The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is seeking input on future bus service to and from phase two of the Silver Line.
Residents can provide feedback at two meetings: Hutchinson Elementary School on Sat., March 21 from 10 a.m. to noon and South Lakes High School on Wed., March 25 from 7-9 p.m. Feedback will also be accepted online from March 16 through April 16.
Service will begin once the Metro stations are Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn are open.
In December, FCDOT officials backed the most transformative of three options to change service levels. This approach would impact a greater coverage area and was endorsed by the county’s Multimodal Advisory Committee. Other options include incremental changes to service plans or streamlining of existing routes.
More information about the proposals is available online.
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Reston Association Offers First Aid Certification Classes — The organization is offering certification courses for First Aid, CPR and AED. Registration is $105 for RA members and $120 for all others. [Reston Association]
Schools Superintendent Offers Coronavirus Update — In a letter to the community yesterday (Monday), Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand says the school system is implementing a travel history questionnaire and presented two scenarios in case schools are closed. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meets Today — The board will receive an update on the coronavirus. In the Hunter Mill District, the board will consider a 20 percent drop in parking at Reston Gateway. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo by Mike Reyes
Reston Association recently kicked off a comprehensive evaluation of its recreational facilities. The organization is seeking members for a new recreational facilities working group that will evaluate the current inventory, condition and usage of RA facilities.
Members who are interested in applying should do so by March 31. Interviews will be conducted by the Board Operations Committee on May 4 at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). The application is available online.
The workgroup is tasked with the following:
- Evaluate the number, condition and use of facilities like pools, tennis, ballfields, playgrounds and pavilions
- Review the long-term operational, maintenance and capital costs for RA facilities
- Evaluate usage trends for RA facilities using existing data
- Recommend to the board a process for closing or converting existing facilities to other uses.
The Park & Recreation Advisory Committee is temporarily suspended until Feb. 2021 as the new workgroup begins the analysis.
Photo courtesy Reston Association
A long-awaited report by Metro’s Office of Inspector General flags new major concerns with the extension of the Silver Line into Loudoun County. It’s unclear if new issues will cause further delays for the long-awaited project, which is expected to open next year.
The 23-page report flags longstanding concerns and new issues that have arisen. The report cautions Metro from accepting the project from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority — which is in charge of construction — until problems have been resolved.
Specifically, the report finds that WMATA has had trouble ensuring that the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system is integrated between the first and second phases of the project.
“The unresolved issues with ATC system acceptance requirements create the potential for even more schedule delay beyond what is already reported. Additionally, these deficiencies do not engender confidence in system safety,” the report states.
Issues that have been long under discussion — such as issues with surge arresters, switches, and misplaced rail joints — are also discussed in the report.
Overall, the report finds two major issues: ineffectiveness and inconsistencies in the contractor’s efforts to ensure problem areas are addressed and the absence of an integrated approach to view the extension’s infrastructure from a holistic and outsider perspective.
The report does not delve into issues of cracks in concrete panels just yet. The Office of the Inspector General is working with an independent contractor to inspect each panel to determine its condition, according to the report. So far, the MWAA’s contractor has found cracks in 24 panels.
It’s possible the latest report could delay Metro’s opening even further. Officials expect it to open in the spring.
Staff photo by Jay Scott
County Schools to Remain Open — So far, all Fairfax County Public Schools are open and will remain on a normal schedule following the outbreak of the coronavirus. A second case of the virus in Virginia was confirmed yesterday. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Barricade Resolved at Cameron Glen Drive — A barricade situation was resolved earlier this morning on the 1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive. A man barricaded himself in a van. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Herndon Town Council Meets Tonight — The town council meets tonight in the Herndon Council Chambers Building at 7 p.m. to discuss a number of matters, including power utility easements for and the town’s good neighbor awards. [Town of Herndon]
Photo by Michael Reyes Photography
Boston Properties is looking to reduce the amount of parking at Reston Gateway, a mixed-use project currently under construction between the Reston Town Center Metro Station and RTC.
The company wants to provide 1,663 fewer parking spaces than previously approved plans outlined. The move — which would parking by 20 percent — is being considered because of the project’s proximity to the future RTC Metro Station. Parking for residential units would drop by an average of 38 percent. The company also wants to drop any requirement for parking in the lodging component of the hotel on the site.
