Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Next time you see a Fairfax County
Sheriff's Deputy, make sure to say thank you!
I am delighted to announce, along with
Supervisor Sharon Bulova, a new
public-private partnership to improve the
appearance and maintenance of Braddock
Road. For the past several months,
my office has fielded dozens of complaints
about the condition of our roads, and
specifically the accumulation of trash and
the lack of mowing in the rights-of-way. To
me, it is a matter of community pride. While
VDOT has come out to do spot mowing in areas
where the tall grass blocks sight lines, many
places haven't seen a mower since last year.
Maintenance is handled by the Virginia
Department of Transportation. Plain and
simple, it comes down to a lack of
resources. More on that later.
Earlier this year, I attended a meeting
with the Braddock District Council
of Community Associations where road
maintenance was the primary topic. After the
meeting, I ran into a Sheriff's Deputy that
I have known for several years and mentioned
my frustration with the lack of State
funding. We got to talking about the
Sheriff Department's Community Labor
Force, which consists of non-violent
volunteer prisoners from the Fairfax Adult
Detention Center accompanied by guards. I
asked whether there might be a way to expand
the program to include mowing and litter
removal. Much to my surprise, he said that
was a real possibility.
Several meetings later, I couldn't help
but smile as I watched a partnership unfold
among the Sheriff's Department, VDOT, Area
Landscaping (a local nursery on Olley Lane),
and the Braddock District Council. The
result is that the Sheriff Department's
Community Labor Force, on a pilot basis,
will mow grass, pick up trash, and remove
illegal signs on Braddock Road from Shirley
Gate Road to Backlick Road starting this
past Monday. VDOT has agreed to help with
safety measures, including the use of
crash-cushion trucks for lane closures.
In addition to mowing, the Braddock
District Council is also launching an effort
to beautify the medians by removing
dead and dying trees and replacing
them where appropriate. The trees were
originally planted as a "Braddock
District Tree Planting Project" which
began in 1988. Area Landscaping, which did
much of the original planting, has agreed to
put together a re-planting plan and a
proposal for periodic routine maintenance.
They have also agreed to help defray some of
the costs. In turn, VDOT has agreed to remove
dead and dying trees.
It is a real testament to our community
that so many people were willing to step up
to the plate when they saw a need. They
could have easily said that it wasn't their
problem. Rather, in the next few weeks and
months, we will all be able to enjoy the
benefits.
I will be the first to admit that the
last few months have been a learning
experience for me as I began meeting with
VDOT officials about how to fix the larger
problem of road maintenance. Maintenance of
our existing infrastructure should be our
number one priority – and according to
Section 33.1-23.1 of the Code of Virginia,
it is. But in reality, this hasn't been the
case. An internal VDOT needs assessment
estimates that we are only funding 25% of
the actual maintenance need. Hence the
problem. In the long-run, deferred
maintenance will cost us all. The good news
is that I believe the message is being
heard. I look forward to working with the
Secretary of Transportation and others on
this issue during the next Session.
I hope that you are enjoying a safe and
happy summer. And again, let's support those
who are supporting us! Give a smile to the
next Sheriff's Deputy you see. Thank the
good folks at Area Landscaping. And thank
the volunteers who donate their time and
talents to running our civic and homeowner
associations!
Sincerely,
David Bulova
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