Fairfax County is continuing to see the number of locals experiencing homelessness over the last year increase — and a new report said inflation and housing costs are partially to blame.
This year’s point-in-time count — an annual count of individuals in shelters, transitional housing, and experiencing unsheltered homelessness — found 1,310 people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County.
That’s a 10% increase (119 people) over the previous year, when a slight drop was reported. Around 30% of those were adults experiencing chronic homelessness.
The survey found that 87 households said they were fleeing domestic violence and 229 households reported a history of domestic violence, according to Fairfax County.
This year’s count follows a recent trend of homelessness increasing again after years of decline throughout the D.C. region.
“After a steady reduction of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the Point-in-Time Counts between the 2008 and 2017, a decrease of 47 percent (871 people),” the county said on the Point-in-Time report. “The number of people experiencing homelessness identified through the counts increased 27 percent (258 people) between 2017 and 2021 and then decreased 3 percent (31 people) in 2022.”
In particular, the report says there’s been a notable increase in families with children facing homelessness:
The number of people in families with children experiencing homelessness increased by 33 percent (188 people) between the 2022 and 2023 counts. This increase is primarily attributed to the multiple negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families in terms of health, employment, and inflationary costs, especially for housing. Meanwhile, the number of single adults experiencing homelessness decreased by 11 percent (71 people) during the same time.
As with the previous year, the report noted that people who identify as Black or African American are disproportionately likely to experience homelessness in Fairfax County:
The most significant disparity in the demographics of those experiencing homelessness on the night of the 2023 Point-in-Time Count remains the disproportionate representation of people identifying as Black or African American. While 10.8 percent of the general population in Fairfax County is estimated to identify as Black or African American , 48 percent of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count identified as Black or African American. The imbalance slightly improved from the 2022 count, when 50 percent of people identified as Black or African.
Dior has arrived at Tysons Galleria.
The French fashion house’s new boutique is now in business on the mall’s second floor near Neiman Marcus. Tysons Galleria announced that the store had opened on April 28 — beating its previously projected timeframe of summer 2023.
Selling clothes, handbags, shoes and accessories, the store is Dior’s first retail location in Virginia, saving local patrons from a trip downtown to the one in CityCenterDC.
The company’s public relations team told FFXnow it was “unable to secure a quote” on why Dior chose Tysons Galleria for its first Virginia location, but given the mall’s wealth of luxury designers, from Prada to Balenciaga, the brand that helped define post-World War II fashion seems like a natural fit.
The 5,188-square-foot store is next-door neighbors with Gucci, and a Versace boutique is just two doors down.
According to its website, other recent arrivals to Tysons Galleria include watch manufacturers Breitling and Omega. The mall also welcomed Swiss watchmaker Panerai, the restaurants Jiwa Singapura and Yard House, and the dine-in theater CMX CinéBistro earlier this year.
Tenants listed as “coming soon” include the Los Angeles-originated studio Alo Yoga, French swimwear brand Vilebrequin, and a Hair Social And Med Spa.
