The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is marking Women’s History Month with a menstrual supply drive.
Starting today (Monday) through March 29, sites throughout the county will collect new, sealed packages of tampons, pads, liners and menstrual cups.
Those supplies will go to local shelters and nonprofits, including Bringing Resources to Aid Women’s Shelters (BRAWS), Western Fairfax Christian Ministries and Food for Others.
All Fairfax County Public Library branches are collecting donations, as are all nine magisterial district offices, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay’s office and the Sully Community Center. The PARC at Tysons (8508 Leesburg Pike) is also accepting supplies from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday).
Support our local shelters and nonprofits by donating new and sealed packages of tampons, pads, liners, and menstrual cups, from March 4-29 https://t.co/pHXnhzXeow
Questions? Email: [email protected] pic.twitter.com/yeziKqOh4U
— Fairfax County Government
(@fairfaxcounty) February 29, 2024
At the board’s Feb. 20 meeting, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik announced that all supervisors would support the drive to help community members “for whom access to menstrual supplies can pose a financial burden.”
“These essential hygiene products are costly, and the lack of access to safe and clean menstrual products can negatively impact someone’s overall physical and emotional well-being,” Palchik said at the meeting.
This is the first time that Fairfax County has conducted this drive, and it comes more than a year after Virginia stopped charging sales tax on menstrual products.
BRAWS, one of the supply drive’s beneficiaries, says one in five Virginia residents don’t have access to needed menstrual supplies.
“By hosting this drive with collection sites all over the county, we are raising awareness while helping meet these basic needs,” Palchik wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
Other Women’s History Month events in the area include classes and programs from the Fairfax County Park Authority and a panel of local female authors at the City of Fairfax Regional Library.
Photo via Natracare on Unsplash
Free Bikeshare Rides Offered During Bus Strike — “Fairfax County is offering free Capital Bikeshare rides for the duration of the Fairfax Connector work stoppage. Enter promo code TRYCABIFFXMAR24 for a free 45-minute ride on a classic bike. This is just one transportation alternative. Please visit our website…for more travel options.” [Fairfax Connector/Facebook]
Fairfax Connector Strike Disrupts Commutes — “On Thursday evening, a succession of Fairfax County residents took refuge in bus shelters next to the Vienna-Fairfax Metrorail station, bracing themselves against frigid temperatures and piercing winds…After learning about the strike from a reporter, the Fairfax residents waiting at the bus stop pulled out their phones and booked rides home on ride-share apps.” [Washington Post]
Norovirus Outbreaks Reported in County — “Norovirus spreads very easily and quickly. There have been recent reports of outbreaks across the county. Help prevent infections by washing your hands, practicing food safety, and taking steps to avoid spreading it to others if you do get sick.” The U.S. sees about 2,500 reported outbreaks of the sickness every year. [Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter]
Tysons Rents Highest in Region — “Apartment rents in Tysons are the highest in the Washington area, according to new data from Apartment List. With a median rental price of $2,495 for the preceding month — $2,269 for one-bedroom units and $2,720 for two bedrooms — Tysons edged out Arlington for top spot among dozens of Washington-area communities part of the survey.” [Gazette Leader]
County to Reveal Route 29 Improvements Survey Results — “The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will present feedback compiled from the recent Route 29 Study survey at a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at 7 p.m. The study focuses on the Route 29 corridor between Buckleys Gate Drive/Summit Drive near the Fairfax County Parkway (VA 286) and Jermantown Road.” [FCDOT]
Huntington Condo Considers Security Updates — “The Montebello Condominium Unit Owners Association (MCUOA) has considered over a dozen ways to improve on-site security since a Jan. 25 carjacking in a parking garage tower and has begun implementing several…measures,” including a license plate reader that “will scan vehicles entering the property, transmit data to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and flag stolen vehicles.” [On the MoVe]
Lincolnia Gets New Afghan Restaurant — “A new Afghan restaurant has opened in Landmark Plaza in Lincolnia. Its name, ‘Afghan Restaurant,’ reflects the original Afghan Restaurant that operated in Crystal City from 1993 to 2010. That was the first Afghan restaurant in Northern Virginia and was founded by the father and uncle of Amanullah Abbasi, the owner of the new place.” [Annandale Today]
Reston Restaurant Assists With Marriage Proposal — “A local couple got engaged at The Melting Pot in Reston. That’s a restaurant that specializes in cheese fondue among other delicious menu items. And that’s exactly where a lucky guy named James decided to pop the question to his girlfriend Kristen Thursday night.” [WUSA9]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly cloudy day with a high around 66 and calm winds. Rain is likely at night, mainly after 1am, accompanied by a low of about 47. The chance of precipitation is 70%, with potential rainfall amounts between a quarter to half an inch. [Weather.gov]
A mental health facility has opened its doors in Reston, promising to help both clients and new and training therapists.
