Fairfax County hopes to turn a site for waste into a recreational treasure, reviving plans to redevelop a landfill by I-95 that closed in 2018.
The Lorton Landfill could be transformed into a public park under a new proposal from property owner Waste Management. Dubbed Overlook Ridge Park, the amenities at 10001 Furnace Road could be completed in 2025, according to Fairfax County.
The Laurel Hill Golf Club has seen a surge in popularity during the pandemic, making it difficult for non-members to get more highly sought-after tee times.
In response, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board agreed during a March 9 meeting to raise the rates for full memberships to the public facility from $5,000 to $6,000 annually. Weekday memberships were increased from $3,000 to $4,500 annually.
Fairfax County Park Authority officials and others are calling for changes in funding to ensure people are able to access recreational amenities and address repairs.
Staff and community groups like the Fairfax County NAACP say the upcoming budget being considered by the county Board of Supervisors is inadequate for addressing the park system’s needs. It could even take longer to take care of those needs with a proposal to lengthen the amount of time between bond votes.
The Mount Vernon RECenter could shutter for two years as part of a multi-phase expansion and renovation worth tens of millions of dollars.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is expected to vote Wednesday (March 23) on a staff proposal that recommended the temporary closing. If approved, the facility would close starting in early 2023, the authority told FFXnow.
A community park that Fairfax County has owned since 2006 will finally be getting amenities to serve residents.
Construction is expected to begin soon on the Boyd A. and Charlotte M. Hogge Park in Glencarlyn, the Fairfax County Park Authority announced yesterday (Thursday).
Invasive Spiders Could Reach D.C. Area — “An invasive species of spider the size of a child’s hand is expected to “colonize” the entire East Coast this spring by parachuting down from the sky, researchers at the University of Georgia announced last week.” [Axios]
Ramp Closure Coming to I-66 Near Vienna — “Travel lanes on Nutley Street will shift and the ramp from Nutley Street South to I-66 West will be closed as part of work planned for this weekend, March 11-14, for the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project. Drivers heading from Nutley Street South to I-66 West will proceed..past the current ramp to turn right at a traffic signal onto a temporary ramp to access the interstate. This detour will remain in place for approximately three weeks.” [VDOT]
The Great Falls Grange — an assembly hall built in the 1929 as a result of the Grange Movement — is paving the way for a new future.
Through a public-private partnership agreement with the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Great Falls Grange Foundation will operate and maintain the historic property, which will serve as a community meeting place, a hub for classes and activities and a venue for public and private events.
McLean Central Park’s tennis and pickleball courts are here to stay.
The Fairfax County Park Authority presented a revised development concept for the 28-acre park (1468 Dolley Madison Boulevard) on Wednesday (March 2) that moved away from previous plans to eliminate one of the three courts to make room for a dog park.
The Audrey Moore Rec Center, built in 1977, is getting input from people on what upgrades it needs.
As the oldest rec center still operating in the Park Authority’s portfolio, Fairfax County has been setting aside money in park bonds and surveying people about what improvements would be needed for the 8100 Braddock Road facility, which includes a pool, racquetball courts and more.
Expanded DMV Service Starts Today — “The Virginia DMV will offer both appointments and walk-in service Monday through Friday at all 75 locations starting Wednesday, March 2, Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller said in a news release. Walk-in service will still be an option at some offices on Saturdays.” [WTOP]
Local Students Learn About Russia-Ukraine Conflict — A political science and current affairs class at Langley High School has turned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine into a central topic of discussion. Teacher David Kuhn says his students, some of whom have lived in Russia, have shared “perspectives…beyond what their [years] would indicate.” [WUSA9]
