Gov. Ralph Northam will be in Herndon tomorrow (Tuesday) to promote his successful move to reinstate driver’s licenses that were suspended for failure to pay court fines.
Northam’s initiative, which began on July 1, allow any Virginian whose driver’s license was suspended for failure to pay court fines and costs to have their driving privileges restored. Fees for reinstatement will also be waived.
DMV 2 GO, the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ mobile office, will set up shop at the Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street) to raise awareness about the policy from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
State elected officials will be also be on-site to deliver remarks.
The Virginia General Assembly passed Northam’s proposed budget amendment in April, a move that his office said would “help countless others by preventing future debt-related suspensions for the remaining duration of the state budget.
“All Virginians must have a fair opportunity to fulfill their obligations without losing their jobs, their ability to take care for their families, and their dignity,” Northam wrote in a statement.
The mobile offices will come to Herndon every third Thursday of the month.
File photo
It’s official: a new fast food Japanese restaurant is now open in Dulles Park in Herndon.
Quickway Japanese Hibachi opened at 1040 Elden Street. The restaurant uses the teppanyaki grilling style in a quick-service restaurant setting. Its menu includes bento boxes, hibachi, and combos with vegetables, rice or noodles.
Here’s more about the restaurant from its website:
Here at Quickway Japanese Hibachi, you’ll find fresh, quality food, served fast, with style. It’s how we have grown from one prototype store to 7 locations, and counting, within 20 months, in the DC metro area.
We bring the Teppanyaki (teppan, Japanese for griddle: yaki, grill, broiled) cooking technique to a quick service restaurant setting. The proteins are prepared freshon the open grill in your full view, a true cooked to order signature dish.
We offer choices of salads, sides, and sushi, all prepared from All Day Fresh ingredients and homemade sauces. Plus, we really care if you have a cool place to eat. We build our space to be clean, convenient and modern. Of course, our food is healthy, with reduced salt, no trans fat, and no MSG.
The chain also plans to open new location in Silver Spring, Md. and Spotsylvania, Va.
Updated on Tuesday, July 16 — This event was cancelled due to staffing issues.
If you spend most of your day sitting, there are still ways to stay somewhat active.
The county’s Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board is organizing a free, four-part workshop on chair yoga. The second workshop is on Wednesday, July 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Northwest Center (1850 Cameron Glen Drive).
The workshop is facilitated by the CSB’s health care integration Manager Shana Grady. She is also one a health coath at BeWell, a coaching program that offers wellness services and health coaching.
Participants will focus on the “impact that nutrition, sleep and activity level have on behavior in a friendly, educational, hands-on setting,” according to the event’s website.
The CSB provides services for people of all ages with mental illness, substance abuse disorders or developmental disabilities.
Registration is open online.
Photo via Brooke Cagle/Unsplash
A police cruiser hit a pedestrian early Sunday in Reston.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, a officer was driving through the intersection of Reston Parkway and Sunset Hills Road around 2 a.m. when the cruiser hit the 42-year-old woman as she was crossing.
The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries and was released from the hospital.
Police believe alcohol may have been a factor for the woman.
Speed and alcohol were not considered factors for the officer, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash should call FCPD’s crash reconstruction unit at 703-280-0543.
Photo via FCPD
Lane Closures This Week — Work on phase two of the Silver Line will prompt several lane and ramp closures this week, including Herndon Parkway, Edmund Halley Drive, Sunrise Valley Drive and Sunset Hills Road. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]
If Farsi Is Your Tongue — Fairfax County is seeking volunteers who speak Farsi to help older adults in the community with their groceries. Volunteers are needed in Reston twice a month on weekends or weekdays. [Fairfax County Government]
Feedback on I-95 Corridor Study Sought — “The Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, under the leadership of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), are developing a plan to study Virginia’s 179 miles of the Interstate 95 corridor between the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Alexandria, Virginia and the North Carolina border.” [Virginia Department of Transportation]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now this week.
- UPDATED: Flooding Reported Multiple Roads in Reston
- Reston Couple Killed in Jet Skiing Accident
- Boston Market in North Point Village Center is Closed
- No Major Flood Damage Reported at Reston North Park & Ride
- New Dessert Shop Opens at Lake Anne Plaza
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
If you would like us to follow-up with you about your tip, please include your contact information. In recent days, we have received tips with incomplete phone numbers and email addresses.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo by Laura Crielly
Six folk, bluegrass and blues bands are in the lineup for the fourth annual Lake Anne Roots Music Festival.
