From Supervisor Foust: Dranesville Dispatch

The 2016 Election Season was full of surprises, culminating in a result few pundits saw coming. By the end, I think most people were ready for it to be over. I want to thank the poll workers, election officers, and volunteers that made Election Day, and the days and weeks leading up to it, run smoothly. Over 83% of registered voters in Dranesville turned out to vote. To all those who voted, thank you for doing so.

Fairfax County voters were asked to vote yes or no on several referendums. Three bond referendums, for parks, transportation, and community development, all passed. These bonds will fund the Park Authority's capital needs, sustain the County's contribution to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, replace two senior/community centers, renovate four emergency shelters, and fund the County's share of Metro's capital improvement program for the next four years.

Fairfax County residents, however, rejected the referendum on the meals tax. Had it passed, a meals tax would have given the Board of Supervisors a chance to diversify Fairfax County's revenues, which are currently heavily reliant on real estate and personal property taxes. The meals tax would have provided approximately $70 million to Fairfax County Public Schools to help improve teacher pay, and, with the remaining $30 million, would have funded County capital improvements and paved the way for property tax relief.

Each year's budget presents challenges; adopting a budget for FY 2018 will be no different. Though we will not have the additional revenue from a meals tax, I will continue working to find ways to meet the needs of Fairfax County residents while making the best use of the available revenue.

This issue of the Dispatch includes a Silver Line update, information about the closing of recycling centers in Fairfax County, where activities will be held while the McLean Community Center is closed for renovation, and much more. The Photo Gallery section includes pictures of activities and events from throughout Fairfax County.

There is also a brief discussion of how WMATA is funded. In its proposed FY 2018 budget, WMATA has included the elimination of certain bus routes, which could impact Dranesville residents. My office has already begun to receive calls and emails from residents concerned about this possibility. I will be working closely with other elected and transportation officials to ensure that public input is taken into account during Metro's budget discussions.

As always, I appreciate your thoughts on how to best serve you and all residents of the Dranesville community, and I welcome the opportunity to speak with your civic group or homeowners association. I encourage you to contact my office if you have questions, concerns, or to set up a meeting. It is an honor to serve you.

John

John Foust

Dranesville District Supervisor

DRANESVILLE AND COUNTY NEWS

2016 Parks, Human Services, Transportation Bond Referendums Pass

On the November 8 General Election ballot, Fairfax County voters were asked to vote YES or NO on three individual bond questions totaling $312 million, to be allocated as follows:

Parks and Park Facilities: $107 million
Human Services and Community Development: $85 million
Transportation: $120 million

A majority of voters voted yes on each referendum. As a result, the Board of Supervisors is now authorized to sell bonds for the purpose described in the ballot questions.

For more information on the 2016 parks, human services, and transportation bond referendums, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bond/.

County Releases Fall 2016 Update to Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County

60 Accomplishments Highlighted

Over the years, Fairfax County has achieved a strong local economy and high quality of life through its focus on economic development efforts. These sustained efforts have resulted in the County having the largest and strongest economy in the Washington metropolitan area and one of the strongest in the nation. However, the Great Recession and significant reductions in Federal spending have created challenges to maintaining our economic progress.

The Board of Supervisors recognizes that no community has a preordained right to prosperity. It realizes that prosperity can only be achieved and sustained when a community's citizens, businesses, and government work in concert for everyone's benefit.

The Board created the Economic Advisory Commission (EAC) to provide policy level recommendations on matters related to the development and expansion of the County's economy. The EAC is comprised of about 50 government, business, education, and non-profit leaders appointed by the Board. Supervisor Foust serves as the EAC's chair.

In 2011, the EAC developed and the Board approved a strategic plan for the County's economic success. In 2014, the EAC focused its efforts on updating that plan. While a number of efforts called for in the 2011 Plan have been implemented or are ongoing, it was time to review that work, update it as necessary, and develop an action plan to guide future efforts. Over nearly six months in 2014, staff conducted multiple stakeholder outreach sessions among community and business leaders, industry groups, local Chambers of Commerce, area colleges and universities, not-for-profits, academic experts, and civic and regional government leaders.

The work resulted in the Strategic Plan to Facilitate the Economic Success of Fairfax County, which the Board of Supervisors adopted in March 2015. The Plan envisions an economically strong and sustainable Fairfax County and focuses on four fundamental themes: People, Places, Employment, and Governance.

