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On September 6, 2023, the President of the McLean Citizens Association (MCA) sent a letter to the Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors supporting Volume II District Design Guidelines for the McLean Community Business Center. Volume II is a companion document to Volume I Urban Design Guidelines for Fairfax County Revitalization Areas. The documents are meant to be used together by developers when designing projects in downtown McLean. Volume II contains guidance on the structure and appearance of streetscapes, building frontage, lighting, street furnishings and stormwater management. The letter notes that the Guidelines reflect the McLean community’s vision and the latest advancements in urban planning.

The letter also acknowledges Fairfax County Staff members Elizabeth Hagg, Director of the Community Revitalization Section and JoAnne Fiebe, Senior Revitalization Program Manager in the Department of Planning and Development for their leadership in developing

On September 6, 2023, the McLean Citizens Association approved a resolution supporting the repurposing of an aging and underused office building at 2000 Corporate Ridge in Tysons into 250 loft-style apartments designed for residential or office use or both at the same time. Building repurposing is a preferred answer to the problem of surplus office space nationwide. In 2016, Fairfax County adopted Guidelines for Commercial Building Repurposing to facilitate the process. Repurposing is more cost effective and environmentally friendly than demolishing buildings and replacing them with new construction.

The resolution notes that the applicant will retain the existing conference center, fitness room and community kitchen on the building’s ground floor, plus the four-level parking garage that will accommodate parking for tenants and visitors.

On September 6th, MCA approved a resolution supporting Macerich’s application to amend the previously approved rezoning of 3.5 million square feet of development at Tysons Corner Center notwithstanding MCA’s previously expressed concerns about office to residential conversions. Having acquired the vacant Lord & Taylor site, Macerich now seeks to amend its previous rezoning, primarily to add a second-phase option for a 400-foot mixed use building with 292 units of residential above office and retail levels. In addition, the application proposes reshuffling the mix of uses among the building phases and reintroduces a retail building along Route 7 that was removed by an earlier amendment. The maximum approved square footage of 6,015,217 square feet remains unchanged.

On September 6, 3023, the MCA Board of Directors adopted a resolution in support of the Mars Incorporated rezoning application to expand and upgrade its headquarters building. Located in downtown McLean, this property borders Old Dominion Drive, Moyer Place, and Elm Street. The height of the building will increase from its existing fifty feet to sixty-three feet, consisting of three stories above entry grade.

The Mars proposed design will feature a myriad of green building features in keeping with the values of both Fairfax County and Mars. Such features will include a dry swale, a bioretention tree pit, and a private green park to provide an outdoor extension of office space.

The MCA Board, on September 7, approved a Resolution stating it doesn’t oppose an Application by The Boro II Developer seeking to amend the plans for The Boro, Block B, Building 1 (B1) and Building 2 (B2) that had been previously approved by the County. The applicant is seeking an option for office use for B1. This is an exception to the current trend of conversions from office to residential use. The amendment proposes two options. Under Option one, B1 is changed from a residential building to a 313-foot office building with ground floor retail and B2 is a 395-foot-tall residential tower. Under Option 2, B1 is a 361-foot-tall residential tower and B2 is a 395-foot-tall residential tower.

Thursday, October 12, 2023
7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Hybrid:: McLean Community Center, McLean Community Hall and via Zoom

There will be two 45-minute debates in the following order:

• Dranesville Supervisor – Puneet Ahluwalia and Jimmy Bierman
• Dranesville School Board Rep. – Robyn Lady and Paul Bartkowski

All residents in the area are welcome to attend. The Community Hall doors will open at 7:00 pm -- please plan to arrive early to ensure you get a seat.
The debate will be hybrid – in person and via Zoom @ https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85148256052?pwd=Q1FyakI2T21tcUNkWEYvcVB1N3V1Zz09 (Meeting ID: 851 4825 6052, Passcode: 261141, phone: 301 715 8592).

MCA is a non-partisan, politically objective organization. Since 1914, MCA has represented the interests of residents of the greater McLean Area. For more information about MCA, please visit www.mcleancitizens.org. For more information about the candidates - click Read More.

On August 16, 2023, MCA called on the Fairfax County Planning Commission to recommend changes to the County’s Advertised Off-Street Parking Ordinance. Specifically, MCA urged the Commissioners to recommend that the Board of Supervisors: (1) adopt more modest minimum off-street parking reductions than recommended in the Advertised Ordinance for new and redeveloped multifamily buildings in the more urbanizing areas of the County (delineated in the proposed County ordinance as the Tiered Framework areas); (2) eliminate or significantly modify the proposed rules authorizing the Director of Land Use Services to unilaterally reduce the minimum number of off-street parking and loading spaces; (3) modify certain regulations to better protect the environment and better meet the parking needs of the handicapped community; and (4) direct staff to study whether the County could reduce off-street parking for multifamily buildings further in the future without negatively impacting residents and ....

The Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) just released the Market Study it commissioned in Spring 2023 to assess and benchmark current market conditions and provide insight for its ongoing strategic planning effort. It's long -- 166 slides in all -- but highly relevant to many of the issues that we have considered in MCA. I encourage you all to take the time to read it. You can find the Market Study at this link:

https://tysonsva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tysons-Market-Analysis.July23.pdf.

Additionally, the TCA has just issued a series of Community Engagement Surveys designed to help it better understand the needs, preferences, and aspirations of employers, employees, residents and all members of the broader community. These surveys aim to identify key areas of opportunities that will inform the TCA's key initiatives going forward.
Click Read More for links to the Surveys!

1) How long have you lived in Mclean? 13 years
2) Why did you move to McLean? I moved specifically for the neighborhood I live in as it has a lot of mature trees and is close to the schools. I had school age children that were in a private school and we wanted a similar educational environment for them from a public school. Mclean is also 15 mins drive to Georgetown and we enjoy a lot of the activities that DC has to offer.
3) What is your professional/work and educational background? I work in technology as a Product Management professional. For the past 10 years I have worked on cyber security products and have experience with a variety of solutions ranging from DDOS mitigation to cyber threat intelligence to identifying impersonations of executives. I decide what products to build that solve cyber security problems for governments, financial services, retail, and other sectors that are highly vulnerable to attacks.

On June 7, MCA sent a letter to the Fairfax County Director for Land Development challenging the findings of a parking reduction study submitted in support of an application by FCGP-Metro Development LLC (the applicant) for the WFC WMATA Metro-Station Project. Previously the applicant had submitted a study in support of the same application that MCA also questioned on the grounds that the applicant did not offer sufficient empirical evidence to justify the low parking space per residential unit that it was requesting.

Working from home has left a growing surplus of office space across the country. In response, developers are converting offices to residential uses. Currently, the MCA Planning and Zoning Committee is tracking nine rezoning applications in Tysons and McLean requesting a shift from office to residential uses. These changes would occur in one of three ways: (1) converting approved rezoning for office buildings to residential buildings; (2) replacing existing office buildings with residential buildings; and, (3) converting office buildings to apartment buildings.

Taken collectively, these requests for rezoning could have negative consequences. On June 7, MCA sent a letter to Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of supervisors requesting that Fairfax County staff undertake a study of the potentially negative impact........

1) How long have you lived in Mclean? Why did you move to McLean?
I was born and raised in the area and attended Fairfax County public schools. I have been a McLean resident since the 1970’s. McLean has always had appeal because of its open space, proximity to Washington, DC and reputation for good schools.

2) What is your professional/work and educational background?
My degrees are in biology and I have earned a number of professional certificates in land use, policy, and Web design. While I have always gravitated to the Washington area because of family and friends, I have lived/attended school/worked in Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Thailand, Italy, and the United Kingdom. I served in the Office of the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors under two different chairmen and with the Hunter Mill District Supervisor which enhanced my knowledge of how the county functions.

How long have you lived in Mclean? Why did you move to McLean?
I have lived in McLean for 13 Years. I move to McLean mainly because of schools and closeness to DC. At the time I was involved with U.S. Govt. contracts.

What is your professional/work and educational background?
Professional - Engineer-Electrical and I have a master’s in engineering management.

How long have you been an MCA member?
Since 2015

What is the value of being an MCA member?
The best value is that it keeps me informed about my government at work, my surroundings and my neighborhood and the state of things in general. The second most important thing is that I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with a very dedicated group of folks who devote a lot of time in their quest for the betterment of our community. I can honestly say that I don’t know of a finer group of people anywhere. This group is scarce to find in other parts of the country.

The McLean Citizens Association and the McLean Community Center cordially invites you to a Senior Safety Summit on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 from 10am to 12pm in the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean 22101, Community Rooms B, and C.

Registration is not required. Admission is FREE. All are welcome to attend - Seniors, Parents, Caregivers and Family Members!

