A woman injured in a vehicle crash in Reston earlier this month has died, Fairfax County police announced today (Tuesday).

The crash occurred on Baron Cameron Avenue near the North Village Road intersection around 10:45 a.m. on Feb. 3, shutting down the avenue’s eastbound lanes.

Identified as 86-year-old Huamin Xuan, the woman was crossing Baron Cameron Avenue from north to south prior to the intersection, which has no crosswalk, when the driver of a 2003 Toyota Prius headed east on Baron Cameron hit her, according to the police report.

Xuan was transported to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries on Feb. 16.

“The driver of the Toyota remained at the scene,” the FCPD said. “Speed and alcohol are not factors in the crash.”

Police say that anyone with additional information related to the crash can contact the Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.

Xuan is the third pedestrian killed in a traffic crash in the county so far this year, outpacing the two fatalities reported at this point in 2021.

One pedestrian was killed on Ox Road in Lorton on Saturday (Feb. 19), and another was injured in a crash on Lee Highway in Fairfax on Jan. 8, succumbing to his injuries later that month.

Photo via Google Maps

Fairfax County residents could see their property taxes increase by $666 on average, based on a proposed budget presented by County Executive Bryan Hill today (Tuesday).

Covering fiscal year 2023, which starts July 1, the nearly $4.8 billion spending plan maintains the current tax rate of $1.14 per $100 of assessed value, but it comes amid what Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay called “sky high” residential property assessments.

According to the county, 92% of households saw an increased assessment in 2021, so if the flat tax rate is approved, most households will still be paying more in real estate taxes, which are the county’s primary source of revenue.

“These numbers are staggering. They’re historic,” McKay said, noting that not everyone will be able to afford them.

However, potential relief could come from nearly $80 million in unallocated funds that the proposed budget leaves to the board’s discretion.

The board agreed to expand a tax relief program for older adults and people with disabilities in December, but multiple supervisors suggested that more assistance will be needed.

“It’s going to cause a lot of pain,” Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusky said of the increased assessments.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said property taxes are not the long-term answer for funding the county government, suggesting that the board might want to assess whether it proceeds with the amount proposed for public schools.

While the school board adopts its own budget, the county is looking to give Fairfax County Public Schools its requested $112.65 million increase for a full budget of nearly $2.3 billion — a 5% uptick from the previous year, according to the county.

At the same time, Hill said the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic has begun to dissipate, putting the county in a much better position than previous years. As a result, the budget could address ongoing concerns, such as providing competitive compensation to staff.

The county is facing challenges in terms of retaining and recruiting workers, with a current vacancy rate of 10%, Hill estimated. The proposed budget adds 109 positions, primarily to support new facilities, workload requirements, and continuing county initiatives.

“Fairfax County deserves a budget which invests in good, safe jobs for all workers, and quality public services for all working families,” Tammie Wondong, president of the Service Employees International Union’s Fairfax County government chapter, said in a statement. “Frontline workers throughout our community need affordable health care, need to keep up with the cost of living, and need safe working conditions.”

The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance in October to let unions collectively bargain, but it’s still going through a lengthy process to determine representatives for police, fire, and other government units.

As it currently stands, the proposed budget includes a 4% raise for all employees, though Hill suggested some groups, such as uniformed responders, could see as much as a 7.8% increase.

“Today, we’re sitting in a much better position, a place of stability, that we have not really had the benefit of in the past couple years,” McKay said. “This is the first step of a very lengthy process.”

Hill’s proposal also increases refuse rates for households from $400 to $475, quarterly sewer base charges from $36.54 to $40.14, and service charges per 1,000 gallons from $7.72 to $8.09.

The county is slated to advertise proposed tax rates on March 8, with public hearings coming April 12-14. The board will mark up the budget on April 26 and adopt it on May 10.

The omicron surge continues to subside in Fairfax County.

The Fairfax Health District, including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, reported 95 new COVID-19 cases today (Tuesday), making it the first day with fewer than 100 new cases since Dec. 11, when there were 69 cases.

The county is now averaging 131 cases per day for the past week — the lowest seven-day average since Nov. 30 (123 cases).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data tracker, the level of COVID-19 transmission in the county has dropped from “high” to “substantial” for the first time since the week of Nov. 21-27.

