Scott McCaffrey | FFXnow

County board approves apartments to replace offices at ‘gateway’ to Tysons

Published May 20, 2026 at 10:00AM

Approved design of 1950 Old Gallows Road residential project (via Torti Gallas and Partners/Fairfax County)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved plans on Tuesday (May 19) for 304 units of multifamily housing to replace an aging office building at 1950 Old Gallows Road in Tysons.

The development team, county staff and community “have worked together to create what I think is a much better” project than initially proposed, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchick said.

Countywide

McKay publicly apologizes for calling School Board member a ‘bimbo’ in heated texts

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 19, 2026 at 1:45PM

Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay at May 19, 2026, Board meeting (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay publicly apologized this morning (Tuesday) for calling a school board member a “bimbo” during a heated text-message exchange over budget issues.

His language, directed at Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren, was “unacceptable,” McKay acknowledged during the county board’s May 19 meeting.

News

NOVA’s Class of 2026 urged to be proud of their past, embrace the future

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 19, 2026 at 9:15AM

Northern Virginia Community College 2026 commencement (screenshot via NOVA)

Seven years ago, Jonathan “Jack” Ham took his newly earned associate’s degree from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and stepped into the next phase of his life.

Then, on Monday morning (May 18), Dr. Ham — just 24 hours removed from having received his medical degree at the University of Virginia — stepped to the stage of EagleBank Arena in Fairfax to inspire NOVA’s Class of 2026.

News

More input sought on planned bus rapid transit service in Route 7 corridor

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 18, 2026 at 11:45AM

Participants at 2025 community forum in Culmore discuss potential Route 7 transit upgrades (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) has embarked on a new round of community engagement in its Envision Route 7 effort to upgrade transit options.

NVTC has opened an online feedback form, asking a host of questions about how bus riders in the Route 7 corridor between Seven Corners and Alexandria’s Mark Center/Southern Towers areas currently interact with the system, and what they would like to see in the future.

Countywide

Goal of 10K affordable units in reach, but success not guaranteed, Fairfax housing chief says

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 18, 2026 at 9:15AM

Fairfax County officials in 2025 broke ground on an affordable housing project at 2990 Telestar Court in Merrifield (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Will the Fairfax County government be able to meet its goal of 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2034? The county’s top housing official is optimistic but hedging his bets.

“We do feel like we’re very much headed in the right direction,” said Thomas Fleetwood, director of the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

News

Different paths converge as Mason celebrates its over 12,000 spring graduates

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 15, 2026 at 3:45PM

George Mason University 2026 commencement ceremony (screenshot via George Mason)

The night before freshman orientation at George Mason University, 17-year-old Saniya Dilip Darediya sat in her room and cried.

Having just arrived in the U.S. from India, she recalled, “I was scared and afraid I might not belong here.”

Countywide

Staff proposal for new ‘trash tax’ wins few backers among Fairfax County supervisors

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 15, 2026 at 10:00AM

Trash collection bin outside a townhouse in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County supervisors have reacted tepidly to a staff proposal for imposing what might be termed a “trash tax” on Fairfax’s property owners to support solid waste disposal.

“I don’t think we’re ready. It’s kind of a hard sell,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in response to the proposal, floated at the May 12 meeting of the board’s Environment Committee.

Countywide

Fairfax County leaders weigh multiple options to increase housing stock

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 14, 2026 at 10:00AM

Construction continues in early February 2026 on the Exchange at Spring Hill apartment buildings near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County officials now have a lengthy to-do list in their efforts to increase the community’s housing stock.

The goal is to “ensure we keep the pedal down on this priority,” Ben Aiken, a county staffer who serves as project manager for the Housing Task Force, told the Board of Supervisors at a Land Use Policy Committee meeting on Tuesday (May 12).

Countywide

Fairfax County sees 22% jump in people considered chronically homeless

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 14, 2026 at 8:30AM

Individuals call attention to homelessness in Reston near a newly cleared homelessness encampment on the morning of Sept. 10, 2024 (staff file photo by Fatimah Waseem)

Despite a relatively stable year-over-year homelessness count in new data, Fairfax County’s level of those experiencing chronic homelessness ticked up more substantially between 2025 and 2026.

A total of 302 people were counted as chronically homeless in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church in this year’s Point-in-Time Survey, coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG).

Countywide

Fairfax’s plan to manage trash collections countywide appears dead for now

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 13, 2026 at 1:45PM

Fairfax County trash collection (photo via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County leaders appear to have largely abandoned controversial efforts to impose a future countywide residential trash district.

“We’ve heard pretty loud and pretty clearly that this is not the model,” said Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, who chairs the Board of Supervisors’ Environment Committee and presided over its May 12 meeting.