Fairfax County supervisors have approved using I-66 toll money for bus projects servicing Reston, one of which involves creating a new bus route.
The commuting programs will create a route from the Reston South Park and Ride to key destinations in Arlington County and reduce fares for the Fairfax Connector Route 599 from $7.50 to $4.25.
Supervisors approved the efforts during a public meeting yesterday (Tuesday), following transit officials’ approvals last year.
Like Route 599, the new service will go to the Pentagon, Pentagon City and Crystal City. It’ll involve 10 morning and 10 evening express routes for a period of two years.
The $5.1 million in funding awarded for that project mostly covers the costs of acquiring six new buses, eyed for purchase in 2023.
A county document suggested that the fare reduction could start in the fall of 2022, with $154,500 in funding lasting through Sept. 30, 2025.
The money for the projects comes through the Commuter Choice program, which seeks to improve transportation in the I-66 corridor, with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and Commonwealth Transportation Board deciding last year to award the money to Fairfax County for the projects.
A proposal to potentially add up to 90 townhomes near Hidden Creek Country Club is up for a planning committee vote tonight, a decision that will serve as a key indicator for how Fairfax County officials handle the project.
The Reston Planning and Zoning Committee, an advisory group to the Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, is slated to vote at the 7:30 p.m. virtual meeting on the 28-acre project at 11600 American Dream Way.
The property owner — an affiliate of Connecticut investment firm Wheelock Street Capital — has been making adjustments on the project in response to meeting with the committee and public. It purchased the property from Fannie Mae in 2018 for over $95 million.
Scott Adams, an attorney with McGuireWoods, presented in November before the Reston Planning and Zoning Committee. Changes include 9.28 acres that will be publicly accessible open space and repositioning gates on American Dream Way to only restrict access to the existing office compound.
“[Thoughtful], high quality site design is proposed to create a development that will further the Comprehensive Plan goals of mixed use development, significant park spaces, trail, and public art,” Adams previously wrote in a November 2020 statement seeking to justify the project.
The law firm hosted meetings in December and January with community members, too, but residents are still voicing concerns.
An affiliate of the investment firm, Wheelock Communities, acquired Hidden Creek Country Club in 2017 for $14 million and has sought to convert the golf course into a residential community. Residents have voiced their opposition, with Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn backing their views on keeping the course, suggesting that public officials wouldn’t allow that kind of development there.
Even with the Fannie Mae redevelopment changes, the project conflicts with the Reston Comprehensive Plan as well as the character of the community, according to Reston Citizens Association President Lynne Mulston, who noted the association was merely acting as a messenger for nearby residents’ concerns. (The county is still studying the possible comprehensive plan amendment.)
“Ninety townhomes is just too much,” Mulston said, noting how residents have sought to scale back the project. “It’s just way out of whack.”
Earlier, residents raised concerns about how the project could affect northern neighbors’ access to American Plaza Shopping Center, providing access to Whole Foods groceries and other amenities. Fannie Mae previously worked with Reston Association to create a sidewalk in the area, Mulston said.
“As with any rezoning in Reston I encourage the applicant to work with County staff, concerned members of the community, and Reston P&Z to address issues raised before the application goes to public hearing before the County Planning Commission, currently scheduled for March 9,” Alcorn said in a statement.
The project would still keep the option to create two office buildings, a previously approved use, officials have noted. The former Fannie Mae office building is slated to remain.
A project to improve access from neighborhoods to the yet-to-open Innovation Center Metro station could begin in the summer of 2024 and be completed a year later.
That’s what Sonia Shahnaj, a project manager for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, told community members last week during an online meeting about the project, which will create a pedestrian path from Farougi Court and Apgar Place to a kiss-and-ride parking lot, wrapping around a green space used for cricket.
“Creating walkable and bikeable access to transit stations is really critical from a transportation standpoint, from a quality of life standpoint and from an environmental standpoint, so this is a big deal,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said at the meeting.
The project will create an approximately 2,000-foot-long path that’s 10-feet wide. It’ll be 14-feet wide for two bridges that cross Horsepen Creek, one that’s 367 feet long and another that’s 135 feet long. Lighting will be there, too.
Easements will shave off some of the green space to make way for the trail.
Updates on the project are listed on a county web page, and comments related to the meeting can be submitted to FCDOT by Feb. 4, 2022.
