More Than a Suburb
Author Russ Banham details how Fairfax carved out an identity separate from D.C.
By Taylor Harris
September 25, 2009
Fairfax County has always been an innovative hub of technology, superior public schools, educational attainment and high-paying jobs—hasn’t it? Surely the futuristic skyscrapers and gridlocked roads surrounding centers of commerce were developed as soon as county lines were drawn. On the day horses and buggies were exchanged for Fords, Tysons Corner just appeared like a commercial dollhouse, adorned with brisk-walking men in suits, cufflinks and wingtip shoes, right?
Fairfax, it seems, was born the golden child of the Information Age. She is Virginia’s proof that the East Coast can rival a Silicon Valley or downtown Seattle. But many of us forget that Fairfax County was once little more than a group of dairy farms and old tobacco plantations. That’s not so surprising for a county located in the American South. The surprise is that Fairfax almost stayed that way.
In “The Fight for Fairfax: A Struggle for a Great American County,” author Russ Banham chronicles a decades-long battle between local professionals and county officials over the development rights of Fairfax. The story is nuanced and includes the regional color one would expect from its title. Banham skillfully focuses his narrative lens on local pro-development leaders including John Tilghman “Til” Hazel Jr. and Gerald T. “Jerry” Halpin. Yet the underlying theme of Banham’s story is universal, one that accompanies every discussion about change.
“There were these well-meaning county officials on the Board of Supervisors in the ‘60s, ‘70s and part of the ‘80s, who wanted Fairfax County to not change. They wanted to retain the status quo, and had they prevailed, Fairfax County would be a very different place today,” says Banham. “But they didn’t prevail.”
The Status Quo and The New Way are some of the most obvious opponents of all time, and Banham even thought to title his book “America’s County” (another county already had rights to the name). However, the Seattle-based business journalist does not hide behind this broad historical theme of conflict. He openly sides with those endeavoring to develop the road less traveled.
“I didn’t know it at the time I began the book that I was, in effect, writing a treatise on the role of the private sector in county planning,” he says. “One cannot expect government officials alone to grasp opportunity when it knocks.”
The opportunity to which Banham refers arose after World War II when the federal government increased its defense and intelligence capabilities. Fairfax County planners quickly realized that Washington could not house all of the private businesses that would move in to support the expanded federal agencies. New business would either locate in Fairfax or Montgomery County. Residents and officials of Fairfax had a decision to make. As Banham puts it: “Do we want to be a bedroom community to Washington, D.C., or do we want to be our own economic nexus?”
The answer lies in a drive down the Dulles Toll Road, a flight from Dulles International Airport or a visit to any Inova hospital. Fairfax is no roadside motel or convenient rest stop en route to the nation’s capital.
Today Northern Virginians debate an above-versus-underground Metro rail or whether Tysons Corner should become pedestrian-friendly, but a few decades ago, they were debating whether or not the western two-thirds of Fairfax County should have access to water and sewage. Development advocates fought restrictions all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“This county and everyone who lives here owe such a debt of gratitude to these men and women,” says Banham. “They could have made their money and left and bought estates in Tucson or Aruba. But they lived here, they worked here, and they really deeply cared.”
Banham is uncertain whether the next generation of savvy business leaders will be so civic-minded. He wonders if another “Til” Hazel will come along and take a leadership role, not just in his own company, but also in public initiatives.
“One of the messages of the book is a clarion call to the younger generation. It’s not just about coming to Fairfax County and making a nice buck. Your legacy that you leave behind is far more than just the money you earned.”
“The Fight for Fairfax: A Struggle for a Great American County” was featured in the Fall for the Book Festival and can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, or by emailing vapress@virginia.edu or calling 800-831-3406.