Around Town

A local businessman is seeking to rezone a Franconia property to make way for Fairfax County’s second Sheetz location.

Basim Mansour, who owns the home improvement company Michael and Sons, petitioned county officials earlier this month to approve his plan, which replaces two “underperforming” office buildings with the gas station and convenience store chain.


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Opponents of the proposed Cinder Bed Road Bikeway found a captive audience at the April 11 dedication of the Franconia Governmental Center.

“The lines of citizens waiting outside to get in gave us protesters the opportunity to open discussions about the Bikeway,” said Philip Latasa, who helped organize the public information rally at the new government facility at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd.


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“A first-class library that the people of Franconia deserve” is how Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay described the new Kingstowne Regional Library, which welcomed crowds measuring well into the hundreds at its April 11 opening.

“This is a huge day,” said McKay, who represented the Franconia District when it was still called the Lee District on the board before becoming chairman.


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After a relatively brisk 25 minutes of speeches followed by the snip of a red ribbon, the new Franconia Governmental Center opened to the public Saturday morning (April 11).

That moment represented the culmination of “two and a half — plus — decades of planning,” said Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk at the dedication ceremony, which attracted hundreds to the facility at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd, located south of Manchester Blvd and east of Beulah Street.


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Nearly two months after their community library branch closed, Kingstowne residents will soon have a brand-new spot to check out books.

The neighborhood’s new regional library, under construction since 2023, will celebrate its official grand opening on Saturday, April 11 as part of the ribbon cutting for the new Franconia Governmental Center (7130 Silver Lake Blvd).


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Local law enforcement is searching for a 21-year-old Baltimore woman accused of swiping jewelry from multiple victims through sleight of hand.

Cristina Milhaela Paun has been connected to two different incidents where a woman’s necklace was stolen — both on March 20, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.


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The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved a rezoning of the former Franconia Governmental Center site that will permit it to be redeveloped with affordable housing.

Though criticized by some, the proposed 120-unit apartment building won support from housing advocates, and the overall development plan “improved dramatically” during a lengthy community review, Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said after yesterday’s 8-0 decision.


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Fairfax County supervisors went on record at their Feb. 3 meeting asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move forward on recommendations dispersing air traffic south of Reagan National Airport.

The voter reaffirms supervisors’ support for recommendations made last October by the Reagan National Community Noise Working Group.


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A proposal to build 120 units of affordable housing on a site now occupied by the Franconia Governmental Center has won the support of the Fairfax County Planning Commission.

Commission members voted without opposition on Feb. 4 to approve the plan by Franconia Development Partners, a consortium of several housing groups seeking to redevelop the 3.3 acres of leased county land at 6121 Franconia Road with a four-story apartment building.


News

A fire that appears to have been fueled by natural gas blazed through two Franconia townhouses last night (Sunday), leaving the residence in ruins but its occupants apparently unharmed.

Several Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded to the 6500 block of Gladys May Lane in the Enclave at Long Branch neighborhood around 9:09 p.m. for the fire, which started in one unit near the end of a townhouse row before “quickly spreading” to an adjacent unit, according to the fire department.


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