Upgrades to Glade Pool (11550 Glade Drive) officially begin today.
Planned improvements include partially replacing the concrete deck, repairing the spa jet and chipping out the main pool for tiling and coping.
In a statement, Reston Association Director of Communications and Marketing Mike Leone said that the work should wrap up by May 1 — just in time for the 2023 summer pool season.
“Nothing is changing physically at this pool. RA is doing repair work to the Glade Pool like the work done at Ridge Heights pool earlier this year,” Leone wrote.
Work will only be conduced on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Leone added that noise levels may be “moderate to loud” during the chip-out phase and will lower once the work is completed.
RA is currently working on a large-scale renovation of Lake Thoreau’s aquatics facility. A project for Shadowood Pool is in the design phase. Final conceptual and construction documents are being preparing by engineers, according to RA’s website.
Construction for the Glade Pool refurbishments, including partial concrete deck replacement, spa jet repairs, and main pool chip out/tile/coping, will begin on December 19. Work will continue for the following two to three months. pic.twitter.com/QjTXpt1ZsU
— Reston Association (@RestonOnline) December 14, 2022
Tysons Arrest Leads to Retail Theft Ring Bust — “With some great information from our partners at Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, officers assigned to our Tysons Urban Team were able to make apprehension. At the time of the arrest, the woman had a booster bag containing over $3,700 in stolen sunglasses…The group is linked to prior thefts over the previous several days of over $25,000 in merchandise in the DC Metropolitan area.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Possible Shots Fired in Herndon — “Town of Herndon Police responded early Thursday afternoon for the report of possible shots being fired in the 300 block of Elden Street, according to a 1:17 p.m. post to the department’s official Twitter account. Police reported that one subject was detained at the scene and there were no victims.” [Patch]
Fast-Casual Health Food Restaurant Gets Fairfax Ribbon-Cutting — “Fairfax City is Roots Natural Kitchen’s 12th location, which was chosen due to its proximity to George Mason University and access to the larger Washington, D.C. area, according to Caballero…Although Friday was the official ribbon-cutting, the restaurant has been open for about two weeks.” [Patch]
Belle Haven House Goes All Out on Christmas Decor — “Over 250,000 lights. Three hundred plastic blow molds. Twelve fully decorated artificial Christmas trees. More than 100 inflatable holiday decorations ranging in size from 2 feet to 15 feet…That’s what it takes for Kurt Farmer to transform his Alexandria home into Farmer’s Christmas House.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Some Social Media Apps Banned for State Employees — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin banned the use of TikTok, WeChat and other ‘Chinese-owned mobile phone applications and websites on state government technology’ on Friday. The ban applies to all executive offices and executive branch agencies.” [NBC4]
Author Discusses Opioid Epidemic in Tysons — “[Beth] Macy spoke on Tuesday night at a book signing event hosted by Bards Alley Bookshop at 1st Stage theater in Tysons. Macy’s newest book is Raising Lazarus, a sequel to her 2018 book, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company That Addicted America, on which a Hulu limited series is based.” [Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office]
Anti-Drunk Driving Initiative Launches — “The Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s SoberRide initiative is now in operation for the holiday season, and will remain available through Jan. 1. The effort teams with Lyft to provide free rides home to those who may have had too much to drink during the holiday season. It will be operational nightly from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Local Volunteers Honored by County — “Fairfax County recently announced the winners of its 2022 Environmental Excellence Awards, and both honorees in the ‘Individual County Resident’ category are from around the Richmond Highway corridor.” The honorees were a longtime Hollin Hills Civic Association chair and a senior student at West Potomac High School. [On the MoVe]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 37 and low of 27. Sunrise at 7:24 am and sunset at 4:50 pm. [Weather.gov]
Marco’s Pizza — a pizza chain that has 1,100 stores across the country and the Bahamas — is expected to add a location in the Reston and Herndon area next year.
In an announcement on Wednesday (Dec. 14), the company said it plans to open nine total stores in Virginia.
First in line was a location at 46515 Harry Byrd Highway in Sterling, which recently opened. In addition to that site, franchisee Michael Ghanem is in the early stages of selecting locations in Herndon, Reston, Leesburg, Arlington, Alexandra and Mount Vernon.
“When we began our search for viable franchise opportunities, we were looking for one key factor in particular — the potential for growth,” Ghanem said. “Marco’s growth journey has been nothing short of remarkable and seeing the untapped potential in Northern Virginia, we knew it was an opportune time to join the brand and grow our portfolio.”
