Residents are requesting:

Fairfax County address and correct errors associated with the 2003 Resource Protection Area (RPA) mapping and classification errors which were performed in-house by Fairfax County (not USACE) affecting homeowners and businesses within the Mount Vernon District of Fairfax County where they classified the man-made VDOT drainage system as a perennial stream.

We respectfully request that Fairfax County perform and fund a transparent, science-based reevaluation study to correct the 2003 Resource Protection Area (RPA) designation affecting over 20 properties along the Brentwood Place and Frances Drive drainage corridor in Alexandria, Virginia 22306 north of Sherwood Hall to the Hollin Meadows pool.

The drainage corridor includes historical VDOT installed concrete channels, riprap structures, roadway runoff conveyance systems, and modified grading conditions that are not the naturally occurring perennial stream system.

Because the current RPA designation significantly impacts property rights, permitting, redevelopment flexibility, and property value, residents believe an updated late-summer field evaluation is necessary to confirm whether the drainage feature exhibits intermittent or persistent flow under non-drought conditions and the study be conducted for 30 days to be accurate using live round the clock video cameras to ensure accuracy.

The current RPA designation significantly affects:

1. property rights,
2. permitting requirements,
3. redevelopment flexibility,
4. ordinary residential improvements,
5. and LOWERS residential property values

Residents believe an updated late-summer field evaluation is necessary to determine whether portions of the drainage system exhibit:

• persistent perennial flow, or
• intermittent seasonal flow conditions.

What We Are Requesting

We respectfully request that Fairfax County:

1. Conduct or commission an independent 30-day late-summer field study with a compenent engineering firm or perform a 30 day study with cameras to ensure that the data will confirm what has been documented for years that the drainage ditch is intermittent and seasonal and not persistent year round.
The study should occur during non-drought conditions within the VDOT-modified drainage corridor adjacent to Brentwood Place and Frances Drive extending upstream toward the Hollin Meadows area in ZIP code 22306.

The purpose of the study should be to evaluate actual stream flow conditions during the period most appropriate for determining whether the drainage feature functions as perennial or intermittent flow.

 
2. Determine whether the drainage feature functions as:

1. a perennial stream with persistent year-round flow, or
2. an intermittent stormwater conveyance channel with seasonal flow conditions.

 3. Reevaluate the existing 2003 Resource Protection Area (RPA) classification using:

• current field observations,
• late-summer and early-fall hydrologic conditions,
• continuous video monitoring and observation cameras,
• historical VDOT drainage modifications,
• analysis of the historical topography and “true bottom” of the drainage corridor,
• third-party engineering review,
• and modern scientific evaluation standards.
• Residents have observed portions of the VDOT drainage system go dry during non-drought periods for many years and believe these observations should be independently documented and evaluated.

 
4. Correct any mapping or classification inaccuracies identified through the reevaluation process.
Environmental protections should be based on accurate scientific data, transparent review, and actual site conditions.

Residents support responsible environmental stewardship while also seeking fair and accurate application of regulations that significantly affect private property rights and neighborhood investment.