 |  |  | Dear MCA Members:
I hope you were able to attend the McLean Revitalization Committee’s Fall Movie Night on September 25 (see photo above).
As discussed in greater detail below, MCA continues to work on key issues affecting area residents and producing events to keep citizens informed of important matters. For example, at the recent MCA board meeting, we passed three letters presented by our Planning & Zoning Committee. Most significantly, the MCA Board approved a letter expressing support for some changes proposed by County staff regarding Accessory Dwelling Units, but also urged the Board of Supervisors to maintain certain restrictions on exterior structures built in residents’ yards to provide living accommodations. MCA also approved two letters regarding proposed development projects in the Tysons area.
MCA also cosponsored/is cosponsoring, with the League of Women Voters, forums for the candidates for the 8th and 11th congressional districts and a town hall with State Delegate Rip Sullivan focusing on electricity bills.
Here is some more information about these and other upcoming events:
* Both the McLean 5K, benefiting McLean Community Foundation, and the McLean Volunteer Fire Department Open House (see below for details) take place TOMORROW, Saturday, October 10th.
* MCA is co-sponsoring League of Women Voters' (LWV) candidate forums for the 8th and 11th Congressional Districts, respectively. The 8th District forum took place on September 28th (a video of the debate is available here). Thank you in advance for taking time to vote in the upcoming election. Click here for voting information from LWV.
11th Congressional District Candidate Forum
Monday, October 26th, 8:00 p.m.
Participating Candidates: James R. Walkingshaw (D), Arthur G. Purves (R), Dianne L. Blais (G)
Watch the forum live on Fairfax Public Access, Channel 10 TV Cox and Verizon Fios and/or live streamed
Viewers may call with questions at the number on the screen.
(If you miss the debate, a recording will be available shortly afterward on the LWV of Fairfax website.)
* State Delegate Rip Sullivan is holding an Energy Town Hall at the McLean Community Center, focusing on electricity bills and other energy issues. MCA will announce the date and time in a separate email as soon as details are confirmed.
If you were once an MCA member and have allowed your membership to lapse, we would be thrilled to welcome you back. If you have been considering becoming a first-time MCA member, we urge you to sign up. It's quick and easy, and if you sign up for five years, you'll get a discount on the membership dues, and won't need to think about it for a while.
Your membership will support MCA's critical role in advocating on issues that affect the day-to-day lives and quality of life for McLean-area residents. Issues like schools, parks, Tysons development, traffic, sidewalks, and the county budget affect all of us. MCA takes on these issues, giving citizens a voice to raise concerns with, or express support for, Fairfax County decisions and policies.
Your support would help MCA continue its 112 years of impactful advocacy. To renew your membership or become a member for the first time, JOIN HERE.
Respectfully,
Glenn Harris, President
McLean Citizens Association
| MCA Urges Maintaining Restrictions on Accessory Living Units
At its October meeting, MCA approved a letter urging the Board of Supervisors to maintain several important restrictions on Accessory Living Units (ALUs). ALUs are additional dwelling units that can be either in the interior of a house, attached to the dwelling, or a detached stand-alone structure.
MCA shares the County's concern about the lack of affordable housing and recognizes a role for ALUs in the expansion of housing options, especially with regard to the ability of homeowners to host elderly and other family members. Thus, MCA supports many of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, particularly as they apply to interior/attached ALUs.
However, MCA is concerned that several of the proposed changes in regulations, taken together, risk adversely impacting established neighborhoods. In particular, MCA has concerns over proposed changes to the lot size where detached ALUs could be built; the proposed height allowance for detached ALUs; owner occupancy and occupant limits; parking, and the primacy of home owner association (HOA) rules. MCA's letter recommends the following revisions to the proposed amendments:
1. Allow detached ALUs only in districts zoned as R1 and R2 (meaning one acre or one half acre lots) and not in districts with smaller lots of one third acre or smaller. In districts with these smaller lots, neighborhoods could face significant challenges with parking and the visual impact of tall freestanding ALUs would be considerable.
2. Limit the height of a detached ALU to 20 feet, or the height of the primary dwelling, whichever is less.
3. Retain the current requirement for the property owner to occupy either the primary unit or the ALU.
4. Limit the primary residence and the ALU to the same maximum occupancy as a single family detached dwelling, which allows only four unrelated adults to live on the lot.
5. Retain the current requirement for a parking space for an ALU, except in those designated areas where state law explicitly prohibits parking requirements.
6. Clarify that any revision of the requirements for ALUs in the Zoning Ordinance does not override homeowner covenants or declarations, and require owners to certify that a proposed ALU is permitted by HOA governing documents when submitting an ALU application.
For more information, read the County staff's White Paper or visit the County Accessory Living Units website.
The next meeting of the Planning & Zoning Committee will be on October 27th at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Please contact Committee Chair Bob Perito for more information. | MCA Supports Application for "Tysons A" Development
MCA approved a letter supporting a rezoning application for the "Tysons A" development, a 2.389-acre site at 8250 Greensboro Drive that would change the zoning from commercial to residential, consistent with the flexible transit oriented, mixed-use development envisioned for the Planned Tysons Corner Urban (PTC) District. The proposal would redevelop an aging low-rise building, now used as a health club, into two high-rise residential towers.
