Bey Lounge is at risk of losing its live-entertainment permit after a slew of noise complaints got the restaurant and bar in trouble with the Town of Vienna.
The town’s Board of Zoning Appeals is set to hold a public hearing next Wednesday, July 17, on potentially revoking the Bey Lounge’s live entertainment permit.
Located at 303 Mill Street, Bey Lounge offers Lebanese cuisine, hookahs and live music. Over the last several months, the lounge received a number of noise complaints.
Town Attorney Steve Briglia told the Town Council on Monday, July 1, that a General District Court had found Bey Lounge guilty of three noise violation cases, ordering the hookah bar to pay $1,500. Briglia said that the cases won’t be appealed to the Circuit Court.
Zoning Administrator Frank Simeck filed an application to revoke the hookah bar’s live entertainment permit, prompting the public hearing next week, which starts at 8 p.m.
Photo via Google Maps
CubeSmart is looking to bring another self-storage facility to the Town of Vienna.
The town’s Board of Architectural Review will review the application during its work session tomorrow (Friday) morning.
According to town documents, the proposed four-story facility would occupy 125,000 square feet at 223 Mill Street NE — near a current facility at 300 Mill Street NE.
Elsewhere around the area, CubeSmart is located in Tysons (1764 Old Meadow Lane), Falls Church (6875 Lee Hwy) and Merrifield (2950 Gallows Road).
Image via Town of Vienna
One day after a GoFundMe campaign launched to help the McLean Little League repair damage to its complex from Monday’s flash flooding has already raised more than $18,000.
Started yesterday (Wednesday), the fundraiser has raised about a quarter of its $75,000 goal.
“We have set up this fund to help cover the cost of repairs (given our location, we do not have flood insurance),” according to the GoFundMe.
Currently, the McLean Little League complex is closed.
Work to repair the damage will include rebuilding two dugouts, repairing fencing on three of the four fields and cleaning up the fields at the complex (1836 Westmoreland Street), Jen Nance, the president of the McLean Little League, previously told Tysons Reporter.
The aim is to get the work done before the fall season starts.
Developers are all set to bring a new commercial area resembling the Mosaic District to the City of Falls Church.
The City Council unanimously approved Little City Commons, a proposed mixed-use development south of the West Falls Church Metro station, on Monday (July 8).
Back in May, the City Council approved the signing of a comprehensive agreement with EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency Centers for their planned 1.3 million-square-foot development of nearly 10 acres at the George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike).
The first phase of the Little City Commons development will include:
- roughly 150 condominiums, 425 multifamily units and 200 senior housing units
- 140,000 square feet of office space
- 123,400 square feet of retail
- 40,000 square feet for a grocery store
- 85,000 square feet for a hotel
The development will also include a major public open space called The Commons, according to the press release.
“Working with the City of Falls Church and the community in a collaborative effort, we have made significant progress over the last six months to make this transformative project a reality,” Evan Goldman, the executive vice president of acquisition and development for EYA, said in a press release.
Next up, Goldman said that the developers will begin work on obtaining site plan exceptions and approvals prior to construction, which is slated to start in 2021 after work on the new George Mason High School next door is finished.
The development of Little City Commons will defray costs for the new George Mason High School, which is set to start construction this summer, according to the press release.
After major flash flooding caused widespread damage on Monday (July 8), Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust shared how the county can better prepare for future storms and what steps are currently underway.
“It was horrific in certain areas,” Foust said. “It came by and went so fast.”
Foust said that while he wasn’t surprised by the damage from the flash flooding on Monday, it was the worst he has ever seen in Fairfax County.
Tysons Reporter talked to Foust about how work after the storm has been going around the Tysons area and what infrastructure improvements are needed to help the county weather the next big storm.
When the flooding started, Foust said he was inside his home during the brunt of the storm, waiting to get to his car parked outside. Eventually, Foust said he was able to get outside and drive to his office, which is nearby — “Pretty easy compared to what many had to go through,” he said.
Assessing the Damage
From a multitude of road closures to flooded backyards, from more than 55 water rescues to three missing chickens swept away, clean-up and assessment are still underway across the county.
In an email to residents last night (Wednesday), Foust urged people affected by the storm to submit information online to a disaster damage database to help the county with its damage assessment. People can submit reports until Wednesday, July 24.
“While owners are responsible for repairs on their property, the county could use this data to pursue disaster aid through the federal government to the extent such aid is available,” Foust wrote.
