Early voting for the next general election has just gotten underway, but Fairfax County’s elections staff is already planning for next year and beyond.
The county’s Office of Elections has requested $5 million to launch a multi-year rollout of new, updated voting machines as part of a $190 million spending package carried over from fiscal year 2022, which ended on June 30.
Expected to start in 2023, the process will replace more than 1,200 machines owned by the county, according to Fairfax County Office of Elections spokesperson Brian Worthy. The existing machines are now eight years old.
“While the machines are secure, function well and meet current standards, the Office of Elections will replace them to keep up with technology changes, as well as meet new federal security guidelines that will become the standard in the near future,” Worthy said.
The voting machine replacement plan is one of several initiatives covered by the FY 2022 carryover review, which uses surplus funds to address previously approved or new, one-time budget items.
Buoyed by higher-than-anticipated revenue from staff vacancies and close spending management, per an Aug. 1 memo from County Executive Bryan Hill, the package includes a net total of 30 new positions, 27 of them for the upcoming South County Animal Shelter.
The animal shelter positions are needed to ensure the facility is staffed for an expected opening in May, Chief Financial Officer Christian Jackson told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ budget policy committee on Sept. 20.
The proposal raised some eyebrows, since it will require ongoing funding.
“We have traditionally been very, very disciplined about using carryover for recurring expenses,” Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said. “30 is a lot [of positions].”
Jackson reassured the committee that the carryover will allocate $1.9 million to fill the positions for part of a year, but full-time funding of $2.9 million will be included in the county’s next proposed budget, which is typically presented in February each year.
Other notable items in the carryover review include:
- $10.3 million for environmental initiatives, including electric vehicles and charging stations as well as LED streetlight replacements
- $3.5 million for an expanded child care center at the Original Mount Vernon High School
- $2.58 million for employee pay and benefits
- $2.5 million to establish a Tysons anchor organization
- $5 million for Fairfax County Park Authority capital projects
- About $13.2 million for facility improvements, including the demolition of two Historic Courthouse wings and a long-term design for the Hybla Valley Community Center
The Board of Supervisors has also proposed using remaining unallocated money to help bring permanent restrooms to local high school stadiums, improve sidewalks to Huntley Meadows Park, enhance trails in Gum Springs, and hire a data scientist for the board auditor’s office.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity requested that the county address police staffing shortages with a $2.5 million reserve for one-time hiring bonuses. He also proposed letting employees defer retirement for two more years and enabling the police chief to hire retired officers.
Jackson said employees can only use the deferred retirement option for up to three years, but the current average is less than two years. She also said retired police officers can already be hired for a limited amount of time, since otherwise, they’d have to un-retire.
The board will vote on the carryover review after a public hearing on Oct. 11.
An Alexandria man was convicted earlier this month in connection with a series of armed gas station and convenience store robberies in Herndon.
Rashawn Perkins, 28, allegedly wore a ski mask and used a firearm during four robberies over five weeks, according to court documents.
“The evidence established that Perkins robbed a 7-Eleven on December 30, 2021 and a Sunoco on January 19, 2022. The evidence further proved that on February 5, 2022, Perkins returned to both locations and robbed them at gunpoint again,” the Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a Sept. 23 release.
According to court documents, Perkins — who previously had been convicted of three felony offenses — threw a firearm out of his bedroom window when the Fairfax County Police Department executed a search warrant for his home.
“Evidence at the trial established that this was the same firearm Perkins used to commit several of the robberies,” the release said.
Perkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 28 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment when sentenced on Jan. 12, 2023.
Board Chair Calls on Youngkin to Withdraw Trans Student Policies — “I am so proud of the FCPS students who today stood together in support of their transgender classmates who are under threat by the proposed Model Policies. I joined the ~20,000 others providing comments to the Youngkin Administration stating my strong opposition to these Policies” [Jeff McKay/Twitter]
Teachers’ Union Also Opposes Proposed Policies — “Our union firmly opposes the VDOE 2022 Model Policies which will create an unsafe school environment for trans and nonbinary students if implemented. We urge our members to submit public comments against these proposed policies here” [Fairfax County Federation of Teachers/Twitter]
Herndon Father and Son Charged with Rape — “On Sept. 11, police charged 45-year-old Alexander Alvarado Sanchez of Herndon with rape, sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, and indecent liberties with a child. Police also charged Sanchez’s son, 21-year-old David Isai Alvarado Requeno of Leesburg, with rape, sodomy, and indecent liberties, according to police.” [Patch]
Stratford University Students Protest Impending Closures — “Over 100 Stratford University students packed the school’s Alexandria campus Monday afternoon, looking for answers about their future after the for-profit college announced Friday that it would be closing all three of its local campuses by the end of the week…Falls Church-based Stratford has campuses in Woodbridge and Baltimore in addition to Alexandria.” [Inside NoVA]
County Gets 41 More Housing Vouchers — “U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge, visited Fairfax County to announce the most expansive allocation of flexible rental assistance in 20 years with the award of more than 19,000 new Housing Choice Vouchers to almost 2,000 public housing authorities across the country.” [Housing and Community Development]
Task Force Recommends Preserving Manufactured Homes — “On September 19, the Fairfax County Manufactured Housing Task Force delivered its recommendations to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for the preservation of the county’s approximately 1,750 manufactured homes as well as tools and strategies to address the unique needs and challenges facing the community owners and families who live there. [HCD]
Fairfax Fall Festival Returns Next Month — “The 46th Annual Fall Festival returns to the heart of Fairfax City Oct. 8. The festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a special performance by the high-energy Celtic band, Scythian, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Old Town Square. Admission is free!” [City of Fairfax]
Reston Comp Plan Info Session Tomorrow — “Reston Association is hosting a drop-in information session from 6:30-9:30 p.m., on Thursday, for residents to stop by and learn more about the Reston Comprehensive Plan Review. Members of the RA Board and other representatives will be available to share information an answer questions about the plan.” [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 67 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:03 am and sunset at 6:57 pm. [Weather.gov]
Across Fairfax County and Virginia, thousands of students walked out today (Tuesday) in protest of proposed state policies that would limit schools’ ability to support transgender and other gender-nonconforming students.
Students from more than 90 schools, including nearly 30 in Fairfax County, took a stand against policies introduced earlier this month by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin regulating everything from which bathroom a student can use to the definition of “the phrase ‘transgender student.’”
The walkout protests were organized by the Pride Liberation Project, a student-led organization that advocates for the LQBTQ+ community in schools. The group aims to persuade the governor to revoke the draft policies, which are now open for public comment through Oct. 26.
Tens of thousands of students walked out of Virginia's schools today to say Queer students belong in our school systems.
Our demand is simple: revoke the draft guidelines.
It's time we let everyone, including students, have a voice in our education – not just a vocal minority. pic.twitter.com/ZRNPmsdqvb
— Pride Liberation Project (@PrideLiberation) September 27, 2022
Since the policies were announced more than a week ago, local school districts, board members, and elected officials have questioned and overwhelmingly come out against policies that would severely curtail the rights of and support that school districts can give transgender students.
Fairfax County Public Schools said last week that it was “reviewing” the proposed policies and reiterated a commitment to supporting LGBTQ students.
Today, though, it was students’ turn to make their voices heard.
At West Potomac High School in Belle Haven, an estimated 1,000 students walked out at 10 a.m. in protest. They filed into bleachers on the football field, while speakers shared their experiences and why they personally would be affected by the new policies.
“As a trans [person], I have been discriminated against for my gender identity and was told it was wrong. That I was wrong,” said a West Potomac High School senior. “These policies are just a new case of this happening.”
“I can’t be a student if I don’t know what name my teacher is going to call me,” said another student.
Mara Surovell, one of the lead organizers for the West Potomac High School walkout, hopes it will encourage Youngkin to not implement the policies or, at the very least, allow school districts the authority to continue to implement their own guidance.
“Most of my friends are transgender and my sister is also transgender. So it affects all people I love. And I don’t want any of my friends to feel like school is an unsafe place,” Surovell told FFXnow. “I don’t want to see…their mental health plummet because of these policies, and I really just want them to feel safe and loved, and I don’t think that’ll happen if these policies get approved.”
Students involved in walkouts at South Lakes High School in Reston and Marshall High School in Idylwood shared similar thoughts.
Rishi Chandra, a South Lakes junior, said that he has personally seen how well trans and nonbinary students can do in school when they feel safe, but if the new policies get approved, they will “harm queer students.”
“I definitely see a lot of queer students, especially trans students, flunking school, getting bad grades,” Chandra said. “I also think the self-harm and suicide rates will go up, along with depression and mental health crises.”
It’s well documented that transgender youth struggle more often with their mental health. A survey from May found that nearly half of LGBTQ+ youth have considered attempting suicide in the past year.
