Opposition to an affordable housing complex in Fairfax collapsed this week in the face of renderings that reimagined the building as a tasteful private home with amenities that respect the community. “These are really minor changes, in many ways,” said the firm’s representative, presenting the revised blueprints to the town council. “It’s still six stories high, and it will still loom over the whole town, but we have achieved a meaningful reduction in occupancy-related impact.” In addition, he continued, “the lower floors will now be an allies-only hamam and solidarity lounge, which connect seamlessly with a swimmable reflecting pool designed to highlight systemic inequities.”
Approval for the project was near-unanimous, with the few stakeholders who objected won over by assurances that the home would outwardly signal its owners’ untenable political positions. “Way ahead of you,” said the developers. “A large plaque will be installed outside the property's porte-cochère reminding passersby that they are on stolen land."