Public Affairs

At its meeting on July 16, the Board of Supervisors appointed Jill Cooper to the position of Clerk to the Board of Supervisors, effective Sept. 3.

Cooper will continue to serve as director of the Department of Clerk Services (DCS), to which she was appointed in January. DCS consolidates the Planning Commission Office and the Office of the Clerk to the Board.

The Department of Clerk Services includes three distinct groups. One provides the direct support of Board of Supervisors' meetings and Board committee meetings. Another provides the direct support of Planning Commission meetings and committee meetings as the Planning Commission staff currently does. The last group focuses on the functions that are in common to both the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission, including posting of legal notices and advertisements for public hearings, maintaining the public meetings calendar, scheduling public hearings, issuing clerk's letters and more.

Cooper also serves as the executive director of the Fairfax County Planning Commission, a position she has held since 2013. Previously, she was as a senior assistant to the zoning administrator in the Zoning Administration Division of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning. During that time, she also managed the department’s legislative review team to coordinate departmental review of pertinent proposed and adopted legislation.

Prior to her work with Fairfax County, Cooper was a land use planner for more than 10 years in the private sector and a senior associate in community outreach at the Urban Land Institute, where she worked with local communities to develop and implement smart growth policies and practices.

Cooper has a bachelor of science in anthropology from James Madison University and a master's in urban planning from the University of Virginia. She also completed a graduate certificate in local government management through Virginia Tech. Cooper is a member of the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners, the International City/County Management Association and the Urban Land Institute, and she is a Virginia Certified Planning Commissioner. 

“One Fairfax: A Brief History of a Countywide Plan to Advance Equity and Opportunity,” was released Jan. 22, 2019, by The Center for the Study of Social Policy, which worked with Fairfax County to develop the plan.

This case study presents an overview of the decades-long process and the milestones that led to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board jointly adopting the One Fairfax policy in November 2017.

One Fairfax is a framework—or “lens”—that will be used to consider equity in decision-making and in the development and delivery of future policies, programs and services. It will help county and school leaders look intentionally, comprehensively and systematically at barriers that may be creating gaps in opportunity.

“Our willingness and ability to change to be more efficient, forward thinking and inclusive will ensure that we realize the transformational potential of government to advance equity through changes in policy and practice,” says Fairfax County Executive Bryan J. Hill. “There still is much work to do to become One Fairfax, but working together with partners, stakeholders and community, we can strategically and intentionally shape the structure of opportunity throughout the county so everyone can participate and prosper.”

In the journey to One Fairfax, the Center for Study of Social Policy conducted an institutional analysis—or IA for short—in 2012 that provided a foundation for a conceptual shift in the county’s approach to racial and social equity. An IA gathers and analyzes information in a way that is designed to uncover the structural and institutional contributors to poor outcomes for children, youth, and families.

“The Fairfax leadership used the results of the IA process very purposefully to create a series of dialogues among county departmental directors, meeting with individual directors, before arranging the series,” said Sarah Morrison, Center for the Study of Social Policy’s director of learning and evidence. “Their collective commitment to better understanding and addressing the institutional contributors to racial inequity was key to the success of the IA and led to the adoption of the One Fairfax policy.”

“One Fairfax: A Brief History of a Countywide Plan to Advance Equity and Opportunity” includes interviews with many county staff key to advancing the policy. The case study points to Fairfax County’s story as, “instructive for other jurisdictions wrestling with similar issues or striving to create more equitable opportunities for all its residents. As Fairfax County has learned, there is no single strategy, beyond attunement to opportunities for advancing equity as they arise.”

For more information about One Fairfax or its development, contact Fairfax County Chief Equity Officer, Karla Bruce, at 703-324-5360, TTY 711.

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At its meeting on Jan. 22, the Board of Supervisors appointed Rachel O'Dwyer Flynn as deputy county executive. The appointment is effective Feb. 4. She replaces Rob Stalzer, who is now the city manager for the City of Fairfax.

Flynn will oversee the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, the Department of Transportation, the Park Authority, the Department of Code Compliance, Land Development Services and a future agency that will combine the Department of Planning and Zoning and the Office of Community Revitalization.