Rayan Afif, who organized the Marshall walkout, said, if adopted, the guidelines would “ruin the relatively safe environment” they have at school. While most of their teachers use their name and some use their pronouns, that isn’t the case at home.
“Once the revisions are in place, everything will change. I will be forced to use a name and pronouns that do not align with me,” they said. “Additionally, if my parents are contacted due to any suspicion that I am queer, it could cause more tension in my family environment.”
The new proposed restrictions go against established policies in Fairfax County, as well as neighboring jurisdictions Arlington and Alexandria. In fact, it appeared at West Potomac High School that administrators and staff were not only supportive of the walkout, but helped with its organization.
Several students reported feeling safe and supported by their school teachers and staff as well as FCPS as a whole, but they fear that this won’t continue if Fairfax County is forced to adopt these policies.
“Our school system is pretty accepting of transpeople and [FCPS policy] guarantees we can use our names and pronouns. I’m so thankful for that,” said a West Potomac student. “Growing up and going to school is not supposed to be easy and it’s definitely not easy when you are in the wrong body. That’s why it’s so frightening that our government — the people who claim they want to protect us — are willing to take away the safeguards that protect the vulnerable.”
Others expressed their gratitude to FCPS and their schools for “teaching me that my preference when it comes to my pronouns is completely valid,” as another West Potomac High student said.
At the same time, Rayan says FCPS could come out more forcefully in opposing Youngkin’s proposal.
“I’d like to see FCPS more distinctly support queer and trans students, and to make as much noise as we’re making — whether that’s through amplifying our voices or otherwise,” Rayan said. “I’d like to see them talk to trans and queer students who this will effect most.”
A number of local officials showed up at the schools in support of the students, including state senators Scott Surovell and Adam Ebbin.
Incredible show of opposition to Gov Youngkin’s cruel anti-trans student proposal at 80-90 student walkouts across the state! Especially proud of thousands of West Potomac HS students for their outspoken activism!@PrideLiberation @TheWPWire #AllStudentsMatter @EqualityVA pic.twitter.com/HAgZGd8Yr4
— Adam Ebbin (@AdamEbbin) September 27, 2022
Ebbin told FFXnow that it was “inspiring” to see students protest.
“It’s inspiring that these kids are standing up for themselves and for their peers against some really cruel and hateful proposed policies,” Ebbin said.”It gives me faith in the next generation that things can get better in this country.”
He believes that these policies explicitly violate the Virginia Human Rights Act, and there’s a clear basis for a lawsuit.
“I think the governor’s legal counsel or the attorney general or whoever advised him that he might get away with this needs to go back to law school,” he said.
Whatever does happen, it’s clear that a number of Fairfax County students who fear what these new policies could mean not just for them, but for the future.
“For transgender underclassmen, middle schoolers and, even preschoolers, they would have to go through being misgendered for years,” the West Potomac High senior said. “I want all trans students to be able to openly share who they really are, their real name, real pronouns, and real gender.”
Angela Woolsey contributed to this report.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn reaffirmed his commitment yesterday (Monday) to oppose the development of Reston National Golf Course.
Alcorn said he will not support Weller Development Co. and War Horse Cities’ effort to change the county’s comprehensive plan to redevelop the golf course.
His public statement comes after a community survey found that 98% of respondents opposed amending the county’s comprehensive plan to change the designation of the golf course. Similar results were yielded from a survey of 14 communities surrounding Reston National.
“The numbers speak for themselves. Therefore, as with Hidden Creek, I do not support changing the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan’s current designation of this property as a golf course and consider this matter closed,” Alcorn wrote in a statement.
Alcorn voiced similar opposition when the owner of Hidden Creek Golf Course sought to redevelop the course with a 100-acre park and 1,000 residential units. In 2020, Alcorn said that he would only support the proposal if there was strong community support.
Reston’s ongoing overhaul of its comprehensive plan leaves the issue of preserving Reston’s two golf courses untouched.
In the absence of changes to the plan, Reston National’s owners financed the creation of the Reston National Neighborhood Study Group to determine lacking amenities in the area.
The group called for the reclamation of roughly 100 acres of the golf course for “usable” open space, a neighborhood with shops, restaurants and gathering spaces, and a half-mile park through the neighborhood.
Here’s Alcorn’s full letter:
Since I took office almost three years ago, the topic that my office has received the most emails about is the potential redevelopment of Reston’s two golf courses, Hidden Creek and Reston National Golf Course. On this question I have consistently stated that any proposal to change the comprehensive plan for these properties from their current respective “golf course” designations would need support from surrounding communities.
