 | | | Mount Vernon Advisor
October 2017
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Dear Neighbors, As the trees change into their stunning reds and oranges and the crisp smell of autumn lingers in the air, we are blessed with constant reminders of how wonderful it is to have all four seasons in our beautiful community. The fall season offers us great opportunities to enjoy some outdoor activities before the weather gets too cold; and it doesn't get much better than a morning bicycle ride. I've organized the second annual Tour de Mount Vernon, a community bike ride that explores the trails, by-ways and treasures of our district. The ride, which will take us along 35-miles of roads and trails, is a great way to enjoy the fall weather and connect with your community on Saturday, November 4th at 8:30 a.m. at the Workhouse Arts Center. You need to register for the ride by October 30. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and serves as a reminder that if you or someone you know is experiencing any form of domestic violence, you can discuss options and available resources by calling the 24-hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline at 703.360.7273. Domestic violence has far-reaching impacts on its victims, and I believe it is important to have effective, reliable resources and supports available for them. Our county's domestic violence hotlines receive over 240 calls per month while thousands of children witness domestic violence in their homes. So if you see something, say something and "Make the Call" to 703.360.7273. The 2018 County Budget season will soon be upon us. I'm seeking interested residents with a financial analysis and budget background that are willing to volunteer their time to help me analyze the County's billion dollar budgets to find ways to improve them. If you're interested or wanting more information, please email me at mtvernon@fairfaxcounty.gov.
I am very pleased to report that the Riverside Apartments redevelopment project that I have been nurturing for more than a year in the Huntington area was successfully approved by the Board this week. This northern gateway redevelopment provides a unique opportunity to transform a 1971 apartment complex into an open 21st century community with publicly accessible parks, new trails, recreational spaces, seating and lookout points along Cameron Run and a highly anticipated kayak/canoe ramp and launch that connects boaters thru Hunting Creek to the Potomac River! Many other redevelopments are also in the works.
And finally, I hope you'll join me for a November first community meeting on the implementation of the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission. There will be brief introductory remarks by Chairman Bulova, Supervisor Cook, Chief Roessler, and the Communities of Trust Chair Shirley Ginwright. The majority of the meeting will be devoted to the audience, who are welcome to ask questions via a town hall format. So please join us next Wednesday, November 1 at 7:30 pm at Walt Whitman Middle School. Respectfully yours in public service, Dan Storck Supervisor, Mount Vernon District Fairfax County Board of Supervisors |
| September 2017 Activities: | | Mount Vernon District Staff: Supervisor Dan Storck, Donna Slaymaker, Allison Miessler, Christine Morin, Sue Bernstein, & Tae Choi
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| Stay Connected: Mount Vernon Governmental Center 2511 Parkers Lane, Mount Vernon, VA 22306
703-780-7518 (TTY 711) 703-780-1491 (fax)
Office Hours Monday - Wednesday, Friday: 8:30 am - 5 pm Thursday: 8:30 am - 7:30 pm
Second Saturday Each Month. Lorton Library: 9 am - 11:30 am
MV District Office: 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Walk-ins and by appointment
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 Recognizing Exceptional Board Authority and Commission Appointees |
I believe that residents who put forth great effort into serving their communities deserve special recognition. This month I would like to thank and recognize two of the most active members of our community who have been steadily working to make our county a better place.
