Sears Working Group agrees to draft plan for redevelopment
Friday afternoon traffic on Route 7. Members of the Special Working Group for the Sears site began their final scheduled meeting Feb. 5 not sure if they’d ever reach a consensus. By the end of the meeting, three and a-half hours later, they had agreed to a draft plan outlining the amount of density and … Continued
Planning Commission endorses apartments at 5600 Columbia Pike
The Bailey’s Gateway project would replace this vacant office building. A proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment to allow a 433-unit apartment complex at 5600 Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads got the green light from the Fairfax County Planning Commission Feb. 4. The proposal calls for a 10-story vacant office building on the 3.8-acre parcel, located at … Continued
Girls urged to consider science careers
Middle school girls and their parents are invited to STEMtastics 2015, a career day event aimed at encouraging girls in Fairfax County to consider careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. STEMtastics will be held on Saturday, March 21, at the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College, 8:15 a.m.-noon. Registration is now … Continued
Public invited to Feb. 10 forum on ‘the State of our Schools’
Parents, local residents, Fairfax County officials, and county supervisors are invited to take part in a State of our Schools Forum Feb. 10, 7 p.m., at Glasgow Middle School. The forum, hosted by the Mason District Council of Community Associations (MDC), is open to the public. “With most of our schools currently at or overcapacity … Continued
Congressional School celebrating 75th anniversary
It’s a big year for the Congressional Schools of Virginia: The elite private school on Sleepy Hollow Road in Mason District is celebrating its 75th anniversary. A series of celebrations is going on all year, says Chris Pryor, Congressional’s development director, with the main events – a golf tournament at the Reston National Golf Course … Continued
Lincolnia planning study under way
The Lincolnia Building on Beauregard Street. [LoopNet] Fairfax County is launching a study to determine if portions of the Lincolnia Planning District should be redesignated from “suburban neighborhood” to “community business center.” The public is invited to a community meeting on the study March 2, 7:30 p.m., at Holmes Middle School. The Board of Supervisors … Continued
Aaron Frank leaving Gross’ office
Aaron Frank, the land use and development specialist in Mason Supervisor Penny Gross’ office, is moving on. Frank, who’s been at Gross’ office since October 2010, is relocating to Phoenix at the end of the month to be with his fiancé and finish a master’s degree. “It’s time for the next chapter in many areas … Continued
Improvements to Green Spring Gardens proposed
Looking forward to spring at Green Spring. Several people who spoke at a meeting on improving Green Spring Gardens Jan. 29 urged the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) to keep the trees on a 2.5-acre piece of land that’s been added to the park. The meeting launched FCPA’s efforts to revise the Master Plan for … Continued
Pedestrian struck on Gallows Road
A Fairfax County man who had just been released from Inova Fairfax Hospital was struck as he crossed Gallows Road at around 7 p.m. on Jan. 29, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. The 46-year-old man was crossing the road in front of the hospital’s emergency room when he walked into the path of a … Continued
Any Fairfax County teen could become a sex trafficking victim
West Springfield High School students Alyssa Wenklar (left) and Kyra Beckman, are members of the Spartans Against Human Trafficking club. Any teenager in Fairfax County could be at risk for becoming a victim of sex trafficking. It’s happened to youths from every school, ethnicity, and family income level, said Det. Bill Woolf during a program … Continued
Supervisors approve Afghan funeral chapel on Braddock Road
A rendering of the funeral chapel planned for Braddock Road. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a zoning special exception Jan. 27 to allow the construction of a funeral chapel at 6839 Braddock Road serving the Afghan community. The applicant, Keith Martin, representing the Afghan Academy, agreed to a long list of development conditions, … Continued
Redevelopment under consideration for Annandale Kmart
Negotiations are under way to redevelop the Kmart property in Annandale with a mixed-use project, most likely consisting of apartments with retail on the ground floor. The discussions involve Sears Holding Corp., the parent company of Kmart and Sears; Amerikor Investment Group, the Maryland-based company that owns the Kmart shopping center; and the office of … Continued
Construction of Bailey’s Upper play areas won’t happen until 2016 at the earliest
The site plan for Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, showing the proposed gym (red), outdoor play space (green), and sports court (blue). Leesburg Pike is along the bottom edge. The gym and play area planned for Bailey’s Upper Elementary School probably won’t be built until 2016 or beyond. Brady Rauch, of the design and construction department … Continued
Mason land use committee opposes Baileys Gateway project
5600 Columbia Pike. The Mason District Land Use Committee (MDLUC) voted Jan. 27 to oppose a multifamily development at 5600 Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. The committee’s role is advisory, so the vote means the MDLUC recommends the Fairfax County Planning Commission reject an amendment to the county’s Comprehensive Plan to facilitate the project. The … Continued
Scene around A-Town: Mr. Liberty
What was “Mr. Liberty” doing dancing around on Columbia Pike in Annandale on a bitterly cold afternoon yesterday? Adam Ghoneim, 19, wearing a turquoise Statue of Liberty hat and robe was trying to drum up business for Liberty Tax Service, at 4301 John Marr Drive, which is owned by his mother, Leslie Ghoneim. Adam, a … Continued