Monday, March 15
- Fly Bessie Fly (2 p.m.) — In 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license in the United States. This virtual one-woman show presented by the Fairfax County Public Library and American Historical Theatre tells her story by bringing the famed pilot to life. All scouts who attend earn a FREE women make history patch.
Tuesday March 16
- RBG’s Unpublished Legacy (6-7 p.m.) — Join Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s former law clerk Amanda L. Tyler as she gets into an online conversation about the book she wrote with the former Supreme Court Justice. Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue, Volume 2 is a compilation of RBG’s unpublished speeches, briefs, and oral arguments.
Wednesday, March 17
- St. Paddy’s Day at Home (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) — On St. Patrick’s Day, Reston Association is offering a fun-filled, low-contact egg hunt to members. Their good friend Lucky the Leprechaun will personally deliver and hide two dozen eggs in your yard for all to find. For those who are not members, there is an option for Lucky to simply drop off eggs to be hidden by those at home.
- Two By Sea Outdoors (6 p.m.) — Join local folk and country rock band Two by the Sea for an outdoor St. Patrick’s Day concert at the State Theater in Falls Church. This is an all-age show entirely outdoors to lower the risk of COVID-19 spread. It will have very limited capacity. Admission is free, but the venue is asking for a donation or a food purchase.
Thursday, March 18
- Viola, Harp, and Flute (2:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.) — Meet the artists of Beau Soir, a trio of musicians who play viola, harp, and flute. Known for their “unique audience interaction,” the ensemble will perform live, both to a limited audience at the Hunter Woods Community Center and virtually on Facebook.
Friday, March 19
- Women’s Storytelling Festival (4:00 p.m.) — Friday is the first evening of the 2021 Women’s Storytelling Festival, which will feature more than 30 performers. Presented by Better Said Than Done, a community of storytellers based in Fairfax, this year’s edition is all virtual. “Is it kid-friendly?,” the website asks. “Probably not,” it answers.
Saturday, March 20
- Spring Equinox Celebration (11 a.m.) — After a pandemic winter, spring is finally here. Join Fairfax County Parks for a spring equinox celebration at Turner Farm Park in Great Falls. Look through a sun telescope and take a (socially distant) walk to learn more about what an equinox is.
- A Drive-In (6:45 p.m.-9:45 p.m.) — The Reston Association is holding their first-ever drive-in movie. The film will screen at the Isaac Newton Square parking lot starting at 7:30 p.m., though the lot entrance will open at 6:45 p.m. Admission also includes one free bag of popcorn per person. The featured film is still to be determined, but it will be family-friendly.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Cygnus921
(Update 2:45 p.m.) A Sheetz is soon coming to Herndon.
On March 3, the Fairfax County Planning Commission is holding a public hearing and a vote to approve a Sheetz gas station, a quick-service food store, and drive-thru restaurant at 13850 McLearen Road. The staff has recommended approval.
After that, the proposal will move to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors where there will be another public hearing if needed and, potentially, a Board of Supervisors vote on March 23.
First reported a year ago, the 6,07-square-foot Sheetz will occupy a roughly 2.7-acre parcel of land. It will take the place of a set-to-be-demolished 1977 two-story office building and surface parking lot, per the staff report, at the intersection of McLearen Road and Towerview Road.
It remains unclear when construction will begin nor when the Sheetz is expected to open.
“Since this project is in the very early stages, it is too soon to provide additional details,” Nick Ruffner, Public Relations Manager for Sheetz, wrote in a statement to Reston Now.
The family-owned popular gas, convenience, and restaurant chain has more than 600 stores across the Mid-Atlantic including a number of locations in Fairfax County.
The Sheetz is planning to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a maximum of nine employees on-site at any one time. It also will have 49-car parking spots (five of which are reserved as electric vehicle charging stations) plus bicycle parking in accordance with county guidelines.
The “architecture character” of the building will include materials such as a brick veneer facade with cast stone masonry. Staff is recommending “high quality landscaping” so the development is “attractive” in its “highly visible site” along McLearen Road.
