How long is too long to leave a dog tied up in the yard?
That is what the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wants to know in preparation for voting on a proposed amendment to the Fairfax County Code.
The Board of Supervisors has scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, Oct. 20, to consider a proposal prohibit tethering of dogs outdoors for more than one hour cumulatively during any 24-hour period.
The amendment, if approved, will also incorporate into county code the Code of Virginia’s cruelty to animals provisions, which address the definitions and penalties for neglect, cruelty and abandonment of companion animals, the county said.
County officials said in a release the dog-tethering proposal is modeled after the City of Richmond’s tethering ordinance, determined to be the best fit based on a survey of jurisdictions across Virginia.
Richmond’s rules are endorsed as model legislation by the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies and the Animal Law Unit of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. Several Virginia cities and counties have enacted tethering legislation, including cities of Fairfax and Alexandria and Arlington and Fauquier counties.
The Humane Society of the United States says continuous tethering is bad for dogs.
“As pack animals, dogs have been bred for thousands of years to form a strong attachment to a human family,” the Humane Society says on its website. “An otherwise friendly and happy dog, when kept continually chained and isolated, often becomes neurotic, unhappy, anxious, and aggressive. In fact, studies show that chained dogs are much more likely to bite than unchained dogs.
Chained dogs also may unintentionally hang themselves if they are tethered too close to a fence and attempt to jump it, the Humane Society says.
Here is what the new Fairfax County code would say:
Fines and penalties for violating the tethering provision:
- First violation — Class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by fine of up to $500.
- Second violation (whether or not involving the same dog) within one year of first violation — Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by fine of up to $1,000 and penalty of up to six months in jail.
- All subsequent violations within one year of first violation — Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by fine of up to $2,500 and penalty of up to one year in jail.
Want to speak at the hearing? Follow this link to the Fairfax County website. See a list of various dog tethering laws nationwide on the Animal Legal and Historical Society’s website.
Photo Credit: Pavel Starikov via flickr
Update, Thursday 3:40 p.m.: With several inches of rain in the forecast for Saturday, the annual Latino Festival of Reston has been canceled.
Original story: The community is invited to celebrate Latin American culture at the sixth annual Latino Festival of Reston.
The free festival is Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Southgate Community Center, 12125 Pinecrest Road.
There will be games, face painting, moon bounces, music and entertainment, and a youth 4-on-4 soccer tournament.
There will also be community resources, such as health screenings, and exxhibits from various agencies providing information about the programs and services they offer.
Food will be available for purchase from participating vendors.
The latest “most likely” track from the National Weather Service has Hurricane Joaquin veering towards the east, which makes Northern Virginia less likely to take a direct hit from the now-Category 4 storm.
However, the National Hurricane Center and the NWS both say the Mid-Atlantic may still see effects from the storm.
“The details of how significantly the storm will impact us will become clearer as the week progresses,” says the NWS Washington-Baltimore. “Sunday into Monday is the most likely time. Be aware that flooding from heavy rain, damaging winds, and tidal flooding will be possible Sunday into Monday.”
But first…Friday and Saturday.
Regardless of where Joaquin makes landfall, the forecast is, forecasters are calling for heavy rains Friday and Saturday. Three to five inches of rain may fall here through Saturday morning — while up 10 inches is predicted for Central Virginia.
“We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. “I hope Hurricane Joaquin turns and goes out into the ocean. That is what I am hoping for, but we have to prepare for the worst.”
McAullife, who issued a state of emergency for the commonwealth, warned citizens and governments to be aware that it is two systems weather forecasters are talking about.
“The first is going to occur,” he said. “The second we are monitoring.”
But if both system hit Virginia, McAuliffe said damage could be widespread. When asked if people could expect power outages, the governor said “if these two systems come together, it could be weeks. There are going to be major power outages with trees coming down. Flooding is going to affect every river in Virginia.”
Meanwhile, the governor said he has called up 700 National Guard troops, mainly t protect coastal Navy stations and NASA’s Wallops Island facility.
A flash flood watch is in effect for Reston and all of Northern Virginia on Friday and Saturday.
Fairfax County’s Emergency Information Office has these tips for staying safe and preparing for the storms.
Graphic: Updated Hurricane Joaquin forecast/Credit: NWS
Reston Town Center will celebrate its 25th birthday later this month with a community party.
Reston Town Center — which opened on Oct. 18, 1990 — will mark the milestone with Reston Town Center Day on Oct. 18, 2105 from noon to 4 p.m.
