(Updated at 11:55 a.m.) A group of McLean residents opposed to the extension of the I-495 toll lanes past their neighborhoods have turned to the courts in a bid to halt the project, now in its second year of construction.
The Northern Virginia (NOVA) Citizens Association filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Alexandria on Thursday (March 16) alleging that major revisions to the project design violated federal law, resulting in “significant on-going environmental harms” to residents.
The Virginia Department of Transportation, Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), private toll lanes operator Transurban, and Transurban subsidiary Capital Beltway Express LLC are named as defendants.
“As a result of Defendants’ actions, NOVA and its members are experiencing significant adverse environmental impacts caused by the Project,” the complaint says, arguing that the road construction and loss of trees will contribute to noise, light, air pollution, water quality, erosion and health issues.
In the works since 2018, the I-495 Northern Extension project (495 NEXT) is adding 2.5 miles of express lanes from the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons past the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean, reconfiguring many of the bridges and interchanges within that span.
The GW Parkway interchange has been a particular point of concern for the NOVA Citizens Association, whose members fear that their neighborhood along Live Oak Drive will be destroyed to accommodate planned ramps and stormwater management ponds.
According to the complaint, VDOT unveiled significant changes to the project design in September 2021 and June 2022 — months after the FHWA approved its environmental assessment, an evaluation of the project’s potential impact required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The changes — including a consolidation of stormwater facilities, a narrowing of Live Oak Drive to 22 feet wide, and the relocation of an I-495 Express Lanes exit ramp to the GW Parkway — were substantial enough that additional environmental review should’ve been conducted, the association contends.
“The major changes to the stormwater control plan, the expansion of impermeable surfaces, and the greatly expanded deforestation will result in a significant increase in the release of stormwater which is contaminated with pollutants onto the properties of members of the association,” the complaint says.
The complaint also raises concerns about the safety of narrowing Live Oak Drive, especially for kids traveling to Cooper Middle School and the nearby Langley Swim & Tennis Club, and a reported plan to place a 5G cell tower on one resident’s property.
In a Feb. 24 declaration supporting the complaint, Live Oak Drive residents Pritesh and Marisha Patel wrote that the noise and pollution from the 495 NEXT construction has caused “irreparable harm” to their family, particularly their 11-year-old son, who has asthma. Read More
Developers Seek to Add More Housing in Fair Lakes — “Proposed updates to Fairfax County’s land use regulations, preliminarily earmarked for the county staff’s highest priority, signal that the sea-changing real estate market wants to see Fair Lakes, like elsewhere in the county, shift away from suburban office and toward new residential development.” [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Fire Station Introduces New Engine — “Thursday, Station 25. Reston, A-Shift placed new Engine 425 in service. A ‘push In’ ceremony was conducted by the shift. This tradition dates back to the days of horse-drawn equipment when firefighters had to push the equipment back into the station. E425 responded on its first call, an outside fire, a short time later.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
New Italian Deli Gets Ribbon-Cutting in Fairfax — “After selling his first restaurant in Manassas, Kapoor opened a new one in Arlington, but he was forced to close it due to the impact of the pandemic. Kapoor began his new venture in Fairfax City with a soft launch on Feb. 14. Friday’s ceremony marked the restaurant’s official opening.” [Patch]
D.C. Poaches Tysons Architecture Firm — “D.C. is turning to its recently created Vitality Fund, a pot of incentives to lure more businesses to its downtown, to…offer undisclosed cash grants to architecture firm KTGY to move its office from Tysons, as well as branding and marketing consultancy Quadrant Strategies to triple its D.C. office, so long as they both meet certain annual performance targets.” [WBJ]
Historical Marker Unveiled for Vienna Preschool — “Beautiful day [Saturday] for unveiling a new historical marker at Marshall Road and Ware Street commemorating Parkwood School and its legendary founder, Clarene Vickery, who educated thousands of preschool children here in Vienna.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Candytopia Opens in Tysons Corner Center — “After weeks of anticipation, Candytopia at Tysons Corner Center…is finally open! The candy museum is a sweet experience for children and a colorful one for adults. Decked out with an art salon, Candytopia has crafted pieces using different arrangements of your favorite flavors of candy.” [WTOP]
Metro Gets Overall High Marks in Poll — “Commuters have abandoned the system not because they dislike Metro, the survey suggests, but because they are working from home more frequently. The survey of a random sample of more than 1,600 D.C., suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia residents shows that despite Metro’s high-profile struggles…3 in 4 riders rate Metrorail ‘excellent’ or ‘good.'” [The Washington Post]
Great Falls Resident Competes in Netflix’s “Dance Monsters” — “A professional dancer and the owner of a modeling agency, Chelsea Cushing knows how to put her best face forward, so it’s ironic that the Great Falls resident’s most public appearances have happened behind face- and body-concealing CGI and motion-capture technology.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Reston Woman Wins WaPo Poetry Contest — “Even without a calendar, you know when spring has arrived. You can feel it in the air. And Vicki Elsbernd’s poem about something recently in the air — and in the news — tickled me enough to choose it as my favorite entry in this year’s Springtime in Washington Haiku Contest.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 29. Sunrise at 7:13 am and sunset at 7:21 pm. [Weather.gov]
Just one day after Major League Baseball’s Opening Day, Capital One will kick off the inaugural season of its newly built baseball stadium in Tysons.