The new development is also required to incorporate green building practices and the staff prefers that Sheetz makes the building LEED-certified (or an equivalent program).
Fairfax County – as well as other Northern Virginia jurisdictions – have prioritized LEED-certification as a means of meeting long-term goals of cutting carbon emissions.
Photo via handout/Fairfax County Planning Commission
Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa, a fitness facility at Worldgate in Herndon, has changed management companies, moving from Sport & Health to WTS International.
The news come after a note sent by the former management that the facility was “being forced to permanently close its doors” immediately caused some confusion among members.
On Monday (Feb. 15) afternoon, a note from the “Sport & Health Management Team” was sent to members saying that “unbeknownst” to them the landlord has “decided to terminate its lease with the club owner and take possession of the space.”
Due to this, the club was closing that day.
“We are equally shocked by what has transpired,” the note continues which was subsequently posted on their website.
However, RAPPAPORT – which owns the Worldgate shopping center – confirms to Reston Now that isn’t exactly the case.
In a press release provided Tuesday night, Worldgate’s landlord announced that WTS International has taken over as the management company of its “state-of-the-art fitness facility at Worldgate Centre in Herndon, VA.”
“We’re excited to have WTS International oversee the management and operations for Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa,” Gary D. Rappaport, CEO, wrote in the release. “WTS International is known for its expertise in fitness management and award-winning spas, and we are confident in their plans to elevate the Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa as a luxury brand and create incredible value for members within the communities that we serve.”
In a follow-up email, a RAPPAPORT spokesperson says that the confusion came down to the previous management not being aware of the tenant’s and landlord’s contractual decision making.
In 2014, McLean-based US Fitness bought Sport & Health. One of the clubs Sport & Health was managing at the time was the fitness facility at Worldgate.
The spokesperson also says that due to a contractual relationship between US Fitness and the tenant, Rappaport was unable to continue using Sport & Health as the management company.
It has nothing to do with the performance of the management company, the spokesperson reiterated. The club remains financially successful and one of the biggest fitness facilities in the area, they noted.
There was no delay in transition. On Sunday night, the facility closed for the day under Sport & Health management and reopened normal time on Monday under WTS International management.
As of the moment, the facilities and amenities remain the same as they were under Sport & Health.
Reston Now has reached out to Sport & Health to ask about the confusion, but has yet to hear back as publication.
What this means for members is that they have a choice.
According to Sport & Health’s note to members, all memberships for the Worldgate location are being upgraded to allow access to all 27 area locations which are owned by the same company. This includes ALL Onelife Fitness, Sport & Health and Crunch Fitness. Half of February’s dues are also being refunded to members.
For those who would like to stay at the Worldgate facility, WTS says they will “honor all current membership rates from the previous management for those who sign up.”
They are also recruiting trainers, instructors, therapists, and other staff and are hosting a job fair today (Wed, Feb. 17) 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Worldgate fitness facility first opened more than 30 years ago, in 1988, making it one of the oldest in the area.
Gyms and fitness facilities are allowed to be open with limited capacity under Virginia COVID guidelines. Employees and patrons at gyms are required to wear masks, but not while exercising.
Full release from Rappaport and WTS International is below:
Rappaport is pleased to announce that WTS International is the management company for its state-of-the-art fitness facility at Worldgate Centre in Herndon, VA. Headquartered in Rockville, MD, WTS International is the world’s leading spa, wellness, and lifestyle consultancy and management firm. Under WTS, there will be new offerings and enhancements for one of the largest and most successful clubs in the D.C. metro area, Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa.
“We’re excited to have WTS International oversee the management and operations for Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa,” says Gary D. Rappaport, CEO of Rappaport. “WTS International is known for its expertise in fitness management and award-winning spas, and we are confident in their plans to elevate the Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa as a luxury brand and create incredible value for members within the communities that we serve.”
