19731016 1973-27 ORDINANCE NO. 1973-27
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, TO ADD TO CHAPTER TWO OF
THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, A
NEW ARTICLE VII, ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY
APPEARANCE COMMITTEE.
BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Fairfax,
Virginia, that the Code of the City of Fairfax, Virginia, be and
it hereby is amended by adding to Chapter 2 of the Code of the
City of Fairfax, Virginia, a new Article VII, to read in its
entirety as follows:
ARTICLE VII. COMMUNITY APPEARANCE COMMITTEE
Sec. 2-34. Purpose.
The purpose of this ordinance is to develop, promote and
coordinate voluntary efforts to improve the appearance of the
commercial, industrial, public and residential areas of the City.
To that end it establishes a Community Appearance Committee to
act as the focal point for such efforts and to advise the City
Council and appropriate city agencies on matters relating to
community appearance and beautification.
Sec. 2-35. Membership; Appointment, Numbers, Qualifications, Termst Removal.
The ~ommittee shall consist of nine (9) members, including
a chairman, all of whom shall be appointed by the City.Council.
All appointees shall be citizens and residents of the City.
One member shall be appointed from among the membership
of the Board of Architectural Review, one member from the member-
ship of the City Council, and one member each shall be selected
from lists of nominees submitted by:
a) The Fairfax City Chamber of Commerce.
b) A local garden club.
c) The student government of Fairfax High School.
The remaining members shall be selected from among the
citizens at large, one of whom shall be an architect or landscape
architect.
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The terms of the members chosen from the Board of
Architectural Review and the City Council shall coincide with
their terms on the Board of Architectural Review and the City
Council. The term of the member chosen from the Fairfax High
School shall be for one year. The terms of the chairman and of
the other members shall be for three years in staggered sequence.
After their appointments, the chairman and other members shall
determine by lot which two members shall have a one-year term;~
which two members shall have a two-year term and which two members
shall hav~ a three-year term.
Vacancies occurring in the committee for reasons other
than the expiration of terms shall be filled as they occur for the
period of the unexpired term. Members may be immediately reappointed
upon the expiration of their terms.
Members of the committee shall serve without pay but
may be reimbursed for actual expenses incident to the performance
of their duties.
Members may be removed for cause by a two-thirds vote
of the Council.
Sec. 2-36. Organization, Rules, Meetings, Records.
Within thirty days after appointment, the chairman shall
call a meeting of the committee for the purpose of organization.
The committee shall adopt rules for the transaction of its business
and shall keep records of its discussions, findings and recommendations,
which records shall be open to the public. Meetings of the committee
shall ~e held periodically as called by the chairman or at request
of a majority of committee. Meetings of the committee shall be
open to the public.
Sec. 2-37. Powers and Duties.
The committee shall have the following powers and duties:
1. To initiate, promote and assist in the
implementation of general community beautification.
2. To seek to coordinate the activities of individuals,
agencies, organizations and groups, public or
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e
e
private, whose plans, activities and programs
bear on the appearance of the City.
To prepare both general and specific proposals
for improving the appearance of the City. Such
proposals may include suggested goals and
standards for the aesthetic enhancement of
the City or any part thereof, including public
ways and areas, open spaces and public and
private buildings and projects.
To participate in appropriate ways in the implemen-
tation of such proposals. This participation
may include:
a. Making studies of the visual assets and
liabilities of the community, including
surveys and inventories of an appropriate
nature, with particular attention to the
appearance of properties along the major
streets and thoroughfares of the City.
b. Developing and supervising programs of
City and citizen cooperation to protect
and upgrade such properties, consisting
of but not limited to:
(1) Contacts and discussion with
citizen groups, business groups
and individuals to encourage
cooperative improvement of the
City' s appearance.
(2) Promotions and competitions to
recognize and reward those business
establishments and citizens that
make notewort~ improvements in the
appearance of their properties.
(3) Cooperative efforts involving the
landscaping and/or screening of
setback areas and parking lots of
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1973-27
existing commercial and industrial
developments, through a program
of planting agreements and easements.
c. Serving as a general advisor to the City
Council, the Board of Architectural Review
and the Planning Commission in all matters
relating to the appearance of the City. In
that capacity the committee may recommend new
ordinances, amendments to existing ordinances
and other actions it deems appropriate. It
may also recommend expenditures in connection
with its activities.
5. To prepare and submit to the City Council an
annual report of the activities and plans of the
committee. This report shall be submitted on or
before the last day of February and shall
be made public at the time of its submission.
This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon
its adoption.
Introduced:
Adopted:
September 11, 1973
October 16, 1973
Attest:
City ~lerk
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