Author: Scott McCaffrey

A Northern Virginia native, Scott McCaffrey has four decades of reporting, editing and newsroom experience in the local area plus Florida, South Carolina and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. He spent 26 years as editor of the Sun Gazette newspaper chain. For Local News Now, he covers government and civic issues in Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church.

News

Ranked-choice voting, ban on median signs highlight County Board agenda

By Scott McCaffrey
Campaign signs at the Madison Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (staff photo)

Making ranked-choice voting permanent and potentially banning campaign signage on local rights-of-way top the agenda for County Board members’ meeting this weekend.

Other items scheduled for discussion at the Saturday meeting include an $8 million contract for Wilson Blvd street improvements, a $5 million contract for a culvert replacement on N. Dumbarton Street and a hearing on relocating the Madison Community Center’s early voting site during renovations there.

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News

‘Nominal’ library card fee for non-Arlington residents considered at work session

By Scott McCaffrey
Books at Central Library (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Local leaders may consider imposing a small fee on out-of-county residents who want an Arlington library card.

County Board member Maureen Coffey brought up the idea at a budget work session with library officials on March 5. She said that a “very low fee model” would provide some cash for “greater investment in the collection.”

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News

Plan for 394-unit redevelopment in Courthouse receives initial feedback

By Scott McCaffrey
A conceptual rendering of a proposed multifamily building at 2000 15th Street N. (via Arlington County)

The Arlington Housing Commission has gotten its first look at a redevelopment proposal expected to bring nearly 400 apartment units to a site across the street from Courthouse Plaza.

Trammell Crow Residential will seek County Board approval later this spring for “Alexan at Courthouse,” a 15-story residential building proposed to replace a 40-year-office building at 2000 15th Street N. As currently planned, the project calls for 394 units totaling about 412,000 square feet of interior space.

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News

Kids, civic associations join fight to stop Cherrydale Library from closing

By Scott McCaffrey and Dan Egitto
Cherrydale Library (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

They have done it before, and supporters of the Cherrydale branch library say they will again fend off efforts to close the branch.

The advocacy group Citizens for Cherrydale Library is once again mobilizing to save the facility, this time from County Manager Mark Schwartz’s proposal to shutter the branch in order to save about $450,000 in the coming fiscal year.

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News

Karantonis wants more transit funding requests after $40M for N. Va. is left untapped

By Scott McCaffrey
County Board member Takis Karantonis speaks at a meeting on Dec. 17, 2025 (screenshot via Arlington County)

One Arlington leader wants localities to be more aggressive in seeking transportation and transit funding along the I-66 corridor.

County Board member Takis Karantonis lamented that nearly $40 million in available funding will be left on the table in the latest round of “I-66 Commuter Choice” grants.

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News

Staff defend eliminating gymnastics programs as County Board weighs options

By Scott McCaffrey
Dept. of Parks and Recreation Director Jane Rudolph during a 2023 work session with the Arlington County Board (via Arlington County)

County staff are defending a controversial cost-saving proposal to eliminate gymnastics programming and shutter Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center for up to a year.

“We need to make sure that we’re using our funding and resources to serve the most people and those in need,” County Manager Mark Schwartz told County Board members in a March 5 budget work session focused on the Department of Parks and Recreation.

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News

Candidates in two possible congressional districts make pitches to Arlington Dems

By Scott McCaffrey
Del. Dan Helmer speaks to Arlington Democrats (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

It’s still far from clear what the district boundaries will be, but two more congressional candidates pitched their case to Arlington Democrats last week.

Del. Dan Helmer (D-10), of Fairfax County, became the first candidate seeking the redrawn 7th Congressional District seat to launch a bid in front of county Democrats.

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News

Falls Church leaders consider ‘aggressive’ timeline for Virginia Village housing proposal

By Scott McCaffrey
City Manager Wyatt Shields and Planning Director Matt Mattauszek (screenshot via Falls Church)

Falls Church officials this week sketched out more details in what would be the largest affordable-housing effort in city history.

“What you’ve laid out today is really exciting,” said Jim Coyle, vice chair of the city’s Economic Development Commission, at a March 2 joint work session between that body, the City Council and Planning Commission.

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News

As early voting begins on redistricting referendum, Arlington Dems and GOP seek to rally

By Scott McCaffrey
An ‘I voted in Arlington’ sticker (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Arlington’s two main political parties are driving opposing messages as early voting on Virginia’s congressional redistricting referendum began this morning (Friday).

The Arlington County Democratic Committee’s rank and file voted to support the redrawing of the commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts at a Wednesday meeting.

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Schools

Arlington Democrats back Zecher Sutton for School Board reelection

By Scott McCaffrey
Bethany Zecher Sutton speaks to Arlington Democrats (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington Democrats have officially endorsed School Board Chair Bethany Zecher Sutton’s bid for a second term.

Zecher Sutton was the lone candidate to seek the party’s endorsement prior to the Feb. 27 filing deadline. As a result, the planned May caucus was canceled, and party members unanimously voted to support her on Wednesday.

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News

Number of Arlington seniors surged nearly 50% in just 10 years

By Scott McCaffrey
Culpepper Garden senior housing community (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Larger numbers of seniors and declining numbers of younger adults are forcing Arlington leaders to rethink how to allocate services in the fiscal 2027 budget.

Demographic shifts are also calling into question whether the cost of living is making it difficult for residents between ages 20 and 34 to establish roots in the county.

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News

Revamp of athletic fields at Kenmore Middle School to begin this year

By Scott McCaffrey
Kenmore Fields project would provide space for multiple sports (via Arlington County)

An overhaul of the sports fields near Kenmore Middle School is expected to begin construction later this year.

Construction could start in the fall and take about a year. In place of the existing, aging fields would rise a complex providing two baseball/softball diamonds plus rectangular fields for soccer, field hockey and lacrosse.

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