Area Traffic Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels — “In the ‘inner suburbs’ of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, traffic was 94% of pre-pandemic norms as 2022 closed…Several factors may be contributing to this seeming disconnect — congested highways but half-empty offices — but most eyes have turned to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Canan said.” [Washington Business Journal]
Wolf Trap National Park Brings Back Food Service — “The Fermented Pig, a barbecue-focused food vendor, will return to Wolf Trap’s on-site restaurant Ovations. There will be an updated farm-to-table buffet menu with vegan and gluten-free options as well as a picnic box option and new quick service bar.” Picnic boxes will be available for the first time since 2019. [Patch]
County to Recognize Contributions to Black Community — “Nominations are now open for the 2023 Juneteenth Resiliency Award for residents ages 13-21. This award recognizes the incredible resiliency shown by young people in Fairfax County who have made meaningful contributions in their lives and in the lives of others.” [Fairfax County Government]
Virginia School Bus Driver Shortage Persists — “Public schools continue to face challenges transporting students to school amid ongoing bus driver shortages spurred by factors such as low pay and strict safety and retirement regulations…Data also reveal the situation is far more complicated, making it difficult to determine whether shortages are actually improving.” [Virginia Mercury/Inside NoVA]
Hundreds Join Herndon Easter Egg Hunt — “More than 300 children and their families descended on Bready Park on Saturday to take part in the annual Hoppy Egg Hunting event hosted by the Town of Herndon Parks & Recreation Department. Children up to the age of 7 took part in three egg hunts.” [Patch]
How Local Family-Owned Restaurants Are Faring — “Though she’s never been formally employed at her parents’ A&J restaurants in Rockville and Annandale, Debbie Tang says she’ll always be the general counsel — whether she wants to be or not. Her paid work is at an executive search firm, but she’s an attorney by training. So she will still look over a restaurant’s lease, for example, if asked by her parents, Elaine and Jye Tang.” [DCist]
County Could Support Bonds for Inova Projects — “Fairfax County supervisors on April 11 were set to authorize the county’s Industrial Development Authority to issue health-care revenue bonds periodically to support capital projects undertaken by Inova Health System…Inova’s revenues will support the bonds, which will not constitute a debt obligation to the county or the Board of Supervisors, county staff said.” [Gazette Leader]
Prepare for Library Catalog Outage — “FCPL’s catalog system will be undergoing maintenance Monday, April 17. Because of this maintenance, the public catalog including Libby and Overdrive will be unavailable to the public from 8 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. that day.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Tuesday — Scattered clouds. Mild. High of 75 and low of 43. Sunrise at 6:38 am and sunset at 7:41 pm. [Weather.gov]
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is going to take a second stab at its ambitious Zoning Ordinance Modernization Project (zMOD) after Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the prior approval.
The county’s zMOD overhaul involved a variety of sweeping changes to the zoning ordinance, from loosening limits on accessory dwelling units to changes in regulations governing flags and flagpoles.
Unfortunately for the Board of Supervisors, the Virginia Supreme Court voided the 2021 approval of zMOD because the meeting where it was approved and prior public hearings were held virtually, which it said violated the county’s Virginia Freedom of Information Act requirements.
The ruling raised questions about development and land use decisions made in the wake of the zoning code update, though Virginia passed a new law last year that loosened restrictions on virtual public meetings.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), the board is set to start the public hearing process to give zMOD approval another go. An administrative item at the board’s meeting for tomorrow would grant “authorization to advertise public hearings on the readoption of the zoning ordinance.”
According to the docket:
If the Board’s 2021 adoption of the zMOD Ordinance was void, so was the contemporaneous repeal of the 1978 Zoning Ordinance (as amended), leaving that earlier Ordinance still in effect. As a result, new public hearings are required for reconsideration of the zMOD Ordinance as previously adopted on March 23, 2021. And while subsequent Zoning Ordinance amendments are not addressed in the opinion, staff recommends that they be included as part of the complete Zoning Ordinance being considered.
Unsurprisingly, the county executive is recommending that the board authorize advertisement of public hearings for an ordinance it already approved in a 7-3 vote on March 23, 2021.
