(Updated 12:20 p.m.) Reston is home for Charles and Julie McCool, but more often than not you’ll find them on the road.

The Reston couple runs the travel blogs McCool Travel and Fun in Fairfax VA. Charles’ blog is dedicated to maximum travel with minimum expenses. Charles currently has 21,594 followers on Twitter, while Julie has 12,057 followers.

Emailing from a chair once occupied by Jimmy Buffet in Pascagoula, Charles shared some travel tips for Restonians hoping to see the world on a shoestring budget.

Charles said he worked in a cubicle office space in downtown Washington D.C. until 2.5 years ago. Since then, Charles says he’s been traveling full-time and working remotely.

“My personal budget was tight so I heavily researched ways to stretch my dollar but optimize my travel opportunities,” said Charles. “This year my wife and I have flown to Copenhagen and Ecuador for free (using credit card points).”

Charles also notes on the blog that links in the articles may be affiliate links which pay a commission, and that the site is an affiliate of Amazon’s advertising program, meaning the site earns advertising fees for links to Amazon.

Recent features on the McCool Travel blog include dining recommendations around Gettysburg and website recommendations to help prepare for trips. Julie McCool’s blog features more local free outings, like Ten Free and Fun things in Washington D.C.

One of Charles’ top recommendations is for travelers to be flexible.

“Being flexible is my number one rule of travel,” said Charles. “When someone locks in the idea of taking a certain trip at a certain time, that inflexibility often leads to higher prices. For instance, going to Disney World in mid-June (after school is out) or the Caribbean for Spring Break; those are peak travel experiences. Being flexible means, in these cases, maybe doing a road trip to US National Parks.”

On some of the more bare-bones trips, Charles says little touches like getting food from grocery stores instead of fine restaurants can help make a difference in the travel budget.

On a post about lodging, Charles recommends looking for house-sitting opportunities, volunteering, or working at a place that offers residence. Charles noted that farms, lighthouses, and resorts can all offer lodging for work in off-seasons.

If you have to pay for lodging, Charles says identifying which locations offer breakfast can help reduce meal costs, and inquiring about a refrigerator to store groceries can reduce that further.

Charles said his next big trip planned won’t be until a June cruise, but he’s looking into bicycling from Houston to Key West in March or April.

“You do not have to invent, or re-invent, the wheel,” said Charles. “No matter where you want to go, and how you want to do it, there is undoubtedly someone who has already done so (and most likely has a travel blog to talk about it). General suggestions include reading various travel blogs and websites (like mine), be involved in Facebook and Twitter discussions, find people doing what you want to do and ask them for advice.”

Photo via Twitter

(Updated 3 p.m.) Gabe Aparicio, a 9-year-old Reston student, has been working on a project that involved 3D printing for space technology and had some questions. So who better to ask than a board of NASA experts?

A photo of Aparicio asking a question at a Nov. 29 meeting regarding commercial space traffic was NASA’s featured “Photo of the Day”.

“It was a really great opportunity to hear about the technology he only normally sees in movies,” said Sam Aparicio, Gabe’s father.  “It was quite a treat.”

Aparicio is a member of the “BrainStorm Troopers”, a team of students at the Nova Lab Robotics in Reston. The labs are a maker space in Isaac Newton Square that, among other activities, runs programs that help children learn about science and technology.

Laura Carey, one of the co-coaches for the team, said the name was chosen by the avid Star Wars fans in the group.

The BrainStorm Troopers are one of the Nova Lab Robotics teams working in the FIRST Lego League, a challenge for students ages 9-11 built around designing robotics with legos to combat a certain challenge. This year, BrainStorm Troopers’ challenge was called Into Orbit, tasking students with identifying challenges humans would face in deep space exploration and work on devising a solution.

“They use the Legos to build robots,” said Marybeth Haneline, President of Nova Labs. “For their research question they looked at 3D printing in space, so [Gabe] asked NASA about 3D printing.”

Haneline said students at Nova Labs Robotics were some of several teams throughout the region invited to NASA’s discussion of delivery of commercial payloads to the moon’s surface.

