With the City elections coming up, this forum provides an invaluable look at what concerns citizens about this small area, that is encircled by the county with a much higher population. As a city resident, my biggest issue/concern, is the large buildup of commercial and residential zones, and little to no planning(closer to none), of roads to lead this extra traffic volume in and around the city.

What are your thoughts? Also, what about going back to Old Town being one way streets, the way it used to be?

Here's an idea: Fairfax "city" joins the dustbin of history - or at least is no longer allowed to force the rest of us Fairfax County taxpayers to subsidize it's pathetic existence.
For a real treat, stop forcing County children into city Schools - or at least give Country residents say in city government.

Feh.

Jess1, you have written similar things before. The county does not subsidize the City's existence. In fact, the county kids who attend City schools get the benefit of the pool of extra services that are paid for by the City of Fairfax residents.

How about demolishing the buildings along 123 in order to widen the thoroughfare? Old Town just seems to be in the way of the flow of the city.

BS. The city's largest single source of income (according to online budget information) is Fairfax County.
BTW, if you're still in the mood to lie some more, why not tell us the rationale for not allowing us to vote for city school board?

BTW, feel free to list that "pool of extra services"... such as:
1) worst facilites west of I495/I66 interchange
2) academic recognition for "city" students
3) sports facilites that are among the worst in the County
4) families not in the city unable to even sign up for the BoE newsletter (ps - it's the 21st century - how 'bout e-delivery?)
5) no electorial representation for non city residents

I await your detailed response. Oh, and the .pdf @ the city's website says that the county has paid roughly 1/3 of a Billion since 2001.
Who to belive - you or my lying eyes?

Time for Fairfax city to dry up & blow away.

Learn to read the details. Obviously not a graduate of FCPS, or the City Schools...
The CITY pays $6.35 million TO the County to cover the operating costs of the schools. The County then offsets the cost of the building use that they would have to pay for the buildings if the City did not own the buildings. Net gain for the County? Almost $5 million, that is used to staff the schools. The CIty still covers the cost of all maintenance and building repair.
You are just jealous because our trash service in the City is better than yours. Actually, you probably think you pay for that, too, right?
1) My guess is that you have not been in one of our facilities, because they have all been recently remodeled and are in great shape.
2) Academic recognition is for students who are successful in the schools the CIty owns. It is not limited to City residents. Any kid at Daniels Run, Providence, Lanier, or Fairfax is eligible.
3) See above
4) The newsletter is electronic, not paper. You probably just can't figure out all them big numbers or them fancy telephone machines required to call the office to find out about getting on the emailing list.
5) City residents can't vote in County School Board elections, either. And why should we? We are not County residents.

See if you can find someone to help you cipher through all them other big numbers below.
I won't waste any more time on this topic or you. It is simple to understand, but seems to give you trouble. Maybe you should look into the big Parks and Recreation conspiracy where the county residents somehow subsidize the cost of rummy cards at the Senior Center.

BUDGET COMMENTS:
The FY 2013 tuition contract is projected to increase by 16.4% or $6,325,493 from the FY 2012 Proposed figure.
The Tuition Contract is based on the operating costs of the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system, the City
of Fairfax School Membership, and the percentage of City students to the total City-County student population.
Projections used as part of the FY 2013 Budget are fluid based on the uncertainty surrounding overall funding
requests sought by FCPS from both Fairfax County and the State of Virginia. The Tuition Contract expense is
partially offset by a classroom rental fee charged to Fairfax County Public Schools for the use of the City’s
facilities. The projected classroom rental fee for FY 2013 is $1.6 million.

Pathetic try at deflection. Let's see - you can't explain:
1) the approx 1/3 Billion paid to the city by the County (that's a big number - probably over your head)
2) You need to get out more. FHS's facilites are horrific - athletic fields are a joke, science labs are worse. Seriously. Walk thru Westfield, Chantilly, Oakton, or even Woodson sometime, then stroll thru FHS's athletic facilities - snack bars which, BTW, still require a waiver bc the city can't seem to get running water worked out.
3) trash "service"? Trust me, mine's better - and no public employees to pay for life
4) Newsletter is still available in paper form - and the city won't send it to addresses outside of the city.
5) Your backwards response to elections. We're not the ones forcing kids to attend your schools. Why won't the city allow those citizens representation? Oh, wait, you don't have an answer, so you'll continue to act as if it doesn't exist. An excellent strategy.

