Light it up — Snag a few free LED light bulbs. The giveaway is taking place in April and May at six Fairfax County libraries. [Fairfax County Government]

“A Night in Paris” Wine Dinner — Transport yourself to France with a five-course seasonal menu at Mon Ami Gabi from 6-9 p.m. today. Each course will be paired with French boutique wines. [Mon Ami Gabi]

$15.5 Billion for Metro — Where does it go and how does Metro plan to spend it? [The Washington Post]

Job opportunity in Herndon — The Herndon Adult Day Health Care Center is looking for a Spanish instructor. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo by Ruth Sievers

Get ready for spring break — Limited space is available for Reston Association’s Spring Break Camp. Sign up today. [Reston Association]

In local student-athlete news — South Lakes High School student Hannah Waller capped her first high school indoor track season by finishing fifth at the New Balance Nationals Track and Field Meet.

Another reminder about Metro delays — Expect Metro delays on the Silver Line today. Workers are busy repairing a crack in concrete under rails between Benning Road and Capitol Heights stations. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]

Photo by Ruth Sievers

The healthiest county — Fairfax County was ranked the third healthiest county in Virginia, following Loudoun and Arlington counties. [WTOP]

Heads up for tomorrow’s Metro commute — Silver Line trains will operate every 24 minutes to due to concrete structural repairs. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]

‘Cat On a Hot Tin Roof’ hits the roof — The play by Reston Community Players is listed as the top show of the week by one online magazine. [Maryland Theatre Guide]

A generous donation — Brandon Guyer, a former member of the Reston Herndon Little League and a baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, donated bats to the league. [Reston Herndon Little League]

An oops moment — Good Morning America incorrectly stated a major walkout near a highway happened at South Lakes High School yesterday. Have doubts? Check out the tweet for yourself. [Good Morning America]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

Expect service reductions at Silver Line stations and some Blue Line stations this weekend from March 16 through 18 due to major problems with concrete supporting Metro’s tracks.

A slab of concrete is cracked under the rails between Benning Road and Capitol Heights stations. Metro will remove rails and fasteners to remove the existing concrete and add a new structure, a process that is expected to take three consecutive days.

Silver Line trains will run every 24 minutes during single tracking, including during rush hour. Blue Line trains will be rerouted to New Carollton instead of Largo. Service will remain unaffected between Franconia-Springfield and New Carollton.

“Unfortunately, this is a repair job that cannot wait and cannot be confined to a weekend,” said Joe Leader, Metro’s Chief Operating Officer. “To the customers at the 10 stations who will be impacted on Friday, March 16, we apologize and hope that they will consider using stations on other lines or alternate travel options that day.”

File photo

New funding for Metro — State lawmakers directed about $150 million to Metro this weekend. [NBC 4]

But what if we had no Metro — Everyone’s talking about the need to fix Metro. What would happen if we didn’t? [Washington Business Journal]

‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ catches fire — The play by Reston Community Players gets a glowing review by one publication. [DC Metro Theater Arts]

A friendly reminder — If you checked your smoke alarm after changing your clocks over the weekend, don’t forget to complete one additional step to secure your home. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]

Photo by Ruth Sievers

Plans are underway to redevelop aging office buildings and mixed-used projects in Herndon as the opening of the nearby Metro station inches closer in 2020.

But as the oncoming train sweeps in more development and corridor activity, local officials and business leaders are grappling with one key question: How will the Herndon Metro stop distinguish itself from others on the Silver Line?

“We cannot have every stop look the same,” said John Boylan, president and CEO of the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Some are placing their hopes on the place-making character of the Town of Herndon’s downtown, a historic center that is one mile from the Metro station and the only incorporated town on the Silver Line. The town is working with Comstock Partners to redevelop 4.7 acres of land into a mixed use development with 281 apartments, a central community plaza, an arts center and retail. Comstock plans to break ground in late 2018. Construction will take at least two years. 

A 761-space garage will be delivered first and will be free. Maggie Parker, Comstock’s vice president of communication, said the company is excited to work on Herndon’s “jewel.”

“People are hungry for community and that’s what the Herndon project offers and that’s what the Herndon Metro Station offers,” Parker said.

Mixed-used projects in Herndon’s 38-acre transit-oriented area near the Metro station are taking off. By 2050, an additional 2.1 million square feet of office space is planned as part of Herndon’s Metro Station Area Plan.

