Food apps are bringing changes to a Lake Anne Plaza anchor restaurant that’s catering to niches for pizza, pasta and more.
Kalypso’s Sports Tavern, which often draws crowds to its plaza patio and features Greek cuisine, is branching out with several online kitchen concepts.
The virtual kitchens, also called ghost kitchens, show up on delivery apps such as Grubhub and Uber Eats.
On DoorDash, customers can order deliveries or pickup for virtual brands belonging Kalypso’s that include FREAKING GOOD PIZZA, Grilled & Cheesy, Pasta Glory and Ranch Burger Co.
It comes through a business partnership with a California-based company called Future Foods that takes care of branding and splits the profits with the restaurant, Kalypso’s co-owner Vicky Hadjikyriakou said.
“They handle the marketing, and all we do is cook,” Hadjikyriakou told Reston Now.
The restaurant uses the same kitchen staff; addresses for the virtual brands list the same address as Kalypso’s. But the brands are geared toward food deliveries.
The concept isn’t new for the D.C. region, where the pandemic has further accelerated the rapidly growing food delivery business that’s doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Willie T’s Seafood Shack is just one of those benefiting from customers’ changing habits.
Kalypso’s had been considering launching the online outreach in March, but the favorable weather drew customers, so Hadjikyriakou postponed launching it until November. It’s the first such online initiative she’s done.
“As soon as I started it, I think it was like … Thanksgiving Eve, we started getting a good amount of orders,” she said.
COVID-19 vaccines mean volunteers are coming back to help a warming shelter in Reston.
The nonprofit Cornerstones had a moratorium on volunteers for safety, but it’s been welcoming them back incrementally since August. They’re a key part of the hypothermia shelter at the North County Human Services Center (1850 Cameron Glen Drive), which assists the county’s hypothermia prevention program.
“Our volunteers are coming back. And we’re so happy to have them back because we haven’t had them in over a year,” said Khristina Koontz, who heads homeless services for the nonprofit Cornerstones.
Cornerstones started with volunteers last year, but due to COVID-19, and many of its volunteers being older, the organization clamped down on using volunteers unless it was holding an outdoor event.
Volunteers can now return to facilities if they’re vaccinated and wear masks indoors, and they’ve already been trickling in, according to the organization.
That’s not the only change for Cornerstones as its service organization and others seek to move past the pandemic. In addition, Koontz said they’re doubling their hypothermia case managers from two to four to help find long-term housing for as many people as they can.
While the hypothermia prevention program officially begins Tuesday, running from Dec. 1 until March 31, Cornerstones accepts people starting in November and has already done so this year.
But 24/7 coverage last winter will change for several sites. For the North County Human Services Center, it will return back to operating during overnight hours, from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., reverting to a pre-pandemic schedule. Several other county sites are mirroring that: County spokesperson Ben Boxer said in an email that the extended coverage was because most businesses and public facilities were closed or had limited public access due to COVID-19.
“We did it [for] 24 hours because we didn’t want people to go somewhere, contract COVID and come back, give it to people,” said Koontz, noting declines in COVID-19 numbers this year have led to changes.
For Cornerstones, the organization began its annual “no turn away” policy beginning Nov. 15, officials said, meaning people needing a place to weather the cold could visit the Embry Rucker Community Shelter (11975 Bowman Towne Drive) during the day, an additional area of coverage beyond its normal overnight hours.
The hypothermia shelter has a capacity of 25 people for single adults, and the Embry Rucker shelter has a capacity of 47, which provides for individuals and families, according to the organization.
“As the time progresses, we’re almost full — at capacity — like every night,” said Milton Rodriguez, an outreach worker with Cornerstones.
The organization is encouraging people to donate to help those in need with basic supplies ranging from socks to boots and other clothing, said Missy Norquest, supervisor for the hypothermia program and an outreach worker for Cornerstones.
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, Nov. 29
- Baby Lapsit — 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Great Falls Library — Enjoy songs, stories and more to help build your child’s literacy skills. Registration required.
Tuesday, Nov. 30
- Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights— 5:30-10 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens — Enjoy lights and holiday scenes in this annual transformation, which will stick around through Jan. 2. Tickets start at $16.
Wednesday, Dec. 2
- The Sisters — 6-9 p.m. at Lake Anne Coffee House & Wine Bar — An acoustic duo from Fairfax performs a variety of melancholic and upbeat sounds, playing genres that include folk, blues, rock ‘n’ roll and more.
