Advocacy group Reston 2020 is offering a suggestion on how the planned redevelopment at Tall Oaks Village Center could better preserve green space and add more retail to serve the neighborhood.
Tall Oaks Village Center is planned for redevelopment by new owner Jefferson Apartment Group (JAG). JAG is planning to make the center mostly residential, with 156 residential units (garden-style condos, townhouses and two-over-two townhouses) and up to 7,000 square foot of retail on the site of the nearly empty 70,000-square-foot village center at Wiehle Avenue and North Shore Drive.
JAG tweaked its design last spring after citizens said they were disappointed in the early plan for only about 3,000 square foot of retail. Read More
Wherever you are heading today, bring your umbrella and drive carefully.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for Reston, Fairfax County and most of the DC area. The Flood Watch is in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday until midnight.
From the NWS:
Showers and thunderstorms, heavy at times, are expected to move Northeast across the area this afternoon into evening. Widespread rainfall amounts around one inch are expected, with localized high amounts up to 3 inches possible in areas of repeated activity.
Due to saturated ground, rains will turn into runoff with flooding of smaller streams and creeks possible. General inundation of low-lying and urban flooding in poor drainage areas also possible.
A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts. You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings.
Nearby: New Website — The Town of Herndon has a new website. [Town of Herndon]
Meet The Weather Supercomputer — The new Cray supercomputer — designed, owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and located in Reston — processes 3 quadrillion calculations per second to help weather forecast’s become more accurate. [USA Today]
A Boost To Schools’ Bottom Line — The Virginia House budget plan includes $272 million for schools. That could help fill in the gap Fairfax County Schools may have for FY 2017. The school has requested $2.6 billion from the county. The county executive is proposing a $2 billion transfer to the schools. [Richmond.com]
New Space For Reston Base — SOS International LLC will double its footprint in Reston. The defense contractor announced it has signed a lease to expand its headquarters at 1881 Campus Commons Drive to 50,000 square feet from 29,000 square feet.
When Fairfax County Executive Ed Long presented his $3.99 billion Fiscal Year 2017 Proposed Budget to the Board of Supervisors last week, one of the main highlights was a $2.08 billion transfer to the school system — which is about $68 million less than what the Fairfax County Public Schools have requested.
To get there — and to meet other county needs — Long is proposing a 4-cent real estate tax increase (per $100 of value), which would represent an increase of about $303 for the average county homeowner. The current tax rate is $1.09 per $100 of value. Read More
World of Beer is conducting a nationwide search for beer enthusiasts to take part in unique summer internship program.
The “Drink it Intern” program search kicks off nationwide on March 1 — and Reston’s World Of Beer will be the first place to hold in-person interviews.
The Reston in-tavern interviews interview will take place Wednesday, March 2 from at 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Candidates will be interviewed live on the WOB stage and judged by a panel including:
- Sam Calagione, CEO and Founder of Dogfish Head Brewery
- Mike Snider, USA Today
- Jeremy Sundheimer, WOB tavern general manager
World of Beer says interns will be paid to spend the summer traveling to breweries, talking to brewmasters, attending festivals and going abroad to try exclusive beers and have craft beer experiences unlike ever before. It’s a paid gig, but it is part-time, so interns can also have another job of internship, WOB says.
Here is what WOB says it is looking for:
Candidates should be ready to show us their true personality, wow us with their social media and creative prowess, impress us with their passion for beer and food, and own the stage in front of our panelists. We’re looking for social media gurus, aspiring photographers, wanderlust souls, published writers, everyday beer enthusiasts or those who simply always have their phone ready to capture awesome moments. For more information visit World of Beer’s website.
The Nova Mini Maker Faire — a gathering of more than one hundred inventors, craftspeople, hackers and others who “make things” — returns to Reston on March 13.
The regionwide family-friendly event calls itself “the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth–a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker Movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.”
The Mini Maker Faire runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School.
Makers will share their knowledge through hands-on projects for adults and
children on topics ranging from blacksmithing and primitive skills to 3D printing, drones and robots to creative reuse of recycled materials to creative art-making, say Mini Maker Faire organizers.
