Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 9h 49m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/3796
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 2026-10-29. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:08] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our May 13th, 2025 Board of Supervisors meeting. And we are going to begin our meeting, as we always do, with a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. But before we do that, I'm going to ask, before we rise for a moment of silence, I'm going to ask my colleagues if there's anyone in particular they would like to keep in their thoughts and prayers this morning.

[00:00:32] And I'm just going to start by mentioning, unfortunately, the passing of Maya Huber. And Maya was a longtime McLean resident, a civic activist, and former planning commissioner a ways back. She passed away April 11th at Virginia Hospital Center.

[00:00:48] She moved to McLean in 1964, was chairman of the Fairfax Federation of Civic Associations, joined the McLean Citizens Association in 1973. Probably the most important contribution of hers is she chaired the Occoquan Basin Student Citizens Task Force, which, of course, led to the 1982 zoning of 83,000 acres in the watershed in western Fairfax County to protect a major source of the county's drinking water.

[00:01:19] She strongly advocated and supported legislation in Richmond that enabled the creation of the county's special agricultural and forestal districts in 1983. And in recent years, Maya was robbed of vision and lost her ability to read and drive.

[00:01:38] And in her own words, and this is probably good things for all of us to live by, in her own words, she said, quote, Many wonderful friends have since helped me to continue leading my life without a car, and I am truly thankful. It does indeed take an entire village to take care of the elderly, end quote.

[00:01:56] And I think that's something we all can think about and reflect on. But if we could keep Maya Huber and her family and all the folks in the Drainsville District who know her and knew her well in our thoughts and prayers, it would be appreciated. And at this time, I'd recognize any of my other colleagues.

[00:02:16] Yes, Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you for mentioning Maya Huber. I'll just add to that, you know, when I first got appointed as an at-large member of the planning commission, I sat down with Pat Hanlon, who was the Providence planning commissioner, and, you know, I asked him, you know, what should I be working on?

[00:02:36] And he specifically brought up Maya and the impact that she had on many projects, many cases, you know, relating to landscaping, transitional screening, and things like that, and really had an impact on a lot of projects that made them better.

[00:02:54] So thank you for mentioning her, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to first mention a dear friend of mine and a neighbor, and frankly, the thing that so many of our communities, I guess, are critically need, which is a neighbor who goes around and chats and connects and talks to people and shares you the latest information, somebody who really knows the community, lived there for her whole life, and somebody who, not only that, but also spiritually and personally, deeply cares and friendly to everybody that she ever has met.

[00:03:33] And that's Margaret Engel Trumbo, or as we called her, Peggy Trumbo. She passed on May 3rd. She was married for 52 years to Richard Bonner Trumbo, who was a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and who preceded her in death in 2017, and her husband was also that same kind of quality individual.

[00:03:54] They had two sons, one of which still lives in the neighborhood. She was an active member of the St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria since 1975. She's been a church administrator, a senior high youth advisor, a Christian education committee leader, flower coordinator for 30 years, and a founding member of the Women's Book Group at St. Aidan's.

[00:04:15] And this one particularly connected me to a lot of the past, which is Peggy was an honorary lifetime member of the national PTA as a result of her work to formalize the parent volunteer program in Fairfax County public schools in the 1970s.

[00:04:31] So, you forget about some of the roots of the people that came before us that put together the systems that are so critical to, I think, so much of what we're able to accomplish in Fairfax County. The next item is a deeply sad one.

[00:04:48] Our hearts are incredibly heavy as the South County community mourns the tragic loss of two wonderful students. I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends, and all who knew and loved them. These students will be deeply missed by so many at South County High School.

[00:05:03] My thoughts are with everyone grappling with this unimaginable loss of the two teens who were killed on May 3rd when they crashed into a high-speed concrete barrier. Again, it's unimaginable, but we know life is still precious.

[00:05:20] And I just ask us all to keep them in our thoughts as well as to come together and comfort each other. Because at this point in time in our lives, and particularly in a community like South County, those are critical to working ourselves and working through this unimaginable grief.

[00:05:39] And then finally, Laurel Hill community. And again, I talked about Peggy Trumb at the beginning. Laurel Hill community lost somebody like a Peggy Trumbo, Laura Griffith. Laura passed away yesterday after a long, courageous health battle. One of Laurel Hill's original homeowners, Laura was deeply passionate about building a strong, connected neighborhood.

[00:05:59] She was part of the original group that helped shape the community, organizing annual socials, Easter egg hunts, Halloween parades, rising kindergarten parent gatherings, and many other events that brought neighbors together. I particularly remember meeting her because one of my first meetings in South County was right as we were doing the boundary studies there in 2005, and I was invited to Christine Morin, and you mostly know Christine Morin, and I was at a surprise meeting in her basement with a few people that I was invited to come, and there were like 60 people down there when I got there, and they all wanted their schools, and they all wanted to be part of the schools,

[00:06:37] And clearly, that was a key part of it. Laura Griffith was part of that organization, part of the folks who really keep our community thriving and connected. So, again, I wanted to remember those individuals, and thank you all for taking that time. Thank you very much, Supervisor Stork.

[00:06:55] And with no one else wanting to be recognized, if all who are able could please rise for a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please face the flag.

[00:07:29] 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. So this morning is always one of the most exciting mornings in the board auditorium, and that is when we get to honor and recognize our Fairfax County Public Schools Winter Athletics Champions.

[00:08:05] and as the father of a high school junior I'm acutely aware of the fact that it is testing time and that many of you need to motor out of here as fast as possible to get back to school so we're going to do something a little bit out of order we're going to call all the individual groups down as we normally do but before we do that and before I recognize super superintendent Reed to say a few words we're going to ask all the youngsters who are here to be recognized and their coaches to come down just to stand up in place.

[00:08:40] Okay, we're going to do this differently. All right, we're going to ask all the students to stand up in place as well as the coaches. And the reason why we're doing this is we're going to take a giant group photo before we lose anybody and folks have to leave to head back to school. So if everybody could stand up, all the coaches and students, and the board's going to come down here.

[00:09:02] Okay. Send it to Rebecca.

[00:09:33] We're going through these one by one now, and as soon as you come down, we recognize you, give you your certificate, hear from the coaches.

[00:10:23] If you do need to leave after that to get back to school, certainly do that. Otherwise, you're welcome to stay through all of the presentations. And before we go through them individually, I'd first like to invite Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Michelle Reed, to come down and say a few words to kick us off.

[00:10:48] And you can, we can, let's, yeah, let's get the microphones and we'll make sure everybody can hear you. So am I facing you? Yes. Okay. Sure. All right. Well, I just want to thank you for the opportunity to speak this morning and thank you for supporting our student athletes. These are some of our busiest students.

[00:11:05] How many of you have exams this week of some kind or another? Thank you. And I want you to get to bed early every night this week. So, Chairman McKay, thanks for raising that. but we know that the long tradition having the opportunity to listen to those we've lost to help build some of the structures and traditions here this is a community that comes together to support our young people and it's so critical at opportunities athletics provides opportunities to learn discipline to learn focus to apply those skills and knowledges that we care about together

[00:11:41] as a community so i'm grateful to be here and offer my congratulations to our young people and i also want to thank every coach and every assistant coach and every athletic director and assistant athletic director because this doesn't happen just because we roll out of bed one day and say hey we'd like to feel the team right so athletes would you give your coaches a big hand i want to thank our principals as well who make time to be here and when i go to events

[00:12:20] And I see many of you as supervisors and the chair at events. I see our principals at our events. And it's just something that we all take such pride in. And I just couldn't thank you enough for recognizing our young people today. Their achievements are the result of hard work.

[00:12:37] And when you reach a state championship level, that means that you worked even a little harder than other young people around this great Commonwealth. So congratulations. And, of course, too much is given, much is expected moving forward. So, anyhow, thank you, Chairman, and well done.

[00:12:54] Thank you very much, Dr. Reed. Thank you very much, Dr. Reed. And with that, we're going to go through the list I have in order. When I call your team name out, if you could come on down and stand right here by the podium.

[00:13:12] And if your coach is here, we certainly welcome your coach to come down and say a word or two as a part of the process, too. And first, we have the Lake Braddock Secondary School Gymnastics Team. If you are here, come on down. While they are coming down, just a few notes.

[00:13:37] Lake Braddock won its fourth consecutive VHSL Gymnastics State Championship. And the team was led by standout performances, including Maddie Bell's individual titles. The Bruins have built a gymnastics dynasty in Fairfax County and beyond. And I know that their coach, Coach Mike Cooper, is here with us.

[00:13:58] And before we ask him to say a word or two, let me recognize Supervisor Walkinshaw for the first motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the Lake Braddock Secondary School girls gymnastics team captured the VHSL Class 6 state championship on February 28th, earning their 13th state title, the most in VHSL history.

[00:14:20] And whereas the Bruins secured their fourth consecutive state championship with an outstanding team score of 147.875 at their home gym in Burke, surpassing all competitors.

[00:14:36] And whereas the 2025 team, led by head coach Mike Cooper and senior standout Madison Bell, displayed exceptional discipline, teamwork, and competitive spirit throughout the season. And whereas Madison Bell won the all-around individual title with a score of 38.925, including top placements on the uneven bars and balance beam, while teammates Sophia Orfanos, Sophie Bodner, Abby Parrish, Julia Arnold, Kyla Tran, and Mary Susan each delivered strong performances.

[00:15:10] And whereas the Lake Braddock girls gymnastics team remains a dominant force in the sport with a long legacy that includes five consecutive state championships from 1995, I think we're on our way to beating that, right? From 1995 to 1999, seven state runner-up finishes in a program foundation of excellence since their first state title win in 1979.

[00:15:35] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all county residents, does hereby congratulate the Lake Braddock Secondary School girls' gymnastics team for their historic 13th VHSL state championship. And the chair will second that motion.

[00:15:52] Chair, we'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Chair, we'll second it along with Supervisor Harrity. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Walkinshaw. I just want to congratulate you all.

[00:16:08] Incredible, incredible accomplishment for Pete, I guess. Is that what it's called, Coach? For Pete? All right. That's correct. Really amazing and such a powerful legacy at Lake Braddock of excellence in girls' gymnastics.

[00:16:25] And I know that you all are going to continue that. So congratulations. Thank you to all of the coaches, to the parents and loved ones who have supported these amazing athletes throughout their careers and their journey. Congratulations. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[00:16:41] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And welcome, Coach. If you want to say a few words, you're welcome to do that. Thank you so much.

[00:16:57] I just want to introduce real quick, first of all, back in the 90s when I came and was presented, I didn't have my gray hair or gray beard, but I want to thank you so much. We have a three-time state champ right here, Sophie Bodner. This is Maddie Bell, four-time state champ.

[00:17:15] We have Sophia, four-time state champ, and we have Maggie, four-time state champ. So they've been here three and four times presenting. And, of course, I have to thank Ms. Pritchett, my Director of Student Activities, and my assistant coach, Aaron Flair, for making it possible and having a great meet.

[00:17:40] And, of course, the 10 goes to my parents that are here and have supported us for the last three and four years. So I want to thank you all for having us today. Thank you. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you, Coach.

[00:17:58] And I think with that, we're ready for a photo. And if Supervisor Walkinshaw would join me, if you all could come forward here and face the audience for a photo. Thank you.

[00:18:22] Next up, we have the Southlake's high school boys basketball team.

[00:19:23] If you could come on down. Coming down, just a few notes. Southlake secured its second consecutive VHSL Class 6 boys basketball state title.

[00:19:40] The Seahawks showcased a dominant defense and disciplined play throughout the tournament, And they capped their season with a strong championship win, adding to the school's growing legacy in basketball. And I hope we do have, I see him, we have Coach Mike Desmond here.

[00:19:56] And while folks are coming down, I am going to recognize Supervisor Alcorn for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the South Lakes High School Seahawks boys basketball team won the 2024 Virginia High School League Class 6 state championship on March 15th with a thrilling 68-60 comeback victory over Woodson High School.

[00:20:18] Sorry. And whereas the Seahawks, led by head coach Mike Desmond, demonstrated resilience and championship by overcoming a halftime deficit with an explosive second-half performance, shooting an astonishing 14 of 17 from the field and 13 of 14 from the free throw line.

[00:20:40] And whereas senior standout Jordan Scott delivered a dominant performance with 32 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks, while junior Merrick Realstone contributed 21 crucial points to the team's victory. And whereas the 2023-24 Seahawks exceeded expectations by entering the season with only one returning starter winning the competitive 60 north region defending their state title and finishing with a stellar 24 and 4 record and whereas the championship marks the second consecutive state title for the seahawks and caps an extraordinary high school career for

[00:21:19] jordan scott who amassed a remarkable 102 and 13 record over four years now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby congratulate the Southlake's high school boys basketball team for their back-to-back winning of the VHSL Class VI state championships.

[00:21:41] And the chair will second that. The chair will second that, along with Supervisor Palczyk. Any discussion on the motion? Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, just very quickly, obviously this is a huge accomplishment for you guys, for the coaches, for the parents.

[00:22:00] I also just wanted to note, I was at Southlakes this morning for the Winter's Breakfast Club, which is mostly a football thing, but for those of you that don't know, it's an opportunity for some of the older student-athletes to work with some of the younger student-athletes and to bring some of those folks along.

[00:22:22] And that's such a great representation of Southlakes and who you are and who we are as a community. So congratulations on this, but also on all the community stuff, too. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. And let me just add, I had an opportunity to see these young men play in person a couple times this year, as I think others did as well.

[00:22:42] And what you had this year was a special group, something that, you know, you guys will never forget. I know some of you going off to college with some impressive scholarships so we can continue to watch you as the years go on. But this was a special team this year.

[00:22:57] Last year was a special team, but to be able to do what they did consecutively is a big deal. And you did mention them beating Woodson, which, you know, representing all the high schools in the county, I will say I think it was a really proud moment that in this state title we had two FCPS schools play each other in the final.

[00:23:17] I think it's a testament to how strong our high school basketball programs are in FCPS. And so congratulations to all of you on a big year and a great team atmosphere. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye.

[00:23:32] Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And Coach, you're welcome to share a few words with us. Thank you. I just want to say to you guys, thank you for having us. Really appreciate this. Any chance that we get to acknowledge what these gentlemen accomplished, it never gets lost on me.

[00:23:53] It's never not humbling to watch them come together as a group. And repeat was their goal. It was never my goal. So it was just fantastic to kind of be brought along for the ride. Obviously, I have to thank my administration, the supporters, the community, the parents that are here, the parents that are home, The excellent coaching staff I have and just a tremendous group of young men, which, you know, we always say at Southlakes, you're not going to be missed.

[00:24:21] You know, you miss something that's gone. But this group will be remembered, and I really appreciate all that they accomplished. Thank you very much, Coach. Thank you very much, Coach.

[00:24:37] And I think we're ready for a photo. If you all could come forward and face the audience, and I will join Supervisor Alcorn for the photo.

[00:25:35] All right.

[00:26:27] We now have the West Springfield High School Boys Indoor Track and Field Team. While they're coming down, West Springfield won the VHSL Class 6 Boys Indoor Track and Field Team title.

[00:26:47] Their season was highlighted by depth across field and relay events. And their victory reflects the Spartans' strength, discipline, and preparation. And Coach Chris Pellegrini is here. And while folks are coming down, I am going to recognize Supervisor Herity for a motion.

[00:27:03] Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have a resolution to move. Whereas the West Springfield High School Spartans Boys Indoor Track and Field Team finished the 2024-2025 season, culminating in a remarkable victory at the VHSL Class 6 Championship on March 11 in Virginia Beach.

[00:27:22] And whereas the Spartans won the state title by a half a point, 57.5 to 57, showcasing their depth, grit, and determination. And whereas the team's championship effort included Michael Murray's victory in pole vault, gold medals in a 4x400 meter at a time of 320.76 and 4x800 meter at a time of 752.98 relays.

[00:27:51] and stellar performances from student-athletes like Jack Pritchard, Gavin Smith, Edison Dean, Kyler Roberts, Max Engelert, Nicholas Bailey, Mark Gatos, and Nicholas Spada, who bravely overcame injury for a critical half point.

[00:28:08] And whereas the Spartans' success at the state meet followed an undefeated postseason, having claimed the Patriot District and Occoquan Regional Championships, marking the program's fourth straight crown in second in three years. And whereas under Coach Pellegrini, every West Springfield athlete contributed to the team score, an extraordinary effort exemplifying teamwork, perseverance, and Spartan pride.

[00:28:36] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents, commend the West Springfield High School boys' indoor track and field team on their historic VHSL Class 6 state championship victory. And the chair will second that motion.

[00:28:53] Is there a discussion on the motion? Supervisor Herdy. Yes, real quick. Coach Pellegrini, thank you. I mean, obviously you've built a great team over the last several years. You're third consecutive twice in the last three years.

[00:29:11] Narrow finish over Southlake, so another place that we had two Fairfax County teams in the final. You know, track and fields, I was a swimmer as well as a rugby player and other things. But it's one of those interesting sports where it's an individual sport and a team sport all at the same time.

[00:29:29] And, you know, it's a great lesson for us all that every little bit of effort pays off. Because if any one of you hadn't given that effort, the team wouldn't have won the state. I'm sure that's been drilled into you many, many times. But it's interesting how important individual effort is to team victory.

[00:29:49] But I just want to hopefully you I'm proud of you all as a fellow Spartan. I'm very proud of you. And congratulations on the great accomplishment. And I'll see some of you at graduation. So congrats. Excellent. Any further discussion? Seeing and hearing none.

[00:30:06] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And welcome, Coach. You're free to say a few words. First, I just want to say thank you all for having us. this is quite an honor to be here. Like you mentioned with our boys team, a lot of times at the state track and field meets, if you had that individual that can score 25, 30 points, that's usually the formula for success. But in our case, we had to score in nine different events in order to make this happen. And like you mentioned, one of the unusual facts was that

[00:30:44] every single boy who did compete for us scored even those that weren't seated to. So we just had a kind of cascading effect of athletes starting to overachieve and then more athletes starting to overachieve. And that led us to the point at the end of the meet where if we were to win the final event, the four by four, we could possibly win by half a point.

[00:31:04] And then it all just came together for us for that to happen. And it was just from a team standpoint, it was truly a highlight for us. Excellent. Thank you very much. Really proud of all of you. Well done, made Fairfax County and FCPS really proud.

[00:31:20] So congratulations. With that, I think we're ready for a photo, and Supervisor Herity and I will come on down, and if you could come forward and face the audience.

[00:33:05] Next, we have the Chantilly High School Boys Swim and Dive Team. And while they're coming down, just a few notes. Chantilly won the VHSL Class 6 Boys Swim and Dive state title with an impressive depth across individual and relay events.

[00:33:27] Their balanced team effort and high placements in multiple events led to their overall championship. It was a remarkable season for the Chargers in the pool this year. And I know we have Coach James McKenzie here. And at this time, I'm going to recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion.

[00:33:43] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the Chantilly High School Boys Swim and Dive Team made history by capturing their first-ever Virginia High School League Class 6 state championship on March 5 in Stafford, Virginia, And whereas the Chantilly Chargers earned a commanding 284 points, 50 ahead of the defending champion Langley High School, capping off a remarkable winter season that included both district and regional titles.

[00:34:10] And whereas the team demonstrated depth and determination with key victories in the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays And an individual state title in the 100-yard backstroke by Kyle Lee, supported by strong finishes from Ben Farrello, Ben Clabo, Yaron Lee, Blake Madsen, and others.

[00:34:32] And whereas Ivor Brown and Paxton Martinez delivered outstanding diving performances, placing second and eighth respectively, contributing significantly to the team's overall success. And whereas under the leadership of head coach James McKenzie, the team embodied resilience, sportsmanship, and teamwork, setting a new standard for excellence in Chantilly athletics, now therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby congratulate the Chantilly High School Boys Swim and Dive Team for their 2025 VHSL Class 6 State Championship.

[00:35:11] And Chair, we'll second that motion along with Supervisor Herity. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Smith. It is always great to make history, isn't it? So congratulations for all that effort and the hard work that went into it. Thank you so much. Thank you very much, Supervisor Smith.

[00:35:27] And Coach, congratulations to all of you. What time is practice in the morning? Well, most of these guys practice anywhere between 4.30 and 5 in the morning with their club teams. Afternoon practice for us is right after school. Okay. Yeah, a lot of swimming. It's that morning commitment in the pool I think we all need to focus on for a moment that teaches you a lot.

[00:35:48] With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Congratulations again, Coach, and you're welcome to share a few words with us. Well, good morning. I have the pleasure of being the head coach of the Varsity Swim and Dive program at Chantilly, and this past season was indeed one for the history books.

[00:36:07] The boys were able to achieve a regional championship and a state championship for the first time in the school's history since 1973. Additionally, they won their second district out of three seasons, and it set the stage for a really great postseason.

[00:36:24] The state championship itself was a complete team effort. Only one individual won. We did win two of the three relays, including setting the all-time Virginia state record for the 400 freestyle relay, which they should be very proud of. The effort level that these young men showed week in and week out was absolutely staggering to witness.

[00:36:43] And I'll be forever grateful for having been able to coach this team with these coaches this last season. Thank you. Thank you very much, Coach.

[00:36:59] And we are so grateful for you and your team, the parents, school administrators, all the folks that make this happen, made us really proud. So well done. With that, we're ready for a photo. And if you all could come forward and face the audience, Supervisor Smith will join me.

[00:37:28] And we next have the Justice High School Justice Rowing Team coming down.

[00:38:49] Justice Rowing won the 2025 Virginia State Rowing Championships through exceptional skills, dedication, and athletic excellence. Their hard work resulted in several medals and demonstrated the Justice Rowing Program's depth and resilience. And their first place trophy will be proudly displayed at Justice High School for all to see their achievements.

[00:39:11] And at this time, I would recognize Supervisor Jimenez for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the Justice High School rowing team delivered a remarkable performance at the 2025 Virginia State Rowing Championship, showcasing skill, dedication, and athletic excellence.

[00:39:31] And whereas the women's junior quad and alliance Kate Shank, Chloe Bernasconi, and Brooke Emma Jones earned first place winning a gold medal and a championship trophy to be displayed at Justice High School this year. And whereas the men's senior quad featuring Sam Schneider, Tucker Trissel, Nick Kish, and Stephen Blackadar secured second place in a silver medal after a strong performance in their final.

[00:39:59] And whereas Ashley Forrest and Sylvia Smith fiercely competed in the women's senior double, finishing third and earning a bronze medal, demonstrating the Justice Rowan program's depth and resilience. And whereas the achievement of these student-athletes are a testament to support their hard work, their leadership of their coaches, and the unwavering support of their families and school community, Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, congratulate the Justice High School rowing team on its

[00:40:36] remarkable success at the 2025 Virginia State Rowing Championships. And the chair will second that, along with Supervisor Palchuk. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is so exciting to have the Justice Row team here. I've been a longtime supporter, and really, this is a community effort.

[00:40:56] It's an effort by the coaches, the parents, dedication of the students. All of this is obviously not only takes time, it takes money and dedication, but it takes, you know, a real interest in wanting to succeed. And that's what we have right in front of us.

[00:41:13] We have commitments from the coaches, the principal, you know, the students. And that's why we are where we are. And I will continue to support. And I can't wait to see all the amazing things that you're going to do in the future. So exciting to have you. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor. Jimenez, Supervisor Palchuk.

[00:41:29] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well, Justice High School is no longer one of my schools. I'm so just incredibly proud of you as someone who made it through a whole season on the B team. I learned so many incredible skills, and I know the fact that you've learned lifelong skills, and especially for the young women on the rowing team, I know that you will take this with you through your commitment, not just through high school, but in college and beyond.

[00:41:54] The teamwork, running those crazy hills, being on the river, I realized it wasn't just rowing a boat. You really had to compete. So I'm just so proud of all of you and know that we are all shouting and supporting you here and to your parents.

[00:42:09] Because as Supervisor Jimenez said, it's a huge, huge time, commitment, investment from your families, from your coaches, and from all of you. And so congrats and thanks for keeping up the great work here on FCPS. Thank you, Supervisor Palczyk, and let me also congratulate you.

[00:42:28] It's great to have Justice here and for all of your achievements. We're really proud of you in this particular one, and as Supervisor Jimenez and I said, the trophy will be on display, so all the other schools that competed can come by and visit it at any time, right?

[00:42:44] But we are really proud of all of you, and the dedication that it takes to succeed is remarkable, and this is something that will stay with you the rest of your life, for sure, this experience and your friendships here and of course to the coach amazing job with you and your team making sure that they could succeed the way they did make us proud here in Fairfax County with that all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries and coach welcome you're welcome to share a few words thank you very much I'd like to thank Supervisor Jimenez who has been a constant presence throughout our season showing

[00:43:21] up several times at both dedication and at other events. Dr. Reed, who has been a constant supporter of rowing throughout Fairfax County and especially for our high school. At Justice High School, I'd like to thank our principal, Dr. Sean Rolland, and Director of Student Activities, Brian Garvey. Without their support, this wouldn't be possible. Our Boosters Club has been a tremendous support that allows these kids to show up and row. It takes a lot of work before we even show up to make the team happen. And our gifted athletes who have done a wonderful job throughout the season, working hard every day, pushing themselves beyond what they thought they could do, putting up with my antics to push them even harder, and we have national

[00:43:59] championships in two weeks, so I'm still expecting great things out of this team. Thank you very much. Well, that's right, Coach. You mentioned your antics, and you've got to rise out of all the kids, so we won't ask you to describe any further, but with that, if you could come forward and face the audience, all of you could come forward and face the audience, Supervisor Jimenez, and I will join you for a photo.

[00:45:06] And do we have the South County Girls Indoor Track and Field Team here?

[00:46:16] They have not checked in. I don't think they've been able to join us. I am, however, going to read and let's present their proclamation, and we can take it to the school supervisor, Stork. But I do want to recognize, before we do the individual recognitions, the South County High School Girls Indoor Track and Field Team, who captured the VHSL Class 6 Girls Indoor Track and Field Championship. They were led by individual winners, Catalina Sanchez and Finn Middleton, and strong relay squads. The team displayed speed, teamwork, and consistency throughout the season, and certainly want to congratulate Coach Maurice Hutton and the whole

[00:46:54] team, parents in school, on this amazing achievement. And at this time, I'm going to recognize Supervisor Stork so that we can read the proclamation into the record. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the South County High School girls indoor track and field team, the Stallions, demonstrated exceptional athleticism in winning the VHSL Classic State Championship on March 11th in Virginia Beach, whereas the Stallions won the state title with 88 points, marking South County's second indoor state championship, the first since

[00:47:28] 2013, and whereas standout performances by athletes like Catalina Sanchez, who won the 55-meter dash and placed second in the long jump, and Mia Mason, who won the long jump and placed second in both the 55-meter dash and hurdles propelled the team to victory.

[00:47:45] Whereas the team excelled in relay events, winning both the 4x200-meter relay in 1 minute 39 and 72 100 second and the 4x4-meter relay in 3 minutes 54 and 93 100 seconds, thanks to strong contributions from Cameron Thompson, Emmy N. Curry, Kendall Williams, Carmen McCants, and Mackian Mason, and whereas the achievements reflects the dedication of head coach Maurice Hutton and his staff, whose commitment has fostered a culture of hard work and pride in South County High School, now therefore, be it resolved, the Fairfax County

[00:48:23] Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby commend the South County High School girls indoor track and field team on winning the 2025 VHSL Class 6 state championship. And the chair will second that motion, along with Supervisor Palchik. Discussion on the motion? Supervisor Stort? I just, it's a phenomenal achievement, and we know how these achievements occur. Not only coaches that really propel and push and urge and cajole and otherwise try to get students to do what they need to do, but the community, the staff at the high school, the parents, and especially our student athletes, because they're the ones who put that hard work

[00:49:03] and truly put it over the finish line. In this case, they did it with remarkable success. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Storr. Again, we congratulate South County High School girls' indoor track and field team and we'll look forward to an opportunity where we can present this in person at the school.

[00:49:19] With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And finally, our biggest category, and I realize we may have lost a lot of these students, but we want to recognize them anyway, and these are the individual state champions, including relay teams, and if you're here today, when I read your name, please come on down.

[00:49:42] Coaches are welcome to come down as well. We will have certificates handed out, and we'll take one large group photo of all the individuals, and there's a lot of them, so bear with me as we go through the list. First, in the category of indoor track and field champions, We have Junior Allen, South Lakes, 1,000 and 1,600-meter run.

[00:50:04] Caroline Elliott from South Lakes, 1,000 and 1,600-meter run. Catalina Sanchez, South County, 55 dash. Finn Middleton, South County, 55 hurdles. Mia Mason, West Springfield, long jump.

[00:50:19] South Lakes, 4 by 800 relay. Gavin Smith, Max Inglert, Nicholas Bailey, Edison Dean, Southlake's 4x400 relay, Kyler Roberts, Carson Hall, Maddox Psy, Ben Clabo, Southlake's 4x200 relay, Ivan Layarenza, Maddox Psy, Jack Pritchard, Mark Anthony Wythe.

[00:50:46] South County 4x200 relay, Cameron Thompson, Carmen McCants, Emakian Mason, Amian Curry. South County 4x400 relay, Cameron Thompson, Julia Wallace, Kendall Williams, Amian Curry.

[00:51:04] South Lakes 4x800 relay, Aya Ryan, Caroline Elliott, Catalina Simon, Sarah Gantawala. And in the Swimming and Diving Champions, we have Langley, 200-yard medley relay, Hunter Zipperer, Max Thompson, Michael Zhu, Paris Garvin.

[00:51:25] Langley, 200-yard freestyle relay, Ben Clabo, Ben Ferrello, Kyle Lee, and Yeren Lee. Josh Howard from Langley, 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. Kyle Lee from Langley, 100-yard breaststroke.

[00:51:43] Mike So, Langley, 100-yard backstroke. Sadie Buckley from Langley, 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle. Lilla Wilbur from Langley, 100-yard breaststroke.

[00:51:59] Marlee Da Silva Robinson, 1-meter dive. Nathaniel Granis, West Potomac, 1-meter dive. And in individual gymnastics, we have Maddie Bell from Lake Braddock, all-around champion balance beam and uneven bars and we have wrestling champions ethan osborne from westfield carter shin from fairfax merit clington from robinson and michael santos from annandale if i called your name uh please come on down and if there's anyone here with you that would like

[00:52:35] to come down they're welcome to as well including any coaches or anyone else that uh was a contributor to make sure you got to where you are today. If you all could come on down. And in a moment, we're going to take one large group photo. And I'm going to give Office of Public Affairs a moment to sort the certificates, and then we'll pose for a photo.

[00:53:04] Congratulations.

[00:55:37] Wrestlers are always a little. I have a twin brother who's a wrestler. Is that right? I lived that. I lived that experience. You know what I mean? You have a twin brother? You have a twin brother, yeah. Identical? He looks like Charles Manson. Yes, he really does, actually.

[00:55:57] Which in here, make sure he's recognized and came down and got his certificate and picture.

[00:56:25] And that is Josh Donovan from Lake Braddock. So and somehow when your name doesn't get on the list, you get all this extra special attention. So you deserve it. Well done. And with that, we are going to move on to our next agenda item.

[00:56:46] And that is board adoption of the FY 2026 budget plan. And as the board knows, we did markup a week ago and discussed this ad nauseum, but there's a number of motions that have to be made to formalize the markup action of last week.

[00:57:05] And let me begin by putting on the table our first motion. I'm going to turn the gavel to Vice Chair Smith, and that is one real property tax rate. I move that the board set the real property tax rate at $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value.

[00:57:23] As a result of this action, the real property tax rate for calendar year 2025 will be reduced by $0.0025 from the present rate of $1.125 per $100 of assessed value. I'll second that motion.

[00:57:41] I take it there's no discussion. All those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. any opposed 30 nay any abstentions that motion passes with one nay and our second motion is approval of the fy 2026 tax rate resolution having established the real property tax rate of 1.1225 per 100 of assessed value i move the board approve the fy 2026 tax rate resolution adopting tax rates for fairfax county as detailed in attachment 2 of the memorandum to the board dated may 12 2025.

[00:58:14] I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposition? Parity, nay. Any abstentions? That motion passes 9 to 1. Sorry. And our third motion is on the transient occupancy tax.

[00:58:32] As part of this year's budget process, an amendment to the county code on transient occupancy tax was proposed. The public hearing was advertised on April 1 and April 8, and it was held on April 22, 2025 at 3 p.m. I move that the Board adopt the proposed ordinance to amend Article 13 of Chapter 4 of the Fairfax County Code with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

[00:58:56] This action will increase the transient occupancy tax from 4% to 6%, allocating an additional 1% to the general fund and 1% to promoting tourism. In addition, the ordinance will make other technical amendments to Article 13. I'll second that motion.

[00:59:11] Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Fair to nay. Any abstentions? That motion passes, 9 to 1. And motion number 4 is approval of the FY2026 appropriation resolutions for county agencies, funds, and school board funds, and the FY2025 fiscal planning resolution.

[00:59:32] And I move board approval of the FY2026 appropriation resolution for county agencies and funds, the FY2026 appropriation resolution for school board funds, and the FY2026 fiscal planning resolutions as set forth in attachments 3, 4, and 5 of the memorandum to the board dated May 12, 2025.

[00:59:52] I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Parity, nay. Any abstentions? That motion passes, 9 to 1. And finally, the sewer ordinance amendments as part of this year's budget process amendments to the sewer ordinance were proposed.

[01:00:08] The public hearing was advertised on April 1 and April 8th and was held on April 22nd, 2025 at 3 p.m. I therefore move that the board adopt amendments to the Code of the County of Fairfax, Chapter 67.1, Sanitary Sewers and Sewage Disposal, Article 10 charges by amending and readopting section 67.1-10-2 of the county code as advertised.

[01:00:34] - I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye. - Aye. - Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion passes. - Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And that brings to an end our budget process from this past year. And I do want to thank again, as we did last week, the staff for their great work this year, hard work on bringing us together on a budget. We've obviously shared a lot of our thoughts about it last week, but I can't say enough how proud we are of the team that we have that helps us get through this process. So thank you. And with that, we're going to move on to board matters. And again, these are compiled digitally and will go alphabetically

[01:01:13] by district following myself and Vice Chairman Smith. And I'm going to turn the gavel back over to Supervisor Smith, Vice Chairman Smith, so that I can read my board matter. I only have one, which is to approve without objection the proclamation request listed in this document, and that is a resolution recognizing Bob Lazaro for his years as Executive Director of NBRC, Paul Gilbert for his years as Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, and a resolution jointly with Supervisor Palchuk to recognize Ken Quincy for his 18 years of service

[01:01:48] on the Park Authority Board, and a resolution jointly by Supervisor Palchuk to recognize Maestro Zimmerman's, it's hard to believe, it's been 15 years, 15 years of leadership with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and finally a proclamation jointly with Supervisor Palchek and Supervisor Jimenez, recognizing June as Immigrant Heritage Month. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[01:02:08] Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And next up on board matters is Vice Chair Smith. I don't have any. None. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And next we have Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, have just one board matter, which is a joint board matter with you, recognizing Soldiers of Howry Field Park Day.

[01:02:29] Mr. Chairman, since 2021, we as a board have taken time to honor the sacrifice of six young soldiers from the 77th Engineer Port Construction Company, stationed at Fort Belvoir, who perished on June 1, 1967, while assigned to a community service project.

[01:02:46] The soldiers were working to provide a baseball field for the local Little League at the Howery Field Athletic Complex in Annandale. They died when a flagpole they were erecting was hit by a gust of wind and contacted a high-voltage power line. All the men were under 25 years of age.

[01:03:02] The soldiers' names were Private Paul D. Briggs from Waco, Texas, Private Anthony B. Evans from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Private First Class Marvin D. Harrison, Jacksonville, Florida, Private Charles R. Oliver from Vermillion, Ohio, Specialist Kenneth G. Steiner from St. Ann, Missouri, and Private Charles M. Whaley from Aberdeen, Ohio.

[01:03:32] For the past four years, the board has declared June 1st as Soldiers of Howry Field Park Day to honor these six young soldiers. I'm once again requesting that we join community members to commemorate this solemn day and express our appreciation for the men who provided us a facility that residents of all ages continue to enjoy.

[01:03:52] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, move that the Board proclaim June 1, 2025, as Soldiers of Howery Field Park Day, in honor of the six soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice while helping to build this local facility, and that a presentation be made outside the Board Auditorium at the annual ceremony scheduled for May 31, 2025.

[01:04:13] So moved. And the Chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just also want to share that we have our Braddock Bark Festival coming up this Saturday, May 18th, 1 to 4 p.m. at Lake Acatink Park.

[01:04:40] Did I say Saturday? Sunday, May 18th at Lake. Don't show up on Saturday. Unless you want to help set up, you can show up on Saturday. Sunday, May 18th. This is a lot of fun. We've had 400 or 500 people in recent years, and I think as long as the weather holds up, we'll match that this year.

[01:05:00] Bring your dogs or not. If you just want to meet some dogs, you can do that, too. We're going to have an obstacle course for dogs, a splash zone, adoption opportunities, local pet nonprofits and businesses and food vendors in partnership with Celebrate Fairfax, the Park Authority, and Friends of the Animal Shelter.

[01:05:20] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Excellent. Thank you very much, Supervisor Walkinshaw, Supervisor Beerman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Two board matters. Board matter one is consideration of a plan amendment for the Active Transportation and Trails Plan.

[01:05:38] The Active Fairfax Transportation Plan study, which was initiated in July 2019, is updating and combining the 2021 Bicycle Master Plan and the 2018 Countywide Trails Plan into one plan, which will be called the Active Transportation Trails Plan using community feedback and input from the board.

[01:05:57] The study took into consideration the long-term needs of the county and explored contextual and environmentally sensitive solutions that serve users of all ages and abilities. The study evaluated the current Bicycle Master Plan and the countywide Trails Plan recommendations for connectivity, safety, comfort, and potential environmental impacts and made adjustments to routes and facility recommendations consistent with the community's vision for the county.

[01:06:20] Community engagement was provided in two rounds. The first round was held in the spring of 2021 and solicited public input on active transportation concerns, preferences, destinations, and barriers. The study held 12 virtual community meetings and solicited input via acute community survey, an interactive map to determine barriers and destinations, and an interactive map on the planned active transportation and trails network.

[01:06:42] The community feedback informed the development of the vision, goals, and objectives for active transportation in Fairfax County, which the Board of Supervisors endorsed in November 2021. This document, as well as the county-wide strategic plan providing the guiding principles for the development of the Active Transportation Trails Plan, provided the guiding principles for the development of the Active Transportation Trails Plan.

[01:07:05] The second round of community engagement was held in the fall of 2024 and solicited community feedback on the draft Active Transportation Trails Plan. The study hosted 12 community open houses, four virtual community meetings, a community survey, an interactive map that provided the opportunity to comment directly on the proposed Active Transportation Trails Network, over 30 pop-up events those who took part in the public engagement effort included residents road safety bike pad and environmental organizations and representatives of homeowner businesses of homeowners associations and civic associations to reflect the proposed active transportation trails planning is necessary to update the transportation element of the policy plan to align

[01:07:42] technical terms definitions and facility type recommendations the map map notes and references to the countywide trails plan and bicycle master plan Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to consider a comprehensive plan amendment that incorporates the active transportation and trails plan.

[01:07:58] And the Chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion, Supervisor Alcorn and then Supervisor Palchuk? Yeah, thank you. Very quickly, Mr. Chairman, I'm glad to see this coming forward. This predates my service on this board. It's taken a while.

[01:08:13] COVID got in the way a little bit and slowed things down, but it is—and I want to thank staff for the work they've done to pull all this together. And this has really been, it's not the final step, but this is a major step that's really involved so many of our residents in these discussions. So I look forward to seeing this happen. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Pouching.

[01:08:38] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well, in similar vein, first of all, I really want to thank, I know, Nicole Winans, who's here, has really very much led the effort over so many years, and the new Director Laura Ghosh of Active Fairfax started before us, but definitely ramped up throughout the pandemic.

[01:08:56] And I think so much was learned and improved on how we engage with the community, how we bring in as many voices as we can, how we really target that engagement and make sure that we are meeting the needs and hearing from more and more of our community than we ever had before.

[01:09:11] So always a work in progress, but very much a shout out to all who have worked and especially to the leadership of Nicole and now under Laura. Thank you so much. Thank you. And I will just add, it feels like yesterday when I made the motion to create our first ever bicycle master plan in Fairfax County, and it was a long time ago.

[01:09:33] In fact, all the staff that worked with me on that have all retired. But their legacy lives on through the plan and through the updates, and it was always anticipated that ultimately the bicycle master plan and the countywide trails plan would come together in an easy way for people to understand and so this is this is a big item even though it's a simple board matter it's a part of a major evolution that has taken place so well done with that all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that

[01:10:09] motion carries. Supervisor Beerman. Great. Thank you. For my second board matter, a comment letter for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's fiscal year 2026 to 2020, sorry, to 2031 six-year improvement plan. The Commonwealth Transportation Board, CTB, is currently developing its fiscal year 2026 to 2031 six-year improvement plan, the SYIP. This year's SYIP update will include funding for various transportation programs, including transit, state of good repair, and funds allocated through the SPART scale process.

[01:10:41] The draft, SYIP, was released on April 15, 2025, and the CTB is expected to adopt the SYIP in June. As in past years, public meetings are being held across Virginia for the public to comment on the program.

[01:10:58] The Northern Virginia District Meeting occurred on May 8, 2025, and comments can be submitted in writing through May 21, 2025. In the past, the Board has provided testimony and or comments in support of county projects that are being considered for SmartScale or other programs, as well as related policies.

[01:11:15] County staff is recommending the board provide a similar letter this year, which is attached. The letter focuses on two issues, funded projects. The letter thanks the Commonwealth for including funding for various projects and programs in the draft, SYIP. This includes but is not limited to approximately $25.1 million in operating assistance for the Fairfax Connector, $6.25 million in TRIP regional connectivity funding for the Richmond Highway BRT, $12.7 million for various transit capital projects, and approximately $700,000 for transportation demand management programs.

[01:11:52] The draft also includes $18.1 million in state operating and capital assistance for the Virginia Railway Express and $273.4 million in operating and capital assistance for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

[01:12:09] Smart scale. The board endorsed a list of projects for submission in July of 2024 and staff submitted applications in the fall. Project scores were released in January and no Fairfax County projects were recommended for funding. The letter notes concerns about the scoring process, particularly in relation to cost factors.

[01:12:28] Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve the attached letter providing comments on the Commonwealth's draft fiscal year 2026 to 2031 SYIP to be sent to the Virginia Secretary of Transportation as part of the public comment record on behalf of Fairfax County.

[01:12:45] I'm happy to second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Just that the draft letter is attached to the board matter itself. It's directed to Secretary Miller from Chairman McKay. Thank you, Supervisor Beerman.

[01:13:03] And I would just point out I really appreciate the concern about smart scale. We talked about this at the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. We've been talking about this for years, about how this scoring process is skewed against larger projects in Fairfax County and that it really does not adequately factor in the high cost of doing projects in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia.

[01:13:25] They are not the same as the cost of doing projects in other parts of the state. Just the land acquisition cost alone are significantly different. And when you weigh that, it creates a real problem. And this year is glaring in that no projects were approved.

[01:13:42] And so this is something that we're going to continue to work on, I think, through the authority and through our DOT and others advocating for changes to this process. Because it is unacceptable that a jurisdiction of our size, with the amount of revenues we generate in the Commonwealth of Virginia, is not getting projects approved as part of SmartScale.

[01:14:02] And so I appreciate that that's pointed out in the letter, including the shortcomings of the process. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? any abstentions that motion carries supervisor beerman uh just one announcement i i knew that braddock park was on sunday because that means that there are two really cool things going on in fairfax county this weekend because saturday is mclean day so you know head out to braddock park on sunday head to mclean day on saturday you can ride the rides we'll be out there all day rain or shide it always seems to rain but we will be out there all day uh and uh please stop by

[01:14:41] Excellent. Thank you very much, Supervisor Behrman. And next up is Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two items. The first is a board matter for the Children's Concert on the Green Series. I'm excited to announce two children's programs in Springfield sponsored by my office.

[01:15:02] The Children's Concert on the Green Series will be held on the roof of the Springfield Community Business Center parking garage on Saturday, June 14th and June 21st from 10 to 10.45 a.m. This exciting pilot demonstrates one potential use of the green space atop the garage.

[01:15:22] The series will bring together community members from the greater Springfield area for a morning of live entertainment and community building. The concert program, again, Saturday, June 14th, will have Moonit and Zee Love Bugs And then second, on Saturday, June 21st, we'll have Rock Nasaurus.

[01:15:44] So I'm excited about those two opportunities for the young boys and girls in our community. So, Mr. Chairman, I move without objection that the Office of Public Affairs assist us in publicizing the children's concert on the Green Series.

[01:16:00] So moved. And without objection, that is so ordered. We will make sure OPA publicizes that, the first of its kind. to take advantage of this new facility, so we'll want to make sure we heavily advertise that. And I'll just make one point, Mr. Chairman.

[01:16:16] This is an acknowledgment of the efforts that you led to have that garage built, but that community space, having that available is kind of pivotal for that Springfield area, so we're excited to try to activate it and get more uses there, so this will be the first of a series of things that we'll do.

[01:16:34] So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now, I think it's great, and just to add, we want to heavily publicize this in part because I don't think most people realize what's on the top of that deck, which is a great community space that can be used for events, and what a great way to highlight that. So thank you, Supervisor Lusk.

[01:16:51] No problem. And then second, Mr. Chairman, I just want to make an announcement on the Stock the Block event. I'm really excited to announce this third Stock the Block event, which will be held at the Jerry Highland Government Center in the Franconia District this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Stock the Block is the cornerstone in our community providing much-needed supplies to thousands of people over the past two years. These supplies consist of household goods, school supplies, hygiene items, and toys. This year, goods and resources will be provided to 1,500 families in the area who will have the opportunity to drive

[01:17:28] up and collect those items. Volunteers from a litany of organizations will donate their time and energy on a Saturday in the U.S. to hand out these crucial items to those in need. At a time of deep economic uncertainty for our region, Stock the Block is there to help. This event would not be possible without the willing partners from some pretty important organizations in our area, and this is the third year again in a row that this event has been held, and the young adults from the Church of Latter-day Saints have come together to make this event a reality year after year.

[01:18:06] And I want to thank those incredible young people for taking their time to manage all the logistics and to create this really, really important and rewarding event. I'd also like to thank the other groups that play a pretty important role here in helping us with the Stock of the Block and ensuring its success.

