The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced on Monday that the Silver Line Metro extension is not ready to take the next step towards an opening date.
MWAA had a 15-day period in which to review the work of its construction contractor, Virginia Transit Partners. MWAA found issues in 7 of 12 categories. Those issues must be fixed before MWAA can hand over the project to Metro, which will then have 90 days to conduct its own testing. It is not known how long it will take VTP to remedy the issues.
This is the third setback in recent months. Metro has never set an opening date, but the original handoff was estimated to happen in August for a December opening. Construction delays and testing issues pushed the handoff to November, and now to at least March.
Based on all that — and with chances that more issues can be found — when do you think the Silver Line, and its terminus at Wiehle-Reston East, will open?
The South Lakes boys basketball team is hitting its stride at a key moment: The Seahawks won their seventh straight game on Tuesday, topping Robinson 55-49 in a Northern Region 6A playoff game at South Lakes.
South Lakes (19-8) was led by Brandon Kamga with 15 points and Zach Pearl with 14.
The victory earns SLHS a place in the Regional Semifinals against Lake Braddock (22-3), which defeated Oakton on Tuesday. The semifinal game is 8 p.m. on Friday at Robinson High School.
Herndon also advanced in the regionals. The Hornets (22-3), paced by Dorian Johnson with 27 points, beat Hayfield 94-83 on Tuesday. In the semis, Herndon will meet W.T. Woodson Friday at 6 p.m. at Robinson.
The playoff run ended Tuesday for the South Lakes girls team. The Seahawks, ranked in the Top 20 by the Washington Post all season, fell to Centreville 64-61 Tuesday. The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for the Seahawks, which end the season 23-4.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the revamped land use application submitted by Oakcrest School, clearing the way for the private girls school to finally proceed with building a new Reston campus.
The 180-student Catholic middle and high school, currently located in McLean, purchased land years ago at Crowell and Hunter Mill Roads on which to build a new school.
While Oakcrest has been approved for the new school on the Reston-Vienna border since 2010, that plan included a traffic roundabout on which to ease traffic flow near the school. However, the school was unable to obtain the land for the roundabout, so last year it submitted a new plan that included a traffic light near the school entrance.
The neighbors and the school officials have been arguing about it ever since.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended the new plan for approval in July. After hearing from dozens of residents and school girls earlier this month, the supervisors votes 8-2 Tuesday in favor of the Special Exception Amendment for Oakcrest.
“This was a difficult and complex issue,” said Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, who voted in favor. “It was important to allow sufficient time and input to reach a decision that is best for everyone. The community contributed both supporting and opposing feedback in the course of the numerous public gatherings and private citizens meetings, during four facilitated meetings with the applicant and the community, through an outpouring of e-mail, and via multiple conference calls.”
“Moving Oakcrest beyond an impasse is a tribute to process of participation by which our district is rightly known. Given the unusual history surrounding this case, this is the best permissible resolution.”
Some residents are not so pleased.
“This should have been denied a long time ago,” wrote one commenter on Reston Now.
“The school went ‘all in’ before they had the land that they themselves agreed to acquire to make the agreement work. Now they want a light, which is exactly what was opposed to from the very start. The Board does not understand this road. This does not just impact the people that live on the road; although they will be impacted the most. It impacts thousands of commuters each week.”
The Reston Citizens Association has appointed three new members to fill vacancies on its board of directors.
RCA advertised the vacancies, which were created when one board member resigned and two spots were left unfilled during the last election die to lack of candidates.
New board members:
Nick Georgas has lived in Reston for 4 1/2 years. He is a landscape architect and planner with experience in the Fairfax County planning and development process. He served on the Public Review subcommittee that revised the environmental chapter of Loudoun County’s Facilities Standards Manual. He will bring his expertise on land use and planning issues to the RCA Board, as well as providing a young professional’s perspective on the future of Reston.
Yavuz Inanli has lived in Reston for over two years. He grew up in Cincinnati, where developed award-winning anti-drug workshops as a member of a community coalition. He attended college at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he led an effort to reignite interest and participation in student government. He has an interest in transportation issues, particularly Bikeshare and public transportation. He hopes to continue Reston’s tradition of being a destination for people to raise their families, regardless of income.
Annmarie Swope has lived in Reston for 12 years. She is the co-chair of the Aldrin ES PTA Health and Wellness Committee, and she founded and currently co-chairs Aldrin’s Business Partnership Committee. She also serves as a Reston Little League coach. She is an experienced marketing and communications professional, and she plans to bring this expertise to RCA. She has a special interest in education and development issues.
The new Board members will serve until the next RCA election in the late spring, at which point they will have the opportunity to run for full terms, said RCA President Colin Mills.
RCA is a nonpartisan citizens group concerned with Reston’s development, growth, transportation and other issues.
Fairfax County Executive Edward L. Long said he is optimistic but cautious as he presented a $3.7 billion Fiscal Year 2015 budget to the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
“We are still not back to the value of real property in the county that we were when we peaked in FY 2008 (for residential) and FY 2009 (for commercial), nor is all of the uncertainty concerning the federal budget resolved,” Long said. “So we must persist in our cautious and deliberative approach to budgeting, only funding items that are sustainable.”
The budget keeps the FY 2014 real estate tax rate of $1.085 per $100 of assessed value. However, the average county homeowner has seen an increase in his residential assessed value this year of about 6.54 percent. This means that FY 2015 real estate taxes for an average household will increase $331.67, the county says.
Long also proposed giving a $1.93 billion transfer to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) for school operations and debt service for FY2015. That is a a 2.07 percent and $39,113,302 increase over FY 2014. It will also account for 52.1 percent of the proposed county budget expenditures.
The school system had asked for 5.7 percent increase (an additional $98 million). over FY 2014. FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza said she could not rule out layoffs as more than 700 positions will need to be eliminated as the system needs more than $59 million more.
Although not included in the transfer, the proposed county budget also includes $72.6 million in additional support for school services including Head Start, school health, resource officers and crossing guards, after-school programming, field maintenance and recreational programs, among others. The county will also give FCPS’ Capital Construction and Debt Service $29.93 million.
“As the county continues to face fiscal challenges, we must persist in our cautious and deliberative approach to budgeting, only funding items that are sustainable,” said Long. “We also must be ready to make the necessary decisions to maintain investment in our services, infrastructure and development of the community. Almost all of the budget increase I am proposing is for capital investment and for employee compensation — these are two critical elements of our continued success.”
Update, 11:12 a.m., Wednesday: Fairfax County Public Schools have issued a statement on why no delay or closing, even though snow was falling hard this morning:
“Each decision is based on the best information available at the time. All of the school divisions in the DC area opened at their regular time this morning. It was our belief that – based on the forecast and the timing of the snow – we could proceed with opening of our schools at the regular time. If we had delayed the opening of school, it would have put us into the heavier snow showers that were initially forecasted. We’ve had a few bus delays but no serious problems.”
Original story: The 1 to 3 inches of snow predicted to fall overnight delivered, with Reston residents waking up Wednesday to snow-covered trees and slick roads.
Fairfax County Public Schools, which have already had seven snow days and several delayed starts this winter, opened on time, making it slow going for buses and cars.
Fairfax County Police reported several spin outs and other incidents.
The federal government announced the option of unscheduled leave for workers.
How was your ride to work or school? Tell us in the comments.
Help South Lakes’ All Night Grad Party — The ANGP is having a fundraiser Thursday, Feb. 27 from 5-10 p.m. at Gregorio’s Trattoria (formerly Mamma Lucia’s) in the North Point Village Center. Please mention this fundraiser to your server or cashier before ordering.
Silver Line Story — Reston Association is hosting an informational meeting on Metro’s Silver Line Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at RA Headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive. Members of Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins staff will talk about changes for Reston — as well as connector bus schedules — with the first Reston station opening later this year. [Reston Association]
Citizen Firefighters Wanted — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Citizens Academy begins its spring session March 27. Learn about firefighting, emergency medical services and other training in this free, nine-week course. [Fairfax County]
Virginia’s Well Being Index Slips — Where do Virginians rank among all 50 states in terms of physical and emotional health, work life, healthy behaviors and access to health care? According to Gallup, we used to be 14th, but have slipped to 24th. [WTOP]
Photo courtesy of Beth Burns.
Tuesday saw some unexpected snow. Wednesday will bring some of the expected white stuff.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 1 a.m. to noon Wednesday for most of the Washington, D.C., area, including Fairfax County.
About 1 to 3 inches are expected. The snow will taper off about noon. Temperatures will be in the 20s, says the NWS.
Reston Now will update this story if there are any road problems or school delays.
Alfredo and Rocio Melendez will flip the last burger and scoop the last ice cream cone at Cafe Lakeside on Wednesday.
The couple is closing up their lunch counter located inside Lakeside Pharmacy. The pharmacy, the longest continuously operating store at Reston’s historic Lake Anne Plaza, is under contract and will likely close this spring.
Alfredo Melendez said with the last day of the pharmacy unknown, he didn’t want to operate without a plan.
“We’re going to unwind and relax and generate new energy,” he said.