Columbia Associates — which operates a network of outpatient mental health clinics throughout the D.C. area — is now operating at 12007 Sunrise Valley Drive.
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for 10:30 a.m. on March 20. Rep. Gerry Connolly is expected to attend.
“The Reston Clinic provides comprehensive, individualized care using evidence-based practices that respect privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy,” Columbia Associates said in a media advisory. “Services include therapy, psychiatry, [transcranial magnetic stimulation] therapy, and Spravato.”
The Arlington-based company now operates seven outpatient mental health care clinics in Northern Virginia and Maryland. An eighth clinic planned at 10721 Main Street, Suite 2400, in Fairfax City is expected to open on Aug. 1, according to Columbia Associates’ website.
In addition to mental health counseling and therapy, Columbia Associates provides training to support new therapists, helping them gain the supervision and clinical hours needed to become independently licensed. The company also offers telehealth services and accepts most insurance plans, including Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare.
The plan for a major residential neighborhood near the Innovation Center Metro station in the Herndon area is evolving.
But the tweak won’t be approved by the Fairfax County Planning Commission until April 24 at the earliest. With no discussion, the commission voted on Wednesday (Feb. 28) to defer a public hearing on an application to amend the development plan.
Under the name Bittersweet Fields LLC, land owner and developer Pomeroy Clark I is seeking to revise its plan for One Sunrise Valley, which envisions up to 1,093 residential units across nearly 43.8 acres of land in the northwest quadrant of the Frying Pan Road and Sunrise Valley Drive intersection near Dulles International Airport.
A 5.5-acre portion of the currently vacant site will be transferred to Fairfax County Public Schools for a future elementary school. One of the five lots that originally comprised One Sunrise Valley was sold to Van Metre Homes, which is building 157 single-family attached units and 36 two-over-twos on their property.
Approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2019, the original rezoning application left the door open for two paths forward: one that would total 519 residential units — 335 traditional townhomes and 180 stacked townhomes (two-over-two units) — and one with up to 1,093 units — 276 townhomes, 144 two-over-two units and three multi-family buildings with up to 729 units.
The developer is now seeking to implement the second option with an amendment that would allow for either 54 triplex units or 36 two-over-two units and a 296-unit multi-family building on a parcel dubbed Land Unit C that was approved for 24 2-over-2 units and a 145-unit multi-family building.
The developer has also proposed to build 69 triplex units instead of the 84 stacked townhouses that were approved for the adjacent Land Unit D, a change that would apply to both development options, according to a county staff report. Read More
To further its environmental goals, Fairfax County’s to-do list should include building an electric vehicle charging network, addressing “critical” staff shortages, and addressing development pressure, the Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) says in a new report.
An employee compensation policy update to attract and retain workers in departments such as wastewater and solid waste was the top recommendation in the 2023 Annual Report on the Environment (ARE), EQAC Chair Larry Zaragoza told the Board of Supervisors during its environmental committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 29).
“If you had a problem in a facility or in operations that caused some other issues, the consequences could require a lot of corrective action, or they could be publicly undesirable,” he said.
Although it has seen some progress, Zaragoza said the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), in particular, is seeing higher vacancy rates of 16 to 22%. In some “major functions,” rates have climbed as high as 32%, according to the presentation.
