A portion of the new Hunter Mill Road bridge over Colvin Run near Vienna is expected to open for traffic this week.
Vehicles will shift onto one lane of the new bridge between Crowell Road (Route 675) and Cobble Mill Road starting around 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday), the Virginia Department of Transportation announced yesterday.
“One lane of alternating traffic will travel across the newly constructed portion of the bridge while the existing bridge is demolished and the remaining portion of the new bridge is built,” VDOT said in the news release. “The alternating traffic will continue to be controlled by temporary signals.”
The traffic change had initially been anticipated on Wednesday, Dec. 21, but warnings of gnarly winter weather led VDOT to postpone the date. Tomorrow’s opening is dependent on weather as well.
Update: This is now scheduled for Fri 12/30 at 2PM. https://t.co/wsExiAvlq0
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) December 28, 2022
Expected to finish this coming spring, the Colvin Run bridge project is replacing a one-lane structure that was originally built in 1974 and could only hold up to 10 tons.
The new bridge will consist of two travel lanes separated by a median and abutments to set the stage for a trail crossing to the south, though the trail bridge will be built “at a future date” by Fairfax County.
Construction on the bridge replacement began in August 2021. Work ramped up this past September with the addition of some temporary traffic signals and Driveway Assistance Devices (DADs) to help manage thru, residential and construction traffic on the one-lane bridge.
Holiday shoppers have flocked over the past week to a new coffee shop in Tysons Galleria from an unexpected source.
Ralph Lauren, the fashion company known for its polo shirts, opened Ralph’s Coffee on Dec. 19, just in time to take advantage of the final Christmas shopping rush.
“I think that’s what really brought the foot traffic in the mall because of the holiday time,” store manager Danica Little told FFXnow. “Everyone’s looking, they’re seeing something new, and they want to try it, so we’re excited. It was perfect timing for us.”
Replacing a shuttered Starbucks, the shop is located next to Ralph Lauren’s store, which recently moved from Tysons Galleria’s third floor to the first floor near Neiman Marcus. An internal doorway allows visitors to walk back and forth between the two businesses.
This is the first Ralph’s Coffee in the D.C. area, Little confirmed. The concept began as a pop-up truck in New York City, where Ralph Lauren has its headquarters, before a brick-and-mortar location overlooking Fifth Avenue opened in 2014.
Since then, Ralph’s Coffee has expanded to four locations in New York, one in Miami and one in Chicago, along with two shops in Europe and several in Asia. Ralph Lauren is also dabbling in the food service industry with restaurants in New York City, Chicago, Italy, France and China.
According to its website, Ralph’s sells special roast, decaf and espresso blends that use coffee beans grown in Central America, South America and Asia. The beans are roasted and packaged by La Colombe, a Philadelphia-based roaster that says it uses sustainable, equitable trade practices.
In addition to coffee, the menu includes hot and cold teas, hot chocolate and a variety of baked goods and pastries. The brownie got an approving shoutout from at least one TikTok foodie who visited the shop on its opening day.
While not aware of any specific plans for other locations, Little says Ralph Lauren intends to expand its coffee services. The company has other stores in the D.C. area, including in downtown D.C., Silver Spring, and Woodbridge, but Tysons Galleria is the only Fairfax County location.
Ralph’s Coffee follows the mall’s operating hours, which are typically 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Tysons Galleria’s hours are slightly different for the winter holidays until Feb. 1.
“We’ve been open for just a few days…It’s been very successful, and we’ve been really happy with all the turnout,” Little said.
Fairfax County’s trails are ready for their close-up.
With 2023 right around the corner, the Fairfax County Park Authority and Fairfax County Park Foundation are once again inviting community members to take a hike and submit their best snapshots for potential prizes.
The annual First Hike Fairfax photo contest will return this weekend, encouraging both professional and amateaur photographers to capture the scene at any park authority-owned trail.
“The contest joins countless First Day Hike programs throughout America’s state parks and is open to hikers and photographers of any age and skill level,” the FCPA said in a news release. “It’s a great way of getting out and enjoying the new year with friends, neighbors and family.”