Capital One Park, located at 1600 Scotts Crossing Road, will host its first-ever games on March 31, introducing itself to the neighborhood with a double-header between Arlington’s Marymount University and Centenary University from New Jersey.
“Capital One Park, when it comes online in late March, will be an attraction for the community to come together and experience America’s favorite pastime,” Capital One Center Managing Director Jonathan Griffith said.
Approved by the Fairfax County Planning Commission in October, the park represents the first step toward developing the 6.9-acre site known as Capital One East.
Previously occupied by a parking lot, the property will be an extension of the Capital One Center campus where the financial company has its headquarters. It was part of the planned Scotts Run North development until Capital One acquired the land in May 2019.
Though a representative for Capital One told the planning commission it would discuss letting residents of the adjacent Gates of McLean condominiums use the field when it isn’t booked, Griffith says the baseball stadium isn’t designed for casual recreational use like a public park.
Instead, it’s meant to be “an attraction for friends, families, and community baseball aficionados to experience the game played at a high-intensity level,” he said.
Primarily made out of artifical turf, the field was built to meet NCAA standards. The facility can seat over 300 spectators and has picnic areas, restrooms, and a press box.
A schedule of games through Aug. 1 is now on the Capital One Center website.
In the spring and fall, the stadium will host college and high school baseball as well as the Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League. In the summer, the Potomac League — a wooden bat league for D.C.-area college players — will take over with nightly double-headers.
“In planning for Capital One Park, we have worked to ensure that the fan experience is front of mind with easy parking, game-day activations, and a robust concession program all as elements to complement and amplify the action on the field,” Griffith said.
Capital One plans to have an official grand opening celebration for the stadium in June.
Intended to be temporary until the site is built out, Capital One Park will later be joined by a publicly accessible urban park with a water feature, landscaping, a playground, a fitness zone, a plaza with seating, and food truck parking, according to the plan approved by the county.
According to Griffith, construction on that next phase of Capital One East is expected to begin later this year for a potential opening in late 2024.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors isn’t holding a public hearing on its proposed salary increases until Tuesday (March 21), but some county workers have already made their opposition known.
A union representing over 2,000 county government employees criticized the proposal as a blow to workers, whose projected pay raises aren’t expected to be fully funded in the county’s next budget.
“Despite our calls for wage fairness for county employees, it appears the County has another priority — raises for politicians,” SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax President Tammie Wondong said. “A meager 2% raise combined with the crushing weight of wage compression has left us feeling devalued. When employees have to work multiple jobs to get by or can’t afford to live in the county, it’s clear change is needed.”
With 33 years of work for the county under her belt, Wondong says the disparity between what the board is considering for itself compared to employees illustrates the need for “a union contract to achieve pay fairness.”
The Board of Supervisors approved collective bargaining in October 2021, but the Fire and Rescue Department is the only unit to officially elect a union representative so far.
Put forward by Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust on March 7, the raises would push the salaries for board members up from $95,000 to $124,000-130,000 per year and from $100,000 to $140,000-145,000 a year for the board chair.
The high end of those ranges would amount to pay bumps of nearly 37% for supervisors and 45% for the chair. Both positions last got raises in 2015.