Just last month, Kiddar Capital announced it acquired 575 Herndon Parkway, a 4.8-acre site at the door of Herndon Metro station platform. The company is holding off on releasing plans for redevelopment for at least three years.

Other mixed-use projects are in the pipeline. The first and furthest development from the Metro Station — Corporate Oaks One (625 Herndon Parkway) — includes 64 stacked condominiums selling for between $500,000 and $600,000.

Penzance Properties plans to build a mixed-use development at 555 parkway, which calls for three or four 225 to 275-foot towers and ground floor retail.

Other projects in Herndon include Tishman’s Woodland Park East Development, which will include 1.6 million square feet of office and residential on roughly 32 acres. A mix of 678 townhouses, stacked condos, and apartments is planned, along with two office towers, 81 affordable housing units and six acres of open space.

“Herndon is strategically positioned for growth,” said Rodney Lusk, director of national marketing for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

Waterview at Woodland Park includes 295 multi-family units, 50 stacked townhouses and 32 townhouses. Prices start in the upper $600s for the community, which will open in May.

Arrowbrook Centre will see 2.3 million square feet of development on 54 acres. Houston Office Partners also plans to convert two office buildings into two multi-family residential projects with 866 units. Innovation Center South, which calls for 1.6 million square feet of development, including 1 million square feet of residential and 2,070 parking spaces, is currently under construction.

Lisa Merkel, mayor of the Town of Herndon, said the Herndon area will face a new challenge of transitioning people from cars to mass transit in a community that mostly has single-family homes.

“We don’t want to be a bedroom community,” said  Merkel. “We are a small town with a worldview.”

New leads in 1995 sexual assault case — A 49-year-old Florida man was charged for the assault of four female roommates living in Reston. [The Washington Post]

If you’re in love with Metro — Dying to snag a Metro-branded gift, t-shirt or souvenir? The M Shop, Metro’s new pop-up retail stores, opens today at Metro Center Station. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]

The fight with Lyft and Uber —  A Sterling-based company called Reston Limousine is fighting off its competition by giving its drivers huge referral bonuses. [The Washington Business Journal]

Reston Association assessments due tomorrow — RA extended the deadline to pay dues by a week after phone lines went down last week. [Reston Association]

Photo by Ruth Seviers

Parking spaces for Metro users at the Wiehle-Reston East garage were not available earlier this morning as construction crews work in the area.

At around 9:30 a.m. today, users attempting to park at the garage indicated no non-reserved parking spots were available, forcing some to park in reserved spots in the 2,300-space garage.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority responded to complaints by telling users to notify an attendant at the parking gate about the lack of parking.

Users would be let out “with no charge,” WMATA wrote in a tweet.

See the social media roundup below:

Parking @ wiehle reston garage full. Full chaos!! Have parked at one of the reserved spots. Hope the officer doesn’t give me a ticket #wmata #wmataparking @dcmetrohero @dcmetrosucks

— Pankaj Kataria (@pankajkataria7) March 6, 2018

Not a single spot empty of the 2300 spaces @ wiehle stn parking garage. Usually there are tons at the lowest level. Chaos. Frustration and finally people started parking illegally at reserved spots. Illegal till 10

— Pankaj Kataria (@pankajkataria7) March 6, 2018

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Reserved spaces open after 10:00 a.m., if you cannot find an open spot, please go to the parking gate to notify the attendant there is no parking and be let out with no charge.

— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) March 6, 2018

https://twitter.com/irishmexi/status/971034049086132226

File photo.

Refunds for Metro users — Roughly 17,000 customers will get refunds for trips that took 15 minutes longer than expected on the Orange and Silver lines. Now that’s a silver lining.  [Reston Patch]

Expect delays on all Metro lines — The Rush Hour Promise won’t be in effect today due to the wind storm sweeping the region. Metrorail is running every 12 minutes per line with reduced speeds above ground for safety. [Washington Metropolitan Area Authority]

Deadline for assessments extended — Reston Association members now have until March 8 to pay annual assessments. The deadline was pushed after a power outage yesterday. [Reston Association]

Focusing on body cameras — In the coming weeks, you’ll see more Fairfax County police with the special gear. The county breaks down what the program will look like. [Fairfax County Government]

