Reston Hospital Center opened the doors to its newly expanded inpatient rehabilitation facility yesterday (Thursday).
The upgrade includes an increase of 12 rooms, a second private gym, upgraded dining areas, and additional rehabilitation equipment. According to Reston Hospital Center, the equipment allows the hospital to integrate 40 new therapies and onboard 30 staff members.
The facility now has 30 beds and provides services for individuals to transfer from the emergency room to inpatient hospital units.
“This Inpatient Rehab expansion is a significant step in Reston Hospital’s overall growth plan and in our sustained commitment to offer advanced, high-quality healthcare services to our patients,” Reston Hospital Center CEO John Deardorff said.
Here’s more from HCA Virginia Health System, the hospital’s parent company, on the changes:
Each patient receives an individualized rehabilitation plan specific to their needs. All therapy sessions occur one-on-one and each patient receives a minimum of three hours of therapy five days per week provided by a licensed physical, occupational, and/or speech therapist. An integrated therapy system has been added as a multidisciplinary tool that combines all three therapy disciplines (PT/OT/ST) to assist with improving cognition, vision, balance, and motor skills.
The Inpatient Rehabilitation Center also offers neurological rehabilitation, orthopedic rehabilitation, prosthetic training, and family training to ease reentry into the community.
“We focus on everyday activities with patients and help them navigate real-life situations. We will visit the gift shop or hospital cafe to practice money management, specifically for patients following stroke or brain injury, or visit the library with a patient who enjoys checking out books,” said Sarah Marshall, director of rehabilitation services.
Rehabilitation can also involve coordinating with the hospital’s pet therapy volunteers to allow patients to practice dog walking during sessions for functional dynamic balance and gait training. In the private gym, an aerial track system that can accommodate two patients working on simultaneous dynamic balance activities complements the existing gait and balance system.
The facility also includes booth seating in the dining room to provide areas for patients to train and educate if a patient were to dine at a restaurant.
“We have an extraordinary team of registered nurses, patient care technicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, case managers, and on-site physicians to enhance care for all patients,” Marshall said. “We are equipped to mimic a patient’s lifestyle and hobbies, including field trips to the grocery store, Reston Town Center, and restaurants as well as providing onsite therapy and training to the patient and family/caregivers for a confident transition back into the community.”
A ribbon cutting was held on Wednesday (March 1).
Fairfax Connector could be free for all children ages 12 and under.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation’s current policy is kids under 5 years old do not need to pay a fare. The new policy would extend that to all children under 12.
Older children can already get a free student bus pass: all Fairfax County middle and high school students can ride on all Fairfax County routes and some Metrobus routes for free between 5 a.m.-10 p.m. with a student bus pass. The transportation department said in a presentation the change would “close a gap” in the county’s fare-free policy for kids.
Those children would still obviously need to be accompanied by a fare-paying adult to receive a free fare.
In a presentation, the Department of Transportation said there are several potential benefits to the change.
- Closes the gap in fare-free travel for children between ages 5-12
- Increases accessibility and removes barriers to travel for parents. Especially beneficial for trips to access medical or social services
- This change will help children become acclimated to using public transit from an early age thereby creating increased transportation alternatives
FCDOT is collecting feedback on the proposed change until next Friday, March 10.
The policy change is scheduled to be presented to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on April 11. If approved, it would take effect on April 30.
Fairfax Connector launched a pilot last month allowing low-income riders to get half-price fares.