Foust, who’s retiring at the end of December, says higher compensation will encourage candidates to run for supervisor, a position that carries full-time commitments but is treated as a part-time job in Virginia.
As I leave, I know it is critically important that we continue to attract great candidates from all backgrounds and stages of life to serve on the Board. The opportunity to serve is itself very rewarding. However, I believe it is in the best interest of the County that Supervisor compensation be set at a level that will enable anyone to serve regardless of their personal circumstances, and not just those who are wealthy or have other sources of income. I believe that increasing Supervisor pay for the first time in 8 years will advance that goal. I recognize that others have raised concerns and I look forward to the public hearing that will be held on March 21.
“I hope that through my service I have demonstrated that I care very much about the residents and employees of Fairfax County,” he said in a statement to FFXnow.
However, the challenge of affording housing, child care and other living expenses that some supervisors mentioned during their March 7 meeting also poses an obstacle to other county workers, like teachers and police, Fairfax County Federation of Teachers President David Walrod said.
About 1 in 7 Fairfax County employees can’t afford to live where they work, according to a 2021 analysis by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (TCI), a Richmond-based think tank.
“I’d never want to minimize the importance of the Board of Supervisors,” Walrod said. “But the reality is that if they are finding it difficult to maintain their homes and find childcare at $90,000, and require 47% raises to make ends meet, they should consider what that means for the county’s public employees who make significantly less.”
The county forecast in November that workers should get a 5.4% market rate adjustment (MRA) — the highest in more than 25 years due primarily to inflation, County Executive Bryan Hill said in a letter on his proposed budget for fiscal year 2024, which begins July 1.
Faced with an $86 million price tag, Hill included a 2% MRA in the advertised budget, prioritizing merit, longevity and performance increases instead.
Lauren Tumbleson, a social services worker for the county and member of SEIU Virginia 512, said she and her coworkers were “shocked and dismayed” when they learned about the Board of Supervisors’ proposed raises.
“Whether it’s wage compression or raises that don’t keep pace with the cost of living, the County is showing that it doesn’t value our hard work and dedication,” she said. “We’ve been vocal about the need for pay fairness but leadership decided to propose a raise for themselves instead.”
County workers have gotten support for its objections from at least one state legislator.
Del. Holly Seibold, who was elected to represent the 35th House District in January, called the proposed raises “objectionable” in a March 8 statement, encouraging constituents to participate in the upcoming public hearing.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors should prioritize funding for employees who need it the most, not increase their own pay. My full statement below: pic.twitter.com/7EHxjILdUO
— Holly Seibold (@HollySeiboldVA) March 8, 2023
A former teacher with a master’s degree, Seibold said she would need to work for 18 years from a starting salary of around $58,000 to match the supervisors’ current pay, which is still more than the $38,000 that a county records clerk makes annually on average.
“I expect the board to make responsible decisions or I would be open to creating oversight to ensure that they do,” she said, noting that she has a second job so that she can serve as delegate, which pays $17,000 a year.
When asked to elaborate, Seibold told FFXnow that the General Assembly has existing committees that can be assigned to provide oversight for localities.
“I thought it was important to publicly comment on this issue because so many of my constituents — many of which were teachers, support staff, first responders, etc — contacted me and were upset over the increase in supervisor salaries, yet the wages of county employees remained low,” she said by email. “I, too, thought it was wrong — and believe it is important to stand up for what’s right.”
(Updated at 1:30 p.m. on 3/20/2023) Fairfax County is in the midst of deciding where nearly $25 million in funding for pedestrian and bicyclists improvements will be allocated.
After combing through more than 2,000 possible projects, staff have develop a draft list of prioritized projects, according to Michael Guarino, head of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation’s capital projects division.
At a Board of Supervisors transportation committee meeting on Tuesday (March 14), Guarino said the county is using spatial analysis tools to help sift through roughly 2,800 unfunded projects and project requests. The list was then further pared down by examining network connectivity and trip generators.
“We’re using technology as best as we can. I think are areas where we can do it more. Overall, the process is working the way we want it to, it’s just taking longer than we want it to,” Guarino said.
The decision is part of the county’s $100 million commitment to support active or non-motorized transportation access and safety improvements.