Flickr pool photo via vantagehill

Building unity through service — Helping mankind is at the heart of the teachings of the Bahá’í faith. Find out what a Reston-based community is doing to serve humanity in big and small ways. [Reston Association]

An early warning for Metro riders — Although this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival won’t directly impact the Silver Line, August may be a rough ride. Service will be significantly reduced beginning August 11. [WMATA]

Ebola, a monkey house and a throwback to 1989  — Here’s a blast from the past: a story about when the most dangerous strand of ebola, a silent killer, lurked in Isaac Newton Square. [WETA]

Photo by Angelika Stadel

Reston’s African American History Explored — “Rev. LaVerne Gill’s book profiles individuals who went through the struggles of early Reston and still love it and believe in it.” [The Connection]

Hours for Parking Fees Extended at Wiehle-Reston East Beginning Today – Beginning Feb. 5, charges for parking on weekdays will begin at 7:30 a.m. instead of 9:30 a.m. On Fridays, fees will continue through 2 a.m. instead of 1 a.m. Other stations will also have fees on Saturdays, but county officials barred an attempt to charge for parking at the Reston station last month. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]

Reston’s Latest Additions Harken Back to Its Modern-Day Design – In a “design perspective” piece, Deborah Dietsch writes that Reston’s last development blocks are being completed with a “welcome return to modern design.” [Washington Business Journal]

Rollicking Roundup Playtime Tomorrow at Frying Pan Farm Park – Children under the age of five can enjoy two hours of free play at the park’s visitor center auditorium from 10 a.m. through noon. Attendees should bring toys to show and share. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo by Fatimah Waseem

Plan for service disruptions this weekend on all Metro lines. Track work will cause especially long delays on the Red, Orange, Silver and Blue Lines.

Silver Line trains will run every 24 minutes. The last Silver Line train from Wiehle-Reston East will leave 24 minutes earlier than usual.

On Saturday, the train will leave at 11:52 p.m. and at 9:52 p.m. on Sunday.

Trains will only run between Ballston and Wiehle-Reston East. Riders traveling to or from other stations should use the Orange or Blue Line to complete their trip. At Ballston, Metro users should transfer between Silver and Orange line trains on the same platform.

For a list of all planned service adjustments, visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s website.

Fairfax County officials are pushing back against a move by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to charge for weekend parking at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.

Beginning Feb. 5, WMATA plans to charge a $2 fee parking for Metro users who park in the Metro garage or lot on Saturdays. Parking is currently free at the 2,300-space garage, which is owned by Fairfax County.

“Over the past several years, WMATA’s image has been significantly tarnished. Charging for parking on Saturdays, especially when there are so many reasons not to charge, will not improve WMATA’s image,” county staff wrote in a statement.

The county’s Board of Supervisors, which must approve approve parking changes before they are instituted, will consider the matter at a Jan. 23 meeting. The county currently contracts with WMATA to remotely monitor parking garage gates and fare collections while WMATA maintains equipment and processes SmarTrip and credit card payments.

County staff charging fees could decrease weekend ridership — especially when demand for parking is already low on weekends.

“WMATA may actually lose more many from lost rail fares than it gains from the new parking fee,” according to a statement.

Staff listed other reasons to oppose the parking fee:

• Requires additional costs to maintain equipment and oversee personnel.
• Discourages new riders, who often try Metro on weekend, from using the service.
• Is inconsistent with the region’s goal of providing alternatives to single-occupant vehicles.
• Discourages Metrorail trips, ultimately increasing weekend congestion and air pollution.
• Makes an already challenging commute for weekend riders — who often deal with delays due to maintenance work on weekends — even harder.

In a statement, WMATA said charging for weekend parking will “allow Metro to maximize utilization of parking facilities without increasing the daily parking rate for Metro customers on weekdays.”

WMATA is also planning to extend the hours of parking fee collections on weekdays — a move the county officials support. Charges for parking will begin at 7:30 a.m. instead of 9:30 a.m. On Fridays, fees will continue through 2 a.m. instead of 1 a.m.

Additional fees collected through the change will generate additional revenue that will help pay off debt service payments on bolds sold to fund additional Metrorail parking. The garage was built by Comstock Partners’ through a public-private partnership with the county.

Comstock’s Reston Station development, a major mixed-use project, sits above the garage.

File photo.