Comments in Support of West Falls Church Plan Amendment 2018-II-1M

Coalition for Smarter Gro th, A d bon Nat ralist Societ , Northern Virginia Affordable Ho sing Alliance, Faith Alliance for Climate Sol tions, Sierra Cl b Great Falls Gro p, Friends of Holmes R n, Fairfa Alliance for Better Bic cling

J l 12, 2021 Fairfa Co n Board of S per isors 12000 Go ernmen Cen er Park a Fairfa , VA 22035 RE: Commen

in S ppo of We

Fall Ch ch Plan Amendmen 2018-II-1M

Chairman McKa and Dis ric S per isors: Please accep hese commen s on behalf of he Coali ion for Smar er Gro h, he A d bon Na ralis Socie , he Nor hern Virginia Affordable Ho sing Alliance, he Sierra Cl b Grea Falls Gro p, Friends of Holmes R n, Fai h Alliance for Clima e Sol ions and he Fairfa Alliance for Be er Bic cling. We ri e o e press o r s ppor for he rede elopmen of he Wes Falls Ch rch Transi S a ion Area and rge o o consider o r recommenda ions belo and o e in fa or of he comprehensi e plan amendmen (CPA) (2018-II-1M).

The abo e named organi a ions, as par of he Fairfa Heal h Comm ni ies Ne ork, en ision a Fairfa Co n here people can li e, ork, and pla in connec ed comm ni ies ha are heal h , s s ainable, and incl si e. This ision recogni es ha he in ersec ions of eq i , ho sing sec ri , alkable, bikeable neighborhoods, ransi -orien ed comm ni ies, clean air & a er, access o green space, and food come oge her in one ord: heal h.

Pro iding more homes and jobs in alkable comm ni ies a major ransi s a ions like Wes Falls Ch rch is essen ial o red cing raffic in o r region and slashing o r greenho se gas emissions. The plan amendmen o ld ransform acres of nder ili ed parking lo s a he Wes Falls Ch rch me ro s a ion area and VA Tech si e in o an incl si e, alkable, bike-friendl , ransi -orien ed comm ni .

The proposed plan amendmen ill help reali e Fairfa Co n s ision of pro iding a ne ork of ransi -orien ed de elopmen (TOD) along i s ransi corridors. This ision is o lined in he Co n s Comprehensi e Plan g idance,1 hich calls for de elopmen close o ransi s a ions o foc s on red cing dependence on dri ing and increasing ransi ridership.

Transportation The CPA incl des significan ranspor a ion impro emen s ha ill help red ce raffic conges ion, enhance access o he Wes Falls Ch rch me ro s a ion and f re Ro e 7 b s rapid ransi , and pro ide grea er connec i i for people alking and biking. I s ppor s ell-designed TOD calling for an enhanced grid of s ree s, pedes rian and bic cle impro emen s, ider alk a s along primar pedes rian ro es, bic cle facili ies hro gho he de elopmen , s ree rees, and pedes rian scale ligh ing.

We apprecia e he incl sion of he Wes Falls Ch rch Ac i e Transpor a ion Plan in he CPA as ork remains o be done o ens re ha pedes rian and bic cle impro emen s are implemen ed in he s rro nding area. The plan ill help iden if and plan for needed bic cle and pedes rian safe impro emen s and connec i i hro gho he Wes Falls Ch rch area. We also apprecia e and s ppor he Planning Commission s recommenda ion from J ne 30, 2021 o add s ronger lang age o he Pedes rian Circ la ion Recommenda ions adding emphasis on safe , accessibili , and comfor .2 Rec mme da i : Ini ia e he We Fall Ch ch Ac i e T an po a ion Plan Immedia el We ask ha o appro e he follo -on mo ion o la nch he ac i e ranspor a ion plan conc rren i h adop ion of he CPA. The Co n sho ld also ork i h he Virginia Depar men of Transpor a ion o allo more inno a i e comple e s ree s'' sol ions for alking and biking along and crossing Ha cock Road and Ro e 7. This effor m s be priori i ed and implemen ed righ a a o ens re he safe of people biking and alking o and from he rede eloped s a ion area.

Affordable Ho sing Thro gh rede elopmen of he s a ion area, affordable and orkforce d elling ni s (WDUs) ha align i h he ho sing goal of 5,000 ni s in 15 ears ill be crea ed.