School Board Calls for Review to Address Drug Use — “As part of this review, the Board is asking the Superintendent to consider the merits of various initiatives, including creating a recovery high school, providing students and staff with access to fentanyl testing strips, placing naloxone in all classrooms with appropriately trained classroom-based staff, offering naloxone training to high school students” and more. [Karl Frisch]
Student Sports Officially Coming to Middle Schools — “For the first time, Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to launch an athletics program for middle school students. The program would start with cross country this fall. An outdoor track program would be offered in spring 2024. There would be no cost to students.” [Annandale Today]
New Seafood Restaurant Open in Fairfax — “You won’t find Ned at Ned’s New England Deck, a recent seafood-focused Fairfax arrival…What you will find is terrific food and hospitality at this tribute to the casual fare [co-owner Steve] Forbes and his partner Anthony Gallotto grew up eating and cooking on Boston’s North Shore. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
New Reston Town Center Falcons Get ID Bands — “Wildlife experts at the Reston Town Center worked on Wednesday to put identification bands on peregrine falcons” born to a pair that has frequented the shopping center since 2015. “This year, the mother falcon on Freedom Drive laid three eggs and had three baby daughters.” [WUSA9]
Update Planned for Courts at Bailey’s Crossroads Park — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has initiated the work to resurface the athletic courts at Dowden Terrace Park. The courts will be closed from May 8 through July 17 to complete the project…The project will cost approximately $227,000” [FCPA]
Virginia’s Teacher Licensing Process Delayed — “The Virginia Department of Education took emergency action Thursday to automatically extend teaching licenses after department delays left some teachers at risk of losing their jobs for the 2023-2024 school year.” About 15,500 of more than 20,000 licenses set to expire on June 30 “are renewable and will be extended.” [The Washington Post]
Herndon Theater Launches “In the Heights” — “Herndon’s NextStop Theatre Company will be debuting its production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical, ‘In The Heights,’ this Friday.” The show will run through June 11. Masks are still required for audience members at the theater on 269 Sunset Park Drive. [Patch]
Free Concerts Return to Meadowlark Gardens — “‘Music in the Gardens,’ a Spring Series of ensemble concerts, will return to Vienna’s Meadowlark Botanical Gardens beginning this Sunday, May 14th, at 3 pm. Performers are principal players from the Virginia Chamber Orchestra. Concerts are free with admission to the park ($3 to $6).” [VCO]
It’s Friday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Evening has a chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low around 66. Showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 a.m. Chance of precipitation is 70%. [Weather.gov]
Four Sisters will serve customers at the Mosaic District for the last time this Sunday (May 14).
The family-owned Vietnamese restaurant will permanently close after 30 years of business, about half of them spent anchoring the prominent corner of Strawberry Lane and Yates Way in Merrifield.
With the restaurant’s lease expiring, Four Sisters co-owner Lieu Lai says the family decided the time had come to wrap up their three-decade journey. She wants to spend more time at home with her kids, making Mother’s Day a particularly fitting final day.
In addition, Lai’s sister Le Lai — who has owned the restaurant with her since 2014 — and brother-in-law hope to travel, she told FFXnow.
Four Sisters has been a Merrifield mainstay since 2008, moving to what was then a mostly industrial area before it redeveloped as the Mosaic District in 2012.
Prior to helping jumpstart the mixed-use neighborhood, Four Sisters began life in 1993 as Huong Que at Falls Church’s Eden Center. Lieu and Le’s parents, Thanh Tran and Kim Lai, founded the modest restaurant with money they made selling hot dogs after they immigrated to the U.S. from Bien Hoa, Vietnam, according to the Washington Post, which broke the news of the impending closure.
Huong Que soon became a local favorite, expanding with a second restaurant in the Eden Center to accommodate its growing customer base and even appearing on the late chef Anthony Bourdain’s show “No Reservations” in 2008, according to Viva Tysons.
When the restaurant moved to the Mosaic District, the family renamed it as a nod to Lieu, Le and their two sisters, acknowledging that the original name was too often mispronounced by non-Vietnamese customers.
Since then, the family has extended their reach elsewhere in Northern Virginia, opening the fast-casual Four Sisters Grill in Clarendon and the 4 Sisters Snack Bar in Ashburn. Both of those locations, which are respectively run by oldest sister Ly and youngest son Thuan Lai, will remain open, per the Post.
An eventual return of Four Sisters hasn’t been ruled out either. Lieu says her sister and brother-in-law may open another restaurant in the future after they finish traveling.
“Deep down, I think that potentially I may open another Four Sisters somewhere,” Le told Post food critic Tim Carmen. “That would make my mom and dad really happy, for sure.”
For now, supporters still have a few more days to get in a final order of pho or a vermicelli rice bowl, among other dishes on the menu of Vietnamese staples. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Mondays.
A conceptual illustration of Mars Inc.’s planned headquarters expansion (via Fairfax County)
Though a proposal to expand its headquarters in McLean is still under review, Mars Inc. has apparently gotten a head start on scouting locations to temporarily host employees during construction.
The candy and pet food manufacturer has submitted a bid for construction work on the 10th floor of 1676 International Drive in Tysons, the Washington Business Journal reported yesterday.
The 13-story office building has 36,296 square feet of space available for leasing on its 10th floor, according to the property website. A contract hasn’t been finalized yet, so Mars was unable to confirm any plans beyond what the WBJ reported.
“Since 1984, our headquarters in McLean…has served Mars’ growing business,” the company said in a statement also shared with the WBJ. “It has been an important place for Mars Associates from around the world to connect with our company’s leadership, history and heritage. Given our growth, we’re exploring how we can evolve our office to meet the changing needs of our business and our Associates.”
Mars, whose brands include M&M’s and Iams pet food, submitted a rezoning application to Fairfax County on March 30, 2022, seeking to demolish a neighboring office building at 6867 Elm Street so it can add onto its headquarters (6869 Elm Street).
The expansion will almost double the facility’s square footage from 52,970 to approximately 119,671 and increase its height from 50 to 63 feet, or from two to three stories, according to a revised statement of justification dated March 7.
The company says the expansion will “update the existing interiors and façade…with world-class architecture that will provide a modern vibrant workplace and more natural light.”
Parking will be provided in a garage with up to three above-ground stories, as an existing lot will be replaced with new landscaping and seating. Proposed street improvements include the addition of a 12-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle path along Old Dominion Drive, consolidation of curb cuts to create a single vehicle access point, and a bus stop relocation.
Mars has also proposed moving the existing utilities on Elm Street underground.
The application is currently scheduled to go to the Fairfax County Planning Commission for a public hearing on Oct. 4, followed by a hearing before the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 24.
Fairfax County’s zoning ordinance has officially been modernized — for good this time.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the code overhaul known as zMod on Tuesday (May 9) even after overwhelming opposition at the public hearing. The readoption took effect immediately.
Tuesday’s proceedings echoed the board’s consideration of the same plan in 2021 — a vote that the Virginia Supreme Court voided in March. The court ruled that the approval violated open meeting provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act because it came during a virtual meeting.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said the modernization of the ordinance — which was last updated in 1979 — was long overdue and corrected parts of the document that were discriminatory. McKay said issues that triggered a response in the community will remain on the county’s radar.
“We will continue to monitor those as we have been,” he said.
The board approved a follow-on motion to allow additional opportunity for review at a Fairfax County Planning Commission work session in June — particularly for concerns about allowances for data centers in some areas of the county.
McKay noted earlier in the meeting that zMOD limited where data centers are allowed, banning them from residential districts, but the county has approved nine data centers since the overhaul was first adopted.
Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith said the planning commission will revisit issues raised at Tuesday’s public hearing as part of a zoning ordinance work program.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust conceded that, while the ordinance was not perfect, it should still go through.
“It’s without hesitation that I support adoption,” he said.
Concerns dominating the hearing — losing stable neighborhoods, lack of transparency, detrimental environmental impacts, doubts about county staff’s intentions, and the scope of the overhaul — were similar to criticisms made in 2021.
Some residents revived arguments that eased rules for accessory living units (ALUs) and home-based businesses (HBBs) would destroy the character of stable neighborhoods.
Others said the latest push for zMod was ushered in without transparency and public comment.
Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said staff “should be celebrated, not castigated” for its work on the zoning revisions, a process that began in 2017.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity abstained from the vote.
“It was supposed to be a reorganization,” Herrity said. “It ended up being more than that.”
County resident Adrienne Whyte argued that the “poorly created ordinance” doesn’t consider the impact of development on the environment.
“Our only saving grace is that this is an election year,” Whyte said.
Jeff Parnes, a representative of the Fairfax National Estates Homeowners Association, took issue with the data center and ALU provisions as well as the expanded use of administrative permits that don’t require public notice or hearings.
“The devil is in the details,” Parnes said.
A minority of individuals testified in support of the plan, which was in place for about two years before the state supreme court struck it down.
Scott Adams, a representative of the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks, said the uncertainty created by the Supreme Court’s ruling has impacted the county’s reputation.
“Through no fault of the county’s, the Supreme Court decision has truly created uncertainty in the zoning process,” he said.
Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said the uncertainty has left some applications in limbo.
“We’ve had a number of individuals come forward to make a decision to invest in this community, and they had approvals that gave them the ability to do that,” Lusk said. “Those approvals are in jeopardy because of this decision.”
