Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
One week until Halloween! You know that means the 76th Annual Vienna Halloween Parade is this Wednesday at 7pm! Here are my best tips for enjoying the event and the holiday around town:
- Trick or Treating is always the actual night of Halloween, regardless of day of the week. Most of the younger kids start right before it gets dark (around 530/6 p.m.). In my experience, most of the kids are done by 9 p.m., especially because it’s a school night.
- The Halloween parade starts at 7 p.m., however, people put out chairs/blankets to reserve their spots along the route starting around noon the day of the parade (the Town asks that people not do it before then). Also please be mindful not to cover or block the sidewalk and benches.
- If you have a flatbed truck, you can back into parking spaces at the shopping centers and sit high to get a better view.
- Some of the groups in the parade are very loud. If you have someone who is noise sensitive, consider bringing something to help them enjoy the parade without the noise.
- There are no food vendors except for the nearby restaurants so plan to bring food if you need it or support a local restaurant.
- Kids in costumes can walk in the parade with an adult if they want to. Participants meet at 6 p.m. in the parking lot at United Bank (374 Maple Avenue E).
- Depending on what part of town you live in, you should be able to find parking to easily get out. Many people park at Vienna Elementary, the library, the Giant shopping plaza, side streets, Walgreens shopping center, or the Fresh Market parking lot.
The parade route runs on Maple Ave from Branch Road to Center St. Bring extra blankets in case it’s cold. You can grab hot chocolate and food at the Vienna Shopping Center and Caffe Amouri is open until 7 p.m., so grab your hot chocolate on the way.
Here’s a map of the parade route and road closures (the first year we lived in Vienna I had no idea this was a thing and we tried to get take out that night… big mistake!)
ALSO NEW ADDITION:
I started a map of creative Halloween displays around Vienna. I’m sure I’m missing something so please let me know who I’m missing!
And one more thing: The Flagship Car Wash in Vienna is doing a “Tunnel of Terror” from 7-10 p.m. October 27-30. Tickets are $25 pre sale and $30 at the door and include a car wash!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
The developer behind The Boro in Tysons is rethinking its plans to build a residential high-rise on what’s currently a parking lot in front of the mixed-use neighborhood.
In an Oct. 17 proposal to Fairfax County, The Meridian Group seeks to turn an approved 310-foot-tall residential tower into a 304-foot-tall office building — an unexpected shift when high office vacancies and demand for more housing has most developers moving in the opposite direction, as the Washington Business Journal noted.
The application still maintains housing as an option for the tower at 8399 Westpark Drive, known in development plans as Building B1:
- Option 1: A 304-foot-tall office building with up to 420,000 square feet of office and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail
- Option 2: A 357-foot-tall residential building with up to 425 multifamily dwelling units and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail
“The proposed office option will provide the Applicant with additional flexibility to respond to market fluctuations in its ongoing efforts to attract tenants to the Boro and Tysons as a whole,” Walsh Colucci attorney Robert Brant wrote in a statement of justification for Meridian.
In either scenario, the building would be paired with another high-rise labeled Building B2, a 395-foot-tall residential building with up to 550 multifamily dwelling units and up to 12,000 square of ground-floor retail.
“By preserving residential options for both Buildings B1 and B2, the Applicant retains the ability to attract more residents to a rapidly growing and highly desirable area of Tysons in close proximity to major employers, retailers, Metro, urban parks, and other attractive amenities,” Brant wrote.
If Meridian opts for offices in Building B1, it estimates that the development would generate 4,925 vehicle trips per day and host about 1,400 employees, based on the county’s standard ratio of one employee per 300 square feet of office.
The developer says it’s committed to making 55% of all trips undertaken by Metro, bus or walking.
With the application, Meridian is also requesting that the parking garage for the towers be connected to The Loft, the retail and office condominium building directly to their rear along Boro Place that was completed in 2019.
The parking garage will consist of eight above-grade levels and two underground levels. The developer says the podium could either be built all at once — where interim, private amenities would be provided for residents on the top level — or with the eastern portion under Building B2 coming in first.
In the latter case, the garage would serve Building B2’s residents and retail, while the remaining land on the western part of the block is used as a surface parking lot until the second phase is built with Building B1.
When fully built, The Boro will have five blocks with approximately 5 million square feet of development, 1.7 million of which was delivered with its completed first phase.
Meridian is also working to expand the neighborhood with another five buildings on the other side of Westpark Drive. Construction on The Trillium, a senior living facility, began in April.
