Thursday, September 20, 2012
The McLean Planning Committee discussed the utility project on Wednesday.
The project to bury power lines underground in downtown McLean is moving forward ahead of schedule, the McLean Planning Committee discussed on Wednesday evening at the McLean Community Center. Next spring, several sidewalks around the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road will be converted from cement to brick, too. Grant money will be used for "streetscaping," including lighting design and pedestrian crosswalks. In other business, the committee passed a resolution asking the Virginia Department of Transportation to conduct a traffic study by counting cars on several congested McLean streets. The group also expressed concerns about the traffic and the amount of parking at the new Chipotle, located at 6707 Old Dominion Dr…
Friday, August 3, 2012
Latest McLean Headlines
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Friday, August 3, 2012
Good Morning Neighbors, Higher Costs for Undergrounding Downtown Utilities. Project needs nearly $1 million more. McLean Weekly Crime Report. Doll, wine, belts stolen from businesses. A McLean Wedding. The in-laws.
Another $950,000 proposed for the project from the Fiscal Year 2012 carryover
Fairfax County ended Fiscal year 2012 with a $13.4 million surplus or carryover of which nearly $1 million is proposed to pay for unexpectedly higher costs of putting utility lines underground in downtown McLean. Fairfax County executive Ed Long presented the year-end accounting for the just completed 2012 Fiscal Year, called the Carryover Budget, Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors. Dranesville Supervisor John Foust said last year the county always has a carryover at the end of a fiscal year because it conservatively estimates revenues. Last year's carryover was $60 million. The downtown under-grounding utilities project, which is underway along Chain Bridge Road, was originally budgeted for about $2.5 million The General Fund transfer …
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Seen Around McLean
The signs on the door of the store space next to Bistro Vivant in the Langley Shopping Center say PR Partners is moving in. _______________________ Some neighbors have asked about the construction equipment that recently arrived behind the former McDonald's restaurant on Elm Street. It's part of the construction of undergrounding the power lines that now crisscross the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road in the center of downtown. All the construction that you see downtown from the former Chicken Out to Old Dominion is all connected to the "undergrounding" project. ________________________________ The beginning of the overhead station structure appears to be emerging atop the McLean station along Dolley Madison …
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
New owners bought popular coffee shop July 1.
Greenberrys, McLean's popular downtown coffee shop, has new owners who have a little sprucing up in mind, but no major changes. Phil Pedlikin and wife Adrianne, of Vienna, and Dan LaBerge and wife Venus, of Arlington, bought Greenberrys July 1, Phil Pedlikin said Monday during a visit. "This is a fixture in McLean. People love it," he said. "We are not interested in making significant changes." Their to-do list includes: expanding the menu from coffee, ice cream and pastries to include wraps and salads for the lunchtime crowd; upgrading the Wi-Fi, installing more outlets (most are now in the ceiling), redoing the floors and not increasing the prices. This is their first foray into the food business. Pedlikin said he is an IT consultant…
Saturday, July 14, 2012
What we saw driving around this week.
Seen in McLean this week: A Romney for President office has quietly opened in downtown McLean. Volunteers were moving in Friday afternoon. The office is located on the third floor of an office building on Elm Street. Two representatives of Moveon.org picketed on the sidewalk outside for a few minutes Friday. Danielle Green of Falls Church said she was picketing because: "We want Mr. Romney to do what his father did and release his tax returns. We the voters are curious." Carl Proper, of Bethesda, said: "No prevous candidate had a financial history as rich and as interesting with money stashed in the Cayman Islands. Was he paying taxes on that money?" _________________ The construction in downtown on the south side of Chain Bridge Road is…
Monday, June 25, 2012
MPC roundup
Winnie Pizzano, a retired federal worker, is the newly elected president of The McLean Planning Committee that makes recommendations on developments in downtown McLean. She succeeds Ghassan Abukurah, a McLean architect, in the office which has a one-year term. Richard Salopek, a former MPC president and an architect, was elected vice-chairbat last week's MPC meeting. Pizzano, who now works as a health care delivery consultant, lives in a neighborhood adjacent to downtown. The MPC is comprised of sixteen members: Four each from the surrounding Homeowner Associations, the McLean Citizens Association, the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, and the McLean Commercial Landowners Association (downtown business owners). MPC reviews proposed …
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Mae's Dress Boutique Owner Retiring
Mae's Dress Boutique, an institution in downtown McLean for more than 30 years, is closing. Owner Mae Shipe is retiring. Mae's was the place to shop for after-five gowns, and dresses for occasions ranging from Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and second weddings to military galas. "We have the gown for you," she wrote in a letter sent this week to preferred customers. The letter began, "Mae's Dress Boutique is closing its doors forever" and went on to announce a "retirement - store closing sale." Friday afternoon found a steady stream of customers looking through racks of dresses, gowns, tops and shoes for bargains. The dress shop is located 6707 Old Dominion Drive, across a parking lot from the Shell Service Station.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Musicians expect to raise $40,000
UPDATE:Members of the McLean High School band fanned out into the community last Saturday on their annual fundraising drive, collecting $34,000 and expecting another $8,000 to $9,000 in checks. “It was a great day,” Band director Chris Weise told the McLean Patch. “We’re in good shape.” Frank Key, Tag Day Chairman and a parent, said, "The generosity and kindness of the McLean community toward the band is so rewarding.. I was concerned that the economic angst out there would impact our fundraising this year, but it didn't. Please extend my sincere gratitude to the community for their continuing support of our program. Also, anyone who still has a "leave behind" envelope you received on Saturday if you were out when we knocked on your door; …
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Undergrounding power lines at Chain Bridge and Old Dominion
Imagine the major intersection in downtown McLean with no utility poles and no overhead wires. Yes it's difficult. But in the past three years, all 43 landowners at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road have been charmed, cajoled and persuaded into signing agreements that will lead to undergrounding all the overhead wires. This $3.3 million construction project should start next year. “When I took office, I made the utility undergrounding project a major priority,” said Dranesville Supervisor John Foust. “I know the task of obtaining all the easements was very difficult," said Foust, who took office in 2007 and is running for re-election this year. "I greatly appreciate the efforts of my chief of staff, Jane …
cari gradison
9:57 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012
I THINK the PR partners is actually moving into a space between the music store and toy store. Next to Bon Vivant is the pharmacy and a Russian Deli. Hope the latter two are remaining and only the empty space is being filled more ›