The county’s planning staff approved the request, noting that the mixed-use center is near a Metro Station where mass transit should be encouraged via parking reductions:
The character of high-density, mixed-use development, both at the subject site and surrounding neighborhoods, and the proximity to rail and other forms of transit, provides opportunities to reduce parking demand. Analysis of multi-family development adjacent to Metro stations has shown that residents of this type of housing are less likely to own one or more personal vehicles. The availability of Metrorail and other transportation options at the site will encourage people from other neighborhoods and communities to travel to the redevelopment area for work and leisure activities using alternative modes other than their personal vehicle. Collectively, these support the applicant’s proposal for this parking reduction based on the proximity of mass transit.
The proposal heads to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a vote on March 10.
The project includes nine blocks with nine buildings spread over 33 acres. It’s located on the north side of Sunset Hills Road between Town Center Parkway and Reston Parkway. Four office buildings, three residential buildings with 2,010 units, two hotels and more than 162,000-square-foot in retail and restaurants, are planned on the site.
Crews are working on the first phase of construction, which includes four new buildings at the intersection fo Sunset Hills and Town Center Parkway. Fannie Mae plans to lease about 850,000 square feet of office space at the site.
There has been no movement on the construction of Aslin Beer Company‘s planned tasting room and bar in Herndon since November, according to the town’s manager Bill Ashton.
So far, the company has constructed “up to the limited of its current building permit,” Ashton said. “Staff is unaware as to why they haven’t done any further construction.”
Aslin did not return a request for comment from Reston Now. A spokesperson for the town declined to answer questions on the status of the project, including any clarifying details.
Still, Ashton said he is hopeful the company will “see something happening very soon.”
In the summer of 2017, the brewery was told to leave the Town of Herndon due to limitations of its current space at 257 Sunset Park Drive. Although Aslin found a new home at 771 Elden Street — the location of the former Napa Auto Parts — the approval process for the new location has been rocky.
In July last year, Northern Virginia Magazine reported the new location was set to open by the end of 2019.
Photo via Town of Herndon
Vote on Herndon HS Monopole Delayed — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission voted Wednesday, March 4, to postpone its decision on whether to approve an application to install a telecommunications monopole on the grounds of Herndon High School until later in the month.” [Reston Patch]
New Mobile Forensics Lab for Fairfax County Police — “Fairfax County police can potentially identify murder suspects much quicker with their new mobile forensics lab. Maj. Christian Quinn said the idea to build the mobile lab started at a crime scene in 2017.” [NBC Washington]
Dulles Customs and Border Protection Seize Date Rape Drug Shipment — “U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Monday seized five large bottles of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) that arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport in international mail from China. The DEA says GBL is known as a precursor of date rape drug gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB).” [Fairfax County Times]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
A man appears to be impersonating a police officer from the Herndon Police Department, police warn.
Several town residents have received a call from someone impersonating Lt. James Moore from HPD. The message requests the receiver to call back in order to discuss an urgent matter.
HPD posted a video of the impersonator online yesterday (Tuesday).
https://www.facebook.com/Herndonpolicedepartment/videos/2808998725850411/?v=2808998725850411
Residents can call the department’s non-emergency number — which is 703-435-6846 — in order to verify the legitimacy of a call.
Local Companies Rank in Fastest-Growing Private Companies List — Inc. magazine’s first list of the DC-area’s fastest-growing companies includes Herndon-based B3 Group (#5) and SmartEdge IT (#9). [Inc.]
Fire Department: Sink It or Soak It — After two recent fires were caused by improperly discarded smoking materials, the county’s fire department is reminding residents to either “sink it or soak it” and prevent careless fires. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The Herndon Police Department has made an arrest in connection with the rape of a juvenile in mid-December.
Rey Oraa Amparado, 39, was arrested at Dulles International Airport and charged with two counts of forcible rape of a juvenile victim that he knew, according to information released by the police department earlier today.
Police believe the incident occurred on Dec. 18 last year on the 500 block of Aspen Drive.
Amparado, who has no fixed address, is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
File photo
Former Vice President Joe Biden easily notched the Virginia Presidential Primary yesterday (Tuesday), winning 53 percent of the vote.
Sen. Bernie Sanders had just under a quarter of the vote, while Elizabeth Warren had 10.8 percent and Michael Bloomberg took 9.7 percent.
In the Hunter Mill District, Biden won by 48.4 percent. Sanders won second place with 18.9 percent and Sen. Elizabeth Warren took 12.1 percent. The Hunter Mill District’s voting pattern aligns with the county overall.
Here’s how the candidates fared in the Hunter Mill District:
- Joe Biden: 16,964 (48.4 percent)
- Bernie Sanders: 6,626 (18.9 percent)
- Elizabeth Warren: 4,241 (12.1 percent)
- Tulsi Gabbard: 247 votes
- Amy Klobuchar: 75 votes
- Pete Buttigieg: 74 votes
- Cory Booker: 28 votes
- Michael Bennet: 18 votes
- Marianne Williamson: 15 votes
- Julian Castro: 8 votes
- Deval Patrick: 6 votes
All but three of the state’s 133 counties were led by Biden, including Fairfax County where Biden won with more than 50,000 votes than Sanders.
The Hunter Mill District boasted the highest turnout in Fairfax County. More than 39 percent of voters cast a ballot, a few percentage points above the county-wide average of 34 percent. The Sully District had the lowest voter turnout (30 percent) in the county.
In the 2016 primary, voter turnout was 22.2 percent. Virginia was one of 14 states taking part in Super Tuesday.
Photo via Joe Biden/Facebook
The Fairfax County Planning Commission is expected to vote on a proposal for a telecommunications facility on the grounds of Herndon High School today (Wednesday).
Milestone Tower Limited Partnership plans to build a 124-foot monopole and other equipment for the facility, which would be blocked off by an eight-food-tall chain link fence.
If approved, the facility would be located on the north side of the football field in between two existing stadium light poles. It’s expected to help Sprint improve coverage in the area.
In a staff report, the county noted that although the best option would be to move the facility to an existing structure or building that is tall enough to accommodate the facility, there is no option to do so in the area since it is largely home to single-family units.
“These sites provide few opportunities to minimize the impact on the surrounding residential neighborhoods. The large size of the Herndon High School parcel provides a large buffer from neighboring properties than other sites,” according to the report.
Staff also expect that the pole will blend into other lights that are already on the football field.
If approved tonight, the plan heads to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a vote on March 10. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
Photo via Sprint
When 81 Reston Association members cast online ballots for the current board election on the first day of voting on Monday, they voted with incorrect ballots linked to other members.
The technical error prompted Intelliscan, RA’s independent election agent, to toss the ballots out and fix the issue.
“Intelliscan has since corrected the error and come up with a comprehensive plan to address those individuals who voted with an erroneous ballot,” said Mike Leone, RA’s spokesman.
Due to the botched ballots, Intelliscan has created a special log-in to verify the credentials of the 2,500 members who plan to vote online. Members must call Intelliscan to verify their credentials, after which the company will send a new voter link with the correct ballot to cast a vote. The company is also sending paper ballots to all members as a “safeguard.”
Both corrective actions are being administered at no additional cost to RA. The issue only impacted online ballots.
An alert to inform members of the technical error and apologize for the mixup has been sent to affected members. The email includes a link for members to cast their votes online.
“This process will ensure that RA members impacted will not be able to double vote,” Leone wrote. RA says that the issue was a one-time error that has been resolved and will not impact the remainder of the elections.
Intelliscan said the issue was a technical error, as described by RA below:
Intelliscan received the Member file from RA to send out the pre-election email blast to collect any “bounce backs” from Members that had opted-in. Voter codes were then populated. Intelliscan realized after the pre-election email blast had been sent, that the corresponding addresses were incorrect for some Members and requested a corrected file from RA. Additional Members where added and voters codes were repopulated within the Membership file. Additionally, Intelliscan kept a separate “notify table” which held the names of Members that were sent the pre-election email blast. Unfortunately, the codes in the “notify table” were not updated by Intelliscan to the correct voter codes prior to the second “kick-off” email blast. Once RA realized that the emailed Members’ voter codes were incorrect, the association contacted Intelliscan and the voting website was taken down by Intelliscan.
This is not the first time RA board elections have had hiccups. Last year, technical issues caused roughly 2,800 paper ballots to be returns as undeliverable. Intelliscan resent the ballots to the correct addresses and moved to extend the voting period.
Anyone with questions about the issue can contact Intelliscan by calling 252-560-8079 or emailing Michelle McRoy at [email protected].
Image via Reston Association
More Time for Metro Budget Comments — Metro has extended the public comment period for the next fiscal year’s budget by one week. Feedback will be accepted online or by mail through 9 a.m. on Monday, March 9. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Search for Lifeguards Underway — Reston Association is actively recruiting lifeguards for the summer. Information on the position and the application is available online. [Reston Association]
Local Students Compete in International Conference — A total of 226 students from 14 Fairfax County Public Schools were selected as finalists for the DECA International Career Development Conference in Nashville. [FCPS]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
