Wanted: a superintendent for the 10th largest school division in the U.S.
Desired traits include, but are not limited to, effective communication skills, experience interacting with diverse communities, a willingness to listen without being swayed by the loudest critics, and the ability to find creative solutions to existing problems while also planning for the future of education — one that is, hopefully, post-pandemic.
Finding someone with all those qualities, as well as the educational and professional qualifications needed to lead a school system with 178,227 students and nearly 25,000 full-time employees, would be challenging in ordinary times.
With current Superintendent Scott Brabrand set to depart on June 30, the Fairfax County School Board has been tasked with hiring a new leader at a time of heightened political tensions over public education, when school board meetings can devolve into arrests and gun threats and classroom lessons are subject to legislation, tip lines, and book bans.
Fairfax County Public Schools is far from the only place looking for a new superintendent, according to Gary Ray, president of GR Recruiting, the human resources firm hired to conduct the nationwide search for Brabrand’s successor.
“I’ve been doing this for nearly 40 years, and this is the most, the very most vacancies that I’ve ever seen,” Ray told the school board at a work session yesterday (Monday). “…This certainly will not only be a challenge for us and the board. It’s a challenge for a lot of districts out there.”
After spending December and January gathering staff and community input, GR Recruiting will move into a new phase of the search process with plans to start advertising the superintendent position this week.
The job posting and a more detailed candidate profile are being developed based on feedback from the school board and the public, which had the opportunity to weigh in through an online survey, virtual town hall meetings, and stakeholder meetings.
According to GR Recruiting’s presentation, the survey, which was open from Jan. 4-18, drew 9,523 responses, 57% of them from parents and guardians of current FCPS students. The six town hall meetings held on Jan. 12, 13, and 18 drew 337 participants.
Dr. Gloria Davis from GR Recruiting reported that the firm also met with 45 different stakeholder groups that represented staff, community members, and FCPS leadership.
Participants consistently cited effective and timely communication as a priority for the new superintendent, along with transparency, decisiveness, good listening skills, and an appreciation of the county’s diversity.
The need to put students first and address disparity in access to different academic programs were also recurring themes, according to Davis.
“It was expressed that, in light of the many challenges that Fairfax County faces as well as school divisions across the country, they want a superintendent who is brave and courageous,” Davis said. “Those were the exact words used often.”
Several school board members expressed concern about the relatively low survey response rate. GR Recruiting said it sent invitations to the survey to 225,761 parents, students, and staff.
While they floated the idea of resending the survey, the board ultimately seemed to agree that it might not be worthwhile, given the tight timeline for the search.
According to Davis, the deadline for candidates to apply for the job will be March 4. GR Recruiting will then review the applications and present a slate of candidates to the school board on March 17.
The candidates will be narrowed down with two rounds of interviews in late March, the second of which will include a panel of community members appointed by the school board. The new superintendent is expected to be announced in the first or second week of April.
“I don’t know why we didn’t get more involvement [in the survey], so I’m not really sure if reopening it would garner more results at this point and taking into consideration we’re bumping up against these tight timelines,” said school board chair Stella Pekarsky, who represents Sully District. “I am feeling the pressure to go ahead with advertising this.”
A new boba spot is coming soon to the Town of Herndon.
Tapioca Express, a franchise that sells bubble tea, coffee, juices and snacks, will open at Junction Square in the Town of Herndon.
The first Tapioca Express opened in San Gabriel Valley in 1999. Since then, the business has opened locations across the country.
Items on the menu include boba, coffee, flavored milk, crispy chicken, waffles, spring rolls and chi chi fries.
The business has another location in Centreville.
The company did not respond to a request for comment from Reston Now.
Junction Square, located at the central intersection of Elden and Monroe streets, is a community of 20 townhomes with ground-floor retail.
Other tenants include a gallery for painter Trisha Adams and an international grocery store. Deli Italiano is also expected to open up shop there soon.
(Updated on Feb. 2) A communitywide effort seeking to revitalize Lake Anne Plaza appears to no longer be viable.
Community partners and property owners at Lake Anne Plaza were looking to provide donations as part of a $250,000 proposal envisioned to help revitalize the area.
Cofounders of the Herndon-based Gupta Family Foundation, which provides assistance to programs across the world to help address poverty, disabilities and discrimination, were looking to donate $25,000, and other Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association property owners like them had agreed to donate $45,000, Margaret and Shashi Gupta said. The Reston Community Center also was looking to contribute $50,000, according to a presentation.
