July 23 - 29, 2015
Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
Founded 1991 • Vol. XXV N o . 22
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week F.C.’s Annexed Land RFP Nears Completion
Working past midnight into Tuesday morning, the Falls Church City Council and School Board worked to within sight of a final version of language for its “request for conceptual proposal” to go out to the development world next month for development of the almost 40 acres of land annexed to the City. See News Briefs, page 9
At 1st Candidate Forum, Mt. Daniel Deferral Draws Much Commentary Tuesday’s Event Attended by 7 of 14 Candidates
by Nicholas F. Benton
1st-Time Candidates Go In Front of Camera
Falls Church News-Press
acquired earlier this year were not repeated last night, as the developers stressed those plans have yet to be solidified. But local developer and new EDA member Bob Young said at one point, “We all know what grocery group we’re talking about here.” The components of the project that were accented with architectural renderings last night include a five-story mixed-use building with a ground floor retail use of
The next steps forward for the Falls Church City Schools seeking to expand and renovate the Mt. Daniel Elementary campus two blocks outside the City limits in Fairfax County became a major issue of discussion among the nine City Council and School Board candidates who assembled at the American Legion post on N. Oak for the first group forum heading into the November election season. Shock and disappointment have ensued in Falls Church since the School Board was forced to seek a deferral until September of the Fairfax Planning Commission action to approve the plan after a disastrous June 24 hearing before that group had turned almost all the commissioners against it. At the candidate forum Tuesday at the American Legion Hall, School Board chair Justin Castillo, who showed up as a candidate for re-election when the School Board meeting was postponed, said that the June 24 deferral indicated that the Fairfax Planning Commission “needed more time for an additional review.” He added, “That’s all we can say right now. I hope for a satisfactory outcome.” Three citizens seeking election to the School Board who were present, and who are among the nine total candidates seeking three School Board seats this fall were also vocal on the subject. Erin Gill, Jacob Radcliff and Philip Reitinger each spoke out, as did Council candidate Letty Hardi, one of five Council candidates seeking a three slots now up for
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Only three of the 14 candidates for this fall’s Falls Church City Council and School Board elections took advantage of a free offer from Falls Church Community Television to record messages for the public. See page 10
Maureen Dowd: Hi-Ho, Lone Ranger
Until the nation began watching the sterling Obamas, the sterling Huxtables were the most celebrated positive image of a wholesome, engaging, upper-middle-class black family. See page 15
Press Pass with Jimbo Mathus
There are country singers, rock n’ roll artists and blues and jazz performers out there. Then there’s Jimbo Mathus who does it all. See page 18
FIRST-TIME FALLS CHURCH City Council candidate Letty Hardi speaks from the podium at Tuesday night’s candidates forum at the American Legion Hall while (seated, left to right) School Board candidate Phil Reitinger, Mayor David Tarter and School Board candidate Erin Gill look on. (Photo: News-Press)
Big Broad & Washington Plan Gets 1st Look at F.C. City Hall by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial..................6 Letters..............6, 22 News & Notes.12-13 Comment........14-17 Food & Dining......19 Calendar.........22-23
Classified Ads .....24 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........25 Business News....26 Critter Corner.......26
Usually almost nobody shows up for subcommittee meetings of the Falls Church City Council, but this was not the case last Thursday night, when the Dogwood Room at City Hall was graced with not only five of the seven members of the City Council, but with representatives of the City’s Planning Commission and Economic Development Authority, two from the City’s own Economic
Development Office among others. Everybody was eager to hear the first public briefing by the Insight Property Group LLC, represented by McGuire Woods LLP, who purchased the southeast corner of the City’s central crossroads at the intersection of Routes 29 and 7. Leaked reports from the spring that made headlines about plans for a 50,000 square foot Whole Foods as the prime anchor of a major mixed-use development covering four parcels that were