A peek inside Reston’s trauma center — Take a look at how experts and employees at Reston Hospital Center’s trauma center work together to help seriously injured patients. [WUSA 9]
The DMV on wheels — The DMV2GO wireless office will be at the main pavilion in Reston Town Center today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to offer services ranging from driver’s license renewals to license plate applications. [Reston Town Center]
‘Trends in TV Viewing’ presentation tonight — “Allan Hide from Fairfax County’s Department of Consumer and Cable Services will cover “enabling devices” (including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Blu-ray players, and game consoles) required to access streaming and online TV services. He will also share tips on ways to lower your cable bills.” [Reston Regional Library]
Stateside: Police investigate death of inmate — “Police say they are investigating the death of a 68-year-old inmate in Virginia. The Washington Post reports the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center inmate was found unconscious in his cell Wednesday morning. Police say preliminarily, there are no signs of foul play.” [WTOP]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
PassionFish, a seafood restaurant in Reston Town Center, will be closed next week for renovations.
The restaurant, which is located at 11960 Democracy Drive, will offer discounted menu items on Sunday. The closure begins on Memorial Day and the store should be open by June 5.
Earlier this month, the restaurant began offering free complimentary valet parking for dinner guests on a nightly basis.
“We are still hearing from people who refused to come due to complications of the new parking and we are hoping this will provide a solution for diners at PassionFish,” said Jaclyn Benton, banquet coordinator at PassionFish.
Photo via Passion Fish/Twitter
Busara Thai Restaurant (11964 Market Street) has permanently closed its Reston Town Center location.
The restaurant, which served up authentic Thai cuisine, closed on Saturday, May 19, ending 13 years of business in Reston’s urban core.
An employee with the restaurant told Reston Now the decision was driven by the shift from free to paid parking in Reston Town Center.
“Revenue just went down the drain,” the employee said. The owner was not immediately available for comment.
A representative for Boston Properties said a new tenant has not yet been identified. The restaurant has one other location at 8142 Watson Street in McLean.
Photos by Fatimah Waseem
The National Weather Service has extended a severe thunderstorm warning to 5:30 p.m. today (May 22).
NWS advises the following:
Get indoors to protect yourself from wind and lightning. Trees around you may be downed from damaging winds, so if you are near large trees, move to an interior room on the lowest floor. Don’t drive underneath trees or in wooded areas until the threat has passed.
To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in Sterling Virginia.
Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Dale City VA, Lake Ridge VA, Burke VA until 5:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/OIOSDS8BgV
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) May 22, 2018
Changes to Reston Association’s Board of Directors and its relationship with staff are being contemplated ahead of the board’s Thursday meeting at 6:30 p.m.
North Point District Director John Mooney has proposed a resolution to evaluate the relationship between the CEO, CFO, attorney, and board as part of an ongoing process initiated by several parties. Reston Association’s CEO and longtime RA advocate Cate Fulkerson left RA earlier this year.
Resolution: RA Board and Staff Relationship by Fatimah Waseem on Scribd
The board will also consider a motion to form a CEO search committee to fill the vacancy created by Fulkerson. Currently, Larry Butler, RA’s senior director of land use and planning, is filling the position after acting CEO and CFO Robert Wood left RA for another employment opportunity.
A new board president will also be elected following the resignation of David Bobzien. The apartment owner’s representative resigned this month due to a recent cancer diagnosis. The board will elect the new president, who will serve through April 10, 2019.
Additionally, the board will appoint a new Hunters Woods/Dogwood District Director from a pool of four candidates. The vacancy was created when the former director resigned one day after this year’s board elections. Four candidates – Rick Landers, Caren Anton, John Bowman and Travis Johnson — will be interviewed.
The meeting will be streamed live on YouTube.
File photo
Lawyers Road at Twin Branches Road is closed, according to an alert by the Fairfax County Police Department issued around 9 a.m. today.
