In between the sprawling lawns of Loudoun County and the riverside lofts of Alexandria lie clusters of struggling, predominantly non-white neighborhoods that are increasingly left out of the success and prosperity experienced by Northern Virginia as a whole, recent research notes.
In fact, conditions in some of those neighborhoods — called “islands of disadvantage” — have been in decline for years.
According to a new report by the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, poverty, rates of people without health insurance, educational attainment, job opportunities and overcrowding all worsened in those neighborhoods between 2013 and 2021.
At the same time, the report notes the economic progress seen in some areas was also accompanied by gentrification and displacement of people of color.
“What is otherwise a healthy and wealthy area is also home to areas of concentrated disadvantage,” said Dr. Steven Woolf, lead author of the VCU report. “This is not something that is widely known, that people are living in deep poverty just a short distance away from the McMansions and golf courses.”
The report, “Lost Opportunities: The Persistence of Disadvantaged Neighborhoods in Northern Virginia,” compares census data from 2009-13 and 2017-21 for Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and the city of Alexandria to understand the social and economic changes the region has experienced over time.
The report, commissioned by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation, builds upon previous research led by Woolf that showed the disproportionate amount of non-white residents that make up struggling neighborhoods experience substantially higher rates of premature death compared to Northern Virginia as a whole.
The latest research found that between 2009-13 and 2017-21, 92% of Northern Virginia census tracts saw an increase in median income, 73% had a rise in residents with a bachelor’s degree and 59% experienced gains in the proportion of adults with a high school diploma. Poverty and uninsured rates decreased in 52% and 78% of the region’s census tracts, respectively.
However, some “islands of disadvantage” experienced opposite trends during those time periods. One section of Bailey’s Crossroads in Fairfax County saw median household income decrease by about $10,000, child poverty rates nearly double to 63% and the overall poverty rate climb to 30%.
In one census tract in the Bull Run area of Prince William County where the Hispanic population increased by 53% while the white population fell by 38%, median household income increased by only $2,140, the poverty rate increased by 60% and overcrowded housing increased by 187%.
While some struggling neighborhoods saw a slight increase in median household income, Woolf said those gains have not risen proportionately to keep up with the cost of inflation.
“It’s not enough to keep people out of poverty,” Woolf said. “We live in a time with rising health care costs, rising costs for child care and inflation that’s causing increased prices for food and other necessities.”
At the same time, economic progress in some areas was accompanied by increases in the size of the white population, suggesting gentrification and displacement of people of color may have also been underway.
Researchers pointed as one example to the Courthouse area of Arlington County, where median household income increased from $87,233 to $132,603 and the poverty rate plummeted from 19% to 5%. However, at the same time the share of the population that was white grew from 48% to 68%, while those of the Black and Asian populations declined by 42% and 72%, respectively. Similar displacement trends were also seen in Old Town Alexandria, areas of Annandale and the historically Black neighborhood of Green Valley/Nauck.
The report said it is unclear if the relief programs instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, like economic assistance and eviction moratoriums, accounted for some of the progress seen in certain areas, like increases in median income — or if that progress was only temporary.
While some might argue that economically struggling Northern Virginia residents should move away from an area where the cost of living is so high, Woolf said it’s not that simple. Not only is moving unaffordable for many of these families, Woolf said, but “economists and others have shown that regions thrive when there is diversity and when there is equity and opportunity across the population.”
“So systematically displacing low-income families and people of color from a region is not a healthy strategy for trying to give an opportunity for everyone to thrive,” he said.
Moving forward, Woolf said policymakers need to invest more into marginalized communities and commit resources to improve their living conditions and health.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said the county’s One Fairfax Policy, which was passed in 2016 with the intent of combating racial and social disparities seen in some neighborhoods, aims to address many of the problems identified in the study.
“Whether it be through building more affordable housing units, creating more public transit options, or fully funding our school budget, we are constantly working towards breaking cycles of poverty and expanding our resident’s access to basic needs,” McKay said in an email.
Map via Northern Virginia Health Foundation. This article was reported and written by the Virginia Mercury, and has been reprinted under a Creative Commons license.
The Town of Herndon is formalizing its donation program for cultural festivals in an effort to create a system for supporting and encouraging events that encourage cultural celebrations and promote its brand.
The move follows the council’s adoption of a policy statement that supports community cultural festivals on Oct. 24.