[01:18:23] Those groups include Good360, Lazera Ministries, NCS, and the Fairfax County Police Department for helping us navigate the cars coming in and moving people and those items safely. These amazing organizations and all their volunteers are coming together to make Franconia District and Fairfax County a much better place to live.

[01:18:45] So with that, Mr. Chairman, just wanted to make that announcement about that event coming up on Saturday. Excellent. Thank you very much, Supervisor Lusk. And that concludes my board matters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Next up is Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just one brief board matter.

[01:19:03] The Fairfax County Library Board currently has a vacancy for the Hunter Mill District Representative following the resignation of Parker Brugge. Thank you, Parker, for your service on the library board. Because the library board will meet on Wednesday, May 14th, that's tomorrow, I'm requesting approval to appoint Madeline White to this position before their meeting.

[01:19:23] White is a lifelong Restonian who has spent many hours reading and studying at the Reston Regional Library and his volunteer at the library's summer reading program. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve the appointment of Madeleine White as the Hunter Mill District Representative on the library board, effective immediately.

[01:19:40] I'm happy to second that. A lot of people seconded it. Great choice. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Alcorn. That is all.

[01:19:55] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Mr. Chairman, as you may know, there have been some changes in my office. And before I dive into the exciting news of my new chief of staff, I do want to take just a quick moment to say thank you to my outgoing chief of staff, Amir Abu Ahawa, for his amazing job and dedication to the office. Even though he won't be my chief of staff, I am very proud to be able to still consider him a close friend.

[01:20:34] Even though he's not here today, I just wanted to acknowledge him. But now, Devin, if you don't mind standing up, as some of you may know or remember. So, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to welcome my new Chief of Staff, Devin Farr. Devin has lived in the area for more than 20 years and brings a wealth of experience to the Mason District Office, following a long and diverse career across several industries.

[01:20:56] He began his work with Fairfax County as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Providence District. Later, serving as Chief of Staff in that role, he led policy efforts on environment, housing, land use, public works, and public safety, while also supporting initiatives related to transportation, parks, communications, and schools.

[01:21:14] Outside of work, Devon volunteers with local environmental groups with a particular focus on invasive species removal and animal support efforts. All of this is made possible thanks to the support of his wife and the begrudging tolerance of their dog. So please, everyone, leave me in welcoming back Devin.

[01:21:33] Devin, thank you so much. So thank you for that, Supervisor Jimenez. And I know the board is aware, but for those watching, Amir was my deputy chief of staff, was then Supervisor Jimenez as chief of staff, and is now coming back to the chairman's office as my chief of staff.

[01:21:54] Again, with all the new knowledge he has gained working in Supervisor Jimenez's office, and we're delighted that that's happening. And certainly Devin, who was in Providence District, who's now in Mason District, and so great just to retain such amazing talent.

[01:22:10] And as my colleagues know, Clayton Medford, who was Chairman Bolivar's Chief of Staff, then my Chief of Staff, is returning back to where he was before he was my Chief of Staff, which is working in the Northern Virginia Chamber. He has taken a position there to head government relations You've probably already seen him in the newsletters from the Northern Virginia chamber, but an outstanding opportunity for him and we're so proud of all three of these Leaders in our community and the new responsibilities that they have and look forward to working with them for many years to come. So thank you

[01:22:43] Next up is Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My first item is a motion to expedite a hearing Veranina Vergara Miranda operates a home daycare for seven children at 8080 Paper Birch Road in Lorton.

[01:23:03] She is seeking a special exception amendment to increase her enrollment to 12 children. Ms. Miranda would like to be able to offer additional slots prior to school opening in August. The Laurel Hill community supports this application, and staff concurs with this date change. In order to accommodate this, I therefore move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to expedite the public hearing for SE 2024 MV00036, located at Tax Map, Partial 107-2, double circle 8, parentheses F, 60, to date of July 15, 2025, at 3.30 p.m.

[01:23:41] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board on the pending applications and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of all applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards. Chair will second that along with Supervisor Smith. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Stork.

[01:24:06] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will be doing our first annual Summerpalooza. Mr. Chairman, I am thrilled to share that my office will be launching a brand new event, our first annual Summerpalooza. I guess you're supposed to say it that way. So this free family-friendly celebration takes place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Governmental Center, which is 2511 Parker's Lane.

[01:24:34] Summer Palooza promises a day of fun in the sun for everyone, families, dog lovers, environmental enthusiasts, and more. Highlights include live music from a favorite local band, Riptide, free food or our taste of Mount Vernon, a petting zoo with animals from Frying Pan Park, a kid's zone, and touch-a-truck experiences.

[01:24:55] Attendees 21 plus can also enjoy a beer garden hosted by Bunnyman Brewing, and everyone can explore a wide variety of exhibitors featuring information about dogs, environmental efforts, county services, and local businesses. We are very excited to kick off the summer with this vibrant community block party event and invite all of you to join us for a day of fun to kick off summer.

[01:25:19] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask with unanimous consent that the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs to promote the 2025 Summer Palooza. And I have an example or a flyer here that people can see, and there's also one in Spanish. Excellent. And without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Stork.

[01:25:40] Thank you. I have two other verbal announcements. One is we had an incredibly successful senior summit last Friday. We had over 250 seniors there at the Lorton Community Center Library and Park, and it was incredibly well attended.

[01:25:57] A lot have gone on. This is the fourth one that we've done, so I think we've learned how to connect and really get folks there, which is, frankly, offer free food. So, you know, I mean, with seniors, it's a driver. It works, right. And obviously, Cassie Donahue on my staff really put all those pieces together and did a fantastic job.

[01:26:18] But we also had fantastic work and support and hosting by Neighborhood and Community Services. And particularly want to thank Allie Malone for his work as well. And then the last item I have is we have two new staff aides at the Mount Vernon District team on our team.

[01:26:37] Angelique Rinaldi and Elliott Meyer, if they could both stand up. I'll first introduce Angelique. Angelique's focus areas will be transportation, legislation, and event support. Angelique's most recently served as chief of staff to the chairman of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee in the Florida House of Representatives.

[01:26:58] Prior to that, she served as legislative aide in the Florida Senate and New York State Assembly. She has also served on the COCO City Sustainability Advisory Board and co-authored a strategic sustainability and resiliency plan for successful citywide adoption, as well as serving on the Keep Brevard Beautiful Board.

[01:27:17] Angelique resides in Mount Vernon and brings a decade of state and local government relations and policy and budget experience to the Mount Vernon District team. Angelique also earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Communications from the University of Florida in 2011. In her free time, Angelique enjoys volunteering, exploring Virginia's nature and historical sites, and spending time with her family.

[01:27:43] And then I want to introduce Elliot. Elliot's focus areas will be environmental, energy, and community outreach. Elliot's most recently served as the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, helping American industrial sector decarbonize and adopt cutting-edge technology.

[01:28:03] Previously, Elliot worked with local governments in Virginia and Wisconsin on climate action planning, community engagement, and environmental best practices. Elliot earned a Master's of Public Policy from George Mason University in 2023 and a B.A. in Political Science from Randolph-Macon College in 2015.

[01:28:22] In his free time, Elliot loves backyard gardening, exploring Mount Vernon's rich history, biking the national capital region, and, of course, hiking the beautiful trails across the Mid-Atlantic. So, Elliot. Well, thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, thank you.

[01:28:41] Thank you very much. Supervisor Stork, Supervisor Palachuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I read my written board matter, just want to, first of all, say this Palooza sounds amazing. I plan to be there, Supervisor Stork, so thank you to you and your team for organizing.

[01:28:57] And as we're talking about fun events this week, we always love a good competition. Saturday, this Saturday, May 17th, from 10 to noon, Rain or shine, we are so thrilled to have the Wonder Wagon join us for the ribbon-cutting of Ruckstall Park at 7545 Idlewood Drive in Falls Church.

[01:29:19] And the reason we requested the recognition for Ken Quincy today is because it will also be his last formal duty as the Providence District Park Authority member, and he definitely wanted to make sure to be available for that. So we will be there this Saturday, rain or shine.

[01:29:37] It's a beautiful place, beautiful playground, and an open field that will not be formally planned program. So it will be a great community field and community space. That's this Saturday. Also, like many of you, we are very excited. Rain or shine also for Bike to Work Day this Thursday morning.

[01:29:56] My office will be hosting, as we have for the past several years, at the Jim Scott Community Center bright and early at 7 a.m. with some caboose coffee and some other goodies from across the county. And I know there will also be stops at Mosaic District 3 and Tyson's and I know across the county.

[01:30:14] I know it's a little bit of a change to Thursday morning, and we've already mentioned it, but because so many people are working from home Friday, as long as the storm doesn't get too bad, we hope to see many of you there. And then finally, I do have one written board matter, and that is to allow for inclusion of the county right of way and the rezoning application for 1950 Old Gallows Road.

[01:30:37] Members of the board, the applicant, 1950 OG Office, LLC, has submitted a rezoning application to the Department of Planning and Development. The application covers property located 1950 and 1954 Old Gallows Road. The rezoning application proposes the inclusion of approximately 17,423 square feet of right-of-way for a portion of Old Gallows Road that is no longer in use as part of the public road network.

[01:31:05] The applicant has been in discussions with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, FCDOT, regarding the feasibility of a request to vacate those portions of the right-of-way that are no longer required for public roadway purposes. FCDOT recommends that such a request be processed concurrently with a rezoning application.

[01:31:22] Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors consent to the inclusion of approximately 0.4 acres of right-of-way adjacent to 1950 and 1954 Old Gallows Road to be included in a rezoning application submitted by 1950 OG Office, LLC.

[01:31:39] The inclusion of these rights-of-way and the rezoning application in no way relieve the applicant of the requirement to process a vacation request or to comply with all applicable standards of the zoning ordinance. In addition, this consent does not imply county support for this application, does not dictate to staff that the rezoning application should be approved, nor should it prejudice staff's review of this application.

[01:32:02] You've heard the motion. The chair will second that. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Palachuk. That is all. Stay safe out there on those roads, especially.

[01:32:18] Supervisor Herity. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have no written board matters. I had one on written board matters, but because of Supervisor Stork and Palchik's comment, I have a second one. We'll also be hosting a bike-to-work day at my office on Thursday, and we will be having Chick-fil-A and duck donuts because food is the way to people's hearts.

[01:32:41] So that's my first unwritten board matter. Second is we've received some significant feedback in our office via e-mails and phone calls on the proposed unified sanitation districts, many expressing concerns with the proposal accordingly.

[01:32:57] I've asked DPWS staff to join me in hosting a unified sanitation districts town hall on Channel 16. That will be on June 3rd at 630. There'll be an initial presentation followed by an opportunity for the community to ask questions or make comments about the proposal.

[01:33:14] To ask comments, you can call in during the live broadcast at 703-324-1114 or email questions in advance to SpringfieldBOS at FairfaxCounty.gov. You can also view the town hall via Facebook Live on my official account.

[01:33:31] So I ask without objection that OPA publicize that town hall. Without objection, that is so ordered. that's it mr. chairman thank you supervisor herity and that brings us to our next agenda item which is administrative items and let me ask supervisor Smith and this is not misspeaking if she has a motion to approve admin items 1 through 25 mr. chairman I move approval of admin items 1 through 25 and the chair will second that along with Supervisor Palchek are there any items board members would like to have discussed or voted on separately seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion to approve

[01:34:11] admin items 1 through 25 please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries and that brings us to our action items of which we have three action item number one is resolution to support the partial partial abandonment of Akatink Road in the Mount Vernon district supervisor Stork Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move Action Item 1 for the County Executive's recommendation.

[01:34:38] You've heard the motion. The chair will second that, along with Supervisor Palachuk. Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion on motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of Action 1, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries.

[01:34:54] Action Item Number 2 is approval of the 2025 rate adjustments to Centerville area, Fairfax Center area, Reston, Tyson's, Tyson's Grid of Streets, and Tyson's Wide Road Funds in the Braddock, Drainville, Hunter Mill, Providence, Springfield, and Sully Districts, and I'm going to look to our Transportation Chair, Supervisor Bierman, for a motion.

[01:35:16] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of Action Item No. 2, consistent with the county executive's recommendation. And the chair will second that, along with half the board. Any discussion on the motion? Question? Yes, Supervisor Herdy. I have a question, Mr. Chairman. I was looking at the equity impact statement, and the sentence kind of bothered me.

[01:35:38] The sentence is, additionally, there may be different impacts on developers depending on their scale, with larger developers more likely to absorb increased costs than smaller developers who may pass them on to residents. And as I understand these, their per unit or per far basis, I don't know how developed, It's going to be a bigger amount for a bigger development, how bigger developers are able to absorb those because they basically are going to do the same thing smaller developers are.

[01:36:11] I'm going to support this item, but there's this perception large developers are impervious to cost. That's the point I'm trying to make, and I don't know if there's anybody here who can address the equity impact, But I'm trying to understand why we think larger developers will absorb that while the others will pass them on.

[01:36:37] Greg Steverson, Director, SCDOT. I think that's just, as with many things in the equity analysis, I think what we try and do is just point out the potentiality for things. It doesn't necessarily mean that will not happen, but it's something that we pointed out.

[01:36:52] And the thought process is that, you know, potentially some of the smaller developments may just have a harder time being able to, you know, handle the impact of the road fund. Well, the larger developments are going to get larger amounts.

[01:37:13] So, I mean, they're all going to pass them on in some way or another. Anyway, I just would ask you in the future to take a look at that and be a little more careful with your perception on large developers and that they can absorb all kinds of costs. This isn't directed at transportation.

[01:37:30] This is kind of a general thing I hear and see, but thank you. Yeah, we'll look into that for you, Supervisor Herdy. Okay. Any further discussion? All those in favor of Action 2, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[01:37:47] That motion carries. Action item number three is adoption of repetitive loss area analysis for Fairfax County. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Move approval of the county executive's recommendation on action item three. Second. You've heard the motion and the second by Supervisor Lusk.

[01:38:05] The chair will second that as well. Discussion on the item. Supervisor Walkinshaw. I just want to say, you know, for those who read through it, this is complex, But the moral of the story is this process saves money for a lot of our residents.

[01:38:21] So I appreciate the great staff work that has gone into it. A lot of detailed work in there that folks can take a look at. But bottom line is it does save money for folks in our community. Yes, definitely. Excellent, well-done presentation, too, and something that's a little complicated.

[01:38:38] Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you. There's a lot of stuff in here. Really good staff work to do this. I appreciate our continued participation. And I know many of us and our spouses are generally aware of this. Whenever it rains a lot, like today when there's a flood warning until 3:00 PM, this is just a reminder that don't drive through standing water.

[01:39:05] And everyone should be careful today, because it does look like we're going to get an awful lot of rain. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today and tomorrow, seemingly. OK. Any further discussion? All those in favor of Action Item 3, please say aye. Aye.

[01:39:20] Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And that brings us to, let me ask the county attorney how long we need for closed session. Mr. Chairman, I estimate approximately 90 minutes. 90 minutes. So that puts us in closed session. Our first public hearing is 4 o'clock, puts us in closed session at 2.30.

[01:39:41] And so if the motion that Supervisor Smith is about to read passes, the board will recess until 2.30, report into closed session. And just for awareness, if you don't already know, this afternoon, our last public hearing does have approximately six hours worth of video testimony associated with it.

[01:40:03] So just be mindful of that in terms of schedule this evening. And with that, I'm going to turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 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.

[01:40:23] And in addition, one, as permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A8, legal analysis regarding federal executive orders, federal funding conditions, and recent litigation regarding the same, and two, as permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A1, annual review of the county executive.

[01:40:46] Heard the motion. The chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion? Any 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. The board will recess and report to closed session at 2.30 p.m.

[01:41:06] And just as a reminder, there is one case. It's printed on here, but we'll just remind it verbally in case anyone's listening. Our first public hearing will be deferred to June 24, 2025, and that's the public hearing to convey certain land rights and board-owned property to VDOT for the Vienna Metro Station Police and Bicycle Pedestrian Improvements Projects, and that is indicated on the printed copy of your agenda.

[01:41:33] And so with that, the board is in recess until 2.30.

[01:41:37] The board has just come out of closed session, and at this time I'm going to recognize Supervisor

[01:49:40] Smith to officially bring us out. 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. The Chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion?

[01:50:12] Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And we have two motions coming out of closed session. Let me first recognize Supervisor Smith. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve an addendum to its employment contract with the county executive on the terms and conditions discussed with the county attorney in closed session.

[01:50:36] And the Chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the Board of Supervisors decline to enter into settlement negotiations with the estate of Brandon Lamagny.

[01:50:57] According to terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session, The board agrees to waive services or process of the complaint and filed in the district court for the Eastern District of Virginia in this matter. Heard the motion. The chair will second that.

[01:51:13] Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And that is the end of closed session motions. And at this time, we're going to begin our afternoon public hearings.

[01:51:29] And just a reminder for those who are here for public hearings, that individuals wishing to provide testimony have a number of options. They can testify here in person, or they can provide testimony by phone or by 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 connected by telephone.

[01:51:52] There will then be an opportunity for anyone present here in the auditorium who would like to speak in the matter to come down to the podium or remotely to call in at 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 hearing.

[01:52:14] And for public hearing testimony, you're given three minutes to speak as an individual. If you're the spokesperson for a group, you are given five minutes. And with that, we do have a number of cases this afternoon, and I'm going to call our first public hearing, which is a public hearing to convey certain land rights in board-owned property to the Virginia Department of Transportation for the Vienna Metro Station Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements Project.

[01:52:38] I understand this item will be deferred. Supervisor Pouchek. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move deferral of the public hearing to convey certain land rights in board-owned property to the Virginia Department of Transportation for the Vienna Metro Station Bicycle and Pedestrian improvement projects to June 24 2025 at 4:00 p.m.

[01:53:02] I've heard the motion it was seconded by Supervisor Lusk any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries next we have a public hearing for the enlargement of the Merrimack area one sanitary district for refuse recycling collection services and the decreation recreation of Haycock Road area to sanitary district to remove vacuum leaf collection services in the drainsville district and as soon as staff is situated we would welcome staff for a

[01:53:35] staff presentation good afternoon mr. chairman and members of the board my name is Laney cook and I'm with the Department of Public Works and environmental services the solid waste management program has two petitions going forward in the drainsville district the first petition started on november 21st 2024 regarding the enlargement of fairfax county refuse and recycling collection services in merrimack area one the petition area includes one property with the one being in favor the second petition

[01:54:10] request was received on november 17 2023 and the petition process started on august 8 2024 regarding the decreation-recreation of Haycock Road Area 2 to provide refuse and recycling and remove vacuum leaf collections.

[01:54:26] The petition area includes three properties, with two in favor and one unable to be reached. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? This is a public hearing, and I have no one who has signed up in advance to testify on this matter.

[01:54:43] Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify on this matter? Seeing and hearing none. Let me ask the clerk if we have any callers. No callers. Any closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Staff recommends approval for these two petitions. Thank you very much. Last check. Questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none. I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Beerman for a motion.

[01:55:12] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For Merrimack Area 1, I move approval of the county executive's recommendation for the enlargement of Merrimack Area 1 Sanitary District for the purpose of providing county refuse and recycling collection services in the Draytonsville District, DTA, Local District 1A2.

[01:55:31] And the chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And next we have a public hearing on the enlargement.

[01:55:48] There's one more portion to this. Ah, you have a follow-up. I have a follow-up motion. Yes, Supervisor Beerman. I know this is what everybody came to see today. Haycock Road Area 2. I move approval of the county executive's recommendation for the recreation of Haycock Road Area 2 Sanitary District for the purpose of providing county refuse and recycling and removing vacuum leaf collection services in the Drainingsville District, DTA, Local District 1B2.

[01:56:15] And the chair will second that motion as well. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman. Next up is a public hearing for the enlargement of Pleasant Ridge Area 5 Sanitary District for Refuse Recycling Collection Services and the recreation of Mary Alice Place area and Spring Lane Community Association to remove vacuum leaf collection services in the Mason District.

[01:56:51] And at this time, I would recognize staff for 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 three petitions going forward in the Mason District.

[01:57:07] The first petition request was received on September 4, 2024, and the petition process started on October 22, 2024, regarding the enlargement of Fairfax County Refuse and Recycling Collection Services in Pleasant Ridge Area 5.

[01:57:22] The petition area includes eight properties, with six in favor, and two were unresponsive or unable to be reached. The second petition request was received on November 17, 2023, and the petition process started on July 10, 2024, regarding the decreation-recreation of Mary Alice Place area to provide refuse and recycling and remove vacuum leaf collections.

[01:57:45] The petition area includes 10 properties, with all 10 in favor. The third petition request was received on June 18, 2024, and the petition process started on November 22, 2024, regarding the decreation-recreation of Spring Lane Community Association to provide refuse and recycling and remove vacuum leaf collections.

[01:58:07] The petition area includes 43 properties, with 30 in favor, and 13 were unresponsive or unable to be reached. Thank you very much. Questions of staff? Seeing none, this is a public hearing. I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter.

[01:58:24] Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this 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. No callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. Staff recommends all these petitions.

[01:58:42] Thank you very much. Questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Jimenez for a motion. Mr. Chairman, I move for approval of the county's executive's recommendation for the enlargement of Pleasant Ridge Area 5 Sanitary District, Mary Alice Place Area Sanitary District, and the Spring Lane Community Association Sanitary District for the purpose of providing county refuse and recycling collection services in Mason District.

[01:59:12] And the chair will second that along with Supervisor Palczyk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And that brings us up to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing for the decreation, recreation of Shreve Road Area Sanitary District to remove vacuum leaf collection services in the Providence District. And at this time, we welcome a staff presentation.

[01:59:43] 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 one petition going forward in the Providence District. The petition process started on December 23, 2024, regarding the decreation-recreation of Shreve Road area to provide refuse and recycling and remove vacuum leaf collections.

[02:00:07] The petition area includes one property, with the one being in favor. Thank you very much. Any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. Do I have any speakers present who would like to testify on this matter? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify or speak on this matter?

[02:00:28] Seeing and hearing no one. Do we have any callers? No callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff? Staff recommends approval for this petition. Thank you. Last check. Questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion.

[02:00:45] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of the county executive's recommendation for the decreation of the free road area sanitary district for the purpose of providing county refuse and recycling and removing vacuum leaf collection services in Providence District DTA, Local District 1A.

[02:01:05] Chair, we'll second that motion along with Supervisor Lusk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Next, we have a public hearing on proposed plan amendment, PA-2023-2-2V, Hunter's Branch Office Complex, northwest quadrant of the intersection of Route 29 and Nutley Street in the Providence District.

[02:01:37] And as soon as staff is ready, we would recognize staff for a county staff presentation.

[02:02:07] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm Aaron Kleibander with the Department of Planning and Development, And I'm accompanied by Kelly Atkinson and Graham Owen, also with the Department of Planning and Development, and Tom Burke and Kyle Kelly from the Department of Transportation. This plan amendment was authorized as an active amendment on November 1, 2023, and considers residential mixed use on the Hunter's Branch office campus in the Vienna Transit Station area with a number of site-specific considerations.

[02:02:39] The 14-acre subject area is developed with two 12-story office buildings totaling 444,000 square feet and served by two parking structures and is an approximately 7-10 minute walk from the Vienna Metro Station platform, which can be accessed by foot on Hunter's Glen Way.

[02:02:58] The Hunter's Branch tributary runs through the eastern side of the site from south to north and provides a wooded stream valley with walking trails, including a tunnel under Hermosa Drive. To the east across Nutley Street are single-family detached homes in the Briarwood neighborhood.

[02:03:16] To the south are the Pan Am Shopping Center, drive-through retail uses, and single-family attached uses. To the west are multifamily uses, and to the north are multifamily uses and wooded land. The site is located within Land Unit A of the Vienna Transit Station area, which is recommended as one of several mixed-use centers in the concept for future development.

[02:03:41] The adopted base plan for land you today recommends mixed-use development up to 0.50 floor area ratio with an option for elderly housing, elderly care facilities, hotel no-till use, and health and recreation facilities. During the plan amendment study, two options were considered.

[02:04:02] One includes two multifamily buildings for a total of 800 dwelling units. The proposed intensity would be 1.31 FAR. The larger of the existing parking structures would be retained to serve the proposed residential use. The second proposes one multifamily building with 472 dwelling units and 76 stacked townhomes for up to 548 total units and an intensity up to 1.01 FAR.

[02:04:31] The existing resource protection area, floodplain, and stream valley are proposed to be preserved and programmed as a passive recreation area. Staff considerations on this amendment included how best to adhere to transit-oriented development guidelines, higher densities, active transportation facilities such as trails to connect the site to the surrounding area, high-quality parks and open space, and preservation and enhancement of the Stream Valley.

[02:04:59] Given these considerations, staff developed site-specific text to highlight these priorities. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much. are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, I now would like to give the nominator an opportunity. If they have a small presentation, welcome. He was also the nominator for this plan amendment and also the applicant on a concurrent rezoning that's going through.

[02:05:34] And just wanted to quickly say that we support staff's recommended text, which was recommended for approval unanimously by the Planning Commission. We really view this as a successful iterative process with both staff and the community to come up with a proposal that is really going to facilitate good positive change for this site. Like many broken office buildings, this site has suffered from long-term vacancy with no real prospect of new tenants coming in to backfill that space. It was a site that was with a special servicer when our client acquired it, so sort of the definition of a distressed piece of office real estate.

[02:06:15] Initially, we had looked at repurposing the existing buildings that were there, but after really diving into that, realized they just, like many buildings, office buildings don't lay out well for residential use. It would have required cutting into the core and significant expense.

[02:06:33] And at the end of the day, when we laid out the units, even with that expense, it really created substandard units. And so we had pivoted as part of the SSPA process to a ground-up development, again, with residential housing opportunities, including some opportunities for smaller-scale for-sale units in the form of stacked townhouses.

[02:06:56] But we really think that this comprehensive plan is going to allow something very positive to happen here with those housing opportunities with better access to the open space and the natural areas on the site. And just as importantly, really some significant improvements to the pedestrian facilities in the area.

[02:07:15] That was something that was a big concern of the neighbors and of staff and, frankly, of ours, was really improving the pedestrian environment there. And so this conference of plan amendment will really allow for significant improvements to the frontages along 29 and Nutley, but also crossings of both of those streets, both at the intersection of 29 and Nutley, but also further away.

[02:07:38] So really creating multiple pathways for the surrounding community to come onto the site, get access to Metro. So overall, again, we're supportive of the language that's been proposed. we think this is going to really facilitate a great project that we're hoping to move forward with the rezoning that's coming up and really thank staff for all their efforts on this thank you thank you very much 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 on this specific subject if you could come on down come if you could come down this way

[02:08:15] sign in with the clerk here and after this gentleman is there anyone else here who would like to testify on this specific matter okay if you could just provide your name and address and then if you could just sign in with the clerk on the on my far right here when you're finished would be fine well thank you good afternoon supervisors hello supervisor Palchik my name is Zaman Ardalan and I live at the in the Providence district at the Regents Park apartments which are located right next door to the site of this redevelopment proposal and I'm here to voice my strong support for this support projects I have lived at Regents

[02:08:53] Park for a few years, and during that time, I've rarely seen people coming and going from the existing office building, and its garage is almost always empty. Meanwhile, our region continues to face a very serious housing shortage that impacts people across Fairfax County and Northern Virginia. The Vienna-Fairfax area has been my home for most of my life, but like many others, I worry about how long I'll be able to afford to stay. Earlier this year, my rent went up by $150 a month. I currently split a cramped, dark two-bedroom apartment with a roommate and it costs us $2,600 a month before utilities. Great. Redevelopments like this

[02:09:29] are a step in the right direction. Increasing our housing supply, especially in transit accessible areas, is one of the most effective ways we can address the very real housing crisis. This proposal would replace a largely vacant space with much-needed housing walkable to a metro station, and I believe that's a smart choice for the county's future. Thank you for your time.

[02:09:48] Thank you very much. For your testimony, is there anyone else present who would like to speak on this matter? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask the clerk if we have any callers. No callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff.

[02:10:01] On March 12, 2025, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of Plan Amendment 2023-2-2V, as contained in the Staff Report for Residential Mixed-Use Development, up to 1.31 FAR, including multifamily and stacked townhouse residential uses with conditions, and included one modification to recommend street lighting along Route 29 and Nutley Street.

[02:10:31] Staff concurs with the Planning Commission recommendation. Thank you very much. Any questions from board members? Questions? Supervisor Palcic. Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so much, Aaron and the team. I think just to clarify a couple of things that came up at the Planning Commission, if I could ask-- I guess this is more of the applicant.

[02:10:52] I know this is a comprehensive plan. But just to understand, I know the considerations of moving forward with a project, you have the two options, both for the fully-- for stacked houses with mixed use or fully mixed use.

[02:11:07] If you could explain to us the considerations there, and just because of time, if you don't mind also sharing the considerations for more of the mix of use with retail or non-residential uses at the site versus what's available in the surrounding area.

[02:11:24] - Yeah, absolutely. So initially when we had stepped into this SSPA nomination, we had put forth the two options, the full multifamily option and then the option that has the multifamily and the stack townhouses. I think as we got further into the process and really looked at, frankly, the economics right now of multifamily, we really felt like the second option, option B, with the multifamily and then also the for sale component was really the one that was feasible to move forward on.

[02:11:57] But I think part of that is also just planning considerations that we liked the option of having a mix of residential uses there not only for our project but i think for the overall community that it really felt like it fit in and would help to create a sense of community on the site and so we've been pursuing that second option through the the rezoning process um and intend to move forward with that that second option rather than the the first one and then i guess on the mix of uses. You are correct that we have a retail component to this project. It's something that

[02:12:31] the details of that are really in the zoning, but it's something we're very excited about because we think it's an opportunity to create a really kind of special neighborhood serving use, whether that's a coffee shop or a sandwich shop. It's really integrated into the public open space on the site, so really creating a gathering space and a use for the community that we think is going to be highly desired and heavily used.

[02:12:58] Thank you. Thanks. And I guess just one question for staff. I know as we look through this, and when I first visited the site, my biggest concern years ago was the current state of the Stream Valley there. If you could just tell us a little bit about what's existing and the enhancements that are proposed in the comp plan, just very briefly, both for the RPA, but also for those pedestrians, connections, and lighting that are expected to come with this comprehensive plan change.

[02:13:33] So there are existing trails, and one of the things we're recommending is for the removal of invasives from the entire RPA area. I don't believe we have recommendations for otherwise improving the RPA area.

[02:13:59] This is Graham O. with the Department of Planning and Development. So Aaron's correct. There are trails out there today, and I think it's part of the rezoning application, which will hopefully be coming to the board in a couple of months. What you'll see most likely is that there's improvements to the connectivity within that area.

[02:14:15] The number one kind of concern with the trail system out there today is that that area floods, and so a lot of the trail system is within the floodplain. Whenever you get a big atmospheric river like we're getting today, it floods, And that makes those areas inaccessible to people that are going through.

[02:14:31] So I think what you'll see with the future rezoning application is that there's this effort to link up some of the trail system that leads to the site with some active spaces that are outside of the RPAs that are appropriately located. So between that, lighting along Route 29 and Nutley Street, which was a recommendation that was added by the Planning Commission, as well as the preservation and enhancement of the habitat that's out there with invasive species management.

[02:14:56] I think that those are things that we recommended as a part of the planning, you know, the planning study, and hopefully we'll be seeing pretty soon. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion.

[02:15:14] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, just want to speak briefly. I know should this pass, it will be continuing with the rezoning, but I very much just want to thank the planning staff, especially Aaron and Graham and the team who have worked on this, all of the community members, including former Supervisor Linda Smith as the Briarwood Citizens Association.

[02:15:37] I think they're her streetlights that have been incorporated. And to the president of the Briarwood Trace HOA, Mark Carr-Kenny, and to the applicants and the staff for holding many community meetings, for answering questions, and for, I think, working on a very fruitful and substantive discussions that focused on solutions to all the issues that arose.

[02:16:00] This collaboration has resulted in a plan that meets community feedback related to crosswalks and lighting, aligns with staff and policy plan guidance, and thoughtfully balances the impacts of development while providing some much needed housing in this larger transit oriented area.

[02:16:16] And this project is exactly what we should be pursuing, transforming some outdated vacant office spaces into housing and community building for our residents. And I do think that the housing options, especially, and the connectivity will help make critical improvements, as well as connecting to existing-- I believe it's now Providence Place, formerly known as Pan Am Shopping Center, which provides quite a bit of retail space and shopping, and we'll have better connectivity to that as well.

[02:16:48] This area with its proximity both to metro, to the community center where our office is based, and to the many trails, activities, and retail, I think we'll continue to grow the ability for communities to build and to have different types of housing available to them.

[02:17:04] So I look forward to the rezoning application. I think I've thanked most of the staff, except for FCDOT, Tom Burke, and your team, Bob and Kyle, and all the others who have worked on this, And last, but definitely not least, Commissioner Hancock, who I know worked long hours with many of you and with the community.

[02:17:27] So to that, I have a motion for approval. Staff indicated the amendment would modify the plan language for Tax Map Parcels 48-4-- 48-4, double parentheses 1, 1E, and 1G-- to facilitate the redevelopment of the existing office buildings for residential mixed-use development at an intensity up to 1.3 floor area ratio FAR. I would note that a community meeting was held on February 27th to discuss the staff recommendation with the community, and there were suggestions for additional language related to street lighting along both

[02:18:07] sides of Nutley Street and the north side of Route 29. This would be beneficial improvement for these frontages and I think warrants specific focus with this SSPA. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Planning Commission recommend to the Board of Supervisors the adoption of the staff recommendation for Plan Amendment 2023-Roman numeral 2-2V as shown on pages 28 to 32 of the staff report dated February 19, 2025, with the following additional site-specific bullet. Streetlights should be installed along both sides of Nutley

[02:18:46] Street and the north side of Route 29 to enhance pedestrian safety and visibility. You've heard the motion the chair will second that. Sorry, Supervisor Paul Cech, Kelly Atkinson, I think you may have said that you recommend the Planning Commission recommends. My apologies. Thanks. They did too.

[02:19:09] We all recommend. And now to the Board of Supervisors. And that was what I seconded is there any discussion on the motion any discussion on the motion all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank you very much this now brings us to our next public hearing which is a public hearing on proposed plan amendment PA - 20 24 - 3 - 1

[02:19:40] Ox Road, Hoos Road, east side of Ox Road, Route 123, south of Hoos Road, and west of Old Ox Road in the Mount Vernon District. And at this time, we would recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I'm Aaron Kleibanner with the Department of Planning and Development and accompanied by Kelly Atkinson and Graham Owen, also with the Department of Planning and Development, and Tom Burke from the Department of Transportation.

[02:20:09] The site was originally submitted in the 2022-23 site-specific plan amendment cycle for up to 70 townhomes at a density of 5 to 8 dwelling units per acre. This proposal was rejected during the screening stage because the proposed density was incompatible with the densities of the surrounding area.

[02:20:32] The proposal was redesigned with a single-family detached configuration and resubmitted in the current cycle of SSPA. In addition, there is a concurrent rezoning application, RZ 2024-MV-00016.

[02:20:49] The 8.05-acre subject site is located on the east side of Ox Road, south of Hoos Road, and the Ox Road intersection. The two southern parcels between Hoos Road and Pennywell Drive on the east side of Ox Road are developed with three single-family detached homes.

[02:21:08] Much of the site is undeveloped and previously contained at least two additional residences that have been demolished. The subject area is surrounded by single-family detached homes. The Comprehensive Plans Concept for Future Development notes that the area east of Ox Road is a suburban neighborhood, is planned for little to no change in land use, and recommends infill development be of a compatible use type and intensity with the surrounding area.

[02:21:37] The site and areas to the northwest, west, and south are planned for residential use at 0.2 to 0.5 dwelling units per acre, and the areas to the northeast and east are planned for residential use at 1 to 2 dwelling units per acre. Despite the low-density context of the area, Cavanaugh Crossing, a subdivision constructed in the early 2000s and located east of the subject site, is planned for residential use at 1 to 2 dwelling units per acre.

[02:22:05] However, the original subdivision of the land predates both planning and zoning in the county, and as a result, the neighborhood is built at a density of 2.68 dwelling units per acre. The proposed plan amendment would recommend a density of 2.86 dwelling units per acre is comparable to the lot size and density of the adjacent Cavanaugh Crossing subdivision.

[02:22:31] This concept plan shows how the density might be arranged on the site with approximately 23 homes, a playground, and an entrance at the intersection of Old Ox Road and Virginia Terrace. Staff considerations on this amendment included compatible density given the surrounding context, the provision of a planned trail along Hoos Road, mitigation of noise impacts from Ox Road, preservation of tree cover, especially on the northwest portion of the site, and stormwater management.

[02:23:01] Given these considerations, staff develop site-specific text to highlight these priorities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Let me ask if there are any questions of staff. Seeing and hearing none at this time, we'd welcome the applicant for an applicant's presentation.

[02:23:20] Good afternoon. My name is Lori Greenleaf. I'm the land use planner with McGuire Woods. Our firm represents LNF Laurel Highlands LLC, who was the original nominator for the original SSPA back in 2022. I will keep my comments brief. You have a very thorough staff report, which analyzes and ultimately supports the proposed plan density, and that was, believe me, after much thought and much discussion.

[02:23:50] Even though a plan amendment is sort of the first step in the legislative process, this particular plan amendment already has a very rich and productive history. We have worked extensively with South County Federation Land Use Committee, and we will continue to work with them through the rezoning process.

[02:24:07] We have filed a concurrent rezoning, and admittedly, we have some work to do regarding tree preservation and access, and our sleeves are rolled up, and we are ready to do that. The board authorization of this sort of second plan amendment spoke to the provision of multimodal connectivity, adequate open space and parks, tree preservation, watershed issues, and noise impacts, all of which have either been addressed in the rezoning or will be addressed in the rezoning.

[02:24:37] Staff concluded in their report that the proposed density is appropriate, and I will quote from the staff report, the density is that which would not change the basic residential form recommended in the comprehensive plan, which is for low-density, single-family, detached residential development.

[02:24:56] As you've read in the staff reports, and as Erin noted, staff has recommended some important safeguards to make sure the implementation phase of future development is appropriate. and we agree with all of those safeguards. This property is difficult.

[02:25:14] It is sandwiched between really three roads, major road, Route 123, major arterial, Ox Road, which is not 123, the other Ox Road, which is a two-lane road, and then Hoos Road, which is in this area a four-lane road.

[02:25:29] It hinders the property, and it would be difficult to develop it its current plan density of two acres to five acres. And another consideration, which staff has already mentioned, is that the adjacent community across smaller Ox Road is not developed at its current plan density or zone.

[02:25:52] It is developed at a higher density, and that was one of the considerations of South County. In conclusion, we encourage you to follow staff's recommendation and the unanimous recommendation of the Planning Commission and approve this plan amendment.

[02:26:08] Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Greenleaf. Are there any questions of the nominator? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I do have two speakers who have signed up in advance to testify in person. Speaker number one is John O'Donnell.

[02:26:23] Is he here? To be followed by Robert Balute, if he is here. You will be speaker number two. Is there anyone else here present to testify on this matter? Okay. We are on speaker one.

[02:26:39] John O'Donnell, welcome. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and supervisors. What I'd like to do is give you a little bit of background and then finish with four recommendations. First, from a background perspective, my wife and I are the owners of the property just south of this development.

[02:27:02] So we're the only property that butts up against this development. We've been owners there since 2003. We've got tree privacy on three sides. It's a beautiful lot, and we love living in this part of Fairfax County and Lorton in particular.

[02:27:22] What I'm going to ask the supervisors is to take a measured approach here. I don't think you're going to find anyone who's against developing that land. I think what our concerns are is the density at which is being recommended.

[02:27:44] And you saw on the schematic that there could be upwards of 23 homes placed on that eight-acre lot. So I think our position is that anything above one dwelling per acre takes away from the rural feel of the area.

[02:28:09] We've really got a special area in our neck of the woods in Fairfax County. I call it, it's a little rural island within Fairfax County. It's a place where my wife and I believe that has linkages to both the past and the future.

[02:28:31] You know, today we safely walk and bike along Old Ox Road on our country road. And at the higher density, a new neighborhood will be developed that will eliminate the ambiance of that rural setting we currently treasure.

[02:28:48] In particular, one of the things, and I'm kind of deviating a little bit on the staff's recommendation about very minimal traffic impact, I think if you put 23 homes where it's depicted opposite of Kavanaugh Crossing, it's a two-way, Ox Road is two-way.

[02:29:08] And as you head towards Hoos, there's lots of traffic coming off of 123, turning right on to Hoos, and then there's lots of traffic going down Hoos to 123. As a resident there, I have sat there, you know, and thinking that, my gosh, this is rush hour here in Norton, you know, trying to wait for traffic to yield when it's, you know, traffic is going both ways at a pretty good rate.

[02:29:39] I would ask for that to be relooked, and that will lead to one of the recommendations. Oh, I'm sorry. So let me just go ahead and move to my recommendations, my specific recommendations, if you guys will allow me.

[02:29:55] If you could do that quickly, please. So our recommendation is a change in density from the current recommendation of 2.86 to 1 to 1 point dwelling per acre. Second, eliminate the sidewalk that's planned from Hoos to Workhouse Way.

[02:30:13] It's not necessary now, and it won't be necessary once the new homes are in. Third is, based on the traffic concern that I have, is that what I would ask for consideration is for a left-hand turning lane to be put onto Old Ox Road.

[02:30:34] So if you're going to turn left onto who's, that you're not backing up traffic because there's going to be increased traffic, and that's just going to irritate some folks. And lastly, I would ask, as the only property owner that butts up against this, if it goes at the density, the max density, I would ask consideration for the privacy wall that's already planned to be built along the 123 area behind this development.

[02:31:05] to have that come down the side of our property, because as you saw on that, there could potentially be three homes with backyards looking into our backyard. And I think they would appreciate the privacy, and I know we would appreciate the privacy, so I would ask consideration.

[02:31:24] Thank you. Thank you very much. Speaker number two is Robert Balut. Balut? I hope I'm pronouncing that right. Board President of Kavanaugh Crossing, HOA, and has five minutes. Welcome. Good afternoon, chairman and members of the board.

[02:31:41] My name is Robert Beloyed. I am the president of the board representing Cavanaugh Crossing HOA. And thank you for allowing me to speak on behalf of them. And I've been also asked to represent the Hollymead Board of Directors since they were unable to participate today.

[02:31:58] And I apologize to Supervisor Stork for maybe hearing some of this again as we met with you on Saturday morning. Our primary concerns are safety, noise, and the aesthetics of the area. Safety refers to Ox Road being very narrow.

[02:32:17] It barely handles two-way traffic as it is constructed. And there is a single turn lane that turns left into Cavanaugh Crossing. There is no, that is when you enter it from Hoos Road, there is no turn lane as it exists today to turn into any of the homes that are on the property as you're heading to Hoos Road.

[02:32:45] There are ditches on both sides of that two-lane spot there for drainage. When it rains like it does today, it floods. So there is a drainage issue already. And there are no sidewalks in the area, so many people already walk down that road, and it's 25 miles per hour.

[02:33:05] Most people don't drive 25 miles per hour on that unless they live in that neighborhood. And so you have maintenance vehicles, delivery vehicles, they're all speeding. So it is a safety issue there.

[02:33:22] The traffic is going to back up onto Ox Road when you turn to whose road, and when you turn to Hoos Road onto Ox Road. That's inevitable at this point. School buses load and unload right there at the entrance to Kavanaugh Crossing, so that will be additional traffic jam.

[02:33:43] And the noise level, you know, the additional delivery trucks, the housing density as it's proposed, lawn maintenance vehicles, et cetera, is going to create additional noise in that area. And the aesthetics will look cluttered because of the high density of homes as compared to that of Hollymead.

[02:34:09] We will have the loss of old growth trees, loss of wildlife and their habitats that we enjoy today. And if there is not an HOA representing that new development area, we will not have that clean look like we have today with the current neighborhoods of Hollymead and Cavanaugh Crossing.

[02:34:35] I have heard that there isn't enough housing within Fairfax County. That is maybe true, but everybody can't live in Fairfax County, as we all may want to, especially in that vicinity. It's highly desirable because you have high school, middle school, and primary schools all there within the local area.

[02:35:00] They have a lot of shopping. But I don't believe the current infrastructure as it exists there by that land development area is going to be able to accommodate that. And I selfishly don't like to have that developed because my two-level porch looks right into that area.

[02:35:22] It's beautiful. now I'll see front yards backyards side yards of homes and whatever is in those yards but we do realize that it's probably an area that needs to be developed and bottom line is we don't we don't agree with the current density and propose a lower level density that which is more equivalent to Hollymead for that area and with that I thank you for your time and your consideration Thank you very much. Is there anyone else here present who would like to speak on this matter?

[02:35:59] Anyone else present who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. Yes, there's a caller. Patty Clunder. I'm sorry, can you repeat her name? Patty Clunder. Okay. Patty, can you hear me okay? Yes, I can. And Robert did speak on behalf of our community.

[02:36:18] I didn't think I was going to be able to attend because of soccer practice, but with its lovely rain, it got canceled. But I just wanted to reiterate that our two communities jointly feel the same about what is happening around our surroundings. I'm very familiar with this process, so I'm confident that the confidential plan will be changed.

[02:36:38] But I would hope in future discussions that the number comes down from 23. If you could even consider a number like 18, that would make a big difference. And I would hope that we'd be a part of the discussions, as this community is being planned, that our two communities would be welcome at the table for some ideas.

[02:37:00] For instance, the playground, for it not to be situated at the back of the community but more towards the front of the community so that other kids that live in the area can play at that playground as those other kids now currently play in our areas of common ground.

[02:37:16] I would think that that community should have the same, and it would help the unity of the children all going to school together. But I would hope that we could have a little bit of a voice in what actually happens on that piece of land, and I want to thank Robert for specifically being there and speaking to both of our communities, and thank you to the Board of Supervisors for listening to us. Thank you. Thank you very much, and are there any other callers on the line? No other callers. No other callers? Okay.

[02:37:45] Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On March 12, 2025, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of the plan amendment to enable residential use from 1.0 to 2.86 dwelling utes per acre with planned conditions related to stormwater management, tree preservation, parks, an archaeological survey, and multimodal transportation improvements.

[02:38:12] Staff concurs with the Planning Commission recommendation. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Questions from board members? Any questions from board members at this time? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Stork for a motion.

