A new task force dedicated to holding onto Fairfax’s limited affordable housing is scheduled to start meeting later today.

Tysons is trying to become a city, but one of the largest hurdles remains trying to create and preserve a range of affordable housing options. The new Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force is focused on drafting policies to keep the county’s limited affordable housing stock around as areas like Tysons start to develop.

According to the task force website:

Key issues to be addressed will include:

• Definitions for the types of preservation that can occur in communities
• Typology of properties at risk and characteristics to guide prioritizing properties or neighborhoods in need of action sooner
• A comprehensive set of preservation strategies the includes recommended policies and tools to achieve the goal of no net loss of affordability

The first meeting today is scheduled to focus on foundational work like setting the mission in stone and establishing a timeline for new policies and initiatives.

Most of the discussion around affordable housing in Tysons comes with new units added as part of development deals with the County, though some of those plans have stumbled and other redevelopment has pushed out previously affordable housing stock.

If you’ve been to absentee in-person voting and the lines have seemed particularly long, you’re not alone.

Fairfax voters have been lining up at 12000 Government Center Parkway to cast their ballots early and avoid election day crowds, only to find themselves in long lines with other early voters turning up in record numbers.

Some said the numbers seemed to swell yesterday after the debate, but Public Information Officer Brian Worthy said the numbers have been pretty consistent.

“At least to me, it doesn’t seem like the lines are any longer, and I’ve been here at the Government Center for every day of early voting since it began,” Worthy said.

Last night's debate leading to even longer lines in Fairfax County- with still no extra rooms opened to allow people to vote faster. Limit of 5 voters to voting room, where they have to fill out paperwork, get checked in then fill out ballot. Complete debacle.

— Ben Tribbett (@notlarrysabato) September 30, 2020

Worthy said COVID-19 precautions have made wait times longer than usual.

“Since the start of early voting on Friday, Sept. 18, we have had two polling places open in the Government Center, and… we’re limiting the number of people in at any one time for the safety of both voters and poll workers,” Worthy said. “Similarly, we’re keep the line outside because it’s safer for voters to wait there rather than inside the building. As result of COVID, voting is taking longer.”

A county employee at the location said despite the long lines, it was a fraction of what the line was like on previous days.

Two voters, Karen and James Shaver, said they watched the debate the previous night. They described it as “loud” but said it didn’t sway their vote.

In addition to the long lines, voters have endured harassment and attempts to keep people out of the building from supporters of President Donald Trump.

As you can see here they are blocking the entrance to the voting site. #EarlyVoting #VA #FairFax pic.twitter.com/KJ6fbLdP3G

— Anthony Tilghman (@AnthonyTilghman) September 19, 2020

Worthy said the lines should be alleviated by plans to open up satellite facilities for voting later this month.

“We’re opening additional early voting sites on Oct. 14,” Worthy said. “We’ll have 14 additional locations open that day (including the Government Center) with a total of 15 starting on Saturday, Oct. 17.”

Voting facilities in the Tysons area include:

• McLean Governmental Center (1437 Balls Hill Road)
• Providence Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive)
• Tysons Pimmit Library (7584 Leesburg Pike)
• Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd.)

Jay Westcott contributed to this story

Businesses and local governments alike are sorting out how best to continue local restaurant and retail operations as winter starts to make outdoor options less viable.

The Board of Supervisors announced plans yesterday to start loosening restrictions on outdoor tents, and the Town of Vienna is planning a virtual talk early next month to discuss winterization options and plans for local restaurants and entertainment businesses.

“Join the Town of Vienna Economic Development Department for our kickoff event on a two-part series on business winterization during COVID-19,” Vienna’s Economic Development Office said in an event listing. “We will address the ‘new normal’ for restaurant and entertainment businesses brought about by economic and social changes of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The first discussion, planned for Thursday, Oct. 8, will focus on stimulating and sustaining dining and entertainment as the temperature drops. According to the event page:

We will examine:

• If outdoor dining and entertainment can help increase restaurant and retail sales throughout the health crisis
• How restaurants can stimulate and sustain dining and entertainment as we move into colder weather
• Locating funding and technical assistance to help with the expansion of outdoor and entertainment areas
• Mastering and streamlining takeout and delivery procedures

The round table discussion is scheduled to include several local business owners and regional restauranteurs. The event is scheduled to run from 10-11:30 a.m. and accessible via Zoom link provided after registering.

