A gourmet dive bar that originally planned to open over the summer will likely open at Lake Anne Plaza next month.
Owner Dylan Clark told Reston now that Local VA, plans to open by late November. The bar will be located at 1633 Washington Plaza-N.
Other details about the business have been under wraps. The business replaces Sing Thai, which closed in March.
Photos by Jay Westcott
Volunteers Sought for Reston Home Tour — The Reston Historic Trust & Museum is looking for volunteers to help with the annual home tour, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 19. [Reston Historic Trust & Museum]
Fairfax County Public Schools Maintain High On-Time Graduation Rate — “For the second straight year, more than nine out of ten Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) high school students earned a diploma within four years, according to graduation reports released today by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). More than three out of five of these students earned Advanced Studies Diplomas.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Herndon Man Arrested in Connection with Assault — Irving Duncan, 33, of Herndon was arrested for the aggravated assault of a victim that is known to him, according to police. The assault happened while the victim was asleep on Oct. 6. [Herndon Police Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
New residential infill development could be coming to the end of Floris Lane in Herndon.
A Virginia-based property owner is seeking to develop roughly 13 acres of land with 25 single-family homes. The proposed development, which was accepted by the county for review last week, would include 40 percent open space.
Developer Christopher Land LLC notes that the development, which is called the Reserve at Spring Lake, would complete an “existing and established residential development pattern” in the area, according to a Sept. 27 application.
The project site is surrounded by other single-family homes, including the Borneham Woods and Spring Lakes Estate West communities. Asphalt trails are also proposed to connect sidewalks within the community and the community’s lake.
A public hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission is tentatively set for May 2020.
Photo via handout/Fairfax County Government
A man was robbed during an in-person exchange of a cell phone with an online seller.
Police arrested Monzir Hassan, 18, of Reston for the robbery on Oct. 3 at around 5:53 p.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Authorities believe Hassan punched the victim in the face when the victim gave him money for the phone. Hassan was arrested after he attempted to escape in a black sedan, police said.
FCPD did not disclose how much cash was stolen.
In a separate incident, a home burglary was reported on Oct. 5 on the 2400 block of Old Farmhouse Road. Police believe someone broke into the home that evening and stole personal property.
FCPD’s Reston District Station also reported the following minor incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
1500 block of Autumn Ridge Circle, license plates from vehicle
Carpers Farm Way/Colvin Run Road, batteries from location
11800 block Freedom Drive, camera from location
1700 block of Ivy Oak Square, book bag from car
1800 block of Sycamore Valley Drive, change from car
13300 block of Feldman Place, tools from location
11400 block of Commerce Park Drive, purses from location
2300 block of Fox Fire Court, identification from location
11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business
1900 block of Reston Metro Plaza, wallet from location
STOLEN VEHICLES:
10700 block of Midsummer Drive, 2007 Honda Accord
Photo via FCPD
Reston Community Center plans to open its renovated Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center in December — one month later than originally estimated.
The renovated facility brings two new pools — a 25-yard lap pool with beach entrance and water play features and a deeper, warm-water exercise pool — to the community. Other upgrades include a new roof, new water filtration and air-handling equipment, upgraded locker rooms and improved stormwater management.
“This project was entirely informed by the views of our aquatics patrons who helped us determine the features most desired. They participated in meetings, sent ideas and feedback to us, and followed the project development process carefully and thoughtfully. We hope they will enjoy the fruits of their contributions thoroughly,” said RCC Board of Governors Chair Beverly Cosham.
Executive Director Leila Gordon said the delay was caused by “unanticipated existing conditions with respect to our foundation and water infiltration from flaws in the stormwater drainage system for the building, as well as an acute labor shortage in the aquatics construction industry that delayed that specialized work significantly.”
She said construction is expected to be completed on Dec. 3. Crews have been working weekends and longer hours to ensure the project is complete by December.
Although RCC hoped to offer swim classes as early as November, the center will not be able to offer swim programming due to the ongoing construction efforts.
Patrons who registered for classes in November and December will receive notification from staff to make other arrangements. The Reston Masters and South Lakes High School swim teams will also be back at the center for their practice sessions soon.
The facility — which was built in 1979 — was closed on Jan 1. to jumpstart the renovation effort.