Friday, Dec. 3
- “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)” — 8 p.m. at NextStop Theatre Co. with recurring performances throughout December — A three-member cast brings together this satirical and irreverent holiday production featuring traditional carols to pop cultural references and of course, Christmas icons ranging from Santa to the Grinch. Tickets start at $25.
Saturday, Dec. 4
- Jingle on the Lake — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza — An annual staple returns, featuring Santa arriving by boat at noon for pictures, live music and holiday specials from merchants.
Sunday, Dec. 5
- Holiday Arts & Craft Show — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Herndon Community Center — Over 70 artisans and crafts people will display and sell their handmade work. Free admission and parking.
Newly elected Lake Anne condominium association president George Hadjikyriakou is looking to help improve the historic community, built in the 1960s, that’s in need of tens of millions of dollars in repairs.
His wife, Vicky, and he own Kalypso’s Sports Tavern at Lake Anne Plaza, and he became president of the Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association following an Oct. 27 election. George Hadjikyriakou discussed the community’s needs with Reston Now.
The condomonium association has been embroiled in politics and other issues for more than a year.
“My priorities are to first and foremost establish a more open and transparent organization, follow our bylaws and the Virginia Condo Act, and to focus on the infrastructure repairs noted in the County’s report,” he wrote in an email, noting that the board of directors will engage members on decisions regarding property owned by all of its members.
In a report prepared for the county, architectural firm Samaha Associates previously identified an extensive list of repairs at Lake Anne Plaza. The costs to fix the issues amounted to over $37.7 million.
Of that total, nearly $20 million involve high-priority issues that could involve potential safety issues if not promptly addressed, according to the 109-page report. Some of those items include:
- Ponding water issues on several buildings’ roofs that need replacement, including the Market-Deli building, where mold has accumulated on top. It hasn’t been replaced in over 20 years, based on documentation the county collected.
- Replacing elevators in coming years at the 15-story residential building Heron House as they reach the end of their lifespans, which would require nearly $2.9 million
- Over $1.3 million in parking lot issues that involve extensive cracking and potholes.
- Fixing damaged brick, concrete and retaining walls and addressing electrical code violations at a commercial side of Chimney House, which abuts the parking lot and main walkway. And surrounding a water fountain, the main residential-business plaza also has deteriorating balconies.
The election results come as the community has faced aging-infrastructure problems that left tenants without hot water for months earlier this year.
“Our priorities as a community should be to ensure that our neighbors can have consistent heat, air conditioning, hot water, and no more water intrusion to their units causing unhealthy living conditions,” Hadjikyriakou also wrote.
Lake Anne Plaza was the first village center for Reston and became part of the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, thereby limiting what kind of work can be done there. It continues to be a center for dining, farmers markets and cultural events. Hadjikyriakou noted that the county’s Architectural Review Board and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn have expressed interest in the community, which could help with additional sources of funding.
Previously, a board of directors for the condo association some 15 or 20 years ago began undertaking the day-to-day property management activities of the community, which Hadjikyriakou believes was a mistake, he wrote. He said by email that he’s looking for directors to remove that responsibility from the board, which he said should focus on governance instead of daily operations, and shift those duties back to a real property management company.
Hadjikyriakou also wrote one of the initiatives the condo association will seek to do is explore ways to use common areas to help generate revenue.
“We ask that people be patient and give us an opportunity to organize and prioritize the many necessary projects required to make our buildings safe and structurally sound for generations to come,” he wrote.
When Herndon mayor-elect Sheila Olem was sworn in last December, the traditional ceremony was much different than usual: It took place as a private affair with attendee limits due to COVID-19.
“We all got individually sworn in,” she said Monday, reflecting on her time in office. “It’s been a year.”
Olem previously listed COVID-19 as her top priority for her term, which lasts for two years. Since starting her new role, the town has scaled back from the staggering of schedules for public works crews, which began in 2020, to mitigate and help control the spread of the virus.
With vaccines now readily available and Olem fully vaccinated with a booster, all Pfizer-BioNTech shots for COVID-19, some pre-pandemic routines are returning. In June, meetings went back to in person. And in August 2020, the Herndon Community Center reopened.
Much has changed, but the pandemic’s effects still linger in this town of nearly 25,000 people. The Town Council is back to meeting in person, but face-mask-required signs still cover government buildings.
About 75% of the town’s costs are personnel, and town leaders, including the mayor, have sought to help keep their morale up, Olem said. The vacancy rate for the town’s 200-plus positions is 10% or higher, she said, noting that she and town Manager Bill Ashton will deliver meals to town departments to thank them for their service, although a holiday celebration with awards will have to be done virtually.