The first $5 million in funding, approved in November 2022, included $2 million for trail maintenance, $2.7 million for crosswalk projects, and $200,000 for a safe routes project near Bush Hill Elementary School. An additional $100,000 was allocated to speed feedback signs for the Fairfax County Police Department.
As part of the next cycle, $2.3 million for crosswalk projects has already been approved, along with $400,000 to repair and replace existing rapid flashing beacons through fiscal year 2028.
Board members lauded staff for the methodology used to create the draft list.
“It was very well done the way you pulled this all together,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said.
The county plans to seek additional money for pedestrian intersection improvements at Blake Lane and Bushman Drive in Oakton as well as Beverly Road at Old Dominion Drive and Elm Street at Old Dominion Drive in McLean after missing out on a federal grant.
The county did not receive the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant due to a lack of needed data to back up claims for the need for the projects, along with the projects not being ready to build yet, Guarino said.
Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross noted that some projects can take years to come to fruition. She said it took nearly 37 years to install sidewalks on Sleepy Hollow Road — a project that is currently under construction.
“It wasn’t all the county’s fault,” Gross said, adding that an iterative process will ensure that projects are shovel-ready.
The proposed list of active transportation projects includes:
- Curb ramps and marked crosswalks at Sunset Hills Road and Reston Station Blvd
- Improvements at Lockheed Blvd from Hybla Valley Elementary School to Huntley Meadows Park
- Gum Springs Trail
- A sidewalk on westbound Route 7 from Magnolia Avenue in front of 5930 Leesburg Pike
- Vale Road and Flint Hill Road crosswalk improvements near Flint Hill Elementary School
- Crosswalk improvements at Columbia Pike and Tyler Street
- Lorton Station Blvd and Potomac Bend crosswalk improvements
- Preliminary design for a Tuttle Road trail connection to Hillside Road
- Rolling Road and Grigsby Drive crosswalk improvements
- Fair Lakes Blvd and Sedghurst Drive crosswalk improvements
- Projects from the West Falls Church and Huntington Metro area active transportation studies
- Saint Germain Drive and Machen Road intersection improvements
- Eskridge Road crosswalk improvements
- Roughly $400,000 for additional Fairfax County Park Authority trail maintenance
Staff also proposed reserving funds to cover consultant fees for assistance in prioritizing projects and creating a contingency fund for cost overruns and other considerations.
The county expects to finalize the list of allocations for board consideration at a April 11 meeting. The prioritization process would continue in the fall to determine how any carryover money from the current fiscal year 2023 cycle will be allocated.
Sophia Manicone has come a long way from her “Vienna Idol” days.
The 18-year-old Vienna resident recently realized the dream of every theater kid with her Broadway debut in the revival of “Parade,” which officially opened yesterday (Thursday) at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City.
Starring Tony winner Ben Platt and “The Cher Show” breakout Micaela Diamond, the musical explores racism and antisemitism as a dramatization of the real-life 1913 trial of Jewish American factory manager Leo Frank, a case that stoked the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan and led to the creation of the Anti-Defamation League.
Manicone — a senior at the Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts with Vienna’s James Madison High School as her base school — plays Iola Stover, a factory worker who testifies against Frank.
She joined the revival’s Off-Broadway premiere at New York City Center (NYCC) in November and learned a month later that she would be part of the transfer to Broadway. She was one of 18 cast members making their debut when the show began previews on Feb. 21.
“It’s so unbelievable. It still doesn’t feel real,” Manicone told FFXnow by email. “Being a part of this incredible cast is so thrilling. I’m performing alongside people I listened to (and sang along with) on cast recordings since I was a little kid. The people in the cast and the creative team have been welcoming and supportive. I feel so lucky!”
Manicone traces her love of theater back to the musical films and cartoons she watched as a young kid. A trip to see “Mary Poppins” on Broadway when she was 3 cemented that infatuation, leading her to pursue her first audition in New York when she was in second grade.
“My parents got us tickets in the last row of the theater in case I wasn’t able to sit through the show,” she recalled. “But apparently I didn’t move an inch and was mesmerized — especially when Mary Poppins flew across the theater!”
Manicone’s journey to the Great White Way began in earnest on the Vienna Town Green, where she made her first big public performances competing in the annual “Vienna Idol” fundraiser, she told DC Theater Arts in 2016.