GW Parkway Will Be Closed on Sunday — “The northbound lanes of the GW Parkway will be closed this Sunday between Spout Run in Arlington and Chain Bridge Road in McLean. The closure, from about 6 a.m.-4 p.m., is for the removal of ‘an abandoned vehicle that is below the road near the Potomac River.'” [ARLnow]
Alexandria Man Found Guilty in Springfield Killing — “A 28-year-old man who fled to Ethiopia after the killing of a young couple in Virginia was convicted for a second time in connection with the December 2016 deaths, authorities announced Thursday. Yohannes Nessibu was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in the shooting of 22-year-old Henok Yohannes.” [The Washington Post]
Reston Station Signs New Commercial Tenants — “Comstock Holding Companies Inc. (NASDAQ: CHCI) has signed both government contractor CACI International Inc. (NYSE: CACI) and The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State for its Commerce District of Reston Station development at 11400 Commerce Park Drive.” The 10-year leases are for 41,000 square feet for CACI and 34,560 square feet for Penn State. [Washington Business Journal]
Proposed Emissions Waiver for Data Centers Criticized — “Dozens of residents and nonprofit environmental representatives from across the region descended upon the [Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s]…office in Woodbridge to oppose the temporary variance.” The proposal would suspend air emissions rules from mid-March to July 31 so data centers in Prince William, Loudoun and Fairfax counties can “run approximately 4,000 diesel generators to power its facilities in the event of a power grid failure.” [Inside NoVA]
County’s School Age Child Care and Teen Centers Add 3D Printers — “Makerbot Sketch 3D printers were installed at 144 SACC centers in February 2023. In addition, all 13 NCS Technology Centers now offer Makerbot 3D printers, providing expanded access to the same technology for students, families and other community members.” [NCS]
Metrorail Ridership Hits High for Pandemic — “Transit officials announced on Twitter that about 318,000 trips were taken Wednesday on Metrorail, which is 5,500 more than Metro’s previous pandemic-era high on Oct. 12. Metro also recorded at least three days last month that were among the 10 highest ridership days since the start of the pandemic.” [The Washington Post]
Economic Development Leader Honored by White House — “Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, was honored to receive a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from The White House because of his lifelong commitment to building a strong nation through volunteering…He was presented with the recognition by Elisha Pulivarti, CEO, U.S. India SME Council, on Feb 28, 2023, at University of North America in Fairfax.” [FCEDA]
Annandale Private School Nears Finish on Expansion — “After undergoing a major renovation and expansion, the Oakwood School in Annandale will be able to serve more students. The private school…focuses on specialized instructional methods for students with learning disabilities who struggled in their previous school. The expansion project is about 95 percent complete, says Head of School Lane McIntyre.” [Annandale Today]
Walkinshaw Launches Reelection Campaign — “James Walkinshaw officially announced that he is running for re-election as the Braddock District’s representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors…Walkinshaw, who launched his re-election campaign in Annandale on Sunday, was joined by more than 100 supporters and constituents.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Rain throughout the day. High of 61 and low of 38. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 6:04 pm. [Weather.gov]
Ever since Loudoun Composting closed its yard waste facility last June, the Town of Herndon has been on the look for a new regional partner to process its organic materials.
At a Herndon Town Council work session on Feb. 21, the town formalized an agreement with Prince William County to sent its waste to a compost facility in Manassas.
The facility has been owned by Prince William since 1994, and the composting portion is operated by a private company through a contract with the county.
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors approved the agreement on Jan. 17. The county has similar agreements with Arlington and Fairfax counties.
“This is to essentially make it a more formal agreement,” said Tammy Chastain, deputy director of Herndon’s public works department.
Chastain said the town has been shifting its organic materials since July. The Loudoun facility closed because the property it was located on was sold.
The cost of the service will depend on the amount of yard waste picked up from residents, Chastain said. She noted that the cost of the Prince William facility is comparable to the cost of the Loudoun facility.
“Even though we go a little bit further, I think the cost is pretty darn close,” Chastain said.
Northern Virginia leaders are taking steps to assist victims of the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria in early February.
In an effort organized by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), elected leaders plan to announce a local aid program to collect funds that will be used to purchase food packages for those affected by the disaster.
In a release, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay said the profound loss of life in Turkey and Syria is heartbreaking.
