McLean District Design Guidelines Released

County staff presented Volume II: District Design Guidelines, McLean, to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for endorsement on Sept. 12. Volume II contains written and visual ideas for the design of streets, lighting, and the area fronting buildings and provides design direction to improve the McLean Commercial Revitalization District (CRD) look. It supplements Volume I: Urban Design Guidelines for Fairfax County Revitalization Districts and Areas.

Outreach efforts included an advisory group with twelve representatives from McLean-area organizations, a public workshop, two online surveys, and an open house.

County staff said in the board agenda item that the guidelines are nonregulatory and not meant to "control or dictate" a particular architectural style or site design solution. Landowners and their consultants will use them in project designs. County staff, the Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors will use them to evaluate such projects.

The Community Revitalization Section (CRS) of the Department of Planning and Development developed the guidelines. Many county departments participated in the process, including DOT, DPWES, LDS, Park Authority, Health Department, and Urban Forest Management.

Vienna-County Reciprocal Police Agreement Could Improve Public Safety

A Town of Vienna Police Department detective may again be assigned to the Fairfax County Police Department's Organized Crime and Narcotics Division full-time. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the two parties hope that  the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will approve the Town of Vienna and County of Fairfax reciprocal agreement. The cooperation between the two departments could be beneficial for combating illegal drug activities and vice crimes.

According to the released agreement on page 174 of the Board Revised Package, the Town of Vienna and the County of Fairfax concur that "illegal narcotics trafficking and vice crimes have a substantial and detrimental effect on the health and welfare of the communities and that a cooperative effort between the Town of Vienna Police Department and the County of Fairfax Police Department would be advantageous in disrupting illicit drug activities."

This is not the first such agreement. The new agreement reinstates a previous one. County staff said in the board agenda item that staffing constraints in 2021 caused the Town of Vienna not to participate in activities with the FCPD. "This new agreement re-establishes the previous agreement between the Town of Vienna and the FCPD," county staff said.

Each detective's casework will determine how the departments share forfeited assets. The Organized Crime and Narcotics Division Commander decides. The minimum amount the Town of Vienna Police Department will receive will be 5 percent of all assets, with a maximum of no more than 70 percent, according to county documents.