Photo via RCC
Silver Line test trains are now running into Loudoun County.
Trains are making their way into the county from the aerial guideway on the Dulles Airport property through the Loudoun Gateway Station to the Ashburn Station.
Testing is underway using eight rail cars that were supplied by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Metro asked for a pause in testing in mid-September after expressing concerns about the safety of trains when they switch tracks. Recent investigations found that the issue is not linked to possible derailment for test trains.
Although Metro signed off on allowing train testing to continue, a number of concerns with phase two of the project remain, including concrete panel issues.
Photo by Chuck Samuelson/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
Rolls-Royce North America is considering a lease agreement to relocate its regional headquarters from Reston Town Center to Reston Station.
A company representative told Reston Now the company plans to move from RTC to Comstock’s new development in the first quarter of 2020. The company is not releasing any other information because the lease agreement is still being finalized, the representative said.
The company’s regional headquarters opened in Reston Town Center in 2008.
County permits indicate Rolls-Royce will be located at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza. An application for an interior alteration permit was processed in early October.
A spokesperson for Comstock declined to comment on the deal.
Photo by Jay Westcott
Brookfield Breaks Ground on $1.4 Billion Development — “Brookfield Properties celebrated the groundbreaking Monday for Halley Rise, a $1.4B project on the site of a 36-acre Reston office park. The development’s first phase, scheduled to deliver in 2022, will feature 640 residential units, 450K SF of office and 200K SF of retail. The retail will be anchored by Wegmans, which is bringing its smaller urban grocery store concept to the project, and Pinstripes, a restaurant with a bowling alley and bocce court.” [Bisnow]
Metro Investigates Monday Train Collision — “The investigation into the cause of a low-speed train collision outside Farragut West is ongoing, including analysis of railcar data recorders, control center event logs, and signal system playback. While Metro has not yet identified the root cause of the incident, investigators have found no evidence of a signal system failure and have ruled out “loss of shunt” as a cause.” [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Annual Fiscal Year 2019 Report for Town of Herndon — Herndon Town Manager Bill Ashton presented findings and progress on different measures at a meeting in late September. The report highlights progress on major initiatives undertaken by the town in the last fiscal year. [Town of Herndon]
Early Bird Ticket Rates for Reston Home Tour Ending Soon — The $25 rate for the Reston Historic Trust & Museum’s annual Reston Home Tour is in effect until Friday (Oct. 11). The tour takes place on Saturday, Oct. 9. Regular price tickets are $30. [Reston Historic Trust & Museum]
Photo by Dario Pipair/Flickr
A new restaurant that pairs grilled cheese and wine is expected to open soon in Great Falls.
Bites Wine and Grilled Cheese Bar plans to open a 2,064-square-foot restaurant at the recently redeveloped Great Falls Center in mid-November, a restaurant representative told Reston Now.
The Leesburg-based restaurant, which opened in late 2017, pairs grilled cheese and wine.
Photo by Jay Westcott
Southgate Community Center will host community day on Oct. 19.
The event at the center, which is located at 12125 Pinecrest Road, includes music, raffles, moon bounces, cakewalks, a talent show, and food vendors, takes from place from 11 to 4 p.m.
The day is presented by Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, which promotes the wellbeing of individuals, families and the community by providing a mix of recreation, educational and development programs.
More information about the event is available online. The event is free and open to all.
File photo
Following recent changes to state law, the Fairfax County School Board is drafting a policy to store and administer cannabis-derived medication to students at school.
The board is set to discuss the draft policy at a meeting tonight (Monday). Earlier this year, the Virginia General Assembly passed three bills that would expand access to the medications. Under the changes, students who have proper documentation can use cannabinol (CBD) oil and tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THC-A) oil at school.
The oils are derived from the cannabis plant and have been used by healthcare providers to treat conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, migraines, attention disorders, seizure, and other ailments.
The bill also protected school nurses from being prosecuted for possessing and distributing the oils — in accordance with school board policy.
Under the policy, students who have documented permission from a parent or guardian and a licensed practitioner of medicine or osteopath can receive the toils at school. Parents and guardians would also be required to provide the oils to students.
The board will discuss the draft policy at a work session tonight at 6 p.m.
