Your PHCA Board has been hard at work. Here are the activities that Mark Kinanne, PHCA Treasurer and our Representative to the McLean Citizens Association, has been working on:
Bridging Redd Rd
I have been heavily involved in acquiring signatures for a petition in support of a bridge across Redd Rd. I think a bridge would be of benefit to both the PH and Idylwood communities as the de facto crossing point between them is not safe after dark or bad weather. If anybody wishes to sign on they can contact me directly (treasurer [at] pimmithills [dot] org).
MCA Transportation Board
I meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month with the MCA transportation committee. Each month we have a representative from the HOT lanes project attend the meeting to hear feedback from us and record direct input on suggested alterations or concerns. The representatives have been very responsive to input from our community. In particular often witches hats or dangerous temporary construction routes onto and off-of the beltway have been altered per our requests. If anybody would like me to voice concerns at the meeting on their behalf they can contact me directly.
MCA Board
I meet on the 1st Wednesday of each month with the MCA Executive Board. This is the first year in a while that the PHCA has had a voting position on such a prestigious board. Each month we discuss a wide range of topics. Very often a member of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors or a state congressman of senator attends the meeting to hear feedback from us.
Politicians have been very responsive to input from the MCA community and it is not unusual for them to approach us directly for assistance in decision making and policy direction. The MCA has eight committees (Budget & Taxation, Education & Youth, Environment, Parks & Recreation, Membership, Planning & Zoning, Transportation, Tysons Liaison) which meet independently of the Executive Board once per month.
Lately Executive Board discussion has primarily centered on three topics:
1. The course of the Tysons Redevelopment - In particular making sure that the concerns of citizens are held above the desires of developers. The MCA have had great success in shaping the future of Tysons to suit the surrounding communities.
2. Falls Church Water rates - The board have been negotiating with the city of Falls Church and Fairfax County to make sure that any overcharging of customers by Falls Church does not occur and remedies are put in place in cases of overcharging.
3. The Tax Revenue of the McLean Community Center - The board have been consulting with the MCC board to make sure that available funds are put to the best use for the McLean community.
If anybody would like me to raise an issue with the MCA on their behalf they can contact me directly. Citizens can attend MCA Executive Board meetings to observe proceedings with more information available at http://www.mcleancitizens.org/
3T Bus Route
Last year there were discussions by WMATA regarding cessation of the 3T bus route through our neighborhood. Carol Martz gave an excellent presentation to a WMATA meeting convened in early October. All indications are that WMATA backed down from the threat to cut 3T service based on Carol's efforts. I wrote a letter which was forwarded to WMATA and Supervisor Foust's office in support of retaining the 3T bus route.
Amending the PHCA constitution
I have written a draft resolution to amend the PHCA constitution to reflect the de jure status of year round membership renewal. We will vote on this at the next meeting after announcing it on the PHCA website and posting the text to the local library.
Dulles Acces Rd Sound Barriers
In early December I attended a meeting at Lemon Rd Elementary regarding the proposed replacement/construction of sound barriers along the Dulles Access Road. The meeting was attended by states senators and local politicians. The mood of the crowd was rather hostile toward the speakers. In particular there were concerns with the models/sound data used to plan the barriers. My main concern was that the community were only given two weeks to reply to the presentation of the plan. At this stage the PHCA have not given any feedback on the project. More information on the project can be found at the following address (http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/dulles_connector_route_267_sound_walls.asp).
Neighborhood Enhancement Partnership Program
I attended a meeting in early Fall to get information regarding the Fairfax County Neighborhood Enhancement Project. If anybody has any ideas or wishes to volunteer to prepare a proposal on our behalf information can be found at the following address.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cex/nepp/
Fairfax Bicycle Plan
I have been liaising with Julie Ide regarding the impact/benefits of the Fairfax County Bicycle Plan on our community. I will be attending a meeting in Mid-February to make a presentation on behalf of our community to the master planners themselves. My presentation will request more access points to and from our community for bicycles and pedestrians, and request upgrades to major crossing points in surrounding our neighborhood to improve safety for pedestrians. Supervisor Foust's office have been of great assistance to us in these efforts. If anybody has any suggestions they can be forwarded directly to the planners. I will announce the meeting date when one is set. More information can be found at the following addresses.
(http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/bike/county_bike_master_plan.htm
http://tooledesign.com/fairfax/)
