Penny Gross (left) and Gary Aiken (right). Photos from the candidates' Facebook pages.

Penelope “Penny” Gross has represented Fairfax County’s Mason District since 1995, fending off both a primary and general election challenger four years ago. This year, her Democratic renomination was not contested, but she faces Republican Gary Aiken in the general election.

Mason District lies almost entirely inside the Beltway, including Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads near Arlington to Lincolnia, Annandale, and some of Woodburn.

We sent our 2019 questionnaire to candidates in contested Northern Virginia races, but due to an error, left off Mason District. We rectified this and Aiken and Gross both responded. Below are their statements. You can also see the responses for the nearby Sully, Braddock, and Springfield districts.

October 15 is the deadline to register for the November 5 election. Virginians can get more information about voter registration and absentee balloting here. Our Elections Committee will be deciding whether to make endorsements in this and other contested races this fall.

Who do you think has the hardest time finding housing that’s affordable to them in Fairfax County, and what steps do you plan to take to address that need?

Gary Aiken: I don’t know who has the hardest time finding housing that is affordable to them. I know that I have talked to many public employees (teachers, firefighters, police officers) who face long commutes to their jobs in Fairfax County serving the public, who cannot afford to live in the county. Young families have a difficult time finding housing that is affordable to them in general. Even with two incomes, childcare competes for housing dollars and commuting time. In the Mason District, we need to revitalize Annandale and Bailey’s Crossroads and encourage development in the areas of our “downtown” areas that provide for additional housing units and parking. I believe the necessary step to increase affordability is to increase supply.

Penny Gross: Young families with lower incomes have the most difficulty finding housing that is affordable, but many others have similar challenges. Fairfax County’s housing spend is in excess of $138 million in the current budget, and we are considering seriously a proposal to increase the “penny for housing” which would add an additional $25 million.

Would you champion increasing housing diversity in parts of the county which have fewer lower-income residents than the entire county and Washington region as a whole? Why or why not?

Gary Aiken: Fairfax County seems to be having an identity crisis. We don’t really know if we want to be a county or a city. At 400 square miles, Fairfax County is too large to be a city.

My view is that Fairfax County needs to concentrate density and increase mass transit to get to/from density centers. I am not in favor of increasing density in low density areas. Preserve low density areas, do not increase density where it does not currently exist, and increase density where Mass Transit currently exists or should logically exist next, so long as that plan is approved and funded.

Mason District has both market rate and subsidized housing. It may be the most “affordable” district, given that housing values have been stagnant or declining according to the Washington Post. Housing diversity in Mason means increasing the number of market rate housing options.

Parking is another important factor reflected by Mason District residents. The larger number of lower income residents have demands for public transit and person vehicle options. Many residents work in professions where a vehicle is a requirement and thus we have a larger number of vehicles than parking allows. At the same time, we have fewer mass transit options than high income areas such as Reston and Tysons (where how many people live?).

Providing better public transit and highway options to/from Mason District is a better investment for Districts with lower density than increasing density and traffic into their own, low density districts without the infrastructure to handle that increased traffic.

Penny Gross: Fairfax County needs a menu of housing choices – apartments, condos, townhouses, single family detached, and micro units in some places – but housing affordable to lower income residents needs to be close to mass transit and county services. Putting affordable housing in areas remote from transit and services makes affordability an even greater problem.

How do you reconcile the need to provide housing affordability in the parts of your district with good transit with some other people’s stated desire to slow development?

Gary Aiken: I believe my answer [in #2] above somewhat answers this question. My district has the opposite issue.

Mason District has housing affordability, less development, and poor transit. The Board of Supervisors has approved density around mass transit centers. Increased density increases the value of property proximate to transit centers. As the land value rises, the break-even level for rents or sales prices must rise. Further, the amenities required by those who live near those centers is greater, further increasing rents and sales prices. These are natural market forces at work.

An alternative plan would be to increase transit options to places that already have housing affordability and density, instead of creating new density where none existed before. While these neighborhoods will change as a result (change is the only constant), that change will increase the ability of those who need mass transit to use it effectively (taking cars off the road), will reduce commute times as many in Mason would commute to Tysons, the Pentagon, and National Landing via mass transit (quote one resident, “I hate 395”), and will bring diversity to schools, increasing the ratings on those schools in Mason District with low ratings due, in some part, to the lack of income diversity.