The Town of Vienna also tweeted about the database, writing, “Damage reports may impact what — if any– federal disaster assistance may be made available.”
As for the cleanup efforts this week, Foust said, “The county staff performed extremely well.”
Foust also praised the county’s work on stream restoration, which recently included Bull Neck Run and Dead Run Stream.
Road Work Underway
Foust said that several improvement projects are slated to help roads weather serious flooding in the future, including Tucker Avenue and Chesterbrook Road in McLean.
The Tucker Avenue project will address flooding along the avenue from Birch Street to where it deadends at the Pimmit Run stream. Project design is set to start this summer, he said.
“It’s almost scary what happens on that road when it rains hard,” he said because of the road’s incline may make it the worst road for flooding in the McLean District. “Not a meandering stream but a roaring river.”
The Chesterbrook project at the intersection of Chesterbrook Road and N. Albemarle Street is set to add a larger pipe for more water. While the Virginia Department of Transportation had said that the project may start in the fall, plans have not been finalized, he said.
In addition to the work on those local roads, Fouse said that the Route 7 widening project includes elevating the road where Dead Run Stream regularly floods Route 7.
Preparing for the Next Big Flood
Going forward, “a lot of things need to be done,” Foust said to minimize damage from another major storm.
McLean and the general area around Tysons were built before stormwater management requirements, which the county is now trying to superimpose with a new system, he said.
Foust said that as changing weather patterns could see severity increase for future storms, he wants the county to prioritize funding stormwater management projects and work with developers of infill projects, which develops vacant or under-used areas within existing urban areas, to better manage stormwater sites.
“The funding is never adequate,” Foust said Capital Improvement Program funding for stormwater management projects. “You do the best you can with the resources you have. For available resources, we need to prioritize stormwater management projects more than in the past.”
Whenever the next big flash flooding hits, Foust said that he hopes for more notice from forecasters.
“It’s one thing when you see it coming,” he said.
The Mile, a proposed mixed-use development in Tysons, received approval from the Fairfax County Planning Commission last night (Wednesday).
The massive development aims to transform 38 acres of office park east of Tysons Galleria into 10 mixed-use buildings with residential, retail, office, hotel and storage locations.
The development is unique with its multitude of parks — six in total spanning more than 10 acres. The largest one — Signature Park — would encompass an entire block in the development, the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s staff report said, adding:
The Signature Park includes 216,200 square feet (approximately 5 acres) and encompasses the entire land area of Block E. The Signature Park is intended as a regional facility intended by the Plan to serve the greater Tysons area and will include a large open lawn area, a performance stage, gaming areas, picnic areas, a children’s play area, walking/jogging trails, and a water feature. The proffers provide for the possible dedication of this Signature Park to the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).
Before the vote, Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, the commissioner for the Providence District, said that he worked with the applicant to resolve seven issues in the staff report.
“This is a complicated project of very high significance for the future of Tysons, so it’s taken some time to work itself through,” he said.
Of those issues, Niedzielski-Eichner commented on three — architectural diversity, payment to the county’s Housing Trust Fund and sidewalks.
He said that the developers will ensure variety with the 10 buildings, which will be constructed over 10-20 years.
“It feels important this level of commitment to diversity of architecture, particularly the skyline, so that the future Planning Commission has a clear narrative on how each building proposed will be different from other buildings on the property,” he said.
As for the fund, Niedzielski-Eichner said that the developers increased their contribution to $1.50 per square foot. Meanwhile, he said that he expects Signature Park and the retail to be a “magnet for future activity.”
Niedzielski-Eichner praised the project for how its urbanization of Tysons.
The development is scheduled to go before the Board of Supervisors next Tuesday (July 16).
Images via Fairfax County Planning Commission
The National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Watch for Fairfax County and surrounding areas just days after major flooding hit.
The watch is in effect from 2 p.m. through late tonight (July 11).
More from NWS:
* Showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening. Torrential rainfall may lead to totals exceeding 2 inches in a short period of time. This may cause flash flooding of small streams and other poor drainage urban areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
After more than 55 water rescues on Monday, forecasters are also reminding people to “turn around, don’t drown” when encountering water of unknown depth on the roads.
A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for areas in green from 2pm through tonight. 2+ inches of rainfall in a short period of time is possible. This could cause flash flooding of streams and other poor drainage urban areas. Remember, turn around, don't drown! pic.twitter.com/UqGQa0Hhla
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 11, 2019
If you spot chickens in McLean, they may be the three ones reported missing from a backyard coop that was washed away in flash floods on Monday.
