Tag: property maintenance
Contractors and Crapscape
By Robert Schwaninger In 2000 my wife, Isabel, and I decided to move from our townhouse to a single-family detached home in Annandale. What the house is supposedly detached from is up to speculation, but along with the house we got our own half acre of land. For those who don’t know what land is, … 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
‘Extreme yard sales’ are back in business
6231 Columbia Pike After a few quiet weeks, the “extreme yard sales” are back in the Parklawn neighborhood in Mason District. Michael Tyrone Suggs, who had been organizing yard sales up and down Braddock Road for more than a year, told us a few weeks ago that he was finished, citing all the hassles from … 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
Annandale man keeps Heritage Drive free of signs and litter
Ed D. on patrol We’ve heard from a lot of people complaining about litter, illegal signs, and other property maintenance failures here in the Annandale area. But there are a few dedicated citizens here who are taking action to clean up their communities. A case in point is “Ed D.,” as he prefers to be … Continued
Annandale’s image marred by outdoor furniture sales
Some of the sofas for sale in the Fuddrucker’s parking lot. Thriving urban neighborhoods have “pop-up” shops—temporary retail outposts—with trendy clothes, home goods, or high-quality artistic items. Annandale has impromptu bazaars with people trying to sell rugs or assembly-line paintings in a parking lot or electronics from the trunk of a car. A case in … Continued
Manager of Braddock Road yard sales defends his business
6620 Braddock Road, near Birch Lane. The same white truck that had been seen at other Braddock Road commercial yard sales was spotted at a yard sale at 6620 Braddock Road, Annandale, Aug. 17, and the same types of merchandise—washers, dryers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, audio equipment, framed pictures, and piles of clothes—were spread out on … Continued
Traffic congestion threatens safety on Braddock Road
An overturned car in front of 4005 Braddock Road this morning [in the photo above] underscores the hazards of traffic congestion on a neighborhood street. The driver was taken away in an ambulance but did not appear to have suffered major injuries. Residents of the Parklawn neighborhood are concerned about increased traffic and speeding violations … Continued
Braddock Road residents angry about yard sales
Merchandise being unloaded from a truck in front of 4010 Braddock Street. Sal DiCuffa is “exceptionally annoyed” about the frequent yard sales up and down Braddock Road in the Alexandria part of Fairfax County. “It’s ridiculous that this is going on every single weekend,” he says. “It feels like I live across the street from … Continued
Braddock Road yard sales appear to be connected
The photo of a truck being loaded with unsold goods from a commercial yard sale at 4010 Braddock Road July 28 was taken by a neighbor from inside his house, who is disturbed by these blatant, illegal activities going on just about every weekend. It’s the same truck that was used to load and unload … Continued
Illegal yard sales: Braddock Road ‘bazaars’ expanding
The illegal yard sales along Braddock Road are spreading like a cancer to more houses. The photos on this page, taken on Sunday, July 23, show a huge “bazaar” on the front lawn at 3906 Braddock, as buyers browse among large appliances, furniture, TVs, and other items shipped to the site for a quick sale. … Continued
Home Depot agrees to address property maintenance problems
The Home Depot corporate office is aware of the complaints about litter and day laborers in the parking lot at the store on Little River Turnpike in Annandale, company spokesperson Stephen Homes told the Annandale Blog. “We’re making some real progress on this,” Holmes says. “The food trucks, although not on our property, have left … Continued
Fairfax County, VDOT working on plan to get rid of roadside signs
These signs on Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners advertise a business on Little River Pike in Annandale. Northern Virginia residents unhappy with the political campaign and commercial signs lining roadways could soon see some relief. Fairfax County and the Virginia Department of Transportation are negotiating how to implement a state law that took effect July … Continued
Here we go again: Another illegal yard sale mars Braddock Road
4127 Braddock Road Just when the illegal yard sales at 3908 and 4508 Braddock Road appear to have disappeared, at least for the time being, another one has popped up at 4127 Braddock. Braddock Road resident Richard Zambito, who has made it his personal mission to get Fairfax County to shut down these “extreme yard” … Continued
Seven Corners clean-up a victim of bureaucracy
Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners A major effort to clean up Seven Corners planned for June 23 has been sunk by the bureaucracy. Lake Barcroft residents Nancy Vorona and Kay Cooper had put lots of work into mobilizing the community to get rid of the litter and illegal signs along Route 7. They hoped to … Continued