Community Corner
Gross Talks Seven Corners, State of Mason District at Holiday Town Hall
Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross and residents enjoyed for food, drinks, holiday music and more at her annual town hall event on Wednesday.
This year was a busy one and there were a handful of considerable changes in the Fairfax County government that impacted Mason District residents, according to Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross.
Gross gave an overview of the state of Mason District and reviewed some of the county's biggest challenges and triumphs during the year at her annual town hall event on Wednesday in Annandale at the Mason District Governmental Center.
"Our children attend great schools, our parks are well, and sometimes overused, and our public first responders are top-notch, but we still have our challenges," said Gross.
Among those issues are code compliance violations, parking and speeding and more, but Gross said despite those challenges, residents were still lucky to live in Mason District and Fairfax County.
Additionally, Gross briefly discussed issues such as the proposed residential studio units, the development of Seven Corners in Falls Church and more.
Seven Corners Land Use Task Force: Much of the work completed in meetings of the Seven Corners Land Use Task Force this year has produced recommendations that will form the basis of changes to the comprehensive plan for the Seven Corners area, according to Gross. She thanked the task force members for their "willingness to put a lot of quality time in determining the future of Seven Corners" and said the recommendations will surprise and delight residents. Many of the recommendations, if approved, won't be implemented for about 30-40 years, but Gross said the task force's work is the first real in-depth look at Seven Corners since the 1950s.
Residential Studio Units: One of the biggest topics of discussion both in Mason District and Fairfax County this year was the proposal to the build residential studios (RSUs). The original draft of the proposed amendment angered a lot of residents who were upset at the prospect of the efficiency dwelling units being built in their neighborhoods.
The Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors have both agreed to remove lower residential districts from the proposal in order to protect many of the county's neighborhoods. However, Gross said there's still work to be done on the proposal. Gross said the board will likely vote on the amendment sometime in Spring 2014.
Fairfax County Library Plans Squashed: The Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees proposed several changes to the library system earlier this year as part of a reorganization plan to address recent budget cuts. The changes were met with both heavy resistance by the community and some support, prompting several public meetings and hearings to discuss the changes further.
- Read: Fairfax County Library to Stop Tossing Books, Put Brakes on Streamlining Staff
- Library Board Votes to Suspend Controversial Pilot Programs
- Five Things to Know about Fairfax County Library Changes
Woodrow Wilson Library Closes for Renovations: Speaking of libraries, Gross discussed the closing of the Woodrow Wilson Library last month in order to complete renovations. The library services were moved to a temporary site located at 6066 Leesburg Pike in Falls Church. Gross called the site "cute" and "cozy," referencing the much smaller space, but added that it was "better to relocate library services in the community rather than close them down for two years while the library undergoes construction."
Overcrowding at Bailey's Elementary School: Gross said the county is looking into acquiring an office building on Leesburg Pike to address this issue. She called the effort to create an urban school out of the building "creative" and in line with the county's "out of the box thinking" to solving problems.
National Wildlife Moving to Skyline: The National Fish and Wildlife Services will move into Skyline building 7 next year, bringing thousands of federal workers back into Skyline. "were filling that vacant office space and that's a good thing," said Gross.
Check Annandale Patch on Thursday afternoon for updates on the future of the Exxon Mobil site in Falls Church, Walgreens and more.
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