Fairfax County is gearing up to secure land rights to proceed with the development of a new shared-use path from the Innovation Center Metro station to surrounding neighborhoods.
At a meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 24), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to set a public hearing for the project on Nov. 21.
Presented to the community in January, the project includes a 10-foot-wide, approximately 1,920-foot-long shared-use path. It would connect the kiss-and-ride parking lot to the residential communities at Farougi Court and Apgar Place.
“The connection will significantly reduce the trip length between the station and surrounding neighborhoods,” the Fairfax County Department of Transportation said on its webpage for the project.
Two pedestrian bridges over Horsepen Creek and lighting along the new path are also planned.
To move forward with the project, the county must secure land rights on six properties.
“Negotiations are in progress with the affected property owners,” county staff said in the board meeting agenda. “However, because resolution of these acquisitions is not imminent, it may be necessary for the Board to utilize quick-take eminent domain powers to commence construction of this project on schedule.”
Construction on the project is expected to begin in summer 2024, followed by completion in the summer of 2025.
The tennis court renovations at Bready Park (814 Ferndale Avenue) in Herndon are officially complete.
The renovation project includes the addition of four pickleball courts — an effort to meet growing demand for the sport in the area.
Other updates include new fencing, the application of a new surface called ProBounce.
The park now has four pickleball courts and five tennis courts, two of which are contained in the park’s temporary indoor tennis facility.
“We are pleased to publicly open the newly renovated Bready Park Tennis Courts, featuring the innovative ProBounce® surface which will add many years of use to the courts and enhance player comfort with the cushioned surfacing for both tennis and pickleball enthusiasts,” Herndon Parks and Recreation Director Cindy Roeder said in a press release. “The addition of pickleball courts is a testament to our commitment to meeting the diverse recreational needs of our community.”
A maximum of one reservation per day is allowed per individual. Each reservation is $10 per hour.
Scheduled sessions for pickleball players are available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Courts are available from sunrise to 10 p.m. daily, allowing both reservations and drop-in play.
Reservations can be made online or by calling the town’s parks and recreation department at 703-435-6868.
The project kicked off in July after a design phase was completed in August of 2022.
Fairfax County offers curbside fall leaf collection services (courtesy DPWES)
Fairfax County will continue providing fall leaf collection services at least until the 2025-2026 season, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services announced today.
Consideration of a proposal to eliminate the service has been suspended for now. The department sought public feedback on the recommendation this summer, citing environmental concerns, rising costs and “operational issues,” including staff shortages and collection delays.
Annandale Today first reported last week that DPWES has backed off its plan, citing an email from Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross, who represents most of the approximately 25,000 residents who use the county’s leaf collection services.
DPWES staff maintain that the service may not be worth continuing long-term, but the results of this summer’s online survey convinced them that it’s not the right time to end it.
“Seasonal vacuum leaf service is not necessary to maintain healthy trees, has negative environmental impacts, detracts from the County’s core residential trash collection service, and creates public safety challenges,” DPWES said in a press release. “However, results from an online survey conducted by DPWES indicated most respondents were in favor of keeping the service and many current customers needed more information about alternative leaf management methods.”
An online petition opposing an end to leaf collections has garnered almost 1,500 signatures. In an Oct. 19 update, the petition creator credited Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and other supervisors who represent the affected residents with halting the proposal.
McKay’s office confirmed to FFXnow that he had directed staff to pause the proposal at a recent meeting with them.
DPWES says it will use the next few years to conduct an outreach campaign focused on informing residents “on more environmentally-beneficial alternatives to manage leaves on-site,” such as mulching and composting. The county also collects yard waste as part of its regular trash services.
The department notes that residents can petition the county to voluntarily withdraw from the service.
This year’s vacuum leaf collection season will start as scheduled in November.
