Author: Scott McCaffrey

A Northern Virginia native, Scott McCaffrey has four decades of reporting, editing and newsroom experience in the local area plus Florida, South Carolina and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. He spent 26 years as editor of the Sun Gazette newspaper chain. For Local News Now, he covers government and civic issues in Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church.

Countywide

Upcoming forum to look at Fairfax County’s proposed trash collection takeover

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County trash collection (photo via Fairfax County)

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity and Fairfax County staff will host a televised forum tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss a plan that, potentially, would have the local government oversee trash collection for single-family properties countywide.

Herrity asked his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors on May 13 for permission to host the event in conjunction with the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES).

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Countywide

Legislators suggest Virginia needs to take more active role in food safety

By Scott McCaffrey
Del. Mark Sickles (D-17) (photo via campaign website)

Virginia may need to enact more food safety requirements at the state level in response to cutbacks and deregulation efforts by the Trump administration, two legislators and several advocates said at a recent forum.

“We have historically, in my opinion, not done the kind of oversight we need to do. We’ve let the federal government do most of it,” Del. Mark Sickles (D-17) said during the press event on May 28.

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News

Townhouses dominate new plan for residential development in Franconia Triangle

By Scott McCaffrey
Development plan for Beulah Street property in Franconia Triangle (via Fairfax County)

A key piece of the Franconia Triangle redevelopment effort is moving into the rezoning phase.

CIA-Beulah Street LLC, an affiliate of Capital Investment Advisors, filed paperwork on May 20 to rezone a 6.6-acre site at the intersection of Beulah Street and Grovedale Drive for residential uses.

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News

Church and Franklin Farm neighbors at odds over downsized affordable housing project

By Scott McCaffrey
David Inkellis speaks before the Planning Commission about his concerns over adding housing to Community of Faith United Methodist Church parcel (screenshot via Fairfax County)

A nearly 60% reduction in initially proposed units has not swayed many Franklin Farm residents to support efforts to bring affordable housing to a church site in their community.

But the project nonetheless took a procedural step forward at a Fairfax County Planning Commission meeting on May 22.

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News

Major solar-power installation now operational at Reston Town Center

By Scott McCaffrey
Solar voltaic system atop a parking garage at Reston Town Center (courtesy Ameresco Inc.)

Reston Town Center is now deriving some of its power from the sun.

A 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic system mounted on top of the town center’s green parking garage was substantially completed at the end of 2024 and began commercial operations on Tuesday (May 27).

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News

Redevelopment proposals in Seven Corners draw pushback from some neighbors

By Scott McCaffrey
The iconic Sears building on Leesburg Pike near Seven Corners (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Two development proposals in the Seven Corners area ran into community opposition at a recent Fairfax County Planning Commission meeting, but they’re likely to clear initial procedural hurdles in June.

In contrast, a plan to put more than 1,300 apartments augmented by retail use on the Food Star site further east on Route 7 drew no community pushback.

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News

Athletic facilities, housing and retail planned for GMU campus development

By Scott McCaffrey
One scenario for placement of facilities in western portion of George Mason University's Fairfax campus (courtesy George Mason)

George Mason University plans to focus on athletics facilities first when redeveloping the western portion of its Fairfax campus.

After new sports/recreation facilities are in place, Mason will move forward with developing housing — for both the university community and others — plus retail spaces and community facilities, university officials and consultants told community members on May 22.

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Countywide

MWAA: ‘Real ID’ implementation going smoothly at N. Va. airports

By Scott McCaffrey
Travelers at Dulles International Airport walk to security on their way to their gates (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The start of REAL ID enforcement in early May went without major hassle at Northern Virginia’s two airports.

“The rollout was smooth and uneventful,” Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Thomas Beatty said at the authority’s May 21 board of directors meeting.

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Countywide

Golf resurgence and playground updates among 2024 highlights for Fairfax County Park Authority

By Scott McCaffrey
Golfer on course (photo via Courtney Cook/Unsplash)

A golfing renaissance and introduction of next-generation playgrounds were among the 2024 success stories for the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).

“We’re in the business of fun,” FCPA Executive Director Jai Cole said on May 20 at a joint meeting between the park authority board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

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Countywide

FCPD plans countywide expansion of efforts to combat shoplifting, retail theft

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax Assistant Police Chief Bob Blakley (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County police aim to export successes they’ve had fighting retail theft in Tysons to other corridors across the county.

Despite targeted efforts, “shoplifting remains our Achilles’ heel,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told the Board of Supervisors during a Safety and Security Committee meeting last week.

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