Don't worry @ wasting time - your "city" is a pathetic little joke that irritates the rest of Fairfax County. Perhaps it's time to admit the only reason for it's incorporation was to keep undesirables out - how did that work out BTW?

Oh, and #2? You're 100% incorrect. That's called lying out in the real world, but passes for conversation in fairfax city...

Jess1,

How is your kid "forced" in to a city school if you don't live within the boundarys of the City? How is that legal?

Where do you live in the County?

These website is a waste of resources and tax payers money

Did you read the budget? The City PAYS THE COUNTY to operate and staff the schools. The rent for use of space for the county kids is 4x less than the amount the CITY pays the County. Do you not see that? It is simply a fact. There is no deflection, it just is. Maybe I typed too fast. Read it again once the wine cooler wears off.
About #2. 100% correct. You really don't have any idea what you are talking about.
I think it only irritates you, which is sort of a weird thing to be upset about. Good night!

The SACC services that the COUNTY uses are rented from the CITY because the CITY owns the buildings (Elementary Schools). That equals up to 1.6 million that the County pays to use those facilities.The County charges for those services and makes money but they must pay for the personnel (Fairfax County employees) and tey rent the SACC rooms that the school made available to them.

That is what the 1.6 million is all about.

Josh, This web site is not tax payer funded. You are an idiot to think that.

Josh Ray Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These website is a waste of resources and tax
> payers money

That's stupid.

How:
Chantilly. How is it legal? You tell me. I, and hundreds of other parents have no elected representation for our kid's education.

As to the other - do others here deny that the county has paid the city between $31 and $35 Million per year since 2001? Please oh please tell me you're that dense...

Per item #2, I was at the city courthouse last January when this item was discussed. Did I see you there?

I note that you still refuse to answer direct questions...

Jess, you win, we'll suck all your funds til you move back to Manassas, or where ever you're from. And thanks for supporting my pathetic ass. And no, we will not dry up and blow away while you dumassses continue to support us. Lmfao

So you really have no response other than "nananananana". Got it, and thanks for confirming to all here @ the leech on Fairfax County - fairfax city.

Jess1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's an idea: Fairfax "city" joins the dustbin
> of history - or at least is no longer allowed to
> force the rest of us Fairfax County taxpayers to
> subsidize it's pathetic existence.
> For a real treat, stop forcing County children
> into city Schools - or at least give Country
> residents say in city government.
>
> Feh.


The county really needs to move the courthouse and jail to the land they have over near fair oaks. The streets of downtown Fairfax city should be foot travel only with a limited ammount of acess for fire-rescue, delivery and maintenance vehicles. The downtown mall area should be similar to Charlottesville VA. We could put a parking garage on the jail site and charge big bucks for parking that would be waived for city residents.
Fairfax city is like waterford crystal and the county is like a solo cup the county needs to get their low rent asses out of our nice little town.

As noted above, the City pays the county to staff and run the City schools as if they were County schools.

As a result the City school board has little say over academic or other policy issues impacting students in City schools. The County school board decides these things for us. The City school board mainly gets to take care of facilities issues.

So County residents actually get to vote for the folks who really run the City schools, City residents don't.

The City school board has spent a lot of City taxpayer's money on the facilities it is in charge of. County residents in City schools get to benefit from them too. You've complained about athletic facilities. Fairfax High School had one of the first (if not the first) artificial turf fields in the system. They are more common now. Fairfax maybe the only school in the area with a field house large enough to hold graduation on site and indoors. I've been a lot of high school auditoriums in the county, including Chantilly, and none of them have come close to Fairfax's. I don't know about lab facilities, but I do know about smart boards and other tech tools in all classrooms.