Each of the four themes contains a vision of what the County aspires to and the related fundamental strategies. Since its adoption, County staff has been working on the implementation of the 92 actions prescribed within the Plan's six goals:

1. Further Diversify Our Economy
2. Create Places Where People Want To Be
3. Improve the Speed, Consistency, and Predictability of the Development Review Process
4. Invest in Natural and Physical Infrastructure
5. Achieve Economic Success Through Education and Social Equity
6. Increase Agility of County Government

In November, the Fall 2016 Update to the Strategic Plan was released. The Update features 60 examples of accomplishments that relate directly to the goals of the Strategic Plan and highlights the extensive collaboration between the County and its community partners.

Some highlights of the update include:

Innovation and Equity: Inova Health Systems and the University of Virginia announced their partnership to make Fairfax County home to a major genomics and research institute and medical school.

Places and Infrastructure: In July 2015, the Board of Supervisors approved a plan to facilitate the transformation of Seven Corners into a walkable, mixed-use urban town center.

Governance and Financial Stewardship: The Planning and Land Use Systems (PLUS) Modernization project will replace and consolidate several aging systems with a modern technology platform that is driven by re-engineered, streamlined and integrated business processes across the planning and development agencies.

Both the Strategic Plan and the Fall Update can be viewed at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/success.

FY 2018 County and School Budget Forecasts

Many Challenges Ahead

Members of the Board of Supervisors and School Board received FY 2018 budget forecasts from Fairfax County Executive Ed Long and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Karen Garza at a Joint Budget Work Session held on November 22. FY 2018 begins on July 1, 2017.

Each November, the County and FCPS announce their budget forecasts to residents, County agencies, the business community and elected officials, which include expected tax revenues and significant funding needs for the upcoming fiscal year budget. By state law, the County must have a balanced budget.

The numbers presented were sobering due to very limited growth in real estate tax revenues and the rising costs of programs and services.

The Board of Supervisors and School Board met at the Government Center on November 22 for budget forecast presentations.

Bottom Line Forecast for FY 2018

The County projects only $74 million in additional revenue (down $43 million from what the County had projected in the FY 2017 Adopted Budget) in FY 2018 to cover:

$90 million in County funding priorities, not including many significant items such as additional public safety positions anticipated under the Public Safety Staffing Plan, the implementation of recommendations called for by the Ad-Hoc Commission, and information technology projects.
$134 million identified by Superintendent Garza in FCPS funding needs, including funding to bring teacher salaries more in line with surrounding jurisdictions.

County Budget Forecast

Real estate tax revenue accounts for almost 65 percent of the County's general fund budget. Budget forecast impacts from real estate tax include:

Residential Real Estate: Home prices in the County are projected to increase only 0.4 percent in FY 2018. Home prices were essentially flat through October.
Commercial Real Estate: Commercial (nonresidential) property values are projected to increase only 1.25 percent in FY 2018. Office vacancy rates remain at historically elevated levels.

FCPS Budget Forecast

County Transfer: Almost 53 percent of the current county general fund budget is dedicated to FCPS.
Enrollment: Enrollment in FCPS continues to increase and surpassed the current budget projections. The projected enrollment for FY 2018 is 188,774 students.
Teacher Compensation: Teacher salaries continue to lag behind neighboring jurisdictions. In addition to state budget cuts in teacher funding for the current year, funding for FY 2018 may be impacted by the state's budget deficit.
Classroom Resources: Investments are needed for textbook replacement, technology, student assessments, and preschool.

The rejection by voters of a meals tax on November 8 eliminated the opportunity to diversify the County revenue and add approximately $100 million in new revenue. Of that amount, 70% would have gone to the schools, primarily to help improve teacher pay. The remaining 30% would have funded County capital improvements and possible property tax relief for seniors.

Without the additional revenue, adopting a balanced budget that funds essential services while being sensitive to the burden on residential property owners, will be difficult.

What Happens Next?

The County Executive will release his Advertised Budget to Board members, County staff, and the public on February 14, 2017. As he has done every year since being elected, Supervisor Foust will hold public meetings on the Advertised Budget in order to gain citizen feedback and recommendations. Dates for those meetings will be announced in early 2017. The Board will authorize the proposed tax rate on February 29, 2017 and will hold public hearings on the budget on April 4, 5 and 6, 2017. The Board will adopt the FY 2018 budget on May 2, 2017.

The FCPS Superintendent will release the school proposed budget on January 12, 2017 with hearings to be held on January 30 (and January 31 and February 1, 2017, if needed). The School Board will adopt the Superintendent's budget on February 9 with adoption of the approved budget on May 11, 2017.

The County Executive and School Superintendent's presentations, as well as other information on the budget, can be viewed at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/.

