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A two-alarm fire Sunday morning on the 11th floor of a building in the 12000 block of Sunset Hills Road has been contained, officials say.

The fire started in a cubicle, Deputy Chief Dan Shaw said.

“Upon arrival, [firefighters] found a working fire on the 11th floor,” he said. “The fire was being contained by a sprinkler system that had successfully activated.”

Units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations 4 and 36 responded. The second alarm was sounded for resources, Shaw said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. We will provide more information when it becomes available.

Police in Herndon are looking for four men they say robbed a check-cashing business on Elden Street in the town Friday afternoon.

According to a media release from HPD, officers responded to the business in the 1100 block of the street at about 12:15 p.m. for a report of an armed robbery. Preliminary investigation revealed that the men may have been armed when they entered the business and took an unknown amount of money. No one was injured, and the men reportedly fled on foot.

Lisa Herndon, public information specialist for HPD, told Reston Now the incident took place at the check-cashing business at 1110 Elden St., which she said has been robbed “several times” in the past.

Patrol officers from the Fairfax County Police Department, along with their helicopter and K-9 Unit, assisted in the initial search for the suspects. HPD is continuing the investigation.

The suspects, who were all wearing masks, are described as all being about 5-foot-6, 135-150 pounds.

• The first suspect was wearing a maroon shirt, blue jeans and black tennis shoes.
• The second suspect was wearing dark-colored jeans.
• The third suspect was wearing a blue short-sleeved polo shirt, jeans and dark shoes.
• The fourth suspect was wearing a long-sleeved green shirt, dark pants, sunglasses and a backpack.

In a tweet, HPD said there is no threat to the community.

HPD is working a robbery. No further details are available at this time and there is no threat to the public.

— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) August 18, 2017

Anyone with information should contact HPD at 703-435-6828.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant will open its new Reston location in 10 days.

A permit to operate the eating establishment at 12130 Sunset Hills Road, in the RTC West commercial development, was issued by Fairfax County this week. Signage outside the front door of the restaurant advertises its Aug. 28 opening, as previously announced.

The 9,365-square-foot restaurant also features a 522-square-foot mezzanine area. It will feature “a lively tasting room and market, indoor dining for 196 guests, outdoor dining for seating for 146, and a private event space that can accommodate up to 44,” according to a press release issued this week by the restaurant. The Reston location — its third in the DC Metro area — will be led by general manager Ryan Delisi and chef Laurence Cohen.

Also from the release:

The concept is built upon [CEO Tim] McEnery’s passionate core belief that food and wine hold the power to forge lasting connections. His restaurants are home to 250,000+ Wine Club members, who enjoy limited production Wines of the Month, travel and dining experiences among other benefits.

[Chef Laurence] Cohen works closely with corporate-based Executive Chef Matt McMillin to ensure the utmost in quality and presentation of the expansive contemporary American menu. Utilizing peak of season ingredients, the restaurant’s scratch kitchen selections include a carefully crafted array of food and wine pairings, each listed with a bin number to guide guests’ selections of their perfect wine match.

The release names some of the restaurant’s menu favorites including candied bacon and artisan cheeses; gnocchi bolognese with braised short rib; Southern hot chicken; pan-roasted barramundi; shrimp and scallop risotto; and wild mushroom-crusted chicken.

In addition, the restaurant’s wide selection from its winery is celebrated in the release:

The company, which imports grapes from the best vineyards across the globe to produce more than 40 varietals in its Countryside, Illinois winery, has been honored with more than 450 wine awards. Crafted to please a range of palates, Cooper’s Hawk wines include selections that are accessible for those new to the world of wine, as well as complex and full-bodied options for more seasoned drinkers. In addition to the wine menu, guests can choose from a selection of craft cocktails and sangrias made with Cooper’s Hawk wine. These include inventive takes on a classic Collins cocktail (Harvest Peach Collins made with Slaughter House Whiskey), a Caipirinha with Cooper’s Hawk Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as creative martinis such as a Blood Orange Paloma Martini (Casa Noble Tequila and Cooper’s Hawk Prosecco).

Beginning Aug. 28, the restaurant will be open at 11 a.m. each day. Closing times are 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 9 p.m. Sundays.

Earlier this summer, Cooper’s Hawk began the process of hiring more than 200 employees for the restaurant. Training of those workers is currently underway.

