At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, we recognized several retiring elected officials from our area. Most importantly to the Mount Vernon District (MVD) we recognized the service, passion and dedication MVD School Board Member Karen Corbett Sanders has provided over the past eight years in support of our children, especially our neediest, and our environment through launching the Joint County/Schools Environmental Task Force (JET). These are just a few of her many accomplishments and I look forward to continuing to work with Karen for the betterment of our community. We also recognized the work of other local leaders including my Board colleagues Supervisors Penny Gross and John Foust, truly County leaders for many, many years, and State Senator George Barker who has well represented part of the MVD, also for many years.

It is my honor to serve the Mount Vernon District and I invite you to join me on December 13 for the Inauguration Ceremony for Fairfax County's 15th Urban County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County's Constitutional Officers and Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Directors at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway). Reception begins at 5 p.m. Ceremony begins at 6 p.m.

I presented a Board Matter directing County staff to initiate a Comprehensive Plan amendment for Board consideration collocating the new Penn Daw fire station, a community shelter and affordable housing at the former Hybla Valley Nursery site on Beacon Hill Road. To read more about this project and its history, please read my full Board Matter below.

We also recognized the 40th Anniversary of the Army Historical Foundation, noting how proud we are of the Foundation's amazing efforts to create the National Museum of the United States Army, located at Fort Belvoir. The state-of-the-art Museum brings the history of our country to life through phenomenal, interactive exhibits telling the story of the US Army. The Museum is also strongly connected to our larger economic development and tourism efforts - Potomac Banks, Explore Fairfax South - to bring more visitors to the Mount Vernon District by tying together our many historic, cultural, natural and entertainment sites.

Please also join us tomorrow, Thursday, December 7 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. for our Mount Vernon District Annual Holiday Open House! We are collecting non-perishable food items for Bucknell Elementary School families. Learn more.

Respectfully yours in public service,

Dan Storck

The following are highlights from the Board of Supervisors December 5, 2023 meeting, including items of particular interest to Mount Vernon residents. For additional information, please go to the County’s Board Agenda and Meeting Schedule. The clerk to the board's official Summary of Board Actions is available the week following each meeting. Information is also available by a video linked to the board agenda and the Board of Supervisors Highlights podcast. 

Para recibir la información de nuestro boletín electrónico en español, o para hablar con un hispanohablante, comuníquese con Madeleine Carcamo Reyes a su preferencia, por teléfono al (703) 780-7518 o por correo electrónico: Madeleine.CarcamoReyes@fairfaxcounty.gov.

To view the December 5, 2023 Board Package click here. For a complete listing of public hearings held and approved, please see the Clerk to the Board's official Summary of Board Actions, available the week following each meeting.

Item 6: Approved acceptance of $28,152,128 in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project. The funds will be used to purchase right-of-way property needed along Richmond Highway for the future BRT. The full item can be read here.

Item 8: Approved acceptance of $1,000,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to bring Capital Bikeshare to underserved areas of the County. This project includes the purchase and installation of equipment to expand Capital Bikeshare facilities to areas including, but not limited to: Richmond Highway, Bailey’s Crossroads, Seven Corners and Annandale. The full item can be read here.

Item 9: Authorized the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) to apply for $80.7 million in federally funded FY 2030 Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) and Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) funding for 7 proposed projects. If received, $10,000,000 will be allocated to electric Connector Busses for the future Richmond Highway BRT. The full item can be read here.

Item 3: Approved the Director of the Department of Cable and Consumer Services recommendation to keep the number of taxicab certificates to be authorized in 2023 the same as those authorized in 2022. The full item can be read here.

Item 4: Approved Fairfax County’s FY 2023—FY 2033 Transit Strategic Plan. The full item can be read here.

Item 5: Endorsed projects to be submitted to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board's Long-Range Transportation Plan, Visual 2050. New projects added to the plan include the Yellow Line Metrorail Extension: Huntington Metrorail Station to Hybla Valley and the I-95 Counter Flow Express Lanes: Franconia Springfield Interchange to Opitz Boulevard Interchange. The full item can be read here.

Item 7: Authorized an interconnect agreement with Dominion Energy regarding the generation of energy from the planned solar-powered generation facility at the I-95 Landfill Complex. This is an interconnect agreement to allow the credit from energy generated at this location to be used to offset energy costs at other County facilities. This is one of the final steps to begin construction on the 5MW solar field anticipated to be complete in mid 2025. The full item can be read here.

Item 8: Approved funding for pedestrian and bicycle improvement and maintenance projects, including:

The full item can be read here.

Item 9: Approved a resolution specifying the Board of Supervisors' good faith commitment to appropriate funding necessary for the County to meet its obligation under the tentative agreement reached between the County and Fairfax Chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association. The full item can be read here.

Item 10: Approved a resolution specifying the Board of Supervisors' good faith commitment to appropriate funding necessary for the County to meet its obligations under the tentative agreement with International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2068. The full item can be read here.

