A group shared findings of an environmental study and discussed a pilot plan to address invasive species at Reston National Golf Course at a meeting Friday (March 4).
The Reston National Neighborhood Study Group reported finding severe levels of invasive species on the golf course and some surrounding areas after looking into the health of the shared tree canopy.
Sewer service bills are slated to increase by $38 on average, even with Fairfax County lowering a series of annual increases.
Fairfax County unveiled a proposed budget in February, which would increase a variety of sewer costs. The county noted the increases are lower than what it approved last year in a five-year service schedule.
The proposed changes call for the following:
- The sewer service charge per 1,000 gallons of water, currently $7.72, would become $8.09 — a 4.8% increase — for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from July to June. The rate would increase each subsequent year, becoming $8.41, $8.73, $9.21 and $9.67.
- The quarterly sewer base charge, currently $36.54, would become $40.14 — a 9.9% increase. The rate each subsequent year would then be $44.43, $49.09, $51.79 and finally $54.38. Rates would vary based on connection line sizes.
- One-time hookup charges are proposed to increase from $8,507 to $8,592, a 1% increase, for a single-family residence starting in July and 1% annual increases for the following four fiscal years.
The county commented on the potential increases in a proposed budget:
Fairfax County government leaders are debating changes to property tax bills amid tensions with soaring home values.
During a regular meeting tomorrow (Tuesday), the Board of Supervisors will likely advertise a property tax rate of $1.14 per $100 of assessed value. That is the same as last year’s rate, but bills are still expected to go up, due to soaring real estate assessments.
Woman Dies in Crash on I-495 — Virginia State Police are investigating a fatal crash on I-495 near the Eisenhower Avenue Connector in the Rose Hill area. The crash occurred at 9:27 p.m. on Saturday (March 5) when a sedan hit a disabled vehicle, causing it to catch fire. The driver of the disabled vehicle died at the scene, while the sedan driver suffered minor injuries and was arrested on multiple charges, including driving under the influence. [Virginia State Police, InsideNova]
Trial for McLean Murder Suspect Begins — “Fairfax County police quickly announced that what unfolded inside the large, yellow home in McLean in 2017 appeared to be a tragic murder-suicide…But after a 16-month investigation, police offered a stunning turnabout: what initially appeared to be a murder-suicide was allegedly a double killing. They claimed the scene had been carefully staged by the real perpetrator.” [The Washington Post]
I-66 to Close Overnight in Fairfax This Week — “All lanes of I-66 West approaching Route 50 will close nightly, March 9-12, to allow for installation of bridge beams for a new access ramp from the future westbound I-66 Express Lanes to Route 50 West as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.” [VDOT]
No Injuries Reported in Reston Shooting Incident — Police responded to the 2200 block of Castle Rock Square around 11:17 p.m. last Tuesday (March 1) after members of the Shadowood Condominium complex community reported hearing gunshots. Officers found damage to a buildings and numerous cartridge cases in the area. [Patch]
Lorton Pizza Restaurant Robbed — According to Fairfax County police, a man entered Antonelli’s Pizza (8212 Gunston Corner Lane) around 9:53 p.m. on March 1 and assaulted an employee. The man walked behind the counter, discharged a firearm, and took property before leaving. The employee was treated for injuries considered not life threatening. [FCPD]
Sheriff’s Office Expands Mental Health Services for Staff — “Dr. Grace Davidson, Licensed Professional Counselor, recently joined the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office under contract full-time to provide behavioral health services for the agency’s 550 employees and their families.” [Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office]
McLean Teacher Gives Art Class to Support Ukraine Relief — “During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pamela Saunders has used art as a way to keep children engaged during virtual learning. Now she can use her platform as a way to show support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion.” [Patch]
Work Begins Today on New Lorton Playground — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin work on a new playground at Laurel Hill Central Green. Construction is scheduled to start the week of March 7 and is anticipated to be completed next month.” [FCPA/Twitter]
New Sidewalk Built to Park in Groveton — “The Telegraph Road Walkway project features more than half a mile of new sidewalk along the south side of Telegraph Road from 500 feet north of S. Kings Highway to the entrance of Lee District Park and Rose Hill Road. Watch the ribbon cutting ceremony.” [Fairfax TV Channel 16/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 4 p.m. Today will have a high near 80 and low near 42. It will be breezy, with a southwest wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Sunrise was at 6:30 a.m. and sunset will be at 6:08 p.m. [weather.gov]
Fairfax County Public Schools has asked a federal court to let its current Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology admissions process stay in place while a legal battle over the new system continues.
U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton issued an order last Friday (Feb. 25) invalidating the school system’s overhaul, calling the elimination of a standardized test and other changes intended to increase student diversity at the magnet school discriminatory against Asian Americans.
The weekend is almost here. Before truck convoys potentially disrupt traffic in the D.C. area or you head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
Jeff Bezos’ mysterious moon mission is landing in Reston.
The space flight company is opening a facility and office in Reston sometime in the “first half of the year,” reads the website.