The owners of Reston National have spent considerable resources during the past year reaching out to the community to consider the condition of and potentially the redevelopment of, some or all of their privately-owned property.
Below is the information that has been compiled by my staff from emails and other communications I have received from residents of surrounding communities and beyond. The pie chart and map provide a visual of the input received from residents in the surrounding communities of Reston National. I have also not received any requests from neighboring cluster association leadership to change the comp plan guidance for Reston National – in fact, I have heard the opposite from those neighborhood leaders.
The numbers speak for themselves. Therefore, as with Hidden Creek, I do not support changing the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan’s current designation of this property as a golf course and consider this matter closed.
Halley Rise — a major mixed use development at the door of the Reston Town Center Metro station — will debut its inaugural Halley Rise Fall Festival on Oct. 22.
The event, which includes live music, food and activities, also kicks off the introduction of the Farm at Halley Rise, an urban farm by Up Top Acres that grows food and donates products to organizations that work to reduce food insecurity.
Just under half an acre in size, the farm includes more than 30 vegetable, herb and fruit crops, along with beehives, a native flower garden, a rain garden and a meadow. The farm is intended to provide Cornerstones Food pantry and other local food security organizations with produce.
“At Up Top Acres, our goal is to create productive farms and gardens that foster a sense of community,” Up Top Acres co-founder Kathleen O’Keefe said. “We’re excited to welcome the Farm at Halley Rise into our portfolio and partner with Brookfield to reduce food insecurity and work toward a more equitable food ecosystem.”
Brookfield Properties broke ground on the project in 2019 and has since focused on building The Edmund, a 353-unit apartment building that includes a pool, terrace, and fitness center. The apartment building, which will house Wegmans on the ground floor, is slated to open in spring 2023.
Robert Swennes, Brookfield’s head of the mid-Atlantic and southeast region, said that the festival is part of an ongoing effort to make the development a vibrant community and destination in Reston.
“We are excited to welcome friends and families from across Northern Virginia for a day full of autumnal festivities, live music, delicious food and more, plus the grand opening of our new urban farm — all together should make for a wonderful celebration at Halley Rise,” Swennes wrote in a statement.
The festival will include scavenger hunts, a pumpkin painting station, a bouquet making stand, farm tours, lawn games and performances by local bluegrass band High & Wides. Pepe by Jose Andres, a food truck, will also serve up Spanish flat sandwiches.
At full build-out, Halley Rise will bring 1,600 residential units, 1.9-million-square-feet of office space, 240,000 square feet of retail, five acres of open space and associated infrastructure to the area.
A spokesperson for Brookfield Properties told FFXnow that the company plans to find other ways to engage the local community.
“Following this year’s event, we will continue to explore ways to offer family-friendly programming for the community,” the spokesperson said.
There were undeniably hiccups along the way, but Fairfax County’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic earned an overall positive assessment from community surveys conducted this summer.
A general community survey issued in June received 2,148 responses, representing just a fraction of the county’s over 1.1 million residents.
However, 90% of respondents reported experiencing little or no difficulty accessing county services during the pandemic, and 89% said the same specifically for services related to COVID-19, Fairfax County Emergency Management Coordinator Seamus Mooney told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 13.
On average, 71% of 147 surveyed businesses said they would’ve had to stop operations or been otherwise negatively affected without access to county services. 91% of community organizations said they were satisfied with their collaborations with the county, per Mooney’s presentation.
“This was an international health emergency, the likes of which none of us had ever seen before,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “So, we were pivoting day in and day out, every minute to try to respond to our community, and this survey proves that our response was effective and that our agencies really stood up and did their job.”
The survey findings were shared as part of a COVID-19 After Action Report that the county is compiling to assess its response to the pandemic and how this experience could inform its response to future emergencies.
While the full report won’t be finalized until later this year, Mooney said the surveys and feedback from the supervisors’ offices and different county agencies suggest the government successfully adapted to the pandemic’s changing circumstances, from the park authority and library’s pivot to online programming to the “rapid rollout” of non-congregate options for sheltering people experiencing homelessness.
A Quarantine, Protection, Isolation/Decompression (QPID) emergency housing program provided temporary shelter in hotels for 2,188 people. Though the program ended in March, the board directed county staff to evaluate how it might inform the county’s approach to supportive housing going forward.
