Later today (Thursday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider allowing easier expansion of outdoor dining and exercise activity.

Fairfax County announced the meeting yesterday following news that the county will start easing COVID-19 restrictions on businesses on Friday (May 29).

The meeting’s only agenda item is the emergency ordinance, which would temporarily allow “the expanded use of outdoor space for outdoor dining and for outdoor fitness and exercise activities, all under specified conditions and without the need for individualized determinations.”

The ordinance would kick in when the county starts the first phase on Friday of the governor’s reopening plan.

The meeting is set to start at 3 p.m.

The Meridian Group is hoping to turn the former headquarters of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) into an extension of The Boro.

The plans would redo the old NADA site and an adjacent property — both currently vacant — into a mixed-use development with residential uses, a continuing care facility and ground-floor retail space, Elizabeth Baker, a senior land use planner for Walsh Colucci, told Tysons Reporter.

“The vision is to extend The Boro development across Westpark Drive and to continue the transformation of Tysons from a suburban office park to an urban center,” she said.

This new project proposes four buildings — two residential ones, one for the continuing care facility and the last one, which would either be a health club or townhomes, Baker said.

“The proposal is 1.1 million square feet overall,” Baker said, adding that it is less dense than other nearby developments because it’s further away from the Greensboro Metro station.

The project also includes a centralized park that would be open to the public — “I think that is one of the high focal points of the development,” she said.

The Meridian Group acquired the NADA headquarters building and an adjacent site, paying $33.7 million to the NADA for 8400 Westpark Drive in late 2018, the Washington Business Journal reported. The NADA relocated to 8484 Westpark Drive in October 2018, according to WBJ.

Fairfax County accepted the rezoning plans for the project earlier this week. Hearing dates for the county’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors have not been announced yet.

“I think this particular application really helps to expand the connected grid of streets, create walkable blocks, provide new residential opportunities as well as a continuing care facility to help meet the needs of the senior population,” she said. “It’s all designed around energizing the streets and parks.”

Image via Google Maps

Fire at Falls Church Home — Fairfax County firefighters responded to a house fire in the 7100 block of Shreve Road yesterday and got the fire under control. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]

Greasy Problem at Silver Diner — “Silver Diner filed the lawsuit against Tech 24, a Greenville, South Carolina-based restaurant equipment and services firm, after Silver Diner claims the vendor intentionally flooded several of the restaurants’ grease traps in what it called a ‘retaliatory’ move.” [Washington Business Journal]

More Liquor To-Go — “The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) is now offering curbside pickup for online orders at 370 stores across the commonwealth.” [Inside NoVa]

Fairfax Connector can help folks get around the Cedar Lane Bridge reconstruction project – and to destinations nearby in Tysons & Mosaic on routes 462 & 467. And -bonus! – service is expanded and free for duration of the six-month project. https://t.co/WGkiqOrkbU pic.twitter.com/JZCPXUqD53

— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) May 27, 2020

Fairfax County announced today (Wednesday) that it will start rolling back some COVID-19 restrictions on Friday (May 29).

The announcement follows Gov. Ralph Northam saying yesterday (Tuesday) that Northern Virginia localities are ready to join the rest of the state with the first reopening phase.

“The Forward Virginia plan provides guidelines that all businesses must follow in the first phase but eases previous restrictions on restaurants, fitness facilities, barbers and beauty salons, other retail businesses and houses of worship,” according to the county.

Here’s what will happen in Fairfax County starts reopening on Friday:

• movie theaters, concert halls, bowling alleys, indoor entertainment will stay closed
• social gatherings of more than 10 people will still be prohibited
• “safer at home” recommendation will still be in place
• restaurants may reopen at 50% of indoor capacity with tables spaced 6 feet apart
• restaurants’ bars will remain closed
• restaurants must use disposable menus and require servers to wear face coverings
• gyms, recreation centers, sports centers and pools may open outside
• indoor pools and spas and outdoor basketball and racquetball courts will stay closed
• salons and barbers can open at 50% capacity and require appointments
• retailers may reopen at 50% capacity and employees must wear face coverings
• houses or worship may hold services at 50% capacity, face coverings encouraged

A joint letter sent Monday from officials in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, said that their health directors’ assessment of the pandemic supports the partial reopening.

“[The public health directors] have noted the regional attainment of four of the critical metrics and assessed the need for continued focus on expanding our contact tracing capacity and developing sustainable supplies of PPE,” the letter said.

Work has now started on a new senior living facility known as The Mather behind Tysons Galleria.

Demolition by the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company of a structure at 7929 Westpark Drive is underway, according to a press release. Utility relocation and public street improvements are expected to be done this summer.

