There was a great win for the Fairfax City environment on Earth Day. And a great lesson for tireless residents who continued to speak up about taxpayer dollars going to build destructive, wide, paved roads through our dwindling forests. A majority of council instructed staff to redesign the George Snyder “Trail” (GST), pause the Pickett run connector and cancel the Country Club Hills (CCH) connector. Thousands of mature trees will be spared and we will all benefit from cleaner air, reduced flooding, and lower temperatures. Great progress in a tree city that is lagging far behind on preservation focused environmental actions.
At a recent council meeting on the budget, the chair of the city school board spoke about the largest budget item – our contracted payment per student to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). She attributed the increase in our required payment to a significant increase in student residents in the city. This can be traced to recent zoning exceptions granted for high-density housing where costs for new students, infrastructure, policing, fire services and stormwater management were not accurately accounted for. Almost every proposed housing development exceeds our current zoning density limits and eliminates or significantly reduces existing commercial space as well as any green space. This increases the tax burden on home owners – currently our tax base is 68% residential and 32% commercial.
A very important (and related) issue is on the agenda for the May 13 council meeting. The agenda includes a discussion on a massive re-write of the city zoning ordinance. The goal is to re-write the zoning ordinance to reflect the level and density of development that has been approved within small area plans (SAP). The Fairfax Circle SAP was approved last year and envisions very high-density housing and an elimination of existing small and large business spaces. The SAPs put forward many admirable ideas with respect to green spaces and storm water control with no analysis of the high costs or who will actually pay. The result is that developers see high-density and come forward with proposals for high-density housing, very little commercial space, and little to no green spaces. From the developer’s standpoint, selling a townhome, condo, or managing apartment rentals is much easier and financially lucrative than managing commercial space (or green space). Especially when rent price-fixing software continues to be allowed in Virginia, resulting in very high rents.
The reduction in commercial space further exacerbates our reliance on residential property tax and contributes to continued rising taxes on residents and business. The continued elimination of green spaces worsens flooding, heat island effects, and excessive impervious surfaces – 77% of Fairfax Circle is already impervious surface.
I rarely hear from residents asking for high-density development, or the elimination of commercial spaces for our small business, or the elimination of our green spaces – but if our zoning ordinance is changed to reflect what has been approved in SAPs that is exactly what could happen. The good news is there are council members who are in office because they truly care about our community, they are invested and committed to asking questions, and truly listening to residents. You can speak at public meetings on Tuesdays, on a specific topic or during the general comment period, or reach out via email to share your thoughts.
