A power outage has been reported in the Bennington Woods Road area.
According to Dominion Energy, 536 customers are impacted by the outage, the cause of which is pending investigation.
As of 9:10 a.m., crews have not yet been assigned to address the issue, but the company expects to restore power by 3 p.m. today.
This story will be updated.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved plans Tuesday to replace surface parking in Lake Fairfax Business Park with a four-story hotel.
The 138-room hotel, proposed by TH Holding Company, would be built next to the headquarters of Thompson Hospitality (1741 Business Center Drive), TH Holding’s retail food and facilities management company.
TH Holding Company plans to provide 299 parking spaces, including 149 spots for hotel guests and employees. An outdoor terrace will be adjacent to the hotel’s main entrance.
Under requested rezoning approvals, the hotel will be subject to its own zoning and permit regulations, separate from Lake Fairfax Business Park. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the project on May 3, with one member abstaining from a vote.
Photo via Fairfax County Government, Google Maps
For the first time since 2014, Dulles Toll Road rates could increase by about one-third next year.
Motorists have paid $2.50 at the mainline plaza and $1 at exit ramps, totaling $3.50 for the last four years.
Under the plan, tolls would rise to $3.25 at the main plaza and $1.50 at exit ramps, totaling $4.75 overall. Increases would continue in the years ahead, with a $6 toll from 2023 through 2027, $7.25 from 2028 through 2032, $8.75 from 2033 through 2037, and $10 from 2038 through 2042.
Public hearings on the proposal are set for the summer, most likely in July and August. A vote authorizing the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to proceed with the process for proposed rate adjustments is set for June 20. Board action on final increases would occur in mid-October.
Officials said the toll increase is necessary to prevent toll revenue from falling below the minimum required to cover debt service costs. Tolls are expected to fund about $2.8 billion of the $5.7 billion cost of the Silver Line project.
Photo by Fatimah Waseem; graphic by MWAA
Mark your calendars: Chalk on the Water, the fifth annual street-art festival, returns to Lake Anne Village Center in early June.
Hosted by Public Art Reston, the two-day festival challenges artists to create chalk drawings on Lake Anne’s Washington Plaza. This year’s event will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 9 and 10.
Artists can register in three categories, including professional artists, amateur artists, and families and kids. Participants have a chance to earn a prize. Face painter Becky Nelson will be on-site to paint faces and snow cones and popcorn will be available for purchase by Reston Association.
Last year’s festival sold-out for the first time. Organizers expect a high turnout this year as well.
“It’s a challenge to come up with a compelling drawing for the event, and a little intimidating to draw in public, but it’s always worth the effort. It’s also fun watching the reactions of people walking by, especially kids, and hearing their comments about the drawings,” said Bruce Wright, last year’s winner in the amateur category.
Online registration is open and closes on June 8 at 5 p.m. Participants can also register on-site on the day of the event. Fees range from $10 to $20 depending on the category.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. For more information, contact [email protected].
Sponsors include Lake Anne Coffee House & Wine Bar and Reston Association Camps.
Photo via Facebook
Reston Regional Library is one of 50 libraries across the country to receive “The Great American Read” grant from the American Library Association and PBS.
The Great American Read is an eight-episode show that explores the power of reading. Viewers will select the top book of 100 best-loved novels at the end of the show, which runs from May 22 through October.
The Reston branch will host programs related to the television series with the help of WETA, the local PBS station.
“We are delighted to be part of such a unique initiative that encourages appreciation of reading and the world of discovery opened to us through books,” Library Director Jessica Hudson said.
The library will host a premiere party for the series on May 22 and special screenings of each episode thereafter. A lecture series led by local scholars, writing workshops for adults and teens and a discussion with Newbery medal winner and Reston native Kwame Alexander is also planned.
The top 100 books are selected through a public opinion polling service, with 7,200 respondents.
Photo via Fairfax County Government
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for Fairfax County until 10 p.m. today. Residents should avoid flooded roads.
A tornado warning for the area was canceled at 6:45 p.m. today. Penny-size was reported as a rain, hail, thunder, and strong winds swept into the area.