The town is also getting $25.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act money, so staff are reviewing how the funding could help with one-time expenses that they’re allowed to be used for, such as infrastructure costs. Olem noted money could be used for a pool-cleaning system at the Herndon Community Center.
The pandemic’s uncertainty comes as the town is still waiting for the Herndon Metrorail Station to begin serving the yet-to-open Silver Line Phase II extension, which would include service to the Dulles airport.
Olem noted one of her accomplishments has been maintaining trash service in a time when staffing issues with private haulers has led to delays nearby and nationwide.
Mayor discusses development, parking and future
During Olem’s time as mayor, the town has begun moving forward with a proposal for three developers to pay $500,000 to help study an area for redevelopment. The review, within 1/4 to 1/2 miles of the Metro station, would cover an area mostly north of Herndon Parkway. A committee that will include a representative for each developer has not yet formed, but Olem said the town is in no way bound to the committee’s recommendations.
However, there is still no firm groundbreaking date on the delayed redevelopment of downtown Herndon by Comstock.
Meanwhile, the town considered in August whether rules should be changed to address off-street parking, which isn’t metered. Olem said other areas have done so and noted how commercial trucks can sit in areas in the town.
“We’ve got to bring this back,” she said. “If we don’t have anything on the books, there’s nothing we can do.”
The Town Council considered a proposal to allow $50 fines against drivers who park within 10 feet of driveways to help with safety due to traffic visibility and to help with access for trash pickup, but it decided during an Aug. 10 meeting that it would hold off on the matter. Council members asked for more information on neighborhoods affected and possible consequences.
For the remainder of her term, Olem, who has been on council since 2010, said she’s interested in maintaining Herndon’s sense of place and historical homes where possible.
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, Nov. 22
- Tot Time (9:30-10:15 a.m. and 10:30-11:15 a.m.) — Have kids up to age 4 get time to play at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Games, toys, books and music are provided. Free. Reservation required.
Tuesday, Nov. 23
- “In Between: Phantom Algorithms Joining Worlds” (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) — Check out a new art exhibit at Reston Community Center Lake Anne featuring the work of D.C.-based artist David Alexander and his two children. The art will be there through Nov. 28.
Wednesday, Nov. 24
- F2G Bootcamp (6-7 p.m.) — FITNESS2GO gives a class to help burn fat and build muscle. Cost is $22.
Thursday, Nov. 25
- Thanksgiving Run/Walk (9 a.m.) Get together for an informal 5K trail run and 2-mile walk at Lake Fairfax Park. Free.
Friday, Nov. 26
- Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting (11 a.m.) — The annual Reston Holiday Parade’s 30th celebration helps kick off the season with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the couple will return for a Fountain Square Tree Lighting at 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 27
- Best of Foley Academy of Irish Dance 2021 (11-11:30 a.m.) — Watch a compilation video on Zoom of performances from Reston Founder’s Day, the Foley Academy Spring Recital, Reston Multicultural Festival and more. Registration required.
Sunday, Nov. 28
- Holiday Lights on the Farm (5:30-7 p.m.) — View a decorated Frying Pan Farm Park while driving through. Cost is $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Gifford
The glass skyscrapers towering next to the Dulles Toll Road and over Sunset Hills Road have begun welcoming their largest tenant, according to Boston Properties President Doug Linde.
Formerly called Reston Gateway, the development has offices for Fannie Mae and Volkswagen Group of America next to the Reston Town Center Station. On Oct. 19, approximately 285,000 square feet of the project was placed in-service, according to property owner and developer Boston Properties.
Fannie Mae takes up most of the office space, 703,000 square feet, at the renamed Reston Next office complex, and the federally created corporation is consolidating its operations from three Reston locations to save $250 million.
Fannie Mae and Volkswagen fill up the vast majority of space with 15- and 20-year leases, respectively, but Linde told investors on an Oct. 27 earnings call that they’re still looking to lease 160,000 square feet. According to Boston Properties, the development called for approximately 1.1 million square-feet available for offices.
The comments came as the company remarked on the benefits of office space as compared to remote work, even though businesses are reevaluating their office needs amid a pandemic-fueled shift in telecommuting.
Reston Next is 85% leased, and despite the significant vacancy in northern Virginia, parts of Reston are under 10% vacant and continue to “dramatically outperform,” according to the company.
