Snow Likely Tonight — “Forecast confidence is increasing for a light-to-moderate snowfall in the D.C. area Friday night.” As of yesterday afternoon, areas north and west of D.C. are predicted “to see 2 to 4 inches,” while areas to the south could get 1 to 3 inches of snow. [Capital Weather Gang]
Woman Hit by Metro Train in Tysons — A woman was hospitalized on Feb. 8 after being struck by a Silver Line train at the Spring Hill station around 8:30 p.m. The woman “was trespassing in a restricted track area” and “intentionally” got in front of the train, a Metro spokesperson said. She was “conscious and alert” when responders arrived, but the extent of her injuries is unclear. [Gazette Leader]
Married Fairfax Musicians Are Grammy Winners — Andrés Salguero and Christina Sanabria, the Fairfax residents who make up the bilingual band 123 Andrés, won the Grammy award for best children’s music album earlier this month for their 2023 album “We Grow Together, Preschool Songs.” The pair still perform in the D.C. area, including at local libraries and schools, while also traveling around the world. [DCist]
Mediterranean Food Truck Sets Up in Vienna — “Yalla Pita, a Mediterranean food truck specializing in kebab, falafel and shawarma, is open at the Shell gas station near the Cedar Park Shopping Center. Yalla Pita had moved from a previous location in Culpeper to Vienna. The new location opened Monday at 2530 Cedar Lane.” [Patch]
New Members Sought for Zoning Board — “The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals has upcoming openings for two members. One seat will become available on Feb. 21 and the other on June 14. Interested candidates must apply by March 15 to the Fairfax Circuit Court, which appoints the board’s seven members.” [Fairfax County Government]
Park Authority Now Hiring for Summer Camps — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking creative, high-energy, motivated candidates for full-time seasonal positions in its Rec-PAC summer camp program. Several positions across the county are open, including Site Directors, Camp Leaders and Inclusion Leaders.” [FCPA]
Mount Vernon Burlington Targets Summer Opening — “Discount retailer Burlington will tentatively hold its grand opening at Mount Vernon Plaza on June 28, according to the store’s website.” Meanwhile, the future of Huntington’s WNB Factory remains unclear, and further south on Route 1, the Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club is slated for renovation. [On the MoVe]
West Springfield Actress Stars in Cher Musical — “Actress Catherine Ariale graduated from West Springfield High School in Northern Virginia back in 2015. Now, she’s excited to come home to Fairfax County to headline ‘The Cher Show’ at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia, for a run of five shows this weekend on Friday, Feb. 16, Saturday, Feb. 17, and Sunday, Feb. 18.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high of 46°F. Snow is expected Friday night, mainly after 10 pm, with a low around 32°F and a northeast wind of 3 to 7 mph. There is a 100% chance of precipitation, and snow accumulation may range from 1 to 3 inches. [Weather.gov]
Design work is slated to begin this spring on a new shared-use path on Shreve Road just outside Falls Church City’s boundaries.
The Falls Church City Council approved an agreement on Monday (Feb. 12) to work with Fairfax County and provide funds for the project, which will add a 10-foot-wide path for bicyclists and pedestrians from the Route 7 (Leesburg Pike/West Broad Street) intersection to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.
Other improvements will include a 6-foot-wide planting strip along Shreve Road, a crosswalk near the intersection of Shreve and Gordon Road intersection, benches near the W&OD Trail entrance, and stormwater management and drainage, Falls Church staff said in a report to the council.
Because the site is outside city limits, the county will be responsible for the project’s design and construction under the agreement.
“The concept is pretty simple and it’s pretty well-defined in the grant agreement, so we don’t think there’s going to be some curveball,” City Manager Wyatt Shields said at a Feb. 5 council work session. “…We’ve been working quite well with Fairfax County staff on this, so we feel very confident that we’re going to get what we want.”
The “West Falls Church Access to Transit and Multimodal Connectivity” project, as it’s formally known, is part of a larger effort by both the county and the city to add pedestrian and bicycle facilities connecting the W&OD Trail, the West Falls Church Metro station and Falls Church’s West End.
This component also “addresses a safety need” after a pedestrian was killed by a truck driver at the Shreve Road and Hickory Street intersection in 2019, according to a summary from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, which awarded $6.9 million to the city in 2020 to fund the project.
According to the staff report, Falls Church is also coordinating with the county and the Virginia Department of Transportation on the design of planned improvements around the Haycock Road side of the West Broad Street intersection.
Farther east on Haycock Road, a shared-use trail will be built over I-66 by developers in conjunction with a transformation of the West Falls Church Metro station’s parking lots into a mixed-use neighborhood.