According to the presentation, the county also provided over $90 million in funding for rent assistance, food and other basic needs services. From May 2020 to July 2022, over 1.5 million meals were distributed at Fairfax County Public Schools and by trucks.
“Changes made during the pandemic have the potential to reset expectations for future operations and establish a new path forward that the county can utilize from here on out,” Mooney said.
One change here to stay is the option for community members to testify remotely at Board of Supervisors meetings, which was “a major success,” the presentation says.
When it comes to challenges, one date looms large in county officials’ memories: Jan. 18, 2021. That’s when the county launched its online COVID-19 vaccine registration system, which immediately ran into technical issues after demand overwhelmed the county’s call center a week earlier.
Mooney noted that some factors out of the county’s control, such as the limited vaccine supply and Virginia’s faster-than-expected expansion of eligibility, contributed to the registration system’s botched rollout.
Once introduced, the county’s system proved “more reliable” than the state’s, Mooney said, though there was some initial confusion. While frustrating, the amount of demand showed that Fairfax County was “a community who cared enough about each other and wanted to break down the door and be the first one to get vaccinated,” McKay said.
As of this morning (Tuesday), 85.6% of Fairfax Health District residents have gotten at least one Covid vaccine dose, including 93% of people 18 and older, and 78% are fully vaccinated, according to the county health department’s dashboard.
Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said the pandemic exposed a gap in the county’s communications when it comes to people who don’t have access to or aren’t familiar with online technology, noting that information was often shared in ways “predicated on the fact that you would have a device and be able to respond.”
According to the community surveys, residents primarily got information about Covid through the county website, social media, and by phone, either by calling directly or through Fairfax Alerts notifications.
“I think we need to be able to have our communication on several levels,” Gross said. “For those who have no problem with the current technology, great. For those not used to technology, those of us who didn’t grow up with it, really, we need to have another approach, an understanding approach to be able to work with that particular segment of the community.”
Photo via Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter
Tolls on First Day of New I-66 Lanes Top $6 — “Washington-bound drivers paid an average of $6.10 during the Monday morning commute to use new Interstate 66 toll lanes from Gainesville to Centreville, according to the toll operator. The highest toll in the eastbound lanes was $6.50 at the peak of the commute, officials said.” [The Washington Post]
Monkeypox Vaccine Eligibility Expands — “The VDH announced eligibility expansion for JYNNEOS, the monkeypox vaccine to include people of any gender or sexual orientation living with HIV/AIDS or who were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the past three months.” [Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter]
Man Arrested for Reported Chantilly Robbery — “Fairfax County Police located a suspect in an assault and robbery that occurred midday on Monday in the Chantilly area, according to a post on the department’s official Twitter account. Officers were on the scene at 12:26 p.m., in the 13200 block of Leafcrest Lane in Fairfax” [Patch]
County Board to Consider Police Hiring Bonuses — “A newly proposed ordinance change would give the county executive the ability to give up to $15,000 in hiring bonuses to attract new police officers to the force. The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the ordinance change on Oct. 11, 2022.” [ABC7]
Volunteer Fire Departments Face Staffing Challenges — “There are fewer volunteers in the ranks, as some departed during the pandemic and some departments saw lower recruitment…’Yet with the core group of volunteers we have today, we are maintaining and in some cases growing our capacity and level of activity, which is very encouraging,’ [Fairfax County Volunteer Fire Commission Chairman Shawn] Stokes said.” [Sun Gazette]
Colvin Run Road Intersection at Route 7 Reopens — “Starting the week of Sept. 26, the Colvin Run Road (west) intersection will open to all movements at Route 7. The following movements will be restored: Drivers on westbound Route 7 will be able to turn right onto Colvin Run Road (west). Drivers on Colvin Run Road (west) will be able to turn right onto westbound Route 7.” [VDOT]
FCPS Recruits Spanish Teachers From Puerto Rico — “When a friend told Lesliean Luna that Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia was recruiting native Spanish speakers in San Juan, she didn’t hesitate…Now years after Luna was hired in 2016, she and her daughter both work in Virginia’s largest school system.” [WTOP]
Fire Station Open Houses Planned — “In celebration of Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15, 2022), all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Stations will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Stop by your local station that day to meet your firefighters and paramedics, join in the activities, learn about fire safety, see the fire trucks and ambulances.” [FCFRD]
Tysons 5K Fundraiser Sees Strong Turnout — “Thank you to everyone who joined us for @foodforothers’ 9th annual Tysons 5K and Fun Run! This year, 390 people participated in the event and a total of $92,585.40 was raised for Food for Others, an organization dedicated to distributing food to our neighbors in need.” [Tysons Partnership/Twitter]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 69 and low of 55. Sunrise at 7:02 am and sunset at 6:59 pm. [Weather.gov]
A developer that filed a competing proposal for a new Reston library and affordable housing is calling into question Fairfax County’s handling of an unsolicited proposal it received for a new library near the same site.
