GMU Explores Possible Mixed-Use Development — George Mason University recently issued a request for proposals to study the feasibility of building up nearly 300 acres at its main Fairfax campus. The potential development could bring housing, “experiential learning space” and commercial uses, such as retail, office, a hotel or entertainment, to three university-owned properties. [Washington Business Journal]
Metro to Crack Down on Fare Evasion — “Metro is rolling out a multi-faceted plan to address a $40 million fare evasion problem. Beginning this month, Metro will start posting reminders on digital screens in stations, and Metro Transit Police officers will hand out fliers reminding riders to pay their fares. Metro will have more police out on the system and install cameras and monitors to deter gate-jumping.” [DCist]
In October, Fairfax County Police Officers Wear Pink — “We’re proudly supporting #BreastCancerAwareness Month @FairfaxCountyPD this October. To show our support, some of our officers will be wearing pink enameled police badges throughout the month.” [FCPD/Facebook]
New GMU Project Aims to Boost Bailey’s Crossroads — “George Mason University is spearheading a place-based initiative to bring together residents of Culmore and Bailey’s Crossroads and the organizations that serve them…The goals, Wilson said, are to ‘build community leaders, grow community engagement and ownership, and foster strategic collaboration toward positive community change.'” [Annandale Today]
Former Governor’s McLean Mansion Sold — “A mystery buyer of residential properties along McLean’s Gold Coast recently acquired land on Chain Bridge Road that was home to the mansion of former U.S. Sen. and Virginia Gov. Chuck Robb and his wife, Lynda Robb, until a late December fire left it in ruins. According to Fairfax County records, 600 CBR LLC paid $23 million for 612 and 618 Chain Bridge Road. That ranks as the largest residential sale of 2022 in Greater Washington thus far” [WBJ]
A Murdered Man Maybe Haunts Herndon — “Frances’s story was not the only one we have heard about legend of the ghost at Dead Man’s Hollow. Another long-time Herndon resident who grew up in Herndon recalled hearing about Dead Man’s Hollow, saying that it was located along Dranesville Road, between Wiehle Avenue and Hiddenbrook Drive.” [Patch]
Great Falls Celebrated With Ornament — “The Great Falls Citizens Association and The Arts of Great Falls have teamed up to offer signature ornaments…as a fund-raiser. The first ornament, in what organizers plan to be an annual series that highlights the community’s unique features, depicts ‘Great Falls of the Potomac,’ a watercolor painting by local artist Begoña Morton.” [Sun Gazette]
Wolf Trap National Park Gets New Leader — Ken Bigley has been named the new superintendent of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, making permanent the title he has held on an acting basis since May 2021. The park has also added more performances for The Barns at Wolf Trap’s current season, with tickets going on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday (Oct. 7). [Patch]
It’s Wednesday — Possible drizzle in the morning. High of 61 and low of 51. Sunrise at 7:09 am and sunset at 6:46 pm. [Weather.gov]
CMX CinéBistro has now taken its Tysons Galleria premiere off the release calendar.
Initially set to launch in September, the dine-in movie theater later announced that its grand opening would be delayed to Oct. 14.
However, CMX Cinemas now says that timing won’t work either, and no new date has been established.
“They are facing supply chain issues that are delaying some of the finishing touches,” a public relations representative for the company said. “We are confident that the theatre will be ready to open in the coming weeks.”
Started in 2017 in Florida, CMX has 33 locations with 358 screens across the U.S., including traditional theaters and ones provide “grab-and-go” service, according to the company’s website.
The Tysons Galleria theater is 43,268 square feet in size with over 800 seats across eight screening rooms. It will double as a restaurant, providing full food and drink service to moviegoers with films that start after 8 p.m. limited to patrons 21 and older.
Dogs will be the ones dressing up for spooky season at The Boro this year.
The Tysons neighborhood will host a “Best in Show” dog costume contest on Saturday, Oct. 29 to celebrate Halloween.
Registration for the free event is now open and required for all participants in the dog show, which will be accompanied by a Bone Bar with pet treats. The booth previously made an appearance at the “Yappy Hour” Pride Month fundraiser in June.
Scheduled to run from 3-8:30 p.m., The Boro’s Halloween festivities will also offer trick-or-treating, an outdoor screening of the live-action “Scooby-Doo” at 6:30 p.m., and other activities for human attendees, per a media alert:
Don’t have a dog of your own? Guests are invited to watch Best in Show at The Boro and enjoy a live DJ, crafting stations, trick-or-treating, face painting and glitter tattoos. There will also be plenty of Instagrammable moments with light-up marquee letters spelling “BOO!” And once the sun goes down, everyone is invited to head to The Sandlot for Scooby-Doo (2002) under the stars.
Other happenings at The Boro this month include a free exercise boot camp this Saturday (Oct. 8), yoga on Oct. 12 and 19, Sandlot Cars and Coffee on Oct. 16, and an American Red Cross blood drive on Oct. 26.
