Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 8h 16m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/4227
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 2026-10-27. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:17] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our board meeting of August 25th, 2026. In a moment, we are going to have our moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. But before we do that, you might notice Supervisor Sizemore Heiser is not at the dais, and she has requested to participate remotely in the board meeting today.

[00:00:37] So preliminarily at this time, I ask Supervisor Sizemore Heiser to please state your name and general location for the record. Hi, I'm Rachna Sizemore Heiser, and I'm in Burke, Virginia. Thank you very much. At this time, I'm going to hand the gavel over to Vice Chair Smith, and I'm going to move that the Board of Supervisors certify that, for the record, Supervisor Sizemore Heiser's voice can be adequately heard by all persons assembled here today in the Board Auditorium, and I further move that the Board approve Supervisor Sizemore Heiser's remote participation in this Board meeting as it fully conforms to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' policy for remote participation in meetings.

[00:01:17] Second. The motion has been seconded by Supervisors Bierman and Palachuk. 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 very much. We're now going to begin our meeting in a moment with a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

[00:01:37] And before those who are able to rise for that moment of silence, I'd ask if board members have anyone they would like to keep in our thoughts and prayers. And before I turn to my other colleagues, I just want to mention two folks. I think all of us were surprised and saddened to learn about the passing of former state senator Janet Howell.

[00:01:56] Those who knew Janet and knew her well knew she was an institution in Fairfax County and she spent more than three decades serving the residents of Fairfax County in many meaningful different roles. She returned to Northern Virginia after teaching in the Philadelphia School District, served as chairman of the Fairfax County Social Services Board and president of the Reston Community Association.

[00:02:18] Upon successfully running for the Virginia State Senate in 1991, Janet became the first woman in Virginia's history to co-chair the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee for a generation. During her time in the Senate, she authored the nation's first online sexual predator registry, reformed Virginia's family violence laws, and in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, led efforts for mental health reform in the state.

[00:02:46] She was a true public servant, of course, a champion of public education, women's rights, child protections, and the needs of our most vulnerable Fairfax County residents. We were fortunate to have her representing Fairfax County and Virginia State Senate for a long time.

[00:03:01] And I can tell you, the number of times that she provided, supported efforts that were happening in Fairfax County to get funding in Richmond because of the position that she had was very influential in the General Assembly and was listened to and respected by people of both parties, but most importantly delivered for the people of Fairfax County in a dignified way.

[00:03:26] and if we could keep her husband of six decades hunt their sons and grandchildren in our thoughts and prayers and of course continue our gratefulness to her legacy and and the work that she did on behalf of our shared constituents secondly i want to mention alejandra ali munoz ali was passed away recently served our residence since 2021 as a behavioral health specialist with the the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board and I know the folks at the CSB are feeling the pain of her loss as well as her family and loved ones if

[00:04:03] we could keep our her and her family and our thoughts and prayers true Fairfax County servant who who did a lot of great things for a lot of people in our county and if we could reflect on her life I would appreciate that as well and with that if there are others who would like to be recognized at this time we started on this side with Supervisor Herity. Yeah and I want to thank you for recognizing Senator Howell. She was quite the leader and back in the days when the Senate kind of did their own thing and and did what they thought was right regardless of regardless of politics which is a time unfortunately that seems

[00:04:39] to have gone. I'm sad to announce they also announced the passing of Michelle Sabarello on July 13. She was born in Massachusetts where she lived for nearly 25 years before moving to Puerto Rico for five years and then to Northern Virginia where she spent the next 30 years. After moving to Northern Virginia, she became heavily involved in education beginning as a substitute teacher at Silverbrook Elementary where she later became a kindergarten assistant. During her years at Silverbrook Elementary, she had a positive impact on countless students' lives, staying in touch with many of her students following elementary school

[00:05:17] and loved hearing stories about their life. She was a loving mother who always supported her two daughters at their softball games, swim meets, and school events. She will be missed by the Silverbrook Elementary School community as we keep Michelle's family in our thoughts and prayers. I'm also sad to announce the passing of Jacqueline Treffy on July 31st at the age of 92.

[00:05:41] She was a lifelong equestrian that breeded and raised Welsh ponies. Her love for horses extended beyond just riding, as she saw the value in therapeutic riding programs. In 1984, she joined the Fairfax 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program, which is now known as Cloverleaf Equine Center.

[00:06:00] She was instrumental in the program during its early years, helping it grow and serve thousands of children and adults with disabilities. I had the honor of touring Cloverleaf Equine Center recently to see the incredible work they do for the community and all the people they helped, none of which would have been possible without Jacqueline's involvement and financial support for the program.

[00:06:22] She will be missed, and I ask we keep Jacqueline's family and her thoughts in purse. Thank you, Supervisor Herity. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I wanted to echo the comments of Supervisor Herity regarding Michelle Spardella. She's really an amazing individual, a beloved kindergarten assistant, and she nurtured truly generations of our young children, lovingly guiding them through their days in the red, blue, and yellow fish lines.

[00:06:48] But the thing that really struck me was that something that really we all want and I think need and hopefully look to do every day for each other is to provide a warm hug, a nurturing smile, and the reassurance that you're cared for. And she did that every day with kids who clearly loved and benefited from that and I think are stronger and better adults as a result.

[00:07:11] So her kind smile, deep care for children and families, and her unwavering love of community. Ms. Bardello will be very much missed. The second item is a challenge to us all because sometimes we do things in life.

[00:07:30] We choose professions and careers to make a difference, to be a difference maker for our country. And Captain Eugene Red McDaniel was one of those individuals. He passed away on August 7, 2026, at the young age of 94, in his home in the Mount Vernon area.

[00:07:50] He was survived by his wife of 70 years, Dorothy Howard McDaniel of Alexandria. His children, Michael Howard McDaniel, captured U.S. Navy, retired, and Leslie McDaniel Lindsay, both of Alexandria, and David Eugene McDaniel of San Diego, California, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

[00:08:09] He led a life of truly extraordinary courage and service. Captain Eugene Red McDaniel devoted his life to serving his country and others. As a Navy pilot, he was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967, endured nearly six years as a prisoner of war before returning home in 1973.

[00:08:29] And his family didn't even know that he was alive for almost three years after he was shot down. So this is somebody who, and we all know the horrors and the torture and so many of the things that those prisoners of war went through, and he endured all that and made and really built his life and strengthened his own, I think, self as part of that.

[00:08:53] He was awarded the Navy Cross, two silver stars, and numerous other military honors for his courage and service. As a continued commitment to his fellow veterans, after returning home, Captain McDaniel continued to serve, rising in the rank of Navy captain and commanding both the USS Niagara Falls and the USS Lexington.

[00:09:14] After retiring from the Navy, he remained a passionate advocate for veterans and POW MIA families, spending decades seeking anchors for those who never returned home. A champion of national service and defense following his military career, he founded the American Defense Institute and American Defense Foundation, an organization that's dedicated to promoting a strong national offense.

[00:09:37] He led both organizations for many years, carrying out his commitments to country and service into the next chapter of his life. Also, he was a founder and a guiding force behind ACC Family. Captain McDaniel also founded ACC Family in Alexandria, a home health care organization built around the belief that caring for others should be rooted in dignity, compassion, and love.

[00:10:00] He remained deeply involved in the organization and served as chairman of the Board of Emeritus, becoming a mentor and role model for two generations of caregivers and families. Again, a legacy of courage, faith, and service. Perhaps his greatest legacy was not his military decorations or accomplishments, but the example that he set for others.

[00:10:21] He transformed the hardships he endured into a lifetime of service, teaching through his actions the importance of perseverance, faith, compassion, and putting others first. His impact lives on through the ACC family, the veterans and families he championed, and the countless people inspired by his life.

[00:10:42] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for noting Janet Howe in her passing. I did just want to add a little bit more onto that. From a Ruston perspective, she really was a true Rustonian.

[00:11:02] She, not only did she chair the Western Citizens Association, she also was president of the Forest Edge PTA, and she recruited somebody to succeed her as president, and that was my successor, or predecessor, Kathy Hudgens.

[00:11:21] So, you know, she had a real impact in the community. And the other thing I want to note, you mentioned a lot of the funding that she had gotten into many a state budget bill. I keep tripping across things that Janet helped with funding-wise. You know, the W and OD bridge over Wheelie Avenue, which was just completed a couple years ago, that was done with her support. And I know there's a program that many of us have been talking about and focused on, but the permanent supportive housing vouchers.

[00:11:59] Fairfax County has a pilot, 300 vouchers, which I know we're working to move forward with that. That was Janet. That was her working behind the scenes quietly but making an incredible difference for the county and for the community.

[00:12:15] So we truly miss her, but thank you very much for bringing that up. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Palchik. Thank you. I just also want to add briefly, I will always remember the first time I met Janet Howell, Senator Howell.

[00:12:32] I was just starting to run for office and she was talking and she truly was a trailblazer for women in the Senate and the stories she shared that are just unimaginable today about what she had to put up with to be one of the only women from the structure of the actual buildings to the things that were said to her.

[00:12:53] Now it's a very exciting time that we're at an all-time high of 14 out of 40 women in the Senate. Majority are Democrats in both houses. Women are just absolutely taking the next step and crushing through that ceiling.

[00:13:12] But I will always remember Janet and the story she told and the fearlessness she had to do what she did. And so I know we have a lot to thank her for in her work, but especially in her work, making it a slightly easier path for women, even though it is not an easy path.

[00:13:32] So our hearts are with her here in Fairfax County. Thank you, Supervisor Pouchek. Anyone else who would like to be recognized? Seeing and hearing no one else, if all who are able could please rise for a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

[00:13:56] Face the flag.

[00:14:12] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, for all. All right. This morning we have four presentations, and for each presentation I'll announce the proclamation and invite our speaker down to the podium here in front of me.

[00:14:45] We'll read that proclamation, take a vote on it, and after the speaker's remarks we'll pose for a picture from the dais. And first up, we have a resolution to honor Darrell Washington, former director of the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board, CSB, for his many years of dedicated service and outstanding leadership in advancing behavioral health across the region.

[00:15:08] And this was requested by myself. Our speaker, of course, is Darrell Washington, who is making his way on down. And I am going to turn the gavel over to Supervisor Smith so that I can read the following resolution. Whereas Daryl Washington devoted nearly 30 years of service to Fairfax County, joining the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board CSB in 1996 and serving in positions of increasing responsibility before becoming executive director in 2018.

[00:15:37] And whereas Mr. Washington led the CSB through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping ensure continued access to critical mental health, substance use disorder, and developmental disability services for residents. And whereas he helped lead Fairfax County's response to the opioid epidemic, strengthening prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts, and expanding community-based resources for individuals and families affected by substance use disorder.

[00:16:04] And whereas under his leadership, the CSB expanded and strengthened its continuum of care, including crisis stabilization and peer and recovery supports, while improving access and integration and developing a comprehensive strategic plan to guide the agency's future.

[00:16:22] And whereas through decades of service as a clinician, administrator, and executive leader, Mr. Washington leaves the CSB stronger, more accessible, and better positioned to meet the evolving needs of our Fairfax County community, now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, expresses its sincere appreciation to Daryl Washington for his dedicated service, leadership, and lasting contributions, and wishes him continued success in his role with the Commonwealth.

[00:16:55] I'll second that, along with Supervisor Palchuk. Any discussion on the motion? Yes, Madam Vice Chair, first, congratulations, Daryl. For those watching, Daryl has been gone, but certainly not forgotten, for the last eight months as he's been serving under the Spanberger administration and and took on an important statewide role and I think that obviously is because of the leadership that he has demonstrated over these 30 years in Fairfax County literally working in almost every position you can imagine at the CSB and

[00:17:30] so we were ecstatic is an understatement when you got the appointment because we knew that you would do great things now for the entire Commonwealth and in my conversations with you. I know how well positioned our CSB is, certainly compared to other parts of the state, which you well knew before you took this role, but I think are seeing more so now in this role than ever before. And Darrell, while he is serving in Richmond, is still a Fairfax County guy and is still seen around our area. In fact, we were recently at a graduation ceremony together for our high school health workers and so I know your passion and your heart is

[00:18:09] still here but we want to take this opportunity to thank you for all you've done for Fairfax County and literally for taking that talent to a state that needs people like you more than than one can imagine and it doesn't take long if you drive out of Northern Virginia into other parts of the state to see how far behind in services so many areas of the Commonwealth are and and Darrell I know I know you've seen it all, and we're just so appreciative of you taking that role in your service to Fairfax.

[00:18:40] And then lastly, I want to thank your family, because I know that the position in Fairfax is a tough one. Particularly head of CSB is not an easy job. It's not a 9-to-5 job either. It's a passion, and that passion sometimes takes you away from family.

[00:18:57] And so I want to thank them for supporting you along the way and, importantly, continuing to support you in this new role that we're so proud you've taken. And so I want to take this opportunity to say thanks, of course, but most importantly, wish you well in the work that you're continuing to do.

[00:19:15] Supervisor Palczyk, then Stork. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. Daryl and your family, I just want to thank you. I came to this board and chaired Health and Human Services in January 2020 and then came March of 2020. And not only did I have to catch up my knowledge, which was limited in the CSB, but all of this during the pandemic.

[00:19:36] And so I just personally very much appreciate the work you did to help bring in an almost new board, entirely new board, and help lead us responsibly and thoughtfully through the pandemic, through the opioid pandemic and the work you're doing.

[00:19:54] But there's one line that I always attribute to you, and that is, if every CSB... And the Commonwealth were funding their community services the way they are funded here locally in Fairfax County. We would be closing mental health hospitals.

[00:20:09] We would not be having a bed shortage. So there is no one better to be down in Richmond, focused on that. And I want to thank you, but also the challenge is there. Now you're in charge, Daryl. And help us bring the excellent work that you've helped us to lead here in Fairfax County to the most vulnerable across the state, especially where these services are not currently available.

[00:20:35] So thank you. Thank you to your family. I think it's going to be an even bigger challenge now for them. You're going to have many miles to drive across the Commonwealth, but you're the right guy for the job. And thank you again for your work. Thank you, Supervisor Stork, then Lusk. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair, and Daryl, it is an honor to have worked with you, and particularly the truly tough times that we had about five, six years ago.

[00:21:04] There weren't enough clinicians, there weren't enough resources, there wasn't enough of anything. And making those stretch and making a difference, while still over the course of your time, last seven eight years really reimagining health care mental health care for our community diversion first co-responder program community response team csb clinicians embedded in the 911 operations center i know we saw them at the kennedy homeless shelter and maybe not as many because we're still

[00:21:40] challenged i know with with finding enough clinicians and other support people but those are the things that have truly made a difference and are making a difference. And I truly do wish that the state looked at mental health services the way that they are at least looking at some of the other health care services. And I hope your leadership can truly make a difference in Richmond. When we fund 70, 80 percent of the mental health services we offer here because the state doesn't, there's something seriously wrong with that. And I'm hoping that you're able to break through some of that and do some of the other, many, many other things you've done here, not only

[00:22:19] the CSB community-based youth services and youth medication assistance treatment, the PATH program. I mean, again, the list is long and distinguished and has made a difference. And if nothing else, you know, being a little bit entrepreneurial, trying something if it's not quite working and doing something else, those are the hallmarks, I think, of a great leader, somebody who makes a difference, somebody who uses the resources they have to help us all be a better community and treat each other better. Thank you again. Thank you. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Madam Vice Chairman. Let me add to the remarks of my colleagues an appreciation for your service.

[00:22:57] I especially appreciate the CSB services that expanded into the South County area, particularly in the Franconia and Malvernian districts under your leadership. In 2024, You opened that new youth medication assisted treatment facility at the Jerry Highland Government Center, and you expanded, which I thought was really helpful in the community-based services for youth and families at the High La Valley Community Center, making those services available and accessible to those residents.

[00:23:27] You were a steadfast partner in delivering critical services to underserved communities all across Fairfax County, so thank you for that. And as was mentioned before, you championed Diversion First, the co-responder programs and many others that have now even celebrated more than 10 years in operation.

[00:23:45] So very distinguished. And then I'll say you've significantly expanded access, equity for behavioral health, youth counseling, for substance abuse treatment, for crisis response and developmental services in Fairfax County.

[00:24:02] And your legacy will long succeed you. And I just wanna say congratulations on an amazing run here in Fairfax County. And I wanna wish you future success in all of your endeavors in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And thank you so very much.

[00:24:18] - Thank you, Supervisor Sizemore Heiser. - Thank you, I will keep it brief. I just needed to say, I wanted to say to Daryl, I really appreciate all of your work that you've done. I served on the CSB board when you were executive director And I saw firsthand just the care that you give, the passion, the knowledge, and the enthusiasm and expertise you brought to the CSB here.

[00:24:42] And I'm excited to see the work you'll do at this date. So thank you for all your work and good luck to you. And please don't be a stranger. You know, we are so much better off because you were here. Thank you. Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[00:24:59] Aye. Anyone opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Offer that. And at this time, we'd be delighted to hear from Darrell Washington himself. Welcome back. Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the board. I appreciate this recognition and all the kind words you said to me.

[00:25:18] Yeah, this job has been a significant journey. It really was truly a pleasure to work for Fairfax County. Being a native of Fairfax, growing and being, you know, born in Fairfax Hospital, raised in Bailey's Crossroads, living now in the Center Road Clifton area, it really was a joy to work for the CSB.

[00:25:38] There were challenging times, but there were also a lot of great times. I know the unwavering support and just want to express my gratitude and thanks to all of you for your continued support of the CSB. I knew it beforehand, but traveling around Virginia now, my current role, you kind of see it at a different level, the difference it makes truly in the lives.

[00:26:00] I know you've talked about a number of the different programs, But I just know from the days of me, you know, being at the CSB, you know, things like having a detoxification center, a residential treatment center, intensive outpatient services, you know, other CSBs don't have that.

[00:26:18] So citizens of Fairfax that are able to access care and get care in the community that just isn't available in other communities for individuals, regardless of their ability to pay. Having things like youth outpatient treatment services in three different rec centers across the county and having youth medication assisted treatment centers, not in one location, but multiple locations and being able to expand that.

[00:26:46] Having multiple mobile crisis units available for things when other localities are not able to stand up one. I mean, that makes a huge difference. It allows that. And then also the great partnerships. You know, working closely with the sheriff and the chief of police, and I saw Tom come in from, you know, the housing later on and being to have those close partnerships with that.

[00:27:11] That doesn't happen in other localities as well, and I think it really is all of those pieces being put together. And even things that you don't see behind the scenes, having great partnerships with the county attorney's office and things like the budget office, being able to sit down and truly problem solve on what's going to be the best way for us to make this happen and make it work.

[00:27:31] So I know individuals with mental health, with substance abuse, and then individuals with developmental disabilities. Elsewhere in the state, if you do not have a waiver, you don't get access to care. Here in Fairfax, there are non-waivered individuals to get access to employment and day services.

[00:27:47] That's unheard of. And I want to express my thanks and gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support to make sure that that happens here in the county, because I think all the residents and citizens here are better off as a result of that. Again, it has been a great pleasure, and I want to thank you for your ongoing support of the CSB, and looking forward to continue to work at the state level to see how we can make our system even stronger across the Commonwealth.

[00:28:12] So thank you. Thank you very much, Daryl. Before we pose for a picture, I know you have two really important people in your life with you, if you'd like to introduce them.

[00:28:27] Yeah, this is my daughter, Erin, and my wife, Hope, and my two sons, Chris and Ryan, couldn't be here today. And I know my mom said she'd be watching on TV, so she's at our home. I grew up in the Bailish Crossroads. She is hopefully very proud, as we all are of you.

[00:28:45] And so thank you again. With that, I think we're ready for a picture, and if you all could come forward and the board could rise.

[00:29:54] Next, we have a proclamation to designate August 2nd through the 8th, 2026, as National Health Centers Week in Fairfax County. And this was requested by myself and Supervisor Alcorn, and I'm going to turn the gavel over to Vice Chair Smith again. so that I can read the following proclamation.

[00:30:10] While I'm doing that, our speaker is Dr. Tanya Adkins, CEO of HealthWorks for Northern Virginia, and anyone else who's here for this presentation is welcome to join her as well. Whereas for more than 60 years, community health centers have expanded access to high quality, affordable, and comprehensive primary and preventative care, improving health outcomes and strengthening communities across the nation.

[00:30:34] And whereas community health centers serve as an essential part of the nation's healthcare safety net, providing high-quality, affordable, and comprehensive primary care, dental services, behavioral health care, preventative service, and other integrated services to individuals and families, regardless of income, insurance status, or background, while reducing barriers to care and improving health outcomes.

[00:30:56] And whereas Fairfax County is served by two federally qualified health centers, HealthWorks for Northern Virginia and Neighborhood Health, which partner with the county and community organizations to improve health outcomes, reduce barriers to care, and provide comprehensive primary dental, behavioral health, and preventative services.

[00:31:15] And whereas in Fairfax County, HealthWorks for Northern Virginia and Neighborhood Health serve nearly 60,000 patients each year, providing quality, affordable care through their dedicated staff, volunteers, board members, and community partners.

[00:31:30] And whereas National Health Center Week provides an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions of community health centers and celebrate their continued commitment to building healthier, stronger, and more equitable communities. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby proclaim August 2nd through the 8th, 2026 as National Health Care Center Week in Fairfax County and encourages all residents to recognize and celebrate the vital role community health centers play in improving the health and well-being of our community.

[00:32:04] Second that motion, along with Supervisors Alcorn and Palchuk, discussion on the motion. Yeah, very briefly. First, if you're hearing me say we're proclaiming the week of August 2nd to the 8th, and you feel like you need to remind me that it's a little bit late to do that, I will tell you that when we looked at this, we didn't have a meeting proximate to the date, but we didn't want to miss the opportunity to highlight what is happening with our community health centers and our gratefulness to the work that they do each and every day in our community, because while we are declaring National Health Center Week during August 2nd through 8th, we know that every day in Fairfax County is National Health Care Day.

[00:32:44] And without the work that's happening in our health centers every day, this would be a very different community. And I would encourage my colleagues, if you have not been to one of these centers, to go visit. It is eye-opening. Just the volume of patients, the gratefulness of those patients to be getting services, and the work that so many people who staff these offices do in caring for our most vulnerable residents.

[00:33:11] And I think we all know the importance of public health, and when we're all healthier, we're all healthier. And if we're leaving people behind, that has an effect on all of us. And that's not just a moral statement, it's an economic and a basic fairness statement. Lastly, I think it's important to highlight this right now because we know changes that are happening at the national level are leaving a lot of people behind.

[00:33:35] people who were insured are losing their insurance one of the challenges that we face in Virginia thankfully not in Fairfax County but small rural hospitals are closing and patients have nowhere to go and so we're blessed here in Fairfax County to have this safety net of health care but we also are watching very closely the changes happening at the federal level because I know it is changing the demand in these health centers and and the needs the real needs that exist in our community.

[00:34:06] And so every day is National Health Center Day in Fairfax County, but we didn't want to miss this opportunity, most importantly to say thank you to the people who do the work. Supervisor Alcorn, then Stork. Thank you very much, Madam Vice Chair. And just to build on the chairman's comments, I would also encourage our colleagues to visit one of these centers if you have not already.

[00:34:29] It is really an eye-opening experience, and also it's something that really helped me to appreciate the services that you provide and how important it is to the community and to community health overall.

[00:34:45] This is, I did just want to point out one thing. It's kind of interesting, you know, when I visited, one of the things that was pointed out, that it's not just for people that don't have insurance, that these centers are available to anybody who's seeking health care.

[00:35:03] And if you take a look, and I spent a few minutes doing this, looking at Google reviews for there, you really get to see some of the stories and the appreciation from many of our residents that actually were truly benefited from this.

[00:35:22] This is not a theoretical thing. This is a real thing, and, you know, the dedication that you and your staff do every day to help the community through this way is truly remarkable, and we're very appreciative. Supervisor Stork.

[00:35:39] Thank you, Madam Vice Chair, and this really is a very special place in my heart because health care should be for everyone, and it isn't always available to everyone, and that's flat wrong. and needs to change.

[00:35:57] And without, frankly, community health centers, it would be even worse than it is. I mean, we have physicians and dentists and others who provide services, but the routine availability and, frankly, the kind of health care that people need to be able to count on is not ubiquitous.

[00:36:15] It has to be something that's conscious and deliberate. I appreciate very much our own health department and all the work that's done, not only at the Cherry Island Center and many other places around the county, But I especially want to honor and recognize the partnership that Neighborhood Health has had with the county and, frankly, throughout Northern Virginia.

[00:36:37] It's an incredibly important organization to Northern Virginia. You know, over 22,000 patients annually from Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax County, 42,000. That's huge. And those aren't just adults.

[00:36:54] they truly run the spectrum from WIC program and pregnant and infants, of course, but having pediatric dentistry and dentistry and pharmacies and really the whole range of services, it's truly remarkable.

[00:37:10] And I especially want to acknowledge and appreciate Governor Spanberger's appearance at Neighborhood Health on Thursday, August 13th. And she had a wonderful tour and got to see the amazing organization, the amazing people that truly make and help Neighborhood Health and help make community health care work.

[00:37:32] And I cannot, I guess, finish without acknowledging what Dr. Kahn, particularly Dr. Kahn, the leader of Neighborhood Health, has done for everyone. He is one of those leaders that not only is an MD and has public health administration experience, but also is a kind, thoughtful, quietly, intensely focused individual who has helped to build neighborhood health and has helped to create the partnership, I think, that's worked so well for Fairfax County and for our residents.

[00:38:05] So 30 years worth of effort on their part and the collaboration and the work that you all do on the part of the county and others is a huge part of that. So if you haven't been to it, Neighborhood Health Enrichment Highway serves everyone.

[00:38:22] You need care, you can get it there. Thank you. Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Vice Chairman Smith.

[00:38:38] And as I mentioned, we're delighted to have Dr. Tanya Adkins, CEO of HealthWorks for Northern Virginia, here with us and with a lot of friends. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you so much. Good morning, Chairman McKay and Fairfax supervisors. On behalf of HealthWorks for Northern Virginia, I just want to say thank you. This is a tremendous honor for recognizing the first week of August as National Health Center week. We're grateful for this proclamation, but more importantly, we're grateful for the support. As Mr. Washington said previously, I've had the honor of being the CEO for the last four years, and I meet with other CEOs across

[00:39:14] the Commonwealth. And I know that they don't get the support that we are blessed to have here in Fairfax. So I really want to echo a heartfelt thank you. National Health Center Week is a time to celebrate more than 1,400 community health centers across the country.

[00:39:31] We take care of more than 10 million patients. One in 10 patients who are seen for health care go to a community health center. So we have a large impact. Here in Fairfax, though, we know that the work is much more than the numbers. It's about individuals and families who can access medical, dental, behavioral health care, and other services in a place where they are welcomed, respected, and understood. It's about making sure where you live, what you earn, or whether you have insurance or not, does not determine whether you can get the health care that you need. That is the mission of HealthWorks: to provide compassionate, culturally competent, accessible health care to individuals and families throughout Northern Virginia.

[00:40:10] Our partnership with Fairfax County has been an important part of our ability to reach people where they are and respond to the needs of our community. From working with schools, community organizations, to expanding access to health care services, we are proud to be a part of the network of organizations working together to build a healthier Fairfax. I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible HealthWorks team, who are 150 plus strong, many of whom are here today. Our providers, clinical staff, front office teams, leadership team, and everyone behind the scenes come to work every day with one goal, making sure our patients receive the care they

[00:40:47] deserve. We're proud to serve Fairfax County, proud to be your partner, and proud to celebrate National Health Center Week with you. Thank you to the Board of Supervisors for recognizing the right and wrong that HealthWorks plays in our communities. Thank you for this proclamation, and thank you for your continued commitment to the health and well-being of our communities.

[00:41:06] Thank you very much, Dr. Adkins, and as I mentioned in the proclamation, between Neighborhood Health and HealthWorks, we're serving 60,000-plus residents of Fairfax County, and so many of them, I know, get an opportunity when they're in for services to say thank you, but I know we also say thank you on behalf of those 60,000 people whose lives are improved by the work you do every single day, so thank you.

[00:41:32] With that, I think we're ready for a photo, and if Supervisor Alcorn could join me, if you all could come forward, face the audience, and the board could rise for a photo.

[00:42:13] And next, we have a proclamation to designate August 2026 as Black Business Month in Fairfax County, and this was requested by myself.

[00:43:10] Our speaker is Tanya Poindexter, board chair of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce. If you and anyone who's here with you could come on down, I am again going to turn the gavel to Vice Chair Smith so that I can read the following proclamation. Whereas August is National Black Business Month, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of black-owned businesses across the nation and recognize their contributions to local communities and the economy.

[00:43:38] And whereas Fairfax County is home to a strong community of black-owned businesses that strengthen the county's economic vitality through entrepreneurship, job creation, and the high-quality goods and services they provide. And whereas the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce is celebrating 18 years of serving businesses throughout Northern Virginia, including Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and Arlington counties, and the City of Alexandria.

[00:44:04] And whereas the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce has grown to 645 members across the region, including approximately 180 members in Fairfax County, representing approximately 28% of its total membership, and whereas black-owned businesses strengthen Fairfax County's economy and community by fostering entrepreneurship and innovation and contributing to the vitality of communities throughout the county.

[00:44:30] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby proclaim August 2026 as Black Business Month in Fairfax County and urges all residents to recognize and support the vital contributions black-owned businesses make in our local economy and community.

[00:44:52] I'll second that along with Supervisor Beerman. And I think I had Stork there. Discussion on the motion? Yes, very briefly, Madam Chairman, first, thank you to our Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce for all that you do in our community. I want to take this opportunity not only to thank you to promote these businesses, because we know times have been tough, and supporting our local businesses is absolutely vital to their success.

[00:45:18] And sometimes we don't think about that in our day-to-day work when we're looking for goods and services, But the importance of respecting, protecting, and being customers of those businesses that make our community thrive is so important. You know, when we talk in Fairfax County about our rich diversity, you can see it everywhere, including in our businesses.

[00:45:38] And this is just another example of that. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Rebecca Mowdry and her team and the Department of Economic Initiatives, because one of the things that we saw very clearly through COVID, through the grant program that we had, is supporting our small businesses, especially our minority-owned businesses, was so important to many of them, keeping the lights on, keeping their doors open, and allowing them to continue to serve our community.

[00:46:07] And the establishment of programs specifically geared towards helping black businesses, recognizing and understanding that they face different challenges than other businesses in our community, accessing capital and other things. And the programs that they have put in place that recognize that, I have heard from so many business owners the difference that that is making for them.

[00:46:29] And so I want to thank them as well. And to all of our county residents, continue to support these businesses. Look for them. find them. These are people who live in our community, whose kids go to our schools, who are part of the fabric of what makes Fairfax County richly diverse and economically successful. And so while this is Black Business Month, as I said earlier about our earlier proclamation, it's really Black Business Day every day in Fairfax County. Get out there and support them and cherish them in our community.

[00:47:02] Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair, and thank you all very much for being here. And really, as the chairman said, it's not just about recognizing businesses at one point in a month. It's about encouraging residents to intentionally support small businesses regardless, but especially our block-owned businesses.

[00:47:23] And I needed and wanted to highlight a little bit of the businesses that are particularly in Mount Vernon, Franconia, Lorton, Richmond Highway Corridor. And some of those businesses that are black-owned or Caribbean-owned or African-owned include Della J's, PJ's Coffee, Ruby's Jamaican Kitchen, Fishers of Men, Hemi Barbecue and International Grocery, Scrimp Shack, Bacola International Market, Adan Tropical Market, Nayami African-Caribbean, Zima Ethiopian Market, JSD International Fabrics and Food, Bahama African Cuisine, and Gateway International Market.

[00:48:03] And I'm sure I left off a few, and I apologize if I did, but they should contact us and let us know how we can help and work with them to be successful. As a small business owner, I get it. Every day is another day of do I get more customers and how do I find a way to continue to grow and develop my business.

[00:48:23] And it's never easy, but we can make a difference by serving and supporting them. So thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you very much, Madam Vice Chairman. I'll start by saying I had the pleasure of spending 21 years working in Fairfax County's Economic Development Authority, supporting businesses small, large, across the spectrum.

[00:48:46] The one thing I learned is that businesses have to make a decision. They have to make a decision as to where they locate. They have to make a decision as to where they invest and grow, where they hire. And I just appreciate that we have so many black businesses who have committed to Fairfax County.

[00:49:05] It is a testament to our community. The businesses want to be here, and they are making significant investments. They're making our community better. And I think about the job creation. I think about the capital investment. All of these things help support the growth and expansion of Fairfax County.

[00:49:26] So I just want to say thank you to all the businesses who have made the decision to come to Fairfax County, and we want other businesses who are interested, who have an interest in being in Fairfax County, to reach out to us because we have a place that you can grow and develop and flourish.

[00:49:47] And so with that, I'll say thank you very much, Madam Vice Chairman. Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. And as I mentioned, we're blessed to have Tanya Poindexter, board chair of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, which I cannot believe is celebrating 18 years. It feels like just yesterday. I remember when it started that it was 18 years ago, but we are blessed to have you here with us and would be happy to hear some words from you. Welcome. And we are appreciating you guys recognizing Black-Owned Business Month

[00:50:25] this August. And the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce is proud to be recognized. And we're not recognizing us as a chamber. We're actually recognizing all those black-owned businesses here in Northern Virginia, and specifically Fairfax County, because we're honoring them. We're honored to serve them and provide them the resources that they need to become successful business owners in Fairfax County so that they can add to the economy of Fairfax County, Virginia.

[00:50:59] You know, black-owned businesses have a special kind of challenge, but those challenges are not insurmountable as long as we can come together and work together and collaborate. And that is our job, Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.

[00:51:16] We want to strengthen our partnership with the county and add value to the county as well. So thank you all for helping us honor Black-Owned Business Month, and we want to continue to work with you. Thank you. And you have two folks here with you.

[00:51:32] I'd be delighted if they could be introduced as well. Yes, thank you. I have our membership chair, Pat Dinkins, and our communications chair, Reggie Holmes. Perfect. Thank you for joining us. We appreciate it. With that, I think we're ready for a photo. and if you all could come forward, the board could rise for a photo.

[00:52:37] And we now have a resolution to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Reston Multicultural Festival. This was requested by myself and Supervisor Alcorn.

[00:52:53] Our speaker is B.B. Nguyen, Executive Director of the Reston Community Center. If you could come on down, and anyone else who's here with you is welcome to join you as well. I see a few suspects up there. And while they are coming on down, I will recognize Supervisor Alcorn to read a resolution.

[00:53:09] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Twenty-five years. Boy, where does the time go? Whereas the Reston Multicultural Festival celebrates Reston's rich diversity and inclusive community spirit through music, dance, arts, crafts, and cultural traditions from around the world, and whereas the festival began 25 years ago when Ellen Graves and Margaret Boyd approached the late Hunter Mill District Supervisor Kathy Hudgens with the idea for a community celebration to honor Reston's diversity,

[00:53:39] And whereas the festival highlights Reston's founding principles by embracing arts, culture, and inclusivity as cornerstones of the community and builds a strong sense of belonging and pride across the many cultures and generations that call Reston home.

[00:53:55] and whereas the festival has deepened its commitment to traditional cultural arts through the participation of National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows, recipients of the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts, and whereas the 2026 Reston Multicultural Festival will be held on September 19th at Reston Town Center, presented by the Reston Community Center and Reston Town Center Association in partnership with BXP and Reston Association.

[00:54:28] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all county residents, does hereby congratulate the Reston Multicultural Festival on its 25th anniversary and thanks the Reston Community Center, its partners, volunteers, performers, sponsors, and visitors for making the festival a cherished community tradition.

[00:54:49] I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Palczyk. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, 25 years. This is weird. It doesn't seem that long ago when this first got going. But this is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and to celebrate Reston's heritage and tradition as an open community, as a multicultural community.

[00:55:15] But it doesn't happen unless people make it happen. And thank you so much, Reston Community Center and the other organizations, for keeping this going. It really is and has become a cherished tradition. So I'm glad we'll be able to get to 25, and let's keep going and do another 25 at least.

[00:55:36] So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. Supervisor Palchik. I just want to thank you. As someone who worked and enjoyed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the National Mall for many years and saw the brilliance that came from putting that work together and celebrating the cultures here, locally, and across the world, as that is no longer happening on the National Mall.

[00:55:59] It is a delight, and I invite everyone who misses that to come to the Reston Multicultural Center and see what it means when a community invests in its culture, its music, and most importantly, its people. So thank you for your work. Hoping to make it and bring the kiddo this year.

[00:56:16] Thank you, Supervisor Powczyk. And I also want to reiterate something that Supervisor Alcorn said, because having been to this celebration multiple years and seeing the amount of time, effort, work, and dedication that goes into it, what I see when I get there is people from all over the county, not just Reston, but people from all over the county enjoying the diversity of our community, enjoying the town center, enjoying meeting each other.

[00:56:43] What they don't see is the amount of planning, work, and effort that goes into pulling off a day like that. And sometimes that can be easy to take for granted. If there weren't volunteers and sponsors to be able to do it, things like this wouldn't happen in our community. So we're celebrating 25 years of people who have made this a priority, and as a result of that, a community that has benefited from this festival for 25 years and hopefully for 25 more successful years.

[00:57:14] So thank you. With that, I think we're ready for a photo. Oh, actually, we're not ready for a photo because we have to hear from Ms. Nguyen first, who is the Executive Director of the Reston Community Center. Welcome. The floor is yours. Well, thank you, Chairman McKay, and thank you for lowering the podium because that's always a challenge for me.

[00:57:32] But thank you again, Supervisor Alcorn, for bringing this proclamation and members of the Board of Supervisors for recognizing the 25th Reston Multicultural Festival. 25 years is a remarkable milestone, and to me it's not just about 25 festivals, but it's the idea, it's the community, and the people who believed in the power of bringing people together.

[00:57:56] And as Supervisor Alcun mentioned, the two Reston residents have brought the idea to RCC with the encouragement of the then 100-mil district supervisor, Kathy Hudgens. I just attended the 20th anniversary of the Kathy Hudgens Community Center last weekend, and so it's very befitting that we're paying tribute to her again here today.

[00:58:23] Former RCC executive director, Lila Gordon, who's here in the back of me right now, has often reminded me over the years that the festival reflects Robert Simon's vision for Reston, a place where people of different ages, incomes, backgrounds, and cultures could live together and build community.

[00:58:43] There's one moment that she shared with me that have captured the meaning of this festival powerfully. After September 11th in 2001, there was a question about whether the festival should continue. And Reston resident and planning committee member, Norma Khan at the time had been killed at the Pentagon, and the community made a choice that September to gather. So the festival became the Reston's first community gathering after September 11th, giving us a place to honor Norma and to stand together during a painful moment for our

[00:59:18] country and our community. When fear could have divided us, Reston chose connection. As someone who came to this country as a refugee, that means something very personal to me. I know what it means to leave one home and to be welcome into another. I know the power of belonging, and I believe deeply that community is not something we simply inherit. It is something we choose to nurture and to build together. As the festival grows and its footprint relocated from Lake Ann

[00:59:53] to Reston Town Center, its purpose never changed to make room for one another to celebrate our differences and to remind us that diversity is not simply something we have in Reston. It is one of our greatest strengths, and none of that happens without our people.

[01:00:10] So today I want to thank again our partners, Reston Town Center, Reston Town Center Association, BXP, our host, and Reston Association. Our planning committee members, our volunteers, our artists, our cultural organizations, and all the vendors past and present.

[01:00:26] And I especially want to recognize RCC staff, who have given countless hours to plan, coordinate, solve all the problems, and welcome people and make the celebration possible year after year. Ultimately, this festival belongs to our community.

[01:00:43] It belongs to the child discovering a new culture for the very first time, the family sharing the food and their family traditions, the performer who proudly shared their heritage, and the neighbor who leaves knowing a little bit more about their neighbors or someone that they may have not ever got to meet.

[01:01:02] That is the gift of the Reston Multicultural Festival. On behalf of the Reston Community Center, thank you for honoring this extraordinary tradition, and more importantly, the people who have made it a cherished tradition.

[01:01:18] Thank you. Thank you very much. And you have some usual suspects there with you. If they would like to or you would like to introduce them, we would welcome that as well. Yes. I have my two members of my board, Paul Thomas, and my board vice chair, Beverly Caution.

[01:01:42] And on my right is my deputy director, Brianne Baclini. Excellent. Thank you all for joining us this morning and for the work that you do. And with that, we're ready for a photo. If the board could rise, and Supervisor Alcorn and I will join you. I know I have some friends in the audience, so Lila, would you please join us?

[01:02:01] and some of my staff members.

[01:02:02] Thank you.

[01:04:04] Next up, we have appointments to boards, authorities, commissions, and advisory groups. And at this time, I'm going to turn to Vice Chair Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of appointments to citizen boards, authorities, and commissions and advisory groups in the document dated August 25, 2026.

[01:04:22] And the chair will second that, along with it sounded like half the board. Let me ask if there are any appointments board members like to vote on separately or any questions uh seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and i'm going to assume uh supervisor sizemore heiser is an aye vote okay i'm getting a confirmation of that and supervisor herity who

[01:04:56] just came in as an aye vote uh and that motion carries with uh supervisor lusk uh being out of of the room at the time. Mr. Chairman? Yes, Supervisor Alcott. Yeah, just very quickly, I know this is a little out of order, but I did want to just recognize Paul Thomas, who was in the package as the new Hunter Mill Planning Commissioner, and he was here for the previous recognition, but thank you for staying around, Paul, and thank you for letting us.

[01:05:24] I commented to him that he's going to become very familiar with this setting, and it didn't scare him away, so we're glad to have him on board. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[01:05:39] Again, that motion carries with Supervisor Lusk being absent, Supervisor Sizemore Heiser voting in the affirmative. And with that, we are going to move on to board matters, and these have been compiled digitally. We'll go alphabetically by district, following myself and Vice Chairman Smith, and I'm going to turn the gavel over to Vice Chairman Smith so that I can read my board matters.

[01:06:05] First, I move to approve without objection the proclamation requested in this board item to be presented inside or outside of the boardroom as appropriate. I'm not going to read them all because there's a lot of them here, and I appreciate my colleagues sending the county-wide ones in so that we can streamline this process both for our offices and for the staff. And with that, I move approval. Without objection, it's so ordered. Thank you.

[01:06:36] My next item is a joint board matter with Supervisor Palczyk, and this concerns the James Scott Exceptional Design Awards, which recognize excellence in the comprehensive design of buildings and sites. The award seeks to raise public and professional awareness of exemplary planning and design projects in Fairfax County and is sponsored by the Board of Supervisors and administered by the Department of Planning and Development in collaboration with the Architectural Review Board and the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The 2026 awards will be presented at a special ceremony at the Fairfax County

[01:07:11] Government Center on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 from 5.30 to 7.30 p.m. This event provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate exemplary planning and design projects in our community. This ceremony is scheduled on a board committee meeting day, and I would like to invite all board members to remain at the government center following the day's meetings to join us for the ceremony. Board members will have an opportunity to say a few words and take official photos with the awardees. A special invitation with additional information will be sent directly to all board members' offices by the exceptional design team.

[01:07:45] Therefore, I ask that board members be invited to attend the James M. Scott Exceptional Design Award Ceremony on October 20th and help us celebrate the accomplishments recognized throughout this important program. Without objection, it's so ordered. Thank you. My next board matter concerns the Veterans and Military Families Commission survey results, and I want to acknowledge I can see you're way up there, all the way up, almost in the back row, former Supervisor Penny Gross, who is here with us, who plays a vital role in this commission. I want to thank you for your service. Last November, the Fairfax County Veterans

[01:08:24] and Military Families Commission presented its inaugural report to the board and announced that a survey of veterans and military families would commence in January. The survey was open from January 15th to February 24th, 2026, and distributed through a variety of online and social media platforms focused on veterans and the military. The survey results have been analyzed by the commission and county staff and are ready to be shared with the board and neighboring jurisdictions. Areas measured were housing, food security, education, childcare, employment, and mental health substance abuse. High costs were the top

[01:09:02] concerns for housing, childcare, and food security. Seventy-three percent of respondents looking to rent or own a home in Fairfax cited rent and mortgage costs as their primary challenge. Respondents reported below 50 percent satisfaction on most education questions. Fewer than 50% of respondents were familiar with most services and support opportunities shared throughout the survey. 15% of respondents indicated they sometimes or often couldn't afford to eat balanced meals. Only 5% of respondents reported having struggled with substance abuse or addiction at some point. The Commission has identified housing along with education and childcare as priorities to guide its

[01:09:41] work during the next year. The cost burden for housing both rental and ownership was the strongest finding of the survey as housing stability affects every other issue. A large percentage of respondents were unaware of any of the county's affordable housing assistance programs. Improving access to and visibility of existing housing programs and resources for veterans and military families can be assisted by including information on the Veterans and Military Families webpage. For military families, as with non-military families, Child care is directly connected to spouse employment, family income, food security, and quality of life.

[01:10:19] Child care access on military installations often is over-enrolled, so parents seek alternatives off-post. The commission plans to have discussions with local military commanders to figure out what can be done between the county and the installation to help this shared issue, including regulatory hurdles that may impede establishment of new child care facilities.

[01:10:40] Although many of the survey respondents did not have children enrolled in Fairfax County public schools, those who did reported below 50 percent satisfaction across most education metrics, including military-connected resources and special education.

[01:10:57] Military families experience frequent transitions and weak transition support for students. Additionally, inconsistent counseling and special education gaps can lead to military-connected children falling behind their non-military peers. FCPS is working to achieve Purple Star status for all its schools within the next school year, but more attention should focus on gaps in documentation and special education IEP support.

[01:11:23] The Commission is not treating these items as separate issues. The survey pointed to a connected stability problem, high cost of living, child care barriers, school transition concerns, service navigation gaps, and mental health access challenges. The commission's new web page on the county website can identify resources and expand the commission's ability to bring issues to county agency partners and to the board.

[01:11:47] To highlight the long-awaited survey results and alert our veterans and military community to county resources, I ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs be directed to prepare an appropriate news release and information for distribution, especially to veterans' organizations, newsletters, and military-connected installations in Fairfax County.

[01:12:07] And I so move. Without objection, it's so ordered. And let me just add, as I mentioned, thanking Supervisor Gross, I want to thank all the members of the commission. And, you know, having grown up literally at Fort Belvoir and, you know, representing that area for a long time, I know I speak for a lot of people on this dais that the needs of the military community, while many of them are the same in here, there are also very distinct characteristics that we need to be mindful of.

[01:12:38] And seeing some of these survey results, especially the food insecurity one, is troubling. I mean, these are our national heroes, active service members and veterans who have served our community for a long time that are struggling, and we need to make sure we acknowledge that and do the proper reach out.

[01:12:57] And then finally, I do want to comment on the school piece for a moment, because as I visit some of the schools with high concentrations of military-connected children, the concerns that are raised in this survey are the same concerns that people working in those schools with military families have, which is, you know, there's not, you know, a lot of advanced planning that goes in.

[01:13:20] Kids just arrive. They get transferred. They get moved from one part of the country, come into Virginia, into FCPS. And not only are they dealing with the challenges within their own family and learning to acclimate to a new community, they may have had a very different academic background than other kids that are already in their classroom.

[01:13:41] And that doesn't get acknowledged enough. And I want to thank particularly the existing counselors in our FCPS schools that deal with this issue all the time. I will never forget talking to one of them at Woodlawn Elementary School, which is right near Fort Belvoir, And she told me that the most frustrating part for her is spending hundreds and hundreds of hours working with children that need her direct support.

[01:14:06] And then one day, that child is just gone, transferred somewhere else in the country. And she's starting over when a new child comes in. And just to reflect on that work and what those people face on a day-to-day basis, I think, is important for all of us to acknowledge.

[01:14:27] And so I look forward to the continued work of the commission, and most importantly, the continued support of our county agencies with our military and veterans-connected families. Finally, Madam Vice Chair, I do want to thank the contingent of members from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department's Urban Search and Rescue Team, who recently returned home from a mission to Columbia following the earthquakes that occurred there.

[01:14:55] They were part of a mission and have returned home in good health and spirits. It does seem that every few months, men and women who make up this team are called upon to assist somewhere in the country. It's a true point of honor for our county that we can help those in need when called upon.

[01:15:13] Again, this is a federal partnership and federal dollars support the USAR, and we all know that. But I think just reiterating that with our public is really important. So we want to thank those who just returned from Colombia, but also the team that returned from Venezuela.

[01:15:29] I know several of us were there to greet them when they came back, and I mentioned this before. I'm going to mention it again here for those who didn't hear it. But this was the first time that our USAR team returned where there was a large contingent, when they returned from Venezuela, of Venezuelans who turned out.

[01:15:50] And these were people who live in our community that have roots in Venezuela, have families still in Venezuela, who immigrated to the United States and just wanted to come out and say thank you to our FRD, to the USAR. But most importantly, the pride they had to live in a county that had people that saw them.

[01:16:10] You know, they thought, who's going to come help people in Venezuela? And to find out that your own county that you live in has the resources, capability, and talent to send men and women into these places is remarkable. And in the case of Venezuela, to have video evidence of literally saving the lives of people that would not have been saved without our search and rescue team there.

[01:16:35] And so I want to thank, again, those who served both Venezuela and the mission to Colombia. And as we always say when they return, I'll also thank their families and other personnel in FRD because when they are deployed in a way, that means somebody else is taking on responsibilities, both in the fire stations and in the fire service, but also taking responsibilities at the home front.

[01:16:59] And a lot of that falls on spouses and kids, and they're a part of this as well. And so I just want to thank them again for the great work that they do. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also want to thank Virginia's Task Force One.

[01:17:15] Obviously, I'm an immigrant. I am from Colombia. The majority of my family lives in the perimeter where this earthquake happened, mostly in Bogota. Obviously, a 7.4 earthquake is going to be felt way past the center. So I'm very fortunate that my family is okay, but so grateful for Virginia's Task Force One for traveling to Colombia to help with the efforts, to help with the families.

[01:17:39] So many lives were lost. And so having, you know, a county that sends and deploys people to help is so important. I'm so proud to be here in Fairfax County where we not only serve our community, but we're looking after the world's community.

[01:17:55] And so it's extremely important, as you mentioned, not only to thank those who went, but the families and those that they had to leave behind temporarily and continue their lives. So I just want to say thank you and just really proud of the service here in Fairfax County. Thank you very much, Supervisor Menez. And that is the end of my board matters. And next up is Vice Chair Smith.

[01:18:17] Thank you. This board matters about the Centerville Day Garbage Tipping Waiver. The 34th annual Centerville Day takes place in Centerville's Historic District on Saturday, October 17, 2026, sponsored by the Friends of Historic Centerville. The festivities include a parade, live entertainment, crafters, local businesses, community groups, and food vendors, children's activities, and tours of the historic district.

[01:18:40] Mr. Chairman, in the interest of maximizing the benefits from this event, I move the county staff waive the fees for the trash disposal. 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 Smith.

[01:18:57] Thank you. This is a board matter to authorize Suburban Village Center's plan amendment authorization. On December 9, 2025, the board adopted phase one of the Comprehensive Plan Policy Plan Amendment, known as Plan Forward, which updated the land use, transportation, environment, and parks and recreation elements and added a new healthy communities element.

[01:19:19] The updated land use element introduced the concept of suburban village centers, which are mixed-use community focal points within suburban neighborhoods. These transit-ready areas along arterial roadways provide a range of services adjacent to lower-density communities that may be suitable for mixed-use development, including medium-intensity residential use.

[01:19:42] The Board has advanced similar efforts for sites such as the Pan Am Shopping Center, Graham Park Shopping Center, and more recently, Franconia Triangle, as separate plan amendments. However, many other commercial and civic nodes have not been reconsidered since our original planning decades ago.

[01:20:00] At the same time, the Housing Action Plan prioritizes expanding the housing opportunities countywide. While much of the comprehensive plan focuses on new growth in our mixed-use centers, the suburban neighborhoods constitute a significant portion of the county's land area, and establishing a new planning framework for appropriate sites in these areas is an essential step to expanding housing opportunities.

[01:20:24] Staff have begun identifying potential locations that may merit consideration for suburban village-centered designation based on criteria established in the land-use element, and it is appropriate to allow this work to move forward. These areas vary widely in their characteristics, community needs, and goals, so a one-size-fits-all approach will not be feasible.

[01:20:46] The final list of criteria and suburban village-centered designations is expected to reflect this diversity. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to consider a comprehensive plan amendment to update the area plans for suburban village centers as a Tier 1 item on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment work program.

[01:21:06] This amendment may be processed in multiple phases. As always, approval of these motions shall in no way prejudice or affect any ongoing staff review and should not be construed as support for the application by the Board. Chair will second that along with again about half of the board who's impacted by it Discussion on the motions supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you very much. Mr. Chairman and Thank you by chair Smith for moving this forward This hasn't gotten a lot of attention, but this is actually a really big deal I mean, this is a really I think a smart way for us to look at our future

[01:21:44] that builds on what we have on the ground right now, places that need redevelopment and revitalization, and frankly focuses development in the future in areas that can be serviced by transit. So really, it has some jargon in it, and it's okay, and I'm all into the planning jargon, as everybody knows, but really what this is about is creating community and creating new communities and laying a framework for successful communities.

[01:22:14] So I want to thank Vice Chair Smith, but also the DPD staff for putting some really good thought into this. And I think this is a very promising first step into really a new future for Fairfax County.

[01:22:31] So thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Smith. Just a brief announcement, my office became aware that we have a Sully District resident, Romuland Rom Lipinski, a remarkable World War II veteran who just celebrated his 101st birthday.

[01:22:59] Rom's life is a story of courage, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to learning. As a teenager, he survived deportation to Siberia, joined the free Polish army, fought bravely through Italy, including at the historic Battle of Monte Cassino.

[01:23:17] After the war, he rebuilt his life through education, mastering five languages, and becoming a respected civil engineer who contributed to nuclear plant safety standards still used across the country. Rahm never stopped learning or giving back. At 101, he remains active, engaged, and an inspiration to us all.

[01:23:36] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And thank you, Ram, for making us all feel like underachievers. What a story. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And next up is Supervisor Sizemore-Heiser. I have no board matters listed, but want to recognize you if there's anything.

[01:23:53] No, I have nothing this week. Thank you. Thank you very much. Let's see. Supervisor Bierman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have no board matters, but I would like to introduce a new staffer who is here. We have Rhea Saran, who is joining the Drainsville District office.

[01:24:12] She grew up in the Drainsville District and attended Fairfax County public schools throughout, though she went to high school in the Providence District at Marshall. She is a proud member of Nerd Nation and spent her formative years on the farm. And for those of you who don't know, and I know Roshna Sizemore-Heiser does, that would be Stanford, where she has two degrees.

[01:24:32] I only have one, but she graduated with a master's in public policy and a bachelor's in human biology. She returned to the D.C. area to work in consulting. She also has experience working in the Biden-Harris White House, interning there, and for Senator Mark Warner, as well as working at several nonprofits where she worked on tech policy, health care, talent recruitment, education, women's empowerment, and sports.

[01:24:55] She is very busy. She asked me to let you all know that she is an athlete who is currently holding a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo. We do not condone violence, but do not mess with her. So I'm very, very happy that she's joining the office.

[01:25:13] She will be working on communications. She will also be working on parks and recreation, trash and solid waste, and the Residential Traffic Administration Program, and everything else we ask her to do because she's really smart. So thank you very much, and welcome, Rhea.

[01:25:28] Welcome. Welcome. Very impressive. Next up is Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Franconia District has the honor of being the home of two World War II veterans approaching significant birthdays this fall.

[01:25:48] Born in November 1925 and raised in Miami, Florida, Edwin Ed Lyman Kessler enlisted in the United States Navy in November of 1943, just shy of his 18th birthday. Aboard the USS Nashville, Mr. Kessler repaired critical communications equipment, intercepted enemy communications for fleet intelligence, and provided technical support as the USS Nashville covered the Borneo campaign, a historic equivalent to D-Day for Australia.

[01:26:23] Furthermore, he supported the ship's mission when it deployed to the newly liberated city of Manila. Following Japan's surrender in August of 1945, Ed's wartime service concluded after he participated in Operation Magic Carpet, the massive naval effort dedicated to returning millions of American veterans home. He will celebrate his 101st birthday this November.

[01:26:50] Born in October 1926 and raised in DuPont, Pennsylvania, Daniel Dan Emanuel Polinsky applied for voluntary induction into the United States Army as soon as he turned 18 years old, deploying to the Pacific Theater as an infantry soldier.

[01:27:13] Dan was sent to reinforce the United States Army during its final push to end the war in the Pacific. Following rigorous training, he arrived at the forward staging base on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands with the 10th Replacement Depot.

[01:27:34] Dan trained extensively for Operation Downfall and planned Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands until the war ended in August of 1945. Following Japan's surrender, he provided administrative support at the 204th Army General Hospital in Guam to facilitate the rehabilitation of liberated American veterans and other Allied prisoners of war before returning home.

[01:28:04] He will celebrate his 100th birthday this October. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs be directed to prepare two proclamations, one for Ed Kessler and one for Dan Polinsky, recognizing their significant birthdays and service to our nation, to be presented either within or outside the boardroom.

[01:28:25] And without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Second board matter is to recognize the 30th year anniversary of Rising Hope Church. This is a joint board matter with yourself, Mr. Chairman, and Supervisor Dan Stork.

[01:28:42] Mr. Chairman, on Saturday, September 26, 2026, Rising Hope Mission Church will celebrate its 30th anniversary. This joint board matter is between yourself and Supervisor Stork. 30 years ago, Pastor Kerry Kincannon drove through the Richmond Highway Corridor with a conviction that neighbors living on the margins of our community deserved a church that would come to them.

[01:29:05] It is fitting that this conviction, Rising Hope Mission Church, was born. The community of faith, their leadership, and volunteers have provided a welcoming place that residents can rely on. Through the Rising Hope Kitchen, residents receive hot lunches.

[01:29:23] Through the food market and Hope Closet, they receive food, clothing, and hygienic items. And through drop-in and wraparound services, they access additional essential resources. Rising Hope has supported civic engagement by assisting individuals with voter registration, English learning services, and allowing residents without a fixed address to use the church's address to receive their mail.

[01:29:49] Rising Hope lives by three tenets: love unconditionally, include everyone, and celebrate life. These powerful commitments build strong foundations, strengthen community connections, and support every person on their individual path.

[01:30:06] For the first 25 years, Kerry Kincannon was a builder and a tireless advocate, growing Rising Hope into an anchor institution. Upon his retirement, that legacy was inherited by Reverend Cameron Wiles, who uninterrupted service to the community has been invaluable. His leadership has ensured that not a single meal was missed, providing essentials during the pandemic and during the transition of homelessness services from New Hope Housing to Shelter House. Reverend Wiles continues to advocate for expanded homelessness services and the funding needed to address this critical

[01:30:45] issue. Rising Hope has never done this work alone. It has always relied on the kindness, the contributions and the service of residents along the Richmond Highway Corridor and the partnership of their siblings and faith. Rising Hope has provided hypothermia sheltering during the coldest months, ensuring that no one faces a freezing night alone. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection to direct the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation recognizing the 30th anniversary of Rising Hope Mission Church to be presented on Saturday,

[01:31:20] September 26, 2026, at their celebratory brunch in celebration of their longstanding service, contributions, and dedication to the most vulnerable in Fairfax County. And without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Lasky. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[01:31:35] And then additionally, I have an announcement for our 2026 Springfield Bridgewalk. So on Saturday, August 22, Fort Belvoir's garrison leadership, elected officials, local businesses and organizations, members of the active duty military and veteran community, and members of the Franconia-Springfield community once again walked over the Veterans Bridge on Amherst Avenue to reaffirm the Army Covenant.

[01:32:04] This community event, which began in 2009, was the first for newly appointed Fort Belvoir Garrison Commander Colonel Samuel Allen. At this year's Bridgewalk, we also honored and recognized two of our World War II veterans who we just mentioned earlier.

[01:32:22] And I'd also like to recognize Life Scouts Oliver Adams and Peyton Wu for their assistance in helping us celebrate both Ed and Dan at the event on Saturday. Thank you to the following supporters for making the event such a success.

[01:32:39] The American Legion Post 176, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7327, Malvern and Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Fairfax County Police Department, Fire and Rescue, Springfield Fire Station, Fairfax County Community Emergency Response Team, CERT, Fairfax County Park Authority for providing the showmobile, Springfield Civic Association, Wegmans of Alexandria, and the Office of Public Affairs.

[01:33:05] The date for our 2027 Springfield Bridgewalk has been tentatively set for Saturday, August 14th, 2027. And then last, Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to announce that my office will be participating in the Fairfix County Stuff the Bus Drive in partnership with Kornonia.

[01:33:23] The event is being held on Saturday, September 19th from 10 a.m. to 3. Non-perishable food and other items will be collected at the new Franconia District Center at 7130. Silver Lake Boulevard in Alexandria. According to the 2025 Hunger Report and the Capital Area Food Bank, over a quarter of Fairfax County residents are labeled food insecure, meaning they're not sure where their next meal is coming from. Stuff the Bus is a great opportunity to combat food insecurity, help feed our neighbors, and make a direct impact on Fairfax County. Koinonia is an

[01:34:03] exceptional partner organization that does amazing work to combat food insecurity in the Franconia district. If you can help, consider bringing your donation to the Stuff the Bus event on Saturday, September 19th at the Franconia Governmental Center. And thank you to our wonderful partners, Koinonia, NCS, Fairfax County DOT, Mount Vernon Transportation, and all the volunteers and donors coming out on September 19th. Thank you, Mr. Sherman.

[01:34:32] Thank you, and let me also add that on September 15th, we will do our Hunger Awareness Board Matter, which is also when we advertise the Stuff the Bus program. This is a countywide activity, and OPA, as they always will, will help publicize all of the locations for the Stuff the Bus events this year, as we always do, and we'll be celebrating with them their success, but also be recognizing Hunger Awareness Month at our meeting coming up later in September, on September 15th. And was that all, Supervisor Alcorn?

[01:35:11] Yes, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Next up, Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One board matter and one announcement. First of all, I earlier acknowledged our new Hunter Mill Planning Commissioner, Paul Thomas, but we need to recognize former Planning Commissioner John Carter and I'll just summarize this board matter John spent nine years on the Planning Commission as the hunter mill Planning Commissioner longtime rest in resident did fantastic things really you know we talked a lot about placemaking Reston's already a place so

[01:35:49] I think John was really focused on place keeping and place enhancing but But those really aren't terms, so I just made that up. But we'll get a chance to hopefully recognize John and let him know how much we appreciate his service and all the things that he did on the Planning Commission.

[01:36:10] So, Mr. Chairman, I'd ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs prepare a proclamation to recognize John Carter on his retirement from the Planning Commission to be presented out of the boardroom on September 8, 2026. And obviously, if there's anything folks want to say now, that would be fine, too.

[01:36:29] So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well, we thank him for his service, and without objection, that is so ordered. And soon you will share information about any event that's taking place in September to celebrate him to the rest of the board.

[01:36:45] That's right. Yeah, I'll share that information with the board and myself. Thank you very much. Thank you. And then the other thing, just an announcement. My office has gotten more than 200 emails with concerns about license plate readers. I know this is not a new issue, but I do know with some of the AI tools that are available, it's become more of a concern on civil liberties-related issues for many of our residents.

[01:37:12] And I don't have a board matter on this today, but I did want to point out, know that the police department chief Davis has prepared information that's been provided to media in response to inquiries it has a lot of information I think there may be some additional information at some point the board may want to get and you know this may be something it is getting more visibility in the community and concern so perhaps this is something maybe there'd be an opportunity for the board to talk about this a little bit at some point yeah no objection to that I would just add that there's a public facing website with all

[01:37:50] this information for people to see that the police is put out I would also add that you know while no one is perfect and there are a lot of people concerned about this there are bad actors in this space that get a lot of media attention and I just want to reassure the residents of Fairfax County if uncertainty look at this public facing web page and information from the police Department, because the program that we have, it may be very different than the program that you might be reading about happening in other parts of the country and even other parts of Virginia.

[01:38:21] And of course, this was a topic of discussion in the last General Assembly session. We'll probably be in future ones as well. So this touches the Legislative Committee, public safety, a lot of different aspects. But I do want to thank Chief Davis for putting out that information, because there is angst in the community.

[01:38:39] Nobody wants to feel surveilled, period. The Real-Time Crime Center is available for people to come in and see, for groups to come in and see how the information that some of these cameras collects is being used or not used. Not used is probably the most important part of that exercise.

[01:38:57] But we are getting those same emails. We are responding with all the information that I just shared, including the information that the chief just shared on this. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And one last thing. I've been getting all these emails. A few of them are Hunter Mill, but a whole bunch of them aren't. So if there are other offices that aren't getting them that want me to forward, I'm happy to forward, you know, the ones that I'm getting.

[01:39:22] Share the joy. All right. Thank you very much. Exactly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, that's right. All right. Supervisor Alcorn, thank you. Supervisor Jimenez. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are going to go through five board matters. Hopefully I won't lose my voice. Mr. Chairman and colleagues, I'd like to recognize the founder and owner of Jake's Gourmet Popcorn and Jake's Ice Cream, Robin Reinerson, for receiving the Ability Transcends Challenges ATC Award for Professional Baseball Athletic Trainer Society.

[01:39:55] The society is an organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of baseball players at all levels, while also engaging in community outreach and educational initiatives. In 2014, they developed the ATC program to demonstrate that people with disabilities can and should be a significant engine in the life of our county if given the opportunity.

[01:40:17] Since the founding of Jake's Ice Cream Parlor in August 2021, the organization has remained committed to its mission of creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals living with disabilities. Their work strengthens the independence of their employees and provides them with vital skill sets for their workplace while fostering a more inclusive and supportive community for all. Our district and Fairfax County are fortunate to have such passionate and dedicated businesses and organizations like Jake's that invest deeply in improving the lives of people living with disabilities and enriching the greater community. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Jake's Gourmet Popcorn and Jake's Ice Cream

[01:40:55] for their well-deserved award and for their continued hard work and commitment to inclusion and bettering the community. For that, and that requires no action, but you just wanted to make that announcement. Thank you. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman and colleagues, this September we will be recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month, and with it we would like to highlight the efforts of a wonderful organization who is ensuring the rights of individuals and families in Fairfax County. Dreamers Mothers in Action was founded by Lenka Mendoza in the hope that

[01:41:30] people like herself and all families have a path to citizenship and fair treatment as constituents within our diverse community. As an immigrant, mother and domestic worker herself, Lank understood firsthand the challenges families face when navigating a system that can leave individuals without a voice. That understanding drove her to organize other mothers and care workers, transforming shared challenges into collective action. Her passion for fair treatment continues to guide the organization's mission for a commonwealth where every family can live with dignity, security, and the promise of belonging.

[01:42:09] Under Lenka's leadership, Dreamers, Mothers in Action has helped secure meaningful, lasting change for families across Virginia, including legislation for the State Driver's Privilege Card, the Virginia Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, and in-state tuition access for students regardless of immigration status.

[01:42:26] From advocating for immigrant rights in our nation's capital to organizing hundreds of women across northern Virginia, Dreamers, Mothers in Action represents an honorable and enduring commitment to justice. Therefore, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dreamers, Mothers in Action, and their work on behalf of the residents and communities in Mason District, Fairfax County, and the region, and direct staff to prepare a proclamation to be presented outside of the boardroom at a future date.

[01:42:59] And I'm happy to 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 Menes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. MS-Gallows, LLC is the contract purchaser of 12 parcels and owner of one parcel that together totals approximately 8.112 acres located on the south side of Gallows Road, about 600 feet east of the Capitol Beltway.

[01:43:29] The property is currently zoned to the R2 District as an improved single-family detached dwelling that were constructed between the 1930s through the 1960s, with some dwellings renovated during the 1980s and the 1990s, and some dwellings have been vacated and falling into despair.

[01:43:49] Additionally, one of the parcels is a vacant narrow lot that is currently being utilized as part of a private roadway known as LaBalle Lane. The applicant proposes to rezone these properties to the PDH-4 zoning district in order to construct 32 new single-family detached dwellings.

[01:44:08] The rezoning application is currently being processed by the Department of Planning and Development and is scheduled for a hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission on October 7, 2026. To support the proposed development, this proposal is also subject to a pending comprehensive plan amendment, which has already received a unanimous recommendation for adoption by the Planning Commission and will be considered by the Board later today.

[01:44:33] In accordance, the applicant has asked for consideration of expedited processing to allow for the Board of Supervisors' public hearing to be scheduled on October 27, 2026, and concurrent processing of the associated subdivision plan. Therefore, I move that the board direct staff to reschedule the board public hearing on October 27th, 2026, and to authorize concurrent processing of the final subdivision plan, architectural drawings, and any other drawings as may be necessary in conjunction with RZ-2024-MA-00004.

[01:45:09] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board on the proposed application and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards. And the Chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion.

[01:45:28] Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Supervisor Jimenez. On we go. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Fairfax Water has filed special exception and 2232 public facility review applications to permit construction of a new water storage tank in the Seven Corners area.

[01:45:50] The proposed tank will be located on the portion of the Seven Corners apartment properties of the east side of Patrick Henry Drive. The application property is identified as a portion of Fairfax County Tax Map Parcel 51-3-18-E1.

[01:46:08] The proposed tank will significantly improve service reliability within the existing distribution system, provide more consistent water pressure, and increase available fire flow for customers in Fairfax Water's Wilston Pressure Zone, which includes residences and businesses in Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church, and Arlington County.

[01:46:30] The proposed tank will replace a 72-year-old existing tank that is located in the same apartment complex. The existing tank has reached the end of its useful life cycle and is undersized to meet current and planned needs in the area.

[01:46:45] It needs to be replaced as soon as reasonably possible. It will be removed once the proposed tank is put into service. The SE and 2232 applications are scheduled for public hearings before the Planning Commission and this Board in October.

[01:47:02] To accommodate Fairfax Water's schedule for this critical infrastructure project, I move that the Board directs land development services to accept and process the associated site plan concurrent with special exception and 2232 public facility review applications.

[01:47:19] This motion does not relieve the applicant from complying with all regulations, ordinances, and adopted standards, and will not be predetermined nor prejudice this Board's consideration of the application in any way. The Chair will second that, along with Supervisor Paucek and Herity.

[01:47:36] Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. N-C-M-A-G-V-A-R-P-L-L-C is the owner of approximately 4.85 acres located northwest in the intersection of Merritt Road and the Little River Turnpike, identified as Fairfax County Tax Map Parcel 72-1-23A.

[01:48:07] The property is zoned to the C6 and HC districts and has been improved with a vehicle sales, rental, and service establishment since 1973. The applicant seeks to amend Special Exception SE-2011-MA-013 to develop a modern vehicle sales, rental, and service establishment that will accommodate a new automobile brand.

[01:48:35] The proposal will improve site design, enhance operational efficiency, and replace an aging automotive dealership with a high-quality facility. The Special Exception Amendment application is scheduled for a public hearing before the Planning Commission on January 6, 2027.

[01:48:53] To facilitate the timely review of the application, I move that the Board directs staff to schedule a public hearing date before the Board to a date certain of February 2, 2027. I further move that the Board directs staff to accept for concurrent and simultaneous processing a site plan, architectural drawings, and any other plans as needed in conjunction with SEA 2011-MA-013.

[01:49:21] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the board on the proposed application and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards.

[01:49:37] And the chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm done with my board matters. Thank you, Supervisor Jimenez. Supervisor Stork.

[01:49:54] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have several matters. The first one is a joint one with you. We're pleased to recognize the 70th anniversary of the Mountain Vernon branch of the American Association of University Women, AAUW. And we want to also thank them for the 145 years for the AAUW that's been in the forefront of the fight for gender equity and education in the workplace, as well as helping to break down barriers and create greater opportunities for women and girls.

[01:50:23] You may have seen the Mount Vernon AAUW out in our community at our annual town meeting, exhibit hall, as well as they share information and resources with residents throughout the year. Particularly, they provide educational programs on issues ranging from women's history and STEM education to community and environmental issues, while also providing opportunities for members to connect through book groups dining gaming nights and other activities the branch also supports united community and good shepherd housing while raising funds for the aaww programs and community outreach reaching 70 years and is an incredible milestone we congratulate the aaww mount vernon on this

[01:51:03] special anniversary thank its members past and present for their lasting contributions to our community therefore mr chairman without objection we ask that the office of public affairs to to prepare a proclamation recognizing the 70th anniversary of the Mount Vernon branch of the American Association of University Women to be presented outside the boardroom this fall.

[01:51:24] You've heard the motion without objection. That is so ordered. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The next item is with yourself and Supervisor Lusk. Richmond Highway is entering an exciting new chapter. You can already see the transformation taking place for the one bus rabbit transit or BRT system through building demolitions, utility relocation, and redevelopment.

[01:51:49] The Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation has taken its Faces of Wine mural and sculpture initiative to the next level, expanding it into a new marketing and business support campaign focused on keeping Richmond Highway businesses visible, connected, and thriving throughout this period of investment and construction.

[01:52:11] The campaign gives us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the business, entrepreneurs, artists, and community members, The new One Richmond Highway, onerichmondhwy.com website is a hub for Faces of One featuring business stories, community resources, partner information, and promotional content.

[01:52:33] We want to thank not only the board for the $150,000 investment in this program, but also Evan Kaufman and the entire SFDC team for their leadership in bringing this campaign forward and for their years of partnership with our community.

[01:52:48] SFDC has been a committed partner in strengthening our local business community, investing in the identity of Richmond Highway. Through their work supporting public art, murals, placemaking, and community engagement, they have helped bring new energy, creativity, and unlocked character to our corridor.

[01:53:06] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, we ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs promote the Faces of One initiative to help bring awareness and encourage residents and visitors to explore all that our corridor has to offer and help share the story of Richmond Highway. And without objection, that is so ordered.

[01:53:24] Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And again, you are also joining with me on this board matter. Tucked along the Potomac River, Dyke March is a remarkable freshwater tidal wetland home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife and offers residents a place to experience nature right in our backyard.

[01:53:44] For 50 years, the Friends of Dyke March, or FODM, have worked to make sure this special place is protected for generations to come. They were founded in 1976 by a group of really active and committed individuals who wanted to make sure that the preservation and the restoration of this marsh took place.

[01:54:07] Their work reaches far beyond the marsh itself from scientific studies, bird surveys, and water quality monitoring to nature walks, invasive plant removal, trash cleanups, and educational programs. The Friends have also been a crucial voice and advocate in efforts to restore and stabilize the marsh in partnership with the National Park Service.

[01:54:28] So, again, year after year, they clearly have continued to care. Glenda Booth has been a crucial part of that, not only as the current president and many-time president of FODM, but also a tireless community leader who puts so much of her time and energy into the FODM.

[01:54:43] And I would say especially she writes the Marsh Wren, which, if you don't get it, is a great newsletter talking about the park, the Dyke Marsh, and then what all that it means. And it's a great way to learn more about how that is being restored over time.

[01:55:00] Again, for 50 years, the Friends of Dyke Marsh have reminded us that protecting our parks, trails, waterways, and natural areas takes people willing to speak up. Volunteer, educate, and get their hands dirty. We are grateful for the countless volunteers who have given their time and effort to Dyke Marsh over the past five decades, and we congratulate FODM on this remarkable milestone.

[01:55:23] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, without objection, we ask that the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Friends of Dyke Marsh to be presented outside the boardroom at the Honors and Rapture 50th anniversary event on September 12, 2026.

[01:55:39] Sorry, without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a few verbal. First off is our back-to-school event, which we held on August 1st. This is our fourth one. We had over 2,000 residents come to the event, and we distributed more than 1,100 filled backpacks.

[01:56:02] Yes, that's 1,100 backpacks to help students start the school year prepared and ready to succeed. You can't do that with just a few individuals. It takes a lot of folks. I want to thank Alice's Kids, All Smiles Orthodontics, Alpha Beta, Alpha Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Fairfax County Alumni Chapter, Fairfax County's Public Schools for Sales, ICNA Relief, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, Lazera Ministries, Lorton Community Action Center, LCAC.

[01:56:33] Also, the Community Center Advisory Council, the Psi Alpha Chapter Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, especially Pohanka Automotive and Scott Crabtree, who's been such a key part of our community and is an amazing resident for us. Reworld Waste, Shiloh Baptist Church, and Woodlawn Pillar Church, Fairfax Water, the Park Authority, who had the Rock Narrows Performance Concert, The police department, fire and rescue, again, schools all had vehicles and people there.

[01:57:07] And a special thanks, as always, to South County Church for grilling and serving over 1,700 hot dogs. They're there. Everything we do, they're there. And really putting themselves in the middle of the community and making a difference for all of us.

[01:57:23] So thank you, LCAC. absolutely not the least of this and in particularly the most important partner in this process is neighborhood and community services NCS they've been a huge part of this at the Lorton Community Center library and park and again thank you all very much for helping to make 1100 backpacks to kids in over 2000 it's really amazing obviously the amount the MVD team can't do it without them some of them are back there and others are I'm probably working on the next one, for all I know, because we do a lot of great stuff, and I thank them.

[01:58:02] Cynthia, Cassidy, Diego, Christine, Batala, and Shirley Short, all the key parts of that. Of course, we have another event coming up, our Tour de Mount Vernon. This will be our 11th annual Tour de Mount Vernon. I know for some people it's scary enough to ride 20 or 40 miles, but we're going to have it on Halloween, So we really can freak people out and make sure that we scare people into being a little bit healthier, hopefully.

[01:58:32] So please join us on Saturday, October 31st, Halloween, for our 11th annual Tour to Mount Vernon. It starts and ends at the Workhouse Arts Center, which means you can also get a beer there at Bunnyman Brewery and have a great place to enjoy and relax and have a good time.

[01:58:48] And I should also point out the workhouse has an amazing Halloween, I don't know, tour that they do, a spooky tour that they do. I encourage everybody, and if your kids haven't been there, particularly if they're younger, they're going to be scared.

[01:59:06] I'm just telling you, they're going to be scared. It's real. It's the real deal. It's the real deal, yes. Yes, it is. So thank you. I have two introductions. First, I want to end. Renee, if you could stand up, please. Thank you.

[01:59:22] Renee Oak is our new land use and development aide. She's a lifelong Fairfax County resident. She was born and raised and graduated from Edison High School. She attended Virginia Tech, where she earned a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science, as well as a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning.

[01:59:40] Renee is passionate about creating communities where people can thrive and is excited about putting her education experience to work on land use, development, and revitalization projects. She looks forward to helping advance projects that support the physical, social, and mental well-being of our neighbors.

[01:59:56] Outside of work, yes, she might get a little bit of time outside of work, but it will be rare. She enjoys staying active, baking, and trying new restaurants, which we have a number of them along the Richmond Highway Corridor, and spending time outdoors. We're excited to have her on Team MVD and look forward to working with her in our community.

[02:00:14] Great. You know, one is not enough. We have a lot of stuff that we do in Mount Vernon District, and so I'd like Dot Johnson to stand up.

[02:00:30] Please, Dot. Thank you. Dot Johnson is also joining Team NVD. Dot brings nearly two decades of experience creating and growing city commercial and community identities across the country. She is a mom to a Washington Mill kindergartner and fourth grader and a proud Canterbury Woods and Frost Elementary alumni.

[02:00:48] Yeah, there you go. As a marketing studio owner, she has worked with cities, businesses, districts, historic organizations, festivals, and tourism destinations from New England to Nashville to Napa Valley. Locally, Dot has also been very involved with the Feverus County Head Start Executive Parents Council, and she has really helped us kick off our brand new Mount Vernon Arts and Culture Council.

[02:01:14] We are excited to have her bring her expertise in community-centered growth, programming, and storytelling to the extraordinary community she now calls home. Dot will be our strategic coordinator for community arts and destination development. Thank you very much, Dot. Welcome.

[02:01:31] And thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. And next up is Supervisor Palczyk. Mr. Are you going to do that one first? Yes, Mr. Chairman. So, Supervisor Palczyk's first board matter is scheduling a public hearing for the Inova Health Care Services Comprehensive Sign Plan.

[02:01:53] And as the board's aware, and in relation to this board matter, the board has appointed me to serve as its member of the Inova Health System Foundation Board of Trustees. And as another reminder, I receive no compensation for this service. But out of an abundance of caution and not because it is legally required, I am going to voluntarily recuse myself from this upcoming board matter and will not be participating in the discussion or vote on the matter and the related motion.

[02:02:22] And at this time, I'm going to exit the dais and put the board meeting in the good hands of our vice chair, Supervisor Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Supervisor Bierman. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. As you know, the Board has appointed me to serve on the Inova Health Care Quality and Reliability Committee.

[02:02:43] Otherwise, ditto to what Chairman McKay just said. That's a joke. I receive no compensation for this service, have abundance of caution, not because it is legally required. I am voluntarily recusing myself from this Board matter, and I will not be participating in the discussion or vote on this matter and the related motion.

[02:03:00] Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Palchuk. All right. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. I will go ahead with the board matter related to this. Members of the board, the Inova Healthcare Services, the applicant, has filed SE-2026-PR-00004 for the Inova Fairfax campus.

[02:03:18] The application seeks approval of a comprehensive sign plan that would replace the existing sign plans for the Fairfax Hospital campus and the Fairfax East campus to improve campus identification and wayfinding. The proposal seeks modifications to permit a variety of building mounted and freestanding signs throughout the campus, including a prominent identification sign facing Interstate 495.

[02:03:43] The applicant has worked closely with staff and a Planning Commission public hearing has been scheduled for October 14, 2026. To facilitate timely consideration following the Planning Commission's recommendation, the applicant has requested that a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors be scheduled and staff supports that request.

[02:04:05] Therefore, Madam Vice Chairman, I move that the Board schedule a public hearing for SE 2026-PR-00004 before the Board of Supervisors on October 27, 2026.

[02:04:21] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board of Supervisors on the proposed applications and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of all applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards in any way.