More Early Voting Sites Open — Fairfax County will open 13 additional early voting sites at 1 p.m. today (Thursday) for the Nov. 7 general election. Joining the Fairfax County, Mount Vernon and North County governmental centers, the new locations will be open until 7 p.m. on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29. [Fairfax County Office of Elections]
One Killed, Three Injured in Tysons Crash — “The crash happened around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday along the eastbound lanes of the Dulles Access Road near the I-495 interchange…Investigators say a sedan with three people inside stopped in the roadway near a ramp to the Dulles Toll Road when it was struck from behind by a Jeep.” [FOX5]
FCPS Will Get State Funds for Tutoring — “Fairfax County Public Schools…is one of three Northern Virginia districts that has had a tutoring funding plan approved by the state Education Department. (The others are the Fairfax City and Falls Church City districts.) The district will receive $28 million for the All in VA plan and plans to spend about $6.9 million on personnel for hourly tutoring during fiscal 2024.” [Washington Post]
Suspect Arrested in Clifton Stabbing — “Police are investigating a stabbing in Fairfax County that sent a man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries on Tuesday. A suspect is now in custody. Detectives say the stabbing that occurred in the 5100 block of First Road in Clifton appears to be domestic-related.” [WUSA9]
Burlington Coming to Mount Vernon Plaza — “Burlington, a discount retailer of brand-name fashion merchandise, plans to open a store at Mount Vernon Plaza next year, Federal Realty has confirmed to Mount Vernon On the MoVe.” The store will be in a former Bed Bath & Beyond “at 7690B Richmond Highway between PetSmart and Michael’s. A new Burlington store also will be opening at Springfield Town Center Nov. 3.” [On the MoVe]
Development Booms for Tysons-Based Hilton — “Hilton Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: HLT) added some 35,500 new rooms to its development pipeline in the third quarter, boosting the total to a record high of 457,300, as the McLean-based hospitality giant seeks to establish a more dominant industry position in part through converting competitors’ hotels into Hilton brands.” [Washington Business Journal]
Comment Period on Affordable Housing Funding Extended — “What are your opinions on affordable housing in the region? The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, along with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), need feedback on a draft application for affordable housing funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).” The deadline has been pushed back to Tuesday, Oct. 31. [FCRHA]
Free Native Trees Offered in Vienna — “The Town of Vienna’s Conservation and Sustainability Commission (CSC) will hold its third annual Native Tree Giveaway on Saturday, October 28, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. outside the Vienna Community Center…Commission volunteers will give away 100 bareroot seedlings in four species.” [Town of Vienna]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunshine and a high near 78 degrees alongside a light southwest wind during the day. As for Thursday night, skies will become partly cloudy, with the temperature lowering to around 58 degrees. [Weather.gov]
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is pressing for more answers on the possibility of a casino at Reston Station.
At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 24), Alcorn emphasized that it’s still unclear if there will be legislation on the issue next year.
In a letter to County Executive Bryan Hill, Alcorn said he wanted more information on the steps necessary to authorize a gambling casino.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay emphasized that “absolutely nothing” has been proposed. The county’s legislative committee will be tracking any bills if they move forward.
“The only thing we know about the casino right now is that there is no proposal,” McKay said.
Sen. David Marsden (D-37) has said that, if reelected to the General Assembly, he would reintroduce legislation to allow a gaming casino in Fairfax County.
He told FFXnow it likely won’t be identical to a bill he proposed — and later withdrew — in January that would’ve open the door to a casino within one quarter of a mile of an existing Silver Line station, outside the Dulles airport flight path, and as part of a coordinated mixed-use project.
If the theoretical bill became law, a voter referendum would be required to officially authorize a casino in the county.
Alcorn — who maintained that he would oppose a casino in Reston since the idea was floated in local media — said he needed information on several items related to the authorization process. Reston Association’s Board of Directors has also voiced opposition to the proposal.
Among several questions, Alcorn is seeking clarification on if the county’s current zoning ordinance includes a casino use, if a county referendum would specify a single casino location or multiple options if the state legislation is signed into law, and how a preferred casino gaming operator would be selected.
Alcorn’s full letter to Hill, as shared by his office, is below:
Bryan,
As we have discussed and as has been reported in local media, I am very much opposed to the gambling casino proposed in SB 1543 and HB 2499. During the past few weeks there has been a lot of discussion on this topic in the community and there are several areas where further information about the process for casino authorization would be helpful to me, and probably my colleagues and the general public, prior to commencement of the 2024 General Assembly session.
Please confirm or provide information on the following:
- Please verify whether all 5 local jurisdictions in Virginia where state law currently authorizes a casino (Danville, Bristol, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Richmond) formally or informally requested that the General Assembly authorize a casino in their jurisdiction, and how that request was made.
- Under Virginia law, what is considered to be a casino, versus, for example, a location or event that has electronic gaming machines?
- What process would the Board of Supervisors use to “select a preferred casino gaming operator” as called for in the state law authorizing casino gambling? What would be the timing of such a selection process as it relates to authorization by the General Assembly and a countywide referendum?
- If a bill such as the ones noted above were ultimately passed and signed by the Governor, would the required countywide referendum be legally required to specify the casino location or could multiple potential locations be authorized in the referendum?
