"They come and they stay for years on end," says Penelope A. Gross, a Fairfax County supervisor. "We had one storage container that was on someone's front lawn for over two years, and that's not what they're meant for.... They are not very attractive, and people are complaining about them in the neighborhoods."
In fact, users who place them in the street are violating the county's existing zoning laws. And although PODS in driveways or on front lawns don't breach any county rules (since they generally do not exceed the county's permitted maximum size of lawn fixtures), their on-going presence "is not in the spirit of the county ordinance," Gross says.
Fairfax County Supervisor Gerry Hyland has witnessed similar problems in his jurisdiction. Residents of the Huntington community are trying to clean up their neighborhood, but many are growing concerned as PODS are springing up on the small properties and being maintained as permanent fixtures.
The issue has been turned over to the county's planning and zoning department, which is looking into whether a specific amendment is needed for the ordinance. "The idea of having a large box that you place in the front yard is a rather unusual occurrence because normally sheds and those type of structures are found in the rear of properties," Hyland says. "This is something we need to put our hands around and figure out what to do."
