Reston Row is under construction (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County government staff said a proposal (action item 3) that aims to right-size how much developers pay for their transportation impacts could negatively affect funding for local projects.
Currently, developers have to pay to offset their transportation impact of added density if the development exceeds the limits established in the comprehensive plan for areas like Tysons, Reston or Centreville.
With the county trying to emphasize public transit in many of its denser areas, proposed changes could reduce the estimated “trip generation” of new development, and past contributions to programs offsetting that development impacts could be adjusted to the new standard.
Back in August, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to reevaluate guidelines for the county’s road funds in order to maintain the county as an appealing destination for developers, according to the board matter introduced by Chairman Jeff McKay.
“Recently, the County has been experiencing various forms of redevelopment, including repurposing buildings for different uses and the redevelopment of sites with new developments where other buildings had been rendered obsolete and torn down,” McKay wrote. “This redevelopment is vital in keeping the County economy competitive, as well as resilient…However, the adopted guidelines do not anticipate how to handle the new reality we are experiencing.”
McKay said some of the current contribution requirements for developers don’t reflect the reality of how much traffic the new developments are putting on roads:
For example, a project in Fair Lakes where an obsolete office building paid into the Road Fund in the 1980s is being replaced by townhomes. The townhomes will generate a lower trip rate than the office building. As such, and absent guidelines on how to address these instances, County staff was only able to give the developer credit for the previous contribution. However, that contribution was at a much lower square foot rate since it was made 40-years ago. Staff did not have the latitude to consider the lower trip generation rate, or how much the rates have increased over time when evaluating the Road Fund contribution.
But while that could benefit developers, staff also said that change could be a hit against the county’s transportation funding — and at-risk populations are most likely to be impacted.
According to the staff report:
Staff conducted an Equity Impact Assessment and concluded that this action may negatively impact at-risk populations. While there is a realized benefit of allowing developers to reduce their development derived contribution toward County road funds, that benefit comes at the expense of reduced transportation funding. Although the at-risk populations in most road fund areas are primarily within the low to average vulnerability index, the Centreville area has populations that falls within the high to very high vulnerability index. Reduced funding in all areas, especially Centreville, may result in reduced transportation services for populations in need of additional accessibility and transportation options.
In short, if approved, staff said there will be less money to spend on transportation projects.
“The proposed revisions to the road funds may result in reduced developer funds received for transportation projects,” the report said.
The item was docketed for review at a Board of Supervisors meeting on May 9 but was deferred.
A connection has now been solidified between Herndon Metro station and Van Buren Street.
The Town of Herndon has completed construction of an 800-foot trail for pedestrians and bicyclists that connects the Metro station to Van Buren Street by Worldgate Centre.
“The 800-foot trail provides ready access to Metro for workers in the Worldgate and nearby office complexes,” the Town of Herndon said.
The trail goes live as Bike to Work Day kicks off on Friday (May 19). The Herndon area will have pit stops at the Innovation Center Metro station and the Town Hall Green.
Construction on the project began in September 2022. The project was completed roughly two months ahead of schedule, according to town spokesperson Anne Curtis.
The overall project cost $600,000 for design and construction. It was funded through a combination of town funds as well as funds from Fairfax County’s Herndon Metrorail Station Access Management Study.
The trail was officially opened last week, not long after construction finished on nearby improvements along Van Buren Street from Spring Street to Herndon Parkway. That “complete streets” project widened the road, added curb-and-gutter and bicycle lanes, and made some intersection and stormwater upgrades.
Fairfax County Public Schools is proposing some notable updates to its student policies.
At last week’s school board meeting, school officials laid out a number of proposed revisions to its Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook, including how cases of bullying are handled, what’s interpreted as appropriate clothing, and the potential for increased punishment for substance misuse.
The presentation from FCPS Assistant Auperintendent Michelle Boyd was relatively brief due a planned school board work session next week (May 23), which will likely be spent discussing the proposed dress codes updates, Providence District School Board Representative Karl Frisch noted.