Photo via Unsplash
Vehicle Tax Payments Due Today — The deadline to pay annual bills for vehicles in Fairfax County is today (Monday). Residents can pay their bill online, by phone, by mail and with your smartphone. [Fairfax County Government]
Fairfax Connector Sees Uptick in Ridership — ‘Fairfax Connector bus ridership was up during the second quarter of 2019 compared to a year before, according to new data, spurring hope it has turned a corner from declining ridership totals. The bus system, operated by a private firm under contract to the Fairfax County government, recorded a ridership of about 2.2 million in the three-month period ending June 30, according to figures reported to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.” [Inside NOVA]
Unveiling of Colts Neck Underpass Project Set for Next Week — Philadelphia-based artist Ben Volta will unveil the Colts Neck Road underpass art project on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The artwork features drawings from hundreds of local residents. [Hunters Woods at Trails Edge]
Photo by Jay Westcott
Commuters on the Silver, Orange and Blue Lines should expect significant delays throughout today (Monday) after two trains collided between the Foggy Bottom and Farragut West stations.
Since 5:30 a.m. today, the three lines have been running trains every 15 minutes. Silver Line trains are only Running between Wiehe-Reston East and Ballston. The Orange and Blue Lines are single-tracking between Farragut West and McPherson Square.
The rear-end collision happened around 1 a.m. today. Two train operators were treated for non-life-threatening injuries after the out-of-service trains collided.
Commuters should consider using alternative routes. Metro’s rush hour promise will be suspended on the three lines this afternoon.
Metro says the trails did not derail and no damage to Metro’s infrastructure was reported.
File photo
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Fairfax County School Board to Vote on Changes to School Names with Confederate Ties
- A New Tiki Bar and Thai Restaurant is Coming to Reston Next Year
- Reston Association to Study Plans to Repurpose Hunters Woods Ball Field
- Fairfax County Board Approves Plan to Redevelop Old Reston Avenue Properties
- Fairfax County Adds New Glass Drop-Off Center in Reston
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Fairfax County Governmen)
After recent community criticism and pushback from some residents, the developer of a proposed mixed-use development near the Wiehe-Reston East Metro Station is going back to the drawing board to revisit some aspects of the plan.
TFC Cornerstone, which is seeking to redevelop 12 acres of land into two residential towers and a new office building (1900-1902 Campus Commons), submitted amendments to its plans to the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Thursday (Oct. 3). The plan preserves two office buildings currently on the site.
The updated plans — which follow revisions made in late September — reduce the square footage of an office building by 86,550 square feet. The building, which is located at the edge of the property and near a neighborhood with single-family homes, drew criticism from neighboring residents for its scale, especially in contrast with the adjacent neighborhood.
Scaling back the building would result in a net reduction of 487 weekday vehicle trips, according to the developer.
TFC Cornerstones will shift most of the removed density to the residential building, increasing the total number of units from 630 to 656 units. The developer also reduced the design of the office building along Sunrise Valley drive to seven stories, two fewer stories compared to the previously amended plan. The portion of the building furthest away from the road will have 10 stories.
The developer also committed to creating a minimum 50-foot setback between the buildings along Sunrise Valley Drive, making space for a new 14,410 square foot linear park.
If approved, the amended plan would also extend the time period for a study group to examine the best way to get pedestrians across Wiehle Avenue and its intersection with the Dulles Toll Road.
The developer’s proposal — an on-grade crosswalk — has raised concerns for its lack of safety in an already busy intersection, according to residents who testified at a late September meeting.
TFC Cornerstone will work with a study group for up to two years to consider the best way to approach the pedestrian crossing.
Other amendments included:
- Addition of bicycle striping across Wiehle Avenue at the intersection wit Sunrise Valley Drive and across Campus Commons Drive
- A new proffer to provide bicycle. Stairway ramps on straits through the Sunrise Valley Drive pocket park and the corner park
- Limited hours for activities in the amphitheater
- A commitment to include 15 percent tree canopy, despite utility conflicts or other engineering considerations
The project heads to the Fairfax County Planning Commission for a vote on Oct. 10 and is docketed for Fairfax County Board of Supervisor later this month.
Photos via TFC Cornerstone
