Fairfax County is planning to include McLean in a new targeted economic revitalization plan.

The proposed Economic Revitalization and Redevelopment Zones (ERRZs) would allow developers a 5-10 percent fee reduction for site plan reviews and a partial real estate tax abatement for properties consistent with the county’s Comprehensive Plan. A staff report noted that developments approved through the ERRZ pipeline could also see expedited processing.

The plan is the result of legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2017 that allowed regulatory flexibility and financial incentives to encourage private sector growth.

“An inter-departmental team developed and vetted with industry a proposal for a program in Fairfax County to provide an economic development opportunity to the private sector consistent with the legislation,” Fairfax County staff said in the report.

In order to qualify for the program, developments would need to have two parcels that collectively comprise at least two acres in size. Smaller acreages could be considered with Board of Supervisors review.

The ERRZs would be located in the Commercial Revitalization Districts first established in 2004.

In addition to McLean, new ERRZs would be established in:

• Annandale
• Baileys Crossroads
• Springfield
• Lake Anne Village Center
• Richmond Highway Business Centers
• The Huntington Transit Station Area
• The Lincolnia Community Business Center
• Franconia-Springfield Transit Station Area

At tomorrow’s (Tuesday) Board of Supervisors meeting, the scheduling of a public hearing for the ERRZ ordinance is included in the items scheduled for administrative approval. If approved, a public hearing would be scheduled for April 9. If adopted, the changes would take effect on Jan. 1, 2020 and would last until Dec. 31, 2029.

Photo via Fairfax County

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!

Monday (March 4)

• McLean CBC Study Task Force — 7-9 p.m. at Fairfax County McLean Government Center (1437 Balls Hill Rd) — Tonight the task force developing policy recommendations for downtown McLean’s future will continue looking at where the rural transitions to urban in McLean. Staff is also scheduled to present potential land use scenarios.

Tuesday (March 5)

• McLean Citizens Association Meeting with Superintendent Scott Brabrand — 7 p.m. at Mclean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave) — At an MCA-hosted meeting, the Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent is scheduled to discuss priorities and challenges facing the schools, particularly regarding the overcrowding at McLean High School. Residents will be able to ask Brabrand questions.

Thursday (March 7)

• 2019 Philadelphia Flower Show — 6:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave) — The McLean Community Center will be hosting an all-day trip to Philadelphia to see 10 acres of landscapes and gardens. The trip is $138, or $133 for McLean residents, and includes transportation, tickets to the show, a morning snack and driver’s tip.
• 2019 Shape of the Region Conference — 8-11:45 a.m. at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Dr) — The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia will host a conference looking at the economic inequality in the region and how closing that divide can help businesses. Registration is $65.
• Adventures in History: Ancient Egypt — 4:30-5:30 at Dolley Madison Library (1244 Oak Ridge) — Library staff will host a class for kids ages 6-12 on ancient Egyptian history, featuring games, stories and skill-building exercises. The event will include a costume contest.

Sunday (March 10)

• Jazz Brunch at Blackfinn — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Blackfinn Ameripub Merrifield (2750 Gallows Road) — The bar and eatery near the Mosaic District is hosting a relaxing Sunday brunch featuring live music from the Blue Dot Jazz Troupe. Seating is first come, first served with free admission.
• 2019 Trombone Summit — 2 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave E) — University of North Texas’ “U Tubes” and the Capitol Bones will host a trombone festival at Jammin Java.

Photo via Facebook

One local site aims to bring slugging — the practice of informal carpooling for commuters — into the 21st century with a Facebook group and app to connect Beltway and I-66 riders and drivers.

Sluglines is a site that uses social media and an app to link commuters for shared rides.

Morning commuters are picked up in Northern Virginia and dropped off in Arlington or D.C., and picked up from those locations in the afternoon to driven back into Northern Virginia. Among the Northern Virginia stops is one at the Vienna Metro station’s southern kiss-and-ride.

The group is self-governed by participants and no money is exchanged between riders and drivers.

According to the Facebook group:

• Drivers post pickup location, pickup time, drop off location and the number of seats available. Drivers post before 6 a.m. for morning rides and 12 p.m. for afternoon rides.
• Riders respond to the driver’s post
• Riders request only if there are no rides that fits them.

The app includes information on how drivers can take advantage of I-66 HOT lanes.

The rides are first come, first serve. Most of the site’s suggested rules and etiquette are general courtesy items like “play acceptable news or music” and “no personal grooming in the car.”

A similar app, Sameride, includes commuter routes through Tysons.

Photo via Facebook

In what is a best-case scenario for an elected official, County Supervisor John Foust and others at last week’s Fairfax County Budget meeting in McLean said the new year’s spending plan has been fairly uncontroversial.