Developer Norton Scott says the county mishandled the solicitation process after developer Foulger-Pratt filed a proposal to redevelop 4.5 acres of land at the intersection Bowman Towne Court and Town Center Parkway in October 2021.
Norton Scott is petitioning the county to incorporate more public opportunities to review other sites for the library that the company says would better serve Reston residents and are more in line with Reston’s comprehensive plan.
“They are sliding this through in a way that circumvents the public process that is so inherent to planning in Reston,” Chelsea Rao, vice president of Norton Scott, told FFXnow.
The Foulger-Pratt proposal — which was publicized with significant redactions — would redevelop the 4.5-acre property into an apartment building for working families and a new library, while demolishing 30 affordable rental townhomes on the site. What’s publicly known is that roughly 350 affordable housing units across two buildings with a garage and the library are planned.
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) issued a call for competing proposals earlier this year — all governed under the provisions of the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002, which lays different groundwork for public-private partnerships.
To date, the Norton Scott proposal is the only competing application received.
Located near Reston Regional Library’s current site and a neighboring lot owned by the developer’s subsidiaries across from the police station’s parking lot, the Norton Scott plan would have consolidated three county-owned parcels with a one-core parcel to the south.
It would’ve created a 1.8-acre plaza, 39,000-square-foot library, a new homeless shelter, a performing arts center, a human services building, and 582 housing units — including 354 affordable units. The plan would also preserve existing affordable housing on the Bowman Town Center Court property.
But FCHRA spokesperson Benjamin Boxer told FFXnow that Norton Scott’s application was deemed non-responsive because it involves a completely different site.
“Norton Scott’s competing proposal was non-responsive to the solicitation because the site for their proposal was located on entirely different property owned by the Board of Supervisors, as well as a separate parcel owned by Norton Scott, not the FCRHA-owned property identified in the request for competing proposals issued by the FCRHA,” Boxer said. “Norton Scott may submit its own unsolicited proposal for the other location, and they were so advised over a month ago.”
Rao says Norton Scott’s competitive offer complies with all the provisions of the PPEA, including a submission within 45 days of the call for competing offers.
The FCRHA held a public hearing on the Foulger-Pratt proposal on Sept. 15.
“This process smacks of an attempt by the County to engineer a sole source award to rush a project through by skirting the rigors of its own procurement procedures,” Rao said at the hearing. “We encourage the Supervisors to reject this award and have the staff go back to the drawing board, to comply with the public procurement act and give full consideration to all competitive proposals.”
A task force intended to analyze public facilities in the Reston Town Center North Area — including a future library — was convened by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn earlier this year. The task force will commence soon, but if FCHRA enters into an agreement with Foulger-Pratt, they will review the draft, according to a spokesperson for Alcorn.
Amendments about the future of the library were generally left out of the ongoing overhaul of Reston’s Comprehensive Plan.
Overall, Rao says the community is better served through Norton Scott’s proposal and, at a bare minimum, a more comprehensive public engagement process.
Norton Scott’s bid to redevelop the library and the Embry Rucker Community Shelter was previously rejected in 2015. An appeal to redevelop another conceptual plan for a 13-story building with 58 condos behind the library was rejected in 2019.
Metro has officially debuted changes to its 2019 map of the rail system.
This past Friday (Sept. 23), Metrorail began rolling out the new maps — which feature the Silver Line extension and stations with new name — to its stations, trains and transit centers.
As first reported by DCist, the new map includes stations on phase two of the Silver Line: Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.
The map also lists Potomac Yard station in Alexandria as a future station.
But it will take some time before the whole system’s maps are upgraded. The overall system has more than 5,000 maps in stations and trains alone.
“Metro is getting a head start now for what will take more than a month to replace every map in the system in preparation for opening,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said.
The map also includes new station names — which were approved by Metro’s Board of Directors — changing Largo Town Center to Downtown Largo, Prince George’s Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing, White Flint to North Bethesda, and Tysons Corner to Tysons. West Falls Church-VT is also the new name of the station that used to bear the University of Virginia’s name.
