The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Tuesday (June 25)
- Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo — 7-10 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road) — Artists Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo — known for their songs like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Love is a Battlefield” — are performing at Wolf Trap as part of a 40th anniversary tour. Tickets are $35 with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday (June 26)
- My Neighbor Totoro — 7-9 p.m. at Angelika Film Center & Café at Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbor Totoro will be on the big screen in the Mosaic District on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 11 a.m. Tickets are $14.50.
Thursday (June 27)
- Diana Ross at Wolf Trap — 8-11 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — Motown artist Diana Ross — the singer for classics like “I’m Coming Out” and “Stop! In the Name of Love” — will be performing at Wolf Trap this Thursday. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for lawn seating.
Friday (June 28)
- Summer Concert with Tauren Wells — 6:30-8 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — WGTS 91.9’s concert series continues with Grammy-nominated artist Tauren Wells. The concert is free at The Plaza (near Lord & Taylor) on Friday. Space is first-come, first-served and attendees are invited to bring their own chair or blanket.
- Macbeth Premiere — 8-8:30 at 1st Stage (1524 Spring Hill Road) — The 1st Stage Theater will host a production of The Scottish Play by Britches and Hose Theatre Company. The play premieres on Friday, but will have showings at 8 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Saturday (June 29)
- Yoga at Tysons Biergarten — 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — An hourlong, all-levels yoga event will be held inside the beer hall of Tysons Biergarten. Online tickets are $25 and walk-in tickets are $30. Tickets include a chip for a beverage after the class.
- Junior Ranger Day — 12-3 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — Children ages 5-12 are invited out to an event at Wolf Trap where they can be a ranger for a day, engaging in scavenger hunts and various ranger programs.
- Feast for Fireworks Tasting Event — 12-4 p.m. at Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market (6655 Old Dominion Drive) — Balducci’s has prepared an early Independence Day celebration. The market is planning to include a grill event and a selection of “summer essentials” for upcoming barbecues.
- Back to the ’90s: Incubus Tribute — 7 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 E. Maple Avenue) — Jammin’ Java is hosting a ’90s throwback evening with a celebration of Incubus on the 20th anniversary of the band. The evening will feature Incubus tributes from other bands. Tickets are $15 for general admission.
Photo via Wolf Trap/Facebook
In its appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), group home operator Newport Academy said county staff overreached in its determination against a planned facility in McLean.
There have been more than a few stories recently on the Newport Academy’s planned opening of a for-profit therapy program in a McLean neighborhood, but as Fairfax County Board Chairman Sharon Bulova pointed out, it’s an issue that could set precedent in Fairfax.
In May, Fairfax County Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson issued a letter saying that because the Newport Academy’s three adjacent properties at 1620, 1622 and 1624 Davidson Road shared staff and resources, they were not individual properties eligible for by-right development but as a congregate living facility.
But in the appeal filed to the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Newport Academy laid out its argument that it had been the unfair victim of public backlash and a selective zoning ruling.
“The Newport Academy has been deprived of the right to operate each of the Davidson Properties… as a residential facility for up to eight individuals with mental illnesses as permitted and consistent with [Virginia code],” the company said in the appeal.
The appeal also lays out a timeline of events starting with Newport Academy purchasing one property at 1624 Davidson Road and another at 1318 Kurtz Road. In August, the company sent a series of questions to the Zoning Administrator regarding the prospect of opening multiple homes at Davidson Road, to which zoning answered that the group residential facility may occupy a dwelling unit without any proffered or development conditions and that there was no limitation on the number of group residential facilities.
After this, the appeal says Newport Academy invested millions of dollars on the purchases and renovations for the other properties. Now, the Newport Academy is saying Johnson’s ruling is inconsistent with Virginia law and other codes.
The appeal also alleges that the Newport Academy was the victim of a “sophisticated campaign to turn elected and appointed public officials against Newport Academy’s efforts to provide appropriate mental health services to adolescents in McLean” that included dozens of letters, emails and phone calls from local residents.
The Newport Academy reiterated that it is a group residential facility, defined in zoning ordinance as “a group home or other residential facility with one or more resident or nonresident staff persons, in which no more than eight mentally ill, intellectually disabled or developmentally disabled persons reside… or eight handicapped persons reside.”
Newport Academy alleges in the appeal that Johnson employed external factors without a statutory basis.
“The Zoning Administrator considered factors including common ownership, physical proximity, and programmatic elements of the proposed use at the Davidson Properties, factors not found in either the Virginia statue or the Zoning Ordinance,” the appeal said. “This ‘single facility’ analysis is foreclosed under [Virginia code], which unambiguously invests [the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services] (VDBHDS) as the sole authority to determine whether a home meets the requirements of being considered a ‘residential facility.'”