A link for submissions will go live on the contest website at 5 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 31) and close right at midnight on Monday (Dec. 2).
Prizes will be given in seven categories:
- People’s Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card or 25-visit FCPA Rec Center Discount Fast Pass (valued at $175)
- Judges’ Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card or 25-visit FCPA Rec Center Discount Fast Pass (valued at $175)
- Director’s Choice: $100 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Scenery/Landscapes): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (People): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Wildlife): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
- Best in Show (Pets): $75 Park Authority Gift Card
Each person can only submit one photo, though families or groups can send in individual submissions. Photos must be provided as a JPG or PNG, and they should include a date and the park or trail where they were taken, according to the FCPA.
The park authority oversees over 334 miles of trails, not including regional facilities like the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.
Tysons Corner Center Gets Post-Holiday Boost — “Thousands of shoppers visited Tysons Corner Center on Tuesday to make holiday returns and to take advantage of some post-holiday sales. Some people who spoke with WTOP at the mall say an annual post-Christmas trip to the shopping center is a tradition.” [WTOP]
ICYMI: Man Charged After Herndon Barricade Incident — “Police identified 66-year-old Paul Graves of Herndon as the man who barricaded himself inside a townhouse and held a person hostage on Tuesday night…[He] was cited on three felony charges, one for abduction, one for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one for shooting in an occupied building.” [Patch]
Local Congressman Goes Back to School — “It seemed study time would have to wait. That’s been the story of the year for [Rep. Don] Beyer (D-Va.), who has been moonlighting as a student at George Mason University in pursuit of a master’s degree in machine learning while balancing his duties as a congressman.” [The Washington Post]
Two Charged With Brandishing Gun in Fairfax — “City of Fairfax Police were summoned around 2:09 p.m., on Dec. 20, for the report of a man and woman pointing and waving a firearm in the 10800 block of Fairchester Drive. After locating the two subjects of the report, officers determined that the woman had a firearm and the man was intoxicated, according to the report.” [Patch]
County Pension Investments in Cryptocurrency Questioned — The CIO of Fairfax County’s Uniformed Retirement System says “the County Employees pension had over 10% of its assets invested in crypto at its peak and an even greater amount committed, yet-to-be invested. The County Police pension had over 13% invested at its peak” [Forbes]
Traffic Gardens Grow in Northern Virginia — “How can parents and teachers safely introduce kids to the rules of the road? In Northern Virginia and across the country, one solution has been gaining popularity: traffic gardens. Traffic gardens are small-scale models of streets, that allow kids to practice following traffic patterns in a safe, fun environment.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Vienna Payment Portal Goes Offline — “The Town’s online payment portal is down until Jan. 2 for a system upgrade. When the system is back online, utility customers must create a new online account to access the system. Payments can also be made in person at the Town Hall, 127 Center St. S, Vienna.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Workshop for Aspiring Business Owners Coming — “If starting a business is on top of your list for 2023, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is ready to assist you! Ashley Chen, founder and CEO of Fairfax County-based ActioNet will be the featured guest speaker during FCEDA’s next Entrepreneurship 101 (E-101) workshop scheduled for January 10, 2023, in Tysons.” [FCEDA]
It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 46 and low of 30. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 pm. [Weather.gov]
The Fairfax County Police Department has revised how its officers respond to “swatting” after seeing a noticeable uptick in such incidents in recent years.
“Swatting” is a form of harassment involving false 911 calls that are intended to draw a heavy law enforcement response, such as a SWAT team, putting the target in a potentially life-threatening situation.
As of Dec. 6, the FCPD had recorded 12 swatting incidents this year, a decline from the 30 seen in 2021 but still significantly higher than the three reported in 2018 and five in 2019, according to data provided to FFXnow. Incidents have climbed into the double digits since 2020, when there were 11.
