A bicyclist crashed into a car while crossing the intersection of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail and Sunrise Valley Drive on Saturday.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the bicyclist did not stop before crossing the intersection and hit the side of a car around 5:55 p.m. The bicyclist did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
In a separate incident, a robbery happened today on the 2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza at around 5:20 a.m. Despite a helicopter-assisted search early this morning, the suspects were not caught. An investigation is ongoing.
FCPD also reported the following incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
2200 block of Castle Rock Square, cash from vehicle
2400 block of Centreville Road, bag from location
2500 block of Centreville Road, beer from business
600 block of Deerfield Pond Court, property from residence
1800 block of Fountain Drive, cash from locker
11700 block of Great Owl Circle, property from vehicle
11800 block of Great Owl Circle, laptop from vehicle
12200 block of Laurel Glade Court, backpack from location
1800 block of Fountain Drive, merchandise from business
11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business
11600 block of Old Brookville Court, laptop from vehicle
11600 block of Plaza America Drive, cell phone from location
11800 block of Spectrum Circle, merchandise from business
11600 block of Springhouse Place, property from vehicle
11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, wallet from business
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, merchandise from business
1600 block of Waterhaven Drive, laptop from vehicle
11400 block of Waterhaven Court, property from vehicle
11400 block of Waterhaven Court, property from vehicle
STOLEN VEHICLES:
1500 block of Deer Point Way, 2015 Infiniti G35
As we reported late last week, the body of Xuanfang Zhou, 81, a missing man, was found at Runnymede Park on Friday. Police said there is no indication of criminal activity.
File photo
Several lane, shoulder and road closures will be in effect along the Dulles Toll Road, Herndon Parkway, Sunrise Valley Drive and Sunset Hills Road this week.
Drivers are encouraged to pay attention to all signs, barricades and speed limits. Slow vehicles may be entering and exiting highways and surrounding roads.
A complete breakdown of closures, provided by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, is below:
Dulles Toll Road East
When:   Monday, July 23 – Friday, July 27, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
What:Â Â Â Â Alternating right and left lane closures of varying lengths
Where:Â Â From mile marker 1.3 to 5.2 (from just west of the Route 28 overpass to the Reston Parkway overpass)
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Civil work
Dulles Toll Road West
When:   Monday, July 23 – Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Sunday
What:Â Â Â Â Alternating right and left lane closures of varying lengths
Where:Â Â From mile marker 5.7 to 1.5 (between the Route 28 and Reston Parkway overpasses)
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Civil work
Dulles Toll Road West
When:Â Â Â Thursday, July 26, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
What:Â Â Â Â Two right lanes closed
Where:Â Â From mile marker 4.5 to 3.5 (from 3/10 mile before the Fairfax County Parkway overpass to the Monroe Street/Van Buren Street overpass)
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Pedestrian bridge construction
Dulles Toll Road West
When:   Friday, July 27 – Saturday, July 28, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
What:Â Â Â Â Full closure
Where:Â Â From mile marker 6.2 to 2.4 (Single lane closures begin prior to the Wiehle Avenue overpass. Full closure from the Fairfax County Parkway to Centreville Road; follow detour along the southbound Fairfax County Parkway, westbound Sunrise Valley Drive, and northbound Centreville Road where traffic will re-enter the westbound Dulles Toll Road)
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Pedestrian bridge constructionÂ
Dulles Toll Road West
When:Â Â Â Saturday, July 28, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
What:Â Â Â Â Three left lanes close with 20-minute stoppages on right through lane
Where:Â Â From mile marker 6.6 to 4.2 (between the Wiehle Aveue overpass and the Fairfax County Parkway overpass)
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Striping
Sunrise Valley Drive East
When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon
What:Â Â Â Â Right lane closed
Where:Â Â From Edmund Halley Drive to Colts Neck Road
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Clearing and civil work
Sunset Hills Road EastÂ
When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon
What:Â Â Â Â Alternating right and left lane closures
Where:  From 500 feet west to 500 feet east of 12011 Sunset Hills Road
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Civil work
Sunset Hills Road WestÂ
When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon
What:Â Â Â Â Two left lanes closed
Where:  From the entrance to 12011 Sunset Hills Road to 500 feet west of the entrance
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Civil work
Herndon Parkway East
When:   Monday, July 23 – Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon
What:Â Â Â Â Right lane closed
Where:Â From 1000 feet east of Van Buren Street to 800 feet west of Exchange Place
Why:Â Â Â Â Â Equipment mobilization
Data centers with a fenced perimeter are inching closer to approval at Sunrise Technology Park, a 21-acre office park with four existing buildings slated for redevelopment. The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved the project by CoreSite Realty Corp. on June 28.