Fairfax County officials are celebrating the success of the Mosaic District, with a refunded bond sale making its way back to the county coffers.

At the Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday, the Board approved a refunded portion of a bond. According to the staff report:

Based on market conditions as of August 31, 2020, a refunding bond sale of $57.2 million is estimated to generate net present value savings of $18.8 million or 33% of the refunding bonds. Debt service payments are programmed in Fund 70040, Mosaic District Community Development Authority. It is expected that annual TIF revenues generated in excess of annual debt service requirements, administrative costs, and deposits to the surplus fund will be retained in the County’s General Fund, including additional savings realized from the refunding bond sale. It is also noted that the reduction in debt service accruing from the refinancing will reduce the potential need to collect the special assessment on owners in the District to cover debt service.

Board members were enthusiastic about the economic sustainability of the Mosaic District and pointed to the commercial area as a positive return on investment.

“This is a very exciting day, that we’re able to refinance and see quite a bit of saving from these bonds that were high risk bonds,” Providence Supervisor Dalia Palchik said, “and we’re hoping they will now be rated and we’ll be able to see reinvestment in the greater Merrifield area.”

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust called the Mosaic District a “success story” for Fairfax County.

“It’s a grand slam home run, and now the financial rewards are starting to flow,” Foust said. “It’s all coming together.”

Chair Jeff McKay also highlighted another small bit of news for the Mosaic District — that the planned self-driving shuttle is getting closer to reality.

“Palchik and I recently heard, on a small fun note, relay self-driving vehicle has been cleared by the Feds to start accepting passengers,” McKay said. “So, many great things are happening in Mosaic, none of which would be happening without the work this board did on establishing to Mosaic District in the first place.

For Vice Chair Penelope Gross, it was a surprising turnaround from when the Mosaic District had first been proposed.

“When Gerry Connolly brought up the issue of Mosaic and we all looked at him like ‘are you crazy?” but he had a vision of what had to be done and it worked,” Gross said. “He was convinced, as Providence district supervisor, that this was going to be a boon for the community. It took 20 years, but it really has paid off.”

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Fairfax County is in the process of overhauling the outdated sections of its zoning ordinance, and Supervisor Dalia Palchik will be on hand tonight to address any questions locals might have about some of the upcoming zoning changes.

The Zoom meeting is scheduled tonight (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. and is open to all residents of the Providence District.

“Join the Providence District Council in attending this virtual community outreach meeting hosted by District Supervisor Dalia Palchik to learn from Planning and Development staff, ask questions and provide feedback on the zMOD Consolidated Draft,” the Providence District Council said in an email.

A 711 page draft document contains all of the planned changes. Many are modernizations that bring Fairfax’s zoning language in line with state and federal regulations to reduce confusion, such as renaming “home childcare facility” to “home daycare facility” and adding new classifications of residential uses, like accessory living units.

Questions can be submitted in advance via email to [email protected].

Image via Fairfax County

Modifications to the Capital One Campus in Tysons are scheduled to continue next month as the financial institution heads back to the Planning Commission for more changes.

The changes planned for the Oct. 28 Planning Commission meeting mostly involve adjusting earlier sign plans to match the July approval of changing out the hotel portion of the site for more office space.

The new buildings will, like the existing headquarters, have a Capital One logo at the top with much of the body of the buildings occupied by offices while retail is located on the ground floor.

The Board of Supervisors had earlier been enthusiastic about the change, agreeing that the proposed change to office space rather than hotels could help boost economic activity in the area.

Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said that the change better fits the recommended percentage of office use in the Tysons Comprehensive Plan and that the area has other planned hotels.

Image via Fairfax County

Vienna Girl Scouts Send Positive Messages — “Girl Scouts in Vienna, Virginia, have come up with a painting project aimed at spreading happiness called Kindness Rocks.” [NBC4]

Vienna Firefighter Retires After 42 Years — “Leo started as a Vienna volunteer in 1978 & was hired as a career firefighter in 1982. Enjoy a well deserved retirement, Leo!” [Twitter]

Tysons Silver Diner Hosts Fundraiser for McLean High School PTSA — “Tysons Silver Diner Fundraiser on Thursday, 10/1, 5-8 p.m!” [Twitter]

Since 2015, the United Methodist Church and Montessori School of Cedar Lane has been trying to get inline with local zoning ordinances, and at a County Board meeting the Board of Supervisors granted another extension for the church and school to get their house in order.

