Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Library staff, supporters battling plan to overhaul library system

George Mason Regional Library. With a crucial library board meeting approaching, library employees and “friends” groups are mobilizing support from officials, community groups, and patrons to urge the board to roll back plans to restructure the library system and downgrade the professional qualifications of employees. The Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees will consider major … Continued

Opponents of I-95 ramp continuing to press for pollution monitoring

Pylons for the ramp are under construction. After months of trying to get government officials to halt construction of a ramp on Interstate 95 between the Edsall Road and Route 236 exits, members of the citizen advocacy group Concerned Residents of Landmark are disappointed that the ramp is being built, but “we haven’t given up,” … Continued

Board of Supervisors approves Fairfax Forward land use process

Board hearings take place in the Fairfax County Government Center. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a new, more comprehensive process for reviewing and making changes in the county’s land use plan. The new system, known as Fairfax Forward, replaces the current Area Plans Review (APR) system for updating the county’s Comprehensive Plan. Fairfax … Continued

VDOT is failing to play fair in the I-395 ramp pollution issue

Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton (left) with local residents at the ramp site. Residents of the Landmark area are “deeply disappointed” in VDOT’s failure to address their concerns about the impact of dangerously high levels of pollution resulting from a new ramp on Interstate 395. Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton, Fairfax County Chair … Continued

Join the Culmore Cleanup this Saturday

Culmore Cleanup volunteers at last year’s event. Local residents are encouraged to join the 2013 Spring Culmore Cleanup Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon. This semi-annual event has been going on for more than 10 years. It’s a huge collaborative effort that brings together teams from many organizations and companies, as well as individual volunteers, who not only … Continued

Annandale youth engagement initiative in the works

Annandale youths on Medford Drive on a recent afternoon. Annandale stakeholders have come together to develop recommendations for a youth engagement initiative. The Annandale Community Planning Group (CPG), an outgrowth of the Annandale dialogues on diversity, is facilitated by the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS). At the group’s second meeting, Feb. … Continued

Korean community center under discussion

A group of local Korean business and nonprofit leaders are discussing options for establishing a Korean community center. A location hasn’t been determined yet, although Annandale would be a good choice, as it’s the commercial center for the Korean community, and a center here could spur more redevelopment activity. On the other hand, it could … Continued

Mason District Council urges county to take action on litter

Litter by a parking lot in central Annandale. The Mason District Council (MDC) passed a resolution Feb. 21 calling on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County Police Department to enforce the state law banning litter and to “adopt more stringent standards in litter prevention by increasing litter enforcement throughout the year.” … Continued

Annandale stakeholders to develop youth engagement initiative

A group of Annandale stakeholders—including community and business leaders—is being formed to develop an action plan for a youth engagement initiative in Annandale. In a separate but related effort, a series of focus group meetings has been scheduled to elicit the opinions of various ethnic groups on “livability” issues in Annandale. Those efforts build on … Continued

When it comes to cleaning up VDOT property, no good deed goes unpunished

You might think if a community comes together and spends countless hours cleaning a small plot of public land, that would be a good thing, right? It’s a great example of people putting in some sweat equity to improve their neighborhood. The Virginia Department of Transportation doesn’t think so. The site in question is on … Continued

Lake Barcroft Village will help older residents stay in their homes

The Lake Barcroft Village, an aging-in-place organization aimed at helping older residents stay in their homes, is on target to officially launch in January 2013. So far, 28 members and 70 volunteers have signed up and the group has raised $25,000, Dale Gianturco, treasurer of the Lake Barcroft Village, said at the organization’s September meeting. … Continued