Planning Commission approves townhouses at Heritage Mall
The site of a future townhouse development. The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment May 26 to facilitate a redevelopment project behind the Heritage Mall shopping center on Heritage Road in Annandale. The project, to be developed by the Webb Cos. and Madison Homes, calls for 68 single-family attached homes, a … Continued
Combination residences/office space proposed for Bailey’s Crossroads
5600 Columbia Pike. Something new and innovative could happen at the long-vacant office building at 5600 Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. Novus Residences, a subsidiary of Cafritz Interests, is proposing to convert the 10-story building to a mix of residential and office spaces where tenants could live, or work, or do both. The building would … Continued
Annandale resident will be on Jeopardy! tomorrow night
Jeopardy host Alex Trebek and contestant Dan Rothfarb. Annandale resident Dan Rothfarb has always wanted to be on Jeopardy! And he finally got his wish. He appears on the quiz show Thursday, May 26, 7:30 p.m., on WJLA-TV (channel 7). The show was filmed in March, on the Sony lot in Los Angeles, but Rothfarb … Continued
Lincolnia residents speak out against homeless shelter relocation
An overflow crowd at the MDLUC meeting. An overflow crowd showed up at the Mason District Land Use Committee meeting May 24 to voice their opposition to Fairfax County’s plans for relocating the Bailey’s Crossroads homeless shelter to a field behind the Lincolnia Senior Center on N. Chambliss Street. Local residents are concerned about the … Continued
Stuart community discusses pros and cons of changing high school’s name
School board member Sandy Evans speaks at a community meeting at Stuart High School. Members of the Stuart High School community filled the school’s cafeteria Monday night to talk about whether Stuart should be renamed. This was the first step in a process initiated by the Fairfax County School Board in a community engagement process … Continued
Treasure Trove takes over Bloom space for temporary ‘sidewalk sale’
The former Bloom store in the Annandale Shopping Center remains empty since the grocery store closed in winter 2012. There are still no plans for a new occupant, but at least the space is sometimes put to good use, reports a volunteer with the Treasure Trove shop. An empty store was transformed into a … Continued
Local school celebrates Shakespeare
Unicorns made an appearance at the Westminster School’s Shakespeare Festival May 21. The mythical creatures, named Sparkle and Twinkle, gave children rides, while the school celebrated the bard in a big way, with costumed jugglers and mimes, a “fire fairy dance,” a maypole dance, crafts, sonnet recitations, and performances of scenes from “Julius Caesar” and … Continued
Volunteers are working hard to make Annandale beautiful
The median between Little River Turnpike and the service road. There might be lots to complain about in Annandale (see the viral video, for example), but some residents are working hard to make the community beautiful, including the Annandale Women’s Club and local shop owners who have planted flowers done some nice landscaping. On Friday … Continued
Annandale video goes viral
Dodging traffic in Annandale: a screen shot from the video by Angelo Mike. Angelo Mike doesn’t actually hate Annandale – despite the hilarious video he made titled “Welcome to the Shithole of Annandale VA,” which got to the top spot on the video page on Reddit a couple of days ago. And that’s a big … Continued
Pedestrian killed on Leesburg Pike
A screen grab from a video of the crash scene. A pedestrian trying to cross Leesburg Pike in the Culmore area was struck by a vehicle and killed at about 3:40 p.m. on May 18. Click here for a video of the crash scene from the Culmore Neighbors Association’s Facebook page. Medardo Carrillo Arias, 71, … Continued
Bicycling improvements considered for Little River Turnpike
A service road on Little River Turnpike by Medford Drive. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has $7.35 million to spend on bicycling improvements along Little River Turnpike and is seeking public input on what should be done. Currently, bicyclists along the LRT corridor traverse a mix of paved shoulders, sidewalks, trails, parking lots, and … Continued
Residents discuss options on future of Lake Accotink
About 100 people attend a meeting at Kings Glen Elementary School in Springfield on the future of Lake Accotink. Members of the public heard about five options for dealing with the silt build-up in Lake Accotink, including the possibility of severely limiting the size of the lake or even transforming it into wetlands. Dozens of … Continued
Supervisors to vote on meals tax referendum on June 7
A sign in Silverado. On June 7, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on whether a meals tax should be put to voters on the Nov. 8 election ballot. If the board approves the referendum, Fairfax County citizens will be able to vote yes or no on a meals tax on … Continued
Trail project planned for McWhorter Place
McWhorter Place. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is planning to construct a trail on McWhorter Place in Annandale. There will be a community meeting on the project May 25 in the cafeteria of Annandale High School. The agenda includes an open house with a display of proposed improvements at 7 p.m. and a presentation … Continued
Gross names Charles DeSeve and Debo Burk Lord and Lady Fairfax
Debo Burk Deborah “Debo” Burk and Charles DeSeve have been designated Mason District’s 2016 Lady and Lord Fairfax, respectively. The two were named by Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross for their efforts to improve the quality of life for local residents, Gross wrote in her “A Penny for Your Thoughts” column in the Falls Church … Continued