There are many local issues that are covered by the South County Federation that have an impact on the greater Lorton/Mason Neck community. (You might notice some formatting issues in the cut and pasting of the meeting minutes).
Most notably below you can see that we are covering:
- Workhouse Arts Center
- Embark - Richmond Highway expansion
- Road improvements
- Meals Tax referendum
- Possible Metro expansion to serve the South County area
- South County Police and Fire Stations
- and many other topics
Members of the community are encouraged to attend the monthly meetings.
The South County Federation, formerly known as the Federation of Lorton Communities, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization established to represent the interests of the residents of southeastern Fairfax County. The Federation is an "umbrella" group composed of many homeowners, civic and citizens associations. Representatives from the individual associations meet each month to :
• Facilitate the regular exchange of views and information on local, regional, state and national matters of interest to its members
• Cooperate with and promote activities relating to the common interests of other citizens' associations
• Review land use applications and provide recommendations to the Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors on those applications
Homeowners, civic, and citizen associations within the South County area are invited to be members. The Federation's membership area is bounded on the south by the Occoquan River, on the north by Fort Belvoir, the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways, on the east by the Potomac River, and on the west by Lee Chapel Road. Residents of neighborhoods that do not have a formal association are also invited to join the Federation and participate in its activities through a non-aligned caucus. Click here for information on joining the South County Federation.
Starting in January 2013, The Federation will meet on the second Tuesday of each month, except in August, at 7:30PM in the Media Center of the South County Secondary School , 8501 Silverbrook Road, Lorton, VA. Visitors are welcome to observe our meetings. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 13th, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016 @ 7:30 PM **** MINUTES****
1. President Dale Rumberger (Dale R) called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. 2. Administrative Matters & Officers reports
• May Minutes - After review, a Motion to approve the May 10th minutes was made, seconded, and approved unanimously by voice vote.
• Treasurer’s Report - Larry Clark
• South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce (SFCC) Report – Tom Repczynski Tom is the newly-elected Chairman of the SFCC, and provided brief comments. “Our web site is www.southfairfaxchamber.org . We have been working with several stakeholders as a task force regarding South County Visioning and what our similarities are throughout the county. We envision getting hundreds of businesses, not just at new developments like Liberty, but throughout our County.”
• Workhouse Arts Center update – Ricki Marion, Director of Development and Community Relations for the Workhouse Arts Center, spoke of the successes and growing scope of programs at the Center. She proudly announced that the Center supports over 100 professional and emerging artists; that 2000 people participated in the recent Workhouse Carnival + Art Party; and that over 100,000 visitors came during 2015. The Summer of 2016 will be very busy, including: o Arts Camp – 300 signed up this year. o Summer classes ( ceramics, glass, culinary arts, drawing & design, painting, photography, textiles, and Youth & Teen Arts Camps) o Saturday nights at 7PM - Free! – come for Mount Vernon Nights. This is a concert series organized in conjunction with the County which underwrites and selects performers during the summer months.
o TIAA CREF Money Market as of 3/31/16 - $6,479.97 o Sun Trust Bank Balance: $2,015.78 o TOTAL ACCOUNT ASSETS AS OF May 31, 2016 - $8,495.75
o July 2 Annual Celebration will include fireworks, 20 food vendors, and more. Over 7000 attended last year. o August 13 – Staff are working with craft breweries for the 1st Annual Brew Fest, which will include gourmet food trucks, and live bands on multiple stages.
o Monthly, on the 2nd Saturday of the month, the galleries open late, and you can meet the artists.
Ricki then described work taking place this year on the “attitude adjustment” section (aka solitary confinement) of the old prison. This area will become the main gallery for the new museum, with the Grand Opening scheduled next year in August of 2017. Significantly, this marks the Centennial of the 1917 incarceration of 72 Suffragettes from July until November. All were members of the National Women’s Party who were jailed at the Workhouse because of their protests advocating for women’s right to vote.