The proposal is part of a move by CoreSite to expand its footprint in Reston. The company selected the location on the south side of Sunrise Valley Drive in order to ensure the operation was near enterprises in Reston. The property was purchased for $60 million from Brookfield Office Properties in 2016.
“They had a choice of where they wanted to be,” said David Gill of McGuireWoods and the developer’s representative, adding that CoreSite was willing to “roll up their sleeves and a pay a premium to adaptively reuse [the] office park.”
The development is divided into four phases, one of which is currently in progress. When the first phase is complete, two existing buildings on the southern half of the property will be reconstructed and expanded with about 291,000 square feet of development. Two buildings will be demolished on the southeastern edge of the property to make way for a three-story building with 240,000 square feet in the second phase.
During phase three, one building and associated parking in the center of the property will give way to a three-story data center and another building. The fourth and final phase on the northern edge of the project will involve the demolition of existing buildings to make way for a three-story data center with 172,000 square feet. The number of stories on the buildings may vary, but will not exceed three stories.
Gill noted that the development will reduce traffic by 60 percent both during peak traffic hours and an overall reduction in trips. The data centers are expected to house a maximum of 45 employees. The development will also remove 700 parking spaces on the largely vacant site, Gill said.
However, planning officials said they were concerned buildings in phase two do not sufficiently meet environmental efficiency standards, namely LEED certification.
Gill noted CoreSite is using technologies like a cistern that uses rainwater to cool servers. CoreSite plans to address the county’s concerns about LEED certification and energy efficiency before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisor’s vote on the project, Gill said.
During the commission’s public hearing, Brian Carpenter, a resident from a nearby residential zone, said he wanted to ensure security cameras on the property would not compromise the privacy of nearby homes. The issue will be discussed with the developer.
Handout via Fairfax County Government
Noble Investment Group, a Georgia-based investment company, has acquired Westin Reston Heights, a 191-room hotel located at 11750 Sunrise Valley Drive.
The company plans to renovate guests rooms and common areas in the hotel. Westin Reston Heights has a business room and is also the location of Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Noble principal Ben Brunt said the acquisition was motivated by substantial growth and corporate relocations planned in Reston.
“The Westin afforded Noble the opportunity to acquire a first-class physical asset that is well suited to the wide array of demand generators in the area while offering substantial upside through the reconfiguration and enhancement of the hotel public spaces and guest rooms,” Brunt wrote in a statement.
Nearby, another hotel changed hands this year. In March, Wurzak Hotel Group and DoveHil Capital Management acquired Sheraton Reston Hotel at 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive. A renovation project is planned for the 298-room hotel.
Photo by Starwood Hotels
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved $500,000 to cover preliminary engineering for interim improvements at the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive.
Planned upgrades include lane reconfiguration, signal optimization and improvements to pedestrian and bike facilities.
Depending on the option selected by individuals, the project is expected to cost between $2.2 million and $4.3 million. The board approved intersection improvements as part of Reston’s transportation funding plan in late February last year.
The timeline of the project was not immediately available.
Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation
Campus at Sunrise, a three-building portfolio with nearly 254,000 square feet, is on the market for $61 million, according to recently released marketing information by Cushman & Wakefield.
The commercial real estate company is seeking buyers for the trio of buildings on 11130 Sunrise Valley Drive, 11190 Sunrise Valley Drive and 11180 Sunrise Valley Drive, which were built between 1987 and 1990 on nearly a dozen acres.
Jennifer Dietze, a senior property manager for Lincoln Property Company, said Cushman & Wakefield is currently preparing an offering memorandum. Dietze also declined to provide any other information on the sale, including why the company is seeking to shed the property.
BPG Properties, a private equity real estate company, sold Campus at Sunrise to Canada-based Grosvenor Americas, the current owner, for $63 million in 2011 — two million more than the current sale price. Soon after, the company renovated the buildings’ HVAC systems, which they said “greatly enhance the tenant experience.”
