Thursday night, I went to my first Jefferson Village Neighborhood Association Meeting. I had always wanted to get a little more involved in the community, so when I saw the announcements about the meeting, I didn't want to miss it! The meeting was held at the James Lee Community Center (which, by the way, is a very nice facility that I recommend you check out!), and there were about 20 neighbors in attendance. In addition, there were several guest speakers. Fairfax County School Board Member, Patty Reed; Providence District Supervisor, Linda Smyth; and VA State Delegate, Marcus Simon came to provide updates and answer our questions. Here is a photo courtesy of @marcussimon.
Here is a brief summary of the conversations:
- Patty Reed - Ms. Reed gave updates on what was going on within the school system. After her updates, she opened up the floor for questions. One of the first questions was about the state of Falls Church High School, and when it would be updated. She reported that while it is clear that the school is in a bad state and long due for renovation, it is far down the list. She said that planning was slated to start in 2019 and it might not be until the 2020s until the work was done. She mentioned that Fairfax County schools are among the best in the country, and said despite that it is clear that there is a difference in the quality of education and facilities throughout the county. She said that in order to move Falls Church High to a higher priority on the list, there needs to be a lot more involvement from the parents and more pressure from them to enact a change, as well as partnerships with local businesses that may be able to donate some of the resources needed by the school. She committed to providing us with more details on the status of Falls Church High as well as data on how school performance is determined. Throughout the conversation it was clear that the community members in attendance (even those without children) were very engaged in the current state of our schools, and understood the impact of quality education on our community.
- Linda Smyth - Ms. Smyth talked about budgets, and echoed Ms. Reed's sentiments that teacher pay in the county is not adequate. She also talked about the Villages "aging in place" initiative and explained that the goal is to create a multigenerational support system for members of the community so that people have resources when they need help. There was a lot of discussion about transportation infrastructure and making the district more walk- and bike-friendly. One of our neighbors asked about new, large-scale developments which change traffic flows and affect our neighborhood. Smyth noted that since VA is a property rights state, infrastructure is added in proportion to the size of the development. There was concern about planning for sidewalks and bike trails as new developments are built, and she made it clear that the community needs to get more involved in public hearings to make our voice heard during the planning phase. You can receive updates on the Providence District Web page, or by signing up for her distribution list. There was also a lively discussion about the new development in Falls Church City at Tinner Hill, and the fact that there are no crosswalks between Marshall and Hillwood Drive for members of our community to safely cross Lee Highway on foot. There seems to be confusion about exactly whose jurisdiction that is, which has frustrated several neighbors. There was also discussion about the overgrown strip of land adjacent to Tripps Run and whose responsibility it was to maintain it. Smyth concluded that no one really "owns" the land and suggested that if the neighborhood were to come together and "adopt" the plot of land, there probably wouldn't be much pushback from the county. She also provided an update that the "Shady Park" or Greenway Downs Park, is slated to receive a new swing set soon!
- Marcus Simon - The last two points were a perfect segway into the conversation with VA State Delegate, Marcus Simon who promised to check into both issues since both were under his jurisdiction. He mentioned that since he is a Real Estate Attorney, he can research the land near Tripps Run and follow-up with us about who owns it. He suggested working with the City of Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, which may have a vested interest in ensuring that our neighborhood residents are able to safely walk to the new shopping center. Simon also discussed his opposition to the fact that the State has declined to expand medicare even though the federal government is withholding our tax dollars in order to make that expansion possible. Additionally, he answered questions about additional funds that are being generated from the new Real Estate Congestion Relief Fee, and noted that the process is just beginning for deciding how to use those funds. At the end of his portion, he snapped the photo above and tweeted it from his twitter account (@marcussimon). To receive updates on what's going on in the 53rd district, follow Marcus Simon on Facebook or visit his website.
After our guests finished, we discussed some updates related to the neighborhood. The community newsletter should be out in next 10 days (available both in print and online - stay tuned!), and that the community yard sale is being planned for June. Check out the newsletter as it will have all the latest and greatest info!
To close the meeting, board members were selected. Steve Coute will continue as the JVCA President, Heather Embrey will continue as Vice President, Peter Beckman will assume the role of Secretary, and we also have a new Treasurer (sorry I don't recall her name, if you know it please add in the comments). Four new "At Large" board members were added including Crystal Street, Antonia Miller, Sonya Breehey, and me(!), Rita Oliva.
There was A TON discussed, and I am sure I have left many details out, so please feel free to leave additional info in the comments. I am excited to be a part of such a wonderful, engaged community, and I look forward to what the upcoming year holds for Jefferson Village! If you haven't done so, be sure to support our neighborhood by joining the JVCA using this form (click here). You can also email president@jefferson-village.org to join the mailing list and receive periodic community updates.
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