(Updated at 10:15 a.m.) Reminder: Richmond Highway Speed Limit Lowered Today — The speed limit on Richmond Highway (Route 1) will decrease from 45 to 35 mph between I-495/I-95 and Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, starting today (Tuesday). The change is intended to improve safety on the roadway, which has seen at least 12 fatal pedestrian crashes since 2015. [DCist]
Missing Oakton Man Found Dead in Shenandoah — “The body of missing George Mason University student, Mateo Cobo Zevallos, 21, was believed to be found Sunday afternoon around 12:15 p.m. at Shenandoah National Park, according to the National Park Service.” The Fairfax County Police Department confirmed yesterday (Monday) that Zevallos was found deceased, with no foul play suspected. [WUSA9]
Police Investigate Springfield Commercial Burglary — “Police responded to the burglary at Smoke Bazaar, 6715 Backlick Road in Springfield, around 14:40 a.m. Sunday. According to police, a stolen 2013 silver Hyundai Elantra was driven through the storefront, and four suspects entered. The suspects stole merchandise and left in a stolen 2019 black Hyundai Elantra.” [Patch]
Herndon Digital ID Company Acquired — “Herndon’s Airside Mobile Inc. has sold itself to a London identity verification firm, a deal it completed late last year but is only now disclosing.” The firm, Onfido, has turned Airside’s 2,000-square-foot office at 13500 Dulles Tech Way into its new U.S. headquarters. The now-combined companies sell technology that helps businesses verify identities. [Washington Business Journal]
Bailey’s Crossroads Has a New Thai Restaurant — “Mum Aroi, the new restaurant that replaced Rabieng at 5892 Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads features the cuisine of northeastern Thailand with a modern twist…Mum Aroi, which means ‘delicious’ in Thai, opened [last] week after the longtime owners, the Duangrat family, decided it was too much to maintain two restaurants.” [Annandale Today]
Herndon Church Provides Education on Drug Addiction — “Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon…opened its doors [on Sunday] to facilitate an important but often uncomfortable conversation on drugs and addiction. The church held its first Drugs & Addiction event, in response to rising overdose numbers across Fairfax County and concerns expressed by the congregation.” [ABC7]
Free Train Rides Offered on Fridays — “Virginia Railway Express is going fare-free on Fridays this summer. The commuter rail service announced Monday that from June 2 to Sept. 1, all Friday rides will be free.” VRE reported an uptick in ridership when it offered free rides last September in response to Metro’s Yellow and Blue line shutdowns. [Inside NoVA]
Spring Concerts Return to Meadowlark Gardens — The Virginia Chamber Orchestra is once again delivering a “Music in the Gardens” concert series at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. Taking place at 3 p.m. this Sunday (May 28) and on June 11 and 25, the concerts are free, but admission to the park is $3 to $6. [VCO]
It’s Tuesday — Partly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 7 to 10 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind 3 to 8 mph. [Weather.gov]
Several pieces of the massive Arrowbrook Centre development in Herndon are barreling toward approval by the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
The commission is set to consider the application — which would transform roughly 54 acres of the site into a mixed-use development — at a public hearing on Wednesday (May 24).
The first piece of the application involves redirecting unused density from six completed land bays into Land Bay A, a nearly 10-acre piece of land on the northern edge of the property. The second piece of the proposal seeks the county’s permission to develop a 435-unit apartment building on a 4-acre site.
“The modifications do not negatively impact the previously approved mix of residential, office, retail and hotel uses or overall approved street network,” county staff said in a May 10 report.
Specifically, the developer has proposed shifting the location of office uses, eliminating a parking garage, relocating some residential uses and a hotel, and consolidating two land bays to allow the development of the apartment building.
The apartment building will include three elevated courtyards, an entry plaza, a parking garage and on-street parking.
In its report, staff recommended approval of the applications.
Overall, nearly 32% of the total property will be used as open space. That excludes nearly 20 acres of parkland dedicated to the Fairfax County Park Authority. It will include a lighted, synthetic turf field, a panic shelter, bocce court, tennis courts, a playground, basketball court, and a butterfly garden,
Most of the public road improvements and internal street system have already been constructed. The new application includes a handful of minor additions, including a 6-foot-wide sidewalk around the apartment building and connections to other areas of the massive site.