- Does the county’s current zoning ordinance include a casino use, or would it need to be amended
- Would the location of a casino need to specified in an area plan of the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan?
Thank you for providing information on these casino-specific processes. I continue to think this is a bad idea. Please share the answers to these questions with the entire Board of Supervisors.
Supervisor Alcorn
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced [on Tuesday] the commonwealth is joining 32 other states in a federal lawsuit against Meta over allegations its social media platforms are purposely harmful to children.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta knew about the extent of the psychological and health harms suffered by young users addicted to its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, but falsely assured the public they are safe and suitable for children and teens.
It also claims Meta’s business model exploits and monetizes young users through data harvesting and targeted ads by designing purposely-addictive platform features.
The suit alleges features such as auto-play, algorithms and near-constant alerts were knowingly created with the express goal of hooking children and teens into descending “rabbit holes.” In turn, the suit claims young users can be exposed to harmful content such as suicide and self-harm content, hate speech and misinformation.
The suit claims Meta also has a “deep understanding” of the significant and extensive harms to young people associated with addiction and compulsive use of the platforms, including depression, eating disorders, physical self-harm and suicidal ideation.
Miyares compared Meta to big tobacco companies advertising to children, pointing to the Joe Camel cartoon as a way to hook young people on cigarettes.
“At the expense of public health and specifically the health of our youth, they’ve exploited the vulnerability of our young children and the fundamental desire for connection for their own personal gain,” Miyares said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Additionally, the suit alleges Meta is well aware that kids under the age of 13 are on their platform, but still collects data from these children without first obtaining verifiable parental consent as required by the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
Miyares said that Meta could obtain parental consent using age verification technologies, like uploading a drivers license or official government identification. When asked about the potential for data breaches seen in states requiring third-party age verification methods to access pornographic websites, Miyares reiterated the technology is a great first step to protecting children.
“Let’s try to protect our kids, let’s try to protect their innocence and let’s make sure parents are involved and parents matter,” Miyares said.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has previously expressed similar concerns that parents need to be more involved in efforts to mitigate the impact of social media on children and teenagers.
Youngkin proposed an amendment to Virginia’s pornographic website age verification law that would have extended the age of children who require parental consent for social media accounts from under 13 to under 18. The Senate narrowly rejected the proposal.
At a “Parents Matter” town hall this August, Youngkin heavily emphasized the importance of parents’ involvement in their child’s social media life.
Miyares said he hopes Meta complies with consumer protection laws and prioritizes the safety of children moving forward, and if not, he isn’t afraid of the fight.
“We would welcome the opportunity to have a meaningful discussion about how they could change their platforms to better protect our children and our teens,” Miyares said. “You chose to fight us, we’ll see you in court.”
Image via Brett Jordan/Unsplash. This article was reported and written by the Virginia Mercury, and has been reprinted with permission.
The current signage at North Point Village Center has not been updated for several years (via Fairfax County)
The owner of Reston’s North Point Village Center is exploring ways to make the center more competitive and visible in the community.
Developer Lerner Corporation submitted a proposal to Fairfax County on Oct. 19 seeking its permission to update two monument signs that clearly identify the shopping center and incorporate tenant signage within existing monument signs.
The center at 1452 Reston Parkway is anchored by Giant Food and hosts 27 other suites, including Baskin-Robbins, Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks. But Lerner says the limited visibility to passersby is challenging for those businesses.
“The visibility of these tenants from outside of the center is severely restricted due to the existing, mature vegetation surrounding and within it and the retail tenants being at a lower grade than the surrounding roads,” Connor Breed, a Cooley real estate associate representing Lerner, wrote in a statement of justification for the application.
The new monument signs would identify some of the shopping center’s tenants, which often turn over. The center is also challenged by having only one anchor tenant — a grocery store that must compete with Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods and Safeway on or nearby Reston Parkway alone.
“If North Point Center hopes to compete with other local shopping centers, its current lack of clear notification that it includes commercial uses and what tenants are available must be resolved,” the application continues.
The existing monument signs were approved in 1994.
“By bringing North Point Center’s monument signs into line with the expectations of existing and prospective commercial tenants, the shopping center will be better able to serve the needs of Reston’s residents and visitors and will be primed for long-term success,” Breed wrote.
The proposal is in the early stages of the county’s review process and has not yet been formally accepted for review.
The 134,000-square-feet village center is almost fully leased, according to a site plan from Lerner. A Body Fit Training studio is expected to open next year, and one 1,200-square-foot suite designated for specialty retail remains available for leasing.
