<sh>Tysons Development Meeting
<bt>On Thursday, Jan. 26, from 7:30-9 p.m., residents are invited to attend a dialogue to identify what is important to the community regarding the future growth of Tysons Corner and how the introduction of rail stations will affect growth. The meeting will be held at the McLean Community Center at 1234 Ingleside Ave. in McLean.
Residents, business and property owners, commuters, and nonprofit organizations will meet in groups of 30 to 50. Participants will be provided with a short presentation on Task Force activities, followed by small group discussions to identify their values and concerns. The results of these discussions will then be shared with the entire group. The Tysons Land Use Task Force is hosting approximately 20 community dialogues, the results of which will be captured and included in a final report for the Task Force. The Task Force will use the input from the dialogues to help shape their recommendations about revisions to the Tysons Corner Comprehensive Plan. The Task Force will develop options to be considered in the Comprehensive Plan and will provide additional opportunities for public input in the evaluation of those options before any final decisions are made.
Dialogues are being scheduled throughout January and early February. Comments may also be made online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/tysonscorner. RSVP and reserve a space in one of the dialogues by calling the Tysons Community Dialogue Hotline at 703-324-1344, or by sending an e-mail to tysonscornerspecialstudy@fairfaxcounty.gov. A General Dialogue will be held on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at Spring Hill Elementary School. Call the hotline for details and to RSVP.
<sh>Park Authority Completes Salona Acquisition
<bt>The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Park Authority Board have a acquired a 41-acre conservation easement and purchase options on the historic property known as "Salona."
The proposed easement, outlined publicly at a press conference in October of 2005, was finalized on Dec. 28, 2005. The site, located at 1235 Dolley Madison Blvd. in McLean, has frontage on Dolley Madison Boulevard, Buchanan Street and Kurtz Road. The Salona homestead and grounds comprise 7.8 acres within the 52.4-acre site, and are already protected in perpetuity by a 1971 easement to the Board of Supervisors. The conservation easement preserves one of the last sizable open spaces in McLean.
Within the new easement, 10 acres will be placed in active recreational use, with the remainder used for passive recreation such as trails, which will provide a critical link to the Pimmit Run Trail System. The easement will also allow for preservation and interpretation of natural and cultural resources on the property. The easement prevents any residential construction on the property in perpetuity, and the Park Authority has the right of first refusal to own the Salona property outright.
The cost of the conservation easement ($16.1 million) is less than half the appraised highest and best use value of the property. The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust has the role of easement enforcement, and collaborated on the acquisition of the easement. For more information, contact the Park Authority Public Information Office at 703-324-8662.
<sh>Great Falls Exxon Charity Car Wash Schedule
<bt>The Great Falls Exxon car wash schedule will be available starting Feb. 1. They will be taking reservations for local groups to do charity car washes on a first-come, first-served basis for Saturdays from March through November. Call the station at 703-759-3367 and ask for Saman, or just stop by to sign up.
<sh>McLean High School Students Selected for Honor Band
<bt>42 McLean High School band students were selected by audition for the 2006 District XII Honor Bands. The Honor Bands, consisting of Wind Ensemble, the highest ranked musicians, and Symphonic Band, display talented musicians from 10 area high schools. McLean students occupy 6 first chairs, and represent 18 clarinets. The District XII Band Concert is Feb. 5, 2006. McLean's 15 Wind Ensemble members are: Sarah Deisz, Alyson Frazier, Doug Goldstein, Liz Gorman, Ethan Henshaw, Cory Holm, Michael Kalish, Allie Mak, Jun Song, Trish Tertell, Kyle Tilman, Rose Tobiassen, Matt Ward, Erica Wickman and Benjamin Zoll. The 27 Symphonic Band members are: Jillian Abood, Kevin Aliaga, Natalie Allen, Mike Atkins, Christine Bax, Jeffrey Bennett, Robert Bogart, Darrell Chan, Dacee Chimgee-Parr, Ian Christensen-Gibbons, Mollie Cretsinger, Sarah Dickson, Erin Flint, Helen Goldfrank, Doug Havens, Flannery Houricon, Jennie Kim, Hae Lee, Natalie Manitius, Kelly McGregor, Jeffrey Miller, Jessie Nucho, Becky Owen, Kyle Pacque, Shelby Penn, Meredith Saunders and Joseph Starnes.