She was 9 when she won the title in 2014 with “her booming Broadway voice,” The Connection reported at the time. From there came roles in local theater productions, including her first professional lead role in Creative Cauldron’s “Ruthless! The Musical.”
Because of her community theater work, Manicone says her ability to participate in school plays was limited, but in sixth grade, she appeared in “Seussical” at Louise Archer Elementary School. She also sang choir in her elementary and middle school years.
“I had amazing teachers and as a middle schooler, it was wonderful having such a supportive environment where I felt I belonged,” she said.
Musical theater teacher Erich DiCenzo saw that Manicone had the “it factor” needed to succeed in the performing arts as soon as he met her at Fairfax Academy, where she played Katherine Plumber in “Newsies” during her junior year.
As director of the program’s Musical Theatre and Actor’s Studio, which offers courses to students interested in theater as a career, DiCenzo says Manicone has been “a true joy to teach” over the past three years, praising her work ethic, passion and kindness as well as her talent.
“I’d be hard-pressed to think of someone more deserving,” DiCenzo said of Manicone’s Broadway debut. “As her Director, I couldn’t feel more pride. I look forward celebrating Sophia’s success in New York City when I see the show. After seeing her in the New York City Center’s production, I assure you this is one you won’t want to miss!”
Manicone says she’ll “never forget” the phone call she got while eating lunch on Sept. 17, informing her that she had been cast in NYCC’s production of “Parade.”
She beat out over 500 other actors for the role of Iola, and many family members, friends and teachers from both Fairfax Academy and Madison traveled to see her perform during the show’s five-day run, according to City of Fairfax Schools, which hosts the academy at Fairfax High School.
After learning that she would be in the Broadway production as well, Manicone moved to New York City around Jan. 28 — at the same time she wrapped up auditions for college. With “Parade” set to run through Aug. 6, she has been finishing her high school classes online and is on track to graduate on time.
However, the demands of professional theater have meant giving up some aspects of student life, as she told Madison’s student newspaper earlier this year, and this show is no exception.
“I am so grateful to Fairfax County and my school’s administration. They’ve been very supportive,” Manicone said. “…I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it to graduation though. I have shows six days a week. We’re still looking into whether I could attend graduation in the morning and make it back to NYC for an 8 p.m. curtain.”
Strep Throat Diagnoses Rise in Fairfax County — “Data from emergency departments and urgent care centers in the community have shown an increase in the number of people who have been diagnosed with strep throat since late January 2023. For the week of March 5-11, there were more visits to ED and urgent care facilities for strep throat than at any time in the past 3 years” [Fairfax County Health Department]
BB Gun Appears During Fight at Annandale HS — “Video obtained by 7News captured a fight at Annandale High School in Fairfax County Wednesday where a BB gun ended up falling to the floor…Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) also confirmed to 7News the presence of the BB gun following the fight during a ‘class change.'” [ABC7]
Tysons Developers Pivot Away From Office — “Cityline Partners still has 4M SF of office space planned at its Scotts Run development in Tysons, but the only projects moving ahead at the vast site near the McLean Metro station are multifamily and hotel. With the region’s already weak office market not expected to recover in the near future, that trend is poised to continue.” [Bisnow]
West Springfield Student Wins Landmark Wrestling Title — “Elaina Primozic won the first Virginia girls wrestling state meet. Elaina entered the wrestling team as a manager, but after a few weeks, she emailed the coach to join the team. Elaina finished the season by winning the 156-pound title at the first Virginia High School League girls’ championships.” [FCPS/Facebook]
Board Chair Frustrated by Maryland’s Beltway Project Delays — “Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay (D) called Transurban’s decision in Maryland a setback to needed improvements at the American Legion Bridge, one of Fairfax County’s biggest traffic bottlenecks, and said the outcome was not in the long-term interest of Virginia or Maryland.” [Gazette Leader]
Mount Vernon Post Office Stays in Place — “The post office at Mount Vernon Plaza will remain in business at its current location, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) confirmed March 15 to On the MoVe.” The Washington Business Journal reported in December that the shopping center’s property manager had “filed suit against the USPS for unpaid rent,” giving the post office until Feb. 28 to vacate. [On the MoVe]
Herndon Library Gets “Maker Lab” — “The Maker Lab @ Herndon is a space designed for people who love to learn, discover, and explore…You will have access to a variety of tools and equipment, including a 3D printer, sewing machines, robots and more.” The facility’s grand opening will be celebrated tomorrow (Saturday) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Fairfax Woman Competes in Beauty Pageant — “On Saturday, Fairfax City resident Amini Bonane will be pursuing her quest to become the first Congolese woman to be crowned Miss Africa USA…Patch recently interviewed Bonane to find out about her experience growing up in Fairfax City and what led up to her becoming a Miss Africa USA contestant.” [Patch]
Nearby: Baby Bald Eagle Hatches in Loudoun — “On Tuesday, the eaglet hatched in the nest along the Dulles Greenway. The eaglet’s parents — Rosa and Martin — have two more eggs they’re incubating in the nest in a wetlands area of Leesburg, so wildlife experts are watching closely for those to hatch sometime this week.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Friday — Possible light rain in the afternoon and evening. High of 60 and low of 45. Sunrise at 7:18 am and sunset at 7:18 pm. [Weather.gov]
Cityline Partners, the real estate company overseeing the development of Scotts Run, is changing up its approach to a still-vacant portion of the Tysons East neighborhood.
