The County has designed a multi-layered engagement approach to communicate, consult, involve and collaborate with a broad set of stakeholders throughout the Plan Lee Highway process. The following community engagement framework will guide this effort.
Community Forum
A County Manager-appointed Community Forum will be a team of community members that will be convened at key milestones during the planning process to provide feedback on the proposed vision, goals, objectives, analyses, recommendations and implementation tools and serve as liaisons to facilitate broader community engagement. Specifically, the Community Forum is charged with:
- Providing leadership and input on the broad and localized perspectives on the proposed vision, goals, objectives, analyses, recommendations and implementation tools;
- Serving as liaisons to keep LHA, neighborhoods, business owners, property owners and others informed of ongoing discussions and to seek feedback to share with the full Community Forum;
- Providing periodic input to staff on its analysis, land use scenarios, concept plans, and recommendations at several major milestones of this effort including:
- Refining the vision, as expressed in the Visioning Study and defining character areas along the corridor
- Developing and evaluating land use scenarios
- Identifying recommendations for network‐wide elements, including assessment of outcomes and impacts
- Refining goals and determining a preferred concept plan
- Reviewing a draft plan and recommendations
- Identifying/strategizing on implementation tools
- Participating in focus group meetings as needed; and
- Identifying issues that may need additional input from the County Board Liaison and/or County Board members
Community Forum members will consist of a Chair and Vice-Chair, along with representatives of the following groups (approximately 40-50 members):
- Lee Highway Alliance (LHA) (2)
- Civic associations within planning boundary (1 each) (Civic Association representatives may delegate the role to another civic association member, if needed, and update the County’s project team)
- Arlington East Falls Church
- Leeway
- Yorktown
- Tara‐Leeway Heights
- Langston
- Waycroft Woodlawn
- Glebewood
- Old Dominion
- Waverly Hills
- Donaldson Run
- Cherrydale
- Maywood
- Lyon Village
- North Highland
- Business owners (2‐3) [mix of small & local; larger and national/regional; chamber]
- Property owners (2‐3) [mix of small & local; larger and national/regional]
- Renters and Condominium Associations (2‐4)
- Advisory Boards and Commissions
- Planning Commission
- Transportation Commission
- Housing Commission
- Park & Recreation Commission
- Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB)
- Urban Forestry
- Economic Development Commission (EDC)
- Commission for the Arts
- Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC)
- Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC)
- Transit Advisory Committee (TAC)
- Environment & Energy Conservation Commission (E2C2)
- Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC)
- APS Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC)
- Commission on Aging
- Disability Advisory Committee (DAC)
- At‐Large (4‐8)
- At-large members are intended to represent faith-based organizations, private schools, service organizations, advocacy groups and/or other special groups not already represented above. Residents interested in apply for an at-large position should submit an application online by October 31.
Working Group
And 8- to 10-member subset of the Community Forum will form the study’s Working Group and convene at periodic check-ins between milestones to serve as a sounding board for staff. Specifically, the Working Group is charged with:
- Meeting with staff on a frequent basis (schedule TBD);
- Regularly attending Community Forum meetings and, as needed, focus group meetings;
- Assisting staff with preparation of and debrief from Community Forum and focus group meetings and community workshops, including agenda setting and framing discussion topics by:
- Acting as a sounding board for staff in identifying issues and recommendations;
- Reviewing staff/contractor analyses for clarity, comprehensiveness, and alignment with issues;
- Bringing insight and information from different stakeholders (e.g., LHA, neighborhood, property and business owner, and commission perspectives);
- Synthesizing feedback from other community groups (Community Forum, focus groups, advisory boards/commissions, and broader community input); and
- Formulating preferences to inform working recommendations that will be presented to the Community Forum and the broader public for feedback at key milestones through the process;
- With staff, periodically providing updates to the County Manager as needed;
- Identifying issues that may need additional input from the County Board Liaison and/or County Board members; and
- Identifying when additional input from other Community Forum members is needed as part of Working Group meetings.
Working group members will consist of 8 to 10 representatives of the following groups, the Chair and Vice-Chair may also represent these groups:
- Community Forum Chair and Vice Chair
- LHA Board member or representative
- Property owner/business owner or representative
- Planning Commission (past experience can be considered)
- Transportation Commission (past experience can be considered)
- Park and Rec Commission (past experience can be considered)
- Housing Commission (past experience can be considered)
- At‐large
- County Core Team and Senior Management Team (other staff may participate as
needed)
Focus Groups
Focus group meetings and agendas will be scheduled by staff when needed to address issues based on geography, a particular neighborhood or set of neighborhoods, or a topic area. Focus
group meetings will allow for additional discussion of issues flagged at Community Forum meetings, to share additional information, and to resolve issues when possible. Examples of potential focus group meetings include: the Lee Highway Alliance, geographic subareas, housing, transportation, public space or other topic-based groups, and business or property owner focus groups.
General Public
The general public is invited to attend all Community Forum and focus group meetings. In addition, larger public meetings and events will be convened at targeted milestones in the process. Additional opportunities for engagement, such as online surveys or engagements tools, will be shared with the broader community. All process updates will be shared via the public website and project email list. Subscribe here to stay informed.