[02:04:36] nor does it prejudice in any way the board's consideration of the proposed applications. I'll second that motion along with Supervisor Parity. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion passes with Chairman McKay and Supervisor Beerman voluntarily recusing themselves from the vote.

[02:04:58] Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Supervisor Smith, Supervisor Pouchik. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the Board, B9 Sequoia Prosperity Owner, LLC, and PM Homes Associates, LLC, the applicants have submitted RZ-2025-PR-00001, which is scheduled for a public hearing on September 15, 2026.

[02:05:22] The applicants propose to rezone an approximately 41-acre assemblage to allow for the phased redevelopment of the property with multifamily residential buildings, townhomes, and a connected network of public and private open spaces. The Conceptual Development Plan provides flexibility through two development options while permitting up to 1,900 dwelling units.

[02:05:44] The applicants have worked closely with staff who have recommended CDP approval. The applicants have also proposed FDP-2025-PR-00001, which would implement the first phase of the proposed redevelopment with 156 single-family attached dwelling units, publicly accessible urban parks and private amenity spaces, and transportation and streetscape improvements.

[02:06:13] To move forward in a timely manner with the development, the applicants have requested consideration of concurrent site plan processing. Staff does not object to this request. Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to concurrently and simultaneously process any site plans associated with RZ-2025-PR-00001 and FTP-2025-PR-00001.

[02:06:41] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the board on the pending application and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of all applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards. And the Chair will second that motion. Is there a discussion on the motion?

[02:07:00] I just want to share briefly, and thanks staff for the work on this, the applicants, my office. This has been a long process from the SSPA, and so I appreciate the flexibility in helping move forward for an improved application and pedestrian connectivity to the Metro.

[02:07:19] Thank you. Any further discussion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Palczyk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The next one is a little bit more fun. it is our Providence District 7th Annual Food Drive. Members of the board, and we have heard from many of my colleagues today of the work happening in our very caring communities, food insecurity continues to affect individuals and families throughout our community, and every donation makes a meaningful impact. My office is hosting our 7th Annual Providence District Food

[02:07:56] Drive from August 31st through October 3rd to collect non-perishable food items. Donations will benefit the Falls Church, Oakton, and Woodson High School food pantries. More information on drop-off hours and locations can be found on the Providence District website, fairfaxcounty.gov slash Providence. This year's partners include the Dunloring Volunteer Fire Station, Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, Tyson's Community Alliance, and the Greater Oakton Community Association. If you or your HOA or organization are interested in helping collect

[02:08:31] donations, please email us, providenceatfabrexcounty.gov, and we'll be happy to coordinate with you. This has been a very successful effort with our community members for now seven years. Therefore, I ask that the Office of Public Affairs and the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services help us share this information on their channels. And without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Palczyk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My final board matter is scheduling a public hearing on Metro West Block 18.

[02:09:04] Members of the Board, Victor Vienna R35LC has filed applications PCA 2003-PR-022-04 and CDPA 2003-PR-022-002 for the property located at map number 048356002 adjacent to the Vienna Metro.

[02:09:29] The applications seek approval to amend the previously approved development plan for Metro West Block 18 to permit construction of Building 18 as a 10-story mixed-use residential building. The proposal is for 269 multifamily residential units, approximately 21,500 square feet of ground floor commercial space, including an approximately 10,000 square foot child care center and a publicly accessible plaza with at least 27 affordable development dwelling units.

[02:10:03] The application proposes a modest increase in building height of approximately nine feet, along with minor increases in floor area and residential units. The applicant has worked closely with staff and a public hearing before the Planning Commission has been scheduled for September 30, 2026.

[02:10:21] To facilitate timely consideration following the Planning Commission's recommendation, the applicant has requested that a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors be scheduled. and staff supports scheduling the public hearing. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board schedule a public hearing for PCA 2003-PR-022-04 and CDPA 2003-PR-022-002 before the Board of Supervisors on October 13, 2026.

[02:10:52] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board of Supervisors on the proposed applications and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of all applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards in any way. Nor does it prejudice in any way the Board's consideration of the proposed applications.

[02:11:11] And the Chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Poucher. Mr. Chairman, I just want to share, you know, this is a piece of property that has been almost more than 15 years now that the area around the Vienna Metro West development has been partially on hold and so any movement forward especially the residents who were promised community serving services and retail I think this is a an important development forward and in the housing absolutely is very necessary in the Greater Vienna Metro area so I appreciate staff's work on

[02:11:48] this the applicant and my office especially for ensuring that we have timely and appropriate review of this application. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries.

[02:12:04] Supervisor Palczyk. That is all, but welcome back and happy new school year to all of our Fairfax County students and to those who sent their kiddos off to college. You're holding it together really well, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. It hasn't been easy. It hasn't been easy. Thank you. Next up is Supervisor Herity.

[02:12:23] Yes, mr. Chairman, I have three written and two unwritten in board matters The first one is a motion to expedite The applicant the Fair Lakes League filed a special exception to replace and refurbish several previously approved freestanding signs and to install three new freestanding sides within the 600 acre Fair Lakes mixed-use Development the Planning Commission public hearing is scheduled for November 18 2026 The applicant has requested a date certain for the board public hearing because the case is ready to move forward.

[02:12:56] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Supervisors direct staff to schedule the Board of Supervisors public hearing for SE-2025-SP-00031 on December 8, 2026. This motion shall not be construed as favorable recommendation by the Board of Supervisors on the proposed application and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of all applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards in any way.

[02:13:25] So moved. Chair, we'll second that motion. Is there discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstinptions? That motion carries. Supervisor Herity. The next one is a board matter jointly with Supervisors Alcorn and Luss to have staff review treatment of glass as a recyclable material.

[02:13:45] In 2019, collecting glass in single-stream curbside recycling bins was a major problem for several reasons. There was no market for glass, so it was being landfilled. It was contaminating the other recyclable materials, and the resulting glass dust was a problem for some recycling equipment.

[02:14:05] As a result, glass was being landfilled and not recycled. A program called the Purple Can Club was founded to allow residents the opportunity to recycle glass in a roll-off dumpsters around the county. County staff were successful in developing several markets for glass collected in the Purple Cans, including use in road beds.

[02:14:24] The Purple Can has been extremely popular, but residents regularly express a desire to return to a more convenient single-stream curbside glass collection. I was impressed with how far recycling technology has come during my tour this summer of Waste Management's new State of the Article Materials Recovery Facility in Elkridge, Maryland, this summer.

[02:14:46] Not only have they increased the speed and quality of the process, but they have reduced the processing cost. The facility can process 685 tons of recycling material in a single day using two lines. Glass is pulled out of the front of the process and no longer presents a challenge to the machinery or other recyclables.

[02:15:07] While in Elkridge, I went next door to visit Cap Glass's transfer facility. Cap Glass is the company that actually recycles the glass from both the Waste Management Facility and Fairfax County's purple can bins. Vastly different from 2019, the glass brought here is not going to landfills, but is being recycled in everything from beer and wine bottles to mason jars after being sorted by color.

[02:15:32] The glass is not able to be used for those purposes. It's crushed to make sand for high-quality filters because it is processed. The sand has many advantages over actual sand. County staff, the board, and I are proud of what the Purple Can Club has accomplished in the last seven years, but it may be time to return to single-stream curbside recycling.

[02:15:55] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Directors, direct staff, to evaluate the county's current guidance on glass as a recyclable material and the potential efficiencies associated with phasing out or otherwise involving the Purple Can Club. This should include an evaluation of the current cost to the Fairfax County associated with providing the service, potential savings, or other possible efficiencies, and associated guidance to Fairfax County residents on recycled glass.

[02:16:25] So moved and it's been moved and seconded discussion on the item. I think this is Staff is already all over this. So look forward to this information coming back to the board With that all those in favor of the motion, please say aye aye any opposed any of any abstentions that motion carries supervisor Herity, okay, my next one is a request for information and a carry forward consideration item I remain very, it has to do with the high school crossing guards.

[02:16:59] I remain very, and it's done jointly with Supervisor Alcorn and Lusk. I remain very concerned with the Board of Supervisors' April decision to eliminate high school crossing guards at all of our high schools. The board has not received the information it requested on how bus and carpool traffic would be handled and the related impacts.

[02:17:18] It is already clear the removal of high school crossing guards has created issues at some of our high schools in the county. There are still unanswered questions on how the crossing guards, the contracted crossing guards will be evaluated, how many have been hired, and how many crossings will still be covered by police officers.

[02:17:36] I move without objection the board direct to county executive work with Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County Police Department to identify the issues that have been created by the removal of the high school crossing guards, if and how they can be mitigated and the resources required to address them.

[02:17:53] further move that the questions above be answered in a nip to the board and a placeholder for a consideration item in the amount of 400,000 be added to the 2026 carryover review to address issues related to the removal of the high school crossing guards you've heard the motion it's been seconded by Supervisor Alcorn discussion on the motion discussion on the motion Supervisor Beerman I'll start with you I just want to be clear this is simply informational item and consideration item to be voted on later yes yep so I don't know the

[02:18:33] amount that would need it because I don't know which high schools so I'm looking to get information back from staff on two things really number one is the issues we're seeing at some of the high schools with kids getting in late because buses that the lack of traffic control on major roads the second really is where are we on the contracted high school guard program, I mean the contracted crossing guard program.

[02:19:01] I mean, I haven't heard, did we get all of them that we needed, how many officers are still covering, you know, crossings on overtime. It's a comprehensive look for information. And then if we need to consider going back to crossing guards at some location, I put a consideration item in there that we will, we've got carryover on the 15th.

[02:19:26] which is our next board meeting so hopefully we get the information before the 15th and we can make a decision when we do carry over on the 15th as to whether we need to add some funding to cover some of the high schools just yeah just let me clarify one thing and then I'll go back to you supervisor Beerman we don't vote on consideration items for carryover and so if that's struck from this motion and we're requesting information that the board can observe absorb going into carryover, then I'm okay with this. But the motion actually doesn't say that. It says that these questions be answered in a

[02:20:02] placeholder consideration item, and the amount of $400,000, you just acknowledge you don't know what amount it is, would be added to the 2026 carryover review. That's what the motion says. So I just want to make sure and give you an opportunity to clarify the motion, because it will change probably the conversation. So what I will do, let me just take that out and then I will submit a separate that we don't vote on a separate consideration item in the amount of four hundred thousand I'll do that separately and just email it to the board I think that would yeah yeah I wasn't making the decision on the 400 today so I was trying to just put the

[02:20:39] item out there but I will remove that and I'll send a separate consider so now your motion is to get the information back on what's happening at the high schools. Yep. Supervisor Beerman. And contracted guards. And the contracted guards are not at the high schools. Nobody's at the high schools.

[02:20:59] That's correct. I just wanted to make sure people understood that. I'm okay with a request for information and I do think that we should always be thinking about pedestrian safety and the safety of kids going to school. I also you know as everybody knows I'm in favor of our school speed zone camera program if you haven't noticed I spend a lot of time complaining about the lack of pedestrian infrastructure and suggesting that we add it more I do want to make sure though when it comes to the idea of bringing back high school crossing

[02:21:38] guards or the notion that that decision was made without adequate information I I happen to just disagree with that, and I want to lay down that marker. I think that high school kids should be able to cross the street, but beyond that, I think that there are better ways to create safety here.

[02:21:58] And I think that the fact that we have neighboring jurisdictions that deal with the same types of high schools in the same types of locations that don't have crossing guards is actually a good marker. You know, if you go to Northwood High School in Montgomery County on Old Georgetown Road, that's a busy road.

[02:22:16] Richard Montgomery High at Veers Mill in Rockville Pike, busy road. Gaithersburg High School, Rockville Pike, no crossing roads, busy road. Potomac Falls is off of Algonquian Parkway. Evergreen Mills Road has heritage and independence in Loudoun County.

[02:22:32] But, of course, I think actually the best example is Alexandria City High. Alexandria City High has 4,200 students and four campuses. What's kind of interesting about that, one of those campuses is on King Street, which, by the way, turns into Route 7. And another of those campuses is on Braddock Road.

[02:22:49] And as my very bright new staffer pointed out to me, we have high schools on both Route 7 and Braddock Road here in Fairfax County, Marshall and TJ. So I just want to be clear that I'm all for us continuing to find better ways to be safer around schools and trying to find better ways to have better flow at high schools.

[02:23:11] But I do not see the elimination of high school crossing guards during a time when we were asked to figure out what we need to have and not just what is nice to have to be a bad thing. And in some ways, I think it's probably a good thing. It reemphasizes that we want our high schoolers to know how to cross the street, to be safe, to not look down at their phones, and that we want new drivers to understand that they shouldn't be looking at their phones.

[02:23:38] And that we want, frankly, older drivers to not be looking at your phones, guys. And I say that about we've all done it. But anyway, that's where I end up. And so I'm going to support this motion because I think it's a request for information, and I think we need to be continually trying to do better here.

[02:23:56] But I want to be clear about what, down the line, I think I could support in terms of funding allocations and what I don't plan to support. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman, and I find myself in the exact same place you are.

[02:24:11] I don't want people thinking that this was considered in isolation of all the other needs in the county. In fact, many of the things you just mentioned were considered. We did have a budget with a lot of speakers. We had one crossing guard speak on this issue.

[02:24:27] We have had one day of school under our belt with this, and we're already drawing conclusions about a decision that was supported by this board. So I am a little bit uncomfortable with that. I will say the information that's going to be coming back to the board, there's no way for it to have come to the board yet because the police surveyed every single one of these high schools and gave recommendations to each of those schools on improvements they could make to traffic flow and safety.

[02:24:55] We've had one day of school completed. Anyone who has kids in FCPS, and I have now one but just had two last year, understands that the first day of school, the first week, the first two weeks in a lot of cases can be pretty chaotic.

[02:25:12] And I would not want us to draw conclusions about this program based on one day of activity. And so the reason we don't have that information back is because the police provided that information of schools, and schools could elect to take advantage of those improvements or not, and it's too early for us to know what's happening at all of those schools and what the impacts are.

[02:25:34] The other thing I will say is, as Supervisor Beerman well said, we are the only county in Northern Virginia to have high school crossing guards. Nobody else has them, and there's a reason for that, and I actually just kind of experienced the reason for it last week when it was mentioned.

[02:25:50] I dropped my kid off to college, and one of the university police officers said, the biggest problem we have with our college kids right now is they don't know how to be pedestrians. No one taught them. They've had crossing guards. They have their face in their phone. They drove to high school, and now they're walking around campus as if there are no other cars around.

[02:26:08] And so at some point, we also have to teach our kids to be good pedestrians. We're doing everything we can with teaching drivers how to behave properly. This board supported speed zones and speed cameras in school areas that we never had until a few years ago.

[02:26:26] We're investing a lot of money in pedestrian safety improvements. And what I have heard from the police is most of the incidents that occur in and around schools would not have been prevented with a crossing guard present. The other thing we heard from our police through the budget is that these crossing guards at high schools, in a lot of cases, are police officers that get pulled away from other activities that are occurring in our community that might be triaged as the most important thing but are not allowed to leave their post.

[02:26:56] So there's a lot of things here to think about. And so the reason we don't have information back is because we have one day of school that's been completed, and we have a board meeting the second day of school. and we're already second-guessing a decision that was made with a lot of science.

[02:27:15] Lastly, if you go back and read the budget Q&A on this, there were numerous studies that were cited that prove that you can, in fact, have high schools without crossing guards with proper placement of kiss and ride, proper dissemination of information, public safety improvements that can be successful.

[02:27:36] So this decision that was made by this board as part of the budget was made because the police department, in looking at reductions and operational efficiencies, came to us and said, this is something we would like you to do, and that's why it was adopted by this board. So I think it is important for us to reflect on that process and what led to it.

[02:27:56] It's always good to look for information, and we have already asked our staff to do that, and as soon as they have that, they will bring it back to us. I am concerned about the timeline here, though, for carryover. I'll be frank with you, because the carryover action that we'll take in September is still only going to be a couple weeks into the school year.

[02:28:15] So I'm not sure we're going to be ready to draw conclusions about a program that just started a few weeks ago, and I'm not sure that we should be asking the school and their resources to spend a lot of time on this when they're trying to get their schools up and running and their kids back to school. And so I will wait to see what comes back, this request for information.

[02:28:35] But, you know, I do think there's a lot here that has to be weighed and a lot of data that the police already used to inform the recommendation that they made to this board and that the board adopted in concert with best practice of what everyone else in our region is doing.

[02:28:52] And so, you know, we're not going to make any judgments here about carryover. We'll see the information. Certainly you can submit a carryover review item. But, you know, we went through a lot of reductions, a lot of hard ones. And we're probably going to have more coming forward in future budgets.

[02:29:09] And if we draw conclusions on those reductions because of one day's activities, it's going to make tough decisions that much tougher as we move forward. And I frankly still find it a breath of fresh air that our police department working with staff came forward with an idea to be able to provide crossing guards more efficiently in the county and looking at the needs and putting crossing guards in the place where we have the greatest needs.

[02:29:35] Lastly, because I've received about 15 emails on this, several of them referenced elementary schools. I want to be really clear here because I've seen some misleading information out there. There is not a single elementary school in Fairfax County that doesn't have a crossing guard and that won't still have a crossing guard.

[02:29:56] This affects, and there's not a single secondary school or middle school that won't have a crossing guard. This only affected the high schools. And so when we're getting emails about concerns from people about elementary schools, we need to remember, the only reduction was to high schools. That was the only reduction that was taken. I know others want to be recognized, and then we're going to vote on this request for information. I'm going to go to Supervisor Lusk, Supervisor Pouchek, and then Supervisor Sizemore Heiser. Supervisor Lusk. Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your comments and the comments of the previous speaker as well. And I'll say that for me personally, I'm not supporting

[02:30:36] this item just because of one day's data. I had angst when we discussed this during the budget process. I expressed my concern then. I actually asked for a consideration item for it to be into the budget, and that was not supported by this board.

[02:30:56] And I'm going to be clear in saying that I think it is a reasonable and responsible thing for us to look at what is the data in these high schools, what are we seeing specifically. I would not say by fiat that we should go ahead and restore funding to all the high schools for crossing guards, but there could be in the analysis a determination that we need to look at specific high schools because of safety considerations.

[02:31:30] And I think that's the responsible thing. So I want to thank Supervisor Herity for bringing the motion forward. I support it for that reason. I appreciate the comments about whether or not we can make a decision at our next board meeting.

[02:31:46] So I think we'll have to ferret through that as we see what data has come back from the police and the schools, because I'm hearing from the schools as well that they have concerns about what's happening as it relates to, you know, crossings and safety for our students.

[02:32:03] So I'm just trying to do my job as a member of the Board of Supervisors and to ensure that I'm thinking responsibly about the safety of our kids, and that's why I'm supporting this item.

[02:32:18] Thank you. And just to reiterate, there is data, because the data is what informed the police's recommendation to us through the budget process. There is data. Now, there are other concerns about traffic management and other things that are outside of the scope of the crossing guards in some cases, some within the scope of the crossing guards that I do think we have to evaluate.

[02:32:39] But there was very specific crash data analysis, pedestrian safety analysis that was done by the police before they made this recommendation. And so the data that we'll be getting will be data about what is happening since this has been implemented.

[02:32:54] And that's where I'm concerned about the timing of this, because we're on day two of school. And so I do want to say this was a data-driven decision that was made initially from the start. And I don't want that lost on anyone here, and a significant amount of studies that also supported the police department's recommendation to us.

[02:33:17] I had Supervisor Pouchek. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I also am doing my job and have since serving on the school board and seeing the concerns we've had often with parents who are most guilty for driving dangerously close to schools.

[02:33:33] So my request would be there's not an easy solution. It's not high school crossing guard. It's not just crosswalks. It's not just information. You know, I think we're all concerned, and I know there's a more matter coming about pedestrian safety, is looking at the safety and what we're doing or what we can be doing, knowing that first it's engineering, then enforcement, and then education on how to keep our kids as safe as possible.

[02:34:02] So I appreciate that this is focused on the removal of a few crossing guards and trying to improve, honestly, a crossing guard program that I know has been frustrating to many of us over the years and looking at improvements to how to be more strategic and effective and not pulling police from doing the traffic enforcement that we know is really necessary during those morning and afternoon commute times when it was really hard to get additional police.

[02:34:34] One of the biggest crashes we had was near Oakton High School, but it was not at Oakton High School. There was a crossing guard, and honestly, that entire Blake Lane corridor is one that continue to work with, with VITA, with our police, and trying to get, whether it's the cameras or the speed signs, or more enforcement.

[02:34:52] So this feels like narrowing it down and saying this is the solution to a larger problem. So I guess my request for those who are making this would be, I think it's a friendly amendment, because I know we all care about data.

[02:35:08] We all care about doing what's most effective, and we all want to make sure that it's clearly communicated. I've seen a lot of concern, specifically over the secondary schools. There's a lot of miscommunication about the secondary schools, specifically like Braddock.

[02:35:24] There was concern that there weren't crossing guards, and that is misinformation. So it looks like I would say, number one, we need to specify. I would say right now it's an information campaign jointly with the schools. This reminds me a little bit of the after-school programs.

[02:35:40] I think there's an opportunity to continue that work and expand it, elevate the communication that's happening to look at what are the strategic points. Each of one of my high schools, even on some of those same roads, Marshall High School, there aren't a lot of kids crossing across Route 7, right?

[02:35:57] And so each single school is a little bit different, and I think I know we all care, and I know we all focus on the safety of our students, and I would say not just the high schoolers. I'm concerned about the middle schoolers and elementary school children. So in a county that was designed for the vehicle and for speed, we're continuing to chip away, and it's not easy.

[02:36:18] So I would ask for friendly amendments that we have a review between our police and the school's safety officers that comes forward. I assume they need a quarter.

[02:36:35] You know, they would probably need a couple of months to look at the data, the new data coming in, in addition to existing, but to really pinpoint how is each specific school working and where are the major issues.

[02:36:51] I don't know where the $400,000 came from, and I'm not sure how this is strategic other than, you know, just reacting to the change. So I guess my request is, number one, is to have a joint campaign and really educate about our crossing guard program and the changes to it in partnership with our schools.

[02:37:10] And number two is to come back with an appropriate time. And I think it would probably take a month, a quarter, you know, let the chief of police and our traffic personnel come forward. We always look at the enforcement piece.

[02:37:27] So I think it also requires, you know, transportation with our traffic enforcement and the schools looking at this. I know I've gone to many of my schools and brought together those teams to look at specific issues, whether it's parents lining up and blocking roads or issues with safety. It's a never ending. And so I think it's a good opportunity to not say we know the answer, but to review the data. We'll have more data. We have the cameras and come back to us. I don't want us to be reactionary. I want us to be proactive. And for that piece of it, I appreciate

[02:38:01] it. And I guess that's my request is a friendly amendment for the police and the schools and FCDOT to come back jointly with a recommendation having followed, having especially looked at areas of concern, because we all know there are specific areas of concern, because I don't want us to focus on this and miss a whole other big issue that might arise.

[02:38:25] If that's in addition to dealing with the critical situations that we may have between now and September 15th, then I'm fine with it as a friendly amendment. But if we've got some critical situations, which I think we do at a couple of our schools, we may need resources to get them covered now.

[02:38:45] So if that's an addition, a broader education thing, that's great. I mean, I'm all for that. That makes a lot of sense. Sorry, but I agree with you, critical. So I would say yes, but expand it. It might be a high school, but it might be somewhere else that we're seeing an issue with the changes in the crossing guard.

[02:39:03] So yes, look at critical areas that may need additional support. Yes, I would support that. Okay. So on that, I'm okay with that, in addition, as long as it's coming back before the 15th, the first piece. Yeah, and I would just say that, again, you know, the 15th is very quick.

[02:39:24] And what I would suggest is two tiers, and if the maker is agreeable to this, fine. If not, we'll have a discussion, but I would suggest two tiers. If there are critical concerns that come up between now and then, that they bring those critical concerns to us, but that the full evaluation of all of our high schools, including the ones that this has been implemented in with no issues, still happen and that might take longer because, you know, the police went through a lot of effort to deliver to the schools individually recommendations on things they could do that are in the hands of the schools to do.

[02:40:00] I mean, I know this is apparent. The number one concern I have at the schools, as Supervisor Palczyk said, is the parents driving and dropping their kids off at the school in a lot of cases. and the impact on the traffic around the schools as a result of that. Times have changed a lot since the crossing guard program started in the county, and the ways in which people get to school and how they get to school has changed a lot.

[02:40:23] And we don't even know exactly what those patterns look like sitting here today for this school year, because we're one year in. And I can tell you, a whole lot more people drive their kids to school in the first couple days or week or two of school does not necessarily mimic the conditions that are out there the remainder of the school year. And so we've got to be conscious of that. And so if there are immediate concerns that happen between now and September, those need to come to the board.

[02:40:50] But the entire analysis of all the high schools, including some improvements that schools may have made or schools may come back to us on some of those and say, we can't make them for these reasons without your additional support. We might have to support them doing that because the long term answer to this challenge is infrastructure and education. It's not personnel so much as it is infrastructure and education.

[02:41:11] And so I think we have to look at this in two tiers out of respect to schools, out of respect to DOT, out of respect to police, that if there are critical issues, those come back to us ASAP. And if not, that we are going to get a full report. But I'm not ready to tell our staff to do that for every high school between now and September when I know the patterns around these high schools is going to change each day as we move into the school year.

[02:41:38] And if that's a friendly addition to this in terms of staff direction, I can live with that. But if we're asking for a report of every one of our high schools to come in the next two weeks of everything that's happening, and that, I think, is asking too much before carryover.

[02:41:57] Yeah, I agree with that. And I've got one other clarification before we go to vote, but I'm okay with that. Okay. Before we go back to you, I want to make sure Supervisor Palachuk is finished. No, I appreciate it. And actually, I know the schools do a back-to-school report.

[02:42:12] This might be a new yearly tradition to do that joint, because it's our roads, our kids, to do a joint report back that really encourages that collaboration and communication from our departments, but also back to the board and the community. Okay. Mr. Chairman.

[02:42:28] Before I turn to, I'm going to turn first, I'm going to turn to Supervisor Sizemore Heiser, who has not had a chance to speak and has asked to speak. And then I'll go to Supervisor Lusk and then to Supervisor Herity for your clarifier. Supervisor Sizemore Heiser. Thank you.

[02:42:43] And I appreciate the thoughtful discussion here. You know, we're in the fourth year of very tough budget times. And, you know, I'm in maybe a unique position of having started on the school board when this conversation first started over a year ago and then been here, you know, a year later.

[02:43:02] And one thing I was really pleased to see was the amount of data that was shared with us that the police used to help justify and explain why they thought this was something that needed to be done that would have, you know, less impact than other budget changes.

[02:43:19] But when we get to this point, and I've had conversations with a state delegate about similar things, there are difficult decisions that have to be made, and using data to try to decide what could potentially be the lightest impact that help us drive those decisions is important.

[02:43:39] And I think that's what went into this decision. Having said that, I don't think there's anything wrong. And I think it's always a good thing, especially when you're looking at safety to, in a thoughtful, data-driven way, look and see, does this have the impact we intended it to have? So I appreciate what the chairman has shared and with Supervisor Polchek around some of these friendly amendments to make sure we're doing this in a way that can get to the information we want.

[02:44:03] I mean, I'm a parent. My kids both went all the way through schools. The first, I mean, my kids were bus riders in the beginning, and it took two or three weeks before the bus showed up more consistently on time. It just takes time those first few weeks for things to settle in to how kids get to school, to the traffic patterns.

[02:44:19] It's hard to know. I think looking at critical conditions and having those be brought up is important, too, as part of the conversation. But since we've made the budget decisions, there's been so many different people have come up and talked about the real impact of some of those decisions.

[02:44:34] And none of those are wrong. But I wish we could fund everything, right? We can't. So we have to figure out how to do it in a data-driven, thoughtful way. And if we need to continue to look at something, we need to do that in a data-driven, thoughtful way. So we do continue to use our limited resources in the best way possible.

[02:44:52] So I understand and appreciate the reason for this. I, like everybody else here, wants to make sure that our kids are safe walking to school. I completely agree that, you know, I think everybody has a role here, right?

[02:45:08] I appreciate our police working with FCPS and FCPS working with the police on re-looking at kiss and ride lines and bus configurations because that's all part of it, right? This isn't an isolation. I appreciate parents, hopefully, who have seen sharing on groups about, hey, please slow down, please pay attention.

[02:45:24] We all have a part in keeping our kids safe. So I appreciate the sentiment and thought behind it. We're all concerned. I think we need to do this in a way that actually maybe addresses and understands what issues there are and how we can best address those within the current environment.

[02:45:40] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Sizemore Heiser, Supervisor Lusk. I'll go quickly, Mr. Chairman. I'll just say I appreciate all the comments that were made on agreement with the critical incident issues, making sure that we take an opportunity to determine what those are and proceed on addressing them first.

[02:46:01] And then I'll say I like this idea of maybe having this possibly come back to the Safety and Security Committee since it's a part of the work that the board does around public safety. So it falls under the police department as it relates to some of the issues with the crossing guard.

[02:46:20] So I'm offering, if this is a possibility, we can schedule it for a future meeting that we can have the board have that discussion with information as well. And with that, I'll conclude. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, I appreciate that.

[02:46:36] I think depending on what we're getting back and the timeliness of it will determine how it comes back and where it comes back. But before I turn to Supervisor Herity for clarification, I think the county executive also wanted one. Thank you, Chairman McKay. I am going to take every comment that has been made today.

[02:46:54] And I have a meeting tomorrow with PD as well as Deputy County Executive Arnold on a scheduled basis. And we'll bring back a two-pronged approach on what I've heard today to ensure that we can move this process forward. Thank you. Thank you for that.

[02:47:09] Supervisor Herity. And I will say I appreciate the comments and clarification, and I like the two-prong approach. I did want to clarify, and I haven't said anything about anybody eliminating crossing guards at secondary, middle, or our elementary schools, but there is a change going on there.

[02:47:30] In many cases, they're going from our PD officers, crossing officers, to contracted officers. So I think, Supervisor Lust, what might fall on your thing is taking a look at how that program's working, how many have we hired, how many are still being covered by police officers, and that was part of the information request.

[02:47:52] But that part, I think, can get delayed, and it'd be good to come back to the board as we evaluate it. So anyway, I just wanted to make that clarification. There will be some changes at the elementary, middle, and secondary schools, but it will be from officers to contract the courts.

[02:48:10] Yeah, and I don't disagree with that. I mean, I can't think of a time we've made a major change where we haven't gone back and looked at what does that actually mean and what is that doing. I will say that in talking with the police chief, because of many actions that this board has taken, And our vacancy issue in the police department has changed dramatically and is far more favorable today than it was when we started this.

[02:48:32] That being said, we also want to be cognizant of and aware of not just the community's needs here, but also the fact that the police department is part of our community and what their responsiveness is to critical issues as well. And then I do think the larger review of contracted crossing guards is merited.

[02:48:53] There may even be a longer-term issue here with infrastructure. I know in Supervisor Lusk's office, a long time ago, there was a pedestrian issue that happened. And as a result of it, the General Assembly member at that time, Delegate Keating, intervened and got a traffic signal in front of Edison, which now has three countdown signal heads within yards of the entrance of the school and a traffic light to control traffic.

[02:49:18] So there are infrastructure things here that can be large-term more beneficial to the safety of the community, and I know those are being looked at as a part of these individual high schools as well. So what can the schools do operationally? What can they do on their own property?

[02:49:34] And what is happening at the intersections around those schools? Some of those may require longer-term infrastructure investments that we need to be made aware of. And so all of that is encompassed in this look that will come back to us in potentially two tiers. Anything that comes up immediate, if there is anything, that we need to know before carryover.

[02:49:54] And then after carryover, the larger review of the move to contractors and what's actually happened over the course of an entire school year. Because to be honest, the changes up front at the beginning of the school year are significant. Things iron their way out. Schools change. Kiss and ride movements and other things to be responsive to what's happening on the ground.

[02:50:14] We want to continue to encourage that type of creative collaboration to solve these issues as they come up. And so I think with all of that, we've clarified the motion. It's been seconded. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor, please say aye.

[02:50:30] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Herity. Yeah, and I've got two unwritten items. I did want to say in front of West Springfield, we're getting a light at Grigsby, but it's several years away. So some of these infrastructure solutions might be down the road a little bit.

[02:50:48] A couple of unwritten board matters. I want to congratulate Robinson Secondary School and McLean High School for earning 2025-2026 Virginia Army National Guard Cups. Robinson received the Virginia Army National Guard Cup for Athletics, recognizing their strength and consistency of its athletic programs.

[02:51:06] It's the third time they've won the award in four years and the fifth overall. McLean received the Virginia Army National Guard Cup for academic activities, reflecting excellence across a variety of academic activities.

[02:51:21] That'll be McLean's first academic cup. Winners of the National Guard Cup are determined by a point system based on performance on VHSL state competitions. The awards celebrate the dedication of student participation, coaches, sponsors, teachers, administrators, families, and school communities whose collective efforts contribute to their success.

[02:51:43] Congratulations to both Robinson and McLean on their incredible accomplishments. And I also want to congratulate SYA Little League on their state championship. They hosted an outstanding tournament at Patriot Park North. They won on to represent Virginia in the Little League Southeast region in Georgia, where they went 2-1.

[02:52:04] Just congratulate them on an outstanding season, and best of luck next year. That's it, Mr. Chairman. And with that, we are going to move on to administrative items, and there are a lot of them.

[02:52:19] There's 16 of them, so let me first ask if Supervisor Smith has a motion. I move approval of admin items 1 through 16. And the chair will second that. Before we vote on that, let me ask if any board members have specific admin items they would like to call out for questions or comments.

[02:52:36] Supervisor Smith, I will start with you. Admin 4, I just would like to make a couple comments. admin for you want a separate vote - okay supervisor herity yeah admin seven for separate vote separate vote for seven and any other supervisor stork three for comment not for a separate vote okay so we will vote on all the administrative items except for admin seven and before we do that though let me ask supervisor

[02:53:13] Supervisor Smith, for your comment or question on Admin 4, which is authorization to advertise public hearings on a proposed zoning ordinance amendment regarding the 2026 Code of Virginia update. Supervisor Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we know, the General Assembly took action, and some of the changes they made are mandatory changes that did take effect July 1st.

[02:53:33] So those are in this package. There were some permissive items that they provided to us. We're going to ask staff to look at those later. We do minor modifications in the January time frame, so that will probably make the most sense to do those then. But I wanted the board to understand we will be looking at the permissive items.

[02:53:51] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for that. Important clarification. Admin 3 is authorization to advertise a public hearing to consider amendments to the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia, Chapter 46, Health or Safety Menaces to Establish Regulations for Criminal Blight.

[02:54:08] Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I mean, this is just a reminder of what this is. We had a situation a year or so ago and very much impacted the community. We didn't have the tools, I think, and the options that could have helped that process. And the term criminal blight here refers to a condition that endangers the public health or safety of our residents.

[02:54:30] Again, for clarity, we note that criminal refers to the activity occurring on the property. This is a civil process, not a criminal one. So, again, I know we're going to go to public hearing and all that, but I just wanted to clarify that this is another tool that made a huge difference for us in our community.

[02:54:49] And I'm pleased to have brought this forward in the support of the county attorney and many others that have brought us along. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. If there are no other questions or comments, we are going to vote on administrative items 1 through 16, except for administrative item 7, which I will call after that vote.

[02:55:09] So all those in favor of all of the other administrative items, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Admin 7 is authorization to advertise a public hearing to convey board-owned property located at 14200 St. Germain Drive to the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority in the Sully District.

[02:55:32] Questions on that item? Any questions or comments on that item? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of Admin 7, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Herity, nay. Any abstentions? And Supervisor Heiser, you are an affirmative vote on that?

[02:55:54] Yes. Okay. Thank you very much. That item passes 9 to 1. And with that, we are going to move on to our action items. Action item number one is adoption of a resolution for the McLean Volunteer Fire Department, Fire and Rescue Equipment Financing in the Drainsville District.

[02:56:17] Supervisor Beerman. I move action item number one, consistent with county executive's recommendation. The chair will second that motion along with Supervisor Lusk. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[02:56:33] Aye. And that's an aye vote from Supervisor Sizemore-Heiser. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries nine to zero, Supervisor Herity being out of the room. Action two is approval of donation of land rights to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority for sanitary sewer relocations associated with the Franconia third-track project in the Mount Vernon District, Supervisor Stork.

[02:57:00] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the county executive's recommendation. And I'll second that along with Supervisor Lusk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. I'm waiting here. There we go.

[02:57:16] Supervisor Sizemore-Heiser votes aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And Supervisor Herity is an aye. That is approved 10 to 0. Action item number three is approval of Fairfax County's Title VI program for the Federal Transit Administration, Supervisor Beerman.

[02:57:34] I move action item number three, consistent with the county executive's recommendation. And the chair will second that. Discussion on the item. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries.

[02:57:54] We now have action item, sheets are out of alignment here. Action item number four, which is approval of funding allocations for active transportation improvement projects and maintenance.

[02:58:11] Supervisor Beerman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a motion and two brief follow-on motions. I move the county's executive's recommendation as to action item number four. I further move that county staff be directed to seek opportunities to bring in projects below budget and with more speed while implementing systemic changes coming out of the board auditor's active transportation audit.

[02:58:32] I finally move the county staff be directed to meet with any supervisor who requests to do so to discuss possible cost savings opportunities or necessary alterations to the projects allocated to specific districts, and I'm happy to explain my motions. And the Chair first will second those motions. I'm not sure they need explanation, but is there any discussion on the motions?

[02:58:52] Supervisor Bierman. Yeah, I will briefly discuss this. I am bringing this motion extremely enthusiastically and somewhat reluctantly, And I know that that sounds crazy, but sometimes we are of two minds. Extremely enthusiastically, because it is about time.

[02:59:09] We are very happy to be moving forward another $25 million of pedestrian safety improvements, and this is really good. I think it took us a little too long to get here, but I think everybody who is in this room knows that, and I think that they're ready to continue moving forward with as much speed in the future.

[02:59:28] The somewhat reluctantly is that we're a mere six days out of the first true do-back from our board auditor's report, which was a standardized project delivery guide where we could look at our systems of how we deliver these projects and try to figure out ways to deliver them faster on time, on budget, you name that.

[02:59:53] And, you know, I wish that every one of these allocations had the benefit of that work. I also fully understand, because I've had conversations with members of staff, that the complete intention of the people sitting on that side of the room, because luckily everybody moved to that side of the room, the full intentions of staff are to have those improvements and to see projects completed with more speed and below budget.

[03:00:23] I finally need to add in the follow-on motions because I wanted to make sure that I had an opportunity to continue discussing with staff the commitments that FCDOT made to my community and that I've made to my community so that we can continue to fulfill them on certain projects that are really necessary and that have to get done and that, frankly, again, have to get done quickly and on budget.

[03:00:48] So with that, that is why I brought the motion as I did. As I said, enthusiastically, a little reluctantly, mostly enthusiastically, which is kind of how I live my life. So thank you. We didn't notice, and I seconded it for all the reasons that Supervisor Beerman just mentioned.

[03:01:08] And I should also add that outside of the projects in your district that you're also making that motion as the chair of the Transportation Committee, where we have had meetings and discussions about the very things you just mentioned, which is speed, efficiency, cost reduction, the things that we want to see with these projects moving forward.

[03:01:26] So we will continue to work on improvements in that area, both the Transportation Committee and the rest of the board. So thank you for that, Supervisor Beerman. With that, Supervisor Herdy. Yeah. I was just going to comment. I'm happy to see at least some dollars in here for maintenance of existing because a lot of, you know, we focus a lot of time on building new, but maintaining what we've got.

[03:01:51] We've got a lot of work to do in doing that. The $420 for studies and planning related to the repaving program, can somebody explain that? Yes. So as part of the... Can you introduce yourself, please?

[03:02:08] Sorry. I'm Laura Ghosh. I'm the Active Transportation Section Chief for Fairfax County Department of Transportation. And our team manages the coordination with VDOT repaving program to implement marked crosswalks where possible and bike lanes where possible as well.

[03:02:30] And so in order to do that, VDOT has strengthened the requirements for documentation regarding decisions for new crosswalks, as well as bike lanes and roadway reconfigurations, otherwise known as road diets. And so we need the funds to support the studies to implement through that program.

[03:02:50] Okay. So I get a lot of comments from citizens, everyday citizens, that say, why do we keep doing it? any I never see anybody using them have we done any kind of studies to see how many of those are actually being used I will have to talk to my team and get back to you we do also receive comments saying that people love them and to use them yeah I just like to understand where they're being used how they're

[03:03:25] being used how many are being used and it'd be helpful as we move forward that's it thank you acknowledgement from staff I would just say that until there's a network sometimes it's hard to use them and so where we've seen them most use at least in my experience is when there's been continuity and a network that people can actually use and so as the county builds out and as we focus more on pedestrian bicycle safety and active transportation as we put that infrastructure in you're seeing more and more people use it over time when it connects to other things that they need and so I think that just is a pure logic

[03:04:03] thing any other comments or questions for staff okay that being said all those in support of action item number four including them all the motions follow on motions of supervisor Beerman that I seconded please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries and that takes us to action five which is resolution to support the addition of alliance drive and alliance court into the virginia highway system in the springfield district supervisor harry yes mr chairman i move approval of the

[03:04:39] county executive's recommendation and the chair will second that is there any discussion um seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any i'm going to wait for supervisor sizemore heiser aye aye uh any opposed any abstentions that motion carries action item Number six, authorization to make loans to Franconia Development Partners, LLC, of up to $12 million to finance the development of the former Franconia Governmental Center in the Franconia District Supervisor Lusk.