Route 7 Widening

Project Updates

In June 2016, the Commonwealth Transportation Board allocated $120 million to widen Route 7 between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive from four to six lanes. Combined with $114 million in Federal and regional funding allocated by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, the project is fully funded and design work is proceeding. In addition to the road widening, the project includes a 10-foot wide shared use path on both sides of the road and intersection improvements throughout the corridor. These improvements will decrease congestion, increase capacity, improve safety, and expand mobility for cyclists and pedestrians, all in conformity with Fairfax County's Comprehensive Plan.

The widening of Route 7 has long been a priority for Supervisor Foust. He was able to get the widening from the Dulles Toll Road to Reston Avenue included as part of Table 7 of the Tysons Comp Plan in 2010. Including Route 7 widening in Table 7 meant that there would be a funding source for the project when the Board adopted a financing plan for Table 7 infrastructure, which it did in 2013. Though this provided a long-term funding source for the project, the County continued to seek Federal and state assistance to expedite progress.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) held a public hearing on November 15 to discuss the project, results of the Environmental Assessment, the design-build option, and to receive public input. Information from the public hearing, including the presentation and display board materials, is available online at http://connectroute7.org/learn_more/documents.asp. Residents are invited to provide comments on the project, which can be submitted at http://connectroute7.org/default.asp.

Screenshot of VDOT's Route 7 widening interactive map. Click on the image to visit the page in your web browser.

At the meeting, VDOT staff introduced a new interactive online map tool that allows residents to learn more about proposed improvements planned along the corridor, such as potential retaining walls, shared use paths and drainage systems. Residents can enter an address and adjust the mapping filters to view several panning and zooming features and aerial images. View the interactive map at http://connectroute7.org/learn_more/interactivemap.asp.

Supervisor Foust said, "The redevelopment of Tysons is essential to the long term economic success of the entire County. Through our planning process, the Board of Supervisors has committed to delivering the infrastructure that will be needed to ensure that Tysons does succeed. Increased capacity on Route 7 is one of the most critical pieces of that infrastructure. I am very pleased that the long-planned Route 7 widening project has been funded and will soon be under construction. I have been meeting with residents from throughout the corridor to discuss their concerns and bring VDOT to the table to address those concerns. I look forward to continuing these discussions as the project progresses."

Fairfax County Recycling Drop-Off Centers to Close Permanently

The Solid Waste Management Program (SWMP) is responsible for the operation of the County's eight recycling drop-off centers (RDOCs), including one in the Dranesville District at McLean Bible Church along Route 7. The RDOCs were established in the late 1980s as the County's first attempt to collect recyclables. As the demand for recycling grew, curbside collection of recyclables was established in 1992 and made available through either private sector or County curbside collection in all residential areas.

The County's Solid Waste Management Ordinance requires licensed waste collection companies to offer weekly collection of recycling and yard waste to all residents receiving waste collection service. The Ordinance also requires owners and operators of multi-family and commercial properties to provide their tenants and employees with convenient access to recycling at their homes or places of work. As all residential and commercial properties in the County now have ready access to recycling on-site, the unstaffed RDOCs are no longer an effective way to collect recyclables in Fairfax County.

Additionally, the cost to operate unstaffed RDOCs has increased significantly over the years, from being self-sustained at the peak of their popularity and usefulness, to now being one of the most expensive components of the County recycling system. Over the same period, the quantity of recyclables collected by the RDOCs has steadily declined, amounting now to less than one percent of the total recyclables collected in the County.

Moreover, unstaffed drop-off centers have become an attractant to illegal dumping. Staff spends a minimum of 24 hours per week cleaning up materials illegally disposed of at the unstaffed RDOCs.

One issue specific to the RDOC at McLean Bible Church is the Virginia Department of Transportation's project to widen Route 7. As part of the project, the Lewinsville Road intersection will be redesigned, which would require the relocation or permanent elimination of the RDOC at McLean Bible Church.

Due to the factors described above, the RDOC at McLean Bible Church closed effective October 15.

Fairfax County Code Compliance

Fairfax County's Department of Code Compliance (DCC) investigates complaints involving most zoning, noise, property maintenance, building, fire, blight, grass, and health codes.

Code Compliance also investigates illegal signs, hoarding, multiple occupancy, home businesses, drop boxes, property maintenance, and unpermitted construction. For a full list of issues addressed by the DCC, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/code.

Addressing any of these issues is a complaint-driven process; submit a complaint online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fido/complaints/comp_submit.aspx or call 703-324-1300.