You mean overpriced Irish branded junk w/bubbles & cracks owned by a NYC based equity firm? That kind of crystal - or the kind made w/Sudafed?

Charlottesville = home of Thomas Jefferson, great man & visionary.
fairfax city = site of cr*p taken by GW, TJ, and others on their way thru...

The city buildings are a mess even after the crappy renovations. Lanier middle school is full of black mold and is falling apart. The city fields are full of holes. What a mess.

university drive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> The county really needs to move the courthouse and
> jail to the land they have over near fair oaks.
> The streets of downtown Fairfax city should be
> foot travel only with a limited ammount of acess
> for fire-rescue, delivery and maintenance
> vehicles. The downtown mall area should be similar
> to Charlottesville VA. We could put a parking
> garage on the jail site and charge big bucks for
> parking that would be waived for city residents.
> Fairfax city is like waterford crystal and the
> county is like a solo cup the county needs to get
> their low rent asses out of our nice little town.

The City is far from waterford crystal but its not a POS either. It will never be like Bethesda or Arlington without a direct metro stop. However it does GMU right down the road, one of the largest State Univ in Va. It might behoove the city to work with Univeristy.

Thats a good start but considering the Country just dumped a bunch of money into the Jail and court house within the last 10 years that doesnt seem very likely.

I agree that the most innner streets should be made into a promenade. People don't want to walk around there because of the all the drive through traffic.

Yes 123 does need to be widened from FFX Blvd to the Courthouse. All the traffic from GMU alone should have been enough cause to do that years ago. Most of the properties along that area are not even historic. They need to get over it and just do it.

The Greent Turtle might be the catalyst needed to bring in some other bigger tenants. Sometimes a large chain will attract smaller independants who can poach off the clientel.

Something needs to be done with the hooters shopping center. The fire damage has not been repaired and it should be treated as a blighted property.

Not speaking ill of fairfax city - after all, it's the best selection of branch banks, chain drug stores, used car dealers, salvage yards, and both national chain and stand alone convenience stores in NoVa!

Jess1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not speaking ill of fairfax city - after all, it's
> the best selection of branch banks, chain drug
> stores, used car dealers, salvage yards, and both
> national chain and stand alone convenience stores
> in NoVa!


and Hooters. Don't forget Hooters.

I just wish the City of Fairfax would learn how to fix a traffic light. The one at Fairfax Blvd & Rebel Run in particular.

This light has been fucked up for years. Many school buses are late to their next schools because they can't make a left onto FFX Blvd from Rebel Run in the morning.

It's probably that the loop detector buried in the pavement is bad and intermittedly does not detect vehicles at the light.

It is sad there has been a lot of redevelopment and it mostly occurs around the city... why is this?

How many shopping centers are borderline blighted?
1) The Hooters Shopping Center
2) KMart
3) The one with Johns Place
4) The one in Farifax Circle with HTO and Staples
5) One off 236 where Yesterdays Rose is

most of those places have not anything in 20+ years to improve themselvs.

The City of Fairfax is a blight on Fairfax.

Hay Zeus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is sad there has been a lot of redevelopment
> and it mostly occurs around the city... why is
> this?
>
> How many shopping centers are borderline
> blighted?
> 1) The Hooters Shopping Center
> 2) KMart
> 3) The one with Johns Place
> 4) The one in Farifax Circle with HTO and Staples
> 5) One off 236 where Yesterdays Rose is
>
> most of those places have not anything in 20+
> years to improve themselvs.

These places stay in business because of cheap rent. I like
these shopping centers and even though they're not high end
it's still better than tearing them down for more townhouses,
condos, and chain restaurants.

Hooters Shopping center has the Patriot.
KMart has affordable restaurants.
Johns Place has an adult video store.
Fairfax Cicle has some great stores other than HTO.
Yesterdays Rose has a tailor shop thats really great.

true Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The City of Fairfax is a blight on Fairfax.

Bullshit.

