Springfield

Photo courtesy of Sunrise Senior LivingNewsSpringfield Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic703-778-9414 or south@connectionnewspapers.comCommunity Reviews Plans for Silas Burke PropertyMembers of the Burkeand West Springfieldcommunities were invitedto review theplans of Sunrise Development, LLCto build an assisted living facility onthe property of the Silas Burke House.The meeting was held Tuesday, Feb.24 at the West Springfield GovernmentCenter.Sunrise Development has appliedfor the property to be rezoned to accommodatethe more densely populatedliving space they intend tobuild.Though some have expressed concernfor the well-being of the nearly200-year-old former residence ofSilas Burke himself if a new buildingwere to go up nearby, Sunrise’s proposalincludes a guarantee that thehouse, “accessory structures” like theiconic windmill and immediate surroundingproperty, will be protectedand maintained.“The neat thing there is we’re ableto preserve the Silas Burke house inperpetuity,” said Supervisor PatHerrity (R-Springfield), “without abig investment from the county, in avery tight fiscal time.”— Tim PetersonThe rendering from Sunrise shows the existing Silas Burke house on the left, with a concept for the Sunrise communitybehind the house on the right.Bulova to Create Transparency Review CommissionGroup would include citizens,legal community and other organizations.By Tim PetersonThe ConnectionWhen Alexandria residentNatasha McKenna was removedfrom life support anddied on Feb. 8, the Fairfax County Sheriff’sOffice posted a release on the countywebsite. It was an update to an earlier poston Feb. 5 that explained McKenna was aninmate at the Fairfax County Adult DetentionCenter who experienced a “medicalemergency” on Feb. 3.McKenna was scheduled to be movedto the Alexandria Adult Detention Centerthat day. When she fought against deputiestransporting her, they used tasers torestrain her. At that point, the FairfaxCounty Police Department was notifiedand an investigation of McKenna’s “in-custodyinmate death” began.February 19, the Police Department releasedanother update, an 800-word descriptionof the events leading up toMcKenna’s arrest and death.She had called Fairfax County policeherself on Jan. 25 to report being assaulted.Officers accompanied her to a hospital andthrough a record check discovered an outstandingarrest warrant for assaulting anAlexandria police officer back on Jan. 15.Though the officers involved have yet tobe named, the content and amount of informationreleased in under two weeks sinceMcKenna’s death is comparable to thatwhich it took the county over a year to releasefollowing the officer killing of Springfieldresident John Geer.According to Fairfax County Board of SupervisorsSharon Bulova, that was indicativeof the board’s commitment to “making astronger effort than before to make sure thatwe’re putting out as much info as possible.”Amid Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), theranking member of the Judiciary Committee,writing letters to the county as to whyGeer’s investigation has taken so long andhow it’s been handled, as well as public pressurefrom organizations such as the Justicefor John Geer Facebook group and CitizensCoalition for Police Accountability, Bulovapreviously announced the board would seekoutside expertise to examine its policies forreleasing information on police action.AT THE FEB. 17 MEETING of the board,supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) introduceda draft policy for transparency thathad been making its way to the Fairfax CityCouncil.“You don’t have to look far to find a goodpolicy on transparency,” said Herrity. “If thishad been enforced, we wouldn’t have had alof of the problems with the Geer case”.That Fairfax proposal mandated a releaseof basic facts, any conflicting informationand confirmed identities of individuals involvedwith the incident — all within 72hours of the incident itself.“There were some good recommendations,”Bulova said, “but I’m not sure that isthe only thing that we want to consider.We’re prepared to take a look at a numberof models and best practices, to include theone the city of Fairfax is considering.”February 20, Bulova took another step andannounced the creation of a new commission,made up of citizens, members of thelegal community and other organizationssuch as the NAACP, to review police policies.“This gives the community an opportunityto take part in our review,” said Bulova.In her release, the Chairman namedMichael Hershman, founder of the FairfaxGroup and a citizen appointee to theBoard of Supervisors Audit Committee,chair of this commission. She plans tobring it before the Board in its March 3meeting for endorsement. At that time,Bulova has said she will also announcethe rest of the commission’s membership.Though the commission is a step,Herrity remains critical of the Board’s lackof open discussion on the Geer case andothers involving excessive and or lethalforce by police officers.“The most disturbing thing to me is wehaven’t had a Public Safety Committeemeeting in well over a year,” he said. “Idon’t know why not, there’s not a goodanswer. And too much of the board’s discussionhas been in closed session. Weneed to get out into open session andhave a dialog on our policies and practicesand get them fixed.”BULOVA’S COMMISSION will havethe opportunity to review both thecounty’s search for “independent expertise”on releasing information on officerinvolvedincidents and the PoliceDepartment’s policies and training regardinguse of force.www.ConnectionNewspapers.comSpringfield Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2015 ❖ 3