Dan Storck | FFXnow

Published September 15, 2023 at 2:30PM

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck (via Fairfax County)

A senior at Langley High School, a county planner who helped craft an environmental plan for Reston, and a local business dedicated to reducing waste are among the recipients of this year’s Fairfax County Environmental Excellence Awards.

Handed out annually since 2000, the awards recognize residents, county staff, businesses and other organizations “who demonstrate extraordinary leadership within the community and exceptional dedication to the preservation and enhancement of the county’s natural resources,” according to the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

Around Town

Tour de Mount Vernon bicycle ride returns in October

By Fatimah Waseem

Published August 28, 2023 at 11:30AM

The annual Tour de Mount Vernon is set to return this October (courtesy Office of Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck)

The annual Tour de Mount Vernon will return to the area on Saturday, Oct 21.

Beginning at 8 a.m., the eighth annual community bicycling event encourages riders to take in the closed George Washington Memorial Parkway alongside views of the Potomac River.

News

Merits of road widening projects debated as Richmond Highway land acquisitions continue

By Vivian Hoang

Published July 24, 2023 at 11:45AM | Updated October 24, 2024 at 5:08PM

Cars head south on Richmond Highway (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

(Updated 10:55 a.m. on 7/26/2023) The ongoing redevelopment of Richmond Highway (Route 1) in Fairfax County has sparked a larger discussion over whether the benefits of road widening projects outweigh their potential harm.

The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to bring improvements to a three-mile stretch in the Richmond Highway corridor in two phases: first from Jeff Todd Way to just north of Frye Road, then from just north of Frye Road to Sherwood Hall Lane.

News

New trail on Mount Vernon Memorial Highway has been completed

By Acacia James

Published May 11, 2023 at 3:30PM

A pedestrian bridge over Dogue Creek has been added to the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Fairfax County leaders will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an inaugural bicycle ride and walk tomorrow (Friday) to celebrate the completion of the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail.

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck will join the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services at George Washington’s Gristmill to mark the finishing of the trail.

News

Inova Mount Vernon adds behavioral health unit, expanding access to care along Richmond Highway

By Matt Blitz

Published May 10, 2023 at 9:30AM

A group room at the Inova Veatch Family Behavioral Health Unit (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital will open a new behavioral health unit next week, marking an expansion of mental health care along the Richmond Highway corridor.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held yesterday morning (Tuesday) for the nearly $10 million facility, which will increase bed capacity at the hospital by 67%.

News

County board honors police unit that cracked down on Lorton car thefts

By Vernon Miles

Published March 28, 2023 at 9:30AM

A Fairfax County police car parked outside the Franconia District station (via Google Maps)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently honored a local police district that help crack down on a string of car thefts earlier this year.

At a meeting last week, the Board of Supervisors recognized the Franconia District Police Station and the Fairfax County Police Department’s Auto Crimes Enforcement Team.

Countywide

Fairfax County board approves plan to lure developers into replacing lost affordable housing

By Vernon Miles

Published March 27, 2023 at 11:00AM

Heming, a 410-unit apartment building at Scotts Run in Tysons, will include 82 affordable dwelling units (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a new policy last week that could offer incentives to developers to replace the affordable housing lost to new development.

The new policy wouldn’t just require a one-to-one replacement of units set aside as affordable — known as committed affordable units — but would incentivize the replacement of those that were naturally affordable — meaning market-rate affordable.

News

Board of Supervisors sends Fort Belvoir renaming concerns up to Secretary of the Army

By Vernon Miles

Published March 9, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated March 24, 2023 at 2:35PM

Army headquarters at Fort Belvoir (image via Fort Belvoir/Facebook)

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is no stranger to renaming things, from roads to magisterial districts. But now, the board is leading a push not to rename a site associated with slavery.

In a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (March 7), Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck raised the topic of Fort Belvoir’s potential renaming. The base is named for the Belvoir plantation that once occupied the site.

Countywide

Fairfax County enlists faith groups to spread word of need to act on climate change

By Angela Woolsey

Published January 24, 2023 at 3:45PM

Fairfax County is planning pilot project to get different parts of the community more involved in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (via Fairfax County)

The clock is ticking on Fairfax County’s goal of achieving net-zero new carbon emissions by 2050.

With local government and school operations accounting for just 5% of all emissions, the county is developing a plan to help residents and organizations take action to reduce their carbon footprint and combat climate change.

News

County approves 18-month waiver of fees for installing electric vehicle chargers

By Matt Blitz

Published October 14, 2022 at 11:45AM

An electric vehicle charger has already been installed at the community center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Fairfax County will waive fees for permitting and installing electric vehicle chargers for at least the next year and a half.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on Tuesday (Oct. 11) to waive all county-imposed permit, installation and signage fees for electric vehicle chargers for a trial period of 18 months. The waiving of fees will go into effect alongside the release of the new Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) on Oct. 31.