Spot a helicopter? — Don’t be alarmed. Helicopters are flying low in the area as crews conduct maintenance on power lines and wires in the coming days. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Obsolete offices — Fairfax County’s oldest office buildings have some of the lowest vacancy rates — even though they’re considered obsolete. That’s despite the fact that trophy towers are going up in Tysons and Reston. [Washington Business Journal]

Ashburn Shooting Arrest — A Centreville man has been arrested in connected with the shooting of a Reston man on Sunday at an Ashburn home. [Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office]

A new age — Metro’s Silver Line brings in a new age for Reston. Some fear development will ruin the community’s character. Others say it will fulfill its vision. [The Washington Post]

Photo submitted by Wade Gilley

A plan to install T-Mobile antennas on the roof of the Waterford Square Condominiums was flatly rejected by the Reston Association’s Design Review Board Tuesday night.

More than 20 residents criticized the plan, which would have added eight panel antennas, four remote radio units, a microwave dish behind a screened panel, and other equipment, on the roof of the building.

Residents and DRB members said the project would destroy the residential building’s clean, modern aesthetic. Others expressed concerns about possible health effects, including radiation, the effect on birds who fly near the roof, and a possible decline in property values.

“I don’t see any way I could vote to approve this,” said Richard Newlon, chairman of the DRB.

“Cell phones might get better reception, but that’s too big a price to pay for that,” he added.

Alexa Choi, a resident of Waterford Square, compared the equipment to “battlements” better suited for the Middle Ages. Choi said the equipment, even with screening, would completely change the skyline of the residential neighborhood.

The application was submitted by T-Mobile and the Waterford Square Condominium Unit Owners Association.

T-Mobile sought to relocate equipment from Lake Anne Fellowship House, pending future demolition, to the residential building. A representative for the company said an offer to include the equipment in the plan as redevelopment moves forward was rejected.

Photos via handout

To the dismay of some area residents, a series of upgrades — including an amphitheater, fire pit and ping pong tables — are being considered for South Lakes Village Center (11120 South Lakes Drive).

The project by village center owner Chevy Chase Land Company is intended to activate space at the edge of Lake Thoreau between Cafesano and Red’s Table.

But residents near the center and merchants worry the new space will become a magnet for youth from Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School. The project would also increase noise — a concern that already rattles some residents as sound travels down the lake.

Reston Association’s Design Review Board deferred a decision on the project Tuesday night to allow the development team, which includes engineering firm Kimley-Horn, to revise the plan. The DRB could consider updated plans at its next meeting.

Mary Sapp, president of the Lakeport Cluster Association, said the project would increase noise levels, raise safety concerns due to unsupervised teens, and increase the chance of vandalism of the plaza’s “very attractive features.” Sapp said three of the cluster’s 11 bollard lights were destroyed, three were knocked over and two Safeway carts were thrown into the lake from the dock over the last 15 months.

“We assure you that Lakeport Cluster is not ‘anti-students’; a number of our residents have children (or grandchildren who visit often), and several are actively involved with South Lakes High School,” Sapp wrote in a statement to the DRB.

Charles Foster, a Lakeport Cluster resident, called the project an “unprecedented experiment in Reston” that would attract 3,400 young adults within walking distance, creating an environment that “ allows anyone at any time to engage in any type of activity.”

Upgrades include an amphitheater, new lighting, a chalkboard wall, outdoor ping pong, lounge and plaza seating area and outdoor ping pong. A new, back-lit sign is also proposed for the center.

Gil Blankespoor, a resident in the Lakeport Cluster, questioned how the property owner will maintain the upgraded site.

“We know Chevy Chase Land’s heart is in the right place. They did a fabulous job last year with the new landscaping, and their plan is to build community activities. But what they propose is in the wrong place — far too close to residential developments,” Blankespoor said.

The development team said they were open to removing the gaming features of the site, including ping pong tables, in order to allay community concerns. DRB members also suggested removing outdoor cushions, which could end up in the lake, and adding more shaded trees.

In response to concerns about attracting area teens, Michael Casey of Kimley-Horn said the plaza was open to “all generations” and should not exclude any demographic. By design, the commercial plaza is placed next to residential development, he said.

“This is what community is,” he said.

Given the “brutal reality” of the retail world, activating the space is necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the center, said Tom Regnell, president of Chevy Chase Land Company.

“We are interested in that very long-term view,” Regnell said.

Photos via handout

The U.S.S. Herndon took part in World War II’s Normandy invasion 75 years ago. Next year, Herndon High School’s marching band will return to the shores of Normandy to participate in a D-Day anniversary celebration.

The band is preparing to perform in the 75th D-Day Memorial Parade and Musical Salute  in June 2019. Roughly 200 students and chaperones plan to attend the event, which offers a salute to veterans.