“In prior years it’s been much more controversial,” said Foust. “The budget this year seems to be generally accepted. People are happy that we’re holding the tax rate flat and I know people are thrilled that we’re able to fully fund the school operating budget.”

Others in the McLean Citizens Association said that the biggest talking point in the audience was concern over the McLean High School overcrowding, which is currently a School Board issue rather than a County Board one.

Foust noted that a leader of a local parent group spoke up and asked Superintendent Scott Brabrand about redistricting the school. At a School Board meeting last week, Brabrand said an update on solutions for McLean High School overcrowding would be released sometime in March.

Foust said 3.8 percent revenue growth, much of it driven by new development in Tysons, has given the Board flexibility to fund the School Board’s budget and funding for county priorities like gang and opioid prevention efforts. Foust said some of the biggest new items in this year’s budget are a series of environmental initiatives to address climate-change related issues.

But Foust also said one of the biggest criticisms of the budget has been that it doesn’t give enough to the county’s affordable housing programs.

“One issue that is not funded the way advocates would like to see funded is affordable housing,” said Foust. “There’s been so little concern expressed about this budget, but the extent that I’ve heard has been that we need to do more about affordable housing. I think the Board of Supervisors agrees and we’re working on that.”

Foust also said that there are concerns about the budget skipping a pay-raise for employees.

“There are concerns by employees that as advertised the Board does not pay full market rate adjustment to county employees,” said Foust. “We’re looking at our options to see if there’s anything to help find money in the budget to pay a little bit more.”

Public budget meetings are being held in each of Fairfax’s districts, but anyone wishing to address the Board of Supervisors directly regarding the budget is invited to speak at public hearings on April 9 and 11.

The Vienna Town Council will review two projects along Maple Avenue in a work session tonight (Monday), after indicating concerns that developers are trying to skirt zoning regulations by pushing their proposed heights a bit higher than current limits might allow.

The 380 Maple development is a proposed mixed-use building with 7,500 square feet of ground floor retail and 40 residential condominiums on three floors. The building includes one floor of underground parking and two floors of structure above-ground parking, but staff noted that the applications calls for an extra half-floor added to the mix, beyond current limits in the area.

“Staff notes that the applicant is proposing a half-floor of parking between the first story and second story of the building, beyond the four stories allowed per code,” staff said in a project overview. “The applicant is applying for a modification of requirement for the additional half-story.”

While approving of greater levels of parking available at the site, Councilmember Douglas Noble said at a meeting last week that he was concerned the additional half-story would still be contrary to the Maple Avenue zoning code’s five-story limit.

Meanwhile, the Sunrise Assisted Living project, a four-story building with 85 assisted living units and 7,700 square feet of first-floor commercial space, is also requesting a “half-story” space.

“Staff notes that the applicant is proposing a half-story space to include additional lobby and common spaces for the assisted living facility between the first story and second story of the building, beyond the four stories allowed per Code,” staff said in the project overview. “The applicant is applying for a modification of requirement for the additional half-story.”

An additional item listed as “limiting discussion with developers” was also added to the agenda at the request of Councilmembers Pasha Majdi and Howard Springsteen, two of the leading opponents to the controversial Maple Avenue Commercial developments last year.

Image via Town of Vienna Planning and Zoning

New Falls Church Development — “Founders Row, a future mixed-use development set to bring a major transformation to Falls Church, has broken ground. Mill Creek Residential’s 4.5-acre development will include luxury apartments and retail space at West Broad Street and North West Street. A formal groundbreaking ceremony will happen Monday, March 4.” [Patch]

Vienna Posting More Meetings Online — “The town of Vienna long has posted video recordings of Town Council and Planning Commission meetings, but those who wished to review less-formal work sessions of those bodies were out of luck. That has changed recently, as the town has begun posting on the Web audio recordings of meetings and work sessions of those bodies within 48 hours, said town spokesman Lynne Coan.” [InsideNova]

Vehicle Slams into Vienna ABC Store — “A driver pulled into a parking spot at the Virginia ABC store, 436 Maple Ave., E., on Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. and accidentally left his vehicle’s transmission in drive, Vienna police said.” [InsideNova]

A series of closures are planned on and around the Jones Branch Connector this weekend to facilitate more bridge deck work on the bridge.

According to a press release from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the following streets will be closed:

• The southbound 495 express lanes between the Jones Branch Connector off-ramp and the Jones Branch Connector on-ramp
• The eastbound Dulles Toll Road ramp to southbound 495 express lanes
• Eastbound and westbound lanes of the Jones Branch Connector between Jones Branch Drive and the 495 express lanes.

The closures will run from 5 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) to 4 a.m. on Monday (March 4).

The northbound 495 express lanes ramp will remain an option, but only for drivers turning right towards Route 123 via eastbound Scotts Crossing Drive.

The bridge partially opened in December with final completion planned for fall 2019.