The company did not respond to a request for comment on the exact location of the Reston store by press time. It’s expected to open in the first quarter of 2023.
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, the business was founded by Italian-born Pasquale Giammarco in 1978. Items on the menu include pizzas, pizza bowls, subs, and salads.
When new development comes up for review in Fairfax County, one of the first questions often asked is “how will this impact vehicle traffic?”
A proposed shift in Fairfax County’s analysis could change that and put more emphasis on alternative modes of transportation.
A new approach cagily named “Additional Measures of Effectiveness” could rework the way the county evaluates the transportation piece of new development. The bottom line could be less emphasis on car traffic and more on infrastructure for bicycles, buses, pedestrians and more.
“Measures of effectiveness are quantitative measures that gauge performance of some level of effectiveness in transportation planning,” Gregg Steverson, deputy director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, told the Board of Supervisors’ transportation committee on Tuesday (Dec. 13).
Currently, the county mainly measures the level of service — how much traffic roadways can support — and the amount of vehicle delay and queuing expected. But Steverson said that focus keeps cars at the forefront of transportation development.
“Our roadway and network changes get codified in terms of ‘what will this do to traffic’ instead of ‘how will this impact bike usage’ or ‘what’s our access to transit going to be’ or ‘do pedestrians feel safe walking here,’” Steverson said. “As such, a lot of our recommendations center on road widening, which, in activity centers, means widening them beyond what is necessary given the multi-modal area.”
Steverson said if the county wants to become more multimodal and make bus, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic as viable as cars, it needs to update its measures of effectiveness to match that. That could mean transportation analyses for new developments specifically for pedestrians, bicycles and transit.
“We’re looking to have analysis be just as multimodal in nature as our county is striving to be,” Steverson said. “This is not a change in policy. This is a strategy to take those existing policies and develop an analysis to mirror those policies.”
This shift wouldn’t apply universally. The presentation noted that the county is broken up into “tiers” of similar land uses, with different modes of transportation emphasized in different areas. For example, the type of bicycle and transit-focused development might be more heavily emphasized in Tysons’ urban environment, but not as much in low-density, residential neighborhoods.
The revision is still in its formative stages, with more meetings and presentations scheduled throughout the first half of 2023. Steverson said staff still has to talk to the Virginia Department of Transportation to get “buy-in” on the idea and do outreach to advocacy and citizen groups.
Steverson said staff also has to sort through what the right amount of measurements are, saying that adding too many variables could overburden developers and overcomplicate the county’s development process.
While there are still significant details to be ironed out, the transportation committee expressed enthusiasm for the idea.
“I think we definitely need to be moving on this,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said. “This has come up in a number of different forums over the last few years: the need for other measures of effectiveness for the transportation system. I do encourage staff to continue thinking more about where various other measures of effectiveness would be appropriate and what those might be.”
In a twist to the free little libraries concept, a new Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) is open for all at the Cathy Hudgins Community Center (CHCC) at Southgate in Reston.
Modeled after give-a-book, take-a-book approach of Free Little Libraries, the galleries feature art contributed by community members that can be taken. The structure is composed of a miniature cabinet on stands. It’s the first FLAG gifted by a civic organization.
Christine Hodgson, director of CHCCS, said the project serves the center’s goal of creating a welcoming, inclusive environment.
“We believe in empowering our community and our hope is that this FLAG will provide an opportunity for our community members to connect and engage with their inner artist, the center, and the community,” she said.
Reston-based nonprofit organization Public Art Reston and Reston Association are responsible for the oversight of the FLAG. Public Art Reston will share photos of the community’s artwork on Instagram.
The FLAG concept kicked off when artist Stacy Milrany built and installed a library in December 2020 in Seattle, Washington. The project is intended to foster cultural enrichment.
Reston’s first FLAG was installed in December 2021 at the Waterview Cluster. Resident Sue Johnson, who led that effort, promoted the project at Public Art Reston activity tables.
Public Art Reston board member Amanda Scarangella offered financial support for the project through another nonprofit organization where she volunteers.
She built the mini gallery with her partner John Dean.
‘The FLAG will serve as a beacon of public art inspiring artists of all ages and skill levels to engage with their fellow community members in a positive manner,” Scarangella wrote in a statement. “The FLAG will create a safe, accessible, and equitable space for all to enjoy the benefits — educational, social, developmental, community-building, and more — of public art.”
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano is gearing up for what may be the most heated local election race in 2023.
