August 15 — 21, 2019
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Foun d ed 1991 • V ol. X XIX No. 26
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Former City Attorney Roy Thorpe Dies
Roy Thorpe, the longest termed City Attorney for the City of Falls Church, died at age 73 last Sunday at his home in Culpeper, Virginia. Thorpe was a critical stabilizing influence at City Hall in Falls Church, serving as the City Attorney from 1996 to 2008. See News Briefs, page 9
‘Best Of’ Voting Ends Monday! See pages 12–13
F.C. Council OKs Housing Vision Based on New Affordable Options Zoning Changes Are Proposed to Boost Auxiliary Unit Stock
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Kindergarten Class Added as Sign-Ups Surge Advanced registration for the fall semester at Mt. Daniel Elementary has already exceeded projections to the point that a new kindergarten class has been added. See News Briefs, page 9
Current Roads Sculpted Around Region’s Hills Long before it took on the names of Broad Street in Falls Church, King Street in Alexandria or Leesburg Pike everywhere else, Route 7 was the AlexandriaVestal’s Gap Road — one of Northern Virginia’s first thoroughfares that shaped our current urban roadways. See page 8
FALLS CHURCH ASSISTANT City Manager Cindy Mester and City Hall summer intern Peter Faragasso presented a review of the year’s Richmond legislative session and its results to the F.C. City Council Monday night. (Photo: News-Press)
‘HQ2 Effect’ on Region’s Housing Prices: It’s Downright Explosive
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial................6 Letters..................6 News & Notes.10, 11 Comment.... 14,15 Business News.16 Calendar..... 18,19
Classified Ads... 20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword........ 21 Crime Report.... 22 Critter Corner.... 22
Home prices are soaring in the region in the wake of Amazon’s decision to locate the lion’s share of its second headquarters (known affectionately as HQ2) in Northern Virginia. According to a report this week in the Washington Business Journal, the Amazon effect is acting “like some kind of real estate black hole.” Namely, as the article by
Jonathan Capriel states, home prices in the 22202 zip code on top of where the new headquarters is going in Crystal City, have soared by 72 percent in July over June, and by 25 percent year-over-year. Crystal City is part of Arlington County, the City of Falls Church’s immediate neighbor to the north and east. The article, entitled “Housing Index: July Home Prices Near Amazon HQ2 Soar to Highest Levels in a Decade,” quotes Chris
Finnegan of Bright MLS, who says, “Part of the reason for that bump in prices is that owners are holding onto their homes for longer in hopes of scoring a big sale. That means that any home that does make it into the market is sold at a premium.” The “Amazon effect,” he surmises, “is encouraging homeowners to list their property much higher than they did the year
Continued on Page 5
“Affordable housing” dominates the new chapter of the City of Falls Church’s Comprehensive Plan update approved by the F.C. Council by a unanimous vote Monday. The focus on improving the City’s affordable housing stock, and the encouragement of the ability for “aging in place” of existing City residents veritably dominate the new chapter, entitled, “Housing a Complete Community.” The focus reflects swiftlyemerging regional and national trends as the nation faces what many are calling a housing “crisis” due to the swelling legions of American households who cannot afford access to existing housing because of market pressures that are inflating housing prices dramatically. The vision statement for the new Housing chapter is weighed heavily in its focus on affordable housing. The other chapter approved by the Council Monday for inclusion in the Comprehensive Plan was on demographics, involving a study done earlier this year that, among other things, recognizes that Falls Church is the fastest growing jurisdiction in the region of new single housing occupants. In the Housing chapter, the vision statement at its outset is revised from the current version adopted in October 2005, stating the City’s goal as being to “create and maintain a diverse supply of
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