Wegmans cements deal in Reston Crescent project — The supermarket chain will set up shop by Reston Parkway. [Washington Business Journal]

Try out American mahjong — Drop in to try out the game using tiles instead of cards for free at the Reston Community Center. [Reston Community Center]

“Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold” — There are only a few days left to see the photography exhibition by Caitlin Teal Price. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Keep an eye on the Metrorail’s schedule — Riders can expect reduced hours and track work tomorrow and over the weekend. [WTOP]

Photo by Bill Burton

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors approved today a $1 million investment in Reston-based Refraction’s expansion, which plans to add 800 jobs in the next five years.

In addition to the new tech jobs, the investment is anticipated to go toward training 2,500 workers and eventually lead to $200 million in new capital investment over the next five years.

The funding will also support Refraction’s apprenticeship program under development with the Northern Virginia Community College to train workers for startups and high-growth companies, along with assisting Refraction’s move to a larger space in Reston.

The board approved the use of the economic development funds at its Nov. 20 meeting. Under its agreement with the county, Refraction must report its financial results and success metrics annually.

Founded in 2014, Refraction (11911 Freedom Drive, Suite 850) is a coworking community for startups and high-growth companies. Located at Reston Town Center, the “innovation hub” provides educational programs, along with networking and mentoring events.

The Refraction community has had more than 100 companies who have collectively raised $126 million in capital, according to a Refraction press release.

Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova said the expansion will stimulate the local economy.

“As a county, we’re making strategic investments that help to support and grow our region’s innovation ecosystem, such as offering tech startups access to entrepreneurial expertise so they can scale their businesses,” she said.

Refraction will also partner with the county’s chief equity officer and public schools to train girls and students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities on entrepreneurship skills — a partnership that supports the social and racial equity policy, One Fairfax.

County officials have said that a focus on women and minorities is especially important as the tech industry increases diversity in its workforce.

Last week, another Reston-based company announced an expansion that will create more jobs, just days after Amazon’s decision to bring its second headquarters to Crystal City.

IT services firm 1901 Group announced last Thursday (Nov. 15) that it will bring 225 more jobs to Reston in the next three years as part of a $4 million expansion.

Photo via Refraction/Facebook 

Two current and one incoming Herndon Town councilmembers have dropped their lawsuit against Councilmember Grace Wolf Cunningham.

Cunningham, who lost her seat in a narrow and highly charged election, was replaced by newcomers Cesar del Aguila and Pradip Dhakal.

Del Aguila and current councilmembers Sheila Olem and Signe Friedrichs, who both won re-election, filed a civil suit on Sept. 24 against Cunningham for allegations of malicious prosecution. The trio ran a unified campaign.

John Farrell, the attorney for the plaintiffs, told Reston Now that his clients directed him to file a nonsuit last Tuesday, which the judge has not yet signed off on.

Farrell said his clients decided to drop the case “since they won the election quite handily.”

The lawsuit alleges that the four-term councilwoman engaged in malicious prosecution over when she filed campaign law violations against the trio. The Virginia State Board of Elections dismissed the three complaints lodged by Cunningham.

The first complaint against Friedrichs stated a grip card that said “Herndon’s Future is Happening Now: Let’s plan it together” contained no identification about the campaign committee that paid for the card. The second complaint against said del Aguila did not form a campaign committee and did not file any campaign finance disclosure reports. The final complaint against Olem challenges a grip card that stated “Moving Forward Herndon.”

The judge in the case rejected Cunningham’s attempt to dismiss the case.

While re-election of four incumbents maintained much of the board’s composition, the lawsuit signals a changing dynamic of the new town council.

“I think it is a shift in who is the dominant voice of Herndon,” Farrell said. “I think my clients would hope that the people who supported Ms. Cunningham will support the interest of the voters.”

Cunningham declined to comment to Reston Now because the case is still pending.

Photo via Town of Herndon

(Updated at 2:33 p.m.) Loudoun County recently had a pair of arrests of Herndon residents for public intoxication.

Loudoun County police were called to Ashburn on Saturday (Nov. 17) around 8:35 a.m. for a report of a man walking in the roadway at the intersection of Loudoun County Parkway and Waxpool Road.