WTS International will bring its 47+ years of extensive fitness industry experience to the property which, is already an amenity-rich health club. WTS International has provided consulting and management services for over 300 spas, fitness/wellness centers, leisure and lifestyle facilities worldwide including Four Seasons, Westin, and InterContinental. Their clients include some of the most luxurious fitness and wellness brands such as VERDURE in Amarillo, Texas, Brooklyn Sports Club in Brooklyn, New York, and Manhattan Plaza Health Club in New York, New York.
Club members and guests will enjoy enhanced programming features such as virtual fitness solutions, including an on-demand workout library, a member app with class registration, and various virtual events. In addition, Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa will also offer wellness packages, updated spa services, signature fitness programs, and nutritional coaching to boost performance – taking a holistic approach to health and wellness.
This is designed to complement the wide range of existing facilities, including three indoor tennis courts, an indoor track, squash and racquetball courts, a full basketball and volleyball court, a 25-yard swimming pool, and spa and wellness amenities. At almost 110,000 square feet, Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa is the premier, luxury fitness club in Herndon, VA, with modern equipment, a large gymnasium with all new locker rooms, showers, steam rooms, private/family changing rooms, and complimentary towel service.
“WTS International is thrilled to bring elevated fitness to the new Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa. Our vast experience managing commercial and community fitness centers and world-class spa and lifestyle properties will bring a new emphasis on innovative services, digital experiences, and expanded wellness programs to members,” says Chris Griebe, Senior Vice President, Fitness.
Smooth transition
Customers can rest assured that Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa will honor all current membership rates from the previous management for those who sign up. All operating hours (including spa, fitness and aquatics) will remain the same. Furthermore, partnerships with Blue Chip Sports Management and Personal20 will also continue as before. WTS International is actively recruiting the best trainers, instructors, therapists, and operations staff in the area and is hosting a job fair at the club Tuesday, February 16th and Wednesday, February 17th, noon to 6pm.For career opportunities, visit. www.wtsinternational.com.
Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa membership benefits include access to virtual programming, training, and nutritional consultation, as well as 15% off all spa services. All new members can join for $29 with no dues until March 1st, one complimentary fitness consultation, and one personal training session. To join, visit www.worldgateathleticclubandspa.com/join.
Photo courtesy of Rappaport Management Company
The Herndon Town Council is in the process of reviewing initiatives to actively pursue and discuss.
The council met Tuesday night to discuss members’ proposed strategic initiatives for the town. The initiatives fell in five categories: fiscal, transparency, inclusion, reform and long-term.
Inclusion initiatives include sponsoring or encouraging multicultural festivals and enacting a long-term recruiting effort to have elected officials, appointed officials and senior staff representative of the cultural diversity.
“It’s a strength of our town, our diversity. It’s the beauty of our town,” Vice Mayor Cesar del Aguila said.
The inclusion initiatives also involve creating a greater excellence and vibrancy by developing unique multicultural activities and creating picnic areas from banks of waterways.
“The reason we brought this item here is Herndon itself is a minority majority community right now. And we want to celebrate the diversity we have,” Council member Pradip Dhakal said. P”We have the diversity, but we want to create a kind of unity in that diversity.”
Town manager Bill Ashton concluded from the council’s discussion that the town would pursue the creation of a multicultural board. The board will be a point of discussion after reviewing similar entities in Leesburg and Fairfax to bring a model back to the council.
Transparency initiatives encompassed five items for review. Those included ensuring audio and video recording for all meetings, dedicating resources for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and making all records available to the public. Another initiative included creating transcripts of town council meetings.
Following a discussion from the council members and Ashton, they agreed to temporarily table creating transcripts of meetings to first review state requirements and the town’s ability to do so.
“On the transcripts, I know there’s also state limitations and requirements as to where we have to store these things,” Mayor Sheila Olem said.
“It’s very easy to say that we’re just going to have exact transcripts, but we also need to get the pricing on these items and whether or not our current availability with where we’re required to store them is going to accept us morphing these things into much larger documents.”
Ashton added that his office would work to provide an analysis of what a closed meeting recording would look like now and when the council eventually returns to gathering in person. He also concluded that his office would review the requirements to improve the FOIA process.
