Update: The tornado watch was canceled around 8:11 p.m. today (September 17), but the National Weather Service still expects heavy rains to continue through the night.

Earlier:

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch effective until 10 p.m today (September 17).

Tornadoes are possible as Hurricane Florence’s remnants move past the area.

#Florence has arrived! 🌧 Please be mindful of changing road conditions and remember to use your headlights when using your wipers. #VirginiaLaw pic.twitter.com/FcqTBmZAsR

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 17, 2018

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia until 10 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/4CDThHFJfU

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) September 17, 2018

A segment of the eastbound Dulles Access Highway will be closed on Saturday (September 22) from around 10 p.m. through Sunday (September 23) at 6 p.m.

Crews are scheduled to complete utility work on an overhead pedestrian bridge along the highway, which will be closed from the start of Innovation Center Station at the mile marker 1.7 to mile marker 2.7.

Traffic from the eastbound landers will be diverted to the left lane of the eastbound Dulles Toll Road. Drivers will not pass through any toll booths on the toll road during the planned detours.

Traffic will return to normal patterns just east of the Centreville Road overpass.

Drivers are encouraged to exercise caution and pay attention to all signs and barricades. Large vehicles may enter and exit the highway at various times. All work is dependent on the weather.

Photos via Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon has become the temporary home for nine horses affected by Hurricane Florence.

The park is on the Virginia Equine Evacuation Site List, allowing the Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park to notify 6,000 members on the list that the park was available to lend a hand.

The nine horses are from southern Virginia and North Carolinas. Horse owners do not incur any costs for using the stalls at Frying Pan Farm Park and can visit their horses while they’re at the park.

Equestrian manager Meghan Look is working with Visit Fairfax, a nonprofit organization that promotes the county as a tourist destination, to find lodging and food for the horse owners while they’re in the area.

The state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services waived inspection requirements typically required to transfer a horse across state lines. Look said there was no time to schedule an appointment with a veterinarian to receive the certificate due to the hurricane.

The horses will remain at the park until it is safe to return to their homes. At least 17 people have died in storm-related incidents since Hurricane Florence sprawls over six states, with North and South Carolina in the bull’s eye. The hurricane is expected to produce widespread heavy rains.

Photos via Cristin Bratt

Reston Association’s Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on changes to the organization’s design guidelines on Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).

The proposed changes aim to improve how RA’s Design Review Board, an independent entity within RA, reviews applications. The DRB reviews applications to change the exteriors of properties within RA.

For example, applications concerning light fixtures governed by cluster standards will move from panel-level to consultation-level review. Other changes related to air conditioners, artwork, attic ventilators, awnings, and cables would move from consultation-level review to staff review only. Similar changes are proposed for single-family detached units. All proposed changes are available online.

The DRB held its last public hearing on the guideline changes on July 17. RA’s design covenants aim to promote qualities that bring value to the property and “foster the attractiveness and functional utility of the community as a place to live, including a harmonious relationship among structures, vegetation, and topography, ” according to RA’s website.

File photo

Three big-name developers are partnering to build the “Midline,” a mixed-use project with 1.8 million square feet of development near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.

If approved, the project by JBG, EYA and Chevy Chase Land Co. would bring 1.2 million square feet of residential development, a senior living center, 260,000 square feet of office and up to 250,000 square feet of retail to 17.5 acres east of Wiehle Avenue, south of Sunset Hills Road, and west of Michael Faraday Drive.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission will vote on the project on September 27. A vote by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is likely in October, but an official date has not been scheduled yet.

The plan requires redevelopment of four low-rise office buildings and surface parking. Northern Virginia Community College will relocate to 1821 Michael Faraday Drive, two blocks east of the development. Plans for the relocation of Marymount University are not known.

Four blocks with several buildings are proposed. Block A would include one building with 127 independent units and a 33-bed assisted living facility. The second building would include a 225-unit multi-family building and around 103,870 square feet of other uses. Block B would include a 225-unit multi-family building and around 260,000 square feet of office space. The 14-story office building is the tallest in the development. 

The plan for blocks C and D is more flexible, with a mix of multi-family units and townhouses proposed. Overall, the residential portion of the development would serve up to 1,500 residents.

The applicant is also seeking a 21 percent reduction in the number of required parking spaces. State law allows reductions if proposed development has high density and is nearby a current or planned Metrorail station.

In an Aug. 30 report, staff from the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning said the location of townhouses along Reston Station Boulevard is “a central site design concern.” Reston’s comprehensive plan envisions the street as a main street with ground floor retail. The report also notes that lawns for townhouse owners are so small they may be hard to maintain.

In addition to contributions to the county’s road fund, the applicant will provide $40,000 for four new traffic signal preemption devices near the development and around $1.5 million for the county’s school fund. Estimates indicate the development would generate between 123 and 148 new students.

The Midline project adds itself into a mix of approved and in-progress applications near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.

Photos via handout/Fairfax County Government

Flash flood watch in effect today — The watch is in effect from 10 a.m. today through late tonight. Residents should continue to monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action in the event of flooding. [National Weather Service]

Information sought on assault — The Herndon Police Department is seeking information about an assault that happened on Friday sometime between 8 and 8:30 p.m. on the path between Center Street and Park Avenue. Call 703-435-6846 if you have any information about the incident. [Herndon Police Department]

Highlights for October — Reston Community Center has released its lineup of kids’ events for October. Two new programs include preschool prep, a free class for kids between three and four, and Boo at the Pool, a Halloween celebration for kids. [Reston Community Center]

Nearby: Local firefighters head to North Carolina — Over the weekend, several local emergency personnel set off to help respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]

Book club tonight at Reston Regional Library — Join fellow book lovers for a discussion about “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. The discussion, which will happen between 7 and 8:30 p.m., is part of The Great American Read series. [Reston Regional Library]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

Before we head off into the rainy weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

1. Updated: Mother, Two Children Found Dead in Apparent Double Murder, Suicide
2. Another New Mixed-Used Project Proposed Near Wiehle-Reston East
3. Sprouts Farmers Market, LA Fitness to Open in Herndon Centre
4. Farmers Market to Begin in Reston Town Center Tomorrow
5. Coming Soon: Thai Restaurant to North Point Village Center

If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip. We’re also looking for photos of Reston submitted by readers. And if you’re looking for things to do in Reston this weekend, check out our weekly roundup of events.

Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.

Photo via Fairfax County Government

A harmful algae bloom spotted on Lake Audubon a little over a week ago remains on the lake. The bloom, called Microcystis, was can produce toxins that are lethal for livestock, fish, and people. Some toxins have been linked to liver cancer.

The Environmental Protection Agency says Microcystis is a common form of algae that is “almost always toxic.” It resembles a green, thick, paint-like material and tends to gather along shores.

As the algae bloom continues, Reston Association is advising all residents to avoid contact with the water. Pets should not swim in or drink from the water.

In a statement, RA said consultants have indicated a drop in the temperature of the water will help get rid of the bloom.

Also, purple and green clumps floating on the surface of Lake Thoreau were identified as Plankothrix algae, which can also produce toxins. Residents should also avoid contact with that water.

Thus far, no toxicity tests have been conducted by RA.

Photo by Reston Association

The Reston District Station of the Fairfax County Police Department is hosting a scam and fraud awareness event on September 26 from 4-7 p.m.

The event, which will be held at Reston Associations headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive), is free and open to the public. A panel will offer insights on how scams that frequently target the older adult community. Subject matter experts will also discuss warning signs of fraud.

Families, caregivers, and businesses are encouraged to attend the event. Parking is free.

For more information, call 703-479-5167.

Photo via FCPD

The expansion of RTC West, JBG Smith’s mixed-use project less than quarter-mile walk from the future Reston Town Center Metro Station, is getting closer to final approval. The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously approved the project, which adds up to 576 multifamily units, 700,000 square feet of office space and 1.4 million square feet of new development to the existing office park, on Thursday night.

The developer plans to embark on a multiphase expansion for the area, which is bounded by the Washington & Old Dominion Trail to the North and Reston Town Center Parkway to the east, over the next several years. The site is currently home to three six-story office buildings, two parking garages, and retail tenants like Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Nando’s Peri-Peri and honeygrow.

A timeline for the project is pending approval.

If approved and built, the project will add another mixed-use component near the future RTC Metro Station. RTC West is next to the recently approved Reston Gateway project. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will vote on the project on September 25.  The site design incorporates the future Town Center Parkway underpass that would connect Sunset Hills Road to Sunrise Valley Drive through a tunnel under the Dulles Toll and Access Road, according to the application.

Hunter Mill District Planning Commissioner Frank Carter said the county worked with the developer to address several issues, including the distribution of workforce dwelling units. The project will provide affordable units at 80, 100 and 120 percent of the Area Median Income. Parking will not be assigned to each residential unit. In order to simplify the process, Carter said affordable units will receive parking at 70 percent the price of parking for market-rate units. The entire project is expected to provide around 2,900 parking spaces for residents and employees. 

Carter said that if parking works like the parking in RTC, the arrangement should be sufficient. The site plan accommodates 57 on-street parking spaces, encouraging people to use other ways of getting around other than cars.

