With the D.C. region facing scorching heat through this weekend, Fairfax County is adjusting its holiday closure plans to allow for a 24-hour cooling center at the Jim Scott Community Center in Oakton.
On top of previously announced alerts for today and tomorrow (Friday), the National Weather Service has issued another Extreme Heat Warning for the region on the Fourth of July, predicting potential heat index values of up to 113.
Some of the biggest fireworks shows in the county are kicking off this weekend, as America prepares to mark its semiquincentennial on July 4.
In the week ahead, local communities and organizations will offer everything from classic community celebrations to alternatives to traditional fireworks displays, such as a daytime option at Mount Vernon or the Fairfax County Park Authority’s new patriotic drones lights show at Lake Fairfax Park.
Planning is underway for a Northfax Linear Park that will one day have open green spaces, capture stormwater, and connect neighborhoods with a trail and retail plaza in Fairfax City.
During the Fairfax City Council’s work session on Tuesday (June 23), staff presented an early concept for what the park could look like, along with a timeline for finalizing the design guidelines.
The Fairfax City Council has unanimously approved the first pay raise for its members and the mayor in over a decade, increasing annual compensation to $22,000 for members and $24,000 for the mayor.
The new rates are the maximum allowed under Virginia law, and will take effect July 1, 2027. The current pay is $12,000 for council members, and $13,000 for the mayor.
Construction work is underway on a summertime effort to reinvigorate Gateway Regional Park in the City of Fairfax.
Avon Corp., which received the contract for the project, has started work that’s expected to run through September. The park will remain closed through November for the construction and subsequent fall plantings, according to NOVA Parks, which manages the site.
The Fairfax City Council has unanimously approved an updated noise ordinance that clarifies the maximum possible sound levels, tweaks the hours the law is applicable, and gives the city more ability to enforce noise violations — including a new criminal penalty intended for rare cases.
Passed at yesterday’s city council meeting, the ordinance expands prohibitions on certain noises that are currently banned from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Starting July 15, restrictions will change to be in effect from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.
Fairfax City has received funding for a study to identify potential safety improvements along heavily used but crash-prone Pickett Road.
The city was awarded $80,000 for the planned roadway safety audit by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), which approved a total of $980,000 in grants last month for 12 different local transportation consulting projects in Virginia and Maryland.
Pride Month has arrived, and with it comes a range of celebrations throughout the D.C. region, from festivals to bike rides.
While RestonPride announced earlier this year that it will not hold its annual festival this year due to “critical” capacity and organizational challenges, Fairfax County will still have quite a few other events to uplift the LGBTQ community.
Fairfax City is eyeing a potential solution to fix a trail project that was approved and fully funded while minimizing financial penalties as a result of the city council canceling a different planned extension earlier this year.
During a council work session on Tuesday (May 26), staff proposed that the project — previously called the George Snyder Trail Extension — be renamed the Wilcoxon Trail Extension, and add on-street paths along Draper Drive, instead of connecting to existing trails by cutting through parkland.
The Fairfax City Council recently approved an updated waste management plan that it says is needed due to projections that landfills across Virginia may reach capacity in less than 20 years, a rising population, and soaring costs for disposing of municipal waste.
Council members unanimously voted May 12 to accept the 87-page plan with 54 actions planned across two decades. The plan emphasizes developing effective government systems; education and outreach to city residents; reducing waste overall and emphasizing reuse; increasing the amount and quality of items recycled; and resource recovery for food and yard waste.
