered condition amendments, final development plans, etc.

Application Number

• Enter the application number into the "Individual Application" field using the following format:

- Click on the "Search" button.

Related Applications (Initial & Subsequent Applications)

• Enter the year of the application and the sequence number using the following format:

- Click on the "Search" button

Temporary ID

The temporary ID is the number assigned to the application before it is Accepted.

• Enter the temporary application number using the following format:

- Click on the "Search" button

USING THE SEARCH PAWS/ZAPS BY TYPE, DATE,
PARTICIPANT, OR LOCATION LINK

Click on the "Search PAWS/ZAPS by Type, Date, Participant, or Location" link on the LDSnet main page to search on Date Accepted, Date Received, Participant, Role, Tax Map Number and/or Magisterial District. After entering the search criteria, click on the "Search" button to initiate the search or "Clear All Search Criteria" button to reset the values.

Date Accepted

Date Received

Participant – Last Name/Organization Name

Participant – Role (Optional)

Location – Tax Map Number

Location – Magisterial District

Date Accepted: Format is MM/DD/YYYY, eg. 12/05/1995, 01/10/2000.

• Enter a Date Range, not greater than five years, to obtain a listing of applications Accepted within that range. To search on an individual day, enter the same date in both fields.

Date Received: Format is MM/DD/YYYY, eg. 12/05/1995, 01/10/2000.

• Enter a Date Range, not greater than five years, to obtain a listing of applications Received within that range. To search on an individual day, enter the same date in both fields.

Participant – Last Name/Organization Name

• Enter the last name of an individual or an organization name to obtain a listing of applications involving the participant.

Participant – Role (Optional)

• Select the role of the Participant entered to limit the search results. Click on the down arrow, highlight a role, and click on it to select it.
• The only roles applicable for zoning applications are as follows:

Location – Tax Map Number

• Enter the pieces of a tax map number in the fields provided. The Grid Number is required. Additional fields may be completed in order, Grid, Quad, Double Circle, Etc.

Location – Magisterial District

• Select a Magisterial District to obtain a listing of applications in that district. Click on the down arrow, highlight a magisterial district (current or historical), and click on it to select it. (Please note current and historical designations).

USING THE CUSTOM SEARCH LINK

This function permits the user to customize a search by selecting various criteria from a larger list of criteria. The user can "mix and match" the criteria instead of being limited by a set number of criteria as in standard search. It should be noted that the list of criteria to select from contains criteria that is common to both ZAPS and PAWS, criteria that is unique to PAWS, and criteria that is unique to ZAPS. Mixing criteria from ZAPS and PAWS will not provide any valid search results.

After the user has selected the desired criteria, they can click on the "Build Custom Search" button and the fields for the corresponding search criteria will be created. The user must then fill in these fields with the correct information in order to initiate the customized search

Current Lifecycle Status

Land Use

Zoning District

Zoning District – Historical

Zoning District – Status

Life Cycle Status

The user can select one (1) life cycle status (e.g. the stage in the process an application is in) from a pick list to search on separately or in conjunction with an application type. To select, begin by clicking on the down arrow. Highlight the life cycle status desired and click on it. Please Note: Only the following life cycle statuses can be selected to run a search in ZAPS:

Accepted – Application has been validated and determined to meet all submission requirements

Administrative Hold – Holding place for initiating a withdrawal of an application

Application Denied – Final status given an application denied by the hearing body

Approved – Final status given an application approved by the hearing body

Assigned – Accepted application has been assigned a staff coordinator and public hearing date(s)

Awaiting Finalize Dismissal – Application is waiting for final authorization to be dismissed

Awaiting Finalize Return – Application is waiting for final authorization to be returned

BOS Decision – Application has received final BOS decision and is waiting to be closed out

Bounced Check – Application processing suspended due to a bounced application fee check

BZA Decision – Application has received final BZA decision and is waiting to be closed out

Deferred Indefinitely – Application has no currently scheduled public hearing dates

Dismissed – Application dismissed due to lack of prosecution by the applicant

Expired – Application expires due to Term Limits not extended or use not established

Null and Void – Application within the Rt. 28 Tax District did not make required buy-out payment and zoning action has been nullified

PC Decision – Application has received a recommendation from the Planning Commission and is waiting for its Board of Supervisors’ public hearing

Ready for Hearing – Application is ready for its first public hearing (all required actions taken)

Received – Application has been received and logged in and is waiting to be validated

Revoked – Application is revoked if term limit did not expire and was revoked

Superseded – Amendment has been made to original application and is now the current application – former application retains Superseded status

Withdrawn – Application has been terminated upon request of the applicant

Land Use

To search on land use such as office use; dwellings, single family detached; etc., select a land use from the pick list, highlight it, and then click on it. Running a search on land use, for example, can provide information regarding how many proposed rezonings for single family attached dwellings exist or how many rezonings to the C-3 District were approved for office development.