Suspect Arrested in Connection with Herndon Shooting — A suspect has been arrested in connected with a shooting at the 2600 block of Logan Wood Drive in Herndon. The victim was hospitalized with injuries that are not life threatening. [Fairfax County Police Department]
School Board Member Apologizes After Using Slur — “Fairfax County School Board member Karen Keys-Gamarra was heard using a slur about people with disabilities during a hot mic moment at the board’s Thursday meeting… Keys-Gamarra sent a statement to WTOP, saying she deeply regretted using the word.” [Inside NOVA]
County Issues Alert on Incorrect Voter Mailing — “Recently, the Virginia Department of Elections in Richmond sent a mailing to voters in these three towns that incorrectly identified their polling place. In Fairfax County, about 25,000 voters in total are affected.
To fix the state’s mistake, the Fairfax County Office of Elections will send a letter to voters in these towns with their correct polling place. Election officials anticipate that these letters will go in the mail as soon as Monday, Oct. 24.” [Fairfax County Government]
Lorton Community Center, Library Opens — The county celebrated the opening fo the Lorton Community Center, library and renovated Lorton Park earlier this month. “Park Authority leadership and staff collaborated with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and the community from the initial site planning through construction to deliver a refreshed 1.7-acre park, which includes a new playground, fitness area, plaza space with seating, an open field, and a trail loop,” according to the county. [Fairfax County Government]
Townhouse Fire Under Control in Kingstowne Area — A fire broke out Saturday at a townhouse in the 7500 block of Digby Green in Kingstowne. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
It’s Monday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 64 and low of 55. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 6:19 pm. [Weather.gov]
The weekend is almost here. Let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the five most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
- Police: Man assaulted by group outside Centreville bar and pool hall
- UPDATED: Woman dies after crash on Lorton Station Blvd
- The Boro developer buys JCPenney stores in Fair Oaks, Springfield
- Undeveloped site on Route 50 could become a data center or warehouse
- County board again rejects proposed ban on giving money to people on street medians
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below. Have a great weekend, Fairfax County!
There will be no ice skating at the Mosaic District this winter.
The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals agreed on Wednesday (Oct. 19) to postpone a decision on Rink Management Services Corporation’s special permit request for a rink in the Merrifield neighborhood that would have roller skating in the spring and ice skating in the winter.
This is the third time that the board has deferred or continued the case after previously chiding the applicant for its public outreach efforts. Residents voiced concerns about the rink’s potential impact on noise, traffic and access to their homes during a public hearing on July 13, the Sun Gazette reported.
“Essentially, what the applicant has decided to do at this point is not pursue an ice skating rink for this winter season,” Department of Planning and Development staff coordinator Brandon McCadden told the board this week. “So, they’re looking for a deferral to Feb. 1, which would give them time to again reevaluate their plans for the roller rink and the ice rink for future seasons.”
Mosaic District owner and developer EDENS introduced its temporary roller rink in 2021. Mosaic Skateland returned this summer but got moved from Strawberry Lane, where it required a closure of one of the district’s main thoroughfares, to Merrifield Center Town Drive near Barnes & Noble.
The rink has now been dismantled after the season wrapped up on Sept. 25.
In a proposal submitted for county review this past spring, EDENS and Rink Management Services, which operates the facility, are seeking to have the roller rink annually from April 1 to June 30 and add ice skating from Nov. 1 to March 15.
They had hoped to start the ice rink this year, but the delays in the permitting process have nixed that.
“[They’re] really looking to target spring and summer 2023 for roller skating and then ice skating the following winter,” McCadden said.
The planned roller rink would be 76 feet long and 36 feet wide with 10-foot-tall poles for lighting and six speakers to play music. The ice rink would be 100 feet long by 50 feet wide with a 3.5-foot-tall enclosure, a 1,000-square-foot admission and rental tent, and space for a portable aircooled chiller and a zamboni.
Both rinks would accommodate up to 50 skaters per session with two to five employees on site, according to the application.
If approved, the roller rink would stay on Merrifield Towne Center Drive, where it takes up two travel lanes and five parallel parking spaces. The ice rink would be on District Avenue next to Penny Lane Park, requiring the closure of that section of the street and 18 parking spaces.
In a staff report dated July 6, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation said that it “has no concerns” related to traffic circulation and parking, noting that the Mosaic District has about 2,500 garage parking spaces and 150 on-street spots.
“The proposed street closures will not impact deliveries to the adjacent mixed-use buildings since the loading spaces are located at the rear of the buildings along Merrifield Cinema Drive,” the report said.
