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Office of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia
Formerly the Office of Representative Gerry Connolly
The Washington, D.C., office and the district office of former Representative Connolly will continue to serve the people of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Representative Connolly passed away on May 21, 2025. See Press Release

Some Much-Wanted Silence for Vienna Residents

Washington, DC, August 3, 2012
Residents who neighbor the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center in Vienna, Va. will finally be able to listen to the evening crickets again as they relax on their decks. Read more.
Some Much-Wanted Silence for Vienna Residents
Residents who neighbor the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center in Vienna, Va. will finally be able to listen to the evening crickets again as they relax on their decks.  The federal government has followed through on requests to do something about the overwhelming noise that was coming from air conditioning vents on the center's roof. 
After months of unsuccessful pleas by residents and town officials, Representative Gerry Connolly (D) met the acting head of the Government Services Administration (GSA), which handles all federal leases, to spur an agreement with the building's landlord, Pearlmark Goldstar, a private entity.
"This was originally brought to my attention after many attempts by the town of Vienna to try to contain the situation and improve it for the residents," Connolly said. "I ultimately had to meet with acting GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini in my office and hand him a memo and a letter outlining the problem, and that seemed to have worked,"
The sophisticated computer technology inside the Terrorist Screening Center requires an advanced cooling system.  Unfortunately for nearby residents, the many rooftop air conditioners necessary to maintain the right temperature inside the building created an unbearable din in their neighborhood.
"I think in the grand scheme of things the [GSA] just didn't take it all that seriously and it was a minor issue from their point of view," Connolly says. "It was not a minor issue from our point of view or from the neighborhood's point of view."
In a July 26 letter to Rep. Connolly's office, the GSA's regional administrator said steps were being taken to reduce the noise.
"After considering a variety of alternatives, we have identified a course of action that will reduce the noise problem in the short term and provide a long term solution that will eliminate the problem, and will not impair the operations of the facility. It is estimated that this procese will be completed in six months," the letter said.
Some Much-Wanted Silence for Vienna Residents
Residents who neighbor the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center in Vienna, Va. will finally be able to listen to the evening crickets again as they relax on their decks.  The federal government has followed through on requests to do something about the overwhelming noise that was coming from air conditioning vents on the center's roof. 
After months of unsuccessful pleas by residents and town officials, Representative Gerry Connolly (D) met the acting head of the Government Services Administration (GSA), which handles all federal leases, to spur an agreement with the building's landlord, Pearlmark Goldstar, a private entity.
"This was originally brought to my attention after many attempts by the town of Vienna to try to contain the situation and improve it for the residents," Connolly said. "I ultimately had to meet with acting GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini in my office and hand him a memo and a letter outlining the problem, and that seemed to have worked,"
The sophisticated computer technology inside the Terrorist Screening Center requires an advanced cooling system.  Unfortunately for nearby residents, the many rooftop air conditioners necessary to maintain the right temperature inside the building created an unbearable din in their neighborhood.
"I think in the grand scheme of things the [GSA] just didn't take it all that seriously and it was a minor issue from their point of view," Connolly says. "It was not a minor issue from our point of view or from the neighborhood's point of view."
In a July 26 letter to Rep. Connolly's office, the GSA's regional administrator said steps were being taken to reduce the noise.
"After considering a variety of alternatives, we have identified a course of action that will reduce the noise problem in the short term and provide a long term solution that will eliminate the problem, and will not impair the operations of the facility. It is estimated that this procese will be completed in six months," the letter said.