Approved changes to the Tree Commission's Charter to formalize the Commission’s participation in activities related to the Board’s Natural Landscaping Policy, the Fairfax County Tree Action Plan and the Community of Practice, as identified in the Tree Action Plan, that maintains and manages the urban forest. It is important to have our Tree Commission more involved in advocating for tree preservation and I am pleased to see the Commission expanding their charter and areas of engagement. The full item can be read here.

Approved agreement with Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District for fund administration, including the Private Stormwater Management Assistance Fund approved by the Board on September 12 and the Flood Mitigation Assistance Fund, presented to Board's Environmental Committee on October 3. Funds will be used to issue grants and provide technical guidance to private property owners and common interest communities (CICs). The full item can be read here.

The Penn Daw Fire Station was built in 1967 as a volunteer fire station and is one of the oldest and busiest stations in the County. While the station has tremendous character and history, it sits in a tight cul-de-sac with an inefficient layout for operations, inadequate female living quarters and no room for future growth. The Penn Daw Station is also well known for its tremendous community support through annual coat, school supply and holiday drives uplifting thousands of children.

Funding for a new fire station was approved in the 2015 bond referendum. After several years of searching for a location, in 2020 the County purchased the former Hybla Valley Nursery site at 2801 Beacon Hill Road. This 3.5-acre site is located near the current site, allows for construction without building a temporary fire station saving millions of dollars, and is less than a tenth of a mile to Richmond Highway and a future BRT station.

Funding for a new emergency shelter in south county was approved along with three other County shelters in the 2016 bond referendum. Following extensive efforts to sustain the Eleanor Kennedy Shelter and a prolonged search for alternative sites, County staff considered collocation with the new Hybla Valley Nursery site.

There has been very strong Board support about the criticality of addressing the human need for modern emergency responsiveness for all members of our community, whether through our best-in-class Fire & Rescue Department or folks needing a healthy home for the night. Our current facilities are not up to these standards and have needed to be replaced for more than a decade. The new collocated facility concept is supported by the County’s strategic plan and aligns with our Housing First goals and efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

As a result, on November 6, 2020, I convened an advisory committee with members from neighboring communities, public safety representatives, the faith community and affordable/emergency housing providers, as well as the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens Association, the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce and representatives from Fort Belvoir. The advisory committee members have been an essential part of the communication process with the community, my office and County staff. Outreach included 17 public committee meetings and 6 community meetings (with two postcard mailer notifications) to gather public feedback on topics such as other potential sites, public safety, community impacts, outdoor spaces, parking, traffic, building design, noise, sustainability and site design.

Once the due diligence process for considering other sites was completed, a final decision was made to pursue the Beacon Hill Road site. An extensive design process began and is still underway with community engagement at every point.

Directed County staff to initiate a Comprehensive Plan amendment for Board consideration collocating the new fire station, community shelter and affordable housing on Tax Map Parcels 93-1 ((17)) 5, 6, 7, 8, A and B. The Plan Amendment should be identified as a Tier 1 priority item on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program.

A relatively flat real estate market, global impacts on the local economy and pending collective bargaining agreements are all factors impacting Fairfax County’s economic outlook, as the County looks ahead to the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and a significant projected deficit. The Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Forecast was presented by Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) representatives on Tuesday, November 28, to a joint meeting of the Board of Supervisors and School Board. The forecast is a tool that presents estimated information based on past, current and projected financial conditions. It is not a budget proposal. The County is required by law to adopt a balanced budget. Learn more. Watch the meeting.

The County is excited to announce that the THRIVE portal will open for businesses to apply from December 12- December 21. The THRIVE initiative will ultimately help 600 businesses with individualized technical advice provided by coaches and consultants and valued up to $10,000. To help manage the flow of companies through the programs, this round of applications will be broken into two cohorts. The first one will allow 250 businesses to receive services and will open from 12/12 through 12/21. The second application period will open from 1/16/24 through 1/26/24 and will accept 350 companies. Should either of these cohorts have more applicants than opportunities, a lottery will be instituted. Learn more.

On the December episode of the “Connect with County Leaders” podcast, host Bryan Hill, County Executive of Fairfax County, spoke with John Morrill, acting director of the County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC). They discussed the County’s goals and strategies related to environmental sustainability, energy use and climate change mitigation. Listen.

Fairfax County Health Department has successfully maintained its national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The national accreditation program sets standards against which the nation’s state, local, tribal and territorial public health departments can continuously enhance the quality of their services and organizational performance. Learn more.

In accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 28 that requires a divisionwide notification for all school-connected overdoses, regardless of the substance. FCPS is working to make sure that every parent and caregiver has appropriate resources, as we know that substance misuse continues to be a problem in the County, as well as nationwide. FCPS has partnered with the Fairfax County Government to provide an educational webinar on youth substance misuse trends and supports. FCPS also has a tip sheet on how to start a conversation as parents. Learn more and find resources to support families who are struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues.