Public Affairs

Inova’s vision to expand its Center for Personalized Health to create a destination for health innovation and discovery won approval from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

The board approved updates to the county’s land use plan for the center’s 117-acre campus across the street from Inova Fairfax Hospital in Merrifield. The changes are the first step needed to allow the health system to incorporate more academic and research space at its campus, plus add complementary housing, retail and  hotels.

The center will establish the county as a health sciences innovation hub helping to grow and diversify the economy, officials say. The center’s expansion will also benefit residents who will have access to state-of-the-art medical care like the Inova Schar Cancer Institute that opened in May.

“I am so pleased that Inova continues to invest in our community through the expansion of their research and treatment center,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. “This center will combine innovation, technology, and groundbreaking research to prevent and treat diseases. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that will transform the lives of not just Fairfax County residents, but of those who visit in search of world-class treatment as well.”

Inova’s Plan

The campus, which was once ExxonMobil’s headquarters, is already developed with five office buildings totaling more than 1.2 million square feet. The newly approved Comprehensive Plan envisions another 3.8 million square feet in possible development on the property’s western side.

Inova says that about half this proposed future development would be for academic partners led by the University of Virginia. Inova already has entered into a comprehensive research and medical educational partnership with George Mason University and the University of Virginia. It will bring together clinicians who will work side by side with researchers from state universities and biomedical technology startups.

One component of this partnership is the Global Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Institute that’s based at Inova’s campus. The institute will focus on translating research and technology breakthroughs into clinical care to address patient needs.

In the first phase of its expansion, Inova plans to build new academic and research spaces and up to 705 housing units that could be used for assisted living, student housing and workforce housing. The future development will include up to 120,000 square feet for a short-term  stay hotel that could be used by families of cancer patients and researchers.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change healthcare in Northern Virginia,” said Dr. J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Inova Health System. “The clinical, academic and commercial collaborations on this campus will improve the health of our community and become a source of economic growth and jobs for Fairfax County.”

Center’s Economic Impact

By 2035, Inova estimates that activity on and related to the campus will generate $1.18 billion in economic impact, including $68 million in local and state tax revenue.

In addition to fostering a new innovation ecosystem, the center will help diversify the local economy and tax base, a key goal in the county’s economic growth strategy.

The campus also houses a startup accelerator and investment fund to help biotech companies expand. Its accelerator works with startups to provide education, capital and access to Inova’s resources. Inova also invests directly in companies and in health and technology venture funds.

Community Engagement

Fairfax County’s updated land use plan was developed with extensive community involvement. The county worked with a community task force that reviewed and shaped the land use recommendations over the course of 26 public meetings. In addition, Inova conducted quarterly meetings with neighborhood associations and held open houses throughout the process.

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The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 carryover package today, Tuesday, Sept. 24. Carryover is the process by which certain unspent or unencumbered funds for commitments to pay for goods and services at the end of one fiscal year are reappropriated to the next fiscal year. FY 2019 ended on June 30, 2019.

The FY 2019 carryover balance, after funding prior year obligations and associated reserves, is $54.56 million, which was just under 1% of the county’s total General Fund budget. The carryover package includes:

• $21.82 million, or 40% of the balance, in line with county policy, to the county’s new Economic Opportunity Reserve Fund, which will replace the existing Economic Development Support Fund.
• $10.91 million, or 20% of the balance, in line with county policy, to capital projects.
• $4.5 million for the second-year investment in the Fairfax County Operational Energy Strategy, to include lighting and building HVAC automation systems.
• $1.54 million for technology infrastructure projects.

The approved package also includes $2.23 million for projects that support the effort to co-locate services to help achieve efficiencies and reduce costs, including:

• $1.7 million to support the addition of a federally qualified health center operation at the Sully Community Center.
• $1.53 million to enable the construction of the Lorton Library and the Lorton Community Center to move forward concurrently.

Department of Management and Budget Director Christina Jackson told the board at a recent Budget Committee meeting that the concurrent construction process in Lorton will allow the county to keep the Lorton Library project off the 2020 bond referendum.

Other spending adjustments include a little over $1 million for a new apparatus for Fire Station 44, Scotts Run, scheduled to open in FY 2021; $0.63 million to allow the Park Authority to take over maintenance of 44 additional Fairfax County Public Schools synthetic turf fields, which will help achieve efficiencies of scale and provide for consistency in maintenance; and the modification of two softball fields for Title IX compliance.