Pro iding affordable ho sing near ransi and jobs is essen ial o ens ring an incl si e and economicall prospero s Fairfa Co n here people are able o li e near heir 1

Comprehensi e Plan: h ps:// .fairfa co n .go /planning-de elopmen /si es/planning-de elopmen /files/asse s/compplan/po lic /land se.pdf 2

Planning Commission Al erna i e o S aff Recommenda ion (6/30/2021): h ps:// .fairfa co n .go /planning-de elopmen /si es/planning-de elopmen /files/asse s/doc men s/compplanam end/ es fallsch rch sa/ fc_pc_proposed_plan_lang age_6_30.pdf

ork, helping o red ce long comm es hro gh he co n , and red cing o r clima e impac s. We commend he proposed CPA, hich incl des 10 percen WDUs, an increase o er he polic recommenda ion of 8 percen .

En ironment We are gra ef l he proposed plan incl des open space, linear parks, and he preser a ion of na i e rees and he fores ed area along he me ro access road as par of he rede elopmen . We apprecia e he in egra ion of open space and en ironmen al goals in his plan, hro gh he g idance in he En ironmen sec ion for he linear park corridors o incorpora e na i e ege a ion and con in o s plan ing areas, bo h for ildlife habi a and for s orm a er managemen . We also apprecia e and s ppor he Planning Commission s recommenda ion from J ne 30, 2021 of s ronger lang age s ppor ing na ral design fea res for he open space ne ork3.

Rec mme da i : Inco po a e S onge S o m a e Re en ion Goal The plan also righ l calls for minimi ing imper io s co er and emplo ing s orm a er managemen bes prac ices. The c rren si e has e ensi e imper io s s rfaces, incl ding acres of parking lo s, i h minimal s orm a er managemen . Rede elopmen presen s an oppor ni o grea l impro e s orm a er managemen on hese proper ies. Ho e er, he c rren lang age acco n ing for a 40 percen red c ion from a 10- ear 24-ho r s orm does no go far eno gh in red cing r noff, par ic larl as e face he c rren clima e crisis, hich is bringing s ronger and more freq en s orms.

We ins ead recommend ha he Co n incl de lang age in his CPA similar o he lang age on s orm a er adop ed in he Merrifield S b rban Cen er CPA4: As a goal, de elopmen on he si e sho ld re ain rainfall from he peak 1-ho r, 1- ear s orm hro gh infil ra ion, e apo ranspira ion and re se in order o adap o he increased in ensi , d ra ion, and freq enc of s orm e en s and res l ing rainfall ol mes. A a minim m, de elopmen is e pec ed o re ain he firs inch of rainfall. Also, de en ion meas res ha red ce he ol me, peak flo , and eloci of r noff in o he adjacen a ersheds o a ra e eq i alen o good fores ed condi ions are e pec ed o be p rs ed o he ma im m e en prac icable as de ermined b Land De elopmen Ser ices.

3

Planning Commission Al erna i e o S aff Recommenda ion (6/30/2021): h ps:// .fairfa co n .go /planning-de elopmen /si es/planning-de elopmen /files/asse s/doc men s/compplanam end/ es fallsch rch sa/ fc_pc_proposed_plan_lang age_6_30.pdf 4

Merrifield S b rban Cen er CPA p. 9: h ps:// .fairfa co n .go /planning-de elopmen /si es/planning-de elopmen /files/asse s/doc men s/compplanam end/merrifields bc r/adop ed e -2017-27.pdf#page=9

In S mmar Rede elopmen of he Wes Falls Ch rch s a ion area ill complemen and connec o he Ci of Falls Ch rch s ne mi ed- se rede elopmen alread nder a . Toge her hese projec s ill crea e a ne incl si e, ibran and li able neighborhood i h grea access o ransi in Wes Falls Ch rch.

We rge o o consider o r recommenda ions and s ppor he proposed comprehensi e plan amendmen .

Thank o for o r ime and considera ion, Coalition for Smarter Gro th, Son a Breehe , Nor hern Virginia Ad ocac Manager A d bon Nat ralist Societ , Renee Grebe, Nor hern Virginia Conser a ion Ad oca e Northern Virginia Affordable Ho sing Alliance, Michelle Krocker, E ec i e Direc or Sierra Cl b Great Falls Gro p, S san Bonne , Chair Faith Alliance for Climate Sol tions, Cind Speas Friends of Holmes R n, Whi ne Redding, Primar Conser a or Fairfa Alliance for Better Bic cling, Br ce Wrigh , Presiden