“Often referred to in discussions with Town Council as ‘mini-festivals,’ the desire is to complement the town’s already robust community event opportunities, with focus placed on celebrating and sharing the cultures represented in the community,” the policy statement reads.
The Herndon Town Council will discuss the matter in a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday). Organizations may request donations, but not all events will be eligible to receive town money.
Under the approved policy statement, the host organization must be a nonprofit or not-for-profit in good legal standing that’s either located in the town or offers services and programs that directly benefit the Herndon community.
The event itself must be a new community-oriented event, located within the Town of Herndon, free and open to all, and celebrate cultures found in Herndon.
If the program is approved, applicants must request a donation at least 90 days before the proposed event and submit a companion review application for the event itself.
Events that receive donations will be allowed to feature the Town of Herndon’s logo and will be used in the town’s marketing efforts.
Once the donation program is agreed upon, the town will launch it on its website.
Discussions on ways to support cultural programming in the Town of Herndon have been underway for several months. In October, the council approved $2,015 for Pakistan Heritage Day organized by town Councilmember Naila Alam and the nonprofit Global Beat Foundation. During those discussions, council members called on town staff to formalizes the processes for donation and event approvals.
Fairfax County is looking to update its guidelines for how rental and mobile home developers can assist displaced tenants for the first time in a decade.
Director of Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development Tom Fleetwood presented the proposed guidelines to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a housing committee meeting last week (Nov. 28).
“The goals are to maintain our commitments to affordable housing, to ensure that as many of our existing residents who depend on affordable housing are able to stay in it, and that we’re able to also move forward with redevelopment as we need to,” Fleetwood said.
Last updated in 2012, the Relocation Guidelines provide a plan for residential developers to follow for multi-family rental buildings or mobile homes that are going to be demolished, rehabilitated or converted.
Under the new guidelines, owners would be required to engage with the existing tenants and develop a relocation plan for them. The guidelines will also apply to all affordable housing owned, managed or funded by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and properties subject to the Preservation Policy adopted in March.
“Our expectation is that [the developers will] provide moving cost reimbursement and housing counseling, and that they will provide staffing to conduct these activities,” Fleetwood said. “We want the owner to create a property profile so that we understand who’s living there, what the rent rolls look like, what opportunities there are for tenants to move into units that best match their needs.”
According to Fleetwood, another goal is for every tenant who is relocated to be able to return.
“In the event all tenants are unable to return, a priority ranking system tool will help property owners prioritize those with the greatest need,” the presentation said.
For example, priority could be given to a household with children or a disabled person living in it.
Developers could also be required to make up any differences in security deposits.
“If someone has to move, and the security deposit at their new home is higher than their existing security deposit, we would expect that a developer would pay that difference,” Fleetwood said.
Tenants facing permanent and temporary relocation will receive both relocation services and reimbursement of moving costs. Those who have to permanently move would also get relocation payments or a tenant assistance fund that would provide a time-limited rental subsidy.
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck questioned how the guidelines and expectations would be enforced, which he said could be one of the biggest challenges.
Fleetwood said there are plans to hire a specialist who will be in charge of monitoring relocation plans.
The county will now conduct outreach and collect feedback before releasing a revised draft of the new guidelines next April. The proposal will be submitted for the board’s final approval in June.
Image via Google Maps
Cornerstones, a Reston-based nonprofit organization, has expanded into Sterling.
The nonprofit organization — which has offered food and other supports for individuals and families in need since it was founded in 1970 — opened the Free from Hunger Center last week.
The 10,000-square-foot center is a food distribution hub intended to keep food pantries throughout the Dulles corridor area stocked up and ready for demand.
Cornerstones CEO Kerri Wilson said the hub addresses an organizational issue, not a supply problem. Many organizations that offer hunger relief suffer from an unconventional challenge: inadequate storage space.
“This is not about interrupting existing supply rescue chains; it’s about figuring out how to be smarter,” Wilson said.
The center will also house soon-to-expire food from grocery stores and offer storage for local food pantries, while providing services for the community.
Larry Schwartz, who chairs Cornerstones’ food hub task force, said the hub will have space for offices, training, and events. Thousands of tons of food that may otherwise have gone to waste will be collected, sorted and repackaged.
“This opportunity to scale our food programs in ways we couldn’t before, this opportunity to reduce food waste, food insecurity and carbon emissions all at the same time — opportunities like this, to effect systemic change, don’t arise often and they don’t occur without hard work, without your generosity,” Schwartz said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 27.