City of Fairfax Rules!
1) Lowest tax rate in northern VA
2) Best trash service
3) Best Dive bars (John's Place, Patriot Cafe)
4) Good mom and pops (Dolce Vita, Bombay, Have a bite)

Big problems are the traffic in the "old section" and the fact that 123 is single lane going north. The city is completely dominated by the judicial activity. The new library and shops/restaurants nearby are nice. Some other parts, as stated above, are rundown.

cuz i know Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> City of Fairfax Rules!
> 1) Lowest tax rate in northern VA
> 2) Best trash service
> 3) Best Dive bars (John's Place, Patriot Cafe)
> 4) Good mom and pops (Dolce Vita, Bombay, Have a
> bite)

I suppose they want to tear down the 29 Diner and replace it with
another fast food chain? That would be criminal!

Bat shit crazy free entertainment at the circle

Low crime rate and lower taxes than county perfect. Traffic is a bitch on 50

city local Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Low crime rate and lower taxes than county
> perfect. Traffic is a bitch on 50

Traffic is a bitch everywhere is FFx County. Tysons? Yeah right.
Fortunately I'm retired and don't go out until after 9:30 a.m.
on weekdays and try and be back home by 3:00 p.m.

If you think you are so hot try and become the City of Falls Church.

Ha ha You can't.

Can you support your own school system? Police department? Plus who pays your taxes now. STFU!

You will always need the taxes from the 1%.

Fairfax City is CRAP! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you think you are so hot try and become the
> City of Falls Church.
>
> Ha ha You can't.
>
> Can you support your own school system? Police
> department? Plus who pays your taxes now. STFU!
>
> You will always need the taxes from the 1%.


Dear Knucklehead. The Police Department is paid for and supported by its city's residents completely. The county schools in the city get an extra hook up. What are you talking about? Please, put down the crack pipe. Falls Church-Arlington County Court System. So your point is?

I live a mile west of FFX City's west boundary and avoid the City due to traffic. The million-dollar "fix" of 123, North and Main (aka Ye Olde FFXe Blvde, what's that about?) is worthless. The lame-duck mayor has thwarted widening 123, and, without notice, the City closed both North and Main on a Saturday for a private event (Civil War commemoration), diverting traffic onto 123N to Lee and causing gridlock. It's easier to shop elsewhere, so City merchants have lost my business.

On a serious note - city "defenders" seem to mention some "extra" about "city schools" - exactly what "extras" are there?
Why the constant comments @ "garbage service" and "trash pickup"? Do city employees wear white gloves & put the trash cans back in your garages? Do they lick the lids clean?
You do know that trash services exist elsewhere... or perhaps you don't.

Actually they do, thank you for pointing that out.

They would pick up a dead body if you left it out front. Rake your leaves to the curb, lawn debris w/out bags, pick up tree's cut down by contractors...

Seriously? This may come as a total shock to you but twice weekly service w/outsized pickup is the norm across Fairfax County. In other words, it's average...who's telling city residents that it's something "special"?

Jess1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seriously? This may come as a total shock to you
> but twice weekly service w/outsized pickup is the
> norm across Fairfax County. In other words, it's
> average...who's telling city residents that it's
> something "special"?

The leaves thing is pretty good. Just blow them them out to the curb and City trucks suck them up.

AAA and American don't do that---they have to be bagged (in the right kind of bag).

?? We've had lawn service leaf removal (the suck truck as my kid called it) for the past two decades - and it's a fairly common service around the County. Again, nothing special.

Jess1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ?? We've had lawn service leaf removal (the suck
> truck as my kid called it) for the past two
> decades - and it's a fairly common service around
> the County. Again, nothing special.


Or is that your nickname "the suck truck" HAHAHAHHAHA

Small-town Mayberry cops that fund the city's budget through fraudulent traffic tickets and speed traps.

Just look at the long list of retail stores and dining establishments that have FAILED in UNFAIRLYFIXED CITY. Avoid FAKEFAX CITY at all costs.

Jim Moran Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Small-town Mayberry cops that fund the city's
> budget through fraudulent traffic tickets and
> speed traps.
>
> Just look at the long list of retail stores and
> dining establishments that have FAILED in
> UNFAIRLYFIXED CITY. Avoid FAKEFAX CITY at all
> costs

Hey Jim, let's go get drunk in Alexandria. At least if we get busted
there you can get us out of a DUI. Maybe.