The application is one of several in the county that was affected by the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling that temporarily voided Fairfax County’s newly modernized zoning ordinance.
Although the updated zoning ordinance was re-adopted earlier this month, a petition asking the state court to revisit the case is in progress. The current Arrowbrook application was reviewed against both the 1978 zoning ordinance and the latest ordinance, which took effect for a second time after the Board of Supervisors voted on May 9.
Arrowbrook Centre is located south of the Dulles Airport Access Road, bounded by Centreville Road to the east. Upcoming tenants to the development include the South Asian grocery store Hello2India and Ornery Beer Company Public House.
James Rossant’s work is on display at George Mason University through June 30 (courtesy Fenwick Library)
The work of Reston’s master planner James Rossant is on display at George Mason University through June 30.
The exhibit, “Cities and Memory: The Visionary Architecture of James Rossant with Poetry by Juliette Rossant,” displays the work of Rossant alongside poems that reflect on his art by his daughter, Juliette Rossant.
Rossant, who died in 2009, was an architect involved in the New Towns movements in the U.S., which sought to address issues related to urban overcrowding, air pollution and decay.
Rossant and his partner, William Conklin, developed the master plan for Reston in the early 1960s in an effort to create a suburban community that harmonized with urban amenities in park-like settings, according to GMU.
“Rossant’s plan proposed an organic mix of housing types and densities, green spaces, public sculpture, and mixed-use buildings, along with cultural facilities, schools, and churches,” the exhibit organizers said in a press release. “He believed that architecture could — should — be both beautiful and serve to build a better society.”
The exhibit features work from 1972 to 2009. Here’s more from the university on the exhibit:
The artworks in this exhibit range from 1972 to 2008 and give us insight into Rossant’s prodigious imagination and the fantastical processes that underpin his subsequent architectural creations. His subjects vary widely, from modernist portraits to imaginary cities to pastoral landscapes. Uniting them is Rossant’s deep commitment to realizing utopian ideals and visions. As described by architectural critic Joseph Giovannini, James Rossant’s drawings “fly off the grid, off the wagon of rationality, into a surrealism and humor of imagination liberated from the right angle and architectural propriety. […] These are temperamentally joyous drawings, propelled by curiosity and a spirit of exploration.”
His daughter’s poems act as responses to her father’s paintings. Her book — “Planet of the Blue Flowers” — will be published later this year by Finishing Line Press.
The work will be on display in Mason’s Fenwick Gallery during Fenwick Library’s business hours. The Conklin Rossant firm donated the Reston architect’s work to the University’s Special Collections Research Center.
GMU Graduates Protest Youngkin Speech — “About a dozen George Mason University students walked out of their graduation ceremony Thursday morning during Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s commencement speech…Of the graduates who did stay, some in the audience held signs reading ‘We will not debate humanity’ and ‘Mason demands action.'” [ABC7]
Democratic Committee Announces Endorsements — In this year’s school board races, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee has endorsed Ilryong Moon, Ryan McElveen, and Kyle McDaniel for the at-large seats, incumbent Melanie Meren for the Hunter Mill District and Mateo Dunne for Mount Vernon. More than 3,300 voters cast ballots in the committee’s first-ever endorsement caucus. [FCDC]
Local School Board Races Are Becoming More Partisan — “In blue Fairfax County, winning a school board seat is difficult without the party’s stamp. So for many school board candidates in the suburbs of Washington, the stakes are not in the days leading up to Nov. 7, they are here, in the private endorsement race to get their name on the party’s slate.” [The Washington Post]
Family Disappointed by Verdict in Hybla Valley Murder Trial — “Terrence Butler was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter for killing 23-year-old Raphael Pierce in the Hybla Valley area in August 2021. County prosecutors asked a jury to find Butler guilty of murder, with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Instead, they convicted him on a lesser charge this week and recommended a sentence of just three years.” [NBC4]
Sen. Warner Stumps for Springfield FBI HQ at Potomac Yards Metro Opening — “Warner repeatedly referenced with hope that the station could be connected to the — still very undetermined — new FBI Headquarters in Springfield that Warner and other Virginia leaders have been advocating for. For Alexandrians, though, the station was in-and-of-itself something to celebrate.” [ALXnow]
