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.

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Falls Church City Council members consider scaled-back pay increase

By Scott McCaffrey
The Falls Church City Council at a meeting last month (via City of Falls Church)

Falls Church City Council members are considering a potentially hefty increase to their own salaries.

The Council voted 6-1 last week to set a public hearing on increasing members’ salaries from $11,000 per year to $16,000. The mayor’s salary would increase from $11,500 to $17,000.

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Arlington streetcar critics take victory lap over D.C.’s plans to kill similar project

By Scott McCaffrey
DC streetcar makes a nighttime run on opening day in 2016 (via DC Department of Transportation)

Former critics of abandoned plans to build a streetcar on Columbia Pike are seeing vindication in the looming demise of a similar piece of infrastructure in D.C.

After D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced plans last week to phase out the District’s 2.2-mile H Street streetcar line, some Arlington commentators are drawing parallels to former plans for a 5-mile system between Pentagon City and Skyline.

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Arlington plans more food disposal bins for people living in apartments

By Scott McCaffrey
A food scraps bin in Rosslyn (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Arlington residents who want to compost their food waste instead of sending it to the landfill will soon have even more options.

The current 14 food disposal bins located in high-density areas of the county will expand to 24 by the end of the year — in part due to “a lot of positive feedback” since the initiative began last summer.

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Arlington VFW post gets new leadership, plans more outreach efforts

By Scott McCaffrey
VFW Post 3150 officers Sam Wong, Michael Cantwell and Jim Bertine (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Leadership is changing but the focus remains the same for Arlington’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3150.

Those efforts include service to military veterans coupled with initiatives benefiting youth and the county as a whole.

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County Board candidates condemn Trump’s immigration crackdown, but propose few local changes

By Scott McCaffrey
Candidates Takis Karantonis and James DeVita (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington’s Democratic candidates for County Board are critical of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown but acknowledge limits to how local governments can take him on.

Both incumbent County Board Chair Takis Karantonis, who immigrated to the United States from Greece, and challenger James DeVita, an attorney whose practice includes immigration law, offered similar thoughts at a recent Arlington NAACP forum.

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Committee considers looser rules for signs at Arlington businesses

By Scott McCaffrey
A poster, rather than a sign, advertises Carbonara at its grand opening in March at 3865 Wilson Blvd (staff photo by Savannah Taffe)

Simpler, more flexible rules for posting signs at commercial buildings could be coming to Arlington.

The Zoning Ordinance Committee of the Planning Commission considered various possible zoning amendments at a meeting last week.

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Restoration work at historic chapel moves forward after compromise

By Scott McCaffrey
Walker Chapel United Methodist Church (staff photo)

The exterior of a chapel in a North Arlington local historic district will receive a deep cleaning and restoration work over the summer.

The county’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) voted 13-0 last week to allow Walker Chapel United Methodist Church to use PVC materials to replace rotted wood in some areas. In other places, wood will still be required.

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Falls Church leaders consider pushing for more speed cameras

By Scott McCaffrey
Speed cameras are in place to slow drivers around St. James Catholic School in Falls Church (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Additional enforcement options for automated speed cameras could be on the Falls Church City Council’s wish list for the 2026 General Assembly.

“We have talked about this and talked about this,” City Council member Laura Downs said of expanding the speed-camera program.

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Arlington leaders seek Richmond’s help, warn of ‘widespread damage’ from federal spending bill

By Scott McCaffrey
County Board members JD Spain, Sr., and Susan Cunningham (screenshot via Arlington County)

Planned cuts to federal funding for Medicaid, food assistance and other safety net programs have Arlington leaders turning to state officials for help.

At a meeting with county staff and County Board members last week, Arlington’s state delegates said they expect to return to Richmond in September to address cuts at the federal level.

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Del. Hope debates challenger over historic preservation law’s impact on housing

By Scott McCaffrey
A rendering of proposed development at the Melwood site as of December 2024 (via Arlington County)

Del. Patrick Hope and one of his challengers in the Democratic primary are at odds over how new legislation on historic preservation will impact housing.

Arjoon Srikanth, who is facing Hope (D-1) in the June 17 primary, argued that legislation enacted last year will hold up development plans designed to meet housing goals.

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Review board doesn’t like aesthetics of planned Inn of Rosslyn redevelopment

By Scott McCaffrey
Concept design for 1601 N. Fairfax Drive (via Arlington County)

An Arlington review board focused on historic significance has unanimously voted against supporting a redevelopment proposal at the Inn of Rosslyn site.

Noting a lack of architectural resemblance to what currently stands there, the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) voted 13-0 last week against a planned project at 1601 Fairfax Drive.

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