Zoning District

The user can search on current zoning districts (current zoning ordinance – after 1978) in this section. Make a selection from the pick list, click on the down arrow, highlight the zoning district, and click on it to make a selection.

Zoning District – Historical

The user can also search on historical zoning districts (zoning ordinance – prior to 1978) in this section. Make a selection from the pick list, click on the down arrow, highlight the zoning district, and click on it to make a selection.

Zoning District - Status

To search on zoning districts by status, select a zoning district status (i.e. whether it is approved, existing, or proposed) from the pick list. These choices permit the user to search on zoning districts that were approved as part of a rezoning ("Approved"), zoning districts that currently exist ("Existing"), or proposed zoning districts that are part of a rezoning application that has not yet been approved ("Proposed").

Please note that the remaining criteria that can be selected by the user in custom search is included in the standard search. For information on how to use these criteria, refer to the "standard search" section above.

Once the user has completed entering custom search criteria, several options are available. First, the user can click on the "Search" button and initiate the search. Or, they could continue to enter more search criteria. Finally, if the user desires for any reason to clear the search criteria entered, simply click on the "Clear All Search Criteria" button located at the bottom of the window.

VIEWING SEARCH RESULTS

Once the user has run the search and obtained the search results, information for a specific zoning application can be viewed by running a Query. The search results are presented in the form of a table. The user selects which zoning application to view and clicks on the field in the left column of the table (application number). Once the user has completed this procedure, an Application Overview window will appear. Only one application can be selected at a time to query.

LDSnet search results organizes the detailed information for the specific zoning application by the following information:

Application Overview

Participant Information

Zoning District/Area information

Establish Use/Term Limit

Related Applications

Submission Requirements

Chronological Information

Approved General Information

Proffer/Development Condition Information

Public Facilities Information

Proffer/Conditions/Plans

View GIS Map

Application Overview

The application overview window is the first window the user will see after a zoning application is queried. From here, the user can access other information by clicking on one of the fields on the left side of the window under "Select a Query:" or can view the overview information on the application. This window also acts like a home page, since the user can access other windows and always return to the overview window.

The overview window contains basic summary information on the application, including applicant name, application description, application number, area, etc. The user can also click on the Milestone Overview field in the upper right hand corner to view summary information on the application milestones.

When the user is done viewing information on this window, additional topics listed on the left side of the window can be selected, or the user can return to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the search criteria to run another search by clicking on the field at the bottom of the window; or, return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on their respective fields at the bottom of the window.

The application overview window is the first window the user will see after a zoning application is queried. From here, the user can access other information by clicking on one of the fields on the left side of the window under "Select a Query:" or can view the overview information on the application. This window also acts like a home page, since the user can access other windows and always return to the overview window.

Participant Information

Participant information provides the user with information on the applicant and representatives, as well as county staff assigned to the application. After the user clicks on the "Participant Info." field, a window appears that lists the various roles (i.e. applicant, agent, etc.) associated with the application. If the user selects a role, another window appears with information on the person who performed that role. Clicking on the name of the person provides the user with a window that allows them to look up information about the person including address, telephone number, and any certifications (i.e. registered professional engineer) the person may have. When the user is done viewing information on these windows, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window.

Another query from the left side of the window can be selected or the user can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search criteria to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Zoning District/Area information

Depending on the life cycle status of the application and/or the type of application, zoning district/area information will be either proposed, existing or approved information. For example, a rezoning application could have proposed and approved information, depending on the life cycle status. A proffered condition application would have existing and approved information, depending on the life cycle status. When the user clicks on the "Zoning District/Area Info." field, a window appears that provides information on the zoning district and the land area of the application property. By clicking on the zoning district field, another window appears which permits the user to select information related to the zoning district including land use, tax map numbers, existing zoning district information, and comprehensive plan information.

After completing viewing the information on these windows, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user back to the Application Summary window. Another query from the left side of the window can be selected or the user can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search criteria to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Establish Use/Term Limit

Clicking on the Establish Use/Term Limit field on the Application Overview window takes the user to a window that provides the following information:

Established Use – the user will view the Establish Use By Date; Established Use Review Action Date and Action Taken.

Term Limit - The user will view the number of months for which the use is approved; the Term Limit Expiration Review date; the Term Expiration Review date, if the term limit was Granted With Term or Without Term, and if the term was extended by the Zoning Administrator, the BZA, or the BOS.

When the user is done viewing information on this window, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window. From there, the user can select another query from the left side of the window or can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search engine to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Related Applications

Clicking on the Related Applications field on the Application Overview window takes the user to a window that provides information on other zoning applications that have a relationship (i.e. is concurrent with, has same base case number, etc.) with the selected application.

When the user is done viewing information on this window, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window. From there, the user can select another query from the left side of the window or can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search engine to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Submission Requirements

Clicking on the Submission Requirements field takes the user to a series of three (3) windows that provide information related to the review and acceptance of the application. From here, the user can view information on the application documents submitted with the application or click on other fields to obtain information on the Application Checklist, Additional Submission Requirements, or Development Plan Information.