Road Closed in Centreville for Pipe Replacement — “Cabells Mill Drive (Route 970) between Walney Road (Route 657) and Northbourne Drive will be closed to through traffic, weather permitting, Monday, May 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday, May 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to replace a stormwater pipe…Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.” [VDOT]
Traffic Blocked While Ducks Cross I-66 — “EMS Supervisor 404 arrived just in time to help block traffic while @VSPPIO & @FairfaxCountyPD moved a family of ducks from the middle of I-66. When one broke loose from the brood, the officer’s quick thinking helped get the ducks back safely in a row.” [FCFRD, FCPD/Twitter]
Virginia Releases Data on Covid in Wastewater — “At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Department of Health began pushing to use wastewater to track the spread of coronavirus. Now that data is available to the public. The dashboard, now available…uses wastewater from 36 treatment plants throughout Virginia to track and monitor the virus.” [WTOP]
Enforcement of Scott’s Run Alcohol and Swimming Bans Steps Up — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will be working collaboratively with the Fairfax County Police Department to ensure only permitted activities take place in this natural area, that people can recreate safely, and that the rules as they apply to alcohol and use of the preserve are observed.” [FCPA]
It’s Monday — Sunny, with a high near 81. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind 7 to 10 mph. [Weather.gov]
The current home page for the Town of Herndon’s website
A revamped version of the Town of Herndon’s website is set to go live this summer.
In the works since last fall, the new site is intended to improve navigation and accessibility for users.
At a Herndon Town Council work session on Tuesday (May 16), town spokesperson Anne Curtis said the town plans to do beta testing before going live with the website this summer.
The new site has fewer menu options on the header and fewer expandable menus in favor of displaying more content directly on the homepage. It also includes several large icons with quicklinks that are popular.
Granicus — the software company the town is working with — also created a mechanism on the site that allows users to switch through a series of drop-down selects to navigate through the site.
For example, a user would be directed to a page on how to pay specific fees and forms based on responses from a drop-down menu.
Staff offered a preview at the May 16 work session, stressing that the work was ongoing. Council members overwhelmingly lauded the new design.
“There’s lot of work still to be done on this website,” Curtis said, adding that departments are now working on populating the pages with content.
A survey of 82 respondents found that residents wanted to see more visible department buttons, better search results and less reliance on drop-down menus.
Based on the town’s analysis, the bounce rates for the site hover around the same levels for most sites with similar content — nearly 61%. Most users appear to use the website for information on meeting agendas, Herndon Community Center, jobs, recreation and the police department’s weekly crime report.
The split between mobile and desktop users was relatively even: 53% for phones and 46% for desktop users.
The translation feature on the website is also rarely used — a feature that may be redundant with in-browser translation that is offered by most browsers or devices.
For years, Fairfax County leaders have been using carrots to encourage property owners to adhere to the county’s Human Rights Ordinance. Now, some of them want to start using the stick.
During a meeting on Tuesday (May 16) discussing the Metropolitan Washington Regional Fair Housing Plan, staff laid out how Fairfax County fits into a regional push for more affordable housing and better protections for residents.
In addition to regional goals, the plan includes specific goals for each locality in the region. For Fairfax County, that includes enforcement of the Human Rights Ordinance passed back in 2010.
The 46-page ordinance has a detailed list of prohibited forms of housing discrimination, including employment or credit, as well as protection against retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said, given that it’s been 13 years since the Human Rights Ordinance was passed, it’s high time to take the gloves off and double down on enforcement.
“We’re doing the testing, we’re identifying where we need to do more work; I’m all for that, but frankly, at some point, we have to do real law enforcement,” Alcorn said. “We’re going to have to pivot. If we’re not making progress, it’s time to take a more aggressive law enforcement stance with this. If we don’t see progress moving forward, I think we’d want to see an option for a more aggressive law enforcement approach.”
Amanda Schlener said Fairfax County publishes testing reports every two years and the most recent, from fiscal year 2022, indicated the county filed 22 enforcement complaints against private companies. Of those, 11 were settled for monetary conciliation agreements.
Fairfax County isn’t alone in seeing housing discrimination. Alexandria officials recently shared that property owners have evicted residents for receiving public assistance.
Staff also said the county could do more to let local residents know about their rights.
