1. The Sully District Council of Citizen Associations, followed by a brief Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting, will meet at 7:00 p.m. on 27 March 2014 in the Little Theatre of Rocky Run Middle School, 4400 Stringfellow Rd, Chantilly, VA 20151. The meeting will be canceled if Fairfax County Schools or after school activities are canceled due to adverse weather the day of the meeting.

2. Time to renew your association's membership in the Sully District Council. Our membership application can now be submitted on line! Please complete it, and then print a copy to enclose with your check.

   Has yours made plans to join us in 2014?

3. Sully District Council Tweets!
   • Follow us at @SullyDistrict!
   • For transportation and related issues, follow the Sully District Transportation Advisory Commissioner at @SullyTAC

4. Membership Presentation:
   • Membership Topic: The Sully District Council is co-sponsoring a Sully District Townhall on Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public School FY 2015 Budgets
     Featuring:
     • Sully District Supervisor Michael Frey
     • Sully District School Board Representative Kathy Smith
     • Staff representing Fairfax County Management and Budget and Fairfax County Public Schools Budget offices

5. Land Use and Transportation Committee:
   1. 9:00 - Saudi Academy
      • Proponent: Ray Goins, Senior Vice President, Trammell Crow Company
      • Action: School and office buildings
      • Location: North side of McLearen Road between the Eds Drive intersections
        See site plan showing the location of the two 15,000 SF two story office buildings (totaling 30,000 SF) along with the Saudi Academy and the entry road

6. Old Business

7. New Business

8. Items of General Interest:
   • At the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
     • Super Science Saturdays every second Saturday, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
       This series is made possible by the generous support of FBR.
     • "Flights of Fancy" Stories for Children on a variable schedule
       This series is made possible by the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
     • Ask an Expert Gallery Talks on the second and fourth Thursdays, 12:30 pm
     • Author Book Signings on variable schedule
     • Imax Movies
       Variable titles, schedules, and prices

9. Scheduled Meetings/Activities:

   • The Virginia STEAM Academy is now accepting applications for Summer STEAM 2014
     • This is a free, one-week, residential camp for highly able 6th-8th grade students from across Virginia.
     • Deadline extended to April 11.
     • The Virginia STEAM Academy's mission is to develop the next generations of creative, ethical, and imaginative STEAM leaders who respect and integrate the humanities.
     • Here is a direct link to their website where you will find the NEW Online Application Link: http://www.vasteam.org/SummerSteam.html.

   • Fairfax Committee Of 100 meets on Monday, April 14, 2014 to discuss “The Future for George Mason University and Public Higher Education in Virginia”
     • Our distinguished speaker is Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D, President, George Mason University
     • George Mason University is a driving force in our regional economy.
       • GMU shapes Fairfax County and the region in many ways. GMU alumni are vital to our sophisticated workforce. GMU scholars are active contributors to public discussion and debate on important issues to our region and the nation. The university is a leading cultural institution and major regional employer.
       • GMU has grown rapidly to almost 34,000 students – the largest enrollment of all Virginia public universities.
       • Dr. Cabrera became president of GMU in July of 2013 at a time of great opportunity for the university and the region.
       • But he faces significant challenges to continuing the success of the university. Some issues he must deal with include reduced state funding, rising costs, and increasing student debt – problems that affect all Virginia public universities.
     • Some Background and Food for Thought
       • The quality of a state’s higher education system is vitally important to a state’s competitiveness and economic success. A high-quality system fosters innovation, builds a superior workforce, contributes to attracting industry, helps create high-paying jobs for graduates, and keeps graduates in the state.
       • However, recent times have been tough for Virginia public universities
       • The Virginia legislature has been reducing financial support, federal support and research funds are harder to get, costs continue to go up, competition for prominent faculty is increasing, and students have many other choices of schools to attend. And these are just some of the difficult challenges.
       • Virginia public universities are coping with these challenges in a variety of ways
         • One way has been to raise tuition and fees.
           GMU has almost doubled tuition and fees from 2000 to 2013 in constant dollars. The other state universities have also significantly raised costs of attendance.
           But this has significantly increased the cost for state students in the past few years. In 2013, undergraduate tuition and fees at Virginia public institutions ranked 12th highest for doctoral/research type of institutions, 7th highest for more comprehensive institutions, and 19th highest at community colleges. To pay these higher costs, many students have been taking on more debt.
         • Another way? – admit many more out-of-state and foreign undergraduate students.
           Why? Because they are willing to pay the full cost of tuition and other expenses. GMU intends to expand international student enrollment by 50%.
           But this sometimes can reduce the number of spaces available for Virginia students. There is already a hue and cry that more students from northern Virginia should be admitted to the University of Virginia at Charlottesville. Admitting more non-state and foreign students to state universities could make it even harder for Virginia students to get into the state school of their choice.
       • What does all this mean? - GMU is an outstanding success story. Can GMU sustain this record and overcome the challenges it faces? Can GMU and the other schools continue to increase tuition and fees? Are Virginia state universities in decline? Is Virginia slowly losing this battle?
     • Meeting Details:
       • Amphora Restaurant, 377 Maple Avenue, West, Vienna, VA 22180
       • Cost: Members - $39, Non-Members - $49
       • Seating can only be guaranteed with advanced reservations, reservations will be honor in the order received with reservations made by Committee of 100 members given preference over non-member reservations.
       • Schedule: Pre-Meeting Festivities starting 7 PM followed by dinner and program from 7:30-9:30 PM
       • RSVP today by sending an email to: wwhanks @ cox.net or by calling: 703-385-3753