Boston Properties refused to comment on the new buildings. Fannie Mae was unable to respond to questions before this article published.
Construction of the project began in 2018.
Seven new businesses are coming to Reston Town Center, including a distillery and fitness center.
Owner and developer Boston Properties shared details about the changes on an Oct. 27 earnings call. Company president Doug Linde said a theater operator completed a 50,000-square-foot lease during the third quarter.
The company refused to provide further details, except for listing limited information on three businesses. In a statement to Reston Now, a public relations representative identified those new businesses as the following:
Open Road Distillery, a new distillery concept from Metropolitan Hospitality Group that will include a tasting room with tours, a dining room, indoor/outdoor bar & live music.
Hammer & Nails, a grooming shop for guys providing haircuts, shaves, and hand & foot care, and
Compass Real Estate, a real estate company known for pairing top agents with innovative technology making the searching and selling process seamless.
All seven businesses are slated to open in 2022, according to Boston Properties’ spokesperson.
Linde said the company is close to executing agreements with three more restaurants, and the fitness operator signed a lease in October for a 20,000-square-foot space.
The company declined to disclose any further information, including the addresses of the new restaurants.
Photo via Payton Chung/Flickr
Luxury two-bedroom condominiums starting in the low $400,000s are going up adjacent to an upscale apartment complex, The Ian, near the yet-to-open Herndon Metrorail Station.
The first of four buildings being constructed by NVR, the parent company of NVHomes and Ryan Homes, is slated to open up for sales at the end of this year with anticipated move-ins as early as April, the company tells Reston Now.
The development, dubbed The Flats at Woodland Park Station, includes two bedroom and two-bedroom-den condos, each with two bathrooms per unit. It’s located by a roundabout along Woodland Grove Place.
“Our two-bedroom and two-bedroom-den condos are arriving this Winter, with pricing from the mid $400s to the mid $500s – and these residences include more fine features than you ever imagined possible, plus the convenience of a building elevator serving all levels,” the company says on a promotional page for the development.
To build the four residential buildings with 96 units, the company got the county’s OK in 2019 to amend an approved plan from 2017, which would have involved creating a nearly 211,000-square-foot multi-family building for 148 units. The county’s Planning Commission’s Hunter Mill District representative, John Carter, noted at the time that the change allowed for more open space.
An NVHomes representative said the company expects all four buildings in The Flats at Woodland Park Station to be completed by the end of 2023.
Meanwhile, a 2017 county-approved development plan presented by NVR and New York City-headquartered real estate firm Tishman Speyer called for creating high rises for offices near those residential buildings.
The companies identified a parcel called Block E, abutting the Dulles Toll Road and Monroe Street, for two office buildings with the option for ground-floor retail.
Noting the proximity to the Herndon Metrorail Station, county staff noted a development plan called for office buildings to be 16-stories and 14-stories tall, each with five levels of above-ground parking.
Crews leveled the previously forested area to make way for the developments, and the vacant parcel could be developed with high rises, even as the pandemic has led many companies to rethink the need for the commercial office space that they used to require.
Townhome prices along the Silver Line extension saw prices increase this year, though the real estate industry has noticed pullbacks from a buyer frenzy.
A fee for new property purchases in Reston could increase from $311 to $353.
Reston Association’s Board of Directors is slated to vote on the matter this Thursday (Nov. 18) at a regular meeting. It involves the so-called “Transfer Fee,” a one-time cost paid by a person buying a property.
The fee can be credited to a property owner’s annual assessment fee if certain conditions are met, where the homebuyer is a Reston Association resident buying a new property and selling their current one.
RA projects the change would generate an additional $45,000 in revenue next year.
It comes as the association prepares to pass its upcoming budget, which has proposed an increase in its annual assessment from $718 to $735. The board could approve that change, too, during the Nov. 18 meeting.
The fee was created in 2006, and RA staff recommended the change as the association sought to reduce the proposed assessment fee increase for the upcoming year.
Attorney David Whiting worked from home for a few weeks during the COVID-19 shutdown in the spring of 2020, but with a house full of children and seven-day workweeks, he found himself back in his rented single-person office.
Whiting and over 100 members, from tech companies to remote workers, are part of Office Evolution at The Atrium at Worldgate (205 Van Buren St.), a four-story office building in Herndon.
“It’s turnkey,” said Whiting, who has had his law firm, Oak Hill Law Group, there for about two and a half years. “It’s just so damn convenient.”