“They have been working all season long to understand what is the role of 3D printing in space exploration,” said Sam Aparicio. “It was really cool for him and his teammates to get validation that this is an area of great interest for NASA engineers. That was one of the highlights of the event.”

Sam Aparicio said Gabe’s involvement with BrainTroopers has not only been fun for a child who loves building with Legos but has also helped shape skills outside of science and technology.

“I’ve been enjoying seeing how this can translate into real-world problem solving,” said Sam Aparicio. “I think one of the big things, not just my son but all of the kids, is that they love learning about teamwork. In the school setting, harder for all of the kids to work on one problem… It’s just been fun for them to bond with other kids in trying to solve a big problem.”

Haneline said the Nova Labs Robotics teams are sponsored, in part, by donor corporations like BTI360 and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Haneline noted that Nova Labs Robotics is currently in a dedicated space in Isaac Newton Square, which is soon to be redeveloped, so the group needs to find a new home by the first of the next year.

“We’re looking for a corporate donor who might be willing to donate some space,” said Haneline.

Photo via NASA/Bill Ingalls

As Reston is projected to continue growing at a dramatic pace, Fairfax County is moving forward with a proposed zoning amendment to allow for greater density. But a group of Reston citizens are protesting the move, saying the proposed amendment is rushed through and under-explained.

The zoning amendment would increase the maximum population per acre in the Planned Residential Community (PRC) district from 13 persons to 15. Dwelling units per acre would increase from 50 units to 70 near Metro stations.

The Board of Supervisors is anticipated to authorize public hearings on the zoning changes at its upcoming Tuesday (Dec. 4) meeting. Public comment will not be heard at the meeting.

A group of citizens calling themselves the Coalition for a Planned Reston wrote a letter to Supervisor Cathy Hudgins saying that approval of the zoning amendment would be premature.

“The Coalition for a Planned Reston (CPR) is deeply concerned and dismayed by the announcement that you have requested County staff to move forward with the proposed PRC Zoning Ordinance Amendment,” the CPR wrote in the letter. “We strongly urge you to withdraw your request immediately and to complete the community dialogue to which you committed.”

The letter included a list of 23 areas where the groups say Fairfax County officials have supplied inadequate information. Among the criticisms of the zoning amendment are exemptions given to developers with proposals that do not conform with the Reston Master Plan.

Some of the topics of the letter involve the minutiae of zoning amendments but others — like what the CPR calls a lack of clarity over the expected number of students the added density would have on the school systems — could shape Reston for years to come.

This isn’t the first letter from the CPR over the issue. The group had previously sent a letter on Aug. 1 urging Hudgins to suspend action on the amendment. The Reston Association has also expressed concern about the impact of the zoning amendment.

Photo via Fairfax County

There’s plenty to do this weekend around Reston. We posted a list of holiday events in the area throughout December, but for Reston Grinches already tired of Holiday cheer, here’s our Christmas-free list of weekend events — including a signing by New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.

Tonight (Nov. 30)

Vinyl Invention at Crafthouse (10 p.m.-1 a.m.) — Rock/Funk band Vinyl Intervention returns to Crafthouse Reston (1888 Explorer St) tonight. The group is a Washington, D.C. based cover band that performs songs mainly from the latter 20th century.

Tomorrow (Dec. 1)

Mystery Author Extravaganza (1-3 p.m.) — The Sisters in Crime Chessie Chapter will host an afternoon of book talks at the Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Dr). The afternoon features mystery authors from throughout the region discussing their books and the genre, as well as a book market with authors available for autographs.

Monster Drawing Rally (1-5 p.m.) — Over 50 artists from across the Washington, D.C. region are scheduled to come together at the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St) for a live drawing event. Artists will be creating their work on-site, all of which will be available for purchase at $75 each. The event is free and open to the public. All proceeds benefit the exhibition program.

Shrek The Musical (1-2:30 p.m.) — Tomorrow is the opening for the Nextstop Theatre Company’s (269 Sunset Park Drive) production of Shrek The Musical. Tickets are available online and the show will run until Dec. 22.

Sunday (Dec. 2)

Capital ‘Cross Classic (8:15 a.m.-4 p.m.) — This race is the series finale of the BikeReg Super series. The race will be held at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive). Proceeds from the race will benefit the Lake Fairfax Sustainable Natural Trail System program, which aims to build new sustainable trails and restore existing trails in Lake Fairfax Park.

David Baldacci Author Talk and Book Signing (2-4 p.m.) — New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci will host a free author talk and book signing at the Reston Regional Library. Baldacci is scheduled to read from his new book, Long Road to Mercy, and free copies of the book will be given to the first 100 registrants.

Photo via Facebook

(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) Crafthouse, a growing beer-centric restaurant chain with a prominent Reston location, recently signed a $250 million deal to start franchising across the country.

As first reported by the Washington Business Journal, Crafthouse owner Evan Matz signed a deal with development firm American Development Partners to provide site selection, acquisition, and construction services for more than 100 new Crafthouse locations over the next five years.

Crafthouse currently has locations in Reston, Fairfax City, and Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood.

It’s a turnaround for Matz, who started his restaurants as franchisees of Florida-based World of Beer before going independent and rebranding the locations as “Crafthouse.” The move prompted a lawsuit from World of Beer, which has since been settled, according to the Business Journal.

Matz told Reston Now that the core idea of Crafthouse is not just locally sourced beer, but entire menus built around local specialties.

“Eat local, drink local,” said Matz. “I want to try to showcase local craft beer or local spirits. As we go forward, if we open one in North Carolina or Tennessee, I want to focus on the local beers there, like their whiskey or wine, but they’re also known for their ribs. If we open in Maryland it might be crab cakes or conch in Key West.”

As they begin looking at locations throughout the country, Matz said he’s excited by the variety of different locales and what they have to bring to the table.

“People love the concept, so I wanted to bring it to other possible franchisees to expand it throughout the country,” said Matz. “There’s a lot of exciting markets out there. Each one is unique in its own right.”

Crafthouse has arranged with American Development Partners to provide 100 percent funding for franchisees planning on placing a Crafthouse inside newly built, freestanding buildings.

While Matz said he plans to go to every location as they open and make sure they are being properly run, he said the emphasis is going to be on local owners independently owning and operating the restaurants.

Matz said Crafthouse is already beginning to get inquiries from across the country about potential new locations, and that he aims to have a franchised location open by late 2019 or early 2020. Matz said interested parties should reach out to Crafthouse through email at [email protected] or through the website.

Among the requirements for a new franchise location is at least $300,000 in liquid assets, a net worth over $1 million, and a credit score of 700 or above. But just as importantly, Matz said he’s looking for franchise owners who understand their community and are committed to it.

“Being directly involved as a local owner is key,” said Matz. “You have to be in touch with the community. Be involved and listen to what the customer wants. Forming your Crafthouse around the local area is key to success.”

A man accused of a series of sexual assaults across Fairfax in the 90’s, including four women in Reston, is scheduled to go to trial this Monday (Dec. 3).

Jude Lovchik is charged with a series of felonies including multiple counts of abduction, sodomy, robbery and firearms offenses.

While Lovchik is being investigated for other assaults in Fairfax and Prince William counties, his charges stem from a 1995 assault where Lovchik is alleged to have climbed onto the balcony of an apartment building and subseqently tied up, blindfolded and sexually assaulted four roommates.

According to the Washington Post, the break in the cold case came when Lovchik’s wife went to the Arlington Police after she said Lovchik assaulted her during their divorce. She also told the police that Lovchik had told her about his string of assaults throughout Fairfax in the early 1990’s and had her recreate the sexual assault scenes for him. Police said Lovchik’s wife provided information about the case that had not been disclosed to the public.

After Lovchik’s wife spoke with the police in early 2017, his home was placed under surveilence until DNA was collected from trash that police say was connected to DNA collected from the Reston assault.

Lovchik moved to Florida in 2017, but was arrested in October and returned to Vriginia, where he is currently being housed in the Fairfax County jail.

Photo via Marion County Jail

Several holiday events are planned around Reston throughout December.

Every Saturday evening in December, from 4-9 p.m., horse-drawn carriage rides will take visitors on a tour around the Reston Town Center. The carriage rides start in front of Talbots (11900 Market Street).

On Sundays, from noon to 4 p.m., train rides will be available for smaller children. Donations benefiting local charities are requested. The train departs in front of Clyde’s.

On Dec. 2 and 9, the Frying Pan Farm Park will also be hosting Christmas at the Farm. A variety of Christmas-themed activities, including cookie decorating and writing letters to Santa, will be held in sessions throughout the day at the park. Tickets are $10 per person, and children must be accompanied by an adult registered in the program.

• Dec. 1: Gifts from the HeART Exhibit — Artists from Jo Ann Rose Gallery will display and sell original works of art.
• Dec. 1: The Wonder of the Season — The Reston Chorale presents sounds of the season with guest artists Tim King and the Washington Symphonic Brass Quintet. Tickets are available through Reston Chorale.
• Dec. 1: Alternative Gift Market — The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston will create a market with more than 30 local, national and international nonprofit organizations.  All of the proceeds will go to the participating groups.
• Dec. 1: Jingle on Lake Anne — An ornament and cookie decorating event on Lake Anne, with Santa and his elves arriving by boat and paddle board at noon.
• Dec. 2: Run with Santa 5k — A race around the Reston Town Center starting and ending on Market Street. The race starts at 8:30 a.m. and participants are encouraged to wear ugly Christmas sweaters or Christmas elf costumes.
• Dec. 4: Reston Sings: Handel’s Messiah! — The Reston Chorale will be performing George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” General admission tickets are $15, or $10 with the donation of a new or gently used coat or other winter apparel.
• Dec. 9: Chanukah on Ice & Outdoor Menorah Lighting — An ice skating party is planned to celebrate Chanukah at the Reston Town Center Pavilion. A lighting ceremony is open to all, with a $12 fee to skate. Latkes and donuts will be served.
• Dec. 15: Reston Town Center Winterfest — Treats and activities are planned for the festival running from 12-5 p.m., including a carousel at the ice skating rink.

Photo via Facebook

(Updated at 10:05 a.m.) Don’t expect Reston’s recent population boom to slow anytime soon.

Fairfax County’s Demographic Reports 2018 project high levels of residential growth throughout Reston over the next 27 years and the Hunter Mill District leads the county in new housing in development to match.

Reston, divided across the 20190, 20191, and 20194 zip codes, currently has a total population of 64,546 people. By 2045, the population is anticipated to reach 103,989.

To the south, 20191 is projected to increase to a population of 30,512 by 2020 and 31,995 by 2025. The 20190 zip code north of the Toll Road is also expected to grow and, by 2045, will start to close the population gap with its southern neighbor. Much of the growth in Reston’s core is likely spurred by plans to continue expansion on the Silver Line.

Further to the north though, the more suburban 20194 area code shows very little growth.

The demographics report also breaks down the type of housing throughout Reston. The 20191 area code south of the Toll Road leads in single family homes and townhomes, with 3,694 and 4,225 respectively. However, Reston north of the Toll Road contains most of the area’s multifamily housing, with 7,701 multifamily apartment units. Both sides of the road are expected to continue adding housing at about the same rate for the foreseeable future.

To deal with the increasing development, Hunter Mill also leads the county in housing development. Of the 4,354 housing projects in the county currently under construction, 3,052 are in Hunter Mill.

The Hunter Mill District overall is among the County’s most affluent areas. Income in Hunter Mill is more concentrated at the higher end than income range than the Fairfax average. The unemployment rate in Hunter Mill is approximately half a percent lower in Reston than in the rest of Fairfax County.

The cost of living is also higher in the Hunter Mill District. The median market value of an owned home throughout Fairfax County is $519,560. In Hunter Mill, it’s $584,094. Average housing rent in the County is $1,789. In Hunter Mill, it’s $1,907.

Hunter Mill also has higher levels of education than the Fairfax County average, with 73.9 percent of men and 67.4 percent of women having a bachelor’s degree or higher, as compared to the countywide average of 62.9 percent of men and 57.8 percent of women with college degrees.

Photo courtesy Lauren Pinkston
Chart via Demographics Report 2018

This story has been updated

Update 10:30 a.m. — David Toney, Vice President of Development for Akridge, has clarified that the One Reston Town Center project does not have a five-year deadline to begin construction.

(Editor’s note: This story was updated Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 12:15 p.m. and again at 2:30 p.m. to correct references to One Reston’s height.)

One Reston Town Center, a 23-story building in Reston’s urban core, made waves when it was first approved six years ago. But since then, the project has been largely silent.

The project is planned to offer 420,000 square-feet of office space, as well as 15,000 square feet of ground-level retail. Akridge property management said at the time that it would not begin construction until a lead tenant was found to occupy at least 150,000 square feet of that total office space.

A leasing agent at Avison Young, a real estate partnership business, said the building is still in the pre-leasing phase. While the agent said Avison Young is actively pursuing several deals currently, no lead tenant has been found to occupy the building.

“We have some proposals in to some groups,” said David Toney, Vice President of Development for Akridge. “These things take time. We have some good activity on the project. We’re focusing on that and focusing on financing to go forward.”

Prior to the 2016 reapproval, Akridge had noted that waiting for a lease before beginning construction was less risky than beginning construction while searching for a tenant.

Photo via Akridge

This story has been updated

In case you were hoping to spend your Thanksgiving hanging out at government facilities around Fairfax, you may be out of luck. But on the bright side, all parking will be free at Metro facilities tomorrow.

The Metro will be running a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving day, opening at 7 a.m. and closing at midnight. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day and parking will be free at Metro facilities. Metrobus will also be operating on a Sunday schedule.

The Fairfax Connector will be running on a Sunday schedule for Thanksgiving Day. A full list of routes being run in the Reston area is available online. The day after Thanksgiving, the bus will run a holiday weekend schedule.

The Fairfax County Government offices will be closed tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday for Thanksgiving. Schools are closed today (Wednesday) through Friday.

The Reston Community Center will be open tomorrow from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and open on Friday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center will be open from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. tomorrow and 6 a.m.-9p.m. on Friday. The Reston Community Center Lake Anne will be closed both days.

Fairfax Libraries and Courts will also be closed tomorrow and Friday. The Frying Pan Farm Park Visitor Center and Colvin Run Mill Historic Site will also be closed.

The Recycling and Disposal Centers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but both locations will be open on Friday if you have a substantial amount of post-holiday disposal to go through.

Photo via Flickr/Olin Gilbert

This Friday (Nov. 23), the Reston Town Center will host its annual Reston Holiday Parade.

The parade starts at 11 a.m. at the Reston Town Center (11900 Market St) and will feature a Macy’s-style parade of balloons, musicians, dancers and more.

The Reston Holiday Parade lasts for one hour and will travel a half-mile along Market Street. Before the parade starts, thousands of jingle bells will be handed out to the crowd to help welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus.

After the parade, visitors are invited to take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy a mini-train ride until 4:30.

At 6 p.m., a tree lighting ceremony will be held at Fountain Square, followed by horse-drawn carriage rides around the Reston Town Center.

The parade has been a Reston tradition since 1991.

With a little less than a year before construction is scheduled to start on the new Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25, project is starting to shift from conception to physical.

Laurie Stone, a strategic planner for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, said residents should start seeing work on the temporary fire station soon.

“The next thing you’ll see is when we start constructing the temporary facility behind the police station,” said Stone. “That will be starting soon… probably by the first of the year.”

After the fire crew moves into the temporary station at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive, Stone said demolition of the old fire station at 1820 Wiehle Avenue and reconstruction will begin in late summer-fall next year. The new fire station is expected to open in spring 2021.

The new station is scheduled to be 17,150 square-feet, over twice as large as the current 7,750 square-foot station. It will include four bays for the fire trucks on the first floor and administrative offices, a day room, kitchen, storage and bunk rooms on the second floor.

Stone said the station is built to facilitate any necessary new equipment or additional staffing required as the area near the Wiehle-Reston East area continues expanding.

The new fire station has also taken into consideration the developments planned nearby, like the redevelopment of Isaac Newton Square just behind the station.

“[This fire station] is in the Reston comprehensive plan for this area,” said Stone, “So we’ve met with the developer before to make sure they’re aware of it, so when their rezoning application goes through [to Fairfax County] it will go through our agency for review.”