”But I’m proud to be a part of a community that rallies together to help those in need both regionally and internationally,” McKay said.
The goal is to raise $25,000, according to NVRC Executive Director Robert Lazaro Jr. The money will be used to purchase more than eight tons of food. Each package contains 30 pounds of food and costs $45.
“We are working with [the nongovernmental organization Embrace Relief] that is purchasing food packages in Turkey which in turn are distributed to area residents,” Lazaro said in a release.
NVRC Chair John Chapman said residents and businesses have always stepped up to help those in need. Previously, the region collaborated on a winter clothes drive that sent tons of blankets, coats, socks and gloves to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.
“This time is no different. I urge folks to visit the website to make a donation to provide food to those families tragically impacted by the earthquake,” said Chapman.
Members of Fairfax County’s Virginia Task Force 1 search and rescue team were deployed to Turkey and Syria after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit on Feb. 6, killing thousands of people and displacing millions. As of yesterday (Wednesday), the death toll reached roughly 51,000 people.
The task force, which was part of a national response team assembled by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), returned to Fairfax County on Feb. 20 after 11 days of searching for survivors.
Leaders will officially announce the program at the Fairfax County Government Center Forum on Friday (March 3) at 3 p.m. In the meantime, the commission has set up a link to collect donations for the victims.
Photo via VA-TF1/Twitter
(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) A law clerk and former D.C. police officer who also coaches freshman football at Herndon High School has launched a primary challenge against Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid.
Kelvin Garcia announced yesterday (Wednesday) that he will campaign for the Democratic nomination, positioning himself as a more progressive alternative to Kincaid.
Kincaid confirmed to FFXnow in December that she will seek reelection. She became the county’s first female sheriff when she initially took office after winning a special election in 2013.
“To me, there are two sides right now to the Democratic Party on the ballot this year,” Garcia said, as reported by the Washington Post. “There’s the old-world moderate and the progressive who wants to build a future for everyone.”
In addition to serving as an assistant freshman football coach for the Herndon Hornets, Garcia works as a law clerk for the firm Liberty Legal LC after spending a decade as a D.C. police officer from 2008 to 2019, according to his LinkedIn page.
According to the Post, Garcia decided to campaign for sheriff based on concerns about Kincaid’s management of the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, stating that he would make the first 30 minutes of inmates’ phone calls to family members free and house individuals based on their gender identity rather than sex.
The sheriff’s office currently classifies inmates based on their genitals.
A transgender woman sued the sheriff’s office in November 2020, alleging that she experienced discrimination and harassment while incarcerated at the county jail. A federal appeals court panel ruled in August that gender dysphoria is a condition protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, allowing the lawsuit to continue.
In a press release issued today (Thursday), Garcia said the county needs to “invest in people as they leave our facilities to break the revolving door that brings them right back” into the criminal justice system.
“Our system has let too many people fall through the cracks for far too long, and these problems start at the top,” Garcia said. “It’s time for a fresh perspective in Fairfax County — a perspective that will support every member of our community and leave no one behind. I’ll be honored to lead that effort.”
The primary election will be held on June 20, with general elections on Nov. 7.
Fairfax Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking — “According to court documents, in March and April 2022, Calvin Ray Brown, 50, and a co-conspirator sold counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl to a Fairfax County Police Department confidential source and undercover detective on multiple occasions…Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26.” [DOJ]
Drive-Thru Taco Bell Proposed in Fairfax — “Planning commissioners expressed concerns about a pre-application proposal Monday evening from ABTB Mid-Atlantic, LLC to construct a Taco Bell restaurant with a drive-thru in the Boulevard Marketplace Shopping Center…Some commissioners said the new Taco Bell would likely experience the same traffic and parking issues already observed at similar drive-thru restaurants along Fairfax Boulevard.” [Patch]
Expansion Planned for Annandale Power Substation — Dominion Energy wants to upgrade and expand the Westcott Substation in Holmes Run Stream Valley Park. The project will replace “outdated equipment” with new technology that will help the utility company respond faster to outages and support “distributed energy resources, such as home solar panels, electric vehicle charging, and battery storage.” [Annandale Today]
State Lawmakers Still See Path for Underground Utilities on Route 1 — “State Senator Scott Surovell and his counterpart in the House of Delegates, Paul Krizek, have not given up on the possibility of getting utilities undergrounded along the Route 1 corridor as part of the Richmond Highway widening and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system projects.” [On the MoVe]
Cherry Blossoms Peak Bloom Predicted — “The cherry blossoms surrounding the Tidal Basin will reach peak bloom from March 22 to 25, 2023, the National Park Service announced Wednesday at a National Cherry Blossom Festival press conference…The National Cherry Blossom Festival will take place from March 20 to April 16.” [Washingtonian]
Lake Accotink Maintenance to Begin Mid-March — The Fairfax County Park Authority will remove debris from the dam’s spillway and replace flashboards that “control water flow through the spillway…The replacement of the flashboards, expected to begin in early April following the debris removal, will require FCPA to lower the lake surface elevation by approximately 2 feet” to complete the project by Memorial Day weekend. [FCPA]
State Education Superintendent Steps Down — “Jillian Balow has resigned as Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction, without providing a reason…Balow’s tenure was marked by controversy, especially regarding the ongoing revision of the state’s curriculum standards for history and social studies.” [The Washington Post]
Reston Startup Targets Software Updates — “A local cybersecurity startup wants to take the anxiety out of running updates to computer software. Trackd, a Reston company founded last year by a former National Security Agency network engineer, has emerged…with a software of its own that helps companies identify if an update, or patch, will cause disruptions to their networks.” [DC Inno]
FCPS Job Fair for Teachers Coming This Weekend — “We are searching for educators with strong academic backgrounds and a passion for making a difference. To meet hiring needs in instructional areas, we are hosting an in-person job fair at Oakton High School on Saturday, March 4, 2023 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.).” [FCPS]
It’s Thursday — Light rain in the morning. High of 64 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:41 am and sunset at 6:03 pm. [Weather.gov]
Several locations linked to African American history in Fairfax County could be eligible to be designated as historic places.
Those buildings and neighborhoods include the Louise Archer School, the Tinner Hill neighborhood and Clifton Primitive Baptist Church. Along with other candidates, they appear in a draft African American Historic Resources Survey Report, which was released on Feb. 23.
The county is looking for residents to share their thoughts on the report ahead of its final version, anticipated late this spring.
“We’re looking for feedback on the historical context and properties as written in the report,” Leanna O’Donnell, planning division director at the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
Residents who want to weigh in on the report can do so through Friday, March 24. There will also be a virtual community meeting on the report’s findings at 6:30 p.m. on Monday (March 6).
“Any feedback will be taken into consideration as we finalize the report and help identify properties that could be nominated for inclusion in Fairfax County’s Inventory of Historic Sites, the Virginia Landmarks Register or the National Register of Historic Places,” O’Donnell wrote.
The survey report furthers the work of the African American History Inventory, a database of resources related to the county’s African American culture and history. That inventory came to be following an October 2020 motion from a commissioner on the Fairfax County History Commission.
In 2021, the county received funding through the Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ Cost Share Grant Program to support the current study.
The report includes historical information about African Americans in present-day Fairfax County, starting in the 1600s. It also features photos and descriptions of buildings and communities surveyed, as well as preliminary recommendations.
For example, the entry on Louise Archer Elementary School includes a description of the building’s location, its exterior and the surrounding area of Vienna, along with pictures of the building and some historical context.
“The evolved building is the third purpose-built school for African Americans in Vienna,” the report says. “Once Fairfax County schools began to integrate, Louise Archer School was the only formerly Black elementary school to integrate and remain open.”
The report calls the school “a strong candidate for NRHP listing.”
Of the sites not already listed, Lane’s Mill in Centreville and Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield were deemed eligible for the national register. Other potential candidates include McLean’s Chesterbrook Baptist Church, Clifton Primitive Baptist Church, Quander Road School in Belle Haven, and the Tinner Hill neighborhood in Falls Church.
The Gum Springs area was the only part of the county excluded from the survey. That area is “part of a more intensive survey effort focusing specifically on this prominent African American community,” according to a county press release.
The county has also moved to honor Black and African American history with new historical markers, selected late last year.
State Sen. Janet Howell will retire from the Virginia General Assembly after representing a significant swath of northern Fairfax County for over 30 years.
Rumors that Howell wasn’t planning to pursue another term began circulating during Virginia’s 2021 redistricting process, which paired her with Sen. Jennifer Boysko — a more junior Democrat currently representing the 33rd District — in the newly created 38th Senate District.
Now, at 78 years old, Howell has officially announced that she won’t seek reelection this year, meaning her three-decade tenure in the State Senate will conclude with her current term on Jan. 10, 2024.
In a statement first reported yesterday (Tuesday) by independent journalist Brandon Jarvis and shared today in a newsletter to supporters, Howell said she believes she has accomplished “most” of her legislative goals over her 32 years of service and now hopes to spend more time with her husband, including for travel.
“My focus has always been on education, from preschool through graduate school, and on helping our neighbors in need,” she wrote. “We have made great progress — yet much more must be done.”
State Senator Janet Howell (D) will not be seeking re-election this year. Her statement is below pic.twitter.com/WM2rKTRIO5
— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) February 28, 2023
Howell first took office in 1992 as senator for District 32, which encompassed Reston, Tysons, Wolf Trap, northern Chantilly and portions of McLean and Arlington County.
Second in seniority only to Sen. Dick Saslaw, who announced retirement plans last week, Howell is the longest-serving woman currently in the State Senate. When Democrats took control of the chamber in 2019, she became one of its most powerful members as the new chair of the influential finance committee, the first woman to hold that position.
According to her office, Howell views her top accomplishments as:
Guiding the budget to significantly increase funding for education and mental health services; reforming family violence laws; passing the first in the nation genetic privacy legislation; receiving national child advocate of the year award from American Academy of Pediatrics for increasing vaccinations.
In the wake of her retirement news, colleagues and the Fairfax County Democratic Committee lauded Howell as a “champion” for education, women’s rights and health care.
Congratulations on a great career Janet Howell! I enjoyed my 10 session serving down the hall from you, and being your constituent for most of your 32 year career. pic.twitter.com/ycYASrbTV4
— Marcus Simon (@marcussimon) February 28, 2023
Thank you Sen. Janet Howell for your more than 30 years of service to Fairfax and Virginia. A champion of families, education and health care, and the longest-serving female legislator in Virginia–we will miss you and wish you the best! pic.twitter.com/0xV4wEthjO
— Fairfax Democrats (@FairfaxDems) February 28, 2023
Senator Janet Howell has been an unmatched champion for Pre-K and K-12, is a calming voice of reason in our Caucus when things get heated, a passionate advocate for women's rights, our budget leader & a consummate team player who will be deeply missed by @VASenateDems https://t.co/f2cjBoME8G
— Senator Scott Surovell (@ssurovell) February 28, 2023
Howell joins a slate of at least 16 incumbent state legislators so far opting out of another term, including three others who represent parts of Fairfax County: Saslaw, Reston’s longtime delegate Ken Plum, and McLean delegate Kathleen Murphy.
Though she hasn’t made an official announcement yet, Boysko’s campaign has filed finance reports indicating she will seek election in the new District 38. Her office didn’t return a request for comment by publication time.
On the Republican side, military veteran Matt Lang will attempt to win the seat after unsuccessfully challenging Plum in 2021.
With each party putting forward just one candidate, primaries won’t be needed for this district. The general election on Nov. 7 will have an extensive ballot, with all 140 General Assembly seats, Fairfax County supervisors, the school board, and commonwealth’s attorney up for grabs.
This month marks the third anniversary of the first Covid case in Fairfax County, and the Board of Supervisors has voted to bring the state of emergency to a close.
The emergency declaration that has been in place since March 17, 2020 officially ends today (Wednesday).
The declaration provided increased flexibility and resources to address public health issues. The county said in a release there will be no direct impact of the declaration ending on the county’s operational responses, which were already scaled back in December.
The county’s relaxed policies on outdoor dining and using speakers for activities will continue until March 2024.
The days of saving up loose change to pay the Dulles Toll Road’s fees are officially in the past.
Effective today (Wednesday), the 14-mile highway also known as Route 237 has converted to an all-electronic, cashless payment system, joining the network of express lanes that criss-cross Northern Virginia.
“Eliminating cash toll collection is expected to speed traffic flow and benefit the environment by reducing emissions that would have been produced by vehicles waiting in toll-booth lines,” the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates the road, said in a news release.
All coin baskets have now been deactivated.
The MWAA Board of Directors approved the plan to transition away from coin payments on Nov. 16. At that same meeting, the board also increased fees on the Dulles Toll Road for the first time in five years, a hike that took effect on Jan. 1.
Under the new system, payments can be made with an E-Z Pass or mobile apps. Drivers who don’t have an E-Z Pass transponder will be identified by their license plate and get an invoice mailed to them.
For those who “pay by plate,” two-axle vehicles will be charged $5.60 at the toll road’s main plaza and $3.60 on the ramps. That rate includes a $1.60 administrative fee that state law permits MWAA to collect “to recover the costs of pay-by-plate transactions.”
The fees can be paid online before or after an invoice arrives.
Fees are slightly lower for E-Z Pass users at $4 for the main plaza and $2 for the ramps, since they don’t have to pay the administrative fee.
According to MWAA, about 2% or 726,367 Dulles Toll Road transactions were paid by cash in 2022. The authority had already removed many toll booths to create E-Z Pass express lanes in 2019, and manual toll collections ceased in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dulles Toll Road stretches from Route 28 by the Dulles International Airport in the west to the Capital Beltway near Tysons to the east.
Toll revenue goes toward the highway’s operating and maintenance costs, while also funding construction of Metro’s Silver Line, which launched service from Reston to Ashburn on Nov. 15.
Child Care Enrollment Starts Next Week — “Registration for 2023-2024 Fairfax County School Age Child Care (SACC) will begin on March 9. Registration will open on a rolling basis in alphabetical order by school…The SACC School Year Program…offers before- and afterschool care for children attending kindergarten through sixth grade in most Fairfax County public elementary schools and several community centers.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
Couple Found Dead in Fairfax Home — Fairfax County police are conducting a death investigation after an adult man and woman were found dead in a home on the 8900 block of Walker Street. Police believe preliminarily that the “elderly couple” died in a murder-suicide incident. [FCPD/Twitter]
Judge Drops Murder Charge in Hybla Valley Fatal Shooting — “At a preliminary hearing Feb. 7 the prosecutor called only one witness, the responding police officer, and the judge dropped the charges, saying not enough evidence was presented.” The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney plans to seek a grand jury indictment that could reinstate the second-degree murder and firearm charges once forensic results are available. [NBC4]
Beer Garden Coming to Annandale Shopping Center — “The last empty storefront at the EastGate Square shopping center on John Marr Drive is going to be a beer garden. That was confirmed by workers fixing up the interior space.” Home to The Block food hall, the center is being eyed for a partial redevelopment that could add housing. [Annandale Today]
Metro Will Take Three Years to Fix Trains — “Metro says it is planning to re-press all 5,984 wheels on its 7000-series trains, a process that will take an estimated three years and cost about $55 million.” The transit agency has been slowly returning the trains to service after removing them following a derailment in Arlington in October 2021. [DCist]