The festival, which features a beer and wine garden and fun for the whole family, is set for tomorrow (Saturday).
The event kicks off with the opening of taps at 11:30 am. Performances will take place through 8 p.m.
The event is sponsored by Friends of Lake Anne and Reston Community Center. It will take place at Lake Anne Plaza (1609 Washington Plaza).
Saturday (July 13)
- Fairy Festival (10-11:30 a.m.) — Explore a woodland trail with fairy house and help build a fair house from natural materials.
- Bookworms Club (11 a.m.) — Young readers can take part in the weekly club at Scrawl Books. Each week, readers explore a new theme with picture books. Members who attend ten sessions receive a free book.
- Summer STEM (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) — Children between ages two and nine can learn how to build structure with a mix of materials at Reston Regional Library.
- Summerbration Fun Brunch (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Enjoy Motown and rock at Reston Station Plaza. The event is free and open for all ages.
- Family Fun Entertainment Series with Guava Jelly (10-10:45 a.m.) — The pair performs music infused with a “lively island feel” at Reston Town Square Park. The event is free and open for all ages.
Sunday (July 14)
- Jennifer Ryan at Scrawl Books (2 p.m.) — The author of “The Spies of Shilling Lane” will be on-site for a book signing. This is Ryan’s second novel.
- Summerbration Fun Brunch with a Stilt Walker, a Juggling and a Face Painter (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Enjoy a performance by a trio at Reston Station Plaza. The event is free for all ages. Parking is also free on weekends in the Metro Parking garage.
- Sunday Afternoon Dance (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — Dancers of all skills levels can dance the afternoon away at this drop-in event. Registration is $5 for Restonians and $10 for all others.
- Art in the Park with GRACE (5:30-7:30 p.m.) — Greater Reston Arts Center and the Reston Community Center welcome visitors to take part in creative art activities for all ages.
Photo via Lake Anne Plaza/Facebook
National recording artist JD McPherson will perform on Saturday, July 27 at Reston Town Center.
McPherson and his band, which is known for its 50s-style rock and rock and R&B tunes, are coming as part of RTC’s weekly Saturday night summer concert series. Concerts, which are free and open to the public, take place at the pavilion from 7:30-10 p.m.
RTC wrote the following about McPherson’s work:
His first album, 2012’s Signs & Signifiers, which included the breakout hit North Side Gal, was hailed as “an utterly irresistible, slicked-back triumph” by Mojo and “a rockin’, bluesy, forward- thinking gold mine that subtly breaks the conventions of most vintage rock projects” by All Music Guide. The Washington Post wrote that, “he and his bandmates are great musicians taking ownership of a sound, not just mimicking one.”
The best rock music has a story to tell. McPherson’s most recent album, the 2017 release Undivided Heart & Soul, chronicles a series of upheavals, frustrations, roadblocks, and kismet–a cross-country move, failed creative relationships, a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity, and learning to love making music again by letting go. That move, from his hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to East Nashville, has greatly influenced his new crop of songs.
The summer concert series, which is in its 29th season, ends on August 24. A complete schedule is available online.
Photo via JD McPherson/Reston Town Center
The opening day of Sprouts Farmers Market has been pushed by roughly a month.
The grocer, which offers fresh, natural and organic foods, will open on October 2, instead of the previously announced date of August 28.
A company representative did not immediately indicate why the opening is delayed.
A hiring event has been rescheduled to August 22 and 23 at the Hilton Garden Inn Dulles North (22400 Flagstaff Plaza).
Construction is currently underway as Florida-based real estate investment firm Sterling Organization divides the former big box store into several businesses, including LA Fitness, MOD Pizza and IHOP.
Woodfield Development‘s development plan for a vacant, two-story office building officially has a new name.
The developer is calling its new 308-unit apartment building, which is currently under construction, the “Sorrento.” The project is located at 1941 Roland Clarke Place.
Margaret Smith Ford, a partner with Woodfield Investments, said the name was chosen because it “suggests a very attractive location in a very desirable region.”
“Our project is in a prime location in a very desirable community,” Ford wrote in an email to Rseton Now.
She said the units are apartment building is set apart by industrial finishes in the two-story lobby, a rooftop pool, sky lounge, private dining room, and a two-story fitness center. Some apartments will have exposed concrete ceilings and ductwork.
