Fairfax County is heading into the final stretch for redistricting as the Board of Supervisors considers boundary changes for individual precincts within each magisterial district. Changes at the General Assembly level created interesting challenges as some existing precincts were split in half, thirds, or quarters by new State Senate and Delegate district lines.

Several changes proposed for Mason District will be considered by the Board at a public hearing on Tuesday, July 26. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in the Board Auditorium of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. To register to speak at the hearing, please call the Clerk to the Board at 703/324-3151, or on-line at ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Here are the proposed changes: Glen Forest 1 northwest of Columbia Pike and Glen Forest 2 will be reunited simply as Glen Forest, and continue to vote at Glen Forest Elementary School. The portion of Glen Forest southeast of Columbia Pike will be combined with Skyline precinct, and the new polling place will be at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads. Holmes 1 and Holmes 2 also will be reunited, ending 10 years of confusion dating from the 2000 Census, and will continue to vote at Bailey’s Elementary School. On the south side of Columbia Pike, Bailey’s precinct, newly divided between the 38th and 49th Delegate districts, will continue to vote at Bailey’s Community Center. The polling place will use “split books” for the delegate races only.

Ravenwood precinct will be enlarged with the addition of the Sleepy Hollow neighborhoods from Tripps Run to Seven Corners. The Ravenwood polling place remains at J.E.B. Stuart High School. The Barcroft precinct line will be east of Sleepy Hollow Road, still voting at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. Because of changes in the State Senate lines, a new Sleepy Hollow precinct is created, combining a portion of the former Barcroft precinct south of Tripps Run and west of Sleepy Hollow Road with a portion of the existing Sleepy Hollow precinct east of Rose Lane (Falls Church). Sleepy Hollow precinct will continue to vote at Beech Tree Elementary School. The portion of the former Sleepy Hollow precinct west of Rose Lane (Falls Church) will become part of Masonville precinct, which votes temporarily at Westminster School. Walnut Hill 1 and Walnut Hill 2 (formerly in Providence District) will be combined with Whittier precinct to create a new Walnut Hill precinct, which will vote at the Alan Leis Center at the former Walnut Hill Elementary School.

Other changes to the western and southern parts of Mason District are outside of the Greater Falls Church area covered by the News-Press. They include a reconfigured Weyanoke precinct that will add a section of Edsall precinct, and maintain a “split book” for the delegate race. Weyanoke precinct votes at Holmes Middle School. The rest of Edsall precinct will incorporate Leewood precinct, created in redistricting 10 years ago, retain the Edsall name, and continue to vote at St. John’s United Methodist Church. Outside the Beltway, Camelot will use a “split book” because a small portion of the precinct was assigned to the 53rd delegate district. If your precinct is not listed here, there were no changes proposed.

A map of the proposed changes for Mason District may be reviewed in my office. A map outlining all of the proposed changes for county precincts will be available on-line at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/precincts.htm. Once the boundary changes are adopted by the Board of Supervisors, the Electoral Board will mail new voter cards and information to all registered voters prior to the August 23 primary election date.

Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be e-mailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov