As work continues on the Jones Branch Connector, Scotts Crossing Road, a road between Jones Branch Drive and the off-ramps for I-495 Express Lanes, will close overnight on Thursday (July 25).

The Virginia Department of Transportation said that Scotts Crossing Road will be closed from 10 p.m. on Thursday to 4 a.m. on Friday (July 26). Drivers heading north or south will have several detour options.

More from VDOT:

The ramps from the northbound and southbound I-495 Express Lanes to Scotts Crossing Road will remain open and traffic will still be able to access Route 123 via eastbound Scotts Crossing Road.

Route 123 traffic will still be able to access the northbound I-495 Express Lanes via westbound Scotts Crossing Road.

Currently, the Jones Branch Connector is undergoing construction for a $60 million project that will add two travel lanes and on-street bike lanes in each direction — the two lanes are set to open by the end of the year. Sidewalks are slated to open later this summer.

VDOT expects the project to be completed in spring 2020.

Map via Google Maps

“American Idol” finalist Danny Gokey is set to perform a free show at The Plaza outside Tysons Corner Center later this week.

Earlier this summer, the mall hosted a free summer concert series. Now, the series is back with one more show Friday (July 26)at 6:30 p.m.

Gokey, a gospel and Christian singer, recently released a new album called “Haven’t Seen It Yet.”

Attendees can bring chairs, blankets and sunglasses on a first-come, first-served basis for space.

Photo via Danny Gokey/Facebook

Dozens of protesters showed up last night to the Fairfax County School Board’s work session on a proposal that would change how local school boundaries are adjusted.

Before the school board got around to discussing the proposal, the meeting room was packed with protesters. Police blocked the door, telling a crowd of about 30 people outside that they could not go into the room, which had reportedly reached its capacity.

The discussion on the proposal was delayed by an hour and a half as staff worked to set up overflow seating with live streaming of the work session in the cafeteria.

Around 7:30 p.m., Jeffrey Platenberg, the assistant superintendent for the Department of Facilities and Transportation Services, kicked off the discussion on the proposal with a presentation.

The draft policy would look at a new set of criteria for prompting and then establishing school boundaries. Once a school boundary change has been identified, some of the new criteria to create the new boundary include:

• “socioeconomic and/or racial composition of students in affected schools”
• “the safety of walking and busing routes”
• “operational efficiency”

“When boundary changes are being considered by the School Board, the changes shall not be restricted by the boundaries of individual schools, administrative areas, zip codes, or magisterial district,” according to the draft. The proposal would also get rid of the expedited boundary process.

Throughout the meeting, protesters in the room waved signs saying “Communities Build Great Schools NOT Boundary Changes” and “Education Excellence NOT Social Engineering.” Several of the protesters said that they thought the process behind how the proposal was created was not transparent enough.

School board members, however, had mixed reactions to the proposal.

“I very much support opening the boundary,” Jane Strauss, the Dranesville District representative, said.

School Board Chair Karen Corbett Sanders said that “significant growth” in the Dulles Corridor and Tysons area that will impact schools — some of which are currently overcrowded in the Tysons area — and questioned if an outside consultant could help the board and community, since “there seems to be a bit of a disconnect that people don’t feel like we have let people in about what we’re doing.”

Meanwhile, others raised concerns about equitable access outlined in the proposal.

At-Large Member Ilryong Moon said that he’s not convinced that the proposal is an improvement after asking for an example of “equitable access to educational opportunities” and Platenberg told him that school boundaries could change to prevent program placement in different schools.

Elizabeth Schultz, the Springfield District representative, heavily criticized the proposal — to the joy of the protesters in attendance — by questioning the legality of deciding to establish a boundary based on a kid’s socioeconomic background or race.

“The notion that we would identify a child and the neighborhood that child lives in and target them for a boundary change based on the color of their skin or the size of their parents’ bank account is a frightening prospect on legality alone considering the number of legal issues the board has,” Schultz said. “I don’t know why we’re going here.”

Schultz also said that she thinks the overcrowding at certain schools should be addressed on a case-by-case basis rather than through a new countywide boundary policy.

“I don’t think it’s fair to the community,” Schultz said.

Dalia Palchik, the Providence District representative, said that she wants the board to talk more about equitable access and continue the discussion on the board level, rather than in subcommittees.

“Boundaries are always going to be a challenge,” she said.

Next, staff will answer questions that the school board members asked. The school board is then slated to approve the draft in September ahead of its incorporation in the Capital Improvement Program draft in December.

Overall, Palchik said, “We’re moving in the right direction.”

The spot of a former Indian eatery is set to become home to a new restaurant.

A pending license to serve wine and beer indicates that The Union will come to 1379 Beverly Road. The location used to be home to 7 Spice Fine Indian Cuisine and Cafe Taj, according to Yelp.

Nearby, another restaurant — Aracosia — is coming to downtown McLean as well.

Image via Google Maps

The Fairfax County Police Department is investigating a robbery, an attempted robbery and three burglaries that occurred in Tysons and McLean last week.

On Thursday (July 18), a man reported to police that he was walking around the 8300 block of Leesburg Pike around 10 p.m. when a man demanded money from him.

“The suspect took the victim’s money and left the area,” police said. “The suspect is described as black, 5’10, in his late teens and wearing a white tank top.”

The next day (Friday), an attempted robbery occurred around 11:30 a.m. in the 1700 block of Pinnacle Drive.

More from FCPD:

A woman was sitting in her car when a man approached, demanded her property and attempted to open her door. The man did not take anything and left the area. The suspect is described as white, in his 30’s, with a crew cut and wearing a large backpack.

Sometime between Friday and Saturday, two Chinese restaurants in McLean were burglarized, police said.

An employee at House of Fortune (6715 Lowell Avenue) reported to the police that someone entered and took property from inside. Nearby, someone broke a window and took property from inside Wok N Roll (1371 Beverly Road).

On Saturday, someone entered the Caliber Collision (1572 Spring Hill Road) in Tysons overnight and stole several sets of car keys, police said.

Image via Google Maps

Tonight (Monday), the Fairfax County School Board is set to discuss a proposal that would change how local school boundaries are adjusted.

The draft policy on the table would look at a new set of criteria for establishing school boundaries. They include:

• “socioeconomic and/or racial composition of students in affected schools”
• “the safety of walking and busing routes”
• “operational efficiency”

“When boundary changes are being considered by the School Board, the changes shall not be restricted by the boundaries of individual schools, administrative areas, zip codes, or magisterial district,” according to the draft.

Some critics of the proposal pointed to the removal of criteria — such as “instructional effectiveness”– for boundary change considerations as a possible threat to property owners.

The meeting is set to start at 5 p.m. tonight at 8115 Gatehouse Road, Room 1600 with the redistricting proposal slated for 6 p.m. on the agenda.

The board is then slated to approve the draft in September ahead of its incorporation in the Capital Improvement Program draft in December.

Image via Google Maps

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (July 23)

• “Rahman 1400” — 8-10 p.m. at Angelika Film Center (2911 District Avenue) — The 2019 comedy follows the story of a custodian of a company who, after being told by his doctor that he will die soon, decides to help his friend inherit some money. Tickets are $10-$15.

Wednesday (July 24)

• Gallery Night at Caboose Commons — 6-9 p.m. at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) — Work from local artists will be on display. Gallery Night is a once-a-month event.

Friday (July 26)

• “Seussical“ — 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) — The musical about beloved Dr. Seuss characters hits the stage in McLean. Tickets are currently half off from $28 to $14.

Saturday (July 27)

• Cartoons and Coffee — 9-11 a.m. at Strawberry Park (2910 District Avenue) — The recurring event until September involves free cartoons at the Mosaic District’s park.
• Cajun Seafood Boil — 1-4 p.m. at the Vienna Moose Lodge (9616 Courthouse Road) — The event will include all-you-can-eat crawfish, shrimp, andouille sausage, corn and potatoes. Tickets start at $25.
• “Disney Pixar’s ‘Coco’: In Concert Live to Film” — 8:30 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — The National Symphony Orchestra will play the music for the film while it’s projected onto a large screen. Tickets start at $40.

Sunday (July 28)

• Reba McEntire — 8 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — The Grammy-winning country artist is set to hit the stage at Wolf Trap. Tickets start at $45.

Image via Vienna Moose Lodge/Facebook

Update at 2:50 p.m. — The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for portions of McLean, Vienna and Tysons.

