CITY MEETINGS: March 22-26

Monday 3/22:  City Council.  Council Chamber, 7:30 pm.  Agenda and documents.       

Tuesday 3/23:  School Board Work Session.  Council Chamber, 6:30 pm.

Regular School Board Meeting.  Council Chamber, 8:15 pm.

Wednesday 3/24:  Senior Citizens Commission.  Administrative Conference Room, 4:00 pm.

Thursday 3/25:  City Council & School Board Budget Work Session.  Training Center – G Level, 7:30 pm.  Agenda

Human Services Advisory Council.  CANCELLED.

Friday 3/26:  No meetings scheduled.

Meeting notices are obtained from the City and School Board on-line calendars and from the notice board at the east entrance of City Hall.  Meetings may be subject to re-scheduling or cancellation.

CITY FOCUS: Budget Town Hall Meeting Saturday, Free Trees, Celtic Music, Rape Aggression Defense Classes Offered, Spring Camp Registration Open

Click here for the March 18-24, 2010, CITY FOCUS prepared by the City of Falls Church.

Affordable Housing Project Moves Toward Approval

By GEORGE BROMLEY
Falls Church Times Staff

March 17, 2010

The Falls Church Planning Commission voted 5-2 on March 15 to recommend approval of a special exception for the construction of The Wilden at 350 South Washington Street.   The decision, which culminated the four hour session, clears the way for the City Council to approve the 66 unit senior affordable housing project on second reading next Monday, March 22.

Planning Commission Chair John Lawrence and Commissioner Rob Meeks voted against the exception and earlier were joined by Commissioner Ruth Rodgers in supporting a motion, introduced by Mr. Meeks and seconded by Ms. Rodgers, which would have recommended against Council approval of the project.  That proposal was defeated by a 4-3 vote.

Commissioner Lindy Hockenberry led the opposition to Meeks’ motion, saying it was a disservice to kill the project at the Planning Commission level.  She stated that she felt The Wilden is a very good project which in the long run would bring about many other development opportunities that would otherwise be lost.

Commissioner Michael Kearney concurred, stating he was comfortable with The Wilden’s financial model, although he expressed some skepticism that the project would come to fruition.  Commissioner Melissa Teates saw the building as essential to improving the streetscape along South Washington and two adjacent sites on nearby Annandale Road.  She noted that when the restaurant opens in the Tax Analysts building across the street from the project it would send a positive message for patrons to see the construction in progress.  “I’m ready to take a leap of faith to get construction started down there.”

Commissioner Russell Wodiska stated that he had come to the meeting thinking that he would vote against the project but that a lot of the questions he’d had had been answered.   Although expressing concern that the City was “putting all its affordable housing eggs in one basket”, he joined Ms. Hockenberry, Ms. Teates, and Mr. Kearney in voting down Mr. Meeks’ motion.

Following the vote, Falls Church Housing Corporation CEO Carol Jackson said, “We are obviously humbled and thrilled about the Planning Commission’s 5-2 vote.”

Much of the earlier discussion focused on the need to start work on the project by mid-summer.  If construction is delayed and the building has not received a certification for occupancy by December 31, 2011, essential tax credits will be lost.

However, occupancy will be contingent on 38 parking spaces being provided at 360 South Washington.  The adjacent building currently is owned by Thomas Sawner who has signed a non-binding letter of intent to sell the structure to developer Bob Young, who intends to build an office building with a parking garage on the site.  In effect, the two buildings will have to be constructed concurrently in order for the required parking to be available on schedule.

Mr. Lawrence asked the status of the $2 million dollar loan earlier advanced to Mr. Sawner.  Assistant City Manager stated that three quarters of the amount had been paid back to the General Fund.

Ira Kaylin, a candidate for City Council, spoke against the project’s loan arrangements, stating,  “Everyone seems to be taken care of here except the taxpayers.”  Mr. Kaylin estimated they would lose $1.4 million dollars and called the plan a very poor financial transaction for the City.

Ms. Hockenberry and Mr. Lawrence also are running for Council.

Relevant documents are available for review at the City’s website.

Where’s the $2 Million? (Part IV)

By STAN FENDLEY
Falls Church Times Staff

March 16, 2010

Since July of last year, the Falls Church Times has followed the status of the City’s 2008 $2 million no-interest loan to Falls Church Housing Corporation for a purchase option on property at 360 S. Washington Street.  That purchase option expired unexercised in December 2009, triggering a repayment requirement by the property owner and the Housing Corporation by the end of January, 2010.