Reform initiatives were broken into three portions: housing, operational and council.
The housing reform issues included a handful of initiatives under the Historic District Review Board (HDRB). Those initiatives are analyzing district definition and regulations, gaining a better understanding of what’s necessary to maintain a historic district status and reforming the historic overlay district.
Another housing reform initiative that was discussed was to gain a greater understanding of the housing price ranges in the town and the tools it has to implement housing policy. This initiative involves reviewing accessory dwelling units, workforce dwelling units, affordable dwelling units, and housing allowances for teachers and first responders.
The final points for housing reform included setting a benchmark of the housing stock in the town against the county and investing in Herndon’s current neighborhoods.
Ashton proposed putting together an informational discussion item for a future work session on the district to then define what reforming the historic overlay district would entail.
“As I’ve often said, you can’t get to where you’re going until you know where you are first, then you set your objective and charge your path,” Ashton said.
The operational reform initiatives included retraining and redeployment of staff, modernizing town staff presentations and examining community development regulations.
“Staff retraining and redeployment, for me, that’s just making sure – I know we do this to an extent – we have a well funded pipeline of development and training or education, certifications, for people on staff to either do lateral moves or upward moves and certainly continue that investment in our people,” del Aguila said.
Another portion of the operational reform is taking into account the timing of traffic lights to improve cross-town flow. Ashton clarified that this issue has been recognized and the town is undertaking two intersection projects this year to help alleviate some of the flow. One of the projects will be at Monroe Street and Elden Street and the other at Center Street and Elden Street.
The final portion of reform regarding the town council comprised of creating voting district, changing how the town council operates, and empowering the council to set its agendas.
After reaching a proposed deadline to end the meeting at 10 p.m., the council tabled discussion on fiscal and long-term initiatives for another 7 p.m. meeting on Feb. 9.
Long-term initiatives set to be discussed include an update on the 2035 Vision. Proposed initiatives also include reviewing funding of capital improvement plans for transportation, long-term regional effort to reduce cut-through commuter traffic, and investing in closing gaps in pedestrian and bicycle routes even when no developer funding exists.
Proposed fiscal initiatives to be discussed include undertaking effective short-term and long-term budgeting to match immediate and long-term needs without excessively inconveniencing town residents. Other initiatives gathered from the council encompassed protecting town staff from layoffs if practicable, utilizing reserves to offset budgetary shortfalls and possibly avoid raising taxes during “this financial crunch for citizens and businesses,” according to a presentation of the council members’ proposed initiatives.
A final fiscal point of discussion is focusing on services such as trash and recycling, road work and repair as well as water and sewer, and police functioning.
Image via Town of Herndon
Updated on Feb. 1 to correct information on the project phase and jurisdiction receiving funding
Despite being approved more than two years ago, the construction phase of the restoration of Sugarland Run (South) Stream still hasn’t begun.
The $1.2 million project remains in the design phase, according to the Town of Herndon’s deputy Director of Public Works John Irish, though it’s expected to be completed by May.
The project will improve stormwater systems, stabilize erosion along streambanks, prevent flooding, and ensure the stream meets requirements for Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load, first established in 2010. It will do this by planting vegetation, in-stream structure placement, and installing brush mattress.
The conditions along the stream banks and stream valley have been deteriorating in recent years.
The project will also restore a portion of the stream that flows near the Washington & Old Dominion Trail crossing.
The town received $200,000 from Fairfax County for the design work, which includes the geomorphic assessment, surveying, and public outreach meetings.
Irish writes to Reston Now in an email that this phase is “approximately 95% completed.”
In all, the design phase will end up taking up nearly three years. This is due to Herndon being asked by the county to apply for and, then, waiting for a state grant.
A stream condition assessment and negotiation of a fee that met budgetary guidelines also took time, writes Irish.
All in all, design work didn’t start until February 2020.
After designs are completed in May, they will be sent to the county with a request for one million dollars for construction. Once those funds are received, Herndon will advertise for construction bids.
