From the Chair (February 2024)

Despite the wintry weather, the 17 January meeting was well-attended. Thanks go to Bill Mayland (Deputy Director, Zoning Administration Division), Ben Aiken (Deputy Director, Department of Code Compliance), and Calvin Allen (Code Compliance Investigator II) for their excellent presentation on the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan (a guidance document for land use decisions) and specific zoning/building code regulations. The speakers provided detailed information about the kind of  code issues that association leaders deal with all the time in their communities. More importantly, the speakers provided guidance on how to handle such situations in cooperation with the Department of Code Compliance. For members who were unable to attend, the presentation has been posted on the BDC website. Scroll to “January 17, 2024” and click on “Zoning Presentation.”

Earlier that same day, the Aging in Place program, in conjunction with the King’s Park Library,  co-hosted a virtual meeting on the subject of “Internet Scams—Separating Fact from Fiction.” The presenter was journalist Larry Lipman from AARP. Larry offered examples of common scams aimed at seniors and how to recognize them. Thanks go to Paul Hartwell for arranging this presentation and making the last-minute switch from in-person to virtual due to the wintry weather.

We are pleased to welcome three new members to the Braddock District Council: Glen Alden Community Association, Fairfax Club Estates HOA, and Kings Park Townhouses HOA. Three other associations have sent in the registration form and have been invoiced. Our membership total now stands at 26. The ExComm is continuing its outreach efforts to attract new members to join the Council in our efforts of building a stronger Braddock District community.

Looking ahead, our next meeting will be on 20 March at 7 p.m. in Braddock Hall. We are in the process of scheduling a speaker from the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) to educate us on the programs and incentives available to help homeowners and HOA communities make energy improvements to their properties. The presentation will include an overview of the County’s Energy Conservation Assistance Program and Charge Up Fairfax Program as well as financial assistance available at the local, state and federal level for energy-efficiency upgrades including energy audits, weatherization projects, solar installations, and electric vehicle charging stations. We hope that you will plan on attending this meeting, which will also include a discussion of a proposed amendment to the Bylaws pertaining to dues as well as revising the Bylaws in general. Stay tuned for the full agenda in early March.

Also upcoming is the popular annual Legislative Review at a date to be determined, probably in April. This event will give you and community members a chance to meet with our Richmond delegation to hear important information about the 2024 General Assembly session. The 2020 redistricting resulted in changes to state senator and delegate districts and in many cases, new incumbents following the 2023 elections. Senators representing parts of the Braddock District are Dave Marsden, Stella Pekarsky, and Jennifer Carroll Foy. Delegates representing parts of the Braddock District are Vivian Watts, David Bulova, Kathy Tran, Dan Helmer, and Laura Jane Cohen. As soon as this event is scheduled in coordination with the supervisor’s office, we will notify everyone by our usual communications means.

Finally, thanks to a suggestion by Vice-Chair Marie Norman, BDC now has its very own YouTube channel. The plan is to post content that we develop (e.g., AIP topics) or for other content developed by others for which we have permission to put on the channel. Stay tuned for further information about this new feature.

Bob Cosgriff

Chair, BDC