From Supervisor Foust: Dranesville Dispatch

Welcome to the May issue of the Dranesville Dispatch. This issue includes information on Virginia's new proffer legislation, Fairfax County's sustainability efforts, and transportation and construction updates, as well as news and events from throughout the community.

The Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the FY 2017 budget at the Board Meeting on April 26. The Board held three days of public hearings during the first week of April and heard from residents throughout the County who discussed their priorities and experiences. I appreciate those who took the time out of their days to speak and all who have called and emailed my office to provide comment. Your perspective is crucial to our adoption of a budget that reflects the community's priorities. You can read more about my take on the FY 2017 budget in this newsletter.

As always, I welcome the opportunity to speak with your civic group or homeowners association and appreciate your thoughts on how to best serve the Dranesville community. Please feel free to contact my office with your suggestions and concerns or to set up a meeting. It is an honor to serve you.

John

John Foust

Dranesville District Supervisor

DRANESVILLE AND COUNTY NEWS

Supervisor Foust on the Adopted FY 2017 Budget

On Tuesday, April 26, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted the FY 2017 Budget (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017). You can review the budget details at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/.

Arriving at a budget that accurately reflects our community's priorities and supports essential County services, while maintaining the County's financial soundness and ability to respond to future unknown challenges is often difficult.

The Board conducted an extensive review of the County Executive's proposed budget plan and held three days of public hearings to receive community input. In addition, I held three public meetings in the Dranesville District and received many calls and emails.

I voted to support the FY 2017 budget. It advances many of the Board's priorities and, more importantly, what I believe are our community's priorities. I am especially pleased that this budget reflects the Board's continuing commitment to invest in our schools and to ensure that our children have the first class teachers they need and deserve.

Schools continue to be our number one priority, as evidenced by the transfer of $2.12 billion or 52.7 percent of the County's General Fund to the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

The Board voted to increase County support for FCPS beyond the levels included in the Advertised Budget. An additional $33.6 million was allocated to School Operating support for a total increase of $88.4 million, an increase of 4.48 percent over the FY 2016 level.

I am grateful to the School Board for providing the teacher pay market analysis that clearly demonstrates that Fairfax County teacher pay is below market, especially at the mid-range steps, and for providing a plan to address this problem if funding is made available. The School Board, like our Board, has had to make many tough funding decisions over the past several years. Class sizes have increased and, like county employees, teachers have not received the raises they expected. The analysis that the School Board presented convinced me that we needed to make a significant investment in our teachers. Although less than what the Schools requested, I believe the increased transfer amount will allow the schools to begin to address the pay gap and invest in reducing the largest elementary class sizes and do so without cutting programs that help make Fairfax County schools so great.

Additionally, the FY 2017 budget includes $7.5 million that will be used to fund recommendations from the Ad-Hoc Police Practices Review Commission. Of this amount, $3.89 million and 19 positions will be allocated to Diversion First, a collaborative effort to reduce the number of people with mental illness in County jail, $1.20 million will be allocated for Salary Supplements for Court employees, and $2.41 million will be held in reserve.

This budget also reflects the Board's commitment to our County employees, who have made significant sacrifices over the past 8 very difficult years.

With the significant additional investments we are making in our Reserves, this budget also reflects the Board's commitment to good fiscal management and financial decisions that will preserve our coveted Triple A bond ratings.

Although both the Board of Supervisors and the School Board have implemented many cuts and improved efficiencies over the years, we must continue to look for ways to lower the cost of delivering services. The Lines of Business efforts our Board has undertaken will help, and I have encouraged the School Board to participate with us and to conduct a similar effort.

This budget includes an increase of $0.04 per $100 of assessed value in order to fund essential services and public resources that residents need and expect. I know that this is a significant additional burden for many homeowners. Tax increases like the one included in this budget are not sustainable, and I am committed to finding ways to fund and provide the services residents need and expect without being so dependent on residential property taxes. It is especially important that we find ways to mitigate the impact of property taxes on seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes. In that regard, I am pleased that our budget guidance directs staff to provide information to our Board about expanding the program of tax relief for the elderly and disabled.

Many of our revenue challenges are the result of a local economy that has been hit hard by cutbacks in federal spending, especially the adverse impact that has had on our commercial real estate market. I believe the County's Strategic Plan for Economic Success provides an excellent plan for expanding the local economy and improving the commercial tax base. As Chairman of the County's Economic Advisory Commission, I look forward to leading the effort to ensure that the recommendations in that plan are implemented.

Thank you for taking the time to share your opinions with me during this process. This is how we ensure that the County Budget reflects our community's priorities.

Walkway Completed at Traffic Island in McLean

Spring Hill Road and Lewinsville Road Intersection

The Lewinsville Road and Spring Hill Road intersection is one of the busiest intersections in McLean -- blocks from Tysons and abutting both the Spring Hill RECenter and Spring Hill Elementary School. The absence of a walkway on the traffic island had long been an obstacle for safely navigating the area. The completion of the trail connects three crosswalks critical to pedestrian safety in the area.

From left to right: Supervisor John Foust, Carolyn Moss and Tim Sargeant, Representatives, Dominion Virginia Power, Irv Auerbach, President, Lewinsville Coalition, and Marcellous Cooper, Manager, Spring Hill RECenter

The traffic island on which the trail was built is a triangular-shaped parcel of land, previously owned by Dominion Virginia Power (DVP) and used as an electric station until 1992. As far back as 1993 and continuing for many years, the Lewinsville Coalition and elected officials attempted to get DVP to cede the property or provide a public easement to Fairfax County so that a pedestrian trail could be constructed. For a variety of reasons, their efforts were not successful.

After Supervisor Foust reopened discussions with DVP in 2012, the company generously decided to deed the property to Fairfax County without compensation. The land was transferred to the Park Authority and the trail was built as part of the project to renovate and expand the Spring Hill RECenter. Tim Sargeant, Manager, State and Local Affairs, Dominion Resources Services, Inc. and Caroline Moss, Managing Director, State and Local Affairs of Dominion Virginia Power, were instrumental in reaching the agreement. At its January 8, 2013 meeting, the Board of Supervisors recognized DVP for the company's donation.

This new walkway adds to the growing network of pedestrian facilities in this neighborhood, including between Lewinsville Road and Summerwood Drive on the west side of Spring Hill Road, one on the east side of Spring Hill Road between the Veterans of Foreign Wars facility (just south of Old Dominion Drive) and Pettit Court; and one on the south side of Lewinsville Road between Elsinore and Snow Meadow Court.

For more information, contact Jane Edmondson in the office of Supervisor Foust at 703-356-0551 or email Jane.Edmondson@fairfaxcounty.gov.

MyFairfax Portal Launched

Offers Residents Easy Access

The Department of Information Technology (DIT) and Department of Tax Administration (DTA) have launched the MyFairfax Web portal, a single sign-on solution for Fairfax County residents to conduct their business securely online. Taxpayers are able to view their car tax, business tax, and real estate tax accounts all under a single "umbrella." In addition, tax payment history can now be found online and changes can be made to personal property accounts (such as the registration, move, and sale of a vehicle).

The MyFairfax Web portal is located at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/myfairfax.

Sustainability in Fairfax County

Fairax County Implements Energy Consumption Dashboard

Fairfax County manages approximately 250 buildings including fire stations, recreational facilities, and government buildings. The County uses building energy management systems that track energy consumption on a minute by minute basis; however, this information has never been readily available to the public.

This month, the County released the first phase of an online dashboard that shows County energy consumption since 2006. Supervisor Foust discussed how the dashboard is part of the County's plan to address climate change at an event hosted by Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions earlier this month.

Fairfax County uses electricity and natural gas throughout its operations. Much of that energy use allows the County to heat and cool its facilities and power the lights and equipment in them. The dashboard is broken-up into five sections: County overall, government buildings, public works, parks, and human services.

In 2007, Fairfax County signed the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration, pledging to reduce global warming emissions 80 percent by 2050, an achievable average annual reduction of 2 percent. By signing the declaration, the County committed to implement policies, programs and operations to achieve significant, measurable and sustainable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Supervisor Foust discussed Fairfax County's sustainability efforts on a panel hosted by Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. Supervisor Foust was joined by Brian Moran, Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, and Pat Hynes, Chairman of the Fairfax County School Board.

