Now that the new Fairfax County North County Government Center is getting ready to open on Cameron Glen Drive, the county is taking initial steps to start the process for a new Reston Regional Library as part of the makeover of Town Center North.

Tentative plans for a new library in Reston have been in place since 2012, when voters approved a $25 million library bond, with $10 million of it allocated for a new Reston Regional Library.

The remaining money will fund renovations at Pohick Regional, John Marshall Community and Tysons Pimmit Regional libraries.

A new library plan is set to proceed despite a tumultuous last few years for the county library system. Critics have pointed out that the Fairfax system spends less per capita than any other surrounding jurisdiction; has been caught discarding books rather than recirculating them; slashed its budget; and nearly went ahead with a “beta plan” at Reston Regional and Burke libraries that would have cut staff and resources.

In the County Executive’s FY 2016 Advertised Budget, announced on Tuesday, Fairfax County Public Libraries will receive $27,612,745 —  about 7.7 percent less than in 2015.

A new plan is still in the works, though. Reston Citizens Association group Reston 2020 recently obtained the timeline for the process. Some of the details:

The new library was included in the Comprehensive Plan Amendment that was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2014.

The county is expected to rebuild the library and the Embry Rucker Community Shelter on its current 6-acre site on Bowman Towne Drive, called “Blocks 7 and 8” in county documents.

The county is expected to issue a Request for Proposals from companies interested in developing the new library. The RFP will go through June 2015.

The county is expected to select a developer in September 2015.

Proposals will be for the library and shelter, as well as “additional county uses,” according to the documents.

The RFP will also determine “highest and best use of the land,” in keeping with the Reston Master Plan and construction costs, among other details.

The project will then go through a rezoning, as well as approval process by the county planning commission and board of supervisors.

Last week, a land deal was announced that will allow the Fairfax County Park Authority build a 90,000-square-foot recreation facility at Reston Town Center North, pending public hearings, a park authority board vote and procurance of millions of dollars for construction.

Part of the deal also includes a 2.6-acre Town Greene to be built on the same block as the new North County Government Center on Fountain Drive.

The Reston comprehensive plan amendment says the Town Center North area is “planned for up to a .90 FAR for non-residential uses, which should include office, public, institutional, medical care, hotel, and retail uses, and a minimum of 1,000 residential units. The public uses may include public safety uses, libraries, shelters, schools, a recreation center, government offices, a performing arts center, and institutions of  higher education.”

No Real Estate Tax Increase — Fairfax County Executive Edward L. Long presented his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Budget, including the Multi-Year FY 2016-2017 Budget Plan to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. He proposed a General Fund budget of $3.8 billion for FY 2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016), an increase of 2.61 percent over the FY 2015 Adopted Budget Plan. Long recommended no Real Estate Tax increase in his proposed  Budget. [Fairfax County]

Audition for Reston Players — Reston Community Players will hold auditions for Fox on the Fairway, a Ken Ludwig farce in the style of 1930s comedies, on Friday, Feb. 20 and Sunday, Feb. 22. [Reston Players]

Madison Student Elected To School Board — Ben Press, a junior at Madison High School in Vienna, has been elected by the countywide Student Advisory Council (SAC) to serve a one-year term as student representative to the Fairfax County School Board, beginning July 1. Press will participate in School Board meetings as a nonvoting member, filling the position currently held by Harris LaTeef, a senior at Langley High School.  [FCPS]

Uber, Lyft Now Totally Legal in VA — Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed SB1025 and HB1662, which established licensing procedures for transportation network companies (TNC’s) like Uber and Lyft to legally operate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Earlier this year, Governor McAuliffe and Attorney General Herring’s offices worked with the Department of Motor Vehicles and TNC companies to find a compromise that allowed these entities to temporarily operate in Virginia until the General Assembly passed permanent legislation.

Sledding fun in Reston Tuesday/Credit: Charlotte Geary via Facebook

Fairfax County Public Schools students will have another day off Wednesday as schools will be closed again after Monday night’s snowfall.

From FCPS:

All Fairfax County public schools will be closed on Wednesday, Feb. 18. School offices and central offices will open at 10 a.m. with an unscheduled leave policy in effect for 12-month employees.

The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:

•  extracurricular activities
• interscholastic contests
• team practices
• field trips
• middle school after-school programs
• professional learning and training courses
• adult and community education classes
• recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS

SACC centers are closed.

Several people were injured in a two-car accident at Wiehle Avenue and Fairway Drive on Tuesday evening, Fairfax County Police said.