The foundation’s cofounders said they had been trying to work with the Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association.
“We thought if we could get community backing it would lift up the community’s spirits,” Shashi Gupta said, recalling property owners’ enthusiastic support of the proposal.
The effort was dubbed the Lake Anne Rising Program, a proposal that hinged on several community partners donating money and the LARCA board determining if the association could accept the upgrades to its property.
Margaret Gupta said in an email that the LARCA board has continued to raise objections, though, and has now reneged on a proposed agreement that had been reached between attorneys.
But property owner May Faruqi said in an email that the association’s legal counsel has denied that there was any agreement between the parties’ lawyers.
LARCA President George Hadjikyriakou didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment. He later wrote that the LARCA board agreed that any response or statements about “this or any other subjects intended for the press” will need to come from our legal counsel.
Shashi Gupta told fellow LARCA owners in an email Monday that the LARCA board “has thwarted” the plan negotiated in early December by creating new requirements on the project and “essentially killing it.” He told RestonNow that LARCA sought to revise a proposed contract, significantly modifying it with markups.
A proposed agreement included the Reston Historic Trust (a nonprofit that operates the Reston Museum) as a party and stated the project would include upgrades to ultimately be owned by LARCA. An edited proposal suggested the association wanted the Reston Historic Trust to have multi-million dollar insurance coverages.
A statement released Tuesday night stated the following:
The Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association Board is committed to acting consistent with the authority given to it by its condominium instruments and is further committed to protecting the interests of its owners while maintaining the LARCA Condominium property. The LARCA Board shares the community’s disappointment that the Gupta Family Foundation has, in light of LARCA‘s commitments, felt it necessary to discontinue discussions over the proposed Plaza project.
Patch reported in December that the Guptas presented details on the project on Nov. 18 at the Reston Community Center, noting it would involve filling and cleaning planters in the plaza, restoring the Pyramid Park sculpture as well as the Fonseca Monolith, and more.
The effort came as the plaza has an estimated $37 million in repairs needed to the aging area. Fairfax County could still assist $300,000.
Men Charged for Stealing Car — After a short police pursuit, two men in their 20s were charged with grand larceny in connection with the theft of a 2017 Honda Pilot that was reported stolen from a nearby jurisdiction. Both men are from Springfield. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Metro Seeks Feedback on Budget — Metro is seeking feedback on its upcoming budget. Three pubic hearings are slated for this month. Feedback is due by Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Test-to-stay Option Opens in Some Schools — The school system has launched test-to-stay programs at seven public schools, including at South Lakes High School. [WTOP]
Photo by Terry Baranski
Irene Shin, the first Korean American woman to serve in Virginia’s House of Delegates, believes it’s time the Commonwealth gave kimchi its due.
Shin, who started representing the 86th District this year, has introduced a bill to celebrate Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day, a tribute to the classic Korean fermented vegetable dish.
Del. Marcus Simon, who represents Pimmit Hills, Merrifield, and the City of Falls Church in the 53rd District, has signed onto the legislation as a cosponsor.
California became the first U.S. state to make such a designation last year, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) also celebrates the day each year.
“I think it’s really an incredible opportunity to celebrate the cultural heritage and the contributions they’ve made [through] cultural diversity, especially in the northern Virginia region,” Shin said.
Called H.J. 147, the bill recognizes Korean culture’s influence and reach around the world, from K-pop music to Korean dramas.
It notes that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization “recognized Korea’s traditional process of preparation and preservation of kimchi, known as kimjang, as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage Item” in 2013.
The proposal also speaks to the region’s changing demographics. The largest Korean population in metropolitan areas in the U.S. is Los Angeles, followed by New York and D.C., according to 2019 data, the Pew Research Center found.
According to the 2020 Census, Fairfax County is now Virginia’s second most racially diverse county, in part due to an increase in its Asian population, though the data was not broken down into more specific ethnicities or nationalities.
Growing up, Shin felt the dish might be unfamiliar to people when they visited her home, but she’s seen its prevalence and popularity rise over the years. She’s eager to help celebrate that diversity like other parts of the country have, even if it means introducing the cuisine to legislators who may not have tried it.
