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Health & Fitness

October 2013 Newsletter

Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to the October edition of the Broad Run District newsletter. Since Election Day is November 5th, I have included important information regarding the bond referendum questions on your ballot.  I have also included updates about Route 606, allocation of resources to implement transportation projects, the Sterling Boulevard extension and my initiative to plan for Metrorail.    

I hope you enjoy the October edition of my newsletter.  As always, I appreciate your feedback. It is my honor to represent you on the Board of Supervisors and I consider it my highest priority to be responsive to any constituent issues.  Feel free to call me at 703-771-5088 or email me at shawn.williams@loudoun.gov with any questions or comments.  You can read regular updates about what I’m doing to represent our community on my Facebook page

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Thanks,

Shawn

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Bond Referendum – November 5th Election

The Board of Supervisors has voted to place four bond referendum questions on the November 5th ballot.  These initiatives deal with four public need areas:  (1) Parks and Recreation, (2) Transportation, (3) Public Safety, and (4) Schools. 

Please review the four bond referendum questions below as they will appear on the ballot:

1. QUESTION: Shall the County of Loudoun, Virginia contract a debt and issue its general obligation capital improvement bonds in the maximum amount of $34,255,000 to finance in whole or in part, the cost to upgrade irrigation systems of athletic fields throughout the County; the costs of Dulles South Multi-Purpose Center; the costs of Lovettsville District Park; and other public facilities in the County?

 (    ) YES            (    ) NO

2.  QUESTION: Shall the County of Loudoun, Virginia contract a debt and issue its general obligation capital improvement bonds in the maximum amount of $3,180,000 to finance in whole or in part, the costs of improvements of Belmont Ridge Road; and other public roads in the County?

(    ) YES            (    ) NO

3. QUESTION: Shall the County of Loudoun, Virginia contract a debt and issue its general obligation capital improvement bonds in the maximum amount of $14,175,000 to finance in whole or in part, the cost to acquire and equip fire and rescue capital apparatus for use throughout the County; the costs of a new Lucketts Fire Station; and other public safety facilities in the County?

(    ) YES            (    ) NO

4. QUESTION: Shall the County of Loudoun, Virginia contract a debt and issue its general obligation capital improvement bonds in the maximum amount of $10,755,000 to finance in whole or in part, the costs of the Mercer Middle School addition; the costs of the Freedom High School addition; the costs of upgrades to Loudoun County High School stadium; and other public facilities in the County

(    ) YES    (    ) NO

Question 1: Parks and Recreation

This referendum asks whether to fund the expansion of the Dulles South Multi-Purpose Center as detailed by Phase II and III as well as athletic field irrigation and turf improvements.

Dulles South Multi-Purpose Center Phase II:  A 65,000 square foot addition to the current facility which will include a full gymnasium, fitness center, indoor running track, and competition and leisure pools.  More than half of the funding is from cash proffers.  Design has already been completed and needs refreshed. Construction of Phase II would begin in 2014.

Dulles South Multi-Purpose Center Phase III:  A 15,000 square foot addition to the current facility.  Provides additional room for the amenities and activities of a full Senior Center and allows existing space currently used for senior programs to be utilized for other revenue generating activities.  Construction of Phase III would begin in 2015.

The expansion of the Dulles South Multipurpose Center is paired with athletic field Irrigation and Turf Improvements funding for the 25-worst school fields in the County utilized by youth sports leagues, including the following fields in the Broad Run District: one field at Ashburn Elementary, two fields at Dominion Trail Elementary, and two fields at Farmwell Station Middle School. It will also include the construction of the Lovettsville District Park.  The park’s amenities will include athletic fields, trails, restrooms, concessions, and picnic facilities.

For more information or to view FAQ about the Dulles South Multi-Purpose Center expansion, visit the Vote Loudoun Rec Website.

Question 2: Transportation

This question specifically asks voters if they are in favor of funding the engineering and design work for the widening of the Belmont Ridge Road segment between Truro Parish Drive to Croson Lane.  Construction for the widening project would be funded in FY 2017

Question 3: Public Safety

This question asks for funding for a Lucketts Fire Station Replacement.  A study shows that the Lucketts Fire Station does not provide the necessary space or functionally to provide the necessary services to the community.  Thus, the bond would fund the land acquisition, designing, and constructing of a new fire station in Lucketts.

4. Schools

This question effects Mercer Middle School, Freedom High School, and Loudoun County High School Stadium.  It will finance the design, construction, and equipping of additional classrooms at Mercer Middle School, which will increase the school’s program capacity to 1,350 students.  It will further finance the design, construction, and equipping of the Freedom High School addition, which will increase the high school’s capacity to 1,800 students.  Finally, it will fund upgrades to Loudoun County High School’s stadium to include the the new restroom facilities, drainage improvements, and installation of synthetic turf on the stadium playing field.

I strongly encourage you to vote yes on each of these bond referendum questions. Find your voting precinct here.

StoneSprings Hospital Center

I was very excited to participate in the groundbreaking for HCA’s StoneSprings Hospital Center on October 23rd.  This 124 bed hospital will provide much needed healthcare services along the Route 50 corridor.  HCA’s investment will give Loudoun approximately 500 new jobs and generate $2.1 million in tax revenue for the county.  The hospital will be open in December of 2015. 