[03:05:13] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am excited to move this item. It's been a long and intensive process. We've gotten a lot of community opportunities to discuss this, and I appreciate that this is going to advance the goals here in Fairfax County and Meadnett's affordable housing goal and 120 units will be significant.

[03:05:38] So with that, Mr. Chairman, I will move the Board of Supervisors approve the county executive's recommendation and authorize a loan to the Franconia Development Partners, LLC, or an affiliate project entity in the amount not to exceed $12 million for the development of affordable housing at 6121 Franconia Road as outlined in this board item heard the motion I'm happy to second that along with Supervisor Palchuk discussion on the motion Supervisor Lusk any discussion let me check with you first I'm fine for now thank you Supervisor Hardy yeah just a

[03:06:14] couple of quick questions one do we have a cost per unit estimate on this not our cost per unit but the total cost per unit, would that include land or not include land? Supervisor Herity, good afternoon.

[03:06:29] Tom Fleetwood with the Department of Housing and Community Development. The cost per unit on this project is $415,000, and that does not include the land. So that's just cost to construct of $415,000. Did we look at the history of the partners in this as to previous evictions and tenant relations and that sort of thing before we chose the partner on this one?

[03:07:00] Supervisor Herity, the partner that was selected on this one was selected through a competitive process. As I think you might be aware, they have successfully delivered other important projects in Fairfax County, including one university.

[03:07:18] as well as Arrowbrook and the original residences at the government center here on this campus. Generally speaking, when we are looking at selecting a development partner, we want to make sure that they're able to perform in all aspects, including delivery, as well as the quality of the housing that they provide.

[03:07:47] I'll just real quick make my comments. The board knows where I'd stand. I think we needed to look at the way we're doing this I think we're running out of people that fit into the the very narrow bandwidth that can afford this housing got another announcement just the other day that The indigo is now two and a half months of free rent as they're trying to fill their units Because they can't find them they've gone past just advertising it, but they're now doing web advertising in a pretty significant way

[03:08:25] So I I want to help people find housing I got a great project in my district moving forward right now that you know leave not on your radar 114 studio units We had to change our zoning laws so that we could do that, but I Just think this is the wrong way to do it. So I won't be supporting this motion Supervisor Palchuk.

[03:08:48] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, I had a couple of questions because I saw Supervisor Heritage's questions and comments, I think, in a recent newsletter. Can you discuss with us, do you know the number of foreclosures that have happened in SCG properties?

[03:09:05] And I believe we recently got a report as well on the current vacancies in our affordable housing. I know Indigo is still in the process of opening phase one and phase two, so it's pretty normal to do that. But what is the history on both their foreclosures and on our vacancies, if you have that, across our properties?

[03:09:26] To be clear, Supervisor Palachuk, I think we're talking about evictions, correct? Yeah, number one, evictions, I would say. And number two, vacancies, if you have that with you. If not, if you could share that with us. Again, probably. I'm happy to share it in a more fulsome manner here going forward in writing.

[03:09:45] Okay. And what is the actual county investment per unit for this project? $100,000 per unit. $100,000 per unit. Okay. Thank you. And are there project-based vouchers in this project?

[03:10:02] I know Supervisor Harris mentioned double support from federal and state and local, perhaps. But are there project-based vouchers in this project? No. And I know there's also concern about having to come back to us for local funding.

[03:10:20] When have you had to come back to the board to ask for more local funding for these projects? In terms of local funding for new construction projects, we've only come back once. Thank you. I appreciate that.

[03:10:35] And final question, Indigo, remind me, in addition to local and state, the lasagna on that one, I believe, also includes Amazon funding. Is that correct? That's correct. Okay, and what is the total of that funding for that Indigo project? I'm going to defer to my colleague, Ms. Shapiro, for that.

[03:10:54] I think we can follow up with that in writing as well. Sorry, say that again. Anna Shapiro from Department of Housing. I think we can follow up with that in writing as well. Excellent. Thank you. And I know we're all working really hard to get housing of every level, of every capacity.

[03:11:13] And I know financing is tough in the private market, so I appreciate the work that's gone into leveraging. I believe we leverage more than $4 per every dollar we invest. Is that correct? Generally speaking, our projects leverage a tremendous amount of non-local funding, and we've been very successful in attracting private capital to these projects.

[03:11:37] Thank you. And final question. I know you shared that with us, but are we currently on track to meet our 10,000-unit goal, as stated by the chairman and the board a couple years ago at this point? Supervisor Palachik, as you'll recall, at the May 12th Housing Committee meeting, We did present information about the path to 10,000 by 2034, and there will need to be a lot of things that go right, but yes, we are on track.

[03:12:09] And that includes, sorry, one follow-up, both dedicated projects like this one as well as inclusionary zoning through private development that is occurring across the county where we are seeing development occur? That is correct. Okay, thank you.

[03:12:24] As a follow-on, could you also just share with us, per district, where we're seeing affordable and workforce dwelling units being created in the past five years? Very happy to do that. Mr. Chairman, if I may ask, would it be acceptable for us to respond to these through the budget Q&A process?

[03:12:43] Yes. Thank you. And, you know, I do want to add one thing because evictions have come up, and I think it's easy to look at eviction numbers in isolation. But every eviction has a story behind it and a family or an individual who's affected by it.

[03:13:01] And this question was asked at the RHA in regard to this project. And we know that with one of these specific developments, a nonprofit private partner stopped providing financial support to a lot of the tenants in one of the units.

[03:13:17] And that led to an eviction, led to multiple evictions. And so I think we have to be careful with eviction numbers because they're situational. And frankly, when we enter into agreements with business partners like this, if an eviction is necessary, they have to make that eviction happen to provide housing for other people who need it.

[03:13:38] I mean, there's a lease that people sign. It's contingent on a lot of different factors. And so we can all talk about evictions all we want, but frankly, if we don't look at the individual circumstances behind those and the effects, And I appreciate that, you know, the county and the providers of these housing will work with these tenants as long as they can to try to come up with solutions.

[03:14:00] But there are times where evictions are necessary, especially in affordable housing. And that doesn't necessarily mean somebody did something wrong or there's malfeasance. It might actually mean that a person ran into a situation beyond their control, which happens to vulnerable residents in our community every day, sadly.

[03:14:17] And an eviction was ultimately what had to happen. And so I think when we get the information back, getting it back in the full context is going to be really important, rather than just throw a number out there, because every one of these has people that are affected and has an individual story associated with it that the board deserves to also hear.

[03:14:38] So I appreciate that we'll get that information back as we move forward. Any other questions on this item? Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I just wanted to drill down a little bit more on a kind of the ratio of county money to the overall cost of the housing.

[03:15:00] I think what I heard is about $100,000 in this particular situation, about $415,000 total per unit. Obviously, there's county land that's involved here. But we're talking about $100,000 county money, and we're leveraging $315,000 of other money.

[03:15:18] If we didn't do this, where would that other $315,000 go? Supervisor Stork. I mean, broadly. I'm not looking.

[03:15:34] They went to Enrico County or whatever. Certainly the tax credit equity would go to other projects. So people in Fairbanks County would lose out the ability to have at least a few more units of housing that they could afford.

[03:15:50] If we didn't take a little bit of county money, and in this case some county land, and leverage the federal tax credits and other credits that are out there that are already there for the asking, and they're competitive, I understand that. But if we don't do that, this housing doesn't get built, correct?

[03:16:10] Correct. So in my mind, we're doing exactly what we should be doing for our community. We're fighting for them to have more housing, better housing, and opportunities to live the kind of life I think that we all want for ourselves and our family. And yes, there's times that situations happen that make it more difficult for us.

[03:16:29] But this board, at least individuals on this board, are committed to making sure that that housing doesn't go somewhere else, that we get to keep it here in Fairfax County for the people who need it, and we can make a difference in their lives. So thank you very much for your work on this. Okay, if there's no further discussion, all those in favor of Action Item 6, again, please say aye.

[03:16:52] Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Parity, nay. Any abstentions? And that passes 9 to 1. Action Item 7 is approval of the FY2026 and FY2027 Community Services Performance Contract Amendment between the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to accept FY 2027 funding.

[03:17:15] At this time, I'm going to turn to Supervisor Sizemore Heiser for a motion. I move that the board accept the county recommendation. You've heard that motion. The chair will second that, along with Supervisor Palczyk.

[03:17:32] Is there any discussion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of Action 7, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. We'll now move to consideration items. And consideration item one is acceptance of the Fairfax County Public Art Master Plan.

[03:17:50] And I am going to this time turn to Vice Chairman Smith for a motion. I move acceptance of attachment one to this consideration item as advisory non-binding guidance for county staff. Madam Chair, we'll second that along with Supervisor Alcorn. Any discussion on the motion?

[03:18:07] Supervisor Smith. Sometimes you read reports and the words are great, but the pictures are also great in here too. It is wonderful information, and I think the community conversations that took place with it. I appreciated the conversations I had in my office, but also being able to see community artists talk about what's needed.

[03:18:29] It lays out what's happening in each district. It is a ton of information. I appreciate all the hours and the passion of all the people that put this together, and I thank them for the work. Well said, Supervisor Smith, and I agree with all of that.

[03:18:44] And I got to say, you know, as someone who's spent their whole life in the county, when I go around the county today and look at our public art compared to where we were not that long ago, I got to tell you, we are just so much better and so much a better place now.

[03:19:02] And this guidance will help guide that even further to the next level. But, you know, every corner of this county now I can find public art. And that was not always the case. And it absolutely is not only improving the culture of the county, but also improving the mental health and making these places where people want to be the economic piece of this as well.

[03:19:24] And so I, too, want to thank all the folks who were involved in this, because I know it was a big lift, and look forward to seeing even more success as we move forward that is guided by this plan. Supervisor Pouchik. Thank you. I just want to share my thanks.

[03:19:40] I'm really grateful. Supervisor Gross is here today because I know she helped champion this as well. This is a long time coming, and I am especially grateful about the pieces in here that are not necessarily additional, require additional funding, right?

[03:19:59] There is so much here to leverage, and speaking of workforce housing, that mural just outside the government center on the new development project there is incredible, And I appreciate, I know that our community loves the art, loves culture, has people from all over the world, and incredible artists.

[03:20:20] And the work that the whole team has put in to putting it in writing, looking at it by district, by area, by region, and realizing, right, you're not going to get a Capital One Hall everywhere, right? It is an incredible venue.

[03:20:36] But as we look at different ways to bring art, to create art, to include it in our projects, I think what I love about community development, and I think what Supervisor Alcorn always says about the villages is that, you know, we built communities and we built houses and maybe a school.

[03:20:55] But as we go into the next generation of Fairfax, bringing in the soul, the heart, the art, the culture, the gathering spaces, whether they're indoors or outdoors, with a piece of park and art, I think, is the perfect combination.

[03:21:12] So just thank you. I know many, many thousands of hours have gone into this. It was a huge lift and I think helps create a roadmap as we move forward and as we look at potential development projects and now have a place to turn to when we know that we'd like to consider what art works there.

[03:21:28] So just thank you for all the work. Supervisor Herity. That's okay. I'm good. Okay. Supervisor Lusk. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to acknowledge Evan Kaufman and the work that he's done, specifically on Richmond Highway.

[03:21:44] I think the sculptures, the faces of the one are just phenomenal. I also want to acknowledge the work that's been done on the Springfield Garage in terms of activating that space. People would say to me, you are going to do an event on the top of a garage.

[03:22:03] And the answer is yes. And when they go up to the garage, there's this beautiful mural that they encounter. And many have said it's a pleasant surprise when they've gotten up there and seen it. So I just want to acknowledge that the work that we're doing with murals are making a huge difference.

[03:22:22] And I'll make one last point on the murals. We had some members of the community, when we first started talking about it, say to me, we don't want to have graffiti in our community. And I said, we're not putting graffiti in the community. And I think now that they've seen it, they can certainly appreciate and value it.

[03:22:40] So I just wanted to make that point as well. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If there's no further up, Supervisor Stewart. I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to also kind of weigh in and thank everybody for being involved in the committee and so much of the work that's done here. But I also wanted to acknowledge Stuart Holt.

[03:22:59] He has really brought so much to all of us, and particularly to – I know we didn't have a Mount Vernon Arts and Culture Council before this, and I don't know why, to be honest. I just don't know why. But that got started, and we are moving that forward.

[03:23:17] And, Stuart, your leadership on this, your ability to bring people together and kind of push us all in the way we should be pushed is greatly appreciated. I think by this board, I know particularly by me and the Montverdean community. So thank you. And obviously the committee for putting all this together.

[03:23:35] Thank you, Supervisor Stork. And if there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Aye. That motion carries. Supervisor Heiser voting in the affirmative. And consideration item number two, I understand is going to be deferred until the afternoon, but at this time let me recognize Supervisor Smith.

[03:23:55] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors defer action on the adoption of resolution and approval of bylaws to restructure the Environmental Quality Advisory Council, EQUAC, until after the public hearing to consider amendments to Chapter 122, Tree Conservation Ordinance, Article 9, Tree Commission, of the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia, scheduled for August 25, 2026, at 4.30 p.m., has been held.

[03:24:25] And the chair will second that motion along with Supervisor Behrman. Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Consideration item number three is adoption of resolution dissolving the Barbara Varen Volunteer Award Selection Committee.

[03:24:44] And at this time, I will turn to Vice Chair Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the adoption of the resolution dissolving the Barbara Varen Volunteer Award Selection Committee. You've heard the motion. chair will second that discussion on the motion seeing and hearing on all those in favor please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries 10 to 0 consideration item number four is consideration of an appeal of a substantial conformance determination regarding profit

[03:25:17] condition amendment pca-87-p-020-02 by deborah kinsley and scott kinsley in the providence District, and at this time, I would recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion. Mr. Chairman, for the reasons identified and the consideration item contained in the board package, and because the appellants, Deborah and Scott Nesley, have failed to provide legal

[03:25:47] or planning justification to overturn the determination made with INTZ-2025-PR-00032, I move that the board uphold substantial conformance determination and INTZED-2025-PR-00032, dated July 28, 2025.

[03:26:13] And the chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion? Supervisor Palchuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I was hoping we could just get a small overview from staff at the issue being proposed here. I know this is very rare for us to have these in front of us, and there's quite a bit of history.

[03:26:33] So if you could just share with us a small overview of the issues raised and the determination of staff. Certainly happy to do that. Kathy Belgian with Zoning Evaluation Division. This is an appeal of a substantial conformance determination that was made.

[03:26:53] It was filed, again, by Deborah Nisley and Scott Nisley, who live adjacent to the property in question. The property in question is 2615 Powder Mill Lane and is owned by Chris and Melissa Molivadas.

[03:27:10] And the brief history of the property, it's part of the Oakton Grove subdivision. The original subdivision was developed by Wright, and then there was a rezoning 87P020 with proffers associated with that that the board approved in February of 1988, which rezoned the whole subdivision from R1 to R2.

[03:27:35] And at that time, some of the existing homes in the subdivision were proffered to remain, and some of the lots were subdivided. There was a subsequent PCA that allowed removal and replacement of a couple of the other lots in the subdivision, and that one did have a GDP associated with it, and that GDP is the one that still currently applies.

[03:28:00] Then on October 28th of 2008, the board approved a second PCA, 87P020-02, and that was relevant to these two properties only, the appeal property and the appellant's property.

[03:28:17] That was to permit construction of an addition to the existing dwelling on lot 15, which belongs to the Knisleys, and to allow the replacement of the dwelling on lot 16, which is the appeal property now owned by the Malavadis. There were a couple of revised proffers, and the remainder of the PCA proffers remained.

[03:28:37] With that PCA, the staff granted a waiver of the GDP requirement and accepted, in exchange for that, just an infill lot grading plan to show the work that was going to be done on those two lots. And on May 6th of 2025, a complaint was submitted to the Department of Code Compliance related to a planned expansion of the driveway on the subject property, on the appeal property, into a portion of the property that the complainant had identified as being what they described as a tree-save area.

[03:29:14] And following on that, then in May of 2025, the property owners, Chris and Melissa Mulavadis, filed a request for substantial conformance determination to do some work on the driveway and add some landscaping.

[03:29:30] So the driveway is located on the appeal property, but it serves both lots with an access easement. And the request was to add 679 square feet of pavement to the driveway, which, based on the amount of pavement that existed on the driveway, was just a couple of areas of addition to sort of, you know, fill in areas where cars were already making the turn in the edge and stuff, and to add some landscaping on those edges.

[03:30:01] So the determination was made by the Director of Zoning Evaluation Division on July 28, 2025, and stating that the conclusion was that the proposed driveway expansion with the addition of landscaping was in substantial conformance with the proffers because they don't alter the alignment or the function of the easement, They don't add new access points, and they don't extend into the designated tree preservation areas that were proffered.

[03:30:35] And then the application was an appeal was filed on August of 2025 by the NICELYs, which was timely filed. And basically, staff's position, again, is that the proffered tree-safe area, which is shown on the previous GDP, is not impacted by the expanded pavement.

[03:30:58] It was reviewed by the forest conservation staff and confirmed that as long as the work was done in a relatively careful fashion, that the trees should be not in any jeopardy. And happy to answer any other questions you may have.

[03:31:17] No, thank you. I appreciate that. And just to comment, happy retirement. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. We've heard the motion. The chair seconded the motion. Is there any further discussion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of consideration item four, please say aye.

[03:31:35] Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And that brings us to the end of our morning items. Before I turn to Vice Chairman Smith for a motion to bring us into closed session, let me ask how long we need for closed session.

[03:31:55] Mr. Chairman, I estimate approximately one hour. One hour. So, let's see. Let me first turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion, and then we will discuss our report back time.

[03:32:13] Sounds good. 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, and in addition, one, legal briefings regarded United States v. D.C. Water et al., Case No. 1, 26-CV-01346 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and condemnation of temporary construction easements by the Virginia

[03:32:46] Passenger Rail Authority. All is permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A7 and 8. Number two, legal analysis regarding potential intervention in a state corporation commission proceeding and a constitutional officer's salary. All is permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A8.

[03:33:07] And number three, appointments of a Board of Zoning Appeals member and a deputy county executive. All is permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A1. And the chair will second that. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[03:33:25] Aye. Aye. Any opposition? Any abstention? Seeing and hearing none, that is approved. If we have one hour for closed session, that puts us back in closed session at 2.30. Public hearings begin at 3:30 and so the board will recess until 2:30 And at 2:30 report into closed session mr. Chairman. Yeah, the supervisor loss. I'll have an intent to defer Share that okay. Yeah, please do. Thank you. Mr. Chairman There's a public hearing scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon. It's a public hearing on

[03:34:02] PCA-84-L-020-29-CDPA-84-L-020-10. In parens, RZPA 2025-FR-00035 in the name of VP, Kingstown Office Building T, LLC.

[03:34:28] It's my intent to defer this item to a date certain due to an affidavit problem. Okay. Thank you for that announcement. That wasn't the actual deferral, but we will make that motion at the appropriate time. Are there any other intents to defer?

[03:34:45] that board members want to share. Okay. Seeing and hearing none, the board will recess and report to closed session at 2.30. Okay.

[03:34:54] It's back from closed session, and at this time I'm going to turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion.

[03:36:18] 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.

[03:36:41] You've heard the motion. The chair will second that. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. I'm waiting on Supervisor Rachna Sizemore-Hyser, for those of you joining us this afternoon, is participating with us remotely, and I just heard an affirmative vote from her.

[03:37:01] So that motion is approved. Motion's coming out of closed session. I will make the first one. I'm going to turn the gavel to Supervisor Smith for a moment. And I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize the filing of a notice of participation with the State Corporation Commission in the application of Dominion Energy, Inc.

[03:37:19] and NextEra Energy, Inc., et al., for approval of a disposition and acquisition of control of public utility, case number PUR-2026-00112 on the terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session.

[03:37:35] I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Parity abstain. That motion carries. Okay. Other motions coming from closed session? Supervisor Smith.

[03:37:50] As required by Virginia Code Section 15.2-1627.1B, I move that the board increase the Fairfax County Commonwealth's attorney's annual salary by $6,823.79, effective July 11, 2026.

[03:38:10] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palchuk. Discussion on the motion? Let me just ask one question. This is unusual, but I just want a confirmation of a simple question of the county attorney, is that these salary adjustments are dictated by a Virginia code section, not arbitrary on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, correct?

[03:38:30] That's correct, Mr. Chairman. The code section was read out as part of the motion. It's 15.2-1627.1, subsection B. Thank you very much. You've heard the motion and the second. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[03:38:46] Aye. Any opposed? Any extensions? Parity abstain. So that vote is all board members in favor, including Supervisor Sizemore Heiser, and an abstention from Supervisor Herity. Further motions from closed session, Supervisor Smith.

[03:39:03] I move that the Board of Supervisors appoint Jessica L. Werder as Deputy County Executive, effective September 5, 2026. I'm happy to second that motion. Discussion on the motion? Excellent selection. Excellent choice.

[03:39:19] I'm assuming the board here votes for it, which I think they will. Excellent selection. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries unanimously. Congratulations. And I think Jess is here.

[03:39:36] Oh, she's right there. Yeah, if you could please rise. Congratulations. Congratulations to you. A lot of smiling, happy people around you. So I'd like to see that. I look forward to working with you in your new capacity.

[03:39:54] And with that, believe that, oh, Supervisor Stork, that's right. You have a motion as well. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the Board of Supervisors authorize the county attorney's office to settle the condemnation case to be styled as Virginia Passenger Rail Authority versus Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Virginia, regarding certain easements on real property located in the Mount Vernon-Fanconia districts upon the terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session.

[03:40:20] I'm happy to second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries unanimously as well. And that is the end of our motions from closed session.

[03:40:38] We are now going to move on to our afternoon public hearings. We have a lot of them, so we're going to be careful about time here with each of these cases. Just a few reminders about our afternoon public hearings. People wishing to testify have a number of options.

[03:40:53] They can testify here in person. 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. There will then be an opportunity for anyone else who would like to speak to the matter to come down to the podium or to call in at 703-324-1020.

[03:41:17] Speakers testifying by video must have signed up and submitted their video no later than 9 a.m. on the day prior to the public hearing. For public hearing testimony, you're given three minutes to speak as an individual. If you're a spokesperson for a group, you're given five minutes. With that, I am going to call our first case, which is a public hearing on RZ 2025-FR-00027, concurrent with PCA 2004-LE-021-002, Kay Hovnanian and Mount Vernon Gateway, LLC, in the Franconia District.

[03:41:52] And could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit? Good afternoon, board members. Allison Reynolds here on behalf of the applicant. I reaffirmed the affidavit dated August 12, 2026. Thank you very much. Are there disclosures from board members? Supervisor Palcic. Yes, Mr. Chairman of Cherokee Management Services, LLC, which is not a party to this application, donated in excess of $100 to Friends of Dahlia Palcic. Scott M. Herrick and Bernadette Manera, the managing member and member of Cherokee Management Services, LLC, are the members for

[03:42:29] Villa Associates, LLC, and are the shareholders for the Fairfax Development Corporation, all of which are identified in Sections 1A and 1B of the affidavit for this application. Thank you, Supervisor Palczyk. Supervisor Smith. Martin Reiser donated in excess of $100 to Kathy Smith for supervisor.

[03:42:50] Thank you very much. Are there any other disclosures? Any other disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-Hick Cicero with the Department of Planning and Development.

[03:43:10] The applicant seeks to remove 7.53 acres from the original zoning RZ2004-LE-021 and to downzone the property from PDH30 to PDH20 for the development of 66 townhomes and 78 stack townhomes.

[03:43:31] The property is currently developed with 14 single-family homes. Parcel 6, which was a part of the original application, is not included in this proposal. The subject site is highlighted in yellow.

[03:43:52] The property shown on the right side of the slide was originally a part of RZ2004-LE-021. It was removed from the case and rezoned to PRM pursuant to RZ 2021-LE-011 as approved by the board on April 12, 2022.

[03:44:13] That property is currently under construction for the approved multifamily building. the housing proposal includes 17 W to use on site and includes multiple urban parks and open space and open space amenities all of which will be available through public access easements the frontage and streetscape improvements are proffered along Jane Lee Avenue and Buckman Road as part of the application this commit this commitment includes parcel 6 which is not part of the

[03:44:51] application. Thank you. That concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. This time we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. Allison. Good afternoon, board members. Again, Allison Reynolds with Walsh Colucci here representing the applicant. I first wanted to thank Nick and Kathy and the whole staff team for all of their work on this project with us, as well as Supervisor Lusk and Regina Coyle in his office, who provided invaluable guidance

[03:45:28] on this project. We're excited to be here today to present phase two of Mount Vernon Gateway. The original Mount Vernon Gateway proposal, which encompasses that whole area you see here, was approved in 2005, but ultimately did not move forward due to the Great Recession and market changes thereafter. We now refer to the portion on the right-hand side as phase one of Mount Vernon Gateway. That was approved in 2021 and is now under construction with multifamily building. Our project is phase two, and we'll complete this development, including

[03:46:06] building the remaining portion of two essential public parks between the two phases shown here. We are very pleased to have a recommendation of approval from staff and from the Planning Commission, and I wanted to highlight a few of our proper commitments that we've refined since the Planning Commission hearing. We heard some concerns about affordability in the area, And this project contains 17 WDU units, but we wanted to do more on this issue, and our proffers include a commitment to fund the work of nonprofit partners to rehabilitate Harmony Place and Audubon estates, which are mobile home developments in the area.

[03:46:41] We also heard some concerns about safety in the area, and we have committed to funding trash cleanups as part of ongoing efforts to make the area clean and safe, which we also hope will increase use of the forthcoming Richmond Highway BRT facilities. And finally, we've committed to working with the Franconia District Supervisor's Office on a marketing plan for the units to government employees, including police, fire, and emergency personnel.

[03:47:07] That's all I have for you, but I'd be happy to take questions. Any questions of staff or the applicant? Mr. Chairman? Yes, Supervisor Lusk. I know that this application did go before the Franconia District Land Use Committee, and there were a number of concerns that they raised.

[03:47:27] if we could just maybe address a few of the ones that you were able to sort through and work out in response to issues that they raised. Yeah, absolutely. So some of the things that were brought up, there were some questions about stormwater, which I think we felt were, and we worked with the planning commissioner on this as well.

[03:47:49] We thought those were responded to. This proposal utilizes facilities approved by the county, and it exceeds the water quality standards. Another concern was actually housing affordability, and so one of the things that we took a look at was just different ways that we could work something into the project, but ultimately settled on the solution that I talked about with our proffer, just because those existing developments provide just a different source of affordable housing in the community.

[03:48:18] And then finally, there were concerns about parking. We ultimately determined that adding more parking at sort of that late stage when we got the comments about that didn't really make sense for the project. However, we do think that the proffers and other things that we are doing are going to activate the BRT line, which is directly south of our project, and we have good access to those stations. And so we believe that this project strikes the right balance between parking and other commitments on the site.

[03:48:48] In terms of parking, how would you describe the additional parking that's being provided as a result of your project versus what is required by ordinance? Yeah, we're providing considerably more parking at this site than is actually required by the ordinance. We, again, did not, just to let you know, there are 259 spaces that would be required.

[03:49:18] We're actually providing 336, so it's not quite 100 more, but we really tried to strike a balance between parking that is associated with units and parking for guests and spreading that throughout the facility. That concludes my questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[03:49:36] Okay. I do have one brief question. You mentioned in the affordable housing piece what you're doing in excess of the workforce development units. Can you describe that a little bit better? I just want to make sure I understand it. Yeah, absolutely. So we actually spoke with the supervisor's office and tried to think about different ways that we could address this.

[03:49:55] And there are two existing mobile home communities that currently are providing a source of sort of affordable housing that is naturally affordable in that community. There are nonprofit partners that the supervisor's office and others work with, and they are working to do some rehabilitation and replacement of some of those units just to keep them in good repair so that they can continue providing that to the community.

[03:50:23] Okay. Any other questions? All right. 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 anyone present? This is a public hearing anyone who would like to testify on this matter seeing and hearing no one Let me ask the clerk if we have any speakers who have called in there are no callers no callers the applicant waves rebuttal Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Sorry about that on July 16th 2026 the Planning Commission voted to

[03:51:02] recommend approval of these applications as well as the requested what waivers and modifications as listed on the cover of the staff report Staff concurs with this and supports the approval of this application. Thank you. Thank you very much Final call questions from board members seeing and hearing none. I will now close the public hearing and recognize supervisor Lusk for a motion Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[03:51:33] I'll hearken back to 2005 while I was serving as the planning commissioner for the then-lead district and had the opportunity to work with the community on the original proposal for the Mount Vernon Gateway. And it is truly exciting to see it under construction and to note the multifamily residential component and to acknowledge that it is transforming that area of our district.

[03:52:05] I'm equally excited about the Phase 2 portions of the Mount Vernon Gateway. And as we have seen before us today, the applicant has worked concurrently and diligently with the Franconia community and the county staff and my office as well, and I'm very appreciative of that.

[03:52:22] The site design before you incorporates significant stormwater management controls. tree preservation, parking, on-site space in excess of the minimum requirements. And I do appreciate that we have a mix of residential units with varying sizes, with 66 traditional townhomes and 78 stacked townhomes as a part of the design of this project.

[03:52:52] What I also really appreciate is that this project will provide an opportunity for home ownership opportunities for those at a variety of price points. And this is an issue that is probably the most vexing of all the ones that we face here is people being able to afford to purchase housing in this county.

[03:53:14] And I think this 17-unit housing option will provide workforce housing for those in this community. You will also notice that the Phase 2 design emphasizes pedestrian circulation, which is something that I'll give our planning commissioner a lot of credit for helping to secure.

[03:53:37] And it makes it a more inviting walk along the Janalee Avenue and Buckman Road frontages. And I think this is something that's going to be very different than the current situation that we have today.

[03:53:53] It's going to be a lot safer from a pedestrian standpoint. And I just appreciate that it's proximate to the future BRT stations that will be located right on Richmond Highway. Again, this application represents a positive addition to our ongoing improvements that are occurring along the Richmond Highway Corridor.

[03:54:17] And with that, Mr. Chairman, I will make a series of motions. The first is I move that the Board of Supervisors approve PCA-2004-LE-021-002.

[03:54:36] Second, I move the Board of Supervisors approve RZ 2025-FR-00027 and the accompanying CDP, subject to the executed proffers, dated August 18, 2026.

[03:54:55] And third, and finally, I further move the Board of Supervisors approve the waivers and modifications as listed on the staff report, dated July 2, 2026. You've heard the motion. It's been multiply seconded by Supervisor Palchuk, Supervisor Stork.

[03:55:12] Discussion on the motion? Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries, and thank you very much. And Mr. Chairman?

[03:55:28] Yes. If I could just thank the applicant for the work that they did on this proposal. I want to thank staff for the work that they did as well, and just acknowledge we are working diligently to make some changes along the historic Richmond Highway Corridor, and we are seeing those changes coming into fruition.

[03:55:48] So thank you again. All right. Next, we have a public hearing on PCA CDPA 2018-HM-020, RZPA 2025-HM-00055, TriPoint Homes DC Metro Inc. in the Hunter Mill District, and if we could please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Andrew Painter with the law firm of Walsh Colucci, speaking on behalf of TriPoint Homes DC Metro Incorporated, and I reaffirmed the affidavit dated August 7th, 2026. Thank you very much. Are there

[03:56:23] any disclosures from board members? Any disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Kevin McMahon. I'm a planner with the Department of Planning and Development. The 1.54-acre application site is identified as Block N3 in the northeast corner of Isaac Newton Square, a 10-block mixed-use development, which is zone-planned residential mixed-use and currently contains surface parking.

[03:56:56] The development is located within a half-mile of the Wheelie-Reston East Metro Rail Station and is north of Sunset Hills Road and west of Wheelie Avenue. The Block N3 is outlined in red in this image.

[03:57:13] On the approved CDP, Block N3 had been depicted as a 180-unit multifamily residential building. This PCA CDPA proposes to replace the multifamily residential building with 24 back-to-back townhouse units.

[03:57:33] The site improvements include three parks which are indicated on this image, all of these will be publicly accessible also pedestrian connectivity will be provided throughout the property consistent with the those shown in the approved CDP and the streetscape details include ADA access on street parking and bioretention for wheelie Avenue Center Street and Isaac Newton Square East these were heavily coordinated at the time of review of the phase one infrastructure

[03:58:07] FTP and the Block N2 FDPA and the applicant has provided details to sufficiently demonstrate the proposed design generally aligns with the previous approvals that include that concludes my presentation thank you very much at this time we'd welcome an applicants presentation thank you very much mr. chairman again Andrew Painter with Walsh Colucci first I'd like to thank staff both mr. McMahon and miss high they made it clear to me that I was to be brief because the agenda is long, which is difficult for me. But I will just say that this is

[03:58:42] an important step in realizing a vision of a redeveloped Isaac Newton Square, implementing the original conceptual development plan. Block N3 is what this application is about. It's shown on the right-hand side of the screen, and it represents completion of the first phase, which is a four-block phase of Isaac Newton Square, that together will deliver about 488 total units in this first phase. Many of you all may recall that the ownership spent the better part of a decade consolidating 32 of the 36 acres of Isaac Newton Square. And in 2019, we received conceptual

[03:59:15] development plan approval for the full 32 acres to redevelop the site with about 2,100 units, all in line with the comprehensive plan's recommendations. And when ownership moved forward to try to figure out a way to develop the first phase, it started at the northern edge of Isaac Newton Square and was going to work its way down. And the idea really was to not have one block here, one block there, but have a catalyst, critical set of blocks to come out at the same time in terms of amenities, in terms of just overall placemaking.

[03:59:43] And that's what this application seeks to do here. In terms of architecture, you will note that we didn't want to have a radical change in architectural contrast between this block and the other blocks that you have seen previously. So you'll note that some of the tone and organization and fenestration is very similar to the other blocks, as well as some of Reston's earliest brutalist buildings.

[04:00:03] The staff report highlights the work that we've done with parks and rec staff to really come up with a good regime of open spaces. So as it pertains to Block M3, we have the additional space captured for Willow Oak Park, which is right along Isaac Newton Square North.

[04:00:21] On the northern end of the block, we were able to reduce our development footprint and recapture that space for Nature's Edge Park. And then something that was brand new with this application that really wasn't conceived back in 2019, along Wheely Avenue, we've created a new Wayside Park, which is going to be a new publicly accessible open space that will have benches and a bike fixation, riparian or plantings and the like.

[04:00:43] And I think when you step back, Mr. Chairman, at the end of the day, the result of all these efforts is a project that complies with the comprehensive plans, recommendations for placemaking, for housing, for transportation and mobility. We are very proud of this project. Our entire team is here, and we're professionally proud of it.

[04:00:59] And we're honored to have the recommendation of approval from the Reston Planning and Zoning Committee, your planning commission, and your professional staff as well. So with that, I will yield the floor and be happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Seeing or hearing none, this is a public hearing.

[04:01:19] 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? This is a public hearing. Is there anyone present who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one, let me see if we have any callers. There are no callers. No callers. The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff.

[04:01:38] On June 24, 2026, the Planning Commission approved the final development plan and recommended approval of the PCA CDPA applications subject to the execution of the proffers now dated July 16, 2026, as well as approval of the requested waiver of subsection 2105.5.B. No. 2 of the zoning ordinance, which requires a 200-square-foot privacy yard on each single-family attached dwelling unit.

[04:02:11] Staff concurs with these recommendations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Final check questions from Board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Alcorn for a motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the applicant's presentation in summarizing sort of how we got here and also all the work that staff did.

[04:02:34] I think we are seeing a nice site design on this project, and it does, as was mentioned, fit into the neighboring properties and I think will be a nice little community as it comes online.

[04:02:51] And I appreciate the work with the community going through Reston P&Z, as well as obviously the Planning Commission and other groups that you've talked with to get to this point. So with that, Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Supervisors approve PCACDPA 2018-HM-020 subject to the executed proffer stated July 16, 2026 and approval of the requested waiver of subsection 2105.5.b2 of the zoning ordinance, which requires a 200-square-foot privacy yard on each single-family attached dwelling unit.

[04:03:28] And I would so move. You heard the motion. It's been multiply seconded. Any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor, please say aye aye any opposed I any abstentions and that motion carries unanimously. Thank you Next we have a public hearing on RZ - 20 25 - dr - 0 0 0 1 2 concurrent with PCA 85 C 0 0 8 - 0 4 CPA copper mine 3 lender LLC in the drainsville district

[04:04:02] And could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit? Yes. Good afternoon. Mr. Chairman My name is David Gill with wire Gill and I reaffirmed the affidavit dated August 6th 2026. Thank you Thank you very much Disclosures from board members Supervisor Behrman David Gill donated in excess as well in excess of a hundred dollars to Jimmy Behrman for Supervisor Thank You Supervisor Behrman Supervisor Palchuk. Yes, David our gail of wire Gill LLP donated in excess of $100 to friends of Dahlia Palchuk Thank you, Supervisor Powchick. Are there any other disclosures?

[04:04:39] Seeing and hearing none, at this time I'd recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. I'm Carl Schumay with the Department of Planning and Development. Subject property is located between Coppermine Road and Sunrise Valley Drive, just east of Sully Road, and currently contains a five-story office building and four-story parking garage.

[04:04:59] The applicant proposes to rezone the subject property from I-5 to PDH-20 and construct a residential community of up to 98 units. These units will be a mix of 30 conventional townhouses and 68 stacked townhouse units.

[04:05:14] The proposed stacked and conventional townhouses will look similar to these renderings. The applicant is proposing 35% open space coverage, or 1.6 acres of the total 4.5 acres. The proposed urban park, shown in the green box, is 0.3 acres.

[04:05:33] The urban park is proposed to include lounge seating, a community gathering and seating area, children's play structures, and a bocce court, or another approved group activity. Staff worked with the applicant to make the park space fully visible and accessible to pedestrians from both Coppermine Road and Sunrise Valley Drive via a total of four publicly accessible sidewalk and pathway connections with crosswalks shown in the proposed pedestrian circulation plan here.

[04:05:58] And staff finds the request to be in conformance with the comprehensive plan and the zoning ordinance. This concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. Yes, thank you. Again, David Gill with WireGill on behalf of the applicant. I'll keep my comments relatively brief because I do think this is a straightforward application that was long envisioned by the Comprehensive Plan.

[04:06:20] The existing five-story office building is basically completely vacant, and I think as a story we've heard repeatedly, this represents a real opportunity to create meaningful housing opportunities in, frankly, an area that has been a little bit piecemeal. And when I say piecemeal, this is really, I think, what the subject of this application is about, how to create meaningful community connections linked to existing open spaces and provide open space that will be open to the public in general so the existing community to the north will have access to our parks it will be all open to the public we're providing full trails both of the Sunrise Valley side and on the copper mine side as well as interpersonal accesses to allow when

[04:06:58] future office buildings to the east of us come in for potential applications in the future there are 98 total units being proposed we are doing the full 12 12.5% has ADUs, that's 12 ADUs, ownership opportunities that are being provided, as well as that .3 acre park.

[04:07:15] This has the endorsement of the Planning Commission staff, as well as the Community to the North of us, which is really excited about having these sidewalks to be able to cross both Sunrise and Copper Mine. With that, I'm happy to answer any questions and respectfully request the Board of Support here this afternoon. Thank you. Thank you very much for that presentation.

[04:07:31] Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify?

[04:07:48] Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers. No callers. The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On July 8, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the PCA and RZ and associated conceptual development plan consistent with proffers dated July 2, 2026.

[04:08:11] Staff concurs with those recommendations. Thank you very much. Questions from board members. Last call. Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Behrman for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve PCA-85-C-008-04, And I further move that the Board of Supervisors approve RZ-2025-DR-00012 and its associated conceptual development plan, subject to the revised proffers dated July 21st, 2026.

[04:08:44] And the chairman will second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Beerman. Sure. Thank you so much for bringing this forward. This is, as you said, a story that we hear a lot, five-story office building that's almost completely vacant.

[04:09:01] We happen to be nearish to a transit area. This is all a part of the Dulles Suburban Center coming out of the Innovation Station Metro. We've had lots of good opportunities to develop and add housing to that corridor.

[04:09:18] I think it's driven in part by the county's investment in Metro, which has allowed Innovation Station to develop as a mixed-use walkable neighborhood in that area. It will add to the county's supply of attainable housing. We talk a lot about housing, and we talk a lot about affordable housing, but the truth is we just need more housing.

[04:09:39] We need more housing. Fairfax County, as we said in a prior housing committee, Fairfax County has had about 50,000 new jobs since 2013, but only 22,000 new homes, which creates a serious imbalance between employment growth and housing availability.