The first-term chief prosecutor, who defeated a longtime incumbent in 2019 on the strength of a progressive platform, is planning to seek reelection next year, a representative for Descano confirmed to FFXnow.
An official announcement is expected to come soon, another spokesperson said.
Over the last three years, Descano has championed reform policies including a diversion program for those who commit non-violent crimes, increased transparency of bond hearing data, and an end to cash bail.
Like Arlington’s Parisa Dehghani-Tafti and Loudoun’s Buta Biberaj, who were also elected in 2019 as reform advocates, Descano has been accused of being “soft on crime” and mishandling certain cases, with those involving sexual violence receiving particular scrutiny. He was also the focus of two recall campaigns last year.
In a statement to FFXnow, Descano touts his record as a “progressive” who has helped the county become “the safest jurisdiction of its size anywhere in the country, saying he’s been “encouraged by many over the last year to continue this work.”
I plan on making an announcement soon regarding the 2023 election. Since first being elected in 2019 I have worked each day to deliver safety and justice for our community. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, delivering progressive criminal justice reform including investments in “next generation” diversion programs, increased use of Veterans Treatment and Mental Health dockets, creating a Red Flag Law team aimed at getting guns out of someone’s hands who poses a danger, and leading a more transparent office by the launch of a public Data Dashboard on our work.
These and other reforms have helped deliver a justice system led by our values all while making Fairfax County the safest jurisdiction of its size anywhere in the country. I have been encouraged by many over the last year to continue this work. I am grateful for that encouragement and also for the widespread community support that has resulted in us having over $100,000 in campaign funds on hand one full year prior to the next election. This shows the strength and breadth of the support from those that want to keep Fairfax County’s justice system moving forward.
Four years ago, Decano was part of a wave of Northern Virginia progressive prosecutors to be elected as their localities’ top law enforcement officer.
In Arlington, Dehghani-Tafti launched her reelection campaign late last month. Biberaj hasn’t yet declared her intentions for next year.
Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid is also planning to run for reelection in 2023, she told FFXnow by email, though she didn’t elaborate on her reasoning.
Kincaid was first elected in 2013 in a special election, becoming the first woman to lead the office in its nearly three centuries of existence. She was reelected in 2015 and 2019, so this will be her fourth time running.
While the commonwealth’s attorney and sheriff often work together on cases, a disputed incident last year suggested some friction between the two offices.
A Sept. 28, 2021 incident report from the sheriff’s office accused Descano and his chief deputy of displaying “disrespect and unprofessionalism” toward county courthouse security guards that were “unsuited for an officer of the court.”
However, FFXnow’s review of video from the incident and a courthouse source appeared to mostly contradict the sheriff’s office report.
Neither Descano nor the sheriff’s office has publicly commented on the incident since.
Several other local elected officials have already confirmed their intentions for 2023.
Dranesville District school board member Elaine Tholen won’t be running next year, while Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren said she will. Springfield District Representative Laura Jane Cohen is shifting gears and is looking to join the Virginia House of Delegates.
Five county supervisors will also seek reelection, while Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust are both stepping down after long tenures on the board.
County’s Moroccan Community Cheers World Cup Team — “Morocco became the first African team in World Cup history to reach the semifinals following a victory against Portugal last week…More than 100 members of the local Moroccan community gathered on Wednesday afternoon to watch their home country’s match-up against Les Bleus at the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church” [DCist]
Proposal Floated for Van Dorn Metro Development — “An industrial park on Vine Street, squeezed between the Van Dorn Street Metro station and the Beltway, could be replaced with a new mixed-use development…The development plans, however, hinge on hopes that the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) express lane plans don’t bleed over onto the site.” [ALXnow]
Where to Celebrate Hanukkah in Fairfax County — “This year, Hanukkah begins on December 18, 2022 and ends on December 26, 2022. And you’ll find plenty of events celebrating the holiday in Fairfax County and throughout the Capital Region.” [Visit Fairfax]
New Asian Curry Restaurant Opens in Chantilly — “Score another one for the global food community. Actually, score two. Karé Bar opened in Chantilly in November. It’s on Metrotech Drive, making it easy to head to Shilla Bakery or Chateau de Chantilly after lunch or dinner.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
PNC Bank to Shutter Some Local Branches — “PNC Financial Services Group Inc. is closing 32 more branches across 10 states, according to new regulatory filings, including a dozen in Virginia and Maryland.” Closings will come early next year to six Fairfax County locations, including one in Burke, one in Kingstowne, one in Groveton and three in Springfield. [Washington Business Journal]
Emergency Taxi Surcharge Continued — “Fairfax County supervisors on Dec. 6 meeting unanimously approved a temporary, uncodified ordinance that will permit an up-to-$1-per-trip taxicab-fuel surcharge that will be in effect from Dec. 30 through June 30 next year. Supervisors have the option of rescinding the ordinance sooner because of sustained changes in economic conditions.” [Sun Gazette]
Merrifield Solar Panel Company at Home in Fairfax — “Merrifield-based Ipsun Solar, a company that installs residential and commercial solar panels, was started in 2016 with a lofty goal: fighting climate change, said Herve Billiet, CEO, who co-founded the company along with Joe Marhamati.” [Fairfax County EDA]
County Offers Tips for a More Sustainable Holiday — “The seasons are changing, the days are shorter, and the 2022 holiday season is here! Keep reading for tips on how to be more sustainable throughout all your holiday festivities” [Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 46 and low of 35. Sunrise at 7:22 am and sunset at 4:49 pm. [Weather.gov]
Vaccines designed to combat omicron subvariants of COVID-19 are now available in Fairfax County for everyone 6 months and older.
