Has yours made plans to join us in 2012?

Presented by

• Christina Jackson, Department of Management and Budget, Fairfax County
• Ellicia Seard, Department of Management and Budget, Fairfax County

• The balloon test for 25 Feb at the Centreville Methodist Church has been delayed until AT&T gets their application accepted by the County.

• Pohanka Stonecroft - Further Update on Rezoning and Special Exception Application by David Houston Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
  • Pohanka has agreed to delay the case several times in order to work in good faith with the Staff on reversing their original "soft" denial recommendation. While we have enjoyed a very good working relationship with Staff on this, they had previously decided to recommend denial solely because Pohanka has not agreed to seek LEED certification. As Pohanka has tried to explain, auto dealerships do not fit neatly into the LEED pro forma. While there are approximately 10,000 LEED certified projects, very few are automobile dealerships (less than 100).
  • Pohanka's property is especially difficult from a LEED perspective because it is not located near mass transit nor is it a "Brownfield's" or redevelopment site. The site is unimproved and currently used to store new vehicles for Pohanka's other dealerships in Chantilly. Therefore, the LEED points that come from availability of mass transit and redevelopment (e.g., recycling old building materials) are not available. Pohanka's project architect estimates that the project falls just below the level to make it LEED "certifiable."
  • Pohanka believes sustainability and green building techniques are good for business and is incorporating a good number of them into the proposed dealership. But that the certification process Staff is trying to impose is not. Pohanka does not want to seek LEED approval because it is expensive, time consuming, cumbersome, has undefined (and sometimes subjective) criteria and leaves implementation of the County's policies up to a for-profit third party. Pohanka believes in tangible benefits - ones that produce actual results. For this particular use, "Going Green" does not equate to being LEED certified.
  • Attached are the most recent proffers for this application, a memorandum prepared by Staff that was forwarded to the Planning Commission with its original position and also a chart that compares the green building techniques and practices being offered by Pohanka against some competing dealerships that were recently approved by the County (one of which was approved by the Board in January).
    • Pohanka Revised Proffers Memo
    • Revised Proffers v11
    • Pohanka Green Comparison Chart v2
  • As reported in the Centre View Newspaper, the WFCCA Land Use Committee supports Pohanka's application without the LEED requirement.
  • A final update on this zoning matter: Staff has finally come around to support the zoning application after Pohanka agreed to additional green building commitments. Staff changed their recommendation in a Staff Report Addendum that was issued on February 21st. The Board of Supervisors hearing on this case will be March 20th (was supposed to be February 28th but a last minute zoning affidavit issue caused a delay). Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions

• Do you have any recommendations for who might be a good candidate for the Fairfax County "Friends of Trees" award?
  • Information and the nomination form for the award is at this link: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/environmental/2011_friends_of_trees_award_nomination_form.pdf
  • For more information please contact Trish Strat, Sully District Tree Commissioner

• NVSWCD Seedling Sale
  • Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District 2012 Seedling Sale
  • All the seedlings in this year’s offerings provide food for both humans and wildlife. YUM!!
  • Two packages are available:
    • The Incredible Edibles Shrub and Small Tree package is $15.95 and includes ten bare root seedlings: two Elderberry, two Serviceberry, two Cranberrybush Viburnum and four American Hazelnut seedlings.
    • The Incredible Edibles Tree Package is $11.95 and includes 7 bare root seedlings: two Chokecherry, two Persimmon, two American Plum, and one Allegheny Chinkapin.
      **All seedlings are native to Northern Virginia**
  • Download the order form at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/seedlingsale2012.pdf
  • For more information about the seedling species including pictures at maturity please visit our website at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/seedlingsale.htm
  • If you have any questions, please contact Nick Kokales by phone at (703) 324-1420 or by e-mail at nicholas.kokales@fairfaxcounty.gov.
  • Deadline for ordering is Monday, April 16.