Vienna Town Council Won’t Halt Sidewalk Project — “On Monday, Councilmember Nisha Patel proposed stopping any more engineering studies on the final design of sidewalk on the even number side of Melody Lane SW. Patel cited a resident petition against the sidewalk on the even side of Melody Lane mentioning concerns of drainage issues, safety and potential impacts to trees.” [Patch]
Couple Behind Braddock Community Center Honored — County leaders, community members and relatives gathered on Monday to celebrate the late James and Marguerite Mott. “According to the Post, the Motts began their activism after they were turned away from picnicking at Lake Fairfax Park in 1965. They subsequently sued in U.S. District Court in Alexandria and won equal access to county facilities for Black people.” [NCS]
Tysons Communication Company Faces Federal Scrutiny — “Tysons TV station owner Tegna Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) says it is ‘currently evaluating its options’ after the Federal Communications Commission asked its administrative court to review the media company’s proposed $5.4 billion purchase by hedge fund Standard General on antitrust grounds.” [Washington Business Journal]
Bill to Notify Schools of Employee Arrests Reaches Governor — “A Virginia bill that would require police to notify schools when educators are arrested is now awaiting Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature. Its passage follows an incident involving a Fairfax County middle school counselor who remained on the job, months after his arrest connected to child sex crimes.” [WTOP]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 58 and low of 35. Sunrise at 6:42 am and sunset at 6:02 pm. [Weather.gov]
The long-awaited redevelopment of Reston’s Golf Course Plaza office building near Isaac Newton Square is going to remain a reality only on paper for a while longer.
The project is being delayed once again due to “market changes” that have required the landowner Golf Course Plaza LLC to secure new financing, attorney Shane Murphy said in a Feb. 12 letter to Fairfax County Zoning Evaluation Division Director Suzanne Wright.
First reported by the Washington Business Journal, the letter asks the county to confirm if commercial uses can resume in the building at 11480 Sunset Hills Road while the redevelopment remains on hold.
“The Landowner intends to continue the previously-established commercial office and private school/day care facility uses on the Property,” Murphy wrote. “Tenants have been identified and have asked the Landowner to provide zoning confirmation prior to seeking the requisite Non-Residential Use Permits.”
A redevelopment plan for the 3-acre parcel next to the Hidden Creek Golf Course was submitted to the county in 2016. The proposal sought to replace the existing three-story office building and accompanying parking lot with a 392,600-square-foot, 413-unit multifamily residential building.
However, that plan stalled in 2017 and didn’t reemerge until 2019, when the developer requested that the number of units be reduced to 300.
Approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 24, 2019, the project seemed ready to move forward, with all commercial tenants vacating the office building in September 2021. Golf Course Overlook, as the development is called, had even applied for demolition and construction permits, most recently in April 2022.
The letter doesn’t specify what “subsequent market changes” necessitated another delay, but it argues that the county’s zoning ordinance allows old land uses no longer permitted under a site’s approved zoning to continue as long as they ceased operating less than two years ago.
Tenants who vacated the office building included The Callan Law Firm, Bar-T daycare and Berthold Academy, a private Montessori school that relocated to Herndon but has since permanently closed.
Murphy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from FFXnow, but his letter indicates that the newly identified tenants will be similar to the previous ones.
“The timing of this occupancy is particularly critical because most schools begin their scholastic programs in the late Summer months, meaning the tenants need to quickly perform necessary improvements to the interior space to prepare for student occupancy,” he wrote.
While the Golf Course Overlook project is in limbo, the redevelopment of Isaac Newton Square to the east is still advancing. Some low-rise buildings in the 32-acre office park have been demolished, and a plan for the first piece — a 345-unit apartment building — was filed with the county in January.
