Featured News

The public is invited to attend a meeting on the proposed IntegraCare assisted living facility at 1131 & 1137 Walker Road, across from Leigh Corners and Dante restaurant in the Colvin Run commercial district.

This meeting, jointly sponsored by Supervisor Foust and Great Falls Citizens Association, is intended to update the community on design changes that have been made since the April 2018 meeting when the conceptual plan and need for a special zoning exception (SE 2018-DR-010) were first presented. Among the changes are how stormwater will be managed (going from a dry pond to an underground system) and a revised entrance. Details on this meeting are shown below.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Great Falls Elementary School Cafeteria
701 Walker Rd, Great Falls

The Planning Commission hearing on the SE is currently scheduled for 20 February 2019. For further information, see: http://ldsnet.fairfaxcounty.gov/ldsnet/ZAPSMain.aspx?cde=SE&seq=4249968

GFCA sponsored a special TownHall meeting on December 1 to provide residents with a broad understanding of nonprofit and county programs that support senior citizens and that can assist those seniors looking to age in place in their own homes.  Several Great Falls organizations asked for GFCA’s support to get the word out about these programs.  

Over 60 people attended the seminar, held at Christ the King Lutheran Church.  Following opening remarks from GFCA President Bill Canis and Dranesville Supervisor John Foust, six speakers addressed issues and resources that may be of interest to all senior citizens and their families.  Five of the speakers provided presentations that we are sharing with the community on our website:

• Great Falls Senior Center (Carol Blackwell) — provides social and educational programs to seniors throughout the year
• Shepherd’s Center of Great Falls (Carol Edelstein) — recently launched a new free transportation service for Great Falls seniors to get to important appointments and errands
• Dementia Friendly America (Toni Reinhart) — this national organization provides caregiving for residents with dementia and a Great Falls chapter may soon be formed
• Fairfax County Division of Adult & Aging Services (Grace Lynch) — summarizes many county programs and a central phone number to learn more
• Eldementals (Karen McPhail) — provides ‘how to’ planning for many aspects of retirement and aging in place

We have established a Senior Resource page on our website (gfca.org) where these and additional resources over time will be permanently available.  You can visit it here to download any or all of these presentations. 

The sixth speaker was Stan Corey, a retired financial planner and author of When Work Becomes Optional, a primer for people nearing retirement, already in retirement, or for those caring for family or friends in retirement (available on Amazon and other booksellers https://www.amazon.com/When-Work-Becomes-Optional-Corey/dp/0692147527/ ). In describing five stages of retirement, he noted that reaching retirement itself should not be a goal; people should continue planning for life events and making decisions so that others do not have to make them in haste when emergencies arise.

GFCA may hold similar seminars in the future if residents and local organizations feel it would be helpful to our community. Please let us know what you think by dropping a note to president@gfca.org.

The public is invited to GFCA's upcoming program focusing on issues facing senior citizens. The Seminar for Savvy Seniors and their Families will be held on Saturday December 1st from 10 AM to noon at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 10550 Georgetown Pike. (Park in the lot behind the church, and enter the building there.)

The seminar will feature a range of speakers, a panel discussion, questions from the audience, and a social time afterward for personal discussions with the speakers. Light refreshments will be served.

The meeting is designed so that senior citizens can learn about options in Great Falls that may help them to age in place in their own homes. The meeting also provides an opportunity for families to learn about issues that they can help their parents deal with and what resources are available.

Agenda:

• Welcome:  Bill Canis, GFCA President
• Fairfax County’s Seniors programs:  Dranesville Supervisor John Foust
• Remarks/presentations followed by a panel discussion:
• • Carol Blackwell, Great Falls Senior Center
  • Carol Edelstein, Shepherd’s Center of Great Falls
  • Toni Reinhart, Dementia Friendly America
  • Grace Lynch, Fairfax County Division of Adult & Aging Services
  • Karen McPhail, Eldementals
  • Stan Corey, retired financial planner and author of  a new book on how to manage seniors issues
• Questions and social time
  

On Tuesday evening, September 18^th, 7:30 PM at Great Falls Grange, GFCA will be hosting a TownHall meeting to present the proposed FY2018/19 budget and discuss the initiative by local nonprofit organizations to assume management of historic Grange Hall in the village. Built in 1929, the Grange has been used for decades by the community for meetings and other community gatherings, concerts and plays.

The program will include a presentation by the new Great Falls Grange Foundation (GFGF) on its objectives as well as the status of work with Supervisor Foust and the County Park Authority to develop an agreement for GFGF management of the Grange and the adjacent Old Schoolhouse building.

Residents of the Great Falls community are encouraged to attend this important meeting to vote on the proposed GFCA budget, as well as provide feedback on ways the Grange Complex might be used by the community and share ideas for improving the property while preserving its historic character. Help us make this Complex, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, the heart of Great Falls!