Gunfire Incidents in Springfield Under Investigation — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau are investigating two reckless discharges of a firearm that occurred in Springfield. After midnight on October 22, officers responded to the 6900 block of Cabin John Road for the sound of gunshots in the area.” Gunfire was also reported on Oct. 13 around Highland Street and Channing Road. [FCPD]
Fairfax City Gets First Bikeshare Stations — “The first of 10 Capital Bikeshare stations in Fairfax City [were] installed Tuesday, Oct. 24, on Beech Drive near Draper Drive Park. Three more stations will be installed this week at Scout on the Circle, Foxcroft Colony condominiums, and the apartment complex on Layton Hall Drive.” [City of Fairfax]
Mother of Suspect in Frying Pan Shooting Speaks Out — “The mother of an au pair from Brazil who is accused of killing a man at a home in Herndon, Virginia, says she’s worried about her daughter and she believes there’s more to the story. On Feb. 24, 37-year-old Christine Banfield was fatally stabbed and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan was shot to death inside a bedroom at Banfield’s home.” [NBC4]
Vienna Officially Adopts New Zoning Code — “Code Create Vienna, the town of Vienna’s first major zoning-code rewrite in decades, has been in the works for three years and cleared its final hurdle Oct. 23. Vienna Town Council members were ebullient as they unanimously voted in favors of the sweeping code changes, which will take effect Jan. 1 next year.” [Gazette Leader]
All-Day Breakfast Restaurant Opens in Woodlawn — “A new family-owned restaurant with table service and a combination of Latin and American cuisines has opened in Woodlawn. Grandma’s Famous Café, located in the former El Pollo Royal space at Cooper Center, features breakfast served all day; daily specials; pupusas, tacos and quesadillas; sandwiches and subs; wraps; soups and freshly made salads; sides and drinks.” [On the MoVe]
Jet’s Pizza Coming to Annandale — “A franchisee of the Detroit-style pizza chain plans a roughy 1,600-square-foot pizzeria at 7026 Columbia Pike, located in the Aldi-anchored Annandale Shopping Center. The new Fairfax County location, slated to open this spring, will be the second local restaurant for Jet’s franchisee Dan Kosztowny, who is a week or so away from opening his first…near Potomac Yard.” [Washington Business Journal]
County Tree Commission Reaches 50 Years — “It’s been a half century since the Fairfax County Tree Commission was chartered in Fairfax County.” The Urban Forest Management Division will mark the anniversary at 1 p.m. today (Wednesday) with a “ceremonial planting of the 50th tree of 50 installed to celebrate each year of the Tree Commission’s service.” [DPWES]
Free Workshop on Starting a Business Planned in Tysons — “If you are thinking about starting a business then Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is ready to assist you! Founder of Veterans Growing America Donnell E. Johns, Sr., will be the featured guest speaker during FCEDA’s next Entrepreneurship 101 (E-101) workshop scheduled for November 14, 2023, in Tysons.” [FCEDA]
It’s Wednesday — The weather will be mostly sunny with temperatures reaching a high of around 74 degrees. During Wednesday night, the sky will become partly cloudy and temperatures will drop to a low of around 51. [Weather.gov]
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board will have more money for mental health services, thanks to recent state budget amendments.
The CSB provides services related to mental health, substance use and developmental disabilities. Additional funding could include $2.5 million to cover both staff pay increases and the state’s program to standardize behavioral health community services (STEP-VA).
“We’re kind of getting geared up for all of these great new resources coming, but…me and my staff will be quite busy over the next half year to a year with making sure we get all of these things stood up,” Fairfax-Falls Church CSB Executive Director Daryl Washington told the Board of Supervisors health and human services committee on Oct. 17.
Northern Virginia is likely to receive about 20% of the $78 million allocated for regional initiatives, Washington said.
Washington also told the committee there are five staff vacancies in the CSB’s youth outpatient unit, down from more than three times that at the height of the pandemic. Still, those vacancies make it challenging for the board to meet its goal timeline in assigning youth to treatment, he said.
The CSB would ideally make assignments within 14 calendar days or 10 business days of a youth’s initial assessment. After that point, statistics have shown that people are less likely show up to an ongoing therapy program, Washington said.
“Those five vacancies represent around 125 youth being served at any one point in time,” Washington said. “I really think, if we were fully staffed with those five, that we would be hitting our goal based upon the additional youth that we’d be able to serve.”
The CSB is also looking for an appropriate location to build a regional program that would be licensed as a medically-managed detox center, a youth crisis stabilization center, a youth substance abuse treatment center and a type of youth group home aftercare center, Washington said.
