Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 5h 57m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/3562
Official Board of Supervisors page (Fairfax County): https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/boardofsupervisors/

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-31. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:00] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our Board of Supervisors meeting of October 22nd, 2024. And we are going to begin this morning as we always do, which is with a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. And before those are able to rise, rise for our moment of silence, I do want to keep some folks in our thoughts and prayers this morning and ask my colleagues if they have anyone they would like to offer.

[00:00:25] And before I do that, I just want to report an update. I think we know this. Many of us know this already, but it's worth mentioning again that last Wednesday, our federally funded and trained urban search and rescue team, Virginia Task Force One and members from the Department of Public Safety, Communications and Department of Emergency Management returned from their hurricane deployments.

[00:00:48] And we want to thank all of those team members and equally important, their families and their colleagues here who were backfilling stations and helping make sure Fairfax County could continue its emergency operations, that they all made Fairfax County proud.

[00:01:06] And our hearts continue to go out to our friends in southwest Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, and all the places impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. And as I stated at our last meeting, and I think, you know, folks who aren't familiar with our Task Force One and their operations, These statistics are important that Virginia Task Force 1 deployed as a FEMA Type 1 80-person team conducted operations in Florida before then being redeployed to North Carolina.

[00:01:41] In addition to the Type 1 team, Virginia Task Force 1 personnel are also serving in various support roles within FEMA, including a human remains canine strike team, very specialized team. Elements of the National Capital Region Incident Management Team and the National Capital Regional Communications Cachet were deployed to Washington County, Virginia.

[00:02:04] These specialized Fairfax County-based teams provided critical equipment and personnel to Abington, Virginia, setting up emergency management centers and restoring communication networks essential for search and rescue efforts. Four of our Fairfax County 911 dispatchers deployed to North Carolina with teams from Loudoun County, Prince William County, Charlottesville, and the National Capital Region Incident Management Team, which also included members from Fairfax County.

[00:02:34] The Department of Emergency Management and Security staff member deployed to Southwest Virginia as a member of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, VDEM, Virginia Emergency Support Team, VEST, serving as the Access and Functional Needs Coordinator, assisting local first responders and ensuring emergency services were accessible to all individuals.

[00:02:57] And so, having said all that, I think if we could just reflect this morning on the bravery of all the men and women and canines who serve us on all the various capacities that I just mentioned, from dispatchers to our Virginia Task Force One urban search and rescue team.

[00:03:15] And again, they returned on Wednesday. Great to see them be able to reunite with their family who was left behind, picking up the pieces, as many times happened with family members. And most importantly, for them to see their colleagues be able to return to their stations and duty service in Fairfax County.

[00:03:36] But certainly saw them on TV, got international attention, national attention, and made all of us in Fairfax County proud. so we salute them this morning. And if anyone else has anyone they would like us to remember, Supervisor Herdy.

[00:03:52] Yes, Mr. Chairman. I'm sad to announce the passing of John Ryan on October 3rd, 2024. John was an Army veteran and military history expert. He served as a legislative staff member with the Environmental Protection Agency when it was new, helping pass the Clean Water Act in 1972.

[00:04:11] In addition, he was a prosecutor for the DEA, a special assistant U.S. attorney for D.C., legislative director for two U.S. senators, and was in the office of the general counsel of the U.S. Information Agency. And that only scratches the surface.

[00:04:28] He's one of those people who's done so much for our country that because we live around D.C., live amongst us every day. On top of his many occupations, there was a lifetime support of many causes, Georgetown Foreign Service Program, the National Kidney Foundation for the Capital Area, the Association of Former U.S. Senate Aids, and the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy.

[00:04:50] He was a true leader and a friend, ready to help anyone in need, someone who valued character over status. He will be missed. I ask that we keep John's family, including his wife, Rosemary, who handled land use in the Braddock District for a number of years, and their friends and our thoughts and prayers.

[00:05:10] Thank you, Supervisor Harity. Anyone else who would like to be recognized? Seeing and hearing none. If all who could rise would rise for a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Face the flag.

[00:05:46] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And this morning we have five presentations, and for each presentation I will read, I'll announce the proclamation and invite our speaker down to the podium in front of me.

[00:06:17] We will then read it, and after our speaker's remarks, we will pose for a picture from the dais, as we always do. And first up is a really special one this morning, and that is a resolution to honor and recognize Peter F. Murphy for his decades of service as both a commissioner and and as the chairman of the Fairfax County Planning Commission.

[00:06:41] And this was requested by myself and Supervisor Herity. And I'm going to turn to Supervisor Herity to read the proclamation. As well as Supervisor Lusk and Supervisor Alcorn, his former colleagues. And I know they're signatures in Supervisor Menace.

[00:06:57] I'm pretty sure it's from all of us. I know. I understand that, but they have a special role because they all served with PETA over the years. I just want to point that out up front. Sorry, Supervisor, a minute. I forgot.

[00:07:14] Whereas, this is one I hoped I'd never have to do, but here we are. Whereas Pete Murphy has exemplified dedication, integrity, and a tireless commitment to improving the quality of life in Fairfax County, serving as a member of the Planning Commission since 1982 and its chairs since 1989, And whereas under Pete Murphy's leadership, Fairfax County has transformed from a suburban area into a thriving economic hub by providing a vital forum for residents to shape the community's future.

[00:07:47] And whereas he has earned the respect and admiration of county staff, the public, and fellow commissioners for his dedication, sense of humor, and service on numerous committees, including his key role in the Celebrate Fairfax Festival and chairmanship of the Telecommunications Task Force.

[00:08:05] And whereas Pete Murphy previously worked as a public relations professional with the Association of the U.S. Army, demonstrating his commitment to both local and national service, and whereas Pete Murphy's exceptional service was recognized with the prestigious Fowler Award honoring his selfless contributions to the county and dedication to enhancing the community's quality of life,

[00:08:30] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby thank and commend Peter F. Murphy for his many years of exemplary leadership, visionary service, and contributions to the planning and development of Fairfax County.

[00:08:48] So moved. Second. It's been moved and seconded by a lot of folks. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Herdy. And I know Pete said he was going to be brief. I'm going to try to be brief, but it's kind of hard to talk for only a few minutes when you're talking about four decades' worth of experience.

[00:09:08] You know, when we talk about members of our community being institutions in Fairfax, I think Pete owns one of those distinct honors. He was first appointed by Marie Travesque all the way back in 1982, served as chairman from 89 to 2023.

[00:09:24] And as the resolution said, Fairfax County saw a lot of change during that period. He's been a leader in forming land use policies in Fairfax County, not just in the Springfield District in cases like Fairfax Corner and Fairlakes, but also countywide cases like the Tyson's plan.

[00:09:43] His vast knowledge of the planning process and Fairfax County's foundation contributed to how the commission operated, conducted business, and made decisions as we grew and how we grew as a county. His steady leadership is one of the critical elements that enabled our development success.

[00:10:00] Simply put, I don't think that we would be the county we are today without Pete's leadership. I wanted to mention some of the accolades that he's received, including the Department of Army Commander's Award for Public Service, the Kate Hanley Public Service Award, the Fairfax County Volunteer of the Year Award, and I could, obviously, Lord Fairfax for the Springfield District.

[00:10:23] I could go on and on. He is respected and appreciated by me, my staff, our staff, county staff, the planning commission, the board, land use applicants and attorneys, citizens and residents, and all those who are fortunate to have worked alongside him.

[00:10:41] In addition to service on the planning commission, he continues to be a leader in the community from his service with the U.S. Army. and we were just talking the other day, he was there for the first Army 10-miler. That was AUSA's, one of their debating whether to do a marathon like the Marine Corps.

[00:11:00] He said, no, the Marines own that. We'll do a 10-miler, and hence we now have the Army 10-miler. From his service with the U.S. Army to being an honorary chief of the Burke Volunteer Fire Department to his work with the Board of Celebrate Fairfax, proud to call you my friend.

[00:11:16] I look forward to continuing your service with me and with the residents of the Springfield District in Fairfax County. Thank you for all your service and look forward to keeping in touch. Further discussion, Supervisor Alcorn.

[00:11:34] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, this is a special day. We get to talk about Pete just a little bit, and I know those of us that served with him um we have a lot of memories uh and a lot of good memories uh of our service but one of the things i want to highlight though is you know in all the years that you served you demonstrated an unfailing commitment to the county and the county's interests and the residents of the county and the businesses of the county um you know you you never forgot that it's public service uh and all those all those

[00:12:11] meetings, away from your family, all those times that, you know, up past midnight, you know, driving home late for so many years. So, you know, you also really taught me something, which was how important the planning commission is as an institution, that it's important for us to have a good planning commission,

[00:12:39] Not just because state law requires it, which it does, but it provides such a valuable role in our land use policies as an independent voice for residents, businesses.

[00:12:55] And it really is the opportunity to take a little bit of time to look a little deeper into some of those issues that are so important to the future of our county. All the planning, zoning, everything that the Planning Commission does. So I don't think I've ever enjoyed a time of public service for me personally than serving as your vice chairman on the planning commission for several years.

[00:13:22] Now, at the time, there was nobody that could separate us, so that may have been a problem during some of the meetings. Because, you know, your collegiality, your sense of humor, and probably most striking of all is your ability to not take yourself too seriously or to have any of us or let any of us take ourselves too seriously has been so valuable.

[00:13:52] And all those heavy issues, meetings, you know, long, drawn out, sometimes very contentious meetings. And I think, you know, your leadership of the commission and your contribution to the county, it's why not only we're all saying this and doing this, but so many of your colleagues are here today for that.

[00:14:15] So I know we'll see them in the picture. But thank you, Pete, for everything that you've done, you know, for your service to the county and for your friendship. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn, Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I'll say, Pete, it's been a pleasure to get to know you over the years and to be able to serve on the Planning Commission with you.

[00:14:43] And I just want to acknowledge a few things about you more personally, and I'll say you have a focus on servant leadership. I look at you, and I can see just through your actions and the words that you use that you are focused on doing that which is right. You are focused on supporting the community and making sure we do things that are not focused on ideology or politics, but doing the things that must and should be done. And watching you and being a part of the commission during the

[00:15:19] years that I served was a true enriching experience for me. And I think I've learned some lessons from you that I've carried into my own work life here. Second, when I think about you, I think about a person who is people-centered, people-first. And when I came on the commission in 2004, I remember how you took time to kind of figure out what maybe committee assignment I should take on, and we had conversations about that. And I just want to articulate that

[00:15:59] you are a person who spent time with each of us as members of the commission. You got to know us. You also paid attention to what we did. And I just want to acknowledge opportunities that you gave us to talk about on your roundtable, some of the initiatives, some of the programs and things that were happening in our respective districts. So I just want you to know I felt seen. I felt a part because of your leadership style. And then last, I think most importantly,

[00:16:39] when I think of you and I look at you as a person that you are, you are family-centered. In every conversation that we've had, every single one, you ask, how was your family? How was Sheridan? You've asked because you want to know, but I know at your core, that is who you are. You have Sherlyn, you have Charlene with you in almost every place that I've gone and seen you

[00:17:10] and I know how important family is. So I just want you to know that I see you as more than a colleague Pete. I see you as family. If there ever is a time that you need something and I can be of assistance to you, you call me. Same Charlene and Charlene, you call me because Pete, you are an amazing man I've enjoyed having the opportunity to work with you, and thank you for your service to Fairfax County and the residents here.

[00:17:45] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor. Law Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to start off by welcoming so many of our former and current planning commissioners. It's great seeing all of these faces, as well as Pete. It's great to see your family, so I'd like to welcome them as well.

[00:18:00] Pete, I'd just like to say that from the first day of being on the planning commissioner, you've been a friend and a mentor. I remember very fondly, and it meant the world to me, when you would call me after my cases and you'd say, well done. And that meant the world to me then, and it means the world to me now. And you leave an amazing legacy, and that legacy, as Supervisor Lusk just mentioned, that is a being and caring man, a passionate person, someone who's devoted to his family and community.

[00:18:27] So I just want to say thank you so much for your service. Thank you, Supervisor Jimenez, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Pete, thank you, and I think Supervisor Lust said it well. Thank you to Charlene and Sherilyn as well because we really have had a package deal throughout this time.

[00:18:46] And I was going back and looking at some of the media coverage of the accolades that Pete has received, and Supervisor Herity noted at a previous event that you can't attend a Burke Volunteer Fire Department dinner without having one or more of the three Murphys recognized for something.

[00:19:06] And that is absolutely true. So, Charlene and Sherilyn, thank you for supporting Pete in this work for so many decades, but also for the service that you both have given to our community. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw. And let me wrap up just by thanking this is Team Murphy here.

[00:19:27] I mean, honestly, you know, you all are everywhere in the community. And, Pete, when I just think about the concept of chairing anything in Fairfax County for 35 years, it turns my stomach a little. But it is amazing.

[00:19:48] And I think probably the most amazing thing about it is think about the commission over those years. And a lot of our commissioners are here, current and past commissioners. But think about all the people who served on that commission over that period of time, just that you chaired it.

[00:20:07] And if you asked any of them about Pete Murphy, they would tell you what a fine gentleman he is. And that is almost impossible to achieve. To have the respect of all of your colleagues over many decades speaks volumes to your character and your service-driven mentality.

[00:20:28] And it was always, you know, putting the county first, even at times when your role was to politely put things into context for people. I've seen that a lot of times. And it's been necessary because you've dealt with some really tough issues.

[00:20:46] Most people don't have full appreciation for the hard work of the commission and the hard work they put into so many things that ultimately come to this board, some of which looks easy when it gets to this point, didn't start out as easy because it was worked out through the commission and your colleagues.

[00:21:05] But to do that successfully takes a remarkable chair, and to do that for 35 years is just unprecedented. I also want to mention one other thing that hasn't been mentioned here, which is Pete obviously having the respect of his colleagues on the commission is obvious, but also the respect of people throughout this institution.

[00:21:28] county staff, people who run the meetings to a person will say how great it has been to work with Pete Murphy. Um, and you know, that, that is also hard to achieve. And so, you know, this is, is a moment I think that none of us wanted to see happen. Cause I think we just figured chair for 35 years, Pete will just go another 35 years and we won't have anything to worry about.

[00:21:53] So, but, you know, obviously your contributions to this county are immense. And there are a few times where we sit here as a board and, you know, we read a proclamation that says on behalf of the residents of Fairfax County, we congratulate.

[00:22:09] This is one of those cases where literally on behalf of every single county resident congratulating you. All the people who can't be here that may never meet Pete Murphy, never heard of Pete Murphy, don't know how the Planning Commission operates. but are probably living in a well-planned, well-constructed community because of Pete Murphy, are working in a business park that was well-planned and well-thought-out with a lot of citizen input that was managed by Pete Murphy, visiting a park or traveling down a road that was worked out at the Planning Commission by Pete Murphy.

[00:22:46] You're literally the landscape of this county has largely been built by you, your vision, and the work of the Planning Commission. And so rarely do we say on behalf of all residents in a cavalier way sometimes, but in this case it literally means something because every resident of this county has benefited from Pete Murphy, Pete Murphy's dedication to public service, and Pete Murphy as just a straight-up Class A gentleman who has been liked by everyone that he's worked with and is a remarkable feat.

[00:23:19] And so we thank you, Pete. I can't thank you enough for the legacy you've built for so many people, so many people who have been mentored, whose lives have been changed positively by you. And, you know, as Supervisor Lusk said, there's rarely a time I run into Pete, he doesn't ask about family.

[00:23:39] And I think that's grounding for you and a lesson for all of us that we're all busy people, But we can all take the time to appreciate each other's humanity, to ask about family, and to understand that those things matter. And you bring that to everything, Pete.

[00:23:55] So thank you so much for that. With that, I think we're ready to vote. And then before we turn this over to Pete, this is when it gets really fun. Before we turn this over to Pete, we have one other surprise to share with him. Before we vote, Supervisor Alcorn.

[00:24:11] Yeah, and thank you. Just a couple more quick things I should have said earlier that really, to me, go a long way to showing Pete your humor and character. One is the first time I was sworn in at the Planning Commission, and, you know, my wife was there, and, you know, the long meetings are well known.

[00:24:31] And so right after I put my hand down, you said, say goodbye to your husband, Christina. So that was one. And the second thing, after every single Planning Commission meeting, especially the later ones, you would thank not just the commissioners, the staff and the Channel 16 folks every single time.

[00:24:57] You know, thank you. You remembered everybody that was there that was helping out in that. And thank you for doing that. That's also a lesson. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Absolutely. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye.

[00:25:13] Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And before we invite Pete to share with us whatever is on his mind, I do want to give an opportunity. Fatima is here from Congressman Connolly's office. If you want to come down for a moment, I'm going to yield to you for a moment because I know you have a congressional record.

[00:25:46] I am with Congressman Connolly's office. He's very sorry he can't be here today. So, I will share a few words from his congressional record, and I'll save the rest so that you can read it later. So, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Peter F. Murphy on the occasion of his retirement.

[00:26:05] Appointed in December 1982 to represent the Springfield District on the Fairfax County Planning Commission, Pete has left a remarkable legacy of leadership, public service, and community building. His tenure has profoundly shaped Fairfax County's development and growth.

[00:26:21] For more than 40 years, Pete served with an unwavering commitment including as the Commission Chairman for 34 years, a role in which he guided the county through major development initiatives, land use decisions, and infrastructure projects. His leadership on the Commission has ensured that Fairfax County maintained growth, ensuring a balance between development and preserving the county's quality of life.

[00:26:45] Mr. Speaker, Peter F. Murphy's commitment to public service is seen through his tireless work on behalf of the people of Fairfax County. His vision and tireless efforts have made our community a better place to live and work, and his legacy will continue to impact generations to come.

[00:27:02] I commend him for his service and ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating him on his retirement. Thank you.

[00:27:19] - Thank you very much, Fatima. And with that, I am going to turn the floor over to our celebrity, Pete Murphy. It's a very nice tribute.

[00:27:40] I never met the guy, actually. Thank you so much. Very kind words. I'm going to leave out exactly what I was going to say, because it's all been said in one way or another, that it's been a wonderful experience for me and for my family, for Charlene and Charlene.

[00:27:57] I thank them. All you said about me was backed up by Charlene and Charlene, and I never would have been able to do what I did without their support and with their love. It's never a safe ship, but it does rock a little bit. And that happens in every family, and we've been honest with each other, and we get our jobs done, and she does a great job with the Burke Fire Department.

[00:28:19] My daughter does a great job where she works, and it's wonderful to have a family like that beside you when you're leading the charge, if you have to lead the charge. so I thank you. I just want to say a brief comment about Rodney's comments about his. One thing I enjoyed on the planning commission is being present for the swearing in of our new commissioners. And when Rodney was selected to be a commissioner, I told him, I said, you know, one of our customs is please bring your family to the swearing in ceremony. And most of you did that. And that was a great uplift for everybody because it showed there is a community of people out there who really care about people.

[00:29:00] And when Rodney came, he brought his wife and his daughter. And I'm not sure how old she was, three years old, carrying her side by side. They got to over here where the county attorney was sitting, and that's where we did the pictures, you know, and the swearing in.

[00:29:18] And they went over to that side, and, you know, I introduced them and whatnot. And the clerk of the court came and said, now, Rodney, please raise your hand. And he did. And so did Sheridan. This is unbelievable. And she kept her hand up during the entire swearing-in ceremonies.

[00:29:38] So actually, there's one more planning commissioner out here that never served a day behind that except for putting up the hand. And it was unbelievable, right? Unbelievable. And I cherish that moment. And we talked about that earlier this week, about that moment in time.

[00:29:59] And it can never be duplicated. That's an original thing that happened, and I was so proud. And a lot of happened since we got on the Planning Commission. I'm not going to go into all that. One thing I've done through these years is be very proud of the members of the Planning Commission. We had great people.

[00:30:16] Some of them are here today, and I thank you all for coming. I really appreciate you. Even if you brought Cheetos, if you brought Cheetos, you get to eat up front, okay? That's how your reward is. And I want to thank my wife and daughter, Sherilyn and Charlene, who are here with me again today.

[00:30:32] All the comments I had, I've left on the table. I'm not going to do that. This has been a family occasion. And Rodney, we're very proud of what you've done in the Planning Commission. Everybody said that Meredith turned out to be a better Planning Commission than you did because she had her hands up longer.

[00:30:47] but I do want to thank Jill Cooper who's done an outstanding job for me and for all the members of the planning commission, she is really great and over here is Jake Capraletti, I thought he was going to be on leave, he's not, he came back from New York and he's sitting there laughing because he knows I'm going to say something about his cookies and you can't mention Jake without the cookies the hell with what he did, the cookies were important before every meeting and we're coming up the cookie season just because I'm leaving you know, I'll still take the cookies.

[00:31:20] Don't give them the lunch. He'll give them to his kids. But thank you very much. I appreciate that, and I'll remember the way you said it all the rest of my life. Thank you very much. Thank you very

[00:31:31] much, Pete. Thank you very much, Pete.

[00:32:02] And I also want to recognize, not only do we have a lot of commissioners here, but we also have former Providence District Supervisor Linda Smith here, who not only was a district supervisor, but also a planning commissioner uh here wearing uh wearing both of those hats uh and so at this time i think we are ready for a photo and please if all of you who are here to honor pete can come down and join us supervisor inherity and i will join you on the floor and the board will rise

[00:32:29] okay uh next we have a resolution to honor and recognize dean norton's 55 year career at george

[00:36:45] washington's mount vernon and i know dean is here if you could come on down uh to the podium and while that is happening i am going to turn to supervisor store well thank you mr chairman and i'm it uh connection of these two individuals is is distinct in that one is absolutely a county planning commissioner icon but but the other is absolutely a mount vernon estate and frankly our first president icon and and i'm happy to be part of honoring both so resolution is whereas dean

[00:37:23] norton director of horticulture and livestock of george washington's mount vernon will be retiring at the end of this year after devoting 55 years of distinguished service and retiring as the longest serving individual currently employed and whereas beginning his career in june 23rd 1969 dean norton dedicated his life's work to the preservation and enhancement of the historic landscapes of Mount Vernon, making him an admired figure both locally and nationally as a garden historian and ambassador for Mount Vernon. Whereas Dean Norton has shared his knowledge and passion for historic preservation

[00:37:59] across the country, inspiring countless individuals, and whereas Dean Norton's dedication has earned him national recognition, such as the Garden Club of America's Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor National Medal, and in 2023, an appointment by President Biden to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, and whereas upon his retirement, Dean Norton will be honored with the title of Director of Horticulture and Livestock Emeritus, and his oral history will be preserved in the Mount Vernon Ladies Association archives.

[00:38:33] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents does hereby extend its profound gratitude to Dean Norton to his dedicated service and lasting legacy at Mount Vernon, a national treasure and symbol of our shared history. And I'm happy to second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Stork. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And there's a personal and professional aspect to this. And the personal aspect is Dean and I have worked together on many, many, many community issues. And his advocacy, his work on behalf of the estate is only a small part of what his

[00:39:13] contributions have been to the Mount Vernon District and our community overall. And for that, I want to particularly thank you. But I also wanted to recognize what the resolution identifies is this is somebody who's a stand-up guy, who believes deeply in our country, believes deeply in the connections of our first president to really our world today. And doing that in a way that at least for somebody who loves nature and backpacking and hiking and getting out there, you get to see and feel a sense of what Mount Vernon would have been like if you had gone back 250 years.

[00:39:52] And that's, I think, a key part of what the ladies I know have really been committed to do for 150 years. And what I think our country will be, I know, celebrating in a matter of a couple years with the semi-quincentennial.

[00:40:09] But those things don't come easily. I mean, you can come and work at Mount Vernon a few years and I'm sure provide a lot of support and connection. But to spend 55 years, spend your life on a mission that you know is bigger than yourself, and to do that is remarkable.

[00:40:28] And, again, it's a nice segue from Pete Murphy to you today. I mean, the two really is what, in my mind, Fairfax County is about. We have people who are deeply capable, bright, able, and they make their statement. They make their mission.

[00:40:44] They make their work about the work, right, not about themselves, but about the work that others can see and understand and appreciate and value. So thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. Any further discussion?

[00:40:59] Let me also thank you, Dean. 55 years is remarkable. And, you know, this is such a treasure to Fairfax County, the grounds of Mount Vernon. And, you know, I'm sitting here thinking about all the people who visit Mount Vernon, you know, every year.

[00:41:15] I mean, it's a huge part of our tourism revenue in the county. And more importantly, when they leave Mount Vernon, their vision of Mount Vernon is also partly their vision of Fairfax County. And I know every time I've left the grounds, I've always felt just a sense of relief that not only is the property well-maintained, but the integrity of the historic elements, the natural habitat, the beautiful vistas and gardens that are on the grounds.

[00:41:49] And I know, you know, I think we all just read the other day the article in The Post about all that's being put into shoring up and securing the building so that, you know, future generations can enjoy this historic treasure. And I think many times we might take for granted the amount of work that it takes to preserve, protect, and make sure the integrity of the property is retained.

[00:42:13] And for you to be doing that for 55 years is just absolutely incredible. And we want to take an opportunity to not only honor you in your 55 years. And looking at you, people are probably thinking this guy started when he was two years old. But to honor you, maybe three, to honor you for your 55 years.

[00:42:33] But also to make sure you understood, and I think you do, how important this treasure is, not just to Fairfax County, but to the American people. I mean, this is something that people from all over the world come to participate in, to enjoy, and they leave there with a great feeling thanks to the work that you've done and watching it evolve over time.

[00:42:57] You know, the growth and opportunities that have happened there, a lot of the focus on the slave components of Mount Vernon that weren't there when I was a kid, know the new library that's been built so many opportunities for learning and engaging people including our young people but the property is just an absolute gem thanks to your work and i always tell people in fairfax county if you haven't visited mount vernon and you live here you really should be ashamed of yourselves because you're missing one of the most beautiful properties you could ever visit so thank you for for all your 55 years of service

[00:43:33] dean it matters to us it matters obviously to mount vernon but it matters to everyone one who visits the property. With that, I think we are ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Dean, welcome.

[00:43:52] The floor is yours. Thank you very much. I really appreciate this honor from the Board of Supervisors, especially Supervisor Stort, the Mount Vernon District. I really appreciate that. They say if you find a job you love you never work a day in your life and that's certainly true. Mount Vernon is very special to me. I met my wife there. My children think of it as their backyard so and I hope I will never have to really leave for good. I'm very proud to say I was George Washington's head gardener for 40 years and equally proud to say that I worked for a group of women that were

[00:44:30] incredibly strong, that formed together in 1853. It took them five years to raise enough money to buy Mount Vernon to save it, to do what the men would not do, so girl power. And it's an honor to have been able to work with them all these years as well.

[00:44:47] So I'll keep it short. I just thank you for this honor and truly appreciate it. Thank you very much, Dean. With that, I think we're ready for a photo. And I know you mentioned your wife is here. She's welcome to come down and join you for the photo as well.

[00:45:03] Great. Thank you.

[00:45:58] And next, we have a resolution to honor and recognize the Center for Voters Initiative in Action.

[00:46:26] And this was requested by myself and Supervisor Bierman. Our speaker today is Sumad Qureshi, Executive Director at the Center for Voters Initiative in Action. And I know we have a lot of folks here today for this, which is wonderful.

[00:46:43] And while they are coming on down, I will recognize Supervisor Bierman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to read a resolution. Whereas the Center for Voters Initiative and Action, founded by a group of students from George C. Marshall High School, has spent the past year advocating federal legislation to designate high schools as voter registration centers, empowering young voters, and promoting civic engagement.

