April 11 – 17, 2019
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. X XIX N o. 8
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Focus on the F.C. Housing Market
The News-Press’s spring Real Estate special explores Falls Church housing trends, how credit scores affect home buying, the development of Bailey’s Crossroads and more.
See Real Estate Guide, pages 13–20
Man Charged With Murder of GMHS Grad Jerry Alan Harbison, 33, of Alexandria has been charged with second degree murder in the death of 2002 George Mason High graduate Matthew Watson.
24 West End Decision Makers Meet, Project Deadlines Loom Play Ball!
Last Minute Push For ‘Outward Focus’ Of Huge Project
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
So, a record number of these races are now being hotly contested, and that includes in primaries, where in the case of this area, Democratic incumbents are facing primary challenges in key races, including one non-state race, the election for the Commonwealth Attorney in the Arlington-Falls Church area.
An extraordinary work session was held in the F.C. Community Center following the regular City Council business meeting last Monday where two dozen of the City’s most important decision makers interacted with the development team to move the process for the proposed 10.3-acre west end project closer toward a May 13 deadline to execute the agreement. Willing to forego most of the national college basketball championship game, even with the University of Virginia in that final (and one Council member, Letty Hardi, sporting her UVa colors), the decision makers were notified by Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields of a letter from Fairfax County about the project, but were assured that the terms of the land transfer with the county that traded the City’s water system for that land stipulated that terms of a 70 percent-30 percent split use of the site provided the City “total discretion” in that execution. “There has been a lot of interaction with the county in the last four years in the zoning, planning and political processes and all partners are well informed. The original agreement was that the 70-30 split is at the total discretion of the City,” Shields said. The county’s letter suggested that the matter might not be so completely resolved, however,
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See News Briefs, page 9
Move to Renovated F.C. City Hall Imminent
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields told the F.C. City Council Monday night that the time to move back into the newly renovated and expanded City Hall is arriving. See News Briefs, page 9
Mason Boys Rolling Through April
Settling into their winning ways, George Mason High School’s boys soccer team racked up three more victories this past week to keep its April spotless. See Sports, page 24
HELPING THOW OUT first pitches at Opening Day ceremonies for the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League last Saturday were former FCKLL players and current George Mason High School varsity team members (left to right) Brian Murphy, Jay Nesson, Erik Martin, Aidan Clark, Sean Butler, and Johnny Asel. (Photo: Mary Asel)
3 State Senate Candidates, 2 For Attorney Vie in F.C. Debate by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial................ 6 Letters.................. 6 News & Notes.10–11 Comment...... 12, 21 Business News.. 23 Sports................ 24
Calendar...... 26–27 Classified Ads.... 28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword......... 29 Crime Report..... 30 Critter Corner..... 30
The election season is hot and heavy already, not only with the presidential sweepstakes grabbing headlines nationally, but with the unique situation that Virginia has: hosting the only comprehensive elections in the U.S. in 2019. That is, every state legislative seat will
be on the ballot this November, and unlike recent years, this time both houses of the state legislature are in play for control by one party or the other. When the Democrats picked up 15 seats in the House of Delegates in the 2017 election, it brought them within one seat of controlling that body, and it is already a virtual tie in the State Senate.