The Fairfax County Health Department has obtained updated or bivalent vaccines for kids 6 months to 5 years old after federal health officials approved the shots to that age group last week.
The shots became available to people 12 and older in August, and eligibility expanded to kids 5 to 11 years old in October.
“The updated vaccines provide protection from both the original virus strain as well as the more recently circulating Omicron variant,” the FCHD said. “Getting the updated booster dose is important because protection decreases over time and as the virus changes.”
Time is running out, though, to get shots from the county’s mass Covid vaccine clinics. As announced last month, the clinic at the Hyland South County Center administered its last dose yesterday (Wednesday), and the Fairfax County Government Center clinic will close at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 17).
The county will still distribute Covid vaccines, but after Saturday, those seeking an appointment at one of the health department’s district offices must contact their call center at 703-324-7404. Other options for getting a shot can be found at vaccines.gov.
Kids under 5 can get the bivalent vaccine as either a booster if they’ve gotten the Moderna vaccine or the third dose in their “primary series” of Pfizer vaccinations.
“Children 6 months-4 years who already completed their three-dose primary series with the original Pfizer vaccine are not eligible for an updated booster dose at this time,” the department said. “The data to support giving an updated bivalent booster dose to these children are expected in January.”
It’s now been almost two years since the county received its first Covid vaccine shipment. In that time, more than 2.8 million doses have been administered to residents of the Fairfax Health District, which also includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
Over 1 million residents — 85.9% of the population — have gotten at least one dose, including:
- 93% of people 18 and older
- 99% of 16-17 year olds
- 95.6% of 12-15 year olds
- 64% of 5-11 year olds
However, just 21.9% of kids under 5 have received a dose, per FCHD data. While the vaccines don’t provide complete protection against contracting Covid, they lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and both short and long-term complications from the disease, health officials say.
The expansion of eligibility for the bivalent vaccines comes as COVID-19 cases in the Fairfax Health District continue to rise post-Thanksgiving, jumping from a seven-day average of 120.4 cases on Nov. 26 to 249.3 cases today, according to Virginia Department of Health data.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rate the county’s community Covid level as low based on a case rate of 130.11 per 100,000 residents, a hospitalization rate of 7.7 new admissions per 100,000 residents, and 5.2% of hospital beds being occupied by confirmed Covid patients.
The district is averaging a death per day for the past week, reporting a total death toll of 1,717 people for the pandemic. There have been 253,907 cases and 5,209 hospitalizations due to Covid.
According to the FCHD, testing has increased recently, even as Curative closes its mobile sites in the county today. But the testing positivity rate has climbed from under 10% at the end of October to 17.2%, as of Dec. 4, indicating “a true increase in disease,” a spokesperson told FFXnow.
Though still far below last winter’s surge with the omicron variant’s arrival, the uptick in cases throughout the D.C. region has Montgomery County in Maryland recommending that residents resume wearing face masks. Neighboring Arlington County and Alexandria City are also seeing cases increase.
Fairfax County hasn’t made any changes to its health guidance, but with the flu and other respiratory illnesses also in the air, the FCHD still advises residents to consider masking, especially if they have symptoms, along with other habits that help prevent sickness:
As people spend more time indoors, where there is more crowding and less ventilation, and where there is less attention to other mitigation efforts (distancing/masking/handwashing), it is not surprising to see respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, flu and other viruses spread. The health department continues to encourage these everyday prevention steps, in addition to staying up to date on COVID-19 boosters as the variants change, and flu shots for everyone over age 6 months. Simply staying home when ill makes a big difference in community transmission, too.