The U.S.S. Herndon and the Town of Herndon were named after Commander William Lewis Herndon, a Navy officer who served in the Mexican-American War.

The U.S. Navy ship helped escort ships ahead of the invasion in France, took part in anti-submarine duty and screened landings, submarines and aircraft carriers. The ship also provided some fire support.

Fundraising is underway to make the trip possible. A kick-off celebration and benefit concern will be held on May 5 on the Herndon Town Green. The event will feature live performances by The 5:55, guest speakers, food and beer.

The band was recommended by the government and military organizers of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Hawaii based on their performance in 2013.

“Getting to represent not just Herndon, not just Virginia, but the entirety of the United States will be a life shaping experience for our students,” said Kathleen Jacoby, the band director at Herndon High School. “Not only are they connecting with current day Americans, but we’re asking them to time travel back to 1945 and put themselves in the shoes of the brave men who were on the beaches of Normandy.”

Here’s more from the band about the tribute:

As they march, the Pride will also be paying a special tribute to the brave men of the USS Herndon, the destroyer that led the Allied naval armada in the assault on France and named for CommanderWilliam Lewis Herndon, after whom the Town of Herndon, VA is also named. The USS Herndon was launched on 2nd February 1942 by the Norfolk Navy Yard, sponsored by Lucy Herndon Crockett, great-grandniece of Comdr. Herndon. The ship was nicknamed the “Lucky Herndon,” because it was never hit by enemy gunfire, despite being targeted by torpedoes, aerial bombardments, and well-fortified German shore batteries. The men of the “Lucky Herndon” were given 10 to 1 odds that they wouldn’t come out of D-Day alive. By contrast, Herndon effectively pounded enemy gun emplacements on Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, ahead of our first troop landings there, and was credited with firing the first naval shots of this campaign. Each member of the Pride will carry a photograph of a Herndon crew member who served during WWII, as they march in Normandy. The marching banner will have a photograph of the ship, and the band will wear baseball caps that say ‘USS Herndon’.

For more information and to donate, visit the band’s website.

Photos via Rini Dutta and William Craig Dubishar

Some Metro users say the Wiehle-Reston East garage is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. Limited spaces are available during weekday morning hours as construction continues in the area.

Beginning at 9 a.m., few non-reserved parking spots are available in the 2,300-space garage, Metro users said. The garage (11389 Reston Station Boulevard) includes reserved spaces, which open up to the public at 10 a.m. if they are unused.

Garage users said some drivers park their cars in reserved spots not assigned to them due to the challenge of finding space. Jude J. said police often issue tickets to those individuals ten minutes before the parking space opens up to the public.

“You’re lucky if when you enter the ‘lot full’ light is on, otherwise you’re stuck in a dangerous situation with cars going every direction trying to find a spot,” said Jude. She has been commuting for past year and a half from Leesburg to Washington D.C..

County and transit officials pointed to several possible explanations for the scramble for space. County data indicate the average paid utilization rate in March was 88 percent. The rate for reserved parking is $65 a month and $4.95 on weekdays, except Thursday when the rate is $3.

Robin Geiger, head of communications for the Fairfax County Department of Communications said temporary construction in the garage may explain why spaces are limited. Construction is expected to end next month, Geiger said.

In response to space constraints, the county is promoting other alternatives like the Reston South Park and Ride, as well as Fairfax Connector Routes 553, 557, 559 or 585 to Wiehle.

Comstock, the developer behind Reston Station which sits above the garage, built the garage through a public-private partnership with Fairfax County. The county retains garage ownership while the Washington Metropolitan Area Authority operates the facility.

Maggie Parker, a spokesperson for Comstock, said space may also be limited due to “increased activity” with events like the cherry blossoms in the District. WMATA indicated they have seen an increase in parking demand as a result.

Signs in the garage are programmed to display “lot full” when 15 spaces or less are available.

Parker also said it is possible that people are not driving down far enough into the garage, especially three levels down in the ParkX parking area.

The situation has some hoping for other parking alternatives, especially as summer swings in and the recent opening of restaurants like Founding Farmers and Sweet Leaf attracts more customers.

As the one year mark of the tragic slaying of Nabra Hassanen approaches, local students are coming together to remember the South Lakes High School student.

Hassanen, a Muslim, was killed near the All Dulles Area Muslim Society mosque in Sterling.

Family and loved ones will gather on Saturday (April 14) — what would have been Hassanen’s 18th birthday — to package “blessing bags” with items like water bottles, deodorant, food and shampoo. Bags will be distributed to the homeless in D.C., organizers said.

Police believe Darwin Martinez Torres, 22, followed a group of teens as they walked and biked back to the mosque at around 3:40 a.m. during Ramadan, the prescribed month of fasting for Muslims.

Torres later caught up with the group in a parking lot, according to police, and struck Hassanen with a baseball bat before abducting her in his car. He then allegedly assaulted Hassanen a second time before dumping her body in a pond next to his apartment complex.