The Arts Center actually is expecting a small budget surplus this year! The Workhouse Foundation programs serve more than 75,000 students, artists, and visitors each year. Through local support, they offer affordable classes in a wide variety of areas; present more than 300 performances and exhibitions, and dozens of lectures and seminars; and serve as a home to nearly 60 regional studio artists and an additional 30 associate artists who exhibit their work in our galleries. They collaborate with a large number of community groups, including ongoing partnerships with George Mason University and Fort Belvoir.
3. Supervisors’ Reports
-Supervisor Dan Storck took the floor and said, “Much is going on. I’d like to thank Tom Biesiadny, Director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, and his staff for being willing to brief us this evening.” Dan then moved on to celebrate the team work necessary over several years to successfully build our new local elementary, middle, and high schools; and he added, “We want to make a positive difference in your life. We try to inform you via newsletter & online at mtvernon@fairfaxcounty.gov”
Supervisor Storck encourages everyone to come see him during his Office Hours: Monday -Wednesday, Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Second Saturday Each Month (except August) Lorton Library: 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Office: 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
He then continued to speak about the Board of Supervisors meeting today (June 14) with the School Board. “We are trying to identify issues on which we can work together, such as special programs to identify trends in land use, and where families locate, especially those with poorer kids.” The Supervisor’s final comments were in regards to fiscal issues: “Our taxing ability has been stagnant because of slow commercial growth, so we must use a property tax or meals tax in order to raise funds.”
- Supervisor Pat Herrity could not be here tonight because he is hosting a Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Town Hall at Centreville High School. However, he provided written information to Dale R, who read it as follows:
“Meals Tax:
“At the June 7th Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board voted 8-2 to place a Meals Tax Referendum on the November 2016 ballot. If approved by voters, the tax on prepared foods in the county would go to 10% - a 4% meals tax in addition to the 6% state sales tax already levied. If approved, all prepared foods and beverages, whether purchased at grocery stores, restaurants, lunchrooms, cafeterias, coffee shops, cafes, taverns, delis, push carts, or food trucks will be taxed at 10%.
“At the meeting, Supervisor Herrity asked the Board to include a simple clarification that the tax was an additional tax. The motion to add the words "an additional" failed on a vote of 7-3.
“The meals tax targets a specific industry - an industry that does so much for our schools and the community. While a small portion of the tax will be paid by non-county residents, the vast majority (around 70%) will be paid by county residents. It is a regressive tax and will impact those who can afford it the least. This prepared foods tax is not the answer to Fairfax County's spending problems and Supervisor Herrity does not support it.”
“Stringfellow Road increase in speed limit: “By July 2016, the speed limit on a two-mile stretch of Stringfellow Road from Route 50 to Fair Lakes Parkway will increase from 35 to 40 miles per hour. Raising the speed limit reflects the safety and capacity improvements made along Stringfellow Road last year. “The new speed limit reflects public input following the improvements, coupled with the speed study. It is a more appropriate speed for drivers along the corridor, while maintaining safety for those who walk and bike to the schools, library, park and many other locations along this road.”
“Returning Drug Counselors to the Schools: “Earlier this month, after his first Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Town Hall, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Herrity’s motion to direct the County Executive to work with the Community Services Board (CSB) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to evaluate the feasibility of returning the drug counselors to the schools. The motion was seconded by Supervisor John Cook and passed unanimously. “In the County, we are seeing a disturbing trend: opioid abusers are becoming younger and younger. In fact, a majority of the overdoses reported to the Supervisors in the past couple of months have involved 16-25 year olds. This problem needs to be combated not only at home, but in our schools. Three years ago, we took our drug counselors out of Fairfax County Public Schools during a reorganization. The feedback his office heard from FCPS principals then and now is that this had a huge, negative impact on high school staff and that the current programs have not been as effective.” 4. Legislative Update from U.S. Congressman Don Beyer, of the 8th District “I’m always impressed by the civic involvement of citizens in your area! I’ve been in office for 18 months now; and we try to work on the most relevant issues to our area. Congress is not as broken as you might hear!”
“Over a year ago, Carol Glover was killed in the Metro system from smoke inhalation. Since then we have been trying to improve the culture of safety, especially through the Safe Track program. While I am optimistic that this plan will lead to the safe and reliable Metro we all need and deserve, we must be vigilant to ensure that repairs are done well the first time, and that WMATA does everything possible to minimize the impact on commuters.”