The event is organized by Nova Labs of Reston.
Makers will be grouped in neighborhoods by their topic. Neighborhoods include: Young Makers, Drone Zone, Robotics, 3D Printing, Science Lab, Fiber Alley, Sustainability Village, and more.
Makers returning from last year include: Children’s Science Center, Craig Trader’s Chaos Machine (large marble machine), Nova Labs Learn to Solder, Blacksmithing demonstration by Everest Gromoll, and DC Area Drone User Group.
See the whole list of makers on the event’s website.
Advance tickets are available online now. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children through March 12. New this year is a family ticket $40, which is good for a family of 5 and is available only in advance. Tickets at the door are $20 for adults and $8 for children.
Volunteer opportunities are still available and include a free admission ticket.
Photo: 2015 Mini Maker Faire/Credit: Jennifer van der Kleut
Luggage, bicycles, and tires from a car were among the items reported stolen by residents and business owners in Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District in the last week.
There were no major incidents reported.
From the police reports:
LARCENIES
- 2300 block of Branleigh Park Court, property from residence
- 13100 block of Fox Hunt Lane, bicycle from business
- 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise from business
- 11800 block of Sunrise Valley, luggage from residence
- 12800 block of Fantasia Drive, property from residence
- 2200 block of Stirrup Iron Lane, tires from vehicle
- 2100 block of Whisperwood Glen Lane, property from residence
Hundreds of Reston homes got a piece of direct mail last week that piqued curiosity.
Safeway announced on the card that it is offering incentives for transferring prescriptions to its store at 12197 Sunset Hills Rd. in Reston.
There is no Safeway at that address. That’s the address of Target.
That was a cause of concern for some residents, several of whom contacted Reston Now.
“Is Target doing OK?” one asked.
Target is doing fine. The Reston Target is not on the list of a handful of U.S. stores that are slated to be closed by the company. There are Safeway locations at South Lakes Village Center and Hunter Woods Village Center, as well as on Elden Street in Herndon, with no immediate plans for new ones, Safeway spokesman Craig Muckle said.
Muckle said the Safeway flyer contained a printing error.
Soccer Honors — Kim Crabbe, an top girls soccer player at South Lakes High in the 1980s, was inducted into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame last week. Crabbe also played for the Reston Rowdies, won state honors while playing at South Lakes and was a member of the NCAA Championship team at George Mason University in 1985. [VA-DC Soccer Hall of Fame]
Rally For Schools — After last week’s Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting, where County Executive Ed Long presented the 2017 proposed budget, hundreds of parents, students and other concerned parties filled the government center lobby to encourage officials to “Invest in Kids.” [Reston Connection]
Language Immersion Lottery Now Open — Interested in one of Fairfax County Public Schools’ foreign language immersion programs for your child? The enrollment lottery for 2016-17 is now open. [FCPS]
Reston Town Center’s newest store is opening soon, but not as soon as expected.
Madewell, the sister brand of J. Crew, was slated to open in the former Ben & Jerry’s space at 11928 Market St. in January.
Obviously, that date has come and gone, but at least construction has begun in earnest. The “coming soon” sign and construction fencing recently went up around the windows of the location.
The new opening time is “this spring,” according to the placared.
Madewell is considered a younger, hipper version of J. Crew. Madewell specializes in jeans, leather jackets and totes, and other casual clothes.
Madewell recently opened a branch at the Mosiac District in Fairfax. It also has nearby locations at Tysons Corner Center and Georgetown in D.C.
Madewell is currently hiring for the Reston store.
Ben & Jerry’s, meanwhile, is in the permitting and construction process to open a new store a couple of doors down on Market Street.
The average Reston assessed home value rose 1.03 percent in the last year, according to 2016 Fairfax County tax assessments.
The average Reston home is valued at $428,378 this year, a rise from $424,021 in 2015.
Here’s a look at some nearby areas: Great Falls, +0.72 percent, Oakton + 1.19 percent, Herndon, +.60 percent, and Vienna, +1.85 percent.
County real estate tax assessments were mailed last week. You can also access yours online.
Fairfax County says about 55 percent of residential property in the county increased in value over the past year due to equalization, with an average increase of 1.64 percent. Nonresidential real estate values (such as commercial) increased 2.87 percent on average due to equalization, the county says.
Assessed value is for tax purposes and is not the same as a listing or sales price if you were to put your house on the market.
Here’s what affects your real estate assessment, according to the county:
- Sales in the neighborhood
- Economic factors – It took an average of 55 days to sell a home in 2015, up from an average of 47 days in 2014
- Improvements to the property (remodeling, additions)
- New construction and rezoning
- Property characteristics (such as size, age and amenities)
You can appeal your assessment. Find out how on Fairfax County’s website.
Meanwhile, the county is considering a 4-cent real estate tax hike for Fiscal Year 2017.
More than 50 Longwood Grove homeowners are asking for Reston Association’s assistance in finally quieting the noise from the Baron Cameron Park Dog Park.
The homeowners told RA in a letter/petition on Feb. 1 that it “Despite neighbors’ best efforts to encourage the [Fairfax County] Park Authority to effectively manage and create a sustainable solution for coexistence, we conclude that the only viable option is to close and relocate the dog park.”
The Reston Association Board of Directors will discuss the homeowners’ request its monthly meeting on Thursday and may decide to more formally discuss the matter in March.
It is unclear what, if anything, RA can do about the dog park, which is located in a Fairfax County Park Authority Park and not on Reston Association property.
The issue is not a new one. The dog park has been at Baron Cameron since 2001. The Longwood Grove owners — who are separated from the park by noise-reducing fencing material, four lanes of Wiehle Avenue traffic and several hundred feet — have been bothered by the noise pretty much ever since.
In recent years, the neighbors have asked the park authority to move the off-leash area farther into the park or to shut down the location and move it to Lake Fairfax Park, which has much more separation from private homes.
In March of 2014, five Longwood Grove homeowners filed suit against the FCPA and Reston Dogs, Inc., a nonprofit group that formerly ran the dog area, saying the park constitutes a private nuisance.
The complaint cited several previous Virginia rulings dealing with the definition of a nuisance. It claimed the residents are likely to suffer “irreparable harm from the dogs barking and fighting” and have no legal remedy other to quiet the noise other than to ask for an injunction to shut down the park.
The case was dismissed by a Fairfax County judge in March of 2015.
The recent letter from the Longwood Grove residents to the RA Board says “the negative impact of this park feature on our neighborhood is severe. The barking has created years of ongoing stress: the noise disrupts our sleep, invades peace and quiet of homes throughout the day, and can often be heard after the park has closed.” Read More
‘Poppins’ Pops — Thinking of catching Reston Community Players’ production of Mary Poppins? Check out this review from DC Metro Theatre Arts. [DC Metro Theatre Arts]
Where Reston Donates — Here is a list of which candidates have seen the biggest donations from Restonians thus far in the 2016 campaign. [Patch]
Advocating For Schools — Reston Del. Ken Plum advocated for funding for schools on the floor of the Virginia House last week. [YouTube]
New County Diversion Program Off To Good Start — Fairfax County say the first month of a new program that emphasizes treatment, rather than jail time, for people with mental illnesses, has had a promising beginning. [Fairfax Times]
The property manager of Shadowood Condominiums has prepared an item-by-item response to concerned condo owners, who have been passing around a list of 30 issues as the board election at Reston’s largest condo neighborhood approaches.
The residents’ complaints range from secrecy among the condo board to crime to poor upkeep, among others. See the full list in this previous Reston Now article.
Theresa Zivanovic, Shadowood’s General Manger, says she also shares some of the concerns as she is a resident of the complex.
However, she said the list of complaints contains a number of “statements that are just factually wrong.”
Read the full letter from management below.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue officials are still investigating what caused a townhouse fire on Mediterranean Court in Reston Thursday.
Crews were called to the 11600 block of Mediterranean about 4:30 p.m. with a report of a garage fire, a fire department spokesman said.
When they arrived, they found a fully involved garage fire that was extending to the second-floor attic. Firefighters conducted an aggressive attack to contain the fire in the garage and attic as it”got to the second floor very quickly,” officials said.
There were no injuries.