Zaragoza acknowledged that the recommendation to develop a network of charging stations for electric vehicles would be challenging to implement, but necessary.
“This seems to be an issue that is challenging the nation with respect to the conversion to EVs,” Zaragoza said. “People have a fear that they won’t have options for charging their vehicles.”
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said that, while it’s true more EV charging stations are needed, the biggest issue is maintenance, speculating that, on a typical day, about 50% of chargers don’t seem to work.
He advised the council to look into ways to address the maintenance issues, including potential legislative measures.
“The EV charging people are racing to get as much federal money as they can to install these and then don’t have anybody to come back and repair them,” McKay said. “And to me, that’s a huge threat to EV utilization because [when] you see them on a map, you expect them to be working.”
Reiterating a recommendation made last year, the report calls for the county to provide more funding for its stormwater program through either one of two options:
- An increase in the Stormwater Service District tax in 2024 by at least one-quarter penny, from 3.25 cents to 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed real estate value
- A change in the base property tax rate
Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez asked the council to keep equity and low-income residents in mind when considering these adjustments.
“I would hope that there will be something in place to ensure that the cost increases are equitable and do not disproportionately affect low-income residents,” Jimenez said.
The report also highlights a need to address pressure from development while preserving trees and minimizing ecological degradation.
“As you have development, you often have the loss of trees, you often have loss of habitat, and to the extent that it’s possible, it’s good to try to preserve as much as you can in this process,” Zaragoza said.
McKay agreed with the need to minimize environmental damage but said the council should also carefully consider how that priority intersects with the “oldest parts of the county that are in desperate need of revitalization.”
According to the report, proposed topics that the EQAC will review this year include the impacts of data centers, flood risks, and water security.
County staff have been developing guidelines for regulating noise, water pollution, power usage and other issues raised by data centers. In a new ARE recommendation, EQAC suggests that the county collect energy consumption data on its current and planned data centers, including the extent to which they utilize green energy.
Fairfax County is moving steadily towards its target of building 10,000 net new affordable housing units by 2034.
The county has roughly 4,000 units built, planned or under construction that count towards the goal set in 2022, Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Deputy Director of Real Estate Development and Finance Anna Shapiro told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a housing committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 27).
So far, 879 new units aimed at households earning 60% of the area median income (AMI) and below have been built since 2020.
“These are serving on kind of lower end of the income spectrum, but all the way down to 30% in a lot of cases as well,” Shapiro said. “And as you can see there’s a mix of multifamily and senior housing that we’ve delivered.”
An additional 986 units are under construction in projects like One University and Ilda’s Overlook in the Braddock District, which are set to wrap up in the summer. The county has roughly 1,100 units in its development pipeline, and another 950 units are in the planning phase.
The county is also working to encourage the development of more for-sale workforce dwelling units (WDUs). A task force submitted recommendations to the board’s housing committee in November.
The task force recommended shifting the program’s target range from up to 120% of the AMI down to 70 to 100% AMI, extending the geographic availability of for-sale WDUs and improving the mix of housing to allow for more family-sized units.
Additionally, the county wants to explore ways to preserve the existing stock of affordable housing, such as the Coralain Gardens Apartments in West Falls Church. A survey on market affordability is set to begin in the summer.
A plan amendment that would address the affordability of manufactured housing (the county’s term for mobile homes) is set to go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission sometime in October, followed by board review before the end of the year.
Board Chairman Jeff McKay said he was pleased with the county’s progress thus far but asked for a more detailed breakdown by magisterial district.
“One of the things that certainly makes me happy when looking at this is that we’re building affordable housing in every corner of the county and not just in the same concentrated areas that we did for decades,” McKay said.
Shapiro noted that the numbers are fluid, particularly since the county must consider the entire life cycle of proposed projects.
“Every project has ups and downs,” she said.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw also sought clarifications on whether the county has maxed out its potential for affordable housing projects on county-owned land.
