Mason District Residents Tired of Litter, Trash in the Community

Mason District residents are fed up with the amount of trash and litter in their neighborhoods.

That was the chief complaint expressed at an environmental forum hosted by the Mason District Council on Thursday at Peace Lutheran Church in Alexandria where a crowd of about 50 residents and local representatives came together to brainstorm ideas on how to address the litter problem in Mason District.

Residents described finding newspapers, candy wrappers and other debris near drop off and pick up locations for school buses and trash trucks. Photographs in a slideshow presentation also showed photos of discarded water bottles, plastic bags and other trash in medians and more around the district.

Overall, residents agreed that picking up the litter is a daunting and overwhelming task, mostly due to both the amount of litter and the lack of volunteers to remove it all.

Some residents said they were frustrated with certain signs posted on medians and near streets in Mason District advertising various businesses and services that are posted without permits. Lieutenant Charles Riddle with the Mason District station of the Fairfax County Police Department explained that while police do investigate littering complaints, doing so takes away from personnel hours to handle other crimes.

Even if the signs are there illegally, police officers are prohibited from removing signs in the community unless they pose a risk. However, officers can issue citations if they catch people posting illegal signage.

There are instances when residents are allowed to remove such signs. As Adopt-a-Highway volunteers, residents are considered representatives of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and have authority to remove signs under Section 33.1-373 of the Code of Virginia. However, this authority is limited only to the adopted section.

Harry Singh, who runs an Xtra Mart in Falls Church, said it’s not just public streets in Mason District that are being trashed; it’s businesses as well. Singh said he has to clean his business at least twice a week because customers leave an abundant amount of trash overnight at his business.

As a retailer, Singh said the blame is often placed unfairly on the businesses and not on the customers who dump household trash like shoeboxes and food at his station.

“It should be common sense for people to throw trash in the garbage,” said Singh.

According to Section 33.1-346 of the Code of Virginia, littering or dumping trash is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine up to $2,500. The minimum fine for littering is $250.

Most of the ideas suggested during the forum were a mix of education and action. Some residents suggested asking Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops to help pick up litter, since both organizations offer badges for community service. Another resident suggested adding fliers that discourage littering into the school folders that go home with students. Others suggested posting more signs that discourage littering and include information about fines for doing so or how to report litterers. Outreach to businesses, organizations such as Clean Fairfax, the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee and local schools for help were also proposed.

Mason District School Board member Sandy Evans said civic involvement is a key goal for students and supported the idea of educating students and allowing them to help pick up litter.

“Environmental stewardship is one of the new things being implemented by the board to help students learn how to become responsible citizens,” said Evans, who added that Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to add more custodians to help tend to grounds around school facilities.

To combat the litter problem, neighborhoods and civic associations have also coordinated clean-up days. Resident Priscilla Weck said the efforts made by the Culmore community during such events helped make the community a better place and Del. Kaye Kory (D-38th) suggested residents look for available funding through community grants to help pay for additional clean-ups or similar programs.

In order to host a clean-up, residents have to secure a permit through VDOT. VDOT is responsible for cleaning state-maintained roads, but residents are responsible for cleaning trash on private property. Many Fairfax County roads are maintained by VDOT, but there is some assistance available through programs such as the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office’s Community Labor Force program which uses crews of incarcerated individuals eligible for work release to help with litter pickup and other county services.

“It will take elected officials, businesses to do their part, citizens I think can’t be left with everything, and schools and organizations and law enforcement. It’s going to take a team effort [to keep the district clean],” said Mollie Loeffler, president of the Parklawn Civic Association and first vice chair of the Mason District Council.

The next VDOT Statewide Adopt-a-Highway Spring Cleanup is April 21-22. The 24th annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup is on April 14.

The will host a clean-up on Saturday, April 21. All those interested in volunteering can meet at the

For a full list of area clean-ups this spring, see the PDF under "photos."