With Covid transmission increasing nationally, the White House has relaunched its program offering four free at-home testing kits per household through covid.gov/testing.
Gold’s Gym has a new resolution for the upcoming year in Reston.
The gym, which is currently at 11674 Plaza America, will relocate early next year, a gym employee told FFXnow.
It’s expected to move to space at 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive.
The company did not immediately return a request for comment on why the business is relocating.
The 165,000-square-foot plaza includes tenants like Whole Foods Market, Michael’s, and Total Wine.
The South American street food restaurant Maizal was expected to open at Plaza America on Halloween, but it’s still listed as “coming soon” on both its website and the mall directory.
The property’s retail broker lists three available, vacant spaces. The Gold’s Gym space, located between Five Guys and CVS, isn’t among them.
Hat tip to Adam Rubenstein; photo via Gold’s Gym/Facebook
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By Melissa L. Watkins, Esq.
On November 23, 2022, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), announced in the Federal Register significant proposed changes to the current landscape of forms utilized to establish trustworthiness of federal employees in positions of trust or requiring access to classified information.
OPM’s proposed changes would result in the adoption of a new form, called the Personnel Vetting Questionnaire (PVQ), which would consolidate and replace the current forms used in this process: the SF-85, SF-85P, and SF-86. The PVQ will exist as a single document, containing four parts, A through D, where the parts flex based on the suitability requirements and needs of the agency submitting the application.
In addition to changing the structure of the questionnaire itself, OPM has also proposed significant changes to the questions contained within the questionnaire.
Questions The Form No Longer Will Include
The PVQ will no longer require applicants to provide information related to gender or selective service. Questions related to Selective Service Registration are being proposed for removal given that such information is available to agencies through other means. For gender, OPM explains that questions related to sex or gender were previously included to assist in identity matching. However, the utility of this information has been reduced by changes at the state and municipality levels.
At present, approximately 45 states allow an individual to amend their birth certificate to match their gender, and 15 states allow an individual to choose a non-binary option. Given the differences among jurisdictions and the possibility that an individual’s self-identified sex may differ from what was previously provided, the effectiveness of using an individual’s self-identified sex as a tool for identity verification has decreased. OPM has concluded that asking an applicant or employee to indicate “Male” or “Female” no longer has utility in the investigative process to justify the burden of requiring it from respondents.
The PVQ also intends to adopt gender-inclusive terminology, such as parent and sibling, rather than terms that are not gender-inclusive, such as mother, father, sister, brother. These changes have been proposed, in part, to align with the current Administration’s priorities.
On June 15, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14035, which directed that steps be taken “to mitigate any barriers in security clearance and background investigation processes for LGBTQ+ employees and applicants, in particular transgender and gender non-conforming and non-binary employees and applicants.”
Questions That The Form Changes
Arguably, the most significant change being undertaken by the PVQ relates to cannabis use. Questions regarding illegal drug use on the PVQ will be divided into separate areas to distinguish between use of marijuana or cannabis derivatives containing THC and use of other illegal drugs or controlled substances, in recognition of changing societal norms.
OPM’s goal in revising this section is based on the desire to increase and improve the applicant pool for those who may have fairly recently used marijuana, particularly in states where it was legal. The new questions will change the timeline for cannabis use such that a person would only be asked about consumption that occurred within the past 90 days, unless they used while working in a criminal justice, public safety or national security position. In those cases, the forms would ask about use that occurred at any time.
In contrast, the relevant forms that applicants are currently required to fill out ask about any marijuana usage within the past one, five or seven years, depending on the security level of the position they are applying for. The new form also makes clear that use of cannabis products containing less than 0.3 percent THC does not need to be disclosed because those products meet the federal definition of legal hemp.
That’s notable given that several federal agencies in recent years have cautioned employees against consuming hemp products like CBD oil because of the risk of mislabeled THC content that could potentially trigger positive drug tests. Additional information on recent changes to the government’s position on marijuana can be found here.
The PVQ will also reflect changes to the psychological health section. In 2016, security questionnaires were revised to shift the focus away from questions about seeking mental health treatment while allowing for the collection of information regarding potentially serious or uncontrolled conditions that could substantially affect judgment or reliability. While the intent this area of questioning has always been to surface any concerns regarding the individual’s judgment or reliability, the approach has shifted from asking about all mental health treatment or counseling to a more tailored set of questions regarding hospitalization and specific diagnoses.