Juan V. Berrueta-Clement, 43, of Herndon was arrested and charged with public intoxication, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. He has since been released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on an unsecured bond.

In a separate incident, another Herndon resident was arrested on Nov. 10 and charged with public intoxication. Police responded to a report of Isaias Serano, 30, acting confrontational with security officers at Town Center Plaza in Sterling. Serano was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on an unsecured bond.

Over in Fairfax County, a dozen larcenies occurred last week.

The Fairfax County Police Department reported the following incidents in recent days:

LARCENIES:

1700 block of Business Center Drive, cash from location

1500 block of Cameron Crescent Drive, mail from residence

2100 block of Centreville Road, beer from residence

2400 block of Centreville Road, liquor from business

11100 block of Harbor Court, jewelry from residence

2300 block of Horseferrry Court, property from business

11400 block of Isaac Newton Square, credit cards and wallet from location

900 block of Locust Street, cash from school

11900 block of Market Street, cell phone from business

2100 block of Monaghan Drive, cell phone from residence

11700 block of Putting Green Court, jewelry from residence

12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, wallet from location

STOLEN VEHICLES:

None reported

Photo via FCPD

This story has been updated

Where to properly dispose of American flags — The American Legion collects American flags at several county government locations. [Fairfax County]

Fairfax County doctor is preventing opioid addiction —  Dr. Jae Lim, who is credentialed at the Reston Hospital Center, is using a new technique to lower the risk of opioid addiction. [Fox 5 DC]

Real estate development company third-quarter results — Comstock Holding Companies, Inc., which is based in Reston, saw a bump in revenue for the third-quarter, compared to the same period last year. [Globe Newswire]

Blood drive —  A blood drive will be hosted by INOVA Blood Donor Services and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department at the Fire and Rescue Academy from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill 

Fairfax County is expected to move forward with proposed zoning changes for Reston that would increase the population density.

After 17 months of public engagement, the county’s Board of Supervisors is anticipated to authorize public hearings on the zoning changes for early next year at its Dec. 4 meeting, the county announced Monday (Nov. 19). The meeting will not be an opportunity for public input, the statement said.

The proposal would increase the maximum allowed population per acre in the Planned Residential Community (PRC) district — Reston’s primary zoning district — from 13 persons up to 15. The current density is roughly 12.46 people per acre.

“This 13-persons per acre limit has remained unchanged for several decades and does not accommodate the future residential growth anticipated in the Reston PRC near the future Silver Line Metrorail stations,” the statement said.

The proposal would also up the limit of 50 dwelling units per acre to 70 in the transit station areas planned for mixed-use development. This would mainly affect the Reston Town Center Transit Station Area, according to the statement.

County officials began small workgroup sessions hosted by the Coalition for a Planned Reston, a grassroots organization and Reston Association in July to discuss the controversial plan.

County planning officials have argued that the Reston PRC zoning change is needed to put into action Reston’s Master Plan, which allows for future growth over the next 40 years, especially around the Silver Line Metrorail stations.

Last September, Reston 20/20, Reclaim Reston and the Reston Citizens Association encouraged Restonians to fight the County’s proposal, which then had the bump on the people per acre in the PRC District from 13 to 16.

Coalition for a Planned Reston sent a letter Aug. 1 to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins to urge her to continue suspending further action on the zoning amendment while discussions were ongoing between the Reston community and Fairfax County staff.

Reston Association sent two letters last year to Hudgins. The first one expressed opposition to the amendment as currently proposed, and the second letter included a list of actions that should be undertaken before the amendment is considered any further by the county.

“Many believe that such increases would create an unsustainable burden on Reston’s infrastructure,” the Reston Association said in an April 11 statement. “Simply, we want to ensure adequate infrastructure to account for the increased growth, including, but not limited to, adequate schools, roads, parks, athletic fields, and natural areas, while protecting the Reston vision.”

Photo via Fairfax County 

A well-known mezzo-soprano, who resides in Reston, will take to the stage to perform a variety of songs.

Elizabeth Bishop, a long-time resident, will perform operatic songs and American folk standards, ranging from Gustav Mahler to Cole Porter.