OPENING REMARKS WILL BE OFFERED BY:

John Butler, Chief of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
Kevin Davis, Chief of the Fairfax County Police Department
Betsy May-Salazar, Executive Director, McLean Community Center
Scott Spitzer, President, McLean Citizens Association

PUBLIC SAFETY TOPICS TO BE PRESENTED:

• Community Risk Reduction
• Search and Rescue – Missing Persons
• Financial Crimes against Senior Citizens
• Romance & Business Scams Crime Prevention and Safety
• Questions and Answers

The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) is again sponsoring Teen Character Awards to recognize teens with exceptional ethical and compassionate character. Teens who have, on their own and without compensation or formal recognition, cared for elderly relatives or younger siblings, or who have helped out in the neighborhood or community (defined as the Greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area), deserve to be recognized not only for themselves but as examples to others.

All teen nominations must meet the criteria listed on the application. The MCA Education and Youth Committee will review nominations to determine compliance and select the winners from the most deserving candidates.

NOMINATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL TO e-y_committee@mcleancitizens.org NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2023.

Click on "Read More" to access a link to the OUTSTANDING CHARACTER AWARD FOR TEENAGERS' APPLICATION.

On March 11, 2023, the Art in Motion Dance performers entertained the crowd at the “I Love McLean” celebration hosted by McLean Citizens Association (MCA). The dancers, from preschoolers to high school students, performed four different numbers from cheerleading and hip hop to musical theater jazz. The dancers performed in beautiful costumes and brought big smiles to the faces of the appreciative audience! To view more photos, visit the MCA’s website (mcleancitizens.org) and click on “Photo Album”.

Art in Motion Dance (AIM) is owned and directed by Allie O’Hare. Allie is an experienced, professional dance instructor and performer who has more than 30 years of dance experience. She has been teaching in the McLean Community Center (MCC) for 15 years and has been running her own company at the MCC as well as several other locations throughout the DMV for the past 3 years.

AIM is a premier dance program dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing space for children to explore..

After a two year sabbatical due to the Pandemic, the McLean Citizens Association (MCA) sponsored the 4th Annual I Love McLean Celebration on March 11, 2023, along with co-hosts, McLean Community Center (MCC), McLean Project for the Arts (MPA), McLean Community Foundation (MCF) and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and McLean District Police Station. The theme of the celebration was to officially honor the people that protect us - our local firefighters and police officers. Over 200 people were in attendance!

Opening remarks were made by Supervisor Foust who acknowledged the exemplary work MCA performs. John applauded MCA’s efforts to bridge the gap between the residents and the County on important local issues. He noted that MCA’s input via resolutions and letters are well thought out, factual and has helped him understand the community’s concerns prior to discussions and votes by the Board of Supervisors.

Kids’ Lit Quiz is an annual literature quiz for students ages 10 to 13. Kids’ Lit Quiz was created to acknowledge and motivate readers at a time when pleasure reading traditionally declines for youths. Students compete in teams to answer questions about book characters, authors, genres, first sentences, and book terminology.

In February, the Cooper Middle School Kids’ Lit Quiz Team competed in Hartford, Connecticut, and was one of five teams to progress to the national final. After five rounds of the fast-paced buzzer-style competition, the Cooper MS team successfully earned first place and was named national champion. In July, the Cooper team will travel to New Zealand and represent the United States in a world final competing against students representing Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand.

Team Members: Evelyn Volova, Carmen Appel, Lachlan Thomas, Lachlan Thomas, Kylie Rudinsky, Sponsor – Marci Love Thomas.

On Wednesday February 15th the McLean Citizens Association (MCA) hosted a well-received Public Safety Forum with MCA members and the general public in the McLean Community Center. The guest speakers were Captain Carolyn Kinney, Commander of the McLean District Police Station; Lieutenant Derek Gray, Assistant Commander; Master Police Officer Carolyn Beyer, Crime Prevention Officer, and PFC Avaiz Mian Community Outreach Officer. The McLean District Station Leadership per the attached Presentation discussed a Year To Date (YTD) Comparison of Crime Statistics; District Station Traffic Activities; Traffic Safety Initiatives and Crash Data; Information from the Auto Crimes Enforcement Unit; Kia/Hyundai TikTok Challenge; Information about Illegal Car Meet Ups; and the McLean District Station 2023 Polar Plunge in the Mosaic. This was a great opportunity for MCA Members and the general public to discuss issues and concerns they are affecting our greater McLean communities and neighborhoods.

