Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church

Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Meeting November 19, 2020 Virtual Meeting Minutes Members Present: Corey Jannicelli, Letty Hardi, Marybeth Connelly, Sally Cole, Laura Hull, Ed Henderson, Emerson Mellon (Student Rep), Ron Anzalone, Rosemary Ziskind Guests: Keith Thurston (CATCH Foundation), Jeff Hollern (DDS), Joe Muffler (Mill Creek), Katie Spak (Streetsense), Rich Blickendorfer (St. James Catholic Church), Akida Rouzi (DDS), Jen Duerr (Streetsense), Mary Sellers (resident), Scott Adams (McGuire Woods) Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Laura Hull at 9:40 am. Receipt of Public Comments  No comments were received Minutes: Minutes from October meeting were approved New Business: Founders Row Mural Conversation with Mill Creek and Street Sense  Small changes were made to the mural “Grove for Growth” based on the feedback received from our group and others last month. Changes were made to the overall color pallet, design of the road, adding more prominent trees, moving of tulips, and the addition of the Tinner Hill Arch and people. The style remains a soft, contemporary, abstract style.  Feedback to the presentation was overwhelmingly positive and members were happy with the changes made to the mural o Additional recommendations for consideration included: o Arch  Changing the color of the arch to a pink hue, representing the importance of the pink granite  Rotating the Arch slightly, currently leaning on one side  Some misidentified the Arch was a tunnel  Show light come through the center, a metaphor of our community moving forward o Trail  Trail color seemed too bright, a beige color was recommended  Adding a cyclist or bike o Informational Sign  Create an informational sign for the mural so that people walking by can learn about the elements in the design. 1   Members present, voted to recommend the final design to the Planning Commission with comments. Broad and Washington  Presentation on the project was provided by Scott Adams (McGuire Woods) highlighting the space for Creative Cauldron, the publicly accessible park space, commitment to 64 public parking spaces, and focus on affordable housing.  Developers are working in partnership with the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and Creative Cauldron on an idea to create a Unity and Justice theme for the public plaza with outdoor performance space and public art.  The project is also looking at incorporating murals onto the building  Questions to developers included: o How long of a commitment is being negotiated with Creative Cauldron  Currently a 10 year tem with 5 year options (minimum of 20) including a fix rent and cam/taxes being covered by building  The developers are also covering the cost of building out the space for Creative Cauldron o How feasible is using the outdoor space for programming considering the amount of car noise nearby  Developer is looking into shrubbery and other sound blocking barriers o What is the commitment to affordable housing?  Conversations are ongoing, but a commitment to 6% rental apartments to be affordable for the life of the project. Other options are also on the table.  Additional comments o Unity and Justice plaza would be a good location to recognize the interracial home guard. o Appreciation to developers for working with Lawton Street neighborhood o Chamber has approved the project with a few requests o Recommend developers have conversations with local artist during the design process on public art pieces  Members present, voted to recommend the final design to the Planning Commission with comments. Old Business:  Falls Church Public Art Policy o A draft of the public art policy (a mix of comp plan, district map, and next steps) was reviewed by the Planning Commission on Nov 4th. o The updated documents will be reviewed by the Arts and Humanities Council at their December meeting. Roundtable:  Sidewalk Stamping took place in November on Maple Ave including history of families who lived there and bios of women from our annual history walk.  Thursday Nov 20 – Smithsonian is hosting, Our Families, Our Communities, Our Histories: Capturing the Enduring Spirit of Life with section, Meet the Hendersons, at 7:30 pm 2   Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation continues to hold difficult conversations on race and silent witnesses’ programs  The City of Falls Church Use of Force Review Committee has created a survey to be completed by citizens on public perception of and experiences with the Police and Sheriff’s office.  Letty is working to change the FOIA guidelines around attending public meetings virtually, you can add your support by submitting a letter through the Action Network website  FCPS is now holding half day in person classes for K-5 grade. Next week all students will be back to virtual learning due to the shorten Thanksgiving week.  FCPS is highlighting a community partner of the week in their morning announcements  The historical marker for the high school was installed with the help of the Public Works department on Hillwood Avenue.  This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Victorian Society  Cherry Hill Newsletters are available for free on their website www.cherryhillfallschurch.org  November is live local month, please remember to support Falls Church local businesses  Thursday Nov 19 Orangetheory Fitness Seven Corners Ribbon Cutting at 6pm  Thursday Dec 3 Chamber’s Maskerade Virtual Gala at 7pm  Nov 16 – Dec 13 On Air Radio broadcast by Creative Cauldron free online  Creative Cauldron is creating a live streaming studio to create high quality virtual content starting with a telethon on Dec 12 followed by holiday cabaret. Adjourn Meeting was adjourned at 11:16 am Next Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 17, 2020 Submitted: By Corey Jannicelli 3