[00:47:07] And whereas this effort is crucial because studies show that only half of eligible youth voted in the 2020 election, underscoring the need for increased youth voter engagement. And whereas the center has played a vital role in organizing voter education campaigns, promoting voter registration, particularly in underrepresented communities, and increasing voter turnout, contributing to a more active and engaged community.

[00:47:31] And whereas these students have expanded their advocacy nationwide, helping introduce the High School Voter Empowerment Act and inspiring over 400 student volunteers to join their cause. and whereas the Center has demonstrated exceptional commitment to voter education within Fairfax County, significantly contributing to empowering residents to make informed decisions at the polls, now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does recognize and commend the George C. Marshall High School student founders of the Center for Voters Initiative in Action for their efforts to strengthen our democracy

[00:48:07] and foster a culture of civic responsibility among youth in Fairfax County and beyond. And I'm happy to second that along with Supervisor Palchuk. Thank you. Any discussion on that, Supervisor Beerman? This is so cool, guys.

[00:48:23] I mean, for a group of high schoolers, we benefit from obviously being across the river from D.C. But for a group of high schoolers to actually come up with federal legislation to try and make it easier to register other high school voters to get out the vote is just incredible. Everybody, everybody wants to see increased voter turnout. It is awesome. It is something that matters. It especially matters in Fairfax County. Right now, you've seen long lines at all of our early voting polling places. You're going to see incredible voter turnout in Fairfax

[00:49:01] county but as the resolution points out there are lots of 18 year old kids who have a chance to cast their first vote who aren't doing it but thanks to you you're going to make it a lot easier i think i'll bet everyone up here knows about their first vote right right yeah so uh and just reading about also the things that you're doing not just focusing on america but abroad i mean you went to Geneva? I mean, this is just, you guys are in high school, right? Like, come on. So I can't say enough about the work of your group and how exciting it is to see such enthusiasm. Thank you,

[00:49:41] Supervisor Beerman. Supervisor Palchuk. And thank you, Supervisor Beerman. It really is beyond incredible. I still remember on school board the first time I visited Marshall High School, the leadership class, got a chance to meet with the students.

[00:49:58] And thank you to you. I also know that it's a testament to our incredible community, the leaders at Marshall, all the way from Principal Litz to every teacher. The IB International Baccalaureate curriculum really is something that I know just has changed and transformed both Marshall High School and the way we look at our place in society, in the globe, and really raising future leaders.

[00:50:28] You've shown us that they're not future leaders, they're leaders today. You really are, have done so much more than many do decades beyond where you are today. And so I couldn't be more proud of you. I want to thank Supervisor Bierman for bringing this forward.

[00:50:45] I want to thank you and especially every single teacher, administrator, and parent that supported your journey. And we're just so delighted that you are here highlighting and representing the excellent schools that we have in Fairfax County and the world-class community that is raising tomorrow's leaders.

[00:51:05] So thank you. And then finally, as a student who didn't get her citizenship until it was a little confusing because I was under 18, And so when I was first finally able to vote when I turned 18, I wish that we had had more of that outreach.

[00:51:20] And I know that as we have such a global student body, that the work you're doing is going to make it easier and hopefully have the highest turnout we've ever seen at the election this year, and especially from our youth. So thank you. Thank you for what you do. Thank you, Supervisor Pouchek. And let me add my congratulations as well.

[00:51:40] Well, before I was in high school, when I was in elementary school, my first experience with voting was with my grandmother, who ran voter registration drives out of her house. And she only advertised them to women because, you know, women had not long before gained the right to vote and were underrepresented in elections.

[00:52:02] And her philosophy at that point was, you know, everyone who has a beating heart and is eligible to vote counts the same. And so if we see groups of people whose voice is not being elevated, you know, what can we do to elevate it? And we know that in a lot of cases, over a lot of years, there have been really difficult, confusing barriers put in place and many times intentionally to discourage certain populations of people from participating in our democracy.

[00:52:32] And what you all are doing is just it's so inspiring. You know, when we wrote the board matter to recognize you here, it was after I read a newspaper article about what you all were doing. And as I read the article, it just kept going, all these things that were being done.

[00:52:48] And I kind of had the reaction that Supervisor Bierman had, which is, wow, this is just a group of dedicated kids who are getting it done who are today leaders, not future leaders, but are today leaders. And I'll just close by saying, you know, recognizing you for the work that you've done, as Supervisor Palchuk said, we have an outstanding public school system in Fairfax County.

[00:53:11] And I know for me, if I need inspiration, I say this a lot, you know, we have bad days every once in a while. If I need inspiration, I make it a point to go into one of our schools and talk to our kids and listen to our young people because they get it. They're so advanced.

[00:53:27] They're so focused on the future. They have a passion for issues. unlike anyone else. And I know that partly is built on the networks you have, your parents, your community, the schools, teachers, others. But in this particular case, you all took the bull by the horns, used that infrastructure that you had to make a difference. And the story that's being told about what you're doing, my hope is that it just inspires kids across the country to emulate what you're doing and to say, look, our voice matters and we're going to stand up and make sure it gets heard, and the best way to do that is to make sure we all can vote and make

[00:54:06] it easy for people the minute they're eligible to vote to be able to take advantage of the rights that we all have in this democracy, which is the right to vote. So congratulations to all of you. You made your school proud. You've made Fairfax County proud, but more importantly, you've kept this conversation alive, and your advocacy at the federal level is benefiting all young people. So congratulations. With that, I think we're ready for a vote.

[00:54:33] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And Sumad, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, you know, Supervisor Bierman for bringing this forward. When we first met, it was at Marshall High School. I'm not too sure if you remember, but you came in for one of your campaign days and it was just, you know, a meet and greet with donuts. And at that point, you know, our group here, we were just a club at Marshall High School. I hadn't, you know, met any of these people. I was just, you know, a sophomore in high school. And I think doing those things, doing those local events, bringing in supervisors, getting other young people involved, really inspired us to

[00:55:11] gather together. And I mean, this time last year, we had no idea we would do what we're going to do. But because of our teachers, because of the amazing school system, I mean, I'm a lifelong Fairfax County resident born and raised in Falls Church and I think that we all too often just forget you know Washington DC is right across the river it's amazing to live here with you know the IB curriculum like you mentioned and our wonderful teachers and the support we receive but even more importantly you know my friends here and the work that we've been able to do together is you know really amazing and we thank you for bringing us here and you know taking the time to recognize us and I think the biggest thing is that we often look at youth voting as you know it's either

[00:55:47] benefiting the liberals or the conservatives or one certain demographic. But really, I think we've all realized that it's an American issue and it's important for every single American citizen to get registered to vote. And we hope that we're able to do that in our schools, not just in Fairfax County, but across the nation, hopefully across the world. So we'll continue fighting for that. And we deeply appreciate your recognition of us. Thank you. Wow. Really well said. Congratulations again.

[00:56:12] And we can see why you're successful, all of you. I'd like to note also, when I met you, little sophomore, the braces are off. He's grown up. He's looking great. This is great stuff. I was going to say, I can guarantee you.

[00:56:28] When you said, I don't know if you remember or not, I was going to say, I can guarantee you Supervisor Beerman remembers that day. He would not forget that day. I don't know when you guys do homework, but, you know, this is just great. You figure it out, right?

[00:56:43] We figure it out, yeah. Well, congratulations to all of you again, and I think we're ready for a photo. If Supervisor Beerman will join me, and if you all will come forward and face the audience. All right, thank you.

[00:58:15] He's a cookie today. The holidays are coming. Next up, we have a proclamation to designate November 16, 2024, as Stormwater Day in Fairfax County.

[00:58:44] And this was requested by myself and Supervisor Walkinshaw. Our speaker today is Eleanor Cotting, Deputy Director of DPWES, Stormwater and Wastewater Division, and pretty obvious that there's a lot of people here with her as well.

[00:58:59] And if they want to come down for this presentation, you all are welcome to start making your way down. And we'll give you a minute to do that, and then I'm going to recognize Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[00:59:12] Some are taking longer than others for this wardrobe change.

[00:59:48] Okay. Whereas the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Phase I Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS-4, program was established under the Clean Water Act of 1972 to minimize pollution from stormwater runoff as promulgated in the Federal Register on November 16, 1990.

[01:00:16] And whereas the county's MS4 program aims to prevent and reduce pollution to streams and rivers from urban stormwater sources through training, outreach, maintenance of stormwater management facilities, and implementation of stream and wetland restoration projects.

[01:00:34] And whereas the health, safety, and welfare of Fairfax County residents greatly depend upon these stormwater management facilities, initiatives, and services, and whereas community-based engagement programs are vital to the successful implementation and operation of stormwater projects, it is important to raise public awareness of the stormwater sector and increase the level of understanding of stormwater as a resource.

[01:01:01] And whereas the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance has established November 16th as National Stormwater Day, now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby proclaim November 16th, 2024 as Stormwater Day and urges all residents to acquaint themselves with the services and programs provided by the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services Stormwater Management Program and to recognize staff's commitment to our community's health, safety, and welfare.

[01:01:36] So moved. I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Bierman, Lusk, and Palchek. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, November 16th is an important opportunity to raise awareness. And I was even surprised by this number, but we have 800-plus miles of streams in Fairfax County.

[01:02:00] And I am always shocked by the number of people who do not understand that our stormwater drains drain into our streams. A lot of folks in our community seem to think that there is some kind of magical other place where the water that goes down those stormwater drains goes.

[01:02:23] But that is not the case. And that's why raising awareness of this issue and the incredible work that our staff do each and every day is so important. From helping residents who are experiencing flooding to our really incredible watershed restoration projects to maintaining systems all across the county to helping residents and businesses to maintain systems all across the county that improve our water quality.

[01:02:56] They really do amazing, amazing work each and every day, and I'm thrilled that so many are here today to share this with us. I'll just say, from my perspective, obviously this issue is colored very much by the challenges that we're facing with Lake Akatink, driven by stormwater.

[01:03:18] And I was chuckling a little bit the other day because I got an email from a resident of the county who said, you know, the reason we're having this problem with Lake Accatink is you all on the Board of Supervisors approved all that bad development close to Lake Accatink.

[01:03:33] And I had to mildly respond that I was not born when most of the development around Lake—in fact, Pete Murphy wasn't even on the Planning Commission when that development was approved. But it highlights the challenge of our work, which is, you know, undoing some of the mistakes of the past and trying to repair the damage that those mistakes and development without strong stormwater requirements did.

[01:04:03] And that's a really, really hard, hard thing to do. I'm so proud of the work that all of our staff do each and every day to try to move us in the right direction. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw, Supervisor Beerman, then we'll come over here. So back in March as a relatively new supervisor, or as a new supervisor, I was getting ready to have my budget town halls.

[01:04:27] And I was talking and meeting with lots of folks in many, many departments all across the county. And I would often say, you know, tell me more, tell me stories about essentially what you do with our taxpayer dollars. And I would always say that. And the person who emailed me a story, and a very important story, was Ellie.

[01:04:47] Ellie sent me a story about how, and I'm going to see if any of these people are in the room, about how Corey Ramsey, is Corey here? I think he's out on a dam. He's out on a dam. Well, good, because the story was about how Corey had spotted that a dam was about to fail.

[01:05:04] And that Robbie Spinks and David Soria, either one here, there we go, there you go, had gone out there and had started working on that dam. They dug a hole. They had a tripod. David Soria was going down into a confined space. By the way, this was all on a Saturday evening.

[01:05:22] And they were assisted by Shannon Bell and Paul Reynolds. Anybody there? Anyway. Well, they're all out on the job. This is the point. This was a Saturday evening. A dam was about to fail. they spotted it they figured it out they got down into a hole to try and fix that dam to make sure that there wasn't any problems i think it was actually the one that's near here near the government center but that that dam didn't break that there wasn't a problem that nobody was getting a flood in their backyard nobody was getting a flood in their basement and and that that's what fairfax county does 24 7 especially this group of people and i went out and i told that story to

[01:06:00] lots and lots of people i told them you know what that's what your taxpayer dollars are paying for i mean it's good we've got bright colored things because too many people don't know necessarily the work that you guys do every single day at all hours of the day so i just want to say thank you to the work that you do i want to say thank you from on behalf of our residents and i want to say thank you for the work that you're doing as uh you know as supervisor walking shop put it the water's going somewhere and you guys are figuring out how it's going in the right direction and not into somebody's uh basement not into somebody's backyard you're out there protecting property

[01:06:38] protecting people um and i really appreciate the hard work that you all do thank you thank you supervisor pouching thank you mr chairman um and thank you to all of you uh like so many here my love of our storm water system actually started i think when i was six and we moved to fairfax County and there weren't a lot of you know we didn't have lakes around where I was born but we had our streams we had the stream network and I loved being able to go we were the explorers we had a whole little tune I won't try to you know torture you with that one but really fell in love

[01:07:13] you know we don't we're not known for you know large mountains and natural resources we have these fine ones, fine, beautiful stream systems that go through our communities that, as was mentioned, unfortunately, over many decades, way before our time of the way we developed, were not seen as the way they are today. But we have this tiny little thing when we get our taxes every year of that stormwater fee. And a lot of people don't know where that goes. But I don't see her here. The first person who helped me really understand that, I was still on the school

[01:07:48] board and Danielle Nguyen was doing stormwater work with our schools educating our kids helped us plant trees and create areas so that not only us now here but the next generation would have that love and understanding for what happens to that stream to that water and ensuring that whether it's public land like our schools or private land like our homes and our faith communities that we do a better job right do a better job and that retrofitting is really hard uh poor peter over here we get to deal with a lot of fun happy customers um because it's tough

[01:08:28] right when we're retrofitting and trying to fix the issues that have been built up over many decades you guys have a tough job some very angry customers um who maybe don't understand why we're having to go in and make these changes and improvements but you do an incredible job of working with us working with the community and even when there's pushback even when people are pretty angry because we're having to fix issues that were built many years ago that you know that we're focused on trying to fix that and make it a little bit better for a natural environment going forward so on behalf of us and the Providence District just want to thank all of you doing

[01:09:08] that tough work behind the scenes and in our natural reserves that we have here in Fairfax County. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Stork. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And anybody who lives in the Mount Vernon District, frankly, lives stormwater, particularly if you live in the New Alexandria, Bellevue area, and your team has saved that community multiple times at midnight, at three in the morning, at you name it, because the tidal impacts at times in the hurricanes and the other flows there that the retros etc those are things

[01:09:43] that directly impact that community cause flooding and fortunately it's been a few years although we know and ellie you and i have had many conversations i was just at a community meeting last night where that was part of the issue in uh in new alexander was how do we address what we know is ultimately going to be a major flood in that community and your staff your team has helped to manage and minimize those impacts to date and I'm hoping that we can continue to do that even though I recognize at some point in time mother nature will overwhelm that and climate change is real it's having a real impact on our community and we need to get ahead of that and I know we're

[01:10:23] going to keep working on that but we have a long way to go to to minimize that impact but your team from 24-7 is there to save and protect our community and it's deeply appreciated by me and i know all the residents of our area so again my appreciation thank you supervisor alcorn yeah thank you and just to build on supervisor stork you know it's not just the past that's a challenge for us today but it's also the changes we're seeing uh in climate the microbursts the the the challenges that really nobody anticipated um you know it's going to be it's going to be a

[01:11:00] challenge going forward and i know you guys are up for it i know we as a county are up for it but there is still an awful lot of work uh to be done going forward and the only other thing i'd notice i'm sorry are things say solid waste management we're all one big department all right okay all right so i was gonna say if i had someone really happy about that behind you but thank you thank you so much for all the work uh you all do uh every day Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. And let me just wrap up by adding my thanks as well. You know,

[01:11:35] every time I see a weather forecast of heavy rain, I think about you guys. And I mentioned that to people. And when I mention it at home, my wife thinks I'm crazy, but I'm like, I'm thinking about our stormwater systems. They're seeing two, three consecutive days of rain in the forecast.

[01:11:52] When we get notices from emergency management, you know, people are thinking about life safety rescues and other things. I'm thinking about you guys, because we know our systems work. Don't make the news when the systems work, which is all the time. But occasionally something happens that, you know, causes flooding or causes other issues. I can remember like yesterday being down in Huntington with then-supervisor Highland when the Huntington floods happened.

[01:12:23] I can remember like yesterday meeting with a homeowner in Hayfield Farms, telling her the best answer would be to take her home because of chronic flooding and the emotions that came from that. And so, you know, a lot of times we take for granted these systems always work. Occasionally they don't. And as Supervisor Walkinshaw was talking about the size of our, you know, our streams that we have, most people in the county don't understand a couple other statistics. There's over 1,600 miles of underground pipes and improved channels that our residents don't see. You know

[01:12:59] where they are. You make sure they're working. And there's 8,400 plus stormwater management facilities in this county from one end to the other. And I think that speaks volumes to just the depth of facilities and things that you all work on every day. And I know that there's, you know, this was shared with me, 194 stormwater staff members who are responsible for the inspection, maintenance, and continued operation of our stormwater system. And again, that's an army of people keeping our residents safe. This is part of our public safety, you know, components

[01:13:36] in Fairfax County as well. And then, you know, obviously, we thank all of you for that dedicated service. We know it's, in some cases, can be 24-7, 365. You don't get the plan when storms happen or events happen. You just have to react to those. And we very much appreciate that. But I think this is also a moment to thank our residents because I was sitting here and I remember like yesterday when we adopted the stormwater tax and there were a lot of people against it. There was a lot of anger over it. And you know better than I know how many facilities we fixed, how many

[01:14:13] problems we've solved, how many environmental improvements we've made to stormwater in this county because of the existence of that dedicated tax and the ability of our stormwater division to long term be able to predict and plan projects that improve our communities and protect public safety fundamentals of local government and so you know our residents who pay that stormwater tax I think understand that and and that's why you don't get the complaints now that you know we were getting when we were discussing that because people understand the value of the work that you do and the importance of having infrastructure that works.

[01:14:49] And so we salute you, not just on November 16th, but every day of the year. And we have this proclamation for November 16th, but we see you. We know what you're doing every day for our county residents, and we thank you. With that, I think we're ready for a vote.

[01:15:05] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And Ellie, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you so much. We are honored. As you can see, we are very honored for you to have given us this opportunity for recognition and to observe November 16th, which marks the 34th anniversary of the existence of that MS4 permit. I won't spell it out. And since that time, we've managed to do a whole lot together. And without the board's support setting up the fund in 2006, none of this would have been possible. This group of people who stand here before you and work on those lines you were

[01:15:42] talking about, none of that would be possible. So we have restored over 100,000 linear feet of streams, some more numbers. So this year, because we add about 1,000 new stormwater management facilities every year, we're going to exceed 10,000 stormwater management facilities in the county. We remove millions of pounds of pollutants through the stormwater management facilities each year. And we could not do that without the support of all this leadership who is sitting here today. And of course, we couldn't do it without all the hard work and dedication of the boots on

[01:16:17] the ground standing behind me. So there's this report card that a foundation does about the Chesapeake Bay. And the report card of the Chesapeake Bay started off as an F. And it has improved over the years, sometimes in the Ds. But we were recently in the Cs and even as high as a B.

[01:16:33] And although it is daunting and we face a lot of challenges, new challenges, old challenges, They all stand here before us. With our commitment together and with the dedication of all the staff as well as our leadership, I am confident we will get that Chesapeake Bay report card back to an A. So thank you for your continued support.

[01:16:57] And with that A, you will see even more of the blue crabs, oysters, seagrass, and river otters. We have river otters back in Gunston Cove. All those positive signs will just continue. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ellie. And again, thank all of you, not just for being here today, but for showing up every day for the work that you do.

[01:17:15] We appreciate it. I think we're ready for a photo. It'll be a beautiful photo with these colors. But if you all can come forward and face the audience, Supervisor Walkinshaw and I will come on down.

[01:19:41] Our next proclamation, conveniently, is to designate November 15, 2024, as Fairfax Recycles Day in Fairfax County. And this was requested by a lot of us. At this time, I'm going to recognize Supervisor Herity to read the proclamation.

[01:19:59] Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have a proclamation to move. Whereas American Recycles Day, observed annually on November 15th, promotes mindful consumption and encourages residents to recycle responsibly with thousands of organizations nationwide, educating communities and local recycling resources.

[01:20:18] And whereas this year marks the fifth anniversary of the Fairfax County's Purple Can Club, established in October 2019, to address glass recycling challenges. And whereas Fairfax County residents have recycled over 23,500 tons of glass to date, supported by more than 55 purple recycling containers across the county, promoting the circular economy and reducing landfill waste.

[01:20:48] And whereas the county's Solid Waste Management Program will celebrate Fairfax Recycles Day on November 16th with a recycling and a touch-a-truck event at the Jerry Highland Government Center and encourages responsible disposal of e-waste, batteries, food scraps, and glass while providing recycling education through the online What Goes Where tool.

[01:21:11] And whereas Fairfax County staff work diligently to assist residents in reducing waste and enhancing recycling efforts, helping to build a more sustainable, environmentally conscious community, now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby proclaim November 15, 2024, as Fairfax Recycles Day in Fairfax County, in alignment with American Recycles Day, to highlight Fairfax County's commitment to waste reduction and responsible recycling and to encourage all residents to do their part to help reduce waste.

[01:21:49] You've heard the motion. It's been multiply seconded. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Herdy. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I mean, this is a great recognition that we do every year. Designating the 15th as Fairfax County Recycles Day helps us continue to educate our students, our citizens and businesses about the importance of recycling and reducing our waste I'd like to give thanks to Public Works Director Chris Harrington Eric Forbes Susan Davidson Charlie Forbes and their team but most importantly to to all you all that that actually go out in the rain and the snow and day and night

[01:22:27] and do the hard work that needs to get done they got it easy they sit behind desks well they get out there every now and then so I guess I shouldn't say that they do get out there, but it's really you guys that do the work and make sure it gets done, and you are truly valued for that. And it's fitting that we recognize this in conjunction with the major success of the Purple Can Club. The numbers are incredible with 2,500 tons.

[01:22:58] And really, the remarkable thing about what Fairfax County has done here is glass didn't have a secondary market. Until the Purple Can Club, glass now has a secondary market. So the glass that used to go in the purple bin and go to the MRF, that just went to landfills. Fairfax County has actually created that secondary market so that what gets recycled or goes in the recycled bin or the Purple Can Club actually gets used in a final product. And that's the goal because so many things that, as you all know, so many things that go in that bin don't end up getting recycled. If

[01:23:35] you ever want to have fun go to the MRF and see what ends up in those bins what do they call it wish cycling wishful recycling wishful recycling yeah so if you throw it in the bin it'll get recycled and that anyway so we've got which is highlights again the importance of education and you know what we can recycle what we can't and how to how to get the right things to the right place to to make everybody better off um anyway and and the the expansion's been incredible I know we added one at Saratoga.

[01:24:08] We've added one in Clifton. We had some students, future business leaders of America, come together. So thank you for everything on the Purple Can Club. Thank you all for all you do day in and day out. You are very much appreciated. I'm going to start on this side, Supervisor Stork.

[01:24:26] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all very much. We're on a mission, and we've worked very hard on that mission for the last, particularly the last five or six years. The Community Energy and Climate Action Plan, the CCAP, was a key part of that.

[01:24:42] You all are the key, really are the spear, if you will, or the point of the spear to help us drive to that process and get that result. And there's, I mean, the two different pieces of that are, number one is what we're doing as a county, that we're truly going to be zero, if you will, zero emissions or fully recycling, zero waste by 2030.

[01:25:04] And then the I think the bigger challenge is probably the 2040 and how do we get there? I know we haven't figured that out. I know you all are working on a plan Eric to do that I'm looking forward to that plan. I know that around the country around the world. There's still a lot of different Folks who have identified Methodologies or approaches to doing that. I know they all have their kind of their upsides and downsides But in the end we need to make sure we're on the on the front edge of that and our staff our team Our county is really the point of that spirit to drive forward those zero-waste results.

[01:25:37] So, again, my deep thanks and appreciation. And in the end, it is truly about refusing, reducing, recycling, of course, reusing, and finally composting, which I know we're working very hard to put that together. So, again, my thanks to all of you because that's how it's going to get done, all of your efforts.

[01:25:56] Appreciate it. Thank you. Supervisor Palchik. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to second triple my thanks to all of you. First of all, it's only for a year and a half and my whole time living in the county that I've been on the county waste management and recycling and trash pickup.

[01:26:13] And I have to tell you, if we leave on Friday morning before the trash truck and the recycling truck come by our house, I get a year full for my two-year-old because it is absolutely the highlight of her morning. And I think they enjoy it, too, quite a bit in doing that.

[01:26:31] But I can say, after all the years of not having had access to our incredible team, the great work you do, and how effective you are in ensuring that we make it easy and understand how to reduce, reuse, refuse, recycle, and compost-- and I know there are plans to do even more of that-- there's no way we would meet our goals without all of your work and all of your efforts.

[01:26:56] And I just want to add that the collaborative efforts across our agencies and the education piece that was mentioned are so critical. As much as we love the purple truck, I still have recently a meeting with a few adults who've been here for several decades and are pretty frustrated that they cannot be putting those glass containers in their recycling bins.

[01:27:20] And still, I think we need to do a better job. And I hope this is a good opportunity as a county to help people understand what was mentioned of why which cycling or which recycling is not a thing. And if you're not able to reduce, refuse, or compost, which you can do at our farmer's markets now, understanding why we have those purple bins and why they are actually effective and they are actually being recycled, unlike was the case before.

[01:27:49] And so it is those kids that are now creating little businesses and ways to help some of our seniors be able to more easily recycle, but I know that it's a little late for us, but I think as we help encourage the next generation to do a better job and to help us and force us and yell at us to reduce, reuse, refuse, recycle, and compost, really very much appreciate your work and you do it with such professionalism that I think you're probably my daughter's

[01:28:23] favorite agency. Though I'm not allowed to say that, but thank you. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank all the incredible Solid Waste staff. You know, all of us have been out to the transfer facilities and seen, you know, how hard you all work. It is difficult, difficult work, but nothing is more important to the health and wellness of our community than solid waste. And as Supervisor Stork and others have mentioned, it is also key

[01:28:57] to meeting our climate goals and our goal to divert 90% of our waste. And we have hovered right around the 50% diversion rate for a while now. And we're going to be talking about this at the Environmental Committee meeting next week, so I won't spoil the plot here. But we conducted a zero-waste survey, and I was amazed by how many responses we have. We'll hear about that next week, and one of the things that is really clear is our residents love recycling, and they want more

[01:29:30] opportunities to recycle, and it's on us to figure out how to make that happen. It's very clear that's what the community wants, and so we got to figure out how to deliver that. Thank you to all of you who are already doing that, and thank you for being here today.

[01:29:48] Thank you, Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just join in with my colleagues and say thank you for the extraordinary work and service that you provide. I'll also echo a couple points about the purple bins and the glass recycling.

[01:30:05] It's great. Millions of pounds of glass have been recycled through that program. I learned that there's about 110 million glass bottles that are thrown away every single day, of which only about a third of those are actually recycled.

[01:30:21] And it's obviously a little bit cheaper if we take those recycled glass and use those in the fabrication of new glass. It's less costly. And I'll say to the point about trying to figure out how we get to our goal of zero municipal solid waste. By 2040, we've got to be focused. We've got to be focused on recycling. So I look forward to hearing the presentation coming up with Supervisor Walkinshaw. And I'll just note

[01:30:54] that delighted that we'll be hosting this event in the Franconia District at the South County Center. So thank you very much. Thank you, Supervisor Lusk. And let me also thank you. And I think not only the work of our staff, but Eric, you and your team, it's not just work, it's vision.

