What’s Up?
Join Us Online!
We now have online forms for membership, donations, volunteering, neighborhood watch training, and advertising in the newsletter.
BBHCA now has ability to accept membership applications and payments online. Thanks for everyone’s feedback and assistance in testing. The forms are available on the respective web pages (membership, newsletter, etc.) but also combined under the HOME menu.
In addition to providing this option to members, the new interface also automatically tracks basic member info* (name/email/address/phone) as well as payments. The result is that we will no longer have to manually enter this information except for those that are mailed. Also, members may update their own information. Of course, we can assist if there is any issue. Simply send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
*All member information is confidential and never shared.
BBHCA Newsletter
The online July issue went live Friday, June 30. All past issues are and have been available online for many years. However, this is the first time we published the newsletter online only. The primary reason was cost as we’ve had a large drop in membership due to the pandemic. Therefore, the executive committee decided to instead print and mail a survey and member promo along with a link to the online newsletter. A link to the online newsletter also is provided below and on the website home and newsletter pages.
>> https://bbhca.net/bbhca-news/
Survey/Member Promo
Per above, we mailed a survey and member promo to all BBHCA residents in our service area—over 800 homes. The survey also is available via the link below. We have started to get responses! The responses also link to a spreadsheet which includes the emails of the respondents, so we can follow-up with those who express interest in volunteering and joining. We’ll let you know the results before our next meeting on October 10. We value your feedback!
>> Survey: https://forms.gle/2r8DmSXBoh9PYMEy8
Website
We’ve updated almost all web pages, added new pages, and inserted links to the new online forms. New pages include: All Forms (home), Official Documents (home), Facebook posts, and Local History (community resources). If you see or encounter any errors, please let us know.
National Night Out (NNO)
NNO is Tuesday, August 1, from 6-8 pm and everyone in the BBHCA neighborhood is invited. We will be staged at Bush Hill Elementary School on the parking lot next to the playground. BBHCA will provide free ice cream to the first 50 residents living in the neighborhood. Visit with your neighbors for a relaxed time!
Facebook 
You don’t need a FB account to view FB pages. Having an account allows you to respond to and like posts, but anyone can view a post. All great news for some folks who don’t have or want a FB account.
We’re happy to report that we can now include a page on our website that displays the most recent Facebook posts. Although apparently limited in the number of posts displayed, it also links to the full FB page site.
Instagram 
We opened an Instagram (I-page) account that is linked to the BBHCA Facebook page. Facebook “stories” are automatically posted to Instagram. This means we first have to post an image or video and then have the option to add text/links. We’ve also added a link to our I-page on the website.
Non-member Email List 
As we transition management of our database online, we will require all non-member residents (in our service area) to sign up for our email list. By signing up, nonmembers will receive email notifications of BBHCA meetings as well as occasional special event or emergency notices.
Note: All residents receive notices of BBHCA Community Meetings by USPS mail. Email registration is not required to receive meeting notices by mail.
We will be sending out several requests via email to complete this quick process. The result is that our email database will be managed automatically rather than manually. Also, residents will be able to update their email contact information (or unsubscribe) going forward.
Note that BBHCA has emails for approximately 300 current and past members. Obviously, this does not include all households. Information on how to sign up for our email list will be available on our website and will be included in future mailings.
To sign up (non-members only), go to https://bbhca.net/email-sign-up/
Final April 2023 BBHCA Meeting Minutes
The April 2023 BBHCA meeting minutes were adopted with a minor revision at the July BBHCA meeting. For the final minutes, go to https://bbhca.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-18-Apr-BBHCA-Community-Meeting-Minutes_Final.pdf.
Minutes from the July 11, 2023, Community Meeting will be published in the October BBHCA News.
Next BBHCA Community Meeting
October 10, 2023 (Tuesday)
Bush Hill Elementary School (cafeteria)
7:30 – 9:00 pm
Franconia Rd and Rose Hill Dr Intersection Improvements
As you may have noticed, construction has been underway at Franconia Rd and Rose Hill Dr. At the intersection, Franconia Road averages 15,000 vehicles a day and Rose Hill Drive averages 7,800. The improvements will add:
- A traffic signal flashing yellow arrow on westbound Franconia Road
- Signalized crosswalk on Franconia Road on the western side of the intersection
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) pedestrian signal and curb ramp upgrades
According to VDOT, the project will “improve safety for pedestrians and drivers.” Completion is expected Fall 2023.
