NEWS ALERT - Compton & Duling Attorney Dennis Cate Reappointed for 4-Year Term as Planning Commissioner

Fairfax City, Virginia – The City Council for the City of Fairfax has reappointed Compton & Duling, L.C. attorney Dennis M. Cate to serve a four-year term as a Planning Commissioner. Cate will serve on the seven-member Planning Commission for the City of Fairfax at large, for a term running through 2013.

Cate was previously appointed by the City Council to fill a vacant seat in the Planning Commission in March 2009. The Fairfax City Council voted to appoint Cate to remain in his seat for a new four-year term.

In his position as Planning Commissioner, Cate will bring his experience of working in Land Use, Zoning and Development for the past twenty years. Cate obtained both his Masters Degree in Regional Planning and his law degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

“My work as a Planning Commissioner will include dealing with rezoning recommendations and subdivision plats. I have been appointed as one of two Planning Commission members to a joint subcommittee with the City’s Economic Development Authority regarding the update of the Master Plan for Fairfax Boulevard. The Planning Commission is in the middle of the five-year update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, and I felt it was important to remain on the Commission to complete the update, which will also involve public outreach,” Cate said. He intends to strive for a balanced approach to his duties with the Planning Commissions. With Compton & Duling, Cate has assisted citizens with their needs and concerns, as well as representing the economic interests of developers in Prince William County.

According to the City’s website, the City of Fairfax Planning Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the city council to plan for the future development of the city. The Commission meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, and occasionally meets for additional work sessions with the City Council. Planning Commission meetings are televised and are available for viewing online under Planning Commission Meetings at: http://www.fairfaxva.gov/CompPlan/PlanCommission.asp.

“The approval process can be an intricate course of action, and in serving as a Planning Commissioner, I will have first-hand knowledge of the ins and outs of Fairfax City’s process.” Cate wants to use the experience he gains as a Planning Commissioner in Fairfax City to better serve both his community and his clients.

Cate has lived in Fairfax City for just over twelve years, and he has been with Compton & Duling, L.C., one of Prince William County’s oldest law firms, for over ten years. He is an active member of both the Fairfax City and Prince William County communities. Cate volunteers with his children’s schools, scouting and athletic activities, including coaching track. He and his family attend St. Leo the Great Parish in Fairfax, Virginia, where he and his wife serve as Extraordinary Ministers.