The plan, which includes 3.4 acres of open space, is as follows:

• Buildings 1, 2, and 3: Existing six-story office building with retail on the ground floor will remain. 
• Building 4: A one-story freestanding restaurant, Cooper’s Hawk Winery, will remain.
• Building 5: A new eight-story office with 160,000 square feet, including 10,000 square feet of retail.
• Building 6: A new 22-story office building with 396,000 square feet, including 16,000 square feet of retail.
• Building 7: A 20-story residential building with 293 multi-family units.
• Building 8: A new 22-story residential building with 283 multi-family units. This building wraps the north facade of a second parking garage.
• Building 9: A new seven-story office building located on top of a current parking structure.
• Building 10: A one-story freestanding restaurant located on the common green.

A new right-only entrance from southbound Town Center Parkway at the north of the property line will be added to the development. The site itself will contain existing internal streets with on-street parking. Other planned improvements include a new westbound, shared right-turn lane and a five-woot on-road bicycle lane on Sunset Hills Road. A five-foot wide bicycle lane will also be provided on Town Center Parkway.

Photos via Fairfax County Government

The window for spring cleaning may be over, so there’s no harm in taking advantage of some deals (and possibly steals) from your neighbors at tomorrow’s Reston Community Yard Sale from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Around 85 families are signed up to sell a mix of items at the event, which is located in the parking lot behind 1900 Campus Commons Drive and organized by Reston Association. But before you head out, make sure to check RA’s website and social media for updates in the event of cancellation due to rain. A tentative rain date has been set for Sunday.

Earlier this week, organizers announced that ChalkFest at Reston Town Center, a popular event for amateur and professional artists alike, was canceled due to the rain forecast. The event will not be rescheduled. In any case, there’s still plenty to do in Reston over the weekend:

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Between noon and 5 p.m. this weekend, you can drop in at the Reston Art Gallery & Studios (11500 Washington Plaza West) to take a look at art created by local first responders. The art show is called Ashes2Art.
• End tonight with a special benefit concert by Reston’s Diva Duo at the United Christian Parish (11508 North Shore Drive) from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The cost of admission is $25. All proceeds will help support Reston and Herndon residents who are facing crisis and at risk of losing their homes, electricity or water.
• Don’t head to any Fairfax County libraries today, as all branches will be closed for staff training.
• On Saturday from 8:30-10:30 a.m., the Susco 8K and 2K is back for its 11th year at South Lakes High School. The event aims to raise money for brain aneurysm research and organ donation awareness programs.
• A former Arlington prosecutor and Fairfax County native will sign copies of his first novel, Daingerfield Island, at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
• Reston Regional Library reopens on Saturday. Children between the age of 6 and 11 can invent a “drawbot,” a machine built to move and draw. Participants can also take their drawbots home. The event will take place from 2-3 p.m.
• As the Building Worlds exhibit comes to a close, the artists behind the exhibit at Greater Reston Arts Center will provide some insights on the inspiration and meaning behind their work. The event on Saturday will take place from 5-7 p.m.
• Earlier on Saturday, one of the artists, Rachel Guardiola, will lead a sensory workshop to create artwork inspired by her work. The event, which will run from 1-3 p.m., is open to all participants 18 and up.
• Robert Prather, author of “The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver,” will give a talk on the story of local pirate Jonathan Swift on Sunday from 2-3 p.m. at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive).
• Kids interested in dueling it out can participate in a Chess Club for Kids, also at the library on Sunday from 2-4 p.m.
• If birdwatching is your cup of tea, you can do so at Stratton Woods Park from 7:30-10:30 a.m. on Sunday. During the walk, which is cosponsored by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store, attendees will visit a variety of sites.
• And if you’d rather stay indoors, there will be an open house at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue) from 4-6 p.m.

Photo via Reston Association

Community remembers Ellen Moyer — Moyer, a lifelong Reston resident, a prominent community member, a graduate of South Lakes High School and a local agent, passed away suddenly while celebrating Rosh Hashanah with her family. [Around Reston]

The end is near — Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that the location of the company’s second headquarters would be revealed by the end of the year. [The Hill]

Family splash tonight at Reston Community Center — Take a dip in the pool and enjoy a night of family fun at the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center. The entry fee is $13 for Reston residents and $26 for all others. Groups of six or more must pre-register by calling 703-390-6150. [Reston Community Center]

Not out of the woods yet — Although forecast models show Hurricane Florence may not bring excessive rain to the area, county officials urge residents to continue monitoring the storm, which could dump rain in the area over the weekend and early into the week. [Fairfax County Government]

Nearby: A local police officer’s suicide — In order to spread awareness about postpartum depression disorders and suicide,  the local police department shared a story about late Detective Shelane Gaydos, a mom of four who killed herself in late 2015. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

Tweaks to the redevelopment proposal of the Lake Anne Fellowship House will head to Reston Association’s Design Review Board for consideration on September 18.

The plan calls for redeveloping Lake Anne Fellowship House, an affordable housing community for seniors on North Shore Drive, into a new, eight-story, multi-family building for seniors. The 240-unit building will include a crafts room, community gardens, and a garage. A terrace will overlook North Shore Drive.