Phase 2 of the dashboard implementation is expected to be released in the fall. It will allow users to see energy consumption by building use - such as fire stations, libraries, and administrative buildings. Phase 3 will go even further and allow users to select individual buildings. This will show the community the County's energy footprint and help the County identify opportunities for savings, improve transparency, and develop future goals.

For more information and to view the energy consumption dashboard, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/energy/energydata/.

Pedestrian Access Project at Leesburg Pike and Colvin Run Road

Construction Started

This project will add a signalized pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Colvin Run Road, providing a safe crossing for pedestrians and improving access to the Cross County Trail system.

Construction will involve intersection modification, lane widening, the installation of 203 feet of new sidewalk, and bus pads. The project will also include new mast poles, pedestrian signals, signage, pavement marking, and other associated improvements. There may be lane closures during off-peak hours, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Construction completion is expected by early 2017.

If you have questions or would like to obtain additional information, please contact the Utilities Design and Construction Division Project Manager, Qais Bashir, at 703-324-5085 or Qais.Bashir@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Tysons Bikeshare Locations Selected by Fairfax County

In January 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved the plan to bring Capital Bikeshare system to Tysons and Reston. The bikeshare system allows residents to check out a bike and ride short to moderate distances from bikeshare station to bikeshare station.

Tysons will feature 80 bikes at these 14 locations:

Spring Hill Metro
Route 7 and Westpark Drive
Solutions Drive and Greensboro Drive
Greensboro Metro
8300 Boone Boulevard
Towers Crescent Plaza
Tysons Corner Center
Tysons Corner Metro
8180 Greensboro Drive
1750 Tysons Boulevard
7900 Westpark Drive
7950 Jones Branch Drive
8008 Westpark Drive
Westpark Transit Center

Additionally, dedicated bike lanes are being added in Tysons and Reston to encourage and accommodate increased bicycle travel.

For more information, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/bike/restontysonsbikeshare.htm.

Work at Silver Line Stations Progressing

Metrorail Construction Update

The pace of construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line, which will eventually connect Loudoun County, Dulles Airport, Reston, and Herndon with downtown D.C. and the rest of the existing Metrorail System, is ramping up.

Progress has been made on the construction of the aerial guideway that will carry the Silver Line above Dulles Airport. Rail project officials have collaborated with airport executives and operations staff, airport users, employees and tenants such as cargo carriers and rental car agencies, to ensure construction does not interrupt critical traffic movements day or night.

Concrete is placed on the deck of the Silver Line's aerial guideway at Dulles International Airport to prepare the deck for track installation. Photo credit: Capital Rail Constructors.

All six stations, Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn, are currently in some stage of construction.

In Herndon, a tower crane has been in place for months to facilitate station construction. Preliminary road changes and bus re-routings at the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride facility have taken place as utility and other prep work speeds up, especially along Sunrise Valley Drive. Work on a traction power substation near Herndon Station is starting. This is one of several sites where the hardness of below-ground rock is forcing crews to do hand-mining rather than use drills to break through.

For more information, visit www.dullesmetro.com, follow on twitter @DullesMetrorail or call 703-572-0506. To set up a briefing for your HOA, civic group, or business email outreach@dullesmetro.com. To report construction concerns, please call the Dulles Metrorail hotline at 1-844-385-7245.

New Virginia Proffer Legislation

What it means for Fairfax County

On March 7, 2016, Governor McAuliffe signed legislation which will significantly restrict proffer authority for residential development for all localities in the Commonwealth, including the residential components of mixed-use development. These restrictions, which will take effect on July 1, 2016, will affect a system that, in Fairfax County, has generally been collaborative and cooperative for developers, the County and the entire community for decades.

It has been the long-standing practice for the County to work with developers to address community concerns related to the increased density of developments through the proffer system. These voluntary proffers have helped mitigate the impacts of the rezoning and have resulted in parks, sidewalks and trails, undergrounding of utilities and school contributions.

Under the new law, both on-site and off-site proffers can only be used to address an impact that is specifically and uniquely attributable to the proposed new residential development. Additionally, an off-site proffer will be deemed unreasonable unless it addresses an impact to an off-site public facility created by the development. Further the new development would need to receive a direct and material benefit from a proffer made with respect to any public facility improvements.