Organizers hope to preserve Hassanen’s love for charity projects and her caring nature through the initiative.

Afnan Abdelmeguid, a 17-year-old West Springfield High School student and event organizer, said Hassanen was like a sister to her. After meeting Hassanen nearly a decade ago, Abdelmeguid recalls the pair quickly became close friends, spending yearly holidays together and taking part in an annual Islamic spring camp.

In her absence,  Abdelmeguid wants to keep her giving nature alive. She also hopes it will help her and the local community heal as the one year anniversary of the high-profile case approaches and as Ramadan begins next month.

Other organizers include Abdelmeguid’s cousins, Shatha and Maysoon Ibrahim.

“She was very kind to everyone and was always smiling. She always cared about our problems and was always there to talk to you when you needed someone to talk to,” Abdelmeguid said.

Victoria White stepped down from Reston Association’s Board of Directors Wednesday (April 11).

The vacancy comes just one day after four new board members were elected to serve on the nine-member board.

She stood alongside her colleagues on the newly formulated board at the conclusion of RA’s annual member meeting on Tuesday (April 10) when results were announced.

White who served as the Hunters Woods/Dogwood District representative resigned because she no longer lives in the district she represents, according to a statement by RA. She also served on RA’s covenants committee and the board governance committee.

RA will issue a call for candidates to fill the open seat, which expires in April 2020. The board will consider possible candidates at its May 24 meeting.

Information on when and how RA was made aware of the need for the change was not immediately available.

At a meeting on Wednesday, David Bobzien, formerly the board’s vice president, was elected board president. Sridhar Ganesan, formerly the board’s treasurer, was elected vice president.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Photo via Reston Association

Ellen Graves, a former Reston Association president and a community leader known for her volunteerism, died Monday (April 9).

Graves, a Reston resident for more than 30 years, worked with many organizations and was well-known for her ability to spot talent, identify community needs, and find solutions to challenges she saw in Reston.

Local residents who knew Graves said she had a penchant for encouraging others to make contributions to the community.

“She was probably the friendliest person you’d meet. She had a big small and could talk to anybody,” said Ed Robichaud, who knew her for more than 20 years. “Small groups tend to be divisive at times or personality driven. That was just not Ellen. She was always one level about the fray.”

She served on RA’s Board of Directors beginning in 2013 and was elected to a three-year term as apartment owners’ representative in 2014. The next year, she was elected president by RA’s board.

Michael Sanio, who served with Graves on RA’s board, said he declined an offer to run against her when she sought the board president position.

“I said absolutely not. She had the time, willingness and leadership skills to do this. She made a real effort to work directly with all members of the board and make sure everyone had a voice in the community,” Sanio said.

In 2004, Graves was named a recipient of the Best of Reston awards.

Professionally, Graves worked at IBM and was executive director of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women, Inc.. She was formerly Chief of Staff for Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins. 

“She was a very dear friend to me and many, many others. She’s touched countless in the community,” Sanio said.

Graves served on other boards like the Fairfax County Social Services Board, Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help and the Private Industry Council.

“She had the biggest rolodex in town,” Robichaud said. “If you needed someone to pick up trash on South Lakes Drive, she could come up with a name in ten seconds.”

Graves is survived by two children. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made public.

Reston Association’s Board of Directors will welcome two new faces following the Tuesday night announcement of election results in the contested race.

Returning board member Andy Sigle secured an at-large seat for one year and newcomer Ven Iyer won an at-large seat for three years. Incumbents Sridhar Ganesan, the board’s current treasurer, maintained his at-large seat for three years and incumbent Julie Bitzer also held on to her seat at South Lakes District Director.

“It’s our hope that the entire membership will join us in this recognition regardless of the outcome,” said Caren Anton, chairwoman of RA’s elections committee.

Ganesan won with 3,476 votes — just 294 votes more than Iyer. Margins in other races were not as slim. Bitzer won over Tammi Petrine with 662 more votes for the South Lakes District seat and Sigle won with more than 843 votes.

Thirteen candidates vied for four open seats during the election period — competitiveness that Anton said could help boost voter turnout, which has been historically low for the organization.

However, this year, overall voter turnout hovered at 19 percent — the same as last year. Turnout hovered around 14 percent three years prior.

Newly elected board members highlighted broad visions for the coming months.

Sigle said he hopes focus on three main goals: boosting community engagement, establishing relationships and processes to improve RA’s influence with the county related to development and sustaining and enhancing RA’s physical infrastructure.

Bitzer also highlighted the need to maintain recreational amenities. With five of RA’s fifteen pools slated for major renovations in the next five years, Bitzer said it is critical to complete a pool demand analysis before upcoming decisions on the budget and RA assessments. She also hopes to build off the work of a working group established in March to analyze lake and boat access.