If the advertisement of public hearings is approved, those will come at the May 3 Planning Commission meeting and the May 9 Board of Supervisors meeting, meaning zMOD could be reapproved less than two months after the original approval was struck down.
Aware of a growing need for more variety in its housing options, the Town of Vienna is taking a harder look at its standards for multifamily residential development.
Changes currently under consideration include the introduction of minimum parking requirements for bicycles, according to draft regulations for apartments, townhouses, and other residences allowed in a new residential multi-unit (RMU) zone.
The Vienna Town Council will discuss the draft at a conference session tonight (Monday).
As part of a general overhaul of the zoning code, the town’s first in over 50 years, staff have proposed requiring multi-unit residential developments to provide three bicycle racks or six spaces for every 2.5 dwelling units to serve residents. Three racks will also be needed for every 50 units to accommodate visitors.
The suggested bicycle parking standards are based on requirements used by Falls Church City, according to the draft.
The revised code will also establish standards for parking lot landscaping and screening, outdoor lighting standards and loading areas, though loading spaces won’t be required for townhouses, duplexes and cottage courts.
For other multifamily developments, the draft would require one loading space per 50 units, with each space measuring at least 25 feet long and 15 feet wide. Right now, Vienna doesn’t dictate a specific number of spaces for different land uses, and the size varies based on the size of the building.
The need for updated multifamily residential regulations became clear last year during discussions about the proposed conversion of the Vienna Courts offices into duplex condominiums. The project’s eventual approval in December came after weeks of the developers, the town council and residents haggling over parking and open space to reduce its lot coverage.
Vienna’s zoning code overhaul — known as Code Create Vienna — has been underway since July 2020. Amendments giving residents more flexibility for outdoor decks were approved last June, but public hearings on the overall draft code aren’t anticipated until this fall.
A fire broke out this morning (Monday) in an abandoned automobile dealership near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
Units with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched to 8546 Leesburg Pike at 10:45 a.m. for a commercial building fire, according to scanner traffic on OpenMHz.
Firefighters on the scene reported smoke from the roof of the building, which was once a Bentley and Aston Martin dealership.
Scanner traffic suggests that firefighters needed to break through a chain link fence around the property to get to the building. The fire was located in a bathroom.
The FCFRD reported around 11:30 a.m. that the fire had been extinguished, and no injuries were reported. Units are still on the scene to ventilate smoke from the building.
UPDATE: building fire in the 8500 block of Leesburg Pike in Tysons area. Fire is out. Units still on scene ventilating https://t.co/sws8vq3CfD investigators on scene to determine cause. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/xFGOHFswLW
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 10, 2023
For the next six months, anyone who wants to visit Turkey Run Park in McLean will have to get there on foot.
All parking lots and the Turkey Run Loop Road that leads into the park from the George Washington Memorial Parkway will close today (Monday) for repair and repaving work, the National Park Service (NPS) announced this morning.
The park and its trails will still be open, but the only way to access them will be by walking on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
“The NPS will mill and resurface Turkey Run Loop Road and the parking lots within the park,” the park service said in a news release. “The NPS will complete full depth repairs for some road surfaces. All repaired pavement surfaces will also receive new pavement markings.”
The road and parking lot closures will remain in place through construction, which is expected to finish by Sept. 30.
According to the NPS, the road project is being funded by park entrance fees, which can be used “for construction projects that directly enhance visitors’ enjoyment and access.”
The scope of the closures is necessary for “safety and security protections” during construction, a record of determination approved by GW Parkway Superintendent Charles Cuvelier on March 23 says.
“The project will improve the driving experience and safety while retaining the beauty of the park,” the NPS said. “…The closures will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic, or cultural values. The closures do not require significant modification to the resource management objectives and are not of a highly controversial nature since this is similar to closures that have occurred in the past.”