Here’s more from Metro on the changes:
The map’s original design was created more than 40 years ago by graphic designer Lance Wyman and was revised by Wyman for the opening of the first phase of the Silver Line and the extensions’ completion. Over the decades, millions of people have navigated Metrorail using the simple but classic map showing all six rail lines – Red, Blue, Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow – crossing the region with crisp, clean lines.
Printing has been underway for weeks, as Metro prepares for the opening of the Silver Line extension. Maps of various sizes, fare tables, and customer brochures are all being updated.
Metro has not yet decided when the Silver Line extension will officially open. But its Board of Directors took a key step last Thursday (Sept. 22) when they delegated to Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke the authority to accept the project once certain conditions are met.
Right now, a fall opening is anticipated.
Rat Causes Tysons Power Outage — “Rats! Power Outage in Tysons area tonight was caused by a rat that infiltrated a piece of equipment. 1,588 customers lost power. All customers restored in 1 hour and 5 minutes.” [Peggy Fox/Twitter]
Reston Woman Arrested for Leaving Kids With Stranger — “Herndon Police arrested 24-year-old Paola Alejandra Salinas Padilla of Reston for child abuse after she left her two children at a stranger’s home on Thursday, according to a post on the department’s official Twitter account. Salinas Padilla left her two children around 3 p.m., on Thursday…telling the strangers that she would pick them up by 11 p.m., according to police.” [Patch]
County Task Force Activated for Potential Florida Hurricane — “Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue packing up and preparing to deploy as part of FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency response for #TropicalStormIan, which may hit Florida as a #hurricane.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
“Students Will Die” if New Trans Policies Are Adopted, Former FCPS Student Says — “[Aaryan] Rawal said it wasn’t until his senior year of high school that he began to openly identify as queer at school. He said he only felt safe doing that because of the ‘model policies’ put in place by then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to protect transgender students…Rawal is not transgender, but he said the polices created an atmosphere where he felt free to be himself at school.” [The Washington Post]
People Displaced by Hybla Valley House Fire — “Last night at 11 PM, units responded to a two alarm apartment fire in 7500 block of Republic Court. Fire on top floor w/ extension into attic and through roof. No reported injuries. Multiple residents displaced, and being assisted.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
CIA Renovates Langley Museum — A model of the late al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s compound in Kabul that was used to plan the U.S. drone strike that killed him is part of the spy agency’s headquarters’ newly renovated museum. The CIA Museum “isn’t open to the public. But it’s not exactly top secret either, welcoming CIA employees, official guests, foreign partners, potential recruits” [The Washington Post]
Vienna Acting Planning Director Gets Permanent Job — “Vienna officials recently announced that they had hired Kelly O’Brien, who had been serving as acting deputy director of planning and zoning for most of the past nine months, to continue in that role on a permanent basis.” [Sun Gazette]
Police Offer Commercial Robbery Tips — “Our Crime Prevention Officers recently conducted numerous site assessments at stores to enhance Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. There are several steps that you can take to enhance security at your business to deter and prevent robberies from occurring.” [FCPD]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 73 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:01 am and sunset at 7:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
The weekend is almost here. Before you double check your Congressional district or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
- Upcoming gastropub restaurant in Reston reignites family legacy, pays ode to Lake Anne
- Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery arrives in Herndon, will offer free ‘bundtlets’ at grand opening
- JUST IN: Truck hits McLean power line, killing man and prompting outage
- BREAKING: Assistant arrested for allegedly assaulting special needs student at Dogwood ES
- Developer seeks to convert Tysons office building into ‘live/work’ units
- DEVELOPING: Pedestrian in hospital after crash in Pike 7 Plaza parking lot
- FCPS ‘reviewing’ Virginia’s proposed policies on treatment of transgender students
- Metro board takes key step to setting opening date of Silver Line Phase II
- Proposed ‘home share’ program could help house older county residents
- Reston planning committee approves Vantage Hill redevelopment
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below. Have a great weekend, Fairfax County!
A DogFest is coming to Reston Town Square Park tomorrow (Saturday).
The event, slated to take place from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. at 11900 Market Street, will benefit Canine Companions, a nonprofit organization that encourages clients and their dogs to live with greater independence. Activities include service dog demonstrations, music, games, speeches and activities for kids.
The event is free, but online registration is encouraged.
“Help us raise money to provide exceptional dogs for the over 400 people currently waiting for their new canine partners,” Canine Companions spokesperson John Bentzinger wrote in a release.