Office Evolution – Herndon opened in March 2019 and expanded in April by taking over an empty space, extending its footprint to around 12,000 square feet.
“We added 35 offices,” said Martin Gruszka, the location’s owner, noting the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce has taken space in the new office suite.
Kim DeWitt, the location’s business center manager, noted that people are wanting to avoid entire workweeks in a typical office, so the coworking environment helps remote workers have both community and independence. It’s open 24/7.
Customers can have month-to-month memberships with customized leases that allow for shared meeting rooms and other amenities. Others simply just want a mailing address with no physical office space, said Gruszka. He’s seen contractors looking for a way to have a physical location to maintain their relationship with the government.
Gruszka says that its members have been especially interested in looking for focus, quiet and the routine of an office environment.
On the employer side, businesses are looking at underutilized commercial spaces amid teleworking boons.
“We’re seeing a lot more from companies that are paring down their office space,” Gruszka said. “They have a lease: Nobody’s using it anymore,” but companies may want to move a department to a smaller location.
But not all co-working models have been a success. In January, MakeOffices — another co-working space — announced plans to shutter its doors at Reston Town Center and other local locations.
Whiting, who rents a private office there for his law firm, says the formal, stodgy office is changing as businesses look for smaller spaces, and Office Evolution allows him to scale up or scale down depending on his needs.
Even though the world is seeking to recover from COVID-19, many businesses are still struggling. Of over 3,400 businesses surveyed from Oct. 30 to Nov. 9 by networking service Alignable, only 27% of businesses are currently reporting that they are at or above pre-coronavirus revenue levels, which is 8 percentage points worse than the 35% level of progress it reported in July.
Now, as companies advertise jobs, some are offering additional stipends for remote work expenses. Gruszka and DeWitt suggested that workers may want to address what telecommuting reimbursements they get, whether or not they’re in a coworking space.
A development for 40 townhomes near the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride is slated to move forward.
According to Atlanta-based housing developer PulteGroup, which wanted to have model homes ready by late 2020, the project at 12700 Sunrise Valley Drive will have sales in the spring.
As part of the project, a parking garage was built to the right of the existing American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics four-story office building. Bethesda-based real estate company JBG Smith has looked to sell the building.
The company is touting the units as four-level luxury townhomes from the mid-$700,000s. The townhomes will generally be located to the southwest of the AIAA building.
Marketing materials promote the development, which the company says offers a walkable lifestyle and “a commuter’s dream” due to access points to the future Herndon-Monroe Metro Station, Fairfax County Parkway, and the Dulles Toll Road. ,
A sign says “Coming Spring 2022,” but according to the company’s website for the project as well as a Zillow listing, that date is when they’ll be available for sale.
A spokesperson for the company, formerly known as Pulte Homes, didn’t immediately respond to a media inquiry.
Meanwhile, development by the proposed Herndon Metro Station could drastically change the northern side of the Dulles Toll Road along the Herndon Parkway.
The town’s mayor, Sheila Olem, said last month during a Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce event that multiple development scenarios are being considered for 593 Herndon Parkway, where some 222 to 675 units could be built.
The town also agreed to accept $500,000 from a handful of property owners to study how to develop a nearby area, dubbed the Herndon Transit-Related Growth Area, that’s generally north of the Herndon Parkway.
Monday, Nov. 15
- Ladies Styling Latin Dance (6:30-8 p.m.) — NOVAFiT Dance presents a start-from-scratch salsa lesson. Cost is $28 plus fees.
Tuesday, Nov. 16
- “In Between: Phantom Algorithms Joining Worlds” (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) — Check out a new art exhibit at Reston Community Center Lake Anne featuring the work of D.C.-based artist David Alexander and his two children. The art will be there through Nov. 28.
Wednesday, Nov. 17
- Senior Movie Day (10 a.m.) — Watch “Harriet,” based on the life of abolitionist and Underground Railroad leader Harriet Tubman, in a free event for those ages 55 and up. Doors open at 9:15 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 18
- Embroidery 101 – Monograms (7-9 p.m.) — Nova Labs teaches a class on stitch lettering on terry cloth toweling with Pfaff single-thread sewing machines. Cost is $45.
Friday, Nov. 19
- Fall Harvest Beer Pairing Dinner (6-8:30 p.m.) — A four course meal features Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. beers at the Hyatt Regency Dulles. Cost is $69 plus fees.
Saturday, Nov. 20
- “The Dancing Light Celebrating the Warmth of Winter” (8 p.m.) — Akua Allrich and The Tribe return to the CenterStage for a jazz performance. Cost is $15 for Reston Association members plus $1 ticket fee.