The center was made possible by the support of several community partners including Bob and Lisa Van Hoecke, HomeAid Northern Virginia, Floris United Methodist Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Creative Strategies, and Gary and Kate Buschelman.
Bob Van Hoecke, a principal and CEO of a Reston-based oil industry consulting firm, compared the hub to an Amazon warehouse.
“What we are talking about here, in my mind, is transformative,” he said. “We have the ability to evolve how we’re going to deal with this problem. Every day, tons of food is destroyed, but yet people are going home and going to sleep at night hungry.”
Local Family Mourns Loved Ones Killed in Gaza — Hani Almadhoun and his family are “numb with grief” after his brother, sister-in-law and their four children were all killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza the morning after Thanksgiving — just before a pause in attacks that resumed Friday (Dec. 1). A memorial service was recently held in Franconia. [NBC4]
Lumber Yard Closes After Two Centuries in Business — Smoot Lumber yard shut down Friday after operating for more than 200 years. Located in Springfield at the border with Alexandria City, the “supplier of mouldings, doors and windows has been a staple for local builders since it was founded in 1822.” [ALXnow]
Police Rescue Dog Stuck in Air Vent — “A 17-year-old Shih Tzu named Maya had to be rescued after somehow getting herself stuck in an air duct last weekend in Fairfax County, Virginia. The rescue and reunion with her owner played out on police bodycam footage posted on social media Friday by the Fairfax County Police Department.” [WTOP]
County’s Hypothermia Shelter Program Underway — “Our Hypothermia Prevention Program is in place to ensure no one experiencing homelessness sleeps outside during the winter. The program provides warm shelter, food, clothing, connections to supportive services and more for unhoused individuals.” [Fairfax County Government]
N. Va. Officials Concerned by Transportation Funding Changes — “Some Northern Virginia elected leaders and transit advocates are expressing concern over plans to change SMART SCALE, the commonwealth’s transportation funding program. They say the proposals could make standalone bike and pedestrian projects less competitive for funding, and could also hurt support for transit.” [DCist]
Fairfax City Adopts Non-Discrimination Program — “The Fairfax City Council affirmed the city’s commitment to non-discrimination when it adopted the city’s first formal Title VI program on Nov. 28…Title VI provides that no person shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin,” later expanding to include “disability, age, income status, sexual orientation, gender identification, and persons with limited English proficiency.” [City of Fairfax]
FCPS Electric School Buses Reach Milestone — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) recognized a milestone during an event on Tuesday [Nov. 28] — a combined one million miles driven by Virginia electric school buses. Employees with the school district and Dominion Energy gathered in Lorton, Virginia at 11 a.m. to celebrate the achievement.” [WJLA]
Fire Department Shares Hannukah Safety Reminder — “Hanukkah starts this week! To keep safe and festive, consider using battery-operated flameless candles. If using traditional candles – ensure your menorah is on a sturdy surface & keep at least 1ft from anything that can burn. Don’t forget to blow out all candles!” [FCFRD/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Expect a partly sunny day with a high temperature of around 52 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph. As evening approaches, the skies will be partly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 36 degrees. [Weather.gov]
Makers Union, a restaurant and pub based in Reston Town Center, is welcoming the holidays with a twist to their traditional offerings.
The Blitzen Bar opens today (Friday) and will continue through Dec. 25. A playlist with holiday tunes ranging from classics to Snoop Dogg will be featured at the bar.
Makers Union is offering 12 crafted cocktails as part of the festive pop-up. Customers can order a “naughty or nice” cocktail, and a team of elves will offer them an envelope sealing their fate as naughty or nice.
“It wouldn’t be the holidays without a holly jolly cocktail, and lucky for you Makers Union is offering twelve crafted cocktails full of holiday cheer,” a spokesperson for Makers Union told FFXnow.
The bar kicks off tonight with holiday karaoke from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Thompson Hospitality, the Reston-based restaurant group behind Makers Union, will also kick off at the location in The Wharf on tomorrow (Saturday). Other restaurants in the group include Hen Quarter, Milk & Honey, and The Delegate.
Cocktails include white Christmas, sugar cookie martini, apple crisp martini, and mistletoe fizz.
Makers Union is located at 1811 Library Street. It’s open from 11 a.m. to midnight on Fridays, though hours vary on other days of the week.
In the future, people who earn more than Fairfax County’s median income will likely no longer be able to buy workforce housing.