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, who voted against the proposal in 2021, emphasized that some concerns about the policy — including his — were overstated. The changes to ALUs and HBBs were “modest” but require careful monitoring, he said.
“Frankly, the implementation has surprised me. It’s actually gone better than I expected,” Alcorn said.
In response to a request by Reston Association, the commission will reconsider the parameters for when a Planned Residential Community (PRC) plan is required. RA nixed plans for lighting at Barton Hills tennis court after losing an appeal to the county, which argued that a PRC plan — a costly and time-consuming effort — was needed.
Smith reminded the audience that land use is continually evolving. Just as amendments were made to the 1970s version of the document, opportunities may arise for additional changes.
Cats Rescued From Reston House Fire — Two people were displaced by a house fire in the 2300 block of Whitetail Court that started around 12:16 p.m. on April 29 due to an “electrical event involving a power strip” in a second-floor bedroom. Firefighters rescued two cats from the house, which totaled about $50,000 in damages. [FCFRD]
Homelessness Rates Rise Across D.C. Area — “The metropolitan Washington region experienced an 18% increase in homelessness between January 2022 and January 2023, the region’s Council of Governments announced Wednesday.” All nine jurisdictions, including Fairfax County, saw a rise, which is “pretty unprecedented,” COG’s housing program manager said. [DCist]
FCPD Hosts Conference on Auto Thefts — More than 20 law enforcement agencies from around the D.C. region attended the Fairfax County Police Department’s first auto theft symposium yesterday (Wednesday). The FCPD launched an Auto Crimes Enforcement unit in March 2022 that has “recovered 141 stolen vehicles, and helped seize various illegal narcotics and weapons which have led to a total of 402 felony charges.” [FCPD]
West Springfield Girl Wrestlers Recognized — “Three wrestlers from the West Springfield High School girls wrestling team made it to the first-ever Girls’ State Wresting Meet in Manassas in February, with one of the girls winning the state title in her weight class…The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Tuesday honoring the school’s ‘trailblazing’ girls wrestling team.” [Patch]
Reston Food Collection Organization Nabs Grant — “A Simple Gesture Reston recently received a $5,000 grant from the Closet of the Greater Herndon area to expand its food collection program in order to keep food pantry shelves across Northern Virginia fully stocked…Currently, more than 1,500 families are donating food [to the nonprofit] every two months.” [Patch]
Vienna Man Hosts Croquet Tournament in Backyard — “Doug Grimsley bought his house in Vienna, Va., 13 years ago specifically because, at 15,000 square feet, the backyard could accommodate a full-size croquet court…He was up at 7 in the morning, mowing it for the second day of the Arizona Closed, an annual four-day tournament that Grimsley, 73, and his wife have hosted since 2016.” [The Washington Post]
McLean Community Center Board Election Day Nears — “Four of the five candidates seeking three adult positions on the McLean Community Center’s Governing Board this year gave presentations at the McLean Citizens Association’s board meeting May 3 as to why voters should choose them.” Absentee ballots must be cast by 5 p.m. on May 17, while in-person voting will be held at McLean Day on May 20. [Gazette Leader]
It’s Thursday — Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the morning. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind 3 to 5 mph. [Weather.gov]
After more than three years, COVID-19 will officially cease to be a federal public health emergency in the U.S. tomorrow (Thursday), bringing an end to the days of free testing and vaccinations.
The Fairfax County Health Department will still provide free services by appointment to people who don’t have insurance or otherwise can’t pay, but private insurance companies and health providers will be allowed to start billing patients, the department explained in a May 5 announcement.
Since they’re considered “preventative care,” vaccines will largely be covered by private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid without a co-pay. But coverage for both at-home and lab tests will depend on individual insurers, and people without insurance will be charged for vaccinations, according to the health department.
The FCHD will end its COVID-19 call center on May 19, so appointments for its free clinics can be made after that date by calling 703-246-7100.
Other options for uninsured individuals include organizations like food banks, homeless services providers and federally qualified health centers that can offer free testing through July 2024, thanks to federal grant programs.