On January 4, 2023, the MCA Board of Directors (the MCA Board) adopted a resolution proposed by the MCA Transportation Committee. The resolution recommends that Fairfax County move forward with 19 active transportation projects in the West Falls Church Transit Station Area (the Area), i.e., projects to promote pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. For more information and a link to the resolution, please click the above title.

On November 15, Dranesville Supervisor John Foust and the McLean Citizens Association co-sponsored an informational, public meeting concerning the West Falls Church Metro Station redevelopment. Fairfax County is currently considering two rezoning applications that will yield more than three million square feet of mixed-use projects. The meeting featured opening remarks by Supervisor Foust and MCA First Vice President Jennifer Jones and presentations by the two principal contractors, FCGP-Metro Development for the WMATA Station site and Converge West Falls for HITT Contracting and Rushmark. The County’s application review process was described by the Department of Planning and Development. There were questions from the in-person and on-line audience.

MCA co-sponsored the meeting to enable concerned citizens impacted by the project to hear directly from the developers, Supervisor Foust and County officials and to provide a forum for asking questions and providing comments.

On February 1, 2023 ,the MCA Board of Directors approved a Resolution on the Use of Synthetic Turf in Greater McLean that highlights the existence of significant concerns about the environmental and health effects related to synthetic turf while the county considers a proposal from the McLean Little League to fund the conversion of the baseball diamond field at Linway Terrace Park to synthetic turf. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to release the results of its multiagency investigation to address the potential human health effects of exposure to crumb rubber in synthetic turf fields. Concerns related to synthetic turf fields include the use of crumb rubber infill, potential toxic stormwater runoff, heat generated by the fields in summer, the waste management implications of limited synthetic field life span, and the presence of toxic “forever chemicals” in field materials. The resolution recommends that:

On October 6, 2022, the MCA Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution asking the Board of Supervisors to pay $5,000 or larger retention bonuses during Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 to Fairfax County police officers using one-time money made available from the County’s Year-End Budget Carryover, and to direct the County Executive to include a significant raise for police officers in the FY 2024 Advertised Budget.

For over a year, a team of MCA volunteers has been researching our police department’s attrition, hiring and compensation.

On April 6, 2022, the MCA’s annual resolution on the County budget urged the County Board of Supervisors to change the salary scales for police officers to increase salaries for police officers up to second lieutenant by a total of 10% across the board, including the proposed “market scale adjustment” of 4.01% for inflation.

On September 30th, Scott Spitzer, MCA President and board members Kevin Kierce, Raj Mehra and Brian Shahkarami attended the centennial celebration of the McLean Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD).

The celebration was held at the Westwood Country Club in Vienna with a delightful banquet. The celebration brought together volunteers, community leaders, career staff riding out of Station 401, and Fire Chief John S. Butler of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

The emcees for the evening were Adrienne Hogan, MVFD Board Chair, and Doug Mohl, C Shift Leader. MVFD’s Chaplain, Smith T. Banks II, offered the invocation and remarks on the 100 years of service to the community.

Ralph Darner, Clyde Clark and Homer Johns, all MVFD’s longest serving, all life members were saluted.

The Education and Youth Committee (E&Y) is exploring whether current FCPS student projection methodology is adequate for rapid growth areas like Tysons and the Mosaic Districts. Accurate student projections are important as they are used to create the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for creating, maintaining and funding present and future capital infrastructure requirements for the school system.

Jim Beggs, E&Y Committee Chair, presented an analysis of student projections made by Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) for the Langley, McLean, Marshal and Madison pyramids compared to projections calculated by the E&Y Committee The E&Y Committee's model significantly differs from FCPS projections for three elementary schools (Spring Hill, Westgate, and Westbriar), two middle schools (Kilmer and Longfellow) and two high schools (McLean, Marshall).

Click Read More to read the Opinion published in the Sun Gazette November 17-23, 2023.

On the evening of Wednesday October 19th, Dr. Reed (FCPS new Superintendent) met with McLean area children for Q & A. The event was videotaped and is available in the MCA Video Library.

In addition to Dr. Reid, guest speakers included
Dr. Mitchell, Executive Principal, Region 2;
Douglas Tyson, Assistant Superintendent, Region 1; and Elaine Tholen , FCPS Dranesville School Board Member.