The developer KM Hotels has partnered with Hilton to combine two of the latter’s brands in one high-rise building at the southwest corner of Route 123 (Dolley Madison Blvd) and Anderson Road, a legal agent for Cityline said in a rezoning application filed with Fairfax County on Monday (March 13).
The proposed Hilton hotel building will occupy half of a nearly 1.8-acre site known as the Westgate Block, replacing an 18-story office building envisioned by the Scotts Run South master plan that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors originally approved in 2013.
With the change in plans, Cityline is “just responding to the market,” the developer’s managing director Donna Schafer told the Washington Business Journal, which first reported the application.
At 17 stories or 225 feet tall, including a penthouse, the hotel will have a Home2 Suites — an “extended stay concept” from Hilton — on floors six through nine, while floors 11 through 17 will be devoted to the boutique Canopy.
“Canopy is a relatively new offering by Hilton and is designed to draw on the spirit and character of the surrounding neighborhood. This includes food and drink options that will complement the area,” Walsh Colucci lawyer Lynne Strobel wrote in a statement of justification.
Planned amenities include a rooftop restaurant and bar, meeting rooms and courtyards for guests of the 263 hotel units.
With a maximum square footage of 227,312, the building will also have 4,846 square feet of ground-floor retail or service space and a four-level parking podium to serve hotel guests and visitors. It will have 172 parking spaces and two loading spaces.
According to the application, the switch from office to hotel won’t increase Scotts Run’s density, since the developer is instead shifting over space that was allocated but ultimately not needed for Archer Hotel, which opened just two blocks away in September 2021.
In addition to drawing visitors to the area, the application argues that the proposed hotel will benefit Tysons by adding “a number of employees,” contributing to the tax base, and providing conference rooms and other work-related amenities while having less of an impact on traffic than an office building would.
The developer projects that its new proposal will generate approximately 167 fewer vehicle trips during the morning rush hour on weekdays and 131 fewer trips in the afternoon than the existing plan.
“The Applicant’s proposal represents an essential stepping stone in the development of Scotts Run South and Tysons,” Strobel wrote. “The proposed hotel acts as a gateway to Tysons, and will add to the uses that have already begun to transform the Tysons East District into a vibrant mixed-use community.”
For the other half of the Westgate Block, Cityline has proposed either a 255,759-square-foot office building with up to 12,970 square feet of retail or a 259,412-square-foot residential building with up to 15,482 square feet of retail.
If approved, the block will be built in two phases, with the hotel coming first. Last year, Cityline got the county’s approval to create an temporary park on the lot at 1600 Anderson Road until construction begins.
Fairfax County hasn’t officially accepted the application for review yet.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay plans to introduce a board matter next week that would direct county staff to analyze a road safety measure called turn calming.
The measure would direct staff to look at cities like Portland and New York City that have established turn calming programs, as recommended in a March 1 letter from the county’s Trails, Sidewalks and Bikeways (TSB) Committee.
McKay plans to introduce the matter when the board meets Tuesday (March 21).
