Shooting Rubber Bands or Howitzers? A Tale about Local Government

As a mother, I wear a lot of hats.  Last night, I wore one that fits like a well-worn baseball glove: local activist and pot-stirrer.  Another motherand I appeared before the Fairfax County, Virginia Planning Commission to request that a renovation project planned for our children’s elementary school include safety improvements.



It sounds pretty crazy, as I reflect on this and summarize it for you.  We live in a planned “walking community” named Burke Centre that was built in the late 70’s.  When it was first built, a two-lane country road divided the North side where I live from the South side, and the school, which we call “The Shire” sat about 100 yards off the road.  The speed limit used to be 25 or 30 miles per hour but fifteen years ago, the tractors and rollers and construction trucks blasted a massive swath right through the middle of our idyllic community.  This construction left in its wake a seven-lane highway, Burke Centre Parkway (“BCP”) where the cars travel well in excess of the posted speed of 40 mph.


Now get this: there used to be a school zone with flashing lights (wink-o-matics) in front of The Shire, but after they turned the road into a parkway, the Virginia Department of Transportation (“VDOT”) tore down the signs.  As far as they were concerned, no child could or should cross the parkway.  Burke Centre had changed from a destination to commuter’s connection from one side of Fairfax County to another and in the process, its citizens lost the ability to safely cross from one side of the road to the other.



Many of us have been concerned about the lack of a reduced speed limit, flashing lights, or the establishment of a school zone in the area that abuts our children’s school.  There are only enough parking spaces allotted for the teachers and school employees.  There is no crosswalk or traffic light at the intersection of The Shire and a shopping center that exists on the opposite side of BCP.  From a practical standpoint, many parents must park at this shopping center when they pick up their children or attend school activities throughout the day.  Crossing the street requires playing a game of human frogger, as you can see from this video called El’s Frogger in Real Time **PLEASE WATCH–it is only 3 minutes long** we made.


Eighteen months ago, I sent a letter to the Governor and the representatives of both houses of the state legislator, along with the video referenced above and a petition signed by more than 120 parents.  In response, the County Supervisor, John Cook, established a Task Force that included the school system, VDOT and local citizens like me, and after months of meetings, we worked out a deal of sorts.  VDOT approved a traffic light warrant at the school’s intersection.



Then the school system announced a renovation to The Shire and for reasons we simply cannot comprehend, the school system convinced VDOT to hold off on installing the traffic light.  The Task Force then went back to the negotiating table and by majority vote, approved the installation of the Wink-o-Matic and the establishment of a school zone.


And again, the school system shot it down.  Fast forward to last night.  In a televised hearing, the school system sought approval of its renovation project, and argued that the renovation should not be tied to any safety improvements to the existing or future footprint of the school.  The Commissioners grilled the school system: how can you renovate a school WITHOUT taking into account the safety of the very souls the school serves?  And they ordered us back to the negotiating table.  Again.



I feel like the main character in Kafka’s The Trial as I, along with the citizens of my community, navigate the confusing and frustrating minefield that is local government.  One branch or agency listens to us, and then they tell us they cannot help us.  So they send us to another agency or elected official, and they, with smiling countenance, send us somewhere else inside the government.  Like Johnny Cash, we’ve been everywhere, man.


Now we stand at a crossroads.  On May 3rd, we will represent the beleaguered citizens of Burke Centre before the Planning Commission again. We’ve heard it will never happen—that the County cannot fix what the government destroyed when they widened BCP and removed our wink-o-matic.  We believe otherwise.


We hope that the Planning Commission will hear its constituents.  We hope that our government cares about us.  We trust that our local government will put the safety and welfare of our children first.  And we will not stop fighting.  We will not go away.


What would you do if you were in our shoes?

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Published on January 13, 2016 05:06
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