Questions were asked from Elementary to High School Students. While this session was lightly attended, the discussion was rich and delved into interesting topic areas - including:

I moved from a condo in Arlington to McLean in 1983 to accommodate my growing family.

I graduated from Villanova University School of Law. Presently, I am a construction lawyer for Construction Risk Counsel, PLLC located in Tysons Corner, Virginia. I provide risk management consulting services to owners, design professionals, contractors, insurance carriers and attorneys on construction projects.

I have been a member of MCA for five years. I am a member of the Planning and Zoning Committee (P&Z). I felt with my construction background, I could offer a different viewpoint to offset the anti-development sentiment expressed by some McLean residents. I felt that the McLean CBC Comprehensive Plan was amended in a manner that could adversely impact the quality and pace of development in downtown McLean. As a member of the committee, I have had the opportunity to serve as case manager on several large developments proposals.

I've lived in Mclean since June of 1998. My family moved to Mclean from New Jersey because my wife grew up in Mclean and we wanted to be closer to her family.

I have been in banking and finance for my entire career and currently serve as Chief Financial Officer for The Freedom Bank of Virginia, based in Fairfax, VA. I have a Bachelors in Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, India and Masters in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I have been a member of the MCA since June of 2019. I find value in being an MCA member because it allows me to be more fully engaged in matters that affect Mclean, engage with officials who impact our community and meet with other MCA members who are equally committed to this community.

I was born in Washington DC, and raised in Arlington Virginia. I met and fell in love with a woman from McLean in 2003 and moved to McLean in 2006 (16 years).

After working 38 years for Government Services in information technology, I retired as a GS-15. I am a retired US Navy Chief Petty Officer (CPO), Aerographer’s Mate (Meteorology and Oceanography) with over 30 years of service (active duty 4 years and 27 years in US Naval Reserve Service). I have a master’s degree in Software Engineering Administration from Central Michigan University

Prior to moving to McLean, I was an active member of the Arlington County Civic Federation (ACCF). It was my honor to serve as the ACCF President from 2004 to 2006. I joined the MCA to continue my over 30 years of civic engagement with a goal of making a difference in our McLean Community.

I have served as an MCA At-Large Board Member since 2011. Currently I serve as .....

McLean has been my home and tax base for over 62 years. In 1960, my family moved from Dunn Loring to McLean, living in an era of cows in what is now Lewinsville Park, barns and horses, apple orchards and fresh eggs all within walking distance. My father’s overseas assignment to the American Embassy in Paris, France meant I spent 5 years in bilingual schools before returning to find Tysons Corner built and to graduate from McLean High School in 1970.

My B.A. degree in French literature from Randolph-Macon College eventually landed me a job with the Department of Justice, the United States National Central Bureau, AKA INTERPOL – initially as a French translator and then as an analyst focusing on counter narcotics and counter terrorism. Yearning to work overseas, I transferred to the Department of State, serving as a foreign service officer in Taiwan, Greece, Japan (twice) and a couple of stints in Afghanistan, retiring in 2012 after almost 30 years of Federal Government work.

My family and I have lived in McLean since the spring of 2012, and we moved here after my husband retired from the U.S. Air Force. I’m an Army brat and as a child we lived in Fairfax and I’ve always loved the strong sense of community in McLean.

During the George W. Bush Administration, I was a spokesperson for longtime McLean resident Gen. Colin L. Powell when he was the Secretary of State and have worked in the national security arena for over twenty years. I am the co-owner of the only female-owned bi-partisan government affairs company focused on national security, Velocity Government Relations. My undergraduate degree is from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York and I also earned a master’s degree from Hawai’i Pacific University In Honolulu, Hawai’i.

I moved with my husband, Steve Bradbury, and three kids to McLean from Potomac, Maryland in 2008 so that our eldest, who was then beginning 8th grade, could apply to TJ. It turned out to be a fabulous move for our family. Not only did all three kids attend TJ, but my husband had a shorter commute to DC, we could walk to our swim & tennis club, and we all really liked the community.

I just joined the MCA in June. I was immediately impressed with the seriousness of purpose that I observed throughout the organization. My friend, a long-time member who chairs a committee, had been suggesting I join for years. I think I finally listened to her because now that I serve as VP of my Tysons condo’s Board, I wanted to know more about — and be involved with — the plans for this dynamic part of McLean.

I joined the Tysons Committee and more recently, the Planning & Zoning Committee. I’m already Co-Case Manager on rezoning application down the street from our condo in Tysons.