Lisa Sales, an appointee to the Commission for Women (CFW) and the Domestic Violence Prevention and Policy Coordinating Council (DVPPCC), is passionate about promoting better policy, creating awareness and finding solutions to address the issues of sexual assault and domestic violence. In her role as Commissioner, she is also committed to working on numerous other issues women face, such as pay equity and gender parity in elective offices. Originally from the west coast, Sales moved to the DMV area to make an impact on public policy. As a member of the CFW, Sales advises the Board of Supervisors on effective ways to promote the equality of women and girls in the county and is an active voice for women in areas such as domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, stalking, equal education and progress in the workplace. The CFW has recently been busy researching affordable housing options for domestic violence victims and evaluating the mental health services available to them, as well as informing teens, parents and organizations on the dangers of teen sex trafficking. The DVPPCC has launched the "Make the Call" campaign to encourage victims, bystanders and offenders to utilize the 24-hour Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline at 703-360-7273, TTY 711. Callers can learn of county resources available to them such as shelter, and an advocate can help those experiencing crisis develop a safety plan and more, depending on the circumstances. |
Gina Lynch, a member of the Animal Services Advisory Commission (ASAC), has a background in animal welfare that spans more than 30 years. Through their hard work, Lynch and the ASAC have worked with animal shelters to implement state of the art practices for animal care and welfare and increase the number of volunteers staffing them. Not only that, the results of their work extend outside of the shelter and into the community - they have increased animal adoptions, making sure that animals in need find a family to stay with forever. They have also educated the community on humane treatment of animals, such as spaying and neutering pets, providing enrichment activities and proper training. Their work in neutering feral cat populations has led to reduce the number of homeless cats. Currently, Lynch and the ASAC are involved with the design of a new South County shelter, which will serve the needs of underserviced and disadvantaged communities. They are also currently working with animal advocates on upcoming animal bills in the General Assembly.
Thank you, Lisa and Gina, for working hard to make our community such a great place to live.
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| Dysautonomia Awareness Month |
October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month!
Dysautonomia consists of several different conditions that affect the Autonomic Nervous System. While there are millions of people with various forms of Dysautonomia, it often takes years to get a proper diagnosis because of a lack of public awareness in medical professions.
It's unfortunate that there aren't more resources or centralized support groups for Dysautonomia in our local community, but it all starts with us. We should all get involved in bringing awareness to this condition in our district, and there are many ways to do so: - Like, share and interact with the Dysautonomia International Facebook page and their posts
- Wear turquoise and inform others about Dysautonomia Awareness Month
- Get involved with support groups and resources such as STOP POTS Virginia.
- Host a fundraiser. You can learn how to do that here.
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Talk to neighbors suffering from Dysautonomia. It can be very helpful to listen and gain a better understanding.
Bringing awareness to Dysautonomia is an important part in figuring out how to treat it and improve the daily lives of those impacted by it. Make some noise for turquoise and get involved!
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| Mount Vernon Historical Society's Inaugural Meeting |
The Mount Vernon Historical Society (MVHS) will hold its inaugural meeting on Thursday, November 9, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Governmental Center (2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA). The event will include special guest speaker Sean Thomas, the Director of Leadership Programs for George Washington's Mount Vernon. This is a great educational opportunity for anyone who is even slightly interested in local history.
By working with local citizen's associations, businesses and schools, MVHS is able to obtain and preserve oral histories, research local history and present these stories and historical accounts to the public. It is a strong proponent of the preservation, recognition, identification and education of our local historical and archaeological sites. Their goal is to energize the public about history and responsible archaeology, while at the same time making it interesting and fun.
There are many fascinating aspects about this area's history that are not generally known to the public. With the founding of this organization, residents of the Mount Vernon district will be able to learn more about our district's rich and important history.
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| Keeping Our Trees Free of Disease |
It's important that we take care of our trees and keep them healthy, especially with all the remarkable colors the leaves are changing into this time of year. Hardwood trees like maples and oaks are vulnerable to diseases like Hypoxylon canker, a fatal disease that prevents them from colonizing healthy wood. Look closely for silvery-grey and/or black, flat patches on their bark in vertical sections, which can easily be mistaken for decaying wood.
Luckily there is a way to reduce the damage this disease causes our trees: prevention. Apply mulch around your trees, prune them only during dormancy and be sure that they're getting plenty of water. By doing this, we can keep our trees looking great and healthy every season.
For more information, please click here or contact the Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division at (703) 324-1770.
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| Update on MWAA Working Group, Airplane Noise |
Last month, I brought forth a board matter requesting a letter of support to send to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in regards to the newest recommendations from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) working group. These recommendations are related to considering alternatives to departure procedures from Reagan National Airport in the effort to lessen airplane noise over the Mount Vernon District.
To summarize:
- The FAA initiated what is called the ".41 process" for developing a new south flow procedure based on the recommendation to move the GPS waypoints to the center of the Potomac River.
- The FAA has already completed one technical forum in August and will have another one in September and October, after which they will present a new south flow departure procedure to the MWAA Working Group at the end of October/beginning of November.
- The MWAA Working Group and the FAA will review and fine-tune the new procedure and the FAA will then proceed to conduct public and elected official outreach. Barring any unforeseen events, the new procedure is to be implemented late November/early December 2018.
- While the FAA is trying to address departing flights with this plan, they have not addressed the procedures for flight arrivals, which also contribute a significant amount of noise and disruption to residents with their very low altitudes and flight arrival paths.
I requested that a letter be crafted and sent on behalf of the Board of Supervisors to the MWAA and FAA in support of the MWAA Work Group recommendations. The letter will also include a request to the FAA to establish a specific schedule and deadline to begin addressing the equally important issue of airplane noise for arrival procedures, which is independent of the new departure plan.
To view the specifics of the recommendations from the MWAA Working Group, you can visit this link.
I encourage anyone affected by this issue to stay engaged on the efforts to address these concerns. You can do so by liking on Facebook "the South Flow Alliance". This group has been and will continue to have update meetings to keep the community energized and informed on the issue.
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| Incident Management Open House |
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will host its first ever Incident Management Open House on November 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Northern Virginia District Office (4975 Alliance Dr., Fairfax, VA).
Featuring an outdoor touch-a-truck exhibit, a hands on simulated crash scene and an indoor expo, the open house is an opportunity to learn more about traffic incident management. Find out what it's like to be at the scene of a crash as a first responder and discover how important quick incident clearance is to keeping our traffic moving steadily.
Many agencies are participating in this event and will contribute a variety of vehicles to interact with, including a spill trailer, an 85-ton rotator truck, a fire engine and a crash response vehicle.
For more information, please visit the event page.
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| Boards, Authorities and Commission Members Needed |
Help serve your community by serving on a Fairfax County Board, Authority or Commission. Please ask your friends, neighbors and community members if they are willing to help serve Fairfax County. Supervisor Storck has vacancies on: The Planning Commission is a 12-member board, with 9 district appointees and 3 at-large appointees which meets several times a month for many evening hours. The Planning Commissioner serves an important role in making land use decisions that will impact the community, both short and long term, and receives a $23,000 per year stipend. If you are interested in serving as the Mount Vernon District Planning Commissioner, please supply your resume and cover letter with your reasons for wanting to serve. A candidate must be a Mount Vernon District resident. Applications will be accepted until Monday, October 30, 2017 at 5:00 pm and must be sent to my Chief of Staff at christine.morin@fairfaxcounty.gov. Please see the schedule below that outlines the process. For more information about the planning commission, please visit this link. To identify and promote better understanding of the problems of the aging and to plan and promote and where it is found necessary, conduct activities to contribute to their well-being. Meetings are at 12:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month, except August. - Trails and Sidewalks Committee
To report to the Board for the purpose of providing citizen input and oversight to planning and developing a countywide trails system. The Trails and Sidewalks Committee evaluates existing facilities for trails, sidewalks and bicycle routes and assists the county in producing maps of these facilities, and plans new facilities. Committee members also evaluate subdivision plans and site plans for trail facilities. Monthly meetings are held from 7-9 p.m. in conference room 8 at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. - Small Business Commission
The purpose of the Fairfax County Small Business Commission is to: (a) study, report and make recommendations on issues of concern to small businesses in Fairfax County; (b) advise and assist the Board of Supervisors, County Executive and County employees on any matter that will enhance the capability of small businesses to succeed in Fairfax County; and (c) promote and assist small businesses generally, but especially with respect to minority-owned and emerging businesses, to establish themselves, develop, and succeed in their pursuits of commercial opportunities and in their vendor relations with Fairfax County. Meetings are usually last Monday of every month @ 7:00 p.m. in Conference Room 9 or 10, Fairfax County Govt. Center. The board shall preserve and prevent the despoliation and destruction of wetlands within its jurisdiction while accommodating necessary economic development in a manner consistent with wetlands preservation. Members of the Board shall hold no other public office in the County except that they may be members of the local planning or zoning commission, directors of soil and water conservation boards, or local erosion commissions, the local Board of Zoning Appeals or the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance Exception Review Committee. Statement of Economic Interests Disclosure required. eff. 4/26/16. Meeting times varies. |
Short-term Lodging Meeting
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The Planning Commission Workshop for short-term lodging (rentals) will be held November 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Board Auditorium of the Government Center (12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA). This workshop will serve as a question/answer session with staff in attendance.
