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MCA Annual Membership Meeting
Wednesday, May 22
Registration and Social Hour: 6:30-7:30 pm
Meeting: 7:30 pm
McLean Community Center, Community Hall
In-Person Only
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I invite you to attend MCA's Annual Membership Meeting. This is an important meeting to elect individuals to fill open positions on MCA's Board of Directors, MCA officers, and McLean Community Foundation (MCF) Trustees. Only those present will be able to vote, as our bylaws do not allow proxy or absentee voting. You will also hear about pressing issues affecting the McLean Area and learn how MCA has been working to improve the quality of life for local residents. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the MCA website.
All MCA members should have received an emailed invitation. Not a member yet? JOIN NOW!
There will be a wine and cheese reception beginning at 6:30 pm.
The meeting Agenda features remarks by Dranesville Supervisor Jimmy Bierman and a report on the many contributions of MCA's philanthropic arm, McLean Community Foundation (MCF), from its Acting President, Kelly Green Kahn. The meeting will also feature brief presentations by the Chairs of the MCA Committees, who will discuss critical issues affecting our community.
McLean Community Center Governing Board Elections
I would like to remind every eligible McLean resident to vote in the McLean Community Center (MCC) Governing Board elections.
MCC is funded by residents of greater McLean through a real estate tax surcharge, with additional funding from fees and donations. The eleven-member MCC Governing Board is elected by citizens of the district and appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to oversee MCC’s budget and operation.
This year there are ten candidates for four adult positions and five candidates for two teen positions. The adult candidates all made brief presentations to the MCA Board at our May meeting. This impressive group is a testament to the depth of experience and talent present in our community.
Click here for candidates' personal statements and more information.
In-person voting will take place at Lewinsville Park on McLean Day:
Friday, May 17: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 18: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
You may obtain an absentee ballot from the MCC front desk or online, by email, or by phone: 703-744-9348. Absentee ballots must be received by the McLean Community Center by 5 p.m. on May 13th.
-- Linda Walsh, President
| | In Memoriam:
William J. Byrnes
4.11.1940 -- 4.14.2024
MCA President, 1994-95
At the May 1st Board Meeting, Mer rily Pierce delivered a tribute to the late Bill Byrnes, a former MCA President. A true servant of his community, Bill not only led the MCA, but also served as a McLean Community Foundation Trustee and on the Governing Board of the McLean Community Center, in addition to launching an unsuccessful bid for Dranesville Supervisor. A skilled attorney, Bill's true passion was acting, and he enjoyed public speaking so much that when he spoke at meetings, Merrily would often have to signal to him that he should yield the floor. Of course, Bill's legal and oratorical skills made him a formidable opponent when testifying on important issues. As an example, Merrily credited Bill with preserving the landscape conservation easement behind the Liberty Crossing property near the Dolley Madison/Lewinsville Road intersection. "He was a dear friend," she said.
| | | MCA Gets Involved: Tysons
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JUST SAY NO TO A CASINO IN FAIRFAX COUNTY!
Attend Supervisor Board Meeting on May 21
4:30-6:00 pm and
Join NoFairfaxCasino Facebook page
The casino issue may appear to be sleeping, but it remains very much alive. Senator Marsden from Burke has repeatedly and publicly vowed to introduce casino legislation in January 2025.
What You Can Do:
Help send a strong message to the Fairfax Board of Supervisors by filling every seat in the Fairfax County Board Room! Reserve a space and we will reserve a NO TYSONS CASINO t-shirt. Additional information will be sent to those who register.
Join the new NoFairfaxCasino Facebook page for the most current news. Just open Facebook and go to NoFairfaxCasino (all one word) and ask to join. When prompted, let the administrators know that you are affiliated with MCA. Then invite your friends and neighbors to join.
Display a yard sign and/or bumper sticker. Pick up at 1518 Mintwood Drive.
| | |  | | The Soul of Tysons: Arts, Entertainment, and Worship
At its April meeting, the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition (GTCC) hosted a panel of local leaders for a lively discussion of arts, entertainment, and faith-based opportunities in Tysons, focusing on the "soul of Tysons:"
- Stephen Wickman, President, Tysons Interfaith -- this group of diverse faith partners, which currently lacks a physical location in Tysons, has partnered with TCA to assist Food for Others, a Vienna food bank;
- Allison Mui, Director of Advocacy and Communications, ArtsFairfax -- this County-funded arts organization has partnered with Tysons Corner owner Macerich to repurpose empty storefronts for exhibitions of local artists' work;
- Jonathan Griffith, Managing Director, Capital One Center -- Capital One just held its popular Easter egg hunt on The Perch, its busy raised public park, and hosts home games for Georgetown University and Marymount University's baseball teams at its Capital One Park;
- Alex Levy, Artistic Director, 1st Stage -- this acclaimed non-profit professional theater offers free tickets to Fairfax County high school students and hosts conversations about issues raised by its thought-provoking performances;
- Katie Cristol, CEO, Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) -- this new County-funded non-profit has already recruited a hundred volunteers to serve as Tysons Teammates. See below for more information.
