Paul Bolon died over the weekend while campaigning for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ Providence District seat.
Bolon, 69, had a fatal heart attack after meeting voters in the Providence District on Sunday (Aug. 11) and died at the Inova Fairfax Hospital, the Washington Post reported. He was running as the Republican candidate against Democrat Dalia Palchik.
“Paul Bolon was a great candidate. A professional economist, he brought a clear-eyed, analytical perspective to issues facing our county,” Tim Hannigan, the chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee, said in a statement. “As our committee’s Providence District Chairman, he served with distinction as a very effective grassroots leader and a tireless advocate for Republican values and Republican candidates.”
Hannigan added that Bolon was a “personable, unfailingly civil, generous and always kind” person.
Bolon was a retired manager from the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and economist.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 24.
New details have emerged about the “boutique hotel” in the upcoming Scotts Run development in Tysons East.
Archer Hotel recently released more information about the hotel’s design and offerings.
Situated adjacent to the McLean Metro station, the seven-story, 178-room hotel will have a bar and restaurant operated by chef Charlie Palmer, along with rooftop event space, a fitness studio and underground valet parking, the press release said.
The hotel is designed by LK Architecture — the same firm behind the Tysons Walmart and Hyatt House in Merrifield.
The hotel will be a part of the southern portion of the 8 million-square-foot mixed-use development, which is split into Scotts Run North and South.
Scotts Run South includes several apartments and office buildings — including the completed 425-unit apartment complex called The Haden and the 14-story office building Mitre 4 — the Archer Hotel and retail space.
Meanwhile, Scotts Run North proposes a high-density mix of residential and office buildings.
“The Tysons locale boasts megacity attributes and infrastructure, while retaining welcoming touches like tree-lined streets and a lower-stress lifestyle,” the press release said.
The Tysons location will be the seventh Archer Hotel and is slated to open in summer 2021.
Image via Cityline Partners, map via SmithGroup
Construction recently started on a new trail in Tysons East that will connect Westgate Elementary School to the McLean Metro Station.
Scott’s Run Trail will provide a half-mile, 8-foot wide trail spanning Magarity Road to Colshire Meadow Drive near the McLean Metro station.
Robin Geiger, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, told Tysons Reporter that construction on the trail started July 8.
“Work is just starting now with the placement of erosion control items prior to grading activities,” Geiger said.
Located within Scott’s Run Stream Valley Park and Westgate Park, the trail will be lighted and include two bridges — a 90-foot bridge over Scotts Run Stream and a 50-foot bridge over a tributary.
The $3.3 million project is being funded by the Federal Regional Surface Transportation Program and Fairfax County.
Geiger said that construction plans to wrap up in next September.
Photo via Fairfax County Department of Transportation
Starting today, residents and business owners can head to the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library to seek low-interest loans to help pay for flood damage repairs.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust shared in a newsletter to constituents Monday (Aug. 12) information about two loan centers — Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike) and the Arlington County Trades Center (2700 S. Taylor Street).
Gov. Ralph Northam announced last Thursday (Aug. 8) that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will offer low-interest federal loans to people affected by the July 8 flooding in the City of Falls Church, along with Fairfax and Arlington counties and the City of Alexandria.
Businesses and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million, while homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 for damaged or destroyed real estate and up to $40,000 for personal property.
“In addition, the County has waived any permit fees that might apply to reconstruction efforts,” Foust wrote.
More from the newsletter:
The SBA may increase loans by up to 20 percent if officials verify the extent of physical damages. Agency officials also may support efforts by applicants to build storm shelters or safe rooms to protect against damage from a similar natural disaster in the future.
SBA officials will set the loans’ terms and amounts based on applicants’ financial conditions. The agency will offer loans with terms of up to 30 years and interest rates as low as 1.938 percent for renters and homeowners, 2.75 percent for non-profits, and 4 percent for businesses.
The loan center at the Tysons-Pimmit library will be open:
- Tuesday-Thursday, Aug. 13-15: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 16: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 17: 1-5 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 19: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
The loan center in Arlington will be open the same days and times, except for different hours on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Both centers will be closed on Sunday, Aug. 18.
“SBA officials will be available to answer questions about the agency’s disaster-loan programs and help applicants fill out the necessary forms,” Foust wrote in the newsletter.
Residents have until Oct. 7 to request a loan to cover physical property damage, while businesses have until May 7, 2020, to request a loan for economic injury.
Photo via Fairfax County
Fairfax County police arrested a Falls Church man after he allegedly wounded a man during a fight in a residential area by Haycock Elementary School.
The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, in the 2200 block of Orchid Drive.
“Officers responded to the area for two men fighting,” according to the police report. “Officers found and arrested the suspect nearby.”
The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
Police charged 50-year-old Spyros Pagonis with unlawful wounding.
In a separate incident, police arrested a Maryland man for grand larceny at a Home Depot (2815 Merrilee Drive) in Merrifield around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 11).
“Officers responded for a larceny at the Home Depot and found store security fighting with the suspect when they arrived,” police said.
Police said that the suspect “pulled away and ran from officers” while being arrested, but was caught after a short foot pursuit.
“It was learned that the suspect had committed grand larceny at another Home Depot just before coming to this location and had over $3,000 worth of stolen items with him,” police said.
Police charged 36-year-old Derik Henderson with grand larceny, assault and resisting arrest.
Photo via FCPD
Blend 111, a new restaurant and wine bar, will celebrate its grand opening on Thursday in Vienna.
Touting itself as “the region’s first biodynamic restaurant and wine bar,” Blend 111 will feature food and wine from Spain, France and Venezuela, according to a press release.
The locally-owned restaurant (111 Church Street NW, Suite 101) will offer a prix-fixe lunch and dinner options, cold-pressed juices and a “micro-cafe” with organic coffee, pour-over-brewed coffee and espresso-based drinks.
Head Chef Nicolas Terrassin is from Châtellerault, a small village in France, and has worked in restaurants in France, Québec and the D.C. area. Michael Biddick is the restaurant’s owner, sommelier and chief coffee roaster.
The dinner menu includes choices like sustainable scallops and chickpea salad, while the brunch menu offers Venezuelan scrambled eggs and oatmeal brulee.
“Everything from your morning coffee, post work out organic cold press juices, to weekend brunch, happy hour and late-night dining is available at Blend 111 — all offering unique experiences,” the press release said.
Photo via Blend 111/Facebook
The Falls Church City Council will hold public hearings tonight (Monday) on proposed housing and demographics guidelines as the city looks to offer more affordable housing.
The Comprehensive Plan’s chapters for both areas haven’t been updated since 2005, according to city staff.
The new demographics chapter would focus on three areas: trends, projections and how changes relate to community needs, especially for housing, economic development and public facilities.
“Demographics are a critical base of information for city planning; the city’s housing, transportation, economy, parks and recreation, and social framework rely on current and future population trends and need,” according to city documents.
Meanwhile, the revamped housing chapter would outline a vision for how the city can address diverse housing needs through nine focus points.
The city’s Planning Commission voted in favor of both updates at its meeting last Monday, Aug. 5.
The city council meeting is set to start at 7:30 p.m. at 300 Park Avenue.
The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals is set to determine this fall whether or not a contentious for-profit therapy program for teens can open in McLean.
Newport Academy’s plans to turn its three purchased homes (1620, 1622, and 1624 Davidson Road) into a treatment facility got derailed after the county’s zoning administrator said the facility is not a by-right use.
While the zoning administrator added that the facility would require approval from the Board of Supervisors, Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust has previously said that he would oppose the facility if it was brought to the county board for a vote.
Newport Academy is looking to appeal the ruling, and now the zoning issue is set to go before the Board of Zoning Appeals on Oct. 30, BZA staff told Tysons Reporter, adding that people interested in the case should check a week or two before that date to confirm it will still take place.
“These dates do sometimes change, although I do not believe that will be the case for this hearing,” staff wrote.
It is unclear what will happen to Newport Academy’s proposed group home at 1318 Kurtz Road, which was not addressed in the zoning administrator’s ruling.
A woman reported a man masturbating in public by Wildwood Park to the Vienna Police Department.
The incident took place shortly after 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, by Alma Street SE and Delano Drive SE.
From from the Vienna Police Department:
A resident reported that she observed a suspicious man on the bike path. The resident decided to follow
the man and saw him near a metal bridge. The subject had his pants to his ankles and was masturbating in public. The resident quickly left the area and called the police.
Police said that they searched the surrounding areas but couldn’t find the man.
In a separate incident, an employee reported that another employee embezzled money in the last few months from Patron Insurance Services (301 W. Maple Avenue), police said. The case is being investigated.
Photo via Facebook
McLean Firefighters Save Hawk — “Recently, Tower 401, McLean, A-Shift was called to assist [Fairfax County Animal Protection Police]. Hawk was entangled in netting. Lt. Roose and Tech Crabtree took MAPPO Lugo up in tower bucket to access hawk who was able to free hawk and transport to vet. Hawk is back in wild!” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]
Becoming a City — “While the end date for Tysons’ transformation plan may be 2050, cities are dynamic things.” Greater Greater Washington dives into the challenges Tysons will face as it continues to grow. [Greater Greater Washington]
McLean Crash Kills Driver — “A person is dead after a single-car crash that has closed a section of the GW Parkway on Sunday morning. The crash happened around 5:45 a.m. in McLean. The driver, who was the only occupant in the vehicle, died at the scene.” [Fox5]
Falls Church Book Store Closing — “Hole in the Wall Books, the cozy used book shop located within a faded blue house on Broad Street, will be closing up shop for good at the end of the month, concluding a 40-year run in the City of Falls Church that brought the right amount of reliability and eccentricity to make the store into an institution.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Filling Mad Fox’s Void — “The City of Falls Church’s economic development team confirmed [last week] that finding a replacement for the recently-closed Mad Fox Brewing Company is ‘an absolute strategic priority for the City’ and… another brewpub operation, a small chain, is showing a keen interest.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Unfinished McLean Mansion for Sale — “Greater Washington’s second most expensive house on the market isn’t even a house yet.” [Washington Business Journal]
Training for Mass Shooting Scenarios — ABC7’s Tim Barber has details on how Fairfax County’s police and fire train together for mass shooting scenarios. “The training starts with a radio call, with lights and sounds are added for effects.” [ABC7]
McLean Bank Teams Up With Another Bank — “Founders of VisionBank (In Organization) have agreed to join Old Dominion National Bank to help bolster the bank’s mission to provide a true community banking experience to growing numbers of businesses and individuals throughout the Washington, D.C. metro area.” [Cision]