   • Improving Access to Dulles Airport
     Improving western access to the airport and future Metrorail in Loudoun County
     • Stop by a public hearing for this project between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at the Liberty Elementary School, 25491 Riding Center Drive, South Riding, VA. Email meeting_comments@VDOT.virginia.gov or send your comments to Tom Fahrney, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 by May 7, 2014.
     • About the Project:
       • The Virginia Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is proposing to construct a limited-access roadway to the west of the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Loudoun County, Virginia. The environmental study will examine a proposed Dulles Air Cargo, Passenger and Metro Access Highway that would extend from the interchange of the planned Tri-County Parkway (VA Route 411) and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (US Route 50) to the existing intersection of Old Ox Road (VA Route 606) and Arcola Road (VA Route 842) where future airport roads and an extension of the Loudoun County Parkway are anticipated to converge.
       • Presently, IAD is accessible from the west by way of US Route 50, Evergreen Mills Road (VA Route 621), Dulles Greenway (VA Route 267), and VA Route 606.
       • The purpose of this project is to enhance the movement of people, passenger services and air cargo traffic to Washington Dulles International Airport and the planned Phase 2 extension of the Metrorail Silver Line. The proposed project is intended to reduce congestion and improve capacity on the existing roadway network in the Dulles South area.
       • The estimated study cost is approximately $1 million.

   • Six-Year Improvement Program
     Investing in Virginia’s Transportation Future
     • Each Spring, a DRAFT SYIP is presented to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Each Spring, a DRAFT SYIP is presented to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. There are also a series of Public Hearings scheduled to obtain public comment on the DRAFT SYIP. All hearings begin at 6:00 p.m. and are scheduled as follows:
     • Meeting Date and Location in the Northern Virginia District
       • Thursday, April 24, 2014
         VDOT Northern Virginia District Office
         4975 Alliance Drive
         Fairfax, VA 22030

10. Next Membership Meeting 23 April 2014:
    • Membership Topic: Update on Westfields Corporate Park
      • Bill Keech, Jr., President, WBOA

    • Land Use and Transportation Committee
      1. 8:30 - Comprehensive Sign Plan for the Timber Ridge Residential Development
         • Proponent: Sara Mariska,, Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh PC
         • Action: Comprehensive Sign Plan
         • Location: Timber Ridge Residential Development west of Centreville Road North of Wall Road and East of the Extension of the Air And Space Museum Annex Parkway.
           The Comprehensive Sign Plan for the Timber Ridge residential development was officially accepted by Fairfax County for processing. The plans should be scheduled for public hearing in July. If some initial feedback is provided from Staff in April, it makes sense for us to come to the Council in April. If we do not have any initial feedback, we will postpone the presentation to May.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeffrey M. Parnes
First Vice President
Sully District Council