“In Virginia, Korean is the third most spoken language other than English,” she noted. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the Commonwealth.
To mark the occasion of being sworn into office on Jan. 12, Shin wore her family’s hanbok, a traditional Korean dress.
“I hope it will serve to remind us that diversity makes our Commonwealth great,” she said on Twitter.
I wore my family’s hanbok (traditional Korean dress) to honor their sacrifices & legacy, & I hope it will serve to remind us that diversity makes our Commonwealth great. I’m ready to get to work.
pic.twitter.com/HBxGM5L6SL
— irene shin (@ireneshintweets) January 12, 2022
Photo via Portugese Gravity/Unsplash
The omicron wave continues to subside in Fairfax County, which is now seeing only a third as many COVID-19 cases as it was half a month ago.
The county is averaging 753 new cases a day for the past week, compared to 2,520 cases at the current surge’s height on Jan. 13. The caseload is still above last winter’s peak of 697 cases on Jan. 17, 2021, but at this rate, it could drop below that level within a week.
The Fairfax Health District, including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, reported 321 new cases today (Monday) — the fewest in a single day since Dec. 16, when the new variant was just starting to emerge in Virginia.
Even with cases plummeting, the pandemic’s danger has not passed. The county recorded nine more Covid-related deaths in the past week, bringing its death toll for January up to 20 people.
Death counts tend to lag behind cases, sometimes by weeks, due the amount of time it takes for death certificates to be filed and reported.
The district has reported a total of 169,612 COVID-19 cases, 4,416 hospitalizations, and 1,280 deaths during the pandemic.
While community transmission is still high, the Fairfax Health District has seen the pace of vaccinations flatten over the past couple of weeks, suggesting that demand in the area is nearing its ceiling.
At least one dose has been administered to 951,265 residents, or 80.4% of the population, including:
- 89.8% of people 18 and older
- 95.2% of residents aged 16 and 17
- 90.7% of 12-15 year olds
- 48.1% of 5-11 year olds
According to the Fairfax County Health Department, 842,180 residents are fully vaccinated, which amounts to 71.2% of the overall population and includes 80.1% of adults.
The weekly planner is a roundup of interesting events over the next week in the Herndon and Reston area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note. Want to submit a listing? Submit your pitch here!
Tuesday, Feb. 1
- Town Center Toastmasters Zoom Meeting — 6-7 p.m. online — Practice your speaking skills with the Reston chapter of this nationally renowned organization.
Wednesday, Feb. 2
- Reston Plays Games — 5-10 p.m. at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods — Bring your tabletop games and enjoy them with other adults. Registration required. Free. Repeats on Wednesdays.
- Virtual Nature Class – Birds and Nest Boxes — 7-8 p.m. online — Bird enthusiasts of all ages can enjoy this online class, exploring types of birds and their life cycles and how to install a nest box at your home. Starts at $5.
Thursday, Feb. 3
- Friends of Reston Regional Library Mystery Book Sale — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Reston Regional Library — The first day of a three-day book sale starts.
Friday, Feb. 4
- Ana Popović — 8 p.m. at The Barns at Wolf Trap — Bluegrass guitarist shares her fiery style that’s graced the stage with B.B. King, Gary Clark Jr. and many more. Tickets start at $30. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 5
- A Reading of American Moor with Keith Hamilton Cobb — 8 p.m. at the CenterStage — Author Keith Hamilton Cobb reads his modern play about race in America and participates in a discussion afterward. Tickets start at $15.
Sunday, Feb. 6
- Maple Syrup Boil Down — Noon to 1 p.m. and 1-2 p.m. at Colvin Run Mill — Brave the outdoors and get reward by sampling pure maple syrup. Cost is $10.
The Herndon Town Council could create a new diversity and inclusion committee.
The body, called the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, would be tasked with promoting and enhancing the town’s diverse community and connecting the community in a “partnership that celebrates equity and inclusion.”
The matter is up for discussion at a town council meeting tomorrow (Feb. 1).
Council members called on the town to create the committee in July of last year in order to make recommendations to the council that recognizes minority residents and business communities and follow policies that foster diversity and inclusion at-large.
Here’s more from the town on the committee’s objective:
To engage the community by listening and discussing to understand the breadth and depth of issues related to inclusion and equity, and to suggest actionable steps to the Town Council so that under-represented members of our community are seen, heard, and included. The committee’s recommendations may include improvements to town services, practices that enhance diversity, and inclusive cultural programming and events.
