 | | The Voice of McLean for over 100 110 Years!
Did you know that MCA is Fairfax County's oldest continuously operating civic association? The reason is . . . you! The secret to our longevity is directly related to our passionate, informed and dedicated volunteers and our engaged membership.
I hope to see you at the two 110th Anniversary Celebration events and look forward to walking with you behind the MCA banner in McLean's Winterfest parade. (For details, see Upcoming Events, below.)
| | Openings on MCA Board!
There are two mid-term openings on the MCA Board of Directors. We are seeking candidates that are interested in advocating for our community to ensure that our little corner of Fairfax County remains a wonderful place to live, work and play. Board members are required to attend monthly Board meetings and serve on one of MCA's influential committees. If interested, please complete the MCA Board of Directors Application and email it to Linda Walsh by November 26. If you have any questions, contact Linda. | | | |
MCA: Make Casinos go Away
There's no better example of MCA's effective leadership than its commitment to fighting the imposition of a casino on Tysons, an area that expressly does not want one. The creation of powerful business interests, and backed by few well-placed politicians, a casino is not something any of us could defeat on our own. That's where MCA comes in. Together, our voices will be heard, both here in Fairfax County and two hours away in Richmond.
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At its November Board meeting, MCA authorized a two-pronged letter to the Board of Supervisors (BOS). The letter first commends the BOS for making it a legislative program priority to obtain a sizeable and ongoing increase in State K-12 education funding for Fairfax County Public Schools, based on the recommendations of the 2023 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) study on Virginia’s K-12 Funding Formula. The letter also asks the BOS to prioritize opposition to any legislation to authorize a casino in the legislative program for the 2025 session of the Virginia General Assembly and urges the Fairfax County Delegation to publicly oppose and vote against it should the bill be introduced.
MCA members came out in force for the No Fairfax Casino Forum on October 27th at McLean High School. Special guest speaker State Senator Jennifer Boysko, a member of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, where the Casino Bill was continued in the last legislative session, spoke in support of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition's efforts to defeat the bill.
The Casino Bill can be restarted as early as Fall 2024 but is more likely to be reintroduced in the 2025 General Assembly Legislative Session. |
Stay Informed and Inform Others
Our work is not done. We need your help! Simply go to the No Fairfax Casino Coalition Take Action page and do the following:
- Sign the No Fairfax Casino Petition -- Not sure if you signed? No problem - just click on the link and it will return a message regarding your status.
- Send an Email -- Urge Senators on the General Laws & Technology Committee, the Finance & Appropriations Committee, and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to decline to act on or pass any casino legislation. Click on the "Get Template and Email Addresses" button and follow the instructions. It takes less than 2 minutes - simply cut and paste!
- Spread the Word -- Forward this email to your friends and families and urge them to Take Action!
- Be Social -- Post to social media and follow the NoFairfaxCasino Facebook page.
Linda Walsh, President | | | | Celebrate 110 Years of Enhancing the McLean Community
Click on the links below to RSVP:
MCA 110th Anniversary Celebration. Thursday, November 14th, 7pm-9pm, McLean Community Center Community Hall: Come celebrate and enjoy refreshments as we honor our past as the oldest active county civic organization and look forward to a future of continued involvement in the issues that impact McLean residents. Ten former MCA presidents are expected to attend. This is a no-miss event!
| | | Be the Neighbor Who Knows What's Going on:
Join MCA Today
| Committee Spotlight: Transportation |  | Committee Spotlight: Transportation Committee
The Transportation Committee works with neighborhoods to identify traffic concerns, dangerous or congested intersections, and other safety-related issues on local streets and roadways, including unsafe or inadequate pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure. The Committee works closely with County and State transportation departments and with the Dranesville District Supervisor to find solutions. The Committee also follows the progress of major transportation initiatives that impact the McLean Area, such as the 495NEXT project, and Metro and other public transit issues. In addition to studying transportation issues, the Committee prepares letters and resolutions for the MCA Board's approval and hosts citizen-information events on pertinent transportation issues.
Recent Committee activities include:
*Writing a resolution supporting dedicated funding for high-priority active transportation projects such as sidewalks and trails (see below)
*Writing a letter to Dranesville Supervisor Bierman reiterating MCA's concern over the need for a Birch Road sidewalk extension
*Writing a letter to the Dranesville Supervisor urging his support for two pedestrian safety projects
*Hosting a meeting with FCDOT staff on issues relating to commuter parking near Tysons and McLean metro stations (video)
*Co-hosting with MCA's Budget & Taxation Committee a County staff presentation on the impact of WMATA funding on the County budget (video)
*Hosting a citizens information event on traffic calming measures, with a presentation by FCDOT, in collaboration with the MCA Public Safety Liaison (video)
For more information or to join the Committee, email Transportation Committee Chair, Glenn Harris.
|  | Committees: The Heart of MCA
Budget & Taxation (B&T)
Planning & Zoning (P&Z)
Transportation
Education & Youth (E&Y)
Environment, Parks & Recreation (EP&R)
Tysons
Membership
Liaison to McLean Community Center (MCC)
Liaison to McLean Planning Committee (MPC)
Liaison to McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC)
Public Safety Liaison
Senior Liaison
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! | | |
MCA Supports Dedicated Funding for "Active Transportation" Projects
At its November meeting, MCA passed a resolution urging the County to establish a dedicated funding process to ensure adequate construction of needed active transportation infrastructure projects, consistent with the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. Active transportation refers to any non-motorized, self-propelled, transportation such as walking and biking.
The resolution recommends that, if needed, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS) should hold another bond referendum, as it did in 2014, for the 2026 election cycle that includes funding dedicated solely towards active transportation projects. Such a bond would help ensure Fairfax County can meet its goal of creating a safer, more connected, and pedestrian and bicyclist-friendly environment. Alternatively, the MCA resolution asked the County to dedicate the money saved as a result of the Metro capital funding bond that passed in November 2024 (about $45 million per year) toward high priority active transportation projects.
| Don't Forget to Renew Your MCA Membership
Click the Red Button Below
| | MCA Endorses Exploring Office Park-to-Residential Community Conversions
MCA has been engaged in a series of exchanges with county staff on the issue of the conversion of offices to residential uses. Its most recent letter reiterates MCA’s position that county staff should address the problems of declining office property values and tax revenues with creative policies for economic growth that are consistent with existing comprehensive plans and that maintain the character of our communities. The letter asks staff to explore a constructive idea that emerged from a recent BOS Land Use Committee meeting: the creation of vibrant communities through the infill insertion of multifamily residential units and appropriate amenities into existing office parks.
| | | Step Back in Time: Get Ready for MCA's 110th Anniversary Celebration
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1932 Addition to Original McLean Firehouse
|  | Built in 1969, this space is now occupied by Total Beverage.
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