Council Members:

Mike Fleming, Chantilly Farm

Al Francese, Little Rocky Run

Jim Horner, Century Oak

Priscilla Knight – Secretary, Sully Station II

Mark McConn – President, Bull Run

Jeff Parnes – 1st Vice President, Chantilly Highlands

Rick Vaughan – Dartmoor Woods HOA

Kevin Wolfe, Franklin Glen

Presenters/Guests:

State Sen. Dave Marsden

Delegate Tom Rust

Delegate David Bulova

Meaghan Keefer, Sully government

Jen Siciliano, Inova Health System

Timothy Sampson, from Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Walsh, P.C.

Evan Pritchard, from Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Walsh, P.C.

Lydia, CEO, National Capital Area Girl Scouts

Newt & Karen Wood, Girl Scout application

Lene & Dan Palmer, Twin Mill HOA, Girl Scout application

Paul Kavitz, Twin Mill HOA, Girl Scout application

Sarah & Cam?? Hawkins, Girl Scout application

Lommot Copeland, Girl Scout application

Robert & Nan Sullivan, Justin Knoll Road

Susan & ??? O’Connor, Justin Knoll Road

Richard Gibbons, Justin Knoll Road

Hamid Taheri, Justin Knoll Road

Colleen Conlin, Justin Knoll Road

Kathy & Joe Whitcraft, Justin Knoll Road

Elizabeth Jenkins, Justin Knoll Road

Tom Davis, Justin Knoll Road

Sam Butz, GSA architect

Laura Bassett, GSCNC

Barbara Hunter, GSCNC

Kathy Duda, GSCNC

Sharon & James Kraftchak, GSCNC

Aubrey Finke, GSA architect

Lidia Soto-Harmon, GSA

Judy Baldwin, GSA

Kathy Beernink, GSA

The meeting was called to order by Council President Mark McConn at 7:00 PM.