• Animal Shelter Needs "Puppy People" – March 6
  • Are you interested in helping save lives of puppies, kittens, turtles and an assortment of other animals housed at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter? The Shelter will host a special orientation session for citizens interested in learning more about the organization's animal foster care program. The orientation session will be March 6, 2012 at 7 - 9 p.m. at the shelter located at 4500 West Ox Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030. It is part of the shelter's 2nd annual "Become a Foster Parent Month." To attend, citizens should RSVP to kathleen.cornell@fairfaxcounty.gov
  • Foster care providers save animals' lives by providing temporary out-of-facility care in their homes for some of the shelter's neediest animals. No special experience is required to become a foster and the shelter provides training, supplies and medical care for the animals. Foster care providers must be 21 years and older and must go through the shelter's volunteer process, which includes a background check and home visit.
  • Each year, the shelter places between 300 and 400 animals into foster care. The majority of these animals are kittens and cats during the busy summer season; however, the shelter has a high need for foster care providers who can offer short-term care for dogs and puppies as well as for kittens under 4 weeks of age who need to be bottle fed.
  • The month-long "Become a Foster Parent" campaign begins March 1 and runs through the end of the month. For more information, e-mail kathleen.cornell@fairfaxcounty.gov.

• Big Trees All Around Us – March 7
  • The Friends of Dyke Marsh (FODM) will hear all about champion trees in Northern Virginia at the March 7 quarterly meeting. Greg Zell, Arlington County’s Natural Resource Specialist, will conduct a visual tour of some of the big trees and discuss tree conservation. The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m., at the Huntley Meadows Park Visitor Center, 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, VA 22306; 703-768-2525.
  • For more information and other events please visit the Friends of Dyke Marsh website at http://www.fodm.org/

• March Green Breakfast – March 10
  • 55th Green Breakfast, Saturday, March 10, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m., Briton’s Grille, Fairfax
  • Greening Your Community One School at a Time – FCPS Get2Green Program
  • Learn about the Fairfax County Public Schools Get2 Green program, spearheaded by Elaine Tholen, Environmental Educator with FCPS. Acting on the concept of “no child left inside” and the importance of connecting children with the outdoors, as well as a goal of promoting environmental stewardship among more than 175,000 students and approximately 200 schools, Elaine is helping the school system initiate an ambitious program. Exciting partnerships have been developed, both internal and external, including one with the National Wildlife Federation Eco Schools USA Program. Elaine is also a Co-founder of NoVA Outside, a regional network of environmental educators.

• Information Meeting: Installation of Athletic Field Lighting on Field #3 at E.C Lawrence Park
  • The Fairfax County Park Authority will hold an informational meeting with an opportunity for questions and answers regarding the upcoming installation of athletic field lighting on rectangular field #3 at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park located at 5040 Walney Road in Chantilly. The meeting will be held on Monday, March 12, 2012 at 7:00 PM. in the Sully District Government Center in the James McDonnell Community Room, located at 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly, VA 20151.
  • The meeting agenda includes an informal opportunity to speak with staff, a presentation of the project specifics including information on current state-of-the-art technology for athletic field lighting systems and a question and answer session.

• Information Sessions Scheduled to Discuss Dulles Rail Phase 2, Silver Line Station Names in Fairfax County
  • The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold four public meetings and one Ask Fairfax! online discussion to inform the public about Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. The sessions will provide information related to Phase 2 project cost, financing, physical layout and Silver Line station names. Participants will be able to complete the online Fairfax County Silver Line Station Names Survey in person at the four public meetings. Also, the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to receive public comment on the Phase 2 project.
  • Members of the public can provide their feedback in the following ways:
    • Participate in the Ask Fairfax! online discussion
      • The feedback session schedule is:
        Ask Fairfax! online discussion: Friday, March 9 at 11 a.m. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/askfairfax
    • Attend one of the four public meetings
    • Public Meeting: Monday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m.
      South County Center: 8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria
      Community Room 221A/B
      Transit: Fairfax Connector Route 171 and Metrobus REX
    • Public Meeting: Wednesday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m.
      Hutchison Elementary School: 13209 Parcher Avenue, Herndon
      Cafeteria
      Transit: Fairfax Connector Route 950
    • Public Meeting: Thursday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m.
      Westgate Elementary School: 7500 Magarity Road, Falls Church
      Cafeteria
      Transit: Metrobus 3T
    • Public Meeting: Monday, March 19 at 7 p.m.
      Fairfax County Government Center: 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
      Conference Rooms 9/10
      Transit: Fairfax Connector routes 605, 621 and 623
    • Submit comments online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/dullesmetro until 5 p.m. on Friday, March 16
    • Complete the Fairfax County Silver Line Station Names Survey at www.wmata.com/silversurvey
    • Register to speak at the Board of Supervisors public hearing
      Board of Supervisors' Public Hearing: Tuesday, March 20 at 5 p.m.
      (Does not cover the topic of Silver Line station names)
      Fairfax County Government Center: 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
      Board Auditorium
      Register to speak: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speaker_bos.htm
      Transit: Fairfax Connector routes 605, 621 and 623
  • For information about Dulles Rail Phase 2 or to submit online comments, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/dullesmetro.
  • For information about this news item, call Ellen Kamilakis at 703-877-5606, TTY 711.
  • Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request. For accommodations, call the Department of Transportation, 703-877-5600, TTY 711, by March 7, 2012