This project is financed with federal and state Highway Safety Improvement Program funding. Total estimated costs are $534,000.
For more information, go to: https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/northern-virginia/franconia-and-rose-hill.asp
Minimum Speed Limit on Franconia Road
Between Rose Hill Dr and Van Dorn, there are more than 30 entrances/exits on Franconia Road., including roadways, residential driveways, and commercial access points. This stretch of road has been witness to numerous automobile and pedestrian deaths and injuries over the years. Speeding along this stretch is both dangerous and common. Per VDOT (see below article) Franconia Road averages 15,000 vehicles a day and Rose Hill Drive averages 7,800.
According to the Virginia Code, the Virginia Dept of Motor Vehicles, Franconia Police, and a legal consultant, there is no minimum speed limit on Franconia Road (short of stopping) between Rose Hill Drive and Van Dorn Street. In fact, drivers may drive less than the posted 35 mph speed limit. Flashers may be used to indicate to other drivers that you are driving at a slower speed. This may be an option for those who are uncomfortable with the 35+ mph traffic on the road.
Virginia Code § 46.2-877. Minimum speed limits. No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
According to Gustavo Torres, VDOT Area Traffic Engineer / NRO Traffic Engineering, “Test driving runs [conducted] during off peak and no school hours showed that the existing speed limit is ‘reasonable’. All factors…along with a review of the crash data and the analysis of the collected data (test driving runs) were taken into account…. It should also be noted that both the crash/injury rates are below the district-wide average as compared to similar roadways in Northern Virginia.”
Maximum speed limits are determined by the Virginia Department of Transportation. The current speed limit is 35 mph on Franconia Road except when it is reduced to 25 mph in school zones. The County has placed speed cameras at several County schools, including Key Center School on Franconia Rd.
Fairfax to Reduce Parking Requirements
The following was sent out by the Rose Hill Civic Assn on July 3, 2023. This County amendment will possibly affect the redevelopment of Rose Hill Plaza, if and when it comes out of deferral.
“Fairfax County is in the process of amending the parking requirement for multi-family development projects. If adopted, any new development, such as the one proposed for the Rose Hill Shopping Center, will include less parking than currently is required.
The current ordinance requires 1.7 parking places per unit. The proposed change would cut that to 1.3 spaces per unit. Parking already is a problem in Rose Hill on streets close to the Rose Hill Apartments and this is one of the reasons we remain opposed to a plan put forth by Combined Properties to replace Rose Hill Plaza with a mixed-use project that would include up to 400 apartments.
A minimum of 2 parking spaces is required for each single-family detached unit in Rose Hill and surrounding neighborhoods.
Housing activists and County staff argue that parking requirements should be lowered to reflect greater use of mass transit and bike lanes. Rose Hill is not directly served by mass transit, however, and although we have bike lanes, riding to Springfield, Van Dorn and Huntington Metro Stations are long and hazardous.
Let Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk (franconia@fairfaxcounty.gov) know that residents in Rose Hill and neighboring communities object to any changes in parking requirements if that would enhance chances of the proposed Rose Hill Plaza project going forward. This is another reason why we had asked that the Rose Hill Site-Specific Plan Amendment be killed, not deferred!
Pass along this information to your neighbors and suggest that they sign up to receive additional news updates via email.” (Carl Sell, RHCA President)
FCPD Update: Traffic Safety Recap (July 2023)
Katherine Hayek
Director, Public Affairs Bureau
Fairfax County Police Department
>> Subscribe to FCPD Blog
FCPD is committed to keeping our Fairfax County citizens, commuters, and visitors safe. Through increased police presence and effective engagement with our community, we work to deter and change unlawful traffic behaviors and keep Fairfax County a safe place to live, work, and play. This year we launched a new 2023 Traffic Safety Initiative, focusing on monthly traffic campaigns with a three-prong approach: education, enforcement, and communication.
