In the Hunter Mill District, Route 463 will replace the 2T MetroBus, which was eliminated to remove transit service from Tysons Towers Apartments. Buses will reroute onto Westpark Drive, International Drive and Tysons Boulevard in Tysons to address traffic conditions and improve scheduling. The change will also adjust running times to make them more reliable, particularly during peak hours, according to the board-approved proposal.
Additionally, a new express service will run from the Fairfax County Government Center to Washington beginning Monday, Dec. 4. The service includes 10 rush-hour, in-bound only trips in the mornings and outbound-only trips in the afternoons. Departures are scheduled to take place every 15 to 25 minutes.
The new service is intended to reduce congestion within the I-66 corridor inside the Beltway. Last year, the county’s transportation department submitted a grant to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for the express bus service. The grant includes $986,836 to cover operational costs for 18 months and $2.35 million to purchase five buses. for Route 699.
The route to Washington will be free from Dec. 4 through Dec. 8, after which the fare will be $4.25 and $2.10 for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
For more information, visit the Fairfax Connector’s website.
The Reston Planning and Zoning Committee is seeking members to serve on the advisory body, which is intended to ensure development in Reston is in concert with its designation as a planned community.
In order to serve on the committee, members must be residents of Reston and over 18 years old. The 15-member body has five regular positions and three associate positions that are expiring this year
Regular members have three year terms while associate members serve one-year terms that begin in January. Meetings are held the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the North County Government Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive). The position is a volunteer-based only.
Applications are being accepted online. The deadline is Dec. 16.
The committee does not have any statutory authority; however, it is seen by local government authorities as a source of advise on land use matters. The future scope of the committee is likely to shift from initial residential development to considerations of redevelopment activities, especially the development of commercial and industrial space, according to the committee’s website
Jurisdictions in Northern Virginia are collecting gently used and new coats and blankets for Syrian refugees in this year’s donation drive. The drive is powered by the Northern Virginia Relief Center, a nonprofit organization that aims to create a better life for people who come to Northern Virginia from around the world.
Since 2013, the drive has collected more than 100 tons of donations for Syrian and Iraqi refugees from jurisdictions like Fairfax County, Prince William County and Alexandria. Last year, 40,000 blanket and 33,000 winter coats were collected at over 100 drop-off sites throughout the country.
Donations will be accepted through Sunday at more than 30 locations. Local government drop-off locations will stop collecting donations at 5 p.m. on Friday.
In Reston, donations can be made at the Hunter Mill District Supervisor Office (1801 Cameron Glen Drive) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A complete list of all drop-off locations is also available online.
The organization is also accepting online donations. This year, all donations will be shipped to refugees located in Lebanon through a partnership with Paxton Van Lines and Maersk Line, according to the center’s website.
Photo via Northern Virginia Relief Center
Volunteers Enhance Safety at Fellowship House — Nearly two dozen volunteers gathered at the Hunter Woods Fellowship House in Reston on Nov. 11 to make bathrooms in the 222-unit apartment complex more accessible. [Fairfax County Times]
Holiday Performances on The Promenade Announced — Reston Town Center will feature outdoor musical performances on The Promenade, including the Northern Virginia Ukulele Society at noon on Dec. 17, Catchin’ Toads at 3 p.m. on Dec. 17 and Tenor Tim McKee at noon on Dec. 23. [Reston Town Center]
Local Group Celebrates 50 Years of Volleyball in Reston — The group, Hickory Volleyball, was founded in 1967 by longtime Restonian Philip Lilienthal, founder and president of Global Camps Africa. [Fairfax County Times]
Safety Tips for Displaying Christmas Trees — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department suggests reviewing Electronic Safety Foundation International’s tips on how to display Christmas trees in your home. [The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Happy Black Friday and Thanksgiving weekend! These were our most read stories this week.
- New Parking Procedures In Effect for Reston Town Center
- Zoning Change Could Transform Empty Office Space in Reston
- Suspect Arrested in Garage Door Opener Burglary Spree
- Reston Planning and Zoning Committee Set to Vote on Renaissance Centro Project Tonight
- Reston Association Passes $18M Budget for 2018
Feel free to discuss anything of local interest below or send story ideas to [email protected].