The Melenedezes were relaxing before they opened Cafe Lakeside in 2011. The lunch counter has been owned and operated by various people under various names throughout the years.
The couple has owned and operated the lunch counter at the pharmacy three times since 1990, Alfredo says. They also formerly owned the Lake Anne Coffee House across the plaza. The Melendezes were retired three years ago when the pharmacy food space became available again.
Ready to make a go of it again, they moved back into the space serving breakfast and lunch. Cafe Lakeside is particularly popular with residents on the plaza and visitors to the Saturday farmers market and craft market, many of whom take their orders to the outside tables on the plaza.
Alfredo says he has not ruled out opening another diner in Reston. He also said he hopes the buyers of the pharmacy keep the vintage counter and stools as part of a bar or restaurant.
Real estate sources say the prospective owner is an investor who plans to lease out the space, so future plans are still unknown.
Lakeside Pharmacy pharmacist and owner Larry Cohn has had the property on and off the market several times in the last few years as he eyed retirement.
Cafe Lakeside will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The predicted dusting of snow has turned into more of a nuisance than first predicted as fat flakes fell all morning in Reston and nearby areas, sticking to grassy areas. The National Weather Service says Northern Virginia may see up to three inches Tuesday.
From the NWS:
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 2 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON.* PRECIPITATION TYPE…SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS…1 TO 3 INCHES.
* TIMING…THROUGH 2PM.
* TEMPERATURES…AROUND 30.
* WINDS…WEST 5 TO 10 MPH.
* IMPACTS…UNTREATED ROADWAYS WILL BE SLICK.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to decide Tuesday on a revision to the traffic pattern near the site of a planned girls school off of Hunter Mill Road on the Reston-Vienna border.
Oakcrest School, a 180-student Catholic girls middle and high school, has been planning for years to move from McLean to Hunter Mill and Crowell Roads, where it will build a new facility.
They have been approved for the move for more than four years, about the same amount of time school officials and planners have been going back and forth with neighbors over traffic.
A condition of the earlier approval hinged on two traffic flow conditions negotiated with the community. The school was to locate the campus driveway on Hunter Mill Road and install a roundabout at the intersection with Crowell Road, which is now controlled by stop signs.
However, Oakcrest was unable to purchase the property it needed to build the roundabout, so it has been unable to proceed with building the campus without it.
In 2013, Oakcrest submitted an alternate proposal that would use a traffic light at the Crowell-Hunter Mill intersection instead, and move the school’s entrance to Crowell Road.
That created a new set of conflicts with Crowell Road-area residents. Some of those residents — along with many students — spoke at a BOS public hearing on the subject last month.
Many residents are concerned about a Crowell Road entrance which has a sharp curve dubbed “Dead Man’s Curve.”
In July, the Fairfax County Planning Commission voted 6-5-1 for approval of the amended plan.
Parents and students told the supervisors in January that they fear their school will close if this issue goes on much longer — or is denied. Oakcrest’s McLean property has been sold, and the school has spent in the six figures during the dragged-out land use process, parents said.
Hunter Mill planning commissioner Frank de la Fe voted in favor of recommending the the amended plan for approval. Dranesville rep Jay Donohue, however, called the plan dangerous no matter what.
“Crowell Road is not going to accommodate, I don’t think, what it’s going to have to accommodate as an access point to this application without greatly, greatly inconveniencing people in the area,” he said at the July planning meeting. “And also, I think it’s a dangerous – I think it’s a dangerous situation. So I’m going to have to oppose the application.”
Winter’s Back — Remember the nice weather of the last few days? Yeah. Winter is on its way back — with a little SNOW in the forecast [WTOP]
It’s Oscar Week — Do you know the Virginia locations where these Academy Award winners were filmed? [Virginia.org]
Kudos, Chorus Members — Both South Lakes and Herndon High Schools have singers named to the 2014 All-State Honors Choir. [FCPS]
Did Garza’s Tactic Work in Texas? — Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza, who has proposed a $2.5 billion budget for 2015 that features $96 million in proposed cuts and elimination of 731 county staff positions, has used the same budgeting tactic before. As superintendent in Lubbock, Tex., and in Houston, where she served as second-in-command of the state’s largest school district, Garza showed that reducing staff can lead to quick cost savings while giving Garza the ability to dangle higher salaries as she works to attract a new crop of teachers. [Washington Post]
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said on Monday that the Silver Line is not ready to turn over to Metro for final testing.
After a two-week review period in which MWAA checked the work of its contractor, Dulles Transit Authority Partners, MWAA said 7 of 12 areas were deemed deficient.