She will be accompanied on the piano by Patrick O’Donnell, along with additional instrumental support from Salvatore Amadeo on the violin and Jihea Choi on the Cello, Paul Douglas Michnewicz, director of arts and events at Reston Community Center, told Reston Now.

“From Here to There” will take place at the Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16. Tickets are $15.

She has performed at The Metropolitan Opera and the Washington National Opera. In December, Bishop will travel to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for the role of Madame de la Haltière in “Cendrillon” — an opera adapted from Cinderella.

Bishop is part of the Reston Community Center’s lineup of old and new professional touring artists, including singer Jazzmeia Horn and DeRay Mckesson, a civil rights activist. This is her first time performing in the Professional Touring Artist Series, Michnewicz said.

Photo via Madeleine Gray Divatography

The Reston Association’s Board of Directors received a summary last week of the second annual report about the state of the environment in Reston.

Doug Britt, a Virginia Master Naturalist and the director of Reston Association’s first Reston Annual State of the Environment Report, gave an overview of the 2018 Annual State of the Environment Report (RASER) at a Reston Association meeting on Thursday (Nov. 15).

The study is intended to give readers a better understanding of Reston’s current environmental conditions in order to provide a baseline against which future changes to the environment can be measured.

The second RASER updates all of the topics addressed in the first one, along with adding new topics and recommendations. The results of the first RASER arrived in January after it was published last July.

The report has 11 new recommendations, which include the following:

• Schedule dredging when nuisance aquatic weeds are dormant
• Enforce shoreline distribution regulations for cluster shoreline properties
• Create a plan to alert residents about lake safety issues
• Assess whether de-icing salts are affecting water quality
• Partner with organizations to conduct native plant education programs, to use edible plants in landscaping and to distribute leftover food
• Determine baseline noise levels throughout parts of Reston

The report also has an analysis of 19 environmental attributes — rating them on a scale of green (good), yellow (fair), red (poor) and undetermined — and adds in excerpts from Fairfax County’s Environmental Vision Document. “I feel confident as a community that we are way ahead of a lot of other county committees in meeting the revised vision document of the county,” Britt said.

Attributes that got a “green” rating include air quality, drinking water, wastewater treatment, hazardous and toxic waste and environmental education.

Streams received a bump from “red” to “yellow” status this year after more diversity than expected was found in them over the summer, Britt said, adding that almost half of Reston’s streams have been restored. Lakes and ponds, urban forests, landscaping, wildlife management and light pollution also got bucketed in the “yellow” rating.

Attributes that lacked enough data for an adequate rating included wetlands, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates and noise pollution.

Only one received the “red” designation: stormwater management. “When Reston first developed in the early 60’s and 70’s, the stormwater was typically shunted from development sites into nearby receiving sites as quickly as possible trough impervious surfaces,” Britt said. “This resulted in the streams not being able to handle the capacity of storm surges.”

South Lakes District Director Julie Bitzer said at the meeting that she has had a lot of residents talk to her about erosion and stormwater management, because of the amount of rain this year. “I think that is something we need to look at,” she said.

Britt encouraged the board to move away from the “band-aid approach” of expensive lake dredging to remove sediment and instead focus on soil erosion prevention, which he said will be a more cost-efficient choice for improving streams and water quality issues. He also suggested that the board empower residents to help by using low-technology solutions like rain gardens and also set higher standards for developers.

Britt also provided a breakdown of the progress of the 61 recommendations made in last year’s report. Two have been completed, while the rest include 14 lacking progress, 20 with limited work done and 25 with “substantial” progress.

“I don’t want anybody to get the idea that because only two were fully completed, that this designates some ignoring of these recommendations, because very few of the recommendations were what I would call ‘one and done,'” he said.

The three highest priorities should be protecting Reston’s urban forests, improving surface water quality and maintaining “robust” education and outreach programs, Britt said.

RASER recommendations will continue annually, while updates will come every other year, Britt said. The next updated text is expected to be released in 2020.

Photo via Reston Association/YouTube

(Editor’s note: This story was updated Monday at 11:15 a.m. with comments from the company.)

International tech company Tobii Pro opened its new U.S. headquarters in Reston last week.