Presently, $531,174 of the $2 million loan remains outstanding.  City officials say they expect the balance to be paid later this month.

The purpose of the 2008 loan was to help the Housing Corporation purchase 360 S. Washington Street in order to make it part of a 174-unit affordable housing project covering 350, 360 and 370 S. Washington.  That plan died in 2009 for lack of adequate funding.

Now the Housing Corporation has reduced the size of the project, called “The Wilden,” focusing on a 66-unit facility for senior citizens.  The Housing Corporation requested another $2 million loan to support the smaller project, which the Falls Church City Council approved on March 8 on a 6-1 vote.  Councilman Nader Baroukh cast the lone opposing vote.

The City Council is expected to vote on final approval for The Wilden on March 22.

COMMUNITY COMMENT: Economic Considerations Needed for Housing Project

By JOHANNAH BARRY

March 15, 2010

The term “Affordable Housing” is rich in meaning and encompasses key values important to Falls Church: diversity, justice, and inclusiveness.  These are overarching principles that are central to the character and nature of Falls Church and are woven into the decisions we make as a City.

As a newcomer to Falls Church politics, but an old-timer in the City, I have participated in, and/or observed Council deliberations sporadically over the last several years. In that time, I have heard many thoughtful public comments by concerned citizens and admire the dedication of the men and women on City Council and the tireless efforts of staff.

Last Monday night I was present for extended dialogue regarding “The Wilden” affordable housing project and was deeply disappointed at the inability of thoughtful citizens to hear each other.  Somehow, the term affordable housing has been transmuted from a guiding principle and core tenet of the City’s inclusive character to a divisive moral and political litmus test.  I did not sense that anyone in the room was “anti” affordable housing.  I did sense that some were appropriately hesitant due to the fragile economic underpinnings of the current project and its future projections for the City’s fiscal health.

To be clear, I cast my lot with the latter.  A decision to move this project forward at this time would do an economic disservice to the City and calls into question the true motivation of this set of actions.  Proponents of the Wilden project did not waver in their rhetoric, framing this issue as a moral imperative.  True dialogue would have acknowledged the economic implications of this decision.  To reduce this issue, and subsequent conversations and decisions about affordable housing, to a test of one’s moral compass is intellectually dishonest and is behavior not worthy of the citizens who engage in it.

The yearning for this project to finally come to fruition was palpable, and the potential for disappointment should it not was clearly evident.  I do not diminish the genuine passion, concern, and extraordinary work of those who have advocated tirelessly for affordable housing.  I am aware of the long history of this project.  But as Councilman Webb explained, as worthy as the notion is, and as critical as it is to the character of our City, times have changed.  The City is now in fiscal crisis.  Services and schools have felt the sting.  Every person in this City will feel the deeply unpleasant impact of increased taxes, and some people may have to leave this City because they simply can’t afford to live here.  One will appreciate the irony of people being driven out of the City because their housing has become unaffordable, due to the effort of creating affordable housing.

To approach this issue with the honor it deserves will require untangling the social goal from the economic driver.  It will require patience and discipline – commodities that are arguably hard to come by with the economic pressures on all sides of the issue.  Falls Church is worth our best efforts.

Johannah Barry is founder and President of Galapagos Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of  the Galapagos Islands.  She is a candidate for Falls Church City Council in the May 2010 election.

COMMUNITY COMMENTS are welcome on any subject relevant to the City of Falls Church. They may be submitted to contact@fallschurchtimes.com. Shorter submissions may be published as a Letter to the Editor.

CITY MEETINGS: March 15-20

Monday 3/15:  City Council Work Session.  Training Center – G Level, 7:30 pm.  Agenda.

Planning Commission.  Council Chamber, 7:45 pm.  Agenda and documents.

Tuesday 3/16:  Historical Commission.  Administrative Conference Room, 7:30 pm.  Agenda.

Wednesday 3/17:  Senior Citizens Commission.  Administrative Conference Room, 4:00 pm.

Public Utilities Commission.  Administrative Conference Room, 6:30 pm.

Library Board of Trustees.  Mary Riley Styles Public Library Conference Room, 7:30 pm.  Agenda.

Tree Commission.  Training Center – G Level.  7:30 pm.

Thursday 3/18:  Long Range Financial Planning Working Group.  Library Conference Room, 7:00 pm.

Environmental Services Council.  Training Center – G Level, 7:30 pm.

City Council Budget Work Session.  Venue not stated, 7:30 pm.