“Our overall policies and governance have some conflicting guidance and potentially out-of-date boat restrictions – again the timeline is to have recommendations ready for the Board’s consideration by November for changes to benefit all – those who use the lakes and those who must enforce our usage and access policies,” Bitzer said.

Iyer said the campaign season has been a “long and uphill journey.” He will continue to “ stop wasteful spending, improve Board transparency, stop projects invasive on neighbors and nature, and advocate Member interests with Fairfax County.”

He noted that the county’s response to RA’s letter about planned population density increases indicated the need to investigate more effective options witht he community.

“… I am not certain if our methods have been effective in conveying Member interests to Fairfax County,” he said.

He also said he was interested in addressing a concern he said he repeatedly heard on the campaign trail that member complaints were not being heard.

The impact of slates on the election — a relatively new development in the election — is unclear. One official slate, “4 for Reston” slate included Ganesan, Travis Johnson, John Bowman and Petrine.

A group of Reston residents created and endorsed an informal group for mailing distributions, coined the “Alliance for a Better Reston,” which included Bitzer, Sigle, Colin Meade and Aaron Webb. RA candidates said they did not choose to be a part of the alliance.

This story has been updated. Ganesan was not immediately available for comment. 

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

1. New Plans for 36-acre Reston Crescent Project Scale Back Residential Component?
2. Campout at Chick-fil-A in North Point Begins Tomorrow; 52 Free Meals Could Be Yours
3. Tuesday Morning Notes
4. Coalition Opposing Population Density Increase Requests Additional Community Forums
5. Trio of Office Buildings on Sunrise Valley Drive Hits The Market

The Reston Farmers Market opens for its 20th season at Lake Anne Plaza’s parking lot on April 21.

The market will be open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon from opening day through December. It will be closed on September 22 for a multi-cultural festival.

Virginia Living magazine’s Annual Best of Virginia Awards ranked the market as the second-best farmers market in the state.

SNAP beneficiaries receive a $20 match at the market. No dogs are allowed at the market.

Meanwhile, the farmers market by Community Foodworks, located at St. John Neumann Catholic Church (11900 Lawyers Road), is scheduled to open on April 18.

This year, the market will not include a CSA-option. Fossil Rock Farm, last year’s CSA vendor, plans to remain a vendor.

Community Foodworks is a D.C.-based non-profit that aims to increase access to healthy food while creating opportunities for local farmers.

Reston Farm Market, located at 10800 Baron Cameron Avenue,  opened for the spring and summer season on March 1. It will run through Sept. 12 and offers spring greens, spinach, kale, lettuce, tomatoes and more.

It is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. 

File photo

Three hours to get to work — Thursday’s morning commute was complicated for some Northern Virginia residents. Congestion brought the toll on I-66 inside the beltway to $47. [The Washington Post]

Register for bike to work day — “Join more than 500 local commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work by participating in the Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 18 from 6:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.” [Reston Association]

Planting a beer garden — Herndon-based Aslin Beer Co. has opened a beer garden just outside of Nationals Park just in time for the Nationals home opener. [WTOP]

A reset in Reston — Fairfax County zoning officials won’t back off from commitments already made, despite pressure to allow fewer homes in Reston. [Greater Greater Washington]

Work from Lake Anne Brew House — The brew house is offering special deals at its first “work from the brew house” event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. [Lake Anne Brew House]

Photo by Ruth Sievers

Mezeh Mediterranean Grill is expected to open this spring in JBG Smith’s RTC West development (12130 Sunset Hills Road). 

A specific date has not been announced. Permits for the installation of the electric system were issued late last year.

The grill will join other establishments like Starbucks, Nando’s Peri-Peri and Cooper’s Hawk Winery as work continues on adjacent office buildings and ground-floor retail spaces. Other future businesses, as advertised on signage at the front of the new office building, include Punjabi by Nature, The Black Squirrel, The Burger Joint, and Honeygrow.

The first phase of development converts 15,000 square feet of office space into street-level retail and adds 25,000 square feet of new retail on the southwest corner of the nearly 14-acre campus. The buildings have structured surface parking for visitors and a four-level parking garage with a total of 1,619 parking spaces.

Photos by Fatimah Waseem

What’s the buzz — Expect your cell phone to buzz loudly today between 10 and 11 a.m.. The county is participating in a wireless emergency alerts test. [Fairfax County Government]

An eye for that — The Eyewear Gallery in Reston Town Center recently completed renovations. [The Eyewear Gallery]

Celebrating two years — Reston’s first and only craft brewery, Lake Anne Brew House, is hosting a second anniversary on April 14. [Lake Anne Brew House]

Awareness about alcoholism — In honor of National Alcohol Screening Day, the county is offering a free, confidential online screening, which includes referral information on how to get help. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo via Savannah Bassett