The company celebrated with a grand opening last Tuesday (Nov. 13) at the new offices (12007 Sunrise Valley Drive Suite 400), according to a press release. The new spot has 23 people who work for the North American team, servicing customers in the U.S. and Canada.

The company provides eye tracking research products and services to more than 3,000 companies and 2,000 research institutions.

Founded in 2001, Tobii Pro is one of three business units that operate under Tobii Group. The company is headquartered in Sweden, with offices in China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Reston’s proximity to Dulles International Airport and its transformation into a “dense technology hub” drew the company to the site, Stephanie Ostrow, marketing director for the North American team at Tobii Pro, told Reston Now.

“Tobii Pro was looking to relocate to an area that represented the innovative nature of our company in a professional area close to an international airport,” Ostrow said.

The company had been eyeing Reston for about one year, and after reviewing more than 200 commercial properties, decided on the location because of the build-to-suit agreement, office park amenities and conference facilities, Ostrow said.

Tobii Pro has 190 people out of the nearly 1,000 employees worldwide at Tobii Group, Ostrow said.

Tobii Pro’s products include screen-based eye trackers, glasses for eye tracking, virtual reality and “gaze analysis.” Last month the company introduced the Tobii Pro Nano, which plugs into the USB port of a Windows laptop or tablet to collect gaze data. That data then gets used for psychology, cognition, marketing and behavioral economics research.

Photos courtesy of AxiCom and Tobii AB

This story has been updated

Last day of Cornerstones food drive — Residents can drop off non-perishable food and other items, including toilet paper, at various locations around Reston to help families in need. [Reston Community Center]

Meditation workshop — Adults and teens can learn and practice meditation techniques in this workshop with facilitator Neil Goodman. [Reston Regional Library]

Managing fall foliage PSA — Reston Association wants residents to keep leaf debris in mind as they enjoy fall while it lasts. [Reston Today]

Don’t count on Yellow — Due to a 14-day capital improvement project, there won’t be any Yellow Line service from Nov. 26 through Dec. 9. Crews are planning to make structural repairs and upgrades to the Yellow Line Bridge over the Potomac River. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

1. With Amazon’s HQ2 Decision, A Windfall Expected for Reston, Northern Virginia
2. Dulles Toll Road Hikes to Start in January
3. Breaking: Boston Properties, Jackson’s Settle Lawsuit Over Paid Parking
4. Fairfax County Public Schools to Open Late Tomorrow
5. Breaking: Four Men Arrested After High Speed Chase

If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.

Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.

Photo courtesy Crystal City BID

Looking to get into some holiday spirit? Lake Anne Plaza is preparing to host its classic event, “Jingle on Lake Anne,” on Dec. 1.

The event at 11609 Washington Plaza kicks off with a craft market at 8 a.m., followed by cookies and kids’ crafts. Adults and children can make ornaments and decorate cookies while listening to the Lake Anne Elementary School students’ perform.

At noon, Santa and his elves will arrive via boat and paddle across the lake for photo opportunities.

The events throughout the day are as follows:

• 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Craft market
• 10 a.m. to noon:  and kids’ crafts
• 11 a.m. to noon: Lake Anne Elementary School chorus and orchestra
• Noon: Santa arrives and pictures are taken
• Noon to 2 p.m.: Music on the plaza

The event is sponsored by Lake Anne merchants.

Photo by Ken Knueven via Facebook

Reston Association’s Board of Directors approved next year’s budget, which increases the assessment fee by $11, at last night’s meeting. The Thursday meeting focused on finalizing the $17.9 million budget for next year and setting the assessment fee to the new rate of $693 — a bump from last year’s $682 fee.

Larry Butler, RA’s Acting CEO, presented his recommendations for the budget before the board took a deep dive into the budget.

The long-vacant CEO spot — one of several unfilled positions, including CFO and Planner — loomed over the board’s budget deliberations.

RA At-Large Director Ven Iyer, who unsuccessfully attempted to keep next year’s assessment fee the same as last year’s, argued that keeping costs low sets a good example for whoever fills the CEO spot. “What happens if the CEO comes in and says, ‘Actually, the costs need to go up’? What would you do if that happens?” Iyer said. “I think we need to set the tone.”

RA President Andy Sigle said that RA needs a CEO’s “fresh eyes to keep pushing for more efficiencies.”