The CDC measures community transmission levels based on the number of new cases per 100,000 people and the percentage of positive tests over the past seven days. Fairfax County’s current case rate of 99.1 per 100,000 people comes just under the 100-case threshold that separates the high and substantial categories.

The 5.77% seven-day testing positivity rate falls within the “moderate” threshold, but the community transmission level is determined by the higher metric.

There has been a total of 175,747 Covid cases in the Fairfax Health District since the first infected resident developed symptoms nearly two years ago. The district has seen 4,370 people hospitalized by the disease caused by the coronavirus and 1,402 people die.

The seven deaths reported today bring February’s death toll up to 115 people, shedding more light on the damage caused by the omicron and delta variants of the virus.

With the winter COVID-19 surge easing, vaccination activity in the district has plateaued, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.

There are 961,599 residents — 81.2% of the population — who have received at least one vaccine dose, including:

• 90.4% of people 18 and older
• 96.5% of people aged 16 and 17
• 92% of 12-15 year olds
• 51.3% of 5-11 year olds

Exactly 868,169 residents, or 73.4% of the population, are fully vaccinated, including 82.2% of adults. About 40% of Fairfax County residents, including 49% of adults, have gotten a booster or third dose.

With a flick of his wrists, Joe Snively became the first player from Northern Virginia to score a goal in an NHL game earlier this month.

In the second period, he scored again. Two games later, he would bury the puck into the back of the net once more. Then, he cemented his growing reputation with another goal on Thursday (Feb. 17).

The Pride of Herndon, VA Joe Snively has scored four goals in four games.

He's got seven points in nine career games.

He should be inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight. pic.twitter.com/9YVp9cIo9F

— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) February 18, 2022

As popular as hockey is in this region, Snively’s success is notable as well as somewhat surprising, including to the 26-year-old Herndon native and Washington Capitals forward: That goal against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 10 was the NHL’s first by a person from Northern Virginia.

“Hockey has, for sure, grown in the Northern Virginia area in my lifetime,” Snively told FFXnow. “I’m proud to be from the area and be the first to score a goal in the NHL, but I think there’s going to be more to follow.”

Hockey participation has grown by 221% in the D.C. region over the last two decades, according to statistics provided by the Washington Capitals.

This D.C. hockey boom is likely tied to Alexander Ovechkin’s drafting in 2004, giving the Caps a generational superstar who inspired countless young players. The team’s first Stanley Cup win in 2018 drew even more local young players to the ice.

Less than a year after winning the championship, the hometown team signed Snively, who just might be the first of many from Northern Virginia to make a big impact in the NHL.

Snively comes from Reston hockey royalty. His dad, Rich Snively, was a longtime coach for the local youth hockey club Reston Raiders, where he and his older brother played. His uncle David Snively was an Olympian on the Canadian team that boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Snively attended Reston’s Forest Edge Elementary School and grew up only 10 minutes from SkateQuest on Michael Faraday Court. He cherished every moment he got to spend on the ice at the 25-year-old rink.

“It was kind of my home. In the summer…at camps, I’d spend all day there, all week,” Snively said. “I was just a kid who loved hockey, who loved being on the ice.”

He played his way to a spot on the Bulldogs at Yale University, where he excelled. Then, at the age of 24, the Washington Capitals signed him to a contract, making Snively the first Virginia native to play for franchise.

Nearly three years later, he made his debut for the Caps in front of the home fans, including his parents.

“It was awesome. Being a hockey parent isn’t the easiest,” Snively said. “They gave me all the opportunities to play hockey and I’m so grateful for that.”

While he got an assist in that game, it took him a few more weeks to get that first goal.

It came early in the first period, when teammate Justin Schultz flung a shot that deflected off the goalkeeper’s leg pad right to Snively. With a smooth rebound, Snively buried the puck in the back of the net.

“In the moment, it was almost a relief, a weight off my shoulders,” Snively recalled. “Then, there was some happiness. But once it happens, you kinda have to get back dialed into the game.”

His recent scoring success could be leading to a bright future. After a challenging first two months, the forward is back to doing what he did on the Reston Raiders — scoring goals.

Hoping for a long, stable career in the NHL while playing on a winning team, Snively also recognizes that there are kids in Reston and Herndon watching him, just like he watched Ovechkin when he was their age.

“Keep working hard…and have fun doing it,” Snively said when asked what advice he’d give. “Even if it’s not in hockey, just love what you do.”

