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.

News

Interim agreement approved for affordable housing at Franconia Governmental Center site

By Scott McCaffrey
The affordable housing project proposed to replace the Franconia Governmental Center at 6121 Franconia Road (via Franconia Development Partners)

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) took a procedural step forward last week in the controversial effort to redevelop the Franconia Governmental Center for affordable housing.

Authority members voted nearly unanimously on Thursday (Oct. 17) to approve an interim agreement with a consortium that is seeking to redevelop the 3.26-acre parcel at 6121 Franconia Road.

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Countywide

Tree preservation proposals likely lower priority among Fairfax County’s state legislature asks

By Scott McCaffrey
Trees line Colvin Run Road in Great Falls (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

While the environment is generally a priority for Fairfax County, issues related to trees and invasive plants appear likely to take a backseat to other concerns when local elected officials lobby their state counterparts in the General Assembly next year.

At its legislative committee meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 15), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors reviewed a number of proposals for promoting tree conservation and addressing invasive species from the Fairfax County Tree Commission and Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC).

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Countywide

Fairfax leaders to push state for more education, public safety funding

By Scott McCaffrey
The Virginia State Capitol building (file photo)

As the 2025 General Assembly session approaches, Fairfax County leaders are hoping for the best while bracing for the worst when it comes to unfunded mandates and associated costs handed down from Richmond.

“We can’t continue to sustain all these state operations that are dropped in our lap,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at a meeting of the board’s legislative committee on Tuesday (Oct. 15).

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Countywide

Fairfax County library may turn to Congress to address e-book costs

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County Public Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County leaders say it likely will be up to Congress to give public libraries relief from a complex and costly process of obtaining electronic materials.

In its first joint meeting with the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees in three years, the Board of Supervisors heard from the local library system on Tuesday (Oct. 15) on its efforts to get e-books and other electronic items without breaking the bank.

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Countywide

FCPS leaders see path to 100% accreditation for county schools

By Scott McCaffrey
Superintendent Michelle Reid (staff file photo by James Jarvis)

Fairfax County Public Schools leaders don’t appear to be losing sleep over three of the district’s nearly 200 schools failing to meet full accreditation standards.

While 192 county schools have been fully accredited for this school year by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Justice High School in Lake Barcroft and Sandburg and Whitman middle schools in Fort Hunt and Hybla Valley, respectively, were rated “accredited with conditions” due to shortcomings in reported student achievement levels.

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News

Noise worries complicate proposal for Centreville dog quarantine facility

By Scott McCaffrey
Location of proposed Humane Society of Fairfax County kennel facility in Centreville (via Fairfax County)

A proposal by the Humane Society of Fairfax County to expand its dog-kennel operations in Centreville has run into flak from a neighbor over noise concerns.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended on Oct. 9 that the Board of Supervisors approve the request, but several commission members acknowledged heartburn over the decision.

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Countywide

Planning Commission delays vote on Fairfax’s judicial complex redevelopment

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County is seeking to redevelop its 48-acre Judicial Complex (via Fairfax County)

Some last-minute heartburn over the details led the Fairfax County Planning Commission to defer a series of votes last week that would have advanced the county government’s plans for redeveloping its judicial complex.

After a public hearing last Wednesday (Oct. 9), Providence District Commissioner Jeremy Hancock ultimately pulled back his initial proposal to recommend approval of the submitted plans for the 48.2-acre judicial and public-safety compound surrounded by the City of Fairfax.

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Countywide

Fairfax home-buyers paying more per square foot now than they did a year ago

By Scott McCaffrey
Person holds a key chain with a house ornament (photo by Maria Ziegler on Unsplash)

Those buying homes across Fairfax County in September paid, on average, 5.5% more per square foot for their acquisitions than those who made a purchase a year earlier.

The average per-square-foot housing cost of $365 in September 2024 across Fairfax was up from $346 in September 2023, according to figures reported Thursday (Oct. 10) by Bright MLS, based on data from MarketStats by ShowingTime.

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Countywide

Recruitment, retention looking better for Fairfax County’s volunteer fire squads

By Scott McCaffrey
The Annandale Volunteer Fire Department station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Some equipment and staffing challenges remain, but Fairfax County’s 12 volunteer fire departments are positioning themselves for ongoing improvement after a solid fiscal year that ended June 30.

That was the message delivered by Fairfax Volunteer Fire Commission chair Shawn Stokes to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 8).

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Countywide

Democratic supervisors reject Herrity request for consideration of Metro-oversight body

By Scott McCaffrey
A 7000-series Metro train on the tracks along I-66 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Fairfax County supervisor’s request for information about creating a financial oversight body to control Metro drew rebukes from his colleagues during a meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 8).

It also led to some testy exchanges between Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the lone Republican on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and some of the board’s Democrats.

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