Mount Daniel is a Falls Church City Public School but operates at 2328 North Oak Street, a Fairfax County street. Photo by Ken Moore.
Fairfax County Planning Commission wants to be good neighbors and so does Falls Church City County Public Schools.
“I think we recognize that this is a very unique situation where we have a school site that’s owned by an adjacent jurisdiction within the County. There is a lot at stake for a lot of people depending on what we do,” said at-large Planning Commissioner James Hart on the Planning Commission’s decision-only hearing Wednesday, Sept. 14
Hart remembers when the Commission last addressed the school’s expansion more than a decade ago.
“I think three of us were here 10 or 15 years ago when we did the last expansion of the school and I think I still remember how long it took to do that and how difficult and painful that was.”
The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended approval of Falls Church’s application to modify Mount Daniel Elementary on North Oak Street at the outskirts of McLean.
“The plan goes into great detail, far more than we usually get with a 2232 (application), as to what commitments the city and the school board are willing to make in connection with the operation of the school on this site,” said Dranesville Commissioner John Ulfelder.
Falls Church City Public Schools wants to expand Mount Daniel Elementary School to educate the school system’s first and second graders. But to get to Mount Daniel requires trips on McLean streets, including North Oak, a Fairfax county street that neighborhood residents say is not easily navigated by school busses.
Falls Church City Public Schools has operated Mount Daniel Elementary School on a 7.31-acre property located in a residential neighborhood at 2328 North Oak Street since 1952.
The Falls Church school system seeks an expansion that would increase the square footage of the building from 44,118 square feet to 79,491 square feet. The expansion would allow the school to enroll up to 660 students.
If approved, and would increase the floor area ratio on the site from 0.14 to 0.25.
The McLean Citizens Association Board of Directors adopted a resolution opposing the potential expansion because it was “excessive and incompatible with the neighborhood.”
“It is a lot of intensity for this small site,” testified Mark Zetts, chair of MCA’s planning and zoning committee.
About 17 speakers testified before the Planning Commission, both for and against.
Falls Church City Mayor David Tarter called it “a cornerstone of our small community.”
“We take pride in our school system,” said Tarter. “This is of critical importance to our city.”
“We work hard to be good neighbors,” said Justin Castillo, chair of the Falls Church City School Board.
Ulfelder highlighted some of the assurances Falls Church Public Schools promised, including capping maximum capacity at 660 students (792 was originally proposed); building and expanding the parking lot to 105 spaces; building an area for better queuing of buses and separate kiss and-ride drop off of private vehicles as well; limiting the school to a maximum height of 41 feet; and removing all existing trailers from the property once construction has been completed.
Ulfelder read more proffered conditions, including the school’s pledge to do its best to encourage all parents to park only on school property and to refrain from parking on North Oak Street, and to encourage busing of students.
“Classes shall not begin earlier than 8:50 a.m. and not end later than 4 p.m.,” Ulfelder read. “The applicant shall hold no more than 10 evening special events per year at the school and shall provide shuttle bus service from an off-site location in the City of Falls Church for parents to attend all such events.”
“The applicant has traveled a long road to get to this evenings decision. Indeed a similar application to expand Mount Daniel came before us last year – from my view, the applicant has materially improved its proposal,” said Ulfelder. “I commend the applicant for its efforts to address many of the concerns raised last year.”