The Newport Academy argues repeatedly throughout the appeal that Johnson stepped on the VDBHDS’ role as the licensing agency.
The appeal also points to other group residential facilities in Fairfax, like the properties at 8333, 8337, and 8341 Lewinsville Road, which share a driveway and programming across the three facilities.
When, or if, the appeal will be heard by the BZA is still to be determined. The appeal was received on Friday, June 14, and must be scheduled within 90 days if accepted unless other arrangements are agreed to. Brian Worthy, a Fairfax County spokesman, said that county staff are currently going through the application before the county officially accepts it — a standard procedure for every application.
Updated 2:45 p.m. — Bulova’s Office noted that the interview does not represent an endorsement of the Kurtz Road property and that an official letter from the Zoning Administrator is still pending.
What started as residents upset over a series of group homes slated to move into a residential cul-de-sac has ballooned into a contentious issue that could set precedent in Fairfax County.
The Newport Academy, a for-profit therapy program for teens with mental health or addiction problems, wanted to turn its three purchased homes (1620, 1622, and 1624 Davidson Road) into a treatment facility. The plan hinged on the buildings being a by-right use, meaning no zoning approvals would be required, but a letter from Fairfax County Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson said this wasn’t the case.
The issue seemed settled. The Facebook group that had been the bastion of local resistance disbanded. But yesterday, Fairfax County staff confirmed that Newport Academy had filed an appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).
Outgoing Fairfax County Board Chairman Sharon Bulova weighed into the discussion to lay out next steps and take a stance on the issue.
TR: We received confirmation that Johnson’s decision is being appealed to the BZA – does it end there or could it move up to the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors?
Bulova: If they deny it — if the BZA says “no, county staff is correct” — then they could file a special exception, which is what she said they needed to do. I’m assuming BZA will agree with county staff, but that doesn’t mean it’s over for them because they could file a special exception. Then it would go to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
They’re appealing this decision probably because they don’t want to move forward with a special exception faced with the kind of opposition they’re getting from the community.
TR: I saw in your letter to the residents that you have concerns about the facility. I was wondering if you could lay out what parts of this facility are concerning to you?
Bulova: I have been very supportive of group homes. I think they’re important, they provide an important service in our community, where people get the kind of support and help that they need, whatever the disability or need.
My concern about the Newport Academy is that this isn’t just a group home, this appears to be a little campus being developed out of a single family neighborhood. This is not a group home, but a [cluster] of individual homes being turned into a complex. That, to me, is a different situation than an individual group home where someone is able to live in a community and get the kind of supportive help they need.
The Kurtz Road [location] may be fine, but the Davidson ones are encircled and fenced in together. That’s something different
TR: In your experience as Chair, have there been other instances of projects or controversies like this?
Bulova: Group homes come up all the time, and back in the olden times group homes used to cause some concerns within a community. I remember back in the olden days, there were community days about the group home. Federal law stepped in and said “you can’t do that, group homes have to be treated like a family moving in.”
Generally, they are welcomed into the community. We’ve never dealt with something in my experience where someone seemed to have consolidated the properties and is trying to create a complex or campus of buildings. I’ve never seen this before. I see this not as being about a group home, but about something very different that changes, I think, the nature of the residential community.
Updated 11 a.m. — The lavish McLean home where much of Alexi Balmasov’s art is currently on display is a pretty far cry from the Siberian village it came from. But there’s a fairytale-like quality to both the cottage home a stone’s throw from downtown McLean and the pastoral scenes of Russia inside.
Local art seller Ruzanna Danielian is inviting the public to her home at 1178 Randolph Road for a gallery exhibition on Sunday, June 23 from 1-7 p.m. Drinks will be provided and Danielian said the public is invited to meet interesting people and enjoy good artwork.
“This is a passion for me,” said Danielian. “I choose [to display] what I fall in love with.”
Danielian said she got into the gallery scene by choosing art to display between books at a store she managed in Moscow. While Danielian said at first it was just art to fill in the gaps, she said customers began to take more and more notice of the artwork and soon curating artwork became her career.
In McLean, Danielian said she got started hosting galleries when she put some on display for a friend, but now Danielian says she makes it her mission to find lesser known artists from places and cultures people in the area may not be familiar.
Inside her McLean home, the walls are covered in a carefully curated selection of art from Balmasov, from still-lifes around the kitchen to scenes from rural Siberia along the hallway. It’s a selection Danielian said took her a year of traveling and careful selection to put together.
