With the first day of spring drawing ever closer, the McLean Tree Foundation is gearing up for another season of sprucing up the area’s tree canopy.
For a $100 fee, the local nonprofit is offering to help McLean homeowners plant growing native trees in their yards as part of its Neighborhood Tree Program, which is now in its ninth year.
The toll lanes on I-66 outside the Capital Beltway have been open for over three months now, but some drivers are still getting tripped up by the accompanying signage.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff on Tuesday (March 7) to prepare a letter asking the Virginia Department of Transportation to clarify the information on its signs about toll prices and exit locations.
The time has come for Vienna to decide as a community how the former Faith Baptist Church property at 301 Center Street South can best be utilized.
The Town of Vienna launched a survey earlier this week to gather public feedback on potential future uses for the 3-acre site, now known as the Annex.
School Board Member Joins Race to Replace Ken Plum — Karen Keys-Gamarra won’t return as an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board, instead filing to become delegate in Virginia’s new House District 7. She is the fifth candidate vying to succeed Del. Ken Plum, who confirmed last month that he won’t seek reelection after representing Reston for 44 years. [Patch]
County Breaks Ground on New Government Center — “We celebrated the beginning of construction on the new Franconia Governmental Center and Kingstowne Regional Library this week. The new facility — projected to open in 2025 — will provide a safe, convenient and friendly environment for the residents of the Kingstowne area to gather and to access county services in one central location.” [Fairfax County]
This summer will be Cold Stone Creamery’s last at Vienna Marketplace.
The ice cream shop will vacate 205 Maple Avenue by Aug. 31 to make way for fast-casual restaurant Taïm Mediterranean Kitchen, according to a leasing agent for KLNB, which owns the shopping center.
Facing financial constraints, Fairfax County hopes to defer some public safety projects as part of its bond referendum plan.
At a Fairfax County Planning Commission meeeting late last month, county staff announced intentions to establish a 2024 bond referendum for the Tysons Fire Station. The move would push a referendum for the Chantilly Fire Station from 2024 to 2030 and plans for the fire department’s well-fit training facility to 2030.
The Town of Vienna intends to lower its real estate tax rate for a third consecutive year, as home values continue to soar.
Released on Monday (March 6), the town’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 — which will begin on July 1 — cuts the real estate tax rate by a quarter of a cent, decreasing it to 20 cents per $100 of a property’s assessed value.
High School Students Will Get Free Virtual Mental Health Services — “Fairfax County Public Schools has partnered with Hazel Health, giving some 61,000 students access to the service, according to the county’s contract…A pilot program was expected to launch by the beginning of January but was delayed. Access to Hazel Health’s services is expected to be available later this spring” [WTOP]
Doctor Gets Prison Time for Prescribing Drugs in Fatal Overdose — A federal judge sentenced Dr. Robert Cao, 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, to 15 months for “illegally prescribing controlled substances to a man who died of an overdose” in Fairfax in May 2021. A former Falls Church resident, Cao wrote prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone to the victim at least five times despite not being his doctor. [NBC4]
(Updated at 12:10 p.m. on 3/9/2023) A plan to reconfigure the West Falls Church Metro station’s parking and bus facilities in anticipation of redevelopment will soon be finalized.
The finance and capital committee of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of Directors is set to vote tomorrow (Thursday) on whether to accept a staff report recommending the proposed changes, which would significantly reduce the number of parking spaces and bus bays at the station in Idylwood.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
Whether you’re a long-time artist or find yourself sitting in front of an easel for the first time, pursuing a creative endeavor can benefit your health.
