Tag: housing
Annandale housing inventory way down from last year
This house on Merrimac Trail, Annandale, is listed for $649,000. If you think you’re seeing a lot fewer for-sale signs in Annandale, you are correct. The inventory of homes is way down from a year ago. “That means it’s a great time to sell your house,” says Vivianne Couts of Coldwell Banker. There were just … Continued
Mason Land Use Committee hears Peace Valley Lane rezoning case
Will Collins seeks support for infill housing development. Plans to develop the Peace Valley Lane property in the Ravenwood Park community and to renovate the Woodrow Wilson Library in Bailey’s Crossroads were among the issues presented at the Mason District Land Use Committee (MDLUC) Oct. 23. We’ll report on the library discussion later, but here’s … Continued
Paved over lawns allowed if done before 2002
If you’re tired of mowing the grass or want to turn your yard into a parking lot, think twice. A county ordinance passed in 2002 prohibits a house on property zoned R-1 or R-2 from having more than 25 percent of the lawn (front and back) paved over. If the property is zoned R-3 or … Continued
Great gardens: No more lawn at this Annandale home
The Essers’ front yard. This is the first article in what we hope will be a series on extraordinary gardens in the Annandale area. Please email suggestions for other gardens to highlight. The entire lot surrounding Cam Esser’s house in the Truro community of Annandale is grass-free. Instead of a lawn, there are all sorts … Continued
Wow! houses: A dome in Annandale Acres
Charles “Chip” Emmons had always been a fan of Buckminster Fuller, the visionary inventor of the geodesic dome. So you could say the house he and his wife, Betty, built in Annandale in 2001, based on that concept, is truly their dream house. Chip says a dome house has one-third more surface area and “the … Continued
Neighbors raise concerns about Brightview senior housing project
The conceptual plan for Brightview. The main road to the left is Gallows. At an Aug. 28 meeting of the Mason District Land Use Committee (MDLUC), several people who live near a proposed assisted living facility planned for Gallows Road raised concerns about increased traffic on an already-busy thoroughfare. Other issues brought by residents include … Continued
Annandale community leaders question benefit of new planning approach
An infill development going up on Lincolnia Road. Fairfax County officials say their proposal to replace the Area Plans Review (APR) system for amending the county’s Comprehensive Plan with a new approach will increase opportunities for community input. Community leaders in the Annandale/Mason area, however, are doubtful that the new system will have much of … Continued
New Seven Corners complex aimed at ‘yuppies’
An illustration of the proposed complex next to the existing office buildings New details emerged on the proposed 195-unit residential/retail complex for Arlington Boulevard in Seven Corners at a recent meeting of the Bailey’s Crossroads Revitalization Corporation. The project would be located on the sliver of land between Route 50 and South Street, next to … Continued
Parklawn tour showcases exemplary homes
Recent Annandale blog posts about problems with multiple occupancy, “extreme yard sales,” and unfinished construction projects might have given the impression that the Parklawn neighborhood is in decline. Actually, there are many well-maintained, charming homes there that people have put great care into renovating, decorating, and landscaping. Three of them were showcased June 16 on … Continued
Planning Commission approves housing on Campbell and Ferrara site
Willow Run Drive Despite extensive opposition from nearby residents, the Fairfax County Planning Commission approved a rezoning request to allow 29 single-family houses to be built on 8.78 acres on property now occupied by the Campbell and Ferrara nursery on Little River Turnpike. No commissioners voted against the proposal although three members abstained: Kenneth Lawrence … Continued
FXCO purchases and demolishes house on floodplain
The vacant lot in the photo above used to be the site of a single-family house in the Annandale area. The house, at 6613 Dearborn Drive, was torn down earlier this spring after it was purchased by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for $705,000, using federal FEMA funds. This was the first time the … Continued
Communities have little recourse in dealing with unfinished projects
A huge structure in the backyard of a small house on Virginia Street has been under construction for years Just about every neighborhood in Mason seems to have one—a major home remodeling project that never seems to get finished. Often these houses are eyesores, with front yards full of construction debris. The house in the … 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
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
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