When the user is done viewing information on these windows, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window. Another query from the left side of the window can be selected or the user can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search criteria to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Chronological Information

When the user clicks on the Chronological Information field, a window appears which provides information on the life cycle status of the application. The user can view this information or can click on two (2) other fields at the top of the window to view information on the chronological events pertaining to the application or information about amendments made to the application.

When the user is done viewing information on these windows, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window. Another query from the left side of the window can be selected or the user can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search criteria to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Approved General Information

The user is only able to access this information when the life cycle status of the application is "Application Approved." Otherwise, this field will not appear on the Application Overview window. Clicking on this field takes the user to a window that provides general information on the approval of the application. This includes the decision date; the effective date (only applicable to Rt. 28 Tax District Buy-out applications); a summary statement of the action taken by the hearing body; information as to whether advanced density credit was involved or bonus density was granted; and information on any waivers/modifications granted or any supplemental motions made by the hearing body.

When the user is done viewing information on this window, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window. Another query from the left side of the window can be selected or the user can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search criteria to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Proffer/Development Condition Information

The user is only able to access this information when the life cycle status of the application is "Application Approved." Otherwise, this field will not appear on the Application Overview window. Clicking on this field will take the user to a window that provides information on the proffers and/or development conditions that were approved with the application. This information includes the proffer statement date; a list of the proffered items; due dates; trigger numbers and/or events; contribution amounts; and any expiration dates associated with the proffers. After scrolling down through the proffer information, the user can view the development condition information, if it exists. The development condition information is presented in a similar format to the proffer information.

When the user is done viewing information on this window, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window. Another query from the left side of the window can be selected or the user can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search criteria to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Public Facilities Information

The user is only able to access this information when the life cycle status of the application is "Application Approved." Otherwise, this field will not appear on the Application Overview window. When the user clicks on this field, a window appears that permits the user to click on four (4) different fields at the top of the window to obtain information related to the location of the application in relationship to various public facility geographic areas. These include school information, subcensus tract location, sewer shed location, and the traffic zone the application is located in, as well as the number of vehicles per day generated by this application.

When the user is done viewing information on these windows, clicking on the Overview field at the bottom of the window returns the user to the Application Summary window. Another query from the left side of the window can be selected or the user can go back to Search Results to select another application to query; return to the LDSnet search criteria to run another search; or return to the LDSnet or Fairfax County home pages by clicking on the desired field at the bottom of the page.

Proffer/Conditions/Plans

The user is only able to access this information when the life cycle status of the application is "Application Approved." Otherwise, this field will not appear on the Application Overview window. When the user clicks on this field, a window appears that permits the user to click on either "Proffer Statement" or "Development Plan."

In order to view images of the proffer statement and/or development plan for the approved zoning application, it is necessary to have a "WHIP plug-in" loaded onto the computer. It is only necessary for the user to download this software one time. Therefore, if the images are being viewed for the first time, it is important to click on the "WHIP" link at the bottom of the window to download the software. When the user clicks on this link, the software will be downloaded automatically. However, it should be noted that this software is being downloaded from a web site that can be very busy. Download time will vary depending on how busy the web site is at the time downloading is initiated. The user should wait for the automatic download to occur and not click on any other links to manually download the software. Once the downloading is complete, the user can then return to the window to access the proffer or development plan images

Clicking on either "Proffer Statement" or "Development Plan" will take the user to a window that lists all of the pages of the document to be viewed. The user can view only one page at a time. Clicking on the page of the document will bring up the image on the right side of the window to view. Once the image has appeared, the user can point the cursor within the image and right mouse click to access a navigation menu. This menu permits the user to pan, zoom, fit to window, and other related functions to manipulate the size and position of the image. It is also possible to window print the image shown in the window by clicking on the print icon.

When the user is finished viewing the image, there are several options available for the user including:

• Click on another image to view
• Click on "Back to Image" field which takes the user back to the main imaging window. If the user was previously viewing proffer images, they can select "Development Plan" to view those images or vice versa
• Click on "Overview" field at the bottom of the window to return to the application overview window to view other information
• Click on "Search Results" field at the bottom of the window to return to the search results to select another application to view
• Click on the "Search Criteria" field at the bottom of the window to return to the search criteria to initiate another search
• Click on the "Return to LDSnet" or "Fairfax County Homepage" fields at the bottom of the window to return to those respective windows

View GIS Map

Scale threshold explanation:
This map application makes use of a concept known as “scale thresholds”.Scale thresholds control how much of the available map data is displayed at one time based on the map scale.  You will notice as the map is zoomed in and out that map layers may suddenly appear or disappear.  This is the effect of a scale threshold being engaged or disengaged.  Scale thresholds allow for much more efficiency in generating the map image as well as making the map easier to read.