Work also continues on other buildings in the plaza that will soon house six more restaurants, a nail salon and a Starbucks. The other restaurants on site will include Punjabi by Nature, The Black Squirrel, Honeygrow, BGR The Burger Joint, Mezza Mediterranean Grille and Nando’s Peri-Peri.

The restaurant and retail space is the first phase of development for the site, which is bordered by Town Center Parkway to the east, the W&OD Trail to the north, and the plaza that contains Chick-fil-A, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Chipotle and more to the west. Property owner JBG announced last year that it has further plans for the site, including two multifamily residential buildings and three more office buildings.

The dog days of summer are coming to an end, and Reston’s four-legged residents need to get their last fun of the season in too.

For the second year, Reston Association will host its “Dog Paddle” event next weekend. It’s an opportunity for man’s best friends to splash in RA pools that have closed for the summer, community events supervisor Ashleigh Soloff said.

“[It’s] a super fun event,” she said.

About 70 canines participated in the event in 2016, Soloff said.

Appropriately enough, Dogwood Pool (2460 Green Range Road) will host the event Saturday, Aug. 26. The next day, the dogs will splash at North Hills Pool (1325 North Village Road) will welcome pets. Each day, the events will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

No people are permitted in the water with the dogs, and current dog licenses are required. Dogs must be kept under control and sociable at all times, and female dogs in heat will not be permitted.

Registration can be done through Reston Association’s WebTrac system or by calling 703-435-6531. Cost is $4 for dogs of Reston Association members and $6 for dogs of non-members.

It’s official: Restonians will have another opportunity next month to share their thoughts about a proposed zoning ordinance amendment for Reston’s Planned Residential Community district.

Fairfax County’s Department of Planning and Zoning will hold a fourth community meeting on the topic Monday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at Lake Anne Elementary School (11510 North Shore Drive), according to information provided this week by Supervisor Cathy Hudgins’ office.

This follows up on three meetings that were held in May on the proposal from the county DPZ, which would increase the limit on people per acre in Reston’s PRC District from 13 to 16. This would allow for 18,737 more people beyond the current cap in Reston over time, DPZ officials say. Reston’s PRC District is currently at about 11.9 persons per acre.

The amendment would also allow for the Board of Supervisors to be able to approve individual developments in excess of 50 dwelling units per acre in Transit Station Areas within the PRC and when in accordance with Comprehensive Plan recommendations.

At May’s meetings, residents expressed their concern that the county was trying to rush the amendment through the approval process. They were especially upset when the third meeting was held in an open-house format rather than as a question-and-answer session.

The DPZ had originally hoped to bring the plan before the Board of Supervisors in July, followed by a Planning Commission public hearing in September and the Board public hearing in October. It now has those projected dates pushed back to November, December and January, respectively.

Map courtesy Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning

Library Book Sale This Weekend — The Friends of the Reston Regional Library back-to-school book sale began Thursday and will last through Sunday. All books were donated, and all proceeds benefit the library and library programs. [Friends of the Reston Regional Library]

Registration Underway for Herndon Parks Programs — Town of Herndon residents can now sign up for fall classes from the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. Others can start signing up Aug. 22. [Herndon Parks & Rec]

Reston Brothers Develop Anti-Stress Powder — Christian, Mark and Paul D’Andrea have developed StressKiller, a powdered drink mix featuring stress-relief supplements. GNC has signed on to sell the product, as has a major drugstore chain. [Washington Business Journal]

Solar Eclipse is Monday — The Fairfax County Park Authority says if you want to enjoy the eclipse as much as possible, you should arrive at viewing locations early and be ready with your eyewear. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXfb31Qj1G0/

Festive? Or garish?

Depending on your point of view, new lighting at the 1900 Metro Plaza building at Reston Station may have caught your eye for a different reason. The color-changing edge lighting that went into place recently on the 16-story structure caused a reader to contact Reston Now with one distinct type of reaction.

“It is shocking; [it] looks like Las Vegas in Reston,” the reader wrote. “[I] almost drove off [the] road [the] other night. [I] had to go back another night to be sure I was not hallucinating … that’s how bizarre it looks in Reston.”

Maggie Parker, vice president of communications for property owner Comstock Partners, said the lighting is a signature part of any Helmut Jahn-designed property. For more, Parker shared the preface of the catalogue for a 2012-13 exhibit of Jahn’s work at the Neues Museum in Berlin.

“[His] buildings possess qualities for every time of day,” reads the preface, written by museum director Angelika Nollert. “At dark, they are illuminated and are thus usually given a festive shroud. Helmut Jahn makes use of light as a building material.”