“Sometimes people are not 100% sure of what their rights are,” said Deputy County Executive Ellicia Seard-McCormick. “The carrot is in teaching people what we’re trying to achieve.”
Overall, the plan includes seven regional goals and eight local goals. The local goals are:
- Increase home-ownership opportunities
- Increase housing choice for voucher holders
- Deliver more affordable housing
- Preserve multi-family and manufactured units
- Increase awareness of existing and upcoming affordable homeownership and rental opportunities in communities of color and other vulnerable communities.
- Increase community awareness of Fair Housing rights by developing and providing new Fair Housing training and outreach activities.
- Enforce the Fairfax County Human Rights Ordinance through testing-initiated complaints that identify areas of concern.
- Increase the accessibility of fair housing services for individuals with disabilities and for whom English is not their first language.
The plan also has proposed actions to achieve the goals, like co-locating housing with public facilities on county-owned sites and developing closer relationships with community organizations that can help reach out to non-English-speaking communities.
“This is not the be-all, end-all of our affordable housing policy…but this document is indeed very valuable,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “We can have the best goals in the world, but if we don’t have strategies and implementation and monitoring, we’re stuck not knowing what progress we’re making.”
(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Reston Town Center’s family of falcons are officially live in more ways than one.
Town center owner BXP — formerly known as Boston Properties — announced yesterday (Thursday) that a webcam similar to the Giant Panda cam at the National Zoo in D.C. has been installed to keep an eye on the area’s resident peregrine falcons.
This year, the mother falcon laid three eggs on the rooftop of a building in the town center and had three female babies. The neighborhood has been home to falcons ever since a pair of chicks were found on Market Street in 2015.
“Reston Town Center is committed to supporting the conservation of declining populations by providing a thriving ecosystem and habitat for survival,” BXP said.
Peregrine falcons were on the decline due to the impacts of DDT, a pesticide that was widely used in agriculture until it was banned in the 1970s.
(Correction: This article initially said peregrine falcons are currently declining. The species has started to recover since DDT was banned, getting taken off the endangered species list in 1999.)
Identification bands are placed on the falcons in the town center.
The falcons have attracted local attention — including an attempt by Reston Now readers to name them “Free” and “Parking” in reference to opposition against paid parking at RTC in 2017. They are then named Robert and Anne after Reston’s founder Bob Simon and Lake Anne.
A spokesperson for BXP didn’t return a request for comment from FFXnow by press time.
Missing Oakton Man’s Car Found — “Shenandoah National Park announced Wednesday morning that a gray Honda belonging to Mateo Luis Cabo Zevallos, 21, was found in a parking lot at mile 21 on Skyline Drive. Zevallos was last seen May 5 leaving his home in Oakton en route to George Mason University.” [Inside NoVA]
First Ride Suggests I-66 Trail Criticisms Merited — The newly opened 66 Parallel Trail segment between the Vienna Metro and Cedar Lane is “not a very pleasant ride, but it’s not as bad as the pictures make it out to be,” DCist’s transportation reporter says. On the upside, the trail has “direct connections to places people want to go,” but concerns about noise and vehicle fume exposure in places next to the highway “bear out.” [DCist]
Dulles Airport Could Let VIPs Skip Terminal — “The airports authority is advancing plans for a VIP remote passenger processing service for commercial airline flights at Dulles. A committee of the authority’s board voted Wednesday to issue a presolicitation for a firm to develop, lease and operate the facility at 45041 Compass Court…Departing passengers would be transported directly to their scheduled commercial aircraft from the new facility.” [Washington Business Journal]
Dulles Toll Road Revenues Rise — “A post-COVID back-to-work culture, aided by some help from Mom Nature, helped fill the Dulles Toll Road’s coffers during the opening third of the year. Toll Road revenues for the first four months of 2023 stood at $66.5 million, up 33 percent from a year before and 7.6 percent above budget, according to figures reported May 17 by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.” [Gazette Leader]
FCPD Hires IT Director — “Chief Davis from Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is pleased to welcome Smitha Tumuluri as the new Director of its Information Technology (IT) Bureau…Director Tumuluri will work with FCPD’s administrative and uniformed team leaders to develop IT strategies and solutions that align with the agency’s mission.” [FCPD]
Oakton HS Student Wins State Beauty Pageant — “Ashley Wang is a sophomore making history beyond the pageant stage. Ashley is the first East Asian and the second Asian to win the title of Miss Virginia Teen USA…As Ashley gears up to represent Virginia in the Miss Teen USA competition, she is spreading a message of self-love and encouraging everyone to embrace the unique qualities that make them different.” [FCPS/Facebook]
