Tonight, Tuesday, April 6, at 7:00 p.m., the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will hold a virtual information session on the construction of a new DMV Customer Service Center at 9911 Braddock Road. Several state Senators and Delegates are also expected to participate. Use this link to join the meeting.

The DMV site is just east of Burke Station Road, across from the entrance to Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, and is currently being used for motorcycle training. The DMV purchased this property in August 2015. Because this is a state facility being built on state property, it follows the procedures required by the state, not county procedures which require notice and provide for community input. The DMV has developed plans and specifications and presented them to the Virginia Department of General Services for review. The next step is for them to present their proposed final plans to the State Art and Architectural Review Board.

The Braddock District office only recently became aware that the DMV had developed detailed plans for this facility. I contacted DMV Commissioner Richard Holcomb to express my disappointment that the DMV had not updated the community on their plan, engaged residents, or received input that could inform and improve the project. At the request of Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and me, the DMV agreed to hold this virtual meeting to present their plans, answer questions, and hear thoughts from community members. The format will be similar to that used in Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors hearings. Those who wish to speak are asked to register in advance by emailing [email protected]. To ensure the DMV provides the most helpful information, please provide the following in the email:

Speakers are asked to keep their comments to a maximum of 3 minutes. The deadline to register to speak is noon on April 6. There will be an opportunity for additional questions or comments after those who have registered have finished speaking, time permitting.

I’d like to invite you to listen to the newest episode of the Braddock Voices Podcast. This episode features Legendary High School Basketball Coach Red Jenkins. Red and I talk about his experience being the first coach of W.T. Woodson High School, coaching future State-Senator Dave Marsden, and coaching the first integrated team. We even got his March Madness predictions -- tune in to see if they came true!

You can watch this episode on my YouTube Channel. Prefer to listen to the podcast on the move? Visit my Soundcloud account to listen to the episode while you go about your day. You can enjoy these options for free, and you do not need to have an account. Make sure to reach out to me if you have recommendations on guests we should include next!