There will be free refreshments, live music, entertainment, games, pumpkin decorating, hayrides and more at Fountain Square and in the Pavilion at Reston Town Center. VIP remarks will take place at 1 p.m.
When Reston Town Center opened, it was about four blocks of shops and restaurants anchored by the multi-screen movie theater and the Hyatt Regency Reston.
Reston Town Center was a groundbreaking idea for its time — an outdoors, built-from-scratch downtown in the suburbs. It was built at a time when indoor malls were still trending nationwide.
However, town center set the model for dozens of similar developments to open nationwide in the following years.
Reston founder Robert E. Simon always envisioned such a place, and the 85-acre parcel was left undeveloped for Reston’s first 25 years.
Several attempts to get the project underway collapsed, mainly because there weren’t enough people living nearby, Kenneth P. Wong, senior development manager for the original project told The Washington Post when RTC was ready to open.
“The idea of a downtown in the suburbs was something that no one really had a grip on,” he said. “It’s a very complicated proposition that needed a long [research and development] gestation period.”
And when it did open in October of 1990, it did so in a huge rainstorm. And in the midst of a recession.
Nonetheless, RTC was successful from the start, has greatly expanded, and its last remaining undeveloped parcel, the surface parking lot, will soon be transformed.
Several original tenants remain, including the Hyatt, Clyde’s, Talbot’s and Ann Taylor. RTC’s current footprint is 2.8 million square feet of office space, 50 shops, about 30 restaurants and three residential high-rises. Office space, meanwhile, is 100 percent leased, officials have said at several commercial real estate events.
Get ready for a rainy weekend as a front that could cause up to a half a foot of rain heads towards Reston, only to possibly be followed soon after by Hurricane Joaquin.
Here is what you need to know:
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch from Friday morning to Saturday evening. Rain will increase in intensity across the area Friday into Saturday, with two to four inches expected, with spots seeing higher amounts. Rain could fall over a short period of time on already saturated land.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued a state of emergency late Wednesday afternoon. The Executive Order operates retroactively to Tuesday, when parts of Virginia were deluged with 6 inches of rain.
The state of emergency allows state and local emergency responders to begin to prepare for the effects of rain forecast across the Commonwealth Thursday and Friday, as well as the potential that Hurricane Joaquin will impact Virginia.
“I cannot stress enough the imperative for Virginians to focus on the rainstorms that are headed our way tomorrow and Friday, well before Hurricane Joaquin could potentially impact Virginia,” Governor McAuliffe said in a statement.
“The forecast of up to 10 inches of rain in areas across Virginia could result in floods, power outages and a serious threat to life and property. As we continue to track the path of Hurricane Joaquin, I have instructed the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to make every preparation for a major event Thursday and Friday.”
The National Weather Service declared Joaquin a hurricane Wednesday morning when it was several hundred miles East-Northeast of the central Bahamas with winds of up to 85 mph. By Wednesday night, Joaquin had strengthened to a Category 3 (120 mph winds).
Said the NWS: “The storm may move closer to the Mid-Atlantic during the next several days. The details of how significantly the storm will impact us will become clearer as the week progresses. If it does impact us, sometime between late Friday through Monday is the most likely time. If the storm does reach the Mid-Atlantic be aware that heavy rain, wind, and tidal flooding will be possible.”
The Capital Weather Gang said on Wednesday “there’s no need to panic, but simply to begin thinking about hurricane and flooding preparedness and remaining tuned to the forecast, as it is likely to evolve substantially over the next 72 hours.”
“Hurricane Joaquin is forecast to come very close to the Mid-Atlantic coast, and possibly move inland, said the Capital Weather Gang. “At the very least, a period of heavy rain is likely. In a worst-case scenario, the region could contend with a dangerous, long-duration flooding event, widespread damaging winds and a significant surge of water up the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River.”
Some computer models have Joaquin making landfall in North Carolina; other say it will stay off shore.
Some weekend events may be altered due to the storm. Herndon High’s football game at Tuscurora has already been moved from Friday night to tonight. Washington Redskins and DC United officials also say they are monitoring developments that may affect weekend games.
Reston Now will update this story as it develops.
