More details emerge on FCPS return-to-school plan
Annandale High School is preparing for the return to school with newly painted classrooms and new furniture. [AHS] As of July 13, 59 percent of Fairfax County students want to go to school in person, and 41 percent want to continue with virtual learning for the 2020-21 school year, according to information shared at a … Continued
Fairfax county pays homeless crews to clean up streams
Trash collected by Bailey’s Shelter residents at a recent cleanup at a stream behind Fairmont Gardens in Annandale. Fairfax County’s debris and litter-choked waterways need cleaning up, while people experiencing homelessness need job experience. That’s where Operation Stream Shield comes in. The program is a partnership of the county’s Stormwater Planning Division, other county agencies, … Continued
Fairfax County invites comments on zoning ordinance overhaul
An accessory living unit in Mason District. Fairfax County has released a consolidated draft of the proposed new, modernization of the zoning ordinance, a project known as zMOD. The public is encouraged to submit comments on zMOD via email to: [email protected]. The document will be submitted to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors next … Continued
Annandale students featured on news program
A news segment that aired on MSNBC July 13 with three rising seniors at Annandale High School illustrates some of the issues students and their families are thinking about as they decide what to about the return to school. Fairfax County families must decide by July 15 whether to spend the entire 2020-21 school year … Continued
Fairfax County to rehabilitate wastewater pump station in Mason District
The Holmes Run Pump Station at 6623 Dearborn Drive in the Annandale area. Fairfax County is preparing to rehabilitate the Holmes Run wastewater pump station at the corner of Dearborn Drive and Sleepy Hollow Road in Mason District. Originally built in 1957, the Holmes Run Pump Station (HRPS) is one of the oldest in Fairfax … Continued
Zoning board approves temple on Gallows Road
The house has been transformed into a Buddhist temple. The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals on July 8 approved a special permit from Van Duc Tu allowing a place of worship in a residential property at 5728 Gallows Road, Annandale. The property is used as a nonprofit meditation facility focusing on the teachings of … Continued
The Annandale Healthcare Center during COVID lockdown: ‘worse than prison’
The Annandale Healthcare Center Residents of the Annandale Healthcare Center are stuck in their rooms all the time, with barely any outside contact, as large numbers of the patients are getting sick and dying from COVID-19. The Annandale Heathcare Center, at 6700 Columbia Pike, has had 156 COVID cases and 55 deaths, the Virginia Department … Continued
Ricardy Anderson of Mason District elected school board chair
Anderson The Fairfax County School Board, at its July 9 meeting, elected Ricardy Anderson of Mason District as chair for a one-year term. The school board also agreed to revise the 2020-21 school calendar to delay the start of the school year from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8. Related story: FCPS gives families more time … Continued
Libraries open for express services on July 13
Thomas Jefferson Library on Arlington Boulevard. All Fairfax County libraries are opening for limited, express services beginning on Monday, July 13. Library visits are limited to 30 minutes. Visitors can browse the shelves, use a computer, and pick up holds. To support social distancing, each branch will have a capacity limit, and there are plexiglass … Continued
Gardeners encouraged to grow extra produce for food banks
People stuck at home are doing more home gardening, while local food banks are running out of fresh produce, due to the economic hardships resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Belvedere Elementary School environmental education teacher Stacey Evers put those two trends to together to launch Grow a Row FC, a program that encourages local gardeners … Continued
Mason District committee approves Skyline and McWhorter projects, rejects infill proposal
These buildings at the Skyline Center could be repurposed. The Mason District Land Use Committee (MDLUC) on July 7 endorsed proposals for a live/work project at the Skyline Center and townhouses in Annandale and opposed an infill development in the Alexandria area. Both the Skyline and McWhorter Place projects will be heard by the Fairfax … Continued
FCPS gives families more time to choose virtual or in-person learning
FCPS officials answer questions from the public during a town hall. From the left: Jane Strong of the special education department, Superintendent Scott Brabrand, and Assistant Superintendent Sloan Presidio. Fairfax County Public Schools is extending the deadline – from July 10 to July 15 – for families to decide whether they want in-person or virtual … Continued
Sewer project scheduled for Lake Barcroft
The houses along Waterway Drive will be affected by a sewer project (DPWES) The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is beginning a sewer rehabilitation project on Waterway Drive in Lake Barcroft this month. The project, under the direction of the department’s Wastewater Design and Construction Division, involves the rehabilitation of 700 … Continued
Fairfax County RECenters gradually reopening in July
The pool at the Audrey Moore RECenter in Annandale. The Fairfax County Park Authority’s nine RECenters will reopen to the public over the next several weeks, now that the region has entered Phase 3 of Gov. Ralph Northam’s Forward Virginia Blueprint. Three RECenters – Lee District, Oak Marr, and Spring Hill – will reopen next … Continued
New Virginia laws affect firearms, immigrants, workers, marijuana, much more
The Virginia General Assembly in Richmond. The following new laws, signed by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, took effect July 1 unless otherwise noted. Firearms – Criminal background checks are required for all gun sales and transfers. Anyone who is not a licensed firearms dealer cannot purchase more than one handgun in a 30-day period. Under … Continued