For more information, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/code/.

McLean Community Center Renovation Scheduled to Begin April 2017

Events and Activities will be held at other Venues in McLean

In April 2017, work to renovate and expand the McLean Community Center's (MCC) Ingleside Avenue facility is scheduled to begin. To ensure the Center's programs and services will continue uninterrupted, MCC staff has worked with Fairfax County's Facilities Management Department to find and secure rental properties for a 22-month period, beginning as early as March 2017. The MCC expects to move back to the renovated Community Center by the fall of 2018.

The majority of MCC's classes will be held at 6645 Old Dominion Drive, in the McLean Square Shopping Center, during the renovations. The new location includes four classrooms, which will be scheduled for maximum use. The space will also house the MCC's registration office.

During the construction period, MCC's administrative offices will be located in the same shopping center as the new classroom space, at 6631 Old Dominion Drive, on the first floor of the Century 21 New Millennium building.

The large, outdoor community events produced by the MCC will continue to be offered. The Spring and Fall Community Garage Sales will be held at the parking garage at 1420 Beverly Road; McLean Day 2017 will be held at Lewinsville Park as usual; and the 4th of July Fireworks Celebration will return to Churchill Road School for a second year.

Jammin' Juniors, the free, preschool concerts offered by The Alden will be held in local parks, while other performances will be presented in community-based venues. MCC is continuing to identify additional spaces for the dance program, indoor special events, and performing arts programs.

The McLean Projects for the Arts, currently located on the second floor of MCC, will be relocating to its temporary location in the Giant Shopping Center. The storefront is located between CVS and Kazan's Restaurant. MCC will continue to handle registration for MPA-sponsored art classes.

For more information, call the MCC at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, or visit the website, www.mcleancenter.org.

Herndon-Monroe Kiss & Ride and Slugline Pick-Up Relocation

Effective October 31

The Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride surface lot closed for construction on October 31. Due to the closure, the Kiss and Ride area along with the slugline pick-up will be temporarily relocated to Level 1 of the parking garage.

View the below graphic for the new temporary location of the Kiss and Ride and slugline pick-up, and the new traffic patterns which took effect October 31.
Commuters are encouraged to consider the Reston South Park and Ride as an alternative to parking at Herndon-Monroe during construction activities.
To stay informed of the construction activities at the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride, sign up for text and/or email "Commuter Alerts" (under the "Transportation" category) at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts/.

Click here for a printable version of the graphic below.

For more information, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/news/advisories.htm#Herndon-MonroeKiss&RideandSluglineRelocation.

Fairfax County Officials Break Ground on New Herndon Station Parking Garage

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday, November 30 at the Herndon-Monroe Park-and-Ride to kick-off the construction of the new Herndon Station Parking Garage. The project, designed by HGA Architects and managed by Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) in coordination with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT), will be constructed by Manhattan Construction Company.

Supervisor Foust joined Chairman Bulova, Supervisor Hudgins, and staff from FCDOT, DPWES, and Manhattan Construction Company to officially kick-off the construction of the new Herndon Station Parking Garage.
Photo credit: Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

The 2,007-space parking facility is designed to assist in reducing congestion on Northern Virginia roadways by creating additional opportunities for ridesharing and the use of public transit. The key features of the project include:

A pedestrian bridge to the Metrorail Silver Line station currently under construction;
Vehicular and pedestrian connections to the existing 1,745-space Herndon-Monroe parking garage; and
Secure bicycle storage facilities.

The $44.5 million project is estimated to be completed in the spring of 2019.

Silver Line to Dulles and Beyond Update

Construction of Phase 2 of Metro's Silver Line, the $6.5 billion rail line that will eventually connect Washington Dulles International Airport and eastern Loudoun County with Tysons Corner, Arlington, downtown D.C. and the metropolitan Washington region is 32 percent complete.

Phase 1, including four stations in Tysons Corner and one in Reston, opened in July 2014. Phase 2 includes stations in Reston, two stations in Herndon, one at Dulles Airport, and two in eastern Loudoun.

The elevated aerial guideway at the north end of Dulles International Airport will carry trains into and out of the new rail maintenance yard and into the median of the Dulles Greenway, where the trains will return to at-grade ballasted track. Photo credit: Jennifer Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors.

A large concrete span (straddle bent) is constructed over the eastbound lanes of the Dulles Greenway. Photo by: Jennifer Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors.

Construction is well underway at the four stations located in Fairfax County and preliminary work is beginning at the two stations located in Loudoun County.