Earlier:
A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Leesburg.
❗️❗️⚠️ pic.twitter.com/BqFAXYvZPe
— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) May 14, 2018
Residents should take cover by moving to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, according to the alert.
Here’s more from NWS:
IMPACT…For those in the direct path of a tornado touchdown,
flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Damage to roofs, siding, and windows may occur.
Mobile homes may be damaged or destroyed. Tree damage is
likely.* This dangerous storm will be near…
Lansdowne around 620 PM EDT.
Broadlands and Brambleton around 625 PM EDT.
Arcola around 630 PM EDT.
Ashburn and Countryside around 635 PM EDT.
Dulles International Airport around 640 PM EDT.
Reston, Herndon, Lowes Island, Oakton, Sterling, Chantilly and
Great Falls around 645 PM EDT.Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Congressional Manor, Belmont, Belleview, Sterling Park, Bradley
Farms, Cabin John and Fairfax Station.
Photos by @Cynthia_Adler, @wdudley2009 and @NWS_BaltWash
The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston is sponsoring the first-ever Reston Pride Festival on June 2 from 2-6 p.m.
The family-friendly, alcohol-free event aims to support and celebrate Reston’s LGBTQ community, said the Rev. Debra Haffner, a minister at UUCR.
Her son, Greg Tartaglione, will emcee and perform as Mama Celeste, a drag performance artist, at the festival. Mama Celeste will also host Oakland’s first drag festival this month.
“As someone new to Reston, I was surprised to discover that despite Reston’s founding commitment to diversity and inclusion, there had never been a Pride festival in Reston. I am delighted by the enthusiastic response and support we are receiving for Reston Pride, often from groups and organizations that have never spoken out before on LGBTQ issues,” Haffner said.
The festival, which takes place at UUCR, includes more than 10 performers, presentations by area political and faith leaders, exhibits, booths, food, and music.
Reston Community Players will perform “Rock the Ages and “Hairspray” at the festival. State Del. Ken Plum and state Sen. Janet Howell will speak alongside Lisa Merkel, the mayor of the Town of Herndon.
Eighteen cosponsors are supporting the event, including six churches and synagogues, Cornerstones and the YMCA.
To volunteer, email [email protected]. The complete program is available online.
Photo via Myers Public Relations
Consistent with national trends, black and Hispanic students are suspended at higher rates than their white peers in Reston schools.
Discipline disparities are especially prevalent at the high school and middle school level, according to federal data released by the U.S. Department of Education in late April.
In Fairfax County Public Schools, 40 percent of students are white, 25 percent are Hispanic, and 10 percent are black. But in-school and out-of-school suspensions are higher for black and Hispanic students. The dataset includes information for the 2015-2016 school year on more than 96,000 public schools.
Black students comprise 23 percent of total in-school suspensions and 26 percent of out-of-school suspensions. Similarly, Hispanic students comprise 41 percent of total in-school suspensions and 35 percent of total out-of-school suspensions.
White students, on the other hand, comprised 22 percent of in-school suspensions and 24 percent of out-school suspensions.
At South Lakes High School, black students are about twice as likely as white students to be suspended. They comprise just 13 percent of the total student population but account for nearly 35 percent of all in-school suspensions and nearly 37 percent of all out-of-school suspensions.
Disparities are evident among the Hispanic population at Herndon High School, where Hispanic students make up 39 percent of the total student population, but account for 64 percent of in-school suspensions and 54 percent of out-of-school suspensions.
In a statement to Reston Now, FCPS spokesman John Torre said the school system is concerned about the “disproportionality in school discipline, suspension, and expulsion rates between white children and children of color and is addressing those concerns by promoting and utilizing these alternative forms of discipline.”
At Herndon Middle School, Hispanic students, who make up 40 percent of the student population, accounted for 73 percent of in-school suspensions and 76 percent of out-of-school suspensions. White students made up 34 percent of the student population and accounted for 10 percent of in-school suspensions and 5 percent of out-of-school suspensions.