Graphic courtesy National Weather Service
Songs of Freedom, Faith, Friendship — More than 165 singers from three choruses will join voices at “Wade in the Water: Songs of Freedom, Faith and Friendship” on Oct. 10, 4:30 p.m., at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Participants from Mosaic Harmony, The Reston Chorale and the Senior Choir of Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. are dedicating the performance to the late Reston founder Bob Simon and his “commitment to establishing Reston as an integrated community created the beautiful place we call home.” [Reston Community Center]
Absentee Balloting Now Open — Fairfax County absentee voting is now underway by mail or in person. [Fairfax County]
Report: Actually, Suburban Office Parks Are Fine — A new Boyd Co. report bucks the trends that say suburban office parks are a thing of the past [Washington Business Journal]
Car Taxes Due Oct. 5 — It’s that time of year again. Virginia car taxes are due. Pay online by following this link. [Fairfax County]
Reston is getting another Asian restaurant. Local owners have filed permits to open Pho 88 Reston at 2312 Hunters Woods Village Center.
That location is currently the address of Cold Spoon frozen yogurt. Cold Spoon has occupied the space since March of 2014. A Cold Spoon employee could not confirm whether the yogurt shop was permanently closing.
Reston has only one other Vietnamese restaurant: Pho Reston 75 at Tall Oaks Village Center.
Pho is traditional Vietnamese noodle soup with variations on additions such as beef, chicken, pork and vegetables.
Reston Association’s family friendly Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail returns Oct. 23 and 24 — but get ready to purchase tickets tomorrow.
Tickets go on sale for this popular event at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. They almost always sell out the first day.
At the annual event, Nature House is turned into Halloween House, and a cast of (non-scary) costumed characters lines the nearby Trick or Treat Trail. There are also live animals, jack-o-lanterns and carnival style games.
Trick-or-treat bags are included in the price of admission. Cider, popcorn, cotton candy and light bands will be on sale. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
For more information, call 703-476-9689 and press 5.
There will be three sessions. Click on your preferred date to purchase tickets ($10 per person for attendees over age 18 months).
The future of the Reston Town Center North area took a step forward last week when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a land swap between the county and Inova.
The 49-acre site is currently a jumble of parcels owned by both the county and Inova. By authorizing the swap, the two will now be able to more uniformly align the parcels and begin redevelopment.
The approval includes the county’s acquisition of a the Reston Towne Green, a five-acre parcel from the Fairfax County Park Authority. In exchange, the park authority has rights to build a 90,000-square-foot recreation center in the area. It also ensures that Reston Town Center North will have a 2.6-acre public park in the center of the development.
The park authority agreed to the land swap in April.
According to the terms of the contract, if the Town Center North area remains undeveloped, the supervisors would reconvey the Reston Towne Green parcel back to the park authority.
The proposed redevelopment to the area, which runs from New Dominion Parkway to Bowman Town Drive and Town Center Parkway to Fountain Drive, includes replacing the Reston Regional Library and Embry Rucker Community Shelter, as well as building mixed-use (residential, a performing arts center, offices, retail, among other amenities).
The county recently held a Request for Proposals for developers on the first phase of redevelopment, on the blocks including the library and shelter.
Andrew Miller, Project Coordinator of the Public-Private Partnerships Branch of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, said at a community meeting two weeks ago that development will likely take more than 10 years.
The goal now is to realign the land — some owned by the county (eventual blocks 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 in the graphic above) and the rest (eventual blocks 2, 4, and 6) by Inova, Miller said. Then there will be rezoning for the individual parcels when it is decided what to do with the land.
Phase 2 of redevelopment would include county-owned blocks 1, 3, 5 and 9. The county would like to see a new Health and Human Services building on that land, as well as housing and retail. Other ideas put forth at the meeting: a performing arts center, a fire station and transitional housing.
Inova owns the parcels with Sunrise Assisted Living and the Emergency Care Center. Inova has no immediate plans for redevelopment, a representative said.
Herndon Police have made an made an arrest in an attempted abduction case of a teenage girl in July.
Police said that Jose Guadalupe Santamaria, 40, of Herndon, tried to kidnap a teen on July 13. A similar case occurred near Fox Mill in early August.
Santamaria is charged with abduction with the intent to defile and attempting to entice a subject into a dwelling. He is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.
Police say a teen girl was waiting for a bus in the 1300 blcok of Springtide Place about 7 a.m. when Santamaria, approached her and offered her money to come to his house. The girl told police she refused and walked away.
Santamaria then approached her from behind and tried to force her to come with him, police say. The teen broke way and ran back to her house.
Law enforcement located Santamaria near a residence in Loudoun County and arrested him.
Update, 7 p.m. Thursday: The temporary order has been lifted and the execution will likely take place at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Update, 4:30 p.m. Thursday: Late Wednesday afternoon, a federal judge in Alexandria issued a temporary restraining order on Virginia carrying out the execution, which was scheduled to take place at 9 p.m. Thursday.
