The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed on Tuesday (March 4) to expedite the planning and zoning process for construction of a new Fire Station #29 at 8300 Jones Branch Drive in Tysons.
Acting unanimously, supervisors directed county staff to concurrently process a site plan and building plans for the facility while a proffer condition amendment is also being processed.
Typically, those reviews take place in stages. Considering them in tandem will speed the development process.
The fire station, which will be co-located with a bus transit station already on the site, is expected to reach the board for a final vote in a few months, said Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchick.
She praised the “creative urban use” of the space, plus improvements to transportation and stormwater infrastructure that would come with the project.
“I appreciate our expediting it, because it is a much better project than what was first proposed,” Palchik said, noting that the county has gotten feedback from the community, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, transportation staff and more.
The site totals just over 4 acres. In early February, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval of a rezoning application that will permit construction to move forward.
The current Fire Station 29, a three-bay facility located at 1560 Spring Hill Road, will remain in operation until the new station opens.
While he supported the fast-tracking, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity suggested the county should take a close look at its planned capital projects, given current budget constraints that have prompted proposed reductions in public safety services and personnel.
Among the potential cuts are positions destined for the Lorton District Police Station, which opened in 2023 but remains “empty,” Herrity noted.
“I just hope we take a second look at this to make sure that we need to do it in the near-future,” he said. “But I completely support doing the land use process so that it’s there when we’re ready to move forward with it. It probably needs to be ready to move forward.”
Palchik clarified that the project won’t require additional staffing, since it’s replacing a “very, very outdated station,” not creating a brand-new one. She also said it will improve efficiency by co-locating fire and transit facilities on the same property.
No second for Herrity request to review transgender policies
Herrity’s push to have his colleagues discuss access to government bathrooms and restrooms by those in the transgender community failed for lack of a second at the March 4 board meeting.
Since July 2020, the county’s policy has been to let individuals use locker rooms, bathrooms and other public facilities that match their gender identity, according to Herrity.
“The pendulum has swung too far,” Herrity said of transgender rights protections. He proposed scheduling a discussion of the matter on the agenda of an upcoming committee meeting.
Herrity, the only Republican on the 10-member board and currently a candidate for lieutenant governor, said he was “a little surprised” that no one would support a discussion.
While the lack of a second should have ended conversation on the matter, Herrity and Board Chairman Jeff McKay did a little extracurricular sniping at one another before the body moved on to the next topic.
In a newsletter sent Tuesday afternoon, McKay said that the Fairfax County Park Authority updated its standard operating procedures after learning that a registered sex offender who was later arrested for indecent exposure in Arlington had been granted access to female rec center facilities.
The individual, who reportedly identified as transgender, was banned from county rec centers on Nov. 16.
“We understand the concerns raised by this incident and appreciate the feedback we’ve received,” McKay wrote in the newsletter. “Both the County and FCPA are working to enhance security and strengthen protections for the community. Any situation that threatens the safety of our community — regardless of the attention it receives — is always taken seriously and handled with the utmost care.”
Former planning commissioner to stay active
At Tuesday’s board meeting, the supervisors also honored the service of John Ulfelder, who stepped down last year from his post as Dranesville District’s representative to the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
The commission “is an important part of our civic life,” Ulfelder said after the board approved a resolution recognizing his work.
Ulfelder had served on the body since 2013. While he no longer has a formal role in the planning process, he told the supervisors that he still plans to remain active in planning issues.
“I fully expect to offer my views,” he said. “This is not ‘sayonara’ — it is merely ‘I’ll see you again.'”
Board Chairman Jeff McKay liked the idea.
“We’re counting on you to be involved,” he said.
A retired attorney and senior vice president for the real estate development company West*Group, Ulfelder chaired the Great Falls Citizens Association from 1997-2000. He led the organization’s land-use committee from 2001-2005.
