Willard-Sherwood Community Center
in progressStatus set at Planning Commission Regular Meeting/Work Session on May 11, 2026 · ▶ watch the moment
Project wiki — a maintained overview, meeting history, and recorded positions.
- Proposed
- Under reviewSep 3, 2024
- DecidedMay 6, 2025
Summary
The Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center is a joint City of Fairfax and Fairfax County redevelopment project for a combined health, wellness, and recreation facility at 3740 and 3750 Blenheim Boulevard. The project has been in active development since at least mid-2024, with Council receiving updates in September 2024 and a $54.5 million revenue bond authorization approved unanimously (6-0) in November 2024 (Resolution R-24-32) to help finance capital project costs. A May 2025 amendment to defer the project to the FY 2027 budget failed 3-3, and the project remained funded in the adopted FY 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Program. Land use approvals — including a Special Use Permit, two special exceptions, and a Certificate of Appropriateness — were granted by Council in October 2025 on 4-3 and 4-2 votes. As of February 2026, the project was in site and building plan review with contractor pricing received. On April 28, 2026, Council unanimously adopted Resolution R-26-13 authorizing the project to proceed to construction; the optional performing arts space renovation at the existing Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center was excluded and will not be pursued at this time. The project has drawn sustained and broad public support, including from the City of Fairfax School Board and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.
Official city record
City Project
Fairfax City & Fairfax County are redeveloping the Joseph Willard Health Center and Stacy C. Sherwood Center sites into a single destination for health, wellness, fitness, and child care. Located at Layton Hall Drive and Blenheim Boulevard, the new Willard-Sherwood Health & Community Center will provide integrated city- and county-operated community, health, and human services to all residents.
Open questions & options on the table
- Construction timeline and projected completion date have not been publicly established in the record.
- The excluded optional performing arts space renovation at the existing Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center remains unresolved — no decision on whether or when it may be reconsidered has been recorded.
- Final contractor pricing and budget confirmation have not been reported as complete in the record.
What members have said
At the September 9, 2024 Planning Commission meeting, Chair Feather noted that he had expressed to City Council the importance of the Willard-Sherwood facility's connection to comprehensive plan goals. During the February 9, 2026 CIP discussion, commissioners (including Feather, who presided) cited the project as a significant capital priority.
Voted yes on the May 2025 amendment to defer the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget (which failed 3-3), and voted no on the October 2025 SUP and special exceptions (4-3). Voted yes on the April 2026 resolution to proceed to construction (6-0).
Voted yes on the May 2025 amendment to defer the project to FY 2027 (which failed 3-3), and voted no on the October 2025 SUP, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness. Voted yes on the April 2026 resolution to proceed to construction (6-0).
Voted yes on the May 2025 amendment to defer the project to FY 2027 (which failed 3-3), and voted no on the October 2025 SUP, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness. Voted yes on the April 2026 resolution to proceed to construction (6-0).
Voted no on the May 2025 amendment to defer the project to FY 2027, and voted yes on all October 2025 land use approvals and the April 2026 resolution to proceed to construction.
Voted no on the May 2025 amendment to defer the project to FY 2027, and voted yes on all October 2025 land use approvals and the April 2026 resolution to proceed to construction.
Voted no on the May 2025 amendment to defer the project to FY 2027, voted yes on the October 2025 SUP and special exceptions (and did not vote on the Certificate of Appropriateness per the 4-2 record), and voted yes on the April 2026 resolution to proceed to construction.
Voted yes on all October 2025 land use approvals (SUP, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness) and the April 2026 resolution to proceed to construction. Was not recorded as voting on the May 2025 deferral amendment.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[1a] Council received a discussion and update on the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center project; no formal action was taken.
[10] City Council received an update on the Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center project at its September 3, 2024 meeting; Chair Feather noted he expressed to Council the importance of the facility's connection to comprehensive plan goals.
[11a] Listed as an anticipated capital expenditure to be funded through the $54.5M revenue bond issuance.
passedAdoption of Resolution R-24-32 requesting the City of Fairfax Economic Development Authority to issue revenue bonds up to $54,500,000 for general government capital project costs.✓ Bates✓ Doyle Feingold✓ Greenfield✓ Lim✓ Ross✓ Stehle[1c] Staff provided an update on the Willard-Sherwood development during the work session. No formal action was taken.