[01:31:15] I mean, you all are thinking about what do things look like 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the road. And I think that's really important, and it's going to take some tough choices. You know, I can remember when recycling, I can remember Earth Day in high school. We were talking about recycling, and there were people opposed to it.

[01:31:33] It's too much of an inconvenience. It's a heavy lift. And many of the things we're talking about now that go way beyond recycling, that are things we have to do to save our planet, will be looked at like recycling at some point.

[01:31:49] We'll look back and say, what was all the fuss about? I mean, we're in this together to save our climate, to save our community. And recycling has become a routine that our residents are used to, accustomed to, want to do their part. and there's going to be a lot more things we're going to need from them in the future on our team to do it and that's when the hard choices have to start being made by this board and by the community but as Supervisor Walkinshaw said what you're doing is an integral part of our very ambitious environmental plan in this county that is going to be necessary to to save our planet for

[01:32:27] future generations and so it's not just a service you're providing it is literally playing a dedicated role in addressing the climate challenges that we have and that are so important to, we know this, to our residents in the county who see this and appreciate that our staff has the vision to bring to us some uncomfortable conversations at times to say, you're going to have to get out of your comfort zone and maybe be inconvenienced a little bit, but it seems like not a tall order when you think about the magnitude of the challenges that we're facing.

[01:32:58] And so I want to thank you and the team for everything you do. I would just encourage folks You've been to one of the transfer stations. You haven't been to one of the transfer stations until you go down there on a Saturday and see the volume of people, residents coming in there. Many I have met down there, at least at the I-95 transfer station, that this is the first time they're ever coming to the county facility.

[01:33:20] And they're just amazed at all the moving parts and all the things that we do in the way of recycling. And I appreciate that that's an important service to our county residents. So thank you for that. With that, I think we're ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[01:33:36] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Eric, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you, Chairman McKay, and thank you, Supervisor Herity and members of the board. Y'all look amazing, by the way. And we're representing public works today. So we had stormwater, wastewater, and now we're talking about solid waste.

[01:33:53] We can make November week a week of public works, even though we do have a public works week in May every year. We can make it this week in November coming up. Thank you for all the support. I'd like to thank our residents. Y'all spoke very highly about the contributions our residents make. They're the ones really driving our recycling rate and the good behaviors that we need to have happen to meet that zero waste goal that we have coming forth.

[01:34:15] We also have to thank our businesses, so a big shout out to them as well for their contributions. There's going to be big changes ahead for us as we tackle our CCAP goal and work towards the zero waste community. 90% diversion is a huge number, and we can get there. Days like this remind us of the opportunities we have and the challenges that we have ahead of us, but it also gives us an opportunity to refine our messaging, as you all talked about, getting the word out on how we're communicating to the parts of the community that don't hear our message traditionally.

[01:34:44] With one, McFairfax in mind, it enables us to meet those initiatives of sharing it so we all have a common playing field in terms of the resources that solid waste management provides, but also their ability to affect change with the environment. You know, we all play a part.

[01:35:00] Each individual, we make a decision. And working together as a collective in the county, we will be able to make the change positive in terms of meeting our goals. So I'll keep it at that because you all covered everything else from the Purple Can Club to wishful recycling, wish cycling, contamination, and those challenges.

[01:35:18] We really appreciate your support and continued efforts to get the word out on our behalf and on the behalf of the community. So thank you very much. And a round of applause for our team here and the team in the field that couldn't be with us today. You know, we'd love to fill this auditorium, but we have to get the trash up.

[01:35:35] We have to transfer the trash, and we have to dispose of the trash every day. So thanks again, and we really appreciate the acknowledgement and celebrating Fairfax Recycles Day on November 15th. Thank you. Thank you. And with that, we're ready for a photo.

[01:35:57] We just did this a minute ago, so it should be smooth, smooth sailing. Supervisor Herity will join me, and the board will rise.

[01:36:03] Okay, that is the end of our morning presentations.

[01:38:37] We will now move on to appointments to boards, authorities, commissions, and advisory groups. And let me ask Supervisor Smith if she has a motion. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of the board appointments to citizen boards, authorities, commissions, and advisory groups.

[01:38:55] You've heard the motion. I'm happy to second that. Are there any appointments that board members would like to have considered separately for a separate vote? I would like us to have a separate vote on the Springfield District Planning Commissioner. Are there any other positions that people would like a separate vote on?

[01:39:15] Okay, so seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the appointments to boards, authorities, and commissions, and advisory groups, with the exception of the Springfield Planning Commissioner that is in the final copy dated October 22nd, 2024.

[01:39:31] Please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And let me ask Supervisor Herity if he would like to make a motion on the Planning Commissioner from Springfield District. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I move the appointment of David Schneer, the Planning Commissioner for the Springfield District.

[01:39:51] Okay. You've heard the motion. Is there a second? Is there a second to the motion? Not hearing a second, that motion fails. Got to be kicked. And with that, we are going to move on to board matters.

[01:40:10] And these, as we always do, have been circulated digitally, collected by the clerk, and distributed to the board yesterday. And we will go in order of district, following myself and Vice Chairman Smith. I am going to hand the gavel to Supervisor Smith so that I can read my board matter at 1, which is, I move to approve without objection the proclamation request listed in this document to be presented inside or outside of the boardroom as appropriate, which is a proclamation to recognize Native American Heritage Month in November.

[01:40:47] Without objection, it is so ordered. Thank you very much. And next up is Vice Chairman Smith. No board matters, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Vice Chairman Smith. Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[01:41:04] No board matters. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Supervisor Beerman. No board matters. Thank you, Supervisor Beerman. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The first item will be the Military Family Appreciation Month, which is a joint board matter with the entire board.

[01:41:24] So thank you all for signing on. November marks the 31st anniversary of Military Family Appreciation Month, originally established in 1993 by the Armed Services YMCA. Since this time, November has been designated a time to honor and recognize the commitment and contributions made by military families in support of our nation and its military services.

[01:41:48] No matter what rank or branch or where life has taken them, our nation's military families share the common threads of service and sacrifice. According to data updated through 2022 from the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University, there are over 45,000 active-duty military, Selected Reserve, and their families living in Fairfax County.

[01:42:13] There are over 16,800 military-connected children in Fairfax County. Further, there are over 89,000 veterans in Fairfax County. Earlier this year, recognizing the importance of veteran and military families in Fairfax County, the Board of Supervisors created the first-ever Veterans and Military Families Commission, which will examine the challenges faced by veterans, military personnel, and military-connected families living in Fairfax County, and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors in the coming months.

[01:42:48] We're grateful as a county for the service and sacrifice of our active duty reserve and veteran service members and their spouses and children. In the National Capital Region, Fairfax County is a premier destination for our military families to relocate because of our amazing resources, our schools, our libraries, our parks, and the services that the county provides.

[01:43:10] Military families are among the most engaged community volunteers. They serve on their local civic associations, HOAs, PTAs, and PTOs. They coach children's sports teams, serve as scout leaders, and are engaged in our local faith communities.

[01:43:27] Mr. Chairman, I move that the board designate November 2024 as Military Family Appreciation Month in Fairfax County to coincide with National Military Family Appreciation Month. In addition, I move the board direct the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation to be presented to the Veterans and Military Families Commission in the boardroom.

[01:43:50] So move, Mr. Chairman. I'm happy to second that motion. Is there discussion on the motion? Yes, Supervisor Luss. Just very quickly, Mr. Chairman, I'll just note, you know, we are excited about the opportunity to move forward with this Military Appreciation Month, But I also want to acknowledge some of the work that we're doing also through the Northern Virginia Commission.

[01:44:12] We have there a committee. It's the Community and Partnership, Military Partnership Committee, that is focused on a number of these issues as well. And just acknowledging the work that we're doing with our garrison commands, particularly at Fort Belvoir and others in the region, to address a number of the issues that we see that are attendant to our military spouses, military family members, and others.

[01:44:39] So I think this is a very important thing for us to recognize and move forward. So with that, Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. And let's make sure we work those into the proclamation, because I think those are all really good points. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[01:44:55] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This will move very quickly. I just wanted to note that the Franconia District Annual Winter Coat Distribution will be held on November 2, 2024, and I'm just delighted to announce that we'll be hosting that again at the Haiba Valley Community Center on Saturday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to 1.

[01:45:20] This event is sponsored in partnership with the Firefighters and Friends to the Rescue, which is founded by former Deputy Chief Willie Bailey. This winter season is coming, and we want to make sure that members of our community have access to coats. This event is important for the communities of Audubon, Harmony, Colchester, Creekside, Sequoia, and Gum Springs.

[01:45:45] And we will be distributing coats to both adults and children in that area. And I'll just note one of our community members, Carla Kler, will be providing both hot chocolate and a Pan Dolce to those participants who will be there.

[01:46:04] So, real excited about that. So, Mr. Chairman, I move without objection that the Office of Public Affairs assist us with the publicizing of this Franconia winter coat distribution. Thank you. Without objection, it is so ordered. Anything else, Supervisor Les?

[01:46:20] No, ma'am. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next up is Supervisor Alcorn. No board matters. Thank you. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you so much. I do have one board matter this morning that Chairman McKay and Supervisor Herity have co-sponsored.

[01:46:42] According to the nonprofit Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's and one in three adults dies with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. This disease kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer. Combined in deaths from Alzheimer's disease have increased exponentially in America.

[01:47:02] There's an unseen side to this disease. For every person with Alzheimer's, there's a network of caregivers. Those include husbands, wives, children, friends, neighbors, and so many other people whose lives are intertwined because of an Alzheimer's diagnosis. In fact, more than 11 million Americans are estimated to provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias.

[01:47:25] Those caregivers provide more than 18 billion hours of care valued at nearly $347 billion. 70% of the caregivers report feeling stressed when coordinating care, compounding the impact this disease has on those impacted by it.

[01:47:42] Recognizing November as Alzheimer's Awareness Month will help educate our community about this disease, share valuable information to help folks spot early signs, and learn about the resources and programs available to them. Therefore, I move without objection that the board proclaim November as Alzheimer Awareness Month in Fairfax County and ask the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation to be presented in the boardroom at our next board meeting on November 19th, 2020.

[01:48:11] You want to get that? Yes, without objection. That is so ordered. Thank you, Supervisor Jimenez. And was that, did you have any additional items? That is it for today. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next up is Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[01:48:28] And the first item is a joint one with you. We're honoring Reverend Darrell White. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to recognize an incredible leader in our community, Reverend Dr. Darrell K. White, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, who is retiring after 40 years of service and 25 of those at Bethlehem Baptist Congregation.

[01:48:48] Throughout his career, Reverend White has impacted our local church, schools, and the broader faith community. His tireless work and commitment have touched countless lives, not just in Gum Springs, but across Virginia. Among his many achievements, Reverend White is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Fairfax and a member of the National Baptist Convention USA, Baptist General Convention of Virginia, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and AACP, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

[01:49:18] He is the former president of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia and former moderator for the Northern Virginia Baptist Association. In honor of his remarkable achievements, Bethlehem Baptist Church will host a retirement gala on November 2nd at 4 p.m. at the Waterford in Springfield.

[01:49:35] The gala will celebrate all that Reverend White has done for the faith community. Therefore, without objection, we ask that the Office of Public Affairs prepare a proclamation to be presented outside of the boardroom on November 2nd to recognize Reverend Dr. Darrell K. White for his 40 years of service and contributions to our community.

[01:49:53] And without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Stork. Yes, and just on a personal note, Reverend White or Darrell, he's been an amazing part of our community, not just in his leadership role with Bethlehem Baptist Church, but his kids, in fact, were also leaders in our schools, in our mentoring and really our programs to really diffuse and to get folks to look for ways to solve issues peacefully.

[01:50:24] And that has been his core nature, is looking for peace and advocating for all of us to make that a part and a core part of our life. So I'm looking forward to going to the gala, but most importantly, I'm looking forward to recognizing and honoring his amazing achievements for our community.

[01:50:42] Thank you, sir. The next item is a commercial vehicle parking violations in Fairfax County. And if I could ask Channel 16 to show the application, I'm going to read this, and then I think all of you are going to be interested in this.

[01:50:58] Richmond Highway is our main street and commercial center and should reflect our vibrant, growing community. More and more lately, we are seeing our public streets littered with commercial vehicles like large box trucks, dump trucks, and tractor trailers. Not only is this a safety hazard, it is intrusive to our neighborhoods, blocks our businesses, and limits walkability while diminishing the vibrancy we are striving to create.

[01:51:22] We also hear from our residents on a regular basis about this problem. For the past several years, my team has conducted a careful review of the challenges to reducing the volume of illegal truck parking and identified three core bottlenecks, reporting, enforcement capacity, and state legislative limitations.

[01:51:41] We have closely worked with FCPD to increase parking enforcement measures while advocating with our state legislators to increase local options and control over our streets, particularly when it comes to parking violations. While these conversations remain ongoing, we need to continue to address these problems now.

[01:51:59] For the past year, we've been using an MVD office-developed FCPD-approved checklist that has been community-used and effective in responding to illegally parked trucks. However, we recognize that a better, more streamlined, and responsive system to address these concerns can make an even greater improvement.

[01:52:16] In an effort to improve this tool further and expedite reporting and enforcement, my staff has worked with DIT to create a new online reporting tool, which you're now seeing on your screen, that we are launching today for residents countywide to use to report parking violations.

[01:52:32] The tool features a simple questionnaire with maps to help residents pinpoint the exact location of violations, categorize the type of infraction, and even identify vehicles with out-of-state plates for DTA enforcement. Reports are sent directly to the FCPD traffic enforcement team and the appropriate district supervisor's office at your discretion.

[01:52:54] Thank you especially to Peyton Smith, my staff Peyton, right behind me, thank you, and Diego Rodriguez Cabrera, as well as Rachel Husted and Matt Miller at DIT and William Palmer with FCPD for their work in developing the tool and coordinating its deployment.

[01:53:10] Therefore, mr. Chairman, I move that the board direct the office of public affairs to educate the community Promote this parking violations public report tool to our residents for their use. You've heard the motion With without objection that is so approved supervisor stored. Thank you And and I when I mean when I say the last several years it is absolutely been the last several years And I particularly I'm thanking Peyton immediately behind me because he's put together not only this flyer which I've shared with you all previously in Spanish and English, but also, more importantly, it's a checklist that you can use

[01:53:48] to identify whether or not a truck is illegally parked or not and then what the appropriate way is to address that. And, of course, our number one objective is to not have people park illegally, to work with the owners of the vehicles to ensure that they have a place to park where they, frankly, don't park on our main streets, which is really our number one issue.

[01:54:08] So, thank you. And the last item I have is just really a thanks to you. We had our ninth annual tour to Mount Vernon. We started the Workhouse Arts Center and ended up back there as well and toured most of the southern part of the Mount Vernon district through Mason Neck and then out over to the Army Museum and then back through Laurel Hill and on the Jerry Connelly Cross County Trail.

[01:54:36] And I know you rode most of that. I did. And quickly, I would say. I did. So thank you very much. We have more than 300 riders. Again, this was our second annual family ride. We had about 50 kids.

[01:54:52] I mean, anywhere from, I would say, 3 to 4 years old to probably 12, 13 years old. And their parents, it just was a great introduction to riding and safety. And just the FCPD did an awesome job, but especially I want to thank NCS.

[01:55:08] NCS really organized and their staff and folks really came through for all of us to make this a really an amazing night. Yeah, thank you, Supervisor Storkin. It really was amazing. I mean, the weather was absolutely perfect. Your staff does an amazing job with this. I think Peyton probably had one of the hardest jobs because I think he was the one telling people you might want to dismount at this point because you're getting ready to hit a mulch patch on about mile, what, 17, 16, 17. But I asked Dan before we started, I said, if I do the 20-mile

[01:55:46] loop, can I get to my kid's soccer game by 10.30? And Dan said, you probably can finish by 10 if you go at a good clip. And I, lo and behold, pulled back into the parking lot at 10 o'clock. It took a good clip, but you were dead accurate. And really, all the work that was done to mark the route was remarkable because people were separated by great distances, and yet everybody knew where they were going thanks to the cue sheets, the app, but also the signage and the markers that were along the way. And of course, our public safety folks, the police always do a fantastic

[01:56:21] job making sure people's safety is number one, but it was a heck of a good turnout on a beautiful day and a great way to start a Saturday morning. So well done. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think You captured it very, very well, and I also wanted to thank FAB, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling.

[01:56:38] They are an amazing partner, and if you haven't worked with them, it's a very, very dedicated group of folks, and I particularly have to identify Jeff Gogger, who's always there. I mean, he has always been there, every single one, and just he works his tail off, and the marketing that we do is really a function of that.

[01:56:56] And then Cassie Donahue and my staff, she really put it all together, And this absolutely was, I think, the best we've ever done. So that, NCS, Allie Malone, I mean, again, there's just a lot of people to thank. And Dr. Reed, actually Michelle Reed was there, too. So it was just a great all-around day.

[01:57:12] So thank you again for attending, and thank you all for helping make that possible. Absolutely. It was great. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. And next up is Supervisor Palczyk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I have to say, I don't know if you saw the article, but Capital Bike Share ridership is way up, And I'm not surprised because of their new e-bikes.

[01:57:31] So I know those of us who want to have an easier way to get around love the work you're doing and that we're doing as a region to make it easier and safer to bike around. Absolutely. Good. I have two board matters. The first one is jointly with all of our board members, which is to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

[01:57:52] I think a couple of us not on purpose are already wearing pink today. but members of the board, each year in the U.S., approximately 270,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 42,000 lives lose their lives to the disease. Breast cancer is complex with prognosis and treatment options varying widely. Depending on the type of cancer, treatments may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or other therapies. Each diagnosis is personal and unique to the individual. In the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Fairfax Health District, breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer after skin cancer. Healthy lifestyle choices such as

[01:58:30] maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and limiting alcohol intake can help reduce cancer risk. Screening tests can detect various types of cancer and identify abnormal cells before symptoms appear. Early detection of breast cancer not only enhances treatment options but also reduces the incidence of advanced stages and significantly decreases death rates. I know a breast cancer program offers an online breast cancer risk assessment to help individuals understand their predicted five-year and lifetime risk. Additionally, breast cancer screenings through the Every Woman's Life program are free for eligible individuals providing

[01:59:10] uninsured low-income residents access to vital screening services. In Fairfax County and the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax, partners include Neighborhood Health and HealthWorks for Northern Virginia. Many immigrants face language barriers and cultural stigmas around discussing health issues, which may prevent them from seeking timely screenings and treatment.

[01:59:33] Raising awareness helps bridge these gaps, ensuring that immigrant communities receive vital information, support, and resources to detect breast cancer early, improving survival rates and overall health outcomes. Fairfax County is committed and dedicated to reducing health disparities, increasing access to affordable health care, improving health literacy, and providing language assistance to all who need it. Therefore, I ask without objection that the board of supervisors direct staff to prepare a proclamation recognizing October, I know it's a little late, as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Fairfax County to be presented at a future board

[02:00:10] meeting. We further move that the Office of Public Affairs be directed to publicize the month of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Fairfax County. And I just want to add, I know the age was changed just about the time I turned 40 for screening. It is now at 40 years old and older which is only for the past couple years has been the case so I know it's a scary thing to try to go and do for the first time we are so fortunate to have so much access here and appreciate the work that our health department OPA and

[02:00:45] neighborhood and community services and our health providers do to help ensure access and education for this effort next and without objection that is so ordered supervisor project thank you I do have one more board matter with Whether yourself and the supervisor or Lusk, though I know we all support this effort on Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, members of the board, as we approach Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, many families around Fairfax County and across the country will gather and celebrate with their loved ones.

[02:01:17] Unfortunately, some, many, will not be able to share the pleasures of this joyful season due to the realities of food insecurity and homelessness. To raise awareness about these critical issues, the National Coalition for the Homeless in the National Student Campaign Against Hunger designate the week before Thanksgiving each year as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. In Fairfax County, we appreciate our relative prosperity. However, we recognize that many residents still lack adequate access to food despite the significant efforts of the county, nonprofits, and our faith-based organizations.

[02:01:53] The 2024 Hunger Report from the Capital Area Food Bank, which provides a breakdown of food insecurity in Fairfax County indicates a food insecurity rate of 27% in the county and approximately 309,000 individuals currently experiencing food insecurity. Fairfax County has also faced significant humanitarian challenges related to homelessness. Each year, the Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness collaborates with several non-profits to conduct a point-in-time count of individuals experiencing homelessness across the county. This past January, the count

[02:02:32] revealed a 23% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the needs of our community members who face food and housing insecurity requires a compassionate, collaborative approach involving government agencies, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and individuals. We are fortunate to be part of a caring community where increased awareness of food insecurity and homelessness encourage us to work together towards solutions. Therefore, I ask without objection that the Board of Supervisors

[02:03:07] direct staff to prepare a proclamation recognizing November 17th to the 23rd as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Fairfax County to be presented at a future board meeting. We, um, and therefore move that the, that the Office of Public Affairs be directed in addition to publicize the week of November 17th to November 23rd as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Fairfax County.

[02:03:35] And without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Palchik. I just want to add, I know across the county we have seen, especially with some of the aid that came through during the pandemic, additional federal aid has gone away and more of our county and community partners have set out to support more individuals that our homelessness and security issues continue. I also, though they're not mentioned here, want to thank the Fairfax Food Council for the work they do across the community, to our public safety teams for ensuring that all of our residents, including those living in homelessness, have opportunities

[02:04:13] to be safe. And the big issue is needing to provide additional housing as housing and security continues to be such a strain on our community members. And so I want to thank our community. And I also want to advocate, I just got the reminder that this year's Fairfax Turkey Trout is coming up and they always support Food for Others and our many organizations that raise that awareness. So I'm hoping as we do the proclamation that we're able to raise efforts and opportunities for our community to find ways to support those in need this

[02:04:49] holiday season. Thank you, Supervisor Palczyk. And next up is Supervisor Herity. Yes, mr. Chairman, I have three announcements and three board matters. Let me start with my first announcement I want to take a moment to introduce our intern Aiden Rafferty behind me here Aiden is a He's been doing working on a number of projects in the office. He's a senior at James Madison University studying public policy and administration And the good news for him. He'll be graduating in December. So a fellow Duke mr. Chairman. That's right. Thank you

[02:05:25] The next one, Mr. Chairman, is waiving the minimum size requirement to establish an RPPD for the Park Point community.

[02:05:42] Mr. Chairman, residents in the community located off Gamble Road have contacted my office over the years regarding the commuter parking on their neighborhood streets overflowing from the Gamble Park and Ride lot in Springfield. In the past, the commuter parking was confined to a smaller area of the community to the south, but recently expanded into the Park Point neighborhood.

[02:06:04] Park Point's community road, Swope Court, is not long enough to establish a new RPPD for which the requirement is 100 continuous spaces. However, because this commuter parking is now causing safety and quality of life issues for the residents due to the vehicles parked too close to driveways and intersections, The Park Point HOA requested the county waive the minimum size requirement to establish an RPPD on both sides of Swope Court.

[02:06:32] Mr. Chairman, I move the board waive the minimum size requirement of 100 contiguous or nearly contiguous public parking spaces in order to study Swope Court for the establishment of a residential permit parking district for the Park Point community in the Springfield District.

[02:06:47] So moved. And you've heard the motion. The chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Herity. The second one is for a concurrent processing.

[02:07:06] The applicant, Milestone Tower Limited Partnership 4 and Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority request approval of a special exception to allow a 147-foot telecommunication facility with a supporting equipment compound at the base. It is designed to accommodate a total of four telecommunication carriers.

[02:07:27] The Planning Commission public hearing is scheduled for November 13, 2024, and the applicant has asked for an opportunity to process a site plan with the pending special exception as soon as possible. The case has not received any opposition.

[02:07:45] I'm going to go back up and read the SE. So the SE would be 2024-SP-00014, concurrent with 2020-32-2024-SP-00003.

[02:08:02] Supervisor Herity, I think that's 2232 on the sheet. You said 2032. Oh, I'm sorry, 2232. 2232. That's being correct. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to accept for concurrent simultaneous processing of any site plans subdivision plans architectural drawings or other plans as may be necessary in conjunction in conjunction with SC 2024 - SP - 0 0 0 1 4 these motions should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board of Supervisors on the proposed applications and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the

[02:08:41] provisions of any any and all applicable ordinances regulations or adopted standards in any way so chair will second that motion is there discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries Supervisor Herity yes mr. chairman the last one is I'm bringing back the designating November 21st is Church Heritage Recognition Day. I have circulated the board matter, the proposed

[02:09:16] resolutions. I heard back from one board member, but not anyone else, so I'm going to read this. Our community has a diverse range of religious organizations that serve the needs of our residents. The Christian church tradition and the many churches of Fairfax County which partake in that tradition play a vital role in shaping the cultural, social, and moral landscape of the communities within Fairfax County, fostering the development of the arts, education, and sciences. Local churches have a rich and prominent history connected with key figures in our democracy, including George Washington and George Mason. Inherent in the Christian church tradition

[02:09:55] is the belief that each human being holds inherent value and dignity. Through dedication to maintaining that dignity, the many churches of Fairfax County have established and maintained countless schools, hospitals, outreach to orphan youth, relief, and demonstrating Christ's teaching and compassion and love towards the needy and suffering. In times of conflict and division, the church which upholds the Christian traditions are instrumental in promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation through the history of Fairfax County. The historical church tradition

[02:10:32] has a strong role in strengthening the family unit as a foundational institution of society advocating for healthy marriages and the importance of parenting. And I'm going to read the proclamation in a minute. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move without objection that the board designate November 21, 2024 as Fairfax County Church Heritage Recognition Day, acknowledging its profound impact on the welfare of families in Fairfax County and recognizing its respect for the Christian church and its visions to advocate for communities

[02:11:09] where all individuals and families are supported and empowered to thrive. Fairfax County is proud of this strong history and commitment to religious diversity, its many faiths, and their support to our communities through interfaith collaboration. And I'll just read the draft proclamation because there was some concern about that last time.

[02:11:28] Whereas the Christian church tradition and many churches of Fairfax County which partake in that tradition play a vital role in shaping the cultural, social, and moral landscape of the communities within Fairfax County, fostering the development of the arts, education, and sciences.

[02:11:45] and whereas local churches have a rich and prominent history connected to figures in our democracy, including George Washington and George Mason, and whereas inherent in the Christian church tradition is the belief that each human being holds inherent value and dignity, and through dedication to maintaining that dignity, the many churches of Fairfax County have established and maintained countless schools, hospitals, outreach to orphaned youth and relief, demonstrating Christ's teachings and compassion and love towards the needy and suffering.

[02:12:18] And whereas in times of conflict and division, the churches which uphold the Christian tradition are instrumental in promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation throughout the history of Fairfax County. and whereas the historical church tradition has had a strong role in strengthening the family unit as a foundational institute of society advocating for healthy marriages and the importance of parenting now therefore be it resolved that the fairfax county board of supervisors on behalf of all residents does hereby proclaim november 21 2024 is fairfax county church heritage

[02:12:57] Recognition Day, acknowledging its profound impact on the welfare of families in Fairfax County and recognizing its respect for the Christian church in its vision to advocate for communities where all individuals and families are supported and empowered to thrive. Be it further resolved that Fairfax County is proud of its strong history and commitment to religious diversity, its many faiths, and their support to our communities throughout interfaith collaboration.