The Office of the Fire Marshal requested some changes to the plan, including requiring that the street closures be marked with signage with caution lights and/or moveable barriers, but staff felt the modifications addressed their concerns about access for fire department personnel, according to the report.
However, some additional revisions to the plan are evidently in the works. McCadden told the zoning appeals board that, when the case returns on Feb. 1, it will “essentially” require a new public hearing “because it’s going to substantially be a new application.”
FFXnow reached out to EDENS and Rink Management Services for comment but didn’t hear back by press time.
A state elections mailer sent to around 25,000 voters incorrectly directed Town of Herndon, Vienna and Clifton voters to the wrong polling locations.
The letter directs Town of Herndon residents should vote at a new location nearly thirty minutes away from the town: the Stacey C. Sherwood Community Center in the City of Fairfax.
The Virginia Department of Elections said incorrect polling locations were sent was due to a “printing issue.”
“Following the redistricting process, the Department of Elections mailed over 6 million voter notices to all registered voters in the Commonwealth. A second mailing of 176,000 notices was sent to voters whose original notice did not include their town district number or who had a P.O. Box,” the department wrote in a statement.
Fairfax County Director of Elections Eric Spicer said the county is working to correct the state’s mistake.
“To correct the state’s mistake, the county’s Office of Elections will be mailing these voters a personalized letter stating their correct polling place,” Spicer wrote in a statement.
Residents in the towns of Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan, and Quantico were also impacted.
Last night, state delegate Irene Shin, Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, and State Sen. Jennifer Boysko called on the elections department to immediate correct the error last night.
“I am disappointed that the Virginia Department of Elections continues to issue incorrect notices to voters. This is not the first major incident during this important election season. I urge the Department of Elections to work quickly to restore the public’s faith in our election system.”
Shin also called on the elections department to provide a “full explanation about how this obvious error occurred.”
The state’s elections department did not immediately return a request for comment on the nature of the printing issue.
Concerns over equity and the recommendation of specific sites have delayed Fairfax County’s push into sports tourism.
At last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity proposed that the county start advertising that it’s seeking proposals from private entities to develop sports tourism facilities.
However, he pulled the motion when it became clear that there wasn’t enough support from other supervisors to move forward. When he made the request in May, the board voted instead to have staff reassess a consultant’s report to ensure equity is considered when evaluating future projects.
“We’ve been sitting on the sidelines far too long. It’s time for us to get in the game or not,” Herrity said. “This is something the board has clearly expressed that it would benefit both our sports community, our taxpayers, our hotelers, our restaurants, our hospitality industry. We need to move forward and stop trying to find ways not to do it.”
Board Chairman Jeff McKay argued that Herrity, in fact, had “delayed the process.”
“I want to make it crystal clear that this board supports sports tourism…What we are doing is trying clean up the fact that it wasn’t done right,” he said. “Equity was left behind.”
A consultant hired by the county released a report in August 2020 recommending how the county could “more effectively compete within the sports tourism marketplace,” including specific sites where a large facility could go in the county.
The Park Authority-backed study identified nine different sites that it said could support facilities like a rectangle field complex with 16 fields or an ice complex, comparable to the one in Ballston.
However, as several supervisors brought up, none of the sites were vetted for equity, environmental impacts, or even the land’s current ownership.
Many of the preferred sites are in the north and northwest part of the county, while none are located in the south. Several sit in protected watershed areas, while a few others are privately owned, like George Mason University property, as opposed to county-owned.
The equity review requested in May was finished over the summer. Last month, the Sports Tourism Task Force recommended proceeding with an advertisement and “to consider the equity impact review as it reviews potential public-private partnerships” instead of at this stage in the process.
This didn’t sit well with several supervisors, including McKay, who wanted to make sure that the advertisement made clear that the recommended sites in the study were not county-approved.
“Frankly, I wish the consultant report didn’t exist. I think it was created under false pretense…It had no look at equity,” said McKay. “I don’t necessarily support any sites in there…They are in no way in any shape or form an endorsed list of locations by this board.”
Herrity accepted an amendment that the ad include language urging developers to be “creative” and recommend a site not on the consultant’s list.
Additionally, McKay asked that the entire board look at the advertisement to vet the language prior to it being released.
The plan now is to have staff update the report before Herrity resubmits the motion. While he hoped to have it by the board meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 25), Herrity told FFXnow that November now looks more likely, though he “was ready six months ago.”
He said this is the first program, in his recollection, “forced” to have an equity review as well as the first time that he remembers where the board will review the language for a request for proposals.