If there is time still available, the Planning Commission will take comments from attendees, with time limited to 2 minutes per person. Please remember that this is not considered a public hearing.
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| Re-purposing Old Mount Vernon High School |
Please take the time to watch this insightful video about the repurposing of the old Mount Vernon High School. In this video, Pat Harrison, our Deputy County Executive, and Heather Diez, OMVHS Project Manger, elaborate on the many new uses we are finding for the property. From hosting recreational activities like pickleball to local non-profit organizations, the building has a phenomenal amount of potential for the community!
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| Shepherd's Center Free Luncheon |
| The Shepherd's Center is hosting a free luncheon on November 14 at our district office (2511 Parker's Lane, Alexandria, VA) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Learn how to be a part of the Shepherd's Center, a non-profit organization that helps older adults continue living independently in their homes. The volunteer group provides support services and programs designed to enrich the lives of those they help, such as offering free transportation to medical appointments to older citizens who can no longer drive.
Complimentary lunch will be accompanied by a presentation by speakers from the Fairfax County Department of Cable and Consumer Services, who will provide information on how to avoid scams, fraud and other consumer issues. There will also be door prizes, and parking is free.
Please note that complimentary lunch is by reservation only, so be sure to RSVP by November 8th by calling (703) 799-0505 or e-mailing scfb-scmgr@scfbva.org.
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| Celebrating the Fairfax County Water Authority's 60th Anniversary |
| | | Supervisor Cathy Smith, Supervisor Penny Gross, Fairfax County Water Authority General Manager Charles Murray, Supervisor Dan Storck |
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| Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements Presentation |
| The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will hold a presentation about the Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements project to encourage community engagement. The presentation will be held at Mount Vernon Highschool (8515 Old Mount Vernon Rd., Alexandria, VA), from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m on November 6.
The project will improve nearly three miles of the Richmond Highway from Jeff Todd Way to Napper Road in Fairfax County, widening it from four to six lanes and providing cyclist and pedestrian accomodations on both sides of the road. The presentation will also inform attendees about the project's Environmental Assessment, which is currently being prepared to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. For more information about the presentation, please visit this page.
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| Update on Police Reform Community Meeting |
| ABSENTEE VOTING IN MOUNT VERNON |
Absentee Voting In-Person
at the Mount Vernon Government Center until NOV 4th (Please note that the Mount Vernon Government Center
is NOT a regular polling location for election day NOV 7) Weekday In-Person Absentee Voting until Nov. 3rd Mon. thru Fri., 3:30 pm - 7:00 pm Saturdays: Oct 28th and Nov. 4th 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday November 4th is the last day to absentee vote in-person |
| Covanta Fairfax Restoration Update |
Covanta's waste-to-energy facility in Lorton, which suffered debilitating damage from a fire earlier this year, has been given authorization to begin the construction of a new fire protection system, the installation of which will be the last part of the facility's reconstruction. The old system has been completely removed, redesigned and upgraded to meet or exceed code requirements. The projected start date for the system's installation is December 18.
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