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Have a great weekend!
Here’s a round up of what’s going on in the community this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
- On Friday, enjoy a full day of holiday events during the 27th annual Reston Holiday Parade, which runs from 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. at Reston Town Center. The complete schedule is available online.
- South Lakes High School’s varsity football team plays in the Northern Region Championship at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $7 each. No backpacks, outside food and drink, bats and ball are allowed in the stadium.
- Community Canteen is offering a Black Friday brunch between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday. The menu includes omelets, sandwiches, Belgian waffles, and more.
- Mon Ami Gabi is also offering a Black Friday Brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- A book signing with Joan Waites and Lezlie Evants at Scrawl Books is set for Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Drag and contemporary artist Tennessee Loveless will be available for a book signing and the release of new art on Friday and Saturday from 2 – 6 p.m. at ArtInsights Gallery on 11921 Freedom Drive.
- See the annual Gingerbread Village display at Hyatt Regency in Reston through January 4.
- Drop by for a night of family fun at the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday. The entry free is $12 for Reston residents and $26 for all others. Groups of six or more must pre-register by calling 703-390-6150.
- Sharpen your logic skills as you follow clues left by a wild turkey in the Turkey Trail at the Walker Nature Center on Saturday. RA members pay $5 and all others pay $7. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.
- On Sunday, find your glamour look for holidays parties at the Mary Kay Holiday Glamour event at Scout & Molly’s from 2 – 6 p.m.
Editor’s Note: This is an abridged list. If you know of other events, please comment below.
Fairfax County’s Planning Commission passed a measure that opens up more than 18 million square feet of vacant office space in the county to potential redevelopment this week.
But a move by at-large commissioner Tim Sargeant to carve a special exemption for Reston failed. Sargeant sought to exempt Reston from the measure, which creates a process to convert empty office buildings for other uses like residences and schools, because of Reston’s unique position as a planned community.
He said Reston underwent an extensive community planning process two years ago for Reston’s Transit Station Areas that attempts to strike a delicate balance between residential and office uses in the dense community. Reston Association also supported the exemption.
Others said approving the change could open up Reston to more residential units, a move that is not in concert with the master plan, which already envisions significant residential uses, according Marianne Gardner, director of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning’s planning division. Additionally, parts of Reston’s TSAs contain large swaths of land planned and developed for office use, she said.
Frank de le Fe, representative of the Hunter Mill district and the commission’s vice chairman, also voted to exempt Reston from the change.
However, Braddock-commissioner Ellen Hurley said carving a special exemption for one part of the county was not tenable. She also noted that adequate protections were already in place to pull back the change if needed. The area’s supervisor can request to pull back the change at any time, she said.
Commissioner John Ulfelder, the representative of the Dranesville District, also said creating a special exemption for one area of the county created “a slippery slope” and raised potential legal questions about zoning exemptions.
“If we do it here, why don’t we do it somewhere else,” Ulfelder said.
The overall land use policy change bypasses a county requirement for site-specific comprehensive plan amendment if an applicant seeks to change the use of a property. All other steps part of the land use approval process, including public hearings, will still apply. The county’s Board of Supervisors will review the proposal on Dec. 5.
In Reston, the Reston-Herndon Suburban Center has a vacancy rate of more than 70 percent, according to county data.
Festive marionettes will perform in a winter wonderland of snow at Frying Pan Farm Park on Dec. 21. as part of the Puppets in a Winter Wonderland of Snow event.
The show is led by Bob Brown, a master puppeteer who has worked combined puppets and storytelling for more than 60 years.
Performances will take place at 10 a.m and 11:30 a.m. in the park’s visitor center, which is located on 2739 West Ox Road in Herndon.
Registration costs $5 per person for audience members. The park’s country store will be open for gift shopping.
For more information, call 703-437-9101. To register, visit the park’s website.