[02:13:26] So that is my motion without objection. I'm sorry. I don't I think I think there is objection to it. So let's take your motion. Is there a second to the motion? Seconded by Supervisor Stork discussion on the motion. Let me start with Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[02:13:47] Mr. Chairman, I have a substitute motion that's been distributed to the board and, you know, I'll speak to it briefly. I wanted to just share an excerpt from a speech that is not mine, but I think encapsulates kind of my concerns with Supervisor Herity's approach.

[02:14:07] We must remember that we were founded as a nation of openness to people of all beliefs, and so we must remain. Our very unity has been strengthened by our pluralism. We establish no religion in this country. We command no worship. We mandate no belief, nor will we ever.

[02:14:23] Church and state are and must remain separate. All are free to believe or not believe. All are free to practice a faith or not. And those who believe are free and should be free to speak of and act on their belief. At the same time that our Constitution prohibits state establishment of religion, it protects the free exercise of all religions.

[02:14:44] And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral. That was Ronald Reagan on October 26, 1984. And, you know, Reagan had a skill in articulating really important American principles.

[02:15:04] And one of those is that government be strictly neutral on questions of faith and religion. And while obviously Supervisor Herity's proposal doesn't establish a religion, and you have added a couple lines here recognizing that there are other faiths and religions in the county, I don't think you've met Ronald Reagan's test that government be strictly neutral in your proposed proclamation.

[02:15:35] As the board knows, I have a motion and a draft resolution that's been circulated in advance. I got a couple of edits from colleagues, which I appreciate. I appreciate Chairman McKay's help in drafting the resolution. And I'll go ahead and read it, and then I'll make a motion.

[02:15:52] Whereas throughout Fairfax County's history, faith communities have played a vital role in shaping the cultural, social, and ethical landscape of our community, fostering the development of the arts, education, and sciences, and whereas historical figures from Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia, including George Washington, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson, played key roles in advancing the concept of religious freedom.

[02:16:17] And whereas Fairfax County has long partnered with faith groups to strengthen individuals, families, and communities by addressing food insecurity, providing affordable housing, improving public safety, delivering health care services, caring for a natural environment, supporting young people in need, and more, thereby demonstrating the profound impact that such partnerships can deliver.

[02:16:39] And whereas individual houses of worship and religious groups have created independent, community-focused organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, the Poses Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, and the Adams Center of Fairfax, as well as a diverse set of interfaith community groups such as the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, all of which bring their faiths individually or collectively together to celebrate those diverse faiths and to improve our community.

[02:17:11] And whereas Fairfax County has adopted the One Fairfax policy that promotes a county where everyone can participate and prosper, and that for many is accomplished through faith-inspired works and philanthropic efforts. And whereas Fairfax County encourages participation in important community challenges and opportunities through Fairfax County's Office of Community Interfaith Coordination, Faith Communities in Action Network, Faith and Equity Committee, the Fairfax County Community Chaplain Corps, and Clergy and Leadership Council, which all work to foster interfaith communication and

[02:17:48] cooperation and to provide a faith perspective to human services. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents, acknowledges and appreciates the profound impact of faith communities, faith-based nonprofits, and people of faith on Fairfax County and its residents, and recognizes the critical role that such communities play in ensuring that all residents of Fairfax County are supported and empowered to thrive.

[02:18:16] So that's the resolution, Mr. Chairman, in an effort to recognize the profound impact of faith communities and people of faith on Fairfax County and its residents, as well as to raise awareness of Fairfax County's Office of Community Interfaith Coordination, I move that we invite faith community and faith-based nonprofit leaders before the board to receive the attached proclamation at a later date to be determined with the chairman's Office and the Office of Public Affairs.

[02:18:42] And I'm happy to second that motion along with several of my colleagues. Discussion on the motions. Obviously, the main motion now becomes the substitute motion, but discussion on either of the motions. Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And first of all, I want to thank Supervisor Herde for bringing this matter forward as a person of faith, of a minority faith.

[02:19:06] It's not an issue I take lightly at this dais, and as was mentioned, but I really want to want to thank Supervisor Welkinshaw for bringing what I think is a much more democratic and respectful resolution. I will start with, and I had given feedback about working with our interfaith corner and our interfaith communities. It is the last line of your resolution, be it further resolved, that Ferris County is proud of its strong history and commitment to religious

[02:19:43] diversity, kind of as an afterthought. I'm much more comfortable with a resolution that begins as Supervisor Walkinshaw does with whereas throughout Fairfax County's history, faith communities have played a vital role in shaping the cultural, social, and ethical landscape of our community, fostering the development of the arts, education, and sciences. I think it's important that we continue to support this work, and I appreciate Supervisor Walkinshaw adding in here because to me it's very important that we understand those who who never work with our

[02:20:21] with our chaplains or Fairfax County Chaplain Corps just how critical they are and so much so being a person who is Jewish knowing that our head chaplain is also Jewish but when we were over at the public safety headquarters not long ago I had someone from the police department say to me you know what, I'm not Jewish, but he's really the best chaplain I've ever had. He really understands the humanity. He understands what we go through when we lose a loved one or every time one of

[02:20:59] our police officers has to leave home and not know whether or not they'll come back and how to support us and our families when we are dealing with grief and with sorrow. And that as someone who in the 1980s and 90s very much felt like a minority, both in being an immigrant Latina and being Jewish, I'm not comfortable with us focusing, number one, on crossing over

[02:21:34] that line of separation between church and state rather than showing the great interfaith and cultural community that we have and the fact that we are a majority-minority community and that cannot be glossed over.

[02:21:51] So not just for myself, but knowing that we are such a diverse community and that as we face a lot of challenges here in the county, whether it's cost of living, transportation, funding, the number one thing we have is our people in our incredible community of residents and humans who live here and so I am not at all comfortable with going with the Heritage Recognition Day but very much appreciate as we know and as our interfaith network and so many of the groups listed here and I'm sure there are more we've

[02:22:28] even missed out that it is our diversity and including our religious diversity that makes us such a strong community and I think emblematic of what we want to see around the globe of how to live together in this diversity and make us stronger.

[02:22:45] So I'm very happy to support this and to support the people both in the county who are doing this work as well as out in our community and especially to invite so many of our faith leaders who do spend every day supporting not just their own congregations, not just their own communities, but ensuring that we do a better job and do more to support our interfaith community here in Favrex County.

[02:23:11] Thank you. Supervisor Palachuk, Supervisor Herity. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I see nothing wrong with, and I'd be happy to support the substitute language as a separate proclamation. However, I think it's appropriate to present the original proclamation to recognize the contribution of the Christian church community, both in the founding of our great nation and today.

[02:23:35] Members of our community have requested this proclamation, and the board has a long history of recognizing both specific groups and broader communities that have made an impact in Fairfax County. And my proclamation says nothing about they're the best and only or any of that.

[02:23:51] On motions made both by me and by others at this dais, we've recognized Seek Awareness Day. We've recognized the Church of Latter-day Saints and a whole host of other specific, very specific, individual religious communities for their anniversaries and others.

[02:24:14] This original proclamation is no different. Ronald Reagan wasn't brought up during Seek Awareness Day or the recognition of the Church of Latter-day Saints. I think we send the wrong message to our Christian community if we don't pass the original proclamation.

[02:24:33] I would respectfully request Supervisor Walkinshaw to withdraw a substitute so we can pass the original motion. And then I'd ask the chairman to, because I think I still would have the floor, to recognize Supervisor Walkinshaw for a follow-on motion of this broader recognition, which I'd be happy to support.

[02:24:52] Thank you, Supervisor Herity. Further discussion? Let me just add that, you know, first I want to thank Supervisor Walkinshaw and appreciate working with him on what I think is a course correction in terms of recognizing all of our faiths in Fairfax County.

[02:25:11] And I don't, you know, there's nothing in the faith community partnerships and recognition that doesn't wholly and inclusively include Christian faiths among all the faiths in Fairfax County. and I think most importantly draws a distinct correlation between the work of these groups and the work of the county.

[02:25:32] It doesn't make a judgment on their beliefs, and in fact, we've done, I think, in this county a great job of making sure that all of our faiths are recognized in the conversations that we have about important policy issues that affect people in Fairfax County, and some of the infrastructure we've set up in the county, of course, has mentioned in this proclamation. And, you know, there was discussion earlier about the chaplain corps, I think is a great example of, you know, I remember a day in this county where all those chaplain corps were of one faith. And now they represent the broad depth of all the

[02:26:07] faiths in Fairfax County that are contributing to the quality of our life here. And I think that's really important. You know, Supervisor Herity, your motion is very similar to the one that was distributed by people who came to public comment except you pulled out the one whereas clause which celebrated discrimination that's what you pulled out whereas calvary road baptist church recently won a significant religious freedom victory benefiting the first amendment freedoms of other places of worship in the community to be clear with our community that lawsuit was over

[02:26:44] whether people based on their gender identification could get a job or not that's discrimination Whether they can hold that job because they adhere to the principles of the employer is a different question. But that's flat-out discrimination to say somebody can't even get a job because of their private life.

[02:27:02] That was pulled out, and I appreciate that being pulled out. But I think all of us can read this motion to suggest that there are superiority elements in this. And I read that as a Christian. I read this as a Christian, pointing out many things that I find all faiths in Fairfax County adhere to. The whereas in times of conflict and division, the churches which uphold the Christian tradition are instrumental in promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation throughout the history of Fairfax County is one of your whereas clause. That in essence says others haven't, and I don't

[02:27:41] think that's right. I think that all of our faith groups are doing that, and many of them are doing that every day. Where we have come as a county, and I appreciate the mentioning of FACS and Voice and the Adams Center and so many of the groups that are in here, but in particular, I was at a Voice event a couple weekends ago where there were 300 in the congregation of people who were there from all faiths in Fairfax County talking about how together we were going to tackle mental health.

[02:28:11] They came together. They weren't saying their faith beliefs were superior or better. They were saying, as people of faith, how can we address mental health better in this community? They didn't care what church they came from. They came together as a faith group to help us tackle our issues, which is wholly consistent with the language that is in Supervisor Walkinshaw's motion. And so as a Christian, I am proud to support the motion that includes all faith communities in Fairfax County and acknowledges their profound impact and involvement,

[02:28:46] Literally, their direct involvement in our county governance through the institutions that are mentioned here and the work that they do in our community. And I don't think this board is interested, especially under our One Fairfax policy, of excluding any faith groups from this recognition.

[02:29:05] And that's why it has been retitled Faith Communities and Partnerships Recognition, because I think that broadening of what we're trying to do here is only appropriate. The last thing I will say is it is a little tough to put in the whereas clause that you have, Supervisor Herity, where in times of conflict and division, the churches that uphold the Christian tradition are instrumental.

[02:29:33] This motion is, in fact, conflict and division. And to say that we overcome that as one faith and to put our board in a position of, in essence, confirming that at the exclusion of every other faith group in Fairfax County is the opposite direction in my opinion this board in this county should be going if we are to in fact be the inclusive community that welcomes all people to the table that we say that we are and so I will not support your motion of course I will be supporting the substitute motion further

[02:30:11] discussion on the substitute motion Supervisor Stork I don't I don't I don't see it as a zero some game or a zero-sum decision. I think that we can do both, and I think both have important roles in our communities and in our county. I think we've worked hard to craft something that is maybe broader, and I appreciate Supervisor Walkinshaw's work on that. I think it is in that addition, but I also think it's very appropriate, and I'm comfortable honoring

[02:30:46] the Christian community for their work on behalf of our communities and behalf of our county overall. So I'm going to abstain from this because I support both of them. I don't think there's a reason not to support both of them. I realize that there's some language in here that some or others would like to see it changed in one way or another.

[02:31:07] But I think overall the core of the motion, Supervisor Heritage or Supervisor Walkinshaw, is that as a community, as a county, we have to work together. And it's our faith communities that are an essential part of our doing that. So thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[02:31:24] Supervisor Pouching. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to respectfully disagree with that a little bit. From my perspective, when we have worked specifically with a community, whether it's with our thinking a specific congregation, a mosque, a Sikh community.

[02:31:46] It has never been about their faith. It's been about who they are as people and as a community, and there's a lot of debate over religion and culture. But I'm not Christian, but I don't think there's one Christian church. So when this talks about a Christian church, And specifically, unfortunately, focus on some of the aspects that I don't think every single church would agree with that they support, that they're in agreement with.

[02:32:18] When we work with our churches who host our homeless during the winter, when we work with specific churches, I don't see why we would say that we want to honor the tradition of all Christian churches and many Christian churches, which are not tied to a community or people.

[02:32:40] It's a religion, right? When we talk about Jewish cultural centers or Sikh communities, it's about the people. It's not about who they are and what they believe in here. It specifically talks about Christ's teachings. And so that's where I have concern.

[02:32:58] I think we've crossed the line between what we support here in this county as a government institution working with our interfaith communities and those groups like Voice and our interfaith networks that are working to support our community and our community members And not to divide, but to really bring awareness and support, especially to those in need.

[02:33:25] And I don't see that in a resolution that really talks about the Christian religion and Christ's teaching. So I would not be comfortable supporting this. I don't think that's the role of government. Thank you.

[02:33:41] Thank you, Supervisor Pouchek. Any further discussion? So we are voting on the substitute motion. All those in favor of the substitute motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries.

[02:33:58] That motion carries. Did you vote aye, Supervisor Stork, or did you abstain? You abstain. Okay, so 9 to 0 to 1, that motion passes. Supervisor Herity. Yeah, I have two announcements. The first one, as Robert Rules of Order prevent me from bringing back the original proclamation request, I wanted to let my colleagues know that I'll be preparing a Springfield District Proclamation for Church Heritage Recognition Day.

[02:34:27] I'll be reaching out to each of my colleagues individually to see if they would like to sign on to that proclamation. And just to reiterate, Supervisor Herity, that you do not speak for the county. I understand. You speak as the Springfield District Supervisor. It will be very clear in the proclamation.

[02:34:48] And my second one is the announcement of another Springfield District proclamation. Given the lack of a vote earlier, I'd like to let my colleagues know that I will be recognizing David Schneer for his service to Fairfax County.

[02:35:07] I circulated his resume to all of you last week for review. Didn't hear anything back from any of you, but I did circulate it. He was the first vice chairman of the Fairfax County Chesapeake Bay Exception Review Committee. And in that position, he drafted the bylaws.

[02:35:24] He served several terms on the committee as well as multiple terms on the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Committee. He also served as the president of the Occoquan Watershed Coalition, a coalition of over 100 communities residing in the down zone portion of the Occoquan Watershed.

[02:35:44] Actually, from that position, Chairman Hanley actually appointed him to chair the New Millennium Occoquan Watershed Task Force. Dr. Schneer is an attorney. He's a scientist. He's an author, editor of books, chapters, and articles on environmental management, policy, and law reflecting a 37-year federal career at the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a science and management professional serving as an Air Force counsel and Policy Director of the Drinking Water Program.

[02:36:16] He has a BA in Chemistry and Math from Cornell College, a Master of Science in Public Health, and Doctorate in Environmental Management from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and a Juris Document Cum Laude from George Mason University School of Law.

[02:36:32] You know, when we had Pete here earlier, we talked a lot about, you know, how he ran the board and how collegial he was and how important he thought family was. So probably one of Dave's greatest assets is his wife, Marley, who worked with Pete forever on the planning commission as, you know, as my land use aide, as Elaine McConnell's land use aide.

[02:37:02] He was one of the people who Pete sought for counsel on land use issues. You know, and of course, Marley was respected by just about everybody in county staff on land use issues.

[02:37:18] But it looks like, and I actually already got the thank you from Marley, so I'll share the thank you from Marley for your earlier vote because she now gets David back. But this marks the end of David's probably public service career. So I will be doing a special Springfield District recognition for him for all the great work he has done for Fairfax County and for his appointment by Chairman Hanley and others.

[02:37:45] And I would ask if any of my colleagues would want to sign on to that, I'd be happy to welcome you on that, too. And that's not a motion. That's just a statement. Okay. And you will circulate that for our consideration? Yes. Okay, great.

[02:38:01] Thank you. At this point, we are going to move on to admin items, and there are nine admin items, and I'm going to turn first to Supervisor Smith to make a motion. Mr. Chairman, I move approval of administrative items one through nine.

[02:38:19] And I'm happy to second that. Are there any admin items that board members would like pulled for discussion or for a separate vote? Any admin items to be pulled for discussion or a separate vote? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of admin items 1 through 9, please say aye.

[02:38:34] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, and we will now move on to action items, and there are three of them. Action item number one is approval of the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, between the Fairfax County Police Department, FCPD, and the Presidential Inauguration Task Force, PITF, to assist with the 60th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Monday, January 20 of 2025.

[02:39:01] And let me recognize our Public Safety Chair, Supervisor Lusk. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the county executive's recommendation. - I'm happy to second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, All those in favor of Action 1, please say aye.

[02:39:18] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. All board members voting in favor. Action Item 2 is approval of vacation of a parking reduction for Innovation Center South in the Drainesville District. Supervisor Bierman.

[02:39:34] I move approval of Action Item 2, consistent with the county executive's recommendation. Second. You've heard the motion, and it's been seconded by Supervisor Palczyk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[02:39:49] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action item number three is authorization assigned standard project agreements for distribution of I-66 inside the Beltway toll revenues for multimodal projects in the I-66 corridor in the Braddock, Springfield, Providence, and Sully District.

[02:40:12] Supervisor, let me see, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Mr. Chairman, I move approval of the county executive's recommendation on action item number three. And I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Pouchek and Supervisor Smith. Any discussion on the motion?

[02:40:29] Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries nine to zero, Supervisor Herity being out of the room. Can I just say quickly, I'm very, I know it's number five, but just so excited about the expansion of the bike share.

[02:40:46] As was mentioned earlier, it is special with the new e-bikes and with the support we have for our community members who don't have other modes of transportation. Very much appreciate that it continues to grow and offer new options for our residents to get around. Thank you.

[02:41:01] Thank you very much. And we did have a consideration item on the agenda, but I just want to confirm that consideration item has been pulled. Is that right? Okay. So we do not have a consideration item on the agenda, which brings us to closed session. And before I turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion, let me ask the county attorney how long we need for closed session.

[02:41:24] Mr. Chairman, I estimate 90 minutes. 90 minutes. And now let me ask if any of my colleagues want to announce an intent to defer any of the afternoon cases. Supervisor Palczyk, we have your second 331 already listed to be deferred. That's good.

[02:41:39] That still was listed to be deferred, and that's the public hearing on RZ 2023-PR-00018, Fairfax County School Board of Body Corporate. In the Providence District, it's the second 3.30 item, and it's the intent of Supervisor Palachuk to defer that.

[02:41:56] Are there any other items that board members are going to be deferring? Okay, seeing and hearing none. The county attorney says we need 90 minutes for closed session. Our first public hearing is at 3.30, so the board will report back promptly for closed session at 2 p.m.

[02:42:15] At 2 p.m., and if there's no other items to come before us this morning, the board will recess until 2 p.m. We report to closed session. I'm sorry. Motion for Supervisor Smith. I move that the Board of Supervisors recess and go into closed session for discussion and consideration of matters enumerated in Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711 and listed in the attached agenda for this meeting.

[02:42:38] And in addition, update regarding acquisition of real property in the Mount Vernon District for a public purpose, legal framework regarding analysis of flood claims submitted to risk management, and Nordgren v. County Board of Arlington, Arlington County Circuit Court case number CL-23-01513.

[02:43:00] All is permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A8. And you've heard that motion. I'm happy to second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Again, when the motion is approved, we report back for closed session at 2 p.m.

[02:43:15] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that passes 9-0, Supervisor Herity being out of the room. And with that, the board is in recess.

[02:55:59] Okay, the board is back from closed session.

[02:59:09] At this time, I will turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors certify that, to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements by virtue of virginia code section 2.2-3711 and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which closed session was convened were heard discussed or considered by the board of supervisors during the closed session you've heard the motion i will second that along with supervisor palchick is there any discussion on the motion any discussion on the motion seeing

[02:59:45] and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, and I don't believe there were any no motions coming out of closed session. Therefore, we are going to turn to our afternoon public hearings, and just as a reminder to everyone, folks who are wishing to provide testimony have a number of options to be able to do that. They can testify here in person, or they can provide testimony by phone or YouTube video. At the designated point in the public hearing, I'll call for any speakers from the speakers list and they will either come forward or their video will be shown or they will be contacted by telephone. There will then be an opportunity for anyone else who would like to speak to the

[03:00:25] application to come down to the podium or to call in to 703-324-1020. Speakers testifying by video must have signed up and submitted their video no later than 9 a.m. on the day prior to the public hearing. For public hearing testimony, speakers are given three minutes to speak as an individual.

[03:00:47] If you're a spokesperson for a group, you are given five minutes. With that being said, we are going to move on to our first public hearing, which is a public hearing on PCA 82-P-069-26, CDPA 82-P-069-03-06, RZPA 2023-SP-00033 in the name of TPC Hornbaker LC in the Springfield District, and could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit?

[03:01:25] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Andrew Painter with the law firm of Walsh Colucci, speaking on behalf of TPC Hornbaker LC. I reaffirmed the affidavit dated September 19th, 2024. Thank you very much. Disclosures from board members. Disclosures from board members.

[03:01:41] Supervisor Herity. Disclose that John M. Peterson donated in excess of $100 to Friends of Pat Herity. Thank you. Supervisor Smith. Thank you. The Peterson Family Foundation donated a ticket to me to a Novo Life with Cancer Lobster Fest that was in excess of $100.

[03:02:01] Thank you, Supervisor Smith. Any other disclosures? Any other disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm William O'Donnell with the Department of Planning and Development. The subject property is 4.37 acres located to the west of the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Fairlakes Parkway within subunit E1 of Fairfax Center area, also in the Springfield District.

[03:02:29] The property is located within Land Bay 7A of Fair Lakes, which is 600 plus acre planned development commercial district planned and developed in the beginning of 1980s as a suburban office and retail centered mixed use district.

[03:02:44] An SSPA was approved by the board on September 10, 2024, with new site-specific language that recommended residential use up to 400,000 square feet and 400 dwelling units as long as any development was compatible with the existing uses, and that existing buffers along Fair Lakes Parkway were preserved to the extent possible.

[03:03:06] The applicant proposes a proffered condition amendment to redevelop the site, formally developed with a 54,000 square foot office building with 400,000 square feet of multifamily residential use and up to 380 units under one of two development options.

[03:03:23] Option one includes two buildings. Building one is a 12-story, 229,000-square-foot building with 219 units, and building two is a seven-story, 170,000-square-foot building with 161 units.

[03:03:41] Here is a rendering of option one. Option two consists of a single six-story, mid-rise, multifamily building, approximately 86 feet in height, with wrapped parking structure containing up to 278 dwelling units.

[03:03:56] and a total of about 343,000 square feet. Here's an architectural rendering of option two. The proposal generates the need for one acres of urban park in option one and 0.87 acres in option two.

[03:04:12] The applicant has met those recommendations in both options. One site-specific recommendation includes preservation of existing buffers of mature trees along Fair Lakes Parkway and the intersection of shop plain to the extent that is feasible in order to provide screening from the proposed development.

[03:04:30] The applicant has agreed to provide approximately 25,000 square feet of tree preservation within the existing buffer along Fair Lakes Parkway, ranging from 25 to 100 feet in depth and width. Here is a rendering of the buffer area and the understory trail.

[03:04:49] Other commitments include stormwater management on site and within the existing Fair Lakes system, green building, EV charging, schools and pedestrian connections, and enhancements overall in the land-based 7A of Fair Lakes. So overall, staff finds the proposal to be in conformance with the comprehensive plan and the zoning ordinance.

[03:05:07] Thanks. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Again, Andrew Painter with Walsh Colucci. Mr. O'Donnell provided a very good summary. For nearly two years, the Peterson team has worked cooperatively with staff, with Supervisor Herity's office, former Commissioner Murphy, and others on this application.

[03:05:31] And this proposal really does seek to take a major step forward in realizing many of the county's plans for Fair Lakes, and I'm just going to go ahead and roll on through. If I can, let me go to the next slide. I don't know where it is.

[03:05:46] Okay, there it is. What I thought I would do is just step back and talk about the importance of this project and what it means in relation to the overall vision and design intent of Fair Lakes. Fairfax County saw the potential for the Fairfax Center area going back to the late 1970s.

[03:06:03] It formed a task force, and ultimately what came out of that task force was the Fairfax Center Area Plan, which is an excerpt that's shown in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. What's on the left-hand side of the screen is an image of Fair Lakes from the late 1980s. If you guys remember the Nan Netherton book, this is a picture by Scott Boatwright when Fair Lakes was brand spanking new. You can see the Parkway Woods office building in the middle at the top of the image sort of sprouting out amongst the trees. Hazel Peterson achieved a rezoning of Fair Lakes back in 1984, and the idea really was to have a corporate state-of-the-art mixed-use project project that was in close proximity to Washington, D.C., but not repeat what we're seeing as sort of

[03:06:40] the ad hoc planning approaches to Tyson's Corner at the time. So what you had for the very first time were things like heavy park-like landscaping. You had woodlands. You had ponds to create a serene natural setting and a work center. You had a genuine mix of uses. This was also the very first time that a road fund was used in Fairfax County to create critical road infrastructure. And what you can see at the bottom right-hand side of the screen is the first leg of the Fairfax County Parkway being a proffered commitment with this project. And I don't know if we can advance the slide again, and we can go to the next one as well. Over time, Fairlake's built out in accordance with its original plan vision. It is today considered one of the best work and living

[03:07:18] environments in the Washington, D.C. area. There are, of course, headwinds that we have to work against. We have the emergence of new competitive sub markets that are more transit proximate than Fairlake's. We have a recognition that many of Fairlake's first generation buildings are simply less competitive vis-a-vis newer buildings with more modern floor plates and of course reduced office needs. We can go to the next slide. So in 2022, Peterson did submit a SSPA nomination.

[03:07:46] As staff mentioned, that was approved by the board last month. And then we submitted a zoning entitlement for two redevelopment options. Redevelopment option one is the steel frame construction. It's the taller of the two buildings. This is what you might see typically in Tyson's corner and areas inside the beltway. And then we have the second option, if we can go to the next slide, which is a lower level wood frame construction building. And this is what you more typically see in central Fairfax County. But we wanted to leave both options open depending on where the market was. Both of them are going to be LEED certified. They have higher quality architectural features. And if we go to the next slide, as staff mentioned, they will have

[03:08:22] substantial amenities. And I just want to say too, and my appreciation to DPD staff, FCON, and Park Authority staff on working with us on these types of amenities because this is the first time that these types of amenities are being introduced into an area of the county that doesn't have much in the way of publicly accessible open space. So if you're going to have new people in Fair Lakes, they really should be accommodated from an open space perspective. We can go to the next slide. As staff mentioned, perhaps the plurality of all the discussions with this application was what to do with the Fair Lakes Parkway buffer. It is clearly a defining characteristic of Fair Lakes and the general, you know, there's general statements in the comprehensive plan

[03:09:01] about the need to preserve that buffer, but it doesn't really provide any metrics or what the size of it should be or anything like that. We had a number of meetings, some of which were contentious. Really appreciate the efforts of Supervisor Herity and Ms. Byron from Chairman McKay's office on this, as well as staff. I mean, I think we came up with a very good compromise, and if we can go to the next slide. The result of all of these things is that this project will exceed the publicly accessible open space requirements, the tree preservation targets, tree canopy targets and the overall open space requirements as well so we're very proud of that if we go to the next slide i'm not going to spend too much time on stormwater we are located in

[03:09:36] wispod so of course we will be meeting the higher phosphorus removal requirements we will meet or exceed county requirements in terms of water quality and water detention and if we go to the last slide i think the culmination of all these efforts mr chairman is that this is an extraordinarily important part of the Fairlake story. This will allow it to retain its position as a premier Class A mixed-use environment. It preserves the Fairlake's parkway buffer, provides new housing opportunities, and it meets and exceeds environmental standards. We are honored to have staff's recommendation of support, unanimous recommendation of support from the Springfield District Land Use Committee, as well as from the Planning Commission. So I'd be happy to answer any

[03:10:14] questions, but I appreciate your consideration. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant. Any questions of staff or the applicant? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have no one who has signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers.

