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Clifton finalizes park purchase access, re-declares local emergency and weighs facility upgrades
Summary
Council acknowledged completion of the Ayre Square acquisition, approved up to $1,300 to remove fencing for park access, re-declared a local emergency to allow remote meetings during COVID-19, and asked staff to evaluate air filtration for the Community Hall.
The Clifton Town Council confirmed recent property acquisitions and approved small operations measures while re-declaring a local emergency to permit remote meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Bill Hollaway reported the Town now owns Ayre Square, having previously occupied the property under a long-term rental arrangement. He also reported that survey and title work on a parcel at 12722 Chestnut Street revealed the area comprised three lots, eliminating the need for a boundary-line adjustment to acquire the desired lot for public green space.
To provide public access to the newly acquired green space, Mayor Hollaway moved to authorize up to $1,300 to remove a chain-link fence; Vice Mayor Regan McDonald seconded the motion, which passed on roll call as recorded in the minutes. The minutes record the vote and authorize staff to proceed with fence removal work.
Council discussed other property and grounds matters: a Stokes tree-removal firm offered to remove a non-native invasive tree at the railroad planter boxes at no cost, and the council noted fallen trees near the footbridge that are contributing to stream-bank erosion. A separate request to amend the Pink House rear building lease was withdrawn and no action was taken.
Council also addressed pandemic-era operations. After hearing from the chairs of the Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board about quorum difficulties for in-person meetings, Mayor Hollaway moved to re-declare a local state of emergency to allow Clifton government bodies to continue meeting remotely; Councilmember Darrell Poe seconded and the motion passed by poll, 5-0. Separately, Councilmember Poe will consult Fairfax County about air-filtration and sanitization equipment options for the Town Hall Community Hall to mitigate COVID-19 risks. A request to repaint the town caboose will be considered during upcoming budget work sessions.
Why it matters: formal ownership of Ayre Square and rapid fence removal create immediate public access to Town green space; the re-declaration preserves the town's ability to conduct business remotely while the pandemic affects in-person quorum and safety.
What’s next: staff will schedule the fence removal work, follow through on tree-removal offers and erosion concerns, obtain county guidance on facility filtration, and bring caboose-repaint requests into the next budget cycle.