[04:09:56] I actually, we had a conversation, it was too late for this staff report, because you guys had frankly done a really good job on the staff report and already put it in, but we were talking about how, I think it was my chief of staff and Tracy were having a conversation about how we've got criteria for development and redevelopment and land use analysis.

[04:10:16] We've got these seven development criteria. We also admittedly talk about, unfortunately, the effects of development that we're trying to mitigate. We talk about how many school kids will come in. We talk about traffic.

[04:10:32] We talk about all that analysis. But it would be nice somewhere, and I have not come up with exactly where, to also talk about the importance of adding housing in these staff reports and talk about, unfortunately, the problem of if we don't add housing, the negative effects of not finding ways to add that housing.

[04:10:55] Walter said earlier something about how he was a real stickler when it comes to, like, funky land use language and all that. I'm not, so you can just add it into the next staff report wherever you want. But it's something I would love to see us continuing to talk about.

[04:11:12] I have to commend the staff here, Billy, Carl, Suzanne. I have seven months of pre-staffing to getting before the board. You know what I'm going to say next. Next time it should be six. But still, great job.

[04:11:28] We love that you were able to work on that. Other highlights of this project include the 12.5% set aside for ADUs, the 35% open space, the connected internal streets, Coppermine Road, Sunrise Valley Drive, the stormwater improvements, the commitment to the green building certification, and yes, the school and park contributions and the additional school contributions in this area.

[04:11:53] As you may know, there is a school proffer in that area for a Silver Line Elementary School eventually down the line, and we continue to contribute to that fund, and I'd love to see that happen. So, I think that this application represents a lot of good stuff, a lot of what we're trying to do in the county, and I hope to have the support of my fellow board members.

[04:12:20] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Behrman. For those comments, if there's no further discussion, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Next, we have a public hearing on SC 2024-MV-00043, Thomas Pumpelli, trustee in the Mount Vernon District.

[04:12:46] And as soon as they are ready, could the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit? Kathleen McDermott, on behalf of the Pumpelli Trust, reaffirming the August 13, 2026 affidavit.

[04:13:04] Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members? Disclosures from board members. seeing and hearing none. I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. I'm St. Clair Williams with the Department of Planning and Development. The applicant, Thomas F. Pompeli Trustee, seeks approval of a special exception for a use in a floodplain to permit a single-family detached dwelling on an existing lot within the

[04:13:39] 100-year floodplain. The subject property is lot 3A of the Pompeli Point subdivision in the Masonic area. The 3.09 acre property is zoned residential estate and located approximately one mile south of the Richmond highways interchange with Interstate 95 and abuts the Occoquan River. Abutting lot 2A to the west and lot 4 to the east are both developed with residences.

[04:14:08] Currently, there is no dwelling on the subject property. However, sometime between 1976 and 1980, The owner of lot 4 who also owned a subject lot constructed a tennis court on lot 3a while no building permits were found based on aerial imagery and The tennis court being listed in the Fairfax County tax records for the adjoining property for at least 15 years The tennis court is vested and may remain in its current configuration The new dwelling is proposed in the location of the tennis court within the footprint of the existing tennis court

[04:14:45] The dwelling would be constructed to be elevated approximately four and a half feet above the existing grade and two and a quarter feet above the 100-year flood elevation to allow for floodwaters to pass under the house while increasing infiltration.

[04:15:02] The applicant also proposed to install a micro-bioretention facility in the northeast section of the property adjacent to the proposed driveway and an urban bioretention planter box to meet the stormwater and best management practice for the site. That concludes my presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[04:15:20] Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. Again, Kathleen McDermott representing Thomas Pompelli, who is the trustee under the Pompelli Trust.

[04:15:44] Can we move to the first slide, Sinclair? The next slide.

[04:15:59] Before I start my very brief presentation, I'd like to introduce Stuart Pompelli. He would like to say a few words from the landowner's perspective about this application. Good morning.

[04:16:20] Good afternoon. My name is Stuart Pompelli, and I appreciate you giving me the time to speak today. I'm here on behalf of my family. My father, Tom, and my wife, Tamara, are both with me in the audience today. For our family, this application is about much more than simply building a house.

[04:16:39] And during this process, I've often felt that the personal human side of the story behind why we are here has gotten a little bit lost. So I'd like to take a brief moment to share that with you. This is the last remaining buildable lot on Pompeli Point, directly next to my father's property.

[04:16:57] My father purchased this property in 1975 and has owned it for more than 50 years. It has always been my father's and our family's dream and plan to eventually build on this lot. As my father has gotten older, our desire to build next door has taken on a greater importance.

[04:17:18] We want to be close enough to help him when he needs us, while still allowing him to remain independent and in his home. We also hope to continue what he started more than 50 years ago, caring for this property and keeping it a place for our family to enjoy for generations to come.

[04:17:35] And that's what led us here on this journey in 2024. When we started looking into permitting, we were surprised to learn that any reasonable-sized home built on the property would touch the floodplain and require this special exception. The property has never flooded during our time living there.

[04:17:53] After 50 years of ownership, we found ourselves navigating a process that has been complicated, expensive, and unfamiliar to us. Since then, we've worked closely with county staff to develop a plan that balances our family needs while minimizing the environmental disturbance.

[04:18:10] Our family has always taken great pride in being stewards of this land, especially its trees, the shoreline, and the natural character. During the staff review, we were asked to consider relocating the house on the existing tennis court. We were initially hesitant to do this.

[04:18:27] The court is vested, we use it often, and our preference was to keep it. But ultimately and obviously, being close to my father was much more important than keeping the tennis court. So we agreed to pursue a plan that gives up the tennis court and places the house largely within the already developed footprint to minimize disturbance to the surrounding natural environment.

[04:18:49] What is before you today is a result of almost two years of working together with the county on a plan that we believe works for everyone. It's a plan that's supported by county staff, by the planning commission, by us as homeowners, and by our neighbors.

[04:19:08] We have met the county's requirement to build in the floodplain, and we have addressed the concerns raised throughout this process. We are simply, very simply, asking for the opportunity to build a home on our property, next to my father, in a way that respects both the land and the surrounding community.

[04:19:29] And before I conclude, I'd just like to mention one more thing, that our time working with the staff, St. Clair, and all of his team members, has been wonderful. We didn't always like what they had to say to us, but they guided us through the process and all the requirements.

[04:19:46] They were professional and respectful, so I really appreciate your work on that. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and your time. Thank you very much. Can we go to the next slide, Sinclair?

[04:20:05] Okay. As you can see, Pompeli Point juts into the Occoquan River, and you can see Tom Pompeli's property to the right of the blue kind of square, if you will, oblong.

[04:20:27] The blue property is Lot 3A that we're talking about, and it came across better in Sinclair's slide, but you can see that kind of dark blob to the right corner is the tennis court where we're proposing to build the house.

[04:20:48] This tennis court, as Sinclair mentioned, is there by vested right, meaning we can keep it there if we so desire. The lot 2A is to the left of the property, and you can see that the house on lot 2A is very close to the corner, left corner of the property.

[04:21:17] And that house was built in 2005. That lot has been sold. It is not in the Pumpelli family. There is a lot 1A. You can't see the house on it. It's to the north, and that also has a house on it.

[04:21:32] It is owned by a third party. It's not in the Pumpelli family. But this lot 3A is the last remaining lot in the Pumpelli subdivision. Moving to the next slide, you can, as Stuart mentioned, Here you can see the original proposal, and we've got the house on the left side, the tennis court on the right.

[04:21:56] You can see that the tennis court is significantly larger than the footprint of the proposed dwelling. Next slide, please. After that original proposal, we spent the next 12 months, as Stuart may have mentioned, meeting with the county staff and trying to perfect this proposal.

[04:22:26] And as a result, we proposed the footprint to be moved on to the tennis court. and the other thing that the applicant did was we submitted a water quality impact analysis and it wasn't required for this project at this stage but since staff indicated it would assist them in evaluating the impacts of the proposal the applicant was very happy to oblige moving to the next slide this is the proposal as Sinclair showed you of the property as proposed today with the

[04:23:04] house on the tennis court moving to the next slide the WQIA was actually approved on April 10th 2026 and notably the WQIA explained that there is nowhere on lot 3a that a house can be built wholly outside the RPA and the flood plane at the Planning Commission the staff supported the application and the neighbors from lot to a submitted a letter in support and also we had some

[04:23:38] testimony supporting the application at the Planning Commission hearing and the Planning Commission recommended approval the next slide in conclusion the staff found the proposal to build on the footprint print of the tennis court meets all applicable floodplain regulations, the comp plan recommendations, and the zoning ordinance criteria, except for the LOTWITH, which they have recommended a LOTWITH waiver

[04:24:15] because the LOTWITH has not changed since the enactment of the 1978 zoning ordinance. So applicant requests the board approve the SE as set forth in the special exception plat a plat overview and also grant the lot with waiver i'd be happy to answer any questions you may have before i sit down thank you very much uh for that presentation are there any questions of staff or the applicant supervisor stork thank you mr chairman and and i think staff done a thorough job and i think obviously the work that they've done together with hellies has been exactly what

[04:24:53] we want to see happen when we have a property that's i would say this sensitive because i know that's a key part of how we look at Fairfax County is ensuring that we protect and preserve the most sensitive areas and this is clearly one of those I want to ask this as a question to make sure that as a board you know we all recognize that we have unique pieces of property and each one needs to look be looked at distinctly and if you will separately in this staff recommendation

[04:25:29] and in general, this particular piece of property, does staff perceive or view this as some sort of precedent setting or something that if we approve this somehow or other, we have to approve or do something else with other properties?

[04:25:46] Supervisor Stewart, as far as setting any type of precedent, I don't believe this sets any precedent. As you kind of noted, special exceptions, all of them, but including the special exceptions for fill in the floodplain are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, so I don't see that any action on this application would impact or influence any other applications.

[04:26:09] Thank you, and I've seen the spreadsheet that we're literally point-by-point. You've gone through each of the issues that staff would look at in terms of the impact on the floodplain in the area, and every single one of them you've addressed that or will be addressed as part of this development.

[04:26:28] Is that correct? That is correct based on my review. Yes. Thank you. All right. Are there any other questions of staff or the applicant? Seeing and hearing none. This is a public hearing. I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter.

[04:26:45] 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. There are no callers. There are no callers. I assume the applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. Thank you, Mr.

[04:27:03] chairman on july 8th 2026 the planning commission voted to recommend approval of the requested special exception subject to the development conditions dated june 25th 2026 and the waiver of the minimum lot width requirement staff concurs with those recommendations thank you mr chairman thank you very much uh final check questions from board members seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and recognize supervisor stork for a motion uh thank you mr chairman and i

[04:27:32] I really thank the Propelli family for their stewardship of this property and this land in an area that I know is a beloved part, at least for me, and I know the Lorton and Masonette communities is a crucial part of what we protected more than 40 or 50 years ago.

[04:27:52] And I believe that this application has done its part to ensure that that process, that hopefully protection continues. It's never easy for any of us to support building or adding to wetlands areas or RPAs and the impact there.

[04:28:14] But everything that I've seen and I know the couple years that you've spent working with staff to try to put together a proposal that mitigates and minimizes those impacts is the kind of partnership that we want with any family and any organization that's looking to try to build on a sensitive piece of property like this.

[04:28:37] So I appreciate the efforts that have been made on the WQIA, obviously the Chesapeake Bay Ordinance, the design and the changes of the design and minimizing the disturbances that are necessary. That's where possible for this particular work.

[04:28:56] The vegetated buffer, again, I think time after time, when there's been an issue and something that's been of concern that we would want to have ensured that for the long term, this property is well protected, the family stepped up and said, yes, we want to do the same.

[04:29:15] And for that, it's the kind of partnership that I know that I want as a supervisor, but I think the community wants overall. And so I'm very pleased with being able to support this. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement to the proposed development conditions consistent with those dated June 25, 2026.

[04:29:41] We do. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve SE 2024 MV00043, subject to development conditions dated June 25, 2026, as contained in the staff report.

[04:29:59] I further move that the Board of Supervisors approve the waiver of the minimum lot with requirement. We'll happily second that motion along with Supervisor Herity. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye.

[04:30:14] Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? That motion carries. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I want to make sure I thank Sinclair Williams and obviously Kathy Lewis, and of course the family for their work and bringing about the best of the options that we have. Thank you.

[04:30:36] Thank you. Our next case, I understand, was announced was being deferred earlier, but at this time, let me call the public hearing on PCA 84-L-020-29, CDPA 84-L-020-10, BP Kingstown Office Building T-LLC in the Franconia District. Supervisor Lusk.

[04:30:58] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to defer the public hearing for PCA-84-L-020-29 and CDPA-84-L-020-10 to a date certain of September 15, 2026 at 3.30 p.m.

[04:31:19] And the Chair will second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries Next we have a public hearing on se 2025 - sp - zero zero zero four two jp morgan chase bank na in the springfield district And could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit good evening?

[04:31:51] Mr. Chairman supervisors david schneider with holland and knight and on reaffirm the affidavit dated august 5th on behalf of the applicant Thank you very much Disclosures from board members. Let me I disclosed that I received a complimentary ticket to the Inova Health Peterson Life with Cancer event, valued in excess of $100, provided by the Peterson Family Trust in my capacity as chairman.

[04:32:16] Supervisor Herity. Yeah, I want to disclose that I've received in excess of $100 from John Peterson and Peterson Family Trust, both listed on the affidavit. Thank you very much. At this time, I'd recognize staff for a staff presentation. Hi, my name is Ciara Downing from the Department of Planning and Development.

[04:32:37] The applicant proposes an SE to add an ATM to an existing bank. The subject property is located at the intersection of Fairlake Circle and Fairfax County Parkway in Springfield. It's a little over an acre in zoned PDC. The site is currently occupied by approximately 6,142 square feet of retail space, including a Starbucks and a 4,478 square foot walk-in bank occupied by JPMorgan Chase Bank, the applicant.

[04:33:08] In this special exception, the applicant is requesting approval to modify the site layout to convert the existing service alley behind the building to an ATM drive-thru lane. No changes are proposed to business hours, building size, nor the adjacent Starbucks use. Vehicular access to the site will continue to be accessible through existing entrance located on Fair Lakes Shopping Center, providing direct access to the site and an interpersonal connection to the southwest with adjacent businesses within the Fair Lakes Shopping Center.

[04:33:40] No changes to vehicular access are planned. Pedestrian access is provided via existing access points surrounding the building frontage on Fairlake Shopping Center and the internal parking area. The application is also proposing to construct a sidewalk connection to the existing parallel I-66 trail to help encourage pedestrian connectivity to other nearby uses.

[04:34:01] The proposal does not increase the building's square footage nor negatively impact the surrounding character of the existing commercial development. The existing FAR of 0.11 is below the planned FAR of 0.25 for Fairlakes as a whole.

[04:34:20] In addition, the existing FAR is well below the maximum FAR permitted in the PDC district, which allows up to 2.5 FAR. Staff finds the proposal to be in harmony with the plan and in conformance with the zoning ordinance. Thank you. That concludes my presentation.

[04:34:36] Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome the applicant's presentation. Mr. Chairman and Supervisors, again, David Schneider with Holland and Knight. on behalf of the applicant. Staff did a great job. I would like to thank them. And because they did a great job, I will spare you with one of my rambling presentations and happy to answer any questions. Thank you for doing that. This time, let me ask if there are any questions of the applicant or staff. Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I do not have any speakers signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to

[04:35:10] speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one. Let me check and see if we have any callers. No callers. No callers. The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On July 22nd, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the application subject to the development conditions dated July 9th, 2026. Staff concurs with those recommendations. Thank you.

[04:35:39] Final check. Any questions from the board? Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Herity for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Pretty simple and straightforward. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve SE-2024-SP-00042 subject to the development conditions dated July 9, 2026. I further move that the Board of Supervisors approve the waivers and modifications listed in the staff report, which include modifications of Section 5108.4, Circle C, Circle 2,

[04:36:13] circle a of the zoning ordinance requiring a 10-foot landscape strip between the parking lot and the right-of-way in favor of the existing grade and streetscape shown in the sc plat so moved you've heard the motion it's been seconded by supervisor chairman mckay could before you make a move on the motion could you just ask the applicant to confirm on the record agreement david schneider on behalf of the applicant agree to the development conditions date of july 9th 2026. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, Billy. Supervisor Herity made a motion seconded

[04:36:50] by Supervisor Lusk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries Supervisor Smith being absent at the time. With that, we are going to move on to our next public hearing, which is on PCA 2023-PR-00010 TriPoint Homes DC Metro, Inc., in the Providence District.

[04:37:21] And before we begin, it's my understanding, Supervisor Palczyk has a motion to make regarding the notice requirements for this hearing. My apologies.

[04:37:42] Zoning Ordinance Subsection 8100.1.B. authorizes public hearings to be held after notice requirements have been satisfied. including that notice of a public hearing will be posted on the property at least 15 days before the hearing.

[04:37:58] Due to an administrative error, notice was posted only 14 days before the hearing. The zoning ordinance authorizes the Board to waive or modify this requirement. Because this is an unusual situation and posted notice was beyond the applicant's control, I moved the Board of Supervisors to modify the 15-day posting requirement by one day to allow the public hearing to go forward today on PCA 80-L-070-03.

[04:38:29] And the chair will second that motion as their discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? I'm sorry. Suzanne Wright, Department of Planning and Development.

[04:38:47] What PCA case did you cite just then? I just want to make sure, because I have PCA 2023 PR00010 to go forward. Yeah, I think we cited PCA 80 something.

[04:39:05] Yeah, if you look at the motion, it had the wrong case number on it. Thank you. This is the case number. No, you're correct. Okay, I have it. Yes. Can I just read the case? Yeah, if you just read the case number. I'll amend the case number on that motion?

[04:39:22] Yes. All right. The correct case number is PCA-2023-PR-00010. Double parentheses. Does that have the RZP as well? No.

[04:39:37] Okay. Just that case. Just that. Thank you. My apologies. And I will confirm that's the case number I was seconding the motion on. And there was no discussion on that motion. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions?

[04:39:52] And that motion carries. And we'll take us back to where we were, which is, if we could please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit. Good afternoon. Evan Pritchard with Wiregill. I reaffirmed the affidavit dated August 10, 2026.

[04:40:09] Thank you very much. Disclosures from board members. Supervisor Palchik. David R. Gill of Wiregill LLP donated in excess of $100 to Friends of Dahlia Palchik. Supervisor Behrman. David R. Gill of Wiregill LLP donated in excess of $100 to Jimmy Behrman for supervisor. Thank you.

[04:40:26] Are there any other disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I'll now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Savannah Murray from the Department of Planning and Development. The applicant TriPoint Homes DC Metro Incorporated seeks approval to amend the proffers associated with RZ 2023 PR 00010 to establish a project phasing plan to clarify the delivery of urban park spaces and other site improvements. The 12.13 acre property was approved for the development of 196 single family attached

[04:41:05] units and five publicly accessible parks on February 18th, 2025. The applicant seeks to amend the proffers to clarify the construction and delivery of amenities associated with the approved development. The proposed development would be constructed in four phases as denoted in yellow, blue, green, and orange. Under the amended proffers, a park would be delivered with each phase of the development, ensuring recreational opportunities for the future residents.

[04:41:36] The applicant also proposes to revise the timing for the delivery of the streetscape, bus stop, electric vehicle charging, and easement to the north. Based on the proposed order of construction, staff has no objections to the amended delivery dates. Thank you.

[04:41:51] That concludes my presentation. Thank you for that. At this time, we'd recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation. Keeping up with the theme of short presentations by applicants. I'll be extremely brief I just want to thank Savannah Murray and Kathy Lewis for working with us to get this through efficiently We're very excited to have five public parks delivered as part of this project and have them done in a safe Manner that makes sense in terms of the the phasing changes that miss Murray described I want to note that at the Planning Commission in case any of you're wondering we did have a speaker

[04:42:28] who came with a few neighbors who pointed out issues they attributed to the demolition that's currently underway on the two office buildings Ms. Murray showed. I'm happy to report that we had a very nice conversation with that group following the hearing, and then my client met with them in their home approximately a week later to make sure that they're doing everything in their power to make sure all of the concerns that were raised from the demolition have been addressed.

[04:42:57] It's my understanding they've been very happy with the outcome and a clear line of communication has been set up. So happy to answer any questions, and thank you very much. Thank you very much. For that, questions of staff or the applicant? Supervisor Palczyk. Yeah, thank you.

[04:43:14] I think this is for the applicant because this discussion may have come up during the Planning Commission, but just was hoping you could share with us and the public what is the main reason for the request of the change of phasing. The change of phasing, it was something that was sort of known when the last PCA was approved, but it was somehow not addressed at the time.

[04:43:39] It's really common sense changing the phasing so that when the parks are delivered, there is not ongoing adjacent construction taking place. So it's really just a safety issue, as you can imagine. There's going to be a lot of active uses, and so we don't want to have members of the public especially children, using those parks while there's still potentially dangerous construction activity taking place.

[04:44:04] So we just sort of right-sized the timing to make sure that once those parks are open for everybody to enjoy, the construction is far away and nice and compatible with that use. Thank you. And is there an approximate delay in that time of the parks?

[04:44:21] No, no changes in the delay. This is just the sequencing, right-sizing those. We're pushing forward. We were very appreciative to get to you now because we, as I mentioned, the demolition is largely complete. They're just clearing the debris at this point.

[04:44:39] They're going to be starting on utilities in the very near future, and we're hoping to actually begin construction in earnest in the early part of next year. So we're moving full speed ahead. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you for that.

[04:44:55] Are there any other questions of staff or the applicant? Seeing and hearing none. This is a public hearing. I have no speakers who signed up in advance to testify on this matter. 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 check if we have any callers.

[04:45:16] There are no callers. No callers. The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On July 16th, the Planning Commission recommended approval of this application subject to the executed proffers dated July 8, 2026, staff concurs with that recommendation.

[04:45:34] Thank you. Final check. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palczyk for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve PCA-2023-PR-00010, subject to the executed proffers dated July 8, 2026.

[04:45:59] And I will second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Mr. Chairman. Yes, Supervisor Palachuk. Just briefly, I know we've gotten information. We have a long day, but I appreciate this amendment and the work from staff on this. It will provide both a practical and a safe phasing plan that will help ensure this development.

[04:46:17] The commitment is still there for the urban parks, for the trails, for the system that will connect several trails, the WNOD Trail to the Oakmont Community Center, and delivering these publicly accessible parks and amenities, including bike and pedestrian facilities.

[04:46:35] There are three parcels here, and so I think the coordination of this is very important, especially these new public spaces. They will be an important addition for the future of the residents and the existing residents of the community, and especially the transportation improvements, the new streetscape improvements, the bus stop, and the interparcel connection, as mentioned.

[04:47:00] So, ultimately, I think it will be a great outcome, appreciate there may be changes in phasing, and that we will continue to have the amenities that have been laid out in the application that was previously approved. So, with that, I appreciate the work of the applicants and the staff and my team, and ask for my colleagues' support in this application.

[04:47:23] Thank you. With that, if there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. any abstentions and that motion carries unanimously thank you next we have a public hearing on adoption of amendments to chapter 12 of the public facilities manual and when they are ready I would recognize county staff for a staff

[04:47:47] presentation afternoon chairman McKay and members of the board my name is Sandra O'Connell and I'm representing the Department of Land Development Services accompanying me today is Allison Homer resilient Fairfax program

[04:48:26] manager in the office of environmental and energy coordination two amendments are proposed to the tree conservation chapter chapter 12 of the public facilities manual the first one known as the landscaping and screening amendment proposes updates to the landscaping and screening provisions in the public facilities manual to align these provisions with the previously adopted zoning ordinance amendment the second amendment which is known as the resilient trees amendment implements two strategies from the resilient

[04:49:02] Fairfax plan which directed staff to update the public facilities manual to incorporate climate projections and enhance resilience to improve tree canopy health and to reduce tree losses by encouraging developers and project arborist to select tree species that are more resilient to a range of climatic hazards and urban environmental conditions.

[04:49:30] Staff is also directed to incorporate climate projections and to integrate climate considerations into tree selection. The key proposed changes in this amendment include updating the tree selection and canopy cover guide table in Chapter 12 and increases the number of native trees to Fairfax County and to surrounding areas to accommodate the shifting hardiness zones.

[04:49:55] It expands the trait information for trees to include additional climate adaptation and resilience strengths and vulnerabilities. Overall, these proposed amendments align the public facilities manual with the zoning ordinance and include tree species with the highest climate resiliency with the greatest likelihood of long-term survivability in a changing climate.

[04:50:22] These amendments were extensively outreached with committees and industry groups. The Planning Commission recommends adoption of the proposed amendments, and staff concurs. Thank you. We are happy to answer any questions.

[04:50:39] Thank you. Do board members have any questions? Okay. Seeing none, this is a public hearing, and we don't have anyone that signed up. Is there anyone in the auditorium that would like to speak to this matter? Okay. I don't see anyone.

[04:50:56] I will now recognize the clerk to see if we have any speakers who have called in. There are no callers. Okay. Thank you. Closing comments and recommendations from staff.

[04:51:15] Nope. We would just ask that the board adopt the proposed amendments. Okay. That works. Any other questions from board members? Okay. I know Supervisor Palchuk wants to recognize me for a motion, don't you?

[04:51:31] Yes. Madam Vice Chair, I'm happy to recognize you for a motion. Okay. I have a motion to adopt, and then I'd like to make some comments. I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the amendments to Chapter 12, Tree Conservation, of the Public Facilities Manual as recommended by the Planning Commission.

[04:51:51] I further move that the amendments become effective at 12.01 a.m. on August 26, 2026, and the requirements be applicable to tree conservation plans, including revisions submitted and accepted for review as part of a site plan, minor site plan, subdivision plan, subdivision grading plan, infill lot grading plan, public improvement plan, conservation plan, or rough grading plan on or after the effective date. Tree conservation plans, including revisions submitted and accepted for review prior

[04:52:29] to the effective date, can continue to use the pre-August 26, 2026 PFM Chapter 12 if the plan is approved before December 31, 2026. We have a motion and I'll say a second by Supervisor Bierman. Do you have additional discussion? I just, we've had a lot of discussions about trees lately, and I just want to read some of the sentences from the agenda item, because it just

[04:53:06] reinforces all the work we're doing. And so, this amendment aims to improve tree canopy health and reduce tree losses by encouraging developers to select tree species that are more resilient to a range of climatic and urban environmental conditions. Staff evaluated over 300 tree species for over 60 traits each. So after analysis, the table was modified to include only those species with the highest climate resiliency and the greatest likelihood of long-term survivability

[04:53:42] in a changing climate. And so we have increased tree options. You know, it's not a mandatory list, But I think the important thing to realize with this and with these changes is that as a community, as staff, we are really very focused on our trees and ensuring that we have the appropriate trees that will grow here and be healthy.

[04:54:09] So I'm very supportive of these changes to the PFM, and I ask my colleagues to support us. Thank you. Before I turn it over to the chair, I just want to thank you, Madam Vice Chair, and add that resilience is about adaptation, and I appreciate the work, the outreach, but also the research that was done to ensure that we continue to adapt, as you mentioned, to the changing environment and ensure that the trees we are planting will have the best chances of being resilient and being here for many generations to come.

[04:54:40] So thank you, and thanks to the staff for the work on this. Any further discussion? seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank you very much next we have a public hearing on proposed plan amendment sspa 2023-3-9 up lake fairfax business center in the hunter mill district and as soon as they are ready we would welcome a presentation from our county staff mr chairman yes supervisor

[04:55:16] Alcorn thank you yeah before staff speaks I just want to give a heads up I'm passing out a follow-on motion if this matter passes that this SSP passes it relates to a rezoning that's also in process and also just wanted to let board members know that earlier today you received via email some slightly modified language to a motion there we go that was handed out also hard copy at at the diets here earlier so anyway just so everybody has all the documents in front of them

[04:55:51] before we go in thank you mr. chairman thank you very much for that and we do have those in front of us and again as soon as staff is ready we would welcome a staff presentation um good afternoon mr chairman and board members my name is david stenson from the department of planning and development and i'm accompanied by salem bush and kelly atkinson also from the department of planning and development. Today, I'll present the proposed comprehensive plan amendment for Lake Fairfax Business Center. Lake Fairfax Business Center is located within the Reston, within Reston,

[04:56:27] within the Wheelie-Reston East Transit Station area. In recent years, the business center has experienced significant office vacancy, and changing market conditions have made it difficult to lease the office space. On April 11, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized consideration of a plan amendment for staff to evaluate an option for mixed-use redevelopment at the site.

[04:56:49] A concurrent rezoning application is also under review and scheduled for a planning commission hearing on September 23rd. The approximately 76-acre site is located north of Sunset Hills Road and south of Lake Fairfax Park, about one mile from the Wheelie-Reston East Metro Rail Station.

[04:57:08] It is developed primarily with a suburban office park and also includes a Montessori school, fitness center, hotel, and data center. The subject property is located within the Reston East non-TOD district of the Wheelie-Reston East Transit Station area, and the adopted plan currently recommends office, industrial, institutional, and research and development uses at a maximum intensity of a 0.5 FAR.

[04:57:33] The proposed plan amendment retains the existing non-residential recommendation while adding an option for residential development at an overall intensity up to 1.1 1.0 far and a maximum of 1,250 residential units the plan amendment envisions a mix of townhouses stacked townhouses and multifamily housing along with neighborhood serving retail and service uses the plan amendment includes several recommendations to guide future redevelopment in order to promote a promote compatibility with adjacent residential neighborhoods. Development east of Business Center Drive is limited to a

[04:58:12] 0.5 FAR with enhanced landscaping along the eastern boundary. Furthermore, higher intensity multifamily development is directed towards the central and western portions of the site. The plan amendment also recommends improved pedestrian bicycle connections to Lake Fairfax Park and the W&OD Trail, future street connections to adjacent sites, the reservation of land for a school or other public facility, and a connected network of parks and open spaces. This concludes staff's presentation. Thank you. Thank you very much for that. At this time, we recognize

[04:58:46] the agent for the nominator for a presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mark Looney with the law firm of Cooley here today on behalf of the nominator. I want to reiterate a couple of things that staff talked about in terms of why we're here today. As staff indicated, the comprehensive plan amendment was actually filed in the fall of 2022. The board authorized the plan amendment for consideration in the spring of 2023, and we've been working ever since to draft the parameters around which a portion of the Lake Fairfax Business Center could be

[04:59:22] redeveloped. If we could go to the slide up on the screen, I want to highlight one or two things for you in the context of this, or really the main driver. This slide shows the existing office buildings within the park that are part of not just the plan amendment, but the follow-on rezoning application that's working its way through the process. As you will see, all but one of those office buildings are currently vacant, and the one with a 40% occupancy is slated to be vacant in 2027. That's not by design, obviously, but it's by effect because the other policies that

[05:00:01] you have adopted as part of the transit station areas are working. One of the main tenants that was in this office park for a very long time was Fannie Mae. For those of you who have been to the Reston Town Center in recent years, Fannie Mae consolidated all of the disparate office locations that they had in the Reston area, including what used to be their headquarters facility off of Sunset Hills Road, into a new building across the street from the Reston Town Center metro station.

[05:00:32] That is, in effect, the plans that you put in place working, because what's happened is all of those disparate office buildings are now co-locating in a single facility next to the metro station. We've made them transit-oriented as opposed to where they weren't transit-oriented previously. The question then becomes, what do you do with these older office buildings? The plan that EYA and RMR, one of the existing owners in the office park, are working on is to try to stitch a new neighborhood into an existing part of Reston.

[05:01:04] What you see on the slide in front of you is kind of a transportation exhibit, but it shows how Lake Fairfax Business Center is supposed to be integrated into the grid of streets that will serve the transit-oriented development closer to the metro. Two new connections, one from the east, or excuse me, one from the west coming east into the business park, another one coming north-south. So we're connecting what is now effectively an isolated cul-de-sac business park into more of a mixed-use grid-connected area. The second thing I'll show you is a preview of the coming rezoning application, as staff indicated, the plan amendment

[05:01:42] before you would authorize an option for incorporating mixed use to include multifamily stacked townhouses and regular townhouses. In the upper left-hand side is an anticipated public school site that would be improved in the interim to provide some recreational opportunities, and then setting up, as I mentioned before, the future grid of streets to connect both to the west and to the south, to Michael Faraday Court.

[05:02:10] Obviously not here to talk about the rezoning application, but I wanted you to have in your mind where this is headed should you adopt the plan amendment language before you today. So with that, I will stop and answer any questions that you might have. Thank you very much. At this time, are there any questions for the agent's nominator or for staff?

[05:02:30] Yes, Supervisor Alcorn. Just one quick question for Mr. Looney. Do you remember how many public meetings had been on this plan amendment proposal? As you said, 2022 and then... Yeah, I mean, all told, between meetings that we have held with the Equestrian Park neighborhood immediately next door, or on-site meetings with staff and members of the public to talk about the transportation network, some of the ones that staff has held, it's north of a dozen, I would say, Somewhere between 12 and 15 would be my guess.

[05:03:08] Okay, thank you. A sufficient number. Supervisor Alcorn. All right, are there any other questions of staff or the nominator? Okay, this is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter, likely because of the volume of meetings that have been held.

[05:03:31] Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? We do have speakers. If you're here to speak on this matter, please come in, sign in with the clerk off to my far right here. This gentleman will make sure that you get on the speaker's list because I had no one signed up in advance.

[05:03:49] Why don't you come up here and just introduce yourself here and then sign in after you testify. In the interest of time, welcome. Thank you, Chairman McKay, Supervisor Alcorn. I was not here to testify on this specific project, but I do want the Board of Supervisors to understand that the site plan that Mr. Looney shared with you all went to Reston Planning and Zoning, and they were told to go back to the drawing board to come up with something that encompasses more of a community feel.

[05:04:20] So I am hoping that you will understand that that was not approved by Reston Planning and Zoning, so take that into consideration. Thank you. Thank you very much. Is there anyone else here wishing to testify on this matter? Seeing and hearing no one else, let me ask if we have any speakers who have called in.

[05:04:40] There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On July 16th, the Planning Commission recommended that the Board adopt Plan Amendment SSPA 2023-Romanumeral 3-9-UP with the modifications found in the Planning Commission handout dated July 16th, 2026.

[05:05:03] staff convert concurs with this recommendation thank you very much are there any questions of board members last call seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and recognize supervisor alcorn for a motion thank you very much mr chairman on april 11 2023 the board of supervisors authorized consideration of plan amendment sspa 2023-3-9 up for the lake fairfax business center located in the wheelie reston east transit station area the proposed amendment would retain the existing plan recommendation while adding an option for residential mixed use

[05:05:38] redevelopment of the approximately 76 acre business center at an overall intensity of up to 1.0 far and a maximum of 1250 residential units the proposed development option includes a mix of housing types neighborhood neighborhood serving retail and service uses parks and open spaces, enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections, an interconnected street network, and land reserved for a future elementary school or other public facility.

[05:06:07] The proposed amendment also includes recommendations intended to provide an appropriate transition to adjacent residential neighborhoods, including limiting development east of Business Center Drive to 0.50 FAR and providing enhanced landscaping along the eastern boundary, a concurrent rezoning application rz 2025-hm-00002 is under review for approximately 49 acres of the lake fairfax business center the plan amendment applies to the entire business center and establishes

[05:06:41] the long-term planning framework for the rezoning area as well as the remaining properties on july 20 or sorry july 16 2026 the planning commission recommended adoption of the plan amendment sspa 2023-3-9 UP with modifications. I just want to make a few more comments. First of all, relating to the Planning Commission recommendation, I do want to thank John Carter for all of the work that he did on this to pull together a lot of strands. One of the things was this initially was not looking at the entire business center. It was just looking at the part that was

[05:07:21] called for rezoning and frankly by stepping back and looking at the broader area I think makes a lot of sense from a comprehensive plans standpoint as has been noted this has been in process for several years and a number of public meetings and as has been noted already that existing comprehensive plan does not call for and does not allow any residential uses on this property but But unfortunately, at least for much of this site, as has been shown, commercial uses are

[05:07:57] no longer a viable option. And earlier today, Supervisor Beerman mentioned the need for new housing, articulated that very clearly. And if we do need new housing, in my opinion, redevelopment as opposed to developing over green spaces is much more appealing.

[05:08:18] So it's also been noted this plan text calls for a new public elementary school site. In the overall Reston Comprehensive Plan, it says we need three elementary schools with build-out of what's called for in the Comprehensive Plan.

[05:08:36] There's already one identified at Reston Town Center North. This would be the second of those three, or at least the start of the second of those three school sites. And then I do just want to very quickly address some of the issues relating to the market and how the way I'm looking at this particular proposal.

[05:09:02] You know, I've said before that empty office buildings are a problem for the owner if they've been empty about six months. When they're empty for six years, they become more of a community problem. And we're really approaching that here. And I would say abandoned office buildings are really bad for the community, and I do want to avoid that.

[05:09:26] And I think this comprehensive plan certainly at least opens the door for consideration of rezoning, which would put new housing here and also do something about those empty office buildings.

[05:09:44] So I would also just finally note that the rezoning is for about two-thirds of the land area that's covered in this comprehensive plan, so it's not the entire area. And the Planning Commission recommendations, there were some small changes to those that were handed out to the board members as part of this morning earlier.

[05:10:13] And those related to modifications of some of the language relating to parks and transportation. And I'll just very quickly summarize. There was a good amount of language in there that talked about the different park categories that really repeated what was in the policy, or what is in the policy plan.

[05:10:38] So basically, instead of having language in there that might not always be completely consistent, we're just referring back to the policy plan. And then there were some other, I would say, small language references that are cleaned up.

[05:10:56] So what I've handed out does address that. So with all that said, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the board's patience with this. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt plan amendment SSPA 2023-3-9-UP per the Planning Commission's recommendations dated July 16, 2026, with additional modification to the parks and transportation recommendations, as shown in the board handout, dated August 25, 2026, and I would so move.

[05:11:32] Second. I've heard the motion. It's been seconded. I heard Supervisor Palchuk and Supervisor Lusk discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye.

[05:11:48] Any opposed, any abstentions? And that motion carries. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. I do have, before I say a couple of thank yous, I do have a follow-on motion relating to this. I won't read the background because I think we've all heard about that already.

[05:12:07] Relating to the plan amendment that we just approved Mr. Chairman I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize authorize expedited processing of RZ 2025 - HM - 0002 CDP FTP 2025 - HM - 0 0 0 2 PCA 77 - C - 0 1 9 - 3 and PCA 79-C-090-03 and scheduled a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors

[05:12:43] for November 17th, 2026. I further move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff from the Office of Land Development Services to concurrently process the site plan associated with RZ 2025-HM-0002 and CDP-FDP 2025-HM-0002 under the county's concurrent processing regulations, and I would so move.

[05:13:11] I'm happy to second that motion as well, but do you want to read the disclaimer? Ah, boy, thank you very much. Sorry. Long day. This motion should not be considered as a favorable recommendation by the board on the proposed applications and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards in any way, and I would so move.

[05:13:35] That's what Supervisor Loss meant the second. Thank you. Discussion on the motion. Mr. Chairman, I do want to note that even with this motion, it's still going back to rest and planning and zoning. There will still be an opportunity to comment.

[05:13:51] It's coming to the planning commission. Some of those details are still being worked out in the rezoning, but we will see that again come November. Any further discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

[05:14:09] Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Yeah. And Mr. Chairman, just quickly, I just wanted to thank everybody who has participated in the plan amendment process so far. This was a pretty big lift.

[05:14:28] It actually is the first, I would say, larger change in the comprehensive plan that we've seen in Reston since the overall plan was updated three years ago. So there will be additional analysis, I know, coming with the rezoning.

[05:14:47] I look forward to that. And also just want to really appreciate and thank staff and also the applicant for working with the community on this and the rezoning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Next, we have a public hearing on proposed plan amendment, SSPA 2023-I-1A, Gallows Road in the Annandale Planning District, in the Mason District.

[05:15:13] And as soon as they are ready, I would recognize staff for a staff presentation.

[05:15:26] Thank you. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. My name is Leah Nebauer with the Department of Planning and Development and accompanied by Clara Johnson, also with Department of Planning and Development.

[05:15:42] and Mike Garcia from the Department of Transportation. On April 11, 2023, the board authorized consideration of a planned amendment for eight parcels to add an option for three to four dwelling units per acre. In 2025, the board authorized expanding the study to 13 parcels.

[05:16:01] Staff was asked to consider three to four dwelling units per acre and evaluate access, stormwater upgrades, and environmental considerations. The 8.11-acre subject site is located within the Annandale Planning District, east of Interstate 495, and south of Gallows Road.

[05:16:20] It is currently planned for one to two dwelling units per acre and currently developed with 11 detached units. The plan amendment would allow three to four units per acre and proposes 32 detached homes. The concept includes an underground stormwater system, on-site amenities, a potential inter-parcel connection, and a single northern access point on Gallows Road.

