Uncertainty reigns over final Dulles Rail funding
By: William C. Flook
Examiner Staff Writer
May 28, 2009
A sour economy has added new uncertainty to the last critical piece of funding for Dulles Rail, a proposed tax district that will collect revenue from commercial landowners in a large swath of western Fairfax County.
County and airports officials, business groups and other project boosters face a shrinking window of time in which to set up the district, which — among other hurdles — will require persuading half of the affected property owners to vote higher taxes upon themselves.
The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce held a town hall meeting earlier this month with affected parties. Eileen Curtis, president and chief executive officer of the chamber, described residents and business owners as “cautious.”
The economic downturn means owners have less money to invest in infrastructure. And more businesses could be going into foreclosures, leaving officials to track down and persuade a new owner — possibly from out of state — to enter into the tax plan.
“On the other side, this is the only opportunity we have to get rail,” Curtis said. “If they don’t do it now, we will not have it. It will simply bypass the whole western Fairfax corridor.”
The money raised from the new taxes, along with proceeds from the Dulles Toll Road, make up the principle funding sources for the second leg of the transit project, which will eventually run 23 miles through Dulles Airport and into Loudoun County.
A similar tax district in Tysons Corner funded the first 11.6-mile phase of the Metrorail extension. As compensation — beyond spiking land values — Fairfax County will allow the Tysons land owners to install dense, urban-style development.
Western Fairfax landowners in Reston and Herndon will also want a commitment from the county for greater building densities in exchange for the increased taxes, Curtis said.
“It’s a tough nut to crack,” said Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay. “You’re not going to be convincing property owners to tax themselves unless they see some long-term reward.”