Lorton Picnic Area Is Getting Restrooms — Fairfax County Park Authority contractor, Bright Construction Group, will be mobilizing next week to build the Laurel Hill Central Green Restroom. Expected to finish in spring 2024, the $2.5 million “project includes construction of a restroom facility, accessible walkway and supporting infrastructure to include sanitary sewer, electric and water lines.” [FCPA]
County’s Oldest Boy Scout Troop Reaches 95th Anniversary — “Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, parents, grandparents, elected leaders, Boy Scout officials, and former scouts celebrated the 95th anniversary of Troop 150 on May 15…Troop 150 is the oldest troop in Fairfax County still operating and is among the oldest in Northern Virginia.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Friday — Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 7 to 11 mph. At night: A chance of showers after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 9:50 a.m. on 5/19/2023) A slate of four candidates running to represent Reston in the House of Delegates aired their ideas on housing affordability, mental health issues and post-pandemic recovery at a candidate forum last night (Wednesday).
Organized by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and the nonprofit Cornerstones, the forum at the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (1441 Wiehle Avenue) challenged the District 7 candidates with questions from a panel, followed by meet-and-greet time with the audience.
The race is among the most crowded in years, as longtime delegate Ken Plum retires.
The most fundamental differences between the four Democratic candidates arose in a question about the one piece of legislation they would propose if elected to office.
Paul Berry — a teacher who frequently referenced his experience as a board appointee in former governor Ralph Northam’s office — said he would introduce an optional firearms buyback program. The program wouldn’t be mandatory in order to get Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature.
(Correction: This article previously said Paul Berry is an attorney who worked in Northam’s office. He works as a teacher and in data science, and his role in Northam’s office was as an appointee to advisory boards, according to his campaign website. Fellow candidate Karen Keys-Gamarra is an attorney.)
Karen Keys-Gamarra, an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board, said she would go a step further by advocating for an assault weapons ban. Shyamali Roy Hauth, an Air Force veteran who previously worked in the office of Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, said she would get rid of a disability waiver waitlist that has existed for years.
Mary Barthelson, a systems engineer at SAIC who squared off against Plum in the 2021 Democratic primary, said she hopes to study entry barriers to Virginia’s workforce.
Affordable housing
All candidates said they would oppose state legislation to override local zoning ordinances in order to permit more dense housing, a move championed by one-time 86th District delegate Ibraheem Samirah. Arlington recently passed legislation that effectively ended single-family-only zoning in the county.
But the proposed solutions to combat housing affordability issues varied.
Barthelson said increasing the capital gains tax and incentivizing developers to include more affordable housing was her priority, along with using commercial buildings for transitional housing.
“I think I’d look at a multifaceted approach,” she said.
Berry prefaced his answer by stating that high eviction rates are particularly alarming.
“Before we start taking about supply in the future, I want to keep people in their homes right now,” he said.
He added that there may be opportunities to transform paved and underutilized surface areas into affordable housing.
“The value has to be there for a developer,” Berry said.
Hauth said she hopes to provide local boards of supervisors with the tools they need to boost their affordable housing stock. Read More
A board-commissioned workgroup is calling for changes to Fairfax County Police Department’s use of force policies and expanded independent oversight.
At a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors safety and security committee meeting on Tuesday (May 16), a 10-member Police Reform Matrix Working Group (MWG) created by the board released a broad 46-page report that establishes the need for policy changes and additional accountability.
The report builds on more than 300 recommendations from a community-wide survey of residents that evaluated the FCPD’s public safety and security responsibilities. It was influenced by the death of Timothy Johnson, who was shot and killed by an officer who pursued him for reportedly stealing sunglasses at Tysons Corner Center.
The officer who shot Johnson was fired but not indicted. A second officer who also fired his gun remains with the department.
“The MWG could not overlook the totality of these events and the context within which we received and created an actionable set of policy and program initiatives,” the report said.
