Guest Commentary

The Ellison Heights – Mt. Daniel Civic Association strongly opposes the plan to expand Mt. Daniel Elementary School because it will irreparably harm the character of our neighborhood. We can understand the need for school expansion, but we oppose the elements that will negatively impact us: 1) a new 24-ft-wide road terminating in a 90-ft cul-de-sac cut through the wooded buffers between the school and its neighbors to the northwest; 2) additional parking of 70 spaces in the field between the school and the wooded buffer to the southeast; changes to the paths across the property; and stormwater management plans that may redirect run-off from the site. All of this will come with walls and fences, separating our community from the school property, despite the fact that most Fairfax County schools are not fenced off from their neighbors. We have not seen a serious plan to manage the traffic and parking problems created on N. Oak by school employees and parents. The City has positioned this expansion as a “sacred commitment” to its constituents and the first of two planned expansions to accommodate a school population of approximately 600 students (vs. about 250 now). The City has no master plan for the ultimate build-out of Mt. Daniel, no idea whether the County will permit such a build-out, and no price tag for the ultimate expansion. We were surprised to learn that the City will press ahead with the current expansion, currently $1M over budget, without knowing the “grand plan” and how the currently proposed expansion will mesh with future needs. The creation of a new road will destroy a wooded buffer between two sides of our neighborhood and the school. The City has lost sight of the fact that good buffers make good neighbors. Worse, the City of Trees doesn’t seem to understand the value of trees, having referred to the trees as immature and unworthy of preservation. Abutting property owners would face a road used for loud, exhaust-spewing school buses. Highland is a steep and slippery road during inclement weather. The entrance to the City’s proposed road is near the crest of the hill on Highland. The three-way stop nearby is routinely ignored by drivers cresting the hill. The City has not seriously considered the very real danger to their own children by routing their buses to a busy commuter route. Our Fairfax County school bus stop is nearby, adding to potential conflicts. This is a poorly conceived plan that should never have gained traction. The paths across Mt. Daniel are used by City and County Metro commuters, children who walk to their bus stops, neighbors traveling from one end of our neighborhood to the other, and swimming pool members who walk to Highpoint. The City has proposed to maintain a new path from N. Oak to Highland, but the design leaves many pondering the dangers of a blind alley. The path from the pool and Woodland is currently not shown on the development plans. One School Board member suggested recently that the paths should be considered optional, despite the City’s stated objective to maintain access across the property. Should access be cut off, the City will essentially be converting a public use to a private use while still expecting preferential treatment as a public use within Fairfax County. The proposed expansion of the school building on the west side of the school will place the building wall 30 feet from the neighboring property line. We have repeatedly asked the City to adopt a more neighborhood-friendly design flush with the existing school façade. They have refused. Fairfax County’s Planning Commission must approve the City’s application for expansion. The County will evaluate the application based on character, extent, and location. The City’s application is all about the character of our desirable Fairfax County neighborhood vs. the City’s growth. We have not forgotten City Planning Commissioners’ angry statements last year that they were being asked to “bail out” Fairfax County with temporary parking for Metro. We wonder if we are now being asked to bail out the City. Wouldn’t it be easier for all if we had a meaningful dialog, looking for alternatives that meet the City’s needs for a modest expansion and our own objectives for neighborhood preservation? We have repeatedly made that request. Four members of the School Board did meet with us for a much-appreciated two-hour walkthrough and a discussion of our issues. Subsequently, the new superintendent was quoted as saying that should have “appeased” us. We don’t think that a two-hour visit balances the permanent negative impacts the City hopes to impose on our community. We can work with the City or against it. So far, the City has given us no encouragement that it wants our help.