“My sense is, probably across the county, we’ve taken advantage of the easier opportunities and the larger parcels, but maybe that’s not the case,” Walkinshaw said.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity asked for more information on homeownership for affordable housing units. The county is in the midst of hiring a homeownership director, according to HCD Director Tom Fleetwood.
“It solves a number of generational wealth problems,” Fleetwood said.
Rendering via Fairfax County
Peak Bloom for Cherry Blossoms Predicted — “The cherry blossom trees at the Tidal Basin will reach peak bloom from March 23 to 26, 2024, the National Park Service announced at a National Cherry Blossom Festival press conference on Thursday…No matter when the flowers decide to bloom, this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival will take place from March 20 to April 14.” [Washingtonian]
Still No Resolution to Fairfax Connector Strike — “Fairfax Connector bus service will remain suspended through Friday, March 1 as unionized workers continue to strike, demanding a new contract with the bus’ contractor group…Negotiations between Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 and bus operator Transdev continued Thursday, though the session ended without a new contract for workers, according to union officials.” [WJLA]
Hybla Valley Gun Store Burglarized — “Early [Thursday] morning at 1:59 a.m., officers responded to a burglary in progress at 7524 Richmond Highway at H&F Arms in Hybla Valley. Security footage captured two masked individuals force entry into the business through the front door. The suspects took six handguns and two airsoft pistols before exiting the store.” [FCPD]
State Legislators Pass Marijuana Sales Bill — “Virginia lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday that if approved by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin would allow recreational retail sales of marijuana to begin next year…The legislation would create the state’s first retail market in a ‘responsible and thoughtful way,’ said Del. Paul Krizek of Fairfax County, who carried the House version.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
Watchdog Raises New Metro Safety Concerns — The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said in a new report that “Metro is listing some train operators as being ‘certified’ even though they have not demonstrated they can handle certain dangerous situations, including when smoke fills train cars.” An incident near L’Enfant Plaza in 2015 killed one passenger and left others sick. [WTOP]
Bren Mar Residents Rally Against Data Center — “In 2022, residents successfully mobilized against a rezoning proposal for a data center at Plaza 500, an industrial/business park at 6295 Edsall Road…The developer has now submitted a site plan for a by-right data center on the section of the property zoned I-5. The proposed two-story data center would be 466,000 square feet and 70 feet tall.” [Annandale Today]
Hybla Valley Post Office to Relocate — “The lease for the U.S. Post Office located at Mount Vernon Plaza in Hybla Valley has expired, and the community branch plans to move to a new location in Groveton, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service.” Retail services will remain available at Mount Vernon Plaza until the new location at 2923-A East Lee Avenue opens on a “to be determined date.” [On the MoVe]
Space Available in Park Authority Camps — “When schools close for student holidays and spring break, fun and engaging Park Authority camps are in session! This year, spring camps will be held” from March 25-29, April 1-2, Wednesday, April 10 and Friday, May 3. “Camps are hosted all year and many spaces remain open for both spring and summer camps.” [FCPA]
It’s Friday — Clouds will gradually increase throughout the day, reaching a high near 52 degrees. Rain is expected on Friday night, with a low around 42 degrees. Precipitation is certain, with new amounts ranging between a quarter and half an inch. [Weather.gov]
Carrabba’s Italian Grill has officially shuttered in Reston after more than two decades of business.
A sign on the door of the chain restaurant at 12192 Sunset Hills Road thanks customers for their “support over the past 21 years” and directs them to the company’s Centreville location at 5805 Trinity Parkway.
The Burn reported earlier that the Reston location was no longer listed on the company’s website.
It’s part of a series of closures under parent company Bloomin’ Brands, which also owns Outback Steak House, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. The company plans to close 41 locations across its portfolio, Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
“We periodically review our asset base and, in our latest review, we made the decision to close 41 underperforming locations,” Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno said when announcing the closures during an earnings call last Friday (Feb. 23).
According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Deno said most of the locations targeted for closures “were older assets with leases from the ’90s and early 2000s.”
Per its website, Carrabba’s has 11 locations remaining in Virginia, though the Centreville restaurant is the only one left in Fairfax County. The chain can also still be found in Dulles International Airport.
Eviction cases continue to rise in Fairfax County as the millions of dollars in financial and legal support allocated during the pandemic run out, county staff say.
Without the nationwide eviction moratorium that ended in August 2021 and federal relief funds, the county’s eviction numbers could have been much higher during the pandemic, staff told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a housing committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 27).
However, residents are still struggling due to high housing costs and other challenges like inflation, stagnant wages and a lack of access to higher paying jobs, according to Aimee Garcia, access and economic mobility division director for Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS).
“We still are seeing rent be one of the largest needs across the community,” she said. “We are still seeing needs in regards to shelter, health, housing search…job search…inquiries around Medicaid, subsidized housing and dental.”
Last year, the number of eviction lawsuits (unlawful detainers), legal eviction notices (writs of eviction), and completed evictions were three times higher than in 2021, according to the county’s Eviction Data Dashboard.
In 2023, Fairfax County recorded a total of 7,618 unlawful detainers, 2,961 writs of eviction, and 963 evictions. Some of the most affected zip codes include Hybla Valley and Groveton (22306), Huntington (22303), Lincolnia (22312), McLean west of I-495 (22102), Herndon (20171), Annandale (22003), Bailey’s Crossroads (22041), and Lorton (22074).
Since the start of the pandemic, the federal government has provided billions of dollars in aid to assist community members with housing, food and other needs through the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Unlike most Virginia localities that used a state-managed online portal to distribute federal funding, Fairfax County chose to distribute rental assistance directly to residents using its internal social services agency, Coordinated Services Planning (CSP).
The agency initially faced challenges with a high volume of requests and slow processing times. In some cases, individuals waiting for rental and utility assistance through CSP experienced months-long delays.
However, over the past year, CSP Program Manager Luis Rey says the county has expanded access to legal aid, housing resources and rental assistance.
Now, in addition to calling a phone number, renters can submit applications online to CSP to determine their eligibility for rental aid — an option initially limited to landlords. The agency also introduced an estimated wait time and callback feature for applicants.
“They can leave the phone number and they’ll be called back to connect for an assessment,” Rey said.
Additionally, CSP works with the nonprofit Legal Services of Northern Virginia, the courts and Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office to help residents understand their options during the eviction process, Rey says.
Those efforts have helped mitigate the pandemic’s impact, according to Garcia. However, she noted that call volumes are still higher than they were pre-pandemic.
“We do continue to see new cases on a monthly basis at levels that are indicative of the continued need throughout the community,” she said.
To date, the county has distributed $150 million in rental assistance since the pandemic hit in 2020, according to county officials.
The county is still using ARPA funds for eviction prevention and rent assistance, but Deputy County Executive Chris Leonard warns the funds are dwindling, and more local funding may be needed starting next year.
“We’re going to utilize additional ARPA for FY 25,” he told the supervisors, referring to the fiscal year that will start on July 1. “…That will obviously be able to help us support the need, but it will also help us continue to monitor and figure out where we’re going to land with regards to what our need is out there for future rent assistance from the county and from our community partners.”
Photo via Allan Vega on Unsplash
The Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art is gearing up for its next art exhibition in Reston Town Center.
Scheduled for March 16-May 19, the exhibit, titled “Pressing,” features work by Kansas-based artist Rena Detrixhe and D.C.-based painter Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann. An opening reception and artist talk is set for Saturday, March 16 from 5-7 p.m. at Tephra’s gallery (12001 Market Street, Suite 103).
“Each of the works in this exhibition is a landscape — a vision of a place formed through careful observation and mark making,” Tephra Associate Curator Hannah Barco said. “And each artist’s departure from traditional modes of landscape painting offers a lesson in how to reconfigure our relationship to the natural environment.”