A task force recommended to the Board of Supervisors housing committee on Tuesday (Nov. 28) that the top income bracket be dropped from the Workforce Dwelling Unit (WDU) Homebuyer Program, which currently provides price-controlled townhouses and condominiums to people who make 80% to 120% of the area median income (AMI).
Building on a revision of the county’s rental WDU program in 2021, the task force proposed dropping the 120% AMI tier and adding 70% AMI households — which are already offered at some properties — as part of a general policy overhaul intended to make the homebuyer program more efficient and effective.
“The recommendation that came out of the task force was really to reset the program and shift everything down by a third,” Anna Shapiro, the county’s deputy director of real estate finance and development, said. “…It was recognized that there is a financial impact to resetting the program, but it would be balanced by the predictability of having the policy reset in a way that developers understood going into the program what they’d be required to do.”
Initiated by the Board of Supervisors in February, the 13-person WDU For-Sale Policy Task Force included county staff, residential developers, affordable housing advocates and other industry experts. With help from the consultant HR&A Advisors, it met from April to October to evaluate the existing program, research best practices and develop recommendations for improvements.
Right now, the county grants residential developers bonus density if they designate at least 12% of all units as affordable or workforce housing, except in Tysons, which has higher requirements. For WDUs, the countywide policy requires that 4% of the total units target each of the 80%, 100% and 120% AMI tiers.
According to Shapiro, the 120% AMI WDUs are more difficult to sell, staying on the market for 419 days on average — almost twice as long as even the 100% units, which average 235 days. In comparison, units at 70% and 80% AMI sell in around 74 and 104 days, respectively.
In general, the county’s supply of for-sale WDUs is limited, but of the 12 units for 120% AMI that have been produced, 42% remain unsold. The lack of demand reflects stronger competition from market-rate housing, Shapiro explained, noting that 46% of the homes sold in the county since 2020 are affordable to those in the 100-120% AMI range.
With developers shouldering the cost of any unsold units, they have shifted toward units aimed at lower income levels during proffer negotiations, where the county can set conditions for a project’s approval.
“There is a huge demand that we see for units below 80% AMI, so we really wanted to see how we can serve that population better,” Shapiro said.
In addition to adjusting the AMI range, the task force recommends requiring that the number of WDUs with three or more bedrooms be proportional to the number of similarly sized market-rate units.
“If you then produce a lot of two and three-bedroom market rate units but then a lot of your WDUs are one-bedroom or studio, it’s really an equity issue as well as a marketability issue for the property,” Shapiro told the committee.
The task force also proposed expanding the WDU for-sale policy to all sites zoned or planned for medium or high-density residential development, defined as eight or more dwelling units per acre.
According to county staff, the expansion would create relatively limited but still valuable opportunities for workforce housing, particularly in the central and southeastern parts of the county. Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay asked for an estimate of how many units could potentially be added.
“Just to expand it to expand it without any idea of what we’re actually talking about concerns me a little bit,” he said.
Other recommendations are more focused on administrative changes, including tweaks to how the county calculates both initial and resale pricing for WDUs.
While the board generally seemed impressed by the task force’s work, some supervisors questioned whether the 100% AMI tier should also be eliminated to encourage more units at lower incomes, possibly even down to 60% AMI.
“If that number is reduced, we can serve even more people,” Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said. “The core of what I think the county’s responsibility is [should be] to support folks at the lower income level first and help those folks build that generational wealth.”
Shapiro noted that 60% AMI households can utilize the county’s Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) rental program, which has two tiers for households earning up to 50% and 70% AMI.
Even though the county’s AMI has climbed to $152,100 for a family of four, residents at that income level or lower could only afford 28% of the homes sold between 2020 and 2023, according to sales data collected by HR&A Advisors.
“That’s a lot of people,” Fairfax County At-Large Planning Commissioner Candice Bennett, who chaired the task force, said. “…This is actually, oddly enough, the ‘missing middle.’ So, think about the three out of four people that we are not able to serve because the market is so astronomically high.”
The Board of Supervisors is expected to endorse the task force’s recommendations, potentially as soon as its meeting next Tuesday (Dec. 5). From there, the board will direct county staff to draft a comprehensive plan amendment revising the WDU for-sale policy.
Image via Google Maps
A restaurant that fuses flavors from a different continent is coming soon to Reston Town Center.
Indochen, a restaurant based in Alexandria City, is planning to open its third location at 1800 President Street this coming spring, a company representative told FFXnow.
