The Vienna Town Council unanimously gave the go-ahead during last week's council meeting for the firm Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP, to commence work on a site plan for the Nutley Street Master Plan. However, the approval came with reservations from several council members who wanted to ensure that citizens had input on what the town would put on the site.
Previous councils had discussed the site at 247 Nutley St. as a future home for a maintenance facility for the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department.
Councilman George Lovelace disagreed with the project description of the site plan, arguing that it presupposed the maintenance facility.
"I think the citizens are expecting some input," Lovelace said.
Malcolm Windover Heights Association president Pat Brandon agreed, saying that citizens had some concerns.
"I don't want any assumptions," Brandon said.
Councilwoman Maud Robinson said past councils had discussed the possibilities for the site before, and asked if copies of the past plan could be available for the public. Vienna mayor Jane Seeman said she remembered the Nutley Street discussion occurring concurrently with the Northside Property Yard discussion.
However, Seeman assured council that the approval would just allow the company to study what's on the site regarding facilities and utilities. Futhermore, while the town waits for funding to continue re-working the site, staff and council could meet with citizens in the interim, suggested town manager John Schoeberlein.
COUNCILWOMAN LAURIE COLE agreed that citizen input should be included early on and suggested the site plan be worded instead as site map, in order to describe more accurately what the project would entail.
In addition to discussing the Nutley Street plan, the town council discussed and voted on several housekeeping items. They also commented on the following:
*Town council members agreed to a short-term permit that would allow a classroom trailer at Marshall Road Elementary. Gary Chevalier, facilities planning services director for Fairfax County Public Schools, approached the council Monday, after their building permit was rejected earlier in the summer.
"We do need the space at Marshall Road," Chevalier said.
Seeman replied that the town has concerns about trailers, but consented that one could be put up as a short-term fix. She asked Chevalier to consider long-term facilities options with the town.
"We don't want to put children out on the street," Seeman said.
*Councilman Al Boudreau asked that Weichert Realtors be approached about removing some of their signs along Maple Avenue. He considered it unattractive to have so many signs lining the street.
"I'd really like something done," Boudreau said.
*Councilman Sydney Verinder offered several congratulations, one to the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department on a recent rewarding of a major grant, and the other to Boudreau, for his election as president of the Virginia Local Government Finance Board with the Virginia Municipal League. The board would oversee a program which would create a bond pool for municipalities, thus potentially reducing the cost of financing capital projects and equipment.
VERINDER ALSO ASKED Vienna Police chief Bob Carlisle about a number of vehicular vandalism acts that had occurred between Aug. 11 and 13. Carlisle replied that Vienna police are continuing the investigate the matter, and that the incidents have been BB gun pellet shots to car windows, with most acts occurring in the middle of the night.
"There's really very little leads to work on at this point," Carlisle said.
*Cole asked Carlisle what Vienna police would do in the event of a blackout similar in proportion to the recent blackout that had occurred over several northeast and midwestern states and Canada? Carlisle replied that because the problems would be region-wide, they would have to work with surrounding jurisdictions, while attempting to maintain order within the town.
"The biggest problem you face is threat of public order," Carlisle said.
*Lovelace asked the transportation safety commission to look into the possibility of a traffic light near the post office.
*Schoeberlein reported that the high-flying planes over Vienna last Saturday evening were training exercises by the Department of Homeland Security. He said additional exercises might occur at another date.
*Seeman recognized the recent passing of longtime community member Guy Allbright.
"Guy is going to be missed by all of us," Seeman said.
The mayor also asked the council to think of issues that the state delegation should address in the upcoming General Assembly.