Despite seemingly a long way to go in the process, Irish says construction is still expected to start this summer and completed within six months of the awarded contractor being given the go-ahead.
That means the project could be completed by the end of 2021 or early 2022.
The initial funding agreement did estimate the project could take up to four years, so the project theoretically could still be completed on time if not early.
However, a spokesperson for Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services tells Reston Now that this particular project is “lower priority” as part of their full Sugarland Run Watershed Management Plan, which was first adopted in 2010.
It remains unclear how this assessment will impact the expected providing of one million dollars to the Town of Herndon for construction and completion of Sugarland Run Stream restoration later this year.
The Town of Herndon has applied for funding for a new project to reconfigure Sterling Road.
According to a staff report from Dec. 1, the town would like the residential street to reflect its current plans for traffic access management and multimodal circulation. The project length will be about one mile, located between Elden Street and Rock Hill Road.
According to Jaleh Moslehi, a project engineer, this project may occur in the latter part of the decade, with the hope that public outreach and input will be scheduled for Summer 2021.
The initial funding source will come from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s Local Revenue, according to the report. In addition, the town has proposed a funding application for up to $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
Staff and the town’s consultant are planning to present the concept design for the road in Spring 2021. The design will include ADA accessible sidewalks and proposed bike lanes for the entire length of the project, according to the report. Additionally, the traffic study will analyze the potential for better lane realignments at the intersections with Elden Street, Crestview Drive and Herndon Parkway.
According to the report, the project’s objectives are to implement access management and multimodal measures, improve traffic signalization, add applicable turning lanes and provide for landscaping and safer ADA accessible sidewalks, all in an effort to increase safety while reducing congestion and enhancing circulation.
Screenshot from Google Maps
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and with that brings closures around the county. Let’s take a look at what’s open, and what’s closed.
All Fairfax County Government offices will be closed on Nov. 26 and 27 for the holiday.
The Fairfax Connector will be operating on a Sunday service on Thursday, and a holiday weekday service on Friday.
Fairfax County Public Schools provided seven-day meal kits for Thanksgiving week, which were available for pickup through Nov. 24.
In Herndon, all trash collection is halted for the holiday, and all trash usually collected Thursday will be collected today.
Reston Community Center in Hunters Woods will be open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. the day after. However, RCC Lake Anne will be closed both days.
All Fairfax County parks will be closed on Thanksgiving, but all RECenters are open until noon. The day after Thanksgiving, the RECenters will be running normal hours and Frying Pan Farm Park will open its farm and indoor area.
Photo by Shoeib Abolhassani/Unsplash
The Herndon Town Council is considering proposed exceptions for a mixed-use development at Fairbrook Park, which were presented to the council earlier this week.
The council heard proposed exceptions on behalf of Quadrangle Development Corporation for its plans of a mixed-use development at the intersection of Herndon Parkway and Fairbrook Drive.
The company is planning four buildings with 1.5 million square feet of development on the nearly 28-acre site. The planning consists of two office buildings east of Herndon Parkway, north of the Dulles Toll Road and south of Fairbrook Drive. A third building meant for mixed-use abuts Herndon Parkway north of Fairbrook Drive. The final building will be primarily residential, with a parking structure incorporated into it.
The council heard a pair of proposals from Zoning Administrator David Stromberg that would allow for exceptions at the site. The first proposal allows for an encroachment on the 100-foot buffer of the Resource Protection Area (RPA) component of the Chesapeake Bay Protection Area, and the other allows for development in the floodplain overlay.
Stromberg detailed in his presentation two primary boundaries in the flood zone that will be affected by the exception to the floodplain overlay (FPO). The proposal calls for installing two box culverts underneath a private road that would connect Fairbrook Drive to the office buildings. The second change calls for Fairbrook Drive to be built up slightly and grading going down into the flood zone.
The FPO exceptions will require substantial conformance with development plans, and allow for minor changes with final engineering. However, conditions will require Quadrangle to resubmit a flood zone study again for approval if there are changes with the final engineering.