The reader who contacted Reston Now, as well as an Instagram user who posted a photo of the lighting, compared the design to something one would see in Las Vegas. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Jahn also designed twin 37-story residential towers in Las Vegas that feature similar lighting.

Parker said that when working toward rezoning of the Reston Station property in 2009, Reston citizens “encouraged, even demanded” world-class architecture. She said those calls were echoed by Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and Reston founder Bob Simon, which led to the worldwide competition for an architectural firm that resulted in Jahn’s firm being tasked with the project.

She said Jahn’s design for the building was “intended to focus on creating a strong, recognizable sign visible at high speeds.”

“Indeed, at Reston Station the signature buildings emulate the movement and speed of the adjacent trains and cars on the highway — your 70-mph experience,” Parker quoted Jahn.

So, what’s your opinion of the lighting on the 1900 Metro Plaza building?

For the second consecutive year, one Reston resident has gone above and beyond in the effort to remove an invasive plant from the community.

In each of the past five years, Reston Association’s Habitat Heroes program has held the Garlic Mustard Challenge to encourage the uprooting of the plant. Garlic mustard is a widespread and aggressive non-native plant species that kills off native plants, which eliminates ground cover or food sources for local animals. According to information previously provided in Reston magazine:

Because it has few enemies in Northern Virginia, garlic mustard can completely dominate a forest floor in less [than] five years by displacing hundreds of native plants, ferns and wildflowers. Garlic mustard also damages local insect populations. For example, several butterfly species lay eggs on garlic mustard because it resembles their native “host” plant, but the larvae die because they cannot eat garlic mustard.

This year, volunteers in Reston pulled 3,080 pounds of the plant during the four-month challenge. One woman, Patricia Wagner, did her part and more. Wagner was the winner of the challenge in the individual category, pulling 2,636.5 pounds of the plant. She also won the competition in 2016, when she pulled 2,360 pounds.

In the small group category, CA Technologies won for the fourth consecutive year. This year, they pulled 166.6 pounds.

In the large group category, Reston Environmental Action also was a four-year repeat winner. This year, they pulled 277 pounds.

Image via Volunteer Reston

The long journey toward a permanent building for Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church (11400 North Shore Drive) is a little closer to its conclusion.

After discussion during Tuesday’s meeting of Reston’s Design Review Board (video), approval was given for the site plan for the 6,000-square-foot building. The new structure will be located on the opposite side of the parking lot from the current, temporary church building. The project still needs to go through the county approval process, along with further local approval.

Church representatives said they would like to keep the current building — a prefabricated double-wide structure — in place even after the new building is completed. They said the extra space would be required until an addition could be added to the new building.

However, Design Review Board members balked at that idea.

“I work with churches regularly, and I know every church out there would want to hold onto that building,” said Neal Roseberry, DRB vice chair. “Frankly, it’s our job as the Review Board to say, ‘Hey, it was temporary when it was approved over 10 years ago; it needs to come down now because you’re finally building your permanent church.’ That’s my position at least of why we should help you do what you said you were doing originally.”

The church is located between the Crescent Apartments and the Northgate Condominiums. DRB told the church representatives there needs to be more communication between them and their neighbors in regard to the development. Andrew Ivovich, representing the Northgate community, spoke during the meeting regarding the lack of communication.

“It’s much clearer what you’re proposing at this meeting … [but] I do, however, wish that it was presented with a little more time for us to review,” Ivovich said. “I’m glad you met with some of the community members, [but] we have not heard from you. We are your neighbors too, so we would love to sit down and meet with you guys.”

Ivovich, along with DRB members, shared questions about removal of trees and retention of a vegetative buffer.

The Fairfax County Police Department has released a sketch of the man wanted in an apparent attempted sexual assault earlier this week in Reston.

According to FCPD, the suspect is a Hispanic male in his late 20s or early 30s, with a stocky build, brown hair and a full beard. He was wearing a gray shirt with red lettering, a red ball cap (shown in the sketch as a Washington Nationals cap) and shorts.

The suspect fled the scene in a gray or silver four-door Hyundai with a license plate that is believed to begin with a V, police say.

Police say that at about 2:30 p.m. Monday, the suspect came out of a wooded area near the Tall Oaks Village Center, approached a 22-year-old woman from behind and pulled her off the sidewalk into the woods before attempting to remove her clothes. He apparently fled before any sexual assault took place.