Click here to watch the meeting video (the videos of all other recent GTCC and many other MCA meetings are available at the MCA Video Library).
GTCC's June meeting, held in conjunction with MCA's Public Safety Liaison, will feature reports from our local first responders.
A Guide to Tysons Information
Fairfax County's Tysons website links users to information about the Tysons Comprehensive Plan and other tools for following Tysons development.
The Tysons Comprehensive Plan addresses issues of land use, affordable housing, transportation, environmental stewardship, public facilities, parks, and urban design, with the goal of creating a walkable, sustainable urban center serving a potential population of 100,000 residents and 200,000 employees by the year 2050.
The Tysons Tracker is a new interactive web platform for monitoring growth and development trends.
The Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) is a new County-funded community improvement organization that replaces the former Tysons Partnership, which was funded by membership dues. TCA is an independent non-profit that brings together a variety of stakeholders united in their commitment to the transformation of Tysons into a vibrant urban center. At an event at Capital One Center's Watermark Hotel, TCA released its Tysons Strategic Plan, which is intended to implement the Comprehensive Plan's human elements by focusing on identity and placemaking, connectivity, mobility, and inclusivity.
|  | Committee Spotlight: Tysons Committee
MCA's Tysons Committee acts as a liaison between the Board of Directors and the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition (GTCC), a coalition of individuals and organizations in and around Tysons that since 2008 has focused on the impact of Tysons growth and development on the greater Tysons area, including McLean, the Town of Vienna, and other communities surrounding Tysons. Since its inception, the GTCC has been chaired by an MCA member.
The GTCC interacts with appointed and elected officials, the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) and civic associations, Tysons landowners and developers, and members of the press. It hosts briefings about Tysons’ developments and activities and about government policy initiatives with a nexus to Tysons that may affect the surrounding communities. It advocates for policies that mitigate negative impacts on the surrounding communities and are designed to make Tysons a family-friendly, vibrant community where people want to work, live, raise families, and retire, and where corporations and small businesses can thrive. Most recently, GTCC took a firm stand in opposition to locating a Casino in Tysons.
Recent GTCC guest speakers, in addition to April's panelists (article in this issue), include:
- TCA CEO, Katie Cristol, introducing her goals for Tysons
- Providence Supervisor, Dalia Palchik, sharing her views on the state of Tysons housing stock and office market, and more.
- President and CEO of Fairfax County’s Economic Development Authority, Victor Hoskins, sharing his analysis of Tysons' economic strengths and challenges
- County Department of Transportation Acting Director, Gregg Steverson, discussing local projects, including Route 123 upgrades and the Route 7/Route 123 interchange (joint meeting with MCA's Transportation Committee)
- County Department of Planning and Development's Urban Centers Section Director, Suzie Battista, reviewing development projects outside of Tysons central districts
-- Ron Bleeker, Committee Vice-Chair
Committees: The Heart of MCA
Budget & Taxation
Planning & Zoning
Transportation
Education & Youth
Environment, Parks & Recreation
Tysons
Membership
Liaisons: Public Safety; McLean Planning Committee (MPC); McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC); Seniors
MCA's Committees study issues affecting residents of the McLean Area; develop MCA Resolutions and letters on issues of public significance; and organize public citizen information sessions where local elected officials, Fairfax County representatives and others address specific areas of interest.
Each Committee is made up of volunteers, many of whom have considerable experience and expertise on subjects that the Committee oversees.
You must be a member of the MCA in order to join an MCA Committee. If you're interested in joining a Committee, or if there is an issue affecting the McLean Area that you think the Committee should investigate, contact the Committee Chair. Thank you for helping to keep MCA an effective advocate for the greater McLean community!
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 | | CERT Basic Training 192
May 13th - June 6th
6:30-10:30 pm
McLean Community Center
Final Exercise: June 8th, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, Springfield
CERT Basic Training teaches people how to safely respond to major emergencies to save lives, when first responders may be delayed. Over eight sessions, instructors prepare participants to work together to manage a local response and assist First Responders once they arrive. The course concludes with a disaster exercise to challenge your new skills. The skills taught can also apply to everyday emergencies as well. The course covers the following topics:
- Personal & Family Preparedness: Family emergency plans, prepare the home and emergency kits
- Fire Safety and Utility Controls: How to stop small fires and prevent others
- Disaster Medical Operations: Setting up and performing life-saving medical care
- Light Search and Rescue: How and when to search for survivors
- Disaster Psychology: How disasters effect everyone as a victim and responder
- Team Organization: How to organize as part of the entire response team
- Terrorism: What to watch out for
Classes: May 13, 16, 20, 23, 30, June 03, 06 (Mondays and Thursdays), 6:30-10:00 pm, MCC, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean VA, 22101
Final Exercise: Saturday, June 08, 8 :00AM to 12:30PM, GW Community School, 9001 Braddock Road, Springfield, VA 22151
Note the Prerequisites on the registration page.