The PVQ seeks to further reduce perceived stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment or counseling by further limiting the scope of questioning. The PVQ will focus on serious mental health illnesses that have very low base rates in the general population. Respondents receiving treatment or counseling for the most common mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, as well as those seeking treatment or counseling after experiencing trauma or other stressful events, are unlikely to answer affirmatively to any of the items in the PVQ.
Two other areas seeing changes from prior forms will be related to an applicant or employee’s handling of protected information and association record. The PVQ will now include questions that inquire as to whether the respondent has deliberately violated rules or regulations for safeguarding protected information.
In addition, questions regarding use of information technology systems that were previously asked only in the SF-85P and SF-86 will be presented to all respondents in Part A. The PVQ will also contain changes to questions under the Association Record section. On his first full day in office, President Biden directed his national security team to lead a comprehensive review of U.S. Government efforts to address domestic terrorism.
As part of that review, interagency experts identified the possibility that domestic terrorists could attempt to exploit or abuse authoritative positions or sensitive access and recommended potential modifications for security questionnaires. The PVQ contains some new questions as well as some updated questions that have been modified to reduce complexity and further compel candid responses to address concerns related to domestic terrorism.
If you are an employee in need of employment law representation, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook and Twitter.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Reston Association is working on the creation of an equity group with a focus on its lakes.
If created, the work group would focus on maximizing the enjoyment of Reston’s four man-made lakes for its members.
“The Equity Working Group will develop an equity framework that clearly defines current use policies, usage by demographics, opportunities for improvement and make policy recommendations that focus on equity and improved access for all,” says a proposal set to go before RA’s Board of Directors at its meeting tonight.
The group could focus on improving access to lakes, equal opportunities for recreation, and non-discriminatory signage or use policies.
Reston has four man-made lakes: Lake Anne, Lake Thoreau, Lake Audubon and Lake Newport, which collectively span 125 acres.
According to the meeting agenda, the proposed group could consist of:
- A voting member representative from each of the four lake communities
- Four voting member representatives from non-lake condominium or apartment communities in each district
- A voting staff representative selected by RA’s CEO
- Two non-voting staff liaisons, including RA’s watershed manager and human resources director
The idea came at the suggestion of director Erwin Flashman and board president Sarah Selvaraj-D’Souza.
County Seeks Feedback on Parking Changes — “Residents are encouraged to review the draft recommendations for parking requirements and submit feedback on the Parking Reimagined webpage by midnight Monday, Jan. 16.” Virtual meetings to discuss the proposed changes, including off-street parking standards based on density and bicycle parking requirements, will be held on Jan. 5 and 12. [Fairfax County Government]
Fairfax City Supportive Housing Approved — “Fairfax City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the Lamb Center/Wesley Housing’s application to redevelop the Hy-Way Motel property on Fairfax Boulevard to include permanent, supportive, low-income housing.” [Patch]
Water Rate Increases Proposed — “Members of the public will have a chance to tell Fairfax Water what they think of the proposed rate increases at a public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 15.” Changes that could take effect on April 1, 2023 include an increased “base commodity charge” for residents and a higher peak use charge for established accounts. [Annandale Today]
Grand Opening Set for Huntington Housing — “The Arden, a 126-unit residential development just south of Alexandria, is opening early next year. The development from housing nonprofit Wesley Housing is set to host a grand opening on Jan. 13, marking the completion of a major affordable housing project for an area in desperate need.” [ALXnow]
New Chamber of Commerce Launches — “The local business community and Fairfax County officials came together Dec. 9…to celebrate the official launch of the newly branded Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce…The chamber — formed by the merger of the former Mount Vernon-Lee and Greater Springfield Chambers of Commerce — serves businesses in eastern Fairfax County” [On the MoVe]
McLean Startup Draws New Investors — “McLean’s FireTail Inc., which is developing software meant to secure the communication between multiple devices and systems, has raised $5 million in an early-stage seed round…The company plans to wrap up early development of the API security software next year.” [DC Inno]
FCPS Shouts Out Championship-Winning Teams — “Congratulations to all the FCPS student-athletes who participated in the 2022 fall sports season. This year four teams and two individuals won the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 championship in their respective sports, and three teams and three individuals were the state runners-up.” [FCPS]
Call Issued for Farmers Market Vendors — “The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is beginning the Vendor Application process for the 2023 farmers market season…The New Vendor Interest Meeting will be held on Jan. 20, 2023, and applications will be open on farmspread.com from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10, 2023.” [FCPA]
It’s Thursday — Rain throughout the day. High of 47 and low of 33. Sunrise at 7:21 am and sunset at 4:49 pm. [Weather.gov]
Ice on tree branches in Reston (photo by Douglas H. Errett)
Updated at 8:05 p.m. — Fairfax County Public Schools will open two hours late tomorrow in response to the anticipated inclement weather.