An extension of the Metrorail from Ashburn to Reston, including a connection to the Dulles airport, is delayed but could open this year.
Nearby, a development project called Rivana at Innovation Station would create a residential-office-retail complex on a 103-acre space with up to 2,719 dwelling units.
The weekly planner is a roundup of interesting events over the next week in the Herndon and Reston area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note. Want to submit a listing? Submit your pitch here!
Monday, Jan. 24
- Ice Skating — 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Reston Town Center — Students have the day off amid a professional development day for staff, but the ice skating pavilion will be open. Admission starts at $9 for seniors, military members and kids ages 12 and under.
Tuesday, Jan. 25
- Hooray for Horses — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum — Learn about horses, from breeds of work horses to grooming, and get a home activity bag. Cost is $5.
Wednesday, Jan. 26
- Senior Movie Day — 10 a.m. at Bow Tie Cinemas at Reston Town Center — This special showing to audiences ages 55 and up presents the World War II film “Midway.” Doors open at 9:15 a.m. No registration required. Free.
Thursday, Jan. 27
- An Evening with Branford Marsalis — 8 p.m. at The Barns — The Branford Marsalis Quarter, led by a saxophonist from the Marsalis jazz family, performs at Wolf Trap. Tickets start at $68, and doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Friday. Jan. 28
- ’90s Rock Cover Band — 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Crafthouse in Reston — Enjoy some craft beer and travel back in time with cover band Waking Napster.
Saturday, Jan. 29
- Reston Summer Camp Expo — 9 a.m. to noon at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods — Learn about Reston-area camps, win door prizes and enjoy hands-on games and crafts. Free.
- Celebrate Lunar New Year with a Lion Dance Performance — Noon to 12:30 p.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library — The Jow Ga Shaolin Institute, a traditional Chinese martial arts in Herndon, performs this tradition to bring good fortune in the new year.
Sunday, Jan. 30
- Dino and Dragon Stroll — 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Dulles Expo Center — The final day of a weekend event featuring colossal animated dinosaurs and dragons. Cost is $21.99.
A Chinese restaurant that’s been at a Reston-area shopping plaza for 17 years is closing next month.
Hunan East Restaurant told Reston Now that the permanent shuttering is due to a variety of factors and will occur at the end of February.
The COVID-19 pandemic led many customers of the restaurant to get takeout orders, but the business said it didn’t use assistance to restaurants adversely affected by the shutdowns.
Federal funding through the CARES Act in 2020 gave money to Fairfax County, which distributed around $53 million to over 4,800 small businesses and nonprofits through its RISE program.
The American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 provided further money to the county, which has already awarded over $16 million of $25 million set aside for its PIVOT program.
Last year, Weber’s Pet Supermarket, another longtime tenant also located in the Fox Mill Shopping Center, announced it would relocate.
Photo via Google Maps
Herndon Town Council again examined the issue of parking restrictions as big box trucks and other vehicles have found a haven for street parking between neighboring Fairfax and Loudoun counties in the area.
While neighboring jurisdictions have more restrictions on parking, Herndon’s lax rules have meant vehicles block areas, are abandoned on streets and interfere with drivers’ visibility, according to town officials.
“Herndon has become a place where people can park these vehicles all through our residential areas without any restrictions,” police Chief Maggie DeBoard said.
Last week, the town passed an ordinance to require permits to park overnight on a portion of Madison Street, following a petition from residents.
But while the town has been exploring town-wide parking issues since 2019 and DeBoard presented on the issue last year and this year, efforts have continued to stall.
Council brought up the issue yesterday (Tuesday) during a work session, leading multiple council members to ask if staff could determine what kind of impact a proposed ordinance would have on parking.
Vice Mayor Cesar del Aguila said it was unclear to him what kind of impact restricting vehicles from 5 feet or 10 feet from a driveway would have. He suggested that the town further look into what would happen in Precinct 2 neighborhoods (an area that spans from Rock Hill Road to Elden Street west of the downtown) where there are dense cul-de-sacs.Â
“I think this is definitely needed,” del Aguila said, adding that he was not saying that he doesn’t support this.