• Green Fire – A film about the life and work of Aldo Leopold
  • There will be three evening screenings at 7:00 p.m. on March 15 (GMU-Fairfax, Johnson Center), March 16 (Walker Nature Center, Reston) and March 29 (Arlington Central Library)
  • Green Fire is being made available by the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. Each screening has several additional co-sponsors. For details, go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/announcements.htm#greenfire or to www.nvct.org (click on Green Fire banner). RSVP at www.nvct.org
  • Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time is the first full-length, high definition documentary film ever made about the legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold. It shares highlights from Leopold’s life and extraordinary career, explaining how he shaped conservation in the twentieth century and still inspires people today. Although probably best known as the author of the conservation classic A Sand County Almanac, Leopold is also renowned for his work as an educator, philosopher, forester, ecologist and wilderness advocate.

• Springfield Supervisor Herrity to hold Town Hall Meeting to discuss the future of the Parkway
  • He believes we need to get in front of the problem and establish a vision for its long-term future now before we wake up and find the Parkway as congested as I-66. That is why, along with VDOT and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, he will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the future of the Parkway on March 20th.
  • Specifically it will:
    • Share the history of the Parkway
    • Give current and projected levels of traffic
    • Explain improvements that are currently planned
    • Discuss possible future solutions and plans that should be considered
    • Provide an open forum for residents to give their views and offer their own visions for the Parkway
  • The meeting has been set for: 7 PM, Tuesday, March 20th at James W. Robinson Secondary School, Davala Hall, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax

• Invasive Plant Talk – March 24
  • Join the FODM on Saturday, March 24 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the American Horticultural Society’s River Farm for a talk on invasive plants along the George Washington Parkway and in your own yard. Learn what to do from the National Park Service’s Erik Oberg and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia’s Cliff Fairweather. RSVP to chair.er@mvcca.org or call (703) 360-0691.
  • For more information and other events please visit the Friends of Dyke Marsh website at http://www.fodm.org/

• Fairfax Federation Citizen of the Year Awards Banquet – 6:30 - 90:00 PM March 25
  • Join the Federation in honoring:
    • 2011 Fairfax County Citizen of the Year – Walter Alcorn
    • 2011 Citation of Merit Honorees - Ellie Ashford, Corazon Foley, Terry Maynard
    • 2011 Special Gratitude Award recipient - Suzanne Harsel
    Information their achievements is available on the Federation's press release and its Citizen of the Year web page.
  • For more information please contact Jeff Parnes at 703.424.2956 or FedCOY2012@fairfaxFederation.org

• Rain Garden Workshop for Homeowners – Saturday, March 31st. 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
  • Workshop on Rain Gardens for Homeowners will be held at Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St. Arlington, VA. Room 134
  • Rain gardens, also known as bioretention areas, are attractive landscape features that allow rain water and snow melt to infiltrate into the ground. A layer of mulch and plants intercept water running off streets, driveways, and rooftops, slowing its flow and removing pollutants before the water reaches local streams, the Occoquan River and the Potomac River, drinking water supplies for the region.
  • At this FREE workshop, participants will learn how to design, build, landscape, and maintain a small-scale residential rain garden. This workshop is open to everyone from residents to professional landscape architects.
  • The workshop is free, but registration is required. Please RSVP to Aileen Winquist at awinquist@arlingtonva.us

• Raptors – April 21
  • FODM and the National Park Service will sponsor a raptor demonstration for Earth Day, April 21, 10 a.m. at the Belle Haven picnic area near the bike path. The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia will bring live raptors for close-up encounters.
  • For more information and other events please visit the Friends of Dyke Marsh website at http://www.fodm.org/