Human Services Advisory Council.  CANCELLED.

Friday 3/19:  No meetings scheduled.

Saturday 3/20:  Town Hall Meeting.  Time TBA.

Meeting notices are obtained from the City and School Board on-line calendars and from the notice board at the east entrance of City Hall.  Meetings may be subject to re-scheduling or cancellation.

Is Your Falls Church Fido Legal?

By KATHLEEN NEBEKER
Special to the Falls Church Times

March 11, 2010

A total of 697 dogs are registered with the city, a figure, according to City of Falls Church Treasurer Cathy Kaye, representing perhaps half of all the dogs in the City.  That’s right, only about half of the dogs in the City are licensed.  Is your dog licensed? Why should you care? 

Dog licensing started long ago as a way for dog owners to defray the cost to farmers of dogs killing sheep, goats and cows.  Today, the main reasons for licensing dogs center on public health and animal safety. The canine rabies vaccination, along with animal control, has largely eradicated rabies in this country. As a result, human rabies deaths from dog bites have dropped precipitously since the 1950’s.  Yet, rabies is present in the wildlife population, presenting a risk to domestic dogs and cats, as well as to humans. Licensing dogs provides verification to your community that your dog or dogs are current on their rabies vaccination. If you do not believe your dog will ever encounter a rabid animal, and that the vaccine and license are not necessary, check out the CDC’s data.  

Another reason for licensing your dog is that identifying tags provide help to get your dog home should your dog escape from your house or property. Has your dog ever pushed past you as you opened the front door?  Slipped out through a gate left open by a child or unthinking adult?  Accidents happen. In addition to alerting whoever finds your dog that he or she is vaccinated, the license tag provides a number linked to your address. 

City of Falls Church Animal Control Officer Rebecca Keenan reunites lost dogs with their owners on a regular basis.  Last year, approximately 40 dogs in the City were reunited with their owners, thanks to tags and the help of animal control.  Wearing a tag will also buy your dog more time at the animal shelter should he or she be picked up. Unlicensed dogs may be adopted by another person or euthanized after a five-day holding period.  Licensed dogs are given ten days.

If neither reason above for licensing your dog resonates with you, there is yet another reason for licensing your dog.  It’s the law. The law states that all dogs over four months of age must be licensed.  Unfortunately, the consequences for not licensing your dog verge on nil. 

Here’s the code:  Sec. 4-57.  Failure to obtain license: Every dog for which a license has not been obtained within 30 days after such license is required by law may be taken up wherever and whenever found within the City and kept, unless redeemed by owner, for a period of five days and disposed of as provided in section 4-77.

It’s hard to imagine our local animal control officer seizing unlicensed dogs in the City and carting them to the animal shelter in Arlington, with whom the City contracts for sheltering services.   Essentially, this leaves compliance to the good character of the dog-owning citizenry. Levying fines would appear to be a less cumbersome, more efficient way to increase dog-licensing compliance.   

The small revenue collected from dog licensing – only about $1,855 last year – goes toward animal control. All residents benefit from having a local animal control officer to handle problems with wildlife, as well as with dogs and cats.  The work ranges from capturing bats that get into houses to disposing of dead wildlife to handling cases of suspected rabies exposure.  Much of the work entails dealing with dogs in the City.  Animal control responds to calls about dogs running loose, dogs barking and, sadly, cruelty and neglect cases.  Other responsibilities include cases of dog bites, where the offending dog must be located.  As the keeper of three dogs, I’m happy to pay for their licenses, a small tax, to help support this work. 

One criticism I have is that the city’s process for licensing dogs is outmoded.  Many jurisdictions offer online dog licensing.  The City of Falls Church should make online dog licensing available to its citizens, as doing so would likely increase compliance.  And, on the subject of online payments, I’d also like the City to provide an online ordering and payment system for the orange stickers we must buy to dispose of our yard waste.   

All told, the fee to license your dog in Falls Church is a bargain. The fee is $5 for dogs who have been spayed or neutered, and $10 for all other dogs.  Fees for licensing dogs in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax are at least twice as high. So, what are you waiting for?  Do the right thing and license your dog.  Licenses my be obtained by visiting the Treasurer’s Office at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Suite 103E, Falls Church, VA, 22046.   Or, download the form and mail it back to the City with your check.

CITY FOCUS: Draft Budget Cuts Spending, Raises Tax

Click to read CITY FOCUS for March 11-17, prepared by the City of Falls Church.

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