A proposed ordinance would have to go before the council at a regular meeting, but its future was unclear. The staff’s proposal called for:
- restricting vehicles from parking within 10 feet of a driveway
- banning various vehicles — such as those weighing more than 12,000 pounds or being longer than 21 feet — from parking in residential areas for more than two hours at a time
- restricting recreational vehicles from temporarily parking longer than 72 hours on a residential street
- strengthening the town’s ability to remove abandoned vehicles from streets
- giving the town the ability to fine motorists who block curb ramps
DeBoard said that parking near driveways can create safety issues, and some homeowners are moving vehicles from driveways or garages to the streets to try to address access or visibility issues, further exacerbating the problem.
She also noted that parking enforcement’s mission is to first educate drivers before fining them.
But amid the work session, Mayor Sheila Olem, who has previously shared concerns about parking problems, halted the discussion after directing Councilmember Jasbinder Singh to ask a question as opposed to giving lengthy opinions on the matter.
Singh had suggested piloting the change in one area of the town, prompting town officials to note they couldn’t single out one area with a law but must apply it uniformly.
Police said today (Wednesday) a man in prison in Wise County, Virginia, has confessed to two more murders.
Fairfax County Police Department said Charles W. Helem, 52, confessed to the 1987 murder and provided details only the killer would know, involving the death of 37-year-old Eige Sober-Adler.
A grand jury indicted Helem yesterday (Tuesday), Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said.
“We will now pursue a vigorous prosecution of Mr. Helem,” Descano said.
Sober-Adler was found deceased in a field to the rear of a Days Inn on Centreville Road in Herndon, and her vehicle was found on the Dulles Toll Road at the time.
“Thirty five years later, we stand before the community to say we have an indictment,” FCPD Major Ed O’Carroll said.
Her car was found in running condition and appeared to be abandoned, he said.
“There will probably always be some questions that are unanswered,” O’Carroll said.
Police also announced that Helem, who is an inmate at Red Onion State Prison, confessed to another murder in Maryland in 2002, involving 19-year-old Jennifer Landry, of Massachusetts.
Prince George’s County Chief of Police Malik Aziz said Helem sent letters to law enforcement in 2010 and 2017, indicating he had information on the case, but he initially declined to talk to detectives.
Eventually, he verbally confessed in 2021 to killing Landry and also spoke about an unsolved Fairfax County case, which led to yesterday’s indictment, Aziz said.
Detectives confronted him in prison.
Previously, a jury convicted Helem for the 2002 murder of 37-year-old Patricia Bentley of Fairfax County. An appeal court upheld the conviction in 2008.
Chief Kevin Davis said they’re working to determine if he was involved in other cases.
Reston Association has acknowledged that technological mishaps resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in additional expenses.
The organization described how it’s working to prevent those types of incidents following a cybersecurity review by information technology professionals with Wipfli, a consulting firm that the organization is using.
The recreational services organization created an IT committee in March that met for the first time last week. RA says that upgrades put in place in 2020 and recommendations it pursued from an assessment report from Wipfli will help mitigate the risk of similar incidents.
“The security of personal information is and remains our top priority and these new processes and protocols will help safeguard our information,” RA said in a statement. “Additional security initiatives will continue to be explored in 2022 with the assistance of RA’s new Board Information Technology Committee.”
Issues with RA’s technological framework and IT practices drew some board scrutiny early last year.
Incidents cost RA an extra $46,000
As part of the IT review, the association recently described three costly problems in recent years.
One incident involved a compromised Microsoft email account that resulted in a loss of over $187,000 in December 2020. That amount was recovered through insurance policies, though, but RA had to pay a $10,000 deductible.
Reston Now previously reported that it involved then-CEO Hank Lynch’s account, according to a board member.
Earlier that year, an individual also accessed the RA website and embedded malware, making the website lose functionality and member access to information.
The organization used a national law firm, BakerHostetler, to investigate, and directed Crypsis to conduct a forensic investigation, showing that members’ personal information was not exposed.
Insurance covered the costs, aside from a $10,000 deductible. That led to the association replacing its website with an interim site through Squarespace.
“The rating on that is yellow,” Kraus said, adding that the website is more of a billboard, though than an interactive portal for members.
Also, a server crash in 2019 led the organization to shift to cloud-based storage. On-site hard drives failed that contained financial data and vehicle fuel log data, requiring the association to around $26,000 in additional costs.