Photo via Google Maps
Driver Hospitalized After Mount Vernon Crash — “Detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department are investigating the single vehicle crash that occurred on Sacramento Drive near Bedford Terrace on Saturday. Police say the driver was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries following the collision.” [WUSA9]
Man Shot in Kingstowne — Fairfax County police are investigating a shooting on Friday (April 7) near Barclay Drive and King Centre Drive. Police say a man was found with a gunshot wound to the upper body and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police believe preliminarily that it was “an isolated incident.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Metro Police Turn to Localities for Staffing Help — “Metro is working to increase its use of police officers from other agencies in the Washington region, paying overtime rates for extra shifts at train stations and bus boarding areas to combat a rise in crime within the transit system.” The Fairfax County Police Department says it doesn’t have a formal agreement with Metro but works with the agency on joint initiatives. [The Washington Post]
County Opens Mental Health Clinic on Richmond Highway — “A group of people, led by retired school social worker Felicea Meyer-DeLoatch, came together to address the local need for culturally competent, accessible, community based behavioral health care on Richmond Highway. Their work resulted in the opening of The Growth and Healing HUB, which provides affordable, inclusive behavioral health and wellness services to children and families in southern Fairfax County.” [FCHD]
Capital One Pushes Workers to Return to Offices — “The McLean banking and credit card giant, one of the D.C. region’s largest employers, is telling workers companywide that they will be required to be in their offices Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting May 2, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported this week.” [Washington Business Journal]
Colvin Run Bridge Work Will Require Traffic Stoppages — “On Tuesday, April 11, weather permitting, Hunter Mill Road (Route 674) will have early afternoon traffic stoppages between Crowell Road (Route 675) and Cobble Mill Road to install beams for the new bridge over Colvin Run…The full traffic stoppages lasting up to ten minutes each will occur between noon and 3 p.m.” [VDOT]
Lawsuit Challenges Rollback of Felon Voting Rights — “A discretionary process being used by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to decide which felons can get their voting rights back is unconstitutional and could lead to decisions based on an applicant’s political affiliations or views, a lawsuit filed Thursday argued.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
George Mason University Band Goes to White House — “The Pep Band has some very exciting news… we are thrilled to announce we will be performing at the @WhiteHouse Easter Egg Roll on April 10th! We can not wait to perform at this amazing event!!” [GMU Green Machine/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Sunny. Mild. High of 65 and low of 38. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 7:40 pm. [Weather.gov]
If you stopped by Kusshi Ko in Tysons for lunch today and found the doors locked, don’t be alarmed.
The sushi restaurant announced this week that it has temporarily closed, but co-owner Tony Chow says a reopening can be expected shortly, attributing the closure to the need to obtain another permit.
“WE WILL BE BACK VERY SOON!” Kusshi Ko said in the Instagram post. “Sorry for any inconvenience and THANK YOU all for your support and patience!!!”
Chow said the restaurant otherwise had no comment on the closure.
The scaled-down spinoff of Kusshi, a Bethesda-based sushi restaurant that also has locations in Arlington and Silver Spring, opened at 8365 Leesburg Pike in Pike 7 Plaza in early December.
In addition to sushi, Kusshi Ko serves ramen, donburi or curry bowls and other Japanese dishes.
Retailers expected to open at Pike 7 Plaza this year include Dave’s Hot Chicken and the grocery store Lidl. The shopping center is also working to obtain permits so it can begin construction on a standalone Shake Shack.
(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) The Fairfax County Police Department and George Mason University have joined forces with an Arlington-based think tank to study how the attitudes and behavior of police officers evolve over the course of their careers.
Touted as the first of its kind in the U.S., the long-term or longitudinal study is intended to give the FCPD and other police departments a better understanding of how to address staffing challenges by following a select group of officers, potentially over decades.
The results could inform the FCPD’s recruiting efforts and provide a new look at what makes someone a successful police officer, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a 1 p.m. press conference, noting that divorce, suicide, alcoholism and domestic violence rates among police are “higher than the national norm.”
“We’re really happy to engage in this long-term journey to figure out what success looks like for Fairfax County, because we want to continue to lead on behalf of our profession,” Davis said. “We think over time and hopefully over many years, we’ll learn a lot more about who wants to become part of this profession and, once they enter our ranks, what determines their trajectory for success.”