Development has also been approved at Virginia Tech’s West Falls Church campus and is under construction on the city’s former high school site.
The Shreve Road project agreement still needs to be approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled to take action on April 16, according to Falls Church staff.
Per the staff report, the project is expected to be in design from this spring into fall 2025, putting it on track to begin construction in the fall of 2026 and finish in spring or summer 2027.
Fairfax County Public Schools is attempting to streamline its approach to managing capital projects to reduce costs and overcrowding in schools.
The school board approved a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) last Thursday, Feb. 8 for fiscal years 2025-2029 with multiple amendments intended to help lower costs, speed up select school renovations, meet green energy goals and enhance the process for tracking infrastructure projects.
The $1.3 billion, five-year plan allocates funding for the following projects:
- Construction of the planned Dunn Loring Elementary School
- A new wing to Justice High School
- Relocation of modular buildings
- Renovation of 18 elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools
- Acquisition of land for one new high school
The revised CIP highlights a need to address overcrowding and capacity issues within the school system, with many schools nearing a critical tipping point.
Coates Elementary School in Herndon, for instance, is currently operating at 131% of its student capacity — a figure projected to rise to 172% by 2028. Crowding has been an issue for over 10 school years, according to the CIP.
At the moment, eight elementary schools, one middle school and eight high schools are operating beyond capacity, even though student enrollment has dipped from pre-pandemic levels and is expected to level out over the next five years.
Several other elementary schools, including Parklawn in Lincolnia, Mantua and Bailey’s, are expected to surpass student capacity in the coming years, per the capital plan. The same is true of Irving, Kilmer and Glasgow middle schools and Westfield, Centreville, McLean, Woodson, Robinson and Chantilly high schools.
The school board voted last week to add Coates and Parklawn as priorities for boundary adjustments, even as several members argued a more comprehensive approach to overcrowding issues is needed.
Parklawn is 96% capacity right now, but it’s projected to reach 112% by the 2028-2029 school year. It will still trail McLean’s Kent Gardens Elementary School, which will be at 113% capacity even after boundary adjustments were approved last year.
“The problem that I see, while we’re fixing these two tonight, if we don’t fix the process and fix other schools, we’re going to have Coates and Parklawns popping up like hotcakes across Fairfax County, and I don’t want to be in that position,” At-Large School Board Representative Kyle McDaniel said.
The board tasked Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid with formulating a “facility infrastructure policy” and establishing a system to track projects to be presented to the board later this year.
“I see an eagerness on this board, which I’m very excited about, to really look holistically and comprehensively at our infrastructure needs, our funding, and really get sort of our hands wrapped around the policies that relate to infrastructure, but also an overarching policy that guides our decisions regarding infrastructure,” Mason District School Board Representative Ricardy Anderson said.
Board members also asked Reid to propose options for funding capital projects.
Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren expressed an interest in initiatives such as “swing spaces” — pre-existing facilities that students and staff can temporarily relocate to during construction.
“The benefit of that is that renovations could go quicker, which means they could also cost less money,” she said.
Over in neighboring Arlington County, a plan to turn an elementary school into a swing space got nixed last year after an outcry by current and future parents.
Reid is expected to present cost-saving options and the facility infrastructure policy to the school board on April 25. Additionally, she is scheduled to submit a plan for tracking infrastructure projects on May 7.
Image via Google Maps
Merrifield will welcome a new kids’ clothing store next month, just in time for parents to update their little ones’ wardrobes for the spring.
The Beaufort Bonnet Company will open its first retail store in the D.C. area on March 2 at 2920 District Avenue, Suite 143, in the Mosaic District.
Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, the business focuses on clothes and accessories for babies and young children, but it also stocks some shirts, swimwear and lounge wear for adults.
“The Beaufort Bonnet Company is a children’s lifestyle brand,” a company spokesperson said. “Our mission is to make babyhood and childhood special. We encourage parents to dress their little ones up and take lots of pictures. They are only little for a little while — we believe it’s important to embrace this sweet yet fleeting stage in life.”
Beaufort Bonnet originated as a small operation in Beaufort, South Carolina, that made baby bonnets. After getting a bonnet as a gift for her baby daughter, CEO Markey Hutchinson bought the business from the original owners in 2012 and renamed it in honor of its original product.
A stay-at-home mom in Lexington, Hutchinson initially worked out of her basement, but she soon struggled to keep up with demand, according to a profile by Smiley Pete Publishing. She found the support she needed in a partnership with Oxford Industries, a clothing company whose labels include Tommy Bahama and Lilly Pulitzer.