A wooded area off the south side of North Shore Drive, adjacent to the Tall Oaks pool and across from the entrance to the village center, was cordoned off for the investigation.

Police are encouraging anyone who knows anyone matching the description, has seen the individual in their neighborhood, or has any information regarding the situation to contact them at 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637), or use Crime Solvers.

“Remember, the information you have, regardless of how trivial you feel it may be, could be the critical link in solving the case,” police say.

The area where the incident took place has been canvassed, police say, and the investigation is ongoing.

Free Concert Tonight at Lake Anne — The “Take A Break” concert series at Lake Anne Plaza will continue tonight with a performance by pan-Celtic group Iona. [Lake Anne Plaza]

Outreach Session on Bikeshare Today — The Fairfax County Department of Transportation plans to bring 10 new locations of Capital Bikeshare to Reston, including nine south of the Dulles Toll Road. A public outreach session on the proposed locations is scheduled for today from 1-5 p.m. at Glade Pool (11550 Glade Drive). [FCDOT]

SAIC Gets $39M Task Order to Support Marines — The Reston-based technology integrator has received the order, from Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic, to provide engineering services in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Operations Center. [SAIC]

Verity Commercial Again Named to Inc. 5000 — For the second consecutive year, the Reston-based commercial real estate company has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. [Verity Commercial]

Efforts to construct a new Lake Anne Fellowship House facility are continuing to progress.

Fellowship Square Foundation and the Community Preservation and Development Corporation are moving forward with zoning approval and entitlements needed for the redevelopment of the affordable senior apartment community located at 11448-11450 North Shore Drive, they recently said.

“As Reston rents skyrocket, affordable rental opportunities for those seniors and people with disabilities and low incomes are scarce,” said Eddie Byrne, FSF board member. “Fellowship Square is dedicated to ensuring that there will be not just affordable, but state-of-the art housing in our community.”

The new building, which is planned for the eastern portion of the property, would replace all 240 apartment units in the existing 1970s-era facility. Residents would remain in their current living space until the new facility is complete, and after they are transferred the old buildings would be destroyed. The portion of the property left unused would be sold for residential development, and the proceeds from the sale would help support the cost of the LAFH building project.

Local brokerage firm MAC Realty Advisors has been selected as a broker for this portion of the site.

The filing of the entitlements application is targeted for early autumn. Its approval would be followed by final design, building permits and construction. Project completion is targeted for the third quarter of 2021.

The collaboration between Fellowship Square and CPDC comes after several years of on-again, off-again plans for redevelopment of the property. Most recently, in 2013, the foundation had an agreement with Cafritz Interests and Novus Development for new housing on the site. That effort fell through by September 2014, which the foundation said was “due to our inability to advance our land use proposal in a manner that will produce the best possible outcome for our residents.”

CPDC is a nonprofit developer of affordable housing.

“We are excited about moving this project forward through the necessary County and local approvals,” said Christopher LoPiano, CPDC senior vice president.

For more information, visit www.fellowshipsquare.org or www.cpdc.org.

Illustration via Fellowship Square Foundation and CPDC

The goal is to keep the tall oaks in Tall Oaks.

That’s what representatives of developer Jefferson Apartment Group and architects from KTGY told Reston’s Design Review Board during their meeting Tuesday (video). JAG is working toward ironing out the details of the future redevelopment of Tall Oaks Village Center, approved by the county last year.

At a meeting between the parties in July, members of the Design Review Board told the applicants about their concern regarding how the new development — which will include multifamily residential buildings, two-over-two condominiums and townhouses for a total of 156 residential units — would look from Wiehle Avenue. This month, the developers said they listened.

“There obviously are some constraints, so we’re being more surgical in how we place our trees in order to get the desired look,” said Mike Medick of KTGY.

In order to preserve the sight line from the North Shore Drive/Wiehle Avenue intersection to the southwest corner of the site, Medick said architects have moved entrance walkways and pushed them closer together to allow for the planting of seven large canopy trees. Medick said those will include red, white and pin oak trees.

At planting, the trees will be 16 feet tall. In a decade, they will be about 22 feet tall — reaching the third floor of the townhomes behind them. When they are fully grown, Medick said, they will fully conceal the development from the intersection.

“We’re comfortable that given this planting scheme … we can still get this natural feel for the frontage of North Shore [Drive],” Medick said. “[This will] emphasize again that theme that is so important here, the namesake of the project, the tall oaks.”

Grace Peters, land planner and landscape architect member of the DRB, said she would like to see more down elsewhere on the property to increase tree cover.