This facility could provide a long-term alternative to Virginia’s one youth state hospital, according to Washington.
“Quite frankly, I don’t know if the youth state hospital is the best place for folks to receive care at right now anyway,” he said. “We really try to focus on getting our youth at some of our local private hospitals whenever we can. I think that’s going to be a multi-year issue that’s not going to go away and that finding some type of either regional or local solution that’s going to work for our kids is probably the better long-term solution for us to go with.”
The closure of several state psychiatric hospitals in 2021 has also created a widespread shortage of beds for adults in crisis. In its most recent annual report, the Fairfax-Falls Church CSB said it had 1,353 individuals waiting in emergency rooms for as long as six days due to a lack of psychiatric inpatient beds.
The 2022 Fairfax County Youth Survey, which was released last month, found declines from 2021 in the percentages of 8th, 10th and 12th grade students who reported stress, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, though Washington said there’s still work to be done.
Overall, 23.5% of students reported high stress, 28.9% had depressive symptoms, 10.7% had considered suicide and 4.1% had attempted suicide. Non-binary, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students were at higher risk of experiencing those issues than their peers, according to Washington’s presentation.
“To have that much of a disparity going on across the board is a significant statistic and something that we need to continue to take a look at,” Washington said, suggesting the county should develop targeted interventions.
Students who said they used substances were also more likely to have considered suicide than peers who did not use substances.
The county is also working to enhance its mental health services, a priority for Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, by expanding the police department’s co-responder program and piloting a telehealth program.
If you are having thoughts of self-harm, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board’s emergency services can also be reached 24/7 at 703-573-5679. If the situation is immediately life-threatening, call 911 and ask for a crisis intervention team officer.
Image via Google Maps
A shake-up might be in the works for the Town of Herndon’s annual farmers market.
The town is exploring the possibility of moving the seasonal event from its usual Thursday morning time slot to Saturday or Sunday, though it’s not clear yet whether the Fairfax County Park Authority — which currently organizes the market — could accommodate the change.
“As a matter of course, the town is always evaluating programs and events, no matter how successful, to see if we might improve upon them and make them and more inclusive,” town spokesperson Anne Curtis told FFXnow.
Launched on May 4, the Herndon farmers market takes place on Lynn Street every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Nov. 9. It has 15 vendors, along with master gardeners, and typically draws 500 to 700 attendees per week, “depending on the season and the weather,” according to Curtis.
However, the town council and staff are now considering whether the market could draw even more of a crowd on the weekend. The proposal was partly inspired by a recent survey of the business community that found a desire for more special events that could attract customers.
“The business community has told us weekends, second Saturdays, it’s a larger pool of potential revenue for the town,” Councilmember Cesar del Aguila said at an Oct. 17 work session. “In my humble opinion, we’ve reached the point on a lot of our events of diminishing returns. Doesn’t matter what we do, doesn’t matter how much we put into it, it’s not going to grow…But a second Saturday, a more focused event or series of events, mini festivals, that’s why we’re considering this.”
At an earlier work session on Oct. 3, Town Manager Bill Ashton told the council that the FCPA seemed open to moving its Herndon market to Saturdays, but the agency won’t know for sure until its list of vendors is finalized in February.
According to Ashton, the park authority has scheduled the Herndon market for Thursdays to avoid conflicts with the Reston Farmers Market held on Saturdays at Lake Anne Village Center.
An FCPA spokesperson confirmed that the agency has been working with the Town of Herndon to determine “what may be possible.”
“The Fairfax County Park Authority is definitely committed to the continued success of all 10 of our Farmers Market locations,” the park authority said in a statement. “We welcome ideas and recommendations that can help further that endeavor. Of course, any changes to the program calendar for next year need to be well-planned with the market volunteers, vendors and service providers.”
The town could partner with a different organizer, such as the nonprofit FreshFarm, which operates year-round farmers markets in the Mosaic District, Oakton and at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston.
“It makes a better option, but they cannot commit to the weekends until they figure out who’s returning on their current market list,” Ashton said.
Not everyone is sold on the proposed shift.
During last week’s discussion, which focused on whether the Thursday farmers’ market should be left off of the town’s official calendar, Mayor Sheila Olem noted that “several” vendors are busy at the Lake Anne market on Saturdays. She also pointed to some advantages of working with Fairfax County, including the composting services now offered at all 10 of its markets.
Vice Mayor Clark Hedrick said the town has “seen a lot of comments” from people concerned about the farmers’ market getting taken off the calendar without any opportunity for public input.