• Virginia State Senator Dave Marsden, Delegate Tom Rust, and Delegate David Bulova spoke to council members about what happened in Richmond during the 2013 session. They answered questions about the Commonwealth’s budget, Medicaid, transportation, bus service, and other issues.
• Delegate Rust said the $85 billion budget is divided into:
  • General Fund -- $35 billion in discretionary funds
  • Non-General Fund -- $50 billion in non-discretionary funds, which are earmarked
• Virginia is one of only four states with an AAA rating. The rating firm, Moody’s, approved of the new transportation act.
• The legislators discussed the transportation act passed into law this year by Gov. McDonnell. The bill will increase the state sales tax from 5% to 5.3% in most of the state on July 1, 2013. The sales tax in Northern Virginian and in the Hampton Roads area will go up to 6%. Virginia will use the extra funds for road maintenance and improvements. The Commonwealth needed to increase taxes enough to qualify for a federal match. The federal government told Virginia it needed to improve transportation and reduce congestion in Hampton Roads or they would start phasing-out the docking of capital ships at the navel base.
• Marsden gave Rust credit for getting funds for transportation improvements. He said the only way Virginia could get funds for road improvements would be through increased taxes. He noted that southern Virginians depend on lower-cost gas because many of them drive far distances to their jobs. Marsden said Sen. Richard Saslaw, who was in the gas business, said gas costs vary because of speculation and complicated pricing.
• Marsden said I-66 has the worst traffic of any road in the Commonwealth. He said the I-66 and Route 28 interchange must be fixed.
• The state is looking at options for improving transportation, including an outer beltway as far out as Gainesville, heavy and light rail, and more High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. Rust answered a question about the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. He said his understanding is the lanes won’t be profitable until 2015. The investors are on the hook if the roads aren’t profitable – not the state. The toll price fluctuates according to traffic. Last week, the toll for using the HOT lanes reached its peak at more than $7. Investors have 12 state troopers monitoring traffic.
• Some states believe in toll roads. Rust and Marsden said Virginia has some toll roads today because the state hasn’t had enough transportation money. Federal law says the states can only toll one federal interstate highway. Marsden said it’s expensive to have manned tollbooths.
• In regards to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), Rust said VDOT must analyze the cost- benefits of proposals and the CTB must not let politics interfere. The district representation on the board is based on the 1932 census.
• Marsden said, “We’re disadvantaged because of our relative wealth in Northern Virginia” in regards to how much money Richmond allocates for our region. He said much of the tax money sent to Richmond is spent on state jobs and education. All state employees need a 15-20 percent raise.
• The legislators said there were not enough votes in the General Assembly this year for enhanced uranium mining.
• Medicaid will be hot issue next year once the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) takes effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Legislators will debate whether or not to expand Medicaid to 130% of the poverty level. Virginia will allow the federal government to set up a “state exchange.” At the exchange, uninsured Virginians can obtain health insurance.
• Offshore Drilling for Oil: Virginia’s U.S. senators favor offshore drilling, but the federal government will not issue permits. Dominion Virginia Power plans to test offshore wind turbines.
• Dave Bulova arrived at 8:10 p.m. He said it was a rare alignment of legislators who worked on the transportation bill. He noted how underfunded Virginia has been for transportation. The rural representatives who also needed more funds for road and bridge improvements joined forces with Northern Virginia legislators this year to get the bill passed. All of the revenue will disappear if someone tries to use the funds for just one part of the state.
• On a bipartisan basis, the General Assembly accepted money for Medicaid because the federal government will partner with the Commonwealth.
• Education: Bulova said the Virginia State Board of Education will take over some school systems that are failing. They will do so with a pilot program. Bulova noted that Northern Virginians get $00.30 back on the dollar for everything we put into education. The General Assembly debated how best to protect our students and schools in light of the Connecticut school massacre in December. Fairfax County pays for police protection, but most counties do not. Because the counties have different processes, the General Assembly will address the issue in the near future.
• Texting and Driving: It’s now a primary offense to text while driving and it will be more of a crime with greater penalties. Virginia Tech has done a number of studies about texting and they have found the problem is big. The law says a police officer can pull you over if you are seen texting. GPS systems are exempt from the law.
• Facebook Account: A teenage boy who committed suicide in Virginia left messages on his Facebook account, but his parents could not get on the site to try to discover why their son took his life. Therefore, Bulova worked on a bill to respect privacy rights, but come up with a solution for digital assets.

1. 9:00 - Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Childcare Center
   • Proponent: Timothy S. Sampson | Walsh, Colucci , Lubeley , Emrich & Walsh, P.C
   • Action: Proffered condition amendment (PCA) application related to the Child Care Center
   • Location: Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
     Timothy Sampson, from Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Walsh, P.C., presented plans for changing enrollment at the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Childcare Center. Currently, the center is available only for children of hospital employees. Inova wants to allow children who live near the hospital to attend the center. The limit of children will be the same. Currently, the center is not full. The center needs more tuition-paying enrollment. Inova wants to bring in professional childcare management so they can focus on running the hospital.

     By CONSENSUS, the SDC did not have any objection to the proposal.

