Route 1 Dispatches: Huntley Meadows Wetlands Restoration Begins

Each week, Patch brings you the top headlines from the Route 1 corridor.

Huntley Meadows Park Wetlands Restoration Begins April 17

The Fairfax County Park Authority will begin restoring the wetlands at Huntley Meadows Park on April 17, after more than 20 years of site monitoring and project planning.

The $3 million reconstruction project is funded by the Fairfax County Park bond and some grants, said Park Manager Kevin Munroe. The hemi-marsh consists of 50 percent open water and 50 percent vegetated water. During the 1980s, silt and debris that got into the park due to redevelopment projects in the area reduced the water depth and wildlife, Munroe explained.

Mount Vernon Commercial Building Fire Deemed Accidental

The fire that broke out Sunday afternoon at the commercial building housing Friendly's Rent-A-Car located at 8145 Richmond Hwy. in Mount Vernon was determined to be an accidental electrical fire.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a structure fire call on Sunday at approximately 5:20 p.m. The building contained three businesses.

Meadowood Barn: BLM Lease Agreement Allows 30 Boarded Horses

The horse boarding program at the Meadowood Special Recreation Area will survive for at least another year.

Barn manager Allison Mills signed a one-year lease for the Bureau of Land Management's Stables At Meadowood last Friday and is no longer tied down to her previous contract, which limited the number of horses allowed on the property to 15, as the Bureau makes its long-awaited final determination on future barn renovations.

Do you have a news tip? Email Local Editor Jessie Biele at jessie.biele@patch.com.