The clocktower plaza in McNair will have a new Mexican street food restaurant, aiming to open this summer.
Taco Bamba, which has locations throughout Northern Virginia and Maryland, has signed a lease for a new eatery in Village Center at Dulles (2445 Centreville Road), a representative told Reston Now.
“I believe Herndon is a true melting pot of cultures and people from different backgrounds,” award-winning chef Victor Albisu said in a statement. “It is the type of area where Taco Bamba can thrive creatively.”
The 2,850 square-foot space will feature 20 to 30 indoor seats, including bar seating, as well as a seasonal patio.
A spokesperson for the company, Justin Rude, said it’s going to replace Rubino’s Pizzeria but will require work to make it ready.
“Like all Taco Bamba locations, the menu of traditional tacos will be supported by a list of creations honoring the surrounding neighborhood,” the company said in a news release. “The German-style clocktower center will also play a role as we create odes to various ethnic offerings around town.”
Foodies will remember that Albisu competed on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” in 2015 and won with a steak and eggs dish. He also appeared as a guest judge on Telemundo’s “Top Chef Estrellas” and “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Albisu noted that the company has its eyes on national expansion, but the Northern Virginia-based concept and brand believes in growing locally.
The Herndon restaurant’s menu will be unique, with neighborhood-specific empanadas and feature tacos, tostadas, and super tortas. It will also have free coffee until noon to accompany its all-day breakfast items, according to the news release.
Albisu, a Vienna resident, opened the first location of Taco Bamba in Idylwood in June 2013. With an Alexandria restaurant expected to open early this year, the Herndon location will give Taco Bamba a total of seven sites in Northern Virginia.
Photo via Google Maps
Herndon residents fed up with parking-related problems are calling on the town to restrict when and where drivers can leave vehicles.
Citing frustrations with service and traffic disruptions from vehicles blocking driveways, mailboxes, and trash cans, residents on Madison Street submitted a petition on Nov. 15 requesting that the town create a residential parking permit zone for the street.
The Herndon Town Council discussed the request during a work session on Tuesday (Jan. 4).
Herndon looks to fix Madison Street problems
Under residential parking permit zones, people can’t park in certain spaces without a permit. Eligible residents and visitors can get permits for a $5 fee, and the zone doesn’t apply to driveways.
Herndon already has some parking permit zones in effect, including daily restrictions during the work week for Crest Drive and portions of Huntsman Place and Old Hunt Way. Those who violate the parking restrictions can be fined up to $100.
The town code’s criteria for establishing a residential permit parking program include:
- A petition supported by more than 60% of affected residents
- At least 65% of curbside spaces are occupied
- At least 25% of curbside spaces are occupied by vehicles not registered in the neighborhood
According to a staff report, resident Dawn Ruffin reported that all 14 spots in the 400 block of Madison Street are regularly occupied by residents of an adjacent neighborhood.
Ruffin collected signatures from all of the affected Madison Street residents for the petition.
The town previously blocked parking on the southern side of the roadway because it couldn’t get emergency equipment there, but problems with parked vehicles have persisted, Town Manager Bill Ashton said.
“During the hours of concern, almost all the occupied spaces are taken by vehicles not registered in the neighborhood,” Ashton said.
The new parking zone could span from midnight to 7 a.m. on Madison Street from Madison Ridge Lane to the end of the cul-de-sac.
To prevent the issue from shifting to another street, Ashton has proposed that the town council also direct staff to continue monitoring the area with the possibility of expanding the zone in the future.
The town council must hold a public hearing and approve an ordinance to establish the zone.
Parking problems seen across town
Similar issues with parking have been reported along Worchester Street, Merlins Lane, and other nearby areas, Councilmember Signe Friedrichs said.
“They are complaining about the very same thing and want to get this process started as well,” she said, wondering if the town might need a more comprehensive change, given the future opening of the Herndon Metro station.
Mayor Sheila Olem noted that another resident has shared concerns about commercial trucks parking on Crestview Drive around the 7-Eleven.
“I think we really need to do something on the parking as a whole,” Olem said, adding that she’d support the measure since they have nothing else and these residents sought relief.
Last August, the town considered creating a fee for drivers who block driveways but held off after failing to get full support from the council. Discussions of a holistic, town-wide plan to address parking issues emerged in December.