For black students, who make up 8 percent of the student population, disparities were not as evident. Black students accounted for 7 percent of in-school suspensions and just under 5 percent of out-of-school suspensions.
Major disparities were not as pervasive at Hughes Middle School, where 42 percent of students are white, 15 percent are black, and 26 percent are Hispanic.
White students comprised 8 percent of in-school suspensions and 14 percent of out-of of school suspensions. Black students comprised 27 percent of in-school suspensions and 28 percent of out-of-school suspensions. Suspensions for Hispanic students were in-line with their demographic makeup.
At the elementary school level, fewer overall suspensions were reported. Overall, racial disparities were also not as evident as they were in the middle and high school level.
Data in Fairfax County are in line with national trends. In 2015, 31 percent of students referred to police were black, even though they comprised 15 percent of the total school population. White students comprised about half of all students but only made up 36 percent of student police referrals.
Read FCPS’ entire response after the jump.
File photo via Karen Raffel
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Honeygrow Set to Open Friday in Reston
- Police Investigating Crash Between Cyclist and Van
- Preliminary Planning for Silver Line Underpass to Begin This Year
- Friday Morning Notes
- Fairfax County Supervisors Adopt 2019 Budget
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.
If you have plans for Mother’s Day on Sunday or plan to take advantage of discounts and deals, enjoy. We hope you have a great weekend.
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Expanded and upgraded sidewalks are planned on South Lakes Drive between Green Keepers Court and Twin Branches Road.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will provide information about the proposal at Reston Association’s Design Review Board on Tuesday (May 15) at 7 p.m. in Reston Association’s Conference Center.
In total, roughly 3,600 feet of sidewalk will be installed in the area, along with a bus shelter on Green Watch Way. Upgrades to curb ramps and six bus stops with ADA-compliant loading pads are also planned.
The project is divided into three segments: from Greenkeepers Court to Pond View Court, from Salt Kettle Way to Ridge Heights Road and from South Lakes Drive at Twin Branches Road.
The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to rebuild the traffic signal at the intersection of South Lakes Drive and Twin Branches Road. Currently, a sidewalk does not extend to the intersection.
Land acquisition is expected to begin in the fall and be complete by fall 2019. Construction should begin around spring 2020, according to estimates from county officials.
Map/photo via FCDOT
Plans are moving forward to redevelop a 47-acre plot of land north of Reston Town Center into a street grid with a park, mixed-use buildings, and a recreation center. The first phase of the project, which covers two of eight blocks in the development, would affect Reston Regional Library and the Embry Rucker Shelter.
Fairfax County, INOVA and Reston Association have drafted a memorandum of understanding to outline the scope of the development, known as Reston Town Center North.
The team behind the public-private partnership is expected to conduct a work session with RA’s Design Review Board on Tuesday (May 15). RA’s covenants and governing documents apply to all eight blocks of development.
Construction is expected to last from late 2021 to 2025. If the plan moves forward, the new library will be 9,000 square feet larger and the homeless shelter will increase capacity from 70 to 90 beds.
Between 360 and 420 market-rate housing units, 50 affordable units and 30 supportive housing units are planned for people to transition out of the shelter. The size of the shelter would more than double from 10,500 square feet to 25,000 square feet. Between 174,000 and 244,000 square feet of private commercial development is also planned, with an additional 28,000 square feet of office space for nonprofit organizations.
Plans for the remaining seven blocks are preliminary. Phase two contemplates the construction of a 90,000 square foot recreation center, built in coordination with the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Overall, the county will own 55 percent of the project and INOVA will own 45 percent. The project is intended to transition from Reston Town Center’s urban core to an area with lower intensity and tapering heights from south to north and east to west.
