Fairfax hasn't been immune to the growth in population, development and traffic that have affected other areas of the county. Below are some of the ways those forces have played out in the region in 2003:
Snowstorms Blanket Region
The 18 inches of snow that fell on Fairfax caused schools, businesses, the federal government and even the Smithsonian to shut down over the weekend of Feb. 15 and 16, 2003. Since Fairfax County Public Schools had used up its allotment of snow days, students had their school day extended by 30 minutes over the spring months for several weeks to make up for lost time.
War In Iraq
As the country started preparing for a war in Iraq, the military mission affected area residents. A number of people in Springfield and Burke are either in the military or work at the Pentagon and were impacted by the invasion, which began in the spring of 2003. On Saturday, Jan. 18, some residents from the area took part in an anti-war demonstration on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Jack McHale and Tim McKinney began fasting to protest the war on Jan. 4 and continued to Super Bowl Sunday on Jan. 26. Burke grandmother Suzanne Doherty started a local "Grandmothers for Peace" chapter and attended the march as well. Debbie Polychrones, VDOT employee, saw her son Jason shipped off that month with the U.S. Marines. Polychrones lives in Annandale but works at the Interchange Information Office in Springfield Mall.
Fairfax Museum Reopens
As part of a citywide push to revitalize and cultivate interest in Fairfax, the Fairfax Museum and Visitors Center reopened in April after being closed for renovations since February 2003. The renovation to the museum's first floor, at $115,000, included adding museum-quality cases and lighting as well as a large, flat-screen monitor embedded in blackboard, and expanding the seating area and the gift shop.
In a change in programming, the first floor of the museum will feature rotating exhibits, while the second floor will house the museum's permanent collection.
Making Fairfax a Destination
In spring 2003, local businesses, organizations and city government banded together for the launching of Destination Fairfax, a tourism initiative. The public/private initiative is a media campaign designed to draw more tourism to the area. Destination Fairfax hosts travel writers to expose them to local and regional highlights, such as Civil War sites and area dining opportunities.
Burke Lake Road
In April, the 14-member Burke Lake Road Widening Task Force submitted its comprehensive plans for a funded project that will widen the stretch of Burke Lake Road from the Lee Chapel intersection to the Fairfax County Parkway. Those plans were for a four-lane, divided highway with turn lanes, sidewalk, multipurpose trail, retaining walls and the enlargement of an existing retention pond. The project will begin in the spring of 2004, the task force report stated.
Tom Wade, executive director at Burke Centre, noted how citizen input played a role in Virginia Department of Transportation projects.
Fire Department Marks 75th
The Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2003. Between its two stations on University Drive and Lee Highway, the FVFD has between 70 and 80 volunteers, and in 2002, responded to almost 11,000 calls.
New Gifted and Talented Center Opens
In fall 2003, Mosby Woods Elementary welcomed third-graders from Marshall Road, Daniels Run, Providence and Fairfax Villa elementaries to the school's new gifted-and-talented (GT) center. Fairfax County Public Schools created the new GT center to relieve crowding at the GT centers at Louise Archer and Mantua Elementaries.
Police Station to Remain at Wood Complex
After much debate among citizens and even in the City Council, council members decided 4-2 to construct the proposed public safety building at the Fairfax City police's current location at the John C. Wood Complex on Old Lee Highway instead of next to City Hall, which was the original proposal. The decision marked the end of a six-month debate over the best location for the next police station.
In March 2003 during a budget outreach meeting, several citizens raised concerns about the proposal to build a new police station and renovate and expand City Hall. Citizens were concerned about the traffic that could result from increased activity on the site, as well as the diminishing of open space.
The Council and Fairfax mayor Rob Lederer then asked the architects to explore the possibility of keeping the police station at John C. Wood.
That move drew fire from other city residents, who argued that the police station should be built next to City Hall. They said the Council would violate their trust if they built the police station at John C. Wood, because those citizens had passed the 2001, $20 million bond referendum for the project based on the assumption that the police station would be at City Hall. Furthermore, those citizens argued that the John C. Wood site would fulfill the needs for a community center for Fairfax.
