PHCA News

Hello Neighbors! We will be having our annual Pimmit Community Yard Sale on Saturday, June 19th, from 8:00 am to Noon.

Please let me know if you plan to participate. I will be publicizing on Craig’s List, so it would be good to report approximately how many families will be participating. We will also put out some signs around the community. Feel free to put your own signs around, too, directing to your area, as well as listing your address on Craig’s List! The more we all publicize, the more traffic we will have!

Some suggestions:

• Get several neighbors together – putting all the stuff in one yard – the more there is to look at, the faster people will stop to shop!
• If you are on a less traveled street, find a neighbor on a more traveled street and buddy up with them!
• I have space in my front yard on Pimmit Drive if anyone wants to join me. There is also a neighbor on Griffith that would welcome others to join her. Let me know!
• Have your stuff out by 7:30 am. There are a lot of shoppers out very early, so take advantage of that!
• Have a game plan for where the leftovers will go! Don’t take it back in the house! I have had good luck just putting leftovers out to the curb, sometimes someone in our community can put that item to good use.

Below is a list of items that I am collecting for different causes. Let me know if you have any of these items leftover that you would like to donate. Thanks!

• Old Cell Phones – Helping to end Domestic Violence and Family Homelessness in Northern Virginia
• Coats for Children (for Salvation Army – let’s get a head start on next winter!) Coats of all sizes needed!
• Eye glasses & Hearing Aids (for Lyons Club)
• Beanie Babies donations – for a Fall Trip Linda will be taking to China, visiting children in orphanages.

One last thing, could you do me a favor? If you hear about anyone who is interested in buying or selling a home, can you keep me in mind? I would be happy to help them for you!

Linda Wheeler
Vice President, Pimmit Hills Citizens Association

Weichert Realtors
6257 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA 22101
703-475-5347
www.WheelerTeam.com
Serving Northern Virginia…helping people move into, out of, and around the Metro DC area…by Referral!
“A Referral is…Sending Someone You Care About, to Someone You Respect and Trust”

PIMMIT HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD COFFEE
(Past, Present & Future Residents Welcome!)
TIME: 9:00-11:00 am
WHERE: 1823 Pimmit Dr.
DATES:
–Saturday, May 15, 2010 – Community Yard Sale Info/Networking
–Friday, June 11 – Summer Fun Ideas

Come out and join us for a cup of coffee and some sweet treats. Enjoy talking with neighbors you haven’t seen for a while and maybe even meet a few you don’t know! We have a great time sharing information about the community and helping neighbors network (i.e. find a babysitter, teen to cut the grass, where to go for community resources, etc.)

Any questions call 703-475-5347 or email lindawheeler@weichert.com. Hope to see you there! Bring a neighbor with you!

Fire Department Training in Pimmit Hills
Saturday, May 8, 2010
1823 Gilson
8 am to 3 pm

Please be advised that the Fire Department will be conducting a training exercise in your neighborhood soon. The house will not be “fully” involved in fire. Fires will be typically be constructed of a few pallets and a bale of straw. The training officers build a small fire, the recruits extinguish it and repeat this 7 to 10 times.

They will practise search and rescue techniques and practise cutting holes in the roof and interior walls under “real life” conditions of smoke and heat. While you may briefly see a few flames and some smoke, this will not be large amounts of either and each round is only a few minutes long. There will be minimal impact to traffic and neighbors. Nearby hydrants will be used and any driveways or streets crossed will have hose ramps so that vehicles can drive over the hose.

In an average exercise, a pumper is in front or in the driveway and one at each fire hydrant for a total of 3 pumpers and there will be a ladder truck and ambulance. Recruit transportation will be the fire and rescue academy bus and a pick-up with a trailer to transport supplies for training. There will be approximately 35 people involved in the average training, which will usually start approximately at 8:00am and end about 3:00pm.

Last year the budget cuts to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) impacted many aspects of street maintenance in Fairfax County. One direct result was a less frequent mowing schedule for roadside grass. Now, with the arrival of warm weather, our office anticipates increased concerns about the tall grass on the VDOT maintained roadsides of Dranesville.

Last year, across the County numerous private citizens and businesses generously offered to help VDOT with mowing. But with no formal program in place by VDOT we were unable to take them up on their kind offers to help.

Fortunately, VDOT now has developed a program to issue mowing permits to private citizens, businesses and homeowner associations. Your organization, or individuals within your organization, may now become Volunteer Mowers.