“As far as major transportation needs in our area, what about bringing the Yellow Line further south? We also are working on finding a solution to repairing Memorial Bridge. Nearly 68,000 vehicles cross this 83-year-old bridge on a typical work day. Lane closures due to weakened parts of the bridge are already having a dramatic impact on the region’s rush hour. The cost to fully repair it is estimated at more than $250 million. We’ve been kicking the can down the road for years and years. For far too long we have avoided having an open discussion of how to address the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of our country’s deteriorating transportation system. We are $3 trillion behind on national infrastructure, but can’t agree on a funding source. We are, however, hoping to get $2 million to begin the repairs on Memorial Bridge.”
Congressman Beyer opened up to questions from the attendees. Some included:
Q: What is your feeling regarding gun control in light of recent terrorist attacks in Orlando and other places? A: “There is nothing in the 2nd Amendment about a right to own assault weapons.”
Q: Do you have any preference for Yellow line vs the Blue Line? A: “No preference . . . but it’s a fact that the Yellow Line will be more expensive to build,” said Beyer. Dale R opined that when we do get it, the Yellow Line MUST go further south so we don’t end up as a de facto parking lot for commuters who live even further south. Congressman Beyer agrees that providing building funds to local communities to utilize is the best approach.
Q: Can we build Metro even further out past Fairfax County? A: “Not now. No one has been bold enough to move it deeper.” Dale J stated that he is aware of one submitted bill that would take Metro to Quantico at least. Congressman Beyer then discussed Switzerland’s national mass transit system as compared to ours.
Q: News in Fairfax County indicates that you are leaning toward statehood for DC. What would be the effect on tax? A: “Not much, I don’t think.”
Q: Dale R asked about the turning point for planes over our area A: “Well, we are practically sworn to support direct airline routes that go to various Congressmen’s home states,” Beyer said with a smile. “The bigger issue involves helicopters (many of which land at Ft Belvoir every night); and we are trying to minimize helicopter noise by having them make their turns further South. A new task force will hold a June 27 meeting to talk about both airline and helicopter noise.” Some SCF attendees complained about helicopter noise which rattles their windows as the choppers fly right over their homes until around 10PM! The FAA has reported that 144 helicopter operations take place each day in Northern Virginia alone; they estimate 75% of those are DOD missions.
Nick Firth thanked Congressman Beyer for coming to the SCF meeting, and praised him as “One of the first to come out in support of our opposition to ESI.” All applauded!
5. Committee Reports
1. Transportation, Dale Johnson (Dale J), Chair o Dale preceeded the discussion of several transportation issues by recognizing Earl
Flanagan, the Mount Vernon District representative on the County Planning
Commission, “who has worked tirelessly for us.” o Giles Run Connector Road - The unusually large attendance at tonight’s meeting undoubtedly was there to hear and question Tom Biesiadny, Director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. He and his staff provided a briefing regarding this planned road (from the Laurel Hill Adaptive Reuse Area to Laurel Crest Drive). The full powerpoint briefing may be found on the SCF website at http://southcountyfederation.com/ Some of the important points included:
§ Originally intended to “interconnect school facilities, golf course and the adaptive reuse site with the planned Laurel Hill Park and land uses located to the south.”
§ Additional benefit would be to “Provide an alternative to the Lorton Road and Silverbrook Road intersection, which at peak times requires 10 minutes to traverse,” along with a prediction that “by 2030 there will be significant delays at Silverbrook & Lorton” However this “benefit” gives jitters to many community residents about a feared significant traffic increase in their neighborhoods.
§ Current Situation is that there is neither funding nor plans to advance the design and construction on the Northern segment of the road; but the Southern segment is funded as the main entry point to Liberty from Lorton Road.
§ Current FCDOT position is to “defer a final decision on Giles Run” pending further development of the Lorton Rd widening, development of the Adaptive Reuse Site, the new Police Station, etc.
§ Mr. Biesiadny said, “The Northern Section is the most talked about,” and this was obvious in the many, many questions/comments posed for Biesiadny. including:
1 We are very concerned about impacts on the School
2 How can it (realistically) be a low-speed road if it is a relief road for Silverbrook traffic?
3 We don’t want commuter traffic on our residential streets.
4 Please kill this plan
o Other Road & Traffic concerns were brought up by the audience, including the traffic jams around the Middle School. One person challenged Mr. Biesiadny to “Come here in the morning and witness the traffic jam . . . it’s going to get worse!!”
o Dale R suggested developing a timeline to add to the powerpoint presentation. Public Safety Jonathan Kiell, Chair made the following comments:
Update on Police Station and Animal Shelter – No specific location as of yet, but will be a combined facility, probably located at one of these sites.
§ Silverbrook near Monacan § Bottom of Giles Run Rd § Lorton near Silverbrook Road, near the Giles Run sign § Next to the Middle School off of Silverbrook Road
“What criteria will be used to select potential sites?” asked an attendee. Dale R responded, “The choice has to be based on such things as police coverage and manpower; plus the new station needs a minimum of 8 acres, and can only be built on land currently owned by the County. County Staff will make the final decision.” Christine Morin added that “Staff will be coming out and seeking community input.” Another person asked, “Will this be a no-kill facility?” Nick Firth answered, “A crematorium is planned. We’re not addressing this further until we get input on all aspects.”
Land Use, Nick Firth, Chair presented a Resolution regarding the proposed Artis Senior Living facility on Ox Road. He and the committee support the developer’s application, with 4 provisions:
1 We support the developer in opposing the construction of any service drive that would extend beyond the access point for the proposed memory care facility at 8911 Ox Road, but would support a proffered easement so that in the event that the Lorton Valley Shopping Center ingress and egress can somehow be alleviated the service road could be built at a later date should the need be demonstrated.
2 The SCF has requested and the developer has agreed to a full build out of the facility with 80 Units in a single phase
3 In the Proffers section of the Staff Report, under Public Facilities, Paragraph 3, ‘Hunter Mill District’ be corrected to ‘Mount Vernon District’
4 The entire exterior should be composed of Asphalt Shingles, White Facia Board, Hardie Board Siding, and Brick as contained in Attachment 1 of the Staff Report Following Nick’s presentation, an audience member opined that this seems to be an inter-parcel connector, and that this could set a dangerous precedent to oblige private owner to build a connector to a commercial property. Earl Flanagan explained that a service road must be built if there are 2 or more commercial accesses. But there currently is no such access to the strip mall, so Earl has argued with Staff that they have no basis for their requirement to build the connector road.
A Motion was then made, seconded, and approved unanimously by voice vote, that the SCF supports the approval of the Artis Senior Living application to build a memory care facility at 8911 Ox Road, with the four exceptions as noted above.
Environmental & Parks, Chair position open
A Park Authority update was provided by Linwood Gorham. He talked up an upcoming performance by the United States Army Blues (Jazz) on June 25 at 7:00 PM at the Workhouse Arts Center. This is part of the Mount Vernon Nights program.
Linwood also recommends going to the Gristmill Park, which is so beautiful and has a concert on Fridays at 7:30 PM.
Education, Christine Morin, Chair – Karen Corbett Sanders, the Mount Vernon District representative on the Fairfax County School Board discussed the latest developments within the school system, including:
o Currently, some schools allow students to retake tests to improve their grades, while other schools do not. New guidelines will standardize this across the system o Homework may not make up more than 80% of a student’s grade. o A new grading policy will be in effect in Sept. 2016. This is important because we need uniform standards across the county. The grading changes will potentially improve students’ chances when they apply to college.
o We need more flexible land use. o A new School calendar will come out see in Oct/Nov time frame. o Wellness – We are looking at such things as ensuring recess for elementary school children, and also improving nutrition, stress management , awareness of supports within the community, and taking into account employee wellness.
o Clarification on how appeals may be made by parents.
A Motion was made by Dale R to adjourn the meeting. This was seconded and approved unanimously. Dale adjourned the meeting at 10:10 PM
NEXT MEETING: July 12th, 2015 at South County High School. Dale R mentioned that “A lot of information on Liberty will be presented from the developer, including when rentals are opening.”
Future Meetings: July 12th, September 13th, October 11th, November 8th, December 13th.