Jess1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ?? We've had lawn service leaf removal (the suck
> truck as my kid called it) for the past two
> decades - and it's a fairly common service around
> the County. Again, nothing special.


I never said you can't hire a lawn service to take care of your leaves in Fairfax County. Of course you can.

I said that in Fairfax City, city-owned trucks suck up the leaves that you have raked or blown to the curb. The service is included in your real property taxes.

I know that in some older areas of Fairfax County, the County picks up trash. That must be what your talking about. One of these days the BOS is going to grow a pair and axe County trash service. Then you can pay a commercial trash company like everybody else in the County. There's NO FUCKING WAY the County should be in competition with private industry!

>" It's probably that the loop detector buried in the
> pavement is bad and intermittedly does not detect
> vehicles at the light."


Loop detector!!!!!!!
NOW ThAtS FuNny!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funniest shit ever. A few years ago, the "geniuses" at the City Council, decided to immediately enact a law, stating grass shall be no longer than 6". Of course, the average for each jurisdiction is 12". They were enforcing this hard, and in fact, fining folks for this.

What they would do is put a pink note on your door saying, you have 48 hours to mow your grass, or we would. Then, it would be $175+fine for City employees to cut your grass. What a bunch of b.s. this was. City council changed it after numerous complaints, and frankly about to get their asses kicked out at the voting booths. Its back to 12", and a 7 day warning. Way to go citizens for stepping up against the "grass nazi's"

"There's NO FUCKING WAY the City should be in competition with private industry"

FIFY

And no, not an "older part" of the County. Whatever that's supposed to mean. Let's see the city's budget w/o the millions from Fairfax County, BTW.

Jess1:

Payments fly back and forth between the city and the county for services. The city pays the county a lot more for services (the city pays the county tuition for each city student in a city school, by they way). At the end of the day the city is paying the county a lot more than the county is paying the city.

You think otherwise, point us to a reliable source or shut up.

"At the end of the day the city is paying the county a lot more than the county is paying the city"

Your proof?

*crickets*

BTW, how does that $80M in arrears of Debt Services feel - how much more of the city will you have to put up for collateral?
Oh, it's called the FY 2013 proposed budget. You should read it sometime.

I've read the budget, have you?

You asked for proof:

On the income side, see page 2 of http://www.fairfaxva.gov/budget/2012-13/section%20C.pdf - 1.6 million (or 1.3%) is "Classroom rental fee - FCPS" the only revenue side item from the county large enough to show up on the pie chart.

In the other direction, 51 million proposed for 2013. Look at page 4 of http://www.fairfaxva.gov/budget/2012-13/section%20B.pdf - the vast majority of which is the school tuition contract.

The city pays its way without subsidy from the county.

I told you to put up or shut up. you blew smoke. I gave you numbers. I have facts. You don't.

Wost thing about the City of Fairfax- that bs decision to park the tank farm there decades ago- after all, tank farms pay taxes and don't vote!

PUSU,
No, you continue to deflect. I haven't said word one @ FCPS/fcps budget issues - that's your pathetic attempt to justify the city's extortion.
You still have no proof for "payments flying back and forth", nor have you ever addressed the key issue; why must my kids attend substandard city schools without representation?

When you attempt to answer that question I'll admit you have a point. Until then, you don't.

You apparently refuse to read the entire budget, then demand that everyone else prove you wrong. It is truly maddening. It is like dealing with a preschooler, which I am sure you have heard before. You are wrong on this issue, and you refuse to look at the evidence that proves it.

Along those lines, prove that the City schools are substandard. You keep saying it, but I don't see any evidence. Until you prove it, you are wrong.

Do you not understand that you have representation on the County School Board? They make all of the educational policies for FCPS, of which the City schools are a part. This includes the school boundary that "forces" your kid to go to a city school building. If you really feel strongly, apply for placement at a school closer to your abode.