The 11-member committee will include seven town residents, two members representing the business community, a non-resident, and one council member, who will serve as chair. Members will serve two-year terms.
The council meets tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the community room of the Herndon Police Department.
Other matters up for discussion include:
- Awarding a contract for improvements along Van Buren Street
- The approval of donations from Darrel Trust Funds to Educate Fairfax
- The approval of a contract for the carnival at the Herndon Festival
Photo via Town of Herndon
Loudoun Prepares for Metro — As the opening of phase two of the Silver Line nears, Loudoun County is preparing by widening two-lane roads and attempting to thin out congestion. The county is the state’s fastest-growing jurisdiction. [WTOP]
Parks Authority Board Chair Reelected — Bill Bouie, who represents the Hunter Mill District, will return as the chairman of the Fairfax County Park Authority. [Inside NOVA]
Metro to Phase Out Old Farecards — Metro is installing new and improved fare gates, one-third of which are complete. The gates will feature mobile pay on Appel iOS and Android. Older SmaTrip cards will be phased out by the end of the year. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
School Board Approves New Calendar — The Fairfax County School Board has adopted a new calendar for the next school year. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Orthodox Good Friday and Diwali were designated as student holidays. [FCPS]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
An organization that stands to benefit from a potential townhome project plans to communicate with neighbors and share its stance with planning leaders.
The board of directors for the Reston Association, which provides recreational amenities and sets standards for building exteriors, agreed yesterday (Thursday) to draft a letter to get input from residents near the Fannie Mae redevelopment project (11600 American Dream Way).
It’s looking to send the letter to the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee, an advisory board to the Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, as the committee looks to vote on a project that involves potentially adding townhomes there.
Board members expressed their interest in having the townhomes be added to the Reston Association, where dues-paying members contribute an annual fee that covers maintenance and operational costs of amenities such as pools and tennis courts.
The organization also stated that it wants to preserve public access to the property, noting that a current arrangement allows people to traverse through the development along American Dream Way to access Plaza America Shopping Center at Sunset Hills Road.
The Planning & Zoning Committee deferred a vote Tuesday (Jan. 25). RA acting CEO Larry Butler said key concerns noted by community members involved the number of townhomes in the project and public access to the shopping plaza.
In other news:
- Irwin Flashman announced his candidacy to run for a board of directors position.
- Director Bob Petrine said the fiscal committee is looking to see whether RA should continue waiving a credit card surcharge that the association absorbs for members when they pay their assessment fee, and the committee could give a recommendation to the board.
- The board agreed to add Reston Arboretum, a yet-to-be-built development at 12700 Sunrise Valley Drive consisting of 40 townhomes, to the Reston Association.
- The board approved a contract with Titan Pool Service for $176,555 for a Ridge Heights pool project.
More snow is on the way to Fairfax County, though Northern Virginia isn’t expected to see the worst of this storm.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the D.C. area, starting at 4 p.m. today (Friday) and continuing until 4 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday).
The full alert is below:
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM EST SATURDAY…
* WHAT…Snow. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.
* WHERE…The District of Columbia, and portions of central Maryland and central and northern Virginia.
* WHEN…From 4 PM this afternoon to 4 AM EST Saturday.
* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Slow down and use caution while traveling.
When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.
Fairfax County Public Schools has canceled extracurricular programs, athletic team practices, and all other activities scheduled to take place on school grounds this afternoon and evening, as well as tomorrow morning until noon.
The Virginia Department of Transportation says its crews pretreated roads in Northern Virginia yesterday (Thursday), and approximately 2,400 trucks will start deploying around midday to treat roads as needed.
The snowstorm is expected to hit around this afternoon’s rush hour, so the department advises planning ahead to avoid non-essential travel at that time.
“Temperatures are expected to stay below freezing over the next several days, causing potential icy conditions,” VDOT said in a news release. “Treat anything that looks wet as if it could be icy, especially bridges, ramps, overpasses, and elevated surfaces. If there is snow or ice on roadways, travel is hazardous.”
In anticipation of the coming snow, Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for Virginia yesterday, noting that areas along the state’s coastline are expected to see the biggest impact.
Fairfax County is working on ways to ensure that consistent and fair wages are linked to public construction contracts.
