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Resident urges city to reconsider rollout of new curbside carts for townhouse and tight‑court neighborhoods
Summary
A resident told council the city's automated cart rollout did not include outreach to residents in connected townhouses with internal parking courts, saying carts are impractical for seniors and residents without driveways; the council did not take action at the meeting.
During the council’s initial public comment period on Sept. 9, resident Ellen Pence urged Fairfax City to reconsider or modify its curbside cart rollout for solid waste and recycling in neighborhoods where homes face internal parking courts and lack driveways.
Pence, who identified herself as living at 3211 Adams Court, said she and neighbors received only door hangers announcing the cart program and not prior surveys or outreach. She described Adams Court as a townhouse court with 34 houses clustered around a narrow circular parking lot and said there is “absolutely no room” for carts to be placed inside the court. Pence said some residents would have to drag carts two blocks to Cardinal Road or to the school bus stop and said many residents are seniors, live in connected houses without side yards, and cannot store or move carts readily.
“I can't drag them downstairs to the basement or the patio,” Pence said. “Smaller carts won't work. No smaller carts in our neighborhood. They won't work.” She requested the city consider exemptions or alternate collection approaches for residents of courts and attached houses without driveways.
No staff representative provided a detailed response during the public‑comment period. Council did not take action during the meeting; the comment was recorded for staff follow‑up. The city clerk indicated only one public commenter had signed up by 5 p.m. for that meeting segment.
