A new development of four-story townhomes near the Herndon Metro station is slated for a summer opening.
Reston Arboretum, a development by Pulte Homes, will feature 40 townhomes with rooftop terraces near the intersection of Sunrise Valley Drive and Milburn Lane in Reston.
While price points have not been released, units are expected to start from the mid-$700,000s. Pulte’s website says the homes will be ready this summer.
Fairfax County Public Schools will comply with the new Virginia law prohibiting local school boards from enforcing universal mask requirements.
Face masks will be optional on school property for students starting Tuesday (March 1), Superintendent Scott Brabrand confirmed today (Friday) in a message to families.
“There will be no formal process required for those who elect for their child not to wear a mask on school property, including during School Age Child Care (SACC),” Brabrand said. “Please talk with your child before March 1 so they will be aware of your family’s preference for mask wearing at school.”
Tysons Mass Vaccine Site Tweaks Hours — “Beginning Tuesday, March 1, the Tysons Community Vaccination Center (CVC) located at 7950 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, will be open five days a week, Tuesday-Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
Alleged Serial Killer Still Not Charged in Fairfax County — Local police and prosecutors have yet to find enough evidence to charge a man that police dubbed the “Shopping Cart Killer” in the death of California resident Stephanie Harrison, one of two women whose remains were found in Huntington in December. [WTOP]
Office Tax Base Continues Decline — While residential property tax assessments soar, Fairfax County is projecting only a 2.8% increase in revenue from commercial properties in fiscal year 2023, which starts July 1. County Executive Bryan Hill attributed the decline in the county’s commercial and industrial tax base, expected to make up just 17% of property tax revenues, partly to the pandemic-era shift to teleworking. [Washington Business Journal]
Metro Still Testing Theories for Derailment — “Metro is testing out its theories and looking for solutions to resolve a defect found in wheels and axles of several of the rail cars, Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld told board members. He did not elaborate on the suspected factors causing the malfunction or provide an estimate for when the rail cars might return to service.” [The Washington Post]
Newington House Fire Displaces Residents — A house fire in the 7800 block of Water Valley Court on Feb. 18 displaced five residents and caused approximately $162,500 in damages. Investigators determined the blaze was started accidentally by “improperly discarded smoking materials.” [FCFRD]
Reston Company Mum on Microsoft Sale Rumors — Reston cybersecurity company Mandiant Inc. declined to comment on a Bloomberg report that Microsoft has expressed interest in acquiring it. With most employees working remotely, the company is in the process of consolidating staff at its two-story office in Reston Town Center. [Washington Business Journal]
Inova to Hold Blood Drive in Springfield — “Please join @GSVFD and @InovaBlood for Blood Drive event on February 28 between 1:00pm and 6:00pm. Slots still available. Blood donations are critically low and only you can help give the #GiftOfLife. Please signup today” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Utility Work Planned on W&OD Trail — “Over the next month, Dominion Energy contractors will be pulling new underground cables between Sandburg St and Adahi Rd near Vienna; please be alert while travelling this section of trail.” [W&OD Trail/Twitter]
Transit groups worry funding could end for the region’s Safe Routes to School programming, which helps students walk and bike to and from schools safely.
Federal money passes through the Virginia Department of Transportation to school districts such as Fairfax County Public Schools that apply for the funding. But the district didn’t apply for funding for the upcoming school year, as it has for nearly a decade, according to the district.
A plan to install six antennas for cell phone service at a historic building in Reston’s Lake Anne has failed to pick up steam.
Site Link Wireless proposed installing six concealed antennae on the roof of the Heron House, a 15-story condominium building that is the centerpiece of Lake Anne Village and was built in 1966.
The application was withdrawn after issues were flagged by the Fairfax County’s Architectural Review Board late last year.
One Springfield resident so fed up with people dumping trash along streets has taken her concerns to not only public officials but TikTok.
Nicole Miller said she reached out to Fairfax County for problem areas after seeing bags of trash in one area and another spot with a TV and chair there. While the Virginia Department of Transportation has cleaned up areas, Miller suggests it’s a recurring issue.
Photos shared on social media by Miller and other residents show the matter goes beyond plastic bags and litter often seen along highways. One person posted photos of a mattress and box springs tossed out in Herndon’s Chandon Park where there’s a “no dumping” sign.
Fairfax County is looking to crack down on running bamboo spreading to properties across the region.
Residents expressed both support for and concern about proposed fines for property owners who allow bamboo to spread during a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Feb. 22).
The board deferred a decision on adopting an ordinance to March 22, suggesting ways to address the concerns raised about the new rules.
The field of contenders for the 11th District Congressional race is widening.
Republican Matthew Chappell has thrown his hat into the ring, giving the GOP its first primary with multiple candidates since Democratic incumbent Rep. Gerry Connolly took office in 2009.
Father of three children with wife Jacqueline, Chappell is a U.S. Army veteran who worked in counterintelligence and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also worked as a police officer and a national security advisor with the Department of Defense.
Fairfax County Public Library now offers access to Kanopy, a subscription on-demand streaming video service.
As of Feb. 1, library patrons can sign up for an account with five play credits per month, allowing users to have access to more than 30,000 films, documentaries and classics.
Kanopy is the first video streaming service tested by FCPL. Others like Hoopla — a library-focused version of popular streaming service Hulu — were simply too costly for the library system to consider, according to FCPL Director Jessica Hudson.
As phase two of the Silver Line nears completion, Fairfax County is adapting other transportation options to accommodate the new service.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proposal yesterday (Tuesday) to update Fairfax Connector bus routes in Reston and Herndon. The changes will maximize efficiency and the number of riders, according to board chair Jeff McKay.
Gone are the days of history textbooks being the dominant source for grade schools.
Now, Fairfax County youth have the chance to help create historical markers that the county has been adding to the area since 1998.
The county government and Fairfax County Public Schools are looking for students from both public and private institutions, homeschool, and community groups to submit ideas for markers as part of their new Black/African American Experience initiative to collect stories showcasing the area’s diversity.
A two-story farmhouse in Frying Pan Farm Park — built in 1891 — will get some upgrades as part of a historical preservation program, thanks to a nonprofit that serves people with disabilities.
Fairfax County supervisors voted Feb. 8 to permit the organization ServiceSource to proceed with running programming at the 12-room Ellmore Farmhouse in the Herndon area. The board previously approved the nonprofit for its Resident Curator Program last May with a 29-year lease.
A second attempt to recall a Fairfax County School Board member has ground to a halt.
Springfield District Representative Laura Jane Cohen announced in a statement that the Fairfax County Circuit Court issued an order today (Wednesday) dismissing a petition seeking her removal from office.
NOVA Parks has installed two new signs to shed light on the effect of slavery and segregation in Fairfax County.
A new sign in Herndon Caboose Park explains how Jim Crow laws affected passengers on the Washington & Old Dominion train line in the 1900s. Another sign in Clifton describes the significance of a graveyard for enslaved people near Bull Run Marina.
More than half of Fairfax County’s 247 voting precincts need to be revised to eliminate conflicts created by last year’s redistricting process.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday (Tuesday) to hold a public hearing on March 8 to get feedback on proposed boundary adjustments that will consolidate precincts, create new ones, and move or establish new polling places.
