Shields Avenue is to be abandoned from the Fairfax County Tax maps in order to further accommodate the development of Kings Crossing. It will be included in the redevelopment proposal for multi-use development of the site at the intersection of Route 1 and South Kings Highway, according to a Board Matter proposed Aug. 6 by Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald Hyland.
"I believe that the inclusion of Shields Avenue is appropriate and will result in a better development proposal," Hyland told his colleagues on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS). He then moved that the 45,716 square feet, consisting of Shields Avenue right-of-way, be included in the redevelopment application filed by Jefferson Development Services, L.P., for Kings Crossing.
<sh>Instructions As A Second Language
<bt>How and when to pay a traffic ticket in Fairfax County may be as frustrating as getting one. At least that's the conclusion of Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald Hyland in presenting the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with a proposal calling for the County Executive and Clerk of the Court to work on creating some clear English for traffic tickets.
Apparently one of Hyland's constituents was confused by payment instructions on a traffic ticket. In one place it said "payment must be received 5 days prior to the court date." In another area it said "you may pay in person at the Court between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. during any regular work day or at any Magistrate's office."
As pointed out by Hyland, Magistrate's offices in Mt. Vernon and Fairfax are open 24/7. "While the instructions are clear in the first bullet that payment must be made five days in advance of the court date, these instructions are not clear when it discusses payment with the Mount Vernon Magistrate. According to the Magistrate, many others are confused by the language on the form," Hyland said.
In order to solve this language maze, Hyland moved that the BOS "direct the County Executive to bring this matter to the attention of the Clerk of the Court and work with his office to print clearer instructions on traffic tickets."
<sh>Boats Don't Float On Streets
<bt>Mount Vernon Council of Citizen's Associations (MVCCA) wants all of Fairfax County to be designated a Community Parking District (CPD). That means that no boats, large trailers, PODs and other such objects would be permitted to be parked on community streets.
They passed a resolution in November 2005 to that effect. Subsequently, the Fairfax Federation of Community Associations followed suit. Both, have fallen on deaf ears or, more descriptively, disagreeing ears according to Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald Hyland.
In December 2005 Hyland successfully got the County Board of Supervisors to adopt a motion directing the Transportation Advisory Commission "to make a recommendation on the resolutions." They did — "No."
According to the transportation commission’s minutes, their rationale was that because the resolution originated from the MVCCA. The commission, buttressed by the Department of Transportation staff, voted to retain the current system. "While I respect the recommendation of the TAC and staff, neither the previous nor current Mount Vernon Transportation Commissioners agree," Hyland told the Board of Supervisors on Monday.
"A few years ago Prince William County designated the majority of their older neighborhoods to the east as a CPD. It is my desire that Fairfax County staff follow that model," Hyland said.
"While I recognize not every home or community in the Mount Vernon District enjoys representation in the MVCCA, my motions respect the MVCCA's resolution and will allow other neighborhoods an opportunity to make their wishes known," he stated. Hyland moved and the BOA approved the following:
* "The BOS direct the County Executive and the Department of Transportation to initiate the process to designate the entire Mount Vernon Magisterial District northeast of Fort Belvoir a CPD."
* "The BOS direct the Department of Transportation to meet with the MVCCA and the South County Federation and other Mount Vernon communities to determine the appropriate boundaries for further inclusion or exclusion."