11.07.24

Dear Neighbor,

I'd like to thank all of you who exercised your right to vote and cast your ballot in this week's election. In addition to making selections for President and Congress, voters overwhelmingly supported the County's bond referenda which will continue our investments in Metro and critical public safety facilities.

Thanks to the hard work of several thousand election officers, the election in Fairfax County was carried out with fairness, accuracy, and efficiency. You can view the unofficial results at the Virginia Department of Elections website.

Veterans and Military Families

November 11 is Veterans Day, and the Board of Supervisors also recognizes November as Military Family Appreciation Month. We are grateful for the service and sacrifice of our active duty, reserve, and veteran service members and their spouses and children.

Veterans Day ceremonies will be taking place all around the region.

American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax City will host a ceremony on Veterans Day at 10:30 a.m. Additional ceremonies are featured in this month's Golden Gazette.

Fairfax County is home to more than 45,000 active-duty members and 89,000 veterans. Fairfax County Public Schools is on track towards its goal to become a 100% Purple Star Division, a recognition of its support of more than 13,500 military-connected students.

The County's Military & Veterans website contains resources for accessing services and more.

Clean-Up Events

Two community clean-up events are taking place in the Braddock District this Veterans Day. Please consider participating.

• The Fairfax County Restoration Project is hosting their annual Americana Drive Veterans Day Clean-Up on Monday, November 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Click here to register. The sign-in table will be at the corner of Patriot and Americana Drives.



• The Kings Park West Civic Association will host their Parks Clean-Up Event at Rabbit Branch Park (4803 Tapestry Drive, Fairfax) on Monday, November 11 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Email parks@kpwca.org for more information.

Yours in service,

Supervisor James R. Walkinshaw

Please share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If this email was forwarded to you, consider subscribing to receive Braddock District news and updates.

Continue reading below for more information on:

• Park Authority Winter Programs
• George Mason University Traffic Advisory
• Public Meetings on Fairfax Connector Service Changes
• Empowering Congregations for a Greener Future: The Power of Faith Program
• November Code Compliance Corner
• GIS Day Open House November 20
• Solar Switch Program Deadline
• Park Authority Considers Fee Adjustments
• "Save the Night" Dark Skies Day & Light Pollution Awareness Event
• Wellness Center for Older Adults November Events

Park Authority Winter Programs

Keep your child busy this Winter break with winter camps from the Fairfax County Park Authority! Indoor and outdoor activities are available. Winter camps registration is underway. You can search online for opportunities.

Additionally, registration for Winter Classes opens on December 3, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. The Winter Edition of Parktakes Magazine will be posted on November 15.

George Mason University Traffic Advisory

Fairfax Campus Notice: Parking and Traffic Advisory

Increased traffic is expected on and around the Fairfax Campus due to George Mason basketball games at EagleBank Arena on the evenings of Monday, November 11 and Wednesday, November 13. The games begin at 7:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:00 p.m.

Drivers should allow additional travel time to and from campus and avoid the southern end of campus near EagleBank Arena and Braddock Road. Extra time should be allowed if using Mason Shuttles.

Levels 4 and 5 of the Shenandoah Parking Deck will be open to General parking permits and event parking starting at 4:00 p.m. Vehicles should enter the Shenandoah Deck at the Level 3 permit entrance. All General permit holders and event attendees should exit the Shenandoah Deck by 11:00 p.m.

Those wishing to avoid arena parking and traffic impacts on the Fairfax Campus should consider parking in the Rappahannock Parking Deck on the north end of campus and use University Drive and Roberts Road for access.

Get more details about men’s and women’s basketball games at gomason.com. For more information about events at EagleBank Arena, go to eaglebankarena.com.

Follow @MasonParking on X for parking and traffic updates. Contact parking@gmu.edu with questions.

Public Meetings on Fairfax Connector Service Changes

Fairfax Connector will host two virtual public meetings on Tuesday, November 12 at noon and Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss proposed service changes in Reston and Herndon in April 2025.

These adjustments will realign bus service, increase frequency, discontinue Route 599 (duplicate route after 598 was implemented), and add new Route 652.