Phase two of Reston Station — a massive mixed-use project at the Wiehle-Reston Metro Station — is officially coming to life.

Comstock Holding Co. Inc. has filed plans to activate nearly 16 acres south of the Dulles Toll Road with new development that mirrors the first phase of the project on the opposite side of the toll road.

The Reston-based company plans to replace one building at Commerce Metro Center — 11400 Commerce Park — with 1.28 million square feet of office, 469 residential units, a 163,000-square-foot hotel, 30,000 square feet of retail, and a child care center. Three office buildings at the site will remain.

“The purpose of this demolition is to achieve a tremendously enhanced public realm with essentially at-grade pedestrian pathways to the Metro Station and a large, centrally located urban park/plaza area flanked by ground-floor retail uses,” says a Feb. 8 application submitted by Comstock to the county.

The company could also use the space for an underground parking garage. A new mid-block street with a cycle track is planned through the center of the property.

Along Sunrise Valley Drive, two seven-story residential buildings are planned, along with three office buildings and a 16-story hotel. Called One Commerce, the 22-story building’s design will complement the Reston Station building designed by world-renowned architect Helmut Jahn.

The Washington Business Journal first reported news of the company’s project.

In planning materials submitted to the county, Comstock says the project has the potential to “transition the overall Metro Station area to a more balanced mix of uses given the significant number of existing office buildings in the area, many of which are likely to remain for years to come.”

The company did not return a request for comment from FFXnow. The application is currently in the county’s review process. Public hearings have not yet been scheduled.

Like the first phase of Reston Station, Comstock envisions creating districts with a unique identity.

Located at Sunrise Valley Drive’s intersections with Wiehle Avenue and Centennial Park Drive, Boulevard Commerce District would include two multifamily units with 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

The 16-story hotel that would front the Dulles Toll Road will be called Commerce Hotel.

Comstock says open space is a vital part of its design, proposing a central plaza and a metro plaza to welcome pedestrians arriving from the Metro Station. Another park will flank residential buildings located at the property.

The developer paid more than $150 million for site acquisition in 2019 and 2020.

As of this morning FFXnow has officially launched, expanding our Fairfax County-wide news coverage and serving as a new home for Reston Now and Tysons Reporter.

Our hyperlocal coverage areas each have their own section on the FFXnow site, but their archives will remain on the older domains, for now. Readers in the Reston and Tysons areas will continue to receive afternoon newsletters but can also sign up for FFXnow to bring them government, business, development and breaking news from across the county every weekday.

Social media accounts for Reston and Tysons will maintain their identity and remain active with the latest local news, with the exception of Reston Now’s Instagram, where you will now see content from across the county under the new FFXnow brand. If you haven’t already, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

FFXnow is published by Northern Virginia-based Local News Now and led by a team of three journalists. LNN also publishes ARLnow and ALXnow.

We are excited to share more local reporting with you, Fairfax County. To send news tips, email [email protected].

Fairfax County police are investigating a fatal shooting that was reported just before 10 p.m. Monday in the 14800 block of Bodley Square. That is in the London Towne area of Centreville.

A man was pronounced dead at the scene. Sgt. Tara Gerhard, police spokeswoman, says this killing was not a random act and there is some sort of relationship between the victim and a man suspected of killing him.

The suspect was seen fleeing the area on foot.

Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau continue to investigate. Multiple firearms were discovered at the scene. Anyone with information, please call 911. Follow our blog, https://t.co/lhGv3NDvYs, for details when available. #FCPD https://t.co/oRbNMW78XL

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 22, 2022

Face masks will still be required in Fairfax County Public Schools when students return on Tuesday (Feb. 22).

However, the school system acknowledged in a message to the community today (Friday) that universal masking may come to an end soon. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Senate Bill 739 into law on Wednesday (Feb. 16), allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates starting March 1.

“We recognize our legal obligations and will maintain our commitment to the health and safety of our students and staff,” Superintendent Scott Brabrand wrote.

With COVID-19 transmission declining but still high in Fairfax County, as of today, Brabrand noted that universal masking and other mitigation strategies remain in place.

Like other Northern Virginia districts, FCPS had resisted pressure from some parents and the state to end its mask requirement, arguing that it’s a necessary tool to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The school board joined a lawsuit last month to prevent Youngkin from enforcing an executive order that prohibited local schools from requiring masks. An Arlington County Circuit Court judge let Fairfax County and the other suing school systems keep universal masking in place while the legal process plays out, but the new state law has essentially rendered the lawsuit moot.

