Social services delivery establishment ordinance: What it is, What it is not

The City of Fairfax is not immune from homelessness or the poor being among us. We have probably all seen at some point men and women carrying their life in a shopping bag, walking along Fairfax Boulevard or maybe even trying to stay warm at the downtown library. Their situations remind us that for most of us, we are very blessed to have the comforts of a home, heat, food and a family.

We are also fortunate that so many wonderful organizations such as The Lamb Center, FACETS, Our Daily Bread and others have decided to call the City home to help address our community's needs. It's something we should be proud of - extending compassion to those who are less fortunate and need a helping hand, hope and in some cases, a home.

At the same time, we must realize that at 6.3 square miles, the City of Fairfax is a very small jurisdiction smack-dab in the middle of Fairfax County and its million-plus residents. We are home to many organizations delivering social services - both non-profit and government. As some will say, it's not the organizations or their mission that are issues unto themselves; rather, it's the intensity of so many of them being within such a compact area of the City of Fairfax.

We have these organizations within our borders - and provide City taxpayer-funded services to them - while at the same time not having a proper land use process for which organizations can partner with the City and the community when they choose to locate in the City of Fairfax.

This is why I'm supporting a proposed ordinance to provide for a new process that social service delivery establishments would have to adhere to when they want to either locate or expand in the City. I believe that the community - as with any other industry or individual applicant - has a right to provide its input during public hearings and in public discourse.

But the ordinance I'm supporting isn't identical to the one originally drafted. Rather, it's one that contains the suggested changes that the Council - through consensus at our December 14 work session - agreed to put forth to the planning commission when it meets on January 10.

So there's no confusion, let me take a moment to explain what this revised ordinance is - and what it's not.

The revised version, which can be found on the Council's agenda under 7a by clicking here, is the result of conversations with representatives of The Lamb Center, Our Daily Bread, FACETS, concerned citizens, staff, my Council colleagues and from listening to the concerns expressed by members of the planning commission and public testimony.

What I heard in all of these conversations was that the ordinance as originally drafted was too harsh. For instance, the original ordinance maintained that social services organizations couldn't locate within 1,000 feet of one another and that an establishment had to be 500 feet from public transportation. Some people were concerned that we were getting too nit-picky and that, quite frankly, the ordinance seemed to do everything but tell the poor they weren't welcome in the City of Fairfax.

The amended ordinance still provides a fair and equitable process for the Council, community and organizations the opportunity to have a discussion about where a facility is located and how it will fit in with the community. But what it does not do is tie a Council's hands with overly rigid guidelines that it must follow in either approving or rejecting an applicant. Instead, it gives the Council flexibility to make a decision based upon the needs of the organization - and the community - while at the same time ensuring that basic zoning principles are still present.

Changes include: the distance requirements are gone; the specific parking restrictions are gone; the Council now "may" consider certain aspects of an organization's operation; and it clarifies certain terms so that organizations only provided minimal "client-facing" activities will not be impacted (this reflects the fact that some social service non-profits may want to have an administrative office in the City).

The revised ordinance was also crafted with great care and consideration to ensure that existing organizations' current locations or operations would not be impacted. I have received numerous calls and emails asking why we're trying to force organizations to move. Let me be clear: existing organizations do not have to move, they don't have to change based on this ordinance. No person is being asked to leave and no building is being razed.

Some comments I've heard, too, have been that we haven't conducted a great deal of outreach. The fact is, we've had a planning commission meeting, Council work session and I have personally met with affected groups, listened to their concerns and made changes to the ordinance that will hopefully soon come before us. I know, too, that my colleagues and staff have met with community members and representatives of non-profit organizations. The public will have an additional opportunity to comment on the ordinance during the planning commission meeting January 10 and during the City Council meeting on January 11. Both are a 7 p.m. at City Hall.

To clarify another point, the ordinance would also update our outdated zoning code with regard to social service delivery establishment organizations. The revised ordinance puts us more inline with other jurisdictions, which have a more updated and detailed process.

The new version of the ordinance responds to the concerns of the community and I feel confident that it provides a process that is not punitive, but rather one that ensures all parties can be heard, which is what we want when it comes to land use decisions.

When I think about my life - blessed with a wonderful family, a home, a job and the opportunity to serve - I realize how very fortunate I am. But I know there are many who are not. This is why we should continue to help and provide that lending hand. My hope is that this ordinance - and the discussions around it - will highlight the serious needs we have, raising awareness so that all of us together - the City, County and concerned organizations and citizens can provide the resources and compassion needed to help our fellow citizens.