Further conditions on the proposal include the dedication of a floodplain easement and accommodating design requirements of a sanitary sewer metering station, according to Stromberg. Another condition requires Quadrangle to perform hydraulic and hydrodynamic studies that conform to the most current FEMA maps.
The second request into the buffer of the RPA proposes an exception for 0.77 acres (33,552 square feet), with 0.42 acres (18,315 square feet) for new impervious surfaces that water cannot pass through. The area will consist of the private drive that connects Fairbrook Drive to the two office buildings, the private frontage of the mixed-use building, and the private frontage and turnaround area for the residential building.
The encroachment at the mixed-use building will mostly be on the north side of Fairbrook Drive and in front of the new building. It will take up 4,179 square feet with 3,149 square feet being impervious. The encroachment at the residential building will also be on the north side of Fairbrook Drive. It will consist of 9,786 square feet of encroachment with 7,390 square feet being impervious.
New encroachment at the two office buildings is being requested because of a new reoriented private drive. It will include the private drive and the two box culverts that are being called for in the first exception request.
Some on-site mitigation and potential off-site mitigation will be required with this exception. On-site will include new native plantings as well as stream restoration to stabilize the banks and slow down the water.
In response to council member Signe Friedrichs’ questions about potential damage to Sugarland Run with the introduction of the culverts, Stromberg assured the council that considerations had been made to preserve or improve the stream’s condition.
“That’s why you have this RPA exception process; it requires developers to go through this extra level of review to make sure they’re proposing a plan that will result in pollutant removal that’s either the same as existing conditions or better,” Stromberg said.
“Based on the plans [Quadrangle] submitted, it will result in better conditions than what’s currently out there now.”
The council will consider both proposals at its Nov. 17 public session.
Images via Town of Herndon
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Town of Herndon Architectural Review Board will be holding a virtual work session to discuss the signage of a new retail store called Herl’s Bath and Home Solutions.
Herl’s Bath and Home Solutions is a bathroom remodeling company with two locations throughout Maryland — one in Salisbury, and one in Columbia. The Herndon location will be coming soon. The business has been running since 1990, according to the company website. Reston Now did not hear back from them about an opening date.
The store, looking to move to the Herndon Reston Industrial/Business Park (366 Victory Drive), proposed a sign with a font type and color that does not meet the standards required by the facility’s Master Sign Plan, according to a report released by the ARB. At the work session, the ARB will review their application.
The ARB will discuss the four motion alternatives: to deny the application, approve the application as submitted, approve the application with conditions, or continue the public hearing at another date, according to the report.
After the work session, the Board can take action on the case at the Board Public Hearing on Nov. 16, according to Anne Curtis, the Chief Communications Officer for the Town of Herndon.
The work session will take place at Herndon Council Chambers Building (765 Lynn Street) tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.
Photo via the Herndon ARB
Herndon will welcome a new mayor-elect on Tuesday to follow Lisa Merkel’s eight years as the town’s mayor.
Merkel announced in January that she would not run for a fifth term as the town’s mayor. She will spend the next few months with her husband and two kids while she decides on her next steps, though she says she has “no intention” of running for higher office right now.
“Several people have pitched some ideas my way, and I’d like to still volunteer,” Merkel told Reston Now in a recent interview.
“We’ll be doing college visits hopefully with my son. And I’m going to take at least a few months to just sort of settle in and figure out what’s next. But I’m not going anywhere. I live in downtown Herndon. I still love it just as much as the day we moved here.”
On Nov. 3, a successor will be elected to the role Merkel has maintained since she won a three-way race for mayor in 2012 by just 38 votes.
Sheila Olem, Herndon’s current vice mayor, and Roland Taylor are running to be the town’s next mayor. Merkel is not endorsing a candidate for the election cycle, but she did have some words of wisdom for the candidate that will take the reins as mayor.
“When I came into the office, I was a mom and a teacher. I was not a land use expert or lawyer or never studied political science,” Merkel said.