Sunday, Nov. 21
- Reston Readings (5:30 p.m.) — Reston’s Used Book Shop presents its November showcase involving Kristin Ferragut, Courtney LeBlanc and Gregory Luce as well as open mic readers. Masks are required.
Photo via Google Maps
The Reston Association could increase a yearly assessment fee from $718 by 2.3% or $17.
The increase is in a third budget draft that the association’s board of directors is considering amid a public hearing at 7 tonight. The board could approve the final budget and 2022 assessment at its Nov. 18 regular meeting next week.
The board has been working on the 2022-2023 budget and the association’s annual capital projects. Acting CEO Larry Butler has called for a 3% performance-based merit increase as well as raising salaries for dozens of workers based on a 2019 study to the bottom of their pay ranges. Most of those affected staff would make less than $60,000 with the changes. The third draft also calls for creating two new positions: a senior environmental position and a capital projects manager. The latest proposal also removes three new positions that were being considered.
Around two-thirds of the service organization’s operating costs are personnel, and Butler has suggested that merit increases, which were freezed this year, would help retain the organization staff consisting of around 100 full-timers. High-profile departures affecting its CEO and directors of information technology and human resources have occurred in recent months.
On top of those salary changes and staffing issues, a line item for assessment revenue contains some nuances. For 2021, RA’s 21,230 units is generating around $15.2 million. With a potential assessment fee of $735 and the association identifying 21,350 units for 2022, the yearly assessment revenue would generate just under $15.7 million. But instead of using that figure, budget drafts have listed over $17 million in assessment revenue for 2022.
RA staff said the upcoming budget proposes the use of operating surplus from 2020 and 2021 for the 2022 assessment as well as funds from canceled or reassigned capital projects.
“Fundamentally we are utilizing resources already received from the membership to keep the assessment lower,” RA staff told Reston Now.
The third draft also calls for pushing the Barton Hill tennis renovation and lighting project to 2023 but has planning/engineering money for the project in 2022. The Glade clay tennis renovation project was moved from 2023 to 2022.
Capital project costs also include $1.75 million for Lake Thoreau pool in 2022 and $1.3 million for Shadowood pool in 2023.
The first step of a development vision, sidetracked for years by legal action from a neighboring business group, is moving forward.
The extension of McNair Farms Road is being built near Arrowbrook Park. It’s what developers have sought to accomplish as early as 2017 to help connect a nearby wooded property originally eyed for apartments.
“Stanley Martin Homes is developing a residential neighborhood on Dulles Technology Drive and has contracted with William A. Hazel Inc. to construct the extension of McNair Farms Drive,” the county said in an online post on Oct. 20 after people asked about the park’s pond and trail being closed off.
Stanley Martin Homes got approval in 2018 to build 172 units in stacked townhomes that could be four stories tall. It also received the county’s OK to alternatively pursue a previously approved 2017 plan that would involve building two six-story buildings for 460 units.
But a neighboring business group sued in 2018, saying its property value diminished by $3.3 million, a court document said. The business group — an office condominium association consisting of Spectrum Innovative Properties, McWhorter and Mulpuri Properties — claimed a four-lane extension of McNair Farms Drive would take approximately 12% of its property.
The lawsuit and appeals involved Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as the primary defendant, and the case eventually went to the Virginia Supreme Court, which issued an order May 20, 2021, that found the business group had no additional injuries from the 2018 approval and had no standing for the case.
The Virginia Supreme Court’s order follows Stanley Martin Homes’ purchase of the property for nearly $20.4 million in December 2020 from JLB Dulles Tech LLC — an entity linked to Dallas-based multifamily developer JLB Partners — that had the previous approval in 2017.
The road extension has temporarily closed Arrowbrook Park, where heavy equipment gained access to the site along a pond. The county and Stanley Martin Homes suggested the park work could be completed this summer or be at the point where at least trail access would be restored.
Part of the Stanley Martin Homes property hugs another access point: Dulles Technology Drive, where construction crews are also accessing the site to build the McNair Farms Drive extension.
The Stanley Martin Homes executive said the company plans to submit an application to the Virginia Department of Transportation to connect a traffic light at Centreville Road with the soon-to-be-built McNair Farms Drive extension, which requires building a bridge.
The executive with Stanley Martin Homes, a subsidiary of the Japan-based Daiwa House Group, said the company will build stacked townhomes there.