[02:38:31] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the folks who testified today and appreciate really the amount of work that's gone into this over the last several years, truly. The initial conversations and actually the initial proposal the developer brought clearly did not work for the community, didn't work for me, and I think the feedback that they got I think was helpful, even though because the level of initial numbers of units they wanted to build there, I think it created a lot of suspicion on the part of the community about whether they really were interested in trying to build a development

[02:39:10] that fit in with the similar communities that were already there. It followed on from that. I think the kinds of discussions that you'd expect to take place occurred, which is the developer talked to the South County Federation, which I think has been very involved.

[02:39:29] I think most of you know that we have a long-time community plan that was part of the Lorton development, the redevelopment of the prison site, and this whole area has really been undergoing those kinds of developments for decades. This latest iteration is this particular area along Hose Road and West Old Ox Road, And the proposal to have 23 units, I think, is the South County Federation, who again met with a number of people, had community meetings on this, as they brought forward their resolution, they felt that was on the high side.

[02:40:09] But they also felt that you could address that as part of the rezoning process. And that particular effort is, I think, fully where I've headed with this. The Planning Commission also, I think, shared similar kinds of comments, and I want to echo the Planning Commission's comments and staff's comments in particular regarding tree preservation.

[02:40:32] I think that's a huge part of this. I think the design of the site has to take that into consideration, or actually, I should say, more into consideration than it's already been taken. I think that will lower the number of units that will be able to be built and designed there in terms of the site plan that they put together, as well as the other stormwater management.

[02:40:55] And particularly on a day like today, you think of stormwater management and you know it's not something that we can just somehow do and hope that it all works out. We know that I think we're going to have more direct shows. We're going to have more intense storms. We need to make sure that that supports the development of a neighborhood that many, many years from now we don't have to go back and have to address that.

[02:41:17] So I think the community has truly addressed in many, many ways their concern. I appreciate the testimony from Kavanaugh Crossing and Hollymead. I met with folks as well, as well as my staff has met with members of the community.

[02:41:36] I'll keep an eye on this, but I'm looking forward to the community engagement further on the site plan and the work that really I think will help to identify whether or not this truly is a community that fits in versus a community that has stuff shoved into it.

[02:41:56] And I know what I'm hearing is the community doesn't want stuff shoved into it. They want things that will fit into it. I know that that's somewhat in the eye of the beholder, But I also recognize that we have Route 123 is a very, very busy highway, and it's a more urban highway.

[02:42:12] I also know that we have housing needs that we need to try to balance. So I'm trying to be sensitive to the community, at the same time recognize that that's why we have organizations like the Federation and my office is to meet and work with community members and developers to try to come up with a solution that's satisfactory to the most number of people possible.

[02:42:35] With that in mind, I will be bringing forward the motion. I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Planning Commission recommendation for Plan Amendment 2024-III-IP as found in the board item.

[02:42:53] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palchuk. 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? And that motion carries.

[02:43:09] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank county staff and the community members who have been very involved with this, and especially the federation who's really worked with the community and others to try to put together a proposal that's acceptable. Thank you. We have a ways to go. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. First step in the process.

[02:43:27] All right. Our next public hearing is a public hearing on proposed plan amendment SSPA 2023-4-2S, Franconia Triangle S9 Beulah Planning sector recommendation number three study in the Franconia District And at this time, let me recognize staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman I am Katrina Knudsen with the Department of Planning and Development and I'm here tonight with Kelly Atkinson and Graham Owen

[02:44:02] Also with the Department of Planning and Development as well as Tom Burke from the Department of Transportation Ben Schwartz with the Health Department, and Randy Chapman and Matt Costa from the Department of Environmental Quality. The Franconia Triangle is a small area study, and representatives for two properties within the study area will also speak to their proposals this evening.

[02:44:27] The plan amendment was authorized on April 11, 2023, as part of the 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program. The board directed staff to evaluate and update plan recommendation number three of the S-9 Beulah Community Planning Sector.

[02:44:44] The study area includes the area bounded by Franconia Road, Beulah Street, and Grovedale Drive. The area is 22.75 acres. The Franconia Governmental Center, the church, and the fire station are planned for public facilities, government, and institutional use, as shown in blue.

[02:45:03] the Franconia triangle is planned for office south and west of the Franconia governmental center and the fire station which is shown in pink and for retail along Franconia Road shown in red the proposed plan is for 120 multifamily affordable units for the Franconia governmental center shown here in the teal color along Franconia Road the Beale Street nomination located in the The southern half of the Franconia Triangle, shown here in light green, proposes 63 townhomes and 30 multifamily units in a repurposed office building.

[02:45:40] The area shown in blue along Grovedale Drive proposes an option for attached residential at a similar density as the adjacent Beulah Street site. And for the retail along Franconia Road and the most northern parcel along Grovedale Drive, additional intensity is proposed to align the plan with what's allowed under the current zoning.

[02:46:02] The slide shows an illustrative site plan for the Beulah Street proposed with 63 townhomes and 30 multifamily units in a repurposed office building. The nominators here can speak to the specifics of the proposal. This slide shows the illustrative site plan for the 120-unit multifamily building proposed for the Franconia governmental center site and a representative is here also and can speak to the proposal community engagement for the planning process included 16 meetings from January 2023 to February of 2025 for the

[02:46:39] impact analysis staff considered the use and its compatibility with the surrounding area considering density and building heights the Beulah Street nominator conducted transportation analysis for their proposal and included the Franconia governmental center site and other planned and entitled projects in the background additionally school impacts were considered staff also considered impacts for parks the environment housing water and sewer and emergency services staff added conditions to address building height transportation bicycle and pedestrian facilities parks and

[02:47:14] stormwater the staff recommendation includes four options options a through C are for residential including multifamily and townhomes option D increases the intensity for retail uses within the triangle to align with the zoning ordinance staff updated the existing conditions and added new conditions to address updated best practices and current policies related to consolidation site layout architectural visual impacts of non-residential development heritage resources tree protection urban parks building height pedestrian and bicycle facilities and stormwater control

[02:47:53] measures thank you mr. chairman that concludes staff's presentation thank you very much for that we have two folks here representing the application one is Mark Vianney agent for the development consortium who is coming on down and he will be followed by Lynn Strobel agent for the nominator welcome mr. Vianney Mr. Chairman, members of the Board of Supervisors, thank you very much.

[02:48:19] Mark Fiani with the law firm of Bean, Kenney & Corman. Thank you, first, to staff for all their time and their assistance as we're working through all this. And also my thanks to the community. We've had a lot of speakers and a lot of involvement here. And for that reason, although, you know, you've got a lot of people speaking, you also had in my presentation a lot of slides.

[02:48:36] Well, now you don't. I'm going to cut this down to about two minutes because that's all we have time for. So I just want to say, first of all, we've had a lot of community conversation with this. And, you know, even the folks, and it just is up here. The folks who may not agree with me, it's been collaborative and it's been respectful, and I appreciate that.

[02:48:53] And if this project goes forward to the next step, we are just doing the comprehensive plan amendment right now. If this goes the next step, that's the spirit we're going to continue to move forward with. If we can go to the first slide, cover page. That is what we're proposing right now. That's as if you were looking from Franconia Boulevard, just four stories.

[02:49:11] Four stories, attractive building, 120 units. All right, let's go to the next slide. As the board knows, your policy has been consistent with about 10,000 units by 2034, looking for appropriate and suitable county spaces, land to help facilitate that goal.

[02:49:28] This property was identified as one of those things, and the comprehensive plan process is determined whether this is appropriate and suitable. We ask that you agree with the staff. We ask that you agree with the Planning Commission that it is. I also think you would look at the development team here. You have a development team with deep roots in this community, reputable and proven progress.

[02:49:49] You have SCG development, which if you think about it, you've got the Residency Government Center right down the street. You want an example of a proven project that's been up and operating for, at this point, now about eight years. And we've invited the community members to go down there and take a look at it. And you talk to the folks down there, and it's been life-changing for those members of our community that have been fortunate enough to be in there.

[02:50:08] And also, this is important and healthy for the viability of the county. These are service workers. These are folks that deserve to live in the county and it gives them an appropriate place to stay and live and grow their families and live their lives. We also have NFP. SCG also does Ovation at Arrowbrook and one university.

[02:50:28] NFP, which did the project at Beacon Hill. And then hyperlocal, Good Shepherd Housing, which is a long-time, well-established, very local, Franconia District, Mount Vernon District, affordable housing provider, and that's part of your team there. Go to the next slide.

[02:50:44] This is just an aerial view looking at the former Governance Center site, if it goes forward. Do you know the site is probably almost entirely impervious? You know, it doesn't have much stormwater management control. The goal here is to green it up and provide modern stormwater management controls. Come in with that four-story building we just talked about, providing a public park, you know, or half of a public park that will be partnered with the project to the south of us, and also appropriate on-site amenities for the residents there, and you see that in the center of the project.

[02:51:13] Next slide. Actually, we can skip that slide. I'll wrap up here real quickly. I think it's important, again, looking. You know what you've seen at Ovation. You know what you've seen at Arrowbrook. You know what you've seen at Residence and Government Center. These are the kind of amenities, good quality living spaces for people in the county, you know, community amenities such as secure bike facilities, club rooms, things you would find in modern market rate apartment projects, secure facilities.

[02:51:41] You look in the units themselves. They're nice, maintained facilities, washers, dryers, dishwashers within them, LVT flooring, and more importantly, you have 24-hour maintenance. You have online maintenance support, and you have the ability to track orders if you need to.

[02:51:57] It's going to be a very high-quality project, and it'll be a nice asset for our community, providing both residents in the area to stay in the area, contribute to area businesses, and to work within that community that they're in. So with that, again, we ask that your support on this comprehensive plan amendment.

[02:52:15] We look forward to, if this goes forward, continue to work with the staff and the community on the rezoning. And so, again, staff has supported us. The Planning Commission has supported us. I ask for your support, and I'm happy to take any questions if you have any. Thank you very much, Mr. Vianney. And why don't we hear from Lynn Strobel, agent for the nominator, and then we'll see if folks have questions for either of the two of them.

[02:52:37] Welcome. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the Board of Supervisors. I'm here this afternoon representing Capital Investment Advisors, a local developer and property manager, and I will also try to keep my comments very brief.

[02:52:54] If we go to the first slide, the property owner that I'm representing has, if we go to the first slide, I'm sorry, the next slide. Thank you. So you'll see the property that I'm representing that's outlined in yellow.

[02:53:10] It's in the northeast quadrant of Beulah Street and Grovedale Drive, not far from Franconia Road, and it's about seven acres. The applicant initially filed a nomination on this property as part of the 2022 SSPA process and began making presentations to community members about two years ago, proposing residential development in lieu of the existing office development.

[02:53:36] Ultimately, this property was included as a part of what we're now referring to as the Franconia Triangle for the plan amendment. Next slide. This just brings you a little bit of a closer view of the property. I will note that it's currently zoned C2, C5, and R1.

[02:53:55] My client has consolidated all of the properties there at that northwest quadrant, with the exception of a child care center that's located on Grovedale Road. but we think that that use will actually fit in quite nicely with the residential community that we're proposing.

[02:54:12] You will note that along Beulah Street are probably the dominant features of this property, which are two office buildings served by surface parking. And unfortunately, since COVID, these buildings have been predominantly vacant, like many office buildings. And I think now they may have one tenant left, but they are predominantly vacant office buildings.

[02:54:32] The next slide. As a part of the residential development, I will just note that we will be preserving one of the existing office buildings, the newest office building. We are going to repurpose that into multifamily residential, and I think that's something that has been very well received by the community.

[02:54:52] Next slide. So this is our concept plan as it is today. The nominator has really gone through a very thoughtful design process. They have gone through several iterations of this concept plan, and what you're seeing before you this afternoon is a plan with 63 townhomes and that repurposed building containing 30 multifamily units.

[02:55:16] I will note that we are still in the plan portion of this process, so we may have some changes, but that is currently our proposal. We have made some modifications. Originally, we were going to have a garage to serve that multifamily building. We felt that that wasn't really keeping with the character of this community.

[02:55:34] So you'll see now surface parking to serve that building. Two things I want to point out is that we have significantly more parking than required. That has been an issue for the community. So we're making sure we have enough parking. And we also have significantly more open space than required.

[02:55:54] So those are two things that we really did focus on as we were working on the concept plan. And if we go to the next slide, another important consideration is the potential development of the Franconia Government Center. And what you'll see here is our concept plan with the concept plan for the Government Center also up there at the top right.

[02:56:16] And what you'll see is that we really have tried to emphasize connectivity as a part of this plan, making sure that we have kind of a community central open space that we think will benefit not only our residents but the larger area. And if we go to the next slide, I've just got a couple of elevations of the single-family attached units, the townhomes.

[02:56:38] We've got rear-loaded townhomes, the next slide, and also front-loaded. And what you'll see is that we are proposing quality materials. I think this will be a very nice addition to the Franconian District. And I go to the last slide, and that is the multifamily building that we'll be creating out of an existing office building.

[02:56:59] That doesn't happen that often because of floor plates, but we were lucky in this case with the size of the building, the number of windows, the size of the windows. We think that's really going to be an attractive part of this proposal. So I'd be happy to answer any questions. I will just say that in our presentations to the community, this has been well-received.

[02:57:19] I appreciate that there have been some concerns raised regarding the Franconia Governmental center but this particular development has been well received by the community so again be happy to answer any questions thank you thank you very much are there any questions of the two applicants that we've just heard from any questions of them supervisor Harity yeah I've got two questions I don't know who's best to answer it but I think the goal the Franconia government centers to have an average AMI is 60% so the question would be how many units will be

[02:57:55] created at or below 60% that are not subsidized by project-based vouchers I don't know that you could I don't know that I could answer that question I think that's more of a staff level question yeah mr. chairman Tom Fleetwood with the Department of Housing and Community Development we do anticipate that the project will serve an average income of 60% of the area median income but we are none of that has been has been negotiated or finalized so that answer comes later that's correct okay are we planning a residency requirement

[02:58:35] associated with this we are not I'll save my rest of my questions for later thank you and I just you know just to reiterate this is a plan amendment at this stage not a rezoning application or a financial application to us with regard to the affordable housing component so I just want to make sure folks know that if there are no other questions at this time this is a public hearing and I do want to remind folks that we have 172 speakers and there's

[02:59:11] approximately six hours of video testimony that will occur at the very end of the speakers that I call on my speakers list so these have been organized so that the video testifiers are all at the end. And again, that will last for approximately six hours after we receive testimony from those who are speaking. I say this because I am going to be strict. When the red light comes on, your time is up. And that is the only way for me to be fair to all the people who are testifying here and to make sure that they get the appropriate amount of time to testify. And so with that, I am going to call the first, I'm going to call the First speaker, Sonia Brihi.

[02:59:50] Sonia is here from the Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager, Coalition of Smart Growth. And then we have two phone callers after that. Welcome. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay and supervisors. My name is Sonia Brihi. I'm the Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a local nonprofit promoting walkable, transit-accessible communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for our region to grow.

[03:00:17] I'm also an 18-year Fairfax County resident. I'm speaking in support of the Franconia Triangle Plan Amendment and especially the affordable housing proposed for the Franconia Government Center property. Our county is facing significant housing affordability issues due to the limited supply of homes that has resulted in skyrocketing housing costs.

[03:00:43] Housing affordability impacts us all. It dictates whether current residents like myself can afford to stay here, whether we can age in place or downsize, whether our grown kids like my college-aged daughter can afford to come back and live in the area, and whether those who work in our community as our teachers, police, and service workers can afford to live here.

[03:01:06] Providing more housing types for a mix of incomes that's close to transit and jobs is essential to ensuring an inclusive and economically prosperous county. It allows people to live closer to their work and the places they need to go, offers more transportation options and access to opportunities, and contributes to a diverse and vibrant community. The Comprehensive Plan Amendment supports just that. The draft plan helps knit together the different parcels in the Franconia Triangle, making way for much-needed housing options for a mix of incomes, and lays out a for new park space and environmental and transportation improvements in the

[03:01:45] community. The Beulah Street proposal would remake this underutilized commercial area with townhomes and a multi-family building and I really appreciate the adaptive reuse of the existing office building for residential. The proposal for affordable housing on the Franconia Government Center property is a great opportunity to provide a hundred and twenty new affordable homes with access to transit and services in the area utilizing county-owned land to help bring down the cost of providing affordable housing has been a very successful tool for the county the Franconia district property is an ideal

[03:02:24] location to do this and would directly support the board's goal of producing 10,000 affordable units by 2034 the Franconia triangle is well located in the county and offers good multimodal options with direct access to several bus routes and is a short bus ride to nearby amenities and three different metro stations that provide regional connectivity. While traffic is often cited as a concern, traffic modeling shows that the proposed change in land uses from commercial to residential offers to decrease the daily trips in the Franconia Triangle by 700 trips daily. Recommended bus stop improvements

[03:03:04] can help make it easier and encourage more people to take transit. The draft plan language recommends targeted roadway improvements at the intersections around the Franconia Triangle to improve traffic flow and provide better pedestrian crossing options. Additionally, VDOT star study of the Van Dorn corridor will offer recommendations for improving the Franconia Road intersection. Walkability and safety have also been raised as a concern and the draft plan rightly calls for much-needed pedestrian and bicycle improvements on Franconia, Beulah, and Grovedale, including recommendations for shared use paths

[03:03:40] on both sides of Franconia and Beulah and wider sidewalks and continuous bike lanes on Grovedale. It also recommends landscape buffers and street trees that will provide better separation between people walking and biking and traffic, provide needed shade, and will help to improve the public realm along these roadways. The draft plan calls for new public park space connecting through the parcels, and could really only be possible through this joint planning effort.

[03:04:08] There are recommendations for stormwater management enhancement, green building design, and appropriate transitions in compatibility with neighboring communities. The proposed amendment is good and in line with county goals. It will make way for more homes for a mix of incomes close to transit and services, and provides good recommendations for new public park space, bike pad improvements, and sustainability upgrades. I ask that you support the proposed plan amendment. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number two is Joy Waller. Is she on the line?

[03:04:42] Ms. Waller, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Good evening. I'm Joy Waller, and I am the Land Use Committee representative for the North Franconia Civic Association. I'm also one of the co-founders of an all-volunteer group called the Franconia Coalition. Its creation was prompted by massive community frustration over the Franconia Government Senate proposal to allow a for-profit developer to pay just $10 for a 99-year lease to build housing on taxpayer-owned property that isn't even guaranteed to remain affordable for the 99-year lease period. Residents got tired of their opposition being ignored, so that is why there are a record number of video comments tonight.

[03:05:17] Rather than using AI to easily create individual scripts, some video comments are similar because we took some of the common complaints and major reasons that people opposed this project. Things people said over and over again, like, this is an insufficient benefit to taxpayers. This doesn't fit the character of the community. It's the wrong location. The infrastructure can't support this plan and turn them into scripts that people could use. In addition to the individuals, virtually all of the major HOAs and civic associations near the property are opposed to the plans for the Franconia Government Center, including the North Franconia Civic Association, Kingstown, the largest association in Franconia District, the Rose Hill Civic Association, Brooklyn Bush Hill Civic

[03:05:54] Association, Claremont Woods Community Association, Virginia Hills Citizens Association, Lansdowne HOA, Franconia Forest HOA, Hawthorne HOA, Valley View Manor HOA. Basically, if a Franconia District Civic Association or HOA has taken a position on this matter, that group's position is opposed on the Franconia Government Centerpiece of the Franconia Triangle. Just the 10 associations I listed represent thousands of houses, residents, and voters in the Franconia District. That's why the Land Use Committee voted overwhelmingly, 25 to 4, to approve the proposed comp plan language, with the major exception of the Franconia Government Center. Most speakers tonight will focus their comments on the Franconia Government Center piece of the four proposed changes to the

[03:06:32] comp plan language for the triangle, because no one particularly objects to the other proposed changes enough to go to war over it, and the other property is farther away from the gas stations. Now about the gas stations. There is one next to this property, two across the street, a fourth on the same block, and a fifth about 550 feet away. Living near a gas station leads to both long-term and short-term benzene exposure and resulting health issues causing things like childhood leukemia. In total, those five gas stations sell approximately 7 million gallons of gasoline per year, which is almost double the amount, 3.6 million, where Montgomery County, for example, requires a 500-foot setback distance from homes. The Amerigo gas station across the

[03:07:11] street sells almost 3.6 million gallons all by itself, but it and the Shell station next to the property sell 4.2 million gallons. A distance of 500 feet from the Amerigo gas pumps covers all but a tiny portion of the government center property. We've provided plenty of studies, recent studies, from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Columbia University School of Public Health scientists showing that fumes from all five gas stations will affect the Franconia Government Center property. There's no way to remediate that, and there's an amplified effect from a cluster of gas stations as opposed to just one. I assume that you've already heard no one is monitoring air quality, and there are no state regulations about this.

[03:07:46] I was quite interested in the previous testimony from the health department that there were no phone calls about benzene exposure, which isn't surprising considering no one naturally lives near these five gas stations now. But if the Fairfax County Health Department thinks that it's safe after studying everything we've provided, they should publicize the cancer risk calculations that they've run and put seven words in writing. It is safe to build housing here in writing. If this is ultimately built, I will feel terribly sad for future residents, but I will not feel guilty. My conscience will be clear because I have steadfastly told the county in writing that as long as the gas stations are there, it isn't safe to build housing on the site of the Franconia Government Center.

[03:08:23] Now that you know the gas stations will be a hazard to residents living nearby, it warrants more investigation than simply pointing to a 10-year-old cancer cluster study that didn't even include retirees, which means a lot of people were missed in the study, and didn't consider benzene. That's particularly true now that there is much more recent research available.

[03:08:39] The former police chief allegedly ordered benzene testing in 2015, but the county couldn't find any test results in my FOIA request. So was benzene testing ever done? Very soon, the issue of living near a gas station will be like smoking in the workplace. We'll look back and say, who thought that was acceptable for human health?

[03:08:56] So the public should be shown the cancer risk calculations from the health department so that everyone knows whether there are health risks to people potentially living at this site or not. If the cancer risk calculations are acceptable, then the Fairfax County Health Department should have no problem stating in writing, it is safe to build housing here.

[03:09:13] Why haven't they done so? Thank you very much. Thank you. And speaker number three is Stephanie Preschlok. Are you on the line? Yes. Welcome. Yes, sir, I am. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. My name is Stephanie Preschlok. I have been a resident of Fairfax County for 20 years now, and my husband and I have lived in the Franconia District for over 12 years.

[03:09:34] So thank you all for this opportunity to discuss this very important matter regarding overdevelopment of our neighborhood with the potential to add 120 housing units, as well as 63 townhomes, and now 230 more multi-use in place of our now government center.

[03:09:51] I want to emphasize you can certainly overdevelop an area, causing more traffic congestion, crowding our schools, and putting a massive strain on critical infrastructure. In some regards, this plan is the right idea, but I want to emphasize it is simply the wrong location.

[03:10:08] The school capacity issue is a massive concern for the board, for you all. We have two young boys that currently attend Franconia Elementary School. Our second grader has been without a consistent teacher a majority of the school year. He is in a class of 28 children, ages 7 and 8, and the principal simply said that it is very difficult to hire teachers for such a large class of young children.

[03:10:32] Additionally, a young 6th grade teacher this year at Franconia flat out walked out on her class one day simply stating that she was overwhelmed and could not do any more. She quit and then was left for Franconia to figure out how to replace her. Before we add more housing and more residents to our immediate corridor and specifically to Franconia Elementary School, we need more resources, better salaries, and help for our teachers.

[03:10:57] We also need to address the teacher shortage before building new housing. How can you add more people to a neighborhood when our county in general has not addressed existing problems such as teacher shortages? In a few short years, our boys will move up to Twain Middle School, which currently has multi-trailers with poor temperature control because the number of students outgrew the number of classrooms years ago.

[03:11:22] So why has this issue not been addressed? In order to drive our boys to sports, either south on Beulah or heading east on Franconia, it can easily take 30 minutes to travel a mere five miles due to traffic congestion. Fairfax County Department of Transportation needs to conduct and release thorough traffic analysis before anyone votes to add more housing to the Franconia Triangle Corridor.

[03:11:45] An additional 63 townhomes and 30 units in the Franconia Triangle Corridor was never mentioned during the numerous prior meetings. Although I do recognize that repurposing the existing vacant building, this is a great idea, as well as adding beautiful green space. Those are all great ideas, but that is too much and will overwhelm that space.

[03:12:06] So I strongly urge the board to consider existing issues, fix those, fix the strains on our infrastructure before adding more housing to the Franconia District. Thank you all so much for your time today. Thank you. And our next speaker, I'm going to call the next three speakers. If I call your name, please be down here close, ready to testify.

[03:12:24] Speaker number four is Tim Fleming, Chief of the Franconia Volunteer Fire Department, to be followed by Cindy Morish and Ran Pixa. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome. My name is Tim Fleming.

[03:12:43] I've been a resident of Franconia for 50 years. It doesn't fit. In order to accomplish some of the things that the commission and the staff have recommended, we have to change the height of our neighborhood.

[03:13:00] We're no longer three stories. We're now five stories. It just doesn't fit. Our schools are full. They're in portables. You've heard the arguments that were just presented. We're not helping that situation out at all. Our road is a disaster.

[03:13:17] Any three days a week, if you can't get up and down Franconia Road, you're not surprised. The same thing with Beulah. We're busy. A new project, a new expansion of this kind just doesn't fit. The benefits to the people in the neighborhood, they're sort of really kind of vague.

[03:13:35] They really don't exist. When we talk about a park, the park won't be available to those of us who already live there and who are aware of the fact that there is no park in Franconia. So I would recommend that we do what was recommended under the Franconia Area Land Use Board, that we support the southern end of this project, and probably not the northern end because it just doesn't fit.

[03:14:08] Thank you very much. Speaker number five is Cindy Marish, to be followed by Rand Pixa and Alyssa Densham and Hap Connors. If I called your name, please be down here close. We've got all kinds of seats right down here on the floor right in front of me.

[03:14:26] Welcome. Thank you. My name is Cindy Marsh, and I've lived in North Franconia for 32 years. I support the proposed plan amendment for the Franconia Triangle. I'd like to address the Civic and Homeowners Association's angle to this issue. Many were created in the mid-1900s for the orderly preservation and improvement of their neighborhoods.

[03:14:47] While they have enhanced camaraderie and civic and community engagement, some have evolved to preserve the status quo and have become impediments to change. Changes that increase population density and that bring in diverse types of people are opposed because they presume this will detrimentally affect their quiet, single-family neighborhoods.

[03:15:09] Most of the opposition to affordable housing at the Franconia Governmental Center is from civic associations and those individuals they have influenced through campaigns tainted with misinformation and bias. Also, district land use committees were set up to provide a discussion forum and to offer district supervisors feedback on proposed land use changes.

[03:15:31] The Franconia Land Use Committee members and their alternates are appointed by their civic association or HOA. Because Civic Association membership is generally voluntary or automatic in HOAs by virtue of home ownership, there is a whole class of Fairfax County residents that are excluded, those who rent their homes.

[03:15:52] Currently in Fairfax County, 30% of residents are tenants, and that number is growing based on the shift in construction from subdivisions to multifamily apartments. Consequently, tenants don't have a voice in land use decisions, Yet they also contribute to the county and state tax base.

[03:16:10] Furthermore, not all civic and homeowners associations in Franconia have been engaged in land use discussions. There are over 140 associations, but only approximately 30 participate in the land use committee. Some civic associations have had the same board members serving year after year.

[03:16:29] My North Franconia Civic Association meets with its members only once a year and presumes they don't need to poll members because they already know everyone agrees with them, not me. Due to this lack of transparency, many members have not renewed. In fact, most neighbors are unaware that a civic association even exists, leaving approximately only 4% of eligible households as members. Because of limited membership and participation, these associations do not adequately represent Fairfax County taxpayers, and their influence should be similarly limited.

[03:17:04] While the opposition has affirmed their mindsets with sensationalized information and dire predictions, often without objective evidence, these tactics get in the way of mutually inclusive, respectful, and rational discourse. Here, we can weigh factors more objectively, and I hope the community will similarly embrace productive, constructive conversations.

[03:17:30] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number six is Ran Pixa, to be followed by Alyssa Densham and Hap Connors. Welcome. Good afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and supervisors, for this opportunity to address the board.

[03:17:47] I'm Ran Pixa. I'm the president of the Claremont Woods Community Association. Claremont Woods is a community of approximately 370 homes in the Franconia District. Before I begin my specific comments, which are largely in opposition to especially the affordable housing or multifamily portion of the proposal and the recommendation, I want to make two overarching points.

[03:18:13] First, Claremont Woods fully supports the proposition that we need more affordable housing in Fairfax County and Franconia District. The question is where? And then second is that there has never been a full opportunity to address the alternative uses of this particular Franconia Governmental Center site, an unbiased, open, what are we going to do with this discussion?

[03:18:44] Rather, there seems to be an expedience that combines the site and the necessity for housing to a solution without prior consideration. So, therefore, Claremont Woods' bottom line is to urge you to put this matter on hold, even at this early comprehensive plan stage, to allow those other considerations to come forth.

[03:19:08] We would hope that you would just carve out the governmental center site without adversely impacting the rest of the proposal and recommendation rather than rejecting the proposal altogether. Specifically, my comments follow the 25-4 vote in the Franconia District Land Use Committee and its advice on this matter.

[03:19:32] It's specifically to address these issues carved out the government center. There's no real problem with the rest from the vast majority's perspective. The bottom line is the site is truly unsuitable for the intended purpose.

[03:19:48] 120 units works out to 40 dwelling units per acre, and about 1.1 parking spaces each. There's very little space for amenity. And if you look at that stretch of Franconia Road, it's a low-rise suburban area.

[03:20:06] A 50-foot, four-story building abutting the road will be truly out of keeping with what's there already. It is a low-amenity area. There's only a small shopping center across the street with very little opportunity.

[03:20:22] Nothing is really walkable from there except a church and a school on the corner. And it will be a magnet for pedestrian injury. Franconia Road at that point is seven lanes wide with heavy, heavy traffic in opposition at better than 35 miles an hour.

[03:20:43] I forfend the day when a small child goes from the apartment building struggling to get to the 7-Eleven on the way. and there's a fatal accident. Furthermore, in more broad terms, the governmental center site under the existing comprehensive plan should be a focal point for community and community uses.

[03:21:10] It evades me how an apartment building, whether commercial or affordable housing, meets that objective. The parcel could be sold. It's worth between $3 and $4 million commercially, or it could be swapped for a more suitable site that would address the affordable housing need and the larger needs of the community.

[03:21:33] There are also the alternative uses. We'd heard from the, I'd previously heard from the volunteer fire department chief that he would like to expand onto that space. So the bottom line is that this property, this public asset owned by the citizens of the county should be put to the best public use, and the only way to achieve that is with an open and new discussion of its alternative uses, while preferably leaving the rest of the project to go forward.

[03:22:08] Thank you for your time and for your consideration. Thank you. Speaker number seven is Alyssa Densham, to be followed by Hap Connors. Welcome. Hello. I have been reading over the last couple of days a nerdy kind of pastor book about the interpretation of the Apostle Paul in the history of the black church in America.

[03:22:32] As I was going through the various sermons that the author presents, I was struck by a line from an African-American preacher from the 19th century. He asserts that one could not be a good Christian or even a moral person if you were an enslaver.

[03:22:49] He said that no matter how often you went to church or how kind you were or how well you took of care of people, if fundamentally you operated from a belief that some people could be mere things and therefore deserved less than you had, you could not call yourself a Christian or even a person of morality.

[03:23:09] I think from the pages of history comes an admonition to the rest of us that resonates today. For the last year and change, we've been talking to you for a long time now. I have been coming here to stand before you and to encourage you, the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, to approve the plan to build affordable housing on the Franconia Governmental Center site.

[03:23:34] At each of these meetings, my children, who are here yet today, we came directly from Kiss and Ride. I didn't expect to be Speaker No. 7. At each of these meetings, we have sat and we have listened to people offer a litany of reasons of why you should not approve this.

[03:23:51] At our very first encounter, we heard people suggest that this site needed to be pickleball courts. Others have argued, as we heard here tonight, and you will probably continue to hear, that its location is unsafe due to nearby gas stations, while failing to note that they, too, live in proximity to this site, in homes with median values that often exceed half a million dollars.

[03:24:15] Occasionally, we've heard people suggest that, while they're not against affordable housing, maybe it should be built somewhere else, anywhere but here, anywhere but near their homes. Now, my children are 7 and 10, and they have often noted how many people line up here to speak against this project and against others like it.

[03:24:40] One project in Herndon that you'll hear about next week had people signed up to speak against it before it had even officially been sent to the board. It can feel overwhelming, and it can feel like the vast majority of people in this area are against this project. But, friends, every time I come here, I bring you stories, stories of real people who support this project and multitudes of projects like it.

[03:25:04] They can't be here, though, because they're working. They can't be here because of child care. They can't be here because transportation is so hard. They can't be here because many of them are afraid of what these neighbors might say or do if they learned how close they were living to eviction.

[03:25:22] We know teachers. We know moms with special needs kiddos, we know journeymen, sanitation workers, estheticians, graduate students, and so many more people who would benefit from this project.

[03:25:38] My children know these people by name, they call them friends, and they struggle to understand why anyone wouldn't want their friends as neighbors. See, in the history of this broken world, we've decided that if you need this help, the kind of help that is affordable housing, you don't deserve the same kind of consideration and care that someone who can afford a half-million-dollar home does.

[03:26:01] And at the end of the day, behind the myriad of reasons that we hear about why you should not advance this project is the idea that we don't want these kinds of people here. Can I imagine that there are many here tonight who you will hear from that would protest in this characterization?

[03:26:18] And yet for all of their protests, that's what they're saying with both their words and their actions. But friends, these are exactly the kinds of people we want living here. We want our teachers to have options near the schools where they teach.

[03:26:33] We want our people in the service industry to live near their places of work instead of hours away. We want the people who do this work, who cannot afford a half-million-dollar house, because they make our communities more interesting, but they also, on a very practical level, add dollars and cents to our county's budget.

[03:26:57] You know, it's been 16 decades since James Pennington wrote his sermons chastising us for reducing people to mere things. And while much has changed in these 106 or so years, we are still guilty by the things we actually support and then choose not to support, of declaring that some people don't deserve the same rights and privileges that we do.

[03:27:17] So long as we fail to support affordable housing in Fairfax County, Pennington's admonition is for each of us. We've asked you to move forward on this project and the projects that are coming behind this one. Thank you. Thank you very much. speaker number eight is Hap Connors and we're going to have a caller and then William Collins if you're down here please there's seats right down here in the front that people can come down to thank you welcome thank you mr. chairman and board members my name is Hap Connors I live at 8241 Carley Parkway in Springfield in the Braddock district first I want to thank mr. Walkinshaw and

[03:27:56] this board for my appointment to the Affordable Housing Advisory Council However, I am not here speaking for the council, only myself. I'm speaking in support of this proposed plan amendment because we frankly need more affordable and workforce housing.

[03:28:12] 24 years ago, after the 9-11 attacks, we celebrated and thanked our firefighters and first responders. Then, five years ago, during the first days of the COVID pandemic, we celebrated and thanked our nurses, grocery store workers, delivery drivers, all those hard-working people on the front lines that we called essential.

[03:28:36] We're always quick to celebrate these folks, and rightly so, but when they need a place to live, we seem to be a little less grateful. One meaningful and lasting way to recognize their value to our community is to create more affordable and workforce housing where they can live and thrive in our community and their community.

[03:28:58] Land use decisions are some of the most difficult decisions that come before this board and any board. People are concerned about the design, how it looks, traffic, capital improvement needs, and other issues. And I think it's incumbent that planning staff and government leaders take the necessary steps to address these issues.

[03:29:17] And I know you've been working hard to do that. There's still a lot to do. To that point, I'd like to commend Mr. Lusk for his willingness and commitment to listen to the many, many voices expressing their views about this planning amendment.

[03:29:34] There'll be more deliberations, more public meetings, more revisions where outstanding issues will be further discussed. But when dealing with land use considerations, the bottom line question becomes, what is the best use for a particular property or area?

[03:29:49] I believe that this amendment answers that question, and I urge you to support it. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker, number nine, Celeste Pouhawk, is on the line. Is that right? Celeste, can you hear me okay? Yes, I can.

[03:30:05] Welcome. Hello. Thank you. Thank you. hello thank you for this opportunity to speak my name is celeste i live in franconia less than a half a mile away from the government the franconia government center i was one of the hundreds of people who have been attending these meetings about this site and i can assure you that the vast majority of us were and are 100 opposed to any proposed housing at the franconia government center there were a few people who attended and were in favor of this project but it usually came out eventually that they were pro-housing advocates which is great but this is not the

[03:30:41] right location and they know nothing about this property those of us who live nearby actually know this site if you visit the property and look around you would immediately know that it is inappropriate for residential use based on its proximity to five gas stations are we so desperate for affordable housing that we want to build housing for vulnerable low and moderate income people next to one gas station and near four others? Please close your eyes and think about your own home for a moment. Would you be willing to have a gas station built next to your house?

[03:31:13] How about another four gas stations very close by? If this apartment complex has already been built first before the gas stations existed, I guarantee the apartment building residents would be fighting the idea of a gas station nearby because it is not environmentally safe. So why are we putting an apartment building next to a gas station and near four others? If you cannot What say that you would be perfectly fine having you and your children and grandchildren live next to a gas station?

[03:31:40] Why is anyone wasting time and money on the prospect of building an apartment building next to a gas station and near four others? How is it equitable to house low and moderate income people who are less likely to have other housing options in such a location?

[03:31:56] There is no way this proposal complies with the one Fairfax policy of equity and goal of environmentally safe housing where people can thrive. The one Fairfax policy contains areas of focus to promote equity and says the systems, structures, and settings in which our residents and families live, work, play, and learn create an equitable community and are, in part, a product of policy and resourcing decisions.

[03:32:22] One of the goals listed in the county wants to achieve is number 12, a healthy and quality environment to live and work in that acknowledges the need to breathe clean air to drink clean water for future generations. The CDC website tells people not to let their kids play near a gas station to benzene exposure.

[03:32:40] I wouldn't need the CDC to tell me not to let my kids play near a gas station because this is just common sense. Playing would be bad enough, but living there has to be even worse. The current Franconia Government Center site will never be suitable for residential use. If you wouldn't want to have five gas stations next to you and your current home, you shouldn't want anyone less fortunate than you to live there either.

[03:33:03] there either. I urge you to vote no to the proposed agreement. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Speaker number 10 is William Collins, representative of Ventures in Community. Welcome. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and supervisors.

[03:33:19] I'm Bill Collins, representing Ventures in Community, a collaborative organization of faith communities and nonprofits in Mount Vernon and Franconia districts, speaking in favor of the Franconia Triangle development, including the affordable housing component of 120 units at the current Franconia Governmental Center site.

[03:33:40] I have been a resident for 35 years in Franconia District, and I'm a member of the local Baha'i community. I'm here to introduce a series of speakers organized by the Franconia Housing Advocates, which has been working with Ventures in Community and other faith communities to support affordable housing in our backyard. Some members of this group have also registered to speak separately at this hearing or have been given different time slots. This block of speakers will tell the story of why affordable housing is important for this site at this time. Our first speaker, Nera Datta, will describe the changing

[03:34:18] direction of Fairfax County from a bedroom community to a more economically and culturally dynamic mixed-income community as outlined in your own vision for the future of the county. Our second speaker from Fairfax NAACP will give a longer-term view of the constant change in land use exemplified by the fact that the very piece of land now proposed for affordable housing once had a racial covenant on its deed that allowed sale only to people of the Caucasian, that is white, race. Jill Norcross, the head of the Northern

[03:34:55] Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, has sent a video about how Fairfax County has made a commitment to affordable housing to build 10,000 new units by 2034 and leads the area in the innovative use of contributions of county land to the process and building through public-private partnerships.

[03:35:18] Sonia Brighi, representing the Coalition for Smarter Growth, spoke earlier about how the Triangle Project with Affordable Housing enhances that piece of land in line with Board of Supervisors' goals for affordable housing. park space, open space, active transportation, and better water drainage.

[03:35:37] This project, especially the affordable housing component, has generated an extraordinary amount of opposition by local homeowners. Sadly, this is not unusual and, in fact, has been studied nationally. We think the Planning Commission extensively researched the fears expressed and addressed many of them with modifications.

[03:35:58] Many Franconia housing advocate members are also neighbors and property owners familiar with the community structure. Cindy Marish, a former Civic Association officer, spoke earlier on their good intentions but limited representation.

[03:36:16] Liz Murphy will describe recent research on neighborhood opposition to affordable housing. Pam Michelle, former executive director of New Hope Housing, submitted written testimony describing her experiences of how local opposition often fades over time and neighbors become united.

[03:36:36] Following some period of personal contact, opponents often discover that their neighbors in affordable housing are primarily working people with the same hopes, dreams, and needs as everyone else. They just want to live and work with dignity throughout the county.

[03:36:55] Finally, Franconia resident Therese Chaplin will summarize our story and ask you, as I am doing, to approve the Comprehensive Plan Amendment for Franconia Triangle with the affordable housing component. Thank you for the privilege of speaking with you.

[03:37:11] Thank you. Our next speaker is a caller, and that is Neera Data. Can you hear me okay? Yes, I can. Thank you. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Neera Dada and I'm a member of the NAACP Housing Committee and also an advocate for access to fair and affordable housing. I'm here today to urge you to support the Franconia Triangle development, especially the affordable housing piece. For decades, Fairfax County was built as a bedroom community, which means residential by design, with most people commuting

[03:37:46] elsewhere, especially into D.C. for work. But that model simply doesn't fit today's economy. Families and workers want and need places where they can live, work, and thrive without spending hours in traffic. Our land use and housing strategies must evolve to meet this moment.

[03:38:04] The Franconia Triangle Project represents a crucial shift. It supports the county's vision of a modern economy rooted in local jobs, innovation, health care, education, and small business. These sectors thrive in communities where people can live near where they work and where housing options match the needs of the workforce.

[03:38:22] Mixed-use developments like this one are key. They reduce strain on infrastructure, bring activity to our public spaces, and help diversify our tax base beyond just residential and commercial property. That's not just smart planning, it's economic resilience.

[03:38:38] The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has a goal to create 10,000 new units of affordable housing by 2034. To succeed, these developments must include a variety of housing types and price points. Our teachers, nurses, first responders and essential workers deserve the opportunity to live in the communities they serve.

[03:38:58] When we plan for inclusive housing, we support our workforce, our schools and our long-term growth. This isn't just about building. It's about shaping a future where families, workers and local businesses can put down roots and thrive together. And yes, everyone can live in Fairfax County, but only if you approve the projects that are in line with the One Fairfax policy.

[03:39:21] Please, please, vote yes for the Franconia Triangle Project and help build the future Fairfax County that we all need. Thank you. Thank you. Our next three speakers are in person. Speaker number 12 is Mary Payden, to be followed by Liz Murphy and Therese Chaplin.

[03:39:38] Welcome. Excuse me. Good evening, Chairman McKay and other supervisors. I'm Mary Payton, Chair of the Fairfax NACP Housing Committee, presenting testimony on behalf of the NACP in favor of the Franconia Triangle Comp Plan Amendment.

[03:40:00] So county goals and land use patterns change over time. They've changed dramatically over the past 150 years, which I'll go over briefly. After the Civil War, quite a few freed black families owned small farms and homes in communities across Fairfax County.

[03:40:18] A few of these communities like Gum Springs and Tinner Hill are still known, but many disappeared by World War II due to the appropriation of land for defense uses like the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir and highways like I-395 and Route 50.

[03:40:35] After that war, subdividers rushed in to sell lots to white veterans with federal mortgages and education grants that catapulted them into the middle class. Many of these lots had racial deeds restrictions that prevented sale to anyone not of the Caucasian race.

[03:40:54] Eventually, most of the black landowners lost or sold their land and moved elsewhere, leaving Fairfax County as a predominantly white suburb that resisted integration far beyond federal court decisions about schools and laws about fair housing.

[03:41:11] Last fall, following sweeping documentation by local historians of racial covenants on Fairfax County subdivisions, the Board of Supervisors ordered staff to check for such covenants on county properties. The first covenant found was on the property now being recommended for an affordable housing complex of 120 units at the site of the current Franconia Government Center.

[03:41:38] Ironically, though Fairfax now has a sizable population of international immigrants and has lost its white majority status as of 2022, a core of longtime civic leaders in the adjacent suburbs vehemently oppose any affordable, or as they say, low-income housing in their midst, even though it is located on a main street and is part of a larger development that they favor.

[03:42:05] Given that these opponents say the affordable housing is too tall, yet favor townhouses of the same height, that it's too dense, yet favor 93 new condos and townhouses at the same location, that its children would stress the schools while not complaining about the children and the 93 other new homes, one begins to think that the objections might really be over color or economic status of the affordable housing residents.

[03:42:37] At the Planning Commission hearings, residents argued that this is not the right place for affordable housing, that the Triangle Plan was okay except for the government center housing. And as taxpayers, they should decide the use of this government property, and that use should benefit the immediate community.

[03:42:59] And that community was described as having a nice suburban feel. Of course, local government has a duty to listen to the opinions of nearby residents regarding development proposals. And residents often suggest helpful modifications.

[03:43:15] But they're not entitled to decide the use of property. The board, elected by the whole county, decides on the most appropriate land uses for the whole county. Over the past decades, the board has adopted policies that call for equitable development, equitable opportunity, and a stretch goal of 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2034.

[03:43:39] As the commercial office tax base dries up, the board is trying to attract innovative companies that expect workforce housing, walkable neighborhoods, and transit options. Its land use policy calls for larger and smaller, Housing dense mixed-use nodes connected by a web of transit and active transportation Franconia Triangle is a small node in that future web We urge you to look to the county's current economic and equity goals and pass the comprehensive plan amendment for Franconia Triangle

[03:44:16] Including the affordable housing development. Thank you very much. Thank you We are on speaker number 13 Liz Murphy to be followed by Therese Chaplin. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Liz Murphy, and I'm here to speak in favor of building 120 multifamily affordable housing units at the current Franconia Governmental Center.

[03:44:39] I have heard much of the past testimony presented by Franconia residents, and they do not speak for me. I am witnessing in my own community what a Cambridge University press report found. Quote, individuals who are referred to as neighborhood defenders participate disproportionately and take advantage of land-use regulations to restrict the construction of multifamily housing.

[03:45:02] The result is diminished housing stock and higher housing costs. These neighborhood defenders are overwhelmingly opposed to new housing, and they are demographically unrepresentative of the broader communities. I fully support this housing proposal.