Nonetheless, he’s ready for Fairfax County to get in the game and build facilities that could help bring more revenue to the county, particularly with increased hotel occupancy.
The rest of the board appears to agree with the idea of exploring sports tourism, but it has to be “done right.”
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get this done right that will permanently…affect the long-term sustainability of sports and sports tourism in this county,” McKay said.
Photo via Fairfax County Park Authority
Coco’s Sodas + Sweets is ready at last to give Vienna its first taste of “dirty sodas” — flavor-spiked soft drinks that originated as a coffee substitute in Mormon-heavy Utah.
The soda shop officially opened today (Friday) in The Village Green shopping center at 513 Maple Avenue West, Suite 110. Details about a grand opening on Oct. 28 will be shared on the business’ Instagram and Facebook pages, co-owner Ben Cichelli told FFXnow.
The opening has been a long time coming for Coco’s, which initially expected to launch around Memorial Day weekend.
Cichelli and his wife and co-owner Heather Cichelli attributed the delay to a variety of factors, from staff shortages plaguing both Fairfax County and contractors to the arduous task of outfitting a space that formerly housed a tailor shop with infrastructure for food service.
“We were able to navigate through there, and we think it’s a beautiful space,” Ben said. “We’re really excited to have the community come and see this, and I think it’ll be a great addition to all the other great shops and businesses that are here in Vienna.”
As previously reported, the Cichellis decided to bring dirty sodas to their new home of Vienna after encountering the drinks in Utah, where they were staying during the first year of the pandemic.
Inspired by chains like Swig, which sparked a TikTok trend earlier this year thanks to a visit by singer Olivia Rodrigo, Coco’s offers three base beverages: soda, energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster, and still or sparkling water for those seeking a less sugary option.
The base drinks are then mixed with syrups, fruit purées, and cream and sometimes topped with fresh fruit, such as a lime. Toppings for the kids’ drinks include gummies, sprinkles and marshmallow Peeps.
Also selling treats like lollipops, flavored popcorn and cake bites, the shop uses a grab-and-go model, with just a couple of outdoor patio seats for when the weather is warmer. It will also have a mobile bar that can cater events and parties, though the menu will be condensed.
Hours of operation run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The store is closed on Sundays.
Though open to expanding to other locations in Northern Virginia, if the opportunity arises, Ben and Heather are focused for now on bringing some pop to Vienna’s dessert scene, which already includes establishments specializing in pies, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, Italian ice and even lokma.
“This is a great location, great space, being right at Nutley and Maple Ave,” he said. “I think this is a really good, busy, high-traffic, high-visibility area. We’re walking distance to Madison High School, so we hope to get a lot of the student traffic from there. Yeah, we’re just really excited to finally open.”
I-66 Ramps in Fair Lakes Area to Close Next Week — The I-66 East ramps from Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road will begin closing as early as 10 a.m. on Monday (Oct. 24) “to accommodate continued construction related to the 66 Express Lanes.” They will reopen by the end of this year with the rest of the eastern section of the interstate’s new toll lanes from Route 28 in Centreville to I-495. [VDOT]
County Police End Weekly Crime Reports — “The Fairfax County Police Department is no longer putting out weekly crime reports that list incidents for each police district. Instead, the FCPD has adopted CityProtect, an online map that shows the location of incidents with very limited details.” [Annandale Today]
Fire Department Hands Out Coats — “An appropriately cold day to provide free coats for kids whose family might not be able to afford one. Approximately 3K coats will be given to kids via schools, non-profits, and community centers. Some kids stopped by Station 11, Penn Daw, to try on, and pick out, a coat.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Arlington Hospital Not Happy With Inova’s Springfield Plans — Arlington-based VHC Health “is challenging Falls Church-based Inova’s request for a certificate of public need — a requirement to demonstrate community need for a new or expanded medical facility — for the nearly 1 million-square-foot hospital proposed for the intersection of Beulah Street and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway.” [Washington Business Journal]
Fairfax City Launches E-Gift Card Program — “This week, Fairfax City’s Economic Development Office is implementing a new community-based eGift Card program. Indicative of how jurisdictions are becoming more innovative and creative, to try to help mom and pops. The Fairfax City Flex Card is an eGift Card program where 100% of all gift card sales remain within Fairfax City.” [ABC7]
Vienna Resident to Bake Cookies on Food Network — “A Vienna baker’s ability to create spooky Halloween cookies will be put to the test when she appears on a Food Network special on Halloween.