June was a very active month for us across the County. With a heavy focus on high-visibility enforcement of reckless driving behaviors, we were able to produce some great results for our communities. Here are a few highlights from this month:
- Our Traffic Division put in a lot of work to launch our Move Over Enforcement efforts with some great results. Keeping our officers, firefighters, EMS, road construction crews, towing company employees, and others safer on our roads.
Video: https://fb.watch/lyq29jOz5A/?mibextid=qC1gEa
- June was also the second wave of our Road Shark efforts across the county. Local media featured the great work we were doing out on the roads and the results in just a week were outstanding. The positive feedback from our community was overwhelming. Check it out:
https://twitter.com/fairfaxcountypd/status/1668679781770993664?s=46&t=cUTPT3j3ndKCfNNibvAehg
- This month we went heavy on our loud exhaust education and enforcement with several effective social posts and stories. These enforcement efforts and posts have allowed us to proactively deter reckless and often criminal underground car meet-ups (not to be confused with our regular community car meet-ups), in our county. These are great help for our communities and just another way we’re keeping Fairfax County safe.
- Overall, YTD crashes are significantly down, proactive citations are up, and our officers’ great work resulted in a YTD increase in DWI arrests – keeping people safer on our roadways. On a positive note, along with all types of crashes being down – injury, pedestrian involved, alcohol-related, and others, there is an incredible 31% decrease in fatal crashes in Fairfax County so far this year. Our patrol officers worked hard to produce these incredible results, even though TYD calls for service were way up.
- For July our Traffic Safety themes will be coordinated with our Summer Crime Prevention Initiative this month, and centered around impaired driving enforcement.
- The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” because it is the time of the year with the highest number of crashes involving teen drivers.
- This summer, FCPD along with Driven to Protect | Virginia is encouraging you to spread awareness about drunk driving – and the efforts we’re taking in Virginia to end it – by promoting Virginia’s #SummerOfSafety.
- In addition, impaired driving-related fatalities spike and the 4th of July is consistently one of the holiday periods with the highest number of impaired driving-related crash fatalities each year.
We will also be running our third wave of Road Shark from July 10-16.
We look forward to working hard on these initiatives to keep our Fairfax County roadways and communities safe.
Sign up for Franconia District Station Newsletter
>> email john.lieb@fairfaxcounty.gov/police
Stay Informed Flyer (PDF)
Follow Us on Social Media (PDF)
@FairfaxCountyPD
https://twitter.com/@fairfaxcountypd
https://www.facebook.com/fairfaxcountypd
https://www.instagram.com/fairfaxcountypd/
Absentee Ballot Witness Requirement Removed
House Bill 1948 removes the requirement to have a witness for absentee ballots and now requires instead that voters provide the last four digits of their social security number and birth year. (Effective 7/1/23)
https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+HB1948
Visit our website: www.bbhca.net
EmaiI us: bbhca2022@gmail.com
Thinking About Solar?
Solarize Free Webinar, July 27
Join the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP-VA) and Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination for a virtual 1-hr information session about Solarize Virginia on July 27 at 6 p.m.
Register at:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/environment-energy-coordination/solarize-fairfax-webinar
“Solarize Virginia” Makes Clean, Renewable Energy Affordable
“Solarize Virginia is a community-based outreach initiative managed by the nonprofit LEAP (Local Energy Alliance Program). Through a competitive review process, LEAP evaluates proposals from local installers and selects high-quality installers that commit to providing discounted prices to all program participants.
Solarize Virginia provides residents interested in switching to solar energy with technical assistance, direct access to installers, and competitive pricing on solar panels. Solarize will conduct a satellite assessment of your roof and get back to you within 3-5 business days with next steps.
Consumers that sign up through August 31, and sign an installation contract by September 15, will be eligible for bulk discounts, negotiated by Solarize, up to 20 percent.”
(https://www.fcnp.com/2023/07/13/solarize-virginia-makes-clean-renewable-energy-affordable-for-virginians/)
More info at:
https://solarizeva.org/about-us/