Run by chef Ram Thapa, the restaurant currently operates two locations in Alexandria’s Cameron Station and Old Town.
A native of Nepal, Thapa discovered a passion for cooking while helping his grandmother in her kitchen, where he became particularly enamored by Indian and Chinese cuisine, per Indochen’s website. Before starting Indochen, he served as executive chef at McLean’s Masala Indian Cuisine and opened Urban Tandoor, an Indian and Nepali restaurant in Ballston.
Indochen’s menu features traditional Indian dishes like butter chicken and biryani, along with chow mein, vegetable manchurian and chop suey.
All dishes are accompanied by a sharing spoon in an effort to encourage “sharing and a communal atmosphere,” according to the restaurant’s website.
It’s unclear whether the Reston location will be exactly the same as the Alexandria ones. A permit application for the restaurant’s construction was submitted to Fairfax County earlier this month under the name “The Himalayan Restaurant by Indochen.”
Indochen declined to comment on the branding, stating it doesn’t have any more information to share at the moment.
Low Interest in Virginia’s Medical Cannabis Program — “A new study that takes a close look at Virginia’s medical marijuana program showed that many marijuana users are simply ignoring the program and finding the drug elsewhere…The average price per gram for marijuana flower in Virginia is around $14, the study found,” which is more expensive than both D.C. and Maryland. [WTOP]
Fair Oaks Mall Owners Miss Loan Deadline — “The owners of Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax — the region’s second-largest shopping center — have missed an extended payoff deadline on distressed loans totaling about $239 million…Notes to bondholders indicate negotiations and efforts to stabilize the property are underway, but they also note that foreclosure proceedings could be on the table as early as February.” [Washington Business Journal]
Great Falls Residents Challenge Mental Health Group Home — “A Great Falls group home has drawn the ire of neighbors who say the facility offers services exceeding those approved by the Fairfax County government and lets its charges wander around the vicinity.” After Mission for Michael officials didn’t testify on Nov. 15, the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals “set a new public hearing for Jan. 31 next year, but demanded a representative of the group home be present.” [Gazette Leader]
Annandale Getting Another Hot Chicken Restaurant — “Crimson Coward Nashville Hot Chicken is coming to the vacant storefront at 7004 Columbia Pike in the Annandale Shopping Center between Collector’s World and Sweet Frog…The chicken is prepared with a ‘crimson rub’ consisting of dozens of spices. There are five levels of heat.” [Annandale Today]
Renovated Hotel Near Fort Belvoir Celebrates Reopening — “The Hampton Inn & Suites Fort Belvoir Alexandria South, which broke ground along the Richmond Highway Corridor 15 years ago and opened in 2009, held a grand reopening celebration Nov. 29 after a complete interior and exterior renovation earlier this year.” [On the MoVe]
Santa Events Coming to County Parks — “Enjoy the spirit of the holidays with Santa at Fairfax County Parks beginning this weekend.” The “jolly old elf” will appear at Sully Historic Site tomorrow (Saturday), Frying Pan Farm Park on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the month, and at Burke Lake on Saturdays and Sundays. [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Santa Fire Truck Rides Start in McLean — Continuing a decades-long tradition, the McLean Volunteer Fire Department will transform its antique fire truck into a sleigh for Santa, who will hand out free candy canes throughout McLean. The sleigh will visit different neighborhoods, starting at 5 p.m., from Dec. 2-6 and can be tracked in real time on the department’s website. [McLean VFD/Facebook]
Swearing-In Ceremony Planned for County Officials — “The Board of Supervisors invites you to the Inauguration Ceremony for Fairfax County’s 15th Urban County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County’s Constitutional Officers, and Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Directors. Reception begins at 5 p.m. Ceremony begins at 6 p.m.” on Dec. 13. [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Friday — There’s an 80% chance of rain, mainly after 2pm, with a high near 51 and south winds of 5-13 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Friday night, rain is likely before 7pm, followed by cloudiness and a low of 46. [Weather.gov]
With a new month on the horizon, algae blooms at three lakes in Reston appear to be turning a leaf.
Warnings to avoid making contact with Lake Anne and Lake Audubon have been lifted after an algae bloom took over some parts of the lakes since mid-November.
A spokesperson for Reston Association, which manages the lakes, told FFXnow the decision was made after evidence of algae was no longer present.
Out of an abundance of caution, however, a warning for Lake Thoreau remains in place, according to Reston Association.