“As you can tell they have risen over the years,” said Sgt. Lance Hamilton with the police department’s public affairs bureau. “As a result, we have updated our General Orders regarding the response to ‘Swatting’ events in August of this year.”
Effective Aug. 11, the department’s hostage and barricade procedures now includes a specific subsection on potential swatting incidents:
Officers should factor in, prior to attempting to make contact with any individual at a location where a report of a hostage or barricade incident has been communicated through the Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC), whether or not the incident constitutes a false “swatting” incident. Officers should consider whether the scene matches the 9-1-1 call description and follow-up with criminal investigations of making a false report to police whenever possible.
Officers should consider “if they have legal authority, what are the potential dangers posed to the community/officers, and is there a need for additional specialized resources from our Operations Support Bureau,” Hamilton said.
“In most cases, this is handled by the department’s de-escalation techniques of using time and distance to slow things down,” Hamilton said. “As you can imagine this is a difficult balance when someone calls 911 regarding an active event.”
The policy change came after community members filed complaints about two separate incidents with the county’s Police Civilian Review Panel, which reviews FCPD investigations into abuse of authority and misconduct allegations.
In one case, police were called to an Annandale townhome at 4 a.m. on March 8, 2020 after a man who claimed to be a neighbor called 911 twice, saying the women who lived there were yelling and fighting. The women said the responsing officers knocked excessively and didn’t identify themselves, leading them to not answer the door right away.
In the other, the FCPD sent a full SWAT team to a home after a 911 caller reported shots being fired “during a likely domestic disturbance,” according to the panel’s 2021 annual report.
While the panel found no misconduct in either case, it expressed surprise at the lack of a follow-up investigation into the 911 caller in the first case and suggested that the FCPD reconsider its policies.
“While the Panel is aware that certain rules concerning 9-1-1 procedures are set at the Commonwealth-wide level, it is our hope that the FCPD and the county can work together to make sure that procedures and laws are in place such that the frequency of such dangerous incidents is greatly minimized,” the annual report said.
The haziness around when an unfounded call reaches the level of a criminal false report, necessitating a follow-up investigation, may get cleared up by a bill that’s expected to be introduced in the Virginia General Assembly’s upcoming 2023 session.
According to FFXnow’s sister site, ARLnow, Del. Angelia Williams Graves (D-Norfolk) will carry a bill that defines swatting and designates it as a specific crime.
Though the FBI has warned against swatting since at least 2008, Virginia only addresses it right now under a law against filing false police reports. California became the first state to implement an anti-swatting law in 2014.
Graves’s legislation was spurred by Arlington County officials who identified combatting swatting as a legislative priority after multiple hoax calls alleging an active shooter prompted school lockdowns.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors didn’t include any similar requests in its 2023 legislative package, but Chairman Jeff McKay says he’s been monitoring policy changes related to swatting made by the police department and recommended by the civilian review panel.
“Swatting is a serious offense and should be treated as such,” McKay said in a statement. “I will ask our legislative staff to review any bills that come up that address this through state law. I appreciate the efforts by the [panel] and FCPD to ensure that police practices continue to protect public safety at all times.”
The proposed route and stations for Route 7 bus rapid transit service from Tysons to Alexandria (via NVTC/Twitter)
(Updated at 4:25 p.m. on 1/3/2023) An ongoing study of the possibility of having bus rapid transit (BRT) service from Tysons to Alexandria can now proceed confident that the planning will be seen through to completion.
The $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that Congress approved on Friday (Dec. 23), just in time to avert a potential government shutdown, included $2 million to complete all planning and environmental studies needed for the project, known as Envision Route 7.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission — the recipient of the funds — has been studying whether and how to bring dedicated bus service to Route 7 between the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons and the Mark Center in Alexandria since 2013.
The fourth and latest phase of the study — a mobility analysis evaluating the benefits and impacts of BRT — got underway in October 2021. Expected to finish in April, it will be followed by environmental and preliminary engineering design work.
Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer requested that funds for the project be included in the omnibus bill so it can “complete the planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis to prepare…for design and construction,” according to a press release from Beyer’s office.