With the addition of the Mosaic District, Beaufort Bonnet will have just four corporate stores, including two in Florida and one in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. However, its products are sold by hundreds of boutiques nationwide, including Lemoncello in Arlington and The Purple Goose and Monday’s Child in Alexandria.
Designed with an Americana theme in a nod to its proximity to D.C., the 1,344-square-foot store at the Mosaic District will feature a miniature colonial house with a playhouse, kitchen and Lego wall.
“The beautiful seating area was designed in collaboration with Lauren Deloach, an Atlanta-based interior designer using a variety of patterns and textures that lend to the timeless but fresh style that is synonymous with T.B.B.C.,” the spokesperson said.
Other relatively recent openings at the Mosaic District include Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream, which had a soft opening last November. The Asian street food restaurant Hawkers is also expected to open in the former Four Sisters space later this year.
Stringfellow Road to Partly Close This Weekend — “Northbound and southbound Stringfellow Road (Route 645) between Route 29 and Centreville Farms Road will be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17 until 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 to install a water main.” Local traffic will be allowed between Centreville Farms Road and Autumn Willow Drive, but the road will be closed to all traffic between Autumn Willow and Route 29. [VDOT]
General Assembly Reaches Session Midpoint — “The Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly advanced bills Tuesday to safeguard abortion access and increase the minimum wage, just a few of the partisan priorities that ensure a showdown with Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) as this year’s legislative session reaches its midpoint.” [Washington Post]
Virginia Proposal to Ban TikTok Fails — “A GOP legislative effort to prevent Virginia children from using the popular video-sharing app TikTok — an idea backed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin — died this week in the Democratic-controlled Legislature. The bill…was left in a House of Delegates committee after concerns were raised about how the ban would be enforced.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
Broadband for First Responders to Expand — “The First Responder Network Authority and AT&T are investing more than $6.3 billion over the next 10 years to expand FirstNet, the nation’s public safety broadband network. The upgrade will enhance 5G coverage for first responders…The FirstNet expansion was announced Feb. 13 at the Edsall Road Fire Station in Mason District.” [Annandale Today]
Temporary Franconia Metro Station Closure Planned — “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said in a release that Blue Line construction is expected sometime in summer 2025 from the Franconia-Springfield Metro station to the King Street Metro station. The Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield Metro stations will be closed” while work is underway. [ALXnow]
New Mount Vernon School Board Rep Skeptical of Proposed Budget — “Mateo Dunne…wants Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to be more transparent and accountable in its budget requests and spending practices.” He said at a Mount Vernon Town Meeting on Feb. 10 that “he presently cannot support” the funding increase proposed by FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid. [On the MoVe]
Former Fairfax County Police Dog Dies — “With great sadness, we announce the passing of retired K9 Enzo. K9 Enzo served w/ FCPD for 8 years (2012-2020). He was credited with apprehending dozens of suspects & received the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce K9 Medal of Valor in 2016. Enzo will be missed by his #FCPD family.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Oakton HS Basketball Coach Wins 800th Game — “Another lofty milestone for career victories has been reached by longtime girls high-school basketball coach Fred Priester. His 800th win was achieved Feb. 12 when Priester’s third-seeded Oakton Cougars defeated the visiting South Lakes Seahawks, 51-45, in a first-round game of the Concorde District tournament.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high of around 49 degrees, as light south wind picks up to 9-14 mph during the morning, potentially gusting up to 22 mph. The night will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 36 degrees. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County’s new bicycle parking standards are getting refined as part of a broad effort to ensure consistency across the county’s various transportation policies.
At a transportation committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors expressed support for an update to the bicycle parking guidelines — although the guidelines were not yet available for review.
The county got up to speed with the current age of telework and transit-oriented development by introducing bicycle parking requirements in September.
The “Parking Reimagined” initiative established how many bicycle parking spaces are required and basic rules for the design and general location of the spaces. But staff noted that the new requirements don’t align with guidelines formulated in 2014.
“It’s really great to know we’re thinking about this, that we’re tackling it. Doing this better will have great effects for the county,” said Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, who chairs the committee.
Additionally, the zoning ordinance doesn’t address parking ratios for visitor and long-term parking or provide detailed information about wayfinding signage, rack spacing, security needs and other amenities, county staff said in a presentation to the committee.
The guidelines currently being crafted would be divided by short-term parking for visitors and long-term parking, which is for employees, transit users, apartment residents and bicycle cages or lockers, according to Nicole Wynands, a planner for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
For short-term parking, the guidelines will cover location, access, markings, maintenace, rack types and spacing. Long-term parking guidance will detail similar issues, along with room layout, security recommendations, and e-charging.