[03:45:19] As a 37-year resident of Fairfax County, now living for the past 30 years in Monticello Woods, I live exactly 1.2 miles from this proposed site. I align my positive vote with the thousands of nationally surveyed adults by the Pew Charitable Trust.

[03:45:36] Their survey data highlights that large bipartisan majorities of the public favor reforms to improve the availability and affordability of housing. Allowing more people to live near their jobs and schools were rated as excellent or good reasons to change housing rules and for allowing more homes to be built in cities and suburbs.

[03:46:00] Mechanisms to increase housing found support topping 70% for methods such as simplifying permitting, allowing apartments near jobs and commerce, and easing rules for construction of affordable housing on land owned by nonprofits.

[03:46:17] According to Karen Neswick, director of the Housing Justice Initiative, it's the lack of affordable housing that can negatively impact a community by lowering wages and job productivity. NEMSIC also points out that increasing affordable housing units enables families to spend more of their money on purchases at local businesses, leads to fewer evictions, and provides families with more income to purchase healthier foods.

[03:46:45] Finally, providing children with a more equitable path forward by keeping them housed in mixed-income communities is one of the ways to stimulate economic growth and cultivate healthier societies. This isn't just a moral argument. It's been proven that equipping children with tools for social mobility creates economic growth for all communities.

[03:47:07] Again, I urge the Board of Supervisors to vote yes on building affordable housing units at 6121 Franconia Road. my community neighborhood. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you. Speaker number 14 is Therese Chaplin. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Therese Chaplin. I've been a resident in Franconia for over 40 years. You just heard several housing advocates speak for the affordable housing at the site of the Franconia Governmental Center. My role is to summarize why this site would work at

[03:47:43] this time. The Franconia area has been one of change, adapting over the years to the growing needs of the community right now the area needs more housing at different price points to accommodate the mix of incomes needed in our economy using the government owned property at 6121 Franconia Road will help to realize the board's goal of 10,000 more units of affordable housing by 2034 objections raised about the site have been addressed positively by the staff report and experts called by the Planning Commission though affordable housing projects seem to get a lot of neighborhood opposition at first, neighbors usually discover

[03:48:22] that the people who come to live in affordable housing are mostly working people with the same hopes, dreams, and needs as everyone else. But tonight I need to tell a personal story. My 100 year old mother died early this morning. She lived a long and healthy life for which we give thanks.

[03:48:40] My mother would have wanted me to be here tonight speaking up for housing. Her parents immigrated from Italy in the early 20s, survived the depression, raised a large family, each one becoming a contributing member of this country. My mother and my father were members of the greatest generation, each doing their part during the war.

[03:48:59] My father on Normandy Beach as part of the D-Day invasion, and my mother as a worker in a factory in Connecticut, helping assemble aircraft for the Allies. My parents worked hard to make life better for their children, and they also had opportunities given to them at times from the government including housing we need to continue to give people in our community the same kind of opportunities to get ahead safe decent housing is one of the most basic building blocks helping people become all they can be and when that happens the community as a whole thrives in her last few months my mom needed 24/7 home health care during that

[03:49:39] time I got to know several of the wonderful health care aides who came to her house. They shared similar stories, ever-increasing rents, salaries not keeping up, rising cost of living. These health care workers feel the need to relocate out of this area to where they can afford a better quality of life, but we need them to live here instead of wasting time and money community so that they can save for their future instead of living paycheck to paycheck. New hospitals coming to Franconia that will need many employees, and those employees should be able to live here in conclusion we are asking the Board of

[03:50:18] Supervisors to approve the comp plan amendment for Franconia triangle with the affordable housing component thank you supervisors for your vision to make this county a great place to live for all its residents thank you speaker number 15 is Michael LaMarche is he on the line Michael can you hear me I can hear you I'm clear chairman the floor is yours good evening chairman and members of the Fairfax Florida Supervisors, I am here to respectfully voice concern regarding the Frantoni Triangle Redevelopment. While our community supports affordable housing,

[03:50:55] this proposal does not offer meaningful or sustainable solutions. Whether, you know, irrespectful, putting race aside, all of us, regardless of a race or nationality, are being saddled with real estate taxes that continue to outpace inflation and the county faces a $300 million deficit that's grown every year, and we're about to leave all of our children with one heck of a mess. Yet, no clear plan has been shared showing how this project will help people advance. Too often, such developments benefit developers and political interests more

[03:51:33] than the residents they claim to serve. This project lacks community integration, it's out of scale, lacks parking, ignores proximity transit, workforce hubs, essential affordable amenities. It would worsen the already gridlocked roads, developer-funded studies suggesting that more homes, reduced traffic, are unrealistic as time for independent analysis.

[03:51:54] Significant public opposition is on the record. The Land Use Committee opposed it. Thirteen residential associations have objected. Kingstown, representing over 18,000 residents, found that more than 70% disapproved. Their concerns, traffic, strained infrastructure, lack of broader housing affordability, and the housing engagement strategy, which lacks transparency and failed to offer real alternatives, remain unresolved.

[03:52:20] We urge the board to the following call of action. Place this proposal on the ballot and let the taxpayers decide. Conduct a zero-based budget review and truly evaluate the performance of taxpayer investments. Develop a comprehensive plan that fosters affordability, attracts good-paying jobs, addresses infrastructure, and preserves the tucked away from the big city character of future generations.

[03:52:45] Conduct a full scientific review of airborne cancer-causing benzene risks near the site that would put the most vulnerable at risk. Re-evaluate the county's engagement process. In closing, Fairfax residents are watching. This is your opportunity to restore trust and preserve and prove that community voices, not special interests, shape our future.

[03:53:06] Please act decisively and reconsider public land for private development without meaningful voter input. Thank you for your time and commitment to open governance. Thank you. Our next speaker has joined us by phone, Anika Raman.

[03:53:23] Are you on the line? Yes. Thank you, Tim McKay. Welcome. Hello, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity. My name is Nika Rahman. I am the Fairfax Director for the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, also known as NAVAHA. Many of you heard from me before, so I appreciate your patience time again. NAVAHA's mission is to include to apply an equitable housing to affordable housing in Northern Virginia through education, advocacy, and community partnership. NAVAHA is in support of the Franklinian Triangle Study, specifically in support of the 120 units of affordable housing development plans for the Franklinian Governmental Site.

[03:53:54] I've spent my entire career working in Fairfax County and committed to serving this community. Yet like so many others, I cannot afford to live in the very place I work. Even with a full-time job, the cost of housing has put homeownership and often even renting out of reach. This isn't just my story. Among many friends and peers, many of us are working in a well-paying job but still find ourselves priced out.

[03:54:13] We're part of a generation facing a harsh reality. Both our county and our regional government partners have identified the need for 10,000 net new homes for families earning 60 percent or less of the area median income by 2034 which is just nine years away this is a critical step and critical target as we know that without adequate housing for working families we risk not only the well-being of our community but the economic stability of our region as a whole as the s9 dealer community planning sector is being considered for development it is essential that we ensure the affordable housing is prioritized within the plan the county's growth depends on it it is crucial that we integrated more affordable housing options into the development to help meet our pressing housing needs.

[03:54:49] According to the data from the U.S. Census Bureau, over 30% of Fairfax County households occupy rental housing. Between the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2024, we found an alarming 21.7% increase in the monthly asking rent in over just five years. This surge is unsustainable for so many families who are already struggling to make ends meet.

[03:55:10] Your approval for the S9 Bureau of Community Planning Act is vital to the increased affordable housing and help meet the housing needs of the community. In conclusion, the affordable housing crisis is not just the housing needs, it's a critical economic and community developmental issue. We need the action now to ensure that families who are the backbone of the county can continue to live and thrive here.

[03:55:28] We need more affordable housing to ensure our community remains vibrant and accessible to people with all incomes. Now, I appreciate your time and consideration and look forward to working together and getting some good news tonight. Thank you. Thank you very much. And that was speaker number 16. We have a whole series of videos about to begin.

[03:55:45] But before we go to those, I understand our Health Department representatives are going to have to leave early. And so I want to give the board, any board members, including Supervisor Lusk, an opportunity to ask them any questions before they leave at this time.

[03:56:01] Supervisor Lusk. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me start with the Department of Environmental Quality. So I want to thank Randy Chapman for being here this evening. And I want to acknowledge that he was also very active in a number of our other meetings and much, much appreciate it.

[03:56:21] So I think we've heard even this evening as well as before at the Planning Commission through a number of the testimonies there this question about the emissions from the gas stations and the benzene concerns.

[03:56:38] I just wanted to maybe see if you could help us frame this from the standpoint of how the Department of Environmental Quality sort of regulates and sort of monitors the gas stations. And if we could speak specifically to the five stations that are here in this community.

[03:56:58] Sure. Again, my name is Randy Chapman. I'm the patrolling program manager for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Northern Regional Office. Overall, in this area, we monitor air quality. We work with our state, local, and federal partners to monitor air quality with a number of monitoring stations around the Commonwealth.

[03:57:17] In Virginia, we are in northern Virginia, we're in a non-attainment zone. And you can go onto our website every day, and what you'll see are the forecasts for today and for tomorrow. You're probably more familiar with this in the summertime when you see the green code, yellow code, things like that. We're currently in a green code.

[03:57:33] We have very good air quality, and they monitor on a regular basis looking for a variety of things. Specifically, gas stations are not monitored themselves. The emissions and things that come from the gas stations are controlled through technology, through the delivery of the fuel.

[03:57:49] The tanker trucks recover the vapors during fuel loading. The cars recover vapors during the dispensing of the gasoline at the dispensers themselves. Plus, we have the cars themselves. And we all have, you know, we have an air check program.

[03:58:04] You have to get your cars, go through admissions testing. So we monitor the admissions and control the admissions that way. The individual stations themselves, we don't look at the specific admissions, but we do have a program here in Virginia under a federal program and under the state program where those facilities are inspected on an average of once every three years.

[03:58:23] And we look at all the release detection equipment. We look at the piping. We look at the tank systems. We determine whether or not there's any releases. Now, obviously, as we've talked about, any time you go to a gas station, there's going to be the fugitive gases that come off of just normal filling. But all in all, based upon the air quality and the monitoring that we do across the Commonwealth, we have good air quality.

[03:58:45] So we don't see anything specifically with regard to emissions or particularly benzene through air quality. Okay, so we can say that in terms of the five gas stations, they are in compliance with our… These facilities, actually, the five facilities themselves, two have been last inspected in 23, two in 24, one in 24 and two this year, and they're all in technical compliance, yes.

[03:59:11] Okay, that's perfect. And then I wanted to maybe touch on the site. My office, Chairman McKay, was there for 20 years. I've been there for six years now, plus the time I served as planning commissioner coming every week.

[03:59:29] So we are pretty familiar with this facility, but help me understand, I know that we have some containers, underground fuel containers that are currently on site. What's going to be the process for DEQ to kind of look at the situation with those tanks and then to determine any remediation or any activities that would need to occur based on findings?

[03:59:56] Sure. As required, those tanks are regulated underground storage tanks, as with everybody else. When the county finally closes down the facility and everybody moves to the new facility, the tanks will go into closure. As required, the tanks will have to be properly closed through soil testing and removal and excavation.

[04:00:15] And most likely, we're going to find contaminated material just because of the amount of years that those tanks have been there. It's just part of the operation of them. As part of that, you're going to most likely be issued what we call a pollution complaint number. And you'll be part of our program where you'll be required to work on a site characterization report with the consultant that you hire.

[04:00:35] And we are a risk-based program. We look at risk to human health and the environment. So your consultant will basically do an environmental assessment to determine the extent and severity of any releases. we've talked about before with the planning commission because we now know that yes the plan is for residential the assessment will incorporate that as part of it so one of the things we'll look at is determine is there any subsurface contamination or any off-gassing that could create a risk for a residential property and whatever the data shows us then the corrective action if necessary will address any of those risks have been identified okay so i think this

[04:01:14] this is an important point. We're going to ensure the safety of this property for residential use. So this point about it not being safe for residents, we're going to ensure that it's safe before we allow for construction of new... The DEQ is not going to treat the county any different than we would everybody else who has a regulated facility. I think that's a perfect answer. And then let me move quickly. I apologize, Mr. Sherman. I know we've got to go quickly, but I want to get the questions out.

[04:01:44] Sure. If I could move to the health department, and maybe, Dr. Schwartz, kind of a similar perspective from you. Based on this testimony about the benzene and the emissions, can you kind of give me some sense of how you might respond to the point that I think was raised four speakers back about a cancer cluster possibly as a result of this benzene?

[04:02:13] Could you give us the health department's sort of take on that? Yes, thank you. I'm Dr. Ben Schwartz. I'm the Director of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Health Department. According to the Virginia Department of Health, the cancer cluster is defined as a greater than expected number of the same or related cancer cases that occur within a group of people in a geographic area over a specific period of time.

[04:02:43] A key part of this definition is that the cluster include the same or related cancers, because we know that different types of cancer have different risk factors. For example, lung cancer and smoking, skin cancer, and sun exposure, colon cancer, and diet.

[04:03:01] So all different risk factors. So if a suspected cluster is made up of different cancer types with different risk factors, then it's not a true cluster. In 2015, the Virginia Department of Health investigated seven confirmed cancer cases that had information available among Franconia District Police Station officers.

[04:03:25] In addition, the Virginia Department of Health compared cancer rates for three U.S. Census tracts, including the Franconia site, and tracts immediately to the east and the west. And they did the comparison with cancer rates in Fairfax County as a whole and also with the state of Virginia.

[04:03:43] The cancer cluster investigation found five different cancer types among the seven cases, and these cancer types had different risk factors for occurrence. In addition, these cancer types were not unusual, with the exception of a thymus cancer case, which is uncommon.

[04:04:01] In addition, the statistical analysis of the census tracts, and I think this is really important, compared to Fairfax and the entire state showed that the incidence of the more common cancers and of cancer overall was either not different or actually was lower than the county and the state incidence. Thus, the data obtained from the police department investigation and the data from the three census tracts led to the conclusion that a cancer cluster did not occur at the Franconia police station, and further study was not recommended. We've had no additional complaints

[04:04:41] since that 2015 investigation. And Dr. Schwartz, just so I'm clear on this point, are there certain types of cancers that you would find specifically for those that would have exposure to benzene? Those would be bone marrow cancers and blood cancers. There was a single case part of the cancer cluster. Also, the investigation of the census tracts looked at the rates of those cancers that may be associated. And although the VDH did not calculate a rate because the number

[04:05:19] they had was so low, my colleagues and I at the health department calculated a rate for the three census tracts and compared it with Fairfax County and compared it with the state. And the rate in those census tracts was actually lower than Fairfax County and all of Virginia.

[04:05:38] Okay, now that's helpful to hear. I appreciate the responses here and appreciate that. I hope that people who are watching are listening. We are going to be dogged on this point about ensuring the safety of the residents who will be at this project if this project is built. So the point is we're going to do everything to ensure their safety. So thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[04:06:00] Thank you, Supervisor Lusk, and you mentioned the time we spent there, 24 years for me in that building, so I am particularly relieved to hear the answers to the questions, especially since I spent more time in that building than I spent at home. So thank you for those comprehensive answers, and I think this is important because there have been some health concerns raised.

[04:06:23] We've dealt with health concerns in land use cases before, and many of them are built on a perception versus a reality of what's out there on the site or what they might have read somewhere else. And so it is unusual to have our health professionals provide detailed answers to these questions, but in this case was necessary and we thank them for that. With that, let me, before we go to our videos, let me just verify that there's no one else present who hasn't already testified that wishes to. Okay. I just wanted to make sure of that because we're going

[04:06:55] to begin with video 17, and we're going to run through these videos all the way through to video 172, which will probably be somewhere between 1230 and 1 o'clock in the morning when the videos are finished. So I just want to make folks aware of the volume that we're getting ready to have, and I'm going to ask our staff to go ahead and roll with video 17. I'm Joshua Booth of Linconia, and I support the comprehensive plan update for the Franconia Triangle.

[04:07:30] 6400 and 6412 Viola Street are where I spent seven years building my career as a software developer. The DOD put several different contracting companies and a number of government employees under the same roof to build innovative software for the Defense Contract Management Agency.

[04:07:48] I learned a tremendous amount while I worked here. I have a lot of fond memories of this place. I remember walking behind the fire station and Olivet Church to go to the Thai restaurant to get lunch with my co-workers. And I remember walking across the street to go get sandwiches from Honey Baked Ham for lunch.

[04:08:05] I used to go to the dentist across the street on Grovedale, and I still go to the optometrist across the street on Franconia Road. In fact, I remember getting my eyes dilated at the optometrist and walking back to work, crossing Franconia Road, barely being able to see. 6400 Beulah Street was the headquarters of my contracting company, N.E.S. Associates.

[04:08:26] I remember it took them forever to rent out the office next to Beulah Street, finally to a dentist, and they could never rent out the office that was further away from the street. I remember that office was always just filled with band instruments for practice. The headquarters became redundant when my company sold to GDIT.

[04:08:44] DOD also had a bit of a change of plans where they started cutting some of the government contracts, They pulled the government workers out, and they pulled out the DOD network connection. This place started feeling pretty desolate with all the empty offices around 2019. The demand for suburban offices like this was declining even before the pandemic, and the rise of telework after the pandemic depressed demand even further.

[04:09:08] Replacing low-demand suburban offices with high-demand townhouses and apartments is a great use for this land. Fairfax County has committed to building 10,000 affordable homes by 2034. And building 120 affordable homes here at the old Franconian Government Center will advance us toward that goal.

[04:09:26] Objective 6 of the Land Use Policy Plan states that Fairfax County should have a land use pattern which increases transportation efficiency, encourages transit use, and decreases automotive dependency. Redeveloping the Beulah Properties and the Government Center into housing will advance this objective by placing apartments and townhomes close to the Fairfax Connector Routes 231, 232, and 310.

[04:09:49] These bus routes connect people in the Franconia Triangle to the Greater Metro system through the Van Dorn Metro, Franconia Springfield Metro, and the Huntington Metro. Franconia may be designed around cars, but new residents have many options besides getting behind the wheel. Let's listen to what Sue Patterson said in the Fall 2004 edition of the Franconia Museum Newsletter: "A new Franconia community has been built based on the foundation of the old one.

[04:10:15] Let's keep building on that strong foundation." Finally, I'd like to thank Katrina Knudsen and Graham Owen for their thoughtful responses to my questions and their patience during community meetings. Hi, my name is Dylan Haynes. I'm here to tell you a little bit about my story with the lack of affordable housing here in Fairfax County.

[04:10:33] I moved to the county in May of 2023. I've always dreamed of living up here in Nova and Fairfax County has always been a really great option. When we moved here, we were really hoping to be able to buy something maybe a condo or a townhouse but we found there were very few options within our price range i mean even the smallest of condos really weren't an option um so at that time we signed a lease and agreed that over the course of that lease the rent would only go up by a hundred dollars kind of a steal at the moment now we're still hoping to be able to buy but there

[04:11:10] aren't any more options for us to buy than there were when we moved here almost two years ago but what has happened are the prices of groceries have gone up and now our rent is going up another $300 in the next two years. That's money that we were putting away to be able to buy a house or something of our own. Without more affordable options, people like us are stuck in this trap.

[04:11:37] Even if we wanted to buy, there's nothing within our price range. And because there are less options for us to buy, the rents keep rising, keeping us from being able to save the down payments that we would need anyways this is how the lack of housing has affected me personally just over the past two years here in fairfax so i really hope that you'll take this story this experience that i've had and think about that when making the decision about whether to allow more density thank you my name is jorge i live in an apartment so the problem is in this fairfax

[04:12:15] county is not many houses like low, bajos recursos, so yo vivo en apartamento, el problema es que cada seis meses o cada año le suben mucho dinero a la renta, so $100, $150 y la renta va muy para arriba, entonces como no hay casas para uno comprar o rentar casas va de bajos recursos, por eso es que le suben mucho a la renta al apartamento.

[04:12:44] Mi nombre es Carmen y yo pienso que lo que le sube mucho las rentas es que como no hay mucho acceso para apartamentos más cómodos ni casas para arrendar, entonces los dueños de los apartamentos les suben un por ciento cada año o cada seis meses.

[04:13:03] Y dependiendo lo que usted pague por la renta, así es el por ciento que le suben ellos. Y cada año le están subiendo como 50, 100 para arriba y eso afecta mucho ya que también When you work, you don't increase your hours of work a little bit, you have to work more to be able to pay the rent month by month.

[04:13:27] Good afternoon, my name is Mauricio Molina. The condition that we are here is to talk about and ask that there are more houses of low resources for all those workers that day to day we struggle to survive.

[04:13:44] but the rates are very high, and every year they are rising, and sometimes we are not able to reach. We always keep rising, the water, the light, and then we are not able to reach. And we would like that the government or any organization, we would like to put the hand on the heart to make a living of low resources for all those workers who participated in this country and fought day to day, and we would like to contribute to this country.

[04:14:11] That's what we would like to do. Thank you. Es un placer estar aquí con ustedes. Mi nombre es Carlos Sánchez, vivo en un parque de casas móviles en el condado de Fernfles, en Alexandria, y la idea de estar aquí es hacer una petición al ministro de vivienda y a los supervisores, de manera que elaboren proyectos que sean accesibles a nuestra condición económica,

[04:14:45] Ya que no podemos acceder a viviendas normalmente caras porque generalmente una casa, un apartamento o necesitamos tener un ingreso muy alto para poder acceder a viviendas normales.

[04:15:12] So we are asking that the next projects that we have in mind are accessible to what we have as monthly income. Thank you very much.

[04:15:27] Hello, I'm Marianela and I work with Fairfax communities. What has been seen for all this time is that there is a lot of need of housing. but not only housing, but accessible to our community.

[04:15:46] There are companies that come to build, but to access this, we need to earn $100,000 a year. We know that here in Fairfax there are a lot of bad resources. So, we invite the supervisors of Fairfax and the Ministro of Vivienda, That is a very big need for housing, especially accessible to our communities, because the communities, in their families, even if they have two jobs,

[04:16:22] the rent is always increasing due to a lack of housing. Entonces, las empresas de apartamentos aprovechan, toman ventaja de eso, de la falta de vivienda, para subirle a la renta.

[04:16:40] Entonces, es ahí cuando nuestras familias sufren, ¿verdad? Sufren el impacto, impacto económico, impacto psicológico, impacto de todo tipo, porque para poder acceder, para poder la comunidad pagar esas rentas, a veces toca dejar de ir al doctor, Toca dejar de ir al psicólogo.

[04:17:02] Toca dejar de comer muchas veces. No podemos traer comida a nuestros hogares porque la renta... Hello, my name is Catherine Herdy, and I am submitting this video to oppose the current proposal from the Planning Commission for the use of the Franconia Triangle.

[04:17:21] I live here in Kingstown. I am exposed to all the traffic and all the changes that are going around in this area. We have not updated the infrastructure to support those. And that is part of the issue with the proposed private venture with the Franconia Triangle.

[04:17:42] That is taxpayer property. It should be turned into something that all taxpayers can utilize and does not add to the current traffic situation on Franconia Road. I don't know if you have ever been out there sending in the traffic trying to turn on to Van Dorn and it's ridiculously long line of traffic.

[04:18:05] So we need to fix that and fix all the infrastructure because my water pressure better not go down with all this extra housing that is being placed at townhouses, even the government center that's being added here in Beulah.

[04:18:22] I mean, there's so many things. And let's just add in the speeding and the extra traffic on Beulah. So this is going to add to that as well. But coming back to where it should be, taxpayer property, taxpayer use.

[04:18:39] There's a lot of other things that residents have submitted ideas for that have been ignored. This is our area. And those who don't live in this area, you know, be they churches or other organizations, not have a say in what we're doing with our property. So if nothing else, put it to a vote of the residents, not just the Franconia, you know, the Board of Supervisors. This should be something that we decide. Thank you so much, and I hope you have a great day. My name is Jane

[04:19:17] Neihard, and I'm here for you to actively listen and take us seriously. I have lived in this district since 1984. I am here due to your proposal and site of the present Franconia government center. We citizens are concerned of the site's future when the county originally was to create land use policies and plans that would result in good Fairfax County growth. I want to point out that as citizens of Fairfax County, you are representing us. We want you all to be truly listening today to the people you represent. I have attended past public hearings and what I've observed is the body language of members not focusing what we the people are saying. Members have been seen on their phones, talking to next seated members, dozing and even leaving for periods

[04:19:54] of up to 20 minutes, which is truly not being focused on our concerns. There is a need for affordable housing in our county, but this site is not appropriate for multifamily residential use. Many of us are opposed to residential use of this proposed apartment plan. My concerns are, one, why are you having a four-story apartment complex along Franconi Road not in alignment with the surrounding homes and business establishments? Four, two, how about future traffic congestion of drivers on Franconi with traffic lights close together between Grosdale Drive and Beulah Street along franconi road we already have five gas stations within close proximity what about apartment residents trying to get out of the parking lot as well as looking out for pedestrians

[04:20:30] and bicyclists three why are you disregarding cdc's recommendation on not having families near gas station why is this site still in consideration by you all and you're pushing for what you're playing for an apartment why would you want to house vulnerable people and pets with a gas station right next door the next door gas station was already there before you even thought about building an apartment they are not the problem gas fumes are highly flammable what happens if there's a gas leak this site already has concerns as main reason present employees are moving to a new site this site has had employees suffer for years from serious health issues concern has been raised on many occasions yet the county has remained silent on this potential risk four

[04:21:06] why are you continuing to push and overload the capacity of elementary franconi school your goal is not to let the school have the housing problem when overcrowding a school is not beneficial to the students and staff. Is this meeting today only to appease us as public citizens since you already made up your minds on how you want to go and vote or you're listening to our voices today?

[04:21:27] A retired county person recently told me while he was setting up for a public meeting that he overheard the committee members talking before the public arrived how they were going to vote on an issue. How are we going to trust you that you're not doing the same? Your purpose is to be an instrument for us. Listen to the recommendation of Franconi Lane Use Committee. Their recommendation is to eliminate option for residential use and to continue with community-serving non-residential use. A council member once said recently, revenue takes presence over the citizens.

[04:21:54] Are you serious of our concerns? The question is, are you for us or against us? Thank you for you to do the right decision. Amen. My name is Alexander Benevelli, a Franconia resident and Fairfax County voter. I understand that the county aims to create land use policies and plans that result in orderly balanced and equitable county growth. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is an exemption. I join many others in Franconia District who are opposed to the residential use of the Franconia Governmental Center. This site is inappropriate for such a use. I understand the urgent need for more and affordable housing in our county. However, this site is simply not

[04:22:32] appropriate for a multifamily complex for a number of reasons. It does not fit in harmony or character with our neighborhood. A four-story apartment complex along Franconia Road is just going to stick out like a sore thumb, towering over all the other surrounding homes and businesses. Also, an apartment complex does not create a focal point for the community and community-related activities and services.

[04:22:52] This is not a walkable community to begin with, and there are no grocery stores, general shopping stores, medical or dental services, but a 40-minute bus ride, and also there's only one bus route that runs on the weekends. Adding this kind of density along Franconia Road, with already seven lanes of traffic, is a very serious safety concern.

[04:23:10] It is only a matter of when and how many pedestrians are going to get hit jaywalking. It's turning into Route 1. There are not one, but five gas stations nearby, one nearby the property in question. The CDC has recommended that families don't play near a gas station, so why would we want to house vulnerable people in affordable housing next to the gas station, especially considering our one Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing?

[04:23:35] This concern has been raised a number of times in public hearings, and the county has remained silent on this potential risk. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. I urge you to listen to your citizens and to support the recommendation of a Franconia Land Use Committee. This is the committee that was established by the county for the specific purpose of getting input from its residents on land use matters.

[04:23:57] These members are most familiar with the site, its conditions, and limitations. I urge you to reject any proposed residential use of this taxpayer-owned property and support the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee. Thank you very much. My name is Stephanie Agin, and I am a Fairfax County voter.

[04:24:16] I have lived in the Franconia area since the mid-1980s. I oppose the conversion of the Franconia Government Center into high-density housing. The site is inappropriate for residential use of any kind. There are other ways to create affordable housing rather than cramming a large number of people into a small space within a commercial area next to a gas station with several others within blocks and right on Franconia Road with several lanes of traffic whizzing by constantly.

[04:24:47] Studies show that affordable housing is better for everyone if sprinkled into market-rate multifamily housing developments, which are more likely to be near grocery stores, shopping, and services, provide enough parking, and served by reliable and plentiful public transportation.

[04:25:06] The location is in the middle of a commercial area not meant for multifamily housing. The area is not walkable for basic resident needs such as grocery stores and shopping. This high density along Franconia Road is a very serious safety concern. Many pedestrians are struck by vehicles along the stretch of road.

[04:25:25] In addition, the police station is to be moved to a location near Kingstown, making Franconia neighborhoods less safe. There are five gas stations nearby, one abutting the property. The CDC has recommended against playgrounds being near gas stations, so residential use presents even more of a health risk to the most economically vulnerable people.

[04:25:47] Many members of the public in Franconia have testified repeatedly in opposition to housing on this site. Our voices have been ignored. The government center site should serve the community. I request that you reject any proposed residential use of this taxpayer-owned property.

[04:26:06] thank you very much and i'm a fairfax county voter the plan for the franconia triangle is generally acceptable with the major exception of the franconia government governmental center proposal i am commenting today because that site is unsuitable for any type of housing that site is next to one gas station across from two others in the same block as another and 550 feet from the fifth gas station. That is five gas stations next to or near the site. Research shows

[04:26:45] that a cluster of gas stations means even more benzene exposure and increased cancer risk. Usually a mixed use of developmental development prohibits residential uses near other uses that involve odor or noise or fumes. The gas stations are not compatible with such close residential use.

[04:27:06] This is the wrong location for an apartment building. The CDC website advises that people should not let their families play near a gas station due to potential health risks from benzene exposure. It is more dangerous to live near a gas station.

[04:27:23] Research shows that childhood leukemia is linked to how close a child lives to a gas station. This proposal does not comply with our One Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing. Using this taxpayer-owned property as a four-story apartment building is incompatible with the existing uses.

[04:27:44] It would also be a complete departure from the established character of the surrounding community. It would stick out like a sore thumb on Franconia Road and serve as a focal point, but in the worst way. It would simply tower over the buildings on either side of the property.

[04:28:02] Except for a small church structure, nothing on Franconia Road is taller than two stories from where Franconia Road begins at Telegraph Road until the mall area. But even a smaller building won't change the fact that this site is inappropriate for residential use.

[04:28:18] The Land Use Committee voted 25-4 against the Franconia Governmental Center proposal while accepting the other Franconia Triangle plans. That decision should be respected. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents.

[04:28:35] We request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Governmental Center property. Thank you. My name is Martha McCatch. I am a resident of the Franconia District and a Fairfax County voter.

[04:28:54] I understand that the county aims to create land use policies and plans that result in orderly, balanced, and equitable county growth. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is an exception.

[04:29:10] Residents are opposed to the proposed residential use of the Franconia Governmental Center property. That site is the subject of my comments because it is inappropriate for residential use. The Franconia District Land Use Committee members live in the area and know the site well.

[04:29:34] They consider the character, location, and extent along with the same information that you consider and their vote was 25 to 4 to eliminate the use of the governmental center site. You should defer to their judgment as residences.

[04:29:52] This is the wrong location for residential use of taxpayer-owned property. A four-story residential use would be completely out of character with the surrounding community. In fact, it would dominate the street view of Franconia Road.

[04:30:11] No other building on Franconia Road is taller than two stories from Telegraph Road to the Springfield Mall. The Oak Tree Plaza across the street is limited to two stories for that very reason. A smaller building will not change the fact that this site is inappropriate for residential use.

[04:30:33] Also, the current site is adjacent to one gas station across the road from two others in the same block as another and 550 feet from a fifth gas station. If the CDC website tells people not to let their families play near a gas station, why would we want to house vulnerable people in affordable housing next to a gas station, particularly with our one Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing?

[04:31:07] Also, the county has not considered the impact 120 four-story units would have on the schools and traffic in the area.

[04:31:24] The county government exists to implement the will of its residents, and we request that you reject any proposed residential use of this taxpayer-owned property. Thank you very much. This is Robin Cameron and I am a Fairfax County voter. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable with the major exception of the Franconia Government Center proposal. The site is inappropriate for residential use. The local community has been raising concerns about the use of the Franconia governmental site since the housing plan proposed in 2021.

[04:32:00] The Franconia District Land Use Committee voted overwhelmingly to recommend elimination of the option for residential use for this site and to continue community-serving non-residential use at the site. This citizen committee is the county-established forum for getting input from its residents on land use matters.

[04:32:21] I understand the urgent need for more affordable housing in our county. However, this site is not appropriate for a multifamily complex for a number of reasons. Residential use of this taxpayer-owned property would be completely out of character with the surrounding community.

[04:32:38] In fact, it would stick out like a giant sore thumb on Franconia Road. With the exception of a small ancillary church structure, nothing on Franconia Road is taller than two stories from Telegraph Road to the Springfield Town Center. Nearby Oak Creek Plaza was limited to two stories for this very reason. This site is designated to be a focal point for our community and an apartment building is not a community focal point. This site is not part of a transit station area. It is not a walkable community. Grocery stores, shopping, and other services are 40 minutes or more away by bus.

[04:33:15] only one bus route serves the area on weekends. Adding this kind of density along Franconia Road, a seven-lane street, is only a matter when and how many more pedestrians are hit jaywalking, a problem in this area much like along Route 1. The current site is next to one gas station, across from two others, just down from two more, totaling five. The CDC recommended families don't play near a gas station. Why would we want to house vulnerable people in affordable housing

[04:33:49] next to a gas station, particularly with our one Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing? This issue has been raised a number of times and the county has remained silent on the safety of living next to a gas station. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. I urge you to listen to your citizens and support the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee. These are the residents most familiar with the site, its conditions and limitations. I request that you reject any proposed residential use of this

[04:34:25] taxpayer-owned property. Thank you very much. My name is Mike Agen and I'm a Fairfax County resident living in the Franconia area since 1987. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is acceptable except for the residential use of the Franconia Governmental Center.

[04:34:48] The site is not conducive for residential use. The site is located along Franconia Road where there are seven lanes of traffic. Foot traffic here is a safety concern. Also, the site is located near five gas stations with one gas station adjacent to the property.

[04:35:08] The recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee is to eliminate the option for residential use at this site and to continue with community-serving non-residential use. I ask you to listen to your citizens and support this recommendation.

[04:35:30] I request that you reject any proposed residential use of this taxpayer-owned property. Thank you very much. Good evening. I'm Thomas Bordley. I live in Franconia Forest. My home is about a 15-meter walk from the old Franconia Governmental Center site on Franconia Road.

[04:35:54] My concern today is with the use of the site proposed in the Franconia Triangle Plan. Several years ago, the Board of Supervisors decided to build a new governmental center on Beulah Road near the Festival Shopping Center, rather than refurbishing the existing site and building affordable housing near the Festival Shopping Center.

[04:36:13] The Beulah Road site was well-suited for affordable housing because of its size in its proximity to grocery stores, restaurants, the Inova HealthPlex, and the Franconia-Springfield metro station. In comparison, the old governmental center site is much smaller, much farther from grocery stores and metro stations, and near multiple gas stations.

[04:36:33] In addition to compensate for the site's size, the current plan envisions riding only single-bedroom units not suitable for families, limiting parking, and constructing a four-story complex in an area of one- to two-story buildings. Because the housing is limited to low-income individuals, it effectively excludes firefighters and teachers who work next door or across the street.

[04:36:55] The limit parking is challenging because of the distance from grocery stores and metro stations. As a person living nearby who used metro for decades, I can testify to the long commute times. Metro is unlikely to work for those working two jobs or having to make multiple transfers to reach the job.

[04:37:11] With respect to the gas stations, many municipalities do not allow residential drawings within 300 feet of a gas station, much less four gas stations. There's also a gas station right next door to the old Franconino Government Center site.

[04:37:27] A variety of proposals to mitigate these issues have been made at public meetings. They've all been dismissed. At this point, I recommend that this part of the Triangle Plan be rejected. There is a need for safe two- to three-bedroom drawings for firefighters, police officers, teachers, and low-income families.

[04:37:43] The current plan does not provide that at the Franconia Road site. I thank you for your attention. My name is James G. Smith. I am a Fairfax County resident, and I've been a resident in this county for over 56 years, longer than most of you, most probably.

[04:38:04] I also own numerous properties in Fairfax County, and I pay a lot in property tax, in real estate tax, probably more than you do. So I'm hoping that you will take my opinion and give it great weight.

[04:38:23] I'm coming today because the site at the government center, in my humble opinion, is unsuitable for housing. It's next to gas stations, much too close to gas stations. The CDC website advises that people should not let their families play or live next to a gas station due to the potential high risk from benzene gas.

[04:38:52] I would ask the board of supervisors, what research has Fairfax County conducted to counter the CDC guidelines? While you're doing something that you know is unhealthy, you're not doing a good job of representing those folks who would be living in such a housing development.

[04:39:20] Additionally, if you lease this property to a developer, what do you think he's going to build? It's going to be some ugly, European-style, boxy configuration that is not in accord with the guidelines or what we want on Franconia Road.

[04:39:42] So I would urge you not to approve this housing project. Thank you. William Stemple, and I am a Ferris County voter. My plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable, with the major exceptions of the Franconia Government Senate proposal.

[04:40:08] I'm commenting today because that Senate is unsuitable for any type of housing. The Senate is next to one gas station across from two others in the same block as another in 515 from our fifth gas station.

[04:40:26] That is, five gas stations next to a view of the site. Research shows that a cluster of gas stations never means even more benzene exposure and increased cancer rates.

[04:40:42] Usually a mixed-use development prevents residential usage, and there are other uses that involve odor or noise or fumes. The gas stations are not compatible to use. This is the wrong location for an apartment building.

[04:41:01] The CDC website provides that people should not let their families play near a gas station due to potential health risks from benzene exposure. It is more dangerous to live near a gas station.

[04:41:17] Research shows that childhood leukemia is linked to how close a child lives to a gas station. This proposal does not comply with one CFX policy regarding environmentally safe housing.

[04:41:34] Using the taxpayer's own property as a four-story apartment building is incompatible with the existing uses. It would also be a complete departure from the established character of the surrounding community.

[04:41:51] It would stick out like a soil dam on Pancurly Road and serve as a focal point, but in the worst way. It would simply tower over the buildings on either side of the property. Except for a small church structure, nothing on Pancurly Road is taller than two stories from where Pancurly Road begins at Tarek Road until the mall area.

[04:42:16] But even a small building won't change the fact that the site is inappropriate for residential use. The land use committee voted 25 to 4 against the Franconia Government Center proposal while accepting the other Franconia Triangle plans.

[04:42:38] The decision should be respected. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. We request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Government Center property. Thank you. My name is Donald Krause. I'm a Fairfax County voter.

[04:42:56] the plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable with the major exception of the Franconia Government Center proposal. I am commenting today because the site is unsuitable for any type of housing. The site is next to one gas station across from two others in the same block and 550 feet from the fifth gas station. That is the five gas stations next to or near the site. Research shows that a cluster of gas stations means even more benzine exposure and increased cancer risk. I'm against this proposed development here in the county. It's

[04:43:35] too close to five gas stations. It's way out of character with the other neighborhoods. It does not fit the comprehensive zoning plan as far as density, and land use has already voted 25 to 4 against it, so there's no point in going any further as far as I'm concerned. Thank you.

[04:43:55] Good evening, Supervisors. I'm Elaine Andereg, and I live in Franconia, very near the government Center. What you have heard and will continue to hear tonight is a frustrated community that doesn't believe their concerns are being addressed with regards to this property. For several years, we've been told there would be many opportunities for input and that nothing had been decided. This was again stated at the Planning Commission meeting on May 7th, but on March 21st, 19 days before the first public hearing on this SSPA, the developer for this affordable housing project in the Franconia Triangle filed a rezoning application. What to

[04:44:30] make of this? Maybe that the decision is already made. The public hearings have to be held, but are our testimonies going to have a chance at influencing your decision? You will hear the frustrations of the community about the size and density of this PDH-40 not fitting into our suburban community of almost entirely one- and two-story homes and buildings, especially along Franconia Road. You'll hear concerns about traffic and congestion at major intersections that haven't been addressed for the last 20 years. Residents tell how they can't get out of their neighborhoods onto Franconia Road. Staff was surprised and unaware of the situation. I told the planning commission I've seen fire engines blast down the wrong side of Franconia Road to avoid traffic

[04:45:09] congestion. I've seen engines stuck at the intersection by the new Innova Hospital and the traffic increase due to the hospital and new government center hasn't even materialized yet. Others will tell of delayed response times for emergency response. You'll hear concerns about school overcrowding. Edison is over capacity today and expected to stay that way for the foreseeable future. With this SSPA, over a thousand new units will be approved in our district that feed into the Edison pyramid. The solution FCPS proposed was to cut classes, add trailers, and set new boundaries to accommodate the load. There are over 5,200 units already approved in our district with

[04:45:45] another 2,000 on the work plan in a deferred status. Many have affordable components. There are an additional 7,000 units along Richmond Highway Corridor. This is our eastern boundary and also affects our traffic and pulls on our emergency services. Are you really so sure that this property won't be needed in the future to support this growing community?

[04:46:04] Many want to see it preserved for use that supports the entire community. Commissioner Cortina made a comment last Wednesday that local residents are the experts on their areas. But when we said this area doesn't have sufficient walkable services, has limited bus service, and it is a safety hazard to have a dense population along this section of Franconi Road, no one listens.

[04:46:24] The developer states in his application, the metro stations are within reasonable walking distance. Google shows it's a 45-minute walk. Is it really reasonable in the snow and summer heat? You have been given references to several scientific papers on the health risks of living near a gas station and the evidence that more vapors escape into the air than thought.

[04:46:42] Despite this information, the Planning Commission decided the presence of five gas stations and nearly 7 million gallons of gasoline passing through this area yearly pose no health risk. I am reminded of the movie Draft Day, where Kevin Costner writes himself a note saying, Von T. Mack, no matter what.

[04:46:58] Whatever the cost to his team, he wanted that player. Well, I think Fairfax County has decided affordable housing, no matter what. I doubt it's going to change any minds tonight, but with my remaining time, I want to make one more plea regarding putting people right next door to a gas station. I want to be sure the record is clear that you and any listening are made aware of the dangers for future residents.

[04:47:18] For specific citations, I refer you to the written submissions for this public hearing. First, it is an established fact that benzene is a carcinogen and other constituents of gasoline are harmful to your health. Second, papers show the closer you live to a gas station, the greater your health risk.

[04:47:33] More gas stations present means even higher risk. More vapors escape from vent stacks than expected. The gas stations in this area have no vent stack recovery systems. Risk to gas station workers exceeds acceptable residential risk. Third, air emissions from gas stations are not monitored or measured.

[04:47:50] Vapor capture systems were put in place to reduce ozone accumulation, not to protect exposure to gasoline fumes directly. These systems are reportedly 90% effective, but 10% is still released into the air. 10% of 7 million gallons transferred from Tranker trucks annually.

[04:48:07] Vapor recovery at the pump is not 100%. One paper showed 88% of the cars tested showed leakage during their filling operations. These incomplete recovery systems are most likely part of the reason for the increase in health risk the closer you live to a gas station. Fourth, EPA's school siting guidelines calls for screening for gas stations within 1,000 feet of a new school site.

[04:48:28] Fifth, other jurisdictions across the country have established setbacks. Why do you in Fairfax County think it is safe when they don't? This problem is only arising because of the unrestricted mixed-use policy putting residences into commercial areas. When people living here get sick, they will be able to access the records on this SSPA and see that you were made aware of the health risk and still chose to proceed to put them in this situation.

[04:48:52] Please reconsider. Thank you. My name is Valerie Foster, and I am a Fairfax County voter. I understand the county aims to create land use policies and plans that result in orderly, balanced, and equitable county growth. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is an exception. I join many others in the Franconia District who are opposed to the residential use of the Franconia Government Center. The site is inappropriate for such use. I understand the urgent need for more and affordable housing in our county. However, this site is simply not appropriate for a multifamily complex for a

[04:49:28] number of reasons. It does not fit in harmony or character with our neighborhood. A four-story apartment complex along Franconia Road will stick out like a sore thumb, towering over all the surrounding homes and businesses. Also, an apartment complex does not create a focal point for the community and community-related activities and services. This is not a walkable community, and there are no grocery stores, general shopping stores, medical or dental services without a 40-plus minute bus ride.

[04:49:59] And only one bus route runs on weekends. Adding this kind of density along Franconia Road with seven lanes of traffic is very serious safety concerns. It is only a matter of when and how many pedestrians are hit jaywalking. It will be just like Route 1.

[04:50:16] There are not one but five gas stations nearby, one next to the property. The CDC has recommended that families don't play near a gas station, so why would we want to house vulnerable people in affordable housing next to the gas station, especially considering our one Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing?

[04:50:38] This concern has been raised a number of times in public hearings, and the county has remained silent on this potential risk. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. I urge you to listen to your citizens and support the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee.

[04:50:55] This is a committee that was established by the county for the specific purpose of getting input from its residents on land use matters. These members are most familiar with the site, its conditions, and limitations. I urge you to reject any proposed residential use of this taxpayer-owned property and support the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee.

[04:51:18] Thank you very much. Hello, I am Sheila Ryan, and I am a resident of Fairfax County. I live nearby, and I am very opposed to have apartments, low income, high income, or any type of high building in this area, because this government location or government property should be converted to a community center, so the playground with all kind of things or grass and trail, it's a nice area, so people can use it.

[04:51:55] All people of Fairfax County and Franconia area can use, not just the people who are supposed to live here if the apartments are built. Hello, my name is Lorraine Birch, and I've been a Fairfax County resident for over 30 years.

[04:52:16] I moved to the D.C. area right after graduation, and I ended up living in the Mount Vernon area and moving specifically to the Franconia-Kingstown area because it was a place that was affordable after I had gotten a divorce, and I had three children to raise, and I wanted a good environment where the kids could play, but I could get home to them in case I needed something, and I was working in D.C. I've been a resident here. I've been a soccer coach for Lee District. I have worked with Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. I've worked as a team mom for Hayfield High School on multiple

[04:52:53] teams for over four years, and I enjoy volunteering in my neighborhood. I was so excited when I found the Franconia Museum because it's like a hidden gem, and so I was able to bring my Girl Scouts here so they could learn about our local history. In addition, I've been hugging all the Girl Scouts when they come and vote when they were finally of age to vote in their first election, and they did that here at Franconia. This is a very important place in this community, and I really do not want to see it turned into housing. We have so much congestion in this area as it is with all the

[04:53:30] projects that have already been approved but not yet built, and I live near one of those projects, And I'd hate to see more and more added without even seeing what happens when they first put them in. One of the other things that concerns me greatly is that this is an area where we already have five gas stations.