The proposed BRT will provide “high-quality, frequent” bus service along a corridor that’s already the second busiest for buses in Virginia, Connolly said in a separate release:
This BRT project will provide a reliable and affordable transportation option for communities along this corridor; provide a green transportation option that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help in the battle against climate change; reduce congestion along a key transportation corridor in Northern Virginia already benefitting from significant economic development and investment; leverage a range of federal, Commonwealth, regional, and local transportation funds; connect major employment centers (U.S. Department of Defense Mark Center, Bailey’s Crossroads, Seven Corners, West Falls Church and Tysons); and further enhance a robust and growing transit system in Northern Virginia.
“The #EnvisionRoute7 BRT will provide as many as 42,000 daily transit trips giving people access to opportunities throughout our region with direct transit connections to Metro at Tysons and East Falls Church, as well as to the new Alexandria West End Transitway,” NVTC said on Twitter, thanking Connolly and Beyer for securing the funds.
The #EnvisionRoute7 BRT will provide as many as 42,000 daily transit trips giving people access to opportunities throughout our region with direct transit connections to Metro at Tysons and East Falls Church, as well as to the new Alexandria West End Transitway.
— NVTC (@NoVaTransit) December 23, 2022
The Tysons segment of the BRT will include six stops, traveling up International Drive and looping around the Spring Hill Metro before taking International back down to Route 7 (Leesburg Pike).
The service will use two transit-only lanes that Fairfax County plans to build by widening Route 7 from Route 123 to the Capital Beltway.
From Tysons, the route continues through Falls Church City, into the Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads area, and down to Alexandria. NVTC held a community meeting to discuss the Falls Church portion in October.
Other Fairfax County projects that got funding from the federal spending package include a cycle track on Sunrise Valley Drive to the Innovation Center Metro station, pedestrian and bicycle upgrades near the Vienna Metro station, and a renovation of the Little River Glen Senior Center near Fairfax City.
There are only a few days left before fee increases go into effect on the Dulles Toll Road.
Beginning Jan. 1, at the main line plaza, tolls will rise from $3.25 to $4 for two-axle vehicles, $6.50 to $8 for three-axle vehicles, $7.75 to $9.25 for four-axle vehicles, and $9 to $10.50 for five-axle vehicles.
The increase was approved by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors earlier this year. This is the first fee increase since 2019.
“Strategic debt management and refinancing efforts have kept toll rates lower than original projections through the years,” MWAA wrote in a statement.
The next toll increase will go into effect on 2028. Overall, hikes are expected every five years, according to MWAA. Increases are expected to continue through 2058.
At the ramps, tolls will increase from $1.25 to $2 for two-axle vehicles, $3 to $4 for three-axle vehicles, $3.50 to $4.50 for four-axle vehicles, and $4 to $5 for five-axle vehicles.
Toll booths will also be eliminated in the coming months, with the system switching to fully electronic payments.
Revenue from the tolls funds operating and maintenance costs, along with a portion of the construction costs for Silver Line. Service for the extension began in mid-November.
Efforts to alleviate crowding issues at Kent Gardens Elementary School are starting to pick up steam, but Fairfax County Public Schools is still working to identify and pursue specific solutions.
With 1,023 students, the McLean school is at 121% of its building capacity, per a proposed capital improvement program (CIP) for fiscal years 2023-2027. That makes it one of the most crowded schools in FCPS, second only to Wakefield Forest Elementary School and tied with Centreville High School.
Wakefield Forest in Annandale is at 135% capacity, but construction is underway on a renovation, which will reduce its capacity utilization to 80%. Centreville High is in line for an expansion as part of the FCPS renovation queue, which was last updated in 2009.
Kent Gardens, however, has yet to join the queue, despite overcrowding complaints persisting in the McLean High School pyramid for a decade now.
That may change after FCPS staff hosted a community meeting on Oct. 7 to discuss the challenges facing the elementary school and gather feedback on potential solutions.