For those more interested in retail updates at the development, Metropolitan Hospitality Group told FFXnow in August that it hoped to open El Bebe and Circa in October. MHG and The Boro didn’t immediately respond to a follow-up about whether the restaurants could still open this month.
Special Education Disparities Persist in FCPS — “Students with disabilities in Fairfax County Public Schools perform substantially lower than their peers on standardized tests and face significantly higher rates of extended suspensions and expulsions, according to a new report on the school division’s special education program.” [DCist]
Pedestrians Hit in Fair Lakes Parking Lot — “Three pedestrians were hit by a car at Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax, Virginia, on Sunday, according to Fairfax County police. First responders were called shortly after 4 p.m. to the BJ’s parking lot…One of the victims was taken to the hospital in critical condition, authorities said.” [NBC4]
County Sees Drop in Employment — “It may be a seasonable blip or the portent of something more significant, but 7,000 fewer Fairfax County residents were recorded as having jobs in August compared to a month before. As a result, the county’s jobless rate ticked up two-tenths of a percentage point” [Sun Gazette]
New “Social Wellness” Club Opens in Springfield — “There’s a brand-new luxury spa in an industrial area of Mason District. Balian Springs opens to the public tomorrow, Oct. 4, in a former office building at 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria. It’s not just a spa though; it’s a social wellness club, says Director of Operations Michael Yohman.” [Annandale Today]
McLean Fire Department Hits 100th Anniversary — “As McLean Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) celebrates its centennial, this brief video shares the story of their 100 years of service to the community. It honors a culture of volunteerism that inspires all who work out of Station 1 in McLean.” [FCFRD]
Town Hall Tonight on Reston Arts Center Proposal — “Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn and Fairfax County staff members are hosting a town hall Tuesday night about the proposed 60,000-square-foot arts center being considered for Reston Town Center. The town hall will take place at 7 p.m., at the South Lakes High School auditorium” [Patch]
Circuit Court Plans Ceremony for New Judge — “Christie Ann Leary will be presented her official commission as a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge, on Friday, Oct. 7, at 4 p.m. at the Fairfax County Courthouse…Leary previously took her oath of office on March 1, 2022.” [Fairfax County Government]
New McLean Art Exhibit Showcases Art by Educators — The McLean Project for the Arts’ new exhibit “Continuum: Artists Teaching Artists” features artworks created by 18 local educators, including George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College faculty. Opened Sept. 16 and running through Nov. 10, the show includes a variety of media, from paintings and paper sculptures to stop-motion video. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
It’s Tuesday — Rain throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 45. Sunrise at 7:09 am and sunset at 6:48 pm. [Weather.gov]
As early voting for the Congressional midterms continues, Democrats in Virginia’s 35th House District have a critical state race competing for their attention.
After longtime delegate Mark Keam resigned in early September, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee will hold a caucus on Saturday (Oct. 8) to select the its nominee for the vacated seat, which represents Tysons, Vienna, Dunn Loring and Oakton.
Competing for the nomination are Providence District School Board Representative Karl Frisch and Holly Seibold, founder and president of the nonprofit BRAWS.
Though the special election won’t be until Jan. 10, no Republicans have entered the race yet, and the district has gone blue in every election since 2003, suggesting that whoever wins this Saturday will be the new delegate.
The Democratic caucus will be unassembled, meaning voters can cast their ballot and leave. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at three different locations:
- The Kilmer Center cafeteria (8102 Wolftrap Road, Vienna)
- The Oakton Elementary School cafeteria (3000 Chain Bridge Road, Oakton)
- The Patrick Henry Library meeting room (101 Maple Avenue East, Vienna)
Early voting will also be available at the FCDC headquarters at 8500 Executive Park Avenue, Suite 402, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) and from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 6).
All voters must fill out a certification form and sign a statement saying they’re “a registered voter, a Democrat, and that they do not intend to support a candidate opposed to the Democratic nominee in the next ensuing election,” according to the caucus rules.
Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Keam’s term, which concludes in January 2024.
The candidates: Karl Frisch
Elected to the Fairfax County School Board in 2019, Frisch previously worked as executive director of the consumer watchdog organization Allied Progress, a senior fellow for the nonprofit Media Matters for America, and a Democratic staffer on the House of Representatives’ Committee on Rules.
The first openly gay person on the county’s school board, Frisch’s tenure has included the approval of new protections for transgender and gender-expansive students — a regulation currently being threatened by the state — and the naming of Mosaic Elementary School, previously known as Mosby Woods.
Despite facing “bigoted and homophobic attacks” since being elected, Frisch says he remains committed to fighting for progressive causes, such as public education, LGBTQ equality, gun violence prevention, and reproductive rights and abortion access. If elected to the General Assembly, he says he would work with other lawmakers to “protect reproductive freedom in Virginia’s constitution.”