Fairfax County Police said one car flipped over and several people had to be extricated from the cars by rescue crews from the accident that occurred about 6:30 p.m.

One person suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken away in the rescue helicopter, says police public information officer Shelley Broderick. At least one other was transported by ambulance, police said.

It is unknown whether the crash was related to the weather. That intersection is on the side of Wiehle where traffic flows downhill.

Wiehle was partially closed as of 7:45 p.m. for accident investigation.

Reston resident Dean Klein, director of the Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, will be honored with the 2015 Katherine K. Hanley Public Service Award March 13.

The awards program, now in its 12th year, was instituted to recognize sustained contributions by public sector employees, non-profits, or appointees to a public board, authority or commission.

Klein was selected for the award by Leadership Fairfax because he has “generously and tirelessly dedicated his time, energy and extensive talents to support people in need of shelter and affordable housing in Fairfax County,” Leadership Fairfax said.

“I am so honored to be selected for such an amazing honor and award,” said Klein. “I am thrilled to see the progress we have made as a community in preventing and ending homeless, which has only been possible with the tremendous commitment by government,nonprofits, businesses and faith communities all working together. “

Klein was appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to his current position in 2009, after serving in leadership roles at the Freddie Mac Foundation and non-profit organizations in both Arlington and Fairfax Counties.

In his role at OPEH, Mr. Klein coordinates with a governing board, a consumer advisory council, the non-profit community, and the new Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership in overseeing the 10-year county plan to prevent and end homelessness.

“Dean Klein has worked with the faith community, local and state governments, and businesses to support those in need as they have sought to overcome the challenges of homelessness, poverty, illness, isolation and crisis,” Rodney Lusk, chair of Leadership Fairfax’s selection committee, said in a statement. “One of his many accomplishments has been to increase the number of individuals moving out of emergency shelters to permanent housing. He grew this number from 243 in 2010 to 926 individuals in 2014.”

Last year, Klein was recognized with Fairfax County’s highest honor, the A. Heath Onthank Award. He holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Howard University, and is a graduate of Leadership Fairfax, Leadership Greater Washington and Leadership Arlington.

Klein lives in Reston with his wife, Jill, and his son and daughter.

Klein will be honored at the Board of Supervisors Breakfast at the Fairview Park Marriott on March 13. The event is from 7:30 to 10 a.m.

Tickets: LFI Alumni and General Public: $70; LFI Members: $60; Corporate Table: $1,250. For tickets and more information, please visit www.leadershipfairfax.org/BOS.

Photo courtesy Dean Klein

Fannie Mae is reportedly seeking a large amount of office space in Reston.

The mortgage giant, which recently made a deal to leave its upper Northwest D.C. location to build an new building at 1150 15th St., longtime site of The Washington Post headquarters.

Meanwhile, The Washington Business Journal reports that Fannie Mae is also planning to lease about 180,000 square feet at an undisclosed location in Reston to support a new commercialization platform it is developing in collaboration with Freddie Mac.

Fannie already owns and leases space at 11600 American Dream Way in Reston, as well as in Herndon, but company spokesman Andrew Wilson told WBJ it has maxed out its space in Reston and needs to expand to roll out the new platform for the mortgage industry.

Fannie Mae occupies nearly 1.5 million square feet of owned and leased space in the region, including a lease set to expire next year at Monument IV at Worldgate in Herndon.

Fannie plans to combine its operations there into the new space, which Fannie has identified says it cannot disclose yet.

Photo: Current Fannie Mae Reston space near Plaza America/file photo

Three public hearings and a decision related to the Lake Anne-area revitalization project are on the docket for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The board will decide on a request for a parking reduction for the project. Two weeks ago, Lake Anne Development Partners requested to reduce by nearly 500 the number of parking spots that will be available in the area after the massive redevelopment of Crescent Apartments and the surrounding area is completed.

Some of LADP’s reasons for the reduction:

• The county has parking standards for suburban development, but since the Crescent redevelopment is being planned in a more urban style, the developers have asked for the reduction.
• A reduction in parking will have a positive impact on traffic levels and walkability, among other reasons. Some of the reasons, according to county documents:
• The project has proffered a comprehensive transportation plan with specific goals and strategies targeted to reduce auto‐ownership among future residents as well as reducing parking supply.
• The project has proffered an overall 25-percent trip reduction goal for the resident and office users, which corresponds to a strategy that reduces the parking supply.
• Managing parking by reducing supply helps to reduce the undesirable impacts of parking demand on local and regional traffic levels and the resulting impacts on community livability.
• The project seeks to promote a vibrant community where people can live, play and work providing opportunities to limit auto‐ownership among residents; single occupancy vehicle trips.
• This site is served by existing established Fairfax Connector and RIBs bus routes along North Shore Drive.
• The site is located entirely within 1.65 miles of the Wiehle‐Reston East Silver Line Metro station providing a mass transit commuter option in the nearby proximity.
• Most importantly, the project has proffered a comprehensive TDM and Parking Management Plan that will monitor and measure the project’s traffic and parking reduction goals. If the parking reductions are not achieved in the East Side, a plan to provide additional spaces has been proffered.

It has been requested that 477 fewer parking spaces serve the project. That is a parking reduction of 18 percent. The County Executive recommends that the Board approve the 18 percent parking reduction. The county also says parking should include at least 1,031 parking spaces on the west side of the development and a minimum of 1,136 parking spaces on the east side for a total of 2,167 total spaces when the project is fully developed.

When it is completed, the project will have 1,037 new residential units (including replacement of the 181 affordable units at Crescent); 60,000 square feet of retail; a 15,800-square-foot grocery store; and 78,000 square feet of office space.  Read More

New (Babies) Nearby — Herndon’s Frying Pan Park has welcomed triplet lambs and a calf in the last two weeks. Visitors are welcome to come see the new arrivals. The park is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

School Board Rethinking Renovation Schedule — The Fairfax County school system will decide in coming months whether to revamp the renovation queue, which determines the order of schools for renovation. One-third of county schools currently sit on the list, which has frustrated some families and school board members. [Fairfax Times]

Herndon High Nominates New Hall of Fame Members — Herndon High Athletic Department has chosen its inductees for 2015. The athletes cover a variety of years and sports, including the entire boys track teams from 1965, ’66 and ’67. [Herndon High Athletics]

Snow, which fell as predicted, is having an impact this morning, and the Winter Storm Warning for our area remains in effect until noon.

Here are some things you need to know:

About 3 to 3.5 inches have fallen in Reston as of 5:45 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Fairfax County Public School are closed.

Fairfax County Government and Courts are closed.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will meet as scheduled, but start time has been changed to noon.

Reston Association offices are closed.

Fairfax County trash and recycling collection in sanitary districts (15 percent of county households) has been canceled. Collections are planned to resume in sanitary districts on Wednesday (weather and road conditions permitting) on the following schedule: Tuesday and Wednesday collections customers will be collected on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Service will return to normal on Thursday. If you have private trash service, check with your provider.

Fairfax County Park Authority programs are canceled.

The Federal Government is closed.

Fairfax Connector bus service will be operating on the regular Saturday schedule  in order to allow more time for the Virginia Department of Transportation to clear the roadways.  View details for Saturday service on VDOT’s website.

VDOT is urging drivers to delay travel until at least 10:00 a.m., as crews continue working to clear and treat roads in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington counties. Interstates and major primaries are passable with extreme caution. Other roads were also plowed continuously overnight but still have a layer of snow and ice.

From VDOT:

• HOV restrictions are lifted on I-66, I-395 and the Dulles Toll Road. HOV-3 requirements still apply on the 495 and 95 Express Lanes.
• Eastbound I-66 X lanes will be unavailable for the morning rush hour, as crews continue to clear shoulders.
• Crews continue to clear interstates, major roads and neighborhood streets concurrently. Check www.vdotplows.org to see the status of plowing in neighborhoods.
• If you can, park in your driveway or on the odd-numbered side of the street to allow plows room to pass.
• After a plow has passed, roads will be passable, but will not be bare pavement and may remain snow-packed.
• Stay off the roads or delay trips to allow crews time to safely treat the roads.

Resources:

• If you must be on the road, check www.511virginia.orgbefore leaving for road conditions
• Report road problems to 1-800-367-7623 or [email protected].
• Get more details on snow removal in northern Virginia.

Forecasters say the snow should be tapering off by 7 a.m, but temperatures will remain below freezing through most of the week.

Photo: Snow on Lake Audubon by Robert H. via Twitter.

Fairfax County public schools and offices will be closed on Tuesday Feb. 17 due to the Winter Storm Warning in effect through noon. Snow began falling at 3 p.m. on Monday and is expected to fall through Monday and mid-day Tuesday.