I have a hunch that you know you are wrong, but you refuse to back down because you will lose face. It is okay. You don't have to lose face. We all see that it is hard for you. Just stop lying about the facts.

After all of your keyboard rattling you have proven that the city and the County pay each other for a varity of services.

Well done, well done.

What you still won't address:
1) city finacials subsidised by County
2) County students forced to attend city schools
3) Families/Guardians not allowed voting representation for those schools
4) Communication channels are not readily accessable for non city residents
5) All students @ city schools not eligible for the same recognition

But hey, keep up the chatter @ funds going back & forth.

(BTW, you do know that administration & operations of city schools is managed by....

wait for it...

the city BoE)

I have a hunch you don't really have a clue, but just keep spouting some city fed line.
Here's a key concept you won't address: if indeed the County BoE operates (in all aspects of the term), why have a city BoE? Isn't that just a waste of $$$$?
Note too that I don't have to resort to ad hominem...

When I was out campaigning, the three things I heard most often from resident in the City was complaints about traffic downtown, complaints from small business owners - especially restaurants - about the meals tax, and concerns about revitalizing down town to get some businesses back and fill the empty store fronts.

There were also concerns about GMU and bad behavior from the students (a perennial college town issue) as well as some concerns about education - but as noted above, most of those were from folks in the area surrounding the City who lived in the County but sent their kids to Villa or Daniels Run. Most of those complaints were similar to the ones above about communication between the school and parents who weren't city residents.

I would love to see the new Mayor and the City Council take up the taxes issue - while property taxes are lower than in the County, business taxes are higher, and the meals tax puts restaurants in the City at a disadvantage to competition in the County.

I'm also concerned about the plans to turn the parking lot and area next to Old Town Hall into a park.

In terms of the schools, one of the big issues that I see was that the City is treated differently than the County in Richmond's funding regime. The Local Composite Index is based on property values, so the County gets treated better than the City because City property values are generally higher. That leads to a funding disparity. The City should be treated the same as the County by Richmond - all of the independent cities in Fairfax should. That was an issue I campaigned on. But that's not an issue for the Council or Mayor - that's a General Assembly issue.

As for the tank farm, hopefully that issue has been resolved. And, to be fair, the tank farm was there before the houses.

There is a "fairfax city" only forum on Fairfax Underground...

Here's an offer to the various City mayorial candidates or representatives posting here:

Add to your platform a plank calling for all families/guardians of students attending City schools (this is easily verifiable) full representation to the city's BoE elections & operations, and I'll personally contact friends & relatives (some are SB owners w/in the City) in support of your (or your candidates) campaign.

How 'bout it?

Here is a suggestion for Jess1, you skinny pants wearing freak, dope smoking heroin addict wannabe. Go suck a phallic stone! You sound like you have major issues and shouldn't be talking shit about any place. How about you worry about what ever freak show you attend to and shut the fuck up.

The City of Fairfax is a fine place. It is not our fault the best you could do is a basement apartment in some oriental families house in Chantilly.

And who the fuck is the County BoE? I have heard of the County BoS, the FCPS Administration, but no BoE. It sounds like you need to get schooled in Shut The Fuck
Up 101!

Attention all, Jess1 is a flaming troll! man@bearpig.com

I honestly don't see the need for a separate elected school board for the City. Their primary job is simply enforcing the contract between the City and County. Seems like a waste to me.

What excellent commentary in support of the City. Makes everyone proud, I'm sure...

As a tax paying citizen of Fairfax City, there is a lot that needs to be improved. Most having to do with the shopping centers around the city. Most have probably not been updated in 20-30 years. The 7-11 shopping center on main street, the safeway shopping center, the dollar tree shopping center...etc. There is not a single grocery store that is decent to shop in. The safeway being the absolute worst. The new old town is nice, however, all there is is food. If you want to bring people into the city, then give them something else to do besides eat. Someone mentioned earlier that it should be promenade style, I completely agree with that. If the top level of the new building had been apartments, it would have been a great way to bring people into the city as well. Pentagon row style would have been nice. I wish there were young people on the board to help bring the city alive. The fall festival is the best part of fairfax city. There should be more of that. I could go on and on an on...