Cat McGill told Tysons Reporter that her family and a neighboring family on Great Falls Street by Pimmit Run Stream started a joint venture to keep chickens on their combined 3.5 acres of land.
“We got them because the kids didn’t have any pets,” McGill said, adding that her 1.5-year-old son and the neighbors’ kids, ages 13 and 7, shared them. “My son literally has to see — he calls them cluck clucks — the cluck clucks every single day.”
The kids named the Buff Orpington chickens, which they had for about two years, Peridot, Peril and Gerboa, she said. (Previous chickens they had were named Beyonce and Katy Perry.)
The kids don’t know yet that their pet chickens are missing — McGill is with her son in Ohio at the moment and the neighbors’ kids are on vacation. “They are just going to be heartbroken,” she said.
When the flooding happened, the chickens were in a large coop outside that doesn’t have a bottom. She said a neighbor found a part of the structure by the McLean Little League fields.
At first, McGill thought that the chickens were washed away, but then someone posted a photo on Nextdoor of chicken “paw prints” by where the coop crashed, giving her renewed hope that they might still be alive.
McGill said it’s been heartening to see so many people searching for the chickens — “There are some very sweet neighbors.”
In addition to the missing chickens, McGill said that about 4 feet of water flooded the 3.5 acres destroying their bridge and a shed and floated the kids’ playset away.
“The chickens are the only thing we’re upset about,” she said about the damage.
If you see any chickens, email [email protected] and we’ll make sure McGill gets the information.
Photo courtesy Cat McGill
Updated at 11:10 a.m. 7/16/19 — Agora said in a press release that the restaurant opens today (Tuesday).
Earlier: After a long series of delays, Mediterranean restaurant Agora plans to hold a grand opening in Tysons in about two weeks.
The restaurant is set to have a grand opening on Thursday, July 25, from 7-9 p.m.
Located at the Nouvelle (7911 Westpark Drive), the 4,000-square-foot, split-level eatery will feature Turkish decor and a custom brick oven. The tapas-style menu will feature Turkish, Lebanese and Greek flavors, according to the restaurant’s website.
Agora also has a restaurant in D.C.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is working to create a scooter program before scooter companies are allowed to zoom around however they please starting next year.
Legislation passed during the General Assembly session in February allows localities to regulate scooters and motorized skateboards, however, the localities have until Jan. 1, 2020 to take action to implement any regulations. After that date, the scooter companies can operate locally as they see fit.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said there is a “sense of urgency” to create scooter rules on the county level.
“[The county has] to have an ordinance in by the end of this year or it becomes the wild, wild west,” Foust said.
Scooters, an increasingly popular alternative transportation option, are already in use in the county.
Staff from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) and the Department of Cable and Consumer Services presented a scooter program proposal to the county board during the Transportation Committee at yesterday’s meeting (Tuesday).
Chris Wells, the bicycle and pedestrian program manager for FCDOT, said that companies see scooters as an attractive form of alternative transportation.
“Fortune 500 companies are requesting this,” Wells said.
County staff suggested that proposed scooter program limit each company to 250 scooters, set the speed limit at 15 miles per hour and not restrict the devices to specific geographical areas of the county, according to the presentation.
Foust raised concerns about the 15 mph speed limit — “To me, it’s too fast” — and requested a demonstration.
The program would be regulated by the Department of Cable and Consumer Services.
When creating the proposal, county staff reviewed ordinances and pilot programs in nearby jurisdictions like Arlington, the City of Fairfax, the City of Alexandria and D.C., partly to possibly provide consistency around the area.
“The research is showing these are a type of transportation device used by a more diverse population,” Wells said, adding that “Tysons and Reston would be a great place for scooters to fit into the infrastructure.”
Overall, the board voiced support for the proposal.
Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay said he supports the program as a traffic calming tactic, although he said that “scooters are probably floating around somewhere” after major flash flooding earlier this week.
“It does send a message that we are a county that is trying to promote transportation,” McKay said.
While the scooter program is tentatively scheduled to go before the board during the December meeting, Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith said she wants to see the board vote sooner on a scooter program proposal.
“I’m supportive of what’s on the table,” Chairman Sharon Bulova said, adding that the board can always amend an ordinance. “I think what staff is proposing sounds like a good way to get us started.”