The remainder of the property will include up to 72 market-rate, for-sale townhouses to help finance the senior housing construction project.

In July, the DRB suggested a series of changes, including redesigning the southeast corner of the multi-family building away from North Shore Drive, redesigning the building’s parking garage, rethinking the placement of a row of townhouses away from North Shore Drive, more landscaping, and more contemporary architecture that uses flat roofs, rooftop terraces and metal canopies.

Fellowship Square Foundation and the Community Preservation and Development Corporation redesigned the multifamily building by shifting the parking garage from the base of the building to allow for more landscaping and further distance from North Shore Drive.

The garage wall will be screened by louvers or metal panels. To address concerns about the placement of two rows of townhouses, the applicant plans to increase the space between some rows by three feet. Architectural designs will also include more modern and contemporary elements.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive in the conference center. The project will go before the county’s Planning Commission on October 4 and the county’s Board of Supervisors on October 16.

Photos via Reston Association/Handout

The food pantry at South Lakes High School is moving beyond the typical scope of community pantries that give students in need a chance to discreetely shop for food and toiletries. In the coming weeks, the pantry, which currently caters to students in the SLHS pyramid and is run by the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, will begin offering cooking skills classes.

The after-school cooking workshops will give students a chance to learn more about healthy eating. Through eight sessions during the school year on Wednesday afternoons, students will learn how to make one recipe using healthy ingredients and meal kits that do not rely on processed ingredients, according to Roberta Gosling, one of the founders of the pantry.  The initiative is made possible by a $7,000 grant from the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation.

The idea began to take root when Alana Pudner, a Girl Scout, approached pantry organizers with a three-meal pack she prepared to earn her Silver Award. Students began ordering the meal kit, which includes ingredients for veggie chili, lentil stew, and a tuna pasta casserole, as part of their weekly orders.

“To take that further, we also looked at some of the broader trends and felt that if we could help students learn to cook healthy, budget-friendly recipes that it would equip a broad group of people with life skills and take students a step closer to nutritious choices,” Gosling said.

Recipes will contain ingredients available in the pantry and through SNAP and WIC benefits. At the end of each session, students will get bags with recipes and ingredients, including a kitchen starter kit with basic tools like a cutting board, measuring cup, a pan, and spices used in multiple cuisines. Although the classes are open to all students at the school, organizers plan to market the class through the pantry to reach students most in need.  Each session will accommodate about 20 students.

Organizers are also making an effort to focus on foods from around the world. Shopping lists are available in English, Spanish and Arabic and participants will get a chance to try different cuisines in the classes.

Roughly 30 percent of all SLHS students experience food insecurity, according to pantry organizers and volunteers. Every Thursday, students in need turn in their shopping list for the week. Volunteers pack shopping bags and distribute them to students as they head out on Fridays. Students can also shop at the pantry on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and on Friday from noon to 3 p.m. The pantry is also open in the summer on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m.

Since April 2017, the pantry has filled more than 2,500 orders and weekly order averages are also increasing.

Now, pantry organizers and volunteers are looking for new ways to make the initiative more sustainable and comprehensive. On September 30, the school’s PTSA will partner with Lake Anne Brew House to present the “Do It Your Way 0.5K.” All proceeds from the event, which is set for 4-6 p.m. at Lake Anne Brew House, will go to the food pantry.

The pantry is led by Gosling, Abbe Pascal, Andy Sigle, Amy Shaw, and Sherri Pudner. Items in high demand include rice, beans, jelly, canned fruit, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Monetary donations are also accepted online.

Photos via Roberta Gosling

Facebook screwed us and we need your help — Reston Now’s new sister site needs your help. Tysons Reporter will officially launch Sept. 25, but there’s a big problem: some 1,400 people who tried to subscribe to Tysons Reporter’s email newsletter from a Facebook ad had their info deleted by Facebook before we could import it into our system. Please help us spread the word to anyone in Tysons, McLean or Vienna that if they signed up for the email newsletter via Facebook, they should re-subscribe. [ARLnow]

Cycling for a cure — Cyclists gathered for the American Diabetes Association’s 2018 Tour de Cure in Reston Town Center on September 8. Locally, 43 teams took part, equalling 401 participants, to raise $500,000. [The Connection]

An update on Hurricane Florence — “The latest models and forecasts show Hurricane Florence tracking farther south of Fairfax County, potentially decreasing its impact locally. Rain is still expected and flooding conditions may occur in the coming days, so we’re not out of preparedness mode yet for this storm. Hurricane forecasts and tracks can change, so please remain vigilant and prepared.” [Fairfax County Government]

Officers assaulted on Barton Hill Road — A woman who was experiencing an apparent mental health crisis scratched and attempted to bite two police officers on Tuesday on the 1900 block of Barton Hill Road. The police department is working with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges should be placed. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill