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

Request to study rent stabilization goes to County Board

By Scott McCaffrey
Looking west from Rosslyn at sunset (Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon)

A study of potential rent-stabilization efforts to address rising apartment costs could be in Arlington County’s future.

Katie Wenger, vice chair of the Arlington Housing Commission, last Saturday (Nov. 16) asked County Board members to direct staff to look at the pros and cons of such a policy — one that is related to, but distinct from, full-blown rent control.

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Schools

Falls Church schools projected to see continued growth

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church School Board member Anne Sherwood swearing-in (Falls Church City Public Schools)

Already nearly at a record high, student enrollment in Falls Church City Public Schools is expected to grow consistently in coming decades.

With 2,711 students as of Sept. 30, the five-school district is currently just 10 students shy of its record 2,721 students in 2016, according to a recent report to the Virginia Department of Education. The report predicts enrollment will pass the 3,000 mark in 2027, before growing to about 3,250 in 2040 and 3,430 in 2050.

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News

Support for Arlington office-to-residential conversions approved

By Scott McCaffrey
Office buildings in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington County Board members on Saturday (Nov. 16) approved changes aimed at a speedier bureaucratic and administrative process for those converting office buildings for residential use.

“The name of the game is maintaining agility,” Board member Maureen Coffey said in advance of the 5-0 vote.

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Schools

Key component of APS phone policy in flux as deadline nears

By Scott McCaffrey
Cell-phone use is restricted in Arlington's public schools (via Christian Wiediger/Unsplash)

A proposal to restrict access to cellphones at Arlington high schools remains up for debate as a School Board decision deadline approaches.

With the decision date set for Dec. 12, Board members have one major decision left to make related to high schools:

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News

Tree advocates not completely sold on new county-government data

By Scott McCaffrey
Trees cast long shadows from the setting sun at Virginia Highlands Park (staff photo)

A recently released analysis may provide the fuel to rekindle ongoing debate about the state of Arlington’s treescape.

“We don’t know if we trust your data. We trust our eyes,” said Elizabeth Grossman of the Arlington Tree Action Group (ATAG), who used the County Board’s Nov. 16 public-comment period to encourage county leaders not to take a victory lap over the new figures.

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News

Dehghani-Tafti presses for new strategies in resisting Trump, Republicans

By Scott McCaffrey and Dan Egitto
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at her election watch party in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Go-along-to-get-along will not be the strategy of Arlington’s top prosecutor as the nation heads into the second Donald Trump era.

Instead, she is asking those on her side of the political aisle to embrace new ways of fighting back.

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News

Advocates for affordable housing on faith parcels make new appeal

By Scott McCaffrey
Pat Findikoglu speaks to County Board (via Arlington County)

Advocates of a more streamlined way to get affordable housing built on religious-owned land on Saturday (Nov. 16) made one more appeal to Arlington County Board members.

But they may be facing an uphill battle convincing Arlington, and other Northern Virginia localities, to come on board with the proposal during the 2025 General Assembly session.

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News

County Board takes final steps moving to deer-culling next winter

By Scott McCaffrey
A professional deer sharpshooter (via Arlington County)

Arlington leaders have taken the last procedural step required to begin the culling of deer on public land across the county.

County Board members on Saturday (Nov. 16) voted 5-0 for zoning-ordinance changes that will permit sharpshooters to begin dealing with what Arlington officials say is an overpopulation of deer.

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News

‘Second signature’ requirement nixed from package of towing revisions

By Scott McCaffrey
A 'towing enforced' sign (file photo)

Arlington County Board members appear disinclined to impose a “second-signature” requirement on property owners having improperly parked vehicles towed from their properties.

A final vote won’t take place until Tuesday evening (Nov. 19), but county staff have recommended that Board members follow the recommendation of the government’s Trespass Towing Advisory Board, which unanimously recommended against a requirement that there be a real-time signature before a tow can take place.

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News

‘Spirit of Community’ honorees took varied paths but share similar visions

By Scott McCaffrey
2024 Spirit of Community honorees and dignitaries (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The three 2024 William T. Newman Jr. Spirit of Community Award took widely divergent paths on the road to civic leadership.

But the recipients share a number of commonalities, as well.

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News

Arlington election officials finalize vote count in 2024 races

By Scott McCaffrey
2024 Arlington presidential vote (via Virginia Department of Elections)

Things weren’t official until the Electoral Board convened Thursday evening (Nov. 14) to certify it, but Arlington’s vote count for the 2024 election is now complete.

“At this point it’s really just double-checking everything,” county elections director Gretchen Reinemeyer said at the start of a post-election Electoral Board meeting held Wednesday (Nov. 13).

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News

Sidewalk-conditions map sought by pedestrian, bicycle advocates

By Scott McCaffrey
A sidewalk closure at the corner of Langston Blvd and North Glebe Road (staff photo)

The Arlington County government has just unveiled an updated map showing roadway conditions for bicyclists.

Should a similar effort be undertaken to gauge the quality of sidewalks across the county?

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