Blooms of algae emerged in Thoreau and Audubon early this fall and lingered as a result of the season’s warm weather, according to RA. Another bloom was spotted in Lake Anne on Nov. 16.
At that time, RA urged residents to avoid contact with the water, though the risk of incidental exposure risk is low during this time of the year.
Staff decided against treating the bloom, which would have disrupted oxygen levels in the lake, potentially harming fish and other wildlife.
Photo via RA/Twitter
Anticipating slow growth in the real estate tax base and only a modest increase in general fund revenues, local officials are preparing for a slim budget in the next fiscal year.
At a joint meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 28), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the school board got an early forecast of projected revenues, expenditures and general priorities for the county government and public school system’s fiscal year 2025 budgets.
Christina Jackson, the county’s chief financial officer, emphasized that the forecast is an early estimate of the budget.
“We recognize that this was going to be a challenging year,” said Jackson.
County officials anticipate a combined net budgetary shortfall of $284.5 million.
Based on last month’s projections, non-residential tax revenue is expected to grow by 1.9% from the current fiscal year 2024 rate of 3.6%. In fiscal year 2023, non-residential tax revenue stood at 7.3%.
That’s coupled with substantially lower growth in the real estate tax base for next year — a mere 1.7% compared to 6.6% in the current fiscal year. The residential real estate market has softened as a result of high mortgage rates, but values are still expected to increase by 2.1% due to low supply, county staff said.
Funding conversations continue in the background of a study that found Virginia’s school divisions receive 14% less funding from the state than the average for all 50 states.
Calling the state’s underfunding “a generational wrong,” McKay said the report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) is a critical opportunity to shift the statewide conversation about the state’s funding formulas.
“This study can either collect dust and be ignored, or this study can be acted on and Virginia can get ahead of West Virginia and Kentucky, which frankly should embarrass everyone who lives in Virginia,” McKay said.
Ricardy Anderson, who represents Mason District on the school board and chairs the board’s budget committee, highlighted the space constraints that Fairfax County Public Schools already faces.
“We cannot trailer our way out of this issue, because the schools are growing,” she said, noting that at one school, the entire fifth grade is housed in trailers.
She suggested that the county restart a conversation about adopting a meals tax in order to generate revenue. County voters rejected a referendum in 2016, but the General Assembly approved a bill in 2020 that gave counties the authority to tax food and beverages without a referendum.
Further clouding the less-than-rosy forecast for the county, Metro has projected a deficit of $750 million in fiscal year 2025. Possible efforts for short-term relief include fare increases, service reductions and preventative maintenance transfers. Metro’s general manager is expected to release the draft budget this month.
This year’s budget includes an additional $37.5 million to support collective bargaining with the police and $23.7 million for the fire and emergency services bargaining unit. Overall, the county is planning to increase its employee salary and benefits funding by roughly $180.5 million.
To prepare for the shortfall, all county agencies were asked to slim down their proposed budgets by 7% — resulting in roughly $20 million savings.
Priorities that the county doesn’t expect to fund include information technology initiatives, infrastructure upgrades and renewals, and increased investments for affordable housing and environmental and energy programs. On the schools side, affected needs include an expansion of middle school athletics and a special education enhancement plan.
Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the county must look into ways to shore up revenues in the future.
“We’ve definitely got to be thinking about how we do things a little differently,” Lusk said. He also asked the school system to explore ways to remove the cost of reduced lunches for students and a fine arts stipend review.
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid said the school system is actively looking for ways to address food insecurity.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said that if the county wants to raise user fees — a possibility floated in the budget forecast — it should consider establishing a “regular cadence” to increases in fees.
“If it is ad hoc, it could create the impression that when we need revenue, we jack them up,” Walkinshaw said.
Reid will release her proposed budget for FCPS on Jan. 25. County Executive Bryan Hill will then present the county’s advertised budget on Feb. 20. After several months of deliberation, the Board of Supervisors adopts the budget on May 7 and school board adopts the budget on May 23.
The budget year begins on July 1.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is working on ways to improve service by reorganizing units and tackling recruitment and staffing challenges.
The changes were discussed at a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ safety and security committee meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 28).
The FCFRD is focused on using data to inform changes to operations, guiding how and when medics are converted to ambulances and where units are located, department officials told the committee.
According to a presentation delivered by Fairfax County Fire Chief John Butler and Operations Chief Dan Shaw, the department reorganized and reassessed its emergency medical services delivery between 2021 and 2022.