Danielian said what drew her to Balmasov’s artwork was the unique approach to layers. Oils, acrylics and other paints are all mixed one on top of the other in a single eight or 10-hour session, giving the pieces a unique sense of depth. The styles range from more surreal and impressionistic to realism.
The prices range from $300 pieces sold without frames to larger ones just under $2,000.
The View. The Lumen. The Monarch.
Where do the new Tysons developments get their names?
Some of the names are obvious, like Capital One Tower or The Boro under construction across from the Greensboro Metro station, but others have obscure names derived either from the purpose or design of the project.
Here are the stories and thought processes behind the name of some new developments around Tysons:
What it is: A sprawling 3 million-square-foot development from the Clemente Development Company near the Spring Hill Metro station. The centerpiece of the project is The Iconic, a 600 foot-tall office tower.
“The View’s name is based on the fact that this project will be the western gateway project in Tysons as it matures into America’s ‘Next Great City,’ with dramatic views in all directions,” Juliann Clemente, the president of Clemente Development Company, said in an email. “The name captures the project’s essence and its prominent role in the development of Tysons’ skyline.”
Clemente also noted that much of the company’s names are picked by the development team over lunch.
What it is: A planned affordable housing complex temporarily on hold as the Clemente Development Company focuses on The View to the north.
“The Evolution’s name was chosen as it will provide the workforce — in one location — a home with educational facilities, child care services and other essential amenities all proximate to where the workforce lives, works and plays enabling residents to evolve within walking distance to work in the new city that will be Tysons,” Clemente said. “No commuting required. They’re turning commuting time into productive time, and we’re offering the opportunity to grow and evolve.”
What it is: A high-end condominium tower east of Tysons Galleria that broke ground earlier this year. Units in The Monarch range from $600,000 to just over $3 million.
“The Monarch name was chosen for two reasons,” Kamarin Kraft, the vice president of the Mayhood Company, which is marketing the project, said. “The first is that the project is a part of the new Tysons and we are very proud to be part of this positive transformation. The Monarch butterfly is powerful symbol of this exciting transformation. The second reason is that we have outdoor space on every home and most of them are three-sided extended balconies which makes the building appear as if it’s taking flight when viewed from above.”
What it is: A row of development projects located along Westpark Drive, of which The Monarch is one.
“I have to assume the Arbor Row name comes from the line of properties which flank Westpark Drive and share the mature grove of trees to the rear which is a unique asset in our urban setting,” Kraft said.
What it is: A luxury-apartment that started leasing earlier this year with move-ins planned later this summer.
“The name for Lumen was inspired by the building design,” Lindsey Bernhardt, the account manager for LinnellTaylor Marketing, said. “Consisting of floor to ceiling windows spanning the entire building, standing at 32 stories tall, the Lumen is the tallest building in Fairfax County to date. The name is a play on the meaning of lumen, relating to luminous, letting the bright and radiant light in.”
Update 1:30 p.m. — A ribbon-cutting for a new athletic field in Tysons on Saturday, June 22, as part of a broader mission to make Tysons more park friendly.
The ribbon-cutting is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. at the new Quantum Field, tucked into the southeast corner of the Beltway-Leesburg Pike at 7980 Quantum Drive.
The field and adjacent parking lot are the result of a proffer agreement with The Meridian Group, the developers of the nearby Boro project. The Boro includes 700 residences along with commercial and office spaces and a movie theater.
“Meridian designed and constructed a synthetic turf athletic field with a playing surface of dimensions 180 feet by 360 feet to accommodate five sports, as well as black vinyl perimeter chain link fencing, concrete walkways, bleacher pads, athletic field and parking lot lighting, sound containing walls and landscaping,” a press release said. “The field development was substantially completed in May.”
Athletic fields have been identified by Fairfax County staff as a critical need for Tysons, particularly in the increasingly residential areas along Leesburg Pike.
As more developments come online in Tysons, more athletic fields are planned along Leesburg Pike. In April, developers of The Mile project submitted plans for a synthetic turf field at 8229 Boone Blvd.
Photo via Fairfax County Government
A proposal to launch an autonomous shuttle program in Merrifield was awarded a state grant, making it the first state-funded pilot of its kind in Virginia.
The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board approved $250,000 in grant funding for Fairfax County to test driverless technology in public transportation, according to a press release. Fairfax County will provide $50,000 in local match funding to the pilot.
The program was the topic of extensive discussion at a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors work session yesterday (Tuesday). The pilot project will have an autonomous shuttle running from the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station to the Mosaic District, closing a 1-mile transit gap between the two locations.