Flynn has 35 years of experience in both private and public organizations as an architect, urban planner, director of planning/building/economic development and a real estate development executive. She is currently the director of design management, planning and entitlements at Google, and from 2016-18, she was the vice president of FivePoint Communities.

Previously, Flynn served as the director of the Department of Planning and Building for the City of Oakland, Calif. from 2013-16; the director of planning for Otak International in Abu Dhabi from 2011-12; the director for the Department of Community Development for the City of Richmond from 2006-11; and the director of the Department of Community Planning and Development for the City of Lynchburg from 1998-2006.

Flynn has led efforts to develop award-winning master plans and city-wide general plans throughout her career. She has been honored with numerous awards from civic and professional organizations for implementing successful and complex plans, progressive environmental initiatives and innovative GIS/technology programs. 

Flynn holds a bachelor's in architecture and a master's in engineering management from Catholic University and a master’s in public administration from Harvard University. She is a licensed architect and a member of the American Institute of Architects.  She will receive an annual salary of $215,000.

Did you know utilities costs for the Government Center, Herrity and Pennino buildings exceed $2 million annually? That's over $100,000 a month for the Government Center and more than $35,000 a month each for the Herrity and Pennino buildings.

Becoming a more energy-efficient organization is a priority for our Facilities Management Department and the county in general. Not only are costs and carbon emissions considerations, but also our responsibility to be a good corporate citizen. This summer, Fairfax County adopted a new, broader operational energy strategy to significantly lower utility bills and carbon emissions.

The strategy makes reducing electricity consumption a top priority. Electricity accounted for 51 percent of the county's total energy use in 2016—and it produced 65 percent of carbon emissions. Electricity was also responsible for 69 percent of the county's total energy bill.

Recent funding was allocated as a first-year investment in the strategy, which aims to reduce energy consumption in county buildings and facilities by 20 percent per square foot over 10 years. The funds are being used to replace incandescent or fluorescent lighting with LEDs in 18 facilities, including libraries, community centers and athletic fields.

Though implementing energy-saving technologies can require larger investments and longer-term planning, there are a host of solutions that can quickly, easily and inexpensively deliver significant savings, like the LED lighting retrofit, reducing lighting hours of operation and changing temperature set points during times when buildings are unoccupied or closed.

What are we asking county employees to do? Simple, no-cost measures such as:

• Do not use personal electric heaters, refrigerators, coffee pots, toasters and other appliances at offices/desks. These appliances should be centrally located in designated kitchenettes.
• Turn off lights and equipment when not in use.
• Use task lighting at work stations in lieu of overhead lighting when working during off-hours.
• Dressing for off-hours temperatures, when minimum cooling and heating levels are provided.

Fairfax County is holding a Dec. 17 community meeting to present the final vision plan for the downtown McLean planning study, as well as next steps in the process.

The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Longfellow Middle School, 2000 Westmoreland Street, Falls Church.

The county has worked with a consultant, Streetsense, to assist in this visioning process. The firm conducted three public workshops in June that focused on market influences and development decision making, planning, design and placemaking and community immersion and understanding. The community’s input from these three sessions shaped the draft plans that were presented at two open houses in the fall. The open houses gave the community the opportunity to provide further input on the draft plans.

In the new year, the study’s task force, which is made up of McLean residents and civic group representatives, will work with county staff and the community to translate this vision into recommendations for changes to the Comprehensive Plan. The task force’s monthly meetings are open to the public.

Fairfax County is conducting this community-driven study to examine revitalization opportunities for the downtown holistically.  While downtown McLean has seen some revitalization—such as undergrounding of utilities, landscape and streetscape improvements, and construction of several development projects—it’s been 20 years since the last comprehensive review of the downtown’s land use plan. The process will consider changes to land uses, development intensities, transportation and public facilities.

The study focuses on the area that’s called the McLean Community Business Center in the county’s Comprehensive Plan. More commonly called downtown McLean, this is the area centered around the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Old Dominion Drive. This area has long been planned to serve as a focal point for residents, with a mix of residential and community-serving commercial uses.

For more information about the study, future meetings or reasonable ADA accommodations, contact Katrina Newtson with Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-324-1380, TTY 711, or by email.

At their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 4, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to approve changes to all three county retirement systems, for employees hired on or after July 1, 2019 only.

These changes include eliminating the pre-Social Security Supplement from the Employees' and Uniformed systems and eliminating the one-time 3 percent calculated retirement annuity increase for all three plans. Changes also include the addition of a cost-neutral Early Age Option for employees who retire prior to full retirement age under Social Security.

The changes are intended to improve the system's long-term sustainability. Plan changes were also made in 2013, including changing minimum retirement age from 50 to 55 (and the rule of 80 to the rule of 85.) The Board requested another review of the systems this and staff presented a package of options in June that would apply only to employees hired on or after July 1, 2019, including:

• Increasing the salary averaging period from three to five years.
• Eliminating or limiting the pre-Social Security supplement.
• Eliminating the 3 percent calculated retirement annuity
• Increasing the minimum retirement age.
• Changing the rule of 85 (age plus years of service) to the rule of 90.

Increasing the minimum retirement age and changing the rule of 85 to the rule of 90 were taken out of consideration due to lack of support for the measures. The Board voted separately on three provisions of the package, agreeing unanimously to eliminate the Social Security supplement and in a 6-4 vote to eliminate the 3 percent calculated annuity increase. The salary averaging period increase failed on a tie vote. The changes will also result in the elimination of the previously available high and low plan options for new hires, with only one plan available with the start of the new fiscal year.

At a public hearing on the changes in November, more than 40 people testified on both sides of the issue, with employee groups, unions and others expressing concerns about the impact on hiring qualified employees and the risks of a two-tiered system, and others questioning the long-term viability of the system without changes.

More information about Fairfax County retirement systems is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/retirement.

To accommodate the new models for senior living facilities, Fairfax County created new zoning rules for continuing care facilities.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the zoning changes on Dec. 4, 2018. The action establishes a new zoning district—the Planned Continuing Care Facility District—and it also creates continuing care facilities as a new land use category.

Zoning officials said the change was needed to meet more modern operational needs of retirement communities and nursing facilities. They often provide multiple types of housing and services in a single facility, from independent living to assisted living to nursing or medical care. These combined uses were previously not allowed in a single, integrated facility, but now the new rules give senior living companies the flexibility to determine the features and services best suited to serve their residents.

Previously, the county’s zoning rules made distinctions between independent living, assisted living and nursing homes, regulating them as separate uses. The ordinance imposed limits based on housing features, such as whether kitchens are provided; type of person living at the facility; and type of services provided.

The change is akin to how the county’s zoning rules treat colleges and universities, zoning officials say. Rather than separately regulating each individual use at these institutions—which can range from housing to restaurants to sports stadiums—zoning rules look at colleges and universities as a whole that’s a sum of its parts.

The new zoning district makes continuing care facilities the primary use, but it also could allow for secondary, accessory uses in these districts like offices, restaurants, retail and recreation in certain circumstances. The new district also includes limitations to ensure they are compatible with surrounding neighborhoods, including:

• Located in areas with adequate road capacity.
• Located in areas with public water and sewer service.
• Located on properties that are a minimum of five acres unless modified by the Board of Supervisors.
• Be up to 75 or 100-feet tall and provide 30 or 50-foot setbacks, depending on what kind of development is adjacent to the continuing care facility.
• Set aside a minimum of 20 percent of the site as open space unless modified by the Board of Supervisors.
• Allow the Health Care Advisory Board to provide recommendations to the Planning Commission on proposed continuing care facilities in rezoning cases.

The adopted new zoning rules also allow continuing care facilities in planned districts like Burke, Tysons or Reston.

The zoning changes support the county’s 50+ Action Plan. As demographic experts forecast a major uptick in the numbers of older adults in the county, there will be an increasing demand for senior housing. By 2040, people age 50 or older will make up about 33 percent of Fairfax County residents—or about 452,000 people. In the next 22 years, the number of residents between ages 70-79 will more than double compared to 2010.

For more information, contact the Zoning Administration Division of the Department of Planning and Zoning, at 703-324-1314, TTY 711.

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Massive job layoffs at large factories dominate the headlines when it comes to news about manufacturing.

What may be surprising, however, is that small, handmade craft manufacturing is making a comeback. More than two-thirds of manufacturers in Virginia employ 20 people or fewer, according the U.S. Census Bureau.

To help more of these businesses to open, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted new zoning rules on Dec. 4, 2018, for what’s called small-scale production. The law greatly expands the areas where artisan manufacturers can set up shop.

Furniture, custom jewelry, textiles, baking, coffee roasting, vertical farming and 3D printing — these are the kinds of cleaner, quieter, small, maker-businesses that the new regulations will help.

County leaders want to encourage more small-batch makers to go into business because they can help revitalize neighborhoods, fill empty buildings and create new jobs. Craft manufacturers can fill vacant commercial space no longer viable for traditional retail while enlivening older commercial areas with new activities and local enterprise.

Previously, craft manufacturing was only allowed in industrial districts, except for craft breweries and distilleries. Now, these producers will be allowed in most commercial and mixed-use districts, from Annandale and Richmond Highway to Tysons and Reston.

The new rules define small-scale production broadly to include the entire manufacturing process from design to production to packaging. The rules also allow these makers to offer retail sales, training and education.

Small manufacturers would be limited in size to 6,000 to 10,000 square feet, depending on the zoning district where they’re located. However, most craft manufacturing businesses are less than 5,000 square feet.

The new regulations also include restrictions to ensure these small businesses are good neighbors, such as requiring production and storage to be inside to prevent noise or odors.

Because craft manufacturers can act as both producers and retailers under the rules, this dual role makes the businesses a good fit for mixed-use areas. They can help draw foot traffic to older established areas and bring new life to neighborhoods.

To bolster this placemaking function, the zoning regulations require these manufacturers in commercial or mixed-use districts offer retail sales, tours, classes or other direct interaction with the public.

As part of the overall effort to stimulate urban manufacturing, the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization is also conducting a study of these businesses in the county, in conjunction with a national specialist in this field. The study will outline recommendations for supporting small-scale production countywide, and is expected to be completed by early next year.

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Reston Midline’s 1.8 million square feet in mixed-used development became the latest major development approved near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved JBG and EYA’s development plan on Dec. 4, 2018.

The action allows the development team to remake the 17.5-acre property located on the south of Sunset Hills Road between Wiehle Avenue and Michael Faraday Drive.

This property lies within a half-mile east of the Metro station, joining Comstock’s approximately 3 million square feet in approved, mixed-use development next to this rail stop.

Today, the site is developed with four low-rise office buildings and a surface parking lot that were built from the mid-60’s to mid-80’s.

Residential Development in Four New Urban Blocks

Primarily residential, Reston Midline is planned for eight buildings spread across four new blocks. In total, it will offer 1,058 dwelling units, 259,845 square feet in office space and 251,150 square feet in ground floor retail:

• Block A: Located at the intersection of Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road, this block includes an eight-story, independent living facility with 127 units and an eight-story, 325-unit apartment building.
• Block B: Located along Wiehle Avenue, north of the Dulles Toll Road, this block features a 14-story office building—the tallest in the development—plus an eight-story, 225-unit apartment building.
• Block C: South of Sunset Hills Road along Michael Faraday Drive, this block consists of a seven-story, 218-unit apartment building, along with a six-story apartment building with 39 units.
• Block D: A six-story apartment building with 70 units, plus 56 townhomes, make up this block located north of the Dulles Toll Road along Michael Faraday Drive.

The project will set aside 14 percent of residential units for affordable housing. The entire development also includes ground-floor retail in every building except the office and townhomes.

The county’s approval also allows JBG and EYA to pursue two alternative development plans for blocks C and D. On block C, the smaller of the two apartment buildings could be replaced with 35 townhomes. On block D, the apartment building could grow to a nine-story building with 90 units and an additional 24 townhomes would be added.