In January 2022, eight advanced life support units were converted to basic life support units. The following month, four more advanced life support units were converted.
The FCFRD has also studied ways to improve its EMS dispatch protocol and overall service delivery and deployment. In September, for example, the department implemented a new emergency medical protocol to ensure needs are properly understood as resources are dispatched to handle emergencies.
In January, the department plans to convert another eight advance life support units to basic life support. A paramedic will remain at each fire station.
The department also plans to introduce a new EMS specialist position that can offer a higher skill set and bring more advanced intervention and equipment to the incident. Shaw said the position is a big moment for the fire department.
“This allows the opportunity to employ a paramedic and deliver a higher level of service,” Shaw said.
Still, a national shortage of paramedics is a challenge due to a notable decrease in people pursuing public safety professions overall, officials said. To maintain its minimum staffing of 363 personnel, the FCFRD relies heavily on mandatory overtime.
The department has around 100 vacancies, according to FCFRD spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt.
“While we are not immune to the recruitment challenges being experienced nationwide throughout the fire service, our department has worked, and continues to work, diligently to increase recruitment efforts to ensure the residents of Fairfax County continue to receive the high quality services the department is known for,” Hildebrandt said.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity said he continues to be concerned by the drop in the number of paramedics.
“Fairfax County needs to do better than the national trend and the national average,” he said.
The fire and rescue department is currently in the midst of analyzing its staffing model and hours of overtime recorded by personnel.
At the meeting, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay countered Herrity’s assertion that the county needs to step up its efforts to address staffing challenges by stressing that the county and its public safety agencies are investing time and resources to tackle the issue.
“It is disgraceful to the people who are killing themselves recruiting people,” McKay said, adding that he’s “tired of this nonsense.”
McKay said repeating incorrect statistics about the number of vacancies — particularly in the police department — works against the county’s goal of recruiting more people and establishing the progress that has been made.
After reporting 206 vacancies in early April, the Fairfax County Police Department welcomed over 100 new trainees across two academy classes this year. A cohort of 56 recruits this spring was trumpeted as the FCPD Academy’s largest class in almost 10 years, and it was followed in the summer by an even bigger session with 59 people.
According to McKay, the FCPD’s vacancy rate is now closer to 127 positions.
The county’s Department of Public Safety Communications, which operates the 911 center, has also chipped away at its vacancies to the point where the department anticipated reducing required overtime this fall.
Paris Baguette has officially opened its first location in Herndon.
Located in Arrowbrook Centre at 2324 Silver Arrow Way, the French-inspired bakery serves pastries, croissants, sandwiches, cakes and coffee.
The franchise location is owned by Alma Siddiqui, a local construction estimator, who dreamed of owning her own bakery since childhood.
Siddiqui says that her passion for architecture and design are interconnected with her love for baking.
“When I stumbled upon Paris Baguette, I immediately fell in love with the quality and variety of its products and knew I wanted to bring it to my local community,” Siddiqui said. “With a strong global reputation for high-end bakery café, Paris Baguette had a business model that would offer us great support throughout the process.”
She called Herndon the “perfect place” for Paris Baguette.
“With continued growth of Herndon’s population, there will be an increase in businesses opening as well. I hope both residents and visitors will make it a point to visit Paris Baguette Herndon,” she said.
Siddiqui said she hopes the company will expand to other locations throughout the region. Started in South Korea in 1988, Paris Baguette can now be found around the world, including in Tysons, Fairfax, and Centreville. The company’s U.S. operations, which are based in New Jersey, are expected to reach 200 stores by the end of this year.