[03:10:40] There are no callers. There are no callers on the line. I assume the applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. thank you mr chairman on september 18th the planning commission recommended approval of the proposal subject to proffers consistent with that with those now dated october 4th 2024 and recommended approval of the waiver and recommendations discussed in the staff report and handed out staff concurs with those recommendations thank you very much for that last call questions from board members seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and recognize

[03:11:16] Supervisor Herity for a motion yes first I'd like to thank the applicant for the trip down memory lane on Fair Lakes and the first leg of the Parkway and those were exciting times and that really got the Fairfax County Parkway our main street started I'm happy to finally see this in front of us this is the first couple of SSPA's in Fair Lakes we're working on the broader broader vision for Fair Lakes as I said when we approved the the overall zoning thank you I'd like to thank County staff for their diligent work on this the review of

[03:11:55] multiple ssp a's is always tough while trying to fit in the overall vision there was extensive communication between the county my office in the community I'm especially happy to see that we were able to maintain that buffer on the Fair Lakes Parkway even with the urban urban park requirement and I know that took a long time to get through hopefully we can work on getting that so we can get there quicker in the future this is consistent with the overall vision for Fair Lakes to step in the right direction Springfield Land Use Committee and the Planning Commission both unanimously approved this and I certainly

[03:12:34] support it enthusiastically as well therefore Mr. Chairman I move the Board supervisors approve PCA 82-P-069-26 and CDPA 82-P-069-03-06 subject to subject to the proffers dated October 4, 2024. I further move the Board of Supervisors approve the waivers and modifications handout dated September 18, 2024 which will be made part of the record. I'm happy to second that motion along with vice chair Smith discussion on the motion I think I already did that

[03:13:13] any discussion seeing and hearing no further discussion all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank you next up I understand we have a deferral but I'm going to go ahead and call public hearing on RZ 2023 - PR - zero zero zero one eight Fairfax County School Board a body corporate in the Providence District Supervisor Palachuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to defer the public hearing for RZ-2023-PR-00018 to November 19, 2024 at 3.30 p.m.

[03:13:53] Chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. That brings us to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing on SE 2023-PR-00046, Fairfax County Water Authority in the Providence District, and could the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit?

[03:14:20] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is John McGrenahan. I'm the attorney for the applicant, and I reaffirmed the affidavit dated October 9, 2024. Thank you very much for that. Disclosures from board members. Supervisor Smith. Phil Allen donated in excess of $100 to Kathy Smith for supervisor.

[03:14:41] Thank you. Supervisor Smith. Supervisor Herity. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I disclosed Burt Rubin donated in excess of $100 to Friends of Pat Herity. Are there any further disclosures? Seeing and hearing none at this time would recognize county staff for a staff presentation.

[03:14:58] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Kevin McMahon. I'm a planner with the Department of Planning and Development. The applicant is seeking approval of a special exception to permit a utility facility light in order to replace an existing water storage tank with a larger water storage tank.

[03:15:19] The site is situated between the southeast side of Tower Street and the north side of a cul-de-sac at the end of Ronald Street in the Popular Heights neighborhood located in Falls Church. The site is 40,692 square feet in size and is zoned R4.

[03:15:35] The existing 700,000-gallon standpipe water tank is located on a single 6,400-square-foot parcel. It's labeled letter A on this view. There is a 323-foot-tall telecommunications tower, and the associated support structures are located on tax map parcel 50-1, parenthesis 12, number 2, which is a triangle-shaped property.

[03:16:04] It's located between letters D and E in this image. The applicant also owns the four properties around the existing tank, which are each developed with single-family detached dwellings. And should this special exception be approved, this land would be consolidated into one parcel and the two dwellings that are on the properties labeled B and C in this drawing, those would be demolished.

[03:16:29] While the dwellings that are on properties D and E to the southeast, those would remain. And the small portions of these parcels that are located within the special exception area do not include the existing dwellings. The site is located on the highest elevation in the area that is served by the water storage tank.

[03:16:52] It's approximately one half mile east of the intersection of Shreve Road and Fairwood Lane. Fairfax Water, they acquired the existing tank as part of its acquisition of the Falls Church water system.

[03:17:07] And multiple system deficiencies have been identified in the former Falls Church water service area, including lower water service pressures and fire flow below current guidelines. And the applicant, as mentioned, is proposing to replace the existing 700,000-gallon tank with a 1.25 million-gallon single pedestal tank.

[03:17:29] and no change is proposed in the height of the tanks. The applicant proposes to replace this tank to address water quality concerns that are associated with the existing design. The current standpipe is 37.5 feet in diameter.

[03:17:47] With the new tank, the pedestal will be 40 feet in diameter, while the steel bowl will be 80 feet in diameter. In this photo on the left, it's a view from Buckaloo Drive of the existing water storage tank, which is adjacent to the telecommunications tower.

[03:18:06] And the diagram on the right compares the existing with the proposed. The proposed water storage tank's pedestal would be set back approximately 117 feet from the front lot line adjacent to Tower Street, and 70 feet from the north, 70 feet from the rear, and 51 feet from the southern side lot lines.

[03:18:27] This plat shows the location of the existing tank. It's in red, while the location of the proposed tank is the purple. The old tank will be demolished before construction of the new tank commences. Access to the tank will remain from Tower Street, and during construction, a temporary looped access driveway will be installed adjacent to Tower Street to allow deliveries and construction vehicles to access the site.

[03:18:54] And upon completion, the applicant will replace these two driveway entrances with a single, smaller, more residential compatible driveway. The zoning ordinance requires a 35-foot wide transitional screening yard between single-family dwellings and light utility facilities.

[03:19:15] The applicant is proposing a 50-foot-wide transitional screening yard along the north, east, and west property lines and a 16.67-foot-wide screening yard along the southern property line adjacent to the properties owned by the applicant.

[03:19:33] A solid wood fence between 6 feet and 7 feet in height will be installed around the perimeter of the tank. This concludes my presentation. Thank you very much for that. At this time, we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman and members of the board.

[03:19:54] I'd like to note before I begin that the Fairfax Water board member for the Providence District, Rick Dotson, is in the audience with us here this afternoon. We also have members of the Fairfax Water staff and the consultant team, so we can be here to answer any questions that you might have.

[03:20:14] Just to give a little bit of background. I don't know if this is advancing. Yeah, but it's not. Slides aren't moving. That helps.

[03:20:33] It helps to turn things on. Thank you, Ms. Lewis. And I'll take this opportunity to thank Mr. McMahon and Ms. Lewis for all their work with us. You'll see as I go through this that we spent a lot of time coming up with a tremendous number of development conditions that are important for the county but also important for the community, and they were instrumental in that.

[03:20:53] So a couple of highlights on this first slide. Fairfax Water, as you all know, was chartered in 1957. It is a public nonprofit water utility. It's regulated by the Virginia Department of Health, which is a lot of the reason why we're here requesting approval of this new tank.

[03:21:10] Fairfax Water serves approximately 2 million customers. They have their retail customers in Fairfax County, Falls Church, and the city of Fairfax, and then their wholesale customers throughout Northern Virginia, which are listed there. I think the significant point on this slide, and Mr. McMahon alluded to it, is, as you all know, Fairfax Water acquired the Falls Church system in 2014.

[03:21:33] And when they did, they acquired this tank. And very shortly after that, they began to look at ways to integrate the two systems and, frankly, improve the system that they had acquired from Falls Church. And this tank was at the top of the list. This next slide, water, as we all know, is essential to life.

[03:21:53] And Fairfax Water's mission is to provide its customers with reliable and abundant water of exceptional quality. The key to that, and particularly the key to their reliability, is water storage. And you'll see on this slide that they have 30 tanks throughout Fairfax County to accomplish that part of their mission.

[03:22:12] This is another photograph here on the right of the slide of the existing Poplar Heights tank. It's 72 years old. It's at the end of its useful life. It's functionally deficient. It currently is the only water storage tank or facility that serves this pressure zone.

[03:22:33] It's on Tower Street, and it's because it's the highest elevation in the pressure zone. There is a radio tower next door, and it's a reason why the current water tank was put there. Another important point is that this location is centrally located within the pressure zone that's served by this tank.

[03:22:54] Sixty percent of the water is currently unusable, and very importantly, this tank is undersized to meet the current demands of the water system. There's an average daily operational need, 700,000 gallons, but it leaves no storage for fire flow, and that is one of the main drivers for the size of the tank.

[03:23:19] It shows the project objectives, and you can see in the middle graphic, the existing tank is superimposed on top of the proposed tank. They are approximately the same height, 100 feet, and the new tank has a bowl on the top, and that's the main difference, and it's about 20 feet wider at that bowl part on either side of the current tank.

[03:23:44] But Fairfax Water is looking to provide more consistent water pressure, improve the water quality, improve the resiliency of the system during emergencies, and obviously improve fire flows, which is key to public health, safety, and welfare. Mr. McMahon did a nice job of describing the shift in the tank, and it was read on his slide, It's a bluish-purple on my slide, but you can see the existing tank is located in one corner of the assemblage of properties.

[03:24:16] It's being moved to the center. Fairfax Water, when they began looking at what to do with this tank, there were parcels that were on the market. And Fairfax Water, over a period of about four years, was able to acquire the four properties.

[03:24:33] They assembled those, and what it enabled them to do is to shift the tank from the perimeter of this assemblage that you see into the middle, which allowed them to provide buffers around the tank that better buffer the tank from all of the neighbors that surround it.

[03:24:50] The county requirement for transitional screening is 35 feet, and they are able to provide 50 feet of transitional screening around the perimeter of this tank, except for that southern property boundary, which abuts the two lots that Fairfax Water owns and will be putting back on the market when the project's finished, and the radio tower. But the buffering of the tank and putting it in the center was key because they wanted to make sure that they could mitigate the impacts of this tank.

[03:25:23] The original discussion was for a tank of 2.5 million gallons size. And as they studied this more, and that's about the size of the George Mason tank, I think, for those of you who want a comparison. As they looked at this in greater detail, before they ever filed an application, they realized that that was probably too big for this community. And so they essentially cut the size of the tank in half to 1.25 million gallons. But that is the size that's needed to meet those project objectives that I mentioned. Community outreach. This was a very important

[03:25:59] piece of the story that brings us here today. Fairfax Water, as you can see, held three community-wide public meetings. The first two of those meetings were held before we even filed the special exception application, because we wanted to get the feedback from the community before we actually finalized the special exception plans and submitted them to the county. We had a number of individual meetings with property owners in the surrounding area. Fairfax Water created a website, on their website, a web page on their website for the project so that they could receive feedback from the community that way.

[03:26:33] And I want to say here, I want to thank the community. It's been a very passionate discussion, and I respect that, and I understand that. This is their neighborhood, and I do respect their passion, but they were respectful, and we had constructive dialogue.

[03:26:51] and I can stand here before you and say that this application is substantially better because of the feedback, both because of what your staff did on the special exception, but also the feedback that we receive from the community. And Fairfax Water wants to be a good neighbor.

[03:27:07] I think this outreach demonstrates this, and working with Supervisor Palchik's office, we've actually added a development condition that will make sure that that kind of cooperation and community input continues should this get approved today. One of the significant comments we received early on, and it was that July public meeting, the first one, was a complaint about inadequate water pressures.

[03:27:31] So not as part of the project, but Fairfax Water looked at ways to kind of solve the pressure problem for those folks that are located at the top of the pressure zone. And they came up with a very good solution to that, and that is basically turning a valve so that they can bring water from a higher pressure zone into this pressure zone to support the two areas that you see on the slide outlined in yellow.

[03:27:58] This was something Fairfax Water wanted to do for their customers, who were the neighbors of this tank. But also, we worked with your staff who said, well, you're saying you're going to do it, but how do we know you're going to do it? How can we enforce that? So we added a development condition.

[03:28:14] And then the planning commission said, well, we want a number in that development condition. And we ended up agreeing that the pressure would be increased by approximately 15 PSI at the service level. All of that is now in a development condition that can be enforced by the county.

[03:28:30] But it also is a commitment that Fairfax Water was willing to make. The price tag of this additional part of the project is $750,000 to $800,000. So it's not an insignificant give, but it will be better for the community and better for Fairfax Waters customers.

[03:28:48] So this is my last slide, Mr. Chairman, but it's maybe the most important. Because one of the things that we heard about through the community engagement process were concerns about construction. And the streets are narrow in this community.

[03:29:03] The site is sufficient so that all of the construction can be contained on site, including the parking and things. But what we ended up doing, working again with your staff, was to come up with the conditions that you see listed here, all of which go toward making sure that construction impacts are mitigated to the extent possible.

[03:29:23] And significantly, the Planning Commission, we heard feedback, obviously, at that public hearing about schoolchildren and safety for schoolchildren. And we revised the development conditions between the commission hearing and their vote to require coordination with Fairfax County Public Schools on bus drop-off and pickup times and bus stops where the bus stops are located.

[03:29:47] And maybe most importantly, we added a commitment to have a person out on the site, there in the front, on the street, during those pickup and drop-off periods. And also during any deliveries that are scheduled for construction equipment or materials to make sure that pedestrians and vehicles can move up and down Tower Street safely.

[03:30:10] So I won't go into all of these, but I think Chairman Najewski-Eichner at the commission said that this might be a good blueprint for trying to mitigate construction impacts during a project like this in an existing residential neighborhood. So with that, Mr. Chairman, I will wrap up, but I'd be happy to answer any questions that you all might have.

[03:30:29] Thank you very much. Thank you very much for that presentation. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Supervisor Palczyk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to Kevin and to John for your presentations. I'll probably have a couple of questions later, but I just wanted to start with a few.

[03:30:47] You know, I had a really, we've had many conversations with the community up until this past week, and I know one of the main concerns, and you've addressed it, I mean, this is a 72-year-old tower in parts of our community that have aging infrastructure, but very tight roads, very difficult areas.

[03:31:08] So I think it's in the report, but I think, number one, if you could just go back a little bit and describe how Fairfax Water reviewed all the possible sites and what was done to try to find an alternative that was not in such a, though existing, tight residential area and why this was eventually chosen as the site.

[03:31:32] Sure, sure. Fairfax Water, again, they acquired the system in 2014, and they looked at five sites, five potential sites that they evaluated for water storage that could potentially serve this pressure zone. And it was a very extensive review, and we've had a lot of conversations with you, Supervisor Palczyk, and the community, and I won't go into all of those details, but of the five sites, what made this the best site, there were a number of points, And you could take each of the other four and say, well, that doesn't meet this, that doesn't meet that.

[03:32:11] But for the board's benefit, the 5R, this is the highest elevation in the zone, which means it can be the shortest tank. And that's important. It's centrally located in the zone, which I didn't really appreciate. I feel like I'm becoming somewhat of an engineer through this process.

[03:32:27] But because of its central location, you get two benefits. One is if it were at the Palatan site, for example. That would be on the other side of Interstate 66 from the majority of the pressure zone, and you would have a single potential point of connection to the majority of the pressure zone.

[03:32:47] If there's a failure of that, then everybody in the pressure zone south of 66, which is the bulk of it, would lose the water service from that tank. And so you don't want to have your critical infrastructure that disconnected, if you will, from the pressure zone.

[03:33:03] This would be in the center. And also, by putting it on a place that already has an existing tank, you can maximize the use of existing infrastructure that feeds the current tank. They are replacing some of the water mains, but the basic infrastructure that feeds the tank and then distributes the water from the tank is in place today.

[03:33:24] So the fact that there was an existing tank also was a plus because at least two, maybe three, of the other sites are not being used for water storage today. So it was a combination of those factors.

[03:33:39] But there's a reason it's called Tower Street. There's a reason there's a tank there today, and it really is the best location for the tank compared to all the other ones. One other point, and I know you know this, Supervisor Palchik, but the Planning Commission and your staff in particular said, what about a commercial zone?

[03:33:58] The neighbor said, put it in a commercial area, not in our neighborhood. And I understand that comment, but what we did is we drew a radius of about a mile from this, and there are some commercially zoned properties within there, but there are three issues with that.

[03:34:14] One, they're at a significantly lower elevation, so you wouldn't get all of the advantages you get. At Tower Street, it would have to be a much taller tank, and it would not meet the project objectives to the same level if it were there. Two, none of them are vacant.

[03:34:30] None of them are currently used for a water tank that we could just swap in a new tank. So you would have to take out some kind of a shopping center or something to that effect, which does increase the cost, which your comprehensive plan recognizes a relevant consideration.

[03:34:47] It shouldn't be the only one, but it's a relevant consideration. And the third is most of those commercial areas are along the south side of Route 29 or on Route 7, both sides of Route 7. And a lot of them, most of them, where a tank could go, there's residential right abutting it on the other side.

[03:35:07] So the residential uses would still be impacted even though it's commercial zoning. So a lot of thought, and that's just a quick summary or highlight of why we ended up going here. Thank you. I appreciate that. I have just one more small question before we turn to the speakers and the others. If you could clarify, I think you had it in there, but do you know approximately how many homes will this water tank serve, and for how long is this expected to service those homes?

[03:35:38] Sure. So within the pressure zone, there are approximately 40,000 homes in the pressure zone. The tank influence is roughly, I mean, it serves all of the pressure zone, but the system is interrelated and interconnected.

[03:35:55] But there are at least 12,000 of the 40,000 that are directly benefited and served by the tank. And this tank meets the project objectives that I listed. There are no further objectives. So with current planning, with current trends, with your comprehensive plan, this tank will serve this community and the pressure zone for the foreseeable future.

[03:36:19] There's no plans to come along for a second tank or another one in a different part of the zone. This is it for the long term. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Any additional questions at this time? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I do have eight speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter.

[03:36:39] If you are here to testify and you have not signed up and wish to testify, please come down and sign in here with the clerk to my right, to your left. And we will begin with speaker number one, Carmen Smith. And following Carmen Smith, we will hear we have four videos to be played.

[03:37:03] Welcome. Hello, my name is Carmen Smith. I live directly across the street from the two homes that would be demolished to make way for this huge water tower. The proposed water tower will harm our community, impair the value of our homes, and by literally casting a shadow over our neighborhood, it will hinder the use of our homes to produce solar energy. No amount of screening will help cover a 100-foot-tall water tower. No

[03:37:40] 8-foot trees, no 10-foot trees, not even 6-foot trees. The screening that they tout will simply not work i'm asking you to help make this project less bad it is possible but fairfax not water will not do it just because the neighbors asked for it we need you the board of supervisors to require it we're asking for a few reasonable changes a smaller water tank that's set back from the street behind a home or a fake home on the street frontage a smaller water tower that is set back from the street behind a residential looking building gets us something that is at

[03:38:18] least kind of like what we have today and that's how we minimize the impact on home values minimize the impact of solar shading and do our best to retain the residential look and feel of the neighborhood please help mitigate the impact of this project Fairfax water might know a lot about water towers but they know nothing about how to maintain the residential nature of a neighborhood and they have never before demolished homes to make way for a huge water tower we need your help this water tower is permanent it can't be

[03:38:56] changed it's not like changing a bank into a coffee shop or an office building into condos this is it this water tower will hover over our neighborhood like a giant spaceship well beyond our lifetimes it is critical that we get this right I'm asking you to reject or defer this project and and require Fairfax Water to collaborate with the neighbors and make real changes to reduce the impact of this project.

[03:39:25] Making the tower smaller and sending it back from the street behind a home or a residential-looking building is a reasonable request to save this neighborhood. Please do not approve the project as is. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number two is Timothy Yeeney, who has submitted video testimony.

[03:39:45] Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to address the Board of Supervisors. I'd like to introduce you all to my neighborhood and show you how united we are in preserving the character of our community and how united we are in opposing this project. In preparation for this testimony, I walked around our block on Sunday afternoon and took pictures of over four dozen homes with signs in front opposing the demolition of homes on Tower Street to construct the commercial-sized water tower.

[03:40:14] As you see, our neighborhood is well-established. Some residents have lived here since the homes were built over 70 years ago. The residents mostly know each other and share stories on walks. This project has ironically brought us closer together in our opposition to the project. Nowhere in the world would a commercial facility as large as this even be considered to be built in an existing residential community.

[03:40:38] In our area, as most of the United States, access to affordable homes is in very short supply. Affordable homes should not be destroyed except as a last resort, not as a first option. Why is this even being considered in Fairfax County? To be clear, this is not a replacement of our existing standpipe water tower, but an enormous expansion of the existing facility, more than four times the existing usable capacity.

[03:41:05] Section 4102F2C states that the location, size, and height of the structure cannot hinder or discourage the appropriate development and use or impair the value of adjacent or nearby land or buildings. I live right next door to the proposed water tower.

[03:41:22] The existing tower is barely noticeable for most of the year. The new tower will be taller, with an 80-foot diameter bowl sitting on a pedestal 100 feet above our head, more than twice as close to Tower Street. No amount of screening will hide this behemoth.

[03:41:38] It represents 24 homes stacked on top of each other, representing the size of that bowl. Furthermore, it's so high and positioned so close to my home as to shade my solar panels, in direct violation of the special exemption language. No one from Fairfax Water or Fairfax County has ever responded to this concern.

[03:41:58] In fact, most of our concerns the community raised at the Planning Commission hearing were completely ignored. We cited chapter and verse of how established rules were being violated. The Planning Commission and especially the Zoning Board failed in their responsibility to enforce the rules.

[03:42:13] However, they only provide a recommendation. The Board of Supervisors will make the actual decision. I ask, how can the board take action which they know violates established regulation and knowing that the Planning Commission failed in their mission? Falls Church Water, prior to the sale of the existing tower, stated that the Poplar Heights location was not suitable for commercial construction and acquired property elsewhere to expand water storage capacity.

[03:42:42] The Board of Supervisors needs to reject this proposal in its current form until it can truly accommodate the needs of the community and the requirements of the existing regulations. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Speaker number three is Lori Perez, who has also submitted a video.

[03:43:03] County board members, I'm here today on behalf of the residents of Poplar Heights to express our strong opposition to the proposed industrial-sized water tower. As a military family, we understand sacrifice, but the demands being placed on our community are excessive and have real impact.

[03:43:24] Fairfax Water has repeatedly failed to listen to us, the neighbors, and implement any meaningful changes based on our feedback. They paint a picture of collaboration, yet after over a year of attending meetings, the only change is a sidewalk to nowhere.

[03:43:40] It feels like a failure to truly engage with our community. This plan asks everything from us while we're simply asking for changes that preserve our neighborhood and home values. You are being asked to approve a new water tower while ignoring the real detrimental effects it will have on our community.

[03:44:01] The proposed project threatens to destroy two affordable middle-income homes, drastically altering the character of our neighborhood. Reduce property values by 25%, as detailed in a previous email. Compromise our ability to use solar panels and embrace green energy, and put our safety, health, and well-being at risk.

[03:44:25] These sacrifices are far beyond what any community should endure, and they contradict our county's zoning policies. These goals below align with the standards for special exemption in the Zoning Ordinance Section 4102.1.F.

[03:44:44] 1. Maintain the neighborhood's residential character. Two, minimize the negative impact on our home values. And three, allow neighbors to fully utilize properties for solar energy. If you're not going to ask Fairfax Water to explore a more suitable location, given that there is a commercial development on West Broad or the county-owned park on Idlewood, then we respectfully request the following reasonable changes to the plan.

[03:45:17] These three changes to the current plan will help achieve the goals I've just listed. A smaller tank, a home on the street frontage, and increased setback from the street.

[03:45:33] To mitigate the detrimental impacts of the water tower project, these three changes are a minimum of what needs to be done to minimize the loss of affordable middle-income homes, preserve property values, protect solar energy, and to maintain neighborhood character.

[03:45:51] These adjustments are essential for preserving our community. It's time for action on these changes. We urge you to listen to our requests and ensure these positive changes get implemented into the project so that it aligns with the harmony and intent of our community.

[03:46:08] Thank you for your time and attention. Thank you. Speaker number four is Xavier Perez, who has also submitted a video. Dear Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, My name is Xavier Perez, and I live directly across from the proposed water tower site.

[03:46:28] I'm writing to express my opposition to this project, which threatens the safety, character, and the property values of our neighborhood. While Fairfax Water has made surface-level changes in the response to community concerns, such as tree height and lighting, the core of their plan remains unchanged.

[03:46:52] This industrial water tower will permanently alter our residential area, replacing homes with a 100-foot tall, 80-foot wide structure that is entirely out of place here. The increased water storage capacity, 417% more than what we currently have, will turn this neighborhood into an industrial zone.

[03:47:21] The shading from the massive structure will interfere with solar energy production for surrounding homes, violating county ordinances. Moreover, the demolition and construction process will endanger residents, particularly children, with noise, dust, and heavy machinery.

[03:47:43] I urge you to reconsider approving this project until meaningful adjustments are made to preserve the residential nature of our community. minimizing the size of the tank or restoring the homes that will be lost should be essential considerations before moving forward thank you for your attention in this matter thank you thank you speaker number five is mary yeaney also submitted video testimony thank you board

[03:48:18] of supervisors for allowing me to speak tonight my name is mary yeaney and i'm trying to reach all of you who are responsible for the construction permit for a water tower in our neighborhood. I would love for you not just to hear what I have to say, but to please listen. What we are asking for in the neighborhood are minimal changes that impact the well-being of the neighborhood.

[03:48:44] We who live on Tower Street and beyond are the people mostly impacted by this industrial-sized water tower, and we are the ones who will have to endure the construction of this tower, which will take most likely over two years. And then we'll have to live with a tower on our street.

[03:49:02] In my personal case, right next door to me. Fairfax Water has presented itself as having met with many people in the neighborhood. They have met with just a few that we know of and have made very few changes to this plan, like some landscaping and decreasing the number of lights around the tower. It's almost embarrassing for them to admit to so little for the neighborhood.

[03:49:26] Again, we all understand everyone's need for water. That is not an issue that we are disputing. But that this tower must be constructed in our residential neighborhood can be disputed. This area was rejected in a prior study in 2016.

[03:49:44] Nowhere has affordable housing been destroyed in Fairfax County for utility. Over a year of struggling with this issue, we have repeatedly asked that the size of the tower be reduced from the planned size right now.

[03:50:02] To use and to also have it constructed as far back possible from Tower Street. Ideally, this may preserve at least one of the houses being demolished. And if the houses cannot be preserved, at least a facade house facing the street so the impact of those living here will be diminished every time we walk or drive up and down the street.

[03:50:25] With the tower being constructed further back, our solar panels will not be shaded as much in the winter, which is another issue that we have not heard back from Fairfax Water. Another issue of our property values and the board, the planning commission was actually given an article from one of our neighbors and we've never heard about that.

[03:50:50] In a nutshell, we're asking for three things, and these requests will never impact Fairfax Water as much as they will impact our neighborhood. Please, reduce the size of the tower, increase the setback from Tower Street, and replace a home with a home facade so that we will all have something to look at that is pleasant, at least, in the neighborhood once the tower is constructed.

[03:51:21] Thank you. Speaker number six is Tina Williams. Is Tina Williams here? Tina is here. To be followed by Stephen Miles. If Stephen Miles is here, you will immediately follow Ms. Williams, who is speaker. We are now on speaker number six. Welcome.

[03:51:39] Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay, Board of Supervisors, staff, and this community. I'm Tina Williams, a retired FCPS school counselor and Fairfax County resident. It's good to see you all, and I appreciate this opportunity to speak with you today about the water tower.

[03:51:59] I recently spoke with residents regarding why they selected this part of the county to live, raise their families, and to retire. I was told I love the natural beauty, the lush trees, and the warm, pleasant atmosphere.

[03:52:18] It has a quaint, it's quaint, affordable, and it offers superb schools. It's close to the trail and it complements an active outdoor lifestyle. And also, it is an investment in my retirement.

[03:52:36] These sentiments capture what many in our county might also describe as their dream neighborhoods, a valuable community worth protecting. You have received many letters and documents, as well as had conversations outlining the concerns and key information that is critical to this process, and we request that it be reviewed and strongly considered.

[03:53:09] The testimonials offered today from this community demand that their voices and their input be a real part of the discussion prior to any final decisions being made by this board.

[03:53:29] In previous written communication, Carmen Smith has provided areas of particular concern regarding noncompliance for special exemptions and permit use, as well as not adhering to zone ordinances. Do not turn a blind eye to this kind of information at this moment.

[03:53:50] Inclusive, collaborative, open, and respectful communication with these stakeholders is still needed before you finalize your decision. Adherence to zoning ordinances must be acknowledged and upheld fully in order to maintain the beauty in this neighborhood along with home values and affordability.

[03:54:14] For these reasons, I stand in solidarity with this community in requesting time be allotted to include their voices, to review the details that they have provided as part of your decision-making process. Thank you.

[03:54:30] Thank you. Speaker number seven is Stephen Miles. And if I call your name, please come on down and be close. Speaker number eight is a caller. Speaker number nine is Liz Snead. If Liz is here, if you could come on down a little bit closer.

[03:54:46] Welcome, speaker number seven, Mr. Miles. Hi. Thank you for listening to us. My name is Stephen Miles. I live directly across the street from this proposed water tower. I have three young school-age children, and our neighborhood is full of other young families with small kids.

[03:55:11] I would like to just take a brief moment to try to impress upon you just how hazardous it would be to build in this area. This is a road that, with cars parked on either side, you can barely fit a standard sedan through, let alone a cement truck.

[03:55:30] I want to make sure that you hear those words so that, God forbid, if something happens down the road, you can't say the community didn't do everything it could to sort of raise awareness about the danger. But also, you know, it's going to be such an eyesore for the neighborhood, but I don't want to go too much into the emotional.

[03:55:54] I want to be practical. I think I understand there's a very strong likelihood this is going to happen. We need water supply, and that's fair enough. We chose to live next to a water tower, but we didn't choose to live next to a water tower that's suddenly four times the size. I struggle to think about exactly what to say, but the gentleman from Fairfax Water actually, I think, said it better than I ever could, because there are three things he said.

[03:56:20] One, they conducted a study to figure out that they wanted to build it on the highest ground in a central location. You needed to spend money and hire consultants to figure out that this was the central location and on the highest ground.

[03:56:39] Please call me. I can tell you that. Half the price. But the other thing you said is that the tower was going to be twice the size. It was going to be two and a half million gallons. Well, if you can reduce it by half, then perhaps you could compromise a little further. Perhaps you could shave another 10% off and make it a little bit less of an eyesore.

[03:56:58] And lastly, and this is most important, I think, you went to great pains to point out how you've moved it to the central location, making it sound as though that is what the neighborhood wants, when in fact that's maybe the most contentious issue. I'm here to say that I think you guys will probably go ahead and have to build a water tower here, but how about we do it closer to the original one and allow a residential property in front of it?

[03:57:25] There's plenty of space. There's no engineering reason for it. In fact, if you listen to what he said, he didn't mention an engineering reason. He just said that it was for the improved aesthetics, effectively. So the neighbors are saying, please, I'll set this a little further away from Tower Street, closer to the original location, and I think everyone can be happy with that.

[03:57:48] So I'm here to be really simple and practical and make really modest requests. Please, can we make it a little smaller, move it back a bit, and build a house in front of the area, keep our neighborhood looking like a neighborhood? Thank you. Thank you.

[03:58:03] Speaker number eight is Julie Kasten. Is she on the line? I'm here. Can you hear me clearly? We can. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. Today, you're hearing from just a fraction of the many residents who will be negatively affected by this proposal from Fairfax Water.

[03:58:26] If approved, it will dramatically alter our lives. Fairfax Water made some minor adjustments to their proposal, affecting landscaping, lighting, and other small changes that do not make a meaningful dent in the scale of the proposal.

[03:58:46] We respectfully ask that you require Fairfax Water to make reasonable but meaningful changes to their application as a condition of project approval. Two-dimensional renderings do not capture the enormous impact of demolishing homes, removing mature tree canopy, and expanding the water tower footprint to the extent that's been described.

[03:59:10] Poplar Heights will go from a mature neighborhood to a major utility location on the backs of us neighbors who have built our lives and invested our livelihoods here. This proposal is in direct violation of the stated requirements for a special exception.

[03:59:28] As outlined today by our neighbors and for the past year plus, this proposal will impede our ability to use our own homes and will directly impact their value. This project will affect our health, safety, and well-being due to the lack of specified planning and the destruction of two residential dwellings.

[03:59:52] We have been dialoguing with Fairfax Water for well over a year. To call these discussions a collaborative process is a large misrepresentation of what has actually occurred. Knowing this, if this body hears all of our testimony and decides to approve the applicant's request to rezone, we, the neighbors, ask you to first require Fairfax Water to make three critical adjustments to its application.

[04:00:21] Number one, if this project cannot be executed without eliminating and destroying two residences, we ask that the demolished homes be replaced with at least one newer home or rebuilt home or a faux home, such as the brick structure that services the adjacent radio tower that is so often referenced by the applicant.

[04:00:43] Number two, increase the required setback from Tower Street so that the tower is not the prominent feature of the entire area. Any visit to the site that is not limited to two-dimensional rendering can see what it is now versus where it will be, if proposed.

[04:01:03] Number three, if this board decides to approve, we ask that it be right-sized for the space. The proposed tower is much too large to fit in our neighborhood, surrounded by homes. Replace it with one that fits the space available. Redesign the plan so that it respects the neighborhood rather than demolishes.

[04:01:22] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number nine is Liz Sneed. Is there anyone else after Ms. Sneed that wishes to testify on this matter? Okay. Welcome. Hi. Thank you. And I appreciate your time. I don't have anything formal planned. I represent 2518 Bucklew Drive. I know a lot of the people you've heard from were on Tower Street. We've been in the house. My mom's been in the house. She's 90 now. She's been there since 68. And my aunt lives there with her. My concern is kind of like selfish because we could the current water tower that's there actually floods our house all the

[04:02:01] time it like the water runs off and comes right down through my mom's yard into our basement and then down the hill because it goes down down buckloo to the creek um so i'm very concerned that by building something that's twice the size it's gonna make twice the flooding and it's not flooding it's from like when there's rains and things like that and i've also been in the neighborhood, I concur with the gentleman about the traffic. Those roads are, if you guys could drive through there at one point, those roads are so small. When I was there Sunday taking my mom

[04:02:35] for groceries, to go around the curb at Tower Street, you literally have to stop in a car because people are parked on either side. You have to stop because you don't know if a car's coming up the hill. So, I mean, it's either, there's pedestrians walking dogs. It's a very family-friendly neighborhood. And I think the water tower would be like, I mean, we got a water tower. Why not fix the one you have instead of building something bigger? Thank you for your time. But I definitely disagree with making the, you know, the big industrial water tower. Thank

[04:03:12] you. Thank you very much. Let me verify again that there's no one else present who would like to testify on this specific matter. This is a public hearing. Let me ask the clerk if anyone has called in there are no callers no one has called in at this time rebuttal would be welcome thank you mr chairman i'm going to try to do this efficiently but there were a number of things raised and we've covered these matters in front of the planning commission and frankly with the

[04:03:44] community but first off impairing property values we have no evidence fairfax water has no evidence nor have we found any evidence that water tanks impair property values. Most of the water tanks in Fairfax County are located on residentially zoned properties.

[04:04:02] We did actually find an article that said that water tanks do not have any adverse impact on property values, and we submitted that to the Planning Commission. So we would disagree with that contention. Another correction is you've heard that we're increasing the capacity by 417% or 400%, and that's not true either.

[04:04:26] The existing tank is 700,000 gallons. The new tank will be 1.25 million. I mean, that's it. The usable capacity of the current tank is limited, but it's somewhat irrelevant. And this goes to really one of the big requests is can't you reduce the size of the tank from 1.25 million gallons?

[04:04:48] It will not meet the project objectives and the Virginia Department of Health standards and the fire prevention standards that Fairfax Water applies to all of its customers throughout your county. It will not meet those if it's less than 1.25. We've crunched the numbers.

[04:05:04] That is the lowest we can get it. It was supposed to be bigger, and Fairfax Water, on their own, even prior to the community outreach, reduced the size of the tank by half. They don't deserve, well, they do deserve credit for that, but my point is you can't just say, well, you did it once, do it again, because they're at the bare minimum.

[04:05:24] And I would point this out as well. The current tank, 700,000 gallons of capacity. If you were to basically reduce the 1.25 million gallon tank that's being proposed to 700,000 gallons, it would decrease the width of that bowl by only about 10 feet, 10 or 15 feet.

[04:05:42] It would not make a major change to the dimensions of the tank that's being proposed because of the way the tank is shaped. I do want to defend my comments about the collaborative approach because before we filed the special exception, After meeting with the community, we relocated the driveway next to the Yenies' home to the other side of the site, away from the Yenies' home.

[04:06:07] That was one change. I pointed out in my presentation the project that Fairfax Water added to increase water pressures. They did that because of community feedback, $750,000 to $800,000 of increased costs because the community raised an issue.

[04:06:24] Those extensive construction conditions, we had that in mind. Safety is really important in Fairfax County. But most of those conditions were developed with the community feedback and the community input. And, you know, we actually had a commercial entrance initially.

[04:06:44] And it was your county staff who said, this is a residential neighborhood. You can't have a commercial entrance. So we've worked on it so that it's going to be a residential driveway entrance into this site. So a number of changes have been made, and the most significant since the Planning Commission hearing were two.

[04:07:01] One is the schools. Mr. Miles spoke about his school-age children. Very valid concern. Very valid concern, but we added language to the development conditions to address that issue. And then the lighting, to make light of that, no pun intended, but there were nine light fixtures proposed when we were at the Planning Commission.

[04:07:23] We reduce that down to two, and we move them away from the residents that you heard from so that they are projected down toward the entrance to the tank and not illuminating the site. And there is a major street light in the area that lights the front of the site anyhow.

[04:07:40] Mentioned the smaller tank. Oh, the fake house, or can you preserve a house? What you can't see, and maybe you can see it if you go to the broader photo that shows the neighborhood, because you have two streets here.

[04:07:55] You have Tower Street, and you have Bucklew Drive, which is on the other side. The current tank, if you go, Kevin, to your slide that showed the current tank and where it's being shifted, because this goes to the central point, that one. So you see the purple.

[04:08:11] It's closest to the people who are on Bucklew Drive, which is on the right side of your screen, and they back to that current tank. There's currently four light poles out there, that current tank, and no landscaping whatsoever. So you're not really hearing, other than Ms. Snead and the drainage issue, which I'll get to, but you're not hearing from the people who are on Buckaloo who back to the current tank because this new tank will be moved away from their houses to the center of the site and will be buffered by at least 50 feet of buffered screening around those perimeters.

[04:08:46] Even moving it to the center, it's 120 feet from Tower Street. I mean, it's not pushing it up onto Tower Street. So let's talk about the two houses that are being demolished. They have to be demolished in order to construct the tank. Why can't you just rebuild one or both of them?

[04:09:04] The problem is, to do that, you would have to, the only way you could do it is to push the tank toward Buckaloo and push it away from Tower Street, which is what is being asked. But if you push that away, you could create a lot that meets the minimum zoning ordinance requirements on Tower Street, but you would have no transitional screening between that lot and the tank.

[04:09:27] You would have to get modifications of the screening along the backyards of those people on Buckaloo, and then you'd have a lot that's very constrained up on Tower Street, and if it stays vacant, then there's no screening of the tank from Tower Street.

[04:09:42] I mean, it really, we looked, believe me, it would have been an easy thing if we could make it work to put a house in front of it. But there's just not that much width between Tower Street and those backyards of the people on Buckaloo in order to create a lot that's viable and marketable where you could build a new home.

[04:10:01] And the last point on that one is the two homes that are there today that are being taken down, their heights are 15 feet and 18 feet, respectively. We've committed to landscaping that's going to be anywhere from 10 to 16 feet tall at the time of planting. And then, obviously, when they mature, they're going to be much taller than those houses would be in terms of screening the tank behind it.

[04:10:24] Supervisor Palchuk did a great job with this latest development condition that says we're going to continue working with the community. The purpose of that condition is to come up with ways and ideas to enhance or preserve the residential character. It's been a theme throughout this project, and we've done a number of things to date to meet there, but we can have a conversation about it.

[04:10:44] But putting a house between the tank and Tower Street just physically will not work. Mr. Chairman, one minute. I think that covers everything. Oh, the drainage. Yes, the drainage point.

[04:11:02] The new tank obviously will have to meet all of your stormwater management requirements. There's going to be, I think, over 17,000 square feet of composted new soil enhancements that are done to treat the stormwater. If anything, there's no stormwater treatment with the current tank, but there will be with the new tank.

[04:11:22] The drainage issues have to be addressed. They will be addressed with this application and at the site plan stage. And we have reached out to Ms. Snead, and we haven't heard back, but I'm happy to talk to her because the last thing we want to do is to have a drainage issue. And I would submit that the new tank will fix the issue that her mother is currently experiencing.

[04:11:42] I think I covered everything, Mr. Chairman, but if there's any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Thank you very much. Okay. Other questions. Let me just ask you one, because the fire prevention standards were mentioned, and I just want to understand that a little bit better. Is that a close call with the current tank?

[04:11:59] Do we have an order of magnitude on that? I mean, obviously, if it's not meeting those standards, it's a challenge. but is it a challenge that our fire and rescue department or others have indicated as an operational hazard? One point that comes to mind is the fire and rescue folks have written a letter of support for the new tank, obviously.

[04:12:19] But the issue, and I will turn it to an expert if I get this wrong, so just stand up, but the issue is you need 700,000 gallons for the daily operational needs of the pressure zone. That's the capacity of the current tank. There is no fire, excess storage, if you will, in the event of a fire or some other kind of emergency like a water main break.

[04:12:42] I mean, that's just the daily flow. And I don't have my notes handy on the amount of time. I think it's three-hour duration that you need for fire prevention. You need enough water to meet the daily operational needs of the zone, but also sufficient storage capacity so that you could fight a fire for up to three hours.

[04:13:03] And if you do the math, it gets you to 1.24 million gallons to meet both of those needs. So in terms of the current tank, I mean, I think it's fair to say that it is insufficient for if there were a fire emergency in the area.

[04:13:18] It's the reason Fairfax Water is trying to take care of it. And I think that's why fire and rescue support the tank, the new tank. Okay. Thank you. Other questions at this time? Are there other questions? Supervisor Palchik. I have one more, because I think something was brought up.

[04:13:37] I mean, I think we know a lot of this is post-Water Wars and the transfer of the false church system to the county side probably a couple decades ago at this time. And you mentioned that in 2014 that we have here that is when the applicant for Rexwater acquired the site from the false church city system.

[04:14:03] It was mentioned by one of our residents. I think Mr. Heaney mentioned that Falls Church City had looked at it and decided that this was not an appropriate size or location for the water tank. I'm not aware of that.

[04:14:18] Let me just verify that. We're not aware of that. Yeah. I believe the Powhatan site, which is a park site, was something that Falls Church acquired.

[04:14:35] But we're not aware that they acquired that because the Tower Street site was not viable or not where they would put a tank. But they did acquire it for water storage, is my understanding, in 1973.

[04:14:51] But that's the site that's located on the opposite side of Interstate 66 from the majority of the pressure zone. But it has been clear that a new tank, a larger tank, more capacity was necessary. there just wasn't a solution until this was reviewed I assume that I mean that is correct that is correct and and I did as I was glancing down solar panels were something else that somebody mentioned and the solar Fairfax water did do a shadow study and and we submitted it your county staff has a copy I think the community has a copy it was posted on the website and during the

[04:15:31] winter solstice time period, the shadows will change slightly, and it will cause a shadow a little later in the morning, and it will be for several minutes longer, but not hours longer. So there is some shadowing that will come from the tank, but we've looked at it. It's not something that was ignored, but overall, the impacts from shadowing will only be during that part of the year and it would be minimal in terms of and then the current tank impacts those sites as well but

[04:16:06] earlier in the day and for a little less period of time thank you and finally um and i appreciate your uh help on this final development condition because i do you know we want to make sure that the um the feel of the residential neighborhood right um i know it is very critical to this community and while you mentioned that it was difficult to preserve one of those the two of the four homes that must be demolished for safe access to the site can you explain to me a little bit I know you don't have to read the development condition but but what Fairfax Water will be able to do once the the site is

[04:16:45] finalized to figure out with the community how to design the new look of that area yeah what we are prepared to do and what we're hoping to do with the development condition that you developed is is to continue the dialogue the tank Can't get smaller, but particularly with, and then we listed the development conditions, the landscaping, the type of landscaping, the location of it.

[04:17:13] There's a sidewalk that the county has requested easements for across the frontage along Tower Street. We've committed to give those easements, but we can have a dialogue about when that goes in. There are a lot of mature trees. I kind of missed that when I was doing my presentation, but a number of the trees in that area are old and they're mature and substantial in height, and we've committed to preserve those, and we want to because they provide the best screening, quite frankly.

[04:17:41] But we can work with the community on landscaping, lighting, sidewalk, you know, anything relative to how the tank is viewed from the street, from Tower Street specifically, that would make it look more residential as you drive through.

[04:18:02] I mean, I the other day was driving down Tapawingo in Vienna, and there's a big, it's a town of Vienna tank. It's not Fairfax Water, but a very tall tank right there in the middle of a residential neighborhood. But if you weren't sort of looking for it, you really wouldn't see it because there were mature trees.

[04:18:19] I could see it better under the trees than I could by looking up. But there's a similar tank, I think, in the town of Herndon that I drive by. But it's that type of thing. If somebody, and I invite the neighbors, if they, on their property, if they're planting trees on their property would help with the residential character of that street and the tank, then we are open to that.

[04:18:40] And it's not clear right because you do have 10 of the development conditions are related to Or 14 for trees landscaping and on-site support and one of those want to confirm is an actual project arbor it arborist that will be The certified arborist Consulting throughout the project and absolutely destruction. Yep. Thank you And before we close the public hearing I just I'm having a hard time pulling up the development conditions But we did hear, obviously, some concerns, and a projected construction timeline was mentioned by one of the speakers.

[04:19:19] And we did hear some concerns about construction traffic during construction. I think you mentioned in your initial presentation that that was addressed in one of the development conditions. Can you just describe for me what that is? And then also, is that an accurate construction time frame that was quoted at roughly a two-year period of time?

[04:19:40] Two years. Probably a little less, but yes, I would agree that two years is a good estimate of that. It's really, I mean, there are a number of construction conditions related to noise, glare, dust, construction hours, those kinds of things.

[04:19:57] But condition 21, Mr. Chairman, is a construction management plan. And this is something that I have worked actually with Supervisor Palcik on in Tyson's. And it's very similar. It started with the borough, and we did it with the SOMOS project.

[04:20:13] And it keeps getting better and better, I think, for the county and the neighbors and probably harder and harder for the applicants. So it might be my last time appearing here. But we keep adding to it, Mr. Chairman. And that condition 21 is the one I would point to that talks about we'll have a construction management plan.

[04:20:33] And then with respect to the vehicle traffic, we heard the concern at the planning commission about the school children. And so we have added a specific bullet under that plan to address school children and school safety. And the same thing with deliveries of construction materials and equipment.

[04:20:54] When we know they're scheduled, we've committed in the condition enforceable by the county to have an individual out front so that it's not just a truck showing up. We also, and we haven't mentioned this yet, but we have points of contact. They're going to be posted on a sign in front of the site.

[04:21:11] The supervisor's office will have it, and it'll be a Fairfax Water number. And if anybody has any complaints or if anything is not going as planned, they should call. I mean, they absolutely should call because there's a, obviously, Fairfax Water wants to make sure this is done in a safe way and also in a way that minimizes the impact to the neighborhood so that the people who live there can use the street, particularly when they need it in the morning, in the afternoons, and they're not impacted by construction vehicles and equipment.

[04:21:44] Okay. Thank you for that explanation. Any last questions? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palczyk for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I've got my notes, and there's my motion.

[04:22:04] Okay. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement to the development conditions dated October 21st, 2024. Thank you. John McGranahan, attorney for the applicant. I confirm the applicant's agreement with the development conditions dated October 21st, 2024.

[04:22:25] I'm therefore moved that the Board of Supervisors approve SE 2023-PR-00046, subject to its development conditions dated October 21st, 2024. I further move that the Board of Supervisors approve the requested modifications dated July 18th, 2024, which will be made part of the record.

[04:22:50] You've heard the motion. The Chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Poucher. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. um first of all i really want to thank the community um i know those of you who are here today represent many who we've met with who the applicants have met with um who are neighbors to this community and this has been a really difficult um application i appreciate especially um kevin and um kathy and the staff who've supported the work and and helped us and helped fairfax water make this a better application. I can't remember when it was. It was sometime during COVID

[04:23:29] when I was sort of newly into office and first had outreach as the elected official from Fairfax Water to understand where they had been planning and needing a new facility, how the project had been studied, how this location had been identified, and how that original tank was two and a half million gallon tank. And I remember seeing that and knowing very well Tower Street and Bucklew from walking through and visiting that community quite often over the

[04:24:06] years and kind of shocked at how knowing it's a tall street with two towers, but just how large that tower was. So I appreciated that from day one, the applicant for Fairx Water went back half that in size, even though it was not the ideal size for the needs of our community.

[04:24:33] But knowing that in this, especially the older part of the county, my house was built in 1948, so we know these older parts of the community, tight areas, very walkable, but smaller space, which we like these days because we want more walkability, but tighter spaces in order to help address our you know, aging infrastructure in these older areas to meet the needs of the community, but also the larger community. This is not an easy one. I definitely am going through some of the history we've gone through. I think I've had, I'm on my third chief of staff since then,

[04:25:09] my second planning commissioner. Luckily, Rick is still there. So we definitely have had a lot of sweat and with staff to try to, first of all, look to see if there was another site that could be located, and it really became evident that there was not another acceptable site.

[04:25:27] This is a very built-out, mostly residential part of the community with small areas for commercial on the outside. And as I said to residents last week, even every time I drive home now, Route 7, I keep looking, there's got to be a magical spot in the middle of the highway somewhere that could work, but I'm not an engineer, and I know that we have looked at those.

[04:25:47] I very much appreciate that the community, I know there are three main goals. There were three requests that were made, but specifically three underlying goals to help preserve the neighborhood feel of the community, to help ensure that their safety, those measures are met during the process to minimize any impact, and I know that there's not direct evidence.

[04:26:16] have looked for what the impact would be on home values that is something that comes up with anything from schools to utilities that are built and to ensure that the neighbors can use their homes especially those who are looking to add solar or who want to make sure that they it is safe and screened as much as possible so while reducing the size of the tower was done at the beginning but is no longer another option increasing the setback as was shown it is currently closer to Bucklew will be in the middle so a little bit closer to the tower

[04:26:53] side but really centralized with improved buffers with improved stormwater management we spent this morning hearing from our stormwater team and how we are trying to address the lack of standards that were there decades ago when so much of our county was built and then finally to really work with the community So I appreciate that in addition to, I think if I counted correctly, there was the sidewalk and the lighting development conditions, but a total of 36 conditions.

[04:27:24] Ten of those include the detailed construction plan, the management plan, the person on site, which I very much appreciate for both the community, because there is no community association, and for us to be able to reach out to that person.

[04:27:41] That there are, if I counted correctly, 14 development conditions everywhere from the tree inventory and condition analysis to a preservation plan, a walkthrough, fencing, site monitoring, invasive plant species management, landscaping, vegetation, soil remediation, and so on.

[04:28:02] really making sure I do think this is the most robust I have ever seen on development conditions for tree and landscaping and really the process and how the community will be involved in that and then finally I was mentioned very strict hours and as tight as time light as is possible no construction on Sundays and limited hours on the weekend and very much appreciate also having someone on site and the communication with the schools because this is a very narrow very tight part of the community and then even the construction parking

[04:28:42] management and all the management as you know it is really tight to get in there so want to make sure hopefully less than two years but however long it takes that that continues to be there and then and then finally the improvements that were mentioned you know this is we do a lot of them meeting the needs of a large community with a whole network thousands of miles of whether it's water or sewage management or other utilities ensuring that the improvement of the water pressure is critical and will happen more quickly than it would if we had to wait for this to be complete so I really really want to

[04:29:21] thank the community members I met with many of you last week in the past year I think too I can't keep track especially Carmen I know you've done so much to help the community try to make this the best possible outcome I know everyone's not going to be a hundred percent satisfied today but I am confident that this as we know water is very critical and the access to water for all of our residents actually have a friend who's now had to leave her home in Asheville and is living not far from here because she does not currently have access to safe

[04:30:00] drinking water and so I appreciate that Firefox water makes some difficult decisions to ensure that we continue and maintain a safe and accessible and system that ensures that we will have access during emergencies as well in emergency management so I apologize to my colleagues that this took a bit of time today we've been working on this for many years now and just really want to thank everyone involved and ensure that while this hopefully approval goes through today that the process and the communication with the neighbors and the community will not be over and that will continue to ensure the aspect of the

[04:30:39] community in the neighborhood is safe and preserved thank you thank you supervisor how check is there any further discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries next we have a public hearing on the acquisition of certain land rights necessary for the construction of the Richmond highway bus rapid transit RH BRT project 2g 40 - 1 6 2 - 0 0 0 in the

[04:31:15] Franconia and Mount Vernon districts and as soon as they are ready we would

[04:31:20] welcome a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the

[04:32:41] board. My name is Clyde Monahan. I'm a senior right-of-way agent with the Land Acquisition Division of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. I'm the Land Acquisition Division agent that has been assisting in oversight of the acquisition of land rights for the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit Project. The Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit Project is based upon recommendations from a Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation study. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has been working with residents, community stakeholders, and partner agencies to plan, design, and construct a bus rabbit transit BRT system for the Richmond Highway Corridor. Public outreach

[04:33:18] consisted of mailings, public information meetings, in-person and virtual, along with focus meetings with several groups and individuals along the corridor. This outreach was ongoing for approximately three to four years prior to the start of the acquisition phase. The goal of the BRT system is to increase transit ridership along the corridor, as well as to help implement the redevelopment plans envisioned by the county's Embark Comprehensive Plan.

[04:33:43] The system is planned to extend along Richmond Highway Route 1 and North Kings Highway from Fort Belvoir to the Huntington Metro Rail Station in two sections. The improvements constructed as part of this project will provide an upgraded roadway cross section for Richmond Highway, including new bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the corridor and a dedicated transit way for the BRT system.

[04:34:06] The county is responsible for Section 1 of the project, which extends along North Kings Highway from the Huntington Metro Rail Station to Richmond Highway and along Richmond Highway South to Gum Springs. There are approximately 228 affected parcels along this section.