A total of 248 new positions were approved as part of the FY 2019 carryover package. Jackson said the number is higher than typically seen in a carryover package but includes 235 positions as candidates for possible conversion from non-merit, benefits-eligible status to merit status, based on the task performed by each position and the hours worked by incumbents. Jackson explained that the intent is to ensure parity in cases where non-merit employees are performing the same tasks and the same number of hours as merit employees. She noted that DMB staff worked closely with county agencies to identify those positions.

Two consideration items--$750,000 for the development of Phases I and II of the Communitywide Energy and Climate Action Plan and $100,000 to provide for a tourism and marketing strategy on behalf of the Mount Vernon Tourism Task Force, were also approved.

In addition, the approved package reflects adjustments necessary to implement the police Body-Worn Camera Program, per a motion approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier in their meeting.

At its meeting today, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed Gregory Scott as the next director of the Department of Information Technology, effective Sept. 28.

Over a nearly 35-year career in information technology — the last 26 years with Fairfax County Government — Scott has overseen state-of-the-art solutions in a constantly evolving industry. For the past six years, he has served as a deputy director of information technology, responsible for areas such as land development, health and human services, revenue services and e-government. In this role, Scott provided strategic leadership, direction and guidance to help county departments reach their goals and business objectives, while managing a portfolio of multimillion-dollar initiatives. As a deputy, Scott also helped implement many information technology policies and standards consistent with the changing IT landscape.

For 12 years, Scott led the Department of Information Technology’s E-Government & Enterprise Architecture Division, which includes county website properties, interactive voice response and customer relationship management. During this tenure, Scott served as the technical manager for the transition to a new enterprise resource planning system shared by Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools that conducts finance, budget, procurement and human resource business functions.

From 1978 to 1993, Scott worked in various private sector information technology positions. He first joined the county in 1993 as a contractor, followed by five years of public service in the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.

Scott succeeds Wanda Gibson, who retired from the county this summer. He will receive an annual salary of $206,000.

Today, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed Rebecca Moudry as the first director of the new Department of Economic Initiatives. Her appointment is effective Oct. 21.

Moudry has more than 20 years of experience in economic development, community development and investment policy in both the private and public sectors. She has led programs at the local, national and international levels and is specialized in regional competitiveness. Most recently, Moudry was a vice president at ROI Research on Investment.  As part of the executive team she supported economic development clients to develop and execute industry cluster assessments, strategic planning and business attraction and retention programs.

Previously, Moudry served as deputy director for investment services at SelectUSA at the U.S. Department of Commerce. This federal program facilitates job-creating business investment into the United States. At the U.S. Economic Development Administration, she led a program to increase investment in innovation clusters across the country. Her expansive experience includes positions at the District of Columbia Office for Planning and Economic Development, the International Economic Development Council and the Inter-American Development Bank. 

Moudry earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound and received a master’s degree in regional planning with a focus on economic development from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Moudry will receive an annual salary of $165,000.

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Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck and Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay hosted a dedication ceremony on Sept. 20 to rename the South County Center – located at 8350 Richmond Highway in Alexandria – as the Gerry Hyland Government Center. The name change is in honor of Gerald W. Hyland, who served as the Mount Vernon District representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 1988-2015. 

In addition to his supervisor role, Hyland served as chairman of the Public Safety Committee and co-chairman of the Community Revitalization and Reinvestment Commit¬tee. He served on the Inova Health Care Services Board and the National Association of Counties Board of Directors; and regionally for District of Columbia, Fort Belvoir and Prince William County interjurisdictional committees. 

“Gerry Hyland was a supervisor for the people and the epitome of a public servant,” says Storck. “Throughout his 30 plus years of public service, he improved the lives of many, many individuals in Mount Vernon and Fairfax County. Gerry’s innate compassion for the struggles of residents along the Richmond Highway corridor was instrumental in getting the South County Center built and bringing human services to Mount Vernon and Lee residents who otherwise had to travel long distances.”
The Gerry Hyland Government Center is home to family services, community health, career programs, a senior and teen center and more, including many public rooms essential for community meetings and workshops. “It is a fitting tribute that we honor Gerry by naming the county government center after this beloved public servant,” says Storck.

Hyland also served as chairman of the Virginia Railway Express and is a past president of the Virginia Association of Counties. He has served as a board member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments, the Environmental Policy Committee, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Improvement Study Coordinating Committee, the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Board of Zoning Appeals. He is the former chairman of the Fairfax County Human Rights Commis¬sion and is a retired Colonel in the United States Air Force.

Hyland was instrumental in the efforts to close the county I-95 landfill, he led the effort to keep the Inova Mount Vernon Hospital open and led the transformation of Lorton. He is known as an advocate for all people, as well as a pun master and gentleman farmer.

“No one has dedicated themselves more to our community than Gerry Hyland,” says McKay. “His decades of service were invaluable to the success of Fairfax County and the Mount Vernon District and we’re a much better, stronger, safer and compassionate community because of him. This newly named center is but a small token of our thanks to him for being a leader and role model to all of us.”

In addition to Storck and McKay, speakers at the dedication ceremony included Congressman Gerry Connolly, Congressman Don Beyer, former Congressman Jim Moran, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova and William “Bill” Bock, a close friend to Hyland. Hyland then addressed the large crowd of friends and colleagues before the new signage in front and behind the building was unveiled. 

The Solarize Fairfax County campaign ends its third year with more property owners signing contracts to convert to solar energy. This year’s campaign, which ran from April 16 through June 14 ended with 57 signed contracts for solar installations valued at $1.4 million for a total of 564 kilowatts. Since the Solarize Fairfax County Campaign kicked off in 2017, offering discounted solar panels to property owners, 156 solar contracts have been signed with the potential to generate more than 1.8 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy each year.  That is the equivalent of preventing greenhouse gas emissions from 274 cars driven for a year. 

Fairfax County sponsors the annual Solarize campaign to help residents and businesses reduce the cost and complexity of investing in solar energy. Participants receive free on-site solar assessments, a bulk purchase discount, vetted contractors, community workshops and support.

Fairfax County partners with the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the nonprofit Local Energy Alliance Program to offer this campaign. By aggregating multiple customers together and selecting contractors through competitive bids, Solarize 2019 was able to offer prices 17% less than the Virginia average for a 6 kilowatt system.

Fairfax County has made solar energy a priority to reduce its carbon footprint and recently became the first community to receive a Gold designation from the national SolSmart program for taking bold action to encourage solar energy growth by removing obstacles to solar development.

Fairfax County kicks off the South County Site Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process that allows anyone to nominate site specific land use changes to the Comprehensive Plan, the guiding document for land use and development decisions in Fairfax County.  The SSPA nomination process will run from September 3, 2019 until December 3, 2019.  Community involvement is key in all stages of the SSPA process, from making a proposal to change the Plan, participating in the community task force review, or speaking at the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors public hearings to ensure that Fairfax County continues to be an attractive, safe and sustainable area for generations to come.

This year’s SSPA effort will focus on the southern portions of the county, which consist of the Mason, Springfield, Braddock, Lee, and Mount Vernon Supervisor Districts. In preparation for the South County SSPA, on July 19, 2019 the Board of Supervisors approved modifications to the eligibility criteria, including a significant expansion of eligible sites from the north county cycle. The Board’s action removed some restrictions on residential use proposals, resulting in all types of land use proposals (residential, non-residential, or mixed-use)  being eligible in the south county districts.

Established in 2017, the first iteration of SSPA focused on the northern portions of the county. As a result of this process, four plan amendments were accepted for review, including proposals to allow mixed-use development at Inova’s Merrifield campus, the Fairview Park office park, the West Falls Church Metro Station, and Sully Station Shopping Center. The review of these sites remains ongoing.  

For more information on the site-specific process or the Comprehensive Plan amendments, visit the South County SSPA webpage or contact the Planning Division of the Department of Planning and Development at 703-324-1380, TTY 711. To get the latest on land use, follow the Fairfax County Land Use Planning page on Facebook.

The Library of Virginia has awarded the Office of the Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk a $8,281.50 grant through its Circuit Court Records Preservation (CCRP) program. The funds will be used to conserve Fairfax Court Order Book 1768-1770; Plat Book 3, p. 1-68; Plat Book 3, p. 69-135; and Subpoenas and Rough Minute Book 1846-1855, 1871 stored in the Court’s Historic Records Center in the 1799 Courthouse, 4000 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 1600, Fairfax.

“As the proud custodians of these 18th- and 19th-century records, we are thrilled that the Library of Virginia is supporting our Five-Year Preservation Plan,” said Chief Deputy Clerk Gerarda Culipher. “We are all students of history, but some of us have the great privilege of working every day to preserve, and showcase, these court records as primary resources for today’s researchers….and for future generations." 

The Clerk’s Office conducts free, guided tours every Friday at 3 p.m. and Monday through Thursday by appointment. “Come down for a tour, and see just what we’re doing to keep Fairfax’s past available to you,” encourages Culipher. More information on tours.

