County Approves Zoning Amendment for Pickleball, Pool Clubs
On September 16, the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) held a public meeting to discuss a proposed zoning amendment for the parcel of land where the Hollin Hills Pickleball and Tennis Club (HHPTC) and the Hollin Hills Pool are located, near the Fort Hunt Road entrance to the community. After presentations from the Civic Association of Hollin Hills (CAHH) and other interested parties, the BZA unanimously approved the CAHH’s proposed Special Permit Amendment (SPA), which codifies membership numbers and operating hours for the Pool and the Pickleball Clubs.
Full details of the SPA can be found in the BZA’s staff report.
The Tennis Club in the 1960s
The need for a zoning amendment became apparent in 2025, when the CAHH discovered that it was not in compliance with the existing zoning permit for that parcel — which had been originally issued to the swim, tennis, and recreation club that opened there in 1954. In particular, the expanding membership of the newly-formed HHPTC exceeded the permitted number of users for that land.
After soliciting input from the Hollin Hills community and members of the Clubs, the CAHH drew up an amendment to the existing permit and submitted it to the County in August 2025, proposing to (1) change the permittee to the correct entity (the CAHH) which owns the land and operates the clubs; (2) increase the land area covered by the permit, to add back to the permit the two southern tennis courts; (3) increase allowed membership in the clubs to reflect current levels; and (4) modify the operating hours of the tennis and pickleball courts.
These have all now been approved, and the new SPA should help alleviate the problem of excess noise and light pollution coming from the pickleball courts, as well as keeping the parking lot (which serves both the pool and the courts) from becoming overcrowded.
The pickleball courts
The permit sets the maximum combined membership of both clubs at 540 members, and sets the operating hours of the HHPTC as follows: On all weekends throughout the year, the use of the pickleball and tennis courts is limited to to 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. From November through March, the courts will close at 6:00 p.m. From April through May, the courts will close at 8:00 p.m. From June through August, the courts will close at 9:00 p.m. September through October, the courts will close at 7:00 p.m. The court lighting is controlled by a programmable timer in a locked box on the north side of the sport courts.
The September 16 meeting was well-attended and streamed on Zoom, with a broad range of views expressed. Speaking for the CAHH Board, Dan Schulke made a compelling case for the SPA, while HHPTC president Christine Kelly presented the Club’s position. A number of other community members — including several from the area around Rippon Road who have been most severely impacted by the light and noise from the pickleball courts — also spoke, as did members of the pickleball club itself. The public had also been invited to share their views with the BZA in written form.