Summary of Proposed April 2025 Fairfax Connector Service Changes

Virtual Meeting Information:

• Tuesday, November 12 at 12:00 p.m.
• Join the meeting on Microsoft Teams
• Call the meeting: (571) 429-5982; Conference ID: 299 038 507#
• Wednesday, November 13 at 7 p.m.
• Join the meeting on Microsoft Teams
• Call the meeting: (571) 429-5982; Conference ID: 383 053 31#

Following the meetings, a recording as well as a pdf file of the presentation will be posted to the Fairfax Connector website.

Comments will be accepted through Tuesday, November 26, via the April 2025 Fairfax Connector Service Change survey, which will be available on November 12. 

Empowering Congregations for a Greener Future: The Power of Faith Program

The Office of Environment and Energy Coordination (OEEC) collaborates with the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) to help places of worship take climate action through energy audits and building improvements to increase energy efficiency and sustainability.

Read OEEC's recent post on the Climate Matters blog from FACS Community Engagement Manager Claudia Sanders on how the Power of Faith program is helping congregations electrify their buildings, adopt sustainable practices, and significantly reduce their carbon footprint.

Join the upcoming Power of Faith Fairfax Webinar on November 14 at 7:00 p.m. In partnership with OEEC, this informative session will connect houses of worship with the tools and support needed to cut wasted energy and conserve resources for their missions.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions’ program can help your faith community to develop and achieve your green energy goals. For questions about this event, email FACS Community Engagement Associate Caroline Chambers, at caroline@faithforclimate.org.

November Code Compliance Corner

Are diminishing daylight hours inspiration to install some new outdoor lighting? Check out the Zoning Ordinance outdoor lighting regulations for new fixtures. Learn more in this month’s Code Compliance Corner.

The right lighting provides benefits to your property, including safety, crime prevention, and curb appeal. However, too much, or the wrong type of, lighting causes a lot of problems – like light trespass to neighbors, dangerous glare to drivers, and impacts to sensitive habitat. Not to mention that excess lighting is wasteful and increases energy demand. The County promotes Dark Skies to limit the harmful effects of light pollution and encourages responsible lighting practices.

To support these initiatives, the Zoning Ordinance has rules on new or replacement outdoor lighting fixtures that are enforced by the Department of Code Compliance (DCC). DCC investigates for compliance with those rules, which include the ones bulleted below. Details about color temperature and brightness (measured in lumens) can be found on the lightbulb box. 

• Fixtures that emit initial light outputs greater than 1,500 lumens must be full cut-off and mounted horizontal to the ground. Full cut-off means no light is emitted above the bottom of the fixture – in other words, light should point down and not up.
• Lightbulb color temperature must be at or lower than 3,000 Kelvin (warm white with a yellowish tint).
• Lighting used to illuminate flags, as part of landscaping, or for architectural purposes, must be aimed and shielded to keep the light only on the intended object. Landscaping or architectural detail lighting cannot point directly upward without shielding.

Lights exempt from the regulations include: 

• Holiday lights
• Motion-activated lights, such as security lights, of less than 4,000 lumens, when the light is directed within the property boundary and turns off within five minutes of motion stopping.

In addition to their Outdoor Lighting webpage, the Department of Planning and Development has flyers with key outdoor lighting regulation information for residential as well as commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential properties.

Interested in light pollution monitoring? The Light Pollution Monitoring Kit, also known as the Dark Skies Kit, is available to borrow from the FCPL Library of Things and includes tools to measure and monitor light levels.

DCC is here to help – if you have questions, want to make a report, or if you are the subject of enforcement and need to contact DCC. You can report problems online, learn about what happens during an investigation, reach DCC via email, phone (703-324-1300 / TTY 711), or visit DCC in person at 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1016, Fairfax, VA 22035.

GIS Day Open House November 20

GIS Day is a global event during which GIS (Geographic Information Systems) users work to expand the understanding of how GIS technology and geography make a difference in our lives. Hundreds of thousands of people in the world use GIS to solve problems in areas such as environmental protection, pollution, health care, land use, asset deployment and routing, natural resources, conservation, business efficiency, education, and social inequities.

