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Residents urge council to prioritize Willard Sherwood health center; speakers warn against a costly school‑separation study
Summary
Multiple public commenters and task‑force leaders told council the Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center is an immediate, tangible investment for residents and urged delaying a proposed up-to-$400,000 study on school separation. HCAB and homelessness task force leaders presented local homelessness and student-homelessness data to underscore need for services.
During initial public comment, several residents urged the council to continue moving forward with the Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center as an immediate investment in public health, seniors’ services, after‑school programming and community connectivity. Kelli O'Brien spoke as a resident and parent and said the project “is not simply a building” but a place where health, wellness, education and gathering intersect; she recommended pausing consideration of a school separation study (cited in meeting materials as up to $400,000) until existing tools and partnerships are fully used.
Michael DeMarco described a plausible day at the new Willard Sherwood Center — immunizations, preschool facilities, updated senior programming and community nonprofit meetings — and said the project converts existing services into a modern, accessible facility “not extravagance, just an investment in the community.” Doug Cox and Judy Fraser provided counterpoints on budget priorities: Cox urged consolidation of the many city plans and questioned whether voters should decide on very large projects; Fraser asked council to separate “need to have” from “nice to have” items during budget decisions.
The meeting also featured remarks by members of the city’s homelessness workstream. Amini Bononi, chair of the homelessness task force, accepted the proclamation for National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week and called homelessness “an ongoing commitment.” Mark Light, chair of the Housing and Healthy Communities Advisory Board (HCAB), supplied local data from Fairfax County systems and the school system: the January 2025 point-in-time count in the county recorded 1,322 people experiencing homelessness (72 unsheltered), and the school-year count identified 1,806 students who experienced homelessness in 2024‑25, including 61 students from the city’s three schools. Light said nearly half of renters and 20% of homeowners in the city struggle with housing affordability; 50% of people experiencing homelessness had some income but insufficient to obtain housing.
What happens next: No formal council action on Willard Sherwood or the school‑separation study was recorded at this meeting. Councilmembers asked staff for additional cost and timing details on capital projects during CIP discussions; residents may expect further council review when the guaranteed maximum price and final CIP numbers are presented.