Earlier: Fairfax County may get its first serious taste of winter weather for the season overnight.
A Winter Weather Advisory will be in place for the D.C. region from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday), according to a National Weather Service alert issued this morning.
The NWS initially forecast that the anticipated freezing rain and ice could begin at 10 p.m. today but later revised the time frame.
“Wintry precipitation begins overnight and continues into Thursday morning,” the NWS said. “Warmer air should push in later Thursday morning into Thursday afternoon changing the precipitation to rain.”
More from the alert:
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM EST THURSDAY…
* WHAT…Freezing rain expected. Total ice accumulations of a glaze to around one tenth of an inch. Highest ice amounts will be in the northern and western suburbs of Washington and Baltimore.
* WHERE…The Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan areas including the city of Baltimore and the District of Columbia as well as northeastern and central Maryland.
* WHEN…From 1 AM to 1 PM EST Thursday.
* IMPACTS…Difficult travel conditions are possible. The hazardous conditions will likely impact the morning commute on Thursday.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department warns that the rain could affect tomorrow’s morning commute, and Fairfax Connector says it will be monitoring the potential storm, advising that riders watch out for slippery or icy sidewalks.
The Virginia Department of Transportation began mobilizing crews yesterday to prepare roads for the wintry precipitation, noting that it has made some procedural adjustments in the hopes of avoiding a repeat of January’s I-95 shutdown.
The risk of ice tomorrow is expected to be highest further to the west in Virginia, where an Ice Storm Warning has been issued.
Nearly a dozen proposals to possibly open up Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan for land use changes to allow development in specific areas of Reston and Herndon are moving forward.
The requested changes largely circle around a common theme: aging office buildings are no longer competitive and more housing stock is needed, according to the applications.
Of the 15 nominations in the Hunter Mill District submitted through the county’s Site-specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process, a handful did not make it to the next screening phase.
Specifically, plans to replace Reston’s two golf courses — Reston National and Hidden Creek Country Club — with residential development and open space did not get a favorable vote from the board.
In a Dec. 6 statement, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn emphasized that he does not support any proposal to change the comprehensive plan’s golf course designations for those sites unless there is support from surrounding communities.
“Even after considerable community engagement and outreach by the owners of the golf courses, nearby residents — by a large majority — and their cluster association leaders contacted my office and clearly stated that they did not support changing the zoning comprehensive plan designation of the two golf courses. My commitment to community-based comprehensive planning is unchanged,” Alcorn wrote in the statement.
Nine Reston nominations advance
In the Town Center North area (1760 Reston Parkway), RTC Partnership LLC wants to build a 419,000–square-foot residential building instead of the 23-story office building that was approved for the site in 2016.
The developer says the project provides “needed multifamily residential housing,” while boosting “Reston’s economic vitality by helping drive the demand for retail and locally-serving office uses.”
“The proposed nomination would also provide a catalyst redevelopment project in the Town Center North area which would, hopefully, encourage adjacent owners to move forward with similar projects,” according to the application.
Near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station, developers are reimagine the future of aging offices surrounded by surface parking.
On Preston White Drive, the developer says in its application that office buildings built in the 1980s “are struggling to survive’ in their current state.
Instead, the developer is seeking the county’s approval for a project with 60-85% residential uses, 5-10% of office space, 5-10% of retail and up to 5% hotel uses.
Highbrook Investors, the owner of property at 12120 Sunrise Valley Drive, wants to demolish the vacant office building on the property and replace it with a higher density residential building than originally planned.
Although the Property has good pedestrian access to the Reston Town Center Metro Station, it is a real challenge for the existing office building to compete with newer, three larger office buildings at the Metro station that provide more amenities, more usable office space configurations, and easier access to Metro for office employees (who tend to not be willing to walk as far as residents to transit).
In a deviation from the push for more housing, at Commerce Metro Center, the developer wants to up the development intensity and allow more space for offices. CP Management Center would demolish an office building in the development to create a new mid-block road and an urban plaza area with street-level areas.