Ratings, recommendations given for IT practices
The assessment review found the organization is reactive — but not chaotic — in four areas: constituent-facing services, IT governance and benchmarking, cybersecurity, and IT vision. Wipfli also found that RA is proactive — but not optimal — in two areas involving Microsoft 365 deployment as well as roles and responsibilities of its managed service provider.
“We rate these key areas from red, yellow, green, blue, to white,” Joseph Kraus, a chief information officer advisor with Wipfli, told RA’s board of directors last week, noting the review showed RA having green and yellow statuses. “Most organizations we evaluate are largely red, yellow, and some green.”
RA’s visual report card, consisting of green and yellow reviews, is not that bad, though, Kraus said, noting it’s rare to be blue or above.
The results come after the organization’s chief information officer, Clara William, resigned in August, just short of two years on the job.
A Wipfli employee, Michael Lockett, began as a virtual chief information officer for RA in November and helped the organization with operational improvements.
He’ll be working with the IT committee to act as a partner with the organization, approve projects, create baselines for communications, and assist RA with other areas.
Wipfli’s assessment also included a roadmap of solutions. Among those recommendations, it said RA should decide if a full-time IT director is needed or if a service should be used. RA currently has two IT staff.
The weekly planner is a roundup of interesting events over the next week in the Herndon and Reston area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note. Want to submit a listing? Submit your pitch here!
Tuesday, Jan. 18
- Herndon Teen Book Club — 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library — Teens will talk about a book, “I’d Rather Be Reading,” by Anne Bogel.
- The Friends of the Reston Regional Library Book Club — 7:30-9 p.m. at the Reston Regional Library — Readers will discussing this month’s selection, “Thank You for Being Late” by Thomas Friedman. Registration required.
Wednesday, Jan. 19
- YMCA Open House — 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the YMCA Fairfax County Reston — From workouts to a family swim, check out what the Y’s facility has to offer. Free. Guests asked to RSVP and complete a guest waiver in advance.
Thursday, Jan. 20
- Polynesian Dance Fitness — 6-6:45 p.m. at Herndon Community Center — Get a total body workout with a modern fitness workout inspired by dances from the Pacific Islands and the sounds of Polynesian drums and funky Reggae music. Cost is $24 for Herndon residents and $32 for non-residents.
Friday, Jan. 21
- Moody Blooms — 7-9 p.m. at Pinot’s Palette — Get free wine, beer and cider tastings while you paint. Cost is $39.
Saturday, Jan. 22
- Board Games for Adults — 12-5:30 p.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library — Enjoy modern board games with other adults.
Sunday, Jan. 23
- Coffee Tasting Basics — 11 a.m. to noon at Aslin Beer Co. — Learn something new about coffee and potentially get a prize. Free.
Photo via Kimberly Farmer/Unsplash
Consulting firm Baker Tilly has been conducting a nationwide search for Reston Association’s next CEO, advertising the position with an annual salary as potentially in the mid-$200,000s.
The recreational services organization has been using an interim CEO following the resignation of Hank Lynch in September.
Lynch, hired in 2018, left for a position as CEO with the San Francisco-based nonprofit WildAid, which seeks to protect wildlife.
To help with finding his replacement, the board approved creating a search committee in August with four then-yet-to-be-named members. But following advice from Baker Tilly, the Chicago-headquartered firm hired by RA, the board rescinded that motion in December, RA communications director Mike Leone wrote in an email.
The position has been marketed with a recruitment brochure that describes the position, community and organization. Baker Tilly created it, RA staff and the board of directors provided input, and the board ultimately approved it, the organization says.
A job posting listed the deadline to apply as Monday, Jan. 10.
Meanwhile, Baker Tilly is looking for feedback from RA members about what they would want in the next CEO. An online survey is available through Jan. 21 at 5 p.m.
“Survey results will be compiled and shared with the RA Board of Directors,” the survey says. “The Board of Directors will consider this information in the evaluation and selection of top candidates and in structuring a competitive interview process.”
The eight-question survey asks for information such as what experience and expertise the board should prioritize in making its selection, what leadership qualities the candidate should have and what areas should the next CEO be prepared to address, such as environmental issues, board governance, establishing community partnerships, engaging members and financial sustainability.
Based on members’ preferences, Baker Tilly will screen applicants and forward selected candidates to the board for consideration — as an interview schedule will be set up.