[04:34:22] Acquisitions on Section 2 will be completed by VDOT as part of a separate road widening project that will include the median reservation for the BRT. To better manage the acquisition process, land rights for these improvements have been split into groups. Currently, settlements have been reached on 22 parcels.

[04:34:40] Initially, this hearing was to cover 18 parcels as part of this request, but has since been reduced to 13 parcels due to acquisition plan adjustments and reaching settlements with several owners. Construction of this project requires the whole parcel acquisition of 12 of these parcels and a partial acquisition of one parcel.

[04:35:01] Whole parcel acquisitions were initially identified due to roadway improvements, including bikeway and utility relocations that impacted existing structures. Parcels with impacts to structures were then reviewed to see if they could be used for other design features such as required stormwater facilities.

[04:35:19] This was done to limit the number of whole parcel acquisitions where possible. An example of acquisitions with affected structures would be the multiple residential properties near Spring Drive and Collard Street. A string of six residential properties that were already extremely close to the existing roadway were all impacted from the proposed improvements.

[04:35:38] In these instances, the county was able to reach settlements with the owners and provide relocation assistance to all tenants. Although acquisitions are ongoing, we're here today to ask permission to finalize acquisition of 13 properties. These properties have been in the acquisition phase since 2022, and authorization is necessary in order to reach a conclusion to the negotiations.

[04:36:00] Finalizing these acquisitions now will allow time for tenant relocations and removal of structures ahead of utility relocation work. This will ensure the prompt start of the utility relocation phase and prevent delays to the overall construction schedule. The next four slides show the parcels that will be part of this resolution.

[04:36:20] Negotiations on these properties have been ongoing since early to mid-2023. Settlements have not been reached with these properties due to multiple issues, including questions concerning the impacts of settlements to possible relocation benefit requests, as well as counteroffers that we were unable to approve due to lack of justifications required to meet not only county requirements, but also FTA requirements.

[04:36:46] It is important to recognize that approval for condemnation will not negate ongoing negotiations, and it is hoped that moving these negotiations into a mediation process with the use of outside experts will help expedite amicable settlements the county executive recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt the resolution authorizing the acquisition of the necessary land rights related to the 13 reference properties for this important transportation project thank you representatives from the office of the county attorney FCDOT and land acquisition are here to answer any questions you may have okay at this time

[04:37:21] are there any questions let me ask one and I know the answer to this but I want to make sure I get it on the record because Supervisor Stork and I, Supervisor Lusk, experienced some challenges with some properties that were purchased in those particular cases by VDOT for the road widening component here.

[04:37:43] But I just want to reiterate that if these properties are acquired, that we've institutionalized an agreement in place where the district supervisor obviously will be immediately notified when this land has been transferred to the county, that all appropriate county departments, including our police department, are aware of the land transfer so that FMD can assume maintenance, that there will be no trespassing signs posted on a case-by-case basis, there may need to be fencing erected, and that we would be maintaining these properties as we would any other county asset from the day we acquire them.

[04:38:21] And I just want to make sure that's also staff's understanding of the commitment so that we don't have some of the challenges after these properties are acquired with sales and other things that are unauthorized or other activities on those properties.

[04:38:37] Good afternoon, Chairman McKay, members of the board. My name is Eric Teitelman. I'm the Division Chief for Capital Projects, and the answer to all your questions is yes. And we are coordinating with police, with FMD. We're working diligently, of course, to get approvals from FTA to remove the properties.

[04:38:54] it does take some time obviously we have to do inspection for asbestos things like that but we have one property that is currently fenced the building has been raised and we're working on several others right now okay thank you for for that explanation are there any other questions at this time supervisor Stork and I guess for really for purposes of clarity to the community the service County Department of Transportation their responsibility their focus is what area and what is virginia department of transportation's focus and area i i want to just make get this on the record so anybody who ever hears this we can remind them of of how

[04:39:34] richmond highway redevelopment is occurring in the brt line as well yeah again eric teitelman uh the map that was uh shown previously indicates the section uh north gum springs north uh the yellow section there that is the responsibility of fairfax county in terms of parcel acquisition raising structures, relocation, and so on.

[04:39:58] The blue section is VDOT, VDOT's responsibility for acquisition and relocation. And we know from presentations that VDOT has a different process than what VDOT uses. Slightly different, and our land folks can probably answer in more detail than I can.

[04:40:19] Yes, due to the Federal Transit Administration being in charge of this project, we have to follow the county requirements, state requirements, and FTA requirements. VDOT, when they're doing their acquisitions, they follow more of a streamlined approach than we're following. Their acquisition schedule is also quite different than ours, from my understanding.

[04:40:38] Thank you. Okay. Are there any other questions at this time? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing, and I do have two speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Speaker number one is John Kenney.

[04:40:54] Mr. Kenney here. John Kenney. Mr. Kenney. Speaker number two is Christina Savage. Christina, if you could come on down. If there's anyone else here who wishes to testify on this specific matter, please come down and make sure you've signed in with the clerk.

[04:41:11] We are on speaker two, Christina Savage. Welcome. Thank you very much. My name is Christina Lawler-Savage, and I am an eminent domain attorney currently representing several landowners whose properties, both commercial and residential, are subject to the county's whole acquisitions in this specific phase of the project.

[04:41:32] I have been asked to speak on behalf of these landowners to express some concerns pertaining to this particular stage of the project and their current negotiations with the county. Positively, I am pleased to report that one of the commercial landowners has reached an agreement with the county recently, whereas the landowner procured and submitted an independent eminent domain appraisal, and the county accepted the amount of this appraisal.

[04:41:55] I wanted to thank the representatives from Stantec and the county for all of their time efforts in reaching a mutually agreeable resolution in that matter. However, with regards to another landowner client whose property is subject to the county's full acquisition, he was presented with the county's offer to acquire the property in June of this year. The county's offer to purchase the property was based wholly upon the tax assessed value of the improved land as tax assessments are inadmissible evidence of value in eminent domain civil proceedings. The landowner, upon the county's encouragement spent $5,000 in procuring independent eminent domain appraisal within three months' time

[04:42:34] and submitted the appraisal to the county. After this owner's notable time and efforts in procuring and submitting the 106-page appraisal to the county, the Stantec project manager responded within 48 hours that the county had no response to the appraisal and they decided to let the matter proceed to condemnation. Included with that correspondence was a copy of today's notice of meeting. Needless to say, the landowner was disappointed at best, and we hope the county will reconsider this landowner's appraisal and a settlement offer in compromise. On behalf of my impacted landowner clients, although I feel that the county and Stantec representatives are making

[04:43:13] efforts to negotiate for landowners in good faith, there are certain frustrations nonetheless as counsel for these landowners having to correspond with multiple levels of county representatives, sometimes VDOT representatives, in an effort to negotiate pre-litigation settlements.

[04:43:30] I also represent several landowners who have been notified that their properties are subject to be impacted by this project, presumably partial acquisitions as they are not currently in Phase 2 of the project. However, despite my repeated requests, I've been unable to receive information as to whether these landowners are subject to Phase 3 or 4 of the project and when the county expects to complete appraisals and submit offers to these landowners.

[04:43:57] This lack of information is leaving many owners in limbo. And as council, it is a bit frustrating. I can't provide my clients with any further updates of timelines so they can make arrangements. I would respectfully request that the county release this information as soon as possible to provide the remaining impacted landowners transparency with what to expect and approximately when to expect it, in addition to allow landowners a forum to submit their construction concerns in the early design phase.

[04:44:26] If any landowners in attendance today or other representatives have any questions, I'm hosting a public landowner forum at the Fairfax Regional Library immediately following this meeting. I'll be there until 7 p.m. Thank you. I appreciate the county's time and the opportunity to address these landowner concerns. I also just wanted to add that today's agenda was the first time I'd actually seen any Specific assistant accounting attorneys listed For this project their names appear to be Hayden Cotting and Randall Greenhan Again today was the first time I've received any notice of a specific county attorneys involved in this matter So I plan to reach out to them directly. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much

[04:45:05] Are there any any additional speakers here who would like to testify on this matter? This is a public hearing anyone else present who would like to speak on this subject seeing and hearing no one Let me verify. Mr. John Kenny has not arrived not see let me ask the clerk if anyone has called in there are no callers There are no callers. So at this time I would Recognize County staff for any closing comments or recommendation. I'm sorry

[04:45:40] We recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt the resolution authorizing the acquisition of the necessary land rights related to these 13 reference Thank you very much last call any questions from board members seeing and he questions Supervisor Storch Thank you, mr. Chairman. Just I want to Have county staff respond to the but it sounds like there's communication issues and just if you could walk through quickly the process that you use to Contact property owners and and how that transpires how that works through yes

[04:46:16] I'm familiar that of course, but but I want to just make sure the board and others are familiar with that and maybe how it did or didn't work and at least from that the speaker's perspective this being a very large complicated project the county did uh rather than just have the current land acquisition agents work it they hired outside consultants currently there's agents land acquisition agents from stantec and bowman that are doing acquisition work for this that way the property owner the idea is to have the property owners have someone they can specifically get in contact with at all times because we're going to have so many properties and acquisitions

[04:46:53] one of the frustrations on this project is and i'm sure the landowners and their attorneys are feeling it so many different levels have to sign off and approve different counter offers and changes to plans that it's difficult getting through those levels i'm going to point out too that we we are started back in 2021 with the whole parcels that have structures that need to be removed and any tenants need to be relocated because those are the most complex ones we started those before the rest of the plans were really firmed up for the partial acquisitions just because we knew this process was going to take several years and we didn't want to delay the project

[04:47:30] we're now moving into acquisition of some of the partial properties so we should be able to reach out and give more definite information to the rest of the properties along the entire corridor and how they're going to be affected and we have firmed up the acquisition schedule for the partial acquisitions. Thank you. Do you have a general time frame for when you expect that will occur?

[04:47:51] Well, the partial acquisitions have already started. They started about a month and a half, two months ago. We probably have around 30 to 40 properties that are partial acquisitions in the acquisition phase, which is the beginning of the appraisal phase. We're going to be putting more notice proceeds for the acquisition consultants to be going in January and February for a bigger bulk of it.

[04:48:12] I don't want to put the design staff hold anything to my guesstiments at this point. I know there's some other elements to that, but I just wanted to give the committee a little bit a greater sense of how that's moving forward. So I appreciate your... And we are starting, I think, at one point, we're starting up at the northern end near the Huntington Metro Station, and we're moving south towards Gumspring.

[04:48:35] So the partial acquisitions that have started are up at the northern end of the project. Thank you. And just to be clear on one other point, The consultants that are doing a land acquisition are the points of contact for the land owners there So there was a comment about our county attorneys But our county attorneys role here is not to be in direct conversation with the property owners But rather we have hired consultants to do that on the county's behalf correct. They're they're the points of contact but they're also given Mine and other agents at the land acquisition departments as point of contact directly for the county

[04:49:10] So that's what us from the county staff and the consulting acquisition agents have both been the points of contacts on pretty much all the notices that are going out. Okay, and I say that because this, as you mentioned, is a highly complex long-term project, and we need to make sure that the points of contact are clear and consistent so that people aren't getting two different versions of a story from two different people that they contact.

[04:49:35] And so this has been deliberately set up this way, so it would not be advantageous at all for a property owner's counsel to be contacting the county attorney's office and trying to solicit a conversation when, in fact, there is an apparatus in place to be able to make that happen already.

[04:49:52] Correct. And if that does happen, we do set up meetings where we have everybody in the same room or at the same meetings to make sure they are being told the same set of facts. Okay, and that consistency is key. Okay. If there are no further questions, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Stork for a motion.

[04:50:11] Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have, or actually county staff has distributed to members of the board and to the clerk a new revised resolution, revised as of today, October 22, 2024, for this acquisition of land, reflecting the reduced scope of acquisitions still needed.

[04:50:30] I move that this revised resolution be adopted for this acquisition of land rights along Route 1 for the BRT project. It is the same as the draft resolution that was presented in the board package and sets forth the public purpose for this imminent domain action, except that it differs by removing five properties that no longer need to be subject to this action.

[04:50:51] The tax map numbers for the listed properties that would be removed at this time are 93-1-01-0074B, 93-18A-0001, 93-1-18B-0052, 92-4-01-0085, and 93-3-02-040025.

[04:51:24] The remaining properties listed in this October 22nd revised resolution and the prior draft remains subject to this imminent domain action. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move approval of the remaining 13 properties as identified in the revised resolution in the public hearing through the process of end-domaining and consistent with the county executive's recommendation.

[04:51:44] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Lusk. Is there any discussion on the motion? Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[04:52:00] That motion carries with Supervisor Alcorn and Supervisor Herity being absent. Okay. We're going to move on to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing for the creation of Braddock Area 1 Sanitary District for Refuse and Recycling Collection Services.

[04:52:19] in the Braddock District, and once staff is ready, we would welcome a staff presentation.

[04:52:49] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board.

[04:53:14] My name is Lainey Cook, and I'm with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. The Solid Waste Management Program has one petition going forward in the Braddock District. The petition process started on January 9, 2024, regarding the creation of Fairfax County Refuse and Recycling Collection Services in the Braddock Area 1.

[04:53:34] The petition area includes 58 properties plus two vacant lots, with 35 in favor, 7 opposed, and 16 were unresponsive or unable to be reached. Okay, thank you for that.

[04:53:49] Are there any questions of staff? Any questions of staff? This is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? Anyone present who would like to testify on this matter?

[04:54:05] This is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing none. Let me ask the clerk if we have any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and any further recommendation from county staff? Staff recommends approval for this position.

[04:54:21] Thank you very much. Assuming there are no final questions, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Walkinshaw for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of the county executive's recommendation for the creation of Braddock Area 1 Sanitary District for the purpose of providing county refuse and recycling collection services in Braddock District, DTA, Small District 3.

[04:54:43] And I will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And next up, we have a public hearing on the creation of Shouse Village Area 1 Sanitary District for Refuse Recycling Collection Services and the enlargements of Berlin Park Area 3 Sanitary District, Lewinsville Heights Area 4 Sanitary District, and Willow Run Park Area 2 Sanitary District for Refuse Recycling Collection Services in the Drainsville District, and we would now

[04:55:22] welcome a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Lainey Cook, and I'm with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. The Solid Waste Management Program has four petitions going forward in the Janesville District. The first petition started on March 23, 2023, regarding the creation of Fairfax County Refuse and Recycling Collection Services in Shouse Village Area 1.

[04:55:46] The petition area includes 270 properties with 150 in favor, 12 opposed, and 108 were unresponsive or unable to be reached. The second petition request was received on March 3, 2023, and the petition process started on February 21, 2024, regarding the enlargement of Fairfax County Refuse and Recycling Collection Services in the Brillen Park Area 3. The petition area includes one property, and that property is in favor. The third petition request was received on December 12, 2022, and the petition process started on March 4, 2024, regarding the enlargement of Fairfax County Refuse and Recycling

[04:56:25] collection services in the Lewinsville Heights area for the petition property includes three air the petition area includes three properties with two in favor and one opposed and the fourth petition started on May 21st 2024 regarding the enlargement of Fairfax County refuse and recycling collection services in the Willow Run Park area to the petition area includes one property with that one property being in favor thank you very much are there any any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have no speakers who

[04:57:02] have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific subject? Anyone here who would like to speak on this subject, this is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if there are any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff.

[04:57:22] Staff recommends approval for these four petitions. Thank you very much. Last check. If no questions from board members, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Beerman for a motion. I move for the creation of Shouse Village Area Sanitary District, the enlargements of the Brilliant Park Area 3 Sanitary District, the Lewinsville Heights Area 4 Sanitary District, and the Willow Run Area 2 Sanitary District, consistent with the recommendations of county staff.

[04:57:53] And the chair will second that, along with Supervisor Palachuk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Next up, we have a public hearing for the enlargement of Willow Run Area 2 Sanitary District for refuse and recycling collection services in the Mason District.

[04:58:15] And at this time, we'd recognize staff for presentation. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Lanie Cook, and I'm with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. The Solid Waste Management Program has one petition going forward in the Mason District. The petition process started on March 11, 2023, regarding the enlargement of Fairfax County Refuse and Recycling Collection Services and Willow Run Area 2.

[04:58:40] The petition area includes one property in there in favor. Thank you very much for that. This is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify in this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject?

[04:58:55] Anyone present who would like to testify? This is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing no one, do we have any callers? There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. Staff recommends approval for this petition.

[04:59:12] Thank you. Last check. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Jimenez for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move for approval of the county's executive recommendation for the enlargement of Willow Run Area 2 Sanitary District for the purpose of providing county refuse and recycling collection services in Mason District, DTA, Local District 1B.

[04:59:38] And the chair will second that motion along with Supervisor Lusk. Discussion on the motion? Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries.

[04:59:54] Next, we have a public hearing for the de-creation, recreation of Falls Court Area Sanitary District to remove vacuum leaf collection services in the Providence District. And we would welcome a staff presentation.

[05:00:10] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Lanie Cook, and I'm with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. The Solid Waste Management Program has one petition going forward in the Providence District. the petition request was received on november 17 2023 and the petition process started on june 24 2024 regarding the decreation recreation of the falls court area to provide refuse and recycling and remove vacuum leaf collections the petition area includes 16 properties with 14 in favor

[05:00:42] and two were unresponsive or unable to be received thank you very much are there any questions of staff seeing and hearing none this is a public hearing and again we have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter is there anyone present who would like to speak on this specific subject this is a public hearing seeing and hearing none do we have any callers there are no callers no callers closing comments and a recommendation from staff staff recommends approval for this petition thank you very much last check questions from board members seeing and hearing on I will now close the public hearing and recognize

[05:01:22] supervisor pal check for a motion thank you mr. chairman and thank you to the staff who worked on this I move for approval of the county executives recommendation for the decreation that slash recreation the Falls core area sent sanitary district for the purpose of removing vacuum leaf collection but keeping county refuse and recycling collection services in Providence district DTA local district 1 a 1 you've heard the motion I'm happy to second that is there any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those

[05:01:57] in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank you very much next we have a public hearing to consider proposed amendments to Fairfax County code section 82 - 5 - 3 to removal immobilization and disposition of vehicles unlawfully parked on private or County property. And as soon as staff is ready, we would welcome a staff presentation.

[05:02:25] Good afternoon, Chairman McKay and members of the board. My name is Amanda Castle. I'm the Division Director of Consumer Services in the Department of Cable and Consumer Services.

[05:02:51] I'm joined by Director Rebecca Mankley, John Burton from the County Attorney's Office, and Carl Newcomb, Regulation and Licensing Branch Chief, may also be in attendance. During the 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly, House Bill 925 was signed into law by the Governor. The bill amended Virginia Code section 46.2-1232 requiring that any local trespass tow ordinance include a 48-hour advanced notification requirement and penalties on tow

[05:03:26] operators for non-compliance when a tow operator tows a vehicle from a multifamily dwelling unit for either an expired vehicle registration or an expired vehicle inspection sticker. The proposed amendments were reviewed with the Fairfax County Trespass Towing Advisory Board at their meetings earlier this year. County tow operators have already begun to come into compliance with the new requirements. The proposed amendments to Fairfax County Code Section 82532 are necessary to conform with Virginia Code Section 46.2-1232 as amended.

[05:04:06] The county executive recommends approval of the proposed amendments effective upon adoption. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Any questions of staff? I'm not seeing any. This is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter.

[05:04:26] Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask, do we have any callers? No callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. The county executive recommends approval of the proposed amendments to Fairfax County Code section 82-5-32 effective upon adoption.

[05:04:52] Thank you. Thank you very much. questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of the county executive recommendation, which supports amendments to Fairfax County Code Section 85-5-32, removal, immobilization, and disposition of vehicles unlawfully parked on private or county property effective upon adoption. Second. You've heard the motion and the second by Supervisor Beerman the chair was yes excuse me if Supervisor Smith read it as Fairfax County Code section 85 - 532

[05:05:30] she could just repeat that 8 82 - 5 - 32 thank you for catching me thank you and that is clearly what Supervisor Beerman and I were second for that for that clarification is there any further discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries okay next we have a public hearing and consider an ordinance establishing the Chantilly Park Community Parking

[05:06:05] District in the Sully District and as soon as they are ready we would welcome a staff presentation good afternoon Chairman McKay and members of the board Henry Stein McCartney Department of Transportation this is a public hearing to consider establishing the Chantilly Park Community Parking District on Lightfoot Street from Centerville Road to the cul-de-sac in the Sully District as shown on attachment 2. A community parking district is established to

[05:06:45] prohibit the parking of watercraft, recreational vehicles, and all trailers on designated public streets and residential areas within the county. Residents of the Chantilly Park community have requested relief under this program because numerous campers and trailers have been parked on Lightfoot Street on a long-term basis. The requirements for the establishment of this community parking district, including submission of a verified resident petition and associated fees, have been satisfied. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none. This is a public hearing, and I do have two speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this

[05:07:25] matter. Christopher Patton. Mr. Patton here. Mr. Patton, if you could come on down. And John Kirshenstein is here. He will be speaker number two. Welcome, Mr. Patton. The floor is yours. I will permit that if that's fine. Sure. If you could just have a seat right here so that you're ready to testify, that would be great. So we will take speaker number two to be followed by speaker number one. Welcome. Mr. Chairman, members of the board,

[05:08:02] thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of the Santilli Park Parking District. before i begin i would like to offer special thanks to our supervisor kathy smith and her staff and for the county staff in helping us in getting this parking district before you my name is john kirchenstein and i'm the president of the chantilly park condominium association board of directors chantilly park is a four-story condominium of 206 units with approximately 500 residents it is bounded on two sides by Centerville Road and Lightfoot Street the association

[05:08:42] strongly supports and urges adoption of the parking district for the following reasons our school children board board school buses on Lightfoot Street many of the vehicles parked there restrict the line of sight and present the percent a safety issue for our children many of the same vehicles are from out of state and have remained there for months at a time and did not pay fair taxes in Fairfax one of our residents mr. Patton. This is the reason for switching our order We'll be showing you some visual evidence of this even though Chantilly Park has an indoor parking garage

[05:09:16] It is not sufficient for all our residents vehicles and any of our visitors the parking district would help alleviate this situation by providing additional on-street parking the Association recently and learned that a new pickleball court will be opening up nearby We're concerned that this facility will increase traffic and demand additional street parking on-street parking along Lightfoot Street.

[05:09:39] For these reasons, we strongly support the parking district and respectfully request its adoption by the Board of Supervisors. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your testimony, and we will now return to Christopher Patton. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and the committee.

[05:10:00] I think this should be working, hopefully. We have a number of slides that I would like to present just so that you have an understanding of the parking situation that we have. Currently, these pictures were taken within the past week.

[05:10:18] So we have just a camper with Pennsylvania tags that was last registered in 2013, over 11 years ago. We have an abandoned trailer that was not moved in over 120 days.

[05:10:34] We have a vehicle by its own. This is a sign that's actually in the window of the vehicle itself, showing that the weight is 17,500 pounds, which is over the recommended limit. We have a commercial vehicle that was dumped on the street that, whether it's being used as a mobile billboard, it's just a large commercial vehicle that is causing an issue. We have a sailboat trailer that has been there for quite some time. We have a camper that has been dropped,

[05:11:12] And by the admission of the owner, it's registered in Loudoun County, and you can see that it has its outriggers down so that it is stored. We have a vehicle. Now, while this doesn't necessarily fall into the category, this is a regular private vehicle.

[05:11:34] However, it was dropped in the morning so that a commercial vehicle could be picked up so that they could go to work. In the evening, they'll come back, drop the commercial vehicle, and pick up their private vehicle to go home. Another American, I'm sorry, another Maryland vehicle that has not been moved in over 60 days.

[05:11:54] These vehicles are residential, I'm sorry, they're regular civilian POVs. However, they're parked outside the parking area, and that's because on my next slide, you can see all of the vehicles that go down the road are either commercial vehicles, campers, or trailers.

[05:12:14] And then, as Mr. Kirchenstein said before, the three yellow squares on this map are where the school buses pick up, and the vehicles traveling down Centerville Road making the right-hand turn onto Lightfoot Street, while they may see the school bus stopped, they don't always see the children coming between those vehicles because the commercial vehicles are so large.

[05:12:42] Also, the vehicles coming from the lower part of the screen to the school bus pickup area right there by Burgess Run, it's the same thing. They don't always see, because of the large vehicles, the children crossing the street.

[05:12:59] I would like to just thank the chairman and the rest of you for your consideration. Thank you very much for your testimony, and thank you for your presentation. Thank you, sir. Is there anyone else here present who would like to speak on this matter? This is a public hearing. Anyone else who would like to speak on this matter?

[05:13:19] Seeing and hearing no one. Do we have any callers? There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. The county executive recommends approval of this district as proposed. Thank you very much. Any questions from board members?

[05:13:36] Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the proposed amendment to Appendix M of the Fairfax County Code to establish the Chantilly Park Community Parking District on Lightfoot Street from Centerville Road to cul-de-sac inclusive.

[05:13:56] And I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Beerman. Any discussion on the motion? Just brief comments. I really appreciate you coming out to speak, and I think seeing the photographs really brings home how important having this program is. So thank you for coming out.

[05:14:11] Thank you very much, Supervisor Smith. And thank you for those who testified. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Thank you. Next, we have a public hearing on lease to lease county owned property at 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive to Inova Health Care Services in the Providence District. And I will just announce I am going to turn the gavel over to Supervisor Smith.

[05:14:44] As the board knows, the board appointed me to serve on the ANOVA Health Systems Board of Trustees. This service is not compensated. However, out of an abundance of caution and not because it is legally required, I will be voluntarily recusing myself from this public hearing and will not be participating in the discussion or voting on the matter.

[05:15:05] And I will turn the gavel and mic over to Vice Chair Smith. Thank you. Supervisor Bierman. I will also be recusing myself. As you know, the Board has appointed me to serve on the ANOVA Health Care Quality and Reliability Committee. I receive no compensation for this service.

[05:15:21] Again, I have abundance of caution, and not because it is legally required. I am voluntarily recusing myself from the public hearing on this item, and I will not be participating in the discussion or voting on the matter. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman. Okay, now I'll recognize staff for a presentation.

[05:15:39] Thank you, Ms. Vice Chairman. My name is Mike Lambert. i am the property manager real estate services for the facilities management department the board of supervisors is the owner of the sharon boulevard center for community health located at 8221 willow oaks corporate drive on five acres of land identified as tax map parcel number 0493-39-0001 opened in 2015 the center is a five-story 160 000 square foot building administered by the community services board with the goal of providing emergency services and programs such as diversion first for people who are experiencing mental illnesses and substance

[05:16:18] abuse disorders the county leases half of the top floor or approximately 19 800 square feet to anova healthcare services for uses a 24 7 call center for anova's emergency services as well as outpatient treatment center the original lease was for a 10-year term at a fixed rate of 20.44 per square foot, which generated a total of approximately $520,000 per year in rent and operating expenses. With the lease expiring on July 31, 2025, ANOVA began to negotiate with the county to extend the lease to December 31, 2030. Typically, a fair market lease renewal would

[05:16:57] involve the disbursement of a tenant improvement allowance by the landlord. However, the parties decided in lieu of offering the TEI allowance, the county would lower the rental rate from the appraise a value of $25 per square foot to $22 and provide a five-month rent abatement.

[05:17:12] The new rental rate would be increased by 2.5% on an annual basis rather than remaining fixed as before and result in a generation of $600,000 in rent and operating expenses during the first full year of the lease payments. At the end of the extended lease term, the Community Services Board will have the opportunity to assess whether they will need the ANOVA space for the expansion of county mental health programs.

