A truck filled with Hello Kitty merchandise is coming back to Tysons Corner Center.
Sanrio fans can find the truck at The Plaza from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday (March 21). “Supercute treats and merch” will be available while supplies last, according to the Facebook page.
The food and drinks menu online lists mini cakes, cookies, macarons, bottled water and giant chef cookies. Meanwhile, the list of merchandise includes a t-shirt, mug, keychain, canvas totes, thermal bottles and more.
The mobile truck launched in 2014 and now two trucks travel across the country, according to the website.
As part of the Town of Vienna’s efforts to boost economic development, the town recently partnered with a state agency to offer free counseling sessions for small businesses.
The town announced the Small Business and Supplier Diversity program yesterday.
“This is an opportunity for Vienna small businesses to learn about and take advantage of state programs and certifications that may help them do just that,” Economic Development Manager Natalie Monkou said in a press release. “This is a free service provided to current and future business owners and is an easy partnership that benefits businesses, the town and the state.”
The one-on-one, one-hour counseling sessions will be coordinated by Chris Ley, the NoVa business services manager at the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, according to the press release.
“Ley will discuss with small business owners and managers state certification programs and purchasing opportunities that may open them to new opportunities,” according to the press release. “She’ll also have information about regional events that help connect businesses and marketing opportunities.”
The first meeting is set to take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, March 20, in the second-floor conference room at Town Hall and will be held the third Friday of every month. The town requests that businesses schedule an appointment by emailing [email protected].
Realty company KW Metro Center is planning to open a new location in Vienna.
Signs are up at 144 Church Street NW, saying that the business is “coming soon.”
Keller Williams Realty, Inc. is a real estate franchise company. It currently lists locations in Arlington, Alexandria and Tysons on its website.
While the Vienna Business Association recently announced that KW Metro Center joined as a new member, it is unclear when the Vienna location will open.
Vienna residents shared mixed feedback on a proposal that would relax lot coverage requirements earlier this week.
At a town hall on Monday, town officials and staff listened to dozens of residents’ thoughts on a proposal that would allow for more decks, patios and other types of “outdoor living space.”
Councilmember Nisha Patel’s outdoor living space proposal would allow extra amenities as long as stormwater management systems are implemented
Currently, Town Code says that buildings, accessory buildings, automobile parking spaces and access, sport courts, tennis courts, patios, and terraces can only take up 25% of a lot.
Patel said that the proposal was sparked by people who said they didn’t know their builder had maxed out the lot coverage or couldn’t get out of their driveways safely because they don’t have a turnaround space.
“It’s open for modification, which is why we’re having this meeting tonight,” Patel said at the start of the meeting. “Should we allow 1%, 3% or 5%?”
Patel added that the proposal does not aim to encourage larger houses.
People who spoke in support of the proposal said that it could benefit people who live in older homes and fix drainage issues in the town.
Christine Silvia-Degennaro said she supports the proposal because she lives in a rambler and ran into zoning issues with her driveway when trying to put an addition on her house.
“I think that it would be a very beneficial thing for people to make this small adjustment,” she said. “We’re not speaking as somebody who has a 600,000-square-foot home. We have a very modest home in Vienna.”
Another person, an engineer, who spoke in favor of the proposal said that the stormwater management would fix drainage issues in the town.
Other residents opposed or critiqued the proposal, while a few said they have mixed feelings about the idea.
Some people said that people buying an expensive home in Vienna had a responsibility to be aware of lot coverage rules. “It’s not OK to claim ignorance,” one person said.
Other residents asked how the proposal would affect homes that have already been built versus future homes, raising concern that it could make a loophole allowing larger homes.
Shawn Thompson, who said he lives in a McMansion, summarized a NextDoor thread with concerns about privilege, protecting older residents, developers abusing rules and huge homes.
“It feels like privilege to me that the problem we’re having here is I bought my $1.5 million house and I don’t have even lot coverage left to put in the patio for a grill.”
Thompson said that he’s heard concerns from residents that older residents won’t be able to afford to live in the town.
“One of the reasons we all love Vienna is because grandma grew up here,” Thompson said. “Do we want grandma to have to move to Herndon or Loudon County?”
Meanwhile, Chuck Anderson, a former Planning Commissioner for the town, told the town officials and staff to be cautious with how they relax the lot coverage rules, if the proposal moves forward.
“Be very careful about selecting changing lot coverage rules on an ad hoc basis, because you don’t know the unintended consequences,” Anderson said, recommending that the lot coverage be considered on a comprehensive basis that could promote aging in place.
Sarah Couchman, the current vice chair of the Planning Commission, said that the proposal would boost her landscaping business, yet Couchman said that she’s concerned about developers building to the limit.
Ultimately, town staff said that they are looking to get more data and bring on a consultant as they consider reorganizing the zoning code, which hasn’t been overhauled since 1969.
Residents can submit comments and fill out a questionnaire through Monday, March 9.
During the second half of the meeting, attendees were asked to prioritize recommendations from the Maple Avenue Corridor Multimodal Transportation and Land Use Study.
