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Fairfax has canceled the nearly two-mile George Snyder Trail after the City Council deadlocked over accepting another $4.6 million for the project, ending plans that had appeared in the city’s Comprehensive Plan since 2012.

The decision followed nearly 2½ hours of public testimony on Jan. 13 and a sharp council debate over environmental effects, rising costs, accessibility and the consequences of abandoning a previously approved project.

The proposed shared-use path would have connected Chain Bridge Road with the Wilcoxon Trail at Draper Drive, south of Fairfax Boulevard, and provided access to the existing Cross County Trail. Plans included asphalt sections, concrete boardwalks, retaining walls, bicycle and pedestrian bridges, and features designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Opponents argued that the project had expanded far beyond its original concept and would require the removal of hundreds of trees.

Councilmember Stacy Hall said she favored trails similar to the primarily gravel path in Daniels Run Park but could not support the Snyder Trail in its current form. She said the proposal began as a stone-dust trail and should return to that design.

Councilmember Rachel McQuillen also opposed the project. She credited city employees with securing outside funding and said redesigns had reduced the trail’s environmental impact, but she cited the resulting construction costs and an estimated $25,000 in annual maintenance associated with ADA requirements.

Funding falls apart after costs rise

Fairfax had been awarded $20.6 million for the trail, including more than $13.6 million in Virginia Department of Transportation concessionaire funding. The project would have linked to VDOT’s Route 123 shared-use path built as part of the Interstate 66 Outside the Beltway improvements, potentially connecting trail users with routes toward Washington and Haymarket.

The city has already spent $3.7 million on design, environmental review and right-of-way acquisition. When construction bids exceeded the roughly $16 million remaining in the project budget, Fairfax sought another $4.6 million.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority recommended that additional funding, and the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved it Jan. 6. But the money still required an appropriation vote by the City Council.

Councilmember Stacey Hardy-Chandler moved to accept the additional funding, with Councilmember Anthony Amos seconding the motion. Amos acknowledged the project’s environmental concerns but said he was troubled by the prospect of canceling it after funding had been awarded.

“You can like this trail and still acknowledge its environmental concerns,” Amos said. He urged the divided community to move forward with construction rather than continue the dispute.

Councilmember Billy Bates also supported the appropriation, saying the trail would create a shared-use path along one of Fairfax’s busiest corridors and connect with the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail through the Wilcoxon Trail and the planned George Snyder Trail Extension.

Bates criticized what he described as misleading rhetoric about the project and baseless attacks against city staff.

Hardy-Chandler framed the decision as a test of Fairfax’s promises and long-term credibility. She said residents had remained committed to the trail for decades and argued that accepting the appropriation was the correct decision for the city’s infrastructure and future governance.

Tie vote ends the project

Councilmember Tom Peterson opposed accepting the money, saying the possibility of a financial penalty was not sufficient reason to build the trail.

“An appropriations vote ended the Vietnam War, and I think it’s fitting an appropriations vote will end this one,” Peterson said.

Mayor Catherine Read, a longtime supporter of the project, could not break the council’s tie because Fairfax’s charter bars the mayor from voting on monetary appropriations.

Read, who serves on the NVTA board, warned that withdrawing after actively seeking the funding could have financial and reputational consequences. She said NVTA had supported Fairfax’s request in good faith and cautioned that funding agencies could scrutinize future city applications more closely.

The appropriation failed on a 3-3 vote. Peterson, Hall and McQuillen voted against it, while Amos, Bates and Hardy-Chandler voted in favor.

Peterson then introduced a resolution canceling the trail. That measure passed 4-2, with Amos and Hardy-Chandler opposed.

Because the project will not proceed, Fairfax cannot retain the $20.6 million or redirect it to another use. The city also expects to repay the $3.7 million already spent from its General Fund. Including the additional $4.6 million award, the abandoned project leaves $25.2 million in outside funding unused.

The cancellation also prevents the planned George Snyder Trail Extension, which had received $9.5 million, from being built. Combined with $5.1 million awarded for the Country Club Commons Connector Trail, which the council canceled the previous April, the three abandoned projects account for $39.8 million in funding that will not be used by Fairfax.