The applicant requests a modification from the 10-acre minimum lot size for the PTC District, as it has been unable to consolidate nearby properties. Despite MCA’s continuing concerns about the cumulative impact of office-to-residential conversions on services in the Tysons area, the MCA letter urges the Board of Supervisors to grant the modification and approve the application, citing the following reasons:
• The applicant agreed to construct a portion of a new side street and place the buildings' parking entrance and loading docks on that street, and is proffering public facility space;
• The proposed public park space is over 1/3 of the parcel and offers much-needed amenities, including a dog park and playgrounds (MCA, however, supports staff's request that the applicant significantly increase its proffered financial contribution toward Tysons parks).
• Additional residential units will have a positive impact on local restaurants and other retail establishments.
| MCA Supports Tysons Senior Living Application
MCA approved a letter supporting a requested zoning amendment to allow two applicants to develop a senior living community on a currently undeveloped site that now hosts the Shipgarten pop-up beer garden. MCA agrees with the applicants that the project respects the intended land use mix of a previously approved application for the site while helping to address the County’s shortage of residential options for older adults.
The applicants propose a community consisting of three towers that together will provide a range of housing and services for seniors, including independent living and assisted living. The proposal also includes amenities available to residents and the public, along with approximately 25,600 square feet of complementary retail space.
MCA’s letter supports the proposal, provided that the development include the exterior building design, urban park space and publicly accessible retail amenities consistent with the previously approved application. Although the applicants are taking steps to minimize the project’s impact on the adjacent Scott’s Run Stream Valley Park, due to the Park’s proximity, MCA requests that the County confirm that the development satisfies all stormwater and environmental requirements before granting final approval. | Tysons Liaison/Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition
| Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition Hosts Data Center Discussion
On September 24th, a week after Governor Spanberger issued Executive Order 22 placing restrictions on future data center development, the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition (GTCC) held an informative meeting on the pros and cons of data centers, with an emphasis on the Tysons area. The meeting included an overview of the proposed Vienna Cloud data center, located between the Capital Beltway outer loop, Route 7, and Gallows Road, including potential zoning and environmental issues posed by the project.
Public policy expert Ann Bennett, land use chair of the Sierra Club's Great Falls Group (which covers all of Northern Virginia), gave an informative presentation, providing relevant national, state, and local statistics and focusing on energy use and impacts on nearby residents. MCA member Steve DelBianco, President and CEO of NetChoice, a tech industry trade association (speaking in his professional capacity, not as a representative of MCA), explained the economic and other benefits of the large-scale data centers his firm represents and how that sector of the industry is addressing environmental concerns. The meeting video is available.
The next meeting of the GTCC will be a virtual meeting with Providence District School Board representative Karl Frisch at 7pm on Thursday, October 15th. Please contact Committee Chair Sally Horn for more information.
| McLean Revitalization Corporation
| MRC Seeks YOUR Input on Downtown McLean
McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC), a group with which MCA has a close liaison relationship, has asked MCA members to participate in a brief survey.
Dear McLean Community Members:
We invite you to participate in a brief survey focused on revitalizing Downtown McLean. Your feedback will help guide efforts to improve local businesses, public spaces, events, and overall quality of life in our downtown area.
The survey takes only a few minutes to complete, but your responses can have a lasting impact on the future of McLean.
Take the survey here: Survey Link.
Thank you for helping us create a more vibrant, welcoming, and thriving Downtown McLean.
Sincerely,
McLean Revitalization Corp
An all-volunteer group dedicated to improving our downtown
www.mcleantoday.org | Environment, Parks & Recreation
McLean Trees Foundation
| Come Plant a Tree
Join Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, his staff and the Mclean Trees Foundation to plant fifteen native trees in Spring Hill Recreation Center Park. The trees are being planted courtesy of a generous contribution from the Lewisville Coalition, a homeowner group. There will be a short ceremony during which a white oak will be planted in honor of Jane Edmondson, who was the Chief of Staff of former Supervisor John Foust as well as founder of the Lewinsville Coalition.
Meet at 10 a.m. on the grassy area to the left of the main Spring Hill Recreation Center entrance. Please wear heavy shoes and long pants and bring work gloves if you have them, though there will be tools and gloves for everyone. Don’t forget to bring water to drink.
Saturday October 24th
10 a.m. - 1 p.m
Spring Hill Recreation Center Park
Sign up at this link (go to the calendar and click on the 10 a.m. activity on October 24th).
For more information, contact Carol Wolter, McLean Trees Foundation. | TOMORROW'S Special Events
Saturday, October 10, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
McLean Square Shopping Center, 6631 Old Dominion Dr.
The race, a perennial family favorite, is hosted by the McLean Community Center and the McLean Community Foundation (MCF), and proceeds support MCF, which in turn gives generous grants to numerous McLean-area organizations. The certified course through McLean is designed to appeal to runners of all ability and experience levels.
Sign up in September: $45
Sign up October 1 through Race Day: $50
Join MCA's 5K Team: When you sign up, check the team box and choose "MCA Runners (and Walkers)" from the dropdown. Or just donate! Select "Sponsorships for $2500 and below," pick your donation level, and fill in the required information. On the contact information screen, enter MCA as the Business Name. Thank you!
McLean VFD Open House
Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
1455 Laughlin Avenue
Once a year, the fire department opens its firehouse to the public to showcase its apparatus, conduct live rescue demonstrations, provide fire safety education, and offer fun activities for the whole family.
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