Wynands noted that the guidelines will provide different ratios based on land use. FCDOT is contemplating a 90-10% split for long-term and short term parking, respectively, in residential areas and a the reverse split for long-term and short term parking respectively in retail areas.
“Retail use has a very different need,” Wyannds said.
Discussion on the proposal was limited, given that the details haven’t been officially reviewed by the board.
The county hopes to release the guidelines to the board soon so the public review process can begin in early March, followed by potential board endorsement by the summer.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said that, although the guidelines were not yet available, he was supportive of the idea.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said staff should ensure that existing bicycle guidelines for specific areas like Reston are consistent with other, similar policies.
“It seems like there needs to be some sort of normalizing across these different area guidelines,” Alcorn said.
McKay asked staff if there was some way to encourage more commercial residential properties to conform with the county’s guidelines on bicycle parking.
“I’m just wondering if we’re evaluating where we can see with our own vision today where the need for these facilities are,” he said.
Luther Jackson Middle School students will have to wait for their first dance of the year.
The Valentine’s Day dance scheduled for this afternoon (Wednesday) has been postponed after threats of gun violence at the Merrifield school (3020 Gallows Road) were discovered earlier this week.
While Fairfax County police say there “does not appear to be any substantial threat at this time,” Luther Jackson officials announced the postponement yesterday (Tuesday) “out of an abundance of caution.”
“As soon as we have a new date selected, we will let everyone know,” the school said in a newsletter bulletin. “All tickets already purchased will be honored on the new event date once selected. Regular after-school activities will proceed as usual, and previously canceled activities have been added back on to the signup form.”
The first threat came in the form of graffiti found in a school restroom late Monday (Feb. 12) afternoon, Luther Jackson principal Raven Jones said in a message sent to parents at 8:14 p.m. that day. The graffiti made a “vague” threat that there would be a shooting at the school on “Thursday.”
“We notified the Office of Safety and Security and the Fairfax County Police who have responded, checked the school and begun an investigation,” Jones wrote. “Fairfax County Police continue to investigate but do not believe that there is a valid threat to the school based solely on this graffiti.”
As a precaution, additional security personnel were assigned to the school yesterday morning.
However, a second anonymous threat was found circulating on social media, claiming that there would be a shooting and possibly a bomb at Luther Jackson Middle School this Thursday, Feb. 15. The message appears to have first emerged on Instagram before getting shared on Twitter.
In an update sent to parents at 9:21 a.m. yesterday, Jones said school officials were “aware of the additional social media post also referencing a school shooting on Thursday.”
Fairfax County Police and our Office of Safety and Security are actively investigating. I do not have any further information to share at this time but will update you as soon as we are able. Additional safety and security staff will be monitoring our school.
The safety of our students is our primary concern, and we will always investigate these incidents as soon as we are made aware.
If you or your student has any information to share about this situation, please contact our Office of Safety at 571-423-2000 or through our anonymous safety tip line that you can access online, by text or by phone.
The Fairfax County Police Department says its investigation into the social media threat is ongoing, though there isn’t believed to be a “substantial” threat at this time.
“We urge the community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity promptly,” the FCPD said. “Additionally, we encourage individuals to refrain from sharing unverified information on social media platforms to prevent unnecessary panic. The Fairfax County Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all individuals, and we will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter.”
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wants answers now to its lingering questions about the Virginia Department of Transportation’s northern extension of the Capital Beltway (I-495) toll lanes.
County staff got the green light yesterday (Tuesday) to send a letter seeking clarity on VDOT’s coordination efforts with Maryland and plans to mitigate the environmental and traffic impacts of a construction project that has now been in progress for nearly two full years.
Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, who represents the McLean area most directly affected by the project, requested the letter for Virginia Transportation Secretary W. Sheppard Miller after a message that the board sent in September “inexplicably” went unanswered.
“I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous that we would send a letter to the Secretary of Transportation in September, and we’re sitting here in February and never got a response. It’s just absurd,” Bierman said at the transportation committee meeting, which he chaired.
Under construction since March 2022, the project known as 495 NEXT is adding 2.5 miles of express lanes on the Beltway from the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons past the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean.
VDOT has touted the widening as necessary to relieve congestion and add pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections in the corridor. Though they endorsed the project in April 2021, Fairfax County leaders — particularly Bierman’s predecessor as Dranesville District supervisor, John Foust — have warned that traffic relief will be limited without toll lanes on Maryland’s side of the Beltway.
VDOT estimates that the project would move more than twice as many additional people when coupled with Maryland toll lanes than it would as a standalone project.
After that analysis came out, however, Maryland downsized its plans to widen the Beltway and replace the aging American Legion Bridge in response to local opposition. The project stalled altogether last March when contracted toll lanes operator Transurban backed out.