With S.B. 739 looking likely to pass the Virginia General Assembly last week, FCPS announced a plan on Feb. 10 to roll back its Covid health protocols, including by making masks optional once community transmission drops to a moderate level.

Brabrand says FCPS staff have started planning to roll back protocols in the hopes that case rates will continue to drop. He also noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to update its mask guidance for schools early next week.

“We will share updates as we receive them,” he said.

We ask everyone to do their part to keep our schools safe places to learn and to respect our educators and staff who are doing everything possible to keep our schools open and safe. Please monitor for symptoms and stay home when sick. Practice good hygiene, including covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands frequently. We encourage vaccination for all eligible children and adults as the best way to prevent serious illness and reduce absences from in-person learning.

We also ask everyone to do their part to keep our schools positive and uplifting places to learn. As we finish this school year working our way through what is hopefully the late stages of the pandemic, let’s do so with respect, kindness, and support for all.

Though FCPS indicates that it intends to comply with the new state law, county leaders have expressed frustration with what they view as the General Assembly’s encroachment on the authority of local school boards — an argument that was the basis of the school boards’ lawsuit.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay reiterated on WAMU’s The Politics Hour today his stance that no one knows school operations better than school boards.

McKay said he hasn’t spoken to state Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34th), who represents the City of Fairfax, Vienna, and parts of Fairfax County. Petersen introduced the amendment to S.B. 739 that added the optional-masks provision to a bill that was originally focused on in-person learning.

“It’s the law now. It’s going to be implemented,” McKay said. “We will deal with it and deal with it effectively, but it’s just not a way to govern…telling a school system what to do.”

In FFXnow’s extremely informal poll, 81% of nearly 600 respondents support masks becoming optional in schools by March 1, in accordance with the state law.

Photo via FCPS

Presidents Day is Monday (Feb. 21), and the federal holiday — which is technically called Washington’s Birthday — will bring some noteworthy closings and schedule changes.

Banks, post offices, state offices:

• Post offices will be closed.
• Most banks will be closed. TD Bank will be open.
• State government services are generally closed, such as DMV centers.

Public schools:

• Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed for the holiday.

County libraries, recreation centers, parks:

• All Fairfax County library branches will be closed.
• All Fairfax County Rec Centers will operate at their regular hours.
• Colvin Run Mill and Sully Historic Site will be closed.
• The E.C. Lawrence, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond and Huntley Meadows nature centers as well as the Riverbend Park visitor center will be open from noon until 4 p.m.
• The McLean Community Center will be closed.
• Reston Community Center Hunters Woods will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but the Lake Anne facility will be closed.

Public transit:

• Fairfax Connector buses will operate on a holiday weekday service plan. Check here for operating routes.
• Fairfax CUE service will operate on a modified weekday service.
• WMATA Metrorail service will operate on a “Saturday Supplemental” schedule from 5 a.m. until midnight on Presidents Day. On the weekend leading up to the holiday, it will run from 7 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday and 5 a.m. Sunday through midnight.
• WMATA Metrobus will operate on a Saturday service schedule for the holiday.

Fairfax County government:

• County government offices will be closed.
• Courts will be closed.

County trash and recycling:

• There will be no change in the county’s trash and recycling collection, but private haulers may have different schedules.
• County Public Works and Environmental Services administrative offices will closed.
• The recycling and disposal centers at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be open.

Town of Herndon recreation and services:

• The Herndon Community Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• The Town of Herndon will collect recycling.

Town of Vienna:

• Vienna’s town hall will be closed, but the community center will follow modified hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with special hours for its drop-in gym.
• Regular waste collection will take place.

Herndon Company Scores Big Contract — Peraton, a Herndon-based company, won a 10-year, $2.69 billion contract from the Department of Homeland Security to help with data center and cloud optimization. [Virginia Business]

Restonians Share Local Acts of Kindness — Local residents shared ways in which strangers made their day better. The roundup was inspired by Random Acts of Kindness Day, which was established to make the world a kinder place. [Reston Patch]

Warrants Served in Officer-involved Shooting — A 34-year-old man remains hospitalized after he allegedly brandished a firearm at officers. An officer shot Michael Vaughn twice in the upper body. [Fairfax County Police Department]