At a board meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 25), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to require all public construction contracts to abide by the prevailing wage — the hourly rate paid to most workers in specific niche coasts or in a labor market area.
The county was able to pass the measure after the Virginia General Assembly adopted enabling legislation in 2020 that went into effect in May of last year.
“Increasing protection of workers’ rights and ensuring that people are paid appropriately for their skills benefits not just those workers, but the community-at-large,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay told FFXnow. “Our county invests a lot of resources into our community to help struggling residents. Workers getting a fair wage helps families towards a path of self-sufficiency and into the middle class, which helps the entire community.”
Localities are allowed to adopt ordinances that require construction contracts to pay wages for their bidders, contractors, offers, and subcontractors at the prevailing wage rate.
The rate is determined by the Commonwealth’s Commissioner of Labor and Industry, which is guided by standards set by the U.S. Secretary of Labor.
County staff worked with stakeholders and professional cost estimators from the region in order to determine the impact of adopting the ordinance on construction costs. The workgroup helped the county formulate the ordinance that passed on Tuesday.
Such ordinances could have a disproportionate impact on small, women or minority-owned businesses. Other contractors and subcontractors may lack the administrative capacity to absorb the costs associated with the ordinance, a county memo noted.
However, the ordinance could level the playing field for all contractors by taking wages out of the equation, according to county staff. Minority businesses may be able to compete for county contracts, which may be underbid by low-road competition that is not from the area.
The county is working on ways to make sure that businesses have administrative support like software and resources in order to comply with the ordinance.
But it’s still unclear how adopting a prevailing wage affects construction project costs, according to county staff.
The Virginia Division of Engineering and Buildings, for example, accounts for a budget impact of 15% for construction costs. The cost impact can vary between 5 and 7.5% depending on the project type, according to the county.
Based on the county’s unique needs, the ordinance would increase costs by around 5%.
The ordinance goes into effect on July 1.
The state’s prevailing wage law — known as the Little Davis-Bacon Act — went into effect in May. The law requires contractors and subcontractors with contracts over $250,000 to pay the prevailing wage and benefits to all employees who are a part of that contract.
Contractors must verify the pay scale used for employees under the public contract. Itemization of the amount paid to workers is provided and payment records are verified.
If contractors fail to follow the law, the prevailing page must be paid, in addition to an annual interest rate of 8% that accrues when wages were first due.
The contractor is disqualified from bidding on all public contracts until workers are paid. Arlington County also has a prevailing wage ordinance.
Boston Properties has executed 11 office leases in the fourth quarter of the year, filling more than 140,00 square feet in previously vacant space.
The company has signed a lease with Peraton, a technology company, for 90,000-square-feet of space in Reston Town Center, a company representative told Reston Now.
So far, the first phase of the company’s Reston Next project has been delivered. The project is 85 percent leased, with Fannie Mae as the anchor tenant.
Gainwell, a Pennsylvania-based technology company, has also leased 11,000 square feet of space at the next phase of Reston Town Center, according to Boston Properties..
Other leases include:
- SoFi, a personal finance company
- Lennar Multifamily
- About Objects, a computer consultancy firm
- Addison Group, an employment agency
“It is transformative to the Reston skyline and it’s a five-minute walk to the heart of the town center retail,” Doug Linde, Boston Properties director and president, said.
The company appears to have generated extra income earlier than expected from leasing, particularly in Reston and San Fransisco.
Boston Properties has also collected payments from several tenants that it had written off in 2020.
Jake Stroman, a senior vice president of Boston Properties, said Reston is the “poster child” for attracting tenants who are currently housed in suburban campuses.
“We saw our portfolio there materially outperforms both in terms of occupancy deal flow and especially rental rates,” Stroman said. “And we’re attracting tenants who may be in an unamenitized suburban campus coming back to the urban core in Reston Town Center.”
Staff photo by David Taube
Metrobus Services Returns Next Month — Metrobus will resume its regular services on Feb. . The service has been operating on a modified Saturday schedule with 75 percent of normal weekday service — since January. While absenteeism remains high, Metro said that employees are returning to work following their quarantine periods. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Park Authority Names New Officers — The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has elected new officers for this year. Bill Bouie, who represents the Hunter Mill District will return to his 14th term as chairman. [Fairfax County Government]
Westbound Route 7 Traffic Shift to Begin — Starting on or about Feb. 3, a lane shift to the south between Carpers Farm way and Colvin Run Forest Drive is planned. Crews are continuing the construction of the pedestrian underpass at Colvin Run Mill Park. [Virginia Department of Transportation]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Advocates are questioning the design of a new traffic island near Lake Anne Plaza that currently snakes around a crosswalk.