[05:16:43] The proposal plans to align with the recommendations found in the Gallows Road Transportation Study. This amendment is being reviewed alongside a zoning application and is expected to go to the Planning Commission in late fall. Staff considerations consist of land use compatibility, key environmental concerns such as slope, downstream flooding, and limited stormwater controls, and considerations of access and circulation consisting of future site access, safe pedestrian links to Gallows Road and Woodburn Elementary School, and frontage improvements like a shared use path.

[05:17:18] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize the agent for the nominator for presentation. Welcome. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board.

[05:17:36] My name is Kathy Taylor from the law firm of Walsh Colucci, and I represent the nominator in this application. First off, I appreciate Ms. Neubauer and staff's collaboration on this proposal that I believe has been a long time coming. As you heard, the assemblage of parcels that is before you this afternoon is one that others have attempted to redevelop for almost a decade now.

[05:17:57] So this specific nomination has been ongoing for multiple years, and we're pleased to be able to present this proposal as it effectively resolves this redevelopment process that's been going on for about 10 years now with multiple higher density development options for this general assemblage that have previously been rejected by the surrounding community due to compatibility and traffic concerns.

[05:18:19] However, we believe this proposed modest increase in the plan density will allow for a new single family residential community that not only adds housing stock, but is compatible and consistent with the density of the current surrounding development. So briefly, I just want to provide a few important features and really community benefits from this plan amendment, which one being that this, as a staff mentioned, this would introduce stormwater management and BMP measures where none exist today.

[05:18:48] Through ongoing outreach and discussions with the adjacent Raintree townhome community, the nominator is aware of certain offsite downstream flooding that occurs particularly in the southern portion of the site and within that Raintree community. To mitigate and alleviate the existing off-site downstream flooding conditions, the nominator intends to design the proposed stormwater management system to over-detain stormwater runoff, such that it would control not only the 1, 2, and 10 storm events, but also would effectively control the 100-year storm event.

[05:19:20] In addition, through the consolidation of the 13 distinct parcels, the nominator will be able to eliminate nine vehicular access points and consolidate that into one safer and more convenient access to Gallows Road. While we can appreciate that there continues to be traffic concerns in this area, specifically due to the existing traffic conditions on this stretch of Gallows Road, during both the planning and rezoning stages, the nominators team has already been actively working both with FCDOT as well as VDOT to ensure safe and adequate access to and from this new community.

[05:19:54] The nominators team has already filed the associated rezoning application that would rezone these properties from the R2 district to the PDH4. While there are three parcels in the immediate area which were not part of the consolidation and would not be subject to this plan amendment, the Nominator has been thoughtful to consider the long-term vision for the redevelopment of this entire area, and they have already committed during the rezoning stage to provide a reservation for interparcel access to ensure that any future redevelopment of these unconsolidated parcels would not be precluded.

[05:20:27] This rezoning application is actively being reviewed by zoning staff. As you voted on this morning, it is set for public hearing in October of this year. In preparation of the same, the nominator has refined the proposed development in close coordination with staff to ensure that ultimately the proposal would be in conformance with the plan amendment that you would be voting on this afternoon.

[05:20:49] So in the end, both staff and the Planning Commission have provided a recommendation to modify the plan amendment in accordance with the staff report that's before you. And with that, we also request your favorable consideration, and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Thank you very much. Are there any questions at this time?

[05:21:07] Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I do have one speaker who has signed up in advance to testify on this matter, and that is Jerry Adrianopoulos, who is making his way down. Is there anyone else here present who would like to testify on this specific matter?

[05:21:26] Okay, so Jerry will be our first speaker. Welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, Supervisor Jimenez. I'm the president of the Raintree Association, Homeless Association, and I'm here to present their views.

[05:21:44] Most of the things that I'm going to talk about have been pointed out in the staff study, and the staff report talked about rain trees not being in a floodplain, but we have been flooded a number of times, and many vehicles have been considered a total loss. As we just heard, the applicant is taking into consideration the views of the staff report and is promising to give us a flooding tank for a 100-year flood.

[05:22:08] So hopefully, you know, that will happen. This is the intersection that I want to talk about, and it's an intersection that the staff report did not mention because they focus exclusively on the Hemlock Drive and the Ashton Street intersection next to the Woodburn Elementary School.

[05:22:26] We are across from the home run acres, drive, and here we have issues with traffic. First of all, it's vehicle safety, vehicles exiting both associations, especially making left turns.

[05:22:42] There's a flashing red arrow on 495 exit that permits right turns of Gallows Road going south, and most people do not even stop, don't even hesitate, not even a strong hesitation. So it does not give us enough time to make a left turn to go north on Gallos or the people across from us to go south on Gallos Road.

[05:23:03] And we have many accidents. Now, the solutions that we have for Entry and for some of the others for us, one solution is to turn right on Gallos Road, turn left on Hemlock Drive, if people are generous and they allow us to go through, go through the Home Run-Ecrest to Home Run-Ecrest Drive to catch Gallos Road North.

[05:23:23] If there's a huge backup of people waiting to turn left into Hemlock, what we do is go down to Hammer Road, to Yellow River Toonpike, take 495 North and exit on the exit on Gallows Road to go north. Now, Madison Homes, again, is going to have residents who will adopt those solutions, because as long as the people don't stop on the exit, we don't get any breaks to go through.

[05:23:49] What we're asking for, hopefully, is a full stop red light, even for 30 seconds, to give us a break so we can be able to make the turns and access Gallos Road North, and for the others, Gallos Road South. I mean, I think that will increase public safety for everybody.

[05:24:07] The second issue is pedestrian safety. There are two bus stops, one on our side of the street and the other on the home run, Icarus Drive. drive. Now, a lot of people in the morning and in the evening, they try to cross Gallows Road with traffic and to catch the bus. So, and I think the people or the residents of Madison Homes eventually will do the same thing. Madison Homes will increase pedestrian traffic. Pedestrians crossing Gallows Road during a break in traffic put their life at risk, and some of them have been hit, and also increase the risk of accidents for those

[05:24:44] turning left to exit the HOAs. Pedestrian safety, we have been told, is critical as Fairfax County promotes public transportation. So we're only asking for some help here to support the red light as you support development in the county. And that, I'm told, it's a VDOT issue, but hopefully you can say something and we can get some action on that.

[05:25:11] Now, there is a proposal from the staff report for a pedestrian walkway to connect Madison homes and Reintree. And here the Reintree residents are totally opposed, and for four reasons. Number one is parking. It's a huge problem. Reintree was built with two parking parts per unit. Now we have three to four vehicles per unit. And we start charging residents to park the fourth vehicle, and it can only park in the auxiliary lot, which nobody wants to park. Residents fear that the pedestrian walkway will increase the parking situation,

[05:25:47] actually will make it impossible 24/7. Toil will lead to conflict with the neighbors who without street parking will park on entry and walk over. And one during the day the concern is that people are coming to do repairs or help mates and so on will park on our side and people will complain that they get no parking. Tolling will be more time consuming and costly for entry. Now dog walking it's another big issue. Non-resident dog owners let the dogs run free without a muzzle or entry common grounds because we have a lot of property, close to 495, and they don't pick up after their dogs. A walkway will bring more dog walkers into

[05:26:27] entry. Residents fear that dogs riding around without muzzles are a threat to their children's safety and their own safety. Residents refuse to pay for cleaning up after dogs when the owners do not. Already we're paying two contractors, both trash and the grounds people, to clean up. And they don't want to do it anymore. The other issue is liability. The residents do not want to pay more for insurance or any legal costs to deal with more traffic because you will have more cases, more accidents. And finally, easements. Easements, once given, cannot be removed. So those are the points that I want to make for the residents' over

[05:27:04] entry. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony. Is there anyone else in the auditorium who wishes to speak on this matter? Anyone else who wishes to speak? This is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask the clerk if we have any callers. There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. On July 8th, the Planning Commission voted to recommend adoption of the plan amendment for three to four dwelling units per acre with conditions regarding consolidation, site layout to allow future integration of additional parcels, internal pedestrian connectivity and improvements along Gallows Road, such as shared use path and access

[05:27:44] designed to maintain corridor safety and support pedestrian crossings. Staff concurs with the plan commission recommendation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Questions from board members, Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to Mr. Adnanopoulos for your comments and your testimony.

[05:28:04] I do have a few quick questions specifically on the site access component. I think the applicant did a great job talking through the stormwater portion of this. So on the site access, and this is for staff, can staff walk us through the recommendation to limit the development to a single access point and what factors went into that recommendation, particularly from a transportation and safety perspective?

[05:28:31] Hi, this is Mike Garcia of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. So when the application kind of originally came in, there were two access points proposed. One is kind of where it currently is in the northern part of the site. The other one was the second point of access that was across from the elementary school there.

[05:28:48] When we were looking at that, we actually, and it's across from Hemlock Drive, just to make it very clear. When we were looking at this application, we have another study that's kind of going on right now. It's the Gallage Road Multimodal Study. And in that particular study, we're evaluating Gallage Road from Tyson's all the way to Annandale.

[05:29:06] So it's a seven-mile segment of road. This is considered our southern segment. And when we were going through much of community feedback and kind of a lot of surveys, we've kind of done the study over the past two and a half, three years, one of the key recommendations that the community kind of supported instead of staff is to kind of signalize Hemlock Drive and Aston as a coordinated signal.

[05:29:27] And in order for this to work, we couldn't necessarily have another leg off of Hemlock Drive, creating basically two signals too close to each other. So if you think about a normal intersection, Gallows Road would kind of be your east-west connection.

[05:29:43] Hemlock Drive would be your north connection, and then Aston would be your southern connection. So that would basically make up your normal four-way intersection. If we added another leg, it would introduce a fifth leg, and it would cause kind of a little bit of an issue. We wouldn't be able to coordinate both signals. So because of the long-term, hopefully a medium-term recommendation, we'll see if we can kind of move it forward.

[05:30:02] to signalize these two intersections. We couldn't have the applicant put another access point down there. Because of this, they have the one access point. But we still think that's a benefit as opposed to having the nine different driveways. And if you drive along Gallows Road, you're familiar that there's a lot of vehicles on the road.

[05:30:22] And what basically happens, there's no left turn lane anywhere. So it's just two through lanes in each direction. So the inner left lane on both north and southbound acts like a left turn lane. And as people kind of get more familiar with Gallows, they'll understand that for people turning into this community, they'll turn at one spot as opposed to nine different driveways, so hopefully making a little bit more understanding of how this happens.

[05:30:45] And, for instance, the Brightview Senior Assisted Living Facility, which is a little bit further to south, basically operates the same way. There is no left turn lane, but with cars turning in, people understand that that's a location where people turn. Just a real quick follow-up. Do we know in the Gallows study if there's any other pedestrian safety upgrades that are being looked at?

[05:31:07] So right-of-way in this particular section of Gallows is very limited. We looked at a multitude of things. We looked at taking a lane away in each direction and adding it to the buses, taking a lane and adding it for upgraded ped and bike sidewalks, road dieting the road.

[05:31:24] None of those were really kind of supported by the community. What we ended up coming up with is that we would try to recommend enhancing the northern side segment sidewalk as much as we could, maybe as much as five or six feet. It's kind of either four or five with no buffer really at this time.

[05:31:41] And the southern segment, we would recommend upgrading that to like an eight-foot wide segment, understanding that as applicants come in, as developments come in, the developers can help provide that facility, maybe even a little bit wider with a little bit more buffer. So those are the two recommendations we're having from that study.

[05:31:57] I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any other questions? Let me just point out that there were a number of things raised in the testimony that I know Supervisor Menez is well aware of that will be more specifically the subject of a future rezoning application.

[05:32:16] And so I know we can't say this enough times in this board room because it's very difficult a lot of times for the public to understand difference between a planning amendment and a rezoning application, and there were some very specific requests that the community made that I know will be discussed in the context of a future rezoning application, and so just want to make sure we put that out there for the record. And with that, if there are no additional questions or comments from board members, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Amandos for a motion. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. This has been a long road for this site, as mentioned. We've seen previous proposals that, in my view,

[05:32:55] are simply too dense and did not appropriately reflect the character of the surrounding community. I believe the proposal before us today represents a much more modest and thoughtful approach. Importantly, it also provides an opportunity to address several longstanding issues associated with the existing development, including the stormwater, as mentioned. That includes making meaningful improvements on stormwater, eliminating Lebeau Lane and transitioning these properties from individual septic systems to the public utility system.

[05:33:27] We're seeing lots of improvements, which I think is a great sign. Also, with the lower density, I think that the community will have a much better view of this long-term project. So therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Planning Commission's recommendation for Plan Amendment 2023-I-1A, which is consistent with the staff recommendation found on pages 16 and 17, the staff report dated June 16, 2026.

[05:34:00] Happy to second that, along with, I heard someone else, Supervisor Lusk. Discussion on the motion? Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye.

[05:34:16] any abstentions and that motion carries thank you very much next we have a public hearing on proposed plan amendment sspa 2023-2-3f church of the good shepherd in the braddock district and

[05:34:36] uh as soon as they are ready we would welcome a staff presentation good afternoon mr chairman and members of the board of supervisors my name is michael wing joined this afternoon by graham owen We are with the Department of Planning and Development and will provide the staff recommendation for the Church of the Good Shepherd plan amendment.

[05:35:14] The subject site, fronting on Ollie Lane, is approximately three acres and is addressed at 9350 Braddock Road in the Braddock District. The property was recently subdivided from the adjacent Church of the Good Shepherd property. The site is otherwise surrounded by single-family detached houses.

[05:35:35] The adopted comprehensive plan guidance for the subject property is located within the Fairfax Planning District F1 Braddock Community Planning Sector, which provides guidance for the Ollie Lane Corridor as plan recommendation number five, which is shown circled in red on this slide.

[05:35:52] The adopted plan text recommends residential use and indicates that this portion of the corridor should generally not exceed one dwelling unit per acre. However, many neighborhoods along the corridor were developed prior to 1990, when the comprehensive plan map guidance for this area supported two to three dwelling units per acre.

[05:36:12] As a result, existing density around this site is higher than the current low-density recommendation. The amendment is focused on this specific site only, shown as a red star on the map above. No changes are proposed for the rest of the corridor. On April 11, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized a deferred planning study to consider an increase in density to two to three dwelling units per acre on a portion of the Church of the Good Shepherd property with specific considerations. After additional community outreach efforts by the contract purchaser, the board reauthorized the study for active review

[05:36:50] in August of 2025. Since that time, staff have conducted substantial community engagement, including six DPD community meetings over the past year, in addition to other engagement by the Board Office and Madison Homes. Contextually, this slide shows the current plan map of the Ollie Lane corridor from Braddock Road north to Athens Road. The area in yellow are planned for one to two dwelling units per acre, and areas in speckled gold are planned for two to three dwelling units per acre. Despite the map recommendation, the adopted plan text recommends

[05:37:29] no more than one dwelling unit per acre. This slide depicts the existing zoning along Ollie lane, the proposed density of two to three dwelling units is consistent with the immediately surrounding subdivisions. The areas surrounding the site in yellow are zoned R3 or PDH3. In areas in bright green are zoned R1. Lighter areas of green are zoned R2. Pictured here is an illustrative concept provided by the nominator Madison Homes. The concept depicts a maximum of nine single-family

[05:38:05] homes, the retention of existing conservation easements, a planted buffer adjacent to the Church of the Good Shepherd property, and new potential tree save and plantings. As part of our evaluation, staff considered how compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood and low-density character of the corridor could be achieved, including preservation of trees and retention of existing conservation easements and the accommodation of new plantings.

[05:38:36] The transportation improvements listed on this slide were also considered. As detailed in the staff report, in response to community concerns about potential off-site stormwater impacts, staff evaluated the existing conditions and determined that the environmental policy plan element provides sufficient stormwater guidance to guide future development applications to mitigate stormwater impacts.

[05:39:02] That concludes our presentation. Thank you very much. are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this time I'd recognize the agent for the nominator. Welcome. Hello, good afternoon again. Kathy Taylor from the law firm of Alshapaluchi representing the nominator. We do have a short presentation with this nomination.

[05:39:25] Coming right up. Okay, great. As you heard, this is a nomination that was filed back in 2022. If we could go to the first slide. So this is an image that staff has already shared, But I do believe it's helpful to reflect the existing zoning of this larger Ollie Lane corridor area.

[05:39:48] You can see the parcel outlined in red, where the majority of the parcel is surrounding it, with the exception of the Church of the Good Shepherd property, which is zoned to the R1. The surrounding properties are either R3 or PDH3. So all in accordance with the comprehensive plan that was in place prior to 1990, as staff discussed, which used to be two to three dwelling units per acre.

[05:40:10] Thus, we believe this modest increase in the plan amendment density before you today would remain in keeping with the development pattern in this specific area along the Otter Lane corridor. So as noted, this is the home of the Church of the Good Shepherd, which was established in the late 1960s by special permit.

[05:40:30] I thought it was helpful to understand that this special permit would go through several amendments in the years following, including adding this parcel around the early 2000s as part of the church's expansion efforts at the time. So you can see here, when the amendment to the SP was approved, the intended purpose of this site, which you can see the light green and the dark green is the relative area of where the site is today, those were actually identified to be an athletic field, a play area, as well as supportive stormwater management and BMP facilities.

[05:41:03] Over the next 20 years, it would become apparent to the church that the expansion that they envisioned was maybe a little too ambitious. And specifically, this portion of the site was no longer needed for its original purpose. And then ultimately subdividing it and then selling it to a developer was a better financial investment in order for the church to survive, thus the inception of the SSPA nomination several years ago.

[05:41:28] I just want to use this slide to highlight that there are no environmentally sensitive features on the site. You can see where the RPA is located in relation to the site outlined in red. There's no RPA, wetlands, EQC, or 100-year floodplain.

[05:41:43] That being said, the nominator has remained thoughtful of the current comprehensive plan language as it relates specifically to the preservation of mature existing trees along this Ollie Lane corridor. As you can see on this conceptual layout, there is existing conservation easements that were previously granted on the site.

[05:42:01] It provides tree buffering to adjoining neighborhoods. And at the time of the previous approval, it did assist to provide a level of stormwater management. As noted in the plan language, this easement will be retained and will be wholly outside of any individual residential lots that would be proposed.

[05:42:17] So I won't necessarily go through all the features of this proposed development, as this is just a conceptual layout. As you know, the nominator still would need to go through the entire rezoning process to fully achieve this proposal. At that time, the nominator with its design team will address more thoroughly the issues that have been considered by staff with this plan amendment, including things like enhanced tree preservation, trail connections, stormwater management, drainage issues, access, amongst other things.

[05:42:45] However, at the end of the day, the overall design intent, as you can see here, is to be compatible with the surrounding area. And I think the nominator has demonstrated that at this planning stage. Nevertheless, if you do have specific questions about any design elements, we are happy to answer those.

[05:43:02] Finally, I did want to highlight, as staff noted, the extensive community engagement that has been completed related to this matter thus far. It did start around March of 2025, and as you can see listed on this slide, as a result of these outreach efforts, both the Braddock District Land Use Committee as well as the Planning Commission have provided recommendations to adopt the plan language that's before you this afternoon.

[05:43:24] Similarly, I request your favorable consideration in this matter so that the nominator can proceed with the next steps in the process, and we are happy to answer any questions you might have. Thank you very much. Are there any questions for staff or the nominator? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing.

[05:43:43] I do have one speaker who signed up to provide testimony in advance by telephone. Is Mr. Frank Cohn on the line? Yes, I am. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in today's planning process.

[05:43:58] My name is Frank Cohn, and I've lived with my family at 9337 Hobart Court, directly adjoining this parcel on its northern edge for 30 years. As my son noted at last month's planning commission hearing on this parcel, we're concerned about increasing the allowable density of the plot to two to three dwelling units per acre.

[05:44:17] Our priority is the preservation of trees, topography, and open space along the eastern third of the parcel. This area features a forested path from the Hobart Port's private drive to the Church of the Good Shepherd, which contains many mature trees that provide shade for those walking the path and connects the church with its neighbors.

[05:44:33] As our community referenced in a 2023 report to the BZA, this tree cover currently cools the area by around four degrees during summer peak hours and has a cooling effect on the surrounding neighborhoods that would be lost if nine houses were to be built. The most current concept plans build nine houses on this parcel shows the preservation of only the northern and eastern conservation easements, which barely includes 15 percent of the parcel's total acreage and less than half of the tree cover in the eastern area of the parcel.

[05:45:02] We support conditioning any future plans with protecting mature trees, either by increasing the conservation easement's total area or through a similar measure in line with Sharon Boulevard Tree Proffer, a voluntary but legally binding commitment by the developer to preserve mature trees whenever possible.

[05:45:19] As neighbors, we'd be happy to commit to working with the church and the developer on any improvements needed in the zone. To balance the need for financially feasible development with the need for mature tree preservation, we propose that a maximum of four houses, rather than a proposed maximum of nine houses, be conditioned for any developmental plan going forward.

[05:45:38] In my career in zoos, government, and wildlife conservation, I've seen how policies that balance urban growth and the preservation of nature can best stand the test of time as they enrich our neighborhoods for future generations. We're encouraged by recent informal discussion with developers, engineers, and church officials and hope that the next iteration of plans better accounts for this tree preservation as a critical part of the neighborhood's fabric.

[05:46:01] This would go a long way to building trust between our community and the church and the developer. We hope you'll consider this in your decision. The staff report notes that the new development need not be identical to its neighbors, but should fit the community fabric. In my view and our neighbors' view, the current nine-house plan does not.

[05:46:18] A better approach would cap development at R2 and place homes closer to Ollie Lane to preserve the Eastern Open Space Corridor. In 2023, other residents and I acknowledged the Church of the Good Shepherd's desire to sell this land to invest in its future. We've always had a good relationship, and I believe a solution can meet the Church's needs, residents' concerns, and the County's resilient goals.

[05:46:39] Any change should leave surrounding residents better off from improved tree cover, drainage, soil management, and connecting to transit and community anchors like the Church. Finally, in today's world, we're increasingly seeing the effects of short-term financial gain at the expense of long-term community investment and resilience and connectedness.

[05:46:56] I look forward to seeing a proposal that prioritizes the latter, particularly as a condition for this proposal moving forward, if that is the decision. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much for that testimony. Let me ask if there's anyone else here present who would like to speak on this subject.

[05:47:13] This is a public hearing. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this specific matter? Seeing and hearing no one, let me verify there are no additional callers. No additional callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[05:47:31] On July 15, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of the staff recommendation as contained in the staff report. The recommendation adds an option for residential use at two to three dwelling units per acre with conditions that address retention of low-density character of Olly Lane, retention of existing conservation easements and new tree-save areas, integration of new housing with access to usable open space and consolidated access and frontage improvements thank you mr chairman thank you very much uh our last check any questions from board

[05:48:06] members seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and i'm going to recognize uh supervisor sizemore heiser who's participating remotely uh this afternoon for a motion thank you mr chairman first i'd like to thank our county staff especially graham owen and michael wing for their work on this amendment. I'd also like to thank the applicant for working with the communities surrounding the Church of Good Shepherd and the Braddock Land Use and Environment Committee.

[05:48:35] As you've heard in the previous testimony they've been working with the community since 2022 and had six community meetings in the last year and some of the topics they addressed were around storm water, around walking paths, around tree canopy and preserving trees as well as adding to trees and really looking at density and fitting with the neighborhood. So they put a significant amount of time engaging with the members of the surrounding community to address concerns, including traffic flow as well, and preservation of conservation easements and impacts on neighborhood properties. I expect these concerns to be considered in the review of any future

[05:49:13] development application based on the policy plan's environmental element as it goes through the rezoning process. So with that, I now hereby move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the staff recommendation for the proposed plan amendment SSPA 2023-2-3F found on pages 16 and 17 of the June 24, 2026 staff report. You've heard the motion. I'm happy to second that motion as their discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries unanimously. Thank you very much.

[05:49:53] Thank you. And next up, we have a public hearing on proposed plan amendment SSPA 2023-3-12 UP, 1950 Roland Clark Place in the Hunter Mill District. And as soon as they are ready, I would welcome staff presentation.

[05:50:18] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and board members. My name is Heather Springs. here with clara johnson and we are with the department of planning and development along with john king staff from fairfax county department of transportation on april 11 2023 the board authorized consideration of a plan amendment for the rest in tsa study as a tier three priority on july 25th 2023 the rest in tsa study was reauthorized and re-tiered as a tier one priority inclusive of 10 single site plan amendments the board asked staff to consider new land

[05:50:55] use guidance related to the land use mix density and intensity and other proposed changes for items included in the 2022-2023 county-wide sspa process the subject of this hearing is 1950 roland clark place plan amendment the subject site is located at the end of roland clark place north of sunrise valley drive and south of the dullest toll road the site is currently developed with an approximately 91,000-square-foot office building.

[05:51:25] The adopted comprehensive plan recommendation for this area is residential mixed-use up to a 3.55 FAR with a ratio of 75% residential and 25% non-residential uses. The plan notes the potential for redevelopment as residential, but to do so would require an amendment to the plan and should include provisions for interparcel access to the West and a public recreation facility.

[05:51:51] The 1950 Roland Clark Place plan amendment considers single-family attached residential uses up to 20 dwelling units per acre. Considerations through the study of this plan amendment included analysis of housing opportunity proximate to metro, pedestrian and bike connections, and enhancements to pedestrian safety along Roland Clark Place, and the inclusion of required parks and open space.

[05:52:16] This concludes staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Any questions of staff at this time? seeing and hearing none. Let me now recognize the agent for the nominator for a nominator's presentation. Welcome. Good evening, Chairman, members of the board. My name is Amanda Williams.

[05:52:36] I'm a land use attorney with Cooley. Happy to be here tonight on behalf of the property owner. First, I do want to take just a second to thank Heather and Clara for their work on this, as seems to be a trend this evening. This has been a bit of a long time coming on this one. This property currently home to that aging office building with continuously growing vacancy over the last several years, now very much surrounded by residential and tucked back behind a residential neighborhood. I don't have a full presentation. I won't take up too much of your time, but just wanted to point out a couple things, the first of which is that we are very much taking this

[05:53:08] process in stages for this property. We do not have a concurrent detailed rezoning plan at this stage, which you are often accustomed to seeing for these SSPA proposals lately, including most the ones you've talked about this evening. The property owner would move forward hopefully later this year to dig in and prepare that detailed zoning application once the amendment to the comp plan language to support residential development here is completed. So we really are only talking about an amendment to the plan language tonight. We have had a series of community meetings over the past year or so and the feedback we receive directly from those neighbors in those meetings

[05:53:46] is why we've ended up in coordination with Supervisor Alcorn with the recommended residential product type density here being townhomes. This will allow for more appropriate intensity for the site, will allow for the ultimate development here to be compatible with and really add to the neighboring communities.

[05:54:05] The staff report and Heather have done an awesome job outlining the proposed comp plan language, and we are supportive of it. I think the language does a good job memorializing the items we will need to focus on in that ultimate zoning application, which include connectivity, pedestrian safety, urban parks, et cetera.

[05:54:22] So again, we are grateful for staff and the Planning Commission's unanimous support of the plan amendment, also for the coordination of those neighboring communities who we look forward to continuing to work with. And we would be grateful for your support this evening to allow this site to continue to move forward with needed residential development in this area of the county.

[05:54:41] Thank you. Thank you very much for that. Are there any questions of staff or the nominator? Mr. Chairman. Yes, Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you. I guess more of a comment than a question, and I know we still have the public hearing to do, but I did want to thank the nominator for listening to the community on this one.

[05:55:05] This is a tough property. Things have changed around it. And also, just for the board's information, Roland Clark, where it comes out onto Sunrise Valley, is unlike just about any other place I've seen in the county.

[05:55:22] It's a very narrow street with on-street parking, which is great, and townhouses fronting the street. But frankly, it's the only way in and out, frankly, to one of my doctor's offices and for the multifamily building in the back.

[05:55:38] It really is bearing a tremendous burden, I would say, in terms of getting access to those properties up towards the back. So I really appreciate all the work staff's done and the nominator to try to figure out how to right-size any residential that goes in there And how to actually make it better in terms of the safety for the people that live right there along that section of Roland Clark and potentially providing access out the back.

[05:56:14] I realize a lot of those details are coming in a rezoning application, but this is, again, just want to thank the nominator for listening to the community. Thank you for that. if there are no questions at this time, this is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify?

[05:56:43] Seeing and hearing no one. Let me check if we have callers. There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. On July 8, 2026, the Planning Commission voted to recommend adoption of the plan amendment for single-family attached up to 20 dwelling units per acre with conditions that address interpersonal access to the west and east-west trail connection and public park space. Planning Commission recommended modification of the staff recommendation regarding park space. Staff concurs with the Planning Commission recommendation. Thank you.

[05:57:18] Thank you for that. Last check, questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Alcorn for a motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I have heard from several residents in the community on this one, not just in meetings, but outside of that.

[05:57:37] And I think this is pointing in a direction that I think is doable. Again, let's see when we get to the next step on the details. But with that, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Planning Commission recommendation dated July 8, 2026 for Plan Amendment 2023-3-12UP as found in Attachment 1 of the board item.

[05:58:03] And I will second that motion along with Supervisor Palchuk. Discussion on the motion. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries unanimously.

[05:58:20] Thank you. And our next public hearing is to sublease La Hague Lost Valley House at 9750 Brook Meadow Drive to Michael Nakagaki and Sonia Lupescu in connection with the Resident Curator Program in the Hunter Mill District.

[05:58:40] And if we could please, at this time, have a county staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Mike Lambert. I am the Assistant Director of Real Estate Services for the Facilities Management Department. The Board of Supervisors approved the creation of the Resident Curator Program to address the underutilized historic properties and its inventory by entering into long-term leases with tenants who agree to rehabilitate the properties according to established federal standards.

[05:59:06] State enabling legislation for the Resident Curator Program requires the park authority to lease the house to the board and the board concurrently to sublease the house to the curator. The park authority, however, is charged with actually selecting the Resident Curator for each property through a competitive screening process created as part of the program.

[05:59:24] This curator is required to follow the detailed work plan for the property based on a historic structures report. And in exchange, the curator receives rent-free accommodation during the term of the lease. The seventh property selected by the Park Authority for active management by a resident curator is Leahy Lost Valley House, located at 9750 Brookmenor Drive on a parcel identified as tax map number 0283-01008.

[05:59:48] This two-and-a-half-story, 2,000-square-foot gable brick residence was built in the mid-18th century and contains a slate roof, hand-carved molding, and six fireplaces. The property is listed on the county's inventory of historic sites. The resident curators selected by the Park Authority to rehabilitate this historic structure are Michael Nakagaki and Sonia Lupescu.

[06:00:09] During the almost 30-year term of the subleeds, the curators will rehabilitate the residents to a livable condition using historically accurate materials and techniques. Planned projects include restoration of historic architectural features, such as masonry and woodwork, and the rehabilitation of interior finishes throughout the residence.

[06:00:26] The curators will also hold an open house, as well as create a social media presence to document the house's history and their progress with the restoration efforts. The park authority will be responsible for monitoring the curators' progress and compliance with the program. This concludes the staff report. Thank you very much.

[06:00:43] For that, are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. have no one signed up to speak in advance is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific matter this is a public hearing anyone who would like to testify seeing and hearing no one let me ask if we have any callers there are no callers there are no callers closing comments and a recommendation from staff staff recommends that the board authorize staff to execute the documentation to lease Leahy Lost Valley House from the Park Authority and sub lease the property to Michael Nakagaki and Sonia Lupescu. Thank you very much. Last check. Any questions? Seeing and hearing none. I will close

[06:01:23] the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Alcorn for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I love these. These are easy and fun. And this is a great county program. I know there's several others around the county, and I'm so glad we're doing this to basically keep these historic structures alive and well and used. So, Mr. Chairman, I move that the board authorize county staff to prepare and execute all documentation necessary to lease from the county Fairfax County Park Authority the Leahy Lost Valley House which has an address of 9750 Brookmeadow Drive and is identified by

[06:01:59] tax map number 028301008 and to sublease said property to resident curators Michael Nagaki and Sonya Lupescu so moved for the motion it's been multiply seconded any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye anyone opposed aye any abstentions and that motion carries unanimously thank you next we have a public hearing on the acquisition of certain land rights necessary for the construction of

[06:02:37] Pleasant Valley Road shared use path in the Sully district and we're gonna to switch staff here while we are doing that just a friendly reminder if you are here to testify on any of the remaining public hearings and have not signed in in advance please come down and sign in with the clerk to my far right at the edge of the dais here so that we can make sure we properly recognize you and

[06:03:06] with that as soon as they are ready we would welcome a staff presentation good evening thank you mr. chairman and the members of the board I am Nicole Wilson

[06:03:42] Senior Right-of-Way Agent with the Land Acquisition Division, Department of Public Works and Environmental Services presenting today. The Pleasant Valley Roadshare Use Path will close an approximately .92 mile gap between two existing paths, providing a continuous, safer pedestrian and bicycle connection along the Pleasant Valley Byway Corridor between Western Centerville and Chantilly.

[06:04:13] The project supports the one Fairfax policy focus area on multimodal transportation system that provides accessible mobility solutions based on principles of sustainability, diversity, and community health.

[06:04:31] Pleasant Valley Road is a Virginia byway and is a part of the countywide trails plan. Land rights for these improvements are required on 12 properties, of which one property has been acquired by the Land Acquisition Division.

[06:04:49] We are in process of acquiring storm drainage easement, grading, and temporary construction easement for six properties owned by Fairfax County Park Authority. leaving dedication, storm drainage, grading and temporary construction easement, and NOVAC easement acquisition on five residential properties, which are the subject for today's public hearing. On August 10, 2023, the Land Acquisition Division received a letter of correspondence from the attorney representing the five property owners. A meeting was held on

[06:05:26] February 9th, 2024, when members of the county attorney's office, Supervisor Smith's office, county project managers, landowners, and their attorney, an inspection was conducted on each property to address questions and concerns. That meeting began a project impact review to look for any ways to lessen property impacts while staying within the county VDOT guidelines.

[06:05:54] The project plans and plans, plan sheets, were updated and new offers were sent in December 2025. During negotiations, Land Acquisition Division received little correspondence with no counteroffers.

[06:06:13] Therefore, in order to keep the project on schedule, it is necessary for the board to utilize quick-take eminent domain powers.

[06:06:32] The county executive recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt the resolution authorizing the acquisition of necessary land rights for this important transportation project.

[06:06:49] Thank you. Staff is here to answer any questions you may have. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific subject?

[06:07:06] This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one let me verify we have no callers. There are no callers. We heard closing comments already and a recommendation from staff for approval of the county executive's recommendation. Last check, any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Vice Chair Smith for a motion.

[06:07:30] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve the acquisition of those certain land rights necessary for the construction of Pleasant Valley Road shared use path project in accordance with the resolution included in the board package as attachment B.

[06:07:45] You've heard the motion. The chair will second that. Discussion on the motion? Just briefly. Yes, Supervisor Smith. I want to thank staff for all their work on this over quite a number of years Changes to the plan to make it sure that it was The best way we could do it and not affect as much property, but this was put into the transportation priority plan before I was on the board in the 2014 plan and It is time for us to move forward with this improvement for the community So I want to thank you for your work and your engagement with people to get this done

[06:08:22] So thank you. Thank you very much for that. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries Supervisor Stork being out of the room at the moment. Thank you.

[06:08:42] And next, we have a public hearing to consider amendments to Chapter 122, Tree Conservation Ordinance, Article 9, Tree Commission of the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia. As soon as staff is ready, we would welcome a staff presentation.

[06:09:21] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Brianne Fuller with the Office of the County Executive, and with me today are staff from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination. The proposed county code amendment is part of a broader review of the county's boards, authorities, and commissions, or BACs, that began with a board matter in 2024.

[06:09:42] This particular recommendation focuses on the county's environmental advisory bodies, specifically the tree commission and the Environmental Quality Advisory Council, or EQUAC. This proposes to bring them together into one overarching environmental commission. This recommendation spans two of today's items, the county code amendment to dissolve the tree commission and the consideration item to adopt bylaws that restructure EQAC as part of establishing this overarching environmental commission, which would include the tree commission's purview.

[06:10:12] The goals are to reduce scope overlap, use staff resources more efficiently, and continue to modernize our processes, while strengthening the role of trees and natural resources within the broader context of the environmental advisory framework.

[06:10:27] The county's environmental work has expanded significantly since both the Tree Commission and EQUAC were formed more than 50 years ago each. Today, the county has significantly greater staff capacity and expertise, including a division within the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services dedicated to urban and community forestry, and an entire department dedicated to environmental policy and programming, the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

[06:10:54] Many environmental programs and policies have been implemented over the years as well. Just a few examples of those include the Tree Action Plan, the Tree Conservation Ordinance, and Resilient Fairfax. Community involvement has expanded as well, including the creation of the Tree Community of Practice.

[06:11:11] This recommendation builds on the county's strong commitment to trees and the environment by creating a coordinated advisory structure that brings together related environmental issues and expertise. It would create a more streamlined advisory process and focuses staff support on one coordinated body addressing these interconnected issues.

[06:11:30] The proposed structure maintains dedicated representation for trees and natural resources with two seats for residents that would have this expertise. In addition, trees and forestry are a mandated focus area for each annual work plan that the commission would create.

[06:11:47] The proposed bylaws also include several changes intended to modernize the commission's structure and operations, including more concise reporting, an annual work plan, a flexible scope that can respond to changes over time, and the expansion of student membership from one to two members, which builds on the success that EQUAC has seen with their student membership. Following the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, I met with the Tree Commission and EQUAC in March and April to hear their initial feedback on the recommendation. I then met with both groups again in June to discuss a proposed commission structure and receive feedback on that structure prior to finalizing draft bylaws.

[06:12:23] Those draft bylaws were then disseminated for their review and comment, and their comments were utilized when finalizing the bylaws that you see today. Responses to the groups were also provided earlier this month. In closing, this recommendation builds on the county's long-standing commitment to trees and environmental issues by evolving the advisory structure alongside the county's environmental priorities. This brings related expertise together while maintaining a strong focus on trees and natural resources. That concludes my presentation, and we are happy to answer questions. Thank you. Thank you very much for that presentation. At this time, are there any questions for staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I do have

[06:13:03] a number of speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. If you are here to testify on this matter, please be sure you're down close and ready to testify. Speaker number one is Lynn Molston, to be followed by Jennifer Falcone, if I called your name. Please be ready to testify. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Supervisor Alcorn, members of the board. My name is Lynn Molston. I serve as president of Reston Citizens Association. I apologize for overseeing the introduction earlier. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I urge you not to dissolve

[06:13:40] the Tree Commission and the Environmental Quality Advisory Council, or EQUAC, and replace them with a single environmental commission. For more than 50 years, these bodies have provided exactly the kind of informed, independent, focused advice that advisory groups are meant to offer. EQUAC has served as Fairfax County's environmental watchdog, producing annual reports on the environment and advising the board on air and water quality, land use, energy, and climate policy. For 53 years, the Tree Commission has brought specialized practical expertise

[06:14:14] on urban forestry, tree preservation, and the Tree Conservation Ordinance. That experience, institutional knowledge, and community trust should not be casually merged away. Staff have said consolidation could save approximately 600 staff hours and $20,000 in meeting planning costs. Efficiency matters, but these advisory groups help inform decisions involving billions of dollars in land use, infrastructure, stormwater, and climate investments. Saving $20,000 while

[06:14:50] reducing independent oversight would be penny-wise and pound-foolish. I have three concerns. First, Trees will lose focused advocacy at precisely the wrong time. Across Fairfax County, residents are watching mature trees disappear as infill development and redevelopment accelerate.

[06:15:09] They are confused and frustrated by how the Tree Conservation Ordinances applies and what protections actually exist. The appropriate response is to strengthen the Tree Commission's ability to advise the board and educate the public, not dissolve it.

[06:15:25] Under the proposed Environmental Commission, trees would become one issue among many, with only one seat designated for forestry or natural resources. Although I heard that you all have upped that to two. Bravo. Today, the Tree Commission includes multiple members with specialized knowledge of urban forestry and the county's tree rules.

[06:15:47] Replacing that body with one or two tree people in the room is not simply consolidation. It is a clear reduction in expertise and attention. That is difficult to justify when the county recognizes trees as essential to resilience, stormwater management, heat mitigation, neighborhood character, and quality of life.

[06:16:09] Fairfax County has substantial tree canopy and a goal of reaching 60% canopy coverage by 2030. If that goal matters, dedicated tree advocacy should be strengthened, not diluted. Second, independent and visible environmental oversight will be weakened.

[06:16:27] EQUAC is not just another committee. It is a recognized independent watchdog. Its annual reports and presentations give residents, civic associations, and environmental organizations a clear public measure of how Fairfax County is performing on environmental issues.

[06:16:45] Folding EQUAC into a broader commission risks blurring the line between independent advice and agency implementation. The proposed commission's bylaws are still being developed, while it is expected to coordinate closely with agencies already responsible for carrying out county policy.

[06:17:04] Coordination can be useful, but accountability requires independence and visibility. At a time when residents want greater transparency, eliminating the body known for its watchdog role sends the wrong message. Third, public participation and trust may suffer.

