Janitors who are part of the Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ plan to protest K&S Management Services, a Vienna-based non-union cleaning contractor, today (June 6) in Tysons.
32BJSEIU filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that K&S was engaging in unfair labor practices.
Del. Ken Plum (D-36th District) and Dalia Palchik, a candidate for the Providence District seat on Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, plan to join the event, according to a 32BJ SEIU press release.
The rally starts at 4 p.m. at 1800 Tysons Blvd. The group will then march to 1751 Pinnacle Drive — one of the Tysons buildings that K&S cleans, the press release said.
“Janitors, who are marching in support of non-union K&S cleaners, will soon start negotiations for a new four-year union contract that expires at midnight on Oct. 15 covering 10,500 workers in the D.C. area, including over 4,000 in Northern Virginia,” according to the press release.
Map via Google Maps
It’s the season for bear sightings in Virginia and the Vienna Police Department wants people in the Tysons area to stay safe.
“Virginia is black bear country — including the Vienna area,” the police department said in a press release today (June 6). “However, while bears are not a common encounter in our community, multiple sightings are reported each spring and summer as bears wander into residential areas searching for food.”
The police department shared a factsheet by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which says that Fairfax County has had black bear occupation occasionally, along with confirmed sightings.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has different tips for how to keep bears away from residential areas, what to do if you encounter a bear at home and how to keep them away while camping and hiking. The factsheet also addresses some common bear myths.
“Unprovoked bear attacks are very rare and have never been documented in Virginia,” according to the factsheet.
For anyone who comes into close contact with a bear, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries recommends that they should back away slowly.
“Unless the animal is sick or injured or poses a threat to public safety, the Vienna Police Department does not take action to remove bears from a neighborhood,” according to the police department.
Instead, people should report bear to through the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at (855) 571-9003, TTY 711.
Media Release – Be Bear Aware!!! Black bears and their cubs emerge from hibernation from March through May in Virginia and typically avoid humans, of whom they have a natural fear. In most cases would rather flee than encounter people. @TownofViennaVA @bearsmart @fairfaxcounty pic.twitter.com/JuniYMgpR7
— Town of Vienna Police (@VPDVA) June 6, 2019
Photo by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash
Almost three years after The Boro broke ground, the Rise and Bolden buildings in Meridian Group’s 1.7 million-square-foot development are now leasing.
The two luxury apartment buildings are set to open later this summer, according to a press release from Meridian Group.
The 32-stories-tall Rise has more than 400 apartments, while Bolden, which will sit atop the Whole Foods Market, offers 133 “boutique residences,” according to the press release.
Both Rise and Bolden include a fitness center, yoga studio, an entertainment kitchen and club and a pool with a lounging area. They share an elevated outdoor sky park with a theater and bar area, fire pits and lounges, according to the press release.
The apartments appear to start at $2,400 for ones with one bedroom and one bathroom.
Meridian teamed up with McLean-based management company KETTLER ahead of the pre-leasing announcement.
Images courtesy Meridian Group
The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) unanimously voted to oppose a controversial series of group homes proposed in McLean.
The vote is the latest push in a fight led by neighbors against plans to open a series of new group homes in a residential neighborhood by McLean High School.
MCA voted last night (June 5) to oppose a special exception that would allow the Newport Academy, a for-profit therapy and rehabilitation program for teens, to open a facility at Davidson Road.
The group also voted to support Fairfax County Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson’s determination that the facility would not be permitted as a by-right use and would require approval from the Board of Supervisors.
MCA members shared a common sentiment at last night’s meeting: this is not the last time they expect to hear about Newport Academy.
“The MCA will revisit this case if new facts become available or circumstances of the proposed use change, including but not limited to additional facts becoming available about the proposed use at Kurtz Road,” the draft resolution said.
Rob Jackson, the chair of MCA’s Planning and Zoning Committee, said that the vote on the resolution is possibly the beginning, rather than the end, of MCA’s involvement in the Newport controversy.
“We’re just taking one bite of the apple,” Jackson said. “I think we need to wait to see where the next shoe drops.”
(Updated at 3:20 p.m. on 6/7/19) Wetzel’s Pretzels is no longer serving up pretzels in the lower level of Tysons Corner Center.
The pretzel chain’s website no longer lists the Tysons location, and the mall directory is now missing Wetzel’s Pretzels.
Tysons Reporter has not heard back from mall operator Macerich on when the pretzel place closed.
The food court area has two other vacancies.
The local Korean eatery Mixing Bowl and the local branch of the organic salad chain Sweet Leaf Cafe both had closed up in early May. Falafel Inc., a D.C. based restaurant, will fill Mixing Bowl’s former spot.
No word yet on what will replace Wetzel’s Pretzels.
An upcoming meeting will provide the latest information on the Founders Row development currently underway in Falls Church.
Mill Creek Residential’s mixed-use development plans to have more than 300 luxury apartments and more than 90,000 square feet of retail, including a 4,693-square-foot Studio Movie Grill and a 9,476-square-foot City Works Eatery and Pour House.
According to Mill Creek Residential:
Modera Founders Row will consist of 322 studio, one- and two-bedroom homes contained within five stories with an average square footage of 940 and den/office layouts available. A separate age-restricted community will feature an additional 72 luxury homes reserved for adults 55 years and older. Shared community amenities will include a resident clubhouse with connected business center, library, game room, kitchen and bar, two 24-hour club-quality fitness studios, pet spa, hotel-inspired pool, outdoor social area featuring grills and fire pits, self-serve package lockers, coffee bar and controlled-access garage parking.
Additionally, some of the apartments include quartz countertops, wine refrigerators and private balconies and patios.