The organization was established in 1975 and is active in six regions across the country.
Dogs that take part in the event must adhere to several conditions, including being social, being up to date with vaccinations, and remaining on a leash no longer than six feet at all times.
An effort is underway to preserve the dark skies around the Turner Farm Park Observatory in Great Falls.
To reduce light pollution in the area, Fairfax County is considering amending zoning standards for outdoor lighting within one-half mile of the observatory, which is located at the intersection of Georgetown Pike and Springvale Road.
The observatory has several telescopes and a former National Defense Mapping Agency observation tower. Since the spring of 2018, the facility has served more than 3,700 people with educational programming.
Changes would largely impact residential development — roughly 500 properties — surrounding the observatory.
So far, county staff indicate that residents appear split about possible changes to the zoning rule. An official proposal expected in the winter of this year.
“Comments received in support of additional regulations expressed that the amendment would be an important and valuable step in protecting dark skies and the use of the observatory,” staff said in a memo. “Comments in opposition indicated that additional regulations are not needed, and concerns were expressed about several issues, including safety and security, and whether additional regulations within ½ mile of the observatory would be meaningful, given the overall light pollution of the area.”
The county held a public meeting on the issue on Monday (Sept. 19). Residents and community organizations offered feedback on the existing conditions near the observatory and possible changes that could affect properties within a one-half-mile radius of the observatory.
Representatives for the Fairfax County Police Department noted that proper lighting is a deterrent for criminal activity, but overnighting and uplighting are not required to facilitate a safe environment.
The Great Falls Citizen Association held the first official public meeting on the issue on March 24. The association has historically supported efforts to preserve the area’s dark skies.
“Because this proposed amendment involves a unique set of circumstances, GFCA is in the process of evaluating the County’s preliminary concepts on the amendment and considering its impact on the community, following two Town Hall sessions GFCA hosted,” Peter Falcone, a spokesperson for the association, wrote in a statement.
The observatory is also working toward becoming an official urban night sky place from the International Dark Sky Association.
Reminder: Early Voting Begins — “[It’s] the first day to #voteearly in the congressional #midterms! The 8th, 10th & 11th U.S. House seats are up for election and there are three sites open for #earlyvoting on weekdays” [Office of Elections/Twitter]
Sexual Battery Trial Against Former Teacher Cut Short — “A Fairfax County, Virginia, circuit court judge has dismissed an indictment alleging aggravated sexual battery against a former music teacher who gave lessons to students out of his house. The dismissal came Monday, Sept. 12, in the midst of the jury trial of Roger McKay, according to court records obtained by WTOP.” [WTOP]
Reston Station Developer Talks Silver Line Phase II — “With the remaining Silver Line stations expected to open in the next few months and the Reston Comprehensive Plan Review in the public comment phase, this seemed like a good time to check in with the developer. Comstock’s Chief Operating Officer Tim Steffan agreed to answer a few questions…about the company’s recent acquisition and what it envisions for Reston Station’s future.” [Patch]
FCPS Sued Over Special Education Appeal Hearings — “Fairfax County Public Schools and the Virginia Department of Education have been hit with a federal class-action lawsuit claiming families of disabled children who challenge schools’ decisions about specialized education plans don’t get a fair shake.” [WTOP]
Free Student Bus Pass Program Adds Metrobus — “Fairfax County, City of Fairfax and Fairfax County Public Schools officials celebrated the Metrobus expansion of the free bus program Thursday at George C. Marshall High School…The recent expansion adds free Metrobus access to students at certain high schools.” [Patch]
Metro Safety and Budget Issues Collide — “Financial problems sparked by the pandemic, a prolonged train shortage and questions about the stability of Metro’s tracks converged Thursday as transit leaders said they will look outside the agency to help solve a growing budget gap while assuring the public the rail system is safe.” [The Washington Post]
Hilton Plans Voyage to Space — “[The] McLean hotel giant…said this week it will design astronaut facilities for a private space station called Starlab currently being developed by Denver’s Voyager Space Holdings Inc. and Bethesda’s Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT). Starlab will eventually be one of the replacements of the International Space Station” [Washington Business Journal]
Tysons Library Takes Kids to Spy School 101 — “Join us for a hybrid workshop presented by the International Spy Museum on how to be a spy! The workshop will take place in the library meeting rooms and start with an interactive group activity followed by the virtual presentation.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:59 am and sunset at 7:06 pm. [Weather.gov]