Maryland officials began reviving the project last summer, proposing to widen the bridge and 6.5 miles of I-495 from the GW Parkway to I-270, Maryland Matters reported. A new design hasn’t been released, and construction isn’t expected to break ground until 2026 — a year after Virginia’s express lanes are scheduled to open.
In its September letter, the Fairfax County board urged VDOT to craft a written agreement with its Maryland counterpart to guide any work that may spill over into Virginia. Since Miller didn’t respond, there’s “prevailing uncertainty” over the local implications of Maryland’s project, according to the new draft letter. Read More
House Passes Bill to Create Fund for New N. Va. Sports Arena — “Virginia’s House of Delegates voted to pass the arena bill 59-40, sending the proposal to an uncertain future in the Senate…The proposal to build a new arena at Potomac Yard for the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals has met with a mixed reception.” [ALXnow]
South Block to Land at Dulles Airport — In addition to new locations in Chantilly and Fairfax City, the Arlington-based company is planning to open a spot at Dulles International Airport’s Concourse D this year. Offerings will include the usual smoothies, acai bowls and juices, along with “grab-and-go sandwiches and salads from D.C.’s Wellfound Foods.” [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Group Skeptical of Tysons Development Swap — “A proposal to replace a previously approved office building with a 240-unit residential structure at the Arbor Row development in Tysons failed Feb. 7 to get support from the McLean Citizens Association (MCA), which opposed what members said was a lack of workforce housing.” [Gazette Leader]
Former Fairfax City Mayor Has Died — “Fairfax City, Va., is mourning the loss of a beloved community member, mentor, and friend. Former Mayor John Mason, who died Feb. 7 at the age of 89, served on Fairfax City Council from 1986 to 1990 and as mayor from 1990 to 2002…His impact was felt well beyond Fairfax City’s borders through his leadership of organizations such as the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.” [City of Fairfax]
Fairfax Aerospace Contractor to Boost Capacity — “Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Trident Systems…is investing $3.7 million to expand capacity at its operation in Fairfax County for the production of space electronic systems for the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, and U.S. Intelligence Community. The project will create roughly 50 new jobs.” [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]
Farmers’ Market Workers Secure Labor Contract — “The Monday vote in favor of ratification with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400 makes FRESHFARM the first farmers market operator in the country whose employees have approved a collective bargaining agreement. They unionized last year, with contract negotiations starting shortly after.” [WTOP]
Tysons Tech Startup Raises $47 Million — “Software testing startup Antithesis has raised $47 million in seed funding, valuing the company at $215 million, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters…In an interview on Monday, [co-founder Will] Wilson said that Antithesis’ artificial intelligence-powered software can scan programs under development for bugs in codes.” [Reuters]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 43 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind ranging from 10 to 16 mph and gusts reaching up to 26 mph. Night will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 28 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 9 mph. [Weather.gov]
The family that has run Vienna’s Princess Jewelers for nearly four decades is stepping down.
The retail jewelry store at 529 Maple Avenue West will permanently close on March 16, as owners Lee and Lim Nguonly retire after 38 years in the business. A liquidation sale is underway and will continue through that final day.
In a public announcement of the impending closure, the Nguonly family expressed “deep gratitude” to their customers and supporters, many of whom have already reached out in appreciation.
“Our customers were like family to us. Our children grew up alongside theirs. We shared in countless milestones in our customers’ lives — engagements, anniversaries, births,” Lee Nguonly said. “It’s been an honor and joy to share these momentous occasions with so many customers. We are very grateful for their loyal patronage.”
Located in the Village Green Shopping Center, Princess Jewelers first opened its doors in 1986. In addition to selling engagement and wedding rings and other diamond and gemstone jewelry, it offers repair, appraisal and custom design services.
With a staff of certified gemologists and goldsmiths, the business says it was able to build up a reputation for quality craftsmanship and customer service over the years, earning Lee Nguonly the title of “Business Person of the Year” for 2000 from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (now the Vienna Business Association).
In a blog post for Patch in 2013, one customer gushed that they were treated “like I was a princess” when they visited Princess Jewelers to get their wedding ring fixed. The shop not only repaired the ring, but also created a second ring with diamonds they had from their mother.
“The key to our success was the mutual interest and trust — be it on the broad level of community and business, or between jeweler and customer,” Lee said in a press release.
As it prepares to close its doors for the last time, the business is selling all of its diamond and gemstone jewelry at a discount, with prices starting at 50% off for in-stock inventory. The sale doesn’t include loose stones or custom designs, according to a public relations representative.
