This page is an archive of some of our community’s work in 2020 through 2023. It is preserved here for reference. Please keep up to date on our blog as well as the top level page of Community Forward.
The following is from March 2023.
In March 2023, the MWCA facilitated a vote reached out to all residents and homeowners to ask that they vote. The decision was whether the neighborhood name “Mosby Woods” should CHANGE or REMAIN.
Voting began March 6, 2023 and closed March 31, 2023. Communications to eligible voters included emails to Association members, website updates including blog posts, a USPS mailer, and the front neighborhood sign.
Results of voting were announced on our blog.
The following information is from the voting period March 7 to 31, 2023.
Vote
The vote is open now through the end of March for all individual residents of the Mosby Woods neighborhood who are 18 years of age or older, as well as non-resident neighborhood homeowners. Membership with MWCA is not required.
If you are eligible and ready, please cast your vote!
Please note that the City Council has ownership over street naming decisions but not neighborhood naming decisions. This decision belongs to our community and will be decided by this vote.
Communication and Assistance
Eligible voters are being reached by USPS Mail, the Tattler, member email, Facebook, and here on our site. If you have any issues voting, or require a different method to cast your vote, please reach out to vote@mosbywoods.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQ has been sent to all eligible households via USPS.
1. What are we deciding?
We are deciding whether the neighborhood name “Mosby Woods” should CHANGE or REMAIN.
2. What happens after the vote?
If the vote is REMAIN, nothing further will be considered. If the vote is CHANGE, a process to determine a new name will begin.
3. Who is administering the process?
The MWCA (Mosby Woods Community Association).
4. Who is eligible to participate?
All individual residents of the Mosby Woods neighborhood who are 18 years of age or older, as well as non-resident neighborhood homeowners.
5. How do I cast my ballot?
Vote via this Google Form. Fill in your choice and the required eligibility information, then click on the blue SUBMIT button. See new FAQ #11 for more details.
6. What eligibility information is required?
Your name, address, and year (not date) of birth, the last to verify the age requirement.
7. When does the polling period begin and end?
The polling period is open now. It ends at midnight on Friday, March 31, 2023. Since the process is online, the results will be announced shortly thereafter.
8. What if I can’t vote online?
Email your request for assistance at vote@mosbywoods.org or call Mitch Sutterfield at 703.691.0311. Leave your phone number or the best way to reach you.
9. Where else can I find information on this question?
This FAQ and a QR code link to vote is available on the flier mailed to all eligible households in the week of Monday, March 6. You can watch for updates on this page and on our blog. You can also consult the March Tattler, the E-Tattler, Facebook, and the entrance sign.
10. Whom do I contact if I have a question?
Please email any questions to: vote@mosbywoods.org
11. NEW: Do I need to use a Google account to vote on the Google form?
Yes. If your email address is not a gmail account, the ballot page will ask you to sign in to a Google account to vote. Here are the steps to to create a free Google account using your existing (non-gmail) email address.
12. NEW: Is my voting information private?
Yes, your voting information is private. Mosby Woods Community Association and its board members will not disclose your personal information, your vote, or your method of voting.
The following is from 2020-2021.
Across the country people are considering changing place names that may engender outdated values. We’re listening, learning, and discussing.
Please visit our blog for the latest news and updates on the City’s street rename project.
Community Forward task force
The Mosby Woods Community Association created a task force to solicit feedback from the entire neighborhood on the possibility of changing the names of our streets and/or neighborhood. This group was created because of current events, because the city of Fairfax is working on its own renaming projects, and because neighbors expressed interest in the topic. Additional volunteers were invited in an early summer Tattler, and a group of about 25 residents is now meeting weekly to lead research and outreach in our community.
The Community Forward group seeks
- to help Mosby Woods residents learn the inputs to renaming consideration
- to gather opinions and input from all Mosby Woods residents
- to report our neighborhood’s perspective to the City of Fairfax
Who is involved?
Our streets are owned by the City of Fairfax. The city council is the decision maker for any street renames. They are considering renames to streets, edits to historic plaques, and the future of a memorial that includes references to Confederates. (Learn some history of street renaming in our City in this blog post.)
The opinions and preferences of city residents may influence the city’s decisions on renaming. The Mosby Woods neighborhood could be one voice they hear. Other voices include individuals in and out of our community, as well as advocacy groups. A group has formed to advocate for renaming. This group is not associated with the association board or the Community Forward group the board created.
Current events and place names
The death of George Floyd in June sparked unrest including protests and dismantling of Confederate memorials (both by citizens and also by officials.) Locally we have already seen work on renaming of school teams, streets, and more. These changes have required collaboration, compromise, and time.
What we’re doing
Our first work is to define what needs research and communication. We are:
- Defining and researching the inputs to renaming decisions such as history, current events, other ongoing renaming, and logistics (like costs, the 18 month window for address updates, etc)
- Planning ways to connect with all our neighbors to share information and gather input
- Preparing for effective outreach to stakeholders outside Mosby Woods
- Planning community listening sessions to share information and invite dialogue.
The City Council reviewed a proposal with a rough timeline for this process in their October 6 work session. Learn more in this blog post.
What comes next
We will be updating this website with more information and updates as we make progress in our research, hear from residents, and plan next steps. Most of these updates will be on our blog, so we encourage everyone to sign up for email notifications at the top of the blog page. We’ll be looking for ways to effectively reach all Mosby Woods residents; that will likely include social media, The Tattler, meetings, and possibly other means of communication.
Connect
We are listening. If you want to ask a question, make a suggestion, or volunteer to help in the Community Forward effort, please feel free to connect with us at CFMosbyWoods@gmail.com. You can also visit the Contact page and send a message using the form.
Let us know if you’d like to keep up-to-date by subscribing to blog notification emails; look for an email from WordPress asking you to confirm you subscription! Association membership is not required.
Mosby Woods 