Looking at both applicants and current officers, the study will be conducted independently by Dr. Cynthia Lum, a criminology professor in GMU’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, and the National Policing Institute.
With a gift provided by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in 2022, the institute is funding the estimated $300,000 cost of the study’s first three years. That includes $186,401 that went to GMU to support its costs, according to National Policing Institute President Jim Burch.
Researchers hope to get enough money from public and private funders to continue the study for 10 to 20 years, Lum said.
With a current vacancy rate of 206 positions, the FCPD has been operating under a personnel emergency since July 2022, meaning officers are required to work overtime with two shifts in rotation instead of the usual three.
Compensation has emerged as the top concern from interviews with officers, though it’s not the only one, according to FCPD Administrative Support Bureau Commander Major Gregory Fried, citing a desire for a better work-life balance as another issue that has come up.
The police department has recently committed more money to job advertising and pay for public safety workers, along with efforts to modernize the hiring process. The next academy class starting April 24 will have 58 graduates, the most in a decade, Davis said.
Still, officer recruitment and retention have become a struggle for law enforcement agencies across the country.
“We’re losing some of our best, and we struggle to bring in the best as well. As we face these challenges, though, taxpayers rightfully expect more,” Burch said. “Communities want more effective and fair policing. They want safer communities…The reality is policing is a profession. It’s not a vocation…We must invest, and that’s what this study is about, investing in those who step up to serve in their communities.”
The national exodus of officers has frequently been attributed to declining morale in the face of heightened public scrutiny, but Covid and mass early retirements may be bigger contributors to burnout, according to The Marshall Project, which reported earlier this year that local government employment in general has dropped since 2020.
Burch hopes to see the study of Fairfax County police officers replicated in other jurisdictions.
“What we learn here in Fairfax County will inform and improve policing across the United States,” Burch said.
The FCPD is also working with the D.C. nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) on a review of shootings by its officers, which increased last year. That study was initiated in early March after Maryland resident Timothy Johnson was shot and killed outside Tysons Corner Center on Feb. 22.
Davis announced on March 23 that the officer who fired the fatal shot that evening had been fired.
(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) Construction on the widening of the Capital Beltway (I-495) can continue while a lawsuit filed by McLean residents works its way through the court system, a federal judge ruled this morning (Friday).
The Northern Virginia Citizens Association had urged U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema to issue a preliminary injunction against the project that would halt all work until further environmental analysis is conducted.
The ruling, which came after a 10 a.m. hearing at the district court in Alexandria, gave an initial victory to federal and state transportation officials and express lanes operator Transurban, who have argued that the additional review sought by residents is unnecessary.
“We remain confident that this project is in compliance of all environmental regulations and associated requirements and approvals, Transurban Director of Corporate Affairs and Marketing Tanya Sheres said in a statement to FFXnow. “Alongside our project partners, we continue to focus on minimizing impacts to communities as we work to deliver the expanded travel choices, environmental enhancements, and improved safety that the more than 230,000 daily travelers of this corridor are relying upon.”
Filed on March 16, the NOVA Citizens Association’s complaint detailed health and environmental impacts of construction on the I-495 Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project, which is adding 2.5 miles of express lanes from the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons past the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean.
The Federal Highway Administration approved an environmental assessment for the project in 2021, finding that it would not have a significant impact and allowing it to proceed.
However, the NOVA Citizens Association says that subsequent design changes to stormwater facilities and ramps at the GW Parkway interchange should’ve necessitated another review with an opportunity for public input.
“Defendants’ activities will irreparably damage Plaintiff’s neighborhood and the surrounding human and natural environment in violation of federal law,” lawyers for the association wrote in a memo on their injunction request. “The Project’s adverse effects already vastly exceed the scope of what the Virginia Department of Transportation (“VDOT”) submitted and the Federal Highway Administration (“FHWA”) approved.”
In declarations opposing an injunction, VDOT and FHWA officials argue that the changes to the GW Parkway design reduced its impact on nearby residential properties and were accounted for in a Interchange Justification Report Addendum approved by FHWA on Jan. 14, 2022.