In a slim 6-5 vote, the Reston Planning and Zoning Committee denied a proposal to bring a 20-story high rise with up to 150 residential units to 1801 Old Reston Avenue this week.
Renaissance Centro 1801 LCC will reappear before the committee with revisions to the proposal, which attempts to rezone roughly 1.5 acres of space currently home to a three-story office. The proposal includes 126 market rate units and 24 workforce units.
Committee members who voted against the plan said it did not conform with the county’s comprehensive plan, especially because it is roughly 85 feet taller than Stratford Condominiums to the south of the property.
Other members indicated the applicant is still determining how the project will meet the county’s workforce housing requirements and information about the removal of a proposed right-in entrance along Reston Parkway remained unclear.
Members who supported the plan indicated that the overall proposal was appealing and lauded improvements to the building’s architecture.
Rob Walker, the committee’s chairman, noted that the body was applying additional scrutiny to future application because projects in Reston are becoming “much more complex.”
“Therefore, future applications will most likely fall under additional scrutiny by our Committee in order to ensure the values of the Reston community are being met and whether or not the communities concerns are being addressed,” Walker said.
Promotional material describes the project as luxury condominium units. The proposal is an example of infill development.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the proposal for Dec. 6.
Photo via handout
Fairfax County Adopts Social and Racial Equity Policy — The county’s Board of Supervisors and the school board have instituted the policy, called One Fairfax in order to consider equity in decision-making and in the development of future policies, programs, and services. [Fairfax County Government]
Cops and Kids Coat Drive Seeks New or Gently Used Coats and Warm Clothes — Bring the items to Herndon’s station at 397 Herndon Parkway through Sunday. The drive is made possible through a partnership between the Herndon Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #64 and the Loudoun-Dulles FOP Charitable Foundation Lodge #69. [Herndon Police Department]
Company in the Spotlight: Serco — The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority recently featured the Reston-based technology company Serco on its website. [Fairfax County EDA]
Police Body Cameras Coming to Fairfax County Early Next Year — Patrol officers from district stations in Mount Vernon and Mason will be equipped with the body cameras as part of a three month pilot approved by the county’s Board of Supervisors this week. [Fairfax County Police Department]
The Fairfax County Police Department reported that jewelry and electronics were stolen from a home on the 11900 block of Winstead Lane on Friday at around 8:30 a.m.
An investigation on a spree of garage door opener burglaries also continues in the area. Although a suspect has been arrested in connection with Loudoun County robberies, it is unclear if the cases are linked to four robberies in Fairfax County, law enforcement officials said.
FCPD’s Reston District Station reported the following crimes in the past week:
LARCENIES:
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, property from residence
2400 block of Centreville Road, purse from business
1800 block of Fountain Drive, cash from residence
1400 block of Kingsvale Circle, bicycles from residence
13000 block of Laurel Tree Lane, gun from residence
11500 block of Leesburg Pike, beer from business
11400 block of North Shore Drive, cash from business
11600 block of Plaza America Drive, wallet from business
10200 block of Wendover Drive, property from residence
1400 block of Wiehle Avenue, bag from residence
STOLEN VEHICLES:
11700 block of Dry River Court, 1998 Honda NT650 motorcycle
In another incident, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged a 32-year-old man with public intoxication on Nov. 18.
Jonathan Erazo, a Reston resident, was released from the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a personal recognizance bond.
Herndon’s police department reported no major crimes in its weekly press report.
Anyone with information about any of the crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).
No major incidents were listed in the Herndon Police Department’s weekly press report.
A man has been charged in connection with a spree of burglaries in Loudoun County where the suspect entered homes using garage door openers taken from victims’ unlocked cars, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Williams-Dixon, 33, was arrested Monday in connection with eleven burglaries in eastern Loudoun County. Williams-Dixon, whose permanent address is not known, faces 11 county of burglary, 11 counts of grand larceny, two counts of credit card larceny and two counts of credit card fraud.
All burglaries were located in the Sterling area north of Route 7, according to police. The suspect entered homes while residents were asleep. Police believe he gained access to homes by using garage door openers from unlocked cars parked in driveways.