[04:53:50] And the products, the smells and so forth, the benzene that is emanating from these gas stations could be dangerous to the population here. I don't think we need to add more to it, especially when you're not adding any more in infrastructure. You're not changing sewer lines. You're not adding fire stations and so forth for additional people.

[04:54:10] Also, this is a hidden gem. This is an area I've been coming. I've used it to come when I needed to come to the fire station, sorry, the police station, as well as the election. I would like to see it used for community purposes. And the Franconia land use voted almost unanimously, very highly, to keep it for community purposes.

[04:54:33] And I would like to see that. And I would like to see the Board of Supervisors listening to people like me. I'm an honest, hardworking taxpayer who has tried to support my community. So instead of just brushing us off and doing what you want, I'd like for you to listen to the people.

[04:54:49] Thank you very much for your time. I'm David Willman, a local voter in the region. I drive past this place every day, see the museum and all that occasionally. very interesting. I think this should stay within the use of the public community. Project housing is just going to be that project housing. It has no vested interest in the community and people can't use it for what they actually expect it to be. Please keep it available for use for the people in the community. Thank you very much. Have a nice day. Hi, my name is David Almasi. I am a resident

[04:55:25] of the Franconia District and I've been a resident here for over a quarter century. Now, I'd like to address whether or not Fairfax County government actually understands what DEI is. It's diversity, it's equity, and it's inclusion. And the Franconia Government Center idea to turn it into low-income housing, it seems to be for diversity, but not necessarily for the E and the I. Now, this is what happened with South Alex. This is what you failed to do with the Rose Hill Shopping Center. This is

[04:56:03] what has been compromised on for the Topgolf site, and we can't have it with the Franconia Government Center site. Franconia seems to be getting a disproportionate share of these building proposals, and it is shoehorning people into this area, I think, just to meet the goals. Not because it's good, not because it's fair, not because it's equitable or inclusive. Now, of course, I have no opposition to diversity, and none of the people that are against this probably do either, but I'm looking at the cost that is going to come to the people that are going to be offered this low-income

[04:56:41] housing. There's a health issue with all those gas stations in the area and the cars going by right there on Franconia Road. There's the educational issue. That was an issue with Rose Hill. Have we figured out how the schools are going to take the influx of these new families? They didn't do it in Rose Hill. And there's also ideas about emergency response. Utility. How is it going to affect the utilities and the drain on them? We need to think about these things. Now, we're always being told to listen to the experts. But the Fairfax Land Use Committee, the local people

[04:57:19] who understand most, they're overwhelmingly against this. So listen to the experts. And And it's time to start listening to the residents, because they're against it as well. It's time to start representing. Now, no one wants the unrestricted, unwanted residential development on the Franconia government site.

[04:57:42] And like I said before, we're no problems with diversity, but we think that Fairfax should be equitable and inclusive in their housing, low-income housing policy as well. So why don't we look at all of Fairfax County? How about we look at places other than the Route 1 in Franconia corridors?

[04:58:02] I'm thinking there's an old casino site in McLean that might be able to use it. So please, take a look at places like that. Take a look at the entire county when you think about DEI. Hi, my name is Nancy Almazie, and I'm a Fairfax County taxpayer and voter.

[04:58:23] The plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable, but with one exception, the proposed use of the Franconia Government Center. I am commenting today because that site is unsuitable for any type of residential housing.

[04:58:44] That site is next to one gas station across the street from two others and is in the same block as another and then is also 550 feet away from a fifth gas station. That's five gas stations next to or near the site.

[04:59:02] Now, research shows that a cluster of gas stations means even more benzene exposure and an increased risk of cancer for residents. Now, usually a mixed-use development prohibits residential uses that involve odor, noise, fumes.

[04:59:21] That's common sense. So those gas stations are not compatible with such close residential use. This is the wrong location for an apartment building. The CDC website also advises people should not let their families play near a gas station due to the potential health risks.

[04:59:38] It is more dangerous to live near a gas station than just about anywhere else. Research shows that diseases such as childhood leukemia are linked to how close a child lives to a gas station. This proposal does not comply with our One Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing.

[04:59:58] So using this taxpayer-owned property as a four-story apartment building is not compatible with sound environmental policy. It would also be a complete departure from the established character of the surrounding community.

[05:00:14] It would stick out like a sore thumb on Franconia Road. So yeah, it would serve as a focal point, but not the good kind. It would simply tower over the other buildings on either side of the property. So with the exception of a small church structure, nothing on Franconia Road is taller than two stories from where the road begins at Telegraph until you reach Springfield Mall.

[05:00:37] But even a smaller building won't change the fact that this site is inappropriate for residential use. The Land Use Commission voted 25 to 4 against the Franconia Government Center proposal while accepting the other Franconia Triangle plans.

[05:00:54] And that decision needs to be upheld. So we request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Government Center property. It does not make sense from an environmental or from a neighborhood standpoint. Thank you.

[05:01:14] My name is Olga Kennedy. I'm a Fairfax County voter. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable, with the major exception of the Franconia Governmental Center proposal. I am commenting today because that site is unsuitable for any type of housing.

[05:01:34] That site is next to one gas station across from two others in the same block as another and 550 feet from a fifth gas station. That is five gas stations next to or near the site. Research shows that a cluster of gas stations means even more benzene exposure and increased cancer risk.

[05:01:57] Usually, a mixed-use development prohibits residential uses near other uses that involve odor or noise or fumes. The gas stations are not compatible with such close residential use. This is the wrong location for an apartment building.

[05:02:15] The CDC website advises that people should not let their families play near a gas station due to potential health risk from benzene exposure. It is more dangerous to live near a gas station. Research shows that childhood leukemia is linked to how close a child lives to a gas station.

[05:02:35] This proposal does not comply with our One Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing. Using this taxpayer-owned property as a four-story apartment building is incompatible with the existing uses. It would also be a complete departure from the established character of the surrounding community.

[05:02:54] It would stick out like a sore thumb on Franconia Road and serve as a focal point, but in the worst way. It would simply tower over the buildings on either side of the property. Except for a small church structure, nothing on Franconia Road is taller than two stories from where Franconia Road begins at Telegraph Road until the mall area.

[05:03:17] But even a smaller building won't change the fact that this site is inappropriate for residential use. The Land Use Committee voted 25-4 against the Franconia Governmental Center proposal while accepting the other Franconia Triangle plans.

[05:03:33] That decision should be respected. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. We request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Governmental Center property. Thank you. My name is Letitia Nordvall, and I am a Fairfax County voter.

[05:03:54] The plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable, with the major exception of the Franconia Governmental Center proposal. I am commenting today because that site is unsuitable for any type of housing.

[05:04:10] That site is next to one gas station, across from two others, and in the same block as another, and 550 feet from a fifth gas station. That is five gas stations next to or near the site. Research shows that a cluster of gas stations means even more benzene exposure and increased cancer risk.

[05:04:31] Usually, a mixed-use development prohibits residential uses near other uses that involve odor or noise or fumes. The gas stations are not compatible with such close residential use. This is the wrong location for an apartment building.

[05:04:49] The CDC website advises that people should not let their families play near a gas station due to potential health risks from benzene exposure, especially children. Using this taxpayer-owned property as a four-story apartment building is incompatible with the existing uses.

[05:05:13] It would also be a complete departure from the established character of the surrounding community. It would stick out like a sore thumb on Franconia Road and serve as a focal point, but in the worst way. Except for a small church structure, nothing on Franconia Road is taller than two stories from where Franconia Road begins at Telegraph Road until the mall area.

[05:05:40] But even a smaller building won't change the fact that this site is inappropriate for residential use. The Land Use Committee voted 25 to 4 against the Franconia Governmental Center proposal while accepting the other Franconia Triangle plans.

[05:05:58] That decision should be respected. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. We, I, request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Governmental Center property.

[05:06:17] Thank you. Hi, good day. My name is Aldo. I'm a Fairfax County voter. I lived here in the neighborhood around Franconia and Van Dorn for about three years now. I began to participate in the local, you know, politics and just kind of see what the neighborhood is all about.

[05:06:39] And I saw billboards on the street and I went down to the Lewis High School for my first local political get-together and what i found was that there was a proposal for the government center that's across the street from where i live about uh implementing affordable housing units there and the very first thing that i thought was like this is ridiculous you know why would you want to put a um a place where people are essentially going to be living on top of each other around

[05:07:14] a bunch of gas stations. It just doesn't make any sense. It's hazardous to the environment for those people's not only physical health, but I'm sure with their mental health. It's just an ugly situation to find yourself living at. The gas stations to the left and right is in itself hazardous. It's something that you might find, you know, like in some kind of refinery area or things like that and that's nowhere or you want to have children raised the traffic is already horrendous in this area and adding more to the density of

[05:07:50] the population here would just make things just more unsuitable for a family to live in the area I noticed is a lot of people like walking their animals and there are parks that are located in the region but not within walking distance people have to be able to go someplace where they can just walk to gather maybe perhaps have some sort of farmer's market or some kind of place where people can just talk and just enjoy the outdoors a little bit within their own neighborhoods nothing like that is located within walking

[05:08:25] distance i find the whole idea of having low-income housing there or as they call it workforce housing which is just a play on words. Ridiculous. I've lived in Europe. I've seen how they live over there in the eastern part of Europe. And pretty much these things are essentially slave quarters or what they called after Nikita Khrushchev, you know, these Soviet blocs. And something like that to be around in our neighborhood is absolutely ridiculous. I request that you reject this

[05:09:00] proposal idea and have something more for the community to be able to enjoy rather than just having more of a density of population here. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it. And I hope to hear from this a little bit more soon. Thanks. Hello, my name is Brian Boynton. I'm a Fairfax County voter. I oppose using the Franconia Government Center site for housing. For four years, residents have repeatedly voiced concerns and proposed alternatives, yet our feedback has been ignored. The Franconia District Land Use Committee, after reviewing our input, voted 25 to

[05:09:35] 4 against the county's proposal. Our county structure prioritizes residents, so why are our voices being overlooked? We live here, and we deserve a better plan for taxpayer-owned land. Thank you. Buenas tardes. Me llamo Diana Camere, y soy residente de Fairfax County.

[05:09:53] The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for residential development. This is public land funded by taxpayers and should serve the entire community. Traffic in this area is already overwhelming. Adding 500 more residents without improving the infrastructure will only make it worse.

[05:10:12] And we've had enough. For years, there have been plans to improve the Van Dorn and Franconia road intersection and nothing has been done. Our public schools are already underfunded. So why add more students when we can't properly support the ones that are already enrolled?

[05:10:29] Meanwhile, the county is preparing to raise taxes significantly. Stop cramming people into counties like sardines. We lack both the financial resources and infrastructures to accommodate for more residents.

[05:10:45] We do not want Fairfax to become as densely populated as Arlington. This location is not suitable for housing. It is inappropriate use of taxpayer-funded property. Find a better plan. Thank you.

[05:11:03] My name is John Nicholson. I live in Franconia, less than half a mile from the site of this project. I'm speaking tonight against the project in its current form, specifically the redevelopment of the existing government center with a large apartment building. I have no issues with the other planned developments in the triangle.

[05:11:21] Before discussing my specific objections, I'd like to suggest that current events warrant a hold on the project for at least another six months. There are so many federal, state, and county budget and funding uncertainties right now that risks are high for adverse changes.

[05:11:41] Time is going to be needed and should be provided to see what happens to funding, specifically HUD funding for financing affordable housing projects and also for Section 8 or project-based vouchers. It's better to go slow and do things right the first time than to press on in some self-imposed haste and have to redo work later.

[05:12:02] Now for my specific objections. First, I object to converting public land to private housing. This is the last public-owned property in our district. It should be kept for the benefit of the public. Next, the building height. It should be three stories maximum, which is the max height of the office buildings around the site.

[05:12:21] The comprehensive plan says keep the area as suburban, but county planners generally seem agreeable to put in the tallest and most dense development possible in that category. Planning for the suburbs should be for moderate growth, not max density.

[05:12:37] So cut the building to three stories and lower the density accordingly. The next problem I have with the project is the staff claiming this project will give us a community focal point, what they call an urban park. It seems like every green space with bench seating is a candidate to be called an urban park.

[05:12:55] The county wants to appear park-friendly without actually giving us new park spaces. It's a victory for appearance over substance. The urban park in this project is not much more than a green space with seats and maybe a couple of swings.

[05:13:11] It has no parking. Access is only by foot traffic cutting through the apartment parking lot. The truth is this is an outside sitting space for the apartment. It's not a community focal point. If you want to create a community focal point and you sincerely mean it, then you should put in a small spray ground to attract families and little kids.

[05:13:30] I know the park authority said no to making the entire area a park, but a small spray ground should be different, and it would seem like an actual community focal point. If some parking spaces were designated for so-called park users, it would add to authenticity for a park.

[05:13:49] I can remember a Wendy's ad that used to say, where's the beef? As community focal points go, this project is all bun and no beef. Please fix it. Thank you. My name is Tony Andrig, and I'm a Fairfax County voter.

[05:14:06] We've lived in the Franconia area for 25 years, and we're very familiar with the government center parcel. I get gas at the station across the street. My car mechanic is at another gas station across from that. My dry cleaner is just a couple of shops down.

[05:14:22] I took my boys to the Taekwondo Dojang across the street. And I've taken my boys to the Franconian Museum when they worked on their citizenship in the community merit badges. The proposal for the Franconian Triangle is acceptable, except for the planned redevelopment of the government center parcel into four-story dense apartments.

[05:14:45] The parcel is just simply not suitable for that sort of development. That sort of development would generate significantly more pedestrian traffic across the seven traffic lanes of Franconia Road. The government center already has signs posted that warn about the danger of hitting pedestrians crossing Franconia Road.

[05:15:09] We know that Highway 1 was developed poorly, but yet this plan would recreate that same problem in this community. The placement of dense residential housing in close proximity to a cluster of five gas stations is simply irresponsible.

[05:15:28] It would be a painful example of putting the most economically vulnerable populations in the least healthy environmental conditions. Our own Fairfax One policy is intended to protect these people, but this proposal would be counter to those objectives.

[05:15:45] The plan takes away what was the center for our little community. We would no longer have a place that is the center of Franconia. Instead, we would have a huge structure of apartments that would change the entire character of the surrounding community.

[05:16:04] The Franconia Land Use Committee has voted overwhelmingly against the proposed use of the government center parcel, 25 to 4. You know, I spent 28 years in a career in the Marine Corps.

[05:16:21] When I was a young lieutenant, I learned three very important lessons. One, read the terrain. Two, listen to your people. And three, stay true to your own principles. If Fairfax County continues along the path to force the redevelopment of the government-centered parcel into dense apartments, you will be violating all three of these important lessons.

[05:16:49] I urge you to look at the terrain, listen to your people, and stay true to your own principles. Thank you. My name is Tom Weber. I oppose the Franconia Government Center proposal due to the dangers of building housing so close to a gas station, particularly a cluster of gas stations, such as the five gas stations next to and near the property.

[05:17:17] The following quotes are from an article titled, Your Neighborhood Gas Station Could Be Making You Sick, that was published in December of 2024 in Canada's National Observer. Any level of benzene exposure can cause adverse health effects.

[05:17:34] In short-term bursts, breathing benzene can cause dizziness, irregular heartbeat, headache, and tremors. But in the long term, benzene causes leukemia and other blood cancers, especially in children, babies, and pregnant people.

[05:17:51] Childhood leukemia is an acute risk. In 2023, Health Canada examined the problem of gas stations and concluded, gas station benzene emissions can be harmful to people living up to 300 meters or 984 feet.

[05:18:08] This is an unacceptable risk to nearby residents, the agency determined. They also found homes as little as 10 meters or 32 feet from the fence line of gasoline stations, putting them at extremely high risk.

[05:18:25] Health Canada identified some straightforward fixes, like implementing minimum distances from gas stations for new construction. There is still no exposure limit for the air residents breathe, even for those living next to gas stations.

[05:18:42] If you could smell benzene, then you're already being exposed to too high of a level for it to be safe, said Tom Gillen, a lawyer in the United States whose practice specializes exclusively in benzene-related cases, representing people who say they have been exposed to the chemical through various methods.

[05:19:03] Your risk for these cancers goes up, and they are terrible cancers, like bone and blood cancers. Certainly, preventing these injuries is the way to go. Dr. Melissa Lim, family physician and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, a non-profit organization that argues preventing toxic exposure is critical for human and environmental health, says these kinds of minimum setback distances are simple solutions that can be implemented with

[05:19:38] relatively little effort. It's bad news to have communities anywhere close to this kind of infrastructure, Lem said. You can actually just prevent those homes from being there in the first place. We shouldn't be putting homes on this particular site. My name is Joanne Weber. I oppose the Franconian Governmental Center proposal due to the dangers of building housing so close to a gas station, particularly a cluster of gas stations such as the five gas stations next to and near the property. You just heard specific passages from the article titled

[05:20:16] Your Neighborhood Gas Station Could Be Making You Sick. There is a significant amount of research on this topic. Living near a gas station is a health risk. Any level of benzene exposure can cause adverse health effects. Fairfax County appears to be willingly blind to this issue.

[05:20:34] If you attempt to point out the gas station issue, the county points to a 2015 cancer cluster study by the state as if to prove that there are no health issues. Only seven of the 11 cancer cases that were known at that time were included in the study. No retirees were included. So that means, for example, that the guy who fought acute myeloid leukemia for three years and finally died in 2013 wasn't included in the study. Acute myeloid leukemia is particularly associated with benzene exposure. As a Canadian article stated, childhood leukemia is an acute risk, and yet we're talking

[05:21:14] about allowing people to live, not just work, on this property. Health Canada is the Canadian government's federal department responsible for national health policy. Their 2023 study concluded that gas station benzene emissions can be harmful to people living up to 300 meters away, which is 984 feet. There are five gas stations within 550 feet of the Franconian governmental center property. Multiple Franconian residents have brought this health risk to the attention of the planned forward staff. And yet, thus far, there have been no recommendations for a new

[05:21:52] construction to be located a minimum distance from a gas station. No one is out there checking to see if it's safe to breathe the air near a gas station. Virginia DEQ isn't doing it, and neither is the county. There is no exposure limit for the air residents breathe, even for those living next to gas stations. There's no monitoring being done to see what's being emitted from individual gas stations, and yet people who live near gas stations smell gasoline regularly, which means they are being exposed to benzene. We know that living near a gas station creates health risks.

[05:22:31] Therefore, an easy solution is to prevent new homes near gas stations. Please reject the proposal to turn the Franconian Governmental Center property into residences. The health risks aren't too great. My name is Andromeda Eravina, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. I understand that the county aims to create land use policies and plans that result in orderly, balanced, and equitable county growth. However, the plan for the Franconia Triangle gives me a pause. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable, with one significant exception. A substantial number of

[05:23:08] us, as a united community, are in strong opposition to the proposed residential use of the Franconia Government Central property. I am voicing this concern because it is our collective belief that this site is unsuitable for residential use. The Franconia District Committee members, including local residents, possess a deep understanding of the site. They have thoroughly considered the character location and extent, just as you do. The committee's vote of 25 to 4 against the Franconia Government Center plans, while accepting the other Franconia Triangle plans, should be given the utmost respect. Their proximity to the site and their knowledge make

[05:23:46] their judgment invaluable. This is the wrong location for residential use of taxpayer-owned property. Affordable housing should have been built next to the new Franconia Government Center near the Manchester Lake Shopping Center. This is where affordable houses were originally planned, which would make sense because this site is close to the metro, grocery stores, shops, and restaurants.

[05:24:07] The current site is next to one gas station across from two others and in the same block as another and 550 feet from a fifth gas station. That is five gas stations next to or near the site. If the CDC website advises letting families play near gas stations due to potential health risks, it raises serious concerns about housing valuable people and affordable housing next to a gas station.

[05:24:34] This is particularly alarming considering one Fairfax County policy regarding environmentally safe housing. It is surprising that the Healthy Community Policy Paper did not address the health effects of living near things like gas stations and data centers, which further underscores the instability of this site for residential use.

[05:24:55] A four-story residential use of this taxpayer-owned property would be a stark departure from the established character of the surrounding community. It would stand out conspicuously on Franconia Road, disrupting the visual harmony of this area. Except for a small church structure, nothing on Franconia Road is taller than two stories from its beginning of Telegraph Road until Springfield Town Center.

[05:25:18] The Oak Tree Plaza across from the street was designed for three stories, but was limited to two stories for that very reason. However, even a smaller building wouldn't change the fact that the site is inappropriate for residential use. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. We request that you reject any proposal for residents' use of this taxpayer-owned property. Thank you.

[05:25:39] Hi, my name is Loretta D'Amico. I'm a resident of Fairfax County. I live right around the corner from the government center, and I do not think we should have housing here at the government center. It should be left to the community for the county to take care of it, for the needs of the county, not for residents. It's not even resident zone. So that's what I feel, and I'm not the only one that feels like this. There's a lot of people that feel like this. Is that enough?

[05:26:07] a Franconia resident and Fairfax County voter. I understand that the county aims to create land use policies and plans that result in orderly balanced and equitable county growth. The plan of the Franconia Triangle is an exception. I joined many others in Franconia District who are opposed to the residential use of Franconia Government Central. The site is inappropriate for such use. Adding this kind of density along Franconia Road with all the traffic that already exists is a very serious safety concern, not to mention the overcrowding in the schools they are

[05:26:45] already facing. This is not a walkable community and is not safe or appropriate location for a multifamily complex. I urge you to reject any proposed residential use of taxpayer-owned property and support recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee.

[05:27:05] Thank you. I'm a Franconia County resident and Fairfax County voter. I understand the county aims to create land use policies and plans that result in orderly balanced and equitable county growth. The plan for Franconia Triangle is an exception.

[05:27:23] I join many others in the Franconia District who are opposed to the residential use of the Franconia Governmental Center. This site is inappropriate for such use. I understand the urgent need for more and affordable housing in our county. However, this site is simply not appropriate for multifamily complexes for a number of reasons.

[05:27:43] It does not fit in harmony or character with our neighborhood. A four-story apartment building along Franconia Road will stick out like a sore thumb or dominate the street view, towering over all the surrounding homes and businesses.

[05:28:01] Also, an apartment complex does not create a focal point for the community and community-related activities and services. This is not a walkable community, and there are no grocery stores, general shopping stores, medical, or dental services without a 40-plus minute bus ride, and only one bus runs on the weekends.

[05:28:18] Adding to this kind of density along Franconia Road with seven lanes of traffic is a very serious safety concern. It's only a matter of when and how many more pedestrians are hit jaywalking. It will be just like Route 1. There are not one, but five gas stations nearby, one abutting the property.

[05:28:37] The CDC has recommended that families do not play near a gas station. So why would you want to have a house of vulnerable people in affordable housing next to a gas station, especially considering one Fairfax County policy regarding environmentally safe housing?

[05:28:54] The concern has raised a number of times in public hearings, and the county has remained silent on this potential risk. If the county government exists to implement the will of residents, I urge you to listen to your citizens and support the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee.

[05:29:13] This is the community that was established by the community for the specific purpose of getting input from its residents on land use matters. The members are most familiar with the site, its conditions, and limitations. I urge you to reject any proposed residential use of this taxpayer-owned property and support the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee.

[05:29:35] Thank you very much. Hi, I'm Carl Sell. I'm president of the Rose Hill Civic Association, and I'm here tonight to speak about the proposed redevelopment of the Franconia Governmental Center into 120 units with 100 parking places, about 40 units per acre.

[05:29:58] It's a three-acre site. The reason I'm here is to support our friends in Franconia because we're going through the same thing in Rose Hill. In the Rose Hill Shopping Center, they want to put almost 400 units on an acreage that will add up to about 40 units development.

[05:30:19] We think that's too much for a suburban community. It's an urban development. It doesn't belong under the current comprehensive plan in our area. and we're overwhelmingly opposed to it in Rose Hill, and we know that folks in Franconia are opposed to it. The building will be 52 feet high, and that doesn't fit into our community, despite what you may have heard. So I thank you for the opportunity. I hope you will listen to the Land Use Committee, which voted overwhelmingly 25 to 4. I was one of the 25 to delete the

[05:30:56] proposal for the 40-unit development of the Franconia Governmental Center from the SSPA application. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. This is Donald Tennant and my wife Julie. We are residents in the neighborhood of the Franconia Government Center and Fairfax County residents and voters. I'm speaking to you because of our objection to the county proposal to use the Franconia Government Center for Residential Development. The site is unsuitable for any

[05:31:31] type of residential development. We are concerned about the gas stations, the benzene exposure to any residents living there permanently, the traffic impact, the impact on schools, the impact on the instruction. The county's already overcrowded, as is this neighborhood, and every spare piece of ground is being consumed not by parks and other things which benefit the community, but rather by housing and other things which benefit developers. Using the taxpayer-owned property as a four-story apartment building is incompatible with the existing uses. It would also

[05:32:10] be complete departure from the established character of the surrounding community. Franconia Road is almost all one- and two-story buildings. It was originally set aside for a park, which has of course been quickly disposed of so that the land is no longer being considered for that, but rather transfer to the housing department for affordable housing, which benefits the developers and not the residents. Residents are at the top of the county org chart because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents. We have not seen that in the last two or three

[05:32:45] years in which this intent has been considered or this proposal has been considered. The Franconia District Land Use Committee, of which I was a member for a long time, is a mechanism the county designed to obtain resident feedback. However, the county has to date refused to consider the requests of that group, which was a 25 to 4 against the proposal that's at place, that is now taking place. I think it's also incredible that this is the third new government center that's been built

[05:33:21] in this area. While we are still living in the old firehouse that was here, which could have been a good use for that property, although there again, the proximity to the gas stations and the benzene is a consideration. Thank you for your time, and please, I think you must vote against this proposal and this use of this land. Thank you. Goodbye. My name is Constance D'Souza, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Center, Government Center, should not be used for any

[05:33:55] saw of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us. The traffic in this area is already terrible. Adding 500 new residents without traffic improvement will only make matters worse. We're sick of it. There have been a planned improvement for the Van Dorn Franconia Road intersection for years, but nothing has been done. We already don't have enough money for all the students in our public school. Why would we want to add another 50 students to Fanconia Elementary School and add more students to the Twain Middle School and 26 more students

[05:34:29] to Edison High School. The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly. We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people. Stop stuffing people into the county like sardines. We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayers' own property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. I'm Stephen Carman and a Fairfax County voter. I'm a resident of Franconia living less than five blocks from the location of the government center and the site should not be

[05:35:07] used for any sort of residential use. I have attended numerous meetings on the topic, heard testimony from 300 speakers, and personally witnessed just a handful of attendees express support for this plan and most of them don't even live in Franconia. I do not add more residents to Franconia when we already don't have resources to support people who already live here. For example, within the last two years, we've had five different calls for EMS services. The county's fire chief testified that response from the Fairfax County was under 20 minutes with 65%

[05:35:46] frequency. But we are apparently part of the 35% because we have endured response times over 20 minutes. One Friday evening emergency resulted in an 85-minute response time. On the occasion of my family member stroke treatment, EMS transported us to Inova Walker Lane where we waited from 11 to 7 a.m. to be seen by one doctor on duty. And when her examination revealed this family member needed rescue, EMS, transport to Alexandria Inova Hospital. We couldn't obtain an ambulance. None

[05:36:21] was available. I was told to drive the patient through congested 7 a.m. city traffic myself, which could create intense emotional stress in anyone, but it freaked me out. I was offered no alternative. Upon arriving, my family member was rushed into life-saving surgery. This is unacceptable current tranconia government center is taxpayer-owned property and it should be used to benefit all residents i suggest allowing the volunteer firefighters to use the property for office and training space after all the property used to belong to them one of the oldest offices

[05:36:57] in fairfax county expand the fire and rescue facilities to handle all of the call load don't exacerbate the congestion problem of this neighborhood please do not add more density to an area where traffic is already congested beyond capacity, which the county knows since there have been an unfunded plan to improve Van Dorn and Franconia Road for years now, but of course it never happens.

[05:37:22] We are tired of the county listening to non-residents who outshout those of us who live here and pay taxes for these community services. They can build in their own neighborhoods. As our representatives, you, our voices, representing us, And we say no. Vote no, please, against building Franconia Government Center for high-density residential use.

[05:37:47] My name is Elaine Keller, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us.

[05:38:03] The traffic in this area is already terrible. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. We're sick of it. There has been planned improvement for the Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersection for years, but nothing has been done.

[05:38:20] We already don't have enough money for all the students in our public schools. Why would we want to add another 50 students to Franconia Elementary School and 15 more students to Twain Middle School and 26 more students to Edison High School? The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly.

[05:38:39] We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people. Stop stuffing people into the county like sardines. We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property.

[05:38:55] Thank you very much. My name is Taylor Pearson, and I live in Fairfax County, and I'm a voter. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use.

[05:39:14] We residents are sick of the county not listening to us. We have been telling the county for four years now that this is the wrong site for housing. Hundreds of us attended meetings last spring, and we shared alternative uses for this site.

[05:39:32] Why is the county ignoring us? Franconia District Land Use Committee is the very mechanism the county has designed to have residents provide feedback to the county about the use of land in this district.

[05:39:50] The Land Use Committee considered all of the same information you have, and yet they voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plan for this property. The county's organizational chart shows that the residents are at the top of the organization and trickles down from there.

[05:40:11] Because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents. We live here. We're telling you we don't want this. It's for the wrong site for housing and the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property.

[05:40:29] Please stop ignoring us and come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. Good evening. My name is Candy Hickey, and I am a Fairfax County voter.

[05:40:44] First of all, our county is huge, and we have a lot of resources, so I am disturbed to hear that the county did not publish legal notice of this hearing simply because it was deferred from a previous date. Second, I am speaking tonight because as a mom of two kids, I care deeply about their safety and the safety of other children in our area.

[05:41:03] I strongly oppose the proposed residential use of the old government center property in Franconia, This project is fundamentally flawed and poses significant risks to potential residents, particularly children. First and foremost, the location is completely inappropriate for a housing site.

[05:41:19] It's surrounded by five gas stations, which means constant exposure to harmful chemicals. As a mother, I cannot support allowing families to be subjected to such dangerous environmental conditions. Anyone living at this location would not even be able to walk to the end of the block in either direction without going past a gas station.

[05:41:38] To the east, there's a Shell station. To the west, there is a Liberty gas station at the corner. How does this comply with our one Fairfax policy where we want everyone to have environmentally safe housing? Are we so desperate for this housing that we're willing to put families where we know they're going to be exposed to benzene since they will be living in a cluster of five gas stations?

[05:41:58] The proposed four-story building would also be completely out of character with the neighborhood. Do not vote on this plan without driving down Franconia Road. everything is one or two stories tall, this development would stick out and disrupt the entire area's aesthetic and community feel. The local experts, the Fairfax Franconia District Land Use Committee, have already rejected this plan. There are community members who know this area intimately, have studied this site significantly, and understand its limitations. Their judgment should carry significant weight. Most concerningly, the recent plan-forward policy papers have completely ignored the health implications of placing

[05:42:35] residential housing next to gas stations and other industrial sites. Where is the concern for community health and the protection for vulnerable citizens? The original plan for affordable housing near the Manchester Lakes shopping center made so much more sense. That location was close to the metro, grocery stores, shops and restaurants, everything that a family needs. This current proposal fails on every level. I urge you to reject this development. We can do better for our community, for our families and for the future of this neighborhood. Thank you. My name is Gary Terrow, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. Yes, from an

[05:43:13] architectural viewpoint, the proposed building at Government Center is a misfit, but I'd like to emphasize the human aspects. People have to live somewhere, and that includes my neighborhood.

[05:43:32] The presumption is that the new residents will be good neighbors to me and I to them. It just isn't a good place to live. For one thing, it's dangerous for any children that there might be.

[05:43:48] It's full of gas stations with fumes and cars coming and going, not necessarily paying attention to pedestrians. It's on a busy, noisy street with attractions on the other side. Going to 7-Eleven and buying a big gulp could be a nice adventure for a kid, but it's dangerous crossing that street

[05:44:19] twice. There has to be a better location. Hello, my name is Jean Terrell and I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Governmental Center site should not be used for any kind of residential use. We the residents are sick of the county not listening to us. We have been telling the county

[05:44:51] for four years now that this is the wrong site for housing. Hundreds of us attended meetings last spring where we shared alternative uses for the site. Why is the county ignoring us? The Franconia A district land use committee is the very mechanism the county designed to have residents provide feedback to the county about the use of the land in this district.

[05:45:27] The land use committee considered all the same information you have, and they voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plans for this property. The county's org chart shows residents at the very top because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents.

[05:45:51] We live here, and we're telling you we don't want this. It's the wrong site for housing and the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property. Stop ignoring us. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much.

[05:46:06] My name is Chris Waller. I'm a resident, property owner, and voter in Fairfax County. My home is less than 2,000 feet from the current Franconia government center. I am opposed to the plan to turn this taxpayer-owned property into residential use for two main reasons.

[05:46:24] One, the property is situated next to or very close to five gas stations, and two, the proposed building would not be keeping with the current suburban community and its nearby surroundings. Let me explain. I sailed on oil tankers for many years, and with that came the requirement for continuous benzene screening and blood-level monitoring due to its carcinogenic nature.

[05:46:48] Additionally, while working not just aboard ship, but in the shore-side environment, we are required at a minimum to have a positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, either on our person or very nearby in an emergency SCBA locker should a venting incident occur.

[05:47:07] Why? Because a vapor leak with its associated benzene component is very dangerous, to what marine chemists would call immediately dangerous to life and health. When the yellow spinning light and associated alarms sound, you are trained to quickly don the SCBA and immediately seek shelter until the all-clear sign is given.

[05:47:26] I don't want to appear as an alarmist, but knowing what I know, this would not be a very healthy place to live and play, so near to those gas stations, even in a vended area, especially in the warm summer months when vapors abound. I would never let my family live there, and I am shocked that my county government would even consider allowing families to live there.

[05:47:46] Would you want your family to live there? Secondly, if I wanted to live in a city, I would have done so. This part of Franconia is not an urban environment, nor should it be treated as one. There's literally nothing that is four stories tall from where Franconia Road begins at Telegraph Road all the way until Springfield Mall.

[05:48:06] Is the goal to jam as many people into this area as possible? Making a direct left turn onto Franconia Road from Valley View Drive is almost impossible during the morning, lunch, and evening rush hour. It is already extremely difficult for residents of our neighborhood to make a right turn out of the neighborhood, get over three lanes of traffic to the center, in order to make a U-turn.

[05:48:30] Adding 500 new residents with this proposal will make it worse. But we're told that Valley View Drive doesn't even warrant a stoplight. There are already hundreds of approved units in the area that haven't been built yet, but no corresponding traffic improvements that are actually funded.

[05:48:48] Therefore, no thank you, please vote no to forcing people to live in a cluster of gas stations. Thank you for listening, and thank you for service to our county. Good evening. It is probably unusual for you to hear a comment from a middle school student who can't vote yet, but my parents are big believers in learning about civic involvement from a young age.

[05:49:08] For that reason, I attended all of the in-person community meetings regarding the Franconia Government Center, and that is why I'm commenting tonight. My parents have explained that the use of land is one of the most important decisions that can be made because it's difficult to change. But in this case, if the Franconia Government Center land is turned into housing for families, that use may have negative health effects on people that are impossible to change.

[05:49:29] We should know better than to house people next to one gas station and within a cluster of four other gas stations, especially because this property belongs to taxpayers, not a private owner. When people get sick, who do you think they're going to blame? Why do you think the CDC website tells people not to let their families play near gas stations?

[05:49:47] Why do you think that Montgomery County, Maryland, has a 500-foot sit-back requirement for gas stations that sell as much gasoline as these five gas stations? Why do you think the EPA wants a potential new school site to be screened to see if there's a gas station within 1,000 feet? There has to be a reason. The EPA can't come out and say that we shouldn't build a new school within 1,000 feet of a gas station because there are already a bunch of schools within 1,000 feet of a gas station, like Franconia Elementary.

[05:50:13] Parents would flip out and demand all new schools if the EPA simply declared a gas station within 1,000 feet isn't safe, so they can't. But why didn't Fairfax County try to implement a gas station setback as part of Plan Forward? Residents like my mom repeatedly brought up the issue in meetings.

[05:50:30] Where are the benzene test results that the former police chief allegedly ordered for the Franconia Government Center, but the county can't find, despite a FOIA request? Why weren't retirees included in the state's 2015 cancer cluster study? That meant that the police officer who worked on the property for years and died in 2013 of acute myeloid leukemia, the number one cancer associated with benzene exposure wasn't included in the study.

[05:50:54] And why is the county pointing to a 10-year-old study anyway, rather than looking at the far more recent research, like Canada's 2023 study that concluded gas station benzene emissions can be harmful to people living up to 984 feet away? There are five gas stations within 550 feet of the Franconia Government Centre.

[05:51:14] When the gas stations are gone, we can consider housing. For now, you should require the county's health director to put in writing the seven words, It is safe to build housing here. That way, my generation will know who to blame when we look back and say, Who thought this was a good idea to build housing next to and within a cluster of gas stations?

[05:51:32] I frankly don't understand why the county is fighting the residents so hard in order to build housing in a place that the county knows or should know, based on all the research and evidence, isn't healthy for residential use. Childhood leukemia is associated with residential proximity to a gas station, and it makes me sad to think of kids suffering in the future from the decision you're making today.

[05:51:53] I hope you will vote no to turning the Franconia Government Center property into housing. Thank you. Hi, I'm Lee Komich, recently retired from president of the North Franconia Civic Association. I've been here for countless years.

[05:52:10] I feel like that's a resume that allows me to speak in this case. Frankly, replacing the Govn Center with a high-density building is just not appropriate.

[05:52:27] Not only will we have increased congestion of vehicular traffic, but the planned parking area and spaces are inadequate. In the morning, it now takes me upwards to 12 minutes to get out of Shammie Drive and onto Franconia Road.

[05:52:42] With the increased density, who knows what it'll take. We will need to have Fairfax County provide parking enforcement to keep excess vehicles from parking in the shopping centers, the restaurant parking lots, and from parking in front of people's individual homes.

[05:53:05] The oversized building that's proposed would be a four-story structure, actually the only four-story structure in our neighborhood, and therefore it's inappropriate. It just doesn't belong here.

[05:53:22] My neighbors refer to this project as the urbanization of Franconia, which is pretty descriptive. It would be a surprise to learn that someone built a slum because that just never happens. However, instead, housing for high-density residents by nature tend to deteriorate far more noticeably than low-density areas. Those of us who live in close proximity to the government center, Those will be most directly impacted by the overflow parking, increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and other problems more typically associated with dense development.

[05:54:02] Urge the board to vote with us, to consider us, consider our feelings. We bought here in Franconia for the friendly suburban nature and do not want the nature to change. Recent published financial status of the county indicates that we should have ran in unnecessary expenditures, another reason that this government center is a bad idea, period.

[05:54:29] Thank you and good night. My name is Sonia Reeves, a Fairfax County voter. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable with the major exception of the Franconia Government Center proposal. The site is inappropriate for any residential use.

[05:54:47] I understand the urgent need for more than affordable housing in our county. However, this site is simply not appropriate for a multifamily complex for a number of reasons. The site is next to one gas station across from two others in the same block as another and 550 feet from a fifth gas station.

[05:55:10] This is five gas stations next to or near the site. Research shows that a cluster of gas stations means even more benzene exposure and increased cancer risk. Usually, amidst use development, prohibits residential uses near other uses that involve odor or noise or fumes.

[05:55:32] The gas stations are not compatible with such close residential use. This is wrong location for an apartment building. The CDC website advises that people should not let their families play near a gas station due to potential health risks from benzene exposure.

[05:55:50] This is more dangerous to live near a gas station. Research shows that childhood leukemia is linked to how close a child lives to a gas station. This proposal does not comply with our One Fairfax policy regarding environmental safe housing.

[05:56:12] It does not fit in harmony or character with our neighborhood. It would stick out like a sore thumb on Franconia Road and serve as a focal point, but in the worst way. It would simply tower over the buildings on either side of the property.

[05:56:30] This is not walkable community, and there are no grocery store, general shopping store, medical or dental services without a 40-minute bus ride, and only one bus route runs on weekends.

[05:56:46] Adding this kind of density along Franconia Road with seven lanes of traffic is a very serious safety concern. It is only a matter of when and how many more pedestrians are hit jaywalking. It will be just like Route 1.

[05:57:03] The Land Use Committee voted 25 to 4 against the Franconia Governmental Center proposal, while accepting the other proposed changes for the Franconia Triangle. That decision should be respected. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents.

[05:57:23] I request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia government's health center property. Thank you. My name is Gray Komich. I'm a 45-year resident of Franconia. I'm a retired Fairfax County public school teacher and a long-time but recently retired officer of the North Franconia Civic Association.

[05:57:48] I feel that this resume gives me credibility for investment in the community and a perspective of the life in it for which we have stayed so long. I wish to state emphatically my opinion that the current Fairfax County Government Center site is inappropriate for any kind of dense housing.

[05:58:12] For the many reasons that have been stated over and over again since the announcement of the plans for the same, this taxpayer-owned property is insufficient to support residential use, especially high-density housing, which will adversely affect the surrounding neighborhood.

[05:58:35] That's me. That's my house. That's my investment. That's where my kids went to school, in the luxury of a playground, not full, portable classrooms. That's where all of the buildings are two stories or less, giving the area a welcoming suburban ambience.

[05:58:57] We chose to live here, not in downtown, not in high-rise. We know we can't stop growth and development, but we should be able to prevent the ultra-urbanization of our immediate neighborhood. When the Franconia Land Use Committee voted against the Government Center proposal, they endorsed my opinion.

[05:59:21] They and we, the residents they represent, should be respected. Please do so and have this body also reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Government Center property.

[05:59:37] Thank you. My name is Elise Weinhart, and I am the president of the Brooklyn Bush Hill Civic Association, which has approximately 835 homes in our community. The BBHCA, as we are known, recently sent out a survey to all of our homeowners to gauge the views of our residents on the subject of the Franconia Government Center.

[06:00:05] Approximately 80% are against turning the government center into housing and instead vastly prefer to expand the fire department and satellite police station. Most residents understand and appreciate the need for affordable housing, but this particular site is considered unsuitable due to multiple factors, including the stress on an already inadequate infrastructure, additional traffic on an already clogged road, more students in an already crowded school district,

[06:00:41] and the absolute traffic jam on Franconia and Westchester at drop-off and pickup times by parents driving into the neighborhood. In addition, at our last BBHCA in-person community meeting, We received concerns that the proposed site is adjacent to one gas station, across from two others, in the same block as another, and about 500 feet from a fifth.

[06:01:09] Some residents had questions about the health implications, and others found no credible studies showing it would be safe for the children and families that would be residing in the housing complex and the adjacent neighborhoods. One resident mentioned that the CDC website literally advises people not to let their children play near a gas station due to potential benzene exposure risks.

[06:01:37] It is also my understanding that a mixed-use development prohibits residential housing in close proximity to other structures that involve odor or noise or fumes. Thus, the gas stations are not compatible with such close residential use.

[06:01:56] Our collective opinion as a community and as neighbors is that the current site plan is the wrong location for an apartment complex or any residential building. Another issue raised by our residents is why converting taxpayer-owned property to residential use benefits the existing taxpayers.

[06:02:22] in the area. We question why our elected official Rodney Lusk in particular does not listen to the combined voices of our community which by the turnout in the three scheduled meetings last year was overwhelmingly against the project. I know I attended all of these meetings as did the other board of directors members for BBHCA and we heard nothing but opposition from residents who live in the areas most impacted from turning this piece of land into housing and instead offered

[06:02:58] alternatives that have not been addressed by any of our elected officials. Additionally, the Land Use Committee voted 25 to 4 against the Franconia Government Center proposal while accepting the other Franconia Triangle Plans.

[06:03:17] Our representative from BBHCA was adamant and spoke up against the plan and so we know what the discussions were and what the ultimate decision was. That decision and the combined will of the residents whose lives and property values would be impacted by additional housing on this lot should be respected by this group.

[06:03:45] The county government exists to implement the will of the residents who are very clearly telling you this site is not suitable. On behalf of the vast majority of BBHA residents, we request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Government Center property and instead focus on how to support existing resident taxpayers and voters.

[06:04:11] Thank you very much. Greetings. My name is Dana Sanders Udo, and I oppose further development of the current Franconia Government Center properties as proposed by the FFX Planning Commission.

[06:04:28] Having lived on Jean-Louise Way for two years was a great experience, but I can't imagine what more congestion will do to the area with expansion of the proposed development. Nearly everything is wrong about the concept for this development.

[06:04:46] The size and scale of the project will jam far too many people into a limited area. There has been a failure to listen to community input from neighbors and surrounding neighborhoods who oppose this project at the rate of 97%.

[06:05:03] Only 3% of non-locals are in favor of this project. There will be a negative impact caused by more overcrowding of nearby schools. And this project will disrupt the traffic flow on Franconia Road, Route 644, which already has three traffic lights at three consecutive intersections one block apart.

[06:05:33] Finally, this project may cause harmful health impacts on proposed inhabitants and families who must breathe fumes from five gas stations less than a block away. In conclusion, I oppose or vote no against development of this project.

[06:05:56] If you need to speak with me, feel free to contact me at 508-942-9061. My name is Gary Hagan. I'm a resident of the Green Spring Village Retirement and Nursing Home.

[06:06:12] I'm outraged that the proposed site in Fairfax County is going to be used for residential purposes amidst four gas stations.

[06:06:29] It's ridiculous. Why would anybody want to build an apartment complex amidst four gas stations? It's unhealthy, it's unsafe, and repeatedly you've been told that this is not what people want.

[06:06:48] If you want to build affordable housing, build it someplace where it's appropriate. This place is not appropriate. It's totally ridiculous. And I don't see any merit for this other than getting a lot of contractors, real estate people involved, who are going to make money off of these apartments.

[06:07:12] But that's not going to help affordable living, and it's not going to help the people there. They're just going to be stuck in the middle of Gas Station City. So stop what you're doing and don't do this. My name is Earl Myers, and I am a Fairfax County voter.