As noted by the report, the FCPD has had eight police shootings in the past 15 months after the prior decade averaged 1.5 per year. Starting in 2022, police officers have killed four people, including Brandon Lemagne just last week.
In a recent study, a team from the University of Texas San Antonio found Black civilians are almost two times more likely than white civilians to experience high levels of force. Additionally, Black civilians were 1.2 times more likely than arrested white civilians to have force used against them.
Board Chairman Jeff McKay said the report is working document that will inform continuous change in the FCPD, which he said is in a much better place than it was in 2015.
“To be a great police department, you have to constantly evolve,” McKay said.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said he appreciates the recommendations — some of which are already going forward — particularly the co-responder model, which emphasizes coordination between police and mental health professionals.
“This is not easy. This is complex fraught with emotion, human emotion,” Alcorn said, adding that the rise in shootings by officers is not acceptable.
But Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity said he struggled to reconcile the report with high levels of confidence reported by recent community surveys.
“We don’t have broad community input into this. We’ve got a group of police reform folks that got together and hasn’t heard the other side of the impact,” Herrity said.
Looking forward
The report argues that most recommendations by the county’s Use of Force Community Advisory Committee — a group charged with reviewing the university’s report — weren’t adopted in full, despite revisions to FCPD’s use-of-force general order in 2022.
It emphasizes that any force must be proportional to the risk of harm to the officer or others, and the events leading up to the use of force have to be taken into account. It also says the FCPD should add pointing a gun or other weapon to its definition of force, revising a current standard that treats it as a separate reportable action not subject to a use-of-force investigation.
Other recommendations include a foot pursuit policy dictating when officers can chase a suspect. After civil rights groups decried the lack of an existing policy in the wake of Johnson’s death, the FCPD said it will implement one based on guidance from an outside review of recent police shootings.
The report also calls on the FCPD to expand its co-responder team, which is currently only staffed from 2-10 p.m. The model intends to ensure behavioral health professionals are the first point of contact for people who are disoriented, intoxicated or in a behavioral health crisis.
That recommendation comes on the heels of the shooting death of Jasper Aaron Lynch in August 2022. Lynch was shot and killed at a home in McLean while experiencing a mental health crisis.
Non-voting members on the working group include representatives from the FCPD, the Civilian Review Panel (CRP), and the Office of Independent Police Auditor (IPA).
The report also calls on expanded independent oversight, including allowing the review panel and IPA to delineate when they should monitor FCPD investigations or conduct independent ones.
It says the panel should be allowed to review FCPD administrative investigations involving allegations of bias or profiling, and that the IPA should be allowed to recommend when the Commonwealth’s Attorney should proceed with independent criminal investigations of officers.
Maintaining and improving police officer excellence also ranked high on the report’s recommendations, including the need for evaluating officers’ understanding of escalation tactics and crisis intervention skills and training. Emphasis on community engagement was also flagged as a need for improvement.
The report also notes a need for more data transparency. For example, public data overstates the proportion for white arrestees because Latino individuals are included in that category. Additionally, data on police stops and searches of pedestrians isn’t made public.
“These shortcomings increase the challenge of building and sustaining community trust by suggesting there is something to hide, even though FCPD’s approach is consistent with historical policing practice throughout much of the country,” the report states.
Use-of-force incidents should be analyzed to determine if disparities persist, examine full details on those encounters, including escalation measures taken, and flag any officers who repeatedly escalate initially minor encounters.
“Additionally, full transparency and a ramped-up effort to communicate broadly the status of these recommendations is of the utmost importance in building trust and community confidence in the ongoing efforts by the County and the FCPD to achieve protective, equitable, responsive, and respectful policing,” the report said.
Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the board will get Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis’s review of the report at a future meeting.
“They have worked diligently to figure ways to share more data,” Lusk said.
MWG member Vernon Walton said the erosion of trust in police can make it difficult for a community to be its “best self.”
“Jasper Aaron Lynch, Timothy McCree Johnson cannot simply be names added to a list,” Walton said. “But their names, and particularly their deaths, should propel us to greater reflection, rigorous reform, practical policy, and a more caring community.”
Photo via FCPD/Facebook
Plans to convert a drive-thru bank into a fast food restaurant in Reston’s South Lakes Village Center are on hold.