The CCRP grant program is a part of the Library of Virginia's Local Records Services Branch. Funded through a $1.50 portion of Virginia’s land recordation fee, the CCRP provides resources to help preserve and make accessible permanent circuit court records stored in the 120 circuit courts around the commonwealth and in Richmond at the Library of Virginia. This year, CCRP awarded more than $1 million to 90 local clerks’ offices.

For more information, contact Heather Bollinger at 703-246-4168.

Fairfax County is leading the way in solar energy in the state, becoming the first municipality in Virginia to receive a Gold designation from the national SolSmart program. SolSmart recognized Fairfax County earlier this year with Silver status for taking bold action to encourage solar energy growth and remove obstacles to solar development. The new Gold designation comes after the Board of Supervisors voted earlier this summer to amend the zoning ordinance by explicitly allowing residential and non-residential buildings to add solar as an accessory use.

“We are receiving this Gold designation from SolSmart because the Board of Supervisors continues to invest in the county’s solar energy programs,” said Kambiz Agazi, director of the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination. “We are excited to continue working in collaboration with Fairfax County’s residents and businesses to create a greener and more energy efficient community one building at a time.”

For companies looking to expand, a SolSmart Gold designation is a signal that Fairfax County is open for solar business.

To receive this top designation, local governments must put in place processes to make it faster, easier and less expensive to install a solar energy system. This includes streamlining permitting and zoning rules, as well as offering economic incentives.

Fairfax County offers:

• No-fee permitting for residential or commercial solar systems.
• Same-day building permits for solar systems .
• Tax exemptions for homeowners and businesses who install solar equipment , including solar panels, solar water heating systems and passive solar energy systems.
• Discounted solar systems for homeowners and businesses through Solarize Fairfax County , which during the past three years has resulted in 2,263 solar assessments that led to 142 solar installations totaling 1,135 kW.
• $5,000 grants for homeowners associations’ energy conservation projects like solar through the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.
• A solar webpage that summarizes solar resourcs, incentives, and opportunities in the county.     

The programs and incentives are offered through a partnership between multiple county agencies, including the Department of Land Development Services, Department of Planning and Development, Department of Tax Administration and Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

The county’s solar incentives and programs complement its overall Operational Energy Strategy that aims to reduce local government energy consumption through energy efficiency, renewable energy and innovative technologies. As part of this strategy, Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools are planning to install solar panels on multiple facilities . The county also recently allocated $2.5 million for electric vehicle charging stations and LED streetlights .

SolSmart uses objective criteria to award communities points based on the actions they take to reduce barriers to solar energy development. The non-profit is led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office.

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Fairfax County’s Joint Environmental Task Force will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 4:30 p.m.

The meeting will take place in the large conference room in the Mason Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale.

The task force—called JET for short—was jointly created in April by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County School Board. The JET is currently composed of two members from each board, residents and students.

• Board of Supervisors Mason District Supervisor and Chair of the Environmental Committee Penny Gross.
• Board of Supervisors Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck.
• School Board Hunter Mill District Representative Pat Hynes.
• School Board Providence District Representative Dalia Palchik.
• Richard Aiken, retired co-founder and president of Fellowship Energy LLC, and previously a senior adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Energy.
• Karen Campblin, founder, ktcPLan LLC, and co-chair of Transportation Committee, Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Association.
• Richard Clayton, retired supervisory economist, Division of Administrative Statistics and Labor Turnover, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Rob Johnson, Director of Sustainability & Auxiliary Services, Northern Virginia Community College.
• Megan Mall, executive director, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions
• Susan Stillman, chair, Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission, Sierra Club leader and Solar on the Schools mentor.
• Smith Chandra Thomas, sustainability consultant with 20-plus years of experience in energy efficiency and building demand-side management.
• Greg Ulses, program manager, Leidos, and recognized expert in oceanography, atmospheric and climate science and related environmental issues.
• Wendy Gao, senior, Oakton High School and Solar on the Schools Leader and member of the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Sierra Club and Oakton High School Environmental Club.
• Ire Kim, junior, Woodson High School and member of Solar on the Schools and Woodson High School Environmental Club.

The JET’s mission is to join the political and administrative capabilities of the county and the school system to proactively address climate change and environmental sustainability. It includes community partners from higher education, industry, community and student advocacy groups to set and meet aggressive goals in areas of common influence, such as workforce development; infrastructure and sustainability of public facilities and transportation; land use planning; communication and community engagement; and other challenges and opportunities as they arise.

The task force will provide a forum for collaborating and addressing countywide issues and aligning institutional policies and practices pertaining to climate change and environmental sustainability.

For more information or reasonable ADA accommodations, contact the Mason District Supervisor’s Office at 703-256-7717, TTY 711.

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