ABOUT THE PETITION

The Undersigned of this Petition respectfully request that Dalia Palchik and/or the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to direct Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services Stormwater and Maintenance Division to seek a road construction waiver/exception from VDOT that will allow the construction of a new bridge and culvert at Hickory Hollow Lane, without any widening or paving of the lane North of the stream crossing.

PHOTOS: HICKORY HOLLOW CURRENT PHOTOS

VIDEO: RURAL DRIVE

THE PLANS: COUNTY PLANS

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

Current plans for Hickory Hollow Lane are to construct a new box culvert and bridge for the road crossing of Rocky Branch Stream to replace the undersized culvert and prevent the resulting periodic overtopping of the road during heavy rains. When the overtopping of the creek occurs, there is no other access to the two residences on the road for police, fire, or EMTs, and the culvert needs to be replaced for that reason.

However, constructing a new culvert will trigger VDOT requirements to meet GS-4 configurations for all of the road. The current one lane gravel road, which is approximately 12 feet wide, serves two residences, would be widened to two lanes with shoulders, and paved.  The resulting GS-4 road regulations force this road to 30' wide, inclusive of asphalt, shoulder and storm ditch, and 38' wide in certain sections of this rural area!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The northern section of Hickory Hollow Lane, Oakton, Providence District, is one of the few sections of public road in the county owned and maintained by the County, not VDOT.  Because of this, the County, including Ms. Palichik and the Board of Supervisor's have full Authority Having Jurisdiction
• Regardless of this, VDOT has approved other bridge replacements in the state where the road was gravel before and after improvements, including a bridge recently replaced in LOUDOUN county.  Both the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and VDOT approved this project.  See the INFO link and the PHOTO link.  This road has approximately 400 Vehicles Per Day (VPD) compared with the road in question that receives <10 VPD.
• This portion of Hickory Hollow Lane is next to Rocky Branch and a floodplain, and therefore is included in the 1993 and 2003 Resource Management Plan (RMP) as a Resource Protection Area (RPA), as part of the management plan for Difficult Run watershed. Widening and paving the current road will require the extensive removal of vegetation now protected by the RMP.
• The County is prioritizing the flooding impacts of Hickory Hollow Lane OVER roads like downstream Lawyers Rd. in Vienna.  Lawyers Rd. flooding is a MAJOR Safety Issue and habitually impacts a major thoroughfare within the County.  Lawyers Rd. impacts daily commutes for citizens within the County and consistently closes down during heavy rains.  Inexplicably, the County has not fixed this issue and has attempted to fund Hickory Hollow Lane over Lawyers Road.
• In addition, widening the lane will reduce its appeal as the walk-in entrance to Ashlawn Park, at the end of the lane. Currently the rural nature of this short section of road attracts a large number of walkers, runners, bird watchers, and other lovers of quiet and nature.  The cross-country running teams of both local high schools use the Lane as part of their training loops.
• This road receives fewer than 10 cars per day which are exclusively related to the TWO residents that this road serves and their guests.  The county is using INCORRECT information on their plans of 48 VPD.  The County has refused to perform a traffic study in the actual section of the road in question.
• Because of the incredibly low vehicular count (< 10 cars per day) there is no safety concern of a vehicle and pedestrian incident.  Hickory Hollow Lane is a rural dead end road that services only the two aforementioned residents and their guests.  
• The road serves as a connecting road for more walkers than vehicles.  Hundred of citizens and families enjoy this walkway to access the Difficult  Run Watershed.
• Paving this road raises negative aesthetic, environmental and economical concerns.  The current configuration allows outdoor healthy enjoyment.  Hundreds of pedestrians use this as a walking path. 
• Roads like this are vanishing from the County as well as from the Commonwealth.  (Please refer to Virginia Department of Rustic Rural Roads program).
• Finally the Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County Administrators have approved spending a stated $1,500,000 on a project that the undersigned do not want.