Road, Bike and Bus Improvements

The development team will make two major road improvements that will help to build out the local street grid in this area. They will extend Reston Station Boulevard from Wiehle Avenue to Michael Faraday Drive, and they will construct new lanes on Michael Faraday along the development’s frontage. This completes the construction of Michael Faraday Drive into a two-lane road with street parking and bike lanes. Two developments on the east side of Michael Faraday Drive will complete the other half of this road.

To provide a connection to the W&OD Trail, JBG and EYA will add a new crosswalk and pedestrian signals at the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Michael Faraday Drive. A new, high-visibility crosswalk will also be built at the intersection of Reston Station Boulevard and Wiehle Avenue to make a pedestrian connection to the Silver Line station.

The project also provides on-road bicycle lanes along Wiehle Avenue, Reston Station Boulevard, Sunset Hills Road and Michael Faraday Drive. The lanes on Reston Station Boulevard and Michael Faraday will help provide access to the Metro station, and the project includes a 15-dock bikeshare station.

Four, future Fairfax Connector bus stops will be included with the development—one each on Wiehle Avenue, Reston Station Boulevard, Sunset Hills Road and Michael Faraday Drive.

New Urban Parks

Reston Midline dedicates 29 percent of its site as open space, more than recommended by the county’s land use plan. The nearly three acres in parks, includes:

• Wiehle Avenue Promenade: This is a two-block, linear park along Wiehle Avenue that includes public art, accent lighting, landscaping, tree bosque, bicycle racks, game tables and outdoor seating and tables.
• Block B Park: Accessed by staircases at either end, an elevated park will be located on top of a parking garage between the apartment and office buildings on this block. Its main feature will be an artificial-turf lawn that will provide space for games like bocce ball, game tables, moveable furniture and landscaping.
• Front Porch Park: Located along Reston Station Boulevard at the southwest corner of block C, this 15,180-square-foot park is intended to be the development’s central gathering space. It will be designed with an event lawn, water feature, shade structure, seating, bicycle racks and outdoor dining areas.

Surrounding Development on North Side of the Metro Station

Reston Midline will rise up next to other mixed-used developments approved for this area. To the west, Comstock’s Reston Station Promenade will put 1.3 million square feet directly across from Reston Midline. Immediately adjacent to the Silver Line station, Comstock’s Reston Station project was approved for 1.7 million square feet.

To the east, two residential developments have been approved along Michael Faraday Drive. Pulte’s Lofts at Reston Station was greenlighted for townhomes and an apartment building, and similarly, Rooney Properties’ 1831 Michael Faraday Drive project will offer townhouses and apartments.

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Since early 2018, Clarion Associates has been assisting Fairfax County in modernizing its zoning ordinance. Fairfax County has just released proposed revisions to public, institutional and community land uses and zoning regulations for public review and comment as part of the zMOD project.

The zMOD project includes a categorization and modernization of the uses permitted or conditionally permitted in the different zoning districts. Drafts of the modernized use names, definitions and regulations are being released in four installments, in the following order:

• Industrial uses (October 2018)
• Public, institutional and community uses (November 2018)
• Agricultural and commercial uses (expected early 2019)
• Residential, accessory and temporary uses (expected Spring 2019)

A public meeting will be held on Jan. 8, 2019, to present the draft public, institutional, and community regulations released today. The public is invited to attend the meeting or to watch the Facebook Live event on the Fairfax County Zoning Facebook Page. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in conference rooms 4 and 5 of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.

A similar presentation will be made to the Board of Supervisors at its Development Process Committee meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m. The presentation will be aired live on Channel 16 and can be viewed later online on the Board of Supervisors video archive.

The county’s zMOD consultant, Clarion Associates, will return in May 2019 to conduct several public and stakeholder meetings to present and answer questions about proposed changes to all of the land use regulations.

The community is encouraged to visit the zMOD webpage to view both current and previous presentations and documents associated with the project and provide comment. County staff is available to answer questions and receive feedback on the documents by email or by calling the Department of Planning and Zoning’s Zoning Administration Division at 703-324-1314, TTY 711.

For more information or reasonable ADA accommodations, contact the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization at 703-324-9300, TTY 711.

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