As the area becomes increasingly crowded, Stone said it’s important to ensure the vehicles can quickly and safely enter and exit the station.

“This is going to be a drive-through station,” said Stone, meaning fire trucks will be able to leave from either a south or north entrance to the station. “When the development happens behind us at Isaac Newton they are going to work with us to make sure we can access the rear of the station.”

Stone also said the station development is keeping in mind the planned bridge over Wiehle Avenue which will be adjacent to the fire station. That bridge is planned to be built by October 2022.

“We’re ahead of their schedule,” said Stone, “so we’re coordinating construction so that they don’t disturb our operations.”

As winter sets in and the temperatures start to drop, if you’re looking for a place to keep up your cycling, New Trail Cycling Studio is opening next Monday (Nov. 26).

The indoor bicycling studio will be opening at 1641b Washington Plaza in Lake Anne Plaza. An official grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration is planned for Dec. 11.

In the meantime, owner Liz Camp said New Trail Cycling Studio will be running a week of free “preview” classes.

There’s two classes tonight (Monday) at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. More classes are planned on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. A full schedule is available online.

Prices vary by the number of classes, the cheapest being $22 for two classes for new riders. Unlimited monthly memberships are $165 per month for three months or $150 per month for six months.

All riders receive free shoe rental, towel and herbal washcloth post-workout.

Photo via Facebook

If you’re looking for somewhere fun and outdoorsy to take the kids this weekend, Saturday afternoon is Kids Day at Reston Town Center.

From 3-5 p.m., a children’s band, Rocknocerous, will be performing, with face painting, balloon animals, treats and costumed character appearances.

For something more indoors, author Laura Renauld will host a morning story time to read from her first children’s book “Porcupine’s Pie”. The event will be held at Scrawl Books at 11911 Freedom Dr. on Saturday at 11 a.m.

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• This weekend is the last chance to catch The Diary of Anne Frank performed by Herndon High School’s theatre class in the school’s Black Box Theater. Performances are tonight and Saturday, from 7-9 p.m. and a matinee performance on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and can be ordered at the door or online.
• Saturday afternoon, Dorothy Moss, a curator of the National Portrait Gallery, will be hosting a discussion at the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market Street). The event starts at 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
• Saturday evening, the YMCA Fairfax County Reston (12196 Sunset Hills Rd) will be hosting its 19th annual community gala. The event starts at 6 p.m with a silent auction and cocktails, with dinner at 9 p.m. and dancing until 11 p.m.
• On Sunday, the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store are cosponsoring a free bird walk through Reston. The group will meet at Glade Drive and Twin Branches Road for a tour along the Glade Stream Valley Trail. The walk runs from 7:30-10:30 a.m.
• If you’re feeling less outdoorsy, Professor Harry Butowsky will host a lecture on the History of World War II from 2-4 p.m. in the Reston Regional Library.

Photo via Reston Town Center

With little to no discussion and debate other than fixing a typo, the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously approved a series of proffers for Woodfield Acquisitions’ redevelopment of Roland Clarke Place last night.

The Thursday vote sets into motion a series of waivers and modifications to allow a new residential complex to be built just south of the Dulles Toll Road. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider the project on Tuesday (Nov. 20).

The development will replace the office buildings at 1941 Roland Clarke Place and 1950 Roland Clarke Place. A 308-unit residential building will replace 1941 Roland Clarke Place, including roughly 37 workforce units. The application says 1950 Roland Clarke Place will be redeveloped as a small park until another development on the site can be planned.

Though no open space was required for the site, a little over two acres of the new development will remain dedicated as open space. In addition to two private courtyards within the residential complex, two smaller parks and a dog park surround the proposed residential building.

Among the waivers and modifications received for the site an allowance of a residential building 59 feet from the Dulles International Airport from the zoning ordinance’s minimum distance of 200 feet.

The existing office buildings on the site were constructed in the early 1980s. In 2008, the redevelopment of the buildings was planned into three new office buildings, but the plan was never implemented.

Photos via handout/Fairfax County Planning Commission