In September, after looking into other potential properties for the police station, the Council decided to build the police station at John C. Wood. They declined returning the issue to a November ballot over concerns that it would further delay the project.
In Harm’s Way of Hurricane Isabel
When Hurricane Isabel passed through the region in September, area families finally had uses for the bottled water, flashlights and duct tape they had bought in February due to heightened national security concerns.
Although Isabel started out as a Category 5 hurricane with 155-plus mph winds when it touched down on the North Carolina coast from the Atlantic Ocean, it appeared as a tropical storm when it arrived in the Washington metropolitan area. Even though Vienna received only 1.95 inches of rain, the continued winds caused power outages throughout Fairfax County. Indeed, Fairfax residents were among the 1.8 million Virginians and North Carolinians without electricity. Complicating the situation further was the loss of power at the county's water treatment plants, which resulted in the boiling of water by greater Fairfax-area citizens and restaurants. Water supply for Fairfax City residents and businesses, however, remained drinkable and safe.
Old Town Redevelopment Given Green Light
In a push to proceed with developing Old Town Fairfax, the city in the spring solicited Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) from developers interested in redeveloping two city-owned properties in Old Town: the North Street parking lot and the Logan-Sipan property, also known as the post office site.
The city selected four finalists in July, and in November, chose the development team of Trammell Crow Co., Walnut Street Development and J. Donegan Co. to create a mixed-use development consisting of retail, office and residential space.
Play Ball at Towers Park
Plans to complete Phases 2 and 3 at Towers Park are under way. Located off Arlington Boulevard in the Fairfax area, the park will get athletic-field lighting installed for its 200-foot ball field. The improvements, approved in October by the Fairfax County Park Authority, also call for the regrading of existing fields and the installation of irrigation equipment, retaining walls and sod, as well as the renovation and expansion of the parking lot.
The $88,830 project, paid by 1998 bond funds, will be completed in February 2004.
Paul VI Opens New Activity Center
The student activity center at Paul VI High School finally opened in October, after construction began in the summer of 2002. The $5.4 million building has a college-sized gymnasium that seats 1,200 in the bleachers; men's and women's locker rooms; coaches offices; a wrestling and all-purpose room; an art room; a faculty lounge; and a technology room with 30 brand-new computers.
The gymnasium will allow Paul VI to conduct school-wide assemblies, as well as give the school the opportunity to host home games. Previously, the Paul VI Panthers had to trek as far as Arlington and Washington, D.C., to play their games.
Candidates Compete for State, Local Seats
On Election Day 2003, area residents witnessed a changing of the guard on the state and local level. All of the seats in the Virginia General Assembly, as well as all the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors seats, were up for grabs.
With a nine-point margin, Providence District supervisor Gerald Connolly (D) beat Republican opponent Mychele Brickner in a bid for the chairmanship of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Connolly replaced Katherine Hanley (D), a public service veteran, who had decided earlier in 2003 not to seek re-election because she had intended to race against U.S. Rep. James Moran (D-8th). Hanley later in the year announced her decision not to pursue Moran's House seat.
Taking Connolly's place as Providence District supervisor was Democrat Linda Smyth, Providence District's Planning Commissioner. Smyth won 56 percent of the vote compared with her opponent, Republican Jim Hyland, who received 44 percent of the roughly 16,000 votes.
At the state level, voters re-elected freshman Del. J. Chapman "Chap" Petersen (D-37th) to a second term. Petersen beat Republican John H. "Jack" Rust, an attorney whom Petersen unseated in 2000, 59 percent to 41 percent.
Meanwhile, Jeannemarie Devolites (R) successfully jumped from one state legislative body to another, as she became state senator for the 34th District after having served as delegate for the 35th District since 1998. Devolites beat Democrat Ronald F. "Ron" Christian, a minister, activist and first-time campaigner.
The race to replace Devolites became one of the most "to watch" races of the state, with both Republicans and Democrats infusing hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure victory in the 35th District. In the end, Democrat and assistant Commonwealth Prosecutor Stephen C. "Steve" Shannon won the race over Republican Robert "Rob" McDowell, also an attorney, 53 percent to 47 percent.