[06:17:22] Long-standing volunteer advisory bodies represent years of service, expertise, and public engagement. Eliminating them is not merely an organizational change. It tells current and former commissioners and the communities they serve that their contributions are expendable.

[06:17:40] The Tree Commission's awards, educational programs, events, and neighborhood outreach are not incidental. They are how county environmental goals become community action. Those functions are not clearly protected in the current proposal. If the board believes change is necessary, there is a better path.

[06:18:00] First, pause the proposal and conduct an open review with the tree commission and EQUAC members, civic organizations, and the public. Second, if you create an environmental commission, do so in addition to, not instead of, these focused advisory bodies.

[06:18:17] Third, strengthen the connection between advisory groups and county ordinances so the board receives specialized advice when residences have the greatest concerns. Two seconds. This is about more than reorganization. It's about whether Fairfax County builds on more than 50 years of environmental stewardship and replaces proven independent expertise with something broader and less defined.

[06:18:44] Please vote no on dissolving the tree commission in EQAC and commit to a transparent, participatory, and expert-driven process before making changes. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Jennifer Falcone, to be followed by a video from Barbara Ryan and Jeffrey Parnes.

[06:19:03] If you are ready to testify, if I call your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome. Good evening, Chairman McKay and members of the board. I'm Jennifer Falcone, and I'm here on behalf of Citizens for Great Falls, where I serve as secretary.

[06:19:20] Today, I want to reaffirm the concerns our organization communicated to Chairman McKay and the board on August 3rd and request that the board refrain from adopting this drafted ordinance. What's in front of you today is the dissolution of a 15-member commission that spent 53 years focused month after month exclusively on trees, replaced by two reserved seats on a much broader environmental commission. We're pleased that staff increased that from one seat originally

[06:19:53] proposed, but it's still a steep drop in dedicated expertise, and it doesn't resolve the concerns we raised earlier this month. First, diluted attention. The commission meets monthly for two to three hours entirely on trees.

[06:20:11] Under the new Environmental Commission, trees become one topic on a crowded agenda, alongside energy, water quality, and climate resilience. Something will get less attention, and it's likely to be trees. Second, loss of the statutory connection to Chapter 122, the Tree Conservation Ordinance.

[06:20:33] The Commission's deep working familiarity with Chapter 122 and Chapter 12 of the Public Facilities Manual supports how the county implements tree preservation during development review. Nothing in the draft bylaws requires that expertise on this new body.

[06:20:51] Third, the commission's specific duties. Annual reporting and oversight of the natural landscaping policy and the representation in the tree's community of practice aren't carried forward into the new bylaws.

[06:21:07] And fourth, public outreach, tree giveaways, school plantings, Earth Day tabling. Nothing comparable is committed in what's proposed. Here's a case in point. The tree commission was one of the bodies consulted in developing the companion chapter 12 amendment heard earlier today, exactly the kind of technical code level review the commission's charter exists to provide.

[06:21:33] Once the commission is gone, who provides the scrutiny next time? That question matters well beyond this one amendment. Fairfax is in the middle of unprecedented data center growth, which brings large footprint clearing and added heat island and stormwater burden onto exactly the kind of forested infill parcels the Tree Commission has historically weighed in on.

[06:21:59] As that pressure grows, the county needs more dedicated tree expertise in these land use decisions, not less. None of this is happening in a vacuum. Fairfax lost roughly 737 acres of tree canopy between 2014 and 2018 alone.

[06:22:20] And only about 2/3 of the census tracts meet the county's own interim 40% canopy target for 2030. This is not the moment to weaken dedicated tree oversight. It's the moment to strengthen it. So on behalf of Citizens for Great Falls, we ask the board to decline to dissolve the tree commission any replacement structure should guarantee at least equivalent focus expertise and reporting on the tree the county's tree canopy it should also contain guarantee a standing

[06:22:54] tree agenda every item every meeting preservation of the statutory role under Chapter 122, credentialed tree experts on any successor body, and carry forward the current outreach functions with adequate staff report. Thank you for your time and considering these concerns. Thank you. Our next speaker is Barbara Ryan who has submitted video testimony. Good afternoon. My name is Barbara Ryan. I live in McLean, Virginia, and I am testifying today on

[06:23:31] behalf of the Fairfax County Tree Commission. I have served on the tree commission as the Drainesville District Representative since June 2023 and as its chair since January 2025. Since 1973, the Tree Commission has been the county's primary advisory body on its urban forest. For over half-century, Tree Commission volunteers have worked to protect, improve, and expand Fairfax County's urban forest. Now the county proposes to dissolve it and create a new environmental commission. The Tree Commission has the following concerns about this proposed action.

[06:24:06] First, it is likely to significantly reduce the county's focus on its tree canopy. The Tree Commission's singular focus on the urban forest has been its strength for over 50 years. The proposed Environmental Commission's significantly broader focus will leave trees as one of many environmental topics it must consider and address.

[06:24:27] Reduced attention to the county's tree canopy would be especially unfortunate now, Given the challenges the county faces in attaining the community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan goal to expand the tree canopy to 60% with a minimum of 40% tree canopy coverage in every census block by 2030.

[06:24:48] Second, this action will eliminate the role the Tree Commission plays in monitoring how the county administers its tree ordinance. The timing of this is particularly unfortunate, given citizen angst about tree loss, resulting from residential infill development and overall confusion about the county's tree preservation rules.

[06:25:08] Third, the proposed Environmental Commission will not be required to undertake any of the tree-related activities that are contained in the Tree Commission Charter, including an explicit goal to advise the board on actions it might take to protect, improve, and expand the urban forest and a number of additional specific reporting requirements related to trees and natural resources.

[06:25:30] Fourth, this action will eliminate all the Tree Commission's important public outreach activities, which have enhanced public awareness about the value of trees, how to take care of trees, and the county's policies with respect to trees. Finally, this action will likely result in a dramatic reduction in tree expertise on the Environmental Commission compared to the Tree Commission, as it would replace the 15 knowledgeable Tree Commissioners with one Environmental Commission member with forestry and natural resources experience.

[06:26:01] Overall, the Tree Commission believes that this action is likely to result in a significant reduction in the county's focus on trees and natural resources and citizen involvement in tree preservation efforts at a time when the county faces challenges maintaining its tree canopy and can least afford it. To mitigate these concerns, the Tree Commission recommends that the proposed Environmental Commission be required to include at least one agenda item related to trees at each meeting, that the tree ordinance be amended to ensure that the Environmental Commission will replace the Tree Commission in its roles related to the ordinance, that the Environmental Commission's bylaws and charter include the Tree Commission charter requirements

[06:26:41] and outreach goals, and that at least three Environmental Commission members be required to demonstrate tree and natural resource experience or expertise. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the Tree Commission.

[06:26:58] Thank you very much. Our next speaker, Speaker No. 4, is Jeffrey Parnes, to be followed by Whitney Redding and Philip LaTazza. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome, Mr. Parnes. I'm the Land Use and Transportation Co-Chair of the Cell Leadership Council.

[06:27:20] I'm speaking, let's see, I have a presentation that should be made. All right, in any case, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, thank you for the opportunity to speak in front of you. The Joint District of Land Use Transportation Committee is comprised of members of the Sully District Council of Citizens Associations and the Western Fairfax County Citizens Association, the joint committee.

[06:27:44] The joint committee recognizes the paramount importance of the protection of the Ococon watershed, Upholding Fairfax County's environmental policies as expressed in the adopted Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, and the protection of residential neighborhoods from development impacts, including growing impacts from the data centers.

[06:27:59] The quality of life in Fairfax County has been significantly degraded in the last few years, despite this board's promotion of minor achievements as part of an environmental platform. Major issues include buy-write data centers with no transparency of water or power use, huge imperi-of-surface increases, and significant water, air, noise, and community quality-of-life pollution, agritourism with no modification of necessary supporting rules, aquacon drinking water quality, PFAS, salt, et cetera, and the quality and the protection of its headwaters, the siltation of Lake Aquitink, secretive sale of county land, antiquated airport modeling, and resultant noise in homes that should not have been built,

[06:28:39] continued development favoring administrative decisions by timid or worn-down staff, ignoring or bending environmental rules to fulfill the mantra of get to yes, and increasing impervious surfaces and rainfall intensity with resulting stormwater runoff that stresses or inadequate existing stormwater utilities.

[06:28:57] The above topics all affect tree canopy, wildlife habitat, ambient noise, heat islands, ground and surface water quality, air quality, traffic infrastructure, energy demand. These are all interrelated, and they all were within the purview of the boards proposed to be eliminated. We citizens are suffering a death by a thousand cuts, and with every poor decision creating snowballing negative effects, the damage to quality of life in the county is cumulative, and worsening climate change will create additional exponential impacts that are unknowable today. Many decisions have been justified by streamlining, which often in secret prioritizes developers' interests over we citizens and environmental quality.

[06:29:36] This approach conflicts with open, transparent, and robust decision-making. Conversely, well-staffed citizen advisory boards promote public participation, transparency, consensus building, and a full vetting of policy issues in a manner easily accessible to the general public. One of the principal qualities of good leadership is a willingness to select smart, experienced, caring people to help formulate sound policy and advise and challenge the leaders, particularly on complicated subjects.

[06:30:02] Good leaders are not afraid of smart advisors. What is required here is increased environmental stewardship, not less. This county is blessed with a multitude of subject matter experts who would gladly participate in an effective citizen program to implement environmental quality. A drastically neutered environmental commission, apparently reporting only to the board of supervisors, would take the county entirely in the wrong direction and repel qualified board members.

[06:30:26] Both Equac and the tree commission have admirably served the county for over a half century each and continue to perform important functions in the local land-use decision-making. Yes, these entities can be significantly improved, with more experienced and expert appointees who themselves create an integrated environmental review and advisory structure.

[06:30:43] The process for the elimination of these effective entities has been far from transparent and extremely disorganized to the extent that it is inappropriate to have this vote at this time. The staff review of the Outmotive Citizen Board was tasked in early 2024. Since then, apparently no strategic planning regarding this matter has occurred.

[06:30:59] The proposed bylaws are an embarrassment with their limitations. No competent person would create such a draft unless the only goal was to eliminate the board's ability to function or provide challenging viewpoints to staff managers. They will also discourage any competent expert from wasting their time by serving on them.

[06:31:14] On 14 July, the board voted to advertise this dissolution of these two advisory boards, and Chairman McKay expressed that the new environmental commission's responsibility would be fully fleshed out in time for today's vote. Almost nothing has been done. it has been almost impossible for interested parties to learn anything about what is happening.

[06:31:31] It is unacceptable that the County Environmental Committee has not placed this item on its agenda when undertaken a review of this proposal. The Board of Supervisors' vote is on purpose, timed for late August, the traditional last vacation, back-to-school time, when citizen awareness and engagement is at its lowest.

[06:31:47] In the very least of the forthgoing, the Joint Committee has resolved this following. At the very least, this proposal should be deferred until such time as there is a completed comprehensive environmental plan to present to the public and ample time allowed for citizen engagement in common. That as Fairfax County citizens now comprise a voting base who are very attuned to the protection of our natural resources and the quality of life, it is imperative that these two environmental boards must not be eliminated but improved and the comprehensive plan must be upgraded to help self-guard our collective quality of life.

[06:32:15] The Joint Committee voted unanimously on 7 August to express its absolute opposition. We have communicated this in writing to this organization, the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and as well as the General Assembly members in this area. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. Five is Whitney Redding. Whitney here, to be followed by Philip Lataza, who will be Speaker No. 6 and our final speaker, who has signed up in advance. Welcome.

[06:32:49] Hello. Thank you. My name is Whitney Redding. I'm Director of Friends of Homes Run and All Volunteer 501C3 with 300 members in the Homes Run Cameron Run watershed. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Speaking as an organization that takes a watershed approach to all kinds of stewardship, including a lot of tree rescuing, but stewardship of our water, stewardship of our stream valleys, we interface with the county on many levels, occasionally with county supervisors and district offices, but more often with staff across many agencies. And that includes

[06:33:28] County Park Authority, most of the divisions of DPWES, even the Department of Transportation, Zoning, Land Development Services, EEOC, and so on. We also interfaced with the Soil and Water Conservation District, with cities of Falls Church in Alexandria, with the state and regional entities and officials.

[06:33:49] There are a ton of qualified public servants working on the various aspects of the complex job of improving our natural environment, of preserving it, and of getting us more resilient into the future. Yet not one of the county's environmental goals and policies could ever be achieved by them, not them alone.

[06:34:12] Nothing can be achieved without the engagement, buy-in, and voluntary compliance of residents. That's where these advisory boards were immensely helpful. One very real benefit of having multiple advisory panels has been the wider engagement of the public in the important conversations before they rose to the level of policy or politics.

[06:34:35] Each volunteer who serves on an advisory board or commission is an ambassador to the county for their community and vice versa. Considering that there are a million county residents, We are concerned about shrinking the number of stakeholders who contribute directly and consistently to the most important conversation of our time.

[06:34:57] For example, it's hard to believe that cutting 600 staff hours and eliminating a multi-member tree commission is going to allow for tree canopy goals to be easier to attain through the public. Please bear in mind the following concerns before you take your next step.

[06:35:14] One, in practice, EQUAC and the Tree Commission have played essential roles. EQUAC, in particular, offered a sort of independent voice, an early warning system for the county's long-term environmental best interests. For example, long before Fairfax Water officially acknowledged concerns about potential PFAS in the water, EQUAC was raising it as a concern.

[06:35:35] The fact that EQUAC raised certain concerns over and over in their annual reports tells me, the public, that some very relevant priorities were not being heard. So yes, at its best, Equax saw as a part of its mission to be your conscience, even if the board was not always ready to hear or act on it.

[06:35:56] Going forward, it would be wise to encourage that level of independence. Two, the members of all these commissions tend to include extremely knowledgeable professionals. the county received the benefit of their experience and technical expertise for free.

[06:36:15] Being as we are in the D.C. area, we found the members we knew to work with to be an impressive cross-section of smart, civic-minded, broad-minded experts, many of them scientists. When squaring the cost benefits of dropping these advisory panels, are you counting for the huge amount of work that these professionals have done for you for free for so long, including volunteer community outreach.

[06:36:41] And henceforth, won't staff still be doing the work, but without the benefit of specialized sounding boards? What is the vision? This is my third point. How will taking this action enable the Board of Supervisors to better achieve a better quality natural environment?

[06:36:57] What will be your metrics? What will you gain by having a small group of volunteers replace the work of a small army of volunteers? Have you considered the opportunity cost? I'm thinking here of the tireless work of some of the tree commissioners to network among community groups to spread support for more trees throughout the county.

[06:37:16] Four, and finally, how are you going to make space for a healthy diversity of opinions on a single board? There's a value to receiving a range of input from experts across a wide range of disciplines because environmental problems are multifaceted. These committees were the places to hash out ideas and policy recommendations on a variety of challenges is for the Board of Supervisors to consider no single board can be expected to take on the work in hard conversations of multiple boards.

[06:37:42] Losing multiple boards means narrowing the conversation and losing the informal cross-pollination of ideas across all of them. In summary, in short, in a democracy, local government is in the enviable position of having its ear closer to the ground compared to larger state and federal governments.

[06:38:00] Having these folks on your panels helped the county widen its reach. Each gave you one more way to reach out and hear back. By condensing many voices into a few, we are concerned it will lead to bottlenecking and shortchanging the county's environmental agenda at a time when environmental problems are rapidly compounding while providing the larger community with fewer ways to be heard.

[06:38:22] Thank you very much. Thank you for your testimony. Speaker number six is Philip Latassa. And that is the end of my speakers who have signed up in advance. Welcome, Philip. Supervisors. As a volunteer conservation group, the Friends of Accutane Creek try to be the voice of nature.

[06:38:42] Regarding the decommissioning of the Tree Commission, nature does not care whether the Fairfax County has two, ten, or twenty environmental advisory bodies. Nature cares only about results. We share the concerns of the Citizens for Great Falls, which have been presented to you, and support their request for preserving all, all the current functions of the Environmental Quality Advisory Council and the Tree Commission in any configuration.

[06:39:05] And also, as you just heard from Friends of Holmes Run, we endorse the advice that any new advisory body must also have the independence to bring up things we are not ready to hear, because often that's just what needs to be heard. If Fairfax County will save a few thousand dollars by axing the Tree Commission, how much greater the incentive must be to save millions by not axing the trees of the forests and wetlands in the path of the Cinderbed Road Bikeway.

[06:39:31] The Cinderbed Road bikeway proposal falls short in all three goals of avoiding environmental damage, improving transportation connectivity, and maintaining fiscal responsibility. Directing the bikeway out of the woods and onto existing paved, lighted infrastructure would be a fulfillment of the conservation goals the Tree Commission was created to accomplish.

[06:39:52] Thank you. Thank you, Mr. LaTassa. And that is the end of the speakers that I have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone else here present who would like to testify who has not already testified if there's anyone here present? This is a public hearing seeing and hearing no one. Let me ask the clerk if we have any callers. They're no callers. There are no callers Let me at this time ask for closing comments and a recommendation from county staff Staff recommends approval of the proposed amendments to chapter 122 of the county code. Thank you very much Questions from board members.

[06:40:29] Supervisor Beerman. I'm sorry for interrupting, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted, if they were going to have closing comments, I wanted to ask some questions first. They always have questions after them so that we can make sure we can respond to what their recommendation is. I'm still a rookie here. No, that's okay. You're fine. You're fine.

[06:40:45] So I'm looking at Article 9, the Tree Commission from Chapter 122, at the purpose of the Tree Commission. And it says the first purpose of the Tree Commission is to advise the Board of Supervisors on actions it might take to protect, improve, and expand the urban forest across Fairfax County.

[06:41:04] Would the new version of this commission, Consolidated, still be able to engage in that purpose? Yes. Okay, the second thing, review and comment at its discretion on selected actions being considered by the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Fairfax County Schools and School Board, the Fairfax County Park Authority and Park Authority Board, and any other county-related agencies that may impact the intermittent forest.

[06:41:26] Would the new commission still have that purpose? Yes. Three, report annually to the Board of Supervisors on the administration and implementation of ordinances, policies, and programs regarding tree preservation, county agencies' design, installation, and maintenance, activities of public and private entities to promote tree planting and care on private property, results of community practice as identified in the Fairfax County Tree Action Plan.

[06:41:49] Would those all be things that the new version of the commission could still engage in? Yes. How about recommend to the Board of Supervisors improvements to the Fairfax County tree plan as appropriate? Still able to engage in it? Yes. Okay. Represent Board of Supervisors in the community of practice establishing accordance with the Fairfax County tree action plan.

[06:42:11] Yes. And provide outreach on behalf of the Board of Supervisors to private organizations and county citizens regarding the benefits of protecting, improving, and expanding counties' urban forests. Yes. So when people say that the new version of this board could not engage in some of the public actions that the current Tree Commission does, that's not really correct. Correct?

[06:42:35] Those all could be taken on by the new Environmental Commission, yes. Okay, great. And so if we, aside from eliminating Article 9, Mr. Kightley, Does anything in this action remove or change any of the rules and requirements of Chapter 122 with respect to how the county treats trees?

[06:42:59] No, sir. Okay. And in the prior version of the Tree Commission, to what degree was membership based solely on expertise in trees? In my opinion, it was a major factor, but it was not as if each member was a subject matter expert.

[06:43:20] Correct. In fact, if you look at the prior membership, there's actually nothing in the prior membership requirements that somebody be a tree expert. Yet, our new version of the commission actually does require that at least two people on the commission have forestry expertise, correct?

[06:43:37] Yes, sir. Now, that doesn't mean we don't get wonderful people. Barbara Ryan is my tree commissioner, and she is excellent, and I hope she sticks around on the new version of this commission. She is an absolute rock star. I believe she's on vacation or she'd be in the room so that I could talk more about her and make her blush.

[06:43:56] But I just want to make sure that people understand that the new version of this board still has a lot of the same benefits, a lot of the same actions, a lot of the same opportunities as the old version of the board.

[06:44:15] To the degree that there is, quote, the idea that this would likely reduce attention to the county's tree canopy, Mr. Kightley, is there anything in what we're doing today that reduces the attention of the county to tree canopy issues? I don't foresee any changes.

[06:44:36] Not as long as I'm on the board, I'll tell you that. You know, last year we did a board matter about infill development. It was Supervisor Stork's board matter. I worked with him on that. We had the tree commission actually go out and engage on strategies to try and improve infill development.

[06:44:57] Could this new version of the commission engage in those strategies? Yes, sir. Could engage people to help develop those strategies? Yes, sir. And could this new version of the commission decide, for instance, that it wanted to create a tree subcommittee? Yes, sir.

[06:45:13] That's all within it. You know, nature does not care if you have 2, 10, or 20 commissions. You're right. Whoever said that, absolutely. They also don't care if you have 20 commissions that don't work versus having one commission that does. They don't, you know, the proof's in the pudding and the questions, do we think that we're going to get something that is actually effective here?

[06:45:40] And I don't actually think this is about expendability or anything like that. I served on boards, authorities, and commissions before I ended up on this board. I put in a ton of time on several of those commissions. There are lots of really good people who spend a lot of time volunteering for those commissions.

[06:45:59] We also have about 80 of them, and we were trying to find ways to consolidate, to find efficiencies, to not have people going and duplicating efforts to make sure that staff has time to make sure that people are following our tree ordinance.

[06:46:17] So to the question about 600 hours, would I rather have a staffer necessarily sitting in a commission meeting for 600 hours or out there stopping people who are trying to mess with our tree ordinance or take people's trees down that they shouldn't? I probably would take the latter over the former.

[06:46:35] So I just want to be clear about what I think we're doing here. I am going to support this as your resident tree hugger up here, as somebody who likes to read the Lorax to his son every night and could quote the whole poem, but it's been a long meeting, because I think that ultimately what we are doing here still does protect the mission.

[06:46:58] And I want anybody who serves on this new version of the committee to know that actually we also said that one of the things that you have to look at when you consider the environment is the trees. That's actually distinguishable from earlier when the Environmental Commission, I'd have to re-log into my computer to see this, when it had a broader mandate. So whoever said, by the way, that the bylaws don't take any of this into account or that they're obscene. That's wrong. And by the way, also, yes, we do have a meeting here on

[06:47:36] August 25th. I'm going to work. So did my wife today. The people are back in town as my kids start school yesterday. So the idea we tried to do this in the cover of night or something like that is absolute nonsense. I would like to thank you for the work that you did to try and find consolidation here. I would like to thank Mr. Kightley for the work that he does to try and protect our tree canopy. I would like to reemphasize that we're going to continue to protect our tree canopy and look for ways to do it better. And I'd like to thank everyone who will serve on this new

[06:48:13] version of this commission and focus on the broader environment and trees. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman. Any other discussion at this time? Let me, I mean, this was at this time before we turned to Vice Chairman Smith for the motion.

[06:48:33] I will just say there are a couple of things I do want to put on the record because, you know, I appreciate the testimony. I agree with some of it. Frankly, some of it was just factually incorrect, and it was disappointing. It's disappointing to me and this board for all the environmental work that we've done.

[06:48:53] It's disappointing to me and our staff, who has worked diligently to significantly increase our environmental goals and our footprint of environmental staff and professionals in this county. And to suggest somehow that we've stepped away, I would argue the exact opposite has happened.

[06:49:11] And it's disappointing to have testimony suggest that that isn't what has happened. You know, boards, authorities, and commissions, they evolve over time. And you've just heard an explanation from Supervisor Behrman. Topical areas go up, they go down in intensity.

[06:49:27] New issues arise. New people come into the county who are looking for ways to have their voices be heard as well. You know, EQUAC was formed in 1972 through a restructuring of the former Beautification Committee. That's what it started out as.

[06:49:44] Just a little walk down history here. The purpose was to foster a new and comprehensive approach to then-environmental issues. The board dissolved the Stream Valley Action Board in 1979 and incorporated it into EQUAC's charter to make sure that stream valleys were protected and seen in the overall environmental picture of the county.

[06:50:06] Shifts in staff structure have expanded in-house expertise significantly. Since the formation of EQUAC and the Tree Commission in the 70s, major shifts have occurred in the structure of environmental work. Just a couple of highlights. In 1973, the county established the Office of the Arborists.

[06:50:23] In 1992, a group of dedicated trees and natural resources created the new Urban and Community Forestry Division, UCFD and DPWS. In 2019, the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, OEEC, was created, an entire new agency within the county.

[06:50:42] In 2023, the Forest Conservation Branch integrated into Land Development Services to make sure that coordinated work was being done between forestry reviews and the planning process. Citizen participation has expanded and evolved significantly over this time.

[06:50:59] DPWS stands up the Tree Community of Practice formed in 2019, which originated the Tree Action Plan. This has brought together public agencies, residents, private stakeholders to collaboratively protect the county's urban canopy. The Resilient Fairfax Community Advisory Group, managed by OEEC, is an additional way that residents may participate in the county's environmental work.

[06:51:21] Those are just some of the things, a tiny snapshot of the things that this board and boards before this have done to raise awareness about the environmental issues in the county. This was no targeted act at a specific commission. This was, as was outlined, a motion originally made with no prejudice to any board authority or commission in the county to look for ways to make sure that we are modernizing our board's authorities and commissions, to make sure under our One Fairfax mission that we are hearing from the vast diversity of our community, and to make sure that we have inputs for public testimony and inputs to the board.

[06:51:59] to suggest we're cutting off public information. I mean, we just heard from the public on this. We're doing quite the contrary. I have seen, besides the fact that we've come so, so far over all these years, I have seen that we have sometimes, in some cases, lost the balance of environmental competing initiatives.

[06:52:21] Philip mentioned the Cinderbed Road bikeway, and I'm not going to reopen that issue here, But that was a good example of where we had differing environmental goals being worked by different boards, authorities, or commissions, but really no place where they intersected, worked together, and came out with a solution that would come forward to the board that could do multiple things.

[06:52:43] Promote pedestrian safety, bicycling, public health, address our One Fairfax initiative, look at the critical environmental impacts of the proposed project. Instead, we had competing environmental issues that were both relevant and both important, but we had no clearinghouse for those to go to.

[06:53:03] We certainly on EQAC now have people who are experts in various issues, but in particular, moving forward with the new environmental committee, as was mentioned, we'll have two dedicated people who must demonstrate expertise in tree canopy and tree protection.

[06:53:20] And so I do think that this group will be robust. I think it has been well fleshed out. I'm glad I was quoted because I said that, and I think that has happened. If we were doing this stealthily in the summer, boy, that's news to me. Nobody ever thought of that until I heard it in testimony.

[06:53:37] It certainly didn't stop a lot of input from coming in to the board to consider as we look forward to moving forward and building on our environmental goals and making sure that this county is looking at the environmental issues across the spectrum and that we're hearing from the voices from various environmental communities in a fair and equitable way, there will be times moving forward where environmental goals will collide again.

[06:54:05] Cinderbed Road Bikeway is but one project. I have had it so many years when I was Franconia District Supervisor working on revitalization projects where we were trying to figure out how to balance seas of asphalt redevelopment into communities that for the first time ever had tree canopy.

[06:54:26] Wouldn't have happened if it weren't for some of the standards that have been put in place in this county. Now, some people would look at that and say, development in those areas is a bad thing. Talk to the people who live in those communities who have nothing but asphalt around them and talk to them about redevelopment and why making sure that tree canopies and stormwater and pedestrian connectivity and clean air and public health are so vital to making sure that revitalization works.

[06:54:51] Those are elements that are important to every member of Fairfax County and I think will be important to every member of this new environmental committee and will provide the type of balance that's necessary to give the board continued good insight. There is nothing here that stops anyone from communicating with the board. There is nothing here that diminishes at all this board's committed expertise and record of environmental stewardship over the time that I've sat on this board.

[06:55:22] And so, you know, that's that's a while now. And if I look back to where we were when I first took office on understanding the environment and protecting it. And I look back at the staff expertise that we had in place and the amount of public input that we got on issues and compare that to where we are today.

[06:55:39] It is like night and day. And I am disappointed to hear testimony that suggests somehow that that's not what the vision of the board is as we move forward. This is a structural change that does absolutely nothing to change the environmental goals of this board that we are steadfast in supporting.

[06:55:59] And so you can make a structural change that's very different than making a change to what the environmental goals of this county are. There is nothing in this item that does that. In fact, in a lot of ways provides an opportunity for additional input to the county without diminishing the input of any resident who wants to testify before us on any issue that's important to them.

[06:56:20] And so I appreciate all the work that's been done on this. I think when I first met with staff and they were looking at a whole list of commissions that they were looking at consolidating, eliminating, this was one of the ones where they had a recommendation, but it came in tandem with a strengthening of another commission that could help take on this vitally important work.

[06:56:44] That wasn't the case with some of the other recommendations. And so I do think it was well thought out. I think future boards will look back at this action just as I read out some of the changes that have had to be made to boards, authorities, and commissions and their evolution over time and say, wow, I'm glad that vision was there to make sure that we had a comprehensive look of and support of the aggressive environmental agenda of this board.

[06:57:08] And so for those reasons, I support us moving forward. Change is hard. It's hard for everyone. It's hard for me. It's hard for everybody in this auditorium. But that doesn't mean that there aren't ways to improve and to improve public input.

[06:57:25] Frankly, you know, I look forward to a much larger, much diverse group of people looking out for the interest of the environment in Fairfax County as we move forward and making sure that we have ways for them to do that easily that they can understand how to provide input and can make sure that they are being heard in the future and I think this change strengthens those things and so for those reasons I will support it other comments at this time I'll turn to you to make the motion in one second because I think there there are some folks who might want to get some things on the public record first before we get we before we get to the

[06:58:01] motion okay supervisor stork you want to wait for the motion oh okay all right well in that case I will turn to supervisor Smith for the motion I will close the public hearing and turn to supervisor Smith for the motion okay I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the proposed ordinance to repeal article 9 of chapter 122 of the Fairfax County code and I will second that motion, discussion on the motion, Supervisor Smith. I appreciate the chairman giving the background and providing this information about how we have changed how county staff works in

[06:58:39] departments, so I didn't have to say all that. I have an expectation that when we have public testimony that we talk about the issue at hand. I find it very disheartening for somebody to stand there and denigrate staff, because I saw all the hard work that our staff did going through this process. And listening to the community and making changes, the version of the bylaws we have now isn't the version that we started with. There was outreach, there was thoughtfulness,

[06:59:12] there was a focus on ensuring that trees continue to be a priority, that the environment continues to be a priority. And the chairman said it better than I could, but we need to continually change and evolve and do things.

[06:59:29] But our staff is dedicated to serving this community and ensuring that it continues to be a great place. So I want to thank them for that work. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[06:59:45] And I say this with respect to my colleagues who have spoken and the very strong comments in favor of this proposal. I have supported previous proposals to eliminate BACs, but I'm not going to support this one.

[07:00:06] This is, I'm afraid, I don't think there's any way around the reality that eliminating the tree commission deprioritizes trees. I don't think there's any hiding from that.

[07:00:22] I don't know how you could look at it any other way, because in the environmental world, expertise is everything. And going from 15 people, say, dedicated to trees, to two, that's a change.

[07:00:37] That's a change. It's not a change I support. And I think we do need to be careful as we do this. And hopefully with this new Environmental Commission, some of these things can be worked through.

[07:00:53] But we need to be really careful and watch out for generalizing these types of BACs and generalizing the review and the feedback that we get as a board and, frankly, as given to staff, because the value is in the expertise.

[07:01:15] And I don't want to see us go down the path of generalizing and streamlining because in the complicated environmental world, and this is something I learned the hard way in 33 years of an environmental career, generalizing leads to less value and, frankly, irrelevance.

[07:01:36] So let's make sure we maintain expertise in whatever the priority areas that we are asking our residents to participate in.

[07:01:52] And I just have to say this feels like, and I don't want this to be the case, and I don't think this is the intent, but it feels like the extension of staff over pesky citizens. I mean, that's what it feels like, that we're dumbing down our tree commission, which is basically citizens, and then we're saying because our staff know better.

[07:02:19] And I don't think that's the intention, but it feels that way. So I think we do need to appreciate our residents who take the time and share their expertise, because we are blessed in the county with a tremendous group of dedicated folks that help us in all these things.

[07:02:44] So I won't be supporting this motion. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to support the consolidation. I have a couple of points I wanted to speak to, and I do have some reservations, but I also recognize that it's time for us to look at this, our whole environment more holistically than we have traditionally.

[07:03:12] And when I was environmental chair of our committee, I absolutely looked along with others at the EQUAC and said, okay, what else, how can we look at this differently? What can we do differently? In the end, it wasn't quite ready. And I think this conversation, this process that we've had, where we've looked at all of them, I think is a valuable one and one that I have strongly supported.

[07:03:33] And frankly, doing things right means they don't stay the same. I deeply believe that. It starts with, and I know it goes much further back than that. I know, Mr. Chairman, you mentioned a couple that go back into the 70s and 80s.

[07:03:50] I'm thinking of Jerry Connolly and Cool County's initiative. I think of the natural landscaping that, in particular, a resident of my community was very strongly supportive of, and we did it, but it just kind of sat there for almost 10 years.

[07:04:09] So we can do things, but if we don't then marry that with other steps, then, okay, we kind of check that box, but how do you move that process forward? How do you make that difference happen? Fairfax Green Initiative, I'm particularly proud of because we essentially took all these different opportunities and we spent a lot of time.

[07:04:31] We spent years working through this and putting together, I think, some excellent steps and specific strategies on how to do that and how to make sure that we're doing that. And it included, obviously, a number of issues related to trees and environmental initiatives.

[07:04:47] It wasn't just focused on, you know, carbon and carbon emissions. It was focused on resiliency and other things that we know environmentally are important to us long term. So things need to change to move, I think, things forward at times.

[07:05:04] And I think the operational energy environment and energy coordinating group that we have, I think, is a great way of doing that. My reservations are that we look at this really holistically with what we're doing and the ecosystem, which I think is a key part of that.

[07:05:25] But there's a few things in this I'm not so sure about. And I've debated about whether I should raise those issues more strongly. But at this point in time, I look at anything new as needing to be further worked through.

[07:05:41] And I'm looking and I've talked to the chair of EQUAC, Larry Zaragoza. And we've chatted about the things that we think that this group should be doing, as well as some initiatives and some changes that this new group could do. And I strongly support that it do just that.

[07:05:58] And I would recommend to all of my colleagues, if you don't think this new initiative, if it's supported by the board, is enough, do what I've done, which is I have my own environmental advisory committee.

[07:06:14] And I assure you, the individuals when we get together point out to me what we're doing well and maybe what we're not doing well. But more importantly, there's nowhere I can go to hide, if you will, because I'm meeting with them and they know where I stand. And so, you know, we have that dialogue.

[07:06:31] And I think particularly there's obviously no district issues and then there's county issues and then there's ones that go even beyond that. So I think it's a good start. I'm also looking for some of the issues in here to be addressed, and I'm particularly a little bit more concerned about, particularly the number of committees' limitations.

[07:06:48] I don't think that makes sense to me. The other part of it, I think we're missing an opportunity by not really not having this look not only broadly, but also include conservation and restoration of natural resources, control of invasive plants and animals.

[07:07:05] I think those are more explicit things that we could have in here. And then I know we have positions in here for forestry and natural resources people, but I also think we need expertise in wildlife and their habitat needs. So I'm not saying that we have to agree on all of those things right now, but I'm saying this group, as they get together, let's work through these things and bring them back to us individually, and then collectively we can see what other modifications or changes we think are most appropriate.

[07:07:37] So thank you very much. I think there's a lot of work. I know, Bree, you've shepherded this and many others for a long time, and I think it's time to move forward with what we have and look to improve upon that as we further move forward over the next years.

[07:07:53] So thank you. Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wasn't going to speak, but I do think it's important to share a little bit of where I feel we are with my personal experience, both on this board and as an almost lifeline.

[07:08:13] lifelong citizen of this county. Number one, I will say I don't think this process was perfect. I don't want to throw, I'm not throwing anyone under the bus. I think every process we do is up for improvement. I do think and hope that we've learned quite a bit about what worked in this process and should we continue to look at consolidations of advisory committees that there are better ways to work together and engage our community. But I do think the outcome is getting to a better place. I heard from our community members, and I think we agree on so

[07:08:51] much of what was said in the outcomes. It's more about the how we get there. I 100% agree that we need wider engagement. I'm not seeing that with our current model. I want to see future junior ranger kids like myself, who had the opportunity to fall in love with trees because they were given that opportunity, especially if they lived in a community where they didn't have that access.

[07:09:17] I haven't seen that happen yet. To me, that includes workforce development of our next generation, of our students and families in this county who deserve to have better voices and representation. I also believe in results.

[07:09:36] I think we all want to see the results. I was just looking up at a report from a grad student, Virginia Tech, saying that our policies have been effective. We will, in September, have a discussion at the Environmental Committee around invasive management.

[07:09:51] That is something that is new over the past few decades. That is devastating, our existing tree canopy. So not only do we need to plant more, but 100% agree. I mean, I was just speaking to Secretary Boliva, and he described, you might know this, that you used to be able to see all the way from the Ferrox County Courthouse to Chantilly because there was such a low tree canopy.

[07:10:16] So let's stop focusing everything we all want to do better, but there's so much that has improved. Areas that I do think we need to do better are around better engagement, educating our youth, and continuing to ensure that those voices are here.

[07:10:34] I also think the way we do this work, change is hard, but personally, I've struggled to be able to retain members on the tree commission, whether it's because the hours, whether it's because they can no longer afford to live here and move away, whether it's because maybe they don't feel like their time and services are best met in that way and they find other ways to be engaged.

[07:10:59] I think it is a disservice to our community to say that you can only care about trees if you have one committee. I think we all agree it's time to elevate it. We have been elevating it. I have meetings with all of my boarding commissioners, and we educate all of our boarding commissioners.

[07:11:15] We bring in staff to talk about the environment. This is about saying the way we've done with our equity policy, it's not siloed. This needs to be across everything we do. This is an elevated priority. It needs to be discussed everywhere. And we need our expertise both within the county in our urban forestry and outside the county.

[07:11:34] And there are numerous groups that are involved in that work and that educate me and our community every single day. Sustainability Matters is one of those groups that goes out in the community and educates our youth. So I just want to be cautious. I think every single person on this board and in this auditorium cares about our tree canopy, our trees, and wants to ensure that we do more, we do better, we continue to grow our tree rescuers as champions as we have, and that we especially activate the next generation.

[07:12:06] I take my four-year-olds on the invasive tree protection sites, the tree rescuers. I want every single one of our kids to graduate from Fairfax County Public Schools as a tree rescuer. That's one of my goals. And so I think there's a lot in common.

[07:12:22] What I want to be cautious is that we say because we're doing something differently that in any way denigrates our focus, our dedication, and our commitment to that work. You will see that through our environmental committee, but I hope we'll see that in every committee, that we are focused on our tree canopy, on improving it, and on continuing to ensure that every generation and every part of our community has a voice and feels empowered to do that work and educated, because it is complicated work. So again, I do want to thank staff and Supervisor Smith for their work on this. It has been challenging. I haven't agreed with every

[07:13:00] step we've made. I do think we have listened, and I appreciate that a lot of the feedback that was given, has been incorporated, and it's a work in progress. And all of our boards and commissions are a work in progress. And 15 people can never represent over a million people.

[07:13:16] So let's continue to focus on that. I appreciate the passion, but I recommend that we be cautious about jumping to conclusions over a process that is here today. The conclusion is we all care. We're all passionate. Thank you.

[07:13:32] Thank you. Supervisor Beerman. I feel that if there's any takeaway from this discussion, it's that everybody on this board actually still cares a whole heck of a lot about trees and citizen engagement.

[07:13:51] I feel like we have that on the record, and I feel like even though some of us disagree on exactly how to get there, I feel like that is the actual takeaway from the discussion you have seen and the directives that we have sent to staff.

[07:14:07] And I feel like that's actually the takeaway of trying to figure out how you take 80 boards, authorities, and commissions and be a little bit more efficient with them. Because as somebody who served on those commissions as a volunteer, put in a whole lot of time, worked with other people, saw some people who dropped off because they didn't feel like it was worth their time, saw some people who dropped off because it just got too busy.

[07:14:36] I want our commission structure to make sense and be effective. And I think that is the real effort that we're going at here. And I think that this is a move that I can support because I ultimately feel like we have preserved and protected the voices of citizens and the voices of supervisors who care about trees.

[07:15:01] Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Beerman, and before I turn to Supervisor Jimenez, I just want to highlight one thing that relates to what you said, and I understand Supervisor Alcorn's challenges with this. I would just say that I would never characterize this as generalizing or streamlining anything.

[07:15:20] I would actually characterize it as the exact opposite, which is putting tree experts right in the center of our environmental agenda, right in the middle of a committee who is responsible for making sure our entire environmental agenda is seen, heard, and vetted.

[07:15:40] And I think it's the opposite of streamlining and generalizing. And I respect Supervisor Alcorn's feeling about staff here. I feel very differently about that, too. If it weren't for our citizens and their engagement and this board, we wouldn't have the type of expert professional staff that we have right now working on environmental issues.

[07:16:04] A huge departure from what we had just a few years ago. And so I don't think our citizens and our staff are competing with each other ever. As this chairman and this supervisor, I listen to them both and want to hear from them both.