[05:17:36] This concludes the staff report. Thank you. Does any board members have questions of staff? This is a public hearing, and we don't have anybody that's signed up ahead of time. Is there anyone in the auditorium that would like to speak on this matter? Seeing no one, do we have any callers?

[05:17:54] Okay, we have no callers. Staff for closing comments. Staff recommends that the board authorize staff to finalize the documentation to lease 19,800 square feet of county-owned property located 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive to Inova Health Care Services.

[05:18:12] Thank you very much. Any questions from board members? Okay, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. And before I read it, I really want to thank Mike and all of the staff who've worked on this from my reading and the work you've done really will help minimize the amount of additional negotiation yearly that needs to happen. So I appreciate that you've been able to negotiate a very appropriate average market rate lease and that will give, I know, additional time

[05:18:48] to support our community and then be able to take a look back again once this is done to to see the next um services needed so to that uh mr chairman uh madam chairman i move that the board authorized county staff to prepare and execute all documentation necessary to lease approximately 19 800 square feet of space within the sharon boulevard center for community health which has an address of 8 221 willow oaks corporate drive and is identified by tax map number zero four nine three three nine zero zero zero one to inova health care services

[05:19:28] i'll second that motion any discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor of the motion say aye aye anyone opposed any abstentions that motion carries with supervisor alcorn absent and chairman mckay and supervisor bierman recused from the vote thank you thank you vice chair Smith and our next public hearing is to sublease is public hearing to sublease Mount Gilead at 5634 Mount Gilead Road in connection with the Resident Curator

[05:20:04] Program in the Sully District and at this time would recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank You Mr. Chairman I'm Mike Lambert from Facilities Management. The Board of Supervisors approved the creation of the Resident Curator Program to address the underutilized historic properties and its inventory by entering into long-term leases with tenants who agree to rehabilitate the properties according to established federal standards. State enabling legislation for the resident curator program requires the park authority to lease the house to the board and the board concurrently to lease the house to the curators. The park authority, however, is charged

[05:20:42] with actually selecting the resident curator for each property through a competitive screening process created as part of the program. The curator is required to follow a detailed work plan for the property based on historic structures report and exchange the curator receives rent-free accommodation during the term of the lease the fifth priority selected by the Park Authority for active management by resident curators is Mount Gilead located at 5634 Mount Gilead Road within historic Centerville Park on a parcel identified as tax map number 0 5 4 4 - 0 1 - 0 0 3 8 8 the two story structure was built in 1785 to serve

[05:21:20] initially as a combined residence and tavern during the civil war the site hosted both union and confederate soldiers and according to local lore was the headquarters of confederate general joseph e johnston the resident curator selected by the park authority to rehabilitate this historic building are christian and spencer merritt a couple of experience of working with historic properties through their ownership of a paint contractor franchise during the 15-year term of the sublease these curators will rehabilitate the residents to make the historic structure compatible with modern use. They will also hold thematic community events at the site, including coordination with annual Centerville Day events. The park authority will remain

[05:21:59] responsible for modern and curative progress and compliance with the program. This concludes the staff report. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject?

[05:22:19] This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one. Let me check if we have any callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Staff recommends that the board authorize staff to execute the documentation to sublease Mount Gilead to Christian and Spencer Merritt as resident curators.

[05:22:41] Thank you very much. Any last questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the board authorize county staff to prepare and execute all documentation necessary to sublease the approximately .40-acre Mount Gilead property in historic Centerville Park, which has an address of 5634 Mount Gilead Road and is identified by tax map number 0544-010038A to resident curators Kristen and Spencer Merritt.

[05:23:19] We'll second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Next, our final public hearing before we begin public comment is a public hearing on a proposal to repeal, I'm sorry, let me start over, is a public hearing on a proposal to repeal Chapter 112.1 Zoning and the Super Session Clause of Chapter 112.2 Zoning, and at this time, we'd welcome a staff presentation.

[05:23:56] Thank you. William Mainland, Department of Planning and Development, joined with Tracy Strunk. As summarized in the staff report and provided in the slide, on September 24th, the Board authorized advertising of public hearings to repeal Chapter 112.1 in its entirety and repeal the supersession clause as part of 112.2.

[05:24:16] As the Board knows, in March of 2021, after a multi-year process, the Board adopted a modernized zoning ordinance known as ZMOD and is designated as Chapter 112.1, which became effective July 1st, 2021. Two years later, the Supreme Court declared ZMOD void because it was approved at electronic meetings during the COVID pandemic, and the court found that the board at electronic meetings violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

[05:24:43] Even though the meeting was properly noticed, broadcast live, had 70 speakers that testified. Subsequently, the board petitioned the Supreme Court for a re-hearing. On May 9, 2023, the Board readopted ZMAT a second time as Chapter 112.2 at an in-person meeting that was properly noticed where a public testament was received.

[05:25:04] It was important to note that ZMAT-2 was adopted with a superstition clause that stated, for any reason, Chapter 112.1 and 112.2 are both in effect. Chapter 112.1 will supersede Chapter 112.2. This was because the petition was still pending at the Supreme Court.

[05:25:22] In July of 2024, this year, the General Assembly adopted legislation validating ZMOD 1, as well as other actions taken by public bodies in electronic meetings during the pandemic. This action by the General Assembly was not a blanket validation, but applies if the public body provided notice, public access, and public comment in accordance with the requirements of FOIA.

[05:25:48] The approval for ZMOD 1 met that test. This legislation took effect on July 1st of 2024, which is why earlier this year, the board adopted amendments to Chapter 112.1 to mirror the amendments made that were done with 112.2 since its adoption of May 2023.

[05:26:08] So July 1st, both ordinances were in effect, but Chapter 112.1 took precedence because of the clause. We're here today, so since we have two identical zoning ordinances, so we want to repeal 112.1. It was never an intent to maintain two parallel ordinances, but challenges have been raised regarding the effect of the General Assembly's legislation on the validity of Chapter 112.1.

[05:26:35] So responding to these challenges, we consume time and resources. Repeal will provide certainty for residents and the development community, as we will only have one zoning ordinance in effect. Thank you. Thank you very much for that presentation. Are there any questions of staff?

[05:26:51] Seeing and hearing none. This is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one. Let me ask if we have any callers.

[05:27:07] There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Thank you. On October 16th, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the actions as laid out in the staff report presented this evening. Staff concurs. Thank you. Thank you very much. Questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion.

[05:27:28] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board repeal Chapter 112.1 Zoning of the County Code and the Super Session Clause adopted with Chapter 112.2 as presented in Attachment 2 of the Staff Report dated September 30, 2024, and that the repeal become effective at 12.01 a.m. the day following Board approval.

[05:27:49] You've heard the motion. I'm happy to second that. Is there discussion on the motion? Supervisor Herity. Just very briefly, as the board knows, I voted against the original Z-mod, but I recognize the need to do this, so I'm going to be abstaining on this one. Any further discussion? Seeing and hearing none.

[05:28:04] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Herity abstains. Supervisor Herity, and that motion passes. And that brings us to our final agenda item of the day, which is public comment. I do have eight speakers signed up for public comment, so we have a full slate.

[05:28:24] A few rules just to remind folks about public comment. The board will hear public comment on any issue except issues under litigation, issues that have been scheduled for public hearing before the board, and personnel matters and or comments regarding specific individuals.

[05:28:43] Speakers must have registered in advance, and each speaker is given three minutes for their remarks. A maximum of 10 speakers may address the board during any public comment period, and speakers may address the board once during a six-month period. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated if a disruption occurs.

[05:29:01] I will call for a recess. The board will exit and request security address the disruption that's occurring before resuming the meeting. That being said, as I mentioned, I do have eight speakers who have signed up in advance to testify, and we're going to begin with speaker number one, Robert Whitfield.

[05:29:18] Mr. Chairman, members of the Board of Supervisors, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you.

[05:29:37] I was originally trying to speak in July, but I guess I got pushed back, and then I got called last month, but I couldn't get back here. I've been attending meetings in Fairfax County for 40 years. Actually, that's not quite true.

[05:29:54] I started watching the Planning Commission in about 1985, and I guess it was ironic that I tuned in this morning to catch the last part of the farewell to Peter Murphy. And obviously, Peter was my guide to the planning and zoning in Fairfax County, and he deserves our thanks for his long service.

[05:30:18] Therefore, it was very distressing within a few minutes later when Supervisor Herity made a motion to accept his planning commissioner and you all, without comment or explanation, declined to accept his nomination.

[05:30:34] I think the public deserves to know the reason for the actions of the members of the Board of Supervisors who voted against Herity's nomination. I've lived here a long time. I've noticed that this board is becoming increasingly dictatorial, and I don't like it.

[05:30:54] Then, Supervisor Herity had a motion to do with recognizing, I think it was to do with Christian churches and for the work they do in this county. And again, the Democrats on this board decided to oppose Supervisor Herity's motion.

[05:31:11] I too would like a written explanation for the board's actions, because over the last two years, what I have noted is that certain interest groups have been given increasing preference over the established organizations such as the Christian Church.

[05:31:30] Thus it was in June, instead of recognizing historically recognized groups like Flag Day or Father's Day, you spent better than an hour and a half recognizing and celebrating the LGBT community.

[05:31:49] Furthermore, this board took no action last year when your school board chairman took his oath of office on a stack of pornography. I don't know what moral values exist in this board anymore, but they certainly are not my moral values, and I'm dismayed.

[05:32:07] Frankly, we were founded as a Judeo-Christian society, and thanks to the founding fathers, this nation declared independence from Britain in 1776. I don't know what's in your agenda for the 250th anniversary, but I can certainly say that given the renaming of roads that's been going on in the last two years, it's going to be not long before you decide that we're no longer called Fairfax County.

[05:32:35] Now, back to what I was trying to get to originally was WMATA. Mr. Whitfield, your time has expired. I have a five-minute period. I'm speaking on behalf of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance. No, actually, for public comment, everyone has the same period of time.

[05:32:54] No one has extra time during public comment. Nobody has five minutes for public comment? Not during public comment, no. That's for general public hearings, not for public comment. All right, well then, you will maintain your track record of being uncommunicative on the issues facing WMATA. And so I will put this in writing to you, but suffice it to say, what you received was to show that this is why WMATA should declare.

[05:33:15] Thank you, Mr. Whitfield, for your testimony. Okay. Speaker number two is Will Harwood, to be followed by Tracy Mason and Gary Petty. If I called your name, please come on down. Is Will Harwood here? Okay. How about Tracy Mason?

[05:33:35] Okay. And Gary Petty? Okay. And Najla Droby? Excellent. Okay. We are on speaker number two. Mr. Harwood, welcome.

[05:33:58] Thank you so much for having me. My name is Will Harwood, and I wanted to start off by thanking all of you for your public service to the county. My wife and I live here. We love living here. We have two young children, and if my son Bennett, he's two years old, was here, he'd want to thank all of you for the work that you do to have amazing, world-class parks and recreation, and especially the Birk Lake Kids Train.

[05:34:23] He thinks that all residents should be riding it more often. I also want to thank Supervisor Walkinshaw and Supervisor Herity for always having an open door with me anytime that I call to set up meetings. It's been wonderful. And to the point that the last speaker made here, I'm coming as a citizen, but also as an ambassador for Braver Angels, which is the largest volunteer-led organization that's working to bring the country together across our political divides.

[05:34:54] The thing that I would just say is that we think about red and blue America at Braver Angels. And I would just say that Supervisor Herity's seat is the only red that's a tough seat to sit in. And I can just tell you, I speak to a lot of people about politics.

[05:35:09] Everybody that I meet only has wonderful things to say about Supervisor Herity's service, and I've seen that as well myself. So just want to express my gratitude to what he's doing. Braver Angels, it is an organization that brings Americans of different perspectives and backgrounds together to have respectful conversations and to help participants understand one another better, to see the humanity in each other, and to find common ground where it exists.

[05:35:41] We give free workshops where we teach the skills needed to have such conversations because today it's hard. And in other free offerings, we give people the opportunities to practice those skills. We started off with one workshop with 24 people eight years ago.

[05:36:00] Today, we have over 14,000 members in every state. We have 111 alliances, including one in Fairfax County that's very active. It's run by a red co-chair and a blue co-chair. We meet every month. And the first message that I want to say to all of you is to please come join us for one of the meetings.

[05:36:19] Abraham Lincoln warned us that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And as I look at this election that's coming up, that all the polling is showing is razor thin margins. I don't think anybody expects us to get a winner in two weeks on election day.

[05:36:39] So what does it look like from November 5th until January 20th, when the inauguration of the next president takes place? And what's happening in that period by this new axis of adversaries that we have around the world that are being very, that they're coming after our treaty allies in every place.

[05:37:03] What Braver Angels is doing is that we will be at polling locations in Fairfax County and around the country in red-blue pairs. And the message that we're sending in a red-blue pair is that even though we don't see eye-to-eye on politics, even though we may not trust one candidate or the next, we've gotten to know each other and we trust each other. And our example of being here is an example that we should have hope that no matter who wins this election, we will be able to come together and move things forward for the country.

[05:37:35] Thank you, Mr. Harwood. So I just wanted to say, we are a resource for you. We want to be a resource for you. Thank you, Mr. Harwood. Thank you so much. Appreciate your testimony. Speaker number three is Tracy Mason to be followed by Gary Petty. I have a sense they're here together.

[05:37:51] Yes, you may switch order. So we will first hear from Gary Petty, speaker number four. Welcome. All right. Thank you. Gary Petty. I'm a homeowner and member of the Hampton Forest Homeowners Association, 35 years running.

[05:38:07] We are members of the ad hoc pickleball committee formed by the Hampton Forest Homeowners Association to deal with a very critical and demanding issue in our community, and that is whether our community should have pickleball as a community amenity. We tried it. We're a 40-year-old association of homeowners.

[05:38:28] Started in 1984. At that time, we built four tennis courts, a swimming pool, tot lots, and walking trails. Nobody knew pickleball until recently. And I can tell you from experience that generations in the future will look back, generations of boards of supervisors will look back on their experience serving on a pickleball committee for a homeowners association is a critical skill set needed for our future as a politician.

[05:39:00] We've learned a lot in the last three months, and we've learned a lot of it from Supervisor Herity. So anyway, we tried pickleball in our community. It failed for many reasons. One, it was not managed.

[05:39:16] We just sort of ad hoc let nets and lines form on a couple courts and let the homeowners have fun. But it created a lot of conflict, and tolerably so. And so our board had to cancel, suspended entirely.

[05:39:32] Our committee was appointed to look at alternatives. What can we do in a community not designed for pickleball? And looking at all the options. So one of the first things we did was contact our supervisor, Herity, to look at public options.

[05:39:47] First, we started walking around the beautiful Patriot Park North, which has many wonderful pickleball sites. I'll just offer that as an observation, and also Braddock Park. So, we have done a lot of research.

[05:40:02] We sent you a letter today detailing a lot of background on our issue, not just for our community, but Fairfax County and the rest of the country. And we also sent a letter to Supervisor Harrity on the specific question that we have and proposal we have for you today.

[05:40:20] And that is, we propose that you build pickleball courts in Braddock Park as soon as possible. The demand is very high. The interest-- and not only in our community, but neighboring HOAs are also in the same bucket problem in that they're offering pickleball with conflict.

[05:40:36] They've tried it. They brought it back. But there's more demand than there's capacity in terms of courts. We encourage you to do this. We are now in the middle of a neighborhood survey. Tracy Mason, the member of our committee, has been the designer and organizer of this with the help of the committee and others. And she's going to report today on the results of our study as of now. We're about midway through it. That has relevancy to this board approving pickleball courts for Braddock Park. Tracy?

[05:41:06] Thank you very much. We're now going to return to speaker number three, Tracy Mason. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, board. As Gary mentioned, our court interest survey had a 30% response rate. Opened less than two weeks. Not all questions had required responses.

[05:41:25] Since the county's 2021 study, sorry, since Fairfax County's 2021 pickleball study, we've seen the sport of pickleball is definitely not a fad, with more than 8.9 million players in the United States, and in Virginia alone, an estimated 1.08 million.

[05:41:41] UVA's Pickleball Club national champion, gotta throw that out there. It's growing and the parents in this area are definitely interested in supporting their young people who are coming back from university and seeing it. For the past three years, 2021, 22, 23, the sport was named the fastest growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, thanks in part to the wide range of players' ages. I must admit, I did not know that it was more for the young ones than for the old ones, but when I got on this committee, We had to do a lot of research, and we wanted to answer the question, how many people in our community are interested in playing pickleball, how many people are playing tennis in the

[05:42:19] courts that exist, and what age groups they are, and what time might they be available to play? We thought giving that information to you would be helpful as you plan future pickleball communities, as you've noted in your study. We created the survey after researching national community trends and challenges.

[05:42:36] We've mentioned the community contentiousness that's occurring right now, and we're looking to find common ground. We believe that you can help us. We created our survey in the surrounding communities. We've determined from individuals within the household, 168 of them play pickleball, 148 of them don't play pickleball, 104 of them play tennis, 132 of them don't play tennis, 42 of them play both sports, 86 of them play neither sport.

[05:43:05] Again, we're going to keep this survey open. It hasn't even been a month yet, so we're still trying to get more information, but we had hoped to connect with you last month because we knew that there were studies happening. We were excited to hear about the Wakefield Park. Sounds amazing, but it's over half an hour away from us, so it's not really helping all of these pickleball players find opportunities. Average age of our respondents, 19 percent of them are under the age of 20, but 37% of them are under the age of 30 and 38% are over the age of 55. So this would reach

[05:43:40] a wide constituency in our area. If this issue is left unresolved, it's currently creating conflict and consternation among our neighbors, which is why we volunteered our time to speak with you today and we seek your help to find common ground. Our HOA and other developments nearby are trying to balance neighbors' concerns regarding noise, parking, and public trespass with encouraging outdoor physical activity, and community building.

[05:44:03] Most pickleball respondents say they either play with the same group or a mixed group, and if facilities were available, respondents estimate they would play, these are the people that are already playing, at least one to two times per week, three times or more. When asked what they would like to see for court offerings, most prefer modern surface courts and nets with a reservation system, electric security.

[05:44:26] A relatively small number of respondents suggest a contained structure, but we wanted you to be aware that it was a part of their consideration. And ironically enough, squeegees are really important to them. We are excited to learn that Braddock Park has the opportunity for pickleball courts to be built and reached out to Supervisor Herity to discuss options.

[05:44:46] He suggested we come here and speak with you. On behalf of my 160-plus neighbors who enjoy this sport, we respectfully request the Board of Supervisors help our neighbors build community, foster goodwill, wellness, and physical activity, and reduce our community consternation by moving forward either this or in the following year to allocate funding for and construct the pickleball courts that are already part of the Braddock Park Plan.

[05:45:10] Thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Speaker number five is Najla Drubi, to be followed by Sarah White. If Sarah White is here, if you can come on down closer. We are on speaker number five.

[05:45:26] Welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon. I'm Najla Drubi, a concerned citizen. Thank you for having this forum that gives us a chance to speak and hopefully be heard. This is a luxury these days. Our congressmen will not listen to us unless we bring them hundreds of thousands of dollars with us so they can campaign for re-election.

[05:45:46] They seem to have forgotten that, after all, it is our taxes that pay for their pet projects, not the lobbyists' bribes. Will you represent us or follow their example? about taxes, you keep raising our property taxes to the point where we cannot stay in our homes anymore. Our own kids cannot afford to come back and live here. Would it not be better if you asked the federal government for our fair share of taxes instead of having them sent abroad to fuel wars and genocides? What our government does best is quibble about

[05:46:23] words like ethnic cleansing, war crime, genocide, or holocaust, as if it makes a difference what you call the massacres happening right now in front of our eyes. According to Omer Bartow, a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University, no less, Israel is carrying out a genocidal operation in Gaza. I and 156 Jews listened to his lecture last night, and not one person contradicted him, as normally happens in these talks. So if the Jews are now calling what is happening a genocide, can we finally do something about it? What happens when you look

[05:47:02] the other way in the face of a grave injustice or crime? We are now on the brink of World War III because Biden did not put a stop to Israel's barbaric assaults. When Harris did not stand up to genocide Joe, she lost the votes of thousands and put us at risk of handing the election to a deranged, crass, convicted criminal. What will happen to our country? Only God knows. We have been asking you for months now to sign a ceasefire resolution. You refused to entertain the idea because you said it had no teeth or it would be divisive. You are wrong on the former and right on

[05:47:39] the latter. If you adopt it, we will know that our local government truly worries about the safety of its citizens and the education of our kids, as your website claims. When you are quick to rightfully condemn the attack on Ukraine, but won't do anything for Palestinians who are asking for their freedom. Just like the Ukrainians, you teach our kids to be hypocrites and racists.

[05:48:03] When our police attacks peaceful demonstrators who are asking to save the lives of innocent civilians, you attack our freedom of speech and teach our kids that might makes right. This is not a country I want to live in. As for the divisive argument, standing for justice and asking for a ceasefire divides us as a society, but not in the way you imagine. This is not about Jews and non-Jews. The line separates ethical folks from the ones who have lost their humanity

[05:48:37] and hearts. Which side do you want to be on? Thank you very much. Speaker number six is Sarah White. Ms. White is here. Welcome. Mr. Chairman and members of the board, my name is Sarah White, and for those of you that don't know me who I haven't met yet, I run a small group of restaurants here in Northern Virginia. Today I just wanted to take a minute to talk about the tax issue that I know is going to be coming up before you in the coming months and just go ahead and get our opinion out there and tell you a little bit about my personal experience and where we're coming from.

[05:49:12] For those of us in the restaurant industry we saw some really tough times during COVID just like so many other businesses. We thought if we could just survive the pandemic everything would go back to normal and life would be good again. With the constant shortages in labor and food supplies, this was surely as bad as it could or would ever get. Wow, are we wrong. With ever escalating costs of food, we're being forced to make some very difficult decisions. In just this past week when evaluating our menu, we discovered that since our most recent price increase just a few short months ago, prices have already risen to where we make as little as a few cents on some of the items on our menus. Inevitably, we're going to have to raise prices again just to stay afloat.

[05:49:50] I want to be clear it isn't just us. It's not just my restaurants. When I look at the current situation and I talked to my peers in the restaurant industry, I come to one very honest prediction. Think about your three favorite restaurants, the ones that you go to all the time that you love. They know you and you know them. I predict one of them on this day next year will not be open. We're going to lose more restaurants and it's going to happen quick.

[05:50:14] And even now, owners are foregoing pay, seeking additional jobs. One of my employees actually manages my restaurant and owns another because he can't afford to maintain his own restaurant at this point. And many of us have given up our homes, mortgages on our homes and taken out loans to open these restaurants. If we lose them, we don't just lose our dream. We lose our house where we raise our children. It isn't just a restaurant owner suffering either. This past week, we had to lay off employees from our business that we can no longer support. You've likely eaten out at a restaurant since the pandemic. What did you notice? Are they as busy as they used to be? Before the

[05:50:49] pandemic, how often did you go out to eat? My husband and I both work in restaurants. We hate to cook when we get home because we've been doing it all day. So we would eat out seven nights a week most of the time. I know it's terrible, but we did. And then I looked at what we've been doing lately and looking at our budget and finances. We're not even eating out once a week any longer.

[05:51:08] If you extrapolate that by everybody in the county making those kind of adjustments for their household, you can see exactly where our restaurants are at at this point. I say all of this to say that the county had a surplus last year. Our restaurants did not. People are struggling to feed their families every day. Restaurants are balancing the need to make enough money to survive, but also prices to make sure that people can feed their families and continue to enjoy our restaurants.

[05:51:32] The people in this county have spoken repeatedly on the ballot, saying they do not want this tax. The very same people voted for you, trusted you, and support you. We hope that you have our back on this, and with the increase that parents are facing when trying to feed their busy families, we put our faith that you will represent our needs and make the decision to protect and care for your constituents.

[05:51:52] prove that our faith was not misplaced, and vote to not add a tax at this time. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number seven is Joy Waller. Is Ms. Waller on the phone? Can you hear me okay? Yes, can you hear me? We can. Welcome. The floor is yours.

[05:52:08] Great. Thank you. First of all, I commend the county and I thank the Board of Supervisors particularly for your commitment to full transparency in county government and also for providing multiple ways for residents to access and publicly comment at these meetings. I am grateful that I can easily pull up a board package before the meeting, and also that I can speak to you by phone rather than driving out there from Franconia.

[05:52:31] I originally planned to speak to you regarding the lack of access and lack of transparency with the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Although it is a nominally separate political body from the county government, as you know, the Housing Authority is funded with Fairfax County taxpayer dollars, staffed by county employees, used as county facilities, and the Board of Supervisors appoints the commissioners. I had planned to share the frustrating experiences I've had recently in just obtaining board packages before an upcoming meeting, and the experience that our Civic Association president had when he called the number to request a reasonable accommodation

[05:53:10] to speak at a hearing by phone, and he couldn't even get anyone to return his call. But I've recently learned that the information and access issues will hopefully be addressed at next month's Housing Authority meeting. So instead, I will bring a couple of other matters to your attention.

[05:53:26] First of all, the county's current documents and current webpages regarding the Housing Authority state that its authority is vested in 11 commissioners appointed by the Board of Supervisors, one representative from each supervisor district and two at-large representatives.

[05:53:43] The problem is that isn't actually true. There are two at-large representatives, but a FOIA request revealed that of those nine commissioners who are supposed to be from each district, one position is vacant, and that four out of the eight remaining district commissioners do not live in the district they represent. Four out of eight. And that is stunning. The only explanation I've been given is that nothing prohibits it, except, of course, that isn't what the Board of Supervisors designed or what the county states publicly. Hopefully you all can

[05:54:17] get to the bottom of this. The other issue is that we shouldn't be allowing non-county residents to access affordable units that were subsidized by Fairfax County taxpayers and sometimes built on Fairfax County taxpayer-owned property until all current county residents who need affordable housing have it. Until I recently saw a county contract, I didn't know that Fairfax County taxpayer dollars are spent on hotels and motels as overflow shelter. That indicates a great need in Fairfax County, so why are we not taking care of our own residents first? For any project

[05:54:53] involving any amount of Fairfax County taxpayer dollars or taxpayer-owned property, I ask that you all direct the Housing Authority to add a preference to those projects so that the people who already live or already work in Fairfax County receive priority for affordable housing.

[05:55:08] To summarize, Fairfax County money and or land should benefit Fairfax County residents first. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Waller. And finally, speaker number eight is Danielle Lasley, who has submitted video testimony. Community Unit Owners Association Board and one of the 86% of residents in the community who oppose a casino development in Fairfax County, less than a mile from our homes.

[05:55:37] I am also a teacher at Spring Hill Elementary School, where my two young sons attend. As a teacher and a mom, I am most concerned about the negative impact the casino will have on the children and families in our community. The 1999 National Gambling Impact Study Commission report found the percentage of problem and addicted gamblers in a population rose to 1.3% when the distance to the nearest casino is less than 50 miles.

[05:56:08] Problem and addicted gamblers lose control over their personal lives and their employment. These gamblers will commit crimes to finance their gambling, and the children of these gamblers are put at a greater risk of domestic violence, food insecurity, and losing their homes than children whose parents are not.

[05:56:26] I am proud of our community. Fairfax County is currently one of the best counties to live in in the United States. I urge the Board of Supervisors to help keep it that way by saying no to any proposal that brings casino gambling to Fairfax County.

[05:56:43] Thank you. Thank you very much for that testimony, and if there are no further items to come before the board today, our meeting is adjourned.

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