To the west, the Hidden Creek Golf Course will remain after the Board of Supervisors rejected proposed comprehensive plan amendments that would’ve opened up both of Reston’s golf courses to redevelopment.
The traffic safety advocacy group Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (Fairfax FSS) says the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is primarily to blame for Fairfax County’s high pedestrian fatality count last year.
The Safe Streets Report compiled by Fairfax FSS examines the crashes that resulted in 32 pedestrian fatalities and 53 serious injuries in 2022. Like the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) earlier report, Fairfax FFS found that the county saw a dramatic increase in fatalities and serious injuries last year from any other year going back to 2010 — the first year where data is available.
The median count for pedestrian fatalities in Fairfax County was 13, but there were over twice as many in 2022.
Fairfax FSS lays the blame at underfunding for pedestrian-focused projects in its report:
Years of underfunding of critical projects and lack of sufficient attention to pedestrian safety in new projects and development has led to increasing systemic risk for pedestrian safety. Safety is more important than speed. Particular attention is needed to provide safety in identified high risk corridors. While we applaud increased commitment for future funding, the proposed levels are insufficient to reduce today’s risk.
Most of that frustration was directed at VDOT, which controls the majority of the county’s roadways.
According to the report:
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), as the primary agency with authority for road infrastructure design and maintenance throughout Fairfax County, bears significant responsibility for the safety of pedestrians. The high number and increasing trend of pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries indicates that VDOT has not sufficiently prioritized pedestrian safety, lacks an understanding of the current risks to pedestrians, and/or has operationally failed a basic safety responsibility. Fairfax FSS requests VDOT leadership evaluate its culture, organizational structure, and operations to ensure that pedestrian safety is appropriately elevated and integrated throughout VDOT.
The report also said Virginia’s criminal code is too lenient on drivers who crash into and kill pedestrians. Of the 32 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, only five crashes saw the drivers charged with a felony. One case was finalized, with the driver pleading guilty to a misdemeanor. Four others remain pending.
Four drivers were charged with misdemeanors. One was reduced to an infraction, one was found not guilty, and another was abandoned without prosecution. The last case remains pending. One driver was charged with an infraction.
“The report also highlights the lack of consequences in Virginia’s criminal code when drivers who crash into and kill pedestrians (many of whom had the legal right of way in a crosswalk) receive de minimis financial fines, no points and rarely jail time of any sort,” the release said.
Fairfax FSS said local residents should expect more from their local and state elected officials when it comes to pedestrian safety.
“Each pedestrian fatality and serious injury is preventable,” the release said. “Our local and state elected leaders along with transportation officials need to demonstrate a greater level of commitment and urgency in implementing comprehensive and effective solutions. Making greater investment today will save lives tomorrow.”
Work on establishing a new economic vision for the Lake Anne area is underway.
In collaboration with consulting firm Streetsense, the county is currently courting feedback via a public survey on economic visioning for the Lake Anne Commercial Revitation Area, an area that was designated as a possible hotspot for commercial revitalization in 1998.
The survey comes after Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn jumpstarted an effort to establish a vision for the area.
“The goal is to develop a market appropriate, aspirational economic vision that builds on the historic and unique characteristics of the Lake Anne area,” the survey says.
In a letter distributed to area residents and stakeholders, Alcorn stressed that the purpose is to build consensus around the vision for the area.
“Both the supervisor and county staff have no preconceived ideas about specific outcomes but hope that it is a vision that combines an understanding of the local market with the interest of the Lake Anne community,” the letter said.
The survey, which is open through March 10, is public and open to all.
Streetsense is working on a multi-month study as part of its work on the vision. It will include community engagement with residents an business owners, including virtual listening sessions by the media consulting firm.
A half-day, in-person workshop is also planned for April to develop a program of uses and experiences that define the Lake Anne story.
The consultant is expected to present findings from the public engagement phase in May, prior to publishing its final report, which is slated to come forward in early June.
