City seeks condo access for East‑West bike/ped connection survey; three alignments proposed

Falls Church Public Works on Feb. 2 gave council an update on the East‑West pedestrian and bicycle connection identified as the top priority in the city’s Bicycle Master Plan. The corridor would connect the W&OD Trail to the secondary school campus via a mix of sharrows, an off‑street multipurpose path and intersection improvements.

Public Works Director Amanda Brain said staff hired Rinker Design Associates to develop 30% engineering plans and needs limited access onto adjacent private condominium properties to complete site surveys, gauge topography and assess tree impacts. "We would like to continue to gain additional field work so we can have really substantive conversations about trees and lighting and fences and dimensions and money," Brain told council.

Staff reported the Gates of West Falls association granted permission for survey work after a site visit; Falls Plaza condominium association has not yet given access. Three corridor concepts (northern, center, southern alignments) were shown; staff noted tradeoffs including grading challenges, private‑property impacts, tree canopy loss, privacy and potential easement needs. One alignment would require more grade work to reach Haycock Road and might extend briefly into Fairfax County; another is entirely inside city limits.

Council urged segmented project planning so the West End Park to Birch Street segment could proceed even if the final leg to the school relies on negotiated easements. Council members also suggested proactively engaging expected users (high‑school students) and neighborhood homeowners and asked staff to notify and prepare responses on privacy, root impacts and safety measures ahead of the condo meeting.

Next steps: staff will continue community outreach, schedule a meeting with Falls Plaza condo association residents and proceed with site surveying where access is granted to inform the 30% design phase.