WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Fairfax County staff have agreed to a series of reforms in how they inspect construction projects after a supervisor’s fiery reprimand over a “multitude of errors” that allowed a large house to sprout dangerously close to three roads.

Jeff McKay, who represents the Lee District, this week delivered a brutal criticism of “sloppy staff work” that went into inspecting and approving a home on Amherst Avenue in Springfield. He said Wednesday that county staff told him they would make changes to prevent a repeat of the mistake.

One change will be that an inspector no longer will have the discretion to approve changes on site that he deems minimal, McKay said.

“As a result of what has happened at this address, those kinds of changes now are going to come back through the process, we’re not going to on site say that’s OK,” he said.

He said staff also has agreed to inspect sites earlier “to make sure that what’s happening on the site is what’s in the permit” and prevent major problems from being discovered after the house is already built.

In addition, contractors no longer will be issued building permits on the spot after a walk-through with inspectors.

“We’re not going to do that anymore for new construction,” McKay said. “You’re going to submit [plans], the county is going to have a period of time in which they can review it and get back to you.”

The Amherst Avenue site’s problems were “absolutely unbelievable,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, who said he doesn’t believe such problems are widespread throughout the county.

“I think it’s exceptional that things could go so badly,” he said.

Fairfax County staff has “concurred that some mistakes were made,” on the inspection and permitting of the house, said county spokesman Jeremy Lasich, who called the site “unique.”

wflook@dcexaminer.com