Here’s more from Tephra on the exhibition:
At a moment when much of the social discourse around climate change is politicized, reactionary, and focused on increasingly concerning storms, sea levels, fires, and heatwaves, Detrixhe and Tzu-Lan Mann create intricate and meditative works that reinsert slowness and contemplation back into the conversation about human impact on the environment. While the exhibition title points to the urgent need to address environmental preservation and climate change, it also refers to the gesture of a hand, an intimate touch, that as exemplified by these artists can have great significance.
Detrixhe’s work combines repetitive processes and scavenged materials to produce objects, installations, sculpture, performances and drawings. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 2013.
Tzu-Lan Mann got her bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree from the Maryland Institute of College of Art. She received a Fulbright grant to Taiwan and has exhibited across the world.
According to Tephra, “Pressing” will be presented in conjunction with “Double 194 Years,” a 2019 drawing by artist Steven L. Anderson that the gallery has loaned from the Microsoft Collection.
“Anderson describes his Tree Rings series as ‘a way of growing a drawing,’ mimicking the growth patterns of trees adding layers of bark season after season,” Tephra said in a press release.
The exhibition is supported in part by Lindy and Richard Brewster, ArtsFairfax, and Reston Town Center Association.
A nonprofit formerly known as the Greater Reston Arts Center, Tephra offers free admission to both its main gallery and a second space, Tephra ICA at Signature (11850 Freedom Drive). The main gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday, though Saturday visits must be scheduled in advance.
GMU’s Sports Stadium Proposal Questioned — “Students and neighbors of George Mason University are rallying in opposition to a proposed facility for Washington’s newly formed professional cricket team…GMU said it also could be an opportunity to move its successful baseball team out of an aging field and share a 5,000-person stadium on west campus.” [NBC4]
Co-Founder of Longtime Merrifield Restaurant Dies — “Kim Lai, the immigrant businessman who helped transform a small family-run establishment into one of the most widely recognized Vietnamese restaurants in the D.C. area, died Feb. 16…Lai died from a head injury, several hours after suffering a fall at home in Fairfax,” said Le Lai, one of his daughters who ran Four Sisters from 2014 until it closed last year. [Washington Post]
Herndon Firefighters Mourn Loudoun Colleague — “On Friday, Feb. 23, C-Shift of Fairfax County Herndon Station, Company 4, hung black bunting across the front of their firehouse” as a tribute to Trevor Brown, a Sterling Volunteer Fire Company firefighter who died in an explosion at a Sterling house on Feb. 16. A preliminary investigation suggests the explosion stemmed from a propane gas tank leak. [The Connection]
Residents Form Coalition to Tackle Invasive Plants — “A group of homeowner and community associations has come together to focus on removing invasive plants and supporting the planting of native species. The Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance (FIRA) is sending letters to the Board of Supervisors and state legislators urging action to address the problem of invasive, non-native plant species.” [Annandale Today]
Virtual Town Hall Planned on Animal Services Merger — “Join the Fairfax County Animal Shelter and the Fairfax County Police Department for a conversation about how our proposal to unite animal care and control services will benefit wildlife.” Community engagement will begin with a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. today (Thursday), followed by in-person town halls at the animal shelter’s Fairfax and Lorton campuses on March 11 and 13, respectively. [FCAS]
Architecture Firm Moves HQ Out of Tysons — “Architecture firm KTGY is moving its East Coast headquarters from Northern Virginia to Washington, D.C. The Irvine, Calif.-based company inked a 15,000-square-foot lease at Alexander Court, a 12-story, two-building office complex in the District’s Golden Triangle neighborhood. Since 2010, KTGY has had offices in Tysons, Va., where it had a similarly sized footprint at 8609 Westwood Center Drive.” [Commercial Observer]
South Lakes Basketball Team Reaches Semi-Finals — South Lakes High School’s varsity boys’ basketball team will face the Hayfield Hawks tomorrow (Friday) in the Virginia High School League’s state semi-finals at Westfield High School. The Seahawks advanced after defeating the Potomac Panthers 74-69 on Tuesday (Feb. 27). [South Lakes Athletics, Nova Hoops]
How to Give Feedback on County’s Proposed Budget — “On Tuesday, Feb. 20, County Executive Bryan Hill presented his proposed FY 2025 budget to the Board of Supervisors. You can get more information and provide input…at a Budget Town Hall meeting in your district, and during the budget public hearings, scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, April 16-18.” [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunshine and a high of 46 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 10 to 15 mph with gusts reaching up to 24 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 32 degrees and a northwest wind of 6 mph, which will become light and variable. [Weather.gov]
Restonians now have a chance to own a piece of their community’s history.