Located at the corner of W. Broad and N. West streets, Founders Row broke ground in February, Patch reported. The 4-acre site was once home to a Sunoco gas station, 7-Eleven and several small businesses.
The meeting is set for 5 p.m. next Wednesday (June 12) at the MCR construction trailer on the construction site, located near the old 7-Eleven.
Rendering and maps via JBG Smith
The McLean Project for the Arts’ “Strictly Painting” exhibit returns this weekend for its 12th year.
“We are delighted to once again honor and showcase the astounding wealth of talented painters working in the mid-Atlantic region,” MPA Exhibitions Director Nancy Sausser said in a press release.
This year, gallery visitors can see artwork from 57 artists.
Adah Rose Bitterbaum, the owner and director of the Adah Rose Gallery in Maryland, is the juror for this year’s exhibit.
The exhibit runs from June 8 to July 13 at 1446 Chain Bridge Road.
A free opening reception Saturday (June 8) will take place from 5-7 p.m.
Image via McLean Project for the Arts
The Vienna Town Council delayed voting on the controversial 380 Maple Avenue redevelopment to allow the developers and residents more time to try to reach a consensus through a mediation process.
Some Vienna residents have argued that the four-floor, mixed-use building creates traffic, safety and scale issues that warrant the Vienna Town Council rejecting the proposal. Others have argued that the building could revitalize the downtown area.
After more than half of a dozen meetings and multiple changes by developer Dennis Rice, a mediation process started last month between the citizens and developers to see if they could achieve consensus on the project.
In an update to the Vienna Town Council on Monday (June 3), Ray Brill, a Vienna resident who offered to mediate the discussions, said that six neighbors and two developers met for two hours on May 28.
“We talked primarily about lowering the density and the height, and we offered a modification that might have a terrace effect so there wouldn’t be four floors from [the neighbors’] point of view,” Brill said.
Brill said that the two upcoming meetings on June 6 and June 13 should determine the fate of the project.
“It seems they made a good faith effort to discuss it,” Brill told the Town Council. “I think these two meetings should either decide that we can come to a compromise or we cannot.”
The Town Council decided to delay voting on the project to Monday, June 17, to allow time for the two scheduled mediation meetings.
“I’m practical and I don’t want to drag it out,” Brill said. “By the 13th, we will know one way or the other.”
Image via Town of Vienna
A new burger joint is coming to a Falls Church spot near Route 50.
BurgerIM says it’s “coming soon” to 6410 Arlington Blvd, Suite 196A on its list of locations.
Located near Seven Corners, the spot is located on the ground floor retail below the Loren apartment building. (Fun fact: the building is named after Falls Church resident and writer Loren Pope.)
Headquartered in California, the national chain spans 15 states and has plans to operate about 500 spots by the end of the year, according to its website.
The Falls Church spot is the first one in the Tysons area for the chain, which is opening other Northern Virginia locations in Herndon and South Riding.
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors greenlighted funding for new streets and highway improvement projects in the Tysons area.
In total, the county’s board approved $55 million for transportation projects in Tysons and Reston today (June 4), with more than $51 million for Tysons-area roads.
The greenlighted funding includes:
- $17.5 million: I-66 widening at Route 29
- $16.6 million: State Street land acquisition
- $7 million: land acquisition for Leesburg Pike widening
- $759,000: pedestrian improvements along Lee Highway
The board also approved funding for preliminary engineering and feasibility studies:
- $7 million: Lincoln Street extension
- $1.5 million: Broad Street
- $1 million: Greensboro ramp to Dulles Toll Road
- $500,000: Tysons West Park Transit Center ramp to Dulles Toll Road
I-66 median widening at Route 29
Fairfax County originally approved endorsement of the I-66 median widening in March 2017. The cost estimate for the project, however, increased by $17,500,000 “due to [the] complexity of construction (e.g. shutting down lanes to install the center pier, number of detours, which creates a larger project footprint),” according to the county staff report.
Lee Highway pedestrian improvements
The street improvements would span Nutley Street to Vaden Drive by the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station, completing missing portions of bike and pedestrian areas. “This project will allow more commuters to make trips by biking, walking, and transit instead of driving, which will improve mobility not only on I-66, but also on the parallel facilities of Lee Highway and Route 50,” the staff report says.
Land acquisition for Leesburg Pike widening
Fairfax County staff want the $7 million for a partial land acquisition between I-495 and I-66 once the design work is done. After deciding to replace an existing gas line along Leesburg Pike, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation has been studying right-of-way and road alignment needs for this section of the highway that runs along the southern edge of Pimmit Hills.
Land acquisition for State Street
Envisioned in the future Tysons Grid of Streets, State Street would connect Greensboro Drive to Route 7 between Spring Hill Road and Westpark Drive.
Currently, the desired, vacant property is for sale, according to the staff report. “If the property is sold to another party and the existing building encumbered with a long-term lease, the cost of acquiring the property will increase significantly, and may become prohibitive,” the report says.
Preliminary engineering and feasibility studies
The Greensboro and Tysons West Park Transit Center ramps to the Dulles Toll Road are two of the three planned ramps that will provide a connection between downtown Tysons to the highway.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Street would connect Old Meadow Road to Magarity Road in Pimmit Hills. The new, two-lane road is meant to provide more access for residents.
Another new road — Broad Street — would run parallel to Route 7, providing access between Spring Hill and Tyco roads and offering an alternative to using Route 7.
The board also approved $3 million for construction to widen Telegraph Road at Hayfield Road in Alexandria and $500,000 for preliminary engineering and feasibility studies on improving the intersection of Reston Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue.
The funding adjustments from the Tysons and Reston Transportation Service Districts and the Tysons Grid of Streets Road Fund will be made as part of the carryover review for fiscal year 2019, according to a staff report.
