South County Federation

Meeting at South County Secondary School

Tuesday, May 3^rd, 2011 @ 7:30 p.m.

**** MINUTES ****

BOARD REPORTS (10 Minutes)

Called to order at 7:37PM

President’s Report, Peter Dickinson.

 

SUPERVISORS/LEGISLATORS TIME and DISCUSSION

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland

Covanta/Incinerator: Gerry thinks that Covanta has attempted to revise terms of a agreed upon deal.  Board has directed staff to consider alternatives.  He referred to a letter from Chair Bulova in his distribution packet.

Budget passed.  Property tax rate decreased $0.02.  Average difference from last year is $23.  Schools transfer the same as last year.

New interim Lorton Arts Foundation executive director.

No tenth district.

Magisterial Redistricting: Hunt returned to Springfield district.  Half of Woodlawn went to Lee district.  These changes mean Mount Vernon lost ~6,000 people.

Lorton Road widening final proposed plan under review by county.

Silverbrook pedestrian walkway.

Farmers’ Market.

Park Authority general public input forum.  Mouont Vernon Government Center, May 5^th, 7PM.

BLM Meadowood barn repair assessment report completed.  Hyland believes information in the report supports a decision to repair the barn.

CostCo approved at site of former Mount Vernon Multiplex.

Question about recent road construction.  Answer: not road work, installation of pipeline for re-use water from Noman Cole treatment plant to be used at waste-to-energy incinerator, Laurel Hill golf course and ballfields across from Lorton Library.

Comment: Lorton Arts Foundation concerned with Lorton Road widening alignment; meeting LAF May 11, 8PM.

Request for waiver to locate a church in the basement of a building denied by county staff; this is the medical building by the gazebo in Lorton Town Center.

 

Dave Albo, Virginia House of Delegates 42^nd district

Summary of redistricting, Voting Rights Act restrictions, process.  Agreed that there has yet to be a good process and that the process in place is what has been used for a long time.

Transportation: Governor’s ‘found’ money to be used on repaving and some new construction.  Historic low interest rates may lead to acceleration of projects.

Gas tax: 17.5 cents per gallon, flat amount, not indexed or adjusted

Commonwealth funding formula

Higher Education: preserving slots in state schools for in-state students

Criminal law: protective orders now possible for an expanded set of circumstances.  Expects the changes will need adjusting to adapt to public schools.

State budget: no increases in fees or taxes

Comment on joint resolution to study extension of rail in Northern Virginia

Comment on faded lane markings that are hard to see at night and on wet roads.

 

George Barker, Virginia Senate 39^th district

Spoke briefly about redistricting noting that Lorton Station will be part of his district.

 

* * *

 

President Dickinson invited Chris Caperton to address the federation regarding Laurel Hill Adaptive Re-Use.

Progress continues on this project.  Regular meetings are being held.  A draft interim agreement allows the developer to do some work while more details about the funding gap are discovered.

Hopes to have public meetings scheduled this summer.

Much of the interim work is for topological survey, boundary survey and stormwater management.

Question about density:  Answer: 180 townhomes and 171 apartments including 40 ADUs across both housing types.

Suggestion/comment: explore impact of project acceleration, taking advantage of low rates, on the funding gap.

Comment on bonds (referendum?) to close funding gap?

Question: any wall demolition during interim.  Answer: none planned.

County will communicate hopefully by the summer their plans for a public Project Advisory Committee meeting.

 

Information about Laurel Hill House

Structure is very poor condition.  Consultant is assessing the cost of stabilizing the structure.

Question about the gardens.  Answer: little/no progress.  Issue of invasive plants damaging brick work is known.

Suggestion: use county inmates under direction of Sheriff’s Department to work the gardens.

Plan is to have the Laurel Hill House eventually turned over to the Park Authority.

Suggestion: solicit ‘Master Gardener’ applicants to become involved

For the benefit of those who may not be aware, President Dickinson recognized some of those involved in the discussion.  Linwood Gorham is the federation’s Land Use chair and Mount Vernon district member of the Park Authority board.  Earl Flanagan is a county planning commissioner.

 

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORTS

• Education (Christine Morin)
  • Listening tour meeting hosted by school system facilities advisory board
  • Considering pulling Lorton Valley into SCSS boundary with administrative adjustment
  • South County Middle Scholl boundary study planned after two years
  • Full day kindergarten
• Land Use Committee (Linwood Gorham & Martin Rizer)
  • LUC meetings ongoing/upcoming issues
    • Accotink Village
    • LUC has contacted a developer interested in Telegraph Road project
    • Residential development on Sanger
• Public Safety
• Environmental and Parks
  • Presentation about interim uses for the Lorton landfill
    • Resolution 11-06 supporting DPWES solid waste division study and evaluation of interim landfill uses.  Passed 34-0-0.
    • Discussion encompassed undesired uses, agreement that the resolution is intended to support the initiation of the process that will eventually lead to an interim use, recognition that the underlying structure is not suitable for large windmills unless pilings are sunk (which could damage the clay enclosure), suggestion for uses: short term RV campgound, school bus parking
• Transportation

OLD BUSINESS

• Lorton Community Action Committee
  • Still seeing the increased need for assistance
  • Dedication of new pantry building at noon on May 11^th
  • Requesting gift cards from local grocery stores
  • Several upcoming collection events at local grocery stores
    • Ongoing collection at Giant on 123

NEW BUSINESS

• Next meetings

o   June 7^th meeting: 7:30PM, South County Secondary School  library

o   July 5^th meeting: 7:30PM, South County Secondary School  library

o   There will be no general meeting in August

Adjournment at 9:29PM