Northern VA received a "severe blow" to its bid to land an
MLB franchise when Fairfax County officials decided to abandon
their efforts to build a stadium, according to the WASHINGTON
POST. The "abrupt exit" was in response to "a sudden backlash"
from residents near a proposed site in Springfield, VA, and as a
result, only sites in Arlington and Stafford Counties remain --
and both "have significant flaws." The Arlington site would have
to contend with noise from nearby National Airport and FAA safety
concerns. Stafford County is 40 miles from DC, which may be too
far for serious contention. Fairfax Supervisor Michael Frey: "I
wouldn't say this is the death knell, but the hearses are lining
up outside." The Fairfax County Board cited a tight deadline and
a lack of information on how the stadium would be financed. The
Virginia Baseball Club and its president William Collins "could
barely conceal their frustration" at Supervisor T. Dana Kauffman,
who represents the Springfield area and who earlier supported a
stadium. Collins: "This is his first term" (Lipton & Hsu,
WASHINGTON POST, 5/21).