Minh Bingham, who moved to Vienna just over a year ago, is one of the bakers featured on Food Network’s Halloween Cookie Challenge season finale airing Monday, Oct. 31, at 10 p.m.” [Patch]
Metro’s Next Trains Will Have Heated Floors — “While most of Metro’s 7000 series fleet remains sidelined, at least we can look forward to the 8000 series…one day…The 8000 series will include upgraded brakes and replace the 2000- and 3000-series trains that have been running since the early 1980s.” [Axios D.C.]
Route 1 High Schools Eager for Permanent Stadium Bathrooms — “With the news last week that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved $7.5 million in funding for permanent restroom facilities at 15 public high school stadiums, the presidents of two local volunteer organizations that support student athletes shared a common sense of relief, joy and gratitude.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 63 and low of 40. Sunrise at 7:25 am and sunset at 6:23 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County will ask the Virginia General Assembly for more authority to fix its trash troubles, as complaints about American Disposal Services continue.
At Tuesday’s (Oct. 18) legislative committee meeting, the Board of Supervisors once again dove into the persisting problems with trash pickups by the private, contracted collectors that serve about 90% of residents and almost all businesses in the county.
Throughout this year, the county has received many complaints about the contractors’ performance, especially American Disposal, which cut back on pickups this spring.
In late September, the county signed a consent agreement with the company. According to Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, the agreement obligates American Disposal to hire more drivers and customer service personnel, increase salaries, and credit customers for missed pick-ups, starting Jan. 1. It also imposes a $5,000 fine on the company.
Per Palchik’s newsletter, the contractor has until Dec. 31 to “make the necessary schedule modifications” and maintain adequate staff and equipment to resolve its service issues. Customers must be notified of any changes to their collections by that date as well.
FFXnow was unable to reach American Disposal for comment.
Meanwhile, the county is considering lobbying state lawmakers to ease restrictions on its ability to impose its own trash pick-up model.
“This surge in complaints, which account for approximately 86 percent of all waste collection complaints received by the County, has led to consideration of alternative solid waste management system models, and whether such alternatives could improve the quality and/or reliability of service delivery,” a staff report says.
One alternative would be to implement a franchising model, which Virginia law currently allows localities to do.
“Under a franchising model, the County would likely be divided into several different zones, and each zone would be served by a single collection company. Customers would pay for service based on County-negotiated rates,” the staff report notes.
However, the state code complicates the county’s ability to enact this model. Notably, if franchising ends up prohibiting a currently contracted company from continuing to service the county, the county either has to essentially wait five years to start franchising or pay the affected company a year’s worth of gross receipts.
“The code makes [franchising], quite frankly, impossible. It might as well be banned outright,” Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said Tuesday. “The five-year delayed implementation date, obviously, prevents anyone from doing it. That’s why no one in the Commonwealth has done it, to my knowledge.”
The code does have some exceptions, mainly for if a trash pick-up company is so inadequate at its job that it’s “threatening public health and safety” and is breaching the contract.
McKay asked the county legal team what would constitute a breach of contract, noting that an answer would probably have to come at a later date.
“Where do we think the line is where [it’s] threatening public health and safety?” McKay said. “[Are] we potentially getting near reaching that? If we have multiple consent agreements and trash laying out and it’s a public…health issue and they are obviously not fulfilling the agreement. It’s probably a pretty high bar, but we should know that if these problems persist.”
Per staff recommendation, the committee voted in support of asking the General Assembly to provide “flexibility” for a franchise model. This could mean wiping out or altering these “onerous requirements” to make it easier for the county to franchise trash service.
Walkinshaw made it clear that this doesn’t mean the county will definitely go the franchising route. It simply seeks the ability to do it without facing a huge delay or a big payout.
The fact that the county has to ask the General Assembly for this authority harkens back to Virginia’s Dillon Rule, which McKay recently told FFXnow is becoming “increasingly more intrusive” in the county’s day-to-day operations.
Walkinshaw also suggested updating the Virginia code with some of the options detailed in the consent agreement, like the ability to levy fines and make companies credit customers for missed pick-ups.
“It seems to me that if we are able to come to a consent agreement with a particular hauler, that they have to credit customers for missed pick-ups, then everyone should be held to that. If we think that’s important, why wouldn’t that be in the code?” Walkinshaw asked.
All supervisors agreed that the county should ask for alterations to the state code, but a few cautioned that not all county residents are having trash issues, noting that a new model might make things worse for others. Palchik suggested instituting a pilot program first to gauge what works.
But first, state legislators would have to grant the county more authority to manage its own trash collecting.
“We obviously support broadening authority,” McKay said.