More from NWS:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… THE NORTHWESTERN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… NORTHWESTERN PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… EAST CENTRAL LOUDOUN COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTHEASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 330 PM EDT.

* AT 244 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER RESTON, MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS, AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ROCKVILLE, BETHESDA, GAITHERSBURG, RESTON, OLNEY, HERNDON, LANGLEY PARK, VIENNA, LOWES ISLAND, MCLEAN, AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE, ASPEN HILL, POTOMAC, NORTH BETHESDA, OAKTON, STERLING, NORTH POTOMAC, TYSONS CORNER, HYATTSVILLE AND WHITE OAK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Silver Spring MD, Rockville MD, Bethesda MD until 3:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/ijRuDDuZlF

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 22, 2019

Earlier: Fairfax County and surrounding areas could see some thunderstorms, flash flooding, rain and strong wind today (Monday).

The National Weather Service recently issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch that will go into effect at 10 p.m. — possibly overlapping with the Flash Flood Watch, which begins at 3 p.m. and lasts until “late tonight.”

The county can expect heavy rain around 1-2 inches that could cause flash flooding later this afternoon and tonight. Strong thunderstorms may hit northwestern Fairfax County, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service also issued a Special Weather Statement:

…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING…

A cold front approaching the region will interact with an unstable airmass to result in showers and thunderstorms. Some of these thunderstorms may become severe, especially between 2 PM this afternoon and 9 PM this evening.

The main threats with these storms will be:
* Damaging wind gusts
* Heavy rainfall and flash flooding
* Frequent lightning

Take time today to review your severe weather action plan. Have a way to receive alerts from the National Weather Service, and be ready to seek safe shelter should storms approach your neighborhood or a warning is issued.

⛈ A cold front is bringing the heat wave to an end, but not without the threat of severe thunderstorms. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued until 10 pm. Stay weather aware and be ready to move inside if a warning is issued. #VaWx pic.twitter.com/bLN448GToT

— Ready Fairfax (@ReadyFairfax) July 22, 2019

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for most areas this afternoon through late tonight. Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening. See map for more details. pic.twitter.com/Na8nVWgm7u

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 22, 2019

A company that provides air traffic surveillance systems is expanding in Tysons, bringing more than 50 new jobs.

Aireon LLC currently leases more than 26,000 square feet at 8484 Westpark Drive, Suite 300 in Tysons.

“The company is moving its headquarters within the Tysons area of the county and will increase the square footage of its office space by nearly 150 percent, accommodating more than 50 new jobs over the next three years,” according to a press release.

Aireon’s job creation will be supported by the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides state-funded services for employee training, the press release said.

“Aireon chose to remain in Fairfax County and expand the headquarters due to its proximity to downtown Washington, D.C., the Federal Aviation Administration and the area’s regional and international airports,” Rich Nyren, the chief financial officer of Aireon, said in the press release.

Nyren added that the county has “world-class public transportation, shops and restaurants and attracts some of the most educated workforce from the abundance of globally recognized local universities.”

First two photos courtesy Aireon, image 3 via Google Maps

A new Afghan restaurant is nearing the final steps before it opens in downtown McLean.

Northern Virginia Magazine reported that the owner behind Bistro Aracosia in D.C. and Afghan Bistro in Springfield was aiming to open a McLean restaurant in March.

While March came and went a few months ago, a pending wine and beer license from earlier in July indicates that Aracosia — a spin-off of the D.C. spot — still plans to come to 1381 Beverly Road.

Owner Omar Masroor told Tysons Reporter that the restaurant is waiting for its liquor license permit before opening — tentatively the second week of September.

“It’s a great neighborhood,” Masroor said, adding that someone reached out to him about the 4,000 square feet in McLean, which will seat roughly 100 diners.

At first, Masroor said that he was skeptical about opening another restaurant so close to the D.C. location, but then he discovered that the McLean and Tysons residents he talked to don’t venture into D.C. to eat, “even though they are a 15-, 20-minute drive from each other.”

The menu will be “similar” to the D.C. one, like using the same spices, but Masroor said that the McLean spot will feature more vegan options and “crazy vegetarian dishes.”

Photo via Bistro Aracosia/Facebook