An official grand opening is slated for tomorrow (Friday). The bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
Wells Fargo Office Building in Annandale Eyed for Housing — Nicholas Development “is in early discussions with Fairfax County planning staff about a residential conversion for 7620 Little River Turnpike, says Senior Vice President Timothy Sachs. The six-story building is vacant except for a Wells Fargo bank branch on the ground floor.” [Annandale Today]
Reston Robotics Team Heads to National Championships — “Students from Reston’s Ideaventions Academy for Mathematics and Science are traveling to Arlington, Texas on Thursday to compete in the Bell Advanced Vertical Robotics national championships. This is the second year in a row that the school’s robotics team has made it to the nationals.” [Patch]
Lorton Water-Cleaning Plant Opens for Tours — “For anyone who’s ever wondered what happens to our water after we’ve used it, you can find out on Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 2 there will be an open house at the Noman Cole Pollution Control Plant…Visitors will learn how water is cleaned after it goes down the drain in homes and businesses, or even down sewers on County streets.” [DPWES]
Tex-Mex Grill Expanding to Hybla Valley — “El Fresco Tex-Mex Grill, whose first restaurant was opened by Iranian immigrant Steve Ganji in Chantilly, Virginia, in 2008, has turned to franchising for expansion, with a franchise-owned El Fresco opening in Alexandria next month.” The new restaurant will be at 7324 Richmond Highway. [WTOP]
Tysons Rental Rates Dip From Previous Month — “November apartment-seekers in Tysons ended up paying a little less than those on the hunt a month before, but more than those who were seeking leases a year ago. The median one-bedroom rent of $2,024 and median two-bedroom rent of $2,420 added up to a decrease of 1.1 percent month-over-month but an increase of 0.7 percent year-over-year.” [Gazette Leader]
Educational Center Now Open at Chantilly Park — “The Fairfax County Park Authority celebrated the completion of the new Woodlands Stewardship Education Center with a ribbon cutting on Saturday, Nov. 18. Designed to wow adults and children alike, this interpretive facility demonstrates principles of environmental stewardship that make a world of difference in the way we interact with and affect our natural environment.” [FCPA]
Oakton Students Craft and Launch Rocket — “Students at Oakton High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, have reached soaring heights through a student rocketry program, launching a high-powered rocket 34,195 feet into the sky…The team launched the rocket in September at a rocketry event in Kansas that included rocketeers from around the country.” [WTOP]
Holiday Artisan Market Set for Vienna Return — Dozens of local vendors will sell handmade gifts, food and art at the Town of Vienna’s Holiday Open Air Artisan Market on Sunday, Dec. 3. The market will be in the Vienna Arts Center’s parking lot at 243 Church Street NW from noon to 4 p.m. [Vienna Business Association]
It’s Thursday — The weather will be mostly sunny with temperatures reaching a high of 53, accompanied by a south wind at 5 to 9 mph. As the night progresses, expect partly cloudy skies and a low of around 37, with a southwest wind blowing at 6 to 10 mph. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax Connector will pull into the Fairfax County Government Center soon for its first-ever Winterfest.
Space is quickly disappearing for the public bus system’s holiday event, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9 in parking lot B of the government center (12000 Government Center Parkway).
Featuring three holiday-themed buses, free food and other treats, Winterfest is free to attend, but a general admission ticket is required for entry. As of this afternoon (Wednesday), more than half of the 500 available slots had been taken, according to the sign-up page.
Separate tickets for a planned Santa Bus, where visitors can meet jolly St. Nick, sold out within hours of going online, a Fairfax County Department of Transportation spokesperson says. In response to the demand, a second bus where attendees can get a free cookie from Mrs. Claus has been added.
Access to the “Cookies with Mrs. Claus” bus is included with general admission.
Winterfest will also feature free hot chocolate and kettle corn, games, music, a “Letters to Santa” station, and Duck donuts and Grill Cheese food trucks. Fairfax Connector will hand out coupons for free rides and other “goodies” throughout the event, according to a news release.
Following in the tracks of Metro, which has decorated a train and buses to resemble gingerbread houses, Fairfax Connector’s holiday buses hit the road earlier this week. They’re wrapped in plaid Christmas tree, Santa gnome and cookie designs.
“These buses are sure to bring a smile to your face,” the news release said. “If you spot one, safely take a picture and share with us on Facebook or Twitter. Use the hashtag #HolidayBus or #FairfaxConnector.”
People who share a photo of the buses on social media will be entered into a drawing for a $50 SmarTrip card, which can be used for Connector buses as well as Metro, Fairfax CUE buses and other local transit systems. The winner will be announced the week of Jan. 1, 2024.
During Winterfest, the tree-decorated bus will serve as the Santa bus, while Mrs. Claus will be in the cookie bus. The gnome bus will host a Stuff-a-Bus donation drive.
“To support our community, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, Fairfax Connector & Transdev are collecting new, unwrapped toys and coats for children ages 5 to 10 years old,” FCDOT said in its news release. “…The toys and coats collected will be delivered to children at three Fairfax County public schools the week of December 11, 2023.”
In a separate charitable effort, today (Thursday) marks the last day of Fairfax County’s virtual Stuff the Bus campaign, which encourages community members to make monetary donations to local nonprofits that provide food assistance.
