County Board members have voted to consider a transition period of between 18 and 36 months to potentially phase out gas-powered leaf blowers.
On a 5-0 vote, Board members advertised a July public hearing for final action. The proposal features a potential implementation timetable that is longer than some environmental activists want but shorter than some industry leaders say is feasible.
Falls Church’s Urban Forestry Commission is considering ideas to increase the city’s tree canopy without breaking the bank.
With several years of difficult budget years on the horizon, it may be hard to find funding for some previous proposals, such as creating a city urban-forestry management plan and a comprehensive tree inventory, said Erin Flynn, the Council’s liaison to the commission.
A local environmental advocacy organization hopes to breathe new life into its efforts.
Supporters of the Arlington Tree Action Group (ATAG) met online May 14 to consider specific initiatives and, potentially, a broader mission. The goal, leader Mary Glass said, was to take a fresh look at the local civic landscape and ATAG’s place within it.
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input on big-picture plans for GW Parkway’s vistas and foliage — a topic that has previously sparked significant controversy.
A virtual public meeting on “long-term care of historic scenic views,” featuring a presentation and an opportunity for questions, is scheduled for 6 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Respondents can also comment online through Saturday, April 11.
The Falls Church City Council is preparing to vote on a region-wide proposal to increase annual spending for Metro by $460 million every year.
On Monday, Feb. 2, Council members are slated to discuss a request from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) to formally support the DMV Moves funding proposal to augment Metro service.
County Board members voted unanimously on Saturday (Jan. 24) to approve redevelopment of the vacant Inn of Rosslyn motel site for new apartments.
“We are facing a housing crisis. This crisis is today,” Board member Takis Karantonis said in support of the proposal by Monument Realty to construct an eight-story building totaling 141 units, including 13 committed-affordable units.
The county government’s arborist is pushing back on accusations that an iconic tree was removed needlessly from a Lyon Park median.
But local residents aghast at the removal aren’t letting the county government off the hook for its actions.
Sales of Christmas trees and other seasonal items are returning to Arlington and Falls Church for the holiday season.
As usual, many holiday markets begin shortly after Thanksgiving, representing an annual tradition and local pilgrimage for countless buyers and sellers in the area.
Developers of commercial projects in Falls Church could for the first time be required to meet minimum tree-canopy requirements.
City Council members at an Oct. 6 work session generally were supportive of a staff proposal that would set a minimum 10% canopy for future commercial development.
With leaves falling along with autumn temperatures, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia is pleading with local property owners not to rake and remove all their leaves from yards.
“There are many ways you can use them rather than sending them to the landfill,” said Claudia Gerwin, who on Oct. 3 led an online program for Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Arlington-Alexandria office.
A new orchard at Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School is already producing fruit after surviving an unusually dry August.
All the saplings planted in the spring survived the summer, making it likely they will have long-term viability, said Mary Glass of the Arlington Tree Connection advocacy group.
Gas-powered leaf blowers could soon meet their downfall in Arlington.
The County Board is considering a possible ban on the controversial contraptions, which local environmental advocates have criticized for their loud noise levels and low fuel efficiency.
