They were four buddies. Sam Mills, Dan Mills, Brandon Hennington and a 7.37-acre plot of woods where they created adventures and did boy things like fording the stream, cutting through when late for the bus or just "chilling out" without interference from chores or grown-ups.
Their heyday has come, and the group is breaking up. Sam and Dan are moving away, and the woods are marked with strips of plastic, specifying the trees to be cleared for a new medical-care facility and housing complex for the elderly. The boys are going to miss it.
"We like these woods, we always go back there. It's like our place to just erase our minds of everything," said Dan, 12.
Highlights in their version of Sherwood Forest included a rusted, broken-down car; a deep pool in the stream; steep trails; the remains of an old house; and a fallen tree that tested their balance. They knew every square foot of their stretch of woods.
Although Sam, 11, and Dan are moving, the woods were always there for Brandon, who is a student at nearby West Springfield Elementary School.
"We just sit down and talk, it's kind of fun walking through there. Then we won't be able to play hide and go seek," he said.
Rolling Woods LLC and Brookfield Washington Inc. filed an application with the county on Oct. 23, 2001, to develop the parcel, which is located near the Rolling Road intersection with the Fairfax County Parkway. The original plan called for "housing and general care for persons who are sixty-two (62) years of age or over," and then was modified to permit "persons who are fifty-five (55) years of age and over and couples where either the husband or wife is fifty-five (55) years or older to purchase units within the Elderly Housing project," the county document PCA C-402-8 7 FDPA C-402-6. There would be a total of 87 dwellings on the property, which directly borders Hunter Village Drive and Gerardia Court. The site plan was passed April 8 with the modification without opposition from the Board of Supervisors.
Supervisor Elaine McConnell voiced support for road improvements when the issue came up at the meeting, April 8.
"My office has worked for years and years to try to get VDOT [Virginia Department of Transportation] to do something about Hunter Village Drive. We keep asking, and we will continue to keep asking for some traffic-calming measures. I've turned down a number of them [applications to develop the site]. This I feel was the most suitable application because it did not involve any commercial ventures. You cannot imagine the line of applications that have come before me for this troubled piece of land," she said.
Developer Will Collins of Rolling Woods LLC/Brookfield Washington Inc. was able to confer with VDOT about the traffic concerns.
"We were able to work with Daventree, Winterforest and Ramblewood over the weekend. We were able to make some modifications to the proffers, and we have their support. [Modifications include] additional tree plantings on their property. We started a traffic study that we could all present to VDOT. We eliminated one of the trails," he said.
The application passed the Board of Supervisors without opposition.
Heather Burks lives in the Ramblewood condos next door to the parcel.
"I think it sucks, I like the wooded area. I'm worried about it taking away the value of this community," she said.
Also in Ramblewood, Ruth Norman is hoping there will be improvements to the traffic situation out on Gerardia Court and Hunter Village Drive, the main access to the community.
"Maybe they'll put a light where it's so dangerous, that would be helpful. They [drivers] don't observe the speed limit," she said.
Another neighbor, Amy Goddard, was concerned about traffic as well. She also remembered the Marriott Corp. with plans for the area in the past.
"I have no problem with them doing it, they have accidents all the time," she said.
Kristin Bradley lives in the Winter Forest community on the other side of the land. Although she liked the woods for the nine years she lived there, she realized land is a rare commodity in this area and feels it could be worse. She also likes the way she has been kept in the loop by the developers and county.
"Obviously we'd like to keep it the way it is, but it's not as bad as it could be. If it has to be something, this is decent at least. From all the plans and stuff, they seem to be working with the community," she said.
At one time there was talk of a Seven-11 and McDonald's restaurant for the land.
"That was kind of scary," Bradley said.
Although Burks didn't like the idea of losing the woods, she hopes for increased lighting for Gerardia Court. There are no street lights on the cul-de-sac, and residents that used it for overflow parking have had their cars broken into.
"My trailer was broken into, there's no lights," she said.
There were proffers included with the project, which is common when the county approves development plans. In this case, the builders agreed to "provide nine affordable dwelling units, make a cash contribution to the Fairfax County Housing Trust Fund of $2,200, and make a cash contribution of $250 per market rate unit to the Park Authority for the development of park facilities," according to the plan.