On a more local level, Frisch cites traffic safety as a concern, particularly in light of the crash that killed two Oakton High School students this summer.
“Fairfax County and Town of Vienna residents do not get enough tax dollars back from Richmond for road maintenance and traffic mitigation efforts,” he told FFXnow. “We need to fix funding formulas that disadvantage the Town of Vienna and Fairfax County and ensure the Virginia Department of Transportation is responsive to local concerns — whether pedestrian and driver safety along the Blake Lane corridor or traffic along Maple Avenue.”
The candidates: Holly Seibold
A Vienna resident since 2012, Seibold founded BRAWS in 2015 to help provide menstrual supplies and undergarments to those in need. Since then, the nonprofit has distributed over 4 million pads, tampons, bras and underwear to over 60,000 individuals, according to its website.
Seibold has also worked as a teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools and owned an education consulting firm, according to her campaign bio.
When announcing her campaign for delegate on Sept. 6, Seibold cited the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the subsequent erosion of reproductive rights in many states as a key motivation.
With BRAWS, she says she gained “extensive experience” advocating for legislative changes related to menstrual equity, including Keam’s bill requiring schools to have tampons and pads available to all students at no cost and the elimination of Virginia’s sales tax on tampons.
If elected, Seibold says her priorities would include fully funding schools, addressing learning loss and ensuring students can learn free from gun violence, addressing climate change, protecting abortion rights, and expanding “economic resources to women and children in crisis.”
She also mentioned creating safer, more walkable communities as a priority, recalling a recent talk with residents of Blake Lane.
“One resident brought up a recent accident on the street and another resident remarked, ‘Which one?’” she said. “The safety of our families is of the utmost importance to me. We all deserve to live in safe, walkable, family-oriented communities without fear of getting hit by a car.”
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].
Tomorrow is National Taco Day, on Taco Tuesday no less! You know I love talking about food places, so indulge me on this one!
Plus who doesn’t need an excuse to eat tacos?
Here are some local favorites to try:
- Taco Bamba — Who will donate $1 for every taco sold to Smile on the World, up to $1,200/store
- Mama Tigre — They also have great vegetarian options like the Cheese Tikka Tacos
- Anita’s
- Tippy’s Taco House
- District Taco
- Rango’s Tex-Mex
- Bartaco
- La Campesina — Tex-Mex and Salvadorean Food
Some of the larger chains are also running promos tomorrow if you like them:
- California Tortilla — Every purchase on October 4th gets you a coupon for a free taco during a visit from October 5-11
- Taco Bell — If you sign up to be a rewards member, you can get a Taco Lover’s Pass for $10 via their app. The subscription allows you to get 1 of 7 tacos every single day for the next 30 days.
- Chevy’s — $3 per taco for build your own taco bar (this runs every Tuesday!)
- Rosa Mexicano — Will have half price tacos all day for every Tuesday in October
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Recent violent incidents around Vienna included a confrontation between a man and two others leaving his apartment and a battle between a local resident and an Amazon delivery truck.
The weekly Vienna Police Highlights offers a look at the calls for police around town, including notes on arrests and other incidents.
One of the more serious incidents this week involved a resident reportedly being assaulted in the 200 block of Cedar Lane on Thursday, Sept. 22, after confronting two men leaving his apartment.
“A resident reported parking his vehicle in the parking lot when he observed two men leaving his apartment,” the report said. “When he asked the men why they were in his apartment, they assaulted him and left the area in a vehicle.”
The wounds were treated on-site, and the report said it was later determined the two men leaving the apartment were acquaintances of a woman renting a room from the resident.
After obtaining a warrant charging assault and battery, a 23-year-old Vienna man was arrested and is being held on a $1,000 bond.
Another altercation occurred at 100 E Street SE when a resident attacked an Amazon delivery van.
According to the report, the incident took place on Sunday, Sept. 25, around 10 a.m:
An Amazon driver parked in a residential parking space in the townhouse complex to make a delivery. A resident of the complex became agitated with the driver and, as the driver was attempting to drive away, the resident kicked her vehicle causing damage to the door.
