City Council Defers Resolutions on CDC Lease

The City of Falls Church City Council was unable to resolve the rapidly approaching expiration date of the lease for the Chiild Development Center of Northern Virginia at Monday's meeting, choosing instead to defer any further action on the property until their next meeting in September.

After the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department gave its' 2010 annual report, the meeting turned to the issue of resolving the extension of the CDC lease.

The CDC, located on North Cherry Street, is managed by Easter Seals, but that could change in November if a resolution is not achieved to allow them to keep operating.  The expiration date would come during the traditional academic school year which means parents with children enrolled at the center are at risk of losing their child’s daily destination.

The council did agree on City Manager Wyatt Shields’ proposed Sept. 12 date for taking action on the issue.

“We were on a path for action tonight, uncertainty was introduced into the process and we need time to get that resolved,” Shields said. “They're not all going to get resolved by Sept. 12, but the reason that date is in there is because I think two things need to be accomplished; market based rent and flexibility for renewal.”

The council discussed the possible fiscal impact that a new lease term could have on tax payers and the option of moving the children into trailers if a new lease is not negotiated; two things that they would like to avoid at all cost.

But cost is a heavy issue surrounding the CDC, because of growing enrollment numbers, it needs renovations, which a consultant earlier this summer told Falls Church City Public Schools Board Chair Patrick Riccards would cost $2.2 million.  The other option would be providing trailers, a tough decision for the council to make.

“This is not the first time that inconsistent planning or bad planning has become the council’s crisis,” said council member Johannah Barry. “I don’t like being forced to make a quick decision when in fact this has been a plan that has been in motion since 2009. I want to make the right decision for all parties involved, to make a decision for a year maybe and then come back is just bad planning again.”