[06:07:36] The Fanconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use unless you can show the environment is safe for our occupancy. We, the residents, are sick of the county not listening to us.

[06:07:55] We have been telling the county for four years now that this is the wrong site for housing. Hundreds of us attended meetings last spring where we shared our alternative uses for the site. Why is the county ignoring us?

[06:08:11] The county's org chart shows that residents at the very top, because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents. We live here and we're telling you we do not want this. We live here and we're feeling you don't want this.

[06:08:32] Stop ignoring us and show that you're listening by echoing what we want. Thank you. What I'm saying is... Hi, my name is Juliana Sharp and I'm representing the Virginia Hills Citizens Association.

[06:08:48] We just recently took a vote, a community vote, on the proposed development here at the Franconia Government Center. And I can tell you that the Virginia Health Citizens Association is definitely opposed to the proposed affordable housing development here.

[06:09:07] Some of the concerns that I've heard from my neighbors are that there's a lot of changes going on right now with the federal government downsizing, which greatly affects this area. And we feel like there's no need to plow through with development until we see what effect these changes are going to have on our area.

[06:09:26] So that's one of the big concerns that we have. Another one is that I attended one of the meetings about this proposed development. And I can tell you that I only spoke with and heard from one person in a room full of hundreds of people that was actually strongly in favor of the proposed development here.

[06:09:44] And I felt like the way the roundtable discussions were set up, it was not conducive to being able to really get a good read on the feelings of the people in the room. And so pretty much everyone that I heard from was giving other ideas as to what we should do with this property, and none of them were affordable housing.

[06:10:08] I know that a lot of people feel that we do need affordable housing, but that this is not a good spot for it. And also, like I said before, maybe we need to see what changes happen to the housing situation in our area as the federal government is downsizing.

[06:10:25] But it seems like a lot of the people that live in this area that I've spoken with are opposed to the development, again, especially people in my community. And I just hope that the county will listen to the people that live here because it seems like a lot of the people that are in favor may not be residents of Fairfax County. Thank you very much. My name is Lauren Nason. I'm a 10-year homeowner in Franconia. I strongly oppose this project and any plans to overdevelop in this district or county. According to the county

[06:11:03] website, the mission of the Department of Planning and Development is to promote livable communities which enhance the quality of life for the present and future. Land use reps provide president's feedback to the commission, who in turn are supposed to provide that feedback to the supervisors. The Land Use Committee already voted 25 to 4 against this project and recommended to oppose it.

[06:11:22] Our community has spoken out at numerous outreach meetings. An overwhelming consensus shows opposition. Arguments are strong that the governmental center building is not a proper location for any type of housing development. Arguments articulated ad nauseum include negative effects on density and safety. Not one of these things align with your mission to promote or enhance quality of life for the residents. We went through three bogus community input sessions last spring. All that did was give Lusk insight so he could generate a rebuttal list. The supervisor appointed planning commission falls in line to facilitate the supervisor's agendas with the exception of the outnumbered Springfield district. The land use members representing the people of

[06:12:00] the community provided input and yet you continue to do the opposite. You all lack proper governance. In one of his reports, Lusk accused the opposition of assuming what kind of people will be occupying the units. For the record, he has touted since day one, the housing is for police, fire, teachers, and nurses.

[06:12:17] Neither the RFP nor the consolidated plan states that information. It's a fabricated lie to make the project seem more amenable to the public. The only truth is that the housing is based on income limits with voucher eligibility. Bottom line, this equates to 0 to 80% AMI for eligibility.

[06:12:34] Fairfax Now just misrepresented this information again on March 27th, the same day the developer filed their plan for the project. Premature, if you ask me, since we're still supposed to be conducting these hearings. Pro-housing activist groups hijack our hearings and label opposers of the project racists.

[06:12:52] These subjective comments are slanderous and highly offensive. It is completely inappropriate that these groups have influence at all. Elected officials are supposed to represent us, not activist groups. Now I'll share some campaign donation data from VPAP. The real estate and development sector leads the top of the list for massive campaign donations to the supervisors.

[06:13:11] Jeff McKay, as an example, has received over $626,000, or 32 percent, of his total donations from this sector alone. The numbers show clear insight that loyalty is to donors and developers, not us. An additional 2,000 units are currently planned for the district with a goal of 80,000 units in the county by 2050.

[06:13:31] It's a part-time job to keep up with land use and zoning changes to accommodate the massive growth as you destroy our suburb. On another note, my combined 25% real estate tax hike over the past two years, which funds all of this nonsense, is not in any way enhancing my quality of life. Then there's the massive budget failure.

[06:13:48] Please revisit your own mission statements. My name is David Alliberty and I am a Fairfax County resident. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. we the residents do not want this property developed we have been telling the county for four years now that this is the wrong site for housing hundreds of us attended meetings last spring where we shared alternative uses for this site the franconia district land use committee is the very mechanism the county designed to have residents provide feedback to the county about

[06:14:24] the use of land in this district the land use committee considered all the same information you have and they voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plans for this property we live here and we're telling you we don't want this. It's the wrong site for housing and the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. I am Shane McClung, a voting resident of Fairfax County, and I am the representative of the Lansdowne Community Association in Fairfax County, Franconia area, which comprises of 619 homes with over 1,000

[06:15:00] voting residents of Fairfax County. The plan for the Franconia Triangle is generally acceptable. with the major exception of the Franconia Government Center proposal. I am commenting today because that site is unsuitable for any type of housing.

[06:15:16] That site is next to one gas station, across from two others, and in the same block as another, with 550 feet from a fifth gas station. That is, five gas stations next to or near the site.

[06:15:34] Research shows that a cluster of gas stations means even more benzene exposure and increased cancer risk. Usually, a mixed-use development prohibits residential uses near other uses that involve odor or noise or fumes.

[06:15:50] The gas stations are not compatible with such close residential use. This is the wrong location for an apartment building. The CDC website advises that people should not let their families play near a gas station due to potential health risks from benzene exposure.

[06:16:11] It is more dangerous to live near a gas station. Research shows that childhood leukemia is linked to how close a child lives to a gas station. This proposal does not comply with our One Fairfax policy regarding environmentally safe housing.

[06:16:29] Using this taxpayer-owned property as a four-story apartment building is incompatible with the existing uses. It would also be a complete departure from the established character of the surrounding community. It would stick out like a sore thumb on Franconia Road and serve as a focal point, but in the worst way.

[06:16:50] It would simply tower over the buildings on either side of the property. Except for a small church structure, nothing on Franconia Road is taller than two stories where Franconia Road begins at Telegraph Road until the mall area.

[06:17:06] But even a smaller building wouldn't change the fact that this site is inappropriate for residential use. The Land Use Committee voted 25 to 4 against the Franconia Government Center proposal while accepting the other Franconia Triangle plans.

[06:17:25] That decision should be respected. The county government exists to implement the will of the residents. We request that you reject any proposed residential use of the Franconia Government Center property. Thank you. Hello, my name is Gail Niddle, and I've lived in Springfield for the past 42 years.

[06:17:48] Is anyone listening? does anyone really care what the citizens of Franconia District want? Do you? What is the point of holding public hearings if county officials have already decided what they're going to do? Are we just going through the motions so that the proverbial box can be checked?

[06:18:10] I'm hoping that what Franconia residents say does make a difference. Let's not compare Fairfax County, and specifically Franconia, to what Arlington and Alexandria or any other jurisdictions have decided to do or to look like. Let's do what's best for our citizens. Smart and truly affordable housing in safe, appropriately placed locations. The proposal to replace the current Franconia Government Center with a multifamily apartment complex has been strongly opposed by

[06:18:47] Franconia residents since the idea was first made public. I attended the three public meetings held in the spring of 2024 to gather community input on the Franconia Government Center proposed project. I came away convinced the meetings were highly orchestrated and designed not to provide a forum for alternatives to the proposed howling project, but to solicit ideas and amenities for a housing complex. The Franconia Land Use Committee recently voted 25 to 4 against the proposed

[06:19:25] building of an apartment complex on the current Franconia Center site. So, are residents opposed to housing? No, but housing should be in a suitable location within walking distance to public transportation and shopping areas. Housing should not be located in close proximity to gas stations. Traffic concerns on Franconia Road are problematic. Why not a community center there?

[06:19:56] Is anyone listening? Does anyone care? Do you? My name is Sandy Frieswick, and I am a 30-year resident of Springfield, Virginia. My message to you is, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Just because you can give taxpayer-owned property to a developer to build housing on, doesn't mean you should. Taxpayer property should be used for the benefit of all taxpayers, not developers. Just because you can build a four-story affordable workhouse apartment building

[06:20:35] in the vicinity of five gas stations, one of which shares a property line with the proposed housing development, doesn't mean you should. There is ample scientific evidence showing that living near one gas station, let alone five of them, is dangerous to your health, especially for children. Just because you can build an affordable workhouse of housing development that is not close to any groceries or drug store doesn't mean you should. It's likely that some of the residents of this apartment complex won't have cars. The closest grocery stores to this location are either the

[06:21:13] Safeway, located in the Rose Hill Shopping Center, which is 1.5 miles away and involves crossing a dangerous intersection at Franconia Road and South Van Dorn Street or the Giant in Kingstown, which is 1.8 miles away. The closest drugstore involves crossing Franconia Road, a seven-lane highway. Not my idea of safe. Just because you could consider building a housing development at this location after the Franconia Land Use Committee voted 24 to 4 against the county's plans for this property to be used as residential doesn't mean you should. Franconia District has

[06:21:53] an active citizenry who are interested in being part of this process, but they are slowly but surely feeling disrespected and ignored. More and more people who give of their time and energy to fill out surveys, participate in discussion groups, speak before committees, and the Board of Supervisors are feeling they've wasted their time. The decision was made long ago and public input sessions are perfunctory. You are quickly creating a community that no longer feels the need to participate. Just because you can ignore public input concerning the development of this

[06:22:29] property as residential doesn't mean you should. Hello, I'm Marta Morrissey. I have lived in the Limbrook neighborhood for 32 years, a two-mile drive from the Franconia Triangle. I do my banking, fill my gas tank, and patronize businesses located around the triangle we're talking about.

[06:22:51] I feel the push and pull on this parcel of land where the Franconia government building sits. It's a rare site. It's not privately owned. It's owned by the taxpayers. That opens the door wide for possible uses. Many creative ideas have come forward from the community, but there is no consensus at this time on those ideas.

[06:23:12] That doesn't mean the community is disorganized or hasn't come up with good enough ideas to challenge the proposed affordable housing idea for that site. They don't hold a consensus about that proposal either. The community is not ready for that portion of the Franconia Triangle to be developed.

[06:23:30] A rare piece of land should not have its defined use rushed. That's especially true when one option is a commitment for 99 years. Its true needed purpose may not have been revealed yet. Don't lock it. Leave it. The Franconia District Land Use Committee on February 3rd, in a 25-4 vote, recommended the approval of the Franconia Triangle proposal with the exclusion of the Franconia government building portion.

[06:24:00] That's close to a consensus from the community representatives for how this taxpayer-owned portion of land should be developed. Don't lock it. Leave it. Please don't vote to lock the use of this land now in for a 99-year commitment.

[06:24:16] it. Leave it until there is more of a consensus between the community and the government on how to use it. Thank you for your consideration. My name is Jane Kelly. I'm a Franconia resident and a Fairfax County voter. I'm also the land use rep for Hawthorne Homeowners Association.

[06:24:38] We believe that the old government center building should be retained for the use of the taxpayers of Fairfax County, especially those residing in the Franconia district. This property was paid for by the Fairfax County taxpayer money and should be used for our residents.

[06:24:58] The Land Use Committee voted 25 to 4 not to approve the use of the old government center for affordable housing. There are no amenities for the residents of a building such as this.

[06:25:14] There's no grocery store. It's a 30-plus-minute bus ride to any of the shopping districts. It's not walkable. It does not meet the 15-minute walkable goal the county has established for communities.

[06:25:29] We believe you should wait for a more appropriate site to become available, something near a metro stop and near services. This property is located in a cluster of five gas stations, the closest being right next door. There are numerous studies from a simple Google search showing increased health risks due to proximity to gas stations.

[06:25:51] What are the long-term ramifications that the county will have to deal with? Why are we housing children and elderly in this environment? Four-story apartment building does not fit the character of the Franconia community. From Telegraph Road all the way to the Springfield Mall, there is nothing higher than two stories.

[06:26:12] This is totally out of character. It does not flow. It's not the right place for this apartment complex. Supervisor Lusk is aware, and hopefully the rest of you supervisors are aware of how many units have been approved for Franconia District. It's 5,000. And the county is concerned about the tax money that they have to provide for public services. They've already started cutting some of these public services. What's going to happen with the lowering the funds of the schools,

[06:26:48] lowering the fire department, probably lowering the amount of police on the streets as you increase the population enormously. So that's something to consider. What would Joe Alexander say with how you treating the residents of Fairfax County, specifically the Franconia district?

[06:27:07] Hundreds of people attended the meetings at John Lewis High School last year and were opposed to the transfer of this property. Please listen to the Franconia community. Adopt the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee and leave the government center property as is to serve the needs of the community.

[06:27:29] I am totally against building a multifamily structure in the old government center building. It's not suitable nor sustainable. You've got gas stations next door. It's not healthy. I think the alternative idea is a much better solution to property.

[06:27:50] And I hope that people use some common sense when they make their decisions. And would you please give us your name and where you live? I'm Linda Marcinowski, and I live in Autumn Shape in Franconia. Thank you very much. You're welcome. My name is Thomas McGruder. I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Governmental Center should not be used for any sort of residential use. We, the residents, are sick of the county not

[06:28:27] listening to us. We've been telling the county for four years now that this is the wrong site for housing. Hundreds of us attended meetings last spring where we shared alternative uses for this site. Why is the county ignoring us? The Franconia District Land Use Committee is the very mechanism the county designed to have residents provide feedback to the county about the use of land in this district. The Land Use Committee considered all the same information you have and they voted

[06:29:07] 25 to 4 to reject the county's plans for this property. The county's org chart shows residents at the very top because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents.

[06:29:23] We live here. We're telling you we do not want this. It's the wrong site for housing and the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property. Stop ignoring us. Come up with a different plan for this property. Hello, my name is Robert Alvaro. I am a Franconia resident voter, and I would like the Franconia Government Center site not to be used for any sort of residential use. This is a

[06:30:01] Taxpayers own property, and it should benefit all of us. Specifically with traffic, this area is already terrible. And adding our approximately 500 new residents without any traffic improvements in the area will only make the matters worse.

[06:30:18] There has been planned for years an improvement in Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersections. That was close to the metro. That was more ready to be for residents, not this area. As it is, we already don't have enough money for all students in our public schools.

[06:30:39] Why add more students to Franconia Elementary School and the Edison High School? This county already is ready to increase taxes significantly. And we don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people.

[06:30:58] I will ask you to stop including and stopping more people in an already congested area. We don't want to be as dense as Arlington County. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayers' owners' property.

[06:31:19] Please come up with a different plan. I will be looking forward to hear a new alternative to this initiative. Thank you very much. My name is Travis Campbell. I am a Fairfax County resident and voter.

[06:31:35] This project has seemed shadowy for quite some time. From my seat, it feels like you are now actively working to slip The passage of this project, the scant details, and a potentially fungible final use plan. To me, it does not make sense to convert this location into a rent-controlled facility.

[06:31:53] Plop down between aging gas stations and an already narrow and crowded street. This county has become famous nationally for executing changes without a pulse check on the community. It feels like you are forcing change and ignoring how people in the exact area actually feel.

[06:32:09] It also feels unique that I'm recording a statement. Is this for some kind of intimidation at a later date? Or are you so certain of your vision that you doubt any opposition can be organic and authentic? I've been told a land use committee rejected this site, but you move forward anyways.

[06:32:26] I know there is opposition, strong opposition on my streets, but you seem to be forging ahead anyways. I'll tell you what I observe as an outsider who was actually very open to the idea of controlled cost housing last year. I observe county officials trying to create a society of their own design.

[06:32:43] You seem to forget that public officials cannot choose who they represent. They represent who is living here now. There is enough opposition locally and logistically for you to step back from the politics of the issue and really ask if this facility is the right location or if this has become a test of wills between government and private citizens.

[06:33:03] Thanks. Hi, my name is Maryam Samimi, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. Although this is completely weird and I'm uncomfortable recording myself for your convenience, I wanted to do this because I'm against this project in this specific location.

[06:33:19] I have one question if anybody is listening. Will you live in this location yourself? Just because people cannot afford to have a place to live, we shouldn't put them in any dump we want. The police department is reportedly leaving because this place is unhealthy to be around due to the multiple surrounding gas stations, but they get to go home. Is it okay to put families to live in this unhealthy location full-time? This is just a project for some people in the system to make money and receive kickbacks. This is the only reason that the local opposition's voice is not

[06:33:56] being heard. Thank you. Hello, my name is Karl Matren and I appreciate the opportunity to share my concerns about the proposed housing development and the soon-to-be former Franconia governmental center. While this proposed housing development is undoubtedly important, this particular location is simply not suitable for such a project. Here are some of my reasons. First and foremost, Franconia Road is already gridlocked during rush hours, making it difficult to enter and exit our neighborhood. The addition of new residents without first addressing this ongoing issue will only

[06:34:32] worsen an already frustrating situation. Our roads are at capacity, yet there's no concrete plan to manage the increased traffic this development will bring. How can we possibly justify making it even worse. Second, pedestrian safety remains a major concern. Our neighborhood lacks proper crosswalks and pedestrian infrastructure, putting residents, especially children like my five-year-old son who is about to start kindergarten, as well as our senior citizens at risk. Increasing the number of residents without first improving pedestrian safety measures is a recipe for disaster.

[06:35:09] More foot traffic in high-risk areas without necessary safeguards will inevitably lead to accidents. This is not just an inconvenience, it is a preventable safety hazard. Third, the proposed housing is surrounded by gas stations, which raises serious health and environmental concerns.

[06:35:28] Gas stations release harmful fumes and increase the risk of soil and groundwater contamination. Is this really the kind of environment we want families to call home? This type of project should provide not just shelter, but also a safe and healthy living environment. Placing homes in close proximity to known pollution sources contradicts that principle entirely. Finally, security is a major unanswered question. There's no clear plan to ensure the safety of either the future residents or those of us already living in a community. The neighboring areas have experienced

[06:36:03] safety issues in the past, and without concrete crime prevention and emergency response strategies, this development puts everyone at risk. Vague reassurances are not enough. We need real solutions before moving forward with such a significant change to our community.

[06:36:22] This project exemplifies poor planning and a lack of genuine community engagement. Many of the leaders and other proponents advocating for this development do not live in our neighborhood and have no first-hand experience with the challenges we face daily.

[06:36:37] Yet they are pushing this project forward without addressing critical concerns. The reality is simple. This area is not prepared for such a development. For these reasons, my family cannot support this housing proposal. Thank you for your time. My name is Carol Allum, and I am a resident of Franconia District.

[06:36:58] I have lived in this area for over 40 years and seen many, many changes over the years, some good, some bad. Recently, many of the changes have had a detrimental effect on the community. More traffic, more crowding in the schools. I'm here to speak on particularly the development of the governmental site.

[06:37:21] While I am in favor of more affordable housing in Fairfax County and in Franconia District, I don't believe the current governmental center is an appropriate site for housing, whether it be affordable or at market. The location is dangerous for children.

[06:37:39] There's a lot of commercial areas. The traffic is difficult. The public transportation is not as reliable as it could be, and you're just adding more difficulty to a difficult site.

[06:37:56] In addition, I agree with the county staff's recommendation for comp plan language for the triangle. It states that it should be developed as the community focal point for the greater community, the greater Franconia community.

[06:38:13] Putting housing here will not do that. I realize this is a guideline, but the governmental center is zoned for community service, and it should continue to serve in that function. There are a number of things that could be done there with tutoring, English as a second language, senior services, a charitable organization that services the needs of the people in the county.

[06:38:38] We could do something for, you know, people could have book clubs, meetings, perhaps a studio for artists to do pottery or painting. And we could use the hallways as galleries.

[06:38:55] There are a number of things that could be done. The building could be used for many purposes, and we could have a park around it. So some of the land around it could be developed as a park. And perhaps they could have a gardening session there as well. And then the people who come to learn how to garden could help garden in the green space that's around the governmental center building.

[06:39:19] So I think that those are some things that should be done with that property. And in reading Supervisor Lusk's newsletter where he presented the budget, the county executive looked at talking about housing and how much we get from the last increase in the real estate tax.

[06:39:40] Based on his comments, Franconia District has some of the most affordable housing in the county. Therefore, I would like to see no housing on this site and continue to use it for community services. Thank you. My name is Jessica Jones, and I am a Fairfax County resident and voter.

[06:40:00] I live close to the Franconia Government Center, and the use of this property impacts me. I attended the government community conversations meetings in the fall, and I can attest to the vast, vast majority of the hundreds of people who attended that were very much opposed to the county's plans to turn this site into affordable housing.

[06:40:19] This is the wrong location for residential use, mainly due to the five gas stations and the wrong use of this taxpayer-owned property. I am only one of many residents who are opposed to the county's plans for this site. Please listen to the residents and ignore the special interest groups who don't know this site.

[06:40:38] I request that you reject any proposed residential use of this taxpayer-owned property. Thank you very much. My name is Dr. Patricia Zizios. I am speaking tonight about the Franconia Triangle Plan Amendment.

[06:40:54] As a longtime Fairfax County taxpayer and a resident of Franconia, very close to the current Franconia Government Center for over 40 years, This project impacts me greatly, now and for the future. I have watched the transformation along Franconia Road over these last decades.

[06:41:13] Most of this has been for the better. To be very clear, I am not against affordable housing, and I'm not against the entirety of the Franconia Triangle Plan. The plan has merit for the revitalization of the majority of the area. The vacant office spaces, the decaying areas with the abandoned structures, the overburdened roads long past their intended use for local use, not for use as commuter byways.

[06:41:37] I applaud your vision. Yes, the noble ideas and plans to take, reconfigure, and create spaces for affordable housing in the office buildings, all acceptable. We need to find alternative options for affordable housing locations. What I am vehemently opposed to is the use of the publicly owned Franconia Government Center building site being transformed into affordable housing.

[06:42:00] The location of the site as it is situated will add to the already overburdened infrastructure. It will take years to be able to alleviate any of the impact on Franconia Road. Living on a dead-end street between Viola and Van Dorn, I'm already trapped in my neighborhood by the continuous traffic on Franconia Road as it is now.

[06:42:22] Adding to the traffic impacts the quality of life for the current residents of Franconia. More importantly, I am concerned about the new proposed affordable four-story building complex to be built in close proximity to five carcinogenic-producing gasoline stations, specifically with benzene.

[06:42:40] We are told not to worry because environmental impact studies will be done once the project begins. But why are we to wait? Here is my question to you. Do you remember the Love Canal in New York? That was benzene among cancer-causing agents that were found. What about here locally in Fairfax County in Mantua?

[06:42:57] With the leaking tanks from a quarter of a mile away that caused a number of cancers, benzene was found. and recently in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with the contaminated drinking water consumed by our troops and their families over the years. A benzene again was found. All of those people that died over all the years that were sick and afflicted were died from the effects of benzene and related carcinogens.

[06:43:20] It takes time for cancers to appear and then the lawsuits to be leveled and filed. But people need to get sick and to die first. How many people are you willing to sacrifice? how many people must die first vote no for the franconia government center moving forward i thank you hello my name is bill snyder i'm a resident of franconia and the valley view homeowner association representative to the franconia land use committee i'm speaking out

[06:43:56] in opposition to the planned redevelopment of fairfax county land that has the current franconia a government center into a four-story, approximately 120-unit housing project. Before anyone listening tunes out completely for that statement, let me be clear that I'm not opposed to low-income housing.

[06:44:16] I'm adamantly stating, however, that the idea of any low-income housing project anywhere, anytime, is very bad public policy and much more damaging than beneficial to our county. Fairfax County squandered the right location and opportunity to put better low-income housing facility in the right location, 6.6 acres of county property on Beulah Road that's currently being developed for the new Franconian Government Center.

[06:44:44] It was the right place for low-income housing, with its adjacent four-story apartment buildings, close proximity, true walking distance to grocery stores, restaurants, medical facilities, and the Franconian Metro Station. But now, Fairfax tells us that the only county property and option left is to jam this project in the 3.3-acre Franconia site that's nowhere near walking distance to grocery stores or medical facilities or the metro.

[06:45:13] The county, bolstered by their curated advocacy groups, tells us to forget about that bygone, blown opportunity and focus on the critical need for low-income housing in this one remaining site. They repeatedly tell us that they're solving a critical problem while refusing to acknowledge the trade-offs to be able to answer that problem.

[06:45:36] An important fact that is seldom publicized by the county is that there are no residency prerequisites for these low-income apartments. You see the problem with that, right? With no residency requirements, the county will continue to import people from across the region out of state to fill this project.

[06:45:55] That very design doesn't reduce housing insecurity in Fairfax, but it has Fairfax County taxpayers reduce the housing issues in other states. I'm going to switch back to the inadequacy of this Franconia site for a few moments. Rather than being near the key infrastructure I mentioned above, it's adjacent to five gas stations, two 7-Elevens, just the kind of things we need to have and put low-income housing in the project, right?

[06:46:21] Oh, and don't let me forget to tell you that it's right next door to the Franconia fire station. Those sirens at all hours won't be a problem for low-income residents either. But our county advocacy spokes groups, at least one of which is directly involved as part of the development group, tell us, don't worry, we'll provide additional transportation to the grocery stores, medical facilities, and metro for residents, along with all the other amenities you've been asking for as residents.

[06:46:50] I'm glad these advocacy groups aren't supporting me, or I'd be expected to take the bus from my house to get any other essential facilities as well. I'm running out of time, so I'll touch on another important trade-off that our county loves to hide until budget time. Taxes.

[06:47:07] They keep telling us that this is all cost neutral because the developer is getting such a sweetheart deal on our county land that they're doing all the amenities out of the goodness of this deal. The additional transportation and infrastructure and services the county and their spokes advocates keep telling us about are not included in that land for building deal.

[06:47:30] Those costs will be added to an already overburdened tax structure in this county. And don't forget, they just raised our rates and are looking to add higher rates and additional restaurant fees. Low-income people need to have to pay for their fair share when they go out to eat, just like the rest of us, according to county rules.

[06:47:47] This county keeps raising our taxes, and then they turn around with shock and concern to tell us it's so expensive to live here that they need our support to make it more affordable. Whether you agree with this housing project on this location at this time or not, an honest assessment has to acknowledge these additional costly tradeoffs as well.

[06:48:09] Those costs to this county are increased crowding of the adjacent Franconia Elementary School that's already over its design capacity, increased traffic on an already congested triangle of roads, and increased fire and emergency medical response times.

[06:48:26] Here's an important note on emergency response times. Fairfax County just cut the emergency response budget by millions of dollars across the county and significantly at the Franconia fire station that adjoins this planned housing project. In summary, low-income housing residents deserve a better location than this one, and the residents in the entire Franconia area deserve better options for the land they own as Fairfax County residents and taxpayers.

[06:48:56] Thank you for your time. My name is George Lewis, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Governmental Senate should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all taxpayers.

[06:49:16] The traffic in this area is already terrible. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. We're sick of it. There's been a planned improvement for the Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersection for years, but nothing has been done.

[06:49:31] We already don't have enough money for all the students in our public school system. Why would we want to add more? The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly. We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people. Stop stuffing people into the county like Sardines.

[06:49:49] We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. Hi, my name is Sherry Roth.

[06:50:06] I am local Fairfax County resident, born and raised right here in the Franconia Lee District. My mother still resides in Franconia District and my family-owned property, which is directly across from the Franconia Government Center.

[06:50:22] And that is why I am doing this video in opposition of the Affordable Housing Project. I spoke to the board a year ago. I poo-pooed Jeff McKay. I poo-pooed Rodney Lusk and very disappointed in how the board is handling all of this.

[06:50:44] I think I said this in the past. My father is Joseph Alexander. He was a former supervisor of Lee District. And God rest his soul, I miss him very much. But if he were alive today, he would not be a happy camper. This county is going to hell in a handbasket and you need to turn it around.

[06:51:04] own property across the street from the Franconia Government Center. Building an affordable housing unit will hinder our business, will hurt my tenants, will hinder traffic, will hinder public schooling because there's going to be overcrowding. It is just not the correct thing to do. If you want to put affordable housing somewhere, that's great, but not in an area that is bustling with commuters with residents and we're running out of room so i am requesting

[06:51:41] that you do not move forward with this housing unit and come up with an alternative plan for maybe the fire department or something else i appreciate you listening to me and i hope you make the right decision thank you i'm a resident of fairfax county and i'd like to voice my opposition to the affordable housing project for Franconia Road. My opinion would be that the property be turned into public space, park, recreation. I think the area is congested and

[06:52:20] that this project would create all kinds of problems for the schools, traffic, and other municipality. Hello, my name is Deborah White and I'm reaching out to express my strong opposition to the proposed low-income housing project.

[06:52:45] My opposition is not solely based on the project itself, but the way the community input process has been handled. At recent meetings, I witnessed what I believe was an inappropriate and biased effort by county representatives to steer Hispanic community members that were sitting at my table away from expressing their preference for a recreational space, such as a park and a barbecue facility, and instead push them towards supporting the low-income housing proposal.

[06:53:15] The role of county officials should be to facilitate an open, unbiased discussion that reflects the true desires of the community, not to manipulate the conversation to fit a predetermined agenda. I respect the fact that there's a need for affordable housing when it aligns with the community's interests.

[06:53:33] However, forcing a particular outcome by suppressing alternative viewpoints is, in my opinion, an abuse of power and a disservice to the residents who deserve to be heard. So I just want to urge Fairfax County to ensure that community engagement is conducted fairly and transparently without pressure or coercion.

[06:53:52] So thank you for listening to me. I appreciate your time and for considering my concerns. Thank you so much. Good afternoon. My name is Randy Gross, and I live in the Franconia area near the proposed low-income housing on Franconia Road, and I want you to know that I'm opposed to the government center being used for low-income housing. We've been here for 25 to 30 years.

[06:54:25] We originally moved here because it had a real suburban feel, neighborhood feel, and there was a sense of community around this area, and it seems like things like the low-income housing and other development areas. We're trying to expedite this particular area from a nice suburban area more into an urban type of area. Population and traffic density have been getting very bad over the years here, the last few years, and with the proposed low-income housing that's

[06:55:03] going to get even worse and we haven't heard anything about any kind of infrastructure changes in terms of grocery stores, roads, buses that would help facilitate the people that live in this low-income housing. I think there's a number of things that the government center can be used for.

[06:55:21] Number one, we pay our tax dollars for this center, and we should have some voice in what goes in there. There's a number of things that can be in there, teen senior centers, community centers, extension of the fire station, daycare, those kinds of things that would serve the community that is already here, that is already very dense in population. We understand that the plan has already been filed by the developer, which wasn't supposed to happen until all comments we received, but I guess that is the case.

[06:55:55] In general, it's just, you know, it doesn't fit the community here. It's out of place for our community. We like the area because of its suburban nature. It feels more like a small area, small town area, and that's being, I know there's change over time, but it doesn't have to be expedited to the point where this just becomes an urban area where we don't want to live anymore.

[06:56:22] Again, we're taxpayers for this, and this facility should benefit all of us that are here now paying taxes and want to live in this community, improve this community. We don't think that a low-income housing will do that in this area and benefit the people that are already here.

[06:56:42] thank you. My name is Rita Wolberg. I'm a Fairfax County resident. I vote. I find this government center transfer to affordable housing similar to the restaurant add-on tax. We voted on that years ago and said no, but yet you want to push that through as well. From a county perspective, who do you work for? The majority of the people who attended your meetings on this issue is similar.

[06:57:13] We do not want this affordable housing unit. We do not want it at this location, yet you continue to push it through. Today, the developers filed the plans and you've yet to hold any meetings. Who are you working for? Today is, I think, March 27th. One does not need to look far to see new apartment complexes under construction. Drive by Springfield Mall, drive by the Franconia Rec Center. They're huge. How are every one of these new complexes figured into the stress they place on our roads, traffic, schools, emergency departments, and quality of life for those

[06:57:51] of us living here already. At the first virtual meeting that was back in, I think, 2021, I voiced my concern over those issues. I also reminded you that since the late 80s, you've promised affordable housing will be used for fire, EMTs, police, and school teachers.

[06:58:11] That's 38 years of hearing the same story to something you've yet to fix. With this project, it seems you rigged the zoning laws to turn the suburbs where we live into an overcrowded inner city. Why?

[06:58:28] Furthermore, this site is not suitable for housing. Tanks leak. Underground gas tanks leak. We do not want nor need housing built on this particular site. Forty years ago, there was rent control.

[06:58:43] Now there's affordable housing. Where did affordable housing come from? Who is benefiting from this, from start to finish of construction? Someone's benefiting who? There's no benefit to any of us who already live here. You continue overriding us, and I want to know, just, you know, who do you work for, and who's paying you?

[06:59:04] We need representation, period. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to speak my statement into the record tonight. My name is Tom Rickert, and I'm here tonight to speak in opposition to the residential use proposed for the Government Center property on Franconia Road.

[06:59:21] I have been a resident property owner in Franconia for over 35 years, and I've had a seat on the Franconia District Land Use Committee for over 15 years. After years of debate concerning this property, which started in 2021 with its unorthodox transfer of ownership, this year, on February 3rd, after months of meetings, presentations, and discussion, the Franconia Land Use Committee overwhelmingly voted 25 to 4 to oppose the residential use on the government center property.

[06:59:51] Many of the committee members are disappointed that the Board of Supervisors has stopped following the committee's recommendations. The repurposing of the old governmental center on Franconia Road has been a long and twisted road that I have traveled the last three years. I attended the public input meetings and witnessed many other uses suggested for this taxpayer-owned property.

[07:00:11] Uses that would directly benefit the citizens of Franconia District. Suggestions included job, training, senior and teen centers, satellite police station, emergency care facility, firefighter training center, a recycling center. recreational uses like pickleball courts, or an open-spaced park until the highest and best use for the Franconia community can be agreed upon. From the beginning, the proposed affordable housing concept seems to have been a fait accompli. I'm not against affordable housing. As a realtor in my real job, I am pro-affordable housing. However, compared with other districts, Franconia already

[07:00:50] seems to have its fair share of affordable housing, and we have over 5,000-plus approved residential units coming down the pipeline. At the same time, Franconia District has long-standing traffic, school, and infrastructure problems. Adding housing here will only exacerbate these very real issues. High-density residential use here is misguided. Five stories with 120 units and only 156 parking places, which is below the new county parking requirement, will require a parking waiver. The building itself will be taller than any other structure along this section of Franconia Road.

[07:01:25] The residential use doesn't require a right-in, right-out component, which will make ingress and egress to the property potentially dangerous to the residents. Another possible danger to the residents is the close proximity to five gas stations issue, which remains unaddressed by the county.

[07:01:42] I believe there are other better uses that would benefit your constituents in more direct ways. After all, the residents of Franconia spent years and years paying off this property, and if you told them back then, would be handed over to a developer, I don't think they would be pleased. Please consider more appropriate use for this county-owned parcel. These properties are few and far between, and they should be programmed to benefit the communities in which they are located. Thank you.

[07:02:09] My name is Janet Nesselrode. I'm a Franconia resident and a Fairfax County voter. Born in this area, moved back to this area last year. The Franconia Governmental Center site is one that should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is the wrong location for this housing.

[07:02:32] No one should have to live where they will be shoehorned amidst a cluster of gas stations. Are we going to put people in an area that is not safe or fit for residential use just because we need a spot for increasing housing? This is not a place that this should be. It's a disregard for the data that supports that this is not suitable for human health. And this is the wrong site for the housing. It's especially the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property for this use.

[07:03:11] And you all should come up with a different plan. Thank you. If you could turn back time to save the life of a loved one from cancer, would you do that? Of course you would. But you ask yourself, What could I do that would make a difference?

[07:03:37] I'm not a doctor or a miracle worker. I'm a mere citizen. My name is Susan Wong, a resident of Fairfax County in Franconia, Virginia. I'm a mere citizen with a voice to speak out against the redevelopment of the Franconia Government Center to build affordable housing due to health concerns.

[07:04:01] I cannot in good conscience knowingly agree to expose new residents to harmful pollutants from five nearby gas stations. Gas stations are known sources of chemicals harmful to human health.

[07:04:18] These chemicals are linked to respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer. This is not just a hypothetical risk. This is a reality documented in numerous studies.

[07:04:35] In 2015, the media, Seven on Your Side, revealed at least 13 people who worked at the site diagnosed with cancer, three of who passed away when the report aired. These health concerns are real, from respiratory issues to developmental disorders in children, cognitive decline, and increased risk of certain cancers.

[07:05:05] Is this really a risk we are willing to take in the name of development? People deserve to live in healthy and safe environments. Affordable housing is not without a cost. It's too late to save my dad who passed away from cancer.

[07:05:24] But it's not too late to save your neighbors and your loved ones. The time to act is now. Just say no to affordable housing at the government site. Your words and your actions will save 120 or more lives.

[07:05:42] Hello, my name is Jim McCracken. I am a 45-year-plus resident of Virginia Hills. I'm a member of the Virginia Hills Citizens Association and currently represent the Citizens Association on the Franconia Land Use Committee.

[07:05:58] As such, I have seen the increase in developments going up from the Route 1 corridor to the I-95 corridor, which have built or are in the process of building hundreds and hundreds of unit spaces that many are dedicating to seniors and or income-restricted people.

[07:06:22] I do not think that this particular property in the Franconia Corridor should be given away for another multi-story building that may be developing more space than there is a demand for. There are going to be houses going to be built behind this in the Grovedale business park area that needs more housing and will bring more residential housing to the area. And I think what's really needed here and what should this space should be

[07:06:59] devoted to is a community serving park like the Dupel Park down in Newington, a park that It has picnic pavilion, reservable picnic pavilion, has parking, has a half-court basketball for people for pickup games, things that people, the community can do.

[07:07:18] There is nothing walkable within at least a good mile of this Franconia Triangle, and people in this area, if there is more housing that's coming in, deserve some sort of community-serving park. And I think this space should be devoted to a Fairfax County Park that can be dedicated to one of our long-serving former Lee slash Franconia district supervisors who put a lot of effort into making sure that our community thrived as it has over the decades.

[07:07:52] Good afternoon. My name is Charles Nicotera. I am a Franconia Springfield resident, and I'm making this video in opposition to the proposed low-income housing units going in on Franconia Road. As a member of the Franconia community, I travel on Franconia Road all the time, and coming out of my neighborhood, traffic is always extremely bad.

[07:08:15] I have to take a right every time I come out of my neighborhood just to get on the road. I've seen numerous accidents with people trying to cross the road, stoplights. It's a very dangerous road, and people are traveling very quickly on it. Adding more residents, approximately 120 more families, would make this problem exponentially worse.

[07:08:35] The planning committee has not taken into account any of the traffic that's already on the road, and adding more stoplights for this residential proposal would not help anyone out. That just is going to make problems worse. The second reason is the already overcrowded school systems.

[07:08:54] The schools themselves right now are at max capacity, and it's my understanding that the planning committee does not take into account the current residents versus the proposed amount of residents. That would overcrowd the schools even more than they already are.

[07:09:10] They're already maxed out, so adding more people would put students in trailers and would likely reduce any of the space that they currently have at the school. So that doesn't seem like a very good option to me either. Finally, I think that there is a lot better use of the space than a taxpayer-funded subsidized housing.

[07:09:30] There's an extreme lack of parks or any recreation space available. There is numerous other instances, such as the fire department, expanding their station into that space or really any other thing besides low-income housing.

[07:09:47] The planning committee does not take into account the residents who actually live in Springfield. This would not benefit anybody except the board that is trying to push this agenda. There is no evidence that adding extra low-income housing to an already completely urbanized area would have any net benefits, including the citizens who live here.

[07:10:08] I think it's a terrible idea. I'm opposed to it. And I wanted to voice my opinion on it as this goes to a vote. So please consider everyone who lives here voice, and thanks for your time. Hello, my name is Wen Yuan, and I have lived at Maple Grove State for many years, just a short walk from the Franconian Government Center.

[07:10:34] I recently learned about a proposal to replace the government center with affordable housing, and while I understand the importance of addressing housing needs, I have serious concerns about this particular plan. First, I believe this site is not ideal for affordable housing.

[07:10:51] Potential residents will need to rely on public transportation to reach the nearest metro station for work. And the Fairfax Connector faced challenges with reliability. Based on my experiences, it has sometimes been off schedule, arriving either early or late.

[07:11:08] And last year, a driver's strike caused a significant disruption, leaving it out of service for weeks. affordable housing residents, many of whom have modest incomes, are more likely to depend on public transportation. If the system fails, they may face significant financial strain trying to fight alternative means of transportation, such as coring and Uber. Therefore, for the sake of affordable housing residents, affordable housing would be more appropriately placed within walking distance of a metro station. Second, there are so many other ways this land

[07:11:47] could benefit our community that don't involve housing development. For instance, a senior center could provide a dedicated space for activities and resources to support our older residents in the area. A cultural or community center could host art exhibits, workshops, and community events facilitating creativity and connection. Alternatively, a large public park with walking trails or recreational facility like a swimming pool could promote physical activity and wellness among residents. There is also the idea of an educational resource center offering job resources

[07:12:26] and training opportunities, especially important for now given the recent layoffs affecting federal employees in our area. Lastly, a farmer's market or community garden could provide a space for local farmers and artisans while giving residents a chance to grow their own produce. I urge our leaders to carefully consider alternatives that align with the needs of the local residents in our community. Thank you. My name is Lurie Snyder and I'm a Franconia resident speaking in opposition to the planned low-income housing at the site of the current Franconia Government Center and I

[07:13:05] appreciate the opportunity to share my following concerns. Number one, location. This section of Franconia is extremely busy and increasingly congested, particularly during rush hours. This is a dangerous situation for pedestrians, especially children. We've been told that expanding our local fire department to access Franconia Road directly from this site is an unsafe option, yet somehow it's safe for young children. In addition, government traffic studies always conveniently show that building such multi-unit housing facilities result in less

[07:13:38] traffic rather than more. Are we really supposed to believe that? Two, design. The proposed four-story housing would fit well within the Mosaic District or other new developments, but it looks jarring and out of place in this part of Franconia, where there are no buildings over two stories high.

[07:13:55] In addition, there is no access to the outdoors in any of the units, no balconies or patios for residents. It's obvious the county is seeking to urbanize our neighborhoods in search of higher tax revenue. But true urbanization, as in New York City and many cities in Europe, requires walkability to shopping, schools, and transit, usually walking distance of no more than half a mile.

[07:14:17] This is not what we have in our neighborhood. High-density housing needs to be placed in an appropriate urban setting integrated within the community, as was done with the main government center and in Tyson's Corner. In our area, the area in Kingstown, where the new government the facility is being built would have been a much better location. Three, process. We've been told repeatedly by supervisor lust to trust the process, but the process has been manipulated and less than transparent the entire time. Our supervisor seems determined not to listen to the voices of his constituents who live in the area. The community meetings held last summer

[07:14:54] were heavily attended, but resident concerns were ignored. We still don't know if there are any residency or income requirements for the proposed housing. And whenever grassroots efforts have been made, our supervisor postpones meetings in order to astroturf in housing advocacy groups, most of whom do not live in our neighborhood. I grew up poor. The question that should always be asked when proposing any kind of subsidized housing is, would I want this for me or my family?

[07:15:21] Would I want to live in an apartment stuck in a food desert, surrounded by gas stations, on a dangerous road with not even a patio to enjoy. Even poor people want to have dignity and to feel integrated into the community. And even poor people dream of a single-family home with some land, even a modest one like the one I grew up in in central L.A.

[07:15:42] Like it or not, Fairfax County is the suburban dream that many people want. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Peter Delaney, resident of Carybrook and right close to Claremont Elementary School.

[07:16:01] My wife and I have been there for 20 years now, and we've seen the police station on Franconia as like an important part of our community. And I understand that there's a proposal to turn it into low affordable housing.

[07:16:21] The location, number one, is not very convenient to any kind of, you know, there's a bus route that goes through there. But as far as the financial use, I think it would be much better to use the facility since it's already an asset, not to have a developer use it for another purpose, especially totally against the idea of a 99-year lease for $10.

[07:16:50] It's not very visible as far as how that benefits the people. And as far as location and the unclarity about the proposal, it's just not a fair use of taxpayer assets. And that's it. That's all I have. Thank you very much.

[07:17:08] Hi. My name is Irene Sean McNulty, and I've lived in Franconia since 1984. I've seen a lot of development out in this area during that time. When I moved out here, there was no Manchester Lakes development. Kingstown was maybe a teenager, maybe a toddler.

[07:17:28] But since then, there have been a number of things that have happened out here that have made life a lot easier. We've got the metro, and we've got more than two grocery stores. We've got shopping over in Kingstown. It's a really nice place. But it seems to me that this project is adding an element of density to the area that is not needed.

[07:17:51] We need to maintain that this area is a suburban area. It's an area with single-family homes and single-family townhouses and condominiums. And for the most part, we've got adequate parking.

[07:18:08] This proposal, one of my main concerns is parking. I just don't think there's enough parking for the number of units that is being planned, and not even close. So that combined with another issue that may be small to you guys, but I can imagine there's going to be a lot of kids in this development if it goes through.

[07:18:33] And do you want them, like, playing out on Franconia Road? The little bit of playground that I saw is not enough. And I don't know where people are going to park after they fill up the parking spaces. And sort of one more thing, just so you know, two doors down from, I guess really it's one door down from this development is a thriving veterinary clinic with a boarding facility for dogs and cats and dogs bark.

[07:19:03] And I do wonder that if people that are planning to buy into this development are going to want to do that with barking dogs. But you do need to think about those things, but parking in particular, the density here.

[07:19:24] I can foresee that there's going to be overflow parking into the professional office development that's right off Grogdale. there's two banks of of of offices my doctor one of my doctors is over there i can see there'd be overflow over there um and where else i don't know because there's there's where are they going to park on franconia road beulah no of course not so um anyway i'm opposed to the the project as it stands now because i think it's too big it's too dense and there's not enough parking thanks bye

[07:19:59] My name is Jenna Anderson, and I'm a Fairfax County voter and resident of Franconia. I'm here to say that I do not support the housing development plan right across the street from where I live with my family and two kids.