The school was approved special exception in 2014, contingent on development conditions, but a staff report on the project said the school and church has been been out of conformance with the Zoning Ordinance.

“The application was approved with a requirement that a Non-Residential Use Permit (Non-RUP) be issued within 24 months of the approval date in order to establish the use,” staff said. “In addition, the development conditions mandated that certain improvements, including approval of a minor site plan (MSP) with parking lot and stormwater improvements, enhanced landscaping, removal of certain gravel surfaces, improvements to the parking lot and recordation of a reservation for future right of way dedication, be satisfied prior to issuance of the Non-RUP.”

An extension was first granted in mid-2016 for 12 months, which was eventually extended to July 2020.

A representative of the church and school said the organization is not experienced in handling development issues, which has resulted in delays.

“The applicant has been working to fulfill all development conditions associated with SE 2013-PR-021,” staff said. Ms. [Lynne] Strobel states that the applicant is a non-profit and inexperienced in the process of obtaining permits and approvals associated with zoning and land use. As a result, the implementation of the approval has taken longer than anticipated.”

Strobel told staff the applicant is working with a civil engineer to get the improvements done as quickly as possible, though the pandemic created additional financial challenges due to the school’s closure. However, staff said the applicant reported that it plans to commence the required work within the next year.

The school was approved for 18 additional months to get the needed work done.

Image via Google Maps

Normally the McLean Community Center’s October calendar would be full of fall activities and gatherings. The lingering specter of COVID-19 has muted that somewhat, but there are still several virtual or distanced in-person events planned over the next month.

• Twelfth Night (Friday, Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m.) — The American Shakespeare Center is hosting a live, virtual performance of the Shakespeare comedy. An American Shakespeare Center staff member will be online to answer questions and provide insight. Tickets are $15 or $10 for McLean residents
• The Unruly Theatre Project’s Virtual Improv Show (Wednesday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.) — The Alden theater is sponsoring a virtual improv show. The program is free and viewable after registering online.
• Virtual Family Fun Trivia Night (Friday, Oct. 23, 7-9 p.m.) — Families can register as a group ($5 per family) to engage in socially distant trivia hosted by The Old Firehouse. Prizes are awarded for winning teams.
• House of Terror and Family Trunk or Treat (Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6-9 p.m.) — The Old Firehouse is hosting a haunting at the teen center, turning the facility into a walk-through house of horror. The program is also providing a “Trunk or Treat” program as an alternative to trick or treating.
• Virtual: McLean Uncorked (Sunday, Oct. 25, 5-6 p.m.) — Chain Bridge Cellars in McLean is hosting a free wine discussion with both beginners and connoisseurs. A wine expert will lead the session and explore various aspects of wine, from production to food pairings. Wine must be purchased separately.
• Spooky Virtual Family Bingo (Friday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.) — The Old Firehouse is hosting a Zoom bingo session. Families are encouraged to dress in costumes and join the call. Prizes will be awarded each round of bingo and Old Firehouse staff will vote on the best costume.

There’s no indoor spa, no exotic perks meant to appeal to younger startup crowds. Tom Passarelli’s upcoming Boost McLean is a no-frills or gimmicks approach coworking.

Passarelli is working on getting Boost McLean set up at 6731 Whittier Avenue in the aftermath of a pandemic that devastated the business built on a bunch of strangers working in close proximity in a shared space. The building is still under construction and Passarelli hasn’t moved into the full advertising push yet.

“We’re not marketing yet, but we do have a waiting list,” Passarelli said.

Instead of a sprawling complex taking up a floor or two of an office, building, Passarelli is putting together Boost McLean as something substantially smaller, around 40,000 square feet.

Passarelli said his goal is to serve the McLean business community, catering more towards being an office location for established businesses rather than chasing the latest startups.

The program will offer food and snacks, coffee, and beer and wine if an ABC permit is approved. Passarelli said Boost McLean will also offering catering services if people want them. There will also be wi-fi and printing capabilities.

“It’s a business center and small business club,” Passarelli said. “It’s not a WeWork for the younger crowd and startups, but for people who are a little further along in their careers and don’t want to go downtown but can’t work out of their homes.”

The project was in the works before COVID-19, but Passarelli said he’s made some changes to the program to adapt to the new challenges. Passarelli said the website will include a chance to see how many people are currently in the facility and an anti-microbial filter for the HVAC system.

Image via Boost McLean