Metro Extends Blue Line Shutdown — The closure of all six Blue and Yellow Line stations south of Washington National Airport will now last until Nov. 5, instead of Oct. 22, as previously scheduled. Metro said Friday (Sept. 30) that “unexpected site conditions and remediation efforts” required the change, delaying the completion of the future Potomac Yard station in Alexandria. [WMATA, ALXnow]
Woman Killed in Annandale Hit-and-Run — “Officers investigating a fatal hit and run involving a pedestrian at Annandale Rd/Maple Pl in Annandale. The adult female pedestrian was taken to the hospital and succumbed to her injuries.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Herndon Man Charged With Leesburg Murder — “A man has been charged with second-degree murder and grand larceny following the death of a Leesburg, Virginia, man on Friday. Mario R. Hernandez-Navarrate, 19, of Herndon, Virginia, was apprehended Friday after being involved in a crash in the victim’s vehicle in Fairfax County, according to a police report.” [WTOP]
How to Help Those Affected by Hurricane Ian — “By now, many Fairfax County residents have seen the devastating images from Florida. It is natural to want to help. If you choose to donate in any way, here are a few ways to make sure your donation makes an impact.” [FCFRD]
Tysons Security Firm Helps With Hurricane Response — The Tysons-based security firm Global Guardian had a team of former CIA, FBI, and special forces members on the ground in Florida to help people caught up in Hurricane Ian last week. The company’s past work includes assisting with the evacuation of Ukranian refugees. [ABC7]
Overnight I-395 Lane Closures Start in Springfield — “The northbound I-395 general purpose lanes will have nightly lane closures at Edsall Road (Route 648), weather permitting, Monday night, Oct. 3 through Thursday night, Oct. 6 for bridge painting work…Each night, the left two lanes of northbound I-395 at Edsall Road will be closed at 10 p.m., followed by the left three lanes at 11 p.m.” [VDOT]
West Falls Church McDonald’s Eyes Renovation — “The second-oldest McDonald’s in Virginia – at 6729 Arlington Blvd. – is slated for a major upgrade to include a drive-through…Following a public hearing on Sept. 28, the Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred a decision on a zoning special exception until Oct. 12 to address concerns about the circulation pattern and parking.” [Annandale Today]
Longtime Mosaic District Tenant Goes Virtual — “Corporate employees at Merrifield’s Custom Ink LLC won’t need to go into the office again now that the company decided to offload its space. The 22-year-old custom-printing firm will seek to sublease its 73,000-square-foot corporate office in the Mosaic District and secondary 52,000-square-foot office in Reno, Nevada, beginning this fall.” [Washington Business Journal]
Silver Line Extension Sees First-Ever Train Operations — “Operator V. Bellamy (pictured below) pulling out from Dulles Yard to become the first train leaving Ashburn for simulated service today. Another great step in this milestone towards opening of the #SilverLineExtension.” [WMATA/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Possible light rain throughout the day. High of 56 and low of 47. Sunrise at 7:08 am and sunset at 6:50 pm. [Weather.gov]
The weekend is almost here. Before the remnants of Hurricane Ian arrive or you head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
- Metro unveils new map with addition of Silver Line extension
- Alcorn shuts door on possibility of redeveloping Reston National Golf Course
- Uniqlo opens Fair Lakes store, its first in an open-air shopping center
- Students across Fairfax County protest proposed policies limiting transgender student rights
- Convenience store approved for longtime family-owned gas station in Springfield
- Police: Motorcyclist died after crash on I-495 near Inova Fairfax
- Remains found in Tysons identified as teen who disappeared 47 years ago
- Reston’s Halley Rise development to feature new urban farm, fall festival
- NEW: McKay believes ‘safe legal ground’ if FCPS defies state’s draft policies on transgender students
- For owner Amir Mostafavi, South Block coming to McLean brings life ‘full circle’
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!
The general public’s last chance to weigh in on Fairfax County’s ongoing study of the bicycle and pedestrian network in the West Falls Church Metro station area will come later than anticipated.
Two community meetings that had been scheduled for next week will instead be held on Oct. 26 and 27, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation announced yesterday (Thursday).
A virtual meeting has been set for 7:30-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, and county staff will also host an in-person meeting in Longfellow Middle School’s cafeteria at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27.
“The team felt like we had not given the amount of notice we had planned that we would ensure the most participation by residents and stakeholders in the community,” FCDOT told FFXnow. “This is the final round of community input and attendees will hear about the survey results on active transportation alternatives.”
Launched last December, the West Falls Church Active Transportation Study is intended to identify needed safety improvements and gaps in the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure within a 2-mile radius around the Metro station (7040 Haycock Road).
After paving the way for over 1 million square feet of new development, the county hopes the study will result in projects that can mitigate traffic and safety concerns raised by residents, some of whom have argued that the area can’t support the anticipated growth.
Replacing parking lots with housing, office, and retail construction, the proposed West Falls Church Metro redevelopment will include a new grid of streets that EYA — one of three developers involved in the project — has said should help alleviate pressure on the existing local streets.
However, that won’t address the missing sidewalks and lack of safe street crossings that community members highlighted during an initial round of public engagement on the transportation study in February.
The feedback will be used by county staff and a 13-person advisory group to develop recommendations for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the future of non-motorized transportation in the area.
Adjacent to the Metro station redevelopment site, construction is underway on the West Falls project in neighboring Falls Church City, and plans were submitted last week for a major buildout of Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center campus.
Map via FCDOT