The Board of Supervisors strongly opposed the new legislation and suggested that a number of exemptions be added to the legislation when it became clear that it would be enacted into law.

We were successful in getting the following exemptions adopted:

Areas within close proximity to a Metro station, such as Tysons
Revitalization areas with a density of at least a 3.0 Floor to Area Ratio (FAR), such as Bailey's Crossroads and Merrifield

"The new law will severely hinder our ability to negotiate with developers for the benefit of our shared constituents. The old system worked well; now we will have much less flexibility reducing impacts of new development on our community," said Supervisor Foust.

The new proffer legislation is available online at https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?161+ful+SB549.

For more information, contact Ben Wiles in the office of Supervisor Foust at Benjamin.Wiles@fairfaxcounty.gov or 703-356-0551.

Herndon Fire Station

Construction Update

Construction on the new Herndon Fire Station is on schedule. In March, the contractor continued masonry, metal framing, exterior sheathing, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work in the building. Roof installation began in April. Construction of the new fire station is expected to be completed by August 2016.

The Fire and Rescue teams will move into the new station following the completion of construction. The demolition and restoration of the temporary fire station is expected to be completed by November 2016. The temporary site will be restored to its original condition, including the asphalt, gravel, and grass areas, by November 2016.

Land Use Cases in Dranesville

Basheer/Edgemoore-Brooks, LLC

RZ 2014-DR-022

Approximately 600 Feet East of Springvale Road and North of Parkerhouse Drive, Great Falls

Applicant proposes to rezone a 51.9 acre property from the R-A zoning district to R-E Cluster (Residential Estate), at a density of .38 dwelling units/acre. The rezoning would permit 20 single-family detached homes and would be served by a public street.

Information including a map of the site, public hearing dates, and staff report can be found here.

Gulick Group, Inc.

RZ 2015-DR-009

South of the terminus of Challendon Road, Great Falls

Proposal to rezone an 11-acre parcel from R-A to R-1 Cluster. The rezoning would permit the construction of 10 homes.

Information including a map of the site, public hearing dates, and staff report can be found here .

Sunrise Development Inc.
SE 2016-DR-001
1988 Kirby Road, McLean

Applicant proposes to construct a 73-unit assisted living facility on a 3.7 acre parcel zoned R-3.

Information including a map of the site, public hearing dates, and staff report can be found here.

Look for announcements of future community meetings relating to applications in the monthly Dranesville Happenings publication found at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dranesville/newsletters.htm.

For more information on land use cases in Dranesville contact Ben Wiles in the office of Supervisor Foust at Benjamin.Wiles@FairfaxCounty.gov or call 703-356-0551.

PHOTO GALLERY

McLean Little League Parade

Opening Day Ceremonies

Pictured from left to right: Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, Delegate Rip Sullivan, Delegate Kathleen Murphy, Delegate Marcus Simon, and Supervisor John Foust. Photo credit: Steve Hibbard, Connection Newspapers.

Spring is here and that means "Play Ball!" Over 1,300 people and 108 teams attended the 61st annual McLean Little League Parade and Opening Day Ceremonies on Saturday, April 9 in McLean.

New Dominion Women's Club

Fashion Show, Luncheon, and Raffle

Pictured from left to right: Delegate Kathleen Murphy, Supervisor John Foust, and Alina LeMay, President, New Dominion Women's Club, at the NDWC's Spring Fling Fashion Show.

The New Dominion Women's Club (NDWC) emphasizes the importance of fellowship among its members, while supporting the civic, cultural, educational, and environmental welfare of the community through volunteer service and financial support to worthy causes. 100 percent of the profits from the Club's fundraising events are distributed to community-based, nonprofit organizations.

This year, funds raised by the Club will be donated to four local charities: the McLean Project for the Arts, the Safe Community Coalition, SHARE, Inc., and the McLean/Falls Church Children's Academy.

For more information on NDWC, visit http://www.ndwc.org/home.html.

Rebuilding Together

Dranesville District Project

DPR Construction team on National Rebuilding Day.

Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church repaired 30 homes and nonprofit housing residences throughout Northern Virginia on National Rebuilding Day, April 30. Rebuilding Together provides volunteers, through sponsoring organizations, congregations, and community groups, with opportunities to make critical repairs to homes owned by low-income homeowners, including seniors, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

In Dranesville, DPR Construction brought a team that made many indoor and outdoor improvements to a Vienna resident's home. Supervisor Foust visited the site and met the resident and volunteers. "A big thank you to Rebuilding Together and DPR Construction for their work contributing to our community and helping our more vulnerable residents," said Supervisor Foust.

For more information on Rebuilding Together and how to get involved, visit http://togetherwetransform.org/.

CONGRATULATIONS

Fairfax Federation Honors Fairfax County Citizens

McLean Resident Doug Sanderson Recognized

Pictured from left to right: Linda S. Sullivan, President & CEO, Arts Council of Fairfax County, Audrey Goldstein, Doug Sanderson, Scott Sanderson, Supervisor Foust. Photo credit: Fairfax County Federation of Citizens' Associations.

McLean resident, Doug Sanderson was honored at the 2016 Fairfax County Federation of Citizens' 66th Annual Awards Banquet with a Citizen of Merit, recognizing his 25 years of pro-bono legal service, passion, and dedication to the arts in Fairfax County.

Mr. Sanderson who currently serves as legal counsel to the Board of Directors of the Arts Council has helped steer the Council through many changes; from a program driven membership organization to a service-driven arts agency benefitting all residents of Fairfax County.

2016 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards

Great Falls Resident Kathleen Murphy Recognized

Kathleen Murphy and Supervisor Foust at the 2016 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards. Photo credit: Volunteer Fairfax.

Great Falls resident Kathleen Murphy was recognized by Supervisor Foust for her work as president of the Great Falls Historical Society as well as her leadership in establishing a local farmers market in Great Falls.

As president of the Great Falls Historical Society, Ms. Murphy has helped keep the history of Great Falls alive for residents through monthly programs, preservation efforts, and tours and dinners at historic sites.

Ms. Murphy is also the Market Manager for the Great Falls Farmers Market. The market provides a place for local vendors to market their products year-round.

2016 FCPS Outstanding Principal

Justine Klena, Herndon Middle School Principal Recognized

2016 FCPS Outstanding Principal, Justine Klena. Photo credit: FCPS.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) named Justine Klena, Herndon Middle School Principal, 2016 FCPS Outstanding Principal.

Ms. Klena began her career in FCPS in 2002, serving as an assistant principal at Herndon Middle School. She then served as an assistant principal at Cooper Middle School from 2004-08 before returning to Herndon Middle School as principal. She is also an executive board member of the FCPS Middle School Principals Association.

Ms. Klena was a finalist for the Washington Post's Principal of the Year Award,

For more information about Ms. Klena's award, visit http://commweb.fcps.edu/newsreleases/newsrelease.cfm?newsid=2930.

Langley High School State Champions

Virginia High School League Scholastic Bowl

The Langley High School Scholastic Bowl team won its third consecutive Scholastic Bowl State Championship this year.

The Virginia Scholastic Bowl is hosted by the Virginia High School League. Students compete in four-person teams, answering questions on topics ranging from academic subjects to current events and entertainment.

ADAMS Compassionate Healthcare Network

Recognized by the Virginia General Assembly

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Abdul Mir, Senator Jennifer Wexton, Dr. Yayha Alvi, Dr. Omar Chaudhry, Bob Marro, Delegate Kathleen Murphy, Fakhir Ahmad, Director of Administration of ACHN, Delegate Jennifer Boysko, Supervisor John Foust, LuAnn Bennett, and Senator Barbara Favola.

Supervisor Foust joined members of the General Assembly as they presented the ADAMS Compassionate Healthcare Network (ACHN) with a resolution expressing appreciation for ACHN's work providing patient-centered healthcare to uninsured, low-income individuals in Northern Virginia.

ACHN was founded in 2013 and has been supported through the efforts of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), which provides the space for the clinic, the ML Resources Social Vision, which contributes financial support and medical expertise, and many doctors and volunteers who donate their time and efforts.

For more information about ACHN, visit http://www.achnhealth.org/.

Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request. For information, call the Dranesville District office at 703-356-0551, TTY 711.

If you would like your community announcement included in Dranesville Happenings please send an email to Dranesville@FairfaxCounty.gov.