“I would appreciate it if the applicant could look into providing additional landscaping where possible [and] save more trees as much as they can,” Peters said.

The developers also responded to comments provided by the DRB last month regarding architectural elements of the buildings themselves and the design of site amenities. The changes were met with mostly positive comments from the DRB, with continued comments about small details.

“We’re faced now in Reston with jumping away from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s architecturally, and I think this effectively does that,” said Richard Newlon, DRB vice chair. “I think you guys have come a long way. I’m relatively satisfied with these [buildings] at this point.”

The DRB voted to approve the general architecture plan as presented, with stipulations that the rooftop units on condominium units be screened, that the application return with material and color palettes for final approval, and that the other comments presented during Tuesday’s meeting be considered as well.

The DRB also voted to approve the landscape plan, with a comment asking the developers to intensify landscaping along North Shore Drive, as well as in the middle and along the northern edge of the property, if at all possible.

Illustrations via Jefferson Apartment Group/KTGY

Lake Anne Brew House to Attend Festival This Weekend — The local nanobrewery is already gaining attention ahead of the Virginia Craft Brewers Festival this weekend in Charlottesville, with an event manager describing why its award-winning New Year’s Golden Ale is a top pick for him. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Farmers Market Success Celebrated — During a National Farmers Market Week commemoration this past Saturday at the Reston Farmers Market, its many successes were praised. [Connection Newspapers]

Pedestrian Bridges at Herndon Station Going in Next Week — The Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride will be closed overnight twice next week as the work is done. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]

Residents Can Give Input in County Executive Search — Fairfax County Executive Edward Long will retire next month. The county is asking citizens to give their input to assist in the recruiting process for his replacement. [Survey Monkey]

Did You Get a Jury Questionnaire? — The county is sending out 50,000 jury questionnaires, and it wants to make sure recipients know it is just the beginning of the jury duty screening process. [Fairfax County]

Be Wary of Charlottesville Charity Scams — Attorney General Mark Herring says anyone interested in assisting victims of last weekend’s violence should vet the organization, campaign or page organizer before they donate. He says people who need help figuring out whether a charity is legitimate can contact the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Section. [WTOP]

File image courtesy Jennifer Heffner Photography

Two people from Ashburn were arrested in Herndon last week after a robbery in the town.

According to the Herndon Police Department, the incident took place in the 500 block of Florida Avenue on Aug. 7. The victim, who was unharmed, had his wallet, ID and about $40 in cash stolen by two suspects.

HPD officers arrested 19-year-old Taliek Nazia Foster and 20-year-old Raaheim Allah Foster and charged them with the crime. Both were charged with assault and robbery, while the 20-year-old was also charged with three counts of credit card fraud. Both were taken to Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

Elsewhere, a 55-year-old Herndon man was charged with driving under the influence after an incident in Sterling last week. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, 55-year-old Nazlie R. Dean was charged after deputies observed his vehicle going off the road in the area of Old Ox Road and Mercurie Circle. Dean was later released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a personal recognizance bond.

Meanwhile, the Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station reported the following crimes in recent days:

LARCENIES:

10300 block of Brittenford Drive, merchandise from business

1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, cellphone from business

11900 block of Democracy Drive, liquor from business

13300 block of Hungerford Place, property from vehicle

2300 block of Old Trail Drive, property from person

11900 block of Saint Johnsbury Court, cash from vehicle

11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, property from business

1700 block of Wainwright Drive, bag and battery from vehicle

12900 block of Wood Crescent Circle, bicycle from residence

STOLEN VEHICLES:

None reported

Police say there have been no updates yet in the search for a suspect who pulled a woman into a wooded area near Tall Oaks Village Center on Monday afternoon and attempted to remove her clothing.

“No suspect has been located,” Officer Don Gotthardt, of FCPD’s Media Relations Bureau, told Reston Now on Tuesday morning. “I have reached out to our detectives asking for any updates [and] we will post those on our news blog and Twitter.”

The suspect has been described as a Hispanic male in his late 20s or early 30s, with brown hair and a full beard. He was wearing a gray shirt with red lettering, a red ball cap and shorts. He fled the scene in a gray or silver Hyundai with a license plate that is believed to begin with a V, police say.

Finally, as we previously reported, three men were reportedly assaulted by a “group of men” on South Lakes Drive last Wednesday. The suspects in that crime are black men in their 20s, all between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10.

Anyone with information about any of the crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).