At issue is the supplier of the drugs for the scheduled lethal injection.
Original story, 9 a.m. Thursday: Alfredo Prieto, convicted in 2010 for a rape and double homicide near Reston, is scheduled to be put to death on Thursday after Gov. Terry McAuliffe denied a stay of execution earlier this week.
“After a thorough review of the facts of this case, the actions of the various federal and state courts, and the petitions and recommendations of individuals representing both Mr. Prieto and the families of his victims, I have decided not to intervene in this execution,” McAullife said in a statement. “Mr. Prieto was convicted in a fair and impartial trial, and a jury sentenced him to death in accordance with Virginia law. Federal and state appellate courts have extensively reviewed his case and denied his requested relief.”
Prieto, now 49, was sentenced to two death sentences in December 2010 for the murders of Rachael Raver and Warren H. Fulton III, both 22. The couple was murdered in 1988 on a vacant lot off Hunter Mill Road. Raver was a recent graduate of George Washington University, and Fulton played on GW’s baseball team.
Evidence of a Prieto’s involvement in a third slaying, in Arlington in May 1988, was also presented to the jury during its sentencing phases.
Prieto may be responsible for nine killings between 1988 and 1990, when he was arrested in Ontario, Calif., for the rape and murder of 15-year-old Yvette Woodruff., authorities said. Prieto was sentenced to death in the Woodruff case in 1992, but his California appeals continue.
Prieto was linked by DNA to the Hunter Mill and Arlington murders in 2005. Authorities extradited him from California for trials here.
Prieto’s was first tried in Fairfax in 2007, where a jury rejected his defense attorney’s claims his IQ met the standard for mental retardation defense and convicted Prieto of capital murder and rape. But a juror refused to continue deliberating during sentencing and a mistrial was declared.
Prieto was tried again in 2008. The jury again rejected the retardation defense, convicted Prieto and voted for two death sentences. However, the sentences were reversed on appeal.
The third trial, for sentencing only, was held in 2010. The jury voted for two death sentences. The most recent appeal was rejected earlier this year.
Added McAullife: “It is the Governor’s responsibility to ensure that the laws of the Commonwealth are properly carried out unless circumstances merit a stay or commutation of the sentence. After extensive review and deliberation, I have found no such circumstances, and have thus decided that this execution will move forward.”
“I will continue to pray for all of the individuals and families affected by these tragic and horrible crimes.”
Prieto is the first Virginia prisoner to be executed since January 2013.
Reston 2020: County Should Pull Back on Proposed Density Increases — Advocacy group Reston 2020 says that proposed Fairfax County density guidelines “offer the Board of Supervisors essentially unchecked authority to increase density to FAR 5.0 in these districts, including all the County’s transit station areas and several other categories of planning and zoning areas.” [Reston 2020]
Shrek: The Musical Coming Soon — Meet the cast of the Reston Community Players Production, which opens on Oct. 16. [DC Metro Theatre Arts]
Terraset ES Creates Monarch Way Station — Check out this hands-on outdoor learning project in Reston. [You Tube]
Silver Line Phase 2 Construction To Impact Centreville Road — Construction of the next phase of Metro will impact Centreville Road in Herndon 15-20 nights over the next eight weeks. [Washington Post]
Help Wanted at GRACE — Greater Reston Arts Center needs a weekend gallery assistant [GRACE]
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va. 11th) called out his Republican colleagues for misogyny and disrespect in their treatment of Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards in a Capitol Hill hearing on Tuesday.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held the hearing in response to videos of released in July by a Pro-Life group in which a Planned Parenthood doctor explaining the process of providing fetal tissue to researchers.
Conservative lawmakers are seeking to stop more than $500 million in annual federal funding to Planned Parenthood.
“I hope every American woman is watching today’s hearings, because just the visuals tell you a lot,” said Connolly, who represents Reston. “My colleagues say there is no war on women. Look at how you [Richards] have been treated as a witness — intimidation, talking over you, criticizing your salary.”
“The disrespect the misogyny rampant here today tells us what is really going on here. This isn’t about some bogus video — this is about a conservative philosophy that says we are Constitutionalists. We believe in rugged invidualism and personal liberty. … But there is an asterisk in that assertion, and that is except when it comes to women controlling their own bodies and making their own health decisions.”