To learn about how you can help keep Dranesville’s roadside maintained and beautiful visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dranesville/vdot_private_mowers.htm. (Please don’t be intimidated by the number of forms required for this activity. Most of them require only a signature.) If you have any questions please contact Julie Ide in my office at 703-356-0551 or by email at Julie.ide@fairfaxcounty.gov.

John W. Foust, Dranesville District Supervisor

From PHCA President Carol Martz:

My last email was an announcement about Cleanup Day. It mistakenly stated that workers were needed to load the trucks. This is not so–county workers do that. We just need a few volunteers to direct traffic and collect dues. If you can help, just show up — stay as short or long a time as you wish.

As you know, PHCA’s next meeting is on May 4. Supervisor Foust will speak and take questions at that meeting.

Our May meeting is also our meeting for nominating members for next year’s Board. We will have at least two vacancies for next year. Lisa Gibbs is stepping down as secretary, and Linda Wheeler is stepping down as VP.

Are you willing to serve? It requires a relatively small amount of time and energy. Our new meeting has made it more doable for everyone. Please consider it — have someone nominate you or come to the meeting and volunteer.

And another announcement — Metro is trying to discontinue the 3T in 2011. We need to fight this. More about this at the meeting.

Here is a message from the Coalition for Smarter Growth. You can make a difference by sending a letter to Metro.

Ask Virginia’s Leaders To Save Metro Service
Time is running out – Metro service cuts may soon be a reality. Our leaders can stop these service cuts by committing more funding to Metro. Virginia local officials have made room in their tax rates to provide extra funding for Metro, but they haven’t yet actually voted on their budgets, so we need you to keep emailing. The proposed service cuts include:

• Ending Yellow line service to National Airport on evenings and weekends
• Slashing bus service throughout the system
• Closing Metro earlier and opening later
• Closing some Metro station entrances on weekends and evenings
• Imposing half hour waits between trains during the evening
• Eliminating 8-car trains, even during rush hour

We need your help to stop these drastic cuts. Send an email to Virginia local elected officials thanking them for considering more Metro funding and urging them to prevent these devastating cuts. Metro is a basic and essential service for the region’s economy. Emails will also automatically be sent to the Metro board.

Public support for Metro is overwhelming. Just yesterday, the Washington Post released a poll showing that a clear majority of Metro area residents support new funding sources for Metro. Eighty percent of Metrorail riders rate the system as good or excellent. Sixty-two percent said that efforts to reduce traffic congestion should focus on public transportation.

We’ve already submitted more than 2,000 petition signatures and 1,200 emails to leaders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, but we need all we can get. Please email your elected officials one more time.

The cuts that Metro is facing – detailed here – would not just be inconvenient, they would be devastating. Cuts combined with fare increases will increase traffic on area highways costing more time and money and hurting local businesses and the economy. Failing to fund the basic operating needs of Metro would be penny wise and pound foolish.Those who are 100% dependent on transit to get to work could lose their jobs if they lose the ability to get to work. Cuts could also endanger private commitment to transit-oriented development (TOD) just when area officials have joined us in recognizing that TOD is the best way to save open space, reduce traffic, increase energy efficiency and maintain our competitiveness.

We recognize that all governments are strapped for money, but letting Metro service fall to below minimal levels – on top of charging riders higher fares – makes no sense. Instead of abandoning the system that we spent billions of dollars to create, we need to maintain it. Email your elected official today and remind them that Metro is still the best and safest ride around. Tell them what Metro means to you and ask for their leadership in supporting the necessary funding for Metro.

Thank you for your passionate support of our Metro system!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Perring
Coalition for Smarter Growth
action@smartergrowth.net

The Pimmit Hills Citizens Association is sponsoring a community Clean-Up Day on Saturday, April 10 at the Pimmit Hills High School on Lisle Avenue in Pimmit Hills. Fairfax County refuse trucks will be there to haul away big pieces of junk starting at 8:00 am and ending sharply at Noon that day.

In order to drop stuff off, you must be a member of the Pimmit Hills Citizens Association. If you haven’t sent in your dues yet, PHCA will have a table collecting yearly membership dues. Dues are $20 per household per year.