The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:

• extracurricular activities
• interscholastic contests
• team practices
• field trips
• middle school after-school programs
• professional learning and training courses
• all adult and community education classes
• recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS

School Age Child Care (SACC) centers are closed.

file photo

Reston Now is off today, and hopefully you are too.

Here is a list of what is open and closed in Fairfax County.

Here are some ideas for Presidents Day fun nearby from Northern Virginia Magazine.

And here is a weather front to watch as there is a Winter Storm Warning in effect Monday evening,

(Updated, Monday, 4:48 p.m.)

Snow began falling in Reston about 3:30 p.m. A total of 4 to 8 inches is expected to fall between Monday afternoon and mid-day Tuesday and the region remains under a Winter Storm Warning until noon on Tuesday.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has issued a State of Emergency for the entire commonwealth.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is prepared for the snow with nearly 12,000 pieces of equipment, including plows, trucks and motor graders ready for snow removal operations. You can visit VDOTPLOWS.org to see the plowing status of the streets near you.

Reston Now will update this story with any school delays or road closures.

(Original Story, Sunday 8 p.m.) The National Weather Service has changed the Winter Storm Watch for Reston and the rest of the D.C. area to a Winter Storm Warning.

The Winter Storm Warning will be in effect from 4 pm Monday to noon Tuesday. A Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect until 10 am Monday.

The NWS says to expect:

• Precipitation type: snow.
• Accumulations: 4 to 8 inches.
• Timing: Snow is expected to develop late Monday afternoon and continue through Tuesday morning. Heaviest Snow is expected Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
• Wind Chill, 5 to 10 below zero tonight and Monday morning.
• Temperatures: single digits tonight. Highs in the lower 20s Monday. Temperatures in the teens Monday night and Tuesday morning.
• Winds: northwest to 10 to 15 mph overnight. Winds becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph Monday night into Tuesday morning.
• Impacts: The combination of gusty winds and cold temperatures will continue to make dangerous wind chills that can quickly cause hypothermia and Frost Bite through Monday morning. Beginning late Monday afternoon, roads will become snow covered and slippery with visibilities being reduced to one half mile or less at times. The combination of snow covered roads and low visibility will make traveling dangerous.

A Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Significant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous. Only Travel in an emergency. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight. Food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

A Wind Chill Advisory means that very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chills. This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken. If you must venture outdoors, make sure you wear a hat and gloves.

Photo: Snow totals forecast for Feb 16-17/Credit: National Weather Service

Fairfax County Police are looking for  suspects who allegedly robbed an Uber driver in Reston early Wednesday.

Police said the suspects contacted the driver via the ridesharing app Uber about 12:18. and were picked up in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive.

One suspect donned a ski mask, displayed a handgun and demanded money from the driver. The victim drove into a parking lot,  exiting the vehicle and fleeing from the suspects, police said.

The suspects then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. There were no injuries. The suspects were described as black, 20s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall and between 140 and 170 pounds.

It’s a holiday weekend, but there are still homes to tour. Start with these:

1571 Bennington Woods Court
3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB TH
$399,900
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

12123 Kinsley Place 
3 BR, 3.5 BA TH
$939,999
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

1645 Bennington Hollow Lane
3 BR, 3.5 BA SFH
$614,500
Open Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.

2366 Southgate Drive
3 BR, 1.5 BA TH
$299,900
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

11310 Stoneledge Court
5 BR, 7 BA
$1,599,999
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

11026 Saffold Way
3 BR, 2.5 BA TH
$398,000
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

1533 Park Glen Court
3 BR, 2.5 BA TH
$428,800
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

2114 Cartwright Place
3 BR, 1.5 BA TH
$299,900
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

To see more listings and open houses, visit our real estate page.

South Lakes High School is sponsoring a forum with a cyber-security expert that will examine technology and cyberbullying.

The forum, “Keeping Your Kids Safe: Vulnerabilities through Technology and Social Media” will feature local cybercrime specialist Chad Brockway. The session is from Feb. 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the SLHS Theatre.

The school is billing the presentation as “how kids are using technology and how technology can be used against your kids. Topics include Bullying, “Sexting”, Social Media, Online Credibility, Blackmail, Crimes against Children, Child Abduction and more.

Parents can learn about new and emerging technologies; how to monitor and what to watch for; how to talk to your kids about safe online behavior and what resources are available to you for support.

This is a timely topic as several SLHS parents told FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza their concerns on the issues during the Superintendents Listening Tour stop in Reston in December.