Reston Museum, which is located at Lake Anne Plaza, will hold a raffle over the next month for a chance to win vintage plates that were used at the Bowman House during the early years of Reston’s formation.
Tickets are $5 for one raffle entry and $20 for five entries. They are available for purchase throughout March.
All proceeds from the raffle will benefit Reston Museum, a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve Reston’s past, inform the present and influence the future.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday at 1639 Washington Plaza.
Located at what is now an office park on Bowman Green Drive, the Bowman house was built in 1941 and operated as a distillery. The house was used by Robert Simon, Reston’s founder, in the 1960s, as he began planning Reston. It was renovated into an office park in 1984, according to Reston Museum.
A plan to redevelop two vacant office buildings on Worldgate Drive in Herndon is barreling towards official approval.
At a meeting on Monday (Feb. 26), the Herndon Planning Commission unanimously approved the redevelopment plan for 13100 and 13150 Worldgate Drive.
The developer, AM Worldgate Owner, intends to turn the existing office buildings into multi-family, stacked and townhouse residences. According to plans submitted to the town, the redevelopment would include 460 dwelling units.
A Fairfax County Fire Marshall review of a new entrance off of Worldgate Drive is pending but expected to wrap up before the Herndon Town Council reviews the application, town staff said in a memo.
The nearly 10.5-acre property is located on the north side of Worldgate Drive, east of Elden Street, west of Wilshire Lane and south of Chandon Park.
Staff and the planning commission worked with the developer to iron out concerns with the design of the new secondary access point called Road A. Ultimately, a new curb cut on Worldgate Drive, west of Wiltshire Lane, was proposed. Exiting traffic will be limited to right turns onto Worldgate Drive.
“These conversions are a bit quirky,” said land use attorney Ken Wire, the applicant’s representative. He noted that the developer expects to receive the final approval on the zoning map amendment application from the fire marshall soon.
The proposal was approved with little discussion.
“We’ve gone over this quite thoroughly in my opinion,” Planning Commission Vice Chair George Burke said.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is still scouting for its next sports tourism project.
After opening Patriot Park North, a $28 million baseball and softball facility, near George Mason University last spring, the park authority put out a call in June for potential private partners on a new, multi-sport tournament complex that it hopes could benefit both residents and visitors.
However, the park authority announced on Feb. 15 that the four development pitches it received were all ruled out for further exploration at this time due to a lack of funding or the proposed site being deemed unsuitable.
“[The] Fairfax County Park Authority Board and stakeholders reviewed the submissions and found them not viable,” an FCPA spokesperson said. “…The [entities] submitting the proposal[s] did not have the funding for the project or the locations proposed were in established parks and would impact existing park amenities including golf courses, existing fields, garden plots or areas with historical significance.”
The submitted proposals haven’t been made public, but in its request for interest (RFI) issued in June, the county suggested Mountain Road and Halifax parks in Centreville, Rock Hill Park in Chantilly, and Patriot Park East near George Mason’s Fairfax campus as possible sites.
Those four sites are all undeveloped parcels owned by the park authority, which has identified them in approved master plans as potential future athletic fields. The RFI also gave respondents the option of identifying other locations that could host a multi-sport tournament complex.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized a Sports Tourism Task Force in 2017 that was charged with studying how the county could “take advantage of this market in order to diversify its tax base” and how any resulting revenue could be used to support resident-focused facilities.
In a report released on Aug. 31, 2020, the task force cited outdoor field complexes as the county’s biggest need and the facility with the greatest economic potential. Other recommended priorities included an indoor hardcourt, an indoor track facility, an ice complex and a natatorium with a pool for swimming and diving competitions.