“The upcoming CIP will highlight Kent Gardens as a priority site for a full scoping of options by staff and community engagement to determine the best way forward,” said Elaine Tholen, who represents McLean as the school board’s Dranesville District member. “Staff is also investigating short term improvements that can be done at the Kent Gardens site as longer term solutions are implemented over the next several years.”
Short-term options could include building maintenance or improvements to the on-site trailers, Tholen told FFXnow. Temporary classrooms were added in the 2019-2020 school year and this current year “to accommodate short-term capacity deficit,” according to the CIP.
In addition to a renovation, long-term solutions could include programming or boundary changes, which would be phased in over multiple years, Tholen said.
The school board approved a boundary adjustment in 2021 that shifted some McLean High students to Langley High School, though Kent Gardens wasn’t affected.
According to FCPS, the capacity issues stem from a combination of population growth in McLean — which could continue if development progresses as the county hopes — and high demand for its programs.
“The capacity challenges at Kent Gardens ES are complex as the school not only serves a growing community within its boundaries, but also incorporates students outside the boundary for the popular French Immersion program,” an FCPS spokesperson said by email.
FCPS data indicates that the school’s base population has actually declined over the past three years, dropping from 924 students in 2019-2020 to 869 students in 2021-2022. Students transferring in, particularly for language immersion, have pushed enrollment over the 1,000 mark.
Though FCPS revised its registration process last year to accept more students at Kent Gardens, among the options proposed at the October community meeting was dropping one of the three French immersion classes.
With the application period opening on Jan. 23, FCPS says no changes to the program will occur for the 2023-2024 school year.
“Since October, our instructional and facilities staff have continued to meet, look at community input and determine next steps,” Tholen said.
The school board’s ad-hoc Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee (CPDC) discussed possible long-term options for Kent Gardens at a meeting on Dec. 8. The committee will develop “a recommendation for a comprehensive planning process,” FCPS said.
“Discussion on the capacity challenges at the school will continue during the School Board Work Session on the CIP,” the FCPS spokesperson said. “Staff will prepare highlights for the January 2023 CPDC meeting of options by staff and a path for community engagement to determine the best way forward.”
Regional Airports Hit by Flight Cancellations — “Hundreds of Southwest Airlines flights have been canceled at Eastern airports Tuesday as the fallout from the pre-Christmas storm continues. At Reagan National Airport…89 flights were canceled in the past 24 hours as of Tuesday morning, according to the tracker site FlightAware. Dulles Airport said 30 flights were canceled in the past day.” [Patch]
Mount Vernon Post Office Sued — The U.S. Postal Service has defaulted on more than $71,000 in rent payments and must vacate its 21,392-square-foot space in Mount Vernon Plaza by Feb. 28, the property owner claims. Federal Realty filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday (Dec. 22), stating that the agency hasn’t responded to repeated notices, including a default letter sent by USPS in September. [Washington Business Journal]
Franconia Wegmans Reportedly Robbed on Christmas — “Police are searching for four men who forced their way into a Wegmans store in Fairfax County early Christmas morning, according to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). At 3:05 a.m., four men dressed in dark clothing and masks forced entry into the Wegmans at 7905 Hilltop Village Center Drive, police said.” [ABC7]
Local NAACP Pushes for Literacy Education — “The Fairfax group, and its neighboring chapter in Arlington, Virginia, are among a growing number of NAACP organizations that have in recent years turned their attention to how reading is taught in school. They are part of a nationwide movement to embrace what cognitive science shows us about how students learn to read, particularly about the role of phonics — and they see this as a path toward social justice.” [The Hechinger Report]
New Electoral Board Member Appointed — “Jeffrey K. Shapiro was recently appointed and sworn in by the Fairfax Circuit Court as a member of the Fairfax County Electoral Board for a three-year term that begins on Jan. 1. He replaces Bettina Lawton, whose term will end on Dec. 31.” [Fairfax County Government]
McLean Theater Offers Behind-the-Scenes Look — “A program exploring how productions are put on at the Alden Theatre of the McLean Community Center will be presented on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m…The event is designed to ‘take the mystery out of what goes on behind the curtain,’ MCC officials said.” [Sun Gazette]
Critic Recommends Tysons Korean Steakhouse — Ingle Korean Steakhouse, a recent arrival at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons, was named among food critic Tom Sietsema’s top seven favorite restaurants to eat for December. He says the restaurant offers “some memorable dishes and, in combination with the service and setting, plenty of bang for your buck.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 41 and low of 26. Sunrise at 7:27 am and sunset at 4:55 pm. [Weather.gov]
Moby Dick’s time in McLean may be running out.