At a June 21 meeting, the Fairfax County Planning Commission plans to indefinitely defer the application, which would have converted the bank into drive-thru restaurant.
The applicant had hoped to convert the 1,675-square-foot space into a fast-food restaurant.
“The establishment of a fast-food restaurant at this location complements existing uses, including those of other fast-food businesses in the village center,” the special exception application said.
Most recently updated in February, the application said South Lakes Village Center had hoped to maintain the structure of the building and “broaden the retail options” available to area residents.
The shopping center is anchored by Safeway and includes tenants like Starbucks, Chipotle, Red’s Table, Custom Ink and Truist.
South Lakes Village Center did not immediately return a request for comment from FFXnow. A Fairfax County spokesperson confirmed to FFXnow that the applicant asked for the deferral.
Capitol Police Push to Expand Presence After Assault — “The U.S. Capitol Police wants to increase the number of field offices it has around the country to investigate threats to members of Congress, as well as more funding to beef up cooperation with local police departments, the agency’s chief said Tuesday, a day after a man…attacked staff members of Rep. Gerald E. Connolly” [The Washington Post]
Sister of Man Killed by FCPD Speaks — Nechelle Lemagne, sister of the man shot and killed by police in Penn Daw on May 11, says her brother “was definitely murdered,” expressing bafflement at Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis calling the officers heroes. “Nechelle said she isn’t defending her brother’s actions but questions the way police handled it.” [ABC7]
One Injured in Vienna Townhouse Fire — Around 8:30 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday), Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded to a townhouse fire in the 700 block of Hunter Court SW. All occupants were evacuated, but one person was taken to a hospital “with non life-threatening injuries. No reported firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Metro Got Hacked From Russia — “A former WMATA contractor using a personal computer in Russia breached Metro’s computer system earlier this year, according to a report from WMATA’s Office of the Inspector General, revealing ‘grave concerns’ for the system’s cyber vulnerabilities.” [DCist]
Inova Mount Vernon Opens Region’s First Post-Acute Care Unit — “Inova Health System held a ribbon cutting Tuesday for its new post-acute care specialty hospital in partnership with Select Medical. The specialty hospital serves critically ill patients who need extended care but no longer need the intensive care of an acute care hospital. The first patients will be welcomed on Tuesday, May 23.” [Patch]
Tree Trimmings May Affect Traffic Next Week — “Dominion Energy will trim and/or remove trees along Blenheim Boulevard between Great Oaks Drive and Ridge Avenue. This work will reduce hazards to overhead lines and reduce the potential for residential power loss during storms. Work is expected to last one day. Residents are advised to slow down when they see the orange cones.” [City of Fairfax]
GMU Swim Coach Announces Retirement — “George Mason University men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Peter Ward has announced his retirement after starting the program 25 years ago. Hired in fall 1998, Ward built a Division I program and led the men’s and women’s teams to several team titles in two different conferences.” [Inside NoVA]
Scotts Run Fire Station Celebrates New Engine — “FS44 Scotts Run (A-Shift) held a push-in ceremony for their new Engine 444. Shout out to @SupvPalchik staff for stopping by! Thank you to the @fairfaxcounty residents and leadership for providing us with the latest cutting-edge equipment needed to serve the county.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
South Lakes HS Tops Local Theater Awards — “South Lakes High School received 18 nominations for the prestigious National Capital Area Cappies, which are considered the Tony Awards for high school theater in the DC region. It received the most nominations in 2023 of all DC area schools for its production of ‘Bright Star.'” [Patch]
It’s Thursday — Sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph. [Weather.gov]
Herndon High School’s Pride of Herndon will celebrate its 75th anniversary later this month with a spring bash.
The band — which served as a landmark program in the county — was established in 1947. Since then, the program has ballooned into a program with nearly 200 students.
Here’s more from the program on the band’s legacy and accomplishments:
The Pride was established in 1947 by dedicated parents and citizens who convinced Vladamir Johnson, a Russian interpreter and part-time music teacher from Washington, D.C., to rehearse with a group of fledgling musicians in the rural town of Herndon. At the time of the first rehearsal, most of the students had never seen, let alone played a musical instrument, yet the band’s first performance was a short eight weeks later. Over the years the band program at Herndon High School has grown from the initial group of 40 musicians and 6 majorettes to almost 200 students. The band program has been recognized with countless awards and honors, traveled abroad, and instilled a love of music in countless students.
This year, the program includes 115 students overall, who fill a variety of roles in marching band, symphonic band, wind ensemble and other groups.
Alumni will take part the spring concert, which is slated for May 25. The program is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium (700 Bennett Street). The event includes a work called “Like Diamond, Shine” specially commissioned for the anniversary.
Rising construction costs have created a funding gap for the widening of East Spring Street.
The Town of Herndon is seeking roughly $3.1 million in federal funding for the project, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The move will require a 20% match from the town. In a memo to the Herndon Town Council, staff said that the funding shortfall was caused by increasing construction costs.
“The full amount of the funding gap would otherwise be borne by the Town of Herndon,” staff said in the March 16 memo.
The project would be funded under the federal Community Project Funding program, which selects projects through a congressionally-directed application process.
The nearly $11.5 million project will widen Spring Street and Herndon Parkway at the intersection of those two roads.
It will also add a cycle track on Herndon Parkway to connect with the Sugarland Run Stream Valley Trail, high-visibility crosswalks, a sidewalk on the south side of Spring Street to connect with the county sidewalk under Fairfax County Parkway, and new traffic signals and accessible pedestrian signals.
The project is currently under construction and is expected to warp up in late 2024, according to VDOT.
Clemyjontri Carousel Temporarily Stalled by Birds — “The Fairfax County Park Authority took its Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible carousel at Clemyjontri Park in McLean out of operation May 5 because the birds had placed nesting material in its main gear.” The carousel is expected to resume operations this weekend after staff removed the material and installed a Plexiglas barrier to prevent the birds from returning. [Gazette Leader]
Man Who Assaulted Connolly Staffers Previously Called Office — Rep. Gerry Connolly “said that staffers had previously talked to the man on the phone and he seemed off. Pham’s father said in an interview that his son was schizophrenic and has been ill since his late teens. The father said that his son had been refusing to take his medication and that he had unsuccessfully sought help for him.” [The Washington Post]
Car Crashes Into School Bus in North Springfield — Yesterday “around 8:45am in the 5200 blk of Inverchapel Rd, a sedan struck a school bus. No children were injured as a result. The driver of the white sedan was treated for minor injuries and was charged with having a phone in hand. U text. U drive. U pay.” [FCPD/Twitter]
State Trooper Injured in I-66 Collision — “A woman struck the back of a Virginia State Police SUV, propelling it into a state trooper and knocking him into incoming traffic on Interstate 66 late Monday afternoon, law enforcement says.” The crash occurred around 4 a.m. after the trooper stopped a pickup truck near the 50-mile marker for speeding. [WTOP]
New Restaurants Coming to Annandale — “A Wingstop restaurant is coming to the new shopping center on the corner of Little River Turnpike and John Marr Drive in Annandale…Another restaurant is under construction next door. Moby Dick House of Kabob is opening at 7042-J Little River Turnpike at one end of that retail center, and Patient First is coming to the other end.” [Annandale Today]
Results Are In for FCPD Anti-Speeding Campaign — “The Fairfax County Police Department shared the results of the agency’s ’50 Means 50′ campaign, which aimed to deter dangerous driving behavior on the Fairfax County Parkway…Officers issued 890 traffic summonses and 163 warning tickets, totaling 1,053 violations.” [WUSA9]
Vienna Repeats With Fitness Challenge Win — “For the second consecutive year, Team Vienna emerged the victor in the annual Mayors’ Fitness Challenge. The friendly competition between the Town of Vienna and Falls Church and Fairfax cities encourages residents to get moving and log their minutes of exercise in the name of community spirit and team pride.” [Town of Vienna]
Library Fandomania Returns to Providence Community on Saturday — “‘Geek out’ at our sixth annual celebration of comic books, science fiction, fantasy, TV, movies and more. Meet Ben Hatke, author and illustrator of the Zita the Spacegirl series and other titles…Show off your costuming skills in a cosplay contest, learn how to paint gaming miniatures, browse the vendor and artist hall, take a snack break at a food truck, and be sure to pick up some free swag.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Wednesday — Sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Tonight: Clear, with a low around 47. Northeast wind around 8 mph. [Weather.gov]