The study, which was conducted by a consulting firm and supported by the FCPA, identified 17 sites that could host at least one of the recommended facilities, though the vetting process drew criticism from some county supervisors for not considering equity or environmental impacts.
The task force estimated that an outdoor rectangular field complex at Mountain Road could generate over $61.7 million of economic output, including nearly $4.5 million in county tax revenue. An indoor court and track complex at Baron Cameron Park in Reston could bring in $72.6 million, though it would have higher construction costs.
Designed, built and operated by the park authority, Patriot Park North became the county’s first official sports tourism project, featuring four full-size baseball diamonds and two smaller diamonds.
Though none of the submissions for a follow-up gained traction so far, the park authority says it’s still open to new ideas. Unsolicited proposals can be submitted to the county through its Public-Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructures Act (PPEA) process.
“With Requests for Interest, if or when a project becomes viable, additional input will be sought through the Park Authority’s outreach processes,” the FCPA said.
Screenshot via Fairfax County Park Authority/YouTube
Herndon Pub’s Cheesesteak Voted Best in Region — “A stalwart in pub food, Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern of Herndon claims the title of Best Cheesesteak in our NoVA Wars: Cheesesteak Edition reader poll. Readers chose Jimmy’s as the winner through four rounds of bracket-style voting. In the end, it topped Falls Church’s Celebrity Delly for the title.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Temporary Fix Proposed for Georgetown Pike Traffic — “VDOT is proposing to restrict left-turns from northbound Dead Run Drive to westbound Georgetown Pike” in McLean during rush hour in the hopes of easing congestion exacerbated by construction on I-495. “The meeting will take place Wednesday, from 7-9 p.m., Churchill Road Elementary School Cafeteria.” [Patch]
Apartment Complex in Bailey’s Crossroads Nears Finish — “Three Collective, the new three-building apartment complex at the Skyline Center in Bailey’s Crossroads, is nearing completion. The three buildings had been office buildings and were repurposed for residential uses. [They] have a total of 720 ‘flexidential’ apartments where tenants can live, work, or do both.” [Annandale Today]
Business Community Opposes Digital Sales Tax — “Trade associations representing hundreds of companies that do business in Virginia have come out swinging against a proposal to expand the state sales tax to cover digital goods, something Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed and Democrats endorsed in their budget legislation.” Signatories of a letter sent to legislators include the Northern Virginia Technology Council. [Associated Press/WTOP]
Development Restricted on Great Falls Property — “Fairfax County supervisors on Feb. 20 unanimously approved creation of a new 29.81-acre agricultural-and-forestal (AF) district in Great Falls, which will protect the property from more intensive development in exchange for a tax break.” The land is mostly forested or undeveloped, but about 4.8 acres are being used for agricultural purposes, and there are three residential structures. [Gazette Leader]
Sorority Donates Books to Lorton School — “The Alpha Beta Alpha Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. donated over 200 books featuring characters of color to Gunston Elementary School in honor of Black History Month.” The books were collected by the sorority chapter over the past month and “selected or approved by Gunston Elementary’s librarian.” [On the MoVe]
Oakton Student Wins State Diving Championship — “Flint Hill Huskies senior diver Michayla Eisenberg finished her high-school career by winning the girls private-school state championship with a 506.7 point total, the highest in her prep career. The state title was her second in a row, dominating and winning by 186 points this season and finishing second as a sophomore.” [Gazette Leader]
Free Prom Dress Shop Set for Reston Return — “Reston Community Center is gearing up to host its annual Diva Central event on Saturday, March 16. Now in its 22nd year, Diva Central is a single-day prom and formal dress shopping event that is open to middle- and high school-age students who need formal dresses and/or accessories.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Expect rain throughout the day, potentially turning into a thunderstorm after 4pm, with a high near 69°F. Winds will be breezy from the south at 21-24 mph, gusting up to 37 mph. Rain will continue into the night, with a possible thunderstorm before 10pm. Temperatures will drop to around 31°F, accompanied by windy conditions. [Weather.gov]