The seven-story apartment is located in a neighborhood with new development, including Sekas Homes’ 34-unit townhouse community on the east side of Roland Clarke Place and Toll Brothers’ 54-unit Valley and Park development to the west of the cul-de-sac.
The developer also has plans to redevelop the adjacent, five-story building at 1950 Roland Clarke Place. Woodfield is the contract purchaser for both office buildings, which are currently owned by the law firm Greenblum & Bernstein, according to the county.
Although the offices are located on a site previously approved for more than one million square feet of new office and retail development, Woodfield opted for residential development because the low visibility of the site at the end of the cul-de-sac would not support commercial uses, according to the development application.
The project also includes a public plaza with a splash pad, a park with benches, a bocce court and an outdoor fitness area.
Construction on the project has already begun. The first units are expected to be delivered by the spring of 2021.
OS International Expands — The Reston-based company acquired Vykin Corporation, which specializes in communications, intelligence, and IT support to the intelligence community. The move is the company’s fourth acquisition in the past four years. [ExecutiveBiz]
LeaseAccelerator Acquires Australian Company — The Reston-based developer of enterprise lease accounting software acquiring Guardian Global Systems, which provides real estate administration software. [Potomac Tech Wire]
Summerbration Concert is Tonight — Cedar Creek offers a country performance with dance construction at Reston Station Plaza from 7-9 p.m. The concert is free and open for all ages. [Reston Community Center]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
A plan to break up a previously approved 148-unit residential building into four condominiums near the future Herndon Metro Station is moving forward.
NVR, Inc. is seeking the county’s approval to change plans for Woodland Park Crossing, a mixed-use project with 1.6 million square feet of planned development.
The multi-family building, which had been approved for 210,715 square feet of development, would be divvied up into four, five-story condominiums with 185,000 square feet.
The plan was first approved in March 2017, calling for a total of 678 residential units, two office buildings — 16 stories ad 14 stories, and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
The site borders the Dulles Toll Road to the north and Monroe Street to the east. It is owned by Tishman Speyer.
The county’s Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the project on Tuesday, July 16.
Map via handout/Fairfax County Government
New speed humps are expected to be installed within the next several weeks along Rosedown Drive.
Four humps will be added to the road the request of the local homeowners association. The initiative is part of the county’s Residential Traffic Administration Program, which allows roads to be review for traffic calming procedures if requested by a board member.
Other speed humps could be added to Beverly Drive in Ashburn.
The total cost of both projects is $56,000. Funds are already appropriated in the county’s general fund.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will vote on the projects at a meeting on Tuesday, July 16. If approved, construction would begin as soon as possible.
Map via Google Maps
Just days after major flooded in the region, a flood watch is in effect in Reston and surrounding areas from 2 p.m. until late tonight.
A flood watch means that there is the possibility of flooding. Local fire and rescue crews are encouraging residents to avoid stalled water and turn around if they see flooded roads.
Here’s more from the National Weather Service’s alert:
Showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening. Torrential rainfall may lead to totals exceeding 2 inches in a short period of time. This may cause flash flooding of small streams and other poor drainage urban areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
In the latest storm this past Monday (July 8), the Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department responded to 55 calls related to people being trapped on flooded roadways.
Showers and thunderstorms starting to pop up along the I-95 corridor between DC and Baltimore. Additionally, a line of showers and storms is approaching from the west. Again, damaging winds and heavy rainfall, which could lead to flash flooding, are the main threats today. pic.twitter.com/ulJiTk387d
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 11, 2019
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Local fire and rescue crews were on the scene of a gas leak in Reston earlier this week.
A gas leak occurred on the 12100 block of Sunset Hills Road around a little before 10 p.m. this past Tuesday (July 9).
Hazmat crews opted to flare a tank — a technique that burns gas in the tank to reduce volume or lower internal pressure.
A spokesperson for the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department told Reston Now that only the pressure relief valve was damaged.
“No buildings were evacuated as everything was under control,” the spokesperson said.
Last night, units on scene of gas leak in 12100 block Sunset Hills Rd, Reston. Underground 1000-gal propane tank leaking from pressure relief valve. Haz Mat opted to flare tank. Flaring is controlled burn of gas in tank to reduce volume or lower internal pressure to render safe. pic.twitter.com/USpKkBkz17
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) July 10, 2019