Developers may need to add more affordable houses to address Loudoun County’s concerns over a 103-acre mixed-use project by the future Innovation Center Metro station.
The developers of the Rivana at Innovation Station have tried to justify how they’re meeting affordability needs, but Loudoun County officials have raised issues over how the project’s concessions will play out if only 170 units of a project will be affordable. The development could have up to 2,719 units.
Envisioning a 9 million square-foot, “walkable urban center that is directly connected to the Innovation Center Metro station,” developers wanted to start construction in the first quarter of this year. They previously shared plans involving a performing arts venue and two public parks as part of the project that would drastically redefine the area.
Antonio Calabrese, a partner with the multinational law firm DLA Piper, has countered that the developers’ project would include 6.25% of Unmet Housing Needs Units, which the county defines as units serving households that are at or below the area media income.
In a Dec. 6 letter to the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning, Calabrese also stated the developers’ percentage of affordable units is consistent with multiple rezoning requests of projects near Metro stations.
But in early September, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors adopted a strategic plan that calls for a 20% affordability goal.
“This Application does not adequately address affordability in the current proposal,” Brian Reagan, the county’s housing programs manager, said in an Oct. 12 memo about the project’s second submission.
Loudoun County’s chair, Phyllis Randall, told Reston Now that the developers’ 6.25% rate of affordability is too low but questioned whether 20% was attainable there, citing high property values along the Metro line.
She said the county’s affordability goal is a guideline that helps navigate discussions with developers, noting it’s a place where conversation begins but doesn’t end.
“We don’t want to see brakes on the project,” Randall said. “We’d like to see it come to fruition.”
She also noted that the county for the first time is setting aside half a penny of property taxes to add to its housing trust fund, which could generate nearly $6 million per year, part of the county’s efforts to address equity.
Other affordability concerns raised
The Rivana application, and a subsequent updated proffers list dated Dec. 6, also called for the affordable units as being reserved for those making at or below 40%, 60% or 80% of the area median income.
But Loudoun County’s housing program manager has questioned that approach, too, saying that the breakdown should mirror existing housing programs there, which involve households making at or below 30%, 50%, 70% and 100% of the area median income.
Calabrese, the attorney, stated that the developers couldn’t determine the likely breakdown of rental apartment buildings and residential condominium buildings at that time and restated the developers’ ratios.
“The Applicant’s proposed development involves a long-term, multi-phased project consisting of substantial office, hotel, residential, and commercial uses,” Calabrese also wrote.
Reagan has also questioned whether the project will even have residential units for sale, noting that the first phase of the project is devoted to rental units.
The developers’ lawyer countered that it will “depend on the rental market and the condominium market” at that future time.
According to the Loudoun County Economic Development Authority, Novais Partners is the master developer of the property, which involves a partnership between Origami Capital Partners, Timberline Real Estate Partners, Open Realty Advisors and Rebees. Novais is a codeveloper of Rivana with the Hanover Co.
The application’s developers are DWC Holdings and Origami RE Growth GP, both linked to Chicago-based investment firm Origami Capital Partners.
The weekly planner is a roundup of interesting events over the next week in the Herndon and Reston area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note. Want to submit a listing? Submit your pitch here!
Tuesday, Jan. 11
- Read to the Dog — 7-8 p.m. at Reston Regional Library — Build literacy confidence next to a comforting therapy dog.
Wednesday, Jan. 12
- Babytime — 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library — Bring your infant to a time of songs, stories, rhymes and more.
Thursday, Jan. 13
- Trivia Night — 6:30 p.m. at Lake Anne Brew House — A weekly trivia night series returns.
Friday, Jan. 14
- Winter Night Hike — 7-8 p.m. at Walker Nature Center — Families, couples and individuals can join naturalists for an exploratory hike. Cost starts at $7. Register by tomorrow (Tuesday).
Saturday, Jan. 15
- Board Games for Adults — 12-5 p.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library — Play modern board games with other adults.
- 2022 MLK Celebration — 4 p.m. at Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods — An annual musical salute honors Martin Luther King Jr. in advance of the holiday honoring the civil rights leader on Jan. 17. Free.