“When it comes to pedestrian safety in particular, we need every possible tool in our tool box,” McKay told FFXnow.
After a year that saw a high number of pedestrian fatalities in Fairfax County, the TSB wrote to McKay endorsing a turn-calming program as one way to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the county.
A turn calming program would make alterations to intersections with the goal of bringing down vehicle speeds during turns and reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
In an addendum to the letter, the TSB points to an education campaign, physical improvements such as “hardened” center lines, and other strategies as “essential components” of a turn calming program.
Shawn Newman, who represents the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling on the TSB, says turn calming would push transportation planners to rethink how intersections are designed.
Right now, many right turn corners in the county are designed so that cars can make them at “a relatively high rate of speed,” he explained.
“A simple fix such as bumping the corner out a bit and making it closer to a 90-degree angle will force vehicles to slow down and be more careful on the turn,” Newman said. “Left turns can also be made safer by extending out the median to again force vehicles to slow down and drive more carefully.”
According to the TSB committee’s letter, intersections were the location of 54, or 45%, of the county’s pedestrian-involved vehicular crashes recorded in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Crash Analysis Tool between 2015 and October 2022.
“Intersection-related accidents are likely due to several factors that would be addressed by a turn-calming program: many drivers are traveling at too high a speed through intersections, cut corners and accelerate through intersections, and have limited awareness of potential presence of pedestrians,” TSB Chairman Kenneth Comer wrote in the letter.
The TSB letter comes after the Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed a Safe Streets for All program in May 2022. The letter identifies a turn calming program as the “most promising” step to prioritize along the county’s major arterial roads in addition to the program’s recommendations.
“It’s good that they passed that…but it hasn’t accomplished its goal yet,” Newman said. “The streets are not safe yet.”
VDOT maintains practically all of the county’s public roads, so the state agency would have to be involved. If the measures work, McKay says he would fight for them to be implemented.
“I don’t want to spend any resources on things that don’t statistically work,” McKay said.
The TSB letter also recommends the county resist any efforts by VDOT to remove a crosswalk at the Braddock Road and Kings Park Drive intersection in West Springfield, where a pedestrian was killed in December.
When Panerai was scouting potential locations for its first-ever store in the D.C. region, Tysons Galleria emerged as an appropriate choice for the self-described “luxury” Italian watchmaker.
The company’s new boutique opened yesterday (Wednesday) on the mall’s second floor, between stores for Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen and Montblanc, which also sells watches as well as pens and leather goods.
“Tysons Galleria has stood up to its reputation as a premier shopping destination in the D.C. area, something that truly resonates with our brand ethos,” a Panerai spokesperson said. “Given Panerai’s product line and appeal, Tysons instantly became a fit as it has successfully connected and met the rising demands of local shoppers for luxury goods.”
The over-400-square-foot store features a VIP lounge for private consultations and was designed based on a new concept by Panerai Creative Director Alvaro Maggini.
According to a press release, the design was inspired by “industrial architecture and the sea world, paying homage to Panerai’s craftsmanship in watchmaking and ties to the Italian Navy.”
Upon entering, Panerai exhibits a warm, inviting space that instantly diffuses the brand’s adventurous and bold appeal. The decor’s unique features include custom Italian furniture, dark ceilings, concrete walls, veined marble flooring, and Panerai’s signature luminous green wall clock. This latest creative concept transforms the store’s atmosphere and reimagines the brand’s relationship with its customers: making it a destination for leisure, connection, and compelling experiences.
Founded in 1860, the business was started in Florence, Italy, by Giovanni Panerai as the city’s first watch-making school and a shop that supplied the Italian Royal Navy.
Panerai didn’t introduce civilian watch collections until 1993, according to its website, which also highlights its development of a custom-made model for actor Sylvester Stallone to wear in the 1996 movie “Daylight.”
The company now has over 250 boutiques worldwide, including about 60 locations in the U.S.
Panerai is the latest new tenant to open at Tysons Galleria in recent weeks, following IWC, the restaurants Yard House and Jiwa Singapura, and the dine-in movie theater CMX CinéBistro. Other openings include the home furniture store Azzurri and the menswear outlet Indochino.
Electric car manufacturer Lucid Motors has also opened a delivery and service center with a showroom next to Bowlero.