From MWAA:
Examples of problem areas include:
- Failure to deliver certificates of occupancy for almost 20 wayside buildings, including stations, power substations and the tunnel;
- Performance issues with the Automatic Train Control System that prevent WMATA from beginning Operational Readiness Testing;
- Failure to fully correct defects that impact operations, including track gage problems;
- Elevator and escalator problems, and water leaks in buildings;
- Incomplete documentation for testing requirements and safety/security verifications.
This could mean more delays as DTP goes back and makes the corrections. DTP had announced in early February it had reached “substantial” completion of the Silver Line.
An exact opening date for the Metrorail extension was never announced, leaving leeway for problems such as this. It is not known how long it will take DTP to make the corrections.
Phase 1 of the Silver Line, which will run from East Falls Church to Reston’s Wiehle Avenue, was originally estimated for turnover in August for a December 2013 opening. Last spring, that was moved to a November turnover. In January, the project was delayed further while problems with the Automatic Train Control System were addressed.
After the turnover to Metro, the rail line has an additional 90 days to do more testing.
The Airports Authority says it has instructed DTP to provide a plan and date of conclusion for addressing the outstanding items as quickly as possible.
“We will work closely with DTP, WMATA and our other partners to monitor progress and assure that all contractual obligations are satisfied,” a MWAA spokesman said.
During the 90-day period, the Tri-State Oversight Committee and the Federal Transit Administration will conduct reviews, says MWAA.
Winter is on its way out, so it is almost time to think about summer.
The Reston Swim Team Association is gearing up for the 2014 summer swim season. RSTA has nine teams, each capped at 110 swimmers, so prospective and returning families should keep in mind a few key upcoming dates.
Registration Deadlines
Online swimmer registration for returning families will open on Tuesday, March 4. Swimmers in good standing from last summer (those who participated in at least three meets) have first chance at registration. Swimmers who participated in one of RSTA’s Winter Swim programs may begin registering on Tuesday, April 8. Finally, families new to RSTA may register beginning on May 6. Spots on teams fill quickly, so those interested in participating are encouraged to register early.
New Swimmers
All new swimmers under the age of 11 must attend and pass a new swimmer evaluation session to register for a summer swim team.
“In these evaluations, we’re not testing for speed or stroke accuracy,” says RSTA President Karen Marginot. “We’re testing for safety in the water and willingness to participate on a swim team.”
In addition to assessing whether the swimmer is at a level to be successful on a team, the evaluation sessions simulate the environment of a swim practice and will give younger swimmers an idea of what it will be like to be on a team. The evaluation session will last about one hour. Registration for new swimmer evaluations will open in March and will be held only on the following dates and locations:
• Sunday, April 6th 9:00-10:00 AM at the Reston Community Center
• Friday, April 25th 8:00-9:00 PM at the Reston Community Center
• Friday, May 2nd 8:00-9:00 PM at the Reston Community Center
• Saturday, May 10th 10:00-11:00 AM at the North Shore Pool
Coaching Applicants
Each RSTA team operates with a head coach who is assisted by five other assistant coaches and team lifeguards. All positions require current American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR/AED certification. Head and assistant head coaches must be 18 years of age, possess current pool operations, and have completed a water safety instructor course. For information on coaching positions available for 2014 and a link to submit an application, visit http://rsta.org/coaching. Applications to coach are open now and are due no later than March 16.
For more information on RSTA programs, visit www.rsta.org.
Photo courtesy of RSTA.
Here are the home sales in Reston that closed in the last week:
2246 Coppersmith Square. 2 BR, 1.5 BA TH. List price: $289,900. Sold price: $289,000
11509 Underoak Court. 3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB TH. List price: $349,900. Sold price: $335,000
11702 Great Owl Circle. 3 BR, 2.5 BA TH. List price: $514,900. Sold price: $495,000
11155 Saffold Way. 4 BR, 3.5 BA TH. List price: $459,950. Sold price: $447,500
11226 Silentwood Lane. 2 BR. 2.5 BA TH. List price: $309.750. Close price: $305,000
1505 North Point Drive #102. 2 BR, 2 BA Condo. List price: $310,000. Close price: $305,000
2231 Southgate Square. 3 BR, 1.5 BA TH. List price: $299,900. Sold price: $299,900
12000 Market Square #481. 2 BR, 2 BA Condo. List price: $489,000. Sold price: $485,000
2416 Ivywood Road. 5 BR, 3 BA SFH. List price: $499,000. Sold price: $492,000
11180 Harbor Court. 2 BR, 2 BA Condo. List price: $459,900. Sold price: $441,250.
For complete real estate information, visit Reston Now’s Real Estate section.
Photo of 11266 Silentwood Lane courtesy of MRIS.