“We encourage anyone who becomes ill with symptoms of COVID or who comes into contact with someone diagnosed with COVID to continue testing to prevent the further spread of illness,” the health department said.
Federal officials declared COVID-19 a national emergency on Jan. 31, 2020, 11 days after the first case in the U.S. was confirmed. The declaration’s end reflects a shift to treating the disease as endemic, meaning it remains present but not at a level that significantly disrupts most people’s daily lives.
FCHD Deputy Director for Medical Services Dr. Parham Jaberi said in a statement to FFXnow:
The end of the emergency does not signal that COVID is over, but we do feel that it no longer impacts our lives in the way it did over the past three years. The “emergency” enabled resources to quickly address our needs for a coordinated response to help our communities get vaccinated, tested and take necessary actions to limit the spread of the virus. While COVID remains a serious illness for some populations in our community such as older adults, very young children, or those with chronic health conditions, it is less of an overall threat to society.
The World Health Organization announced last Friday (May 5) that Covid is no longer a global health emergency, though worldwide, more than 3,000 deaths have been reported over the past week.
On a local level, Fairfax County terminated its state of emergency for the pandemic on March 1, just under three years since it began.
The Fairfax Health District is now averaging 30 new cases per day for the past week — fewer than at any point in the pandemic other than the summer of 2021, according to local and state data. As a result, the impact of a price tag on people’s willingness to get tested and vaccinated “may be limited,” the FCHD says.
However, community members are still advised to stay up to date on their vaccinations, get tested when sick and take other basic precautions like covering their mouth when coughing that help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases.
“New variants and seasonal increases of COVID are still very likely and the best form of prevention against serious impacts of COVID on our communities is to ensure everyone is adequately immunized, especially children, older adults, and those with a chronic health condition,” Jaberi said.
Over 2.8 million Covid vaccine doses have been administered to residents of the Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax and Falls Church City. Per county data, 79.8% of people 6 months and older have finished the “primary” series of shots, but just 24.9% have gotten the most recent booster.
In the future, the vaccine will likely be recommended on a regular schedule, like annual flu shots, Jaberi said. However, the exact process will be determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Federal Drug Administration, which have yet to issue any guidance.
Reflecting on three years of shutdowns, vaccinations, and evolving masking and social distancing expectations, FCHD officials are “cautiously optimistic” that the county will be able to handle future diseases or even Covid variants more quickly and efficiently than when the coronavirus arrived.
“We’ve trained our medical reserve corps; we’ve improved our communications and community partnerships and networks with healthcare providers,” Jaberi said by email. “We’ve enhanced public health surveillance and staff training, and we are better resourced to address communicable disease threats. When the next public health emergency arises, we will also be able to use lessons learned from our pandemic response to make sure we protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
As of this morning, the Fairfax Health District had reported a total of 270,000 Covid cases, 5,350 hospitalizations and 1,793 deaths.
Sunrise of McLean Village has officially opened.
As anticipated, residents began moving into the new senior living community at 1515 Chain Bridge Road this week, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 27, Sunrise Senior Living announced today (Wednesday).
The facility can house 122 residents in 61 assisted living residences and 39 units for individuals with memory loss. It is Sunrise’s second community in the McLean area, joining an existing Sunrise of McLean in Odrick’s Corner that also provides short-term stays and hospice coordination.
“We look forward to proudly continuing our legacy in McLean with the opening of Sunrise of McLean Village,” Sunrise of McLean Village Executive Director Maureen Davis said. “Being raised locally, I appreciate our uniqueness. This community will help make the area even more remarkable. My team and I will eagerly welcome our new residents and their loved ones into the Sunrise family.”
Located on the edge of downtown McLean, the three-story, nearly 90,000-square-feet facility replaced the McLean Medical Building after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors turned down Sunrise’s original proposal for a site on Kirby Road in 2017.
The building was designed by Rust Orling Architecture, and construction by the general contractor, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, began on June 18, 2021.
