Volume XXXII, Issue 3

Home

Board

Message from the Chairman

Hope you’re enjoying the beautiful fall weather. The colors this year are better, I think, than they’ve been the last few years.

And where on earth did all those kids come from at Halloween? We had something around 150 at our house, and we enjoyed every one of them!

Speaking of Halloween, many thanks to Barbara Bougie, Suzanne Caldwell, and Amanda Miller for planning the kid’s Halloween Party. Everyone had a great time. Thanks, ladies!

And thank you also to Trish Kobus for again planning our fall community yard sale. I hear most folks did pretty well. As usual, we’ll do it again next spring, first Saturday of May.

I have a few updates for you this month.

KIDS WAITING FOR SCHOOL BUS
Around mid-October I received an email from a Stoneybrooke resident stating…

…have been meaning to write to say that at our corner of Stonebridge Rd and Stoneybrooke Lane, the "big kids" who are waiting for the bus are regularly standing/sitting in the street.  When I leave at 7, it's still pretty dark out, and I'm always really concerned that some of the folks who drive fast/don't stop won't see them in time.  This is specifically the kids who get on the 7:10 bus.  A reminder to drivers and the kids themselves might be warranted...there are some really fast drivers in our neighborhood.  Thanks!

And as I told the writer of this message, if you see the kids sitting in the street, don't hesitate to stop your car and tell them to move to the sidewalk.  Even if they're not your kids, tell 'em anyway.

RECENT ELECTRICAL FIRE UPDATE
I received a call today from Dean Fortney, a building inspector with the Fairfax County Residential Inspections Branch.  Dean was in the neighborhood to follow up on the recent electrical fires that occurred on Cobblestone Court when main electrical feeds separated from the electric meter.  Dean said that he could not find any evidence of any obvious problem.  He also encouraged ALL residents to take advantage of Dominion Virginia Electric's offer to inspect your outside connections to ensure everything is in good order.  He also said that if it appears the pipe containing the feed is pulling away from your house or the box is pulling off the wall, you should call Dominion immediately.

I also called Dominion Virginia to confirm free inspections and they did state that they will come out to have a look if you think you have a problem.

LEE DISTRICT LAND USE COMMITTEE
Stoneybrooke resident Jessica Kaplan has been appointed to replace recently departed (moved) Tom Collins as Stoneybrooke's representative on the Lee District Land Use Committee.  Jessica will attend the committee's monthly meetings and report back through the Sentinel with a short, monthly report on the committee's actions.
 
Jessica is a project manager for a congressionally funded organization that matches up scientists primarily from here and the former Soviet Union to work on common projects.  Prior to purchasing her home here in Stoneybrooke, Jessica was actively involved in her condominium association and now wants to reengage in the community process.  She and her husband Raphael live at 6823 Stoneybrooke Lane with their two young children, Mitchell and Maya.

WALL LANTERNS ARE LIT!!!
Don't know if you've noticed at night but the lanterns on one of our entrance walls are now lit.  The lanterns on the wall on the right side as you leave Stoneybrooke were recently fitted with solar powered lights, compliments of Jack & Irma Lamarra, who live in the house on that corner.  Jack & Irma, THANK YOU from all of Stoneybrooke.  The lights add a little special something to our entrance!
 
Now, about that other side…

As I close this month’s message, I would like wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. If you are traveling, go safely & slowly. Well, I guess you’ll go slowly whether you want to or not. But you get the idea.

Mike

Message from Supervisor Dana Kauffman

Another year has come and almost gone, seemingly even faster than the year before. As I always do at this time of year, I’d like to mention some of the highlights of the past year.
As the year draws to a close, I wish you and yours a warm holiday season and health and happiness in the New Year.

TRANSPORTATION
While this has been a frustrating year with little accomplished at the state level, two of the largest transportation projects not only in our area but in the entire country, continue to move quickly and smoothly. In 1999, when work began on the Springfield Interchange Project (more often known as the Mixing Bowl) 2007 seemed light years away. Well, 2007 is almost here and the project is on schedule to be completed this summer.

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge project is also moving quickly and last August, the existing bridge came down, replaced by the first of two new spans. Mid-2008 should see the opening of the second bridge.

Like so many of our transportation projects, plans for a grade separated interchange at Van Dorn Street and Franconia Road have been on the books for more than 20 years. This interchange is now a priority design project for the state and the county

THE SILVER TSUNAMI
Seniors are the fastest growing segment of the population, nationally, as well as here in Fairfax County. (By 2020, residents over 65 will be 11.6 percent of the population.) In May, the County Board’s aging committee (that I chair) began meeting to examine the many challenges our County faces as its population ages—from housing and transportation to health care and public safety.

LAND USE
Last month, I wrote about Area Plan Review (APR) and reported that the citizen task force turned down over 20 separate proposals to develop upwards of 700 additional houses. I was pleased to support the task force recommendations and at the September 11 Board of Supervisors meeting I moved approval of the task force recommendations.

BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure Commission)
How many jobs, contractors, and families will be moving to Fort Belvoir by 2011 when the BRAC commission recommendations must be complete? Will the federal government step up to the plate with the more than $674 million needed to bridge the transportation funding gap identified by the Army's own planning contractors? At this point, there are far more questions than answers. It looks like the earliest we’ll have any information is this summer when the environmental impact study is due.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Speaking of the New Year, please join my family, staff, and me at our annual Lee District open house on Saturday, January 27 from 2 to 4 pm in the community room of the Franconia Governmental Center (6121 Franconia Road). As for the past several years, the Springfield Art Guild will display the paintings and art work of local artists. (Available for sale.)