“The Nominator’s proposal supports the County’s essential economic development objectives and will maximize the region’s substantial investment in the Silver Line,” the nomination states.
The development team behind Reston Corner is seeking flexibility to add a residential component to the office park. Citing skyrocketing office rents and more demand in Reston’s urban core, the development team argues that residential uses are a better fit for the project.
They hope to work with the county to create a two-lane road through the site that can connect Sunrise Valley Drive to the southern portion of the property.
“Reston Corner is able to provide a more affordable rental opportunity for smaller businesses looking to enter the Reston market,” the application states. “All office users are not of the size to afford ‘Reston Town Center rents’ and having a diversity of office buildings and rental rates supports the County’s and Reston’s economic objectives, tenants, users and smaller businesses.
The owners of 1950 Roland Clarke Place also want to remake their site with a more heavily residential project than the currently approved mix of 85% residential and 25% non-residential.
“While fortunate for Fairfax County in a lot of ways, this scenario presents significant challenges for areas like Roland Clarke Place that will likely never have strong demand for meaningful commercial development because they are not proximate enough to transit and not where the future of retail/office uses is headed,” the application states.
Ten low-rise suburban sale office buildings on Association Drive could also see big changes. The developer wants to incorporate more housing than originally approved.
On Samuel Morse Drive, the developer Pulte wants to construct multifamily residential buildings and stacked townhouses by demolishing office buildings. The site is located next to the Lofts at Reston Station.
At Lake Fairfax Business Park, developer EYA wants to retain some office space and build new residential units. The infill development would include seven properties located along on near Business Drive.
“EYA’s vision includes a village-style mixed-use community that complements and builds on Reston’s successful Village Centers, introducing new life and open spaces into the Park,” the application states.
The Hunter Mill District received the highest number of SSPA nominations. Overall, the county received 75 nominations.
The board selected which ones will move forward for review by staff and the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Dec. 6. Their review will evaluate if the proposals are consistent with county policies and priorities relative to other planning considerations.
The nominations will then be evaluated, and public hearings will also be held.
Tysons, Virginia, will soon welcome The Mather, a Life Plan Community with anticipated Phase 1 completion in 2024. The community is the latest offering by Mather, an 81-year-old not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating Ways to Age Well.
“The Mather will offer apartment homes for those age 62+ and better with innovative smart home technology, amenity-rich community spaces, and luxury of a different kind for those who wish to plan ahead to live life to the fullest,” said Gale Morgan, Senior Vice President of Mather.
The Mather, located on Westpark Drive near Tysons Galleria, will include two residential high-rise buildings which are connected by a multi-story concourse. On-campus amenities include a fitness center featuring an exercise studio and large indoor pool, multiple restaurants, spa, and three acres of outdoor space.
There are a variety of apartment homes within The Mather, ranging in size up to 3,300 square feet. Each apartment home is designed with a modern open floor plan and floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize natural light, along with a gourmet kitchen that will appeal to even the most seasoned cook — with custom finishes including gas top ranges and pull-out/soft-close pot drawers and pantries. And each is equipped with smart home technology and comes with an automation hub that can be integrated with smartphones, tablets, and home computer systems.
“While people want to downsize, they also want to be able to host guests,” said Morgan. “Many of the homes feature multiple baths designed to work as dual masters or private guest suites.”
Building upon Mather’s decades of experience and success in providing residences and services for older adults, The Mather is expected to provide significant public benefits to Tysons and Fairfax County with a publicly accessible urban park with nearly three acres of green space, employment opportunities of nearly 200 team members, and a commitment to sustainability, as it will seek LEED Gold certification.
Together in a unique partnership with Fairfax County, The Mather will provide wellness and lifelong learning programs for residents ages 50+ living in the community-at-large. Programming will take place in a dedicated portion of the more than 14,000 square foot first floor commercial space.
More than a luxury residence, The Mather is smack dab in the middle of it all — in an enviable walkable, urban neighborhood destination: Tysons, Virginia. “Our depositors are well-traveled and looking for a diverse community that will support their continued personal growth with programming, fitness, concierge services, and educational opportunities,” said Morgan. “They are interested in their local communities and want to stay connected — looking for a more urban, walkable lifestyle in a location they love, with culture, sports, the arts and entertainment options that are easily accessible.”
See photos, floor plans, and more, at TheMatherTysons.com. To speak with a team member, call (703) 348.8522 or email [email protected].
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