The council ultimately agreed to leave the market on Thursdays for the 2024 calendar, but there will be an asterisk indicating that the date is “subject to change.” A resolution that will also solidify the holidays listed on the calendar is set to be approved by the council when it meets tonight (Wednesday).
Negotiations over pay, benefits and working conditions are underway for hundreds of Fairfax Connector employees.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 presented an initial proposal on Oct. 13 for a contract that would cover 546 members who work for Fairfax County’s bus system to Transdev, the company that operates the transit service, the union said in a press release yesterday (Monday).
With its current contract set to expire Nov. 30, the union says workers are seeking wage increases “to keep competitive with other transit companies,” improved sick leave, retirement security for current and future employees and standard 40-hour, 5-days-per-week schedules at all bus garages.
However, bargaining sessions scheduled for yesterday and today (Tuesday) were canceled over the weekend by Transdev, according to ATU Local 689, which said it was told the contractor “would not be ready to counter” its proposal.
“It is extremely disappointing that while Local 689 worked tirelessly to craft a new contract proposal and prepared to bargain in good faith, Transdev has apparently failed to do the same,” Local 689 President Raymond Jackson said in a statement. “Our members providing a public service in Fairfax County are dedicated professionals who deserve a fair contract. Local 689 remains committed to advocating for our members and is ready to meet with Transdev to negotiate the new contract. We hope Transdev prioritizes the contract talks and its employees, not profit.”
FFXnow reached out to a Transdev spokesperson for comment but didn’t hear back by press time.
The largest local bus system in Northern Virginia, Fairfax Connector transports about 26,000 passengers per day across 93 different routes, according to its website.
Though ridership plummeted in the first two years of the pandemic, it bounced back starting last summer, and this June, it surpassed 2019 levels with more than 774,000 riders for the month, according to data reported by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
When the Connector’s workers last had contract negotiations in 2019, bus drivers and mechanics — who were represented at the time by a different ATU chapter, Local 1764 — went on strike for four days before the union and Transdev signed a back-to-work agreement. Workers eventually ratified a new, four-year contract on Feb. 29, 2020, averting the possibility of a second strike.
According to a Local 689 spokesperson, Connector workers were assigned to their current chapter after Local 1764 went into receivership in 2021.
ATU Local 689, whose 15,000-plus members include employees of Metrobus and Alexandria’s DASH, welcomed former Local 1764 members on March 25, 2021, stating that “the companies kept us apart” even though members did the same work, often in the same garages.
This year’s negotiations are taking place in a different environment for organized labor, which has gained public support in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After authorizing a strike, local office cleaners won pay bumps earlier this month that their union called “historic,” and Kaiser Permanente workers secured 21% raises following a three-day strike on Oct. 4-6. The United Auto Workers expanded a strike against vehicle manufacturers in Detroit yesterday, while negotiations between Hollywood studios and the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, are slated to resume today — 103 days after they went on strike.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has a five-year, $443 million contract with Transdev, which took over the Connector’s operations and maintenance in July 2019 from the previous contractor, MV Transportation, according to previous reporting by the Washington Post.
“FCDOT Connector has no comments about this matter at this time,” FCDOT said when asked about the current talks.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, who met with the union and Transdev to resolve the 2019 strike, says he has “not been privy” to the new contract discussions, since they’re still at a relatively early stage.
“My hope is that Transdev and the members of ATU Local 689 can come to a mutually agreeable contract that prevents a disruption of service,” McKay told FFXnow.
According to Local 689, there are three scheduled bargaining sessions remaining before the contract expires next month. The union claims that Transdev dragged its feet on providing available dates earlier this year.
“Local 689 is in the process of rescheduling the sessions with Transdev, and is more than willing to add additional sessions if needed,” the union said.
(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) A man has died after a driver hit him on Baron Cameron Avenue near The Spectrum at Reston Town Center last night (Monday).
Police and emergency medical services with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched around 8:22 p.m. to Baron Cameron Avenue at Fountain Drive for a crash where a driver struck a pedestrian, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
The pedestrian was transported to a hospital with injuries considered life-threatening. The man, identified as Khalid Magan, 37, of Reston, later died, Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Tuesday).
Police said the driver remained at the scene.
Based on a preliminary investigation, detectives believe Magan tried to cross Baron Cameron Avenue around 8 p.m. when the driver of a 2002 Ford-250 pickup truck heading west hit him, according to the FCPD, which says Magan was outside of a crosswalk.