We need volunteers to help out with the Clean-Up Day. To help unload cars for the Clean-Up, be sure to wear old clothes and bring work gloves. We also have volunteers that will pick up large items if you can’t get them to the truck yourself. Call Linda Wheeler 703-475-5347 or email lindawheeler@weichert.com to schedule pick up!

If you’ve never taken advantage of Clean-Up Day, it’s an amazing thing to watch the Fairfax County garbage trucks “eat” an entire couch. They also use a truck with a big crane which picks up all the large metal pieces. The day is also a great time to help out, meet fellow PH’ers and even spot a treasure that someone else is throwing away.

What you CAN bring:
Big appliances like ovens, washers; furniture like couches, chairs, mattresses; lamps, stereos, computers, bicycles, tables, doors, bed frames, cabinets, shelving, carpets, etc.

What you CANNOT bring:
Normal household refuse, brush (including tree branches and logs), yard waste, rocks, brick, concrete, stone, dirt, motor oil, car batteries, paint, roofing shingles, drywall, asbestos, glass, hazardous chemicals and pesticides, toxic waste, animal waste and explosives.

Other items being collected: (by Linda Wheeler, PHCA Vice President and Neighborhood Realtor)

• Old Cell Phones – Helping to end Domestic Violence and Family Homelessness in Northern Virginia
• Coats for Children (for Salvation Army – let’s get a headstart on next Winter!) Coats of all sizes needed!
• Eye glasses & Hearing Aids (for Lyons Club)
• Beanie Babies donations – for a Fall Trip Linda will be taking to China, visiting children in orphanages.

Items can also be dropped off at my home or office anytime, or I can pick them up!

Linda Wheeler
Weichert, Realtors
6257 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA 22101
703-475-5347
www.WheelerTeam.com

From Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust:

Dear Dranesville Resident,

We are finally thawing out from our historic string of snow storms. Although the maintenance of roads in Fairfax County is the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and not a Fairfax County function, my office was able to run interference with VDOT on your behalf.

During and after the storms my office received hundreds of phone calls and emails relating to problems with plowing, road safety and power outages. We were in constant contact with VDOT and Dominion Power letting them know of problem areas. We tracked and followed up, sometimes multiple times, on the status of your concerns. With a lot of assistance by VDOT and Dominion Power, we tried to ensure that your problems were properly addressed. We worked hard to keep you informed of weather-related information, emergency shelter and contact information, and consumer protection information relating to flooding and storm related repairs. When Fairfax County Government offices were closed, my office remained open, and my staff worked and were on call 24/7 throughout the storm period in order to handle constituent concerns.

As we look back on this experience, I recognize the importance of examining how the snow removal process could be improved.

With that in mind I, along with my colleagues on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, asked for a “Snow Summit” with VDOT officials to ask questions and address the successes and failures of the snow removal process. The public is invited to attend and observe this proceeding. In addition, this meeting will be televised live on Channel 16.

Here are the details:

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Board Auditorium
Fairfax County Government Center
12000 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035

There will be no opportunity at the meeting for public comment. Therefore I am soliciting your input ahead of the meeting to help me accurately present the Dranesville experience with snow removal. I would like to hear about problems you had, your suggestions on how the snow removal proceess can be improved, as well as any comments, positive or negative, that you believe should be considered.

If you have comments please send an email to:

dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov
with the email subject: SNOW REMOVAL COMMENTS

or send a letter to:

Supervisor John Foust
McLean Governmental Center
1437 Balls Hill Road
McLean, VA 22101
ATTN: SNOW REMOVAL COMMENTS

We will not respond individually to each of these communications. However, we will consider each one as we develop our comprehensive response to VDOT on snow removal in the Dranesville district. In the limited time of the actual Snow Summit, I will be unable to address individual street complaints. I will, however, raise those issues that were broadly based or especially egregious, and relay some of the trends we have observed. Outside of the Snow Summit meeting, we will present the specific issues to VDOT for their consideration and planning purposes.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know what you think.

John Foust
Supervisor Dranesville District
McLean Governmental Center
1437 Balls Hill Road
McLean, VA 22101

The next Pimmit Hills Clean-Up Day sponsored by PHCA is set for Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Pimmit Hills School on Lisle Avenue. Fairfax County refuse trucks will be there to haul away big pieces of junk starting at 8:00 am and ending sharply at Noon that day.

In order to drop stuff off, you must be a member of the Pimmit Hills Citizens Association. If you haven’t sent in your dues yet, PHCA will have a table collecting yearly membership dues.

We need volunteers to help out with the Clean-Up Day. To help unload cars for the Clean-Up, be sure to wear old clothes and bring work gloves. Please Contact Us if you are able to help out.

If you’ve never taken advantage of Clean-Up Day, it’s an amazing thing to watch the Fairfax County garbage trucks “eat” an entire couch. They also use a truck with a big crane which picks up all the large metal pieces. The day is also a great time to help out, meet fellow PH’ers and even spot a treasure that someone else is throwing away.

So mark your calendars now for Saturday, April 10, rain or shine, for a great day to clear out the clutter and junk from around your home—either by throwing it away or by selling it!

Fairfax County Clean-Up Day Guidelines

What you CAN bring:
Big appliances like ovens, washers; furniture like couches, chairs, mattresses; lamps, stereos, computers, bicycles, tables, doors, bed frames, cabinets, shelving, carpets, etc.

What you CANNOT bring:
Normal household refuse, brush (including tree branches and logs), yard waste, rocks, brick, concrete, stone, dirt, motor oil, car batteries, paint, roofing shingles, drywall, asbestos, glass, hazardous chemicals and pesticides, toxic waste, animal waste and explosives.

This coming Tuesday, March 2 is our Pimmit Hills Citizens Association meeting. It will be at 7:30 pm at the Pimmit Hills High School in the Senior Center. We have a HOT Lanes representative as our guest speaker who will give us an update on the project and answer questions. All Pimmit Hills homeowners and renters are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust has scheduled three town hall meetings in March to provide an opportunity for the public to learn about and discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Budget for Fairfax County. Budget staff will be present at all meetings to make a summary presentation of the budget and answer questions. The three sessions are:

Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00 pm
Great Falls Grange
9818 Georgetown Pike
Great Falls, VA 22066

Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 pm
McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Avenue
McLean, VA 22101

Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00 pm
Herndon Town Council Chambers
765 Lynn Street
Herndon, VA 20170

County Executive Anthony H. Griffin presented his proposed FY 2011 Advertised Budget Plan to the Board of Supervisors on February 23, 2010. Public Hearings before the Board of Supervisors will be held in the Board Auditorium at the Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax VA 22035) on April 6, 7 and 8. The Board of Supervisors will adopt a final budget on April 27.

For further information on the FY 2011 Advertised Budget Plan, access the budget website. The entire budget is also available on CD-ROM. Reference copies of the FY 2011 Advertised Budget Plan are available at all County libraries. A reference copy will also be available in the Office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. In addition, the public is encouraged to share their thoughts on the budget through the online forum on the County’s website and/or the telephone hotline, 703-324-9400.

For more information on these public meetings, contact Wes Callender in Supervisor Foust’s Dranesville District office at 703-356-0551, TTY 711 or email Dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov.

All northbound lanes of Route 123 near the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) between McLean and Tysons Corner will be shut down for 14 hours beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday night, March 5. The lanes will reopen by 10 a.m. Saturday morning, March 6. Staging for the closing will begin at 7 p.m.

All northbound thru traffic from the Tysons Corner area toward McLean and the Chain Bridge will be detoured for less than a mile. Signs will direct drivers to turn right on Anderson Road, left on Old Chain Bridge Road, left on to Great Falls Street, then right on northbound Route 123. (See map).

The ramp leading from northbound Route 123, just north of Anderson Road, to eastbound I-66 via the Dulles Connector Road will remain open. In addition, the ramp from the eastbound Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Connector Road to northbound Route 123 will be open.

Residents of the communities along Anderson and Old Chain Bridge Road and Great Falls Street should be alert for additional traffic during the closing of northbound Route 123.

Also, eastbound Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Connector Road drivers from Dulles Airport and the Reston area who use the southbound 123 exit ramp to cross Route 123 to Anderson Road/Old Chain Bridge Road will experience additional traffic on those roads.

Police officers will be in place along the detour route to direct motorists. Drivers are also urged to pay close attention to signage and to be extremely careful in this area. Electronic signage warning of the closings will be in place along Route 123 prior to the closing and detour.

The closing is necessary for the relocation of a water line. It is part of the construction of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. Water service to residents and businesses in the area should not be affected.
All work is weather permitting and subject to change. For construction-related emergencies, call the Project Hotline at 877-585-6789. For information about the project, visit www.dullesmetro.com or call 703-572-0506.