What happened the OP? A few people have chimed in who are interested in having an honest discussion but so far this thread has been mostly a food fight.

cityresident Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a tax paying citizen of Fairfax City, there is
> a lot that needs to be improved. Most having to do
> with the shopping centers around the city. Most
> have probably not been updated in 20-30 years. The
> 7-11 shopping center on main street, the safeway
> shopping center, the dollar tree shopping
> center...etc. There is not a single grocery store
> that is decent to shop in. The safeway being the
> absolute worst. The new old town is nice, however,
> all there is is food. If you want to bring people
> into the city, then give them something else to do
> besides eat. Someone mentioned earlier that it
> should be promenade style, I completely agree with
> that. If the top level of the new building had
> been apartments, it would have been a great way to
> bring people into the city as well. Pentagon row
> style would have been nice. I wish there were
> young people on the board to help bring the city
> alive. The fall festival is the best part of
> fairfax city. There should be more of that. I
> could go on and on an on...

The largest single issue with getting younger people to move into the city is lack of accessible metro.

Young people like metro because young people just out of college still like to drink, a lot. Without walkable metro access they are risking drinking and driving. Not to mention how many young people can afford 600K+ town houses?

Focusing on improving foot paths and making walking around more appealing and interesting is a more realistic approach.

There are plenty of people around here would like to eat a half way non concept restaurtant and not have to drive into the city.

Its to bad the city didnt work with GMU to get an arts center built in the down town area 15 years ago, that would have provided a nice attraction and reason for people to dine there.

There is nothing of interest down there, no water front, theaters etc.

Maybe even create a fixed open air farmers market.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2012 05:22PM by Hay Zeus.

Does anyone here know how the shops and restaurants are doing in the city(pan era, Fair Trade, etc.). I've been to the shopping center a couple of times, but very much avoid it at all costs. Traffic around there is bad most of the day and night. Parking and turning into these places is inconvenient. I really don't want to deal with a parking garage and an elevator just to get a salad at Panera. It's just not worth it.

Though I like the concept of the Fair Trade Store, there's nothing in there that I would want or need to buy. I wonder if the businss is sustainable.

I wish the businesses all the best, but I cant imagine they are doing very well primarily because of the awkward set up and inconvenient parking and dealing with turning back out on 123. Like I said, I avoid it all together. Id rather drive out of my way and eat somewhere else than to deal with that area of Fairfax.

So, does anyone know how these businesses are doing? Any new businesses moving in? Any closing shop? Any feedback?

I hear that those lunch places get a good amount of business from the courthouse and other area businesspeople.

djfklja Wrote:
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> whatever...


So very well stated. I just love your eloquence on this matter.

Aside from the traffic, the closed nature of the city council/mayoral meetings and plans, my biggest issue right now, is that there is a raving lunatic saying the Lamb Center is using venomous snakes as part of some religious ceremony. LOL!!!!

How about what looks like a high vacany rate for office space in Fairfax City?
Does having so much empty office space affect how much the property tax should be in the residentail sector?
Empty office building since it was completed about 3 years ago at corner of University and Layton Hall.
Still appears to be a lot of empty office space in the downtown redevelopment debacle. Art Space does not count.
The old office building across from the downtown debacle(next to the library) seems to have a lot of empty offices.
Baffled why some company bought the old office building on Old Lee Highway across from Artie's. That building had low occupancy for years and now some company seems to be spending a ton of money rehabbing the building. Wondering if they up companies lining up to go in the building when the rehab is done or is it going to sit empty?
Another building undergoing rehab is the one next to fire station 33 on Fairfax Blvd.Across from Mantua entrance. That building has been empty for years. Yet someone has bought and rehabbing that building.
Baffling.
Also looks like a lot of empty office space in the old town sector across from the county courthouse on 123.
Looks like tons of empty office space. I'd think all this has big impact on tax collections forcing the city to go to residential sector to make it up.