Promotional material cites the buildings’ close proximity to Wiehle-Metro East, indoor and outdoor terrace lounge areas, an on-site delicatessane and fitness center.
Eric Berkman, a representative for Cushman & Wakefield, declined to comment on the building portfolio due to a confidentiality agreement.
Photos via Cushman & Wakefield
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors deferred a decision on a proposal to bring a 91-unit assisted living facility to 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive amid backlash from residents neighboring the project.
At a Tuesday night meeting, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said she wanted to work with residents and the developer Kensington Senior Development to tackle concerns raised by residents over several months.
During the meeting, residents continued to protest the location of the two-to-three story building, which they said was shoehorned onto 1.8 acres. The new structure, which would replaces Good Beginning School, a child care facility, is more than eight times larger than the current building. The facility would include up to 125 beds and up to 91 rooms.
Responding to residents’ concerns about limited privacy and the overwhelming nature of the plan, Hudgins said the application was “difficult” even though “the zoning is what the zoning is.”
“The zoning change has been made and it is an acceptable development in the center,” she said. “It’s just difficult for the neighbors to accept as far as the size and the screening that is provided.”
The board will vote on the project on Feb. 6 at 3:30 p.m — a delay that allows Hudgins says allows the stakeholders to settle concerns.
The developer’s representative, Mark Looney of Cooley LLP, pointed to the “evolution” of the plan since it was originally proposed. After back and forth with county entities like the Design Review Board, the developer scaled back the plan by reducing the number of stories from five to either two or three stories.
In a November staff report, the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning recommended approval of the plan.
Photo via handout
A plan to bring an assisted-living facility to11501 Sunrise Valley Drive continued to draw ire from nearby residents Thursday night.
At a public hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission, residents argued the 70-unit building, which would replace Good Beginnings School, a childcare facility, was incompatible with the surrounding residential area south of Sunrise Valley Drive.
The proposal by Kensington Senior Development calls for a two-to-three story building roughly 65,000 square feet — more than eight times larger than the current structure. The plan also includes a parking garage.
The developer’s representative, Mark Looney of Cooley LLP, said the developer scaled back the plan significantly after several iterations with Reston’s Design Review Board earlier this year. The latest plan reduces the overall mass of the project from 91,000 to 65,000 square feet, including a reduction of 21 units and 34 beds, attempts to create a more residential-style building and eliminates one floor of the building, he said.
Despite these revisions, residents said the project was too large and too overwhelming for the south side of Sunrise Valley Drive, an area they said was intended to remain largely residential and offer a hard break between high-intensity, high-density land uses in other parts of the community.
Jane Anthony, a resident of the Wethersfield Cluster since the late 1970s, said the project was more appropriate for the Dulles Toll Road Corridor where it would not “disturb the peace” of a long-standing residential community and infringe on the privacy of a commercial convenience center near the site.
“It is shoehorned into a very small area… growth is good but not at the expense of the quality of life of residents,” she said.
Others said the project did provide adequate buffering between a townhouse community on Approach Lane that faces the site. Lynwood Patin, a resident who testified in opposition to the plan, said the plan was “intimidating and overbearing,” providing clear “visual access over privacy fences on Approach Lane.”
Looney, however, said residents have not yet accepted the developer’s offer to enhance landscaping and buffering on the street opposite of the site. He also said the privacy concern “works both ways” for nearby residents and those in the living facility.
“The applicant wants to be a good long-term neighbor to them,” he said.
Others like Stephen Cerny, president of the Wethersfield Cluster Association, said the project wholly violated the spirit of Reston’s Master Plan by overwhelming a small site in an area that he said was intended to remain a “status quo” area on the south side of Sunrise Valley Drive.
James Hart, an at-large member of the committee, however, said the plan did not contain any specific guidance that the building was too large or incompatible with the area. The county’s zoning allows the developer to seek a special exception to permit a medical care facility, which is classified as an allowed institutional use, he said.
Looney also noted that the land’s by-right uses could also allow for a more intense, high-density residential development than what Kensington Senior Development has proposed.
The Planning Commission will continue to hear the case in the upcoming weeks. A decision on the petition was deferred Thursday.
Photo via handout
Progress to bring a 91-unit assisted-living facility to 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive continues as Kensington Senior Development goes before Fairfax County’s Planning Commission this week.
A public hearing on the project, which has been reworked over the last several months, is scheduled for Thursday at 8:15 p.m. in the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway).
The assisted living facility would replace a 7,600-square foot building currently used as a child care center by Good Beginnings School. The building was built in 1978.
The latest plans include significant alterations from previous versions, including a reduction from five stories to either two or three stories. The facility will include up to 105 beds and up to 75 rooms. The plan also includes 67 parking garage spaces and recreations and amenity space for residents on the ground floor patio.
In a staff report, the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning recommended approval of the plan, which was submitted last year.
To sign up to testify at the hearing, visit the commission’s website. For more information, call the commission’s office 703-324-2865 or by email.
Photo via handout
AÂ nature-centered gathering place is planned to open on Sunrise Valley Drive soon.
Rise Well-Being Center will open in a 3,400-square-foot space at 11130 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 150. According to its website, the center will provide “a relaxing garden space for its members as well as unlimited yoga, meditation and wellness classes.”
Construction on the center began last month, according to a post on its Facebook page. The post says the center hopes to open in November.
A floor plan shared on the center’s website shows that in addition to the indoor garden space, the center will have three therapy rooms, a meditation room and one for private meditation and/or napping, a small studio/classroom, and a yoga studio.
Numerous yoga classes are planned, as well as qigong, brain training, mind/body connection and more. Local art will also be on display and several membership options are available, according to the site.
For more information, visit the center’s website or follow it on Facebook.
Image via Rise Well-Being Center website
Despite statements from local residents to the contrary, Reston’s Design Review Board says a proposed senior-living facility on Sunrise Valley Drive will be an appropriate addition to the community.
During their meeting Tuesday (video), the DRB voted 4-2 to give conceptual approval to the Kensington Senior Living project, pending final architectural drawings. The facility would be constructed at 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive, which is the current home of Good Beginnings School.
After previous designs for the property were for a building of up to 91,000 square feet and five stories, the developers have brought their proposal down to about 65,000 feet and two stories. However, residents of adjacent Wethersfield Cluster say they have concerns that even a two-story building will result in their privacy being disturbed.
“I can still see sight lines from the second floor into our first-floor rooms,” said Thea Kreinik, of Approach Lane. Kreinik and other residents said having the building so close to their properties would also have a negative effect on their property values.
Following comments from numerous residents about the use of the property, which is outside the DRB’s purview, vice chair Richard Newlon said he doesn’t agree with their assertions that an assisted-living facility is a bad fit.
“You have room there to build 30 townhouses, something like that,” Newlon said. “The residents of this facility are not going to be driving in and out all the time, the parking is underground, there’s not going to be a lot of traffic outside, [and] people in this type of facility are probably not going to be out in that backyard playing volleyball and making a lot of noise.”
One resident who spoke following the Board’s discussion said the “better this than that” mentality does not sit well with the community.
“The impression I’m getting from the Board — your kind of thinly veiled comment to us — is, ‘Suck it up with this old-folks home, or you’re going to get something worse,'” said Lisa White, of Wethersfield Court. “That’s not making me feel comfortable.”
The issue of lighting from the facility affecting nearby residents was also brought up, and the developers were told by DRB to “be cognizant moving forward” to address the issue.
Residents of the cluster who attended the meeting and spoke out against the project let their displeasure be known as they exited the room following the vote.
“I hope all of you [who voted for it] get one on your doorstep,” one member could be heard telling the Board following the passage of the motion.
The Kensington Senior Living facility is planned to include 96 beds within 70 units. It still must receive additional approval both locally and at the county level.