“The revised configuration of the GWMP interchange lessened the overall impacts of the Project by eliminating conflicts with large utility transmission towers and reducing the need for right-of-way acquisition,” VDOT Northern Virginia Megaprojects Director Susan Shaw said.
According to Shaw, a relocation of ponds by the GW Parkway interchange improved stormwater management, including avoiding work adjacent to the Potomac River, and the changes stayed within the scope established by the completed environmental assessment.
A one-year delay of construction on 495 NEXT, which broke ground in March 2022, would cost VDOT an additional $16.4 million in management and oversight costs, Shaw estimated. If the delay goes into a second year, another $17.2 million would be added to that bill.
“If the Project is enjoined, the current work would need to be suspended in its current condition, with accommodations as needed to ensure the safety of the traveling public,” Shaw wrote. “This would require the lane closures, concrete barriers, temporary environmental controls, to remain in place with all the traffic congestion and disruption those active work zone features create. The duration of construction impacts would be extended, such as noise, dust, traffic delays, and lack of full shoulders.”
Construction on 495 NEXT is currently projected to continue into 2026, with the new express lanes set to open later in 2025.
A Deep Dive Into the Fight Over the FBI HQ — “What both delegations agree on is that this is a once-in-a-generation contract that could serve as a 50-year anchor for either community, potentially bringing tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the winner. There are political legacies at stake here. Plus, there’s the CIA angle, which no one can talk about.” [Slate]
Lake Barcroft House Fire Starts in Jeep — “A fire caused by an electrical issue with a Jeep parked outside a Fairfax County home is responsible for a resident being displaced and thousands of dollars worth of damage.” One firefighter got “a minor injury” while responding to the fire in the 6300 block of Cavalier Corridor on March 31. [FOX5]
Construction on Historic Workhouse Buildings Prolonged — “Work at buildings W13 and W15 at the Workhouse Campus in Lorton is expected to extend into mid- to late summer 2023,” per the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. The buildings, one of which will house Bunnyman Brewing, were expected to be finished this spring. [On the MoVe]
Annandale Business Owner Joins Mason District Race — “Steve Lee, a business owner and community leader, announced Wednesday that he has filed the required paperwork to seek the Democratic nomination for the Mason District supervisor’s seat…If elected, Lee would be the first-ever Asian American on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.” [Patch]
Virginia First Lady Awards Fairfax Cafe — “First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin presented a 2023 Spirit of Virginia Award to Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates, a retail location for the nonprofit, Every1 Can Work, whose mission is to provide employment to adults living with an intellectual disability through a supported group environment by teaching work and life skills to further independence.” [Fairfax City Economic Development]
Herndon Tech Company Plots Expansion — “Herndon cybersecurity startup Strivacity Inc. has raised $20 million in new funding to push forward on its research and bolster its sales, marketing and engineering teams, ultimately planning to grow the 42-person company to 70 in the next 12 months.” [DC Inno]
Netflix Wants Lovelorn Locals to Star in Blind Dating Show — “Casting directors are still scouring the D.C. area for folks who might want to star in a future season of Love is Blind. The show just released its fourth season based in Seattle but is continuing to cast for the future, with its fifth season predicted for a fall 2023 release.” [DCist]
The Dr. Seuss Experience Opens in Tysons — “Starting April 7, fans of Dr. Seuss can journey through popular children’s books like ‘The Lorax’ and ‘Horton Hears a Who!’ with immersive sets and sights at Tysons Corner Center…The experience will run until Labor Day.” [WTOP]
Entertainers Sought for Annual Reston Cultural Festival — “Reston Community Center is seeking performing arts groups of all ages and cultures for the 2023 Reston Multicultural Festival. The festival will be held Saturday, September 23, 2023 at Reston Town Center with performances in the Pavilion and Reston Town Square Park.” [RCC]
It’s Friday — Sprinkles. Overcast. Cool. High of 57 and low of 48. Sunrise at 6:44 am and sunset at 7:37 pm. [Weather.gov]