Here’s more on the design from Sunrise’s press release:
The building’s brick façade fits seamlessly into the surrounding area’s historic and traditional feel but brings a unique touch to the area with its large, picture windows and subtle modern design elements. Sunrise of McLean Village’s interiors were designed by Sunrise’s in-house design team that took every detail into account while designing the spaces. Using the natural light from the large windows, the common spaces are bright and stylishly decorated with curated furniture, built specifically for this community. Residents will enjoy the community’s sophisticated air paired with its cozy, home-like feel. A special piece of Sunrise of McLean Village’s design can be found along the interior walls which are lined with works from local artists and creators.
Sunrise of McLean Village offers several intentionally designed amenity spaces to promote activity and engagement throughout the community. These amenities include large common spaces like the dining room and the contemporary bistro, which will feature a bar for entertainment, social hours and events for residents and their families. Additional amenities will include a fitness center, library, two sunrooms, activity room, hair and nail salon and a massage room. A special element of the community is its emphasis on access to outdoor space. These amenities include five covered porches, a large outdoor terrace, two rooftop terraces, and a public-private heritage garden. This area will have sections for public use and a section for residents only. The garden will feature landscaping with native plants, benches as well as accessible walking paths. The community is pet-friendly so residents can look forward to enjoying this area with their own furry friend if they would like.
Sunrise has over 280 senior living communities in the U.S., including 19 in Northern Virginia. The company says it’s “nearing” completion on a Sunrise of Vienna that’s on track to open later this year.
The Vienna Town Council appears inclined to raze the former Faith Baptist Church, as a study continues to sift through ideas for the long-term future of the site now known as the Annex.
A vote on whether to demolish the now-vacant building at 301 Center Street South has been set for June 5. While no decision was made, a majority of council members indicated at a conference session Monday (May 8) that they would rather knock down the structure than invest money in maintaining it.
Council members Howard Springsteen and Ed Somers seemed open to keeping the church gymnasium — another option suggested by the consultants conducting the study — but it was unclear how much that would cost compared to replacing the 1950s-era building with new, temporary recreational facilities.
Martin Kimmel, president of the consulting firm Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site, confirmed the team could provide “rough” cost estimates in time for the June vote.
“It’s going to come down to cost,” Councilmember Steve Potter said. “I’m leaning toward don’t put good money into bad. I think the best thing would be to demolish the building, but I’m having a hard time making a decision because we don’t have all the information.”
It will cost about $250,000 to fully demolish the church and remove the resulting debris, town staff estimated.
The town purchased the former church on Aug. 31, 2020, turning it into a temporary base for the Vienna Police Department until its new headquarters was built. The move-in process was completed in January.
After a review found that it would take $500,000 just to bring the existing building up to code, the council commissioned Kimmel Bogrette and fellow consultant Kimley Horn to help the town develop a long-term vision before it makes any short-term commitments.
Based on initial public input, including a still-open online survey and an in-person workshop, community members would love to see recreational amenities of some kind — particularly an indoor pool or other aquatics facility — in the Annex’s future.
“There was no doubt the word ‘pool’ jumped out” as a use that should be evaluated, Somers said, referencing a word cloud in the consultant team’s presentation.
An exercise or fitness facility, pickleball courts and meeting space also got solid support as potential uses at the March 28 workshop, which was held in the new police station.
With the police station costing about $14.1 million, it will likely be at least a decade before the town can implement another project of that magnitude. That may not be as far off as it seems, given the amount of time needed for planning, design and construction, Town Manager Mercury Payton noted.
Springsteen said a pool seems “cost-prohibitive” when the town already has millions of dollars worth of capital projects to address, from road improvements to sewer upgrades. Other council members suggested all options should remain open until they get a clearer idea of the costs.
Kimmel Bogrette proposed bringing in another consultant that could conduct a market and operational analysis. For an additional $23,500, the analysis would evaluate different possible uses for the site and project potential demand, construction and operational costs, and revenue.
Some council members expressed skepticism at the need for that analysis, though Payton said the consultant would be able to provide a more detailed, informed review than what town staff could manage. The proposal will come up for a vote on June 5.
“I don’t know what we’d wait for. We have to know what the costs are,” Mayor Linda Colbert said.
In the meantime, Kimmel’s study will proceed with more community engagement events at the Vienna Community Center from 4-7 p.m. today (Wednesday) and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday (May 13).
A final recommendation is scheduled to be presented to the council on June 12.