Penny Gross: As one of the oldest and most developed magisterial districts, most of Mason District’s diverse neighborhoods already are served by nearby Metrobus and Connnector routes. During recent Comprehensive Plan amendments, such as Seven Corners and Lincolnia, I was pleased that current residents strongly supported the provision of more affordable housing for future redevelopments. That support provides a template for future actions.

Fairfax County has been pushing for walkable, transit-accessible communities to meet demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Would you continue this trend, and where in your district would you emphasize this? If not, why not?

Gary Aiken: I would continue to emphasize this. Annandale, Seven Corners, Bailey’s Crossroads, and Lincolnia a prime examples of underdeveloped downtown areas with poor mass transit options. Increasing the development of these areas will diversify the income base, the school population, and take some cars off the road as many individuals in Mason, despite their proximity to where they work are forced to drive because driving to the metro and taking metro is just as long as driving, without the benefit of having a car.

Penny Gross: Yes. During my time as Supervisor, I’ve overseen installation of miles of additional sidewalks and trails. We’ve added bike lanes along some of our major roadways – Little River Turnpike, Columbia Pike, Annandale Road, Leesburg Pike – and design for sidewalks along Sleepy Hollow Road is underway. New Walkways were included in bridge reconstructions during the building of the express lanes on the Beltway, finally making connections from inside the Beltway to outside, and more are coming on I-395 bridges.

What are the top three transportation priorities you have for your district? Tell us why and the revenue source (including any new revenue sources you’d champion).

Gary Aiken: 1. I would like to see a dedicated bus connection between Skyline (Bailey’s Crossroads) and National Landing. I believe this in coordination with a small business incubator program in Skyline can help Mason take advantage of Amazon’s arrival for satellite businesses in Amazon’s orbit. The costs of this program could be accommodated within the current budget by reducing spending on sidewalks and bike lanes where there isn’t demand.

2. I want to increase parking availability in Mason District. We have too many cars and commercial vehicles for the number of housing units. I would work with local property owners to develop additional parking options. I believe there may be a significant number of vehicles that are not paying property tax and registration fees and that enforcing that could pay for better parking options.

3. I want to engage in a study for Metro in Mason. I want to look at Metro Lines connecting the Pentagon, National Landing, and Tysons to Mason District. This is a long term project with a large lead time. Given the real estate and business value creation inherent in connecting areas inside the Beltway, The project can be financed by long term debt obligations whose debt service is paid by the increased taxes associated with the new Metro lines.

Penny Gross: My top three priorities are the Seven Corners Ring Road, the Lincolnia Comp Plan, and to finish a variety of walkways and high visibility crosswalks through Mason District. I would also like to extend the Metro and Connector free student bus pass program to Annandale and Falls Church High Schools. The program at Justice High School is very successful.

Fairfax County is one of the few area jurisdictions that has not adopted Vision Zero. Given the high number of people who die or are seriously injured while moving around in Fairfax, what would you advocate to ensure safety for everyone even though Fairfax DOT has to work with VDOT to make changes in Fairfax’s transportation network?

Gary Aiken: I would advocate for pedestrian education, better parking options, and for additional street signs and flashers.

In Mason District, we have a large immigrant population. Some come from cultures or places where society is not organized as it is in the United States. Educating new immigrants on how to stay safe on our busy roadways is important.

In tandem, taking vehicles off the side streets and parking them away from pedestrian areas will increase safety. Too many intersections in Mason are not visible because of parking issues. This makes it difficult for buses, school children, pedestrians, bicyclists. and drivers to see who’s coming.

Finally, we need to invest in street signs and automation that provides a better signal to drivers that someone is crossing the street. We can have on demand flashing light signs at crosswalks. We also should upgrade as many street crossings as possible to accommodate elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities.

Penny Gross: Much of the answer is in the question itself: Fairfax DOT must work closely with VDOT. Mason District residents regularly call my office with concerns and complaints about our roads even though they are under VDOT’s jurisdiction because they know that my office will follow up with VDOT and advocate for them. I certainly support Vision Zero’s goals and whole-heartedly support closer collaboration with VDOT to reduce and eliminate transportation-related fatalities in Mason District.

What do you think? Give us your feedback in the comments.