Fairfax County police and a local supervisor are asking residents to slow down and be more careful, especially at two Reston crosswalks often used by pedestrians and bicyclists.

In a new traffic safety campaign, the Fairfax County Police Department and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn are bringing attention to the crosswalk at Glade Drive and Charthouse Circle in South Reston as well as the crosswalk at New Dominion Parkway and Fountain Drive near Reston Town Center.

Alcorn noted in videos shot for the campaign that his office have received “many complaints” about speeding on these particular roads.

Pfc. Katy Defoe, a crime prevention officer at the Reston District Station, confirms to Reston Now that they have also received a number of complaints from neighbors about not only speed, but also several other safety issues.

At the Glade Drive and Charthouse Circle intersection, Defoe says complaints are often related to people driving their cars too fast while also not stopping at the crosswalk. A new law that went into effect about a year ago now requires drivers to fully stop their vehicles, as opposed to yielding, at all crosswalks.

The crosswalk at New Dominion Parkway and Fountain Drive is often busy with pedestrians making their way to Reston Town Center. However, that hasn’t stopped drivers from speeding along those roads which can make it harder to stop. Additionally, pedestrians and bicyclists often note that the crosswalk light is too short, Defoe says.

Pedestrian and bicyclist safety has continued to be a major issue in Reston and Fairfax County. Last month, the county’s planning commission called on the county, state, and Metro to improve pedestrian and bicycle access at transit stations.

In recent years, there have also been repeated incidents of pedestrians being struck by fast-moving vehicles — sometimes fatally.

There have already been seven pedestrian and two bicyclist fatalities in the county this year, according to statistics provided by the FCPD.

Officials fear that these incidents could become more frequent as the warm weather and eased public health restrictions bring more people will be outside.

“During the summer months, you can expect to see an increase in pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles sharing the road to enjoy our community’s amenities,” Captain Thea Pirnat, commander of the Reston District Police Station, wrote in Alcorn’s latest newsletter promoting the safety campaign. “Please pay attention to your surroundings, follow all the rules of the road, and arrive at your destination happy and safe.”

Alcorn, in the videos, asks drivers to pay attention to speed limits and to give themselves enough to get to the destination.

“I struggle with this myself, but it is important,” Alcorn added.

Distracted driving is also an issue that Alcorn addresses in the videos. A state law barring drivers from holding mobile devices while on the road went into effect at the beginning of this year. As of early April, FCPD had given out more than 415 tickets in violation of this new law.

He also asks pedestrians and bicyclists to remove earbuds or headphones in order to remain alert and to cross at crosswalks whenever possible.

Alcorn notes in the newsletter that he’s working with the state and county transportation departments to improve infrastructure. Additionally, the Board of Supervisors is developing a countywide Active Fairfax transportation plan that combines the county’s existing bicycle master plan and trails plan.

via Google Maps

StarKist Co. is relocating its headquarters from Pittsburgh to Fairfax County.

The food manufacturer known for its tuna is investing $3.6 million to relocate its corporate and administrative headquarters, occupying approximately 24,000 square feet at 1875 Explorer St. in Reston, according to a news release from Gov. Ralph Northam’s office.

“StarKist is proud to make Reston, Virginia our official global headquarters starting in April 2022,” Andrew Choe, president and CEO of StarKist, said in the release.

The 10-story property was developed by Boston Properties in 2008. It’s located in Reston Town Center and totals 253,643 square feet of space.

Northam noted Virginia is now home to 800 corporate headquarters, and Fairfax County “consistently attracts top talent and is well connected to key customer markets and major metro areas.”

Known for its brand mascot Charlie the Tuna, StarKist began as the French Sardine Co. in 1917 by Martin Bogdanovich, who immigrated from Croatia to California, and four associates. The company says it started selling products with the StarKist name in 1942.

The company announced in May it would relocate to Virginia in 2022 but did not indicate at the time where the new site would be. Its Pittsburgh headquarters will close March 31 next year.

A company spokeswoman declined to answer questions about how many employees will be at the new headquarters and the company’s hiring plans, but Northam’s office says SunKist’s arrival in Reston will create 83 jobs.

One job listing posted nine days ago confirmed the Reston location, but another posting from over a month ago listed Washington, D.C. but said the position was in Pittsburgh.

“I am so pleased to thank StarKist for choosing Fairfax County for its new headquarters,” Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Victor Hoskins said. “This is a testament to the growing attractiveness of Northern Virginia to a wide variety of industry sectors and companies that know we have the assets and talent base to succeed here.”

StarKist comes as Volkswagen Group of America is also moving its headquarters nearby to Reston Gateway, and Metro’s Silver Line anticipates opening next year.

More than a year after closing to indoor shopping, Scrawl Books is reopening its doors today (Tuesday) so customers can once again browse the shelves to their heart’s content.

However, the Reston Town Center shop will look a little different from what loyal patrons remember.

Like its brethern around the country, Scrawl quickly pivoted to exclusively online events and services in March 2020 after the novel coronavirus forced a shutdown of the kind of in-person, cozy gatherings on which bookstores normally thrive.

Offering free delivery in the local area and curbside pick-ups throughout the pandemic, the shop also took advantage of the unanticipated closure to get in a renovation that owner Rachel Wood believes will improve customers’ experience now that they’re able to venture inside.

“It was difficult to close the doors to customers,” she said. “Fortunately, we were able to work through the transition, and use the time to renovate our space and evaluate our inventory to ensure that Scrawl is offering a comfortable experience and relevant selection for all of our readers.”

The store still occupies its familiar space at 11911 Freedom Drive next to Chipotle in the northeastern corner of Reston Town Center, but the interior walls have been removed, creating a more spacious venue, according to Scrawl Books manager Molly McMahon.

While Scrawl started letting customers book browsing appointments in May, today marks its return to full indoor services without time or capacity limits. The store’s regular business hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays will take effect immediately.

Wood says the timing of the reopening was driven primarily by the arrival of summer weather and the promising trajectory of Fairfax County’s vaccination rates. As of May 27, more than 74% of adult residents had gotten at least one shot, putting the county well ahead of President Joe Biden’s target of 70% by July 4.

“As the weather gets nicer and vaccination numbers continue to rise, I feel confident that we can provide a safe environment for book lovers to browse our shelves,” Wood said.

Though Virginia lifted its capacity and social distancing requirements for businesses on Friday (May 28), Scrawl will continue taking some precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Masks are still required in the store, since “many of our best readers are young children,” who aren’t able to get vaccinated yet, Wood says. The staff also plans to keep the shop doors open so that fresh air can flow inside as much as possible.

In addition, curbside pick-up and delivery options will still be available, and the store has a combination of virtual and in-person events on its calendar, from an outdoor storytime with local artist and author Joan Waites to a virtual Wine Wednesday tomorrow and a virtual book launch for “In the Heights: Finding Home” featuring writer Quiara Alegría and composer/lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Local bookworms can also get their literary fix at Reston’s Used Book Shop, which has been open daily with evolving rules since September.

Photo courtesy Scrawl Books

Bow Tie Cinemas at Reston Town Center is reopening on Friday (May 28), just in time for the holiday weekend.

Making good on a March promise, the movie theater will open its doors for Memorial Day weekend, marking the return of audiences more than a year after it closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company told Reston Now two months ago that they hoped to open by this coming weekend, but it depended on the major movie studios releasing films into theaters, as opposed to streaming and on-demand services.

With vaccinations up across the country and region, that appears to be happening. According to Bow Tie Cinemas, the major new Hollywood releases waiting to greet Reston moviegoers include “A Quiet Place Part II”, Disney’s “Cruella,” and “Spiral: Saw.”

“I am thrilled that we are finally able to reopen our Reston location,” Bow Tie Cinemas Chief Operating Officer Joseph Masher said in the press release. “By exercising our health and safety protocols, we have been able to successfully provide a clean atmosphere for our guests to return to the cinema.”

Masher says the chain has not recorded any cases of COVID-19 transmission among patrons or staff since it first reopened some locations last summer.

“Guests have been returning, and leave feeling a sense of normalcy that has been sorely missed during the pandemic,” he said.

The Reston Town Center theater will reopen with a series of safety and health protocols in place in accordance with the National Association of Theater Owners’ CinemaSafe initiative, which commits participants to following guidelines that, in some cases, are stricter than what Virginia and Fairfax County now require.

The state will lift capacity limits on movie theaters and other entertainment venues starting on Friday.

Bow Tie’s protocols include 100% reserved seating, the installation of plexiglass barriers at box office and concession stands, contact-free ticket and concession purchasing, and enhanced cleaning.

Additionally, all staff must wear a mask, even if they are fully vaccinated.

“Bow Tie Cinemas staff must wear masks at all times, whereas fully vaccinated customers are welcome to remove their mask,” a Bow Tie Cinema spokesperson confirmed to Reston Now in an email. “If a customer has yet to be vaccinated, we ask that they continue to wear their mask unless they are actively eating and drinking in their seat.”

There are also several promotional offers for those who come to the Reston Town Center theater on the first weekend.

From May 28 to 30, a purchase of a non-alcoholic beverage comes with a free small popcorn and entry into a raffle for free movie tickets. Reston customers can also continue to rent out an entire theater for up to 30 guests for a private screening.

Bow Tie Cinemas is one of the last movie theaters to reopen in the area, with theaters in Herndon, Tysons, and Dulles already showing movies again.

Bow Tie Cinemas acquired the theater at Reston Town Center from Rave Cinema in 2011.

Red Velvet Cupcakery is coming back to Reston and is set to open later this summer.

The well-known bakery that was formerly at Reston Town Center will open a new location at Reston Town Center West on Sunset Hills Road, owner Aaron Gordon tells Reston Now.

It will share a kitchen with Little Beast Bistro, a sandwich and pizza concept also developed by Gordon, but much like the two do in Chevy Chase, D.C., they will have seperate, distinct storefronts.

“I’ve always wanted to get back out [to Reston],” Gordon said.

His partner on these ventures is Kristen Brabrook, the former manager of Red Velvet’s Reston Town Center location.

“She’s been the manager with me since the store opened 10, 11 years ago. This is for her hard work,” he said.

Red Velvet Cupcakery and Little Beast will be located at 12100 Sunset Hills Road, replacing Famous Toastery, which closed in March.

Gordon says they sought out a pre-built, second-generation space so they could open on a quicker timeline.

The plan is open in early August, he says. The new location will be right across from Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant.

“It’s an ideal location,” Gordon said. “…With [development] projects and the Metro coming, it was very attractive. It’s easy to get in and out for take away and delivery too.”

Red Velvet Cupcakery will be carry-out with 10 to 12 seats outdoors and a separate, side entrance from Little Beast. It will serve up many other treats beyond cupcakes, Gordon says, including croissants, cinnamon bins, acai bowls, and cruffins.

Little Beast will have about 100 seats inside, 20 outside, and a bar/cocktail area. It will focus on pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and cocktails, and brunch will be available everyday.

To support these ventures, Gordon launched a crowd-sourcing campaign last week through MainVest, allowing anyone to invest in his Reston restaurants in exchange for perks like owner hats, a customized beer stein, and cupcakes for life.

Red Velvet closed almost exactly three years ago at Reston Town Center, a decision was mainly driven by developer Boston Properties instituting paid parking.

“We did our best to fight paid parking in RTC and we are proud to have played a large role in forcing the owners to reduce the paid parking hours, which costs them tens of millions yearly,” Gordon said at the time. “We only regret we were unable to force them to scrap their greedy money-grab entirely.”

A number of businesses ended up suing the developer over the paid parking system, claiming that it was costing them significant business. The lawsuits were settled in 2019.

Gordon says Red Velvet Cupcakery at Reston Town Center stopped being profitable when paid parking was put in place. So, when the lease ended in 2018, he was unable to negotiate an extension with Boston Properties, since he felt it no longer made sense to stay “at the same high rent.”

Now, Gordon is happy to be coming back to Reston particularly after a very tough past year.

“Going through the pandemic was hard for all, but particularly so for restaurants,” he says. “It was about finding the perfect spot, and I think we have.”

(Updated at 1:30 p.m.) It took about nine months longer than anticipated, but True Food Kitchen is officially in business at Reston Town Center.

As announced in late March, the health food restaurant opened its new Reston franchise on April 28. This is True Food Kitchen’s 37th location nationwide and its fourth in the D.C. area, joining venues in the Mosaic District, Ballston Quarter in Arlington, and Bethesda, Maryland.

“We are thrilled to officially plant our roots in Reston, a buzzing dining scene and community home to a vibrant, active and wellness-driven community,” True Food Kitchen CEO Christine Barone said. “We’re grateful to be welcomed into Reston Town Center and look forward to sharing our mission to bring people together to eat better, feel better and celebrate a passion for better living.”

Founded in 2008 by integrative medicine specialist Dr. Andrew Weil, True Food Kitchen emphasizes anti-inflammatory food and offers a menu that changes depending on what ingredients are in season.

Right now, the restaurant has its spring menu, which features a new vegan double cheeseburger, spicy tuna spring rolls, and avocado key lime pie as a dessert option. Some dishes, such as the ancient grain bowl and spaghetti squash cassarole, are available year-round.

Located in the former M & S venue at 11901 Democracy Drive, True Food Kitchen Reston occupies 9,379 square feet of space with a main indoor dining room, outdoor patio seating, and a private dining room that can seat up to 44 patrons, according to a press release.

The location also boasts a private entrance and room exclusively for people looking to get takeout or pick up online orders, a feature that seems especially useful while the COVID-19 pandemic persists.

Other accommodations for pandemic-related public health guidelines include mobile ordering, a seating arrangement set up for social distancing, and modified service intended to minimize contact between customers and workers.

True Food Kitchen is still hiring for several open positions, including servers, cooks, hosts, dishwashers, and bartenders.

Like other chain restaurants, True Food Kitchen maintains a standard aesthetic design and atmosphere across its different franchises, but the Reston Town Center location has one local touch in the form of wall murals with plates hand-painted by four different artists based in the D.C. area.

Sabrina Cabada, who lives in Arlington, says she appreciates hearing from brands who are interested in working with local artists.

“I am a figurative artist and liked the idea of incorporating food and emotion into my signature style,” Cabada said.

The other participating artists are Martina Sestakova, Emon Sura, and Natasha Platt. They each painted a row of plates based on how they interpreted the moods of happiness, calm, energy, and focus.

Taste of Istanbul is set to open at 11190 Explorer Street in Reston Town Center on May 16.

The restaurant will serve authentic turkish food like baklava, döner (seasoned meat), dolma (stuffed grape leaves), shepherd’s salad, Turkish pizza, and Turkish coffee.

Taste of Istanbul’s arrival was first announced in November. It is replacing Midtown Kabob, which closed last year.

The owners told Reston Now in November that they were prepared to open despite the uncertainty of the pandemic.

“This is a time where people don’t know what’s going to happen next,” they said. “But we believe we are prepared for this.”

While cases were on the rise late last year, vaccinations are increasing, and restrictions on businesses are easing as Fairfax County starts to gain a greater semblance of normalcy.

Taste of Istanbul’s owners got their start serving up food at local farmers markets several years ago, first at EatLoco market at One Loudoun and then at the FRESHFARM Reston farmers market.

They will continue to have a presence at those markets, a restaurant representative confirmed to Reston Now in an email.

The restaurant is family-owned and operated. Chef Ercan Karaman and his wife Hacer grew up in Turkey and learned how to cook for a big family, according to EatLoco market’s website. Their children also help with the family business.

Taste of Istanbul is 100% halal and will also provide catering.

Reston Town Center is seeing a gradual increase in restaurant openings as the pandemic appears to be waning. True Food Kitchen opened at 11901 Democracy Drive late last month as well after initially planning to open late last year.

Photo courtesy of Taste of Istanbul

True Food Kitchen Opens at Reston Town Center — True Food Kitchen officially opened its doors at Reston Town Center yesterday (Wednesday) after a more than two-year wait. Located in a 7,798-square-foot space at 11901 Democracy Drive that was previously M&S Grill, the restaurant was previously expected to open in August 2020 before getting delayed and announcing an April 28 opening in March. [The Burn]

Key Reston Planner Dies at 93 — Glenn William Saunders Jr. died on April 1 at his home on Singer Island, Florida. The civil engineer served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before working as an engineer for the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax. He was hired by Reston founder Robert E. Simon in 1961 to help plan, design, and build the planned community. [Patch]

Fairfax County Could Expand Outdoor Classrooms — Fairfax County Public Schools has been running outdoor learning pilots at five schools since the start of the 2020-2021 academic year with the goal of expanding classroom capacity and reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Using federal relief funds, FCPS has purchased a total of 215 tents, each costing around $4,300, as of late April and anticipates expanding the program in the fall. [The Washington Post]

Fatal Drug Overdoses Up During Pandemic — “Last year was Virginia’s worst on record for fatal drug overdoses. In 2020, nearly 2,300 people died from drugs in the state, according to a new report from the Virginia Department of Health. That’s a 41% increase from the year before, which was already record-breaking.” [The Virginian-Pilot]

Reston Breweries to Celebrate American Craft Beer Week — “With three breweries in or near Reston, the Brewers Association is urging craft beer drinkers to support local breweries as American Craft Beer Week approaches. The 15th annual weeklong observance will run from May 10-16 this year.” [Patch]

Democracy Drive in Reston Town Center Closed — The street will be closed all week for “ongoing infrastructure updates with repairs and modifications being made to the waste lines in the Southwest Building,” a Reston Town Center spokesperson says. The street remains accessible to pedestrians, and all stores are open. [Potomac River Running/Twitter]

Kennedy Center to Fully Reopen in the Fall — The Kennedy Center will hold a grand reopening in September, launching an extensive lineup of performances and activities to celebrate its 50th anniversary. A limited number of in-person concerts are also being planned for this spring and summer. [Washingtonian]

Task Force Proposes Strategies to Preserve Affordable Housing — Fairfax County Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force presented a report to the Board of Supervisors yesterday (Tuesday) with recommendations for maintaining the county’s approximately 9,000 existing market affordable multifamily units. [Fairfax County Government]

Reston Startup Raises Millions in Funding — The cybersecurity startup ThreatQuotient Inc. raised $22.5 million in equity and debt funding that it hopes to use to accelerate the growth of its data platform, which gives clients information they can utilize to automatically detect and respond to threats. The company says it saw “record bookings and revenue growth” last year. [Washington Business Journal]

Celebrate National Beer Day at a Local Brewery — National Beer Day comes every year on April 7 to mark the end of the Prohibition-era ban on the sale and consumption of low-alcohol beverages like beer. Local options for celebrating include Herndon’s Aslin Beer Company as well as Bike Lane Brewery and the Lake Anne Brewhouse in Reston. [Patch]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Updated at 9:45 a.m. on 4/6/2021 — True Food Kitchen has extended the job fair for its new Reston Town Center site into late April, a spokesperson says.

Earlier: After months of delays, True Food Kitchen is opening in Reston Town Center on April 28.

The 7,798-square-foot restaurant is also kicking off a three-week job fair to hire 100 staff members ahead of its opening at 1901 Democracy Drive.

The schedule for job fairs is below. Applicants can also apply online.

• Now – Saturday, March 27; 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Monday, March 29 – Saturday, April 3; 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Monday, April 5 – Saturday, April 10; 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

The restaurant includes a dining room, outdoor patio, and bar. Its dining chairs are made of recycled soda bottles and the space is designed around an open kitchen concept.

True Food Kitchen’s menu adheres to a diet developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, who specializes in integrative medicine. The menu focuses primarily on anti-inflammatory foods.

Open jobs include chefs, cooks, servers, hosts, dishwashers, and managers.

Photo via True Food Kitchen

Reston Town Center’s Bow Tie Cinemas is looking to re-open by Memorial Day.

A company spokesperson tells Reston Now that they plan is to turn the projectors back on when “the film supply becomes more stable, perhaps by Memorial Day at the latest.” Meaning, when studios begin releasing more movies again to theaters (as opposed to streaming services or on demand).

The spokesperson noted that studios have already started doing this, advertising summer releases and populating the calendar for the later year, due to the re-opening of theaters in New York and Los Angeles.

The Reston Town Center movie theater shut down a year ago and has yet to reopen.

However, several other local theaters have already opened their doors including Herndon’s AMC Worldgate 9 and AMC Tysons Corner 16. The Regal Dulles Town Center, however, remains closed.

Virginia currently allows movie theaters and other arts venues to open with up to 30% capacity.

Bowtie Cinema’s only other Virginia location in Richmond reopened in July. The company spokesperson didn’t answer a follow-up about why the Richmond location is open while the Reston one is currently not.

When it does re-open, a number of safety protocols will be in place including mandatory facemasks, increased cleanings, social distancing, and contactless cash exchange.

Bowtie Cinemas acquired the theater at Reston Town Center in 2011 from Rave Cinema.

A Reston Now employee was kicked out of Reston Town Center on Tuesday afternoon for taking photos.

Jay Westcott, a staff photographer for Reston Now and its sister sites Tysons Reporter, ALXnow and ARLnow, was asked by a security guard to leave RTC after he attempted to take several photos outdoors. Westcott has earlier been asked by an editor to update Reston Now’s file photos, which we use to illustrate stories about everything from new office tenants to events and other happenings.

Westcott had just paid for parking and begun taking photos of a landscaping crew when he was approached by a security guard.

Boston Properties, the Massachusetts-based company that owns RTC, says that any media, photographer or videographer must seek a permit — processed through RTC’s marketing — each time they want to take photos in the center.

The permit application notes that all photos must be approved by RTC prior to publication and “are available for licensing by Reston Town Center management for use in Reston Town Center publications.”

‘This is not a new policy. Some brands have policies in place regarding professional photography so we normally escort media on site,” said Ashley Arias, director of TAA Public Relations, Boston Properties’ PR agency.

The application also stipulates that storefronts, loading docks, and building entrances cannot be photographed without written permission.

Reston Now owner and publisher Scott Brodbeck said that although RTC is privately owned, it is a de facto public space.

“Jay is a consummate professional who was simply updating our stock photos of the area. Credentialed members of the media should not be required to obtain permits in order to do their jobs in such a setting,” Brodbeck said. “That’s doubly true given that any member of the general public is able to take such photos with their smartphones without being hassled by security.”

Some local photographers say that although the permit process is cumbersome, RTC’s marketing team is forthcoming and welcoming.

“I just keep a copy of the PDF on my phone, and any time a security guard requests a permit, I show them my phone, they take a quick glance at it, and let me carry on,” Reston-based photographer Charlotte Geary told Reston Now.

Boston Properties’ photography policy highlights some elected officials’ concerns about the privatization of publicly used spaces.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said that the photography restriction in open areas of RTC underscores the fact that open areas in RTC are not public open spaces and rather “private property accessible and usable by the public with conditions established by the private property owner.”

He says his task force, which is reviewing Reston’s Comprehensive Plan, is taking a look at the pros and cons of privately owned and maintained open spaces versus publicly owned and maintained spaces. The topic was discussed at a December meeting.

It’s not the first time the privatization of open space has been an issue in Reston.

In the spring of 2019, Comstock Companies, the developer of Reston Station, clashed with the county over the permissibility of campaigning on its property.

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Reston Town Center manager Boston Properties and security contractor MaxSent may have to face trial over a women’s 2018 lawsuit alleging she tripped, fell, and got hurt walking from the parking garage to the shopping center.

Camille Sedar fell down a short flight of stairs, landed face first, and lost consciousness. She was later diagnosed to have a concussion. The suit alleges she tripped due to loose, uneven bricks and “sagging” caulk at the top of the stairs causing the fall.

Sedar says she doesn’t remember the fall. Though witnesses didn’t actually see her fall, they saw her on the ground, hurt, and called for help, according to court documents.

Sedar won the appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit earlier this week, as first reported by Bloomberg Law.

The appeal centered on if there was enough “material” facts and evidence that lack of upkeep and maintenance could have caused the loose bricks and her fall.

Sedar provided photographic evidence, scuffed shoes, and an expert engineer witness saying large gaps due to loose bricks create tripping hazards.

The defense argued that it wasn’t on their clients to fix small “sidewalk irregularities,” which are visible to all and known to be avoided. Plus, it was “mere speculation” that these irregularities caused her fall in the first place.

However, a loose brick may not be immediately obvious and visible, argued the plaintiff, and therefore created a hazard.

Sedar also offered evidence that the shopping owners and property manager had knowledge of the hazard.

The court agreed there was enough evidence that the loose brick and sagging caulk could have created a tripping hazard and, therefore, the case could go to trial.

“We make no comment on which parties’ evidence is more persuasive. We only ask whether Sedar has provided ‘evidence beyond speculation’ that provides a sufficient basis for a reasonable inference of causation,” reads the court’s opinion. “We conclude that she has.”

Reston Now has reached out to each side’s attorneys but have yet to hear back as of publication.

Photo by R. Dawson/Flickr