For more information, visit the CERT website or contact Wayne Vick at 202-498-2310.
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Hands-Only CPR Training
McLean Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) personnel are happy to come give everyone in your organization or group bystander/hands-only CPR training. If you'd like MVFD volunteers to teach your group this life-saving technique, send them an email.
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| Senior Safety Summit
April 24, 2024
In what has become a well-attended annual event, MCA co-hosted with McLean Community Center a free two-hour public safety discussion focused on issues of particular interest to seniors. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) and Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) personnel addressed the following topics and answered attendees' questions.
Community Risk Reduction
Search and Rescue – Missing Persons
Financial Crimes against Senior Citizens
Romance Scams
Business Scams
Crime Prevention and Safety
Click here for more photos. See you next year!
| | | | "Dementia Man, An Existential Journey," Performance & Conversation
June 2, 2024, 2:00pm
McLean Governmental Center, Community Meeting Room
1437 Balls Hill Rd, McLean, VA 22101
Co-hosted by: MCA and Dranesville Supervisor Jimmy Bierman
"Dementia Man" is written and performed by Sam Simon, a lawyer, husband, grandparent, and proud McLean native who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2021. He has traveled the country performing his award-winning play hoping to bring attention to the disease and other forms of dementia. This free performance is not to be missed.
| | |  | | Running Bamboo Control Ordinance Enforced
Effective January, 2023, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance requiring that running bamboo – any bamboo characterized by aggressive spreading behavior – must be contained on an owner’s property or the property owner may be subject to a fine. Running bamboo is a fast-growing invasive grass that spreads aggressively underground through its horizontal root system (rhizomes) as much as 15 feet a year. It can take over yards, cross property lines, damage the natural environment and penetrate drains, concrete and other structures.
Under this ordinance, the property owner must not allow running bamboo to spread beyond the property line to any adjoining property or any public right of way through its underground roots. This requirement applies to the current owner or tenant even if they did not plant the running bamboo. It is enforced on an individual complaint basis. After the issuance of a Notice of Violation, each day the running bamboo remains uncontained may result in a $50 fine, up to $2000 over a 12-month period, with possible additional penalties if the bamboo spreads to an adjacent property.
Running bamboo is difficult to remove or control. Fairfax County outlines several methods:
- Containment with a strong root barrier material, 36” high with 30” below ground
- Containment by mowing and high concentration herbicides
- Removal with heavy equipment, with waste processed as trash
Complaints about uncontained running bamboo may be made by visiting the Department of Code Compliance website or calling 703-324-1300. Click here for more information about the ordinance.
| | | Participate in McLean's Local Democracy
|  | | MCA Membership Survey
The Membership Committee recently conducted a survey of the MCA membership and presented their detailed report at our May Board meeting.
The report compares MCA demographics with those of the McLean area as a whole, ranks membership priority areas, and includes an organized list of membership concerns in all areas, including the highest priority areas of planning and zoning, transportation, public safety, the environment, education, and the budget. The Membership Survey Report is chock full of useful information.
MCA's committees will be using the survey results to help them develop their goals for the upcoming year. The Membership Committee plans to survey members at least every two years to better maintain MCA's ability to support our growing and changing community.
|  | Why Join MCA?
- Efficiency: MCA is the most efficient way to keep up with developments affecting McLean area residents.
Really, really busy? Your MCA membership is the most efficient way to keep up with local issues that affect you, and to make sure your priorities are communicated effectively to Fairfax County and other government officials. MCA's volunteer experts track what's coming down the pike and dig into the details of what's happening (and about to happen!) from re-zoning proposals in Tysons and the McLean Central Business District to public school renovations and redistricting, tax and budget issues, park and environmental issues, and the list goes on. As an MCA Member, you get curated news about matters that affect our corner of this very large and diverse county, access to detailed, independent-issue research, and the opportunity to connect with knowledgeable MCA volunteers and neighbors who share your concerns.
- Effectiveness: MCA is a ready-made platform for advocacy.
Do you want to make a difference, to advance a proposal or advocate for or against a policy being considered by local government? MCA provides a ready forum for residents to work with others in the community to shape recommendations that reflect McLean-area interests and values. MCA's reputation for sound, non-partisan analysis of issues and effective advocacy means that elected officials pay attention to our recommendations. All MCA Members are eligible to join our Committees, where our Resolutions and other recommendations are hammered out.
- Amplification: MCA amplifies the voices of McLean area residents.
McLean and the surrounding neighborhoods are a small community in a very large County. We have issues and interests that are not the same as everywhere in the county -- things like Tysons development, Legion Bridge traffic, a higher percentage of seniors, and an appreciation for small-town values. MCA members of all backgrounds appreciate that the MCA "has their back." They know that the greater McLean community is better off because MCA is watching out for their interests. MCA membership is their way of letting elected leaders know that MCA represents them, and of turning up the volume of the voice of McLean.
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