“I truly was a citizen that managed to get herself elected mayor. So there was a lot I did not know, and I think it’s important that when you don’t know something, find an expert and listen and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
She also advised the next mayor to focus on the jurisdiction that they can control in the town and not to focus on national policy issues. She specifically advises a focus on public works, land use, and building planning while helping cultivate the community.
Merkel says focusing on the town helped her move into policies and successfully secure a town council seat in 2010. That same year, she was elected vice major. It is also what continued her motivation when she was voted in as the town’s first elected female mayor in 2012 and the subsequent three elections after.
During her time as mayor, Merkel helped implement large-scale plans for the Metrorail Expansion Project, negotiate a deal with Comstock Partners for the ongoing downtown project and working with the Chamber of Commerce to establish an Economic Development Department.
She can also tout a number of projects such as approving the installation of lights along the portion of the W&OD Trail that runs through Herndon and installing gateway signs at each of the entrances to town.
Merkel recognizes that there have been challenges along the way. Among them have been getting the news of plans for the town out to the community effectively, and ensuring that Herndon retains its sense of community and the core of downtown while growing into a more urban area.
“It took several election cycles, but I’ve knocked on doors on every single street in Herndon,” Merkel said.
“It’s one thing to drive around town, another to walk up and down the street or ride your bike, but to walk up to people’s doors, you really get a glimpse for how people are living, and we have a very diverse town with a lot of needs. I’m really glad that I’ve gotten the chance to experience that.”
Photo courtesy Lisa Merkel
Town of Herndon is preparing for new architectural surveys, procedure guides and more for its Heritage Preservation Program.
Next Thursday (Oct. 29) the town’s consultants will host a virtual meeting to discuss updates to the program that includes new district guidelines, according to the town’s press release.
In discussions with the town and Architectural Review Board, these updates include providing property owners and the review board with:
- Clearer factors for assessing building modifications, new construction and moving or demolishing a building
- Definitions for “contributing” and “non-contributing” buildings
- Meeting schedule change
- New architectural surveys
- Creation of uniform sign standards
- More administrative approval of minor changes
- Creation of procedure guides
- District awareness campaign Expand training opportunities
The Heritage Preservation Program is designed to provide “a mechanism to ensure conservation of the town’s traditional neighborhoods and older commercial structures, providing a community identify apart from the suburban growth of the urbanizing region,” the website said.
Residents can register for the meeting through the Town’s Meeting Webcast page, once it is available.
Questions and comments will also be accepted next Thursday (Oct. 29) though the chat function.
Photo via Town of Herndon
Two men from China, including one from Herndon, have pleaded guilty to involvement in a $1.1 million fraud scheme involving gift cards.
One of the men, Shoming Sun, a 41-year-old from Herndon, was sentenced to seven months in prison yesterday, according to a statement from the Department of Justice’s Eastern District of Virginia office.
Court documents say the two men were part of a wire fraud conspiracy. Members of the conspiracy contacted victims by telephone or social media and assumed fictitious identities, claiming to be apart of the Internal Revenue Service or an employee of a financial institution.
The release mentioned they also told victims they were entitled to money or were under a form of immediate financial threat, tricking victims into purchasing gift cards and sending them the redemption codes.
The conspirators used the codes from the gift cards to purchase goods totaling approximately $1.15 million, said the release.
The other man involved in the incident, Yuchen Zhang, a 23-year-old from Manassas, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and will know sentencing on Feb. 10, 2021.
Another season of the coronavirus pandemic has brought on the second semester of remote and hybrid education. And for students without desks, the switch means they must look for alternative school setups.
Alisa Harriot, Lisa Merkel and Tracy Converse, three local Reston and Herndon community members, brainstormed a solution to the alternative setups: they and a hefty group with over one hundred members would find, build, or recycle desks to deliver to the students.
On Sept. 11, after discovering a group of families in need of desks, the women decided to start a desk collection to benefit these families. They each posted on their individual Facebook pages asking if their circle of friends had any desks to donate. Immediately, the project took off.
