Blog posts are the personal views of Letty Hardi and not official statements or records on behalf of the Falls Church City Council

Dear Friends,

For fellow FCCPS families, happy last day of school!

As summer gets underway, it’s been another busy week in Falls Church. From national recognition for our quality of life, to important conversations about affordable housing, to community discussions about the future of the Farmers Market, I’ll share a recap of what I’ve been working on and where I’d welcome your input.

I also kicked off the week by joining regional leaders in Alexandria at the memorial for the 67 people who died in the January 2025 crash between an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter. To quote Congressman Don Beyer who spoke: “Grief only exists because we love, and it fades so slowly because our loss is so real.” It was a beautiful and moving tribute, and a reminder that while community conversations are important, not every disagreement deserves the weight we sometimes give it. Moments like these help put things in perspective and remind us that our shared humanity matters far more than our differences. We are fortunate to live in a community where people care deeply, and we can all benefit from extending a little more kindness and humility and assume positive intent.

Happy summer,
Letty

PS – If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for a fun day in the Little City next Saturday June 13: after a family-friendly Pride Event in Cherry Hill Park in the afternoon, we’ll kickoff the evening with our pilot Little City Sips. We want this to be a successful, fun, and safe day to support our local businesses and enjoy a beautiful night in our downtown.

What Happened This Week:

(1) Quality of Life Recognition

This might seem like the sort of click bait I don’t read or share. But this is worth a mention because it’s backed by a legitimate source and one that I’ve personally researched years ago. Falls Church was named the most livable community in the South. This was based on the AARP’s Livability Index (no surprise: what makes communities livable for seniors also makes communities livable for all age groups!) Falls Church earned particularly high marks for healthcare access, parks, walkability, and our strong sense of community.

While accolades are always nice, what stood out to me is that many of the things recognized are the result of years of work by residents, city staff, volunteers, local businesses, and community organizations. Our parks, trails, schools, small businesses, and civic engagement don’t happen by accident. At the same time, the report highlighted something many of us already know: housing affordability remains one of our biggest challenges. That’s why I continue to believe we need to focus on creating housing opportunities for residents at a range of income levels while building on the qualities that make Falls Church such a special place to live.

(2) Virginia Village – continued discussions

A good segue to the meat of our City Council work session this week – we had in depth discussion on the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of Virginia Village, one of the city’s most important affordable housing initiatives for our generation. The RFP is expected to come before Council later this month for a vote to issue it, with responses from development teams anticipated at the end of the summer.

If you missed my May 9 post with more information and FAQs, I encourage you to go back to that one and/or see the city website with the latest information. We’re working on the draft of the RFP to elicit responses from affordable housing and real estate partners to respond to three scenarios (or a hybrid) – renovate the city-owned buildings with small expansions, low density redevelopment (3-4 stories), or moderate density redevelopment (6-7 stories) with affordability targets spanning 30–80% Area Median Income (AMI) and a target vote to release the RFP on June 22. We welcome public comment at our upcoming meetings on June 8 and 22 (see schedule below) or offline anytime via email: cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or to me personally.

Letty’s Thoughts:

A few themes that are guiding my thinking:

1. Curiosity – what will the development community propose? We should preserve flexibility in the RFP so we don’t limit creative options we might get back
2. Affordability needs to remain the primary objective of the project.
3. Thoughtful balance of building height and scale, parking, environmental standards – how to balance our policy goals and financial realities of delivering affordable housing while being respectful of adjacent neighborhoods
4. Tenant protections for current Virginia Village residents – the city has an existing relocation policy we will be discussing on June 15. We discussed ensuring that any displaced residents will have a new home during construction (if a project happens) and they get first priority to return at affordable rents comparable to what they currently pay.
5. Clarity where the city will still make decisions – the City Council will issue the RFP, we will choose the top ranked development partner from RFP respondents (there will be an evaluation committee who helps us do the scoring and vetting but City Council makes the final decision), we will negotiate and sign any interim and comprehensive agreements with a development partner, and there will be final site plan approval for any project.

In my opinion, staff has done a good job listening to the community and incorporating the considerations we heard as guardrails in the drafts of the RFP, planning documents, and zoning code changes that we’ll begin discussing in a few weeks. We will continue to debate and wrestle with the ambitious timeline and details about zoning rules – but it’s also important to remember that we have not only professional staff but also JLL, the real estate consultant we’ve hired to advise us on the process, financials, and evaluate eventual RFP responses. They will be at the table with us at our next work session so we can leverage their expertise.

(3) Farmers Market Discussions

One of the most talked-about community discussions this week centered on a proposal to pilot a temporary street closure during the Saturday Farmers Market. Our award-winning Farmers Market is one of Falls Church’s greatest success stories. It has grown into a regional destination that supports local farmers and businesses, attracts visitors, and serves as a gathering place for residents from across the community.

This week, the EDA (Economic Development Authority) heard public comment on a proposal to temporarily close a portion of Little Falls Street and/or Park Avenue during market hours. The idea, brought forward by Falls Church Forward (full disclosure – many of you know I’m a member of Falls Church Forward’s leadership team), would test closing a portion of Little Falls Street and/or Park Avenue during market hours to give it more room to breathe – create additional gathering space, provide room for existing sidewalk vendors, and potentially allow a limited number of additional vendors who are on the waitlist.

As expected, there were strong opinions on all sides.

One longtime farmer expressed concerns about preserving the producer-only model, worried that adding prepared food vendors or expanding too quickly could impact existing vendors’ sales and alter the character of the market. Nearby restaurants and businesses also raised questions about competition and street access during one of their busiest business periods of the week. At the same time, another local business owner made a compelling case that the city should give them a path to being part of the market, being unable to get off the waitlist, despite operating multiple Falls Church businesses, sourcing local ingredients, paying local taxes.

The idea is in its exploratory stages and no decisions have been made.

Letty’s Thoughts: What struck me most is that all of the goals above are not necessarily in conflict. We shouldn’t be afraid to try things. The schools teach our kids a growth mindset: we should always be asking how can we make something better. It is reasonable to ask whether there are ways to create opportunities for more local businesses, more gathering space, more community activity – while preserving the success of the market. What is currently being discussed is not a permanent expansion, nor a wholesale change to the market’s identity. It is a pilot—a chance to gather data, learn what works, and evaluate the impacts before making any decisions.

The conversation also highlighted a broader question about how we use public space. A few hours of street closure on a Saturday morning would undoubtedly require adjustments, but we already close streets for community events throughout the year because we recognize that streets can serve purposes beyond moving and storing cars. (And we have 3 garages with free public parking within a 10 minute walk that would be better utilized.) Sometimes streets can also be places for people to gather, connect, shop, and build community.

As with many issues in Falls Church, the challenge isn’t choosing between preserving what works and embracing change. It’s finding ways to do both. Some of our most successful community assets – pocket parks, housing, economic development, transportation projects – exist because we grow and try new ideas while staying true to the things that make us special. As this conversation continues, I hope we can approach it with that same spirit of curiosity, flexibility, and community-mindedness.

What’s Coming Up:

June 8 – City Council Meeting*

June 15 – City Council Work Session*

June 22 – City Council Meeting*

July 1 – Ask the Council Office Hours (9 am, City Hall)

July 13 – City Council Meeting*

*All Mondays (except 5th Mondays and holidays) at 7:30 pm. You can access the agenda and livestream here, including recordings of past meetings

Letty’s Summer Office Hours:

June 29 – 630 – 8 pm (Harvey’s)

July 15 – 630 – 8 pm (Cafe Zevian)

August 26 – 630 – 8 pm (Little Beast)