Quite a bit of confusion around the operating reserves dominated the discussion as well. Ultimately, the association trimmed roughly $280,000 from initial expense estimates from the first draft of the budget, which allowed the association to limit the assessment increase to 1.6 percent.

“Our job is not, not to spend money,” said John Mooney, secretary of the RA, said at the meeting. “We can’t do everything everyone wants… The question is not expense, it’s value.”

In an effort to pass expenses shouldered by RA, the board also green-lighted a measure to start passing on credit card fees for purchases made through WebTrac to members beginning Jan. 1. Members who purchase pool and tennis passes or activity registrations through the website will be charged the credit card service fees.

Assessment-related credit card transaction fees will also be passed on to members starting in 2020. RA also directed the association’s staff to increase employee health insurance contributions.

The RA will mail assessment packets by the end of the first week of December to residents with information about the fees and funding. The payment will be due Jan.1, and a six-month installment plan will be available. Late fees for assessment payments kick in after March 1.

Photo via Reston Association/YouTube

IT services firm 1901 Group (2003 Edmund Halley Drive) will bring more than 200 jobs to Reston in the next three years as part of a $4 million expansion.

The Reston-based company, which provides internet technology services for the public and private sectors, plans to bring 225 more jobs to Reston, along with 580 new jobs to Montgomery County by 2021, according to an announcement released today (Nov. 15). The additional 805 jobs across both counties are part of the company’s expansion of its corporate footprint in Reston and IT operations center in Blacksburg, the press release said.

1901 Group’s growth in the two counties will result in “tremendous” opportunity for the state’s citizens, State Gov. Ralph Northam said.

“With one of the largest technology talent pools in the nation, Virginia’s thriving IT industry promises high anticipated growth and upward mobility for employees,” Northam said, adding the decision reflects Virginia’s ability to compete for major projects.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority worked with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to secure the project for Virginia, according to the press release. VEDP will support 1901 Group’s recruitment activities through the state-funded Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs.

Founded in 2009, the company provides internet technology services for public and private sectors, offering infrastructure, applications management and security services through the IT-as-a-service delivery model. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce recognized the company as one of its “Fantastic 50” in 2016.

1901 Group anticipates future growth after experiencing a substantial increase in the federal government’s use of its services, according to the press release.

“1901 Group’s revenue in the federal market has increased thirty-fold in the last six years,” said Sonu Singh, CEO of 1901 Group. “Much of this growth can be attributed to operating in the Fairfax region, which has a strong technology focus and great access to talent.”

The announcement comes days after Amazon chose to locate its second headquarters to Crystal City — a decision that business leaders in the area said will transform communities including Reston into a technology corridor. Secondary and tertiary businesses lured by Amazon’s Arlington presence may entice new and emerging developments in Reston around the Silver Line, Mark Ingrao, CEO and president of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, previously told Reston Now.

Photo courtesy 1901 Group

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors voted Wednesday (Nov. 14) to increase rates on the Dulles Toll Road for the first time since 2014.

The hike will raise the toll from $2.50 to $3.25 at the main toll plaza and from $1 to $1.50 on ramps, starting in January. The rate increases are necessary to fund the Silver Line extension project and improvements on the Dulles Toll Road, according to the MWAA.

The decision came “after careful consideration of public input received at the three toll rate public hearings held this summer, the public comments received on-line and the recommendation of the Dulles Corridor Advisory Committee,” said Warner Session, chairman of the Airports Authority Board.

In 2014, an agreement froze increases before tolls rose again to continue funding Silver Line construction. “Under the contract governing construction of the Silver Line, the Airports Authority is required to use revenues from the toll road to help fund the [Silver Line] project,” according to a Nov. 14 MWAA press release, adding that other funding includes Fairfax and Loudoun counties, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Airports Authority and the federal government.

Last month, a federal appeals court in Richmond affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the tolls helping to fund the Silver Line construction.

MWAA held a public hearing in Reston back in July to hear feedback on the proposed rate increases. The Dulles Corridor Advisory Committee reviewed and recommended the rates adopted by MWAA’s Board, according to the press release.

The next expected toll rate increase is planned for 2023.

Photo via MWAA