The island allows pedestrians and cyclists from Village Road to pass a right-turn lane and continue past Baron Cameron Avenue.
Previously, the island was essentially a straight shot, but now, the sidewalk circles around a crosswalk signal. The Virginia Department of Transportation said constraints, including updating the sidewalk to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act, were part of the design.
But advocates suggested that the new crosswalk appears to be worse off for people in wheelchairs.
Bruce Wright, president of the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, called the sidewalk design an afterthought and said this often happens.
“Anyone with a wheeled vehicle will have a hard time making the sharp left turn and then swinging around to the right,” he said in an email. “And pedestrians want to walk a direct path.”
He described the design as bad and would have preferred taking out the right-turn slip lane, requiring drivers to make a 90-degree turn.
Wright said FABB has discussed another issue with these designs with county and state transportation departments, noting that steep sides of curbs can lead to cyclists slamming their pedals there, causing crashes.
VDOT says design constraints involved
Transit officials said the upgrades were tied to Lake Anne House, a project to build 240 affordable units for seniors.
A Fairfax County staff report regarding the development previously stated “A pedestrian crosswalk across Village Road, near its intersection with Baron Cameron Avenue, will be provided. An existing pedestrian countdown signal and crosswalk are located on the east side of the site entrance, and will remain, to provide access to the Village Center.”
Fairfax County Department of Transportation spokeswoman Robin Geiger said the developer made the upgrades by right without transit approval.
But a representative for the development, Christy Zeitz, CEO of senior affordable housing provider Fellowship Square, said in an email that the Virginia Department of Transportation “controlled the design of the sidewalk.”
VDOT suggested a permit was involved but couldn’t immediately clarify who signed off on the project. It did acknowledge constraints and implications of the design, though.
“The new ramp is part of the improvements associated with the Lake Anne House site plan (right-of-way improvements are included in VDOT permit #139453) and replaces the existing ramp/sidewalk in the island at that intersection that was non-compliant with ADA requirements and would no longer address pedestrian connectivity between the project site, Village Road and Baron Cameron Avenue,” VDOT spokesperson Ellen Kamilakis wrote in an email.
Site constraints also included traffic signal boxes and at least one underground utility hole, meaning a more standard refuge island was not possible, according to VDOT, leading to the curved path.
“This unfortunately does elongate the length of walkway for pedestrians traveling across Baron Cameron Ave. to the east side of Village Road from the existing condition, pre-construction,” Kamilakis wrote.
With the design, ponding within the sidewalk shouldn’t occur.
‘Mini-golf putting course’
“You’re under certain rules when you’re redesigning something,” Reston resident Fionnuala Quinn said. “However, the redesign doesn’t serve the purpose that the island is for.”
Quinn, who works as a consultant and seeks to promote traffic improvements through her business, questioned the design through a video on Twitter, joking it was a “new mini-golf putting course.”
The corgi was highly impressed by the reconstructed pedestrian island & told us that she heard that it’s a part of a new mini-golf putting course pic.twitter.com/odHTOKBa7F
— Finn Q (@FinnQuinn) January 20, 2022
She noted she didn’t know the background of the design but contacted Fairfax County regarding her concerns. County officials suggested a contractor was involved due to a new development.
It was unclear if design constraints, such as a sewer system, played a role or if the setup was temporary.
Quinn, who previously worked as a civil engineer, said the design was convoluted and said it could be problematic for a cyclist, a person in a wheelchair or someone pushing a stroller when there’s another pedestrian.
She said she was hesitant to talk about the matter because it didn’t appear to be a finished project, but she was wondering what kinds of effects the design could have, even for able-bodied people.
Quinn said many people think infrastructure is a fixed resource that can’t be changed. But that’s not the case. She said it’s better to raise issues in the design phase and at public meetings and described the current setup as unfortunate.
“I live in Reston because it’s a walkable, bikeable place, and we have this amazing network that allows us to get around the community,” she said. “When I encountered that particular reconstruction, I was pretty surprised.”