The 16 near and mid-term recommendations range from under low cost to up to $150,000. They include:
- improving Church and Mill streets
- redesigning W&OD Trail crossings
- filling “vital” sidewalk gaps
- creating a bicycle network
- having a parking supply and demand study
- considering a local circulator
The town asks that people rank their priorities online or on a paper version by 5 p.m. on Monday (March 9).
“We hear stories and we’re not sure how many people are affected,” Patel said about the significance of the town hall. “It’s important that we get a sense of what the community wants.”
Three images in story via Town of Vienna
Vienna police say a gun store along Maple Avenue was recently burglarized.
The incident happened at the Vienna Arsenal (386 Maple Ave E.) around 6 a.m. on Monday (March 2).
“Investigation revealed that the suspects forced entry into the establishment and stole approximately 25 firearms,” according to the press release.
Vienna Police Detectives and Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are investigating the case, the press release said.
People with any information about the case are asked to contact Detective Leroux at 703-255-6322 or email him at [email protected].
Image via Google Maps
A variety of performers are set to come to Wolf Trap this month, ranging from an alternative soul singer to a group that combines bagpipes and fiddles with classic rock.
Tomorrow (Thursday), award-winning R&B singer-songwriter Liv Warfield is set to perform at 8 p.m.
“Warfield was hand-selected by Prince to be a part of his backing bands New Power Generation and 3rdEyeGirl,” her bio says, adding that her sound is influenced by Nina Simone, Etta James and Mary J. Blige. Tickets start at $27.
Later in the month, Enter The Haggis will bring their bagpipes fiddles and rock rhythm to the stage. The Toronto group is set to perform next Thursday (March 12) at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $30.
The month will wrap up with several performances by The Second City. The comedy troupe’s “Laughing For All The Wrong Reasons” show is rated R due to language and innuendo. Tickets start at $32.
The list of Wolf Trap events in March:
- March 5: Liv Warfield
- March 11: Enter The Haggis
- March 12: Riders in the Sky
- March 13: Aoife O’Donovan
- March 16-17: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- March 19: Rodney Crowell
- March 20: The 5th Dimension
- March 25-28: The Second City
Photo via Wolf Trap
Luggage Plus isn’t currently open in Tysons Corner Center, but the store plans to soon return to the mall.
The store was located in a spot on the first level near Nordstrom. When Tysons Reporter stopped by earlier this week, the space was empty and locked up.
An employee at the Luggage Plus store in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City said that the store closed to move to a different spot in the Tysons mall. The employee said shoppers can expect the new store to open in a few weeks.
A spokesperson for the mall confirmed to Tysons Reporter that the mall is working with Luggage Plus to finalize an alternate, permanent location, saying that the former space was a temporary lease.
Hat tip to Chuck and Polly D.
Police arrested a Falls Church resident who works for the Town of Vienna for allegedly having child pornography.
City of Falls Church police arrested 36-year-old Tyler Weepie this morning (Tuesday) and charged him with four counts of possession of child pornography, the city said in a press release.
Weepie has worked as an engineering technician for the Town of Vienna since 2016, according to a Vienna press release, which said that Weepie has been placed on administrative leave.
Officers participating in the regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made the arrest, according to the City of Falls Church.
“We’re obviously disappointed and disturbed by this news,” Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton said in a statement. “We support the important work of the ICAC task force and have zero tolerance for crimes against children.”
Currently, Weepie is being held without bond in in the Arlington County Jail, the press releases said.
Separately Tuesday afternoon, a Vienna man pleaded guilty to multiple child exploitation offenses, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.
Alan Tabish pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and the attempted transfer of obscene material to minors and will be sentenced on June 23, facing 7 to 12 years in prison, according to a press release.
Photo via Arlington County
A rezoning request for a proposed office tower near the McLean Metro station will be considered by the Board of Supervisors later this month.
Akridge and the Ronald D. Paul Companies are looking to develop 1690 Old Meadow Road, a triangular spot between Dolley Madison Blvd and the Old Meadow Road, into a 15-story tower with Class A offices.
Called One Tysons East, the project would include a 8,300-square-foot restaurant and cafe on the main level, along with retail space and a bike room, according to the website.
The project plans for five levels of parking with 500 spaces — two levels of parking would be underground, while three would be above the lobby. Above the parking, the tower would have 11 floors of office space totaling 24,500 square feet.
The tower also plans to have a landscaped outdoor terrace with a bocce court on the fifth floor, which would also include a client-only cafe, coffee bar, conference room, fitness center and yoga space.
The developers are looking to increase the floor area ratio and receive approval for their plans.
The Planning Commission recommended approval for the rezoning last April after discussion on how the distinctive curved-glass tower could potentially kill birds.
Now, county documents indicate that the Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on March 24.
Images via One Tysons East
Trader Joe’s has a planned expansion in the works at Tysons Station.
Building permits at the vacant space next to Peet’s indicate that the grocery store (7514 Leesburg Pike) plans to demolish the interior and turn it into a commercial use.
Federal Realty, the real estate investment trust behind the shopping center, shows the space already incorporated into Trader Joe’s — totaling 15,286 square feet for the grocery store — on its brochures.
Other changes are also happening at the shopping center.
The space that used to house Tysons Cakes (7500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 12B) is listed as available for rent on the brochure.