On Thursday, August 2, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be holding the first of two public meetings on a proposed four-month pilot project that would result in the closure of the “on” ramp from Georgetown Pike to I-495 north from 1:00-7:00 PM on weekdays. The exit ramp at Georgetown Pike from southbound I-495 (outer loop) would remain open.

The objective is to mitigate congestion and address safety concerns on neighborhood streets in this area of McLean. Drivers would be compelled to use the main roads (including George Washington Parkway, Route 123, Route 267/ Dulles Toll Road, and Route 7) instead of cutting-through neighborhood streets in order to get on the Beltway at Georgetown Pike closer to the American Legion Bridge.

For Great Falls residents, the VDOT concept has the potential of reducing cut-through commuter traffic on Georgetown Pike. However, it would also mean that residents who wish to head toward Maryland in the afternoon would need to take an alternate route in order to get on I-495 north.

Community input on the proposed pilot is a key element in determining if it will go forward and/or whether certain aspects of the proposed plan should be modified before it is tested. Great Falls residents are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the issue and provide feedback to VDOT. For more information see http://virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/mclean_traffic_analysis.asp.

Event Details:

• VDOT Public Meeting #1: Thursday, August 2, 7:00 PM, McLean High School, 1633 Davidson Road, McLean
  
• VDOT Public Meeting #2: A second meeting will be held in the Fall. The date, time and location of this meeting are to be determined.

GFCA will hold a TownHall meeting on Wednesday, June 13 at 8 p.m. at the Great Falls Grange, 9818 Georgetown Pike.  Speakers will be the two state legislators who represent Great Falls in Richmond:  VA State Senator Barbara Favola and 34th District Delegate Kathleen Murphy.  GFCA will present an overview of major local issues. The legislators will discuss the highlights of the recent General Assembly session and take questions from residents, including issues of local concern such as Metro funding, Route 7 widening and related transportation issues; environmental concerns such as storm water management, tree preservation, MTBE cleanup in the village area, and artificial turf fields.  The public is invited to attend.

GFCA will also hold its annual board of directors and officers election that evening, starting at 7:30 pm in the lower level of the Grange.  The election ballot will be available for all GFCA members who are current in the dues and includes positions for president, vice president, treasurer and six directors.  All members are encouraged to attend.    For more information, visit http://www.gfca.org. 

On Monday Mar 12, GFCA will co-sponsor a public meeting on the (not yet released) County and Schools budgets for the upcoming year.  The meeting will be held starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Great Falls Library (meeting room). 

Supervisor Foust will provide some context and overview.  County Budget Director Joseph Mondoro will present the County budget.  Fairfax County Schools staff will present the Schools budget.

Questions and comments from the floor will follow the presentations.  GFCA members and the general public are invited.

A new, 62 unit assisted living facility is being proposed in the Colvin Run commercial area, across from Leigh Corners offices and Dante Ristorante. IntegraCare would operate the facility, which would open in 2020 if it is approved. The project would require a special exception to the county zoning laws.

The GFCA Land Use & Zoning Committee will meet on February 13 at 5:30 pm in the Great Falls Library to discuss building plans. GFCA will hold a townhall meeting on the proposed facility at a later date.

Attached is a recent letter from the developer to residents in the vicinity of the proposed development. Verity Commercial Assisted Living Facility 1131 Walker Road Notification Letter.pdf

Attend the Kick-off Meeting for zMOD: Fairfax County and its consultant, Clarion Associates, will hold a community meeting as part of the official kick-off for the next phase of the Zoning Ordinance Modernization project (zMOD) on Wednesday, January 24, at 7:00 p.m. in the Government Center (conference rooms 4 & 5). This phase of the project will include restructuring the format of the ordinance, and updating and "bucketing" land uses.

Take the Online Survey: A public survey has been posted and will be available through January 31. Please let the County know your thoughts about the Zoning Ordinance: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZMOD

For additional information, please see the project website (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-zoning/zmod) and the news release (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicaffairs/attend-jan-24-community-meeting-launching-fairfax-countys-zoning-modernization-project).

You may also contact the Zoning Administration Division at 703-324-1314.

GFCA is working with a group of Great Falls residents to explore the feasibility of a ride service for our non-driving Seniors (55 years and older).  This service would be staffed by volunteers and provide free rides for non-driving seniors to get to important appointments, for example medical, legal or banking.  Many communities in our area provide this service today – but none serve Great Falls.

We are conducting a survey to assess the viability of such a service – based on demand from non-driving Seniors and the interest among drivers to volunteer some time.   A GFCA member survey will be distributed directly to members by email.  We would appreciate a large response, even if to say “no interest”. 

Non-GFCA members may take the survey at the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SeniorRides

Finally, questions can be directed to the feasibility team by email at SeniorRides@gfca.org.