2. 9:30 - Diane Tipton Girl Scout Resource Center and Camp Crowell
   • Proponent: Evan Pritchard | Walsh, Colucci , Lubeley , Emrich & Walsh, P.C
   • Action: Special Exception Amendment (SEA) by the Girl Scouts for improvements at Camp Crowell
   • Location: Camp Crowell, 10900 Vale Road and other addresses in Navy-Vale
     The SEA has been made available for our review
     Evan Pritchard, from Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Walsh, P.C., spoke for an application filed in February by the Diane Tipton Girl Scout Resource Center and Camp Crowell. The camp has been in operation since 1958. It’s a day camp, plus a twilight camp from 6-9 p.m.
     The Girl Scouts need a storage facility for camping equipment for several area camps. They would like to construct a 4,000-square-foot storage building with an attached covered area of about 2,000 square feet for hanging wet tents. The building will have insulated corrugated walls in earth-tone colors. It will be oriented on the north side of the property – on the outskirts – so vehicles will not interact with Girl Scouts. The 40-foot side is what neighbors will see. The Girl Scouts have proposed to screen the structure with a mixture of 96 evergreens. They plan to have just a few lights – no floodlights – and they will only be on when needed. The plan for the building includes eight parking places and a septic field.
     Mr. Pritchard said traffic associated with the proposed storage facility will be minimal.
     Ms. Lidia Soto-Harmon, CEO, National Capital Area Girl Scouts, noted that the Girl Scout organization is 101 years old. It runs six weeks of camps in the National Capital area. Ms. Soto-Harmon said they have worked hard to be a good neighbor since Camp Crowell was donated to the Girl Scouts in 1958. Last summer, they didn’t receive a single phone call or a complaint when camp sessions occurred. Ms. Soto-Harmon noted that the Girl Scouts have not asked for a Special Exception since 1991. She said they have a lot of equipment that needs to be stored, including wheelchairs, tents, and nature kits.
     The Girl Scouts would like to increase the number of campers at Camp Crowell by 50 girls, but they will finalize this request in the next few weeks. The maximum number of campers right now, per session, is 450, plus 100 adults.
     There will be just two people coming to the building every day. One will stay there. The other man will collect camping equipment, put it into a van, and deliver it to other campsites.
     Ms. Soto-Harmon introduced several directors of other area camps and board members.
     The Girl Scouts have asked the County to expedite their application before autumn because the lease for their storage facility near Gallows Road is going to expire; that area will be redeveloped. Therefore, the Girl Scouts need a place for storage soon.

     Concerned Homeowners’ Comments

     • Some people who live near the camp expressed concern about: the location of the building on the 66 acres; increased traffic; and increased enrollment.
     • Susan O’Connor said she has lived near the camp for 28 years. She submitted letters from neighbors who are against the “warehouse.” She said a storage building is not appropriate for a residential neighborhood.
     • Paul Kavitz, who lives near the entrance, said he is president of Twin Mills HOA and represents 57 homeowners. He said he doesn’t believe the building would fit into the ecology of the area and the roads cannot handle increased traffic. He asked how the building will affect the water shed. Mr. Pritchard said rain barrels will capture rain.
     • Hamid Taheri lives near the camp. He asked why the building has to be off of such a small street and tiny cul de sac. He asked why it’s not going to be built near the Vale Road entrance. Mr. Pritchard said to make a non-residential road off of Vale would be cost-prohibitive because of required site studies and other improvements that VDOT now requires.
     • Colleen Conlin asked council members to drive on Stuart Mill and Justin Knoll to see how narrow these streets are.
     • Lon Coughlin said the building would mar the area because a lot of trees would have to be cut down. He said, “I don’t see how an industrial building is in keeping with the residential zoning.”
     • Kathy Whitcraft said she and her husband have lived near the camp since 1994. They knew the road into the camp would go in, but since it has, there have been problems: speeding cars, blocked driveways, etc. “Justin Knoll Road cannot handle any more traffic.” she said. “It’s an industrial facility. It’s right on the property line and they will take out the tree buffer.”
     • Another woman said the traffic is an ongoing issue that has been a problem for several years. She said she has emails she has documented. Ms. Soto-Harmon said seeing the emails would be helpful. The homeowner said Camp Firefly is the biggest problem because of parents waiting to pick up their daughters.
     • Lene Palmer said she’s upset about rezoning and allowing an industrial warehouse in a residential neighborhood.
     • Elizabeth Jenkins said the SDC members should drive along Hunter Mill, Vale, and Stuart roads. She said the rural nature of the area would be damaged by the proposed building.
     
     Ms. Knight suggested that the SDC members take a field trip to see the area in question.
     Mr. Parnes asked the Girl Scouts to come back with modifications, perhaps in July.

• The June meeting will take place on June 26^th and will feature the annual State of Sully by Sully Supervisor Michael Frey

The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m.

Respectively submitted by,

Priscilla Knight

Secretary
Sully District Council