Essentially, FCPS is looking to update verbiage around the dress code, which was last reviewed in 2016. The update will not include a ban on pajamas that was initially proposed earlier this year but has since been reconsidered.
Proposed language includes the dress code supporting “equitable educational access” while not reinforcing stereotypes or increasing marginalization:
FCPS’ student dress code supports equitable educational access and is written in a manner that does not reinforce stereotypes or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, color, national origin, caste, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, medical condition, household income, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, age, or genetic information.
It also clarifies that the same rules apply “regardless of the student’s age or gender” while providing examples of what isn’t allowed, including clothing that depicts or promotes use of weapons, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
Any violation and enforcement of the dress code will continue to be addressed in a “discreet” manner, showing respect to the student, and “minimizes loss of instructional time.”
“Violations of the dress code should generally be treated as minor infractions unless they are repeated or egregious in nature (e.g., streaking, hate speech),” the current code says.
However, this can leave much open to interpretation for school staff and administration. Several school board members noted that some language could be included to ensure a more standardized interpertation across the school system.
“I know we are trying to thread a needle here between what kids recognize as appropriate dress and not,” Springfield District School Board member Laura Jane Cohen said.
Also being proposed is a shift in what happens when there are alleged acts of bullying. The school system is now seeking to require that a principal or staff member notify a parent or guardian of every student involved in an alleged act of bullying within 24 hours of learning about the incident.
The update would also better define that bullying involves a “power imbalance” and what that could look like.
“Examples of a power imbalance include, but are not limited to, greater physical strength or size, access to embarrassing information, or greater popularity or social connectedness,” reads the updated definition.
Also proposed are updated definitions of harassment, hate speech, and hazing, along with potentially more severe punishments. For example, hazing could become a Level 5 infraction, which is the most severe and could result in law enforcement getting involved.
In addition, students with a first-time hate speech infraction would be required to participate in “culturally responsive intervention.”
FCPS is also tweaking its handling of substance misuse in response to recent incidents. While incidents involving alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants customarily result in a two-day suspension, the school principal can decide to levy even more disciplinary action if the conduct has “substantially disrupted the instructional program [or] endangered the well-being of others.”
This could mean a referral to the superintendent and a suspension of up to 10 days. There are number of other changes being asked for, including rewordings and clarity in terms of verbiage, but as Boyd said, those are “relatively minor in nature.”
After next week’s work session, a revised draft is set to be presented to the school board at the end of the month. The school board is expected to vote and adopt the updated students’ rights and responsibilities by the end of June.
A 26-year-old Herndon man was arrested yesterday (Monday) in connection with a trio of armed robberies in Sterling over a 36-hour period.
According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the first robbery happened at a 7-Eleven in the 700 block of West Church Road. A man brandished a knife and demanded money from the clerk shortly before 1:50 a.m. on Sunday (May 14).
The second robbery happened at a nearby Sunoco gas station at 8:18 a.m. In that incident, authorities believe a man brandished scissors and demanded money from the clerk, according to LCSO.
The final robbery happened at the Exxon gas station on the 45600 block of Falke Plaza. A man approached a clerk with his hand in his pocket shortly after 12:30 a.m. yesterday (Monday) and demanded money, LCSO said.
Authorities believe the man left the stores in a grey Toyota Camry in all three robberies.
The suspect was charged with three counts of robbery. He was arrested at a home in the 700 block of West Church Road opposite of where the first gas station robbery occurred. The road was blocked off yesterday morning in both directions.
Photo via Google Maps
Man in Connolly’s Office Attack Tied to Earlier Assault — “The suspect is accused of attacking another person shortly after 10:30 a.m. Monday. He approached a woman sitting in her car in the Chantilly area, asked her if she was white and then smashed her windshield with a bat, police said. He’ll be charged with a hate crime and destruction of property.” [NBC4]
Youngkin Vetoes Undergrounding Utilities Bill — “On Friday, May 12, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation that would have funded an underground electricity distribution line along Route 1 in Fairfax County in support of the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit project. The legislation had passed unanimously in both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate.” [On the MoVe]
Police Still Looking for Suspect in Culmore Shooting — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau continue to investigate last week’s non-fatal shooting in Culmore.” Police are seeking the public’s help identifying a suspect based on surveillance footage from the May 10 incident, which occurred near a 7-Eleven in the 3300 block of Glen Carlyn Drive. [FCPD]
Reston Area Primed for Housing to Replace Offices — “The Reston-Herndon area saw a 112% spike in Class-A multifamily rents over the three years ending March 31 — the largest of any submarket in the D.C. region, according to Delta Associates’ first-quarter multifamily report…With all this demand, the obsolete office parks that dot the area are due for a reckoning, panelists said.” [Bisnow]
Possum With Babies Relocated From Chantilly Park — “A few weeks ago, our incredible Park Specialist, Kiersten, at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park successfully relocated a mother opossum who was eating out of the trash can. The can was gently lowered so Mom could climb out with all babies tucked away in her pouch. Thank you, Kiersten, for ensuring the mommy and babies were safe and unharmed!” [FCPA/Facebook]
Food Scrap Disposal Expands to All Farmers Markets — “Each of the Park Authority’s 10 Farmers Markets now include food scrap disposal sites where customers can dispose of food waste to be composted. This expansion is the result of a highly successful pilot program that experienced strong customer support in 2022.” [FCPA]
FCPS Settles on Graduation Venue for Next Five Years — “The Fairfax County School Board on May 11 unanimously approved a $500,000-per-year, sole-source contract with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to rent EagleBank Arena at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus for graduation ceremonies. The contract will run for five years and have a total value of $2.5 million.” [Gazette Leader]
Family Bicycle Ride This Weekend in Vienna — “This Sunday at 10:30 am, join Vienna’s Bicycle Advisory Committee for a 6.3-mile family bike ride on local trails and low-volume streets. The ride starts and ends, rain or shine, at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry Street SE. Helmets required.” [Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling/Twitter]
It’s Tuesday — Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 50%, with possible showers between 1 p.m. and 2 a.m. [Weather.gov]
In the future, Fairfax County residents won’t need to trek to a park to experience nature.
Instead, the park will find them with the Wonder Wagon Mobile Nature Center, a Fairfax County Park Authority initiative that will bring educational programs on nature and the environment to underserved communities and Title I schools with limited access to green spaces.
“Mobile nature centers will allow greater opportunity for communities to come to know the Park Authority and the cultural and natural resources around them,” FCPA public information officer Benjamin Boxer said. “…The concept is to activate the nature that is all around us for those who may not have the means for easy access to one of the Park Authority’s facilities.”
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an initial $114,640 for the mobile nature center with its adoption of the fiscal year 2024 budget on May 9. However, that funding falls short of the $229,279 that the park authority requested to cover two merit staff positions and operating costs for a full year.
In addition, the FCPA estimates that it needs approximately $200,000 to acquire electric or hybrid vans to transport the center.
The county hopes to fill those gaps with the help of the Fairfax County Park Foundation, the nonprofit that obtains private donations, grants and partnerships to supplement the park authority’s public funding.
Earlier this month, the foundation was awarded a $34,000 grant for the mobile nature center from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Environment Fund, which launched in 2018 with its first grant going to the Fairfax County Public Schools Get2Green initiative.
Boxer called the grant “a significant step” in the foundation’s fundraising effort.
“The Fairfax County Park Foundation is grateful for the generous…grant from CFNOVA,” Bobbi Longworth, the foundation’s executive director, said. “The grant will help fund the Wonder Wagon Mobile Nature Center that will teach children in Title 1 elementary schools and underserved areas about the environment and the importance of stewardship of nature and parks. By bringing environmental education to them, it will increase the children’s connectedness to nature where they live.”
According to the FCPA, the mobile centers will be filled with supplies for “a variety of interactive field trip experiences,” from science experiments to live insects and other creatures.
The exact programming remains to be determined, as the park authority plans to host some community engagement events starting this summer to gather ideas from the public.
“Test programs may begin in the fall,” Boxer said.
(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) Two members of Rep. Gerry Connolly’s staff were assaulted this morning by a Fairfax resident with a baseball bat.
The City of Fairfax Police Department and the United States Capitol Police (USCP) are investigating the incident at 10680 Main Street, Suite 140. The suspect has been arrested, while the victims were taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, police said.
According to police, 49-year old Xuan-Kha Tran Pham entered Connolly’s Fairfax District Office in the Mainland Building around 10:49 a.m., carrying a metal baseball bat and used it to assault two staffers.
Connolly wasn’t present at the time.
“Right now, our focus is on ensuring they are receiving the care they need,” Connolly said in a statement. “We are incredibly thankful to the City of Fairfax Police Department and emergency medical professionals for their quick response.”
Read more on this story at FFXnow…
Photo via Google Maps
Two stops on Metro’s Silver Line have risen above all others since the rail line was extended into Loudoun County last fall.
The stations at Dulles International Airport and Ashburn remain the most popular so far, continuing a trend seen in the first month of operations for the extension, according to Metro officials.
At a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority board meeting on Thursday (May 11), Metro Director of Performance Improvement Jordan Holt said that nearly a third of all Silver Line Phase II trips start or end at the Dulles stop. Additionally, a quarter of all trips start or end at Ashburn.
“Downtown D.C. is a draw,” Holt said.
She also noted that more than half of all customers traveling from Silver Line Phase II stations went to one of 12 stations. Roughly 35% went to Silver Line stations in D.C., while 14% traveled to Silver Line stations in Virginia. Three percent went to Union Station.
The extension began service on Nov. 15 after years of delays. The second phase of the Silver Line includes 11.5 miles of the rail line, including stations in Herndon, Reston Town Center, and Innovation Center.
So far, there have been more than 1.1 million trips on the new extension in its first five months of service.
(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Fairfax County officials are hoping to clear up a legal kerfuffle over its zoning ordinance, which was readopted last week after getting voided by the Virginia Supreme Court earlier this year.
Before readopting a modernized version of the zoning ordinance — known as zMod — on May 9, the county filed a petition for a rehearing in the Supreme Court case Berry v. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The court struck down the ordinance on March 23 — nearly two years after it first took effect — because it was originally adopted during a virtual meeting and therefore violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
The court argued that the county’s state of emergency rules for Covid only allowed virtual meetings on issues “necessary to ensure the continuation of essential functions and services,” which it said didn’t include updating a document last overhauled in the 1970s.
Most residents testifying at an in-person public hearing on zMOD’s readoption last week opposed the update.
Even though zMOD has now been reinstated, the county confirmed to FFXnow that it’s still pursuing the request for a rehearing in the Berry case.
“The Berry opinion was broadly framed and has potential implications that reach beyond zMOD,” a county spokesperson said. “The decision affects numerous localities, among many other public bodies, across the Commonwealth who conducted electronic meetings in good faith reliance on the relevant state legislation to protect their residents during the pandemic.”
The petition argued that the Supreme Court’s opinion not only raised questions about close to two years of zoning actions, but also forced “every public body in the Commonwealth that met electronically during the pandemic…to examine its actions and speculate whether this Court would deem them ‘time-sensitive.'”
In the filing, the county argued that the board acted in “good faith” by holding virtual public meetings in the midst of the pandemic, and they were consistent with Virginia’s limits on public gatherings at the time, which had dropped to 10 people when the board authorized public hearings on zMOD in December 2020.
The county also argues that voiding zMod “casts doubt on years of pandemic-era decisions made in good faith reliance on the budget language.”
Walsh Colluci Lubeley & Walsh, a prominent law firm in the area that handles many Fairfax County land use applications, has also filed two amicus briefs on behalf of the Home Builders of Virginia, the Virginia Association for Commercial Real Estate and the Virginia Land Title Association.
They argue that the Supreme Court’s decision has “already had a significant adverse effect on local governments and private sector entities statewide.”
“The court’s reasoning has cast a cloud over a vast number of land use approvals and permits, not just in Fairfax County but throughout the Commonwealth,” one filing states, adding that “the number of applications potentially impacted by the court’s decision cannot be understated.”
The court could rehear the case if any of the seven justices determine there is good cause.
A new tea spot is opening soon in Herndon’s Worldgate Centre.
Sharetea, a franchise that specializes in tea drinks, is expected to open soon at 13043 Worldgate Drive, according to signage posted at the door.
The business kicked off in Taiwan in 1992. It currently has more than 300 locations across 13 countries.
Virginia has three locations in Fairfax, Falls Church and Chesapeake. The business didn’t immediately return a request for comment from FFXnow.
Items on the menu include a variety of milk teas, fruit tea, blended ice beverages, and tea mojitos.
It replaces 1,053-square-feet of space previously leased by Pivot Physical Therapy.
The shopping plaza — which is anchored by Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa and AMC Theaters — has one 921-square-foot vacancy, according to the property owner’s website.
Police Share Plans for Future DUI Checkpoints — “Throughout the year, our Fairfax County DUI squad will host sobriety checkpoints throughout the County. District stations will also host sobriety checkpoints, between the hours are 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. The focus is to recognize those community members who are impaired and get them off the streets safely.” [FCPD]
Dead Bodies Found in Culmore and Groveton — “Two dead bodies were found in different areas of Fairfax County hours apart Saturday, police said. One body was found behind a business at the 3300 block of Glen Carlyn Drive…Hours later, officers responded to a call about another body found at the 7100 block of Mint Place” [WUSA9]
Cause of Mount Vernon Boat Fire Still Unknown — Fairfax County fire investigators are still working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a boat in the 4800 block of Tarpon Lane around 7:16 p.m. on May 4. Two people got injured in the fire and were transported to a hospital, while the boat “is considered a total loss.” [FCFRD]
Tysons Office Buildings Up for Sale — Tysons Concourse — a pair of seven-story office buildings at 1593 Spring Hill Road — has been put on the market by owner AG-ARC Tysons Concourse Owner LLC. Built in 1986, the “Class A” offices were renovated in 2017 and “could attract new tenants, or else be redeveloped with ‘at least’ 1.2 million square feet of new uses, ‘including multifamily, townhomes, and/or senior living,'” marketing materials say. [Washington Business Journal]
Less Plastic Bag Litter Seen in First Year of Tax — Fairfax County’s 5-cent tax on plastic bags generated about $2.3 million in revenue over its first year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022, according to the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination. The executive director of Clean Fairfax says the nonprofit has found “fewer plastic bags…during stream monitoring and litter cleanup events” since the tax began. [Fairfax Times]
McLean Boys’ Rowing Team Wins State Title — “Nate McClafferty, the McLean boys’ rowing coach, and Russell Topp, the Wakefield girls’ coach, both told their rowers to prepare to race in the afternoon. Both teams got their second shot, and as the thunder held off at the Occoquan River at Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax County, both the McLean boys (4 minutes 42.6 seconds) and the Wakefield girls (5:21.7) emerged as state champions.” [The Washington Post]
FCPS Music Teachers in Running for Grammy Award — “Alberto Rodriguez (above), orchestra director at Mount Vernon High School, and Ær Queen (below), music teacher at Braddock Elementary School, have been selected as quarterfinalists for the 2024 GRAMMY Music Education Award. They are among 212 teachers from across the country being recognized for having made an significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.” [FCPS]
Solo Artist Shows Now Open in McLean — “From ironic sculptures skewering modern technology to naturalistic wood sculptures and colorful abstract paintings, the latest solo shows at the McLean Project for the Arts exude variety and challenge viewers…The shows opened April 13 and will run through June 10.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Monday — Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 75. North wind around 6 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind around 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
Photo by John Lee/Twitter
Reston Association‘s work on its first 10-year parks and recreation plan is underway.
The organization has kicked off a community survey to gather information on how it should approach the planning process for future and current parks and recreation needs.
The survey is open through June 30 and is available to all. The survey is anonymous and takes roughly 15 minutes to complete.
“One of RA’s missions is to optimize the use of land and investments related to leisure opportunities for our members,” Reston Association said. “A planning process is conducted roughly every 10 years to ensure that our parks and recreational facilities and programs are optimally meeting both the current and future needs of our residents.”
Mike Leone, a spokesperson for RA, said the board is expected to hear the results of the community survey at when it meets in September.
The survey is intended to determine current use of parks and recreation programs and facilities, future uses, and what kind of new facilities and programs should be considered in the future.
The survey is available online. Survey stations are also planned at RA ballfields, community events, courts and pools.
Fairfax County is continuing to see the number of locals experiencing homelessness over the last year increase — and a new report said inflation and housing costs are partially to blame.
This year’s point-in-time count — an annual count of individuals in shelters, transitional housing, and experiencing unsheltered homelessness — found 1,310 people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County.
That’s a 10% increase (119 people) over the previous year, when a slight drop was reported. Around 30% of those were adults experiencing chronic homelessness.
The survey found that 87 households said they were fleeing domestic violence and 229 households reported a history of domestic violence, according to Fairfax County.
This year’s count follows a recent trend of homelessness increasing again after years of decline throughout the D.C. region.
“After a steady reduction of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the Point-in-Time Counts between the 2008 and 2017, a decrease of 47 percent (871 people),” the county said on the Point-in-Time report. “The number of people experiencing homelessness identified through the counts increased 27 percent (258 people) between 2017 and 2021 and then decreased 3 percent (31 people) in 2022.”
In particular, the report says there’s been a notable increase in families with children facing homelessness:
The number of people in families with children experiencing homelessness increased by 33 percent (188 people) between the 2022 and 2023 counts. This increase is primarily attributed to the multiple negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families in terms of health, employment, and inflationary costs, especially for housing. Meanwhile, the number of single adults experiencing homelessness decreased by 11 percent (71 people) during the same time.
As with the previous year, the report noted that people who identify as Black or African American are disproportionately likely to experience homelessness in Fairfax County:
The most significant disparity in the demographics of those experiencing homelessness on the night of the 2023 Point-in-Time Count remains the disproportionate representation of people identifying as Black or African American. While 10.8 percent of the general population in Fairfax County is estimated to identify as Black or African American , 48 percent of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count identified as Black or African American. The imbalance slightly improved from the 2022 count, when 50 percent of people identified as Black or African.
(Updated at 1 p.m. on 5/15/2023) Reston Farmers’ Market — a staple of Lake Anne Village Center — has officially landed in Reston.
The farmers market, which launched in late April, boasts the highest-ever number of vendors this year, according to John Lovaas, founder and co-market manager.
“We have 34 vendors (up 5 from last year),” Lovaas wrote in a statement. “In addition we have a Compost collection contractor, and stands for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) managed by Cornerstones, and Fairfax Master Gardeners who provide a wide range of advice to home gardeners.”
Sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority, the market also allows SNAP beneficiaries to receive an up to $20 match.
Even as it boasts a record number of vendors, the market faces some parking restraints this year.
Lovaas said parking is a constraint “made more difficult” by the new Lake Anne House, which provides what he said was “inadequate parking for its 240 apartments.”
Additionally, construction work on new townhouses next to the senior housing community has complicated some efforts.
“Thankfully, there is abundant parking available just the other side of Baron Cameron Avenue from the Market and in the parking lot behind the Lake Anne Baptist Church on the Plaza,” Lovaas said.
The church, which is officially called the Washington Plaza Baptist Church, is located at 1615 Washington Plaza North.
Musicians also perform on a weekly basis at the farmers market, which is held every Saturday to December from 8 a.m. to noon.
This year’s new vendors are:
- Bites by Sam-sweet & savory pies
- Cocoi-Philippine donuts, sweets
- Coulter Dairy Farms-certified Organic
- Pho From Home-Frozen Vietnamese Soups
- Poppi’s Hot Sauces
Here’s more from Reston Association on the parking changes:
Construction of new townhomes on North Shore Drive across from the Reston Farmers Market will begin shortly, making parking even more challenging. However, nearby there are two sizeable parking lots that provide alternative parking options for market attendees.
One is up behind Lake Anne Baptist Church on the Plaza. To access this lot, take the first left turn off North Shore Drive after you go through the traffic light at the entrance into the new Lake Anne House assisted living building coming from the Farmers Market. After the left turn, go straight ahead up the hill into the parking area.
On the opposite side of Baron Cameron Avenue from Lake Anne Village Center & the Farmers Market, there is parking straight ahead by the RA tennis courts, and off to the right by the Browns Chapel and the baseball field. There is a crosswalk with a signal light on Baron Cameron for a safe walk back to Lake Anne.
School Board Calls for Review to Address Drug Use — “As part of this review, the Board is asking the Superintendent to consider the merits of various initiatives, including creating a recovery high school, providing students and staff with access to fentanyl testing strips, placing naloxone in all classrooms with appropriately trained classroom-based staff, offering naloxone training to high school students” and more. [Karl Frisch]
Student Sports Officially Coming to Middle Schools — “For the first time, Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to launch an athletics program for middle school students. The program would start with cross country this fall. An outdoor track program would be offered in spring 2024. There would be no cost to students.” [Annandale Today]
New Seafood Restaurant Open in Fairfax — “You won’t find Ned at Ned’s New England Deck, a recent seafood-focused Fairfax arrival…What you will find is terrific food and hospitality at this tribute to the casual fare [co-owner Steve] Forbes and his partner Anthony Gallotto grew up eating and cooking on Boston’s North Shore. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
New Reston Town Center Falcons Get ID Bands — “Wildlife experts at the Reston Town Center worked on Wednesday to put identification bands on peregrine falcons” born to a pair that has frequented the shopping center since 2015. “This year, the mother falcon on Freedom Drive laid three eggs and had three baby daughters.” [WUSA9]
Update Planned for Courts at Bailey’s Crossroads Park — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has initiated the work to resurface the athletic courts at Dowden Terrace Park. The courts will be closed from May 8 through July 17 to complete the project…The project will cost approximately $227,000” [FCPA]
Virginia’s Teacher Licensing Process Delayed — “The Virginia Department of Education took emergency action Thursday to automatically extend teaching licenses after department delays left some teachers at risk of losing their jobs for the 2023-2024 school year.” About 15,500 of more than 20,000 licenses set to expire on June 30 “are renewable and will be extended.” [The Washington Post]
Herndon Theater Launches “In the Heights” — “Herndon’s NextStop Theatre Company will be debuting its production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical, ‘In The Heights,’ this Friday.” The show will run through June 11. Masks are still required for audience members at the theater on 269 Sunset Park Drive. [Patch]
Free Concerts Return to Meadowlark Gardens — “‘Music in the Gardens,’ a Spring Series of ensemble concerts, will return to Vienna’s Meadowlark Botanical Gardens beginning this Sunday, May 14th, at 3 pm. Performers are principal players from the Virginia Chamber Orchestra. Concerts are free with admission to the park ($3 to $6).” [VCO]
It’s Friday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Evening has a chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low around 66. Showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 a.m. Chance of precipitation is 70%. [Weather.gov]