[07:16:20] And what I really like is when they're collaborating together to make sure that we're improving the lives of people in Fairfax County. And so I see this as a moment where we should be proud of the professionalism of our staff, a moment where we should be proud of putting the importance of trees in the center of our environmental agenda and making sure that there's still plenty of inputs for ways to participate.

[07:16:43] There is absolutely nothing to comment about the bylaws that Supervisor Stork made. I couldn't agree more. I mean, we put a draft set of bylaws out there. This group will meet and evaluate the bylaws. And if they want to make changes to the bylaws, we make changes to the bylaws of boards, authorities, and commissions here all the time.

[07:17:01] If there's a shortcoming, something that couldn't be seen at the time the commission was created, it can evolve. If there's an issue that comes up that's particularly important to the overall environmental committee, this committee can set aside a work group to work specifically on that issue, input through the environmental committee and get a direct channel to the Board of Supervisors.

[07:17:24] And so I see it as the opposite. I can see how people's perspective on this might be different. But I would say, you know, moving forward, that we need to give this a chance. We need to make sure that we do the hard work of hearing from everyone and take advantage of all the opportunities to do that.

[07:17:40] But to me, I see this as elevating, in a lot of ways, the environmental agenda of this county and particularly of this board in a way that makes sense. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to touch on three things real quick.

[07:17:55] One, just to make it clear, this isn't about money for the county. Someone mentioned $20,000, and are we going to do this over $20,000? We're not doing this over money. Let's just be very clear about that. I think we all agree on that. Number two, I think that Mr. Stork made a wonderful comment.

[07:18:16] I myself put together an environmental committee in Mason District, and it was great, and it flourished, and we had so many folks participate. But that leads to the third comment. I want to stress that we should be careful. It's great to have experts, but what happens when we have experts?

[07:18:34] We have a problem in the environmental community all across the country that leads to this. Young people aren't going to be able to participate. They're going to just give up their passion and do something else because they are not an expert. So they're like, I'm not even going to try. Diversity. That's another issue. I'm so grateful for all the speakers who came out today, those who called, those who did videos. It's awesome to hear from our residents as we all enjoy that. What we don't have is youth. What we don't have today is diversity. And if we are specifically looking at only experts to fill these

[07:19:14] appointmentships, we're going to miss out on a lot of wonderful talent and passion. A lot of people might not be experts, but they make up for it in the fact that they show up, they give their time, they care, they want others to join and participate, and we're going to lose that if we're only looking for experts. So I'm not saying the experts are a bad thing. I'm saying it closes the door on diversity and it closes the door on youth, which has always been a national problem throughout the country. So I am going to support this, but I do caution how we go about this. And as Supervisor Palachuk said, the process isn't always perfect, but we are trying to

[07:19:52] streamline and make things better for future generations. Thank you. I have Supervisor Sizemore Heiser next. Thank you. And I wasn't going to speak because I think many of my colleagues are making wonderful points that I agree with, you know, and I'm newer to the board, but I wanted to maybe share an analogy that might be helpful. You know, I support this. And to me, like my colleagues have shared, some of my colleagues, it's not about the money. It's really about doing

[07:20:27] things in the best way possible. And I'm always a big believer in continual improvement, looking at things to see, can we do this better? Can we utilize what we've learned more recently? And I think the biggest thing for me is to have the experts in one space talking to each other. And here's the analogy I was going to share. Many of you know, I came from six years on the school board. Before that, I spent over a decade where many of the folks who spoke to us today and many others who've reached out to me are, which is a very dedicated community volunteer who served for

[07:21:03] years on boards and commissions like these, the school board advisory committees, etc. So I understand the passion and the expertise and the I've always said I appreciate volunteers because they're doing this work for free and that shows a real dedication to be willing to take their time and sweat without financial compensation so I and I've been there but here's my analogy many of you know I do a lot of work in the disability space I'm in the schools we had two committees we had a twice exceptional committee advisory committee of focus on gifted and talented and twice not

[07:21:42] twice excuse me an AAP committee focus on gifted and talented advanced academics and all those things that was our focus we had a committee for students with disabilities which is focused on education of students with disabilities what was missing in that for many years was a recognition that people could be both they could both be accessing and advanced academics and have a disability. So that too work was done in silos. Staff presented different information to different committees, different conversations happened, and it took a lot longer, I think, to recognize the twice exceptional population. That is why I think it's really important to have people in

[07:22:21] the room together. Doesn't mean that the advanced academic committee wasn't doing good work. It doesn't mean that this committee with disabilities wasn't doing good work. There was just a gap in doing that work siloed. And that's kind of what I see can be made even better. The work that's being done is great and so appreciated and needed, but this could make it better. And it's worth a try. That's what I have to say. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Sizemore-Heiser. And let me just make sure there's no one else who would like to comment or have any questions. Okay. It was so

[07:22:56] long ago, but you made the motion. I seconded the motion. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? No. Any abstentions? And that motion is approved nine to one. Thank you to our speakers, to our staff.

[07:23:16] We will continue to work on this. Yes. And actually, this means that we have to return to consideration item number two from this morning, which is adoption of the resolution and approval of bylaws to restructure the Environmental Quality Advisory Council, EQAC, which was deferred this morning to take place after this public hearing. And at this time, I'm going to turn to Vice Chairman Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the resolution to restructure the Environmental Quality Advisory Council and approve the proposed bylaws. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by

[07:23:54] Supervisor Palchuk. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Smith, yes. I'm sorry. You know, I had these notes, and I didn't get to say them. Change has always happened in Fairfax County. So EQUAC was chartered on May 8, 1972, revised September 15, 1981.

[07:24:15] In 1967, the board created the Beautification Committee. September 22, 1971, was the motion for EQUAC to foster a new and comprehensive approach to set environmental problems. In March 26, 1979, they eliminated the Stream Valley Board.

[07:24:36] Change has happened over time, and it's what keeps us moving forward. So thank you very much. Thank you, and I would also say what has gotten us to this point, which is far better on these issues than we have been in the past, and that will continue.

[07:24:52] Thank you, Supervisor Smith. Next, we are going to move on to—oh, I'm sorry. We do need to vote on the consideration item. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? That motion carries.

[07:25:08] And we now are going to move to our next public hearing. It is not 4.30. It is 7.30. So we are going to try to be conscious of that as we go through these next couple items and respect everyone's time. But this is a public hearing on a proposal to prohibit through truck traffic on Crowell Road and Browns Mill Road in the Hunter Mill District.

[07:25:27] And at this time, I would recognize our county staff for a staff presentation.

[07:25:40] Hey, good afternoon, Chairman McKay and members of the board. My name is Nicole Machakwe and with the Department of Transportation.

[07:25:56] This public hearing is to seek approval of a resolution initiating the first steps in the through truck restriction program. The resolution requests that the Virginia Department of Transportation evaluate and, if eligible, establish a through-truck traffic prohibition on Crowell Road and Browns Mill Road between the Hunter Mill Road and Beulah Road located in the Hunter Mill District.

[07:26:27] Through-truck traffic refers to any truck, truck and trailer, or semi-trailer combination, or any combination of those classifications that does not have its origin or destination along the length of the designated restriction.

[07:26:43] As part of the program requirements, a viable alternate route must be identified for a proposed restriction. The designated alternate route begins at the intersection of Beulah Road and Browns Mill Road, traveling north along Beulah Road to the intersection of Leesburg Pike, which is Route 7, and Beulah Road, then continuing west on Leesburg Pike to the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Barron Cameron Avenue, then travel southwest along Barron Cameron Avenue to the intersection of Hunter Mill Road and Barron Cameron Avenue.

[07:27:24] and continuing on our south to Hunter Mill Road to reach Crowell Road. Fairfax County Police have reviewed this restriction and determined that enforcement is feasible, and board approval of this resolution is required for the Virginia Department of Transportation to begin evaluating Crowell Road and Browns Mill Road for inclusion in the Residential Traffic Administration Program for a through truck restriction thank you for your time thank you very much for that presentation are

[07:28:01] there any questions of staff seeing and hearing none this is a public hearing i do have a number of speakers who have signed up in advance and who signed up today to testify on this matter our first speaker is yun wang is yun wang here to be followed by devin jopp mr jopp come on down Lucinda Stanton will be third followed by Julia Rose and Jerry Haskins in that order please be ready to testify welcome mr. job thank you so much chairman supervisor Alcorn and all supervisors my name is Devin job I live at 1449

[07:28:40] Beulah Road which is at the corner of Brown's Mill and Beulah and if you're looking at your screens actually this is the original historic mill pictures actually if you're ever interested when you're driving on that I'm actually not here to talk about Crowell and Brown's Mill and I'm not here to fight my neighbors I believe in that trucks don't belong on that road I'm here to talk about the alternate route at Beulah Road similar to Crowell and Brown's Mill it is should not have through trucks either and it certainly should not be designated truck route today as currently designed under the Commonwealth's own rule of 24 VAC 30-5 80-40 an alternate route qualifies as reasonable only if it's engineered as a standard sufficient for truck travel

[07:29:19] only if it's judged to be at least as appropriate for trucks as the road being restricted. Beulah Road is not that road. These photographs were taken from my driveway. Let me back up here. So this is my driveway looking out over the intersection where Browns Mill and Beulah Road.

[07:29:35] You'll notice there's no traffic signal at all. Sir, can I hold you for one second? There we go. We didn't have the pictures for a minute. I want to make sure we got the pictures. Now they're there. Thank you. So, yeah, so this is straight on my driveway, and there's no traffic signal, and there's one stop sign. This is a topography slide, and it's hard to see, I understand.

[07:29:55] But the gist of it is that every entrance into this is a valley. So it's kind of a big valley where all these roads have to come in. And that's, again, from every direction. And we sit in a wetlands area, so that's at the bottom of that valley. If you're looking right out of my driveway, this is going towards the bridge up towards Route 7.

[07:30:16] You'll notice there's no shoulders, no sidewalks on this bridge. If you look the other way, the left, this is a blind curve that actually is coming right before the intersection. VDOT posted this at 15 miles per hour and added flashing beacons because the sign alone wasn't enough.

[07:30:32] And the Commonwealth's own assessment of this road is that it's not consistent with the truck route. It's a good year if that sign doesn't get run over and has to get replaced by VDOT. This is actually flooding that happens occasionally at the intersection of Browns Mill and, of course, is not consistent with the truck route either.

[07:30:49] My mailbox is underwater, if you can see. This is also taken January 14, 2024. Because we live in a valley, it turns into an ice luge in wintertime. And here you see numerous cars crashing into each other, sliding off the road.

[07:31:05] It's a giant slip and slide. And this is the bridge that all these trucks are going to cross. VDOT's confirmed to me that they have no plans to replace or upgrade this bridge. And again, I noticed no shoulders, and I haven't seen anything around load rating or increases in truck traffic.

[07:31:20] Further up the road, there's all kinds of intersections and twists and turns that leads to car accidents, numerous car accidents. This one here, if you're looking to the right, was inches from the house. If you notice, you wonder why that wall is painted yellow. The neighbor painted his house yellow because so many cars keep running off that curve and almost hitting his house.

[07:31:40] So anyhow, it appears to me the county studied the road that it wants to protect but hasn't studied the road that it would use otherwise. The analysis should include crash history, truck counts, the sighted distance, grade, floodplain review, and a bridge load rating. And the regulation is explicit. If the alternate route requires improvements, those improvements shall be completed before the restriction takes place.

[07:31:59] So if this board does go forward, your resolution to VDOT should include to be what will need to make Bueller Road a truck route. Realign the curves, replace the bridge, install three-way lights, add shoulders, enhance signage, address drainage, raise the roadbed out of the floodplain similar to what's being done on old courthouse road. Beulah Road doesn't need just improvements, it would practically need to be rebuilt as a truck route.

[07:32:19] Although alternatives could exist, like Trap Road, maybe they haven't been evaluated. At a minimum, we would encourage the county to produce the necessary analysis of this, and if the proposal was ever to move forward, to ensure that significant upgrades to the Beulah Road be included in recommendations to VDOT. If we're going to designate a truck route, let's make sure it can certainly carry them.

[07:32:38] So I do want to thank Supervisor Alcorn for taking time ahead of time to meet with me, and of course the staff as well. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you very much for your testimony. Our next speaker is Lucinda Stanton. Okay. Are you in support?

[07:32:55] Are you in support of the restriction? Okay.

[07:33:20] Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that input. I appreciate that. With that being said, we are going to go to our next speaker, Julia Rose, to be followed by Jerry Haskins. Hello.

[07:33:39] I live on Westford Drive, which is considered Kroll Corners, even though you guys are calling at Crowell, and my, I'm sorry, my mother, rest in peace, she would have corrected you guys, but the house that I live is older than me, so it's been there for like 50 years, and although I've lost most of my nuclear family, I have that house now, so it's very prized possession, and you talk about the trees and I'm always hugging the trees around me and I just think that I also bike ride

[07:34:18] okay and I'm crazy because I go on the road I go on Hunter Mill I go on Baron Cameron you name it I'll bike it I go on Eldon Eldon Street and I've gone on Browns Mill and Kroll next to my house so I have seen the trucks and I think unfortunately they're too much of them and although I love truckers and think they're awesome I think that we should come up with something else and the first gentleman that spoke I was already ready and rock and rolling and saying okay I'm gonna go with these people but after he talked I don't know I don't know now but I do think there should be a restriction

[07:34:56] um on those the roads because I see it at two in the morning I'm hearing it and I hope you guys do something about it and the next time I hug the my favorite tree I'm gonna dedicate it to you Because you're awesome. Thank you.

[07:35:12] Thank you. Our next speaker is Jerry Haskins. After Mr. Haskins, is there anyone else here present who wishes to testify on this specific item?

[07:35:34] Okay. Yes, my name is Jerry Haskins. I just want to say that I'm very much in support of the alternate truck route, I think, but maybe for different reasons.

[07:35:59] I was glad to hear that Fairfax County Police say that enforcement is doable because there's a bigger issue. Well, it's an important issue. I don't know if it's bigger than what we've been talking about, but it's the issue of people speeding on Browns and Mill Road.

[07:36:25] More than once, I've been traveling along what I thought was the right speed limit, and I've had people cross the double line to pass me on a winding road, day or night. To me, that's absolutely crazy.

[07:36:44] You're just gambling with your life, and something needs to be done. I haven't seen any, you know, through trucks do that, but certainly passenger vehicles.

[07:37:00] And it's absolutely crazy from both directions, coming from Hunter Mill to Kroll to that, you know, funny sort of a Y intersection with Browns Mill and where Kroll makes that left turn coming from Hunter Mill.

[07:37:19] I always have to put a stop sign there. I have to come to a stop because my visibility I can't see coming from Browns Mill. I just simply come to a stop and make sure there's nothing coming. But that's pretty much all I have to say.

[07:37:36] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. With that, let me check with the clerk and see if we have any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Yes, Chairman McKay, staff recommends approval of this resolution.

[07:37:54] Thank you. Final check. Any questions from board members? Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you, and I appreciate staff's look at this. This is actually, I'll just talk a little bit about this now. Some of the comments that were made earlier, and I want to ask staff about this, this would not reduce the speed limit, correct?

[07:38:15] This is only applying to through trucks. Yes, I'm Neil Freshman, Department of Transportation. This resolution would request VDOT to evaluate this through truck restriction.

[07:38:30] Yeah, thank you. Yeah, and a couple of the suggestions, frankly, we've been in discussions with VDOT. VDOT has basically declined to change the speed limit. If anything, they actually might try to increase it if given the opportunity.

[07:38:49] So this is not, unfortunately, reducing the speed limit is not an option. This is, just for everybody's also awareness, this is one of the stretches of road. It's an old country road, and we've got a number of those in Fairfax County. It takes a lot of traffic.

[07:39:06] And this, to me, would be an ideal candidate to pilot automated traffic enforcement outside of school zones and work zones. And that's something that only the General Assembly could do. But those discussions continue in terms of really doing something significant on the speeding.

[07:39:30] Let me just ask Steph this one question, and then perhaps we could move on. As part, I know there's concern, and we certainly heard, and I've spoken with Mr. Jopp about concern about truck traffic on Beulah and also on Hunter Mill Road.

[07:39:46] When VDOT does their analysis, if the board approves this today, could we also ask them to look at the impact of the truck traffic on those two roads as well? Yes, we can. And I just want to reiterate that the alternate truck route that we identified is a feasible route. It will not be designated as a truck route to encourage trucks to use it, but it is an alternate route which is needed if we're going to restrict a specific route.

[07:40:17] Okay. All right. Well, that sounds good. So with that in mind, I have no other questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Supervisor Alcorn. If there are no other questions from the board at this time, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Alcorn for a motion.

[07:40:33] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank everybody who came out tonight and spoke on this. I appreciate your paying attention to this proposal and also your ideas on what else could be done to make these roads safer.

[07:40:48] So I very much appreciate that. I do want to move this forward to VDOT for analysis, but also to ask them to look at Hunter Mill Road and Beulah in terms of the impacts of trucks specifically.

[07:41:04] So, Mr. Chairman, I move that the board approve the attached resolution, attachment one, endorsing, I've heard crowl and crawl. I know. Sorry. Kroll Road and Browns Mill Road between Hunter Mill Road and Beulah Road be included in the RTAP for a through truck restriction.

[07:41:25] And I would further move that the board requests that as VDOT does their analysis, that they also review potential impacts on Beulah Road and Hunter Mill Road. I'm happy to second that as well. Discussion on the motion? Yeah.

[07:41:41] Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, again, I appreciate everybody. I think this will hopefully get us some answers, and frankly, I think the discussion with VDOT, I would hope that we could actually engage with them during this process as well and get some additional community input as appropriate.

[07:42:03] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. With that being said, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Any abstentions? And that motion carries Supervisor Smith and Jimenez being away from the board table at the moment.

[07:42:20] With that, our next public hearing is a public hearing to consider an ordinance expanding the Lake Braddock Residential Permit Parking District District 5 in the Braddock District. And at this time, I would recognize county staff for a staff presentation.

[07:42:46] Good evening, Chairman McKay, members of the board, Henry Stein-McCartney, Department of Transportation. This is the public hearing to consider expanding the Lake Braddock Residential Permit Parking District 5 to include Cork Place from Queen Victoria Court to both Cul-de-sacs inclusive and Queen Victoria Court from Lake Braddock Drive to the Cul-de-sac inclusive as shown on Attachment 2.

[07:43:16] Residents along these streets have requested expansion of the Lake Braddock RPPD due to unreasonable burdens to access their property caused by parking of non-resident vehicles during school hours. The petitioning blocks meet the code requirements for RPPD based on their walking distance proximity to Lake Braddock High School.

[07:43:36] Residents of 71% of the 38 petitioned addresses signed in support. And based on the fulfillment of all of the requirements set forth in Fairfax County Code, staff has found that this expansion meets all of the required code sections.

[07:44:01] Thank you for that. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this specific subject? Sir, if you could come down, introduce yourself, and then you can sign in after testimony.

[07:44:21] After this gentleman, is there anyone else here who wishes to testify on this specific matter? Okay, welcome. Thank you. I'm just going to read the letter verbatim that I submitted with the packet back in May. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Charles Brady and I reside at 9204 Cork Place in Berth.

[07:44:41] Tonight, I am the sacrificial lamb representing those concerned residents of Queen Victoria Court and Cork Place. I purchased the aforementioned residence in August of 2016 and have lived there ever since. Furthermore, it is part of the Southport subdivision, which is adjacent to Lake Braddock Secondary School.

[07:45:02] Man, no drinks in here is really a kick in the head. I am drafting this correspondence to address the seemingly perpetual conundrum of students parking on our neighborhood streets, particularly Queen Victoria Court and its proximity to Lake Brack Drive.

[07:45:20] For some time now, students have lined Queen Victoria Court with their vehicles. Not only is this congestion irritating, it is also unsafe, for residents are subject to the occasional tardy student driving erratically and reckless through a residential street bounded in each direction by parked cars.

[07:45:39] Alas, as Northern Virginians, we are weathered to crowding and expeditious behavior. Yes, we would simply just deal with this situation, if not but for one big concern. The X factor herein lies with the location of a school bus stop located at the intersection of Lake Braddock Drive and Queen Victoria Court.

[07:46:00] With a pickup time of 0800 hours, and that's 8 in the morning for us non-military type in the room. Driving hastily, it can be a recipe for disaster. On any given weekday, morning, during the school year, you can find upwards of 10 to 15 families migrating their way on foot to this bus stop.

[07:46:23] The overflow of parked cars creates unwarranted obstacles, decreases visibility for the pedestrians and the commuters, and restricts mobility. Coupled with the occasional delayed student driving hastily, it can be a recipe for disaster.

[07:46:38] You can see I skipped ahead and then had to circle back. I'm a father of four, ranging in ages 12, 11, 7, and 3. I have been utilizing this bus stop since the year 2018 and will daily until the year 2035.

[07:46:56] In other words, a really, really long time. To be clear, there is an existing RPPD in this vicinity, and we, as in the residents of Queen Victoria Court and its tributary cul-de-sac court place, are merely requesting an extension of the zone.

[07:47:16] We thank you for your time, efforts, and understanding. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. And let me ask if we have any callers. We do not. We do not have any callers, and no one else present who wishes to testify on this matter. So at this time, I'll ask staff for any closing comments and a recommendation.

[07:47:35] A staff recommends approval of the district as proposed. Thank you. Last check, questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Sizemore Heiser for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[07:47:53] I'd like to first start by thanking county staff and the Department of Transportation and especially Henry Stein McCartney for their work on this. Their diligence ensures that all new parking district proposals are code compliant and also ensures that the neighborhood and community here have consistency across the parking restrictions to better serve the needs of the community and the folks who live in this neighborhood and the other neighborhoods.

[07:48:18] So given that, I'm very grateful to be able to move this forward, and I move that the board adopt the proposed amendment to Appendix G of Fairfax County Code shown in Attachment 1 to expand the Lake Braddock Residential Permit Parking District, District 5, to include Cork Place from Queen Victoria Court to both cul-de-sacs inclusive and Queen Victoria Court from Lake Braddock Drive to the cul-de-sac inclusive.

[07:48:42] And the chair will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? No further discussion. With that being said, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions in that motion carries Supervisor Jimenez, Palchuk, and Alcorn not being at the table at the time. Thank you.

[07:49:09] Our next public hearing is to consider an ordinance establishing the Martins Point Community Parking District in the Braddock District. And again, I will turn to staff for a staff presentation. Once again, Henry Stein-McCartney with Department of Transportation.

[07:49:29] This is a public hearing to consider establishing the Martins Point Community Parking District on Abernathy Court from Zion Drive to the Cul-de-Sac Inclusive and from Zion Drive to Lindsay Meadow Court, Brandon Ridge Way from Lindsay Meadow Court to both cul-de-sacs inclusive, Dana's Crossing Drive from Zion Drive to the end of state maintenance, and Lindsay Meadow Court from Brandon Ridge Way to the cul-de-sac inclusive in the Braddock District as shown on attachment to. A community parking district is established

[07:50:05] to prohibit the parking of watercraft recreational vehicles and all trailers on designated public roads and residential areas within the county residents of the reserve at Martins Ridge community have requested relief under this program to restrict parking of the listed vehicle types on community streets residents of 60% of the 63 petitioned addresses signed in support all requirements for the establishment of this community parking district have been satisfied thank you very much for that presentation any questions of staff

[07:50:43] seeing and hearing none this is a public hearing 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 this is a public hearing anyone who would like to testify seeing and hearing no one let me see if we have any callers there are no callers there are no callers closing comments and a recommendation from staff staff recommends approval establishment of the district as proposed thank you last check any questions from board members I'm not seeing or hearing any at this time I will close the public hearing and recognize again supervisor Sizemore

[07:51:21] Heiser for a motion thank you thank you mr. chairman and once again I want to thank FC dot and their hard-working traffic engineering section for all their hard work regarding this proposal and for similar reasons to the previous one I would move that the board adopt the proposed amendment to Appendix M of the Fairfax County Code shown in Appendix 1 to establish the Martins Point Community Parking District to include Abernathy Court from Zion Drive to the cul-de-sac inclusive and from Zion Drive to Lindsay Meadow Court. Brandon Ridgeway from Lindsay Meadow Court

[07:51:55] to both cul-de-sacs inclusive. Dana's Crossing Drive from Zion Drive to the end of the state maintenance and Lindsay Meadow Court from Brandon Ridgeway to the cul-de-sac inclusive. And the chair will second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries with Supervisor Jimenez and Alcorn being away from the table at the moment. Thank you.

[07:52:27] Next, we have a public hearing to expand parking restrictions on Boone Boulevard and Howard Avenue in the Providence District. And at this time, again, I'll recognize staff for a staff presentation. Henry Stein-McCartney, once again, Department of Transportation.

[07:52:44] This is a public hearing to consider parking restrictions in the Providence District on the north side of Boone Boulevard from the western property line of 8330 Boone Boulevard to Howard Avenue and on Howard Avenue from Boone Boulevard to the Leesburg Service Road as shown on attachment to.

[07:53:04] Property owners of 8300 and 8330 Boone Boulevard and 8219 Leesburg Pike are seeking relief from long-term parking and vehicle storage that diminishes the capacity of on-street parking for other uses.

[07:53:20] These blocks of Boone Boulevard and Howard Avenue have historically been used for long-term parking of commercial vehicles and trailers. The requested restriction will prohibit the parking of commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, and all trailers at all times. Staff has observed the subject blocks of Boone Boulevard and Howard Avenue over a 30-day period and documented long-term parking of commercial vehicles, which qualifies these blocks for restrictions under Fairfax County Code.

[07:53:50] Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to testify on this specific subject? This is a public hearing.

[07:54:07] Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing none, let me ask if the clerk has any callers. There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. Staff recommends approval of the parking restriction as proposed. Thank you very much.

[07:54:23] Last check, any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, at this time I'll close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palachuk for a motion. I move the county executive's recommendation. Mr. Chairman, yes, I move the county executive's recommendation for the parking restrictions.

[07:54:46] I want to make sure the county attorney, that's a sufficient motion, right? I just want to make sure we don't have to redo it before we exit here. I think what you want to move is to expand the parking restrictions on Boone Boulevard and Howard Avenue as described in the board item associated with this hearing?

[07:55:10] Okay, I will go ahead and do that. I did not have that. So I move approval to expand the parking restrictions on Boone Boulevard and Howard Avenue as recommended in the proposed amendments.

[07:55:31] In the board item associated with this public hearing? In the board item associated with? this public hearing this public hearing thank you okay thank you and and I will second that motion I wanted to make sure we're get it exactly right because if this was a regular county item supporting the county executives recommendation would be sufficient but because this has to go through also a V dot process just want to make sure we had it right so I'm happy to second that 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 that motion

[07:56:06] carries with Supervisor Jimenez, Lusk, and Alcorn away from the table at the moment. All right, thank you, and that brings us to our final item of the day, which is public comment, and just a few reminders for public comment.

[07:56:28] The board will hear public comment on any issue except issues under litigation, issues that have been scheduled for a public hearing before the board, and personnel matters and comments regarding specific individuals. Speakers must register in advance, and each speaker is given three minutes for their remarks. A maximum of 10 speakers may address the board during any public comment period, and speakers may address the board once during a six-month period. That being said, we do have six speakers who have met those qualifications and that the board will hear public comment from. I'm going to read their names out loud, and if you hear your name,

[07:57:06] please come down close. There's a lot of seats down here in the front, so that when it's your time to testify, we are ready to hear your testimony. Speaker number one is Richard Hauer. Is Richard here? Richard is here to be followed by Justin Moore. Justin Moore, come on down.

[07:57:22] Lydia Ray, if Lydia Ray is here, if you could come on down closer as well. We don't want to watch you come down the stairs at risk of falling. We want to hear what you have to say. With that being said, welcome, Mr. Hauer. Thank you.

[07:57:38] I'm here today regarding the midsize conference center under consideration for Tyson's Corner. While this facility is an exciting prospect, such venues nationwide face a well-known logistical hurdle, low utilization during the winter lull of January, February, and March.

[07:58:01] Tonight, I propose a solution that eliminates this hurdle, optimizes revenue, and solves a longstanding community deficit. A proven success in multiple municipalities nationwide. I urge the board to ensure this new facility is designed to accommodate the wintertime installation of a modern portable indoor track.

[07:58:32] Similar facilities in Alachua County, Florida, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, annually transform convention spaces into winter sports hubs using such demountable track systems. These high-quality tracks require about 90,000 square feet, take mere days to assemble, and are stored away during peak convention seasons.

[07:58:56] At an estimated cost of $4 million, a portable track delivers a premier athletic venue at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated single-use facility. Fairfax County and Northern Virginia, despite being among the wealthiest, most sports-driven regions, lack a competition-quality indoor track facility for schools and community use.

[07:59:21] For decades, our local student athletes have been forced to cross the Potomac into Maryland and farther afield just to compete during the winter season. Indoor track is one of the most popular winter sports across Fairfax County's 25 high schools, and track is the number one participation sport for high school girls nationwide.

[07:59:44] Among adult participation sports, I think we're all aware of the number of county residents seen out running and the huge participation in local running events. Beyond serving residents, this can be a major win for sports tourism.

[08:00:02] For example, in 2023, Alachua County used its temporary track to host the World Masters Indoor Championships, drawing over 4,000 competitors from 89 countries. A Tyson's Corner venue equipped to handle similar events could inject millions of tourism dollars into our local economy during traditionally slow winter months.

[08:00:27] By approving this dual-use design, you can generate immense goodwill and backing from athletic families as well as the business community. Please support evaluating a portable track system in planning for a Tyson's Corner Conference Center.

[08:00:45] Let's build a facility that works for our economy and our community year-round. Thank you. Thank you very much for your testimony. Our next speaker is Justin Moore, to be followed by Lydia Ray and John Savino. Welcome. Thank you, and good evening. I'm Dr. Justin Moore. I have a Ph.D. in computer science, been in the tech policy space for 25 years, and run infrastructure and security for a 200-plus person tech startup.

[08:01:17] I'm urging the board to look at the bigger picture around AI surveillance systems and cancel contracts with and the use of Flock and other vendors. This technology, installed without community input or consent, does not align with the values of Fairfax County or this country. Each of these surveillance systems works basically the same way.

[08:01:34] Installed hardware collects audio and images, sends them to a cloud account owned and controlled by the vendor. And law enforcement is given narrow access and control through websites and apps. Law enforcement is being sent to a drive-thru ATM while they and the public are told that they're actually inside the building guarding the vault.

[08:01:52] These technical innovate decisions have consequences. In early 2021, the Biden DHS released a privacy impact assessment of the use of automated license plate readers during the first Trump administration. This document described agreements with outpour vendors, which granted ICE access to vendor data in a way that was hidden from everyone else, including other law enforcement agencies.

[08:02:15] This document was available on the DHS website for five years until it was removed this month. Sorry, I lost my place here. Other important documents, like security penetration test reports or system and organization control audit reports, are not available to the public.

[08:02:36] How can we have serious discussion when simple facts are hidden or removed? What new agreements has the second Trump administration struck that are currently being hidden? Could this explain why many cities who have canceled FLOC contracts have seen FLOC refuse to take down their cameras or even reinstall them after removal?

[08:02:53] Looking forward, there are bigger challenges. Already, AI-powered drones fly above Fairfax. And the 2021 Infrastructure Act requires that new cars have AI-powered interior cameras using facial recognition to detect driver impairment.

[08:03:10] What happens when car makers, who today sell in-car sensor data to insurers and other data brokers, offer to make these cameras available to FLOC or to law enforcement? Will we even know if they've been offered or accepted? These questions will only get harder.

[08:03:26] AI will get more advanced. Cameras will get more widespread. And just as today's Facebook AI can find you in pictures your friends uploaded 15 years ago, future AI will search through videos taken today and tucked away in vaults that aren't visible from the drive-thru ATM.

[08:03:43] I urge the board to join other Virginia jurisdictions to stop, pause, and think. Do not sleepwalk into even greater surveillance state. Cancel current contracts and pause new ones. give the public and yourselves the information needed to make decisions that align with the values of Fairfax County voters. Thank you. Thank you. For your testimony, speaker number three is Lydia Ray, to be followed by John Savino, Alexa Early, and Jesse Peterson as our final call-in, a person to testify. Welcome, Ms. Ray. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay and members of the board.

[08:04:22] My name is Lydia Ray. I'm a resident of Fairfax County and was born and raised in Virginia. I'm an alumni of George Mason University close by with a degree in international relations and conflict resolution. I'm Palestinian American and I work in the alternative dispute resolution field as a mediator among other things. As both a Palestinian American and someone whose work centers around resolving conflict for a living, I feel that I have a responsibility to come here today and speak with you all about the cost of what is happening to to the Palestinian people.

[08:04:56] For nearly three years and for decades before that, we have watched Palestinians in Gaza, as well as in the West Bank, endure unimaginable loss. Entire families and bloodlines have been wiped off of the civil registry in various horrendous ways.

[08:05:11] Homes, hospitals, religious institutions, schools, and communities have been completely destroyed and flattened. People have been repeatedly displaced, denied access to food and medical care, and forced to survive under conditions that no human being should have to endure.

[08:05:29] And while this devastation is happening, my own government, the government that represents me and that uses my tax dollars, continues to provide military assistance to Israel, enabling the continued onslaught and brutal occupation campaign against my friends, my family, and my people.

[08:05:46] I understand that Fairfax County does not control US foreign policy, but I am standing before elected officials who represent the people of this county, And I believe that elected officials have a responsibility to use the power and influence they do have. Today, I'm asking this board to consider three actions.

[08:06:03] First, I'm asking Fairfax County to put its money where its values are. I'm asking the county to examine its investments, partnerships, contracts, and procurement relationships, and to divest from and end relationships with companies, including arms manufacturers, that materially profit from or contribute to violations of international human rights in humanitarian law against Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel.

[08:06:30] Second, I'm asking this board to use its legislative voice to call for an immediate, permanent, and enforceable ceasefire. Because a ceasefire that continues while Palestinians are still being killed is not peace. I'm asking this board to call on federal government to end US funding, arms transfers, and military support for Israel, to impose meaningful economic and diplomatic sanctions on the Israeli government, and to impose targeted sanctions on violent Israeli settlers who carry out violence against Palestinian communities by destroying homes, livestock, farmland, and attacking Palestinian people and their livelihood.

[08:07:08] And third, I'm asking every elected official in this room to reject campaign money and political influence from organizations such as AIPAC that lobby aggressively for continued US support for Israel. Our elected officials should be accountable to the people who elected them, not to political organizations and wealthy interest groups seeking to shape US policy.

[08:07:30] I believe accountability and human dignity cannot be conditional. I'm asking you to simply hear me today-- not to simply hear me today, but to consider what is within your power and use it. Thank you, and Free Palestine. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number four is John Savino.

[08:07:46] Is he here? He is. To be followed by Alexa Early. Welcome, Mr. Savino. Hello.

[08:08:04] My name is John Savino. I'm a resident of Fairfax County. I've lived here since I bought my first home in 2021. with my wife. I'm an electrical engineer by training and a cybersecurity engineer by trade, and I'm here to strongly encourage the board of supervisors to prohibit the procurement, installation, maintenance, operation, and operation of automatic license plate reader systems, determine any contracts, cease use, and remove ALPRs from Fairfax County. This warrantless drag net of all activity in the past as these devices is disturbing in and of itself, but as a cybersecurity engineer and as a recovering alcoholic, I have several additional personal concerns. These devices have been rolled out faster than is responsible, ignoring basic

[08:08:44] civil liberties and ignoring basic highway safety standards. If that's how they deploy physical infrastructure, I guarantee the way they deploy cybersecurity infrastructure is worse. These devices also have a chilling effect on first-end activities, such as the documented use to follow No King's protesters. And as a member of a 12-step fellowship, I'm here to tell you that these things have an effect on us as well. I certainly would go to a meeting that had flock cameras in the parking lot. I would go to a different meeting. Now, I'm lucky enough to have two and a half years sober, but if I had zero days, if I had one day, that's a significant safety risk to those people. And finally,

[08:09:24] to borrow a phrase from the DARE program, just say no to mass surveillance. It's too powerful of a drug. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Alexa Early. Ms. Early here. She is. Excellent. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Can you hear me? Can you see me? We can, and they will lower that. Yeah, we'll lower that a little bit for you. Very modern. Good job, folks. So my name is Alexa Early. I've been a Fairfax County resident since 2002. I'm here to demand that the board and the counties contract with Flock

[08:10:00] and take down all ALPRs. It was very difficult for me to be here today, but I was glad to be here because this is very important. I'm also very tired, and I thank you for your attention still at the end of your very long day. I'm in my ninth year of practice as an immigration attorney.

[08:10:17] I don't work in removal defense, I work in business immigration. And each day I still see how the policies of this administration are actively dehumanizing just regular working people. ALPRs are another hideous example of a culture of dehumanization.

[08:10:34] Without the consent of the people, you have leapt over our rights and civil liberties by allowing for this mass surveillance to cultivate itself against us. Automatic license plate reader, that name does not accurately describe what these Flock and Axon cameras do.

[08:10:49] They create an AI-generated profile for every car and individual that passes by. They record their movements and make them searchable using data from all Flock cameras, creating a mass surveillance machine. This mass surveillance machine does not care about human dignity.

[08:11:05] Instead, it creates a Netflix for stalkers. With these cameras near schools, park trails, places of worship, shooting ranges, and countless other places, Big Brother is watching, and Big Brother can beat anyone, with or without the board's consent. The immediate victims of this mass surveillance machine are the immigrants, the stalking victims of predatory law enforcement officers, and anyone whose car looks like a car that was at a recent crime.

[08:11:34] In reality, this is harmful to everyone. I don't know why each of you chose the career you did. It's absolutely none of my business. I decided to become an attorney because I'm an idiot and I wanted to help people and stop harm.

[08:11:53] I'm betting at some point in each of your lives, you had the exact same impulse that you wanted to help people and that's why you hold these positions you serve in. Good news. Surprise. Now is your chance. We're asking you and begging you to please protect the people of Fairfax County.

[08:12:11] Protect your friends and your family and your kids. Remove all ALPRs and never allow them back in our county. Surveillance is not safety. Thank you so much. - Thank you for your testimony. Our final speaker is Jessie Peterson.

[08:12:26] Mr. Peterson, can you hear me okay? - Yes, can you hear me? - Ah, Mrs. Peterson, yes, welcome. The floor is yours. - Thank you. Hi, my name is Jessie and I was born and raised in Vienna, Virginia. I lived in California for seven years and moved back last year because I love it here so much.

[08:12:45] I'm here because I'm very concerned about the AI surveillance network encroaching on our freedom. In 2023, the Fairfax County Police Department began using FLOC safety license plate readers. Unlike normal traffic cameras, automated license plate readers continually monitor all traffic to uniquely profile every passing vehicle and create an easily searchable history of its movements without a warrant.

[08:13:07] FLOC gains national attention for its collection of over 80,000 cameras being used to assist ISIS immigration crackdown, stalk police officers, ex-romantic partners, wrongfully target innocent people who were held at gunpoint or attacked by a canine, track a Texas woman getting an abortion, surveil activists at No Kings protests, and tell an innocent woman, you cannot get a breath of fresh air without us knowing.

[08:13:33] I lived in this county through 9-11 in 2001. I was in fourth grade during the Beltway Sniper. I was 16 working at Tyson's the so-called butt slasher was violating women with a box cutter at local malls. I am more scared today of the surveillance state than I was during any of those events. I've restricted my movements, I've stopped going to the movies, I've rerouted the way I go to work and the walks I take so that I'm not captured on camera. As a woman, I feel extremely unsafe that there's a central log of my movements that can be watched and analyzed by people who have no business knowing my whereabouts as an innocent civilian who is not under investigation. Yesterday, Wired released

[08:14:11] reporting that flock does not even require a name or license plate number for a search. They can look people up by behavior patterns. They can look for everyone who goes to the grocery store after 10 p.m. and decide you're suspicious, even if that's just the only time you can go because it's when you get off work. This is not normal. We should not live our lives under surveillance. Children should not grow up knowing that their every move is being watched. We have never needed the police to have a video of everything that happens everywhere. The thing we most need the police for is our safety. If I experience an unsafe situation, I want the police to get there quickly to save my life. I don't want them to later pull up a

[08:14:50] video and say, yes, here we go. Here's a video of the murder so we can see who did it. That does not save my life. These cameras do not help public safety. They turn our humanity into data for the benefit of the ultra wealthy. I don't know how these cameras went up everywhere without the residents of this county voting on or having a say in whether we consent to surveilled around the clock. What I do know is that these cameras are a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment and I'm calling for them to be taken down so the people of this county can once again move about freely without worrying that our daily activities will be used to stop and harm us. Thank you. Thank you

[08:15:25] very much for your testimony and that brings us to the end of public comment and before we wrap up the meeting I do want to thank Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heiser for joining us remotely throughout the entire day. She recovers from a medical procedure and we're looking forward to having you back here with us as soon as you're able to. And that does bring us to the end of our board meeting of August 25th, 2026. And with that, the board is adjourned.

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