[07:20:22] There's already way too much traffic along Franconia Road to the point where when we pull out of our neighborhood, it's unsafe, especially during the rush hour times, often even coming home and where people are turning into the gas stations. It's a traffic jam just trying to get down my street so adding additional residences right across the street there's no space for it there's

[07:20:56] already so much congestion and it's unsafe I'm you know really opposed to that not to mention I have two small children who will be going into the school system within the next two years you know the school systems are already overcrowded. How can that foster any sort of good education for them when, you know, teacher to student ratios aren't, you know, where they should be and packing kids

[07:21:27] into the school system? That's not a great place for them to learn and grow. So I think that this space should be used as community space, a place for my kids to go and run around. And that would be much better served for our community, for our road, for our district, if, you know, those types of plans were decided upon for this space. Thank you. My name is Karen Nessrode, and I am a

[07:22:02] Franconia resident and a Fairfax County voter and taxpayer and the governmental center right now where it is existing should not be used for any residential it needs to be used for a benefit of all for the taxpayers this is taxpayer owned property they are wanting to put residential there that is not safe close to the existing gas stations not to mention traffic not to mention there's no food anything like that a better place for a residential would be where they're putting the new government center where there's already

[07:22:42] groceries food shopping also even clinics child clinics dental clinics so I do not believe that this area should be used for a residential thank you my name is Adriana Carmona and I'm a Franconia resident and voter the Franconia government center site should not be used for any sort of residential use we the residents are sick of the county not listening to us we have been telling the county for four years now that this is a wrong site for housing hundreds of us attended meetings last spring where we shared alternative uses

[07:23:20] for this site. Why is the county ignoring us? The Franconia District Land Use Committee is the very mechanism the county designed to have residents provide feedback to the county about the use of land in this district. The Land Use Committee considered all the same information you have and they voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plans for this property. The county's org chart shows residents at the very top because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents. We live here and we're telling you we don't want this. It's the wrong site for housing and the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property.

[07:23:53] Stop ignoring us. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. Hi, I'm Chris Cordes. I am a resident of Fairfax County and a voter, and I will be living within a half mile, well within a half mile of the proposed low-income housing. Just my only opposition, really, to the proposal has been the kind of, I'll call it, slightly underhanded way that it's been pushed on the community without any true consideration of the community.

[07:24:30] I think a lot of things that raise suspicions. The number of parking spots, which in this county, pretty much two family workers is pretty typical, and yet there's not enough parking spots. So the assumption, I'm sure, will be that the metro will pick up the delta, and I don't see that happening.

[07:24:49] I think that's unrealistic, and in addition to that, I think it speaks that we know what type of residents are going to be coming into the community, which is going to require subsidies. Those are subsidy budgets that the county would have to pay for. I guess my point is we're going to have a much greater bill down the road from this project than just the project itself.

[07:25:16] The idea that we're going to get firefighters and teachers and government workers to move into this project, I think, is unrealistic. I'll point back to a 2009 study that was done by the Thomas Jefferson Public Policy Institute where Fairfax County bought 3,200 units for exactly that reason, for teachers and firefighters and police and government workers, and yet none of them moved in.

[07:25:41] Instead, it was low-income housing, which then drove a 100K annual bill. This is back in 2009 for those residents, for the county to subsidize those residents. So be upfront, be forward with us, tell us the truth. If you're going to make it a low-income housing, call it that and let us know.

[07:25:59] But don't lie about it. And, you know, consider that most of the county and most of the people in this immediate area are against this. It's not a NIMBY thing. It's tell us the truth and, you know, explain why the need for additional government housing is so critical.

[07:26:22] And yet there's, other than the county and some left-leaning policy institutes that push high-density housing in all communities across the country, why that, where's the counter studies? I have not seen anything, and I've searched for quite a while.

[07:26:39] So, anyway, register my disapproval of the way it's been handled and going forward. Thanks. So I can start now? Yeah. My name is Jane Goldberg, and I'm a Fairfax County voter as well as a resident of the Franconia district.

[07:26:56] The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. A four-story apartment building would be widely out of character for Franconia Road and that area. Everything along the Franconia Road is either one or two stories from where it starts at telegraph road until you get to the Springfield Town Center, except for a very small ancillary church structure. A four-story apartment building would tower over everything nearby, particularly all of the one-story buildings along that block. It is also what isn't apartments or whatever is also commercial. So this is totally out of character. It would be locally out of place.

[07:27:36] And the country wants to use a three-story office building on Beulah to justify this but those buildings aren't even visible from Franconia Road and then in addition to all of that you're not even looking at the traffic you need to look at what it's going to do to the level of service of traffic in the area and then you look at what's happening further down on Beulah Road with the additional traffic that's going to happen with the hospital coming in and you would need to have an overwhelming and then you also have the area from where Van Dorn intersects with Fanconia Road. So you have so many different areas and all you're doing is adding traffic

[07:28:12] with no constant, no looking at what the level of service would be. We don't need this density and we don't want this area just to become another area of traffic jams and gridlock. This plan is totally out of character with our community. It is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. All you're trying to do is just shove something down our faces. We have objected to this for so long, but you just keep on moving forward. You don't care what anybody has to say in the area, and it's just been the most frustrating situation.

[07:28:40] Thank you very much. Denise March, I'm a resident of the Franconia District, and I am opposed to any residential use of governmental property, and I submit the following statements of my concern.

[07:28:57] Thank you. Well, a local environmental nonprofit is urging the city of Eugene to put in a moratorium for potentially new gas station locations around the city. Thank you for joining us. I'm Renee McCullough. Matt has the night off tonight. The organization Beyond Toxics claims that gas stations create hazardous chemicals that spill out into the air and the soil over time.

[07:29:17] And KZI 9 News reporter Noah Chavez spoke with members of Beyond Toxics about why they want to see the city make a push against fossil fuels. Beyond Toxics says that gas stations are emitters of hazardous chemicals, which is why they want to see the city put a stop to any future gas station site.

[07:29:35] Because it's not really common knowledge that a gas station can be constructed in a community commercial zone. Members of the Eugene-based Beyond Toxics is pleading to city officials to cancel any future gas station projects in the area. So we should not be building gas stations within 500 feet of homes where science has repeatedly demonstrated higher concentrations of benzene that lead and increase risk of childhood cancer.

[07:30:04] Mason Leavitt with Beyond Toxics says that gas stations, whether in use or abandoned, continue to release hazardous chemicals into the air and the ground, leading to health risks for the young and elderly. Primary one is benzene. But in the report, we also talk about toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. Benzene is a known carcinogen. We know it causes cancer. We know it causes blood cancer. And so that's the one that we talk about a lot. But ethylbenzene is a suspected carcinogen and cause of cancer. And all of these molecules impair multiple functions of the body.

[07:30:44] Levitt says a person's lungs, heart and immune system can be dangerously impacted by these airborne chemicals. That's why the group is hoping the city of Eugene will put a halt on building new gas stations and focus more on increasing services for electric vehicles.

[07:30:59] say that a moratorium would be a really smart and moderate step the city could take while it looks at its zoning codes and figures out how to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and encourage other modes of transportation it would really like to see is not only turning off this tap but really being prepared for the big flow of electric cars that is going to come and so we're We're going to have 80% of cars be electric on the roads around the year 2035.

[07:31:32] We have to be prepared for that. I did reach out to the Eugene City Council, but have not yet heard back. We'll let you know what happens during tomorrow's city council meeting. Reporting in Eugene, Noah Chavez, KZI 9 News. I am Kevin Costs. I live in Fairfax County. I live in 6101 Tammy Drive, Alexander, Virginia, and I am a Fairfax County voter.

[07:31:56] I'm here today to voice my opposition to the planned low-income housing that's going to be considered for where the current police station is. I took some notes today, kind of things I want to share with reasons why I oppose this low-income housing.

[07:32:12] One, safety. Just last night, there was a massive accident that was on Franconi and Beulah. I see accidents occur here all the time, and I work, you know, not at home. And if I see these things all the time, there's accidents that occur that I do not see. It's only a matter of time that there will be a pedestrian death in that intersection because people will not cross at an intersection.

[07:32:34] They'll cross in the middle of trying to run a 7-Eleven, and it will occur. So that will not be on my hands. Next, just because you can doesn't mean you should. I live by that. Everyone has a safe account of where they keep their money for a rainy day.

[07:32:51] This is our last place that we have. We should just make this snow park and keep it on hold until we need something else down the line. Putting a building here automatically gives up our chance to do anything what we need for a rainy day. A nine-year lease, we don't have the time for that. I'm a taxpayer, veteran, father.

[07:33:08] I live in close proximity to the pros location. I've worked my entire life. Started from nothing, and I put myself to where I am today. A lot of work in late nights, a lot of overnights, a lot of sweat and equity to where I am today. I'm not saying that the opportunity shouldn't be provided to others, but I'm here today to say that is not the location for low-income housing.

[07:33:28] I support that. Low-income housing, but that's not the location. There's other potential areas that Fairfax County owns, where old schools that have big yards and allowing the people to have the right things, not just jam-packed with an open lot. Two weeks ago, someone broke into my car on Tammy Drive.

[07:33:47] They hit up the entire neighborhood. With the ability for people to come and go out here, crime is going to go up. And I'm not saying it's correlated to low-income housing, but we're seeing the maximum demand of vehicle traffic that's being incurred. It's going to start occurring with moving of the police station far away. It's going to be more rampant.

[07:34:04] Our area doesn't have a park. I have two kids. I have a dog. I actually have to go and drive to take my dog to a park to play in or my kids to go to a play. Having a park nearby would change the way the dynamics of our Fairfax County would be, especially Franconia. There's too much traffic.

[07:34:22] Someone's going to get hurt. I'm moments at a time. But I do know there's other options. I think that best for us would be to not continue on with this planning of having a low-income housing and to stop and wait until all these other projects are completed and then come back and say hey with this park that we put in place we still want to go forth and actually open up and let the community talk thank you for your time my name is angel garcia and i am speaking out against the franconia government center site as a voter in the county i reject this idea this is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit at all the traffic in this area

[07:35:01] is already terrible adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. The community is very tired and sick of this. There's been plans to improve the Van Dorn-Franconia intersection for years, but nothing's been done. There's issues involving the funding and where it could go to benefit students and schools better.

[07:35:30] It is stuffing people into a county like sardines. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property suggest you come up with a different plan. I would think you would want to locate it further toward that area of perhaps the Springfield Mall area where it's more commercial developed and the site of a tall building is not going to be as restrictive as it

[07:36:03] be in a residential community like ours. So again, I speak out as a voter rejecting this idea, suggest you come up with a better plan, and thank you very much.

[07:36:21] My name is Todd Schneider, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. I do not believe the Franconia Government Center should be used for residential use. I'm actually quite disturbed by how little communication there's been with the surrounding community. We live in Hidden Glen, which is probably one of the closest communities to the government center, and we have not had any sort of communication with our homeowners. I'm part of the homeowners association, so we never received any sort of an email or notification about what was going on. The traffic in the area is already

[07:36:58] crazy more density doesn't make sense the government center is not zoned for residential because the overwhelming majority of the community does not want it so i just wanted to make sure that my voice was heard and that's it thank you my name is julia fioreo and i'm a lifelong franconia district resident i absolutely love my community and it's why my husband and i have chosen to stay here and raise our three kids here i welcome change and new ideas but i am strongly opposed for two main reasons to the current plan for building residential housing

[07:37:37] where the Franconia Government Center is. The first reason is logistical. To put it bluntly, it makes absolutely no sense to add that many housing units to that specific location. The current proposed plan does not have near enough parking for the units being proposed, meaning there should be significantly less units. Additionally, there is no plan for creating a safe exit and entrance off Franconia. It's already very dangerous to make a left turn. Adding hundreds of more individuals with no plan to adjust the traffic flow is a recipe for disaster. And finally, a

[07:38:12] four-story building does not fit the character of this part of Franconia. The second reason that I oppose is more personal. As someone who has lived here my whole life, I can safely say that the residents of our district care deeply and want what's best for our community. While not everyone may agree on what that best looks like, I think we can all agree that everyone's voice deserves to be heard. Franconia residents are angry, and rightfully so, because their voices are being dismissed. Time and time again, Franconia residents have come together to share feedback

[07:38:47] and input, and there has been no visible effort to acknowledge or include these thoughts in these new proposed residential plans. Our One Fairfax policy requires meaningful community involvement emphasis on meaningful we have yet for these proposed plans had meaningful involvement and therefore it should not be approved as is thank you hi my name is chris cardiff and i'm resident of kingstown i'm here to register my opposition to the planned redevelopment of the

[07:39:22] franconia government center land into a four-story approximately 120 unit housing project i've attended public meetings on the proposals and provided input previously where i noted that an An overwhelming majority of the Franconia residents in attendance were also opposed to this high-density housing project in an area that does not have the infrastructure to support the low-income residents the county expects to attract.

[07:39:48] So, not only will this proposal be a traffic, parking, and emergency services burden to those of us who already live here, it will also be unattractive for those folks who are expected to live here, to live there. The argument that new infrastructure will be developed later to accommodate the burden ignores the higher taxes necessary to fund that infrastructure.

[07:40:10] And, as I've recently learned, there is no residency requirement for potential residents of this housing project. This means the project will not reduce housing insecurity for Fairfax County residents. The whole project comes across as a sweetheart deal for the developer rather than a benefit for existing Fairfax County low-income residents and existing residents.

[07:40:34] The impression is that Fairfax County supervisors are just going through the motions of listening to their constituents on a decision they've already made. We can do better. Hi, my name is Andy Rastorf, and I have lived in the Franconia District my entire life.

[07:40:51] I strongly oppose the proposed plan to add residential housing to where the Franconia Government Center is located for many reasons, but I will highlight three main reasons here. The first reason is Franconia Elementary School. As we signed up our oldest daughter for kindergarten this year, we were told that it was required for her to take a bus or be dropped off, even though we live less than half a mile away. This was because it is too dangerous for her to walk to school due to the busy intersection of Franconia and Beulah. Adding hundreds of more people and many more cars will do nothing except make it more dangerous for the children to get to and from

[07:41:26] school. Additionally, having had my mother, my wife's mother, my brother-in-law work in local schools where the number of children in classrooms is already too high, adding more families and kids to Franconia Elementary School is going to add more strain on the teachers who are already asked to do too much. The second reason is traffic. When Franconia residents were asked to provide input on what community benefits we would like to see in the location of Franconia Government Center, We were rebuffed when we mentioned building a place for the community to gather, as we were told that we have an amazing rec center right down the street.

[07:42:01] Franconia Rec Center is a great rec center, but what our local leadership failed to recognize is that with the current traffic, it can be impossible to get there in a timely fashion. When we take our children a swim class at Franconia Rec Center after work, it can take upwards of 35 to 40 minutes to get to the rec center, which is less than three miles from our house.

[07:42:22] This is because of the traffic on Franconia trying to cross south of Andoran, which is consistently at a standstill. Adding more people in cars without a plan to address the current traffic issues will do nothing but make them worse. The third reason I would like to mention is parking. There is not enough parking spaces proposed at the residential units.

[07:42:41] At previous community meetings, we were told that this area had phenomenal public transportation and that there would not be a need for many parking spaces and not that many more cars added to the roads. Anyone who actually lives in this area knows that the public transportation is not that great and it can take an extreme amount of time and effort to use.

[07:43:00] The residents who actually live here and whom this actually affects understands that this is a heavily car-dependent neighborhood. Thank you. Hi, I'm Marianne Jacobson. I am a Fairfax voter. I've been here for 35 years and the traffic has gotten more increased.

[07:43:19] It's just not good. The roads are not sustainable for all the traffic that we have with the cut-throughs for a lot of the Maryland drivers going to the Woodrow-Wilson Bridge. So the Franconia Government Center should not be used for affordable housing. We cannot afford to have more people on that road.

[07:43:38] And public transportation is really not that easy to use as well. There's not a good schedule for it. Don't know how you get to the grocery store from there or to the pharmacy for the people. So I do not believe we should add any more housing on this road.

[07:43:56] Thank you. Hello, my name is Winifred Cruz, and I have been a Fairfax County voter for over 50 years. I live at 6119 Hyacinth Drive, and I am also a registered voter in Franconia for over 20 years, the Franconia District.

[07:44:21] I am really opposed to what is being proposed here for that government center. I don't feel that we have the infrastructure ready to add additional housing. I'm very concerned about the traffic, all the housing development projects that are being done.

[07:44:42] I've noticed throughout the years the increased traffic in this area, especially on Franconia Road and Vendorn. It's been increasingly terrible to get through the lights, and I don't feel that the use of low-cost housing will be the best use for this center right now, unless we further develop our infrastructure.

[07:45:12] I am not one to question a lot of the decisions being made in Fairfax County, but I feel very strongly about what is being done right now in this proposal.

[07:45:30] And I'm also concerned about what is happening in the Franconia District right now. And I would like for you to reconsider this proposal and consider other options right now that would be better use of this land.

[07:45:50] Thank you. My name is Cindy Schmidtline. I am a Fairfax County voter, and I believe the Franconia Government Center should not be used for residential use. The reason for this is the traffic is unbearable, it's out of control, and it's hazardous.

[07:46:10] Adding 500 new residents with no traffic improvements will greatly, with no improvements, is a big mistake. We don't have the infrastructure, transportation, we don't have bus routes, there's no walkable metro there, water, sewage, electric, internet, it's all underserved.

[07:46:36] Schools are not able to keep pace with the development that exists. Kids crossing Franconia Road right there at Franconia Elementary School, this new big development proposed crossing the street, Edison, Mark Twain, Key Middle School, it's all extremely hazardous.

[07:47:03] We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more development. So thank you. Good evening, Chairman McKay and members of the Board of Supervisors. I'm Renee Grebe, a Fairfax County resident and Nature Forwards Northern Virginia conservation advocate. And I'm here today on video to ask you for support of the Franconia Triangle Plan Amendment. As Washington, D.C.'s region's oldest independent environmental organization, we prioritize human health and access to nature, biodiversity and habitats, fighting the climate crisis, and sustainable

[07:47:41] land use in our conservation advocacy. I'm sure that you are watching in this late hour after hearing a lot of testimony, so I'll try to be brief. For details of our testimony, please refer to our written comments submitted last week. While I'm testifying in support of this plan amendment tonight wearing my Nature Forward hat, I also want to say that I lived here in Franconia District for 24 years. When my husband and I were searching for our first home to buy, we were not able to afford a single family home. And we were fortunate to have found a smaller than normal townhome in our price range. And it's been the perfect home for over two decades. And I tell

[07:48:19] this story because the planned amendment is personal for me. I was so grateful to have the flexibility in the housing stock before I even knew what that phrase really meant so many years ago. And this planned amendment provides just that, again, for people who so desperately need more affordable housing options, just like we did. Others who wish to live close to bus lines and metro should have the same opportunity, and this plan amendment would provide that opportunity.

[07:48:45] For this plan amendment, Nature Forward supports the following. Using the Franconia Government Center site to build a multifamily residential building with up to 120 committable affordable units so that people who work in Fairfax County, like teachers and government employees, can also live in Fairfax County. Two, transforming the large surface parking lot into 63 townhomes and converting an office building into a multifamily residential building with 30 units.

[07:49:13] Those three proposals provide far more affordable housing options than single-family homes. And housing policy is climate policy. We talk about this as well in our letter. When we have options to infuse more affordability into the housing stock, we must take it. We also support increases in retail square footage along Franconia to provide mixed-use options to benefit local residents. We support solid investments in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure on the three roads bordering this proposal and also between the residential developments, including a central urban park. Support mentions in the staff report of the importance for green building

[07:49:51] practices, including bird-safe window design. We support native and non-invasive tree preservations to the greatest extent possible. And we support the recommendation that stormwater quantity and quality control measures exceed the county minimum requirements with a goal of on-site retention to recharge groundwater and further improve the health of both Accutane Creek and Cameron Run, both impaired waterways. Thank you to county staff and Supervisor Lesk for listening to the community concerns in this area and addressing them as fast as possible while also balancing the goals of the county. This plan amendment's vision for redevelopment can support

[07:50:29] a more walkable, bikeable neighborhood with more affordable housing while moving forward the county's emission reduction goals in CCAP and climate adaptation improvements in support of Resilient Fairfax. Please support the Franconia Triangle Plan Amendment. Thank you so much for your consideration. Hi, my name is Livio Fioreau. I live in the Franconia district and I oppose the residential housing that's being proposed at the current Franconia Government Center.

[07:50:57] My name is Jeanette Campbell and I am a Franconia resident and voter. I am an educator by profession and I have worked with and taught low-income young adults. My daughter has also lived in low-income housing for a couple of years.

[07:51:16] I am here to say that I am not in favor of placing a multi-story new apartment on Franconia Road. Adding a multi-story apartment in this location would increase the already high-density traffic.

[07:51:31] Too many accidents occur along Franconia Road, especially at the intersection of Van Dorn. As a side note, I also question the cost-effectiveness of tearing down an attractive government building that was built in 1992, which is still usable.

[07:51:52] Note, I note that additional traffic lanes were added on Franconia Road around 30 years ago to accommodate increased traffic at the time. The traffic since then has increased by far. When lanes were added some 30 years ago, homeowners along Franconia Road sacrificed a portion of their yard to accommodate the needed footage by the county to do this.

[07:52:20] This points out that there is no room to again expand Franconia Road, if needed and if possible, without tremendous cost to the taxpayer. Once acquired, county government land should be kept and continue to be used for county government purposes.

[07:52:40] I am recommending that the Franconia Government Center property be transferred to the fire department to meet expanded current and future needs of the Franconia Triangle. Thank you. Hi, I'm Susan Katz-Clark.

[07:52:59] I've been a resident of the Franconia District for over 30 years, and I oppose this project. I feel that it's not a good place for housing. It's on a very, very busy road, surrounded by gas stations, which is not particularly healthy for the residents. I feel that it's going to impact traffic adversely. There's already a whole bunch of traffic in that area. This is going to make it worse.

[07:53:20] And I feel like residents may be tempted to attempt to cross Franconia Road, and that's going to be very unsafe. Thank you very much. I have lived in the Francona area for 37 years.

[07:53:37] I drive from Rose Hill to Springfield six mornings and afternoons a week. And by the way, the eastbound traffic in the afternoon is always horrible and backed up. We just don't have the money or the infrastructure for residents to live in that area near the five gas stations, which is proven to be not a safe place for children or anyone to live and to play.

[07:54:05] I worked in that area for over 20 years and it's certainly not a walkable neighborhood other than being able to go to the CVS or the 7-Eleven or a bank. So people would really need a car to live there or ride buses. Where is the funding for the additional students who are going to be in the schools come from? I suppose taxes being raised again. I feel that we just don't have the money

[07:54:41] to support this. And finally, I just don't think that that governmental self center is a safe place for housing. Please listen to us this time. You have asked for our feedback in the past, but the same plans from the county continue. We'd really like to get this resolved and find a better solution. Thank you. My name is Mara Fioreo and I am a voter in Fairfax County. The Franconia government center should not be used for residential use that is the wrong location

[07:55:19] hello esteemed members of fairfax county government officials thank you for granting me the opportunity to share my thoughts on a matter of significant community interest as a resident i deeply value the proactive efforts being made to address the housing shortages which is a growing challenge in our area and across the nation the development of new housing is an essential step towards ensuring that more individuals and families have access to safe, affordable places to call home.

[07:55:51] I commend to the country's dedication to find solutions to this pressuring issue. However, I appreciate the intent behind the proposed housing development. I feel it is vital to consider certain implications that could affect long-term well-being of our community.

[07:56:10] I would like to highlight three key concerns, traffic, safety, and the strain on local schools. Traffic. The construction of a multi-unit complex has the potential to significantly increase traffic congestion on local roads. Already during school hours and peak commute times, traffic congestion is a major issue. Without upgrades such as road expansions, additional parkings or new traffic signals the situation could worsen impacting both quality of life and road safety overcrowding of schools local schools are another area of concern a significant influx

[07:56:50] of families to the area can lead to overcrowded classroom overburdened teachers and strained resources safety issues higher density housing developments when not properly managed can lead to safety challenges. Increases in population density often brings parking conflicts, noise disturbance, and occasionally elevated crimes. For instance, in the neighboring community near several apartment complexes, incidents of car vandalism have become all too common.

[07:57:23] In conclusion, while I fully support initiatives to expand housing opportunities and elevate the housing shortage i urge the county to consider these concerns carefully addressing in traffic impacts implementing robust safety measures and ensuring our school are prepared to accommodate growth are critical steps towards creating a development that enhances not diminishes the quality of life for all i trust that with thoughtful planning and community engagement Fairfax County can continue to set an example of sustainable and inclusive growth. Thank you all

[07:58:01] for your time and consideration. Hello, my name is Marianne Padgett and I am a Fairfax County resident and voter. I strongly object to any residential development of the Franconian Governmental Center site. This site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is a taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us. The traffic in this area is already terrible. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse.

[07:58:35] We're tired of it. There has been a planned improvement for the Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersection for years, but nothing has been done. We already don't have enough money for all of the students in our public schools. Why would we want to add another 50 students to Franconia Elementary School and 15 more students to Mark Twain Middle School and 26 more students to Edison High School. The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly. We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people. Stop stuffing people into the county like sardines.

[07:59:12] We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Please come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. My name is Charlene Henderson, and I'm a resident of Franconia for more than 30 years.

[07:59:32] I am a registered nurse for more than 50 years. I love our county, and I have some things I'd like to talk with you about. The thing I'd like to speak with you about is the idea that housing is going to be placed right next to several gas stations.

[07:59:48] I'd like to explain to you why I consider this a serious issue. The current Franconia Government Center sits in a cluster of five gas stations. The closest is at the property boundary. Two more are right across the street. The proposed affordable housing project, rendering you can see conveniently, fails to make this clear.

[08:00:08] Why does this matter? Because vapors from a gas station pose a health risk. Benzene is known as a carcinogenic. Children exposed to benzene in utero or in early childhood are at greater risk for childhood leukemia. A simple Google search will bring up numerous papers and articles on the safety of living near a gas station.

[08:00:28] Make that five around the site of this proposed affordable housing. There are several exposure pathways that occur daily due to normal operations at a gas station. One is from the fumes that escape when filling your tank. Is it really that dangerous to smoke at a gas station?

[08:00:44] The real danger of smoking at a gas station isn't oil spills or anything else you can see, but a hazard entirely invisible to the human eye. The black cloud you'll see in this video is gasoline vapors released into the air each time you fill your tank.

[08:01:10] In 2020, there was a study done to look at how well the vapor recovery systems installed on modern-day cars are working. They found 88% of the cars tested release vapors into the air when filling the car. Fumes that come out of the vent pipes connected to the underground storage tanks also spill into the air.

[08:01:28] In 2018, there was a study done that concluded that concentrations coming off these vent pipes was 10 times greater than thought. This is due to normal operations at the gas station. Venting takes place on a regular basis, depending on pressure in the underground tanks.

[08:01:43] There is no evidence of any emission control on the vent pipes from the underground storage tanks at the three closest gas stations. Environmental justice is defined as the idea that all people should have the right to live in healthy communities, free of harmful environmental conditions, regardless of their race, disability status, age, or socioeconomic background. In conclusion, more fumes are vented during routine gas fill-ups than we realize. Gasoline fumes are routinely vented from the underground storage tanks.

[08:02:15] Affordable housing at this site is ill-advised and is environmental injustice. I urge you to support the recommendation of the Franconia Land Use Committee. Thank you. My name is Bill Benz, I'm a regular Fairfax County voter. I've been a resident of the Franconia neighborhood for nearly 20 years. I chose this neighborhood because of the character of the neighborhood, the beautiful surroundings, and the available green spaces that were around. The low-density housing in this community is a major reason that my family and I chose to settle here. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. A four-story apartment building

[08:02:54] would be wildly out of character for Franconia Road. All of the current structures along the span of Franconia Road, between Telegraph Road and Springfield Town Center, are either two stories or less, aside from a very small ancillary church structure. A four-story apartment would tower over everything nearby, most notably the one-story buildings that are on the block. The traffic impact from the creation of a 120-unit housing structure is considerable. This would be to the detriment of residents along an already stressed portion of the road that is slow to navigate during the normal day, and near impossible during rush hour periods. Any residents who would occupy

[08:03:32] the proposed housing structure would be regularly exposed to toxic chemicals from the four nearby gas stations. As a significant percentage of the residents would be low-income housing recipients, they would be unfairly impacted, given the already limited options available to them. The county wants to use the three-story office buildings on Bula Road to justify this plan, but those buildings are not visible from Franconia Road, so that makes this argument irrelevant.

[08:03:58] This is taxpayer-owned property, and the residents, particularly the residents who live here, should be the voices that are listened to. This plan is out of character for our community. Franconia doesn't need an increase in density. It needs leadership that listens to its constituents and acts in ways that reflect the wishes of those most directly impacted.

[08:04:19] We live here, and we feel like we are being ignored. Please start listening to us. Thank you very much, and have a good day. My name is Kathy DiStefano, and I'm a Fairfax County resident. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use.

[08:04:39] We, the residents, are sick of the county not listening to us. We've been telling the county for four years now that this is the wrong site for housing. Hundreds of us attended meetings last spring where we shared alternative uses for this site. Why is the county ignoring us?

[08:04:56] The Franconia District Land Use Committee is the very mechanism that the county designed to have residents provide feedback to the county about the use of land in the district the land use committee considered all the same information you have and they voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plans for this property the county's org chart shows residents at the very top because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents we live here and we're telling you we don't want this it's the wrong site for housing, the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property. Stop ignoring us. Come up with a

[08:05:35] different plan for this property. Thank you very much. My name is Frank Frittman and I live at 6222 Jean-Louise Way in Alexandria, Virginia. I have lived here since 2013. I'm submitting this video in opposition of the proposed housing development on the site of the current Franconi Government Center. I'm opposed to the size of the proposed development as it will negatively impact traffic congestion, as well as overwhelm the local schools. There may be places in Franfrax County where a development of this size would work, but the corner of Franconia and Bula is, in

[08:06:09] my opinion, not an ideal location. Thank you. Hello, my name is Michael Tamai, and I am speaking today in opposition to the proposed low-income housing development at the current Franconia Government Center site. The reason I am opposed is that there are a lot of changes going on in the government right now, and we do not know if this development is even going to be necessary. Also, I do not feel it is appropriate to put low-income housing in a location with so many gas stations so close by. Finally, I do not think it is appropriate to have low-income

[08:06:44] housing without interspersing it with traditional housing. Multiple studies have shown that this is a better format for the betterment of people who qualify for low-income housing. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this. Hi, my name is Kathy Drinkard, and I'd like to talk about affordable housing. I'm a retired Fairfax County teacher and counselor. I worked for 17 years at Cameron Elementary School, which served children from the Route 1 corridor. During my years as a counselor at Cameron, I encountered many children living in substandard and inadequate housing.

[08:07:21] In one instance, a family with a mom and four children came to the school looking for help to find housing. They'd been to several shelters and had been turned away because there was no space. We did what we could, but there wasn't much help available. When they finally found a place, it had two rooms with a makeshift kitchen and bathroom in a basement of someone's townhouse.

[08:07:42] The space had three beds, a double and two singles, not enough for all five people. The children had to take turns sleeping in the beds. This mom found a job working as a custodian in the school system, but even with a full-time job, she couldn't afford housing. For a while, she lived in one room in someone else's apartment with three of her four children.

[08:08:03] One had since graduated from high school and moved out. Four people crowded in one room of a small apartment occupied by another family. Another mom called me because she was about to be a victim from the apartment she was living in with her three children. I called the county's 222 number to see what help I could get.

[08:08:21] I was asked if she had a job, and when I said no, but she was looking for one, they said they couldn't help her until she had a job. I went to visit another single mom one day because a couple of her children had been absent from school. I found her living in one dilapidated room with a mattress that took up most of the floor and a few bins of clothes and toys scattered around the edges of the mattress. That room is where she lived with all five or six of her children and that mattress is where she and all of them slept. I don't know how long they lived that way. A lot of the kids in our school, I can't tell you how many, either lived in houses or apartments of extended family members

[08:08:58] were lived-in rooms their parents rented from people they didn't know. The cost of housing even in the Route 1 corridor was well beyond what many parents, sometimes even with multiple jobs, could afford to pay. I also want to say that these struggles were not limited to students' families.

[08:09:14] We had a staff member, a single mom with two girls working almost full-time at Cameron, who was finally able to rent a basement apartment in someone's house after many months of couch surfing with her girls in friends' houses. We had teachers and staff members who commuted an hour every day from Prince William and Prince George's counties because they couldn't afford to live in Fairfax.

[08:09:34] Fairfax County needs more affordable housing. What's available here is not nearly enough. I urge you to approve the use of the Franconia government site for affordable housing. Thank you very much. Thank you, Board of Supervisors. My name is Jill Norcross, and I am a 20-year Fairfax County resident and an affordable housing advocate speaking in support of the Franconia Triangle Plan Amendment and specifically in support of the 120 units of affordable housing development planned for the Franconia Governmental Center site.

[08:10:08] While affordable housing development is a lengthy and complicated process, Fairfax County has been making incredible progress on our housing goals by using county-owned land for affordable housing. This best practice, award-winning initiative, has allowed Fairfax to become a regional leader through this innovative approach.

[08:10:29] Through the Public-Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructures Act, Fairfax County is able to use a request for proposals to identify reputable and experienced housing developers and service providers to build the housing, provide the necessary supportive services, and keep costs down because of the use of public land.

[08:10:51] The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, also known as LIHTC, has supported the construction and rehabilitation of nearly 3 million units since its creation. The program receives unusual bipartisan support in Congress and is the number one tool we have to add affordable housing units in our country.

[08:11:11] It's how we get this done. We are just beginning to see the success of all of our collective years of planning for affordable housing development in the county, especially through projects who use county-owned land like the proposed Franconia Governmental Center site. We have seen the success at One University, Oakwood Senior, North Hill, Autumn Willow, and the residents at Government Center 2.

[08:11:35] Now is not the time to back down from a formula and process that is working to address our critical housing needs. Therefore, I ask you to please approve the Franconia Triangle Plan and support the use of this outdated government center site for affordable housing.

[08:11:51] It just makes sense to keep doing what works in support of our affordable housing goals to ensure all of our residents can continue to thrive as one Fairfax. Thank you. Hi, my name is Mike Dranov and I live in Vienna near Wolf Trap.

[08:12:07] I just wanted to say I fully support the plans to provide housing at the Franconia Government Center property. The housing crisis in the county continues to get worse every year. And it's so important that we build homes so that people of all income levels are able to live here and take advantage of all the great resources that the county has to offer.

[08:12:29] Thank you. I'm Anthony Balon and I am a Fairfax County voter and I oppose this property. This is a taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us and not a developer. This is the wrong site for the housing and the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property.

[08:12:51] Hi, my name is Ella Duncan High, and I am a Fairfax County voter. I'm a Fairfax County student, and I've lived off of Franconia Road my entire life. The Franconia Governmental Center site should not be used for residential development. This is taxpayer-owned land and should benefit the entire community.

[08:13:09] Traffic is also already a nightmare, and adding 500 new residents without road improvements, especially at Vandoran and Franconia, will only make things worse. I went to Rose Hill, I went to Mark Twain, and I went to Edison High School.

[08:13:26] And our schools are underfunded and extremely overcrowded, so why add dozens of more students to these schools? The county is also raising taxes, yet we don't have the infrastructure or budget to support more density. We're not Arlington. Stop trying to make us into one.

[08:13:45] This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of public land. Come up with a better plan, consult your constituents, and do a better job. Thank you. Hello, my name is David Swarovski. I've lived about four blocks from the current government center for the last 35 years, And I'm opposed to the plan of the new replacement for housing.

[08:14:12] First reason is for traffic. Right now, Franconia Road eastbound is basically saturated during rush hour. Last year, I had a reason to drive southbound on Van Dorn Street on my way home during workdays.

[08:14:30] And more than half the time when I turned on to Franconia Road, the eastbound side was backed up to almost Bueller Street, which is, gosh, that's got to be a 20-minute or 15-minute drive just to get four blocks. So the street is just saturated, and adding another 240 car trips a day just doesn't help the problem at all.

[08:14:53] The other reason I'm opposed to is it's completely out of character for the neighborhood. The only residential buildings that I know of in this area, There's garden apartments over Rose Hill and some apartments at the top of Hayfield Street Road, whatever it is.

[08:15:13] And it's just completely out of character. But this is nothing's more than two stories and the rest of the neighborhood. I think it's inappropriate for this for this area. It's not built up and it shouldn't become built up. That's my basic reasons.

[08:15:29] Thank you. Kim Ryan, I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. A four-story apartment building would be wildly out of character for Franconia Road.

[08:15:50] A four-story apartment building would tower over everything nearby, particularly all of the one-story buildings along that block. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us, not a developer. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property.

[08:16:12] This is near a fire department that is really getting overwhelmed with calls. A shed fire in my neighborhood, the shed burned down before anybody came to put out the fire. The fire department had to respond from a faraway location and the shed burned down.

[08:16:32] It was very, very upsetting to see it happen. The fire department should be able to expand. And instead, we just keep building and building and building. And this specific plan is definitely the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property.

[08:16:54] Thank you. Hello, my name is Tyler Ray. I'm the president of the Brent Point Homeowners Association in the Mason District. I'm joining in solidarity with the associations and residents who are providing comments tonight.

[08:17:11] You've already heard the concerns expressed regarding proximity to the gas stations, safety for families, and the increased traffic concerns. These are not just the concerns of existing residents, but of the families in need of affordable housing who would be subject to these potential harms.

[08:17:27] I encourage the board to stop making decisions that put incompatible uses next to each other. It seems that there is a pattern to force residential and more industrial uses next to each other and justify it because it satisfies a singular goal of the county. The sum isn't always greater than all the parts, and residents are the ones left facing the negative consequences of these decisions.

[08:17:50] I ask you tonight to listen to what your constituents are telling you. Trust the people who elected you to your seats. Your decision tonight sets a precedent and sends a message throughout the county that these types of developments that force incompatible uses are not just welcomed, but encouraged.

[08:18:07] These decisions impact all county residents. I ask you to make the right decision and put residents first. Thank you. My name is Marshall Owen Wright, and I am a Fairfax County student. The Franconia Governmental Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use.

[08:18:24] This is the wrong location for housing. No one should live where they're surrounded by a cluster of five gas stations. Are we so desperate for affordable housing that we're going to let people live in places we know aren't healthy? Childhood leukemia is associated with residential proximity to a gas station.

[08:18:41] At least one of the police officers who worked at this site died of acute myeloid leukemia. That's a blood cancer that's caused by benzene exposure. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan. Thank you.

[08:18:58] My name is Elizabeth Kurgler, and I am a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Governmental Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us.

[08:19:15] The traffic in this area is already terrible. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. This is a very frustrating situation. There has been a planned improvement for the Van Dorn and Franconia intersection for years, but nothing has been done.

[08:19:34] We already don't have enough money for all the students in our public schools. Why would we want to add another 50 students to Franconia Elementary School and another 15 more students to Mark Twain School and 26 students to Edison High School?

[08:19:51] We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. Hello, I'm Michael Blair.

[08:20:10] I am the treasurer of the Wallhaven Condominium Board. We've been here about six years now. We're at the corner of Claims and Higham in a small neighborhood across the street from the fire station and in the same area as the elementary school.

[08:20:42] So as you might guess, we're very close to the government center, and we use the CVS and the other gas stations and restaurants in the Franconia area there.

[08:21:00] We're concerned about the size that's being proposed for the new units. four stories is much higher than any of the other buildings. I believe there's not a building over two stories there, and most of them are one story. Also, they're mostly small shops, and this would have a very large footprint relative to the rest of the street. There are a number of other uses

[08:21:34] for the property that would better serve us, the area. Of course, there'll be more traffic if this happens, and more pressure on the local establishments to take care of the people who are living in the new units. That's all. I just wanted to voice my opposition. I've been to two

[08:22:10] meetings, and I was disappointed in the way the meetings were handled, especially when they split us up into small groups instead of allowing us to form a coalition with something to say, something specific to get together. My name is Gary DeMarco and I'm a Fairfax County resident and voter since 1976. This government center site should not be used for any sort of residential

[08:22:46] use and we the residents are sick of the county not listening to us. We have been telling the county for four years now that this is the wrong site for the housing. Hundreds of us attended meetings last spring where we shared alternative uses for this site. Why is the county still ignoring us? The Fair Franconia District Land Use Committee is the mechanism the county established to have residents provide the feedback to the county about the use of the land in this district. The Land Use Committee considered all the same information that you guys have and voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plans for this property. The county's organization chart shows

[08:23:26] residents at the very top because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents. We live here and we're willing to tell you we don't want this. Please listen to what we're saying. We live here and we don't want it. It's the wrong site for housing and the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property. Please stop ignoring the residents. Come up with a different plan for the property. Thank you very much for your time. Hi, I'm talking to the Board of Supervisors,

[08:23:59] and my name is Lisa Seibel. I live on Rose Hill Drive in Alexandria. I'm a voter in this district in Fairfax County, and I feel very strongly about this area that you're thinking of building.

[08:24:20] That is where my husband and I went to vote. We really liked the building. We were especially happy that there was a museum there. And we know Carl Sell, who actually administers a lot of that.

[08:24:36] There were a lot of things in that room that you cannot put online. And he had a library with a lot of historical information. I don't feel that this government building should be made into a residential area.

[08:24:54] Even if it's not this year that you decide that you need it, I think we should keep it as a government resource. One of the things is that I don't like the idea of housing being there near all these gas stations.

[08:25:09] We lived in Toms River, New Jersey, and when we closed on our house, we got a notification that there was contaminated land, and there was a childhood cancer cluster. I think you're just asking for trouble and to make people's lives miserable, including people that are too poor to live in a better area so that they're not exposed to those kinds of things.

[08:25:36] And it's not just groundwater. It's the fact that there are fumes. There are so much of these huge gas trucks that are going in and out. The Franconia Road really can't handle a lot more traffic.

[08:25:51] It's terrible as it is. Our street is terrible as it is. And so is the elementary school. We don't need even more traffic and kids in that little elementary school. And I know that the same is true of the other schools in the area.

[08:26:09] And I feel like even the height of the buildings, the whole size of it, is so out of character with what we're trying to do in our city and i know that there are other areas in franconia that could be used and are even already marked to be built on i go ahead with those if they are actually conceivable that's all i have to say i feel like this idea of putting

[08:26:44] housing apartments in that tiny area is not the way to go thank you bye my name is alan wilson and i am a fairfax county voter the franconia government center should not be used for any sort of residential use this is taxpayer-owned property and should be for the benefit of all the residents and all the voters in the area already there's congestion in this area and surrounding areas and

[08:27:18] By having another use center for development and residential low-income housing would not benefit not only residents as far as traffic, but also the infrastructure involved with it.

[08:27:38] And I'm also concerned about local businesses and their impact on those businesses. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. It seems like this has been brought to the attention of the Board of Supervisors, and yet it seems like our pleas are on deaf ears, and I don't understand that.

[08:28:10] The Land Use Committee considered all the information you have, and they voted 25-4 to reject the county's plan for this property, And yet we see the need to continue to protest the developers' actions without their coming up with a different plan for this property.

[08:28:34] Again, getting back to the congestion, I'm also concerned about the children in the area, the Franconia Elementary School. Why would we want to add more students and jeopardize the education that's beneficial in this current community environment where we have a better ratio of teacher to students.

[08:28:58] Adding 15 more students to Twain Middle School and 26 more to Edison just doesn't make sense with the potential increase, again, to the infrastructure and particularly the transportation issues.

[08:29:15] is I live on a residential street that already is being commonly overrun, and that's just from an adjacent apartment building complex. I can't imagine just going down Franconia Road, for example, what that's going to turn into.

[08:29:32] It's almost impossible already. So please come up with a different plan for this property. I thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my plea, And I would hope you would err on the side of logic and not developers' interests. Thank you. I'm Cecily Williams, and I'm a Fairfax County voter.

[08:29:55] The Franconia Governmental Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us. The traffic in this area is already terrible.

[08:30:11] Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. We're sick of it. There has been a planned improvement for the Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersections for years, but nothing has been done.

[08:30:28] We already don't have enough money for all of the students in our public schools. As a matter of fact, the superintendent, Michelle Reed, and my local principal have been sending emails about the current underfunding of Fairfax County public schools.

[08:30:48] Why would we want to add another 50 students to Franconia Elementary School and 15 more students to Twain Middle School and 26 more students to Edison High School? The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly.

[08:31:07] We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people. Stop stuffing people into our county like sardines. We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington. If I wanted to live in Washington, D.C., I would have moved to Washington, D.C.

[08:31:27] This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. Hello, my name is Susan Frieswick, and I am a Springfield, Virginia resident in the Franconia District, and I vote.

[08:31:49] I have been following this issue since the community public hearings at the high school. I have no objections to redeveloping the land surrounding the current government center. However, I do not think that the planned residential building is appropriate for that space.

[08:32:07] I have viewed each of the public input sessions for the Planning Commission, including the two very lengthy video sessions, and I did watch each and every one of them. I echo many of the sentiments provided in those statements and encourage the idea of proceeding with redevelopment minus the residential feature.

[08:32:29] Today, I also want to address my concern for how those statements were heard, but not listened to. Your constituents have spent considerable time and energy to formulate and express their ideas, and it is discouraging and disheartening to know that the citizens of Franconia District can provide that much information in the form of objection to a proposed plan and have it generally disregarded by the county at every level.

[08:33:00] I am deeply disappointed that the sincere and legitimate concerns of a large portion of your constituents was dismissed out of hand as it appeared to be. Sadly, this is not the first time I have observed this level of disregard, nor do I anticipate it will be the last. To this, I leave you with a sincere request and recommendation. Do better. Good afternoon. My name is Dan Ryan. I'm a resident of Fairfax County in Franconia. I wanted to go on record and express my view to you personally

[08:33:38] to let you know that I'm opposed to the current development plans for the Franconia Government Center. I don't think housing is proper for this location whatsoever. I think traffic is terrible here already, and it's only going to get worse if you put 100 plus families in here. I didn't like the whole spreading of peanut butter, I'll call it, on the plan of we're going to do so many things for so many people and they're going to be able to be here. All it's going to do is add more density. The Rudy's Golf Center is already going to be building high-density housing. That's going to make traffic even worse, and you're going to do it again here. It just makes no sense

[08:34:14] whatsoever. I'm totally against it. I don't like the way that the developer plan has been done. I don't like the structure of the deal. I don't like the detail, and that it's tied to political campaign contributions. I'm completely against as well, although that's probably a touchy subject.

