Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · Jul 10, 2025

PRAB Regular Meeting

Agenda Minutes Read the transcript16 agenda items · 2 votes · 16 tracked topics, 2 in the wiki

What was decided

2
Adoption of Agenda
Agenda adopted. Douglas Stewart motioned, Kelly O'Brien seconded, approved.
Passed
not chaptered
✓7a
Foundation Director Applications
Kelly O'Brien moved to recommend James Hickman's appointment to the Foundation; Susan Kuiler seconded; motion approved. A conflict of interest concern was raised regarding Nicholas Prosini (incoming COA liaison to PRAB); a special PRAB meeting will be held in July to interview him before a vote.
Passed
- Conflict of InterestA potential conflict of interest was discussed regarding Nicholas Prosini serving as both Foundation Director applicant and incoming COA liaison to PRAB; a special meeting was scheduled to address it.
Park Foundationin progress
not chaptered

Presented

1
Call to Order · Meeting called to order by Chair Sarah Ross at 7:00 p.m.
3
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes · No action recorded in the minutes.
4
Presentations/Introductions · No presentations or introductions recorded in the minutes.
5
Stakeholder Updates · Stakeholder liaisons provided updates. Yolanda Ortiz absent; Commission on the Arts liaison change noted. Environmental Sustainability Committee, School Board, and Student Representative had no updates.
- OD Trail Visitor CenterNOVA Parks and the Town of Vienna are moving forward with plans for a new Visitors Center near the Town Green in Vienna; the Town has a contract purchase option and NOVA Parks has funding available.
- OD Trail tree cuttingNOVA Parks continues to work with Dominion to develop a new MOU to guide tree cutting near power lines on the W & OD Trail.
- OD Trail rail transitMedia covered advocacy by a transit group for reviving commuter rail on the W & OD; NOVA Parks, which owns the trail, has no plans to allow rail on it.
- JuneteenthOn June 17 at Bull Run Regional Park, NOVA Parks and the Fairfax County NAACP hosted their Second Annual Juneteenth celebration.
- Reservoir Park at BeaverdamThis new NOVA Park in Loudoun County opened in November after 10+ years of work; it has had more than 700 kayak rentals monthly this spring and summer.
- Davies PropertyapprovedwikiA development proposal for the Davies Property moved through the Board of Architectural Review and Planning Commission; the Planning Commission recommended not proceeding with the proposal, and City Council will vote on it.
- Senior Center42 walkers participated in the July 4th parade; 46 new members joined in June; Summer Picnic scheduled July 11th; Senior Council to meet July 15th.
6a
Pat Rodio Playground – Update and Color Choice · Equipment order placed before the July 1st tariff deadline. Shade structures added to mockups. Fall installation date hoped. Of $400,000 in funds, $315,000 will cover equipment and surfacing; remainder for fencing, walkways, and trees.
- Pat Rodio Playgroundin progressOrder placed before the July 1st tariff deadline; shade structures added to mockups; fall installation hoped; $315,000 of $400,000 allocated for equipment and surfacing.
6b
Thaiss Park – Update · Project reported on budget and on time. Ballfields slated to open March 2026; everything else expected to open late fall 2025 or early spring 2026.
- Thaiss Parkin progressProject is on budget and on time; ballfields slated to open March 2026 to allow Bermuda grass to take root; all other elements expected late fall 2025 or early spring 2026.
6c
OTH/OTS – Update · Splash Pad reported to be opening the following week.
- OTH/OTS Splash PadThe Splash Pad was reported to be opening the week following the July 10 meeting.
6d
Park Foundation – Update · Background documents being gathered; $50,000 seed money from City Council being used for legal review, website design, and donor management software.
- Park Foundationin progressUsing $50,000 seed money from City Council to pay a lawyer to review documents, design a website, and obtain donor management software. PRAB recommended James Hickman for Foundation Director appointment; Nicholas Prosini's application deferred pending a special July meeting to address conflict of interest concerns.
6e
WSHCC – Update · Brief overview given to new PRAB members. Low, medium, and high cost recovery methods to be presented. Next City Council vote on WSHCC is in September.
- WSHCCin progressOverview given to new members; low/medium/high cost recovery options to be presented; heavy rental could recover costs but community prefers open gym time; next City Council vote is in September.
7b
Summary of recent Council meeting actions pertaining to Parks and Recreation · Presentations to City Council on the OTH renovation and the Pickett Road Connector Trail were summarized.
- OTH RenovationA presentation was given to City Council on the OTH renovation; the upper-level library has not found a new home, art flats removed and not returning, a new baby grand piano will be added, and final bids are expected soon.
- Pickett Road Connector Trailin progresswikiA presentation on the Pickett Road Connector Trail was given to City Council.
8
Parks and Recreation Department Report · Project updates and upcoming events discussed. City of Fairfax Band concerts noted for every Thursday in July at the Veteran's Amphitheater.
- City of Fairfax Band Summer ConcertsThe City of Fairfax Band has a concert every Thursday in July at the Veteran's Amphitheater, with Sherwood Community Center as the rain location.
9
Matters of the Members · No specific matters recorded in the minutes.
10
Upcoming Meetings · Next PRAB meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 11th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 110 at Green Acres.
11
Adjournment · Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Topics touched · 16