A crash involving two vehicles caused the closure. Westbound Lawyers Road is being re-routed onto Twin Branches Road.
One driver has injuries that are not life-threatening. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area.
Photo via Google Maps
Water-logged tunnels found in all Metro lines— “While standing water, clogged drains, debris around cables and tunnel leaks were found on all Metro lines, Federal Transit Administration inspectors found the most significant problems on the Red Line, according to three months of newly released inspection reports.” [WTOP]
Newly surfaced interview with Bob Simon — Sam Moyer interviewed Reston founder Bob Simon when Moyer was nine. Now 27, Moyer reflects on the interview. [Fairfax County Times]
No golfing around — Rescue Reston, a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving Reston’s open space, provides an update on efforts to protect Hidden Creek Country Club. [Rescue Reston]
Happening nearby: Nine-year-old boy dies in school accident — “FCPD officers say a 9-year-old boy has died after an accident at Franconia Elementary School on May 19. The boy, who was in the School Age Child Care (SACC) program at his school on Beulah Road, was in the gym at about 4:45. The child, Wesley Lipicky, and a teacher, both simultaneously pressed a button to open a large, motorized room partition that splits in the middle.” [Fairfax County Times]
Photo by Ralph Tartaglione
A developer is seeking to build a 128,000-square-foot multifamily residential building on the north side of Dominion Parkway.
According to plans submitted to the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning on May 14, the multifamily building is planned between the Winwood Children’s Center and the Paramount condominiums on Fountain Drive.
Preliminary plans include 59 multifamily dwelling units, serving roughly 124 people, on the 0.8-acre site. The developer, NS Reston LLC, also plans to build a three-level underground garage with 131 spaces and six surface parking spaces near the main entrance of the property.
“The proposed multifamily building will be an attractive addition to the perimeter of the Town Center Urban Core and provide additional residential units to reinforce the live, work, play environment of the Town Center and the surrounding area,” wrote John McGranahan Jr, who represents the applicant.
Proposed amenities include a rooftop terrace with a swimming pool and 0.25 acres — thirty percent of the property — will remain as open space.
Access to the property is planned from two entrances along New Dominion Parkway. The application has also requested a waiver to reduce the number of required loading spaces from three to two.
The application has not yet been accepted for formal review by the county, said Brian Worthy, a spokesman for Fairfax County government. Once accepted, applications are scheduled for public hearings and other steps of the planning and zoning process.
Photos via Google Maps
(Updated at May 21 at 3 p.m. to include information about traffic and on May 22 to include her identity) A 71-year-old woman was hit by a car and killed at the intersection of Reston Parkway and Bluemont Way.
At around 11:20 a.m., Glanetta Nunn was crossing the road when she was hit by a car. The driver remained on scene.
Nunn was identified as the pedestrian on Tuesday (May 22).
A crash reconstruction unit tasked with investigating the incident concluded its work around 2:30 p.m. All lanes are now open.
According to passersby, a mangled baby stroller was visible at the location of the incident.
Photo via Fairfax County Police Department
A doctor based in Reston is facing charges after an investigation by the Fairfax County Police Department determined he had inappropriate contact with an adult male patient during two separate visits.
Police believe there may be other victims.
Dr. Ticoni Barte, 63, of Herndon, practiced at Community Health Care Network in the 1100 block of Washington Plaza West in Reston. The practice is part of a private partnership with the Fairfax County Health Department.
Police became aware of the issue in February. Barte is charged with two counts of assault, which police believe occurred in October and January.
His license has been suspended. Barter turned himself in on Saturday and has been released on a $10,000 bond, police said.
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the major crimes bureau at 703-246-7830.
File photo
Before we head off into the rainy weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Former Langston Hughes Middle School Teacher Charged with Indecent Acts with a Child
- Reston Town Center North Development Moves Forward, Eyes 2021 Groundbreaking
- Updated: Flash Flood Warning Issued for Reston, Penny-size Hail Reported
- First-Ever Reston Pride Festival to Celebrate Local LGBTQ Community
- Road Closures In Effect After Monday Night Storm
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.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below. We hope you have a great weekend.