The posts prompted a major community effort to help support these families in need, from people at home building desks from scratch to the donation of surplus desks from the schools in the county.
In addition to an outpour of desks, the women were able to partner with local food pantries to aid with the distribution. They were also given a storage unit at South Lakes High School to help hold a larger number of desks.
“It’s been a really quick-moving and exciting project that takes a lot of people and a lot of help from the community,” said Harriot. “We have yet to be in a position where we didn’t find that help.”
The story that mobilized the women was that of a local girl who, with the onset of virtual learning, didn’t have anywhere sufficient to set up a workspace and as a result, had to flip a toilet seat into a modified desk. After hearing this girl’s story, they launched into action to help other students in similar situations.
“If you want to see a bunch of community members activate, you let them know that there’s a little girl somewhere using a toilet as a desk,” said Harriot.
As of last week, 107 desks have been delivered to students in need. The project has gained the support and participation of about 147 volunteers from the Reston and Herndon communities in the last month.
They are currently looking to work with The CORE Foundation to become one of their core causes to begin taking financial donations for the project, according to Harriot. Harriot also is thinking about continuing the effort even after school resumes in-person.
“At a time where everything seems so divisive and uncertain, it’s been really nice to see a bunch of people … all of a sudden working together and doing great things,” said Merkel.
Those interested in donating desks can drop them off at their storage pod at South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive). Individuals in need of a desk are encouraged to reach out to their school counselor, who will work with them to find the best way to pick them up. For more information, email [email protected].
Photo courtesy of Alisa Harriot
Early voting in Fairfax County is scheduled to begin on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Fairfax County Government Center Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Voting will also be available on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sept. 19, and on Oct. 14 through Oct. 31.
Any registered Fairfax County voter can vote early, according to a statement from the Fairfax County Government.
Starting Oct. 14, 13 additional early voting locations will open up across the county. These locations include the Herndon Fortnightly Library and North County Governmental Center. Great Falls Library will open for early voting on Oct. 17 and is only open on Saturdays.
Early voting will end on Oct. 31 at 5 p.m., according to the statement. There will be social distancing and enhanced cleaning measures to protect voters and poll workers.
Polls are now allowing multiple different forms of identification in place of a photo ID, including a copy of a voter’s current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or any other government document with the voter’s name and address. Expired Virginia drivers’ licenses are also allowed, according to the statement.
If a voter requested a mail-in ballot but now wants to vote early, they can bring their uncast mail-in ballot to the polling location and surrender it in exchange for a new, in-person ballot.
Those voters don’t want to mail in their cast ballot can return it at a drop-off box at any early voting site during open hours. Additionally, starting Sept. 21 the Fairfax County Government Center will have a 24-hour secure drop-off box at the government center.
Theater fans and movie-goers alike now have a private, socially-distanced movie-watching venue as an entertainment option this fall.
NextStop Theater Company is opening the “NextStop Cinema” in Herndon, where customers can rent out the entire theater for themselves for a private viewing.
Patrons will provide their own movie on DVD, Blu-ray or via a streaming service, and in return, the cinema will provide the full movie theater experience while still adhering to COVID-19 precautions.
“Nothing makes me sadder than seeing a theater empty,” said Evan Hoffman, the Producing Artistic Director at NextStop. “Since we do not feel the time is right yet for live performances, we thought we would try something completely different with our empty theater and let our beloved patrons make use of it for their own personal use and entertainment.”
NextStop Theater has been closed to public performances since March 12 when they canceled their final weekend showing “Ordinary Days.” However, they held a small educational program for 185 students in socially-distanced theater classes over the summer.
The theater is also holding a major fundraising initiative called the NextStop Now Fund. The campaign’s funds will go towards keeping the theater running during the shutdown, in addition to the revenue from the Cinema.
NextStop Cinema rentals are available for $50 per hour with a minimum of three hours, plus a $50 deposit. Those interested in making a reservation or finding more information can visit the NextStop website.
Photo courtesy of NextStop Theater Company