[08:34:30] What I would like to see is this whole area develop for emergency services use, more fire department, more EMT, police substation, potentially. You know, there's more, there's so many solutions that could be done. I guess part of the key is that this is a taxpayer-owned area.

[08:34:49] We own it. And yet it looks like some individuals within Fairfax County are influencing this toward a developer who's getting a 99-year deal to do what? 99 years, it just makes no sense whatsoever. It doesn't. It doesn't smell, doesn't pass the smell test.

[08:35:07] I'd love to see the cost-benefit analysis. I really would. I'd love to see it. I want to go through it line by line, make that available to the public. I really would like to see that. Put it out on the website. Make it easily accessible. Okay, so my point is I'm against it.

[08:35:23] That's really what I want you to take away. It could be done, you know, so many more uses, better uses. Traffic sucks as it is. It needs to be improved, as dangerous out there as it is now. Please do not let this development go through. Rethink the plan. That's my position.

[08:35:39] Thank you. Bye. My name is Heather Abel, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Governmental Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us.

[08:35:58] The traffic in this area is already terrible. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. We're kind of sick of it. There has been a planned improvement for the Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersection for years, but nothing has been done.

[08:36:18] We already don't have enough money for all the students in our public schools. Have you seen our public schools? Why would we want to add another 50 students to Franconia Elementary School and 15 more students to Twain Middle School and 26 more students to Edison High School.

[08:36:38] The classrooms are already bursting. The teachers are overwhelmed. The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly. We don't have the money or the infrastructure for more people. Stop stuffing people into the county like sardines. We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property, please. Thank you very much.

[08:37:08] My name is Michael Compline and I'm a Rex County voter. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us. The traffic in this area is already terrible. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvements will only make matters worse. We're sick of it. There has been a planned improvement for the Van Doren and Franconian section for years, but nothing has been done.

[08:37:38] We already have enough money for all the students in public schools. We would like to add another 50 students. Just pick up, just start again or pick up wherever you want, but let it have a little gap before you start again. We already have had enough money for all students in public schools. We don't want to add another 50 students to Franconian Elementary School, add 15 more students to Mark Twain Elementary and 26 more students to Edison High School.

[08:38:12] The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly. What we don't want, we don't have the money or the infrastructure for many people, for more people. Stop stuffing people into our county like sardines. We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington. This is wrong cipher housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much.

[08:38:37] Yasmin Chopra and I'm a Fairfax County resident and voter. I strongly oppose converting the Franconia governmental center site into residential housing. This property is publicly owned and should be used in a way that benefits the entire community, not to increase density without adequate planning.

[08:38:59] Our local infrastructure is already under strain, traffic is a daily challenge and our schools are stretched thin. Adding 500 residents will only worsen these issues especially without real improvements to roads and school capacity. We simply do not have the resources to absorb this growth right now. Fairfax County should not follow the path of overdevelopment. Let's find a more responsible community focused use for this site. Thank you for your consideration. My name is Jay Hoxar and I am a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Government Center should not be used

[08:39:39] for any sort of residential use. This proposal is basically developer welfare as opposed to a benefit to taxpayers. It does not fit the character of the community and even more importantly it does not provide a sufficient benefit to taxpayers. The taxpayers own this property and it's ridiculous to let a developer lease this property for a period of 99 years with a simple payment of $10 for that entire 99-year period. It's further ridiculous that the developer gets a million

[08:40:14] dollar developer fee. Taxpayers are going to pay for this project and mostly paid by federal taxpayers using low-income housing tax credits. This is money that would have gone to the U.S. Treasury and the taxpayers don't get anything substantial in return. 120 families would get to live in taxpayer-owned property and get access to a tiny park that the rest of us wouldn't even be able to access because there wouldn't be enough parking.

[08:40:42] The proposal also is woefully insufficient in that it will add considerable congestion and traffic to a community that does not have the infrastructure for it. Please, you know, this is a bad deal for taxpayers and come up with a different plan for this property.

[08:41:04] Thank you very much. Hi. Hi, my name is Carla Taylor. This is my second statement regarding the proposed affordable housing development on Franconia Road. And like the rest of my community, I am very much against it, and I will share why.

[08:41:25] First of all, that land is taxpayer-owned. We work hard for our money, and we have a right to say how it's going to be spent. So we do not understand why the Board of Supervisors continues to push this down our throats despite our consistent communication that we don't want this.

[08:41:49] The other reason is the Franconia Fire Chief said that the first responders are already stretched to the limit. If we add all these extra people from this new development on top of that, it's going to be potentially a real problem getting people the services they need. And I want you to think about that for a minute. What if it were you? What if it were one of your loved ones who needed

[08:42:25] help? We're talking about seconds when someone has a heart attack or a stroke. Are you willing to gamble like that on our lives, on our well-being, we're not going to forget this. The second thing is traffic is already not sustainable. And I'd be glad to take you on a ride to work with me in the morning so you can see for yourself. This project, the Board of Supervisors is pushing down our throats, is a very dangerous experiment, costing our community not only quality of life, but potentially lives themselves.

[08:43:06] My name is David Holmes, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is a wrong location for housing.

[08:43:22] No one should live where they would be surrounded by a cluster of nine different gas stations. Are we so desperate for affordable housing we're going to let people live in places we know aren't healthy? Childhood leukemia is associated with residential proximity to gas stations.

[08:43:38] At least one of the police officers who worked at this site died of acute myeloid leukemia. That's the blood cancer caused by benzene exposure. This is the wrong site for the housing and the wrong use of taxpayer property and taxpayer money.

[08:43:54] We need to come up with a better plan, a different plan. Thank you very much. Hi, I'm Mary Ann Goble. I live in Fairfax County, and I'm very much against residential use for the government center. I feel that that will depreciate my home, and I am not happy about it at all. Thank you. Hi, my name is Sylvia Greenwell. I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia governmental center site should not be used for residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should

[08:44:27] benefit all of us. The traffic in the area is terrible. The adding of 500 new additional residents without any traffic improvement will not make it any better. In fact, it will make it worse. We're just sick of it. I've sat there at least 10 minutes for one light cycle and you don't get to go through and you sit and you sit. And then there's also EMS units and also fire trucks that are trying to get there, and guess what they do? They sit, sit, and this is without your adding the additional people. There has been a planning improvement for Brandorin and Franconian

[08:45:04] intersection for years, but nothing has happened, and nothing has been done, and so the problem is just continuing. We already know that we don't have enough money for all the students in the public schools, and we want to add an additional maybe 50 students for Franconian Elementary, and maybe another 15 students for middle school, as well as 26 units for the high school of medicine. The county is already about to raise our taxes significantly, and we don't have the money or the infrastructure for the new people or the current people. Stop stuffing people into

[08:45:42] the county like sardines, please. We do not want any more density, especially not like Arlington. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. I also want to say it is insufficient benefit to the taxpayer. It's ridiculous that we should develop at least this property for a period of 99 years and for an amount of $10 for a 99-year period? Does that sound economically sound to you? The developer even gets $1 million fee to develop it. It sounds like it's more for the developer than it is for the taxpayer. When the taxpayer gets to pay the

[08:46:20] project. It is mostly paid by financial of the federal taxpayer using low-income housing for tax credits. This money that they would not have gotten to the U.S. Treasury. And what do taxpayers get in return? Well, 120 families that who would like to live on a taxpayer-owned property and get access to a tiny park that the rest of us who live in the area wouldn't even be able to have access to because we would not even have enough room for parking.

[08:46:51] And it isn't even guaranteed that the taxpayer-owned property would be used, affordable housing, for an entire 99 years. How many people are going to live there for 99 years? This is a bad deal for taxpayers. Taxpayers' own property should be sufficiently used and not developed.

[08:47:12] Marietta DiMarco, and I'm Fairfax County voter. The Francuna government center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. A four-story apartment building should be widely out of character for Franconia Road.

[08:47:30] Everything along Franconia Road is either one or two stories from where it starts, Telegraph Road, until you get to the Springfield Town Center area, except for very small auxiliary church structure. A four-story apartment building would tower over everything nearby, particularly of all one-story buildings along that block.

[08:47:53] It would look woefully out of place since it would be next to one-story building on either side of the property. And why would we want people to live next to the Smelly gas station and near other gas station, forcing residents to breathe in gas pumps all the time?

[08:48:13] The county wants to use a three-story office building on Beulah to justify this plan. But those buildings are not even visible from Franconia Road. This is taxpayers' own property and should not benefit all of us, not a developer.

[08:48:30] We don't want this density. We don't want it to look like Arlington. This plan is out of character for our community. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayers' own property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much.

[08:48:47] My name is Elizabeth Crist and I'm a Fairfax County resident. The Franconia Government Center should not be rezoned for residential use. A decision for low-income residents will not make the area safer for current residents and may become a blight in the future, as housing and demographic data shows.

[08:49:10] Communities are not built by a few residents commissioned to serve the will of the people. Yet this seems to be the case. A decision to add several hundred low-income and not necessarily culturally or familially related people is unreasonable. Potential residents should be allowed to find properties suited to them, not relying on the local government to build homogenous dwellings for them at a reduced price compared to their neighbors. And that is unfair to residents who will face decreased home values.

[08:49:44] Some ask why the county isn't listening to them, having spoken to the county on this issue for over four years. More than 100 residents attended your meetings in the spring of 2024 to share alternative uses. The county did not come to residents asking questions or entering dialogue with them. Who delegates the reciprocal relationship dialogues with residents? The land use committee is a mechanism the county designed for residents to provide feedback to the county.

[08:50:14] That committee considered the exact same information you were presented and they voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plan to rezone and build low-income housing on the government center site. Why did you ignore that committee's recommendation? What individuals are orchestrating a non-response to the Landly Use Committee? What I see is a very small group of people making a non-democratic decision for over one million county residents. You aren't representing the will of the people, which is harmful to any community. You're avoiding due process of the

[08:50:49] law by not respecting the rights of Fairfax County residents, not showing reasonable regard for their concerns. Thank you. Please make a different decision on this land, incorporating the desires of the residents of Fairfax County. Hi, my name is Ed Morrissey, a longtime Springfield resident and a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any residential use. We, the residents of the county... Don't stop it. Just pause and

[08:51:28] start over again. It's easier for me to cut it out than it is to put things together. We, the residents of the county. Can I just say, because my voice might have just been too close. I need like a really blank. No worries. My name is Ed Morrissey, longtime Springfield resident and Fairfax County voter. Franconian Government Center site should not be used for any residential use.

[08:51:53] We the residents are sick of the county not listening to us. We've been telling the county for four years now that this is the wrong site for housing. Hundreds of us have attended meetings last spring where we shared alternative uses for this site. Why is the county ignoring us?

[08:52:10] The Franconia District Land Use Committee is the very mechanism the county designed to have residents provide feedback to the county about the use of land in the district. The Land Use Committee considered the same information you already have. They voted 25 to 4 to reject the county's plan for this property. The county's org chart shows residents at the very top because the county government is supposed to implement the will of the residents.

[08:52:36] We live here, and we're telling you, we do not want this. It's the wrong site for housing. It's the wrong use for taxpayer-owned property. Stop ignoring us. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. My name is Shashi Gupta, and I am a Fairfax County voter.

[08:53:03] The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is a taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us. The traffic in this area is already terrible, terrible. Adding 500 new residents without any traffic improvement will only make matter worse and we are getting sick and tired of it.

[08:53:26] There has been a planned improvement for the Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersection for years, but nothing has been done. We already don't have enough money for all the students in our public schools. Why would not we add another, why, how we would add another 50 students to Franconia Elementary School and 15 more students to Martin Twin School and 26 more students to Edison High School.

[08:53:53] And the county is already about to raise our taxes significantly. We don't have money or infrastructure for more people. Stop stuffing people into the county like sardines. We don't want to be a dense county like Arlington.

[08:54:10] This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. And I would like to add one more thing. If we want to make some of the housing, we must build some homes for our school teachers and the Fairfax County Police Force and the firefighters.

[08:54:35] They are so core services for our communities, and I think we really need to pay more attention for them. Hello, esteemed members of the Fairfax County government officials.

[08:54:53] Thank you for granting me the opportunity to share my thoughts on a matter of significant community interest. As a resident, I deeply value the proactive efforts of being made to address the housing shortage, in which a growing challenge in our area and across the nation.

[08:55:08] The development of a new housing is an essential step towards ensuring that more individuals and families have access to safe, affordable places to call home. I commend the county's dedication to finding solutions to this pressing issue. However, while I appreciate the intent behind the proposed housing development, I feel it is vital to consider certain implications that could affect the long-term well-being of our community.

[08:55:34] I would like to highlight three key concerns, traffic, safety, and the strain on local schools. Traffic. The construction or multi-unit complex has the potential to significantly increase traffic congestion on local roads. Already during school hours and peak commute times, traffic congestion is a major issue.

[08:55:55] Without upgrades such as road expansions, additional parking spaces, or new traffic signals, the situation could worsen, impacting both quality of life and road safety. Overcrowding in schools. Local schools are another area of concern.

[08:56:12] A significant influx of families to the area could lead to overcrowded classrooms and overburdened teachers and strained resources. Safety issues. Higher density housing developments are not adequately managed and can lead to safety challenge.

[08:56:29] Increases in population density, often bringing parking conflicts, noise disturbances, and occasionally elevated crime rates. For instance, in a neighboring community near several apartment complexes, events of car rentalism have become all too common. In conclusion, while I fully support initiatives to expand housing opportunities to alleviate housing storage, I urge the county to consider these concerns carefully.

[08:56:56] Addressing traffic impacts, implementing robust safety measures, and ensuring our schools are prepared to accommodate growth are critical steps towards creating a development that enhances, not diminishes, the quality of life for all. I trust with thoughtful planning and community engagement, Fairfax County can continue to set an example of sustainable and inclusive growth.

[08:57:18] Thank you for your time and consideration. Morning. My name is Gene Seibel, and I am definitely a resident of Fairfax County and a taxpayer. And I am reviewing your proposal, and I have some definitely serious comments I'd like to make to you with respect to this proposed government center.

[08:57:47] First of all, it appears from the information that we have that the taxpayer should own this property. You own this property and should continue to own this property. This property should not be given away to developers for a song and a dance and a kiss on the cheek.

[08:58:05] We need to retain this property because we're paying for it and have paid for it. That's number one. Number two, if this proposal goes through, there's already a tremendous issue with traffic flow in this particular area.

[08:58:23] I live on Rose Hill Drive. It's almost impossible with the amount of traffic flow we have today to even exit my driveway to get in and out. With the added influx of individuals, and I'm sure there's going to be cars involved in the people who reside, it's going to add traffic to Franconia, it's also going to add to Van Dorn, it's going to add to Telegraph Road.

[08:58:52] We do not have the infrastructure to be able to accommodate additional traffic flow unless you people do something about the infrastructure. Third, there's going to be an influx of young people who are going to require continued education.

[08:59:14] And you're going to put additional individual and stress and pressure on the school systems that are already overloaded with students and not enough infrastructure there. Using the excuse to just redistrict or do other things with your magic wand is not going to change that situation one bit.

[08:59:36] It's only going to exacerbate it. It's going to make it a lot worse. And what's going to suffer is going to be our students and the families. So putting additional people into this area with this kind of a density is not acceptable. Those reasons are why I'm making this video. I don't normally get involved in this, but as a taxpayer and a concerned citizen, I just cannot accept the proposal that you have put forth. It's invalid, it's faulty, and it will not work.

[09:00:15] Thank you very much. Goodbye. Hello, my name is Karen Lynch and I've been a Franconia resident since 1998. It has been gratifying to see Franconia become a bustling community with the addition of new businesses and housing developments. Over this time, Fairfax County demonstrated the proper way to accommodate housing that resulted in increased traffic by widening the two major roadways in the Franconia area, Franconia Road and Beulah Road. Franconia is a small area that has three major traffic arteries emptying into its borders. I-95 empties directly onto Franconia Road, the Springfield-Franconia Parkway empties into the Beulah-Manchester Lakes intersection,

[09:00:53] and the I-495 empties into the Franconia-Vandorn intersection. As these intersections become congested during rush hour time and other times throughout the day, traffic on the roads bordering the Franconia Triangle comes to a stop. For almost 15 years, I worked at Fort Belvoir with my daily commute requiring me to travel on two of the three roads bordering the Franconia Triangle project. My total distance to the Fort Belvoir gate was four miles. My commute time increased from 10 minutes to most recently 30 minutes. That's an average of eight miles an hour and far below the posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour. Adding 120 apartments on the already overly trafficked and congested roads, all while making no improvements to the roads to accommodate

[09:01:31] additional traffic, will only make the situation worse for everyone traveling through and living in this area. More specifically, I live off of Valley View Drive, which intersects Franconia Road across from the current government center. Valley View Drive is the primary road for approximately 200 homes. When navigating the Valley View-Franconia intersection, we all must contend with the volume of vehicles and drivers distracted by the maze of traffic to and from the gas stations, restaurant and retail parking lots, and strip malls. Illegal U-turns, aggressive lane changes, and gas station lines meandering onto Franconia Road are some of the daily obstacles we encounter while navigating to and from our homes. This intersection does not have a traffic signal and is the location of many multi-car accidents, not to mention the number of near

[09:02:11] misses that occur on an hourly basis. Traffic studies have been requested, conducted, and have resulted in no changes because, as our HOA was informed, adding a traffic light would further slow traffic on the very busy Franconia Road. Adding 120 apartments across from this already dangerous intersection will increase the perils to everyone who is already navigating a very hazardous intersection. It is also important to note that housing around Franconia is booming in areas that can support the additional traffic requirements. New residential communities are currently under construction on Beulah Road, a townhouse community, and on Franconia Road with over 2,300 apartments approved at Springfield Mall. While developments, both of these developments

[09:02:47] are approximately half a mile from the Franconia Triangle and are within walking distance to the metro, something the Franconia Triangle project is not. The government center site on Franconia Road is not the correct location for any residential development, given the current traffic congestion and existing dangerous intersection. Any residential development on this site will worsen the already precarious traffic patterns in the area. I ask that Fairfax County officials address the concerns of the residents that live, work, and shop in Franconia and identify a non-residential use for this county property. Thank you for your time.

[09:03:19] My name is Ali Abri, ALI, ABRI, and I'm a Fairfax County resident. The Franconia government site should not be used for any sort of residential use. The four-story apartment buildings would be widely out of character for Franconia Road. Everything along Franconia Road is either one or two stories from where it starts at Telegraph Road until you get to Springfield

[09:03:51] Town Center area, except for a very small extra church structure. The four-story apartment buildings would tower over everything nearby particularly all of the story all of the one story buildings along that block i would look woefully out of the place it would look woefully out of the place since it would be next to the one-story buildings on either side of the property

[09:04:23] and why would we want people to live next to a smelly gas station and near four other gas stations forcing residents to breathe in gas fumes all the time the county wants to use the three-story office buildings on bueller to justify this plan but those buildings are not even visible from franconia road this is a taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us not a developer we do not want this density we don't want to look like arlington this plan is out of

[09:05:00] of the character for our community. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use for taxpayers' own property. Come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. My name is Lisa Holmesa and I am a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Government Center site should not be used for any source of residential use. This is the wrong location for housing.

[09:05:35] No one should live where they will be surrounded by the cluster of five gas stations. Are we so desperate for affordable housing that we are going to let people live in places we know aren't healthy?

[09:05:53] Childhood leukemia is associated with the residential close to the gas station. At least one of the police officers who worked at this site died of acute leukemia.

[09:06:10] That is the blood cancer that is caused by benzene exposure. This is the wrong site of housing and the wrong use of taxpayer's own property. Come up with the different plans.

[09:06:27] Thank you very much. My name is Roberto Salasad. I'm a Fairfax County resident, taxpayer, and homeowner in the Franconia neighborhood. The Franconia Government Center is not the appropriate location for a housing development.

[09:06:46] It is not designed for residential use in this area. Would you want to live next to a gas station? Do you live in the Franconia neighborhood? I invite you to bring your family and camp out near the gas station. Come live at the Franconia Government Center. Let me know how that works out for you.

[09:07:02] It's simply not intended for residential use in a highly commercial, highly filled gas station area. Not to mention that Franconia Road, during any given morning or afternoon, resembles a very busy parking lot as it is.

[09:07:19] Adding more housing units to this area will only compound our traffic. I don't deny that we probably do need affordable housing in our county. So you should work to find an appropriate location. I assure you, this is not that location.

[09:07:35] We ask that you do better. I don't doubt that the developers have convinced you that this is the right thing for you to do. They may have been generous to your campaign coffers, but they are not the owners of this property. I and the other taxpayers of Fairfax County own this property.

[09:07:52] And we are directing you how to properly use this property, and it's not for residential use. We have many other needs in our community, be them recreational or services for the elderly, but not a housing development. You must do better.

[09:08:09] We expect more from our leaders. And if you can't, then we shall find those to replace you who can. We're counting on you. Step up and do the right thing. Thank you for your time and your consideration.

[09:08:25] - My name is Tarun Chopra and I'm a Fairfax County resident and voter. I strongly oppose converting the Franconia Government Center site into residential housing. This property is publicly owned and should be used in a way that benefits the entire community and not to just increase the density without adequate planning.

[09:08:45] Our local infrastructure is already under strain. The traffic is a daily challenge and our schools are stretched thin. So adding 500 more residents will only worsen these issues, especially with the real improvement to road and school capacity.

[09:09:03] We simply don't have the resources to absorb the growth right now. Fairfax County should not follow the path of overdevelopment. Let's find a more reasonable, responsible community focused solution for this site. Thank you for your consideration.

[09:09:22] - My name is Carolyn Conklin and I am a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia Governmental Center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This proposal is basically developer welfare as opposed to a benefit to taxpayers.

[09:09:38] This proposal does not fit the character of the community But more importantly, this proposal does not provide a sufficient benefit to taxpayers. We, the taxpayers, own this property. It is ridiculous to let a developer lease this property for a period of 99 years, and the developer only has to pay $10 for that entire 99-year period.

[09:10:03] The developer even gets a $1 million developer fee. Then the taxpayers get to pay for the project. It is mostly paid by federal taxpayers using low-income housing tax credits. That is money that would have gone to the U.S. Treasury.

[09:10:21] And what do taxpayers get in return? 120 families would get to live in taxpayer-owned property and get access to a tiny park that the rest of us who live nearby wouldn't even be able to access because there won't be enough parking.

[09:10:38] And it isn't even guaranteed that this taxpayer-owned property would be used as affordable housing for the entire 99 years. The Housing Authority says that the guaranteed period affordability is maybe 30 to 40 years.

[09:10:57] But the developer has control of the property for 99 years. This is a bad deal for taxpayers. Taxpayer-owned property should benefit all taxpayers, not developers. Come up with a different plan for this property.

[09:11:13] I am totally opposed. Thank you very much. Of Franconia Forest, and I have concerns about four-story buildings and not having enough parking spaces for the number of units and how that's going to affect the medical offices located around here, the DMV.

[09:11:43] they'll be parking everywhere. And how you plan on controlling all of that when, you know, when you don't have enough parking spaces, what are people going to do and where are they going to go? And how are you going to enforce them not parking in our neighborhood? And also another big concern is our fire department. It's old. Are they, are you looking at, we, our population continues to grow.

[09:12:12] We have a hospital coming in. The need for maybe a larger fire station to accommodate the increase in the population needs to be addressed, because we don't want to have to turn around as taxpayers and try to acquire more land in this area and not even knowing where that land exists.

[09:12:35] It just makes sense to have, since this property is right next to the fire station, why not look at the fire station's future needs? And maybe not even that far out in the future, since we've grown so much. Thank you.

[09:12:54] My name is Brandy Harrell, and I'm a Fairfax County voter. The Franconia governmental site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is taxpayer-owned property and should benefit all of us. This area, the area in this traffic is already terrible, and adding another 500 residents or more will make it even worse, and there's no improvements to come for many years.

[09:13:19] We're tired of being crowded into this area. The planned improvements for Van Dorn and Franconia Road intersection still have not been accomplished in the last few years. The infrastructure needs to be fixed before any kind of consideration is even thrown out with regard to this.

[09:13:35] We already don't have enough money for all the students in our public schools. Crowding an additional 50 students or more into the elementary school alone would throw additional students at the teachers and decrease the education for our students, and adding more to middle school and high school would further compound the issue.

[09:13:56] The county is already about to raise taxes significantly, and we just don't have money for the infrastructure or the people. Stuffing us into this area like sardines is not what we wanted. That's why we bought property in this area. This is the wrong site for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Please come up with a different plan for this property. Thank you very much. My name is Yvonne Crustani and I am a Fairfax

[09:14:29] county voter. The Franconia governmental center site should not be used for any sort of residential use. This is the wrong location for housing. No one should live where they will be surrounded by a cluster of five gas stations. Are we so desperate for affordable housing that we are going to let people live in places we know are not healthy. Childhood leukemia is associated with residential

[09:15:03] proximity to a gas station. At least one of the police officers who worked at this site died for acute myeloid leukemia. That is the blood cancer that is caused by benzene exposure.

[09:15:20] This is the wrong side for housing and the wrong use of taxpayer-owned property. Come up with a different plan. Thank you very much. Good afternoon.

[09:15:41] Thank you for your time. My name is Dr. Raymond A. Plot, and I am a registered voter here in Fairfax County in the Franconia District and have been a resident of this community for over 20 years. In my profession, I have worked for over 25 years at an area level one trauma center as an anesthesiologist.

[09:16:06] And I can tell you that response time from the incident to a hospital where care can be provided is not just a metric which needs to be tracked by public health authorities.

[09:16:23] It is a matter of life and death. My concern with regard to the placement of this affordable housing project is not rooted in a resistance to affordable housing, to the creation of affordable housing.

[09:16:44] Affordable housing and providing affordable housing is an ethical imperative, and it is an ethical imperative that we as a community at large support. What we don't support is the location or the development of affordable housing in a community, in a site that is unsuitable.

[09:17:09] My concern is rooted in two things, both related to public safety. One, the more residents we have, the more responses, the more calls that our first responders will have to respond to.

[09:17:25] The other concern is the traffic. At times, the traffic here is tantamount to gridlock. And in this context, gridlock is not just a matter of convenience.

[09:17:43] It is a matter of public safety. It is a matter potentially of life and death. If we support, if you insist on developing high-density affordable housing in this community, this could absolutely threaten lives.

[09:18:08] There are other locations for high-density affordable housing, locations that are much closer to mass transit. Thank you for your time, and I urge you to consider my words.

[09:18:32] Thank you. And that was our last video testimony. I do understand we have one caller on the line, Mustafa El-Nahas.

[09:18:49] Can you hear me okay? Yes, I can hear you. Welcome. The floor is yours. Good evening, Chair and members of the Board. My name is Mustafa Nahez. I'm a voter in Fairfax County. I stand before you today as a resident deeply committed to equity, progress, and the future of Fairfax County.

[09:19:07] I urge you to approve the Franconia Triangle Comprehensive Plan Amendment and advance this critical affordable housing project. This proposal for 120 units of affordable housing reserved for household earnings, 30% to 80% of the area median income, is not just a policy choice.

[09:19:26] It's a lifeline for teachers, firefighters, medical workers, and families struggling to stay in our community. With Fairfax County's median income at $154,700 for a family of four, luxury single-family homes are out of reach and irrelevant to many essential workers.

[09:19:45] This project, led by a non-profit, ensures stability for those who keep our county running. The opposite is to deny the dignity of hard-working residents. Opponents cite proximity to gas stations as a health risk, but the Fairfax County Health Department found no evidence of benzene-related health issues in the area after years of monitoring.

[09:20:05] Meanwhile, the real danger, the Franconia Road's Throde Urban Highway, goes unmentioned. This hybrid street road design prioritizes speeding cars over pedestrian safety, creating a hazardous environment for all residents. If we're serious about safety, let's demand infrastructure reforms for Franconia Road itself.

[09:20:24] not weaponized gas station to block housing. As someone who lives car-free next to West Falls Church Metro Station and commuted to work in Franconia Springfield, I know firsthand how transformative transit-oriented housing can be. My ability to live, work, and thrive without a car is only possible because of density near Metro Station, a privilege that should be available to everyone.

[09:20:48] The Franconia Triangle's redevelopment is an opportunity to extend its freedom to more residents. Yet the current debate reflects a broader failure, wealthy homeowners dictating who gets to live here. Critics claim the area is inappropriate for housing, yet they ignore the hypocrisy of opposing density while benefiting from decades of exclusionary zoning.

[09:21:09] Affordable housing belongs everywhere, including new transit hubs like Franconia Springfield Station, which this site is well served by. Let's not let a vocal minority prioritize parking over people. Some argue for deferrals, citing traffic or schools, but the Planning Commission already will extend to want to advance this plan, emphasizing that concerns can be addressed during site-specific reviews. Further delays only perpetuate the status quo. Let's also reimagine Fairfax flow, reduced lane, as protected by claims and prioritized walkability.

[09:21:45] This project can catalyze that change. Fairfax County cannot claim to value inclusivity, while allowing fearmongering to stall progress. The Franconia Triangle Project is a model of steps towards justice, one that honors our essential workers, challenges car-centric design, and rejects the notion that housing is a voucher.

[09:22:05] Approve this plan, let's build the community where everyone belongs. Thank you for everything you do. Thank you very much. And let me verify there are no other callers on the line. And let me ask if there's anyone here in the auditorium who has not testified who would like to.

[09:22:22] anyone who has not testified who would like to seeing and hearing no one at this time I'd recognize County staff for closing comments and a recommendation thank you mr. chairman the Planning Commission held a public hearing on April 9th which was continued to April 30th 2025 on May 7th 2025 the Planning Commission recommended adoption of the plan amendment as shown in the Planning Commission handout dated May 7th 2020 20 2025 which added language to the staff recommendation to address cohesive site in building design within the

[09:23:00] Franconia triangle thank you thank you very much let me ask if there are any questions from board members questions from board members supervisor Lusk thank you mr. chairman let me start first if I could with the question with regard to transportation so I think this one will go to Tom Burke so we heard a lot of testimony here today um and also in the planning commission's um hearing as well about the impacts of traffic and specifically the conditions along franconia road as it relates to its intersection

[09:23:36] with valley view beulah and then the south van doorn so acknowledging um those points and then looking at this particular plan amendment can you describe the kind of existing traffic conditions that we kind of see around the franconia triangle property and then can you talk about the traffic analysis that was done specifically during the review of that plan amendment good evening tom

[09:24:14] burke senior planner with the department of transportation yes um so traffic on franconia road uh franconia road itself i would say the operations are pretty good admittedly it probably does take a little bit of an effort to get onto franconia road but it's one of those situations where you you wait typically the average delay is maybe a minute and a half or less but then when you get on franconia you're probably in pretty good shape for most of the rest of your trip Depending on where you're going.

[09:24:45] And then similarly, so you have Grovedale and Franconia, Beulah and Franconia. Both are working pretty well overall. But I will admit that the side streets take a little bit more effort to get on. And the problem with mitigating the side streets is you would probably wind up adding lanes and making it a lot more difficult for pedestrians and cyclists.

[09:25:08] So it's kind of a balancing act. And then South Van Dorn and Franconia is obviously mentioned a few times in these videos and testimony. It is a problematic intersection. It's planned for interchange.

[09:25:24] I'm not sure anyone really wants that interchange. So we're working with VDOT currently on their STAR study, which focuses on safety and congestion. And we're hoping that we can put our heads together with the engineers at VDOT to find some kind of solution.

[09:25:41] We very briefly worked with the Beulah Street SSPA. We talked about some potential at-grade solutions, maybe a quadrant intersection or something. So we're hopeful that we can continue that discussion with BDOT and maybe come up with some ideas that, you know, an interchange is probably 100 million plus.

[09:26:00] So all the questions about why we haven't done anything yet, that's probably the main reason. So, if we can come up with something more at-grade and less impactful, that's what we're hoping to do in cooperation with VDOT. But the existing additions on Franconia itself are pretty good.

[09:26:19] It's just the side streets take a little bit of work to get on. And then Beulah and Grovedale. Similarly, Beulah's pretty good because it's free flow. There's no signal. But if at some point in the future that delay on Grovedale approaches got really bad, we could potentially work with VDOT to look into a traffic signal.

[09:26:38] But, again, it would have to meet warrants and VDOT would have to approve. And could you talk a little bit about what happens if this plan amendment moves to rezoning? How will we address the kind of the traffic impacts that are connected to the planned redevelopment proposals?

[09:26:58] Right. So we look 20 plus years out typically with the comprehensive plan. When it gets to the rezoning stage, they look more closer into the shorter-term impacts. They'll look at the build-out of the site.

[09:27:16] So if the applicants feel that they're six or seven years out, they'll look six or seven years out instead of 20-plus years out. And so they'll look at more of the immediate impacts or shorter-term impacts. I think they'll definitely look at driveways. They'll definitely look at bike and ped.

[09:27:32] And depending on the characteristics, I think each one comes in separately, the governmental center, the Beulah Street, and any other sites, I think they would come in and follow the same. I think our site analysis section does a determination as to what level of analysis each one would be required to have.

[09:27:52] And hopefully, if they know that there's serious concerns about congestion in the area, that they would factor that in their determinations. And the important point here is that there would be improvements connected to those impacts.

[09:28:09] So I think there was some testimony that alluded that we would make the improvement without making transportation improvements. I just want to be clear that that is an expectation as a part of the process as well. A big part of the rezoning process is the proffers. They'll make determinations as to what each of these developers would need to do in terms of improving the access and overall network connectivity for both automobiles as well as bikes and pads and even access to transit and such.

[09:28:38] Okay. No, that's helpful. Let me switch gears. I've just got a few more, Mr. Chairman, if you can bear with me here. On affordability, there's a couple questions I wanted to maybe address with Tom Fleetwood from the Department of Housing and Community Development.

[09:28:57] I think first we can start with the Department of Housing and Urban Development adjusts its income limits each year, and the limits for the Washington metro area were just changed. Can you share the current area median incomes and describe generally the AMIs applicable to this proposal if it were to be approved?

[09:29:24] Thank you, Supervisor Les. Tom Fleetwood with the Department of Housing and Community Development. The area median income for Washington, D.C. in the metropolitan area is $163,900 for a family of four.

[09:29:40] So that translates to $98,340 for a four-person household at 60% of the area median income, which would be roughly the average income that we'd be looking to serve in this project should it be financed with low-income housing tax credits.

[09:30:02] And then for a single individual, what would that number be? For a single individual at 60%, that income would be $68,880. Okay, that's helpful. And then can you, if we can step back and just go back to the RFP for a second, can you refresh my memory on the specific language that talked about the affordability goals as it relates to housing to meet the needs of early career entrants in public safety,

[09:30:38] in teaching, and also in other health-related professions, which could include, say, a NOVA hospital? Yes, the request for proposals called for an opportunity to serve households that could otherwise be served in the county's magnet housing program, which includes public safety employees, schools employees, and employees of Inova Health.

[09:31:12] So the idea was that we were procuring for a project that would include opportunities to serve that population. Now, as you're aware, we are very early in the process. These issues have not been negotiated yet with the selected developer, but certainly it's our intention to serve that population in a meaningful way.

[09:31:37] No, I think that's important as well, because I think there was some testimony that alluded that we were not looking to consider that. So this is, I think, declarative, at least on that point. So thank you for providing that information. And now, if I could, switching to Graham Owens.

[09:31:56] Graham, if I could ask you, kind of looking at compatibility, because we heard a lot of testimony about the heights of the buildings, referencing that most of the buildings along Franconia Road are two stories or less, I think I'd like to just ask you if you can help me understand where the building heights that are proposed for the residential buildings that are associated with this plan amendment, and then let me know where the existing buildings

[09:32:28] heights in the surrounding area. Thank you, Supervisor Law. So we have this diagram here that explains the existing zone potential for building height in the area. So that gives you a sense of what the proposed plan amendment would do in terms of building height and how that compares to the surrounding zoning districts and what those are allowed. We also have some additional information about the existing structures that we can go through as well on the next slide, but just to give everyone a sense of kind of the zoning ordinance dictates maximum building heights in the vicinity. And as you can see from this, it differs depending on

[09:33:07] where you are in the triangle. So for example, on the government center site today, there's actually a 60 foot building height allowance for non-residential uses today. So that's 60 feet that could be permitted today by right. That is in comparison to the 52 foot height recommendation that we are proposing with this plan amendment.

[09:33:29] So it's actually lower than what the current zoning allows for. There's other areas of the site that currently have a 40-foot height limit. On the eastern side, that would be increasing to 52 with the plan amendment. And then there's other portions of the site that actually have a 90-foot limit, although that's kind of a pinkish color, although they're not anywhere close to that with their current development.

[09:33:53] A couple of other sites that are nearby. Franconia Elementary School, which is across Beulah Street from the proposed site area, that also is zoned R1 and has that 60-foot non-residential building height allowance. Here are a couple of building heights for the structures that are either within the Franconia Triangle or immediately adjacent. And so you can see there are, for the most part, buildings that range from two stories to three stories in the immediate vicinity.

[09:34:25] That ranges, though, in terms of total building heights from about 18 feet, almost 19 feet, with some of the gas stations that are nearby, and then upwards of about 44 to 45 feet. That's on the Franconia, Beulah Street, SSPA site today.

[09:34:40] So 52 feet is a little bit taller than what's out there today, but not that much taller than, say, 45 feet. No, I appreciate you showing this because I think it really helps tell the story in a little bit different way. And we are looking at compatibility.

[09:34:58] This is kind of an important element in this plan amendment. So that is very helpful. And then next, if I could. Can I ask one question? If you could pull that slide up again real quick. Sure. I just want to verify one point. The next one that has the bid.

[09:35:15] So the building on the bottom right that's 44 and a half feet, that's the existing building that's being preserved under this application as residential. That's correct. And so can you give me a range of height? That's 44 and a half. The height for the townhomes that are proposed and the height for the affordable building, just for comparative purposes.

[09:35:35] My understanding is it's 52 feet for the government center. The government center is probably going to be approximately 50 feet, that building. And then the townhomes, it will be four stories. The townhomes will also be four, some of them will also be four stories with a height of approximately 44 feet.

[09:35:56] So they're all very compatible with those. So in terms of height, they're somewhere between 44 feet and 50 feet throughout the site. Right. Okay. That is correct. Thank you. Okay. I'll continue, Mr. Chairman. I'm almost there.

[09:36:12] So next question, again, for Mr. Owen. Does the comprehensive plan address the landscape buffering and fencing between the gas station and the proposed housing at the government center site? Yes. So Appendix 9, which is the policy plan's residential development criteria, speaks to for residential proposals, landscaping, buffering, fencing, walls.

[09:36:38] So those kinds of things that either make the site look nice, you know, visually or provide effectively a visual screen or a buffer. So those are the kinds of things that we would expect with any residential development anywhere in the county, certainly with a multifamily proposal that's adjacent to commercial uses.

[09:36:55] And I'll just ask, I mean, as we're moving to the, if this has moved forward and we have an opportunity to look at this barrier and fencing, I would really hope that we can provide the most generous buffer and looking for the greatest height in the fencing that could be provided between the residential and adjacent gas station uses.

[09:37:19] So, Mr. Sherman, with that, I'll go ahead and conclude my comments and give you the opportunity to ask other members here. Are there any other questions of staff? Any other questions of staff? Okay. I'm not seeing any others.

[09:37:35] At this time, I'll close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Lust for a motion. Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll say this one has been in my five and a half years here on the Board of Supervisors. the most difficult item that I've addressed as a member and I'll say that I acknowledge all the comments and all the input and the feedback that we've received and I hope that people can respect that we are listening and that they can respect that we've had opportunities to talk about this this

[09:38:12] proposal and just appreciate the the way in which the board has conducted itself and the way in which the staff and others have helped me in outreaching to the community. So with that, Mr. Chairman, this plan amendment proposes options to allow for up to 120 affordable multifamily units on the Franconia governmental site, additional market rate townhomes and the repurposing of a vacant office building with multifamily units and more flexibility for retail development within the Franconia Triangle.

[09:38:51] The proposed plan text also includes conditions for the options to include amenities, such as a centrally located urban park, vehicular connectivity, including interpersonal access, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, tree preservation, historic resources, stormwater and roadway improvements.

[09:39:12] There's also plan guidance that's included to address site design, architecture, building heights, and compatibility. Considerable community engagement has been held regarding the introduction of residential to the mix of uses within the Franconia Triangle.

[09:39:30] The first town hall was held in October of 2021. There have been over a dozen public meetings where the concerns of residents have been raised. Most recently, over the last year, my office together with county staff held three community conversations.

[09:39:51] Last fall, I convened an advisory group, similar to what the chairman had done, and held two meetings. Staff from DPD hosted a series of meetings, and the Land Use Committee hosted at least three more discussions on this topic.

[09:40:09] Land use concerns were identified regarding traffic, pedestrian safety, building height, density, community use of the existing governmental center site, and air quality impacts from nearby gas stations. The Franconia Land Use Committee supports the development of market-rate townhomes and multifamily residential use within the Franconia Triangle.

[09:40:35] However, the Land Use Committee objects to the development of the proposed affordable multifamily residential use at the Franconia Governmental Center site. I recognize the concerns of many in the community regarding the potential change in the use of the site.

[09:40:53] Change at the Franconia Triangle is occurring and is needed. We have at least two office buildings that are vacant. There are other office spaces in the Franconia Triangle that are also vacant. Later this summer, the Franconia District Governmental Center, the police station, and the Franconia Museum are relocating to a new governmental center site approximately one mile away.

[09:41:21] The existing government center will then be vacant as well. A new use for the current governmental center site is needed. Alternative uses of the site were considered, including a new fire station and community uses.

[09:41:39] These alternatives were ruled out given the location and the size of the parcel and its proximity to the existing public facilities that provide adequate service to meet current and future needs. Longstanding county policy recommends locating affordable housing on surplus county-owned land.

[09:42:01] Much of the housing within this area of Franconia District is older housing stock. The potential multifamily units and townhomes proposed with this plan amendment provide much-needed housing options for those that want to live and work in the district and for those who already live here and want to remain here.

[09:42:25] There is a significant need to increase the supply of housing in this district and across the county. Approval of plan amendments such as this will ultimately increase the supply and affordability of housing.

[09:42:43] There are existing transit stops located around the entire perimeter of the Franconia Triangle. As you heard, there's an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school all within walking distance. There are existing park facilities, places of worship, community and retail uses within close proximity.

[09:43:03] This plan amendment facilitates redevelopment of the Franconia Triangle as a community focal point by introducing options for housing at a range of incomes with greater flexibility for retail uses, along with recommendations for park space, trails, and other amenities.

[09:43:23] The new residential use proposed with this plan amendment will include a variety of housing types, including the conversion of a vacant office building into a multifamily residential building, and I've personally heard from many in the community who support this proposal.

[09:43:42] In light of the community benefits of this proposal, including the proposed affordable housing option, the professional staff analysis, the approval recommendation from our planning commission, and the ongoing analysis that will occur during the rezoning process, I'm comfortable moving forward with this plan amendment.

[09:44:04] And with that, Mr. Chairman, I therefore move that the Board of Supervisors adopt Planning Commission recommendation for Plan Amendment SSPA 2023-Roman numeral 4-2S as found in attachment 1 of the board item.

[09:44:25] So moved. The motion has been moved and seconded by Supervisor Palchik. Discussion on the motion? Any further 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 is approved nine to zero supervisor yes and thank you very much mr chairman i just wanted to say a few thank yous before i close out and i want to thank all the board members here and i thank you for your indulgence and apologize again for the length of this particular hearing um i want to thank the community for taking the time um to

[09:45:05] testify and to be engaged in this process and uh we look forward to continuing uh the engagement as we move into the next phase I want to thank all the county staff and specifically let me start with the clerk's office basically putting together that string of videos was no small feat and I think that's a record for videos in one setting and I think it was totally seamless so I just want to acknowledge the great work of Channel 16 the Office of Public Affairs I want to to thank specifically the Department of Plain Development, so Graham Owen, Katrina Knudsen, Yeoman's work,

[09:45:44] and thank you so much for being engaged in every single part of the process that we've been along since this all started. I want to thank the Department of Transportation, so very specifically to Tom Burke, and I know Mike Garcia has been a part of this as well, so I'll thank him in his absence.

[09:46:04] Health Department, again, we heard from Dr. Ben Swartz and Chris Revere, who've been engaged in a part of the process in many different public meetings separate from this. Department of Housing and Community Development, I want to thank Tom Fleetwood, Anna Shapiro, Valerie Piper, and Mark Buenavista, who I think is also here.

[09:46:24] Thank you for your service and work through the process and also through this evening. I also want to thank the Office of the County Attorney. So I want to thank Beth Teer, who's, I think, hiding behind the seat here. Thank you, Beth. David Stoner, Ryan Wolfe.

[09:46:41] Department of Environmental Quality. Again, we heard from Randy Chapman earlier. And then Matt Costas was involved in a number of other discussions with Randy. And again, I think there's presentation from the applicants and their representatives. So again, thank you for your work here this evening and through the process.

[09:47:00] And I know as we're moving forward. And then last, I want to say a very special thank you to my planning commissioner, Chris Lansgraft. This was his first big case, and he did an exceptional job. And just his temperament, demeanor, the way he approaches dealing with the community, absolutely amazing.

[09:47:22] And I want to also thank the rest of the planning commission. I watched all of their hearing and discussion, and I want to just say that we have very capable people helping support us in the work that we do leading up to the board. So with that, I'll say one last thing. I want to also thank Supervisor Alcorn because Supervisor Alcorn and I lived together in the Franconia District when we were very young.

[09:47:53] We lived on Valley View. We lived in a townhome development for three years that is adjacent to one of the gas stations that is cited as one of the five in the testimony that we heard tonight. And if I'm correct, Mr. Alcorn, our unit was probably less than 70 feet from the pumps is my estimation.

[09:48:18] So we were very close and had the opportunity to live in this triangle area and just appreciate, again, everyone's indulgence here, and I'll conclude my remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Lusk.

[09:48:34] And obviously, I have a deep, deep personal relationship with this site myself. And I'm going to share my comments on that, significant comments on that, for the rezoning application when that comes forward.

[09:48:49] But I do appreciate everyone's work on this. As Supervisor Luss said, it's been a very long day, but a very productive day. And I wanted to make sure we could hear from everyone who wanted to testify. And so thank everybody for their patience. And with that, if there's no further discussion, this brings us to the end of our board meeting of May 13, 2025.

[09:49:10] And with that, the board is adjourned.

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