Public Safety Forum Set for Tonight — The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station will hold a community public safety forum tonight from 7-9 p.m. at McNair Elementary School (2499 Thomas Jefferson Drive, Herndon). Police leaders will discuss the “State of Reston,” pedestrian safety initiatives and crime prevention, and they will introduce the community to valuable resources. [Supervisor Cathy Hudgins]
Morning Crash Causes Traffic Delays — At about 6:15 a.m. today, FCPD reported a crash on Sunrise Valley Drive in the area of Fairfax County Parkway that caused “significant traffic delays.” All lanes were reported open again before 7 a.m. [Fairfax County Police Department/Twitter]
Supervisors Approve Budget Carryover — At its meeting Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors approved $59.6 million in FY2017 carryover funding, to be used in part to fund reserves and infrastructure needs, along with other projects including the demolition of the Massey Building. [Fairfax County]
Review: ‘Disgraced’ Challenges and Chafes Audiences — The play about Muslim assimilation and identity in America, now being performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) left a reviewer “examining [his] own life experiences and [his] own long-time, deeply-held progressive values and beliefs.” [DC Metro Theater Arts]
Key Information for SLHS Students — Over 2,470 students will be attending South Lakes High School this fall. The school recently provided information about class schedules, counselor assignments and much more in preparation for the new year. [South Lakes High School]
Report: Metro Safety Documents Falsified —Â Track reports were copied and pasted month after month, raising questions about the competency of inspectors and a lack of supervision. [WAMU]
Deon King Standing Out for Browns — In an interview with Fox Sports Ohio, SLHS alum Deon King talks about the experience he has had thus far in training camp with the Cleveland Browns. King had three tackles and a fumble recovery in the Browns’ first preseason game Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints. [Fox Sports Ohio/YouTube]
Work This Weekend to Install Pedestrian Bridge — Starting at about 10 p.m. tonight, there will be detours on Sunrise Valley Drive in Herndon as the bridge for the Innovation Center Metro station is set over the road. In addition, there will be lane modifications on the eastbound Dulles Toll Road all day Saturday for striping. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]
Before its meeting tonight, Reston’s Design Review Board will have another one-hour work session with the developers of the proposed Kensington Senior Living at 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive.
Following a work session with the DRB in May, Kensington has made the following changes to its plan to reduce the project’s size:
- Eliminated an entire floor of the building, resulting in a 2-story building
- Reduced the overall mass of the project by about 30 percent, from 91,000 square feet to 65,000 square feet, resulting in an approximate FAR of 0.83
- Narrowed the width of the building toward the south of the site, resulting in an additional setback to the nearest townhomes of 20 feet
- Reduced the unit count by 23 percent from 91 to 70, and the bed count by 26 percent from 130 to 96
Previous designs for the proposal featured as many as five stories.
The facility would be at the site of the current Good Beginnings School. The property has not yet been sold, with the deal contingent upon the plan’s approval.
At the May work session, residents of the Wethersfield Cluster expressed their concerns about lowered property values, privacy and architectural compatibility. Kensington says it “has considered and is working through different architectural styles, and it “plans to present more detailed building elevations” during tonight’s session.
The documents that have been provided prior to tonight’s session are available here.
The discussion is scheduled for 6 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). The DRB’s regular meeting will begin at 7.
Image via Moseley Architects
Work has begun to take down a six-story office building at 11720 Sunrise Valley Drive, making room for 54 townhomes in what will soon be a bustling residential area.
Demolition of office at 11720 Sunrise Valley Drive, making way for townhomes @RestonNow https://t.co/dHU8V5WrGw
— Dave Emke (@emkedave) June 28, 2017
Located just east of JBG’s Reston Heights development, the 69,000-square-foot building was bought by Rooney Properties in 2013. A sale of the property to Toll Brothers was reported in April.
The new development is planned to have a quarter-acre pocket park located north of a private street that will run through the center of the property. The park will include benches, a butterfly garden, public art and more.
Developers also plan to build six-foot sidewalks along Sunrise Valley Drive and Roland Clarke Place to help make pedestrian connections to Silver Line Metro stations. The plan also incorporates a separate, 10-foot wide path for bicycles along Sunrise Valley Drive.
The entrance to the community will be on Roland Clarke Place. The developers have a dedicated right of way for a future traffic signal at the corner of Sunrise Valley and Roland Clarke.
The destruction of the building comes about nine months after the American Press Institute building, just across Roland Clarke Place at 11690 Sunrise Valley Drive, was brought down. Sekas Homes is now working to construct 34 townhouses and 10 condos on that site, forming the future Sunrise Square cluster.
The frames of the first row of townhomes there are in place, and signage in front of the property advertises an August move-in date for new tenants. Rooney Properties owns that development as well.