“You would never know that the Constitution, according to the Supreme Court, guarantees a right of choice,” Connolly continued. “[Republicans think] Hopefully we’re going to erode that choice and that right by using insinuation and slander and half truths to besmirch an organization whose primary role is to provide health services to women.”
Watch the rest of Connolly’s testimony in the video on The Hill’s You Tube channel (above).
Get ready for steins of beer, lots of food and a full lineup of live music as Oktoberfest Reston returns to Reston Town Center Oct. 10 and 11.
Oktoberfest Reston is sponsored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and is Northern Virginia’s largest outdoor fall festival with about 85,000 visitors.
Here is what you need to know:
Festival hours are Saturday, Oct. 10, noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Oktoberfest Reston event admission is free. Food tickets are $1 per ticket or $20 for 24 tickets. You can purchase advance tickets on sale online at www.OktoberfestReston.com.
Parking is free in Reston Town Center parking garages.
Beers on tap: Blue Moon, Miller Lite, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, Yuengling. Craft Beer Alley: Flying Dog, Heritage, Old Ox and Old Bust Head.
Food available from American Tap Room, Clyde’s of Reston, Buffalo Wing Factory, Naked Pizza, Pittsburgh Ricks, Tavern 64 Regional Kitchen, The Big Cheese, The Melting Pot, The Sprouted Spoon, and more.
Entertainment: Alpine Dancers, The Low’nBrows German Band, Gonzo’s Nose, DJ Edward Daniels, Kings Park German Band, Herr Metal & Dr FU and DJ B Rok. Visit the event website to see exact schedule.
Oktoberfest Reston can always use volunteers. Check the volunteer page on the event website for more info.
Oktoberfest will also feature the Reston Pumpkin 5K (and kids Pumpkin Dash) on Sunday morning. Runners, feel free to break out your Halloween costume for the race. Visit the Reston Pumpkin 5K site for more information and registration.
Photo courtesy of Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
Reston Association land use attorney John McBride estimates that Reston could have an additional 48,000 residents in about 30 years.
That’s one of the reasons the RA Board voted on Thursday to make suggestions to the Board of Supervisors about upcoming changes to Fairfax County’s zoning ordinance.
The revisions are considered “necessary to promote the health, comfort, safety and general welfare of Reston Association members, as well as to conserve, protect and enhance the value of all real property subject to the Reston Deed,” RA said in its resolution.
At issue is development in Reston’s former industrial zone, the stretch of land along the Dulles Toll Road. Comstock’s BLVD Apartments at Reston Station, slated to begin leasing soon, will be the first residential development there, but several developers have projects in the pipeline in order to be close to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro.
The text changes mainly have to do with Floor-Area Ratios (FAR), a mark of density. The board would like the leeway to authorize FAR, often less than the maximum allowed by the county, depending on the project as more housing is built in the industrial corridor. See the full resolution here.
“Metro has resulted in a lot more [development] going on,” McBride said at Thursday’s Board of Directors meeting. “Zoning, land use and development are primarily Fairfax County functions. They have legal authority. Our job is to influence so a project is better and meets our community needs and preferences.”
McBride told the board he predicts Reston will grow faster than Tysons Corner, which also has new Metro service, because Reston is already a place with community amenities and residents.
Reston’s current population is about 60,000.
“The first Reston Master Plan said we were not to exceed 78,000 people,” said McBride. “We are not there yet. That continued on the Master Plan until two years ago, when it was amended. For a short while, we had another number. PRC [Planned Residential Community] ordinance says no more than 13 people per acre for all PRC zoned land in Reston. That’s about 80,000 people.”
“The standard is still there, but on Jan.1, it is planned to be changed by Fairfax County,” said McBride.
McBride gave an example of how the population may grow if unchecked. He said there may eventually be 20,900 new dwelling units within the former industrial corridor in Reston.
“Assume 2.3 people per dwelling, and that is 48,070 people,” said McBride. “That gives you a feel of the magnitude. It’s almost a doubling of Reston Association members, Reston Town Center Association members and the Reston population itself.”
At-large board member Ray Wedell said such as large increase “is not what we are supposed to be about.”
“What kind of influence do we have,” he said. “When we look 10, 15, 20 years at what we are going to be. … I have a feeling there are many thousands of people who agree with me that this is not the way we want to go. [We need to] stop and think and influence people who have the ability to shape this. This needs to be reshaped.”
However, Wedell pointed out that “a lot of these developments are not even going to happen.”
“There already is a glut of luxury rentals here,” he said. “What is going to happen when you get 1,000 more units in the same area?”