OD Trail Visitor Center
OD Trail tree cutting
OD Trail rail transit
Juneteenth
Juneteenth has been observed as an annual celebration in the City of Fairfax, organized by a Juneteenth Committee in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department. The earliest recorded entry notes a Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Old Town Square.
- Planning and details for the 2027 City of Fairfax Juneteenth celebration have not yet been recorded.
- Council members expressed interest in greater community engagement with Mount Calvary Baptist Church around Juneteenth; no formal next steps have been established.
Reservoir Park at Beaverdam
Davies Propertyapproved
The Davies Property project involves a rezoning from RM to CU (retaining the TOD overlay) and a General Development Plan with proffers for a mixed-use building at 4131 Chain Bridge Rd on 2.69 acres. The proposed development includes 276 apartments, approximately 6,319 sq ft of retail, approximately 4,188 sq ft of office, and structured parking.
- The applicant had not yet submitted an administrative site plan review as of October 2025; staff noted the approval carries an expiration date, and the approval could eventually be revoked if no site…
- It is unclear whether the project will proceed to construction, given the lack of site plan submission and the expiration risk noted in October 2025.
This meeting in the wiki Overview
Senior Center
The Fairfax City Young at Heart Senior Center, currently located at Green Acres Center (a repurposed 1961 school building), is a membership-based senior activity hub offering programs including pickleball, bocce, bus trips, craft markets, holiday events, and fitness activities. Chuck Paceley has served as the regular PRAB stakeholder liaison for the Senior Center throughout this period.
- Outcome and full implications of the April 28, 2026 City Council vote on the Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center for the Senior Center's future at Green Acres.
- A proposed $60/year membership fee (benchmarked against Fairfax County pricing, raised at the April 2025 PRAB meeting) — whether it was adopted or rejected.
Pat Rodio Playgroundin progress
The Pat Rodio Playground is a public playground project funded at $400,000, of which $315,000 was allocated for equipment and surfacing, with the remainder reserved for fencing, walkways, and trees. Early planning included a public survey (results reported June 12, 2025) showing strong public preference for swings, followed by PRAB's selection of color option 6 from 12 options.
- Whether fencing, walkways, and landscaping have been completed (still pending as of November 13, 2025, with no follow-up update recorded through July 2026).
- Whether the new code-of-conduct signage has been developed and installed (noted as forthcoming as of November 13, 2025).
Thaiss Parkin progress
Thaiss Park is a City park undergoing full redevelopment, including new ballfields, a playground, adult exercise equipment, a clubhouse building, and related infrastructure. The City Council approved a $7,725,650 construction contract with Bright Masonry, Inc. on October 8, 2024, and the project was fully funded.
- The main contractor (Bright Construction) has fired all staff and deleted its website as of July 2026 — the project is on hold pending clarification on how construction will proceed.
- An ARPA funds deadline is looming; it is unresolved whether the project will meet it given the contractor situation.
OTH/OTS Splash Pad
Park Foundationin progress
The Park Foundation is a new city parks philanthropic foundation being established to raise supplemental funding for capital park projects. Early groundwork (evidenced by transcript discussion as far back as October 2024) included research into peer foundations such as Fairfax County's and deliberations about governance structure, independence from Council, and liaison with PRAB.
- Next steps for the Foundation following submission of the Articles of Incorporation (e.g., IRS/nonprofit status, bylaws finalization, launch of fundraising operations) have not yet been recorded.
- The website design and donor management software procurement appear to still be in progress as of the last update — no completion has been recorded.
WSHCCin progress
The West Side Heating/Community Center (WSHCC) is a City of Ann Arbor parks capital project that has been tracked by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB). Through mid-2025, the project was in a planning and financial analysis phase, with staff preparing low, medium, and high cost-recovery scenarios to address concerns about staffing costs and the overall cost of the building; the community preference for open gym time over heavy rental usage was noted as a tension with cost recovery goals.
- A June 4, 2026 meeting was scheduled to present the impact on the existing Sherwood building and police station and a revised construction schedule — the outcome of that meeting is not yet recorded.
- The current construction plan calls for closing half the building (including the Performance Space and Art Room) while operating in the other half — final decisions on phasing and operations during…
Conflict of Interest
The City of Fairfax has been grappling with conflict of interest policy on multiple fronts. The topic was scheduled for discussion at a June 28, 2025 City Council Retreat (alongside Code of Conduct and Social Media Best Practices), but no outcome was recorded.
- Whether a local Code of Ethics / Code of Conduct will be adopted, and what standards it would set beyond the state COIA minimum (raised at the June 2025 retreat and still unresolved as of September…
- How the Council will formally address conflict of interest situations involving family members of council members voting on appointments — a question flagged in April 2026 regarding Councilmember…
OTH Renovation
Pickett Road Connector Trailin progress
The Pickett Road Connector Trail is a planned trail project in Fairfax City that has been part of the city's comprehensive plan and funded through transportation dollars, having originated in the Parks Strategic Plan. The project drew sustained public opposition beginning at least in January 2025, primarily from residents and groups such as Friends of Akatank Creek concerned about impacts to remnant forests and wetlands in the Akatank Creek watershed.
- A Pickett Road Safety Audit was anticipated to begin in August 2026 — its findings and any resulting impact on the trail design are not yet recorded.
- It is not confirmed whether the October 2025 public outreach meeting for Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle residents was held and what, if any, direction resulted from it.
This meeting in the wiki Overview
City of Fairfax Band Summer Concerts

“This meeting in the wiki” opens the topic’s history at this date.

Documents · 2

Filed in agenda order; the agenda names the item each belongs to.