Transurban needs to do more to restore environmental damage
The Little River Turnpike/Beltway intersection. This photo was taken in February from the roof of the Heritage Center. By Liz Kirchner Since 2010, Transurban, the private partner with VDOT on the I-495 express lanes, awarded grants ranging from $250 to $5,000 to county agencies, non-profit organizations, Brownie troops, and neighborhoods affected by the beltway construction … Continued
FXCO Board of Supervisors approves Peace Valley Lane plan amendment
The Fairfax County Government Center where the Board of Supervisors meets The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted unanimously May 22 to approve an amendment to the county’s Comprehensive Plan to permit a high-density infill development in a tiny parcel of land on Peace Valley Lane in the Seven Corners area. Residents of Ravenwood … Continued
Assisted living facility planned for Gallows Road in Annandale
Some of the houses that would be demolished A 95-unit assisted living facility is planned for Gallows Road in Annandale near Aston Street and across from the Holmes Run pool. The project would be developed by Brightview Senior Living, a division of the Baltimore-based Shelter Group. Brightview operates 24 assisted living communities in nine states. … Continued
Residents want Seven Corners safer for walking and biking
The map of Seven Corners illustrates the lack of connectivity. When residents and business owners were asked at a “visioning exercise” May 21 how they feel about Seven Corners, several common themes emerged: Make the area safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Provide mass transit or otherwise alleviate the traffic congestion. Preserve the diverse population and … Continued
Fire damages house on Rose Lane, Annandale
An accidental fire in a single-family house at 3518 Rose Lane, Annandale, May 20, caused approximately $50,000 in damages and displaced two adults and two children. No one was injured, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported May 21. The fire broke out at approximately 3:35 a.m. The cause was “an unidentified electrical event … Continued
Apartment tower planned for Seven Corners
The site of a proposed apartment tower on Route 50 A five-story residential building with approximately 200 rental units is planned for the wooded, triangular property between the two office towers and American Lube on Arlington Boulevard in Seven Corners. There were originally supposed to be three office buildings on that property, which is owned … Continued
FXCO police shoot child porn suspect
A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a suspect involved in child pornography May 19 at the Chelsea Square apartment complex on Backlick Road in North Springfield. The following information is from the Fairfax County Police Department: The suspect had seven outstanding warrants: Three felony counts of producing child pornography, three felony counts of … Continued
Public comments sought on beltway landscaping
The beltway exit at Gallows Road The public is invited to submit comments on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s landscaping plan for the “express lanes corridor,” which extends for 14 miles from the Springfield interchange to the Dulles Toll Road. The $1.4 billion beltway project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. … Continued
Annandale real estate market still hot
By Vivianne Couts The real estate market in Annandale continued to be hot this past April, with the average sales price rising to $391,000 from $379,000 in April 2011. This is an increase of approximately 3 percent. Fifty-nine properties were sold in April, a 40 percent increase over the number sold in April of last … Continued
Dogs XL needs volunteers to help foster large dogs
These Great Dane puppies were rescued by Dogs XL When an extreme animal hoarding situation was discovered in Kentucky in April, many of the larger dogs were saved by a group called Dogs XL Rescue. There were more than 200 animals of all sorts, including many large dogs, such as St. Bernards and Mastiffs, living … Continued
Public urged to take part in clean-up effort planned for Seven Corners
Leesburg Pike at Seven Corners A lot of people complain about Seven Corners—the traffic congestion, the lack of good design, and the trash all over the place—but Nancy Vorona and Kay Cooper are actually taking steps to improve it. They are organizing efforts to get rid of the litter and illegal signs. The two Lake … Continued
FXCO moving forward with new office complex in Bailey’s Crossroads
This property on Moncure Avenue in Bailey’s Crossroads, could become the site of a new county office and housing development. Fairfax County’s plan to build a new East County Government Center in Bailey’s Crossroads as part of a mixed-used project developed by a public-private partnership has been in the works for some five years. The … Continued
Columbia Pike streecar project still on track, despite delays
The view from the Skyline Center The Columbia Pike Transit Initiative is running a bit behind schedule, but Len Wolfenstein, Fairfax County’s chief transportation planner, still believes it can be operational by 2017. Federal approval of the environmental analysis is taking longer than anticipated, Wolfenstein told participants at a Bailey’s Business Breakfast at the Skyline … Continued
Antique coins, bank notes stolen from Annandale couple’s car
An elderly couple who live on the 3800 block of Stuart Court in Annandale’s Broyhill Crest neighborhood are devastated by the theft of their collection of antique coins and bank notes valued at $300,000 to $500,000. They had just returned home after attending a coin show in Charlottesville Saturday, April 14, at around 7:20 p.m., and … Continued
Cop school: the K9 corps
MPO Harford and Scout The K9 corps plays a key unit of the Fairfax County Police Department, tracking suspects, victims, evidence, and lost children, Master Police Officer Rob Harford told participants at a recent session of the Fairfax County Citizens’ Police Academy. Harford works with Scout, a black German Shepherd, who can track human odors … Continued