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
A vacant position on Reston Association’s Board of Directors could be filled on Friday (May 24).
Four candidates — Rick Landers, Caren Anton, John Bowman and Travis Johnson — are vying for the open Hunters Woods/Dogwood District seat.
The position became vacant in April — just one day after the board election — when Victoria White resigned. The board will vote to elect the new director during its meeting.
Bowman finished second for the one-year, at-large director seat during elections earlier this year. Johnson finished fourth in the race for a three-year, at-large director as well.
The candidates’ statements are below.
Candidate Statements – Vacancy by Fatimah Waseem on Scribd
Photo by Reston Association
Searching for the silver lining –An independent contractor will review the condition of concrete panels that are part of phase two of the Silver Line project. The news comes as the feds join a whistleblower’s lawsuit against a company accused of using faulty concrete. [NBC4]
‘Bike to Work Day’ is today — Be wary when you’re out and about today as bicyclists will take to the streets today. Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association invites riders to celebrate bicycling “as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work.” [Bike to Work Day]
Coyotes spotted in Reston — Dave B., a Reston Now reader, spotted a coyote with what appeared to be her pup yesterday just north of the Ridge Heights Pool. Have you seen any recently?
Tired of drivers speeding down your street? — Residents can ask police at their district station for increased patrols or speed enforcement. [WTOP]
Get your Reston glitz and glam — Reston Association’s gear and gift shop recently expanded, so if you’re all about Restonian pride, now is your chance to purchase some products. [Reston Association]
Photo by Dave B.
(Updated on May 18, 2 p.m. to include information about the release of the RFP)
Fairfax County officials formally rejected a redevelopment proposal for two blocks of the future Reston Town Center North project, a 47-acre plot of land where a street grid, mixed-use buildings and a recreation center are envisioned.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors rejected Reston Civic Core’s October 27, 2017 proposal earlier this month, citing that the proposal’s scope was well beyond the intention of the project and required a “substantial financial commitment” from the county. The cost of the project was not immediately made available.
RTC North, which is located south of Bowman Towne Drive, will be developed through a public-private partnership. The first phase of development, blocks seven and eight, could include more than 420 residential units, an expanded homeless shelter and library, private commercial development and office space for nonprofit organization.
An advisory committee with representation from Reston citizens and senior county staff first recommended denying the proposal. The county will continue examining other development proposals in the coming months.
In response to a request from Reston Now, the county declined to release the RFP, which was issued in July 2017, and Reston Civic Core’s proposal. Here’s more from a spokesman about the denial:
Because the proposal was rejected, the request for proposal and proposal are sealed, following the county’s purchasing regulations. Reston Civic Core’s proposal was rejected due to its additional scope and the financial commitment required of the county. Fairfax County is evaluating how to move forward, including considering future planning and procurement options.
This story has been updated.
The Justice Department and the Virginia attorney general’s office are joining a whistleblower’s lawsuit that accuses a subcontractor of intentionally using defective concrete for the $2.7 billion Silver Line project.
In 2016, Nathan Davidheiser, the whistleblower, filed the lawsuit against Universal Concrete Products Corp., alleging the company urged him to falsify records when concrete failed quality testing. Results showed concrete was prone to cracking and water erosion, according to the lawsuit.
The documents in the case, which include text messages ordering falsification of data, were unsealed Wednesday.
“Make something up and make sure it’s a good number,” one supervisor said, according to the lawsuit.
Davidheiser worked as a lab technician for Universal Concrete, which has a contract for the Silver Line project worth $4 million, according to the lawsuit.
Last month, the Silver Line project came under fire after it was revealed that major concrete issues in thousands of locations. Metro officials said they plan to coat panels every decade to boost their durability, an added cost that would be shouldered by the contractor.
Photo by Fatimah Waseem