                 

Planning for Metrorail

Since the Board approved the Metrorail Silver Line extension to Loudoun County last year, one of my top priorities has been ensuring this area is properly planned to maximize Loudoun’s large infrastructure investment.  To finance Metrorail capital and operational expenses, the land area around the Route 606 and Route 772 stations was placed in service tax districts at the end of last year.  Given that action, I believe now is the right time to examine land use patterns around the station areas with the goal of maximizing revenue.  At our October 16th meeting, the Board voted 8-1 to initiate a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) for the overall Metrorail tax district.  The goal of this CPAM is to perform economic analysis on the tax district examining the following criteria:

  • Maximum tax revenue for the tax district
  • Minimal transportation impact
  • Minimal public investment, especially school costs
  • Maximum employment
  • Shortest time to realization

The largest benefit of this CPAM process is that it will allow the Board to clearly define the parameters around future development in Loudoun’s Metrorail corridor.  In my opinion, any new residential development in this corridor would need to fit within the criteria listed above.  Another major benefit of this process is ensuring we properly plan our transportation network – road, bus, bike and pedestrian – for Metrorail’s opening in 2018.

Transportation Staffing Resources

The Board has made transportation a large priority, funding large projects like the completion of Gloucester Parkway widening Belmont Ridge Road.  The current six year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) of $1.06 billion includes $541.4 million fortransportation projects.  In order to facilitate the completion of the new transportation projects in the CIP, at our October 16th meeting, the Board voted to provide significant staffing enhancements.  The Board approved three new employees for the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure and one new employee for the Procurement Office.  The Board also allocated funding to provide management services to address current staff workload in project development.  Finally, the Board approved new procedures for handling transportation contracts, eliminating unnecessary administrative steps that were slowing down the process.  I voted in favor of these enhancements and the contract process changes because implementing already funded transportation improvements is vital to getting Loudoun’s traffic moving.

Route 606 Agreement Signed

On October 23rd, Chairman York, on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, signed an agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to fund the four-lane widening of Route 606 between Evergreen Mills Road and the Dulles Greenway.  According to VDOT’s traffic study, Route 606 currently handles about three times the volume of traffic considered acceptable. Based on pavement width, shoulders and sight distance, an acceptable traffic volume for Route 606 is 6,700 vehicles a day. Traffic counts in 2011 reflected 21,500 vehicles a day. Expectations are that this number will grow to 35,250 vehicles a day by 2036.  Additionally, from 2007 to the end of 2010, a total of 158 accidents were reported on Route 606 between Evergreen Mills Road and the Dulles Greenway. That number increased by 49 percent in 2010.  This indicates that road conditions on Route 606 are not designed for the high volume of traffic, resulting in unsafe conditions.

As part of this partnership, Loudoun County will contribute approximately $41.2 million; VDOT will contribute about $40.5 million and MWAA about $24.4 million.  Construction will begin in the fall of 2014 and take about three years to complete.  The Route 606 widening project is just one of many important projects funded by the $541.4 million allocated by the Board for transportation in the CIP. 

Transportation Project Spotlight: Sterling Boulevard Extension

At the October 2nd Business Meeting, the Board voted to apply for VDOT revenue sharing funds to extend Sterling Boulevard from Pacific Boulevard to Moran Road.  Funding this extension will provide better access for businesses north of Dulles Airport and relieve a very congested section of Route 606.  Additionally, with a few minor tweaks to the Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP), Sterling Boulevard could be lined up to connect with an east-west route across Broad Run like Shellhorn Road.  This would allow Sterling Boulevard to serve as another connection between Loudoun County Parkway and Route 28 south of Waxpool Road and north of the Greenway.  Building another connection from Loudoun County Parkway to Route 28 is one of the highest priorities I hear about when talking with Broad Run District residents.  The Board voted to add this project into the FY 2015 CIP, using $10 million from the county’s local share of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) funds as the local match to the VDOT revenue sharing.

 Community Events and Information 

Connect Northern Virginia:  Connect Northern Virginia is a new community portal that provides a central resource for information for the nonprofit, business, government, and education communities in Loudoun and Fairfax County.  Connect Loudoun, Loudoun County’s specialized area of the site, was made possible through a partnership between the Loudoun County Government and the Loudoun Chamber.  Visit Connect Loudoun to access information about area nonprofits, along with important data on community needs, issues and initiatives, and events.

The Patriot Project:  Last month, I gave you an update on the status of the Patriot Project to honor the Revolutionary War Veterans from Loudoun County.  I have since received this update from the Patriot Project Advisory Committee Chair,Gary Clemens, about the status of the statue:

“After an extensive national search for a sculptor and following a community-based approach to review several statute renderings, the rendering created by sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter was selected by those citizens who participated in the selection process.  Mr. Carpenter was officially commissioned by the Patriot Project in July 2013 to being work on the statute.  It will take nearly two years to complete the statute which will eventually be erected on the courthouse lawn.  The Patriot Project board of directors plans to conduct a dedication ceremony on the courthouse lawn on July 4, 2015.   

“The Patriot Project is not seeking local or state government funding for the construction of the memorial statute. Just as citizens in Loudoun’s community participated in the American Revolutionary, the Patriot Project is asking citizens in our community to participate in the construction of the memorial statute.   Therefore, the Patriot Project appreciates community member donations to this effort.”

For information about the Patriot Project, various sponsorship opportunities and investment opportunities to ensure the statute is completed and erected on the courthouse lawn, please visit the Patriot Project website.

New Broad Run District Business:  The NOVA Capoeira School opened October 1st in the Broad Run District. Capoeira is Brazil’s fastest growing and graceful Afro-Brazilian art form, which blends dance, martial arts, and acrobatics into one martial art form.  The NOVA Capoeira School, taught by Professor Borracha, is the only school to offer Capoeira in Loudoun County.  The school is excited to introduce Loudoun County to this beautiful art form and is offering one free trial class for simply stopping by.  To learn more about the free trial class or any classes offered by the NOVA Capoeira School, visit its website or visit the school located off Beaumeade Circle.

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