News

DAVIS SECURES FUNDS FOR LOCAL REVITALIZATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

August 05, 2003

Washington, D.C.
Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA-11th) announced today that just prior to its August recess, the U.S. House of Representatives approved funding for several projects critical to Northern Virginia. The following items were included in the FY 2004 Veterans Administration/Housing and Urban Development spending bill passed by the House on Friday, July 25th:

  • $1.2 million for the Dale Service Corporation, to provide the infrastructure to meet effluent discharge limits mandated by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The funding complements the $3 million Davis has secured for this project over the past two years;
  • $200,000 for revitalization of historic Nokesville;
  • $200,000 for the City of Fairfax downtown redevelopment project;
  • $100,000 for the Lorton Arts Foundation.
"With these funds we re making the Chesapeake Bay cleaner, and helping keep sewer rates down for Prince William County residents. The earmarks for Nokesville and the City of Fairfax will breathe new life into these historic communities. And the money for redevelopment at the site of the former Lorton prison is our latest step in transforming what was once the ultimate community eyesore into the pride of Fairfax County, a place that will offer precious open space, playing fields, and educational and arts programs to families across northern Virginia," Davis said.

Dale Service Corporation - a Virginia public service corporation that provides conveyance and treatment services on a nonprofit basis to Dale City, an unincorporated area of Prince William County approached Davis three years ago about this project. Dale Service Corporation is facing a large price tag to comply with requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and also to meet the objectives of the 1983 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Specifically, the project will provide treatment infrastructure needed to meet new, more stringent effluent discharge limits of ammonia-nitrogen and to reduce nutrients entering the Bay. This requires the installation of Biological Nutrient Removal technology at publicly owned and nonprofit private sewage treatment plants serving residents of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The FY04 funding will be the final appropriation needed to address the fact that Dale Service Corporation, a privately owned Virginia public service corporation, is not eligible to receive traditional state or federal wastewater grants. It cannot issue tax free municipal bonds backed by revenues or property taxes, and is not allowed to levy special assessments against property owners. Without this funding, the sewer rates for the Dale City community will increase almost 135 percent. That rate would be 178 percent of the national average typical residential sanitary sewer rate.

"This is a big win for Dale City residents and all those who, like me, are concerned about the quality of water flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, Davis said. This funding should help ease sewer rate hikes that otherwise would have occurred."

The Town of Nokesville has undertaken efforts to revitalize its historic main street, Fitzwater Drive. The Nokesville Business Association and Prince William County have identified various improvements to revitalize the area through rehabilitation of dilapidated structures, renovation of cultural and historic sites, increased cultural activities and commercial use opportunities, as well as a streetscape improvement project.

The City of Fairfax has developed a comprehensive plan aimed at reinforcing the "Old Town Fairfax" area as the focal point and activity center of the City, and arguably the Northern Virginia region. A vibrant, pedestrian-friendly retail/restaurant environment is the City's goal for Old Town Fairfax. This outcome cannot be achieved without creating safer vehicular traffic throughout the city while providing improved accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists. The federal funds will go toward public parking garages to support the additional retail and restaurants, and alterations to the Old Town street system.

The Lorton Arts Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization whose primary mission is renovating and revitalizing the former Lorton Correction Complex into a Creative Arts Center, which will include a visitors center, an art gallery, private studios for artists, an outdoor performance center for concerts and other theatrical performances, restaurants, and residential and retail space. This project has been approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and is a component of its Comprehensive Plan. These funds will assist the Foundation with this important economic development project that has received broad support from the community and local elected officials. The effort will transform currently unused space into a cultural arts center and help generate revenue for the county and Commonwealth.
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