At that intersection, Baron Cameron only has a crosswalk on the east side, and it’s marked by parallel lines without stripes. A narrow grass median with a concrete gutter separates the two eastbound lanes from the westbound lanes, which include two thru lanes, a left-turn lane and a right-turn lane.
“Preliminarily, detectives do not believe speed or alcohol are factors in the crash for the driver,” the FCPD said. “Alcohol is still under investigation for the pedestrian. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.”
Magan is the eighth pedestrian killed in a vehicle crash in Fairfax County this year and the second in October, following a fatal hit-and-run on Richmond Highway on Oct. 6. In addition, a teen was hospitalized with serious injuries by a crash on Route 50 last Thursday (Oct. 19).
At this time in 2022, the county had recorded 16 fatal pedestrian crashes, according to the FCPD. By the end of the year, 32 pedestrians had died, the most since at least 2010.
Officers are on scene of a crash involving a pedestrian at Baron Cameron Ave & Fountain Dr, Reston. The pedestrian, an adult man, was taken to the hospital with/injuries considered life threatening. Driver stayed on scene. Please avoid the area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/FmwbRErmh6
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 24, 2023
Image via Google Maps
Groveton Workforce Hub Contract Raises Questions — “Fairfax County awarded $2.5 million in tax dollars to a company named Melwood last year to build a workplace readiness center in Democratic Fairfax County Supervisor Rodney Lusk’s district, called the Workforce Innovation and Skills Hub (WISH).” However, the involvement of Lusk’s chief of staff in selecting the contractor has raised potential conflict-of-interest concerns. [WJLA]
Justice HS Students Walk Out in Support of Palestinians — “Students walked out of Justice High School in Falls Church, Virginia, on Monday morning to show support for Palestinians. ‘We’re sick of how two governments cannot deal with each other and we have to see innocent people die every day,’ a senior at the school told News4’s Joseph Olmo.” [NBC4]
New Animal Shelter Welcomes First Inhabitants — “Today [Monday], we welcomed our first group of adoptable rabbits, guinea pigs and cats to the Lorton Campus! After receiving lots of love from our staff, everyone settled in quickly and enjoyed exploring their new spaces. We’re looking forward to welcoming our adoptable pups tomorrow!” [Fairfax County Animal Shelter/Twitter]
Fairfax Man Arrested for Assaulting Lyft Driver — “The complainant, a Lyft driver, reported that his passenger assaulted and strangled him. [A 35-year-old Fairfax resident] was arrested and charged with Strangulation of Another, Simple Assault and Public Intoxication. [He] was transported to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center where he is being held without bond.” [Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office]
Reston Woman Hikes Entire Appalachian Trail — “Cris Howard wanted everything the Appalachian Trail had to offer. The long trek, the unforgiving terrain and the adventure. The Reston…resident completed the 2,190-mile grueling hike a few weeks ago. The unexpected lessons learned along the way are priceless, she said.” [WTOP]
Texas Software Company Opens Tysons Office — “Octaria Software is focused on helping businesses, from the very seedlings of startups to established small and medium-sized ventures, to effectively go digital.” Last month, the Houston-based company opened a second physical office in Tysons, which Director of Product Management Matthew Lowinger calls “the tech capital of D.C.” [Innovation Map]
New Director Appointed to Reston Association Board — “Margaret Perry has been appointed to the Reston Association Board of Directors by Category B members as the Apartment Owners’ representative. Perry, who previously served on the Board as the Hunters Woods/Dogwood District representative, officially joined the Board effective October 19. She will complete the term of Mike Collins, who resigned from the Board in September.” [RA]
Record Turnout for Mount Vernon Bicycle Ride — “Ideal fall weather conditions prevailed Oct. 21 for the 2023 Tour de Mount Vernon bike ride, which…allowed cyclists to ride on the temporarily shut down southern George Washington Memorial Parkway. Around 550 cyclists signed up for the eighth annual event, according to Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck’s office — the largest turnout to date.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Tuesday — Frost is expected to clear before 10am, leading to a sunny day with a high around 67 degrees. Calm winds will pick up to 5-8 mph from the south in the morning. Tuesday night will be clear with a low near 47 degrees and a gentle 6 mph south wind. [Weather.gov]
In what has become a common theme in local real estate, the developer of Discovery Square in the Dulles area is seeking to shift the final piece of its development from office space to mixed-use residential.
Potomac Land Group III LLC is seeking Fairfax County’s permission to build townhouses and retail instead of offices, retail and surface parking.