Sunday, Jan. 16
- Baratunde Thurston — 2 p.m. at the CenterStage — Writer, comedian and activist Baratunde Thurston of “The Onion” and “How To Be Black” takes the stage to discuss racial issues, part of an extended Martin Luther King Day Jr. celebration. Tickets start at $15.
Photo via the Library of Congress
Many animals at Roer’s Zoofari had a chance to frolic in the winter landscape change that recently and suddenly overtook the region.
While the storm caused crashes, power outages and dangerous conditions, video showed a group of llamas running over the snow-covered ground at the Reston landmark near Lake Fairfax Park last week.
“Most of the animals at the zoo don’t even mind the cold, they’re frolicking and going about their business as usual,” Roer’s Zoofari CEO Vanessa Roer said.
Llamas, native to South America, can handle extreme colds, and Roer’s Zoofari animals have seen similar cold spells, but they’re unusual.
“It’s a little cold and wet, but it’s all worth it to know personally that the animals I care for are warm, well-fed, and healthy,” lead zookeeper Eliott Hamblin said last week, adding that it seemed better than the heat.
In a warning about the weather not related to the zoo, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals noted that pets are especially vulnerable in the cold and could die if left outside.
PETA said dog owners should take precautions when walking their pets outside in the cold.
“[Booties] will protect their sensitive paw pads from the frozen ground,” PETA spokesperson Megan Wiltsie said. “Keep walks short in cold weather, especially for shorthaired dogs.”
Virginia law prohibits leaving dogs tethered outside when the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit or amid certain weather hazards.
Many of the animals at the zoofari were seen following a hay tractor, while a red kangaroo and cheetah appeared a little apprehensive to the winter wonderland.
Hamblin noted that the majority of animals find the snow very enriching.
“Our bison love frolicking through it while kicking up their hooves,” Hamblin said.
Photo courtesy Roer’s Zoofari/Facebook
A water main replacement project could reduce Herndon Parkway to one lane in each direction or require a detour to be incorporated, the Town of Herndon says.
The town council gave its support at a work session on Tuesday (Jan. 4) to the nearly $299,000 project, which will affect the parkway between Elden and Grove streets. The cost includes the option for a 10% contingency of $29,895.
The town expects to have more information on plans for rerouting traffic after a preconstruction meeting.
Construction could begin in the late winter or early spring. The contract will require the project to be done within six months of a notice to proceed, but the town’s Department of Public Works expects it to be done much sooner.
“[The] number of days selected for the contract was for potential material supply shortage,” a DPW staffer said in an email.
The project entails replacing about 700 feet of PVC pipe with ductile iron pipe. Water service to customers is not expected to be affected, according to the town.
Town spokesperson Anne Curtis said in an email that the project is needed to address a water main break as a result of age and material type.
Contract recipient Franco’s Liberty Bridge Inc. of Clinton, Maryland, had the lowest bid. Other bids ranged from $467,825 to $1.84 million.
A housing company is looking to transform wooded land near Route 28 in McNair with townhomes, part of a years-old vision to bring an elementary school and additional housing to the area.
Van Metre Homes at Sunrise Valley, tied to the Van Metre real estate companies, acquired the property in December 2020 for $26.1 million. The developer submitted an application in August to build 157 traditional townhomes and 36 stacked townhomes, Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust’s office confirmed.
The company declined to discuss the project.
The property runs along Frying Pan Road and Sunrise Valley Drive in McNair, near office parks and residential neighborhoods, including the Towns at Carters Grove development that’s currently under construction.
Van Metre will need site and building approvals for the project from the county, which said yesterday (Thursday) that it is still reviewing the application.
In 2019, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors rezoned the nearly 44-acre parcel from an industrial zone to a residential area with mixed-use commercial possibilities. The vote required the developer to dedicate 5.5 acres of land to a planned Silver Line elementary school.
Fairfax County Public Schools’ current proposed capital improvement program has planning and design work on the school slated to begin in fiscal year 2024, which runs from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
Pomeroy/Clark, a joint venture between Bethesda investment firm Clark Enterprises and Fairfax’s Pomeroy Development Company, submitted the original rezoning plan in 2016.
Plans showed a new road being extended under overhead transmission lines from Frying Pan Road to River Birch Road.
Van Metre already owns the Woodland Park apartment complex that takes up nearly 27 acres a few miles up the road.
Photo via Google Maps