“It’s not one neighborhood,” Olem said. “It’s perpetual around the town.”
A Reston information technology firm is moving from its original office to a newly renovated space that will also house a security center.
Neovera will relocate its global headquarters at 1840 Michael Faraday Drive near Reston Station to an office at RTC West. The new site will also encompass the company’s security operations center (SOC), which is currently in Ashburn.
Ryan Child, the company’s president, says the move could be complete by March.
“We’re moving into the office because it gives us better access to the Reston market and the Reston Town Center,” he said, noting the shift will allow the company to retain and add new employees.
Child says the area has been a good location and recruiting tool for the company’s approximately 50 employees, most of them based in the firm’s headquarters. Reston’s appeal was a factor in deciding to remain in the area.
Neovera started in 2001 and provides cybersecurity services, such as 24/7 security monitoring, and helps coordinate cloud storage and solutions.
The move westward puts the business next to the yet-to-open Reston Town Center Metro station. The company notes that while employees have always been able to telework, the new office space will help with its return-to-office plans.
“Our expectation is to definitely grow because our staffing requirements are increasing,” Child said.
Photo via Google Maps
Plans for an environmentally friendly farm in Herndon are starting to take shape.
The hydroponics company Beanstalk is looking to add new signage to its recently obtained workspace in an office park at 251 Exchange Place off Herndon Parkway.
The company started with a farm in Newington, creating a system that uses 95% less water than a field to grow lettuces and other food by keeping machinery stationary and moving plants through its growing process, its website explains.
Beanstalk announced plans to expand to Herndon last year, using the location for a scaled-up version of its farm with growing, package and research operations.
Beanstalk makes baby kale, spring mix salad greens and baby romaine as well as baby arugula and spinach. Customers can get the products in stores, at farmers markets and online.
Herndon spokesperson Anne Curtis said the town’s community development staff approved a zoning permit for the business in December 2020.
Beanstalk is looking to have an internally lit letters by an entrance of the building, and a public hearing will occur before the town’s Architectural Review Board at its 7:30 p.m. meeting today (Wednesday) in the police department’s community room (397 Herndon Parkway).
A nonprofit makerspace that supports local artists, craftmakers, and entrepreneurs is securing grants to support a move from Reston to Fairfax.
Nova Labs, which launched in 2011, is moving from its 18,000-square-foot space at 1916 Isaac Newton Square West to 3850 Jermantown Road this year, possibly by March.
It is in the midst of a capital campaign to fund the move and recently added an executive director position.
“We’re in a pivotal moment in the life of our organization,” Nova Labs Executive Director Derrick Washington said in a statement. “As we transition to Fairfax City, my hope is to expand our reach into untapped communities that could greatly benefit from our capabilities and culture to grow to the next level.”
The nonprofit acquired the roughly 40,000-square-foot property — a low-rise building with rooftop parking — on Oct. 25 for $4.4 million, according to a city property database.
The current space in Isaac Newton Square has classrooms and equipment for members to pursue projects that involve woodworking, laser cutting, metalworking, blacksmithing, sewing and embroidery, arts and crafts, 3D printing, computer numerical control, and jewelry making, its website notes.
For one of the nonprofit’s grants, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Dec. 20 that Nova Labs is one of 13 projects receiving Growth and Opportunity for Virginia grants. The $100,000 award will help it add new tools and equipment as well as support programs for member companies, according to the state.
“The project’s long-term goal is to double the number of entrepreneur members and double the Innovation Center’s prototyping capacity in order to enhance [the region’s] start-up ecosystem, small business growth and technical workforce,” the governor’s office said.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, which provides scholarships and philanthropic grants, announced on Dec. 21 that it’s awarding over $52,000 to the organization.
“Over the past decade, we’ve been fortunate enough to leverage our facilities and community of makers to support creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation, as well as contribute to a number of projects benefitting both our local and global communities,” Washington said, noting the organization’s appreciation for the foundation’s continued support.
Photo via Google Maps
A Fairfax County business is expanding to a small plaza near Home Depot.
Beauty Nail Bar, currently operating out of Tysons, should open at its new location (1675 Reston Parkway) by the end of February, according to owner Nam Huynh of Wolf Trap.
