The Fairfax County office charged with spurring revitalization from Lake Anne to Annandale has again come under fire from supervisors who question what the small agency has accomplished since its creation in July.
The Board of Supervisors’ two Republicans took aim at the Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment on Monday, unsuccessfully proposing to fold a large part of the $1 million agency’s functions into the Economic Development Authority, though without the accompanying funding.
The measure, part of the millions of dollars in cuts proposed by Sully District Supervisor Michael Frey and Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, died 8-2 after a battle between the office’s proponents and opponents on the board.
“I have not seen anything out of our department of revitalization,” Herrity said.
Outgoing Lee District Supervisor Dana Kauffman, a Democrat, last year questioned the county’s redevelopment efforts, arguing its efforts so far have amounted to little.
The sagging housing market and overall grim economic picture have scuttled some anticipated mixed-use projects in Fairfax, like Kettler’s Midtown Springfield and JPI’s Kings Crossing on Route 1, both of which were hoped to spark a turnaround in their areas of the county.
Other supervisors, however, disagree with the critics of the revitalization office. Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said he was closely working with the agency on McLean’s Main Street project, and said the agency conducted community outreach and prepared drawings of what the redevelopment could look like.
“They have the expertise of how to convert the idea of revitalization into a reality,” said Foust, a Democrat.
The office targets seven aging corridors in Fairfax County: Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, Lake Anne, McLean, Merrifield, Richmond Highway and Springfield. Its duties include working with other agencies to develop planning recommendations, aiding local revitalization committees and helping develop public-private partnerships, county spokeswoman Merni Fitzgerald said.