Called Discovery Square South, the project is located in the northwest corner of Centreville and Wall roads as part of Lincoln Property Co.’s redevelopment of the area east of Route 28 and Dulles International Airport.
The remaining 8 acres of the 67-acre project have been vacant for 16 years due to “market changes and economic conditions,” according to the Oct. 16 application.
“The proposal will allow for contextually appropriate development that will fit into the fabric of the existing community, reduce impacts from the currently approved development, provide additional housing options in this part of Fairfax County, and deliver a quality, retail component to serve the surrounding community,” a statement of justification for the application states.
According to the application, the developer proposes to build 43 townhouses, four live/work units, and 29,000 square feet of retail on the site.
An existing 50-foot buffer along Centreville Road will remain, and the streetscape along Yeager Drive would be continued. Usable open spaces for events and gatherings are also planned, taking up approximately 32% of the property.
The county originally approved the Discovery Square development in 2007, allowing up to 1,159 multi-family residential units, 107,350 square feet of retail and 650,600 square feet of office use across 66.9 acres.
According to the Washington Business Journal, which first reported the new application, the development plan was previously tweaked in 2015 to replace three office buildings with townhomes and what would become the Sully Community Center.
The proposal is in the early stages of the county’s approval process and has not yet been accepted for review.
Image via Google Maps
The mental health crisis is costing the Northern Virginia region $8 billion a year in unrealized economic output, according to a new report from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia.
The report from the foundation’s research arm, Insight Region, found that the economic loss caused by mental health has quadrupled since 2019, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020.
In 2019, worker mental health issues cost the region about 1% in productivity – the equivalent of $2.1 billion – in potential gross regional product (GRP). About 11% of working adults were experiencing mild anxiety or depression in that timeframe.
However, during the pandemic, more than half of all workers reported levels of anxiety or depression. As of May 2023, that statistic held with 53% of the workforce struggling.
The elevated levels of mental health needs caused productivity losses to increase by 2.1 percentage points – or over $8 billion in potential GRP each year, according to the report.
Millions of Americans exited the workforce over the last three years, and one in four blamed their departure on mental health, the report says. That lost employment negatively impacts more than just the worker and their family.
“It also affects team members who must compensate for the lost output; employers who bear the cost of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new staff; and the local economy in unrealized gross regional product,” the report said.
Most workers with anxiety and depression stay on the job, meaning some of the lost productivity can be attributed to absenteeism and presenteeism – or an employee who is technically on the job but not engaged. This lack of engagement can often result in procrastination and missed deadlines.
Overall, for every worker with a mental health need, their team can expect total productivity to decline by 5% to 13%, or two to five lost hours in a 40-hour work week, according to the report.
“These behaviors can lead to a precipitous decline in productivity, at rates far higher than other conditions,” the report said.
The Community Foundation collaborated on the research with George Mason University. Keith Waters, assistant director at the university’s Center for Regional Analysis, presented the findings [earlier this month] during an event at the foundation’s headquarters in Fairfax.
Waters said the research showed that as mental health issues become more severe, so do productivity losses.
“As you go from sort of no mental health issues to more severe mental health issues, your productivity losses become more severe, you miss work more and then your presenteeism issues become more severe,” he added.
Waters noted that measuring productivity loss is difficult, especially in the professional and business services industries, which saw the greatest economic losses. Almost half of those workers reported struggling with mental health, with that industry recording a $2.3 billion loss in 2022.
The report noted that sectors with the highest level of need — including education and health services, trade, transportation and utilities — had rates of anxiety and depression in excess of 60% and also saw heavy losses in productivity.
Waters said if workers were more productive, the state would collect more taxes and be better equipped to support mental health needs.
“It would improve quality of life generally because you could provide other support,” he said.
To address the increase in anxiety and depression, the report says understanding the causes is imperative.
The report lists burnout at work and home and income insecurity as examples of stressors that contribute to anxiety and depression. And inadequate social support and self-support can contribute to a diminished ability to cope with those stresses.
“An individual’s ability to cope with stressors plays a crucial role in their mental health and is influenced in part by the strength and quality of their relationships (including those individuals’ ability to talk about and respond to a mental health challenge) and the individual’s ability to care for their own wellbeing,” the report reads.
Suggestions in addressing the mental health needs of workers include employers tackling mental health challenges through employee support programs and changes to workplace culture and policies.
“Helping workers minimize and manage stress – not just from occupational burnout, but from the strain of also being a parent, provider, student and caregiver – could be key to enhancing the region’s economic competitiveness,” the report states.
Photo via Elisa Ventur/Unsplash. This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