He said he decided to move his operation for more space, but it will otherwise be exactly the same.
A county database shows that electrical, plumbing/gas, and other permitting for the business is still pending.
The plaza currently lists several empty spaces with signs for leasing. Businesses currently located in the strip include a barbershop, Pizza Boli’s, and the Peruvian chicken restaurant Pollo Peru.
Huynh started Beauty Nail Bar in 2014. It provides manicures, pedicures, nail extensions, and waxing services.
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. 3
- “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” — 10 a.m. at the CenterStage — Watch Tom Hanks portray children’s show icon Fred Rogers in this movie based on a true story. Free. Registration required.
Tuesday, Jan. 4
- Weird, Wonderful History for Kids — 4:30-5:15 p.m. virtually — Find out about strange and bizarre facts about the origins of comic books. This teaching series for kids ages 6 through 12 relies on art, games, stories and skill-building exercises. Registration is required.
Wednesday, Jan. 5
- Bilingual Hindi/English Storytime — 10:30-11 a.m. virtually — An event geared for kids ages 3 to 5 will feature songs, rhymes and stories in both Hindi and English. Registration required.
Thursday, Jan. 6
- Lego Club — 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Herndon Fortnightly Library — Use your imagination and problem-solving skills with other kids ages 5 and up to build Lego creations.
- Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. at The Old Brogue — An event open to all, with sign-ups at 8 p.m.
- Beer Pong — 10 p.m. at Sully’s Pour House — Compete in a tournament, without any entry fee, for a chance to win $100. Sign-ups at 9 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 7
- Pinot’s Palette — 7-9:30 p.m — Enjoy a painting class with beer or wine. Cost is $45.
Saturday, Jan. 8
- Winter Bird Count — 7 a.m. to noon starting at the Walker Nature Center — An annual bird count pairs beginners and experts together to get a pulse on wildlife in the area. Attendees can expect to get tips on identifying species. Register by Wednesday.
Sunday, Jan. 9
- Watercolor, Pen, Ink and Mixed Media Art Exhibit — running the month of January at Reston Community Center – Lake Anne — A monthlong showing features the work of artists Bob Biedrzycki and Angie Magruder.
Del. Ken Plum will head back to a very different Virginia State Capitol next month.
As the delegate for the 36th District, he says he’s looking to advocate for changes that Democrats heralded in during the last two years when they controlled both houses in the legislature and the governor’s office, a trifecta that hadn’t been since 1993.
“The election outcome represents a dramatic turnabout from the course we’ve been on the last two years, which has been one that has led to us passing some of the most progressive election laws in Virginia, election laws in the nation,” Plum told Reston Now. “I don’t want to see us turn back the clock on that.”
Virginia will become one of only three states in the country with split legislative control between Democrats and Republicans.
“Unfortunately, both parties in both Houses seem to insist on strict partisan voting, and that is really too bad,” he said. “It stands in the … ways which we could work together cooperatively and reach common solutions.”
With the results of the November election, Democrats will lose control of the House, meaning they’ll no long chair various agenda-setting committees, which for Plum was the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee.
In 2020, Plum advocated a proposal to create an urban agricultural advisory council to help support local sustainable food programs, but the bill lost steam in the Senate toward the end of the year. The proposed legislation is slated to expire in July 2023, and Plum says it’s something that he would like to revive.
With the upcoming session, which is slated to start Jan. 12, Plum says legislators hope to address issues with the state’s mental health system with a major study of the state’s Community Services Boards, which help people with mental illness, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities.
He said he would like to see more funding for the state’s CSBs, saying the state doesn’t need big mental health hospitals but needs growth with crisis intervention centers.
“That’s not a partisan issue. It’s a human rights issue. And we need to respond to it,” he said.
The 80-year-old legislator, who has represented the 36th District of half of his life, says he doesn’t want reforms to be rolled back, such as the end of the state’s use of the death penalty, a change he thinks will remain. He also highlighted other recent laws, such as the passing of legislation to help prevent racial and ethnic discrimination as well as discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals.