The kabob house and two nearby office buildings, including one that’s currently home to the McLean Medical Center, are being eyed for redevelopment, continuing a trend of commercial sites turning into housing.
In a rezoning application filed with Fairfax County on Friday (Dec. 23), property owner JAG Partners LLC has proposed replacing the restaurant at 6854 Old Dominion Drive and the office buildings at 6858 Old Dominion and 6861 Elm Street with a mid-rise, mixed-use residential building.
Named Astoria, the development will “create synergy and connection” with Mars Inc.’s pending global headquarters expansion next door on Elm Street, the application says.
“The proposed Astoria McLean redevelopment is mindfully designed to implement the vision expressed in the McLean CBC Plan for a more walkable, welcoming and functional downtown, with a more vibrant mix of uses that will add color and life while retaining the convenience of the legacy McLean Community Business Center,” Holland & Knight partner Michelle Rosati wrote in a statement of justification on the developer’s behalf.
Adopted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in June 2021, the McLean CBC plan is intended to revitalize the downtown area by creating a core where taller, more intense buildings would be allowed compared to the strip shopping centers that dominate now.
The plan also calls for a network of green spaces, a shift from surface to garage parking, public art and housing that’s affordable to different income levels.
While some projects are in the works, such as the Mars expansion and Giant shopping center redesign, the plan hasn’t yet invited the surge in developer activity that the county sought and some residents feared.
JAG believes the proposed Astoria redevelopment could be a “catalyst” for making that vision become more of a reality, according to its application.
The developer bought the Moby Dick building, which dates back to 1968, for more than $1.8 million in 2018, according to county property records, which say the “price reflects anticipated redevelopment.” The Old Dominion office building was built in 1980 and purchased for $12.1 million in 2017.
The Elm Street property, which features a four-story office building built in 1979, is still owned by the Ramay Family Partnership, which has given its endorsement and consent to the redevelopment.
The redevelopment would demolish those existing buildings and construct a 287,042-square-foot, six-story residential building with 130 units and ground-floor commercial space, possibly an office and coffee shop or co-working space, per the submitted plan.
The office is intended to serve as a new home for McLean Medical Center’s primary and urgent care site, Rosati told FFXnow. While no large restaurant component is planned, it’s too early to know what exactly might go into the retail space.
A total of 12 units will be designated as workforce dwelling units. Eighteen units will be on the ground floor “to activate the ground plane with residential activity and energy,” according to the application.
“This proposal is unique in that it combines some ground-floor non-residential uses with ground-floor units, so that first floor space is not entirely retail or commercial,” Rosati said. “We believe that this mix will give the residents in the building a feeling of being more connected to the neighborhood.”
As part of the redevelopment, JAG has proposed a mid-block, paved pedestrian walkway to connect Old Dominion and Elm Street. Adjacent to the Mars property, the connection would feature outdoor seating, landscaping and a wall open for public art.
Residential amenities could include a courtyard with a swimming pool and lounge patio designed to mimic “the elegance of a boutique hotel.” Up to 254 parking spaces will be provided in underground garages, a “paradigm shift” from the existing surface parking lots.
“Overall, the proposed redevelopment will shift the Subject Property toward the greener, more pedestrian-oriented vision that is at the heart of the McLean CBC Plan,” Rosati wrote.
Photo via Google Maps
