Campaign Email #2 - Development
Happy Fathers' Day to all the Fairfax City dads, grandfathers, and father figures! Hope you're enjoying the day exactly your way.
One quick campaign business item upfront: a new batch of yard signs will be available next week. These signs will be smaller (12" x 18") and double-sided. Sign up to claim yours here.
Now for the meatier topic: Development. There are a number of significant development proposals being presented in the City this summer, with public hearings likely happening this fall after the government's August recess. In my Planning Commissioner role, I'm hearing quite a bit of feedback from residents concerned about these projects' impact on City density, including traffic increases, pressure on public service provision and school capacity, and general height/mass of the proposed construction. I'd encourage you to track Planning Commission and City Council comments as these work sessions occur (https://www.fairfaxva.gov/Government/Public-Meetings/City-Meetings), but in the meantime, here's a quick(ish) summary of my thoughts on development and related increases in density:
1. City leadership (both elected officials and staff) need to be making decisions rooted in facts and guided by the publicly-reviewed and formally adopted City planning documents, including the Comprehensive Plan, the Small Area Plans, and the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Individual votes will be subjective by their nature, but the evaluation of projects and proposals must be consistent. I'm a process person by career path, so as a Planning Commissioner, I have pushed for the creation of a formal application process through which developers can request a Parcel-Specific designation (which is currently the most likely zoning scenario for building a new mixed-use development) if they meet specific criteria. I'm also in favor of the proposed "Zoning Islands" for activity centers as I believe they will strengthen use of our Small Area Plans as the firm baseline for development and provide clarity and rigor as to when and why exemptions/special use permits/variances may be considered (find out more about this proposal here: https://engage.fairfaxva.gov/zoning-standards-for-small-area-plans).
2. Increased occupancy by families specifically doesn't "scare" me from a school and public service capacity perspective because I know that families are economic drivers in the City. City government will certainly need to have tough conversations about the costs of service provision going forward, but I'm optimistic that the current Levels of Service analysis the City is conducting, combined with the efforts of Fairfax City's Economic Development to bolster and grow our commercial tax base, will provide the necessary data to make smart choices that enable all residents to continue to enjoy a high level of public services and amenities.
3. Traffic! My main concern with many of the larger proposed developments is their impact on traffic - specifically those proposed for streets and intersections that are already congested at peak times and have no capacity for expansion. I gave my recommendation to Planning Staff that the City should prioritize a comprehensive "as-is" traffic study, which will put us on better footing for discussion with developers when they propose projects that will add significant numbers of new car trips to our streets. In line with the "Zoning Islands" referenced above, I'd also love to see project designs that discourage car-centric transportation in favor of provision of shuttles, proffers for local public transportation, and thorough integration with existing pedestrian and non-motorized train and path infrastructure. Traffic impacts aren't just about resident convenience; they're also a matter of public safety and can be make-or-break factors in terms of the viability and desirability of future investments in our City.
This is getting long, so I'll save Affordability for a future email :)
If you've read this far - thanks for sticking with me. Happy to answer your follow-up questions either via email or in person, and if you appreciate what you've read here, please share with your City connections!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
- Kirsten