In 2019, he sponsored a bill that became law regarding universal background checks for people buying guns, strengthening a Virginia law that was in place since 1989. Plum said he’s seen no evidence that it infringes on people’s civil rights, and he said he expects it to remain.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Supreme Court is working to redraw state and federal districting maps after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to reach a plan by deadline, drawing criticism for partisanship by onlookers including Fairfax County Chairman Supervisors Jeff McKay.
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, Dec. 27
- Baby Lapsit — 10:30-11:15 a.m. at Great Falls Library —Â Help your baby up to 2 years old learn early literacy skills. Registration required.
Tuesday, Dec. 28
- Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Read-Along Adventure — 7-8 p.m. on Zoom — Discuss a book series with other teens and adults involving the wild planet conceived by author Terry Pratchett.
Wednesday, Dec. 29
- Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights — 5-10 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens — Enjoy lights and holiday scenes in this annual transformation, which goes through Jan. 2. Tickets for those ages 2 and over are $18 each.
Thursday, Dec. 30
- Puppet Show – Wild Winter Break — 11:15 a.m. to noon at the Walker Nature Center — A puppet show gives an audience a glimpse about the nature center’s animals. The show features songs and the chance to feel animal feather and fur. Cost starts at $6.
Friday, Dec. 31
- New Year’s Eve Bollywood Bash 2022 — 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Dulles — From a belly dancer to a midnight ball drop, ring in the new year with this Bollywood-style party. Tickets start at $175 per adult.
- Carpool’s New Year’s Eve 2022 Pajama Party! — 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Carpool in Herndon — Advance tickets, which now start at $100 — include 12 drinks. Designated driver tickets start at $35.
Saturday, Jan. 1
- Watercolor, Pen, Ink and Mixed Media Art Exhibit — running the month of January at Reston Community Center – Lake Anne — A monthlong showing features the work of artists Bob Biedrzycki and Angie Magruder.
Sunday, Jan. 2
- Tinsel! — activities throughout the day at 45425 Holiday Drive in Sterling — Enjoy the last day of events, featuring craft making, a DJ and winter princess singing. Tickets are $22 for adults and $15 for kids ages 3-12.
Photo via Kenneth Lu/Flickr
Maame Biney, the 21-year-old Restonian who became the first Black woman to land a spot on a U.S. Olympic speedskating team, is bringing her local Northern Virginia flair along with her on her Olympic journey.
For the last year and a half, she’s been training in Utah, where she earned a spot this month to compete in the upcoming 2022 Olympics. But despite not being face-to-face with people back in Fairfax County, she told Reston Now that she still has pieces of home with her, such as when grade school teachers Mrs. Bentley and Damon reach out to her.
“That’s super nice to know they’re out there supporting me and wanting the best for me beyond the role of a student, but as a skater and human being,” Biney said in an email.
Biney’s record-breaking history includes competing in the 2018 Olympics, and after three days of competition ending Dec. 19 at U.S. qualifiers in Utah, she secured her return to the Games next year in China.
She and four other female skaters, including Kristen Santos, made the short track team. Biney is the only returning Olympian on the squad.
“What was going through my head during qualifiers, was just to chill,” she wrote.
The athletes made the team based on their overall performance in six races (two 1,500-meter races, two 1,000-meter races and two 500-meter races).
Biney’s iconic smile came out as she skated off the rink following her win in the 500-meter final, quickly taking the lead from a third position on the starting line.
“I was mainly focused on my breathing and trying to be calm throughout the very big storm,” she said by email. “I really wanted to make my second Olympic team, but I can’t be too hard on myself. Then during the 500 I proved to myself I still got it, and I’m still the 500 queen!”
Overcome with emotion and talking amid tears, she talked about her family, friends and God
“This is for them,” she told NBC Sports while eventually breaking out smiles again.
Biney moved to the U.S. from Ghana at age 5 and began speed skating at the age of six.
While still a high school student at South Lakes, she made her Olympic debut in South Korea at age 18.
In high school, she also won bronze and gold medals at the world junior championships in 2017 and 2018 and defended her title as a University of Utah student in 2019 — when she also set a junior world record.
Construction crews are starting a new development with townhomes starting in the mid $700,000s along Frying Pan Road.
The Floris development by Sunrise Valley Drive will feature three-to-five bedroom homes some 2,301-3,131 square feet in size, according to a Beazer Homes project page for the development, dubbed Towns at Carters Grove.