Dominion Energy is rebuilding its substation in Tysons, but will have to design the project around a long-planned ramp connecting downtown Tysons to the Dulles Toll Road.

At a Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 27, the Commission ultimately deferred a decision on the substation to March 13 to address technical details related to the site’s exterior. But while the substation itself is probably of little interest to most Tysonians, if they even spot it behind the dense tree-cover, the conversation at the meeting included plans on building around the station to construct a new connection from Tysons to the Dulles Toll Road.

The “Greensboro Drive Connection” is a proposed ramp that would bypass the substation and connect Tyco Road to the parallel Dulles Toll Road. The new route would include a direct extension to Greensboro Drive, ending west of The Rotunda and just north of The Boro development.

While the project is seen as less costly than other connectivity alternatives and would function as a fairly conventional exit/entrance ramp, county staff also noted that the ramp could potentially load large amounts of traffic onto Tyco Road and would not be bicycle or pedestrian friendly.

But Fairfax County Planning Commission members said the new road could help revitalize Tyco Road, currently a strip-mall type set of retail being outpaced by more Metro-adjacent developments to the west.

During the Planning Commission meeting, staff noted that the potential ramp could be located on either side of the station, though they would closely abut the station.

If the project does move forward, construction likely wouldn’t start until FY 2028.

According to Sheri Aiken, senior land use planner for McGuire Woods, LLC (which is representing Dominion) the existing substation has been in place since the early 1960s but requires an upgrade to handle increased demand from Tysons. Aiken said the rebuilt station will utilize GIS equipment and have an overall more efficient and less cluttered look. The chain link fence around the project is also planned to be replaced with a 12-foot wall.

“This station is critical to the future of Tysons and to the effort put forward by Dominion Energy to work with undergrounding of the line,” said Planning Commission member Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, who represents the Providence district.

As Tysons office development launches to new heights, America’s “Next Great City” works to catch up with arts programs.

Here are some arts events — predominately concerts and theater showings — showcased by ARTSFAIRFAX around the Tysons area in March.

• Epic Grandeur — Tonight (March 1) at 7:30 in Saint Luke Catholic Church (7001 Georgetown Pike) — The Tysons McLean Orchestra will be performing a mix of Georges Bizet and Johannes Brahms. General admission tickets are $40.
• Thunder Knocking on the Door — Feb. 14 – March 10 at Creative Cauldron (410 S. Maple Ave) — The Creative Cauldron theater group is currently performing the Tony Award-nominated musical about a mysterious Faustian bargain in a small Alabama town. The show runs every weekend with adult admission tickets at $32.
• Olenna — March 7-15 at the Italian Cafe (7161 Lee Highway) — The Providence Players will present the David Mamet 1992 play about two people engaged in a power struggle over a sexual harassment scandal. The play runs approximately 80 minutes and with general admission at $10.
• In Celebration of Life: Mozart and Faure — March 9 at The Falls Church Episcopal Church (115 E. Fairfax Street) — Choralis will present a broad selection of Mozart’s music, from a song written at 18 to one just five months before his death. General admission tickets are $40. Audience members are encouraged to bring unneeded prescription eyeglasses to the concert for donation to the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center of Northern Virginia.
• Reflections — March 17 at Saint Luke Roman Catholic Church (7001 Georgetown Pike) — The Reston Chorale will present an afternoon of choral and organ arrangements with members of the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. General admission tickets are currently $25 until March 16. Active duty military can attend for free.
• A Bohemian Life — March 18 at The Falls Church Episcopal (115 E. Fairfax Street) — The Tysons McLean Orchestra will present a collection of musical selections from Central Europe. General admission tickets are $40.
• columbinus — March 28 – April 20 at 1st Stage Theater (1524 Spring Hill Rd.) — Tyson’s 1st Stage theater will present a docudrama following the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School. The production is comprised of excerpts from interviews with survivors, parents, and community members. General admission tickets are $39.
• Rachmaninoff: All Night Virgil — March 30 at Church of the Holy Cross (2455 Gallows Road) — VOCE will be presenting an acapella evening of the post-romantic music of Rachmaninoff. A second performance will be held on March 31 at the Church of Holy Comforter in Vienna. Tickets are $25.

In addition to the programming listed above, The Barns at Wolf Trap has extensive programming throughout March.

Photo via Facebook

The old AMT Building at 7901 Westpark Drive has been completely demolished, clearing the way for the new 10-story City View office tower.

City View was announced in 2013 as part of the broader Arbor Row development, which was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2012. The project is just east of Tysons Galleria.

The tower is planned to include 200,000 square feet of office space.

The project’s brochure boasts that the tower will be one block from the Tysons Corner Center Metro station with quick access to the Beltway.

Planned amenities include a rooftop terrace that can accommodate 100 people for events, a fitness center and cafe. The project plans include a garage and surface parking area.

Staff at American Real Estate Partners said they would not comment on the planned completion date for the project.