Scott McCaffrey | FFXnow

Townhouses dominate new plan for residential development in Franconia Triangle

Published May 30, 2025 at 8:30AM

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.

News

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

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 29, 2025 at 2:45PM

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.

News

Major solar-power installation now operational at Reston Town Center

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 29, 2025 at 11:45AM

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).

News

Redevelopment proposals in Seven Corners draw pushback from some neighbors

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 29, 2025 at 9:15AM

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.

News

Athletic facilities, housing and retail planned for GMU campus development

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 28, 2025 at 11:45AM

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.

Countywide

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

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 28, 2025 at 10:00AM

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.

Countywide

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

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 27, 2025 at 3:45PM

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.

Countywide

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

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 27, 2025 at 10:00AM

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.

Countywide

Fairfax County to rewrite 25-year-old massage therapy regulations

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 23, 2025 at 10:00AM

A massage-therapy establishment on Route 7 (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors signaled initial support on Tuesday (May 20) for moving forward with the first rewrite of the county’s massage therapy regulations in a quarter-century.

Staff have proposed shifting regulatory oversight from the county’s Department of Cable & Consumer Services to the Health Department. Individual massage therapists would no longer need to obtain a county license or pay the associated fee, as they’re already licensed by the Virginia Department of Health Professions.

Countywide

Dulles Airport sees spring travel surge, setting stage for busy summer

By Scott McCaffrey

Published May 23, 2025 at 8:30AM

Travelers in a security line at Dulles International Airport in April 2025 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

An especially strong March and a record-setting day in April seem to foreshadow a positive summer for Dulles International Airport.

The airport recorded 1,103,722 passenger enplanements this past March — its second-best passenger total ever for that month, according to Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Chryssa Westerlund.