Neighbors Out in Force, Mt. Daniel Decision Delayed

With 45 neighbors to Falls Church's Mt. Daniel Elementary School present, the F.C. School Board on Tuesday put over to next week a decision on final revisions to the site plan for new construction at the school.

Another work session will be held by the board at 6 p.m. at the Learning Center on the George Mason High campus. It is scheduled to formally vote on revisions to the plan at its next regular business meeting Sept. 14.

While revisions to plans for the new parking lot assuaged many neighbors' concerns, there is still opposition to the plan's new bus loop off Highland Avenue.

"The school board and the developers are continuing to consider further revisions with a primary concern for student safety," Dr. Lois Berlin, superintendent of the Falls Church schools, said. She noted that the bus loop was designed to separate bus from other vehicular traffic, which is a goal for all new schools constructed in Virginia.

As for concerns that the new bus loop might make the area less safe for children walking across it to Haycock School, she said negotiations are in the works with Fairfax County now to insure that buses are not coming into the loop when school at Haycock is about to begin.

Other concerns for the bus loop involve the loss of open space.

"Safety could also be enhanced by trimming some foliage to make large yellow signs that would blink during school hours more visible," Dr. Berlin said.