The $450 million senior living community will offer one- and two-bedroom room apartments as the first Life Plan Community in Tysons, according to Mather LifeWays, an organization that creates senior living programs and places.

The Mather plans to offer new retail along Westpark Drive, “significant” green space with parking and loading below grade and an urban park with paths and seating, the press release said.

More from the press release:

The Mather’s apartment homes are designed with modern open floor plans, with prices starting at $660,000, and sizes ranging from 850 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet. Prices are dependent upon apartment size, location, service package, and health plan selected.

Apartment homes will feature expansive views, luxury finishes, and innovative smart home technology including lighting, solar shades, and thermostat, as well as a home automation hub that can be integrated with smartphones, tablets, and home computer systems.

The Mather will be the first Life Plan Community in Tysons. Life Plan Communities are lifestyle communities in which people can pursue new passions and priorities, with a plan in place that supports aging well. Life Plan Communities provide an important benefit: a continuum of living options, which enables people to plan ahead to access additional services, including health care, if ever needed…

Priority reservations are currently being accepted for Phase 2 of The Mather, with nearly 150 reservations in hand. Priority Members will have best choice in selecting an apartment home and view, can secure preconstruction prices, and be able to customize and upgrade apartment home finishes. Interested individuals can become Priority Members by providing a fully refundable $1,000 deposit.

The building is a part of Cityline Partners LLC’s Arbor Row, which includes the completed Nouvelle residential building and The Monarch. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the senior living complex last June.

“The Mather has received strong interest and is 65% sold of Phase 1,” the press release said, adding that the first phase is anticipated to open in 2023.

Photo courtesy The Mather

The MacMillan Whisky Room is trying to fill a void in the local dining scene: late-night food and drinks.

The Mosaic District restaurant and bar has always focused on offering options for diners hungry past 10 p.m., but staying open late now as the coronavirus pandemic continues gives the MacMillan Whisky Room an extra advantage.

“We’re open at least one to two hours later than everyone else [in the area],” Derek Anderson, who co-owns the bar along with his wife Emma Hand, told Tysons Reporter.

Currently, the restaurant is open 5-11 p.m. on Sundays and Thursdays and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, but Anderson said those hours might get extended once the patio seating opens this Friday (May 29).

The MacMillan Whisky Room reopened on Saturday for its one-year anniversary and to attract Memorial Day diners after being closed since March, Anderson said.

“It was kind of important to us for our one year anniversary,” Anderson said. “It was a symbolic way to come back.”

Currently, carry-out and a limited delivery service are available. The menu features small plates like tater tots and beef sliders, cocktails including gimlets and margaritas, wine, beer and “hearty fare,” which consists of steak and Guinness pie for $14.

People who order drinks will get their cocktails already mixed in 6 oz. custom bottles, which may come with garnishes on the side. “People seem to like that more than the red solo cup,” Anderson said. “We’re trying to keep it classy.”

The owners decided to not use third-party delivery services due to increased liability with alcohol deliveries, the percentages they take, along with “other issues.” Instead, they are opting to deliver to people living in the Merrifield area. “It’s going to be where we can walk,” he said.

The reopening is helping them prepare for when Northern Virginia starts to ease business restrictions.

“We’ve already set up our outdoor seating area,” he said, noting that the tables are spaced 6 feet apart.

Anderson is hoping that diners “don’t want to storm the patio.”

“If they come back too quickly, it will come back to an increase in cases,” he said, adding that he wants customers to know that restaurant staff — at his place and others — “are facing health threats from these big crowds.”

Now that he’s received a Paycheck Protection Program loan during the second round in early May, he expects that they will slowly rehire more staff. So far, they have brought back six of the 25 people who worked there in pre-COVID times.

“That was the hardest part of all of this,” he said about letting all of the employees go when the restaurant closed. Currently, they are prioritizing rehiring people who haven’t found new jobs, left the area or aren’t receiving unemployment benefits.

“With the nature of our carry-out business now, we’re not having as many bartenders,” he said.

Since the PPP loan is primarily meant to pay employees, Anderson said that the Small Business Administration loan they got “is what is really allowing us to ride out the delays.”

They’re also eyeing Fairfax County’s new loan programs to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

As long as everyone stays safe, Anderson is hopeful that the business will bounce back.

“We think we’re going to ride this out pretty well,” he said.

Photo via MacMillan Whisky Room/Facebook

COVID-19 Challenges — “The Town of Vienna Economic Development Office released results from its COVID-19 Business Survey highlighting how the Town’s businesses have been impacted by the pandemic.” [Town of Vienna]

Businesses Worried About Metro Shutdown — “Sol Glasner, CEO of the Tysons Partnership, says Metro has now all but assured that the comeback will be delayed in Tysons. He said he was disappointed and frustrated with how Metro handled the Silver Line shutdown.” [WAMU]

County Officials Speak Out on Silver Line Closure — Dalia Palchik, Jeff Mckay and Sol Glasner wrote this opinion piece: “The pivotal importance of Metro to Tysons makes the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s abrupt announcement of the summer closure of the Silver Line especially problematic.” [Washington Post]

New Governor Candidate — “Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy formally announced Wednesday that she is running for governor of Virginia in 2021.” [Inside NoVa]

Hope ♥️ pic.twitter.com/TkxXHAKHAs

— Falls Church Views (@fallschurchview) May 16, 2020

Photo courtesy James B. Crusan III

Gov. Ralph Northam said today that Northern Virginia localities may start to roll back COVID-19 restrictions on Friday.

The rest of Virginia has already started the first phase of the state’s reopening plan, but Northern Virginia officials asked for a delay earlier this month, which Northam granted.

Now, Northam is pointing to the latest data on the virus, highlighting that the numbers have been “directionally correct” since Friday (May 22).

“I want to emphasize that while phase 1 loosens some restrictions, it does not require any business or place of worship to open until they are comfortable that they can do so safely,” Northam said. “Just because you can open doesn’t mean that you have to open.”

Ready to Reopen

A joint letter from head officials in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, sent to Northam on Monday (May 25) said that they are preparing to start the first phase on Friday, including an assessment from their corresponding health directors.

“[The public health directors] have noted the regional attainment of four of the critical metrics and assessed the need for continued focus on expanding our contact tracing capacity and developing sustainable supplies of PPE,” the letter said.

Additionally, Jeff McKay, the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, released the following statement:

Northern Virginia’s Health Directors tell me that we have met four of the critical criteria required to move forward to Phase I of Governor Northam’s plan to reopen. One of the two areas we don’t meet is contact tracing, but we are finalizing a contract hopefully this week to provide recruitment and staffing for the hundreds of contact tracers and investigators that we will need to increase our capacity of contract tracing. The other is PPE and we have sufficient supply for hospitals, but are working to increase in other areas and hope the Governor will be able to help us do that. My colleagues and I have provided this information to the Governor and look forward to hearing his decision based on that data.

I share our community’s desire to reopen our businesses in the safest way possible. Fairfax County has made significant preparations should the Governor decide that Northern Virginia has met his criteria to reopen this Friday. Regardless, we will continue to monitor our local statistics to ensure Fairfax County doesn’t see spikes in cases and be transparent with the public on our progress.

Northam said that he has been communicating with the Northern Virginia officials.

“The virus clearly is still here, but overall, these numbers are trending in the right direction,” Northam said. “That is the assessment of our state team and it is the assessment of the health district directors across Northern Virginia.”

Northam said that he is “not comfortable” starting the second phase yet for the state and will reevaluate later this week.

Mask Controversy

Northam also responded to criticisms after photos surfaced of him without a mask at Virginia Beach this weekend, which intensified due to Northam saying on Friday that he planned to announce a statewide mask policy soon.

“People held me accountable, and I appreciate that,” Northam said. “In the future when I am out in the public, I will be better prepared.”

Northam said that “well-wishers” asked to take pictures with him while he was en route to speak to reporters. “I was not prepared because my mask was in the car,” he said.

Northam announced the face-covering rules today.

Starting this Friday (May 29), people age 10 and older will need to wear face-coverings when they are inside a public place, including retailers, barbershops, restaurants, public transportation, government building and place where people congregate. Exceptions include people who are exercising, eating or drinking or have a health condition that makes wearing a face-covering difficult.

“This is a matter of public health,” Northam said.

Image via Governor of Virginia/Facebook

A 5K in the Town of Vienna has raised $6,000 so far to benefit people facing food insecurity.

Caffe Amouri and the Vienna Business Association (VBA) are hosting the Feeding Families 5K, which started on Friday, May 15. The VBA announced the latest donation amount in an email today (Tuesday).

The route winds from Caffe Amouri to Auto Body of Vienna, then to Plaka Grill over to Waters Field and then up to Skorpio’s Maggio’s Greek Family Restaurant before heading back to Caffe Amouri.

Participants who sign up will have until May 31 to run the route and turn in their results via email. Prize categories include “best time running” and “best time walking.”

All donations — including the registration fee — will buy food for families in need, according to the VBA.

Image via Caffe Amouri/Facebook