Neighboring jurisdictions like Fairfax County’s Police Department have reported similar crimes in the last week. Loudoun County’s Sheriff’s Office is working with detectives to determine if similar cases reported in nearby areas are related.
On Nov. 16, local police issued an advisory about four burglaries over two days. In all cases, investigators determined garage door openers were also missing from victims’ cars.
In Reston, two incidents a little over half a mile apart between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. In the first incident on the 12100 block of Abington Hall Place, a woman heard sounds from the kitchen area of her home. When she spotted a man standing in her kitchen, the man ran off. A purse and wallet were taken.
In the second incident, a resident awakened by his pets saw a man standing in his home. When confronted, the suspect dropped several items he was attempted to steal and left with the victim’s wallet. The wallet was later found by someone in the neighborhood and returned to police.
Williams-Dixon is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.
File photo.
Terraset Elementary School‘s renovation project got a nod from northern Virginia’s real estate development association this month.
NAIOP Northern Virginia recognized the school with an award of excellence in the category for capital improvements of institutional buildings at the annual Best of NAIOP Northern Virginia awards on Nov. 16.
The school underwent a $22.5 million renovation led by Architecture, Inc., a Reston-based architecture firm. The interior and exterior of the building, which was built in 1975, was renovated to improve its HVAC system, traffic flow and ensure interiors complied with current education standards. The project also included a 34,000 square foot addition to accommodate 800 students, as well as a new entryway, pedestrian bridge and a new fine arts area, according to the firm’s website.
The program, which centered around the theme of “Focus on Excellence,” celebrates major new contributions to the area by the commercial, industrial and mixed-use sector. Overall, 33 awards were presented during the dinner in the categories of interiors, membership, marketing, transactions and buildings.
Other awards for Reston projects included the following:
- DPR Construction Mid-Atlantic Headquarters won an award of excellence in the category of interiors, tenant space ranging between 10,000 and 25,000 square feet.
- Ellucian won an award of excellence in the category of interiors, tenant space 50,00 square feet and above. Noblis headquarters also won an award of excellence in the same category.
- 19 Hundred won an award of excellent in the category of speculative office building, fifteen stories and above.
A complete list of all winners is available online.
Reston Community Center is holding its 19th annual Gifts from the HeART exhibit and holiday gift shopping event on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Reston Community Center Lake Anne (1609-A Washington Plaza).
Art will be on display through Jan. 2 at the center’s art galleries. 3D exhibit items will remain on display through Feb. 21. Entry fees from artists’ submissions and 10 percent of all sales will be donated to Cornerstones, a non profit organization that aims to help neighbors overcome tough economic times.
“The annual ‘Gifts from the HeART’ exhibit and sale has become a Reston tradition,” said Cheri Danaher, RCC’s arts education director. “It celebrates the arts and the holiday season with one-of-a-kind gifts while supporting those in need in our community.”
The exhibit includes original artwork made with various media, including sculpture, stained glass, collage and acrylic paint. Artwork will also be available for purchase at the event.
According to a press release, the event will help Cornerstones continue its operations at Embry Rucker Community Shelter, the Laurel Learning Center and community services outreach, which includes job counseling and youth programs. The event has raised more than $10,000 for the organization since the exhibit began in 1999.
File photo.
Holiday Open House at Reston Historic Trust and Museum — The nonprofit organization is hosting an open house on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will include exhibitions, Reston-inspired gifts, hot chocolate and cookies. Author Watt Hamlet and illustrator Jill Ollison Vinson will also be on-site for a book signing of their book “Reston A to Z.” [Reston Historic Trust and Museum]
Tennis Courts Closures In Effect — The Glade and North Hills clay courts closed for the tennis season on Monday. For more information about Reston Association’s tennis facilities, visit the association’s website. [Reston Association]
Reston Town Center Gears Up for Holidays — On its website, Reston Town Center provides a complete guide of local holiday events, including Toys for Tots, Reston’s holiday parade and tree lighting. [Reston Town Center]
File photo.