[3e] An amendment to defer the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget failed 3-3; the project remains funded in the FY 2026–2030 CIP as adopted.
failedMotion to defer consideration and appropriation of the FY 2026 budget to a date certain of May 13, 2025.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Read✕ Bates✕ Hardy-Chandler✕ AmosfailedAmendment to set the real estate tax rate at $1.75 (resulting in reductions of approximately $500,000 for pay study implementation, $188,000 for merit increase, and ~$100,000 in nonprofit funding).✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerfailedAmendment to defer the Willard-Sherwood community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerfailedAmendment to implement 50% of the pay study in FY 2026 and 50% in FY 2027.✓ McQuillen✓ Hall✓ Peterson✕ Bates✕ Amos✕ Hardy-ChandlerpassedAmendment to incorporate all changes included in the Budget Change Document (Attachment I, previously published) into the main budget motion.✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ Hall✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonfailedMotion to set the real estate tax rate at $1.0550 per $100 of assessed value, personal property and machinery and tools tax rate at $4.13 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property tax rate at $0.01 per $100 for qualifying volunteer fire/rescue members, effective January 1, 2025 (first vote).✓ Bates✓ Amos✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ Hall✕ PetersonpassedMotion to set the real estate tax rate at $1.0550 per $100 of assessed value, personal property and machinery and tools tax rate at $4.13 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property tax rate at $0.01 per $100 for qualifying volunteer fire/rescue members, effective January 1, 2025 (second vote).✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ PetersonpassedMain motion to adopt the FY 2026 Budget (all funds), FY 2026 Schedule of Rates and Levies, FY 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Program, FY 2026 health benefit contribution rates, 2.0% merit increase effective January 1, 2026 for eligible general scale employees, and programmed annual step increase for public safety employees, as amended by the Budget Change Document.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ PetersonpassedMotion to approve appropriation resolutions R-25-10 (General), R-25-11 (Capital), R-25-12 (Wastewater), R-25-13 (Transit), R-25-14 (Stormwater Utility), R-25-15 (Cable), R-25-16 (Old Town), R-25-17 (Transportation Tax), R-25-18 (ARPA), and R-25-19 (Debt Service) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson[11a] Land use applications for the joint-use City of Fairfax and Fairfax County health, wellness and recreation facility at 3740 and 3750 Blenheim Boulevard were presented during the work session; no formal action was taken.
[7] City Council held a work session on a potential land use request for the Willard-Sherwood Community Center at the June 10, 2025 meeting, as reported by staff.
[7a] Council approved the Special Use Permit for expanded government use, two special exceptions, and a Certificate of Appropriateness for the joint City-County Health and Community Center redevelopment at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard.
passedApprove Special Use Permit for expanded government use in RM district at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard (Tax Map 57-2-02-175A).✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonpassedAdopt resolution approving two special exceptions (required side yard modification and parking reduction) at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard (Tax Map 57-2-02-175A).✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✕ McQuillen✕ PetersonpassedApprove Certificate of Appropriateness for architecture and landscaping at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard (Tax Map 57-2-02-175A).✓ Read✓ Amos✓ Bates✕ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✕ Peterson[10] City Council approved the Special Use Permit for the Willard Sherwood Community Center at its October 14, 2025 meeting.
[6a] The Willard-Sherwood project was cited by commissioners during CIP discussion as a significant capital priority; a work session on the project was also noted as scheduled for City Council the following evening.
passedMotion to adopt Resolution PC-26-01 as shown in Attachment 1, recommending City Council approve the Capital Improvement Program FY2027–FY2031 as proposed, subject to the considerations discussed.✓ Feather✓ Cunningham✓ Lockhart✓ McCarthy✓ Rice[11b] Community Development Director Brooke Hardin reported the project is currently in site and building plan review with contractor pricing received; no Council action was taken.
[5] Seven members of the public, including a representative of the Green Acres Senior Center Senior Council and the Chair of the City of Fairfax School Board, addressed the City Council in support of the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project.
[5 & 8] Numerous residents and Jennifer Rose, Executive Director of the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, spoke in support of the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project during the general public comment periods.
[12a] Multiple community members spoke in support of the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project during public comment periods, and one speaker requested funding be included in the FY27 budget.
[9b] Council unanimously adopted R-26-13 authorizing the project to proceed to construction; the optional performing arts space renovation at the existing Sherwood Community Center was excluded and will not proceed at this time.
passedAdopt resolution (R-26-13) authorizing the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center Project to proceed to construction, excluding the optional performing arts space renovation, and adopting amendments to the Joint Development Agreement with Fairfax County.✓ Amos✓ Bates✓ Hall✓ Hardy-Chandler✓ McQuillen✓ Peterson[10] City Council voted to proceed with the Willard-Sherwood Community Center project at the April 28, 2026 meeting, as reported by staff.
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