GIS Day provides an opportunity to recognize effective and creative use of spatial tools by Fairfax County staff to better serve agencies and constituents.

Representatives from County agencies will be onsite at the Government Center on GIS Day 2024 to demonstrate and discuss the spatial tools and products that help them in their work, improve business processes, and engage and inform the public.

GIS Day Open House November 20, 2024, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Government Center North Atrium

12000 Government Center Pkwy Fairfax, VA 22035

Follow signage from the main entrance to the exhibit area on the first floor.

Free and open to all! 

Solar Switch Program Deadline

Are you thinking about going solar but don’t know where to start? Solar Switch offers residents and small businesses in Fairfax County and the Capital Area a hassle-free way to install rooftop solar panels and battery storage. The program uses the power of group buying to lower the price of installing solar. Sign up before November 22 to get a free assessment from a vetted installer with no obligation to purchase.

Park Authority Considers Fee Adjustments

Park Authority Evaluates 2025 Park Fee Adjustments, Seeks Feedback

The Fairfax County Park Authority Board is evaluating proposed fee adjustments for the 2025 calendar year. The proposed 2025 fee adjustments and presentation materials are available at the Proposed Park Fee Schedule for Calendar Year 2025 website. The board welcomes online comments and feedback from the community on that website. Comments must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.

More than 60% of the funds required to operate Fairfax County’s park system – from camps and classes to facilities, amenities and grounds – are generated through park fees. Each year, the Park Authority reviews its fee structure with the goal of minimizing fee impacts on visitors, while safeguarding the financial stability of the park system and the ability to provide the outstanding programs and services our community has come to expect.

Following the close of the public comment period, the Park Authority Board is expected to consider the 2025 Park Fee Adjustments at their scheduled meeting on Dec. 11, 2024. Approved fees will be made effective Jan. 1, 2025.

For more information about the Park Authority’s proposed 2025 Park Fee Adjustments and to submit comments, go to the 2025 Proposed Park Fee Adjustments website.

"Save the Night" Dark Skies Day & Light Pollution Awareness Event

Dark Sky NOVA, a chapter of DarkSky International, invites you to join them for a family-friendly afternoon dedicated to exploring the effects of light pollution and how it impacts our lives and health. Register on their Eventbrite page.

Sunday, November 17, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Vienna Community Center

120 Cherry Street Southeast

Vienna, VA 22180

Wellness Center for Older Adults November Events

The Wellness Center for Older Adults (WCOA) is located at:

4027B Olley Lane

Fairfax, VA 22032

WCOA Main #: (703) 970-3601              

Fax #: (703) 323-3688 Website: servicesource.org/virginia-wcoa  

Birthday BINGO & Celebration Happy Birthday November babies! Join our staff and day program individuals on the last Friday of the month for a cupcake and a movie!

Creativity Leads to Wellness

Join our creative art sessions led by local artist, Sharon Fishel from McLean Project for the Arts, every Wednesday. This class will focus on individuals discovering their own creativity and learning the elements of art. All materials will be provided.

Insight Memory Care Presentation

Join us for a discussion presented by Insight Memory Care about the importance of socialization when aging. Research has found that social support plays a significant role in overall health as we age. Spending time with friends & family can boost quality of life, including physical & mental health.

Movie Club Join us for a movie club experience. This activity is centered around watching quality films and having a discussion following the movie.

Memory Screenings

Insight Memory Care Center offers free confidential memory screenings and educational materials to people with concerns about their memory or who want to check their memory now for future comparison. Call to reserve a 30-minute appointment at (703) 970-3601.

SAIL Classes

SAIL (Stay Active & Independent in Life) class is an evidence- based balance and fall prevention exercise class that focuses on cardio, balance, and strength exercises. Classes will be taught by trained student research assistants from George Mason University.

Time Slips

George Mason University facilitates creative engagement and storytelling to stimulate creativity and imagination.

VCAA - Virtual Center for Active Adults Join live, interactive programs and engage with other adults.*These online activities are streamed with in-person adaptations. For more information on the VCAA, visit bit.ly/NCSvcaa