For more information, visit http://www.dullesmetro.com/.

How is WMATA Funded in Virginia?

There has been much in the news lately about Metro's funding problems. The District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia all have different methods for funding each jurisdiction's respective share of the Metro operating budget. For the District and Maryland, the process is relatively easy and straightforward. Funding comes from the D.C. Government and the State of Maryland. In Virginia, however, the process is more complicated. Different components of Metro's budget are funded from different local or state sources, including regional gas tax revenue, local General Fund dollars, and state aid from the Commonwealth. For FY 2017, Fairfax County will contribute approximately $119 million (from state aid, gasoline tax, and local funds) toward WMATA's operating budget (rail and buses).

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) created a graphic that illustrates the process for Virginia:

Click to view larger image

The region is currently wrestling with both the long term funding needs of the Metrorail system as well as Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld's proposed budget for FY2018. Regional leaders will be working over the next several months to develop a consensus about Mr. Wiedefeld's proposal and the direction Metro should take to keep the system safe and reliable.

Though SafeTrack caused significant disruptions and inconvenience for many commuters throughout the region, the program was necessary to fix serious infrastructure problems and, it is hoped, to prevent future safety hazards. Going forward, it will take a sustained commitment from the region and a higher degree of accountability and transparency from WMATA to accomplish long term reliable and safe operation.

Citizens' Police Academy

Fairfax County Police Department

Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD)'s Citizens' Police Academy (CPA) is designed to give participants a look behind the badge and to provide information about training, policies, and all the different units and divisions within the department.

The academy is a 10-week educational program that is free of charge for anyone who lives or works in Fairfax County. Two sessions are offered each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The spring session will run from March 16 to May 20, 2017. Classes will be held on Thursday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., except the last class, which will be held on Saturday, May 20, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The class locations will rotate to FCPD's various police facilities, giving residents a look at all the different areas FCPD covers in Fairfax County.

Class size is limited to 40 participants, all of whom are required to undergo a background check. Participants are asked to commit to attending at least eight (8) of the ten (10) classes. Applications for the spring session will be accepted through December 15 and may be sent to cpa@fairfaxcounty.gov or Fairfax County Police Department Citizens Police Academy I/C Operations Support Bureau, 3911 Woodburn Road Annandale, VA 22003.

For more information or to apply, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/services/citizens-police-academy.htm.

2016 Elly Doyle Park Service Award Winners

Friends of Riverbend Park and Spring Hill Au Pairs Recognized

The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) named two Dranesville District organizations as recipients of the 2016 Elly Doyle Park Service Award. Both groups were recognized, along with other outstanding volunteers, professionals, and community members, at the award ceremony and reception, held Friday, November 18. The Elly Doyle Award is the agency's top honor for volunteer service.

The Friends of Riverbend Park (FORB) is a non-profit citizens group dedicated to the support of the park and to the safeguarding, preservation, and responsible stewardship of the park's natural beauty. FORB's donations to the park include field trip scholarships, a snow-plow, canoes, a telescope, new exhibit cases, and office furniture. Since 2007, FORB has provided more than $150,000 in support of the park.

The Friends of Riverbend were presented the Elly Doyle Park Service Award by Tim Hackman, former FORB president and current Dranesville representative to the Fairfax County Park Authority Board. Photo credit: FCPA.

In 2016, for the first time, FORB's funding of the highly successful Riverbend Park summer programs permitted Riverbend to fill six college level summer-intern positions. (As recently as 2008, there was only one paid summer intern at Riverbend Park.) These summer programs are very well received, provide employment for local students, and bring in substantial program revenue for the park.

During the 2015-16 season, 28 Spring Hill Au Pairs from 11 countries contributed 3,336 volunteer hours to FCPA, which is the equivalent of $87,036 in terms of savings for the agency. The group was praised for helping to maintain the Spring Hill RECenter, serving as translators, providing administrative support, removing litter and invasive species from the grounds, and helping with special events.

Supervisor Foust posed with Spring Hill Au Pairs from Ukraine, Poland, Sweden, Colombia, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and Brazil. Photo credit: FCPA.

Supervisor Foust and the Spring Hill Au Pairs show off their superhero rings to match the theme of the evening, "Volunteers are Superheroes." Photo credit: FCPA.

The Elly Doyle Park Service Award program was established by the FCPA in 1988 in recognition of the years of outstanding service by former board member and Chair Ellamae Doyle.

Visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/ffxparks/sets/72157672957978034/with/31196971545/ for more pictures from the event.

Land Use Cases in Dranesville

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.