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

Spain: Melwood redevelopment will stay on hold pending historic-status decision

By Scott McCaffrey
Rendering of Melwood site redevelopment proposal (via Melwood and Wesley Housing)

A County Board member has pledged that neither elected officials nor staff will try an end-around to raze the existing Melwood site for redevelopment until the historic-preservation process plays itself out.

“We have already implemented measures to ensure that no [demolition or use] permits are issued” before any decision by the County Board takes place, County Board member Julius “JD” Spain, Sr., said at the July 16 meeting of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB).

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News

Culpepper Garden changes signal larger challenges for senior housing, leaders say

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

Arlington officials see the decision to phase out assisted living facilities at Culpepper Garden as part of a larger, nationwide problem with no easy fixes.

At a Saturday meeting, county leaders faced pressure to address the planned changes at the senior housing community, which are scheduled to go into effect next summer and impact more than 70 residents. However, they said that their ability to influence such issues is limited.

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News

Northern Virginia officials seek solutions to drivers blocking Arlington’s bus lanes

By Scott McCaffrey
Design of next phase of Metro Transitway project (screenshot via Arlington County)

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is considering various ideas to keep cars from blocking Arlington’s designated bus lanes.

Nearly a decade after the county and Alexandria inaugurated the region’s first dedicated bus-only travel lanes, ticketing motorists who get in the way remains decidedly low-tech.

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News

Narrow sidewalks on N. Glebe Road face increasing scrutiny

By Scott McCaffrey
Sidewalk conditions on N. Glebe Road between I-66 and Langston Blvd (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

Arlington officials say they’re aware of deficiencies affecting pedestrians and bicyclists along stretches of N. Glebe Road between I-66 and Langston Blvd.

“The sidewalks belong to a different era — terrible and definitely not adequate,” County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said on Saturday.

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News

Office conversion projects cause a dip in Arlington’s commercial vacancy rate

By Scott McCaffrey
A rendering of a proposed adaptive reuse project at 2100 Crystal Drive (rendering by Brick Visual, courtesy of JBG Smith)

New conversion projects on three aging, mostly empty office buildings in Arlington have caused the county’s office vacancy rate to drop by more than a full percentage point.

County leaders hope that these adaptive reuse projects, combined with newly approved standards for signage on commercial buildings, contribute to making Arlington a more enticing place for developers and corporate tenants alike.

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News

Parks commission pushes for state to take over national parks during government shutdowns

By Scott McCaffrey
People out at Gravelly Point on a warm early spring day (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)

An Arlington County commission is throwing its weight behind a proposal to have the state government take over operation of Virginia’s national parks during federal shutdowns.

The Park and Recreation Commission agreed last week to include that recommendation as part of its 2026 package of state legislative priorities. The advisory body’s list will be forwarded to County Board members for final consideration.

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News

Falls Church plans for nation’s 250th birthday receive a mission statement

By Scott McCaffrey
Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission's mobile museum (via VA250/Facebook)

Members of the Falls Church250 Committee are getting down to the nuts and bolts of preparing for the nation’s 2026 birthday bash.

At a meeting last week, committee members wordsmithed their way to reach a final version of the body’s mission statement.

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News

Reagan National travelers turn to advance registrations to beat parking crunch

By Scott McCaffrey
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

With summertime parking at a premium at Reagan National Airport, more travelers are arriving with reservations in hand.

The number of drivers with advance parking reservations rose 36% year-over-year during both the Memorial Day and Juneteenth travel periods, Chryssa Westerlund, chief revenue officer for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), said at a Wednesday board of directors meeting.

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News

Lower speed limits and looser signage requirements going before County Board

By Scott McCaffrey
A sign advertising a 25 mph speed limit in Arlington (file photo)

More relaxed rules for business signage and lower speed limits on five roads are on the agenda for an upcoming Arlington County Board meeting.

Other items up for consideration at the Saturday meeting include the purchase of two homes to reduce flood risks, funding for an East Falls Church road project and grants to support seniors experiencing cognitive decline.

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News

Outreach specialist for Vietnamese community starts work in Falls Church

By Scott McCaffrey
Le Nguyen and Cindy Mester (screenshot via City of Falls Church)

Falls Church has hired its first outreach specialist for the city’s Vietnamese communities.

Following city leaders’ promises to improve engagement with Vietnamese-American residents and businesses, Le Nguyen, a veteran journalist with local ties, started work on July 10.

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News

New documentary preserves stories of Barcroft Apartments’ diverse residents

By Scott McCaffrey
Artists and leaders connected with the "We Are Barcroft" film and "Me, Here, on Columbia Pike" exhibition (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A new documentary delving into the lives of residents at a Columbia Pike affordable housing complex made its debut on Saturday.

“We Are Barcroft: A 60-Acre History of People & Place,” seeks to preserve the stories of people who came to the Barcroft Apartments from around the globe.

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Schools

New policy on notifying parents about student overdoses planned at APS

By Scott McCaffrey
Police and firefighters on scene of a reported overdose at Wakefield High School in January 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new policy on notifying parents about confirmed and suspected drug overdoses could be going into effect at Arlington Public Schools.

To comply with a new state law that went into effect July 1, the Arlington School Board is considering a new policy statement requiring the notification of all parents or guardians at a school within 24 hours of a school-connected student overdose.

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