Blue Origin is a space flight company founded by one of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos. Its mission is to popularize space tourism and colonize the moon with the ultimate grandiose goal of saving the Earth by tapping space’s “unlimited resources.”
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation intends to pursue funding next year to expand a budding program to improve street safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other forms of active, or non-motorized, transportation.
The money would be used to hire a program manager and implement priorities, such as speed reduction measures and improved road design standards, FCDOT Active Transportation Engineer Lauren Delmare told the county Board of Supervisors at its transportation committee meeting on Tuesday (March 1).
Hopefully, you’re not a habitual Herndon parking ticket recipient, but anyone who does wind up with a ticket may notice a difference in the citations.
Herndon Police Department has implemented a new electronic parking ticket system. While there are still handwritten tickets, you may come across the new type that appear more like a store receipt, the department says.
“The addition of the electronic ticketing system is simple: This is a more productive and efficient system and process than that of handwritten tickets,” HPD spokesperson Lisa Herndon told FFXnow. “Not only does it save time, it allows for automatic import of all information gathered.”
Metro Gets More ARPA Funding — “Another $120 million in federal pandemic relief money is being released to Metro to keep the transit system running and its front-line workers on the job, congressional leaders announced Thursday.” [The Washington Post]
Multiple I-66 Closures Start Today — Construction on a new I-66 East access ramp will reduce the highway to a single travel lane approaching Cedar Lane in the Dunn Loring area during overnight hours, starting at 10 p.m. today (Friday) through Wednesday (March 9). Construction will also close the I-66 West ramp to Nutley Street in Vienna from 10 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. Monday (March 7). [VDOT, Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Local Bakers Fundraise for Ukraine — “Sarah Marshall, owner of Vienna-based The Sweet Life NoVA, knew baking was a way to help when seeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the news…The [14] bakers each contributed desserts for boxes of baked goods with all proceeds supporting humanitarian relief in Ukraine.” [Patch]
McLean Restaurant Adds Second Location — The Union, an Asian fusion restaurant that opened in McLean in January 2020, is expanding to Arlington County with a new location in Virginia Square. Owner Giridhar Sastry says construction is nearly done, and the venue could start serving food by the end of this month. [ARLnow]
Reston Nonprofit Calls for Donations — “The Embry Rucker Community Shelter needs supplies, specifically toilet paper and bottled water! No need to schedule, just drop off at the back door. 11975 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, VA 20190. Thank you in advance!” [Cornerstones/Twitter]
Deadline for Lorton Vision Survey Extended — Fairfax County has extended the deadline for its community survey on the future of the Lorton area to Tuesday (March 8). The Lorton Visioning 2040 study will update the county’s Comprehensive Plan to guide land use, public facilities, transportation infrastructure, and other needs over the next 20 years. [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]
Reston Company Lands Huge Defense Contract — Leidos announced on Monday (Feb. 28) that it has been awarded a Defense Enclave Services (DES) contract worth an estimated $11.5 billion by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). The contract will last at least four years with three two-year option periods. [Intelligence Community News]
County Board Celebrates GMU — “George Mason University’s president Dr. Gregory Washington, received a proclamation recognizing the university’s 50th anniversary. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay presented the proclamation to Washington on behalf of the board at its public meeting on Feb. 22, 2022.” [The Connection]
It’s Friday — Today will be sunny, with a high near 46 and low around 34. The sunrise was at 6:35 a.m. and sunset will be at 6:05 p.m. [weather.gov]
Inova Health Care Services is moving forward with the demolition of the former Cameron Glen Care Center, a 150-bed nursing and rehabilitation facility that shuttered in 2014.
The demolition — which is slated to happen as soon as possible — would pave the way for the site’s incorporation into Reston Town Center North, a 47-acre area in the heart of Reston’s urban core slated for redevelopment.
Fairfax County is updating its aging plan, gathering public input to address key issues for older adults.
The county started sending out postcards last month to notify a random sample of households chosen to participate in its Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults, which was last conducted in 2019.
Department of Family Services spokesperson Kathleen Thomas says the survey asks questions about older residents’ personal habits and opinions on a variety of topics:
The Fairfax County Police Department should implement new training and data collection practices to improve its culture around the use of force, a committee of appointed volunteers says.
The Use of Force Advisory Committee presented recommendations to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ safety and security committee on Tuesday (March 1) based on a study conducted by the University of Texas at San Antonio.
After hundreds of logged meeting hours, a community-led task force studying the Reston Comprehensive Plan is kicking off community outreach on its interim recommendations, completing a comprehensive overhaul to usher the plan into the future.
The effort, kicked off by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, has culminated in draft recommendations on the 14 areas of the plan, which is undergoing review by the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development. The move expands Reston’s original planning principles created by founder Bob Simon.
In the world of transportation infrastructure, $5 million will run out faster than a driver’s patience in rush-hour traffic, but it could still leave a worthwhile dent in Fairfax County’s massive backlog of safety and maintenance projects.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors expressed collective support on Tuesday (March 1) for a proposal to spend $5 million on bicycle and pedestrian improvements to address maintenance needs, add crosswalks, and other small but straightforward and relatively cheap projects.