The project is a collaboration between Fairfax County and Dominion Energy, which would identify, select and purchase the shuttles.
The shuttle would be free to ride with no ticket or pass needed.
The work session included a discussion of safety challenges related to operating an autonomous shuttle, particularly the challenge of getting the shuttle across Lee Highway. The press release noted that the shuttles will undergo extensive testing before passenger service can begin and a safety steward will be on board to monitor operations.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to consider the formal partnership agreement at the Tuesday, June 25, Board of Supervisors meeting.
Rendering via Optimus Ride
After an earlier work session decried the building design as boring, designers of the Vienna Market mixed-use project came back with a slightly more spiced-up project.
Criticisms of the original designs included notes that the building did not offer interesting or unique street faces on every side of the project. The new redesign of the project was presented at the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) Work Session on Friday, June 14.
Most of the distinctions are fairly subtle, but enough to excite architecture wonks on the BAR. Members of the Board praised the new bay windows — glass spaces that project forward from the main room — as a new visually distinctive feature of the project.
The proposed project is planned to replace the Marco Polo building that was destroyed in a fire last year. The project would add 44 condominiums and 8,200 square feet of retail space to 245 W. Maple Avenue.
Representatives of Northfield, the site developer, said at the meeting that a focus of the work between the last work session and this one was rustication, giving the building a more rough-hewn look as compared to the more clean-cut original design.
The building still has a ways to go before approval. Another work session is planned for next Friday (June 28), prompting one BAR member to remark that his wife was getting suspicious of the number of “work sessions” he was attending for the project.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have joined the call for answers in the shooting of a Tysons man by U.S. Park Police in 2017.
Bijan Ghaisar, a 25-year-old, was shot on Nov. 17, 2017 by two U.S. Park Police who fired into his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Three days after the shooting, the FBI took over the investigation, but there’s been virtually no update on the case.
“We write today to once again request an update on the status of the Bijan Ghaisar investigation,” Grassley and Warner said in a joint letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI has failed to provide information on this investigation, which has been ongoing since November 2017, to us, our colleagues, or the public. The FBI’s slow pace and lack of transparency are weakening the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
The letter notes that family members and the press have had to rely on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for simple details like whether or not Ghaisar had a weapon when he was killed — which he did not, according to FOIA documents obtained by Ghaisar’s family.
The senators are not the first to call for answers. Last November, on the anniversary of the shooting, the McLean Citizens Association also issued a resolution demanding answers.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) also pushed for answers in 2018. The Grassley and Warner letter notes the FBI has previously responded that it would not discuss an active investigation.
Grassley and Warner also sent a joint letter to Dan Smith, the acting director of the National Park Service, with questions about the agency’s policies on the use of force.
The letters to the FBI and NPS demand an update from both organizations no later than July 2.
Image via Fairfax County Police Department
Fairfax County is moving toward autonomous vehicles connecting the Mosaic District to the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro.
At a work session today (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors reviewed plans to start a pilot program for self-driving vehicles as a shuttle service.
“We’re pretty excited,” said Leonard Wolfenstein, chief of the transportation planning section. “We have several partners in the public and private sector.”
Wolfenstein said the mile of distance between the Metro and the Mosaic District was one of the main reasons it was being eyed for the autonomous vehicle pilot.
“The Mosaic District is a vibrant and active growing sector of the county,” said Wolfenstein. “Mosaic is roughly a mile from the Metro, so it’s a great first-last mile type of environment to test this out.”
Under the planned partnership, Dominion Energy would identify, select, and purchase shuttles while Fairfax County government would oversee its operation. Who actually operates the shuttle is still to be determined.
Staff noted that concerns about safety, like how shuttles would affect pedestrians and cyclists, are still to be determined. In particular, staff said the “tricky situation” is figuring out whether the autonomous vehicles will safely be able to cross Lee Highway.
“The proposed path would create an environment where there are opportunities for all those users,” staff said. “At the end of the pilot, there will be a report published to establish a regulatory framework. This is the only pilot like this in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Clinton Edwards from the Department of Rail and Public Transportation said that the department was reviewing the business case for automated vehicles. Edwards said the department was considering cost, insurance, liability concerns and private-public partnership issues.
But for members of the Board of Supervisors, most of the questions focused on how to get the public on board with the idea.
“The key is to create buzz,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust. “People need to think of Fairfax County when they think of autonomous vehicles.”
Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth said the partnership should rely heavily on Edens, the Mosaic District property management company, for that.
“Turn the marketing of this over to Edens,” said Smyth. “Let them do what they do best.”
Image via Optimus Ride