The rapidly changing area is emerging as a residential neighborhood, with several people buying and moving into newly completed homes in the Foster’s Glen development this past fall as construction there continues.
The Beazer development will span across three new roads in a new cul-de-sac consisting of Tayberry Way, Wineberry Terrace and Loganberry Drive.
The new development calls for three-story homes, according to the company, and county property records suggest there could be up to 35 residences built there, grouped in clusters.
The development comes through subdivisions from New York City-based real estate investment firm JEN Partners. According to Beazer, the townhomes will be coming this spring.
Firefighters rescued two residents from the top floor of an apartment building during a fire early this morning.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded around 1:18 a.m. to the 2300 block of Freetown Court in Reston and used a ladder to reach the residents.
One person was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Video showed a top-story unit engulfed in flames, showing nothing but the fire through a window.
Other details weren’t immediately available.
At 1:18 a.m. this morning, #FCFRD responded to Two Alarm apartment fire in 2300 block of Freetown Ct. Reston. Two residents rescued from a top floor apartment using a ground ladder. One transported to hospital w/non-life-threatening injuries. No firefighter injuries. More later. pic.twitter.com/Vh9sCT9L9h
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) December 23, 2021
The Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão is looking to expand in the northern Virginia region.
Permits show the restaurant is looking to add a location at Reston Town Center at 11915 Democracy Drive across from outdoor dining staple Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge and the Mexican restaurant Uncle Julio’s.
The addition would make it one of numerous additions coming to the shopping district in 2022. It would fill a location that’s been vacant for most of the COVID-19 pandemic after the Chinese and Thai restaurant Big Bowl closed in early 2020 after nearly two decades of business.
A marketing executive with the Plano, Texas-based company didn’t respond to a message seeking comment, but a New York City public relations firm for Fogo de Chão answered, saying they have limited information available and adding that they’ll “be in touch with a bit more insight when available.”
But a manager at the Tysons location tells Reston Now that the new location should open in 2022, hopefully by the middle of the year, noting that the Tysons location will remain.
Fogo de Chão has yet to start hiring for the new location, the Tysons manager said. The Brazilian steakhouse is also working to open another location in Southern California.
Photo by Josh Hrach/Flickr
The opening of a new fire station on Wiehle Avenue has been delayed again.
Ashley Hildebrandt, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, said Station 25 is looking at a potential move-in date in mid-January.
Communications representatives for the county were unable to answer what’s causing the delay and what firefighters will need to do to prepare for the new facility.
Sharon North, a spokesperson for the county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, said in an email that the work remaining to be completed is a “typical punch list of items” and “nothing major.”
Demolition on the former station began in March 2020 for the approximately $15 million project that will double the size of Station 25.
The former station was 2 1/2 bays, designed in 1972, had “become undersized” and “inadequate critical infrastructure,” and lacked “support functions to meet the needs of the expanding department and the community it serves,” according to a description by the project’s architect.
Around a year ago, the department said the station could be ready by the summer of 2021.
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, Dec. 20
- Winter Break Camp — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Brown’s Chapel Recreation Area — A day camp for kids ages 5 to 12 starts. Daily activities include outdoor nature activities, arts and crafts, sports, no bake cooking and science experiments. Cost begins at $60.
Tuesday, Dec 21
- Herndon Teen Book Club — 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library and online — Talk about the book “Geekerella” with other teens.
Wednesday, Dec. 22
- Potions Class: From Alchemy to Chemistry — 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (virtual) —Â Create different colors, bubbling chemical reactions and more. This virtual camp for 2nd to 6th graders starts at $60.
Thursday, Dec. 23
- Aerial Cube and Corde Lisse — 6 p.m. at Shakti Rising — Learn aerialist techniques. Cost is $39.
Friday, Dec. 24
- Homeschoolers Meetup — 2-4 p.m. at Reston North Park — Join homeschool students at a playground during this weekly event.
Saturday, Dec. 25
- Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights — 5-10 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens — Enjoy lights and holiday scenes in this annual transformation, which goes through Jan. 2. The tickets for those ages 2 and over are $18 each.
Sunday, Dec. 26