Maps via Fairfax County Government
Honeygrow opens today — The Philadelphia import will celebrate its grand opening today at 10:30 a.m. today. The fast-casual restaurant offers stir-fries and salads, ordered via screen ordering stations. The restaurant, which is located at 12100 Sunset Hills Road, also plans to donate $5 of every stir-fry or salad sold to the nonprofit Back on My Feet today. The first 100 guests will get some honegrow swag and free draft lattes from La Colombe Coffee Roasters. [Facebook]
Light it up — Residents can receive up to five free LEDs at Reston Regional Library on Monday (May 14). The first LED is free and the remaining bulbs are available in exchange for an incandescent or Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb. [Fairfax County Government]
Loudoun competes with Reston, Tysons — “Loudoun County does not have the same business hubs as neighboring Fairfax County, with Tysons and Reston Town Center attracting large office tenants, but landlords and brokers in the county say Loudoun can use that to its advantage.” [Bisnow]
Two pools to open Saturday — “Two of Reston Association’s 15 pools are scheduled to open this weekend. Ridge Heights and North Shore heated pools will open Saturday at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively. Weekday hours will be 1-7 p.m. and 1-8 p.m..” [Reston Association]
Photo by Ruth Sievers
Sean Dorsey, a transgender contemporary dance choreographer, will bring a dance performance to Reston Community Center as part of a 20-city tour on Wednesday, May 16.
The show, Boys in Trouble, investigates modern masculine identity from the perspective of transgender and queer perspectives. The score includes excerpts from recorded interviews, original music and narration by Dorsey.
Dorsey created the show after visiting communities across the country to host forums on masculinity and to teach workshops for transgender, gender non-conforming, cisgender, gay, bi and queer individuals in the masculine spectrum.
Reston Community Center’s CenterStage is one of the first stops for the national tour. According to organizers, the dances will “move audiences to examine their own assumptions and experiences of gender.”
Tickets are $15 for Restonians and $20 for all others. The performance contains profanity and some themes of violence.
Local and state officials plan to explore options to build a Silver Line underpass from Town Center Parkway and Sunset Hills Road to Sunrise Valley Drive.
The project, which is expected to cost around $169 million, is in its early planning phases.
Pending the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ approval on Tuesday (May 15), the county’s transportation department and the Virginia Department of Transportation will propose three options for the four-lane underpass.
Preliminary engineering and designing will begin in fiscal year 2020. No timeline for construction has been set.
County officials said the project is a “high priority” to improve circulation in Reston, support traffic from additional development and improve connectivity in the overall road network.
In 2014, the county board approved a plan that recommended constructing the underpass west of Edmund Halley Drive and committed $8.7 million to advance the effort. Three years later, the board incorporated the project in Reston’s funding plan for transportation improvements.
The underpass is planned beneath a future Metrorail line. Metrorail tracks will span the future road roadway extension.
The board will vote on the agreement between state and county officials to begin exploring options on Tuesday. The scope of the study includes:
- A review of previous studies
- Aerial mapping
- Three planning and profile studies
- A preliminary project cost estimate
- Information on environmental impacts
Image via Google Maps
The funding request for the $169.2 million project comes roughly five years after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a hybrid design for the project, which will provide an additional overpass over the Dulles Toll Road and ease traffic on south Reston roads.
Major development in the Wiehle-Reston East area, including Comstock’s Reston Station mixed use project, is expected to generate additional traffic on area roadways.
Local and state officials have long identified the need for the project, which aims to alleviate bottlenecks along Wiehle Avenue at Sunset Hills Road and Sunrise Valley Drive and improve connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists to the Wiehle-East Metrorail Station.
According to preliminary plans, the new road will include a three-lane cross section with one travel lane in each direction and a two-way, left-turn-only lane. Other features include five-foot wide bicycle lanes on each side, a five-foot wide sidewalk on the west side and a 10-foot wide path on the east side.
Construction is not anticipated until after 2023. Additional design, engineering and environmental work is expected to continue through 2022. In 2014, the county’s board placed the project on its list of high priority projects for 2015 to 2020.
A funding gap of $25 million remains to complete the project. Requests to the Commonwealth Transportation Board have been made. Construction is expected to cost $45 million.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority will review the request, which is one of 60 candidate transportation projects in the area. NVATA is seeking public comment on the project on May 10 at 3040 Williams Drive, Suite 100 in Fairfax. Online comments can be submitted through Sunday, May 20.
File photo
