Your coworkers around Tysons might look a little younger between now and March 1.

The Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce is hosting its seventh annual job shadow program, pairing over 50 students from high schools near Tysons with 30 different local organizations.

According to a press release from the Chamber of Commerce, students are shadowing organizations in a variety of fields, from a local Jiffy Lube to a senator’s office.

The program also included an introductory class hosted by Navy Federal, which offered some basic training and guidelines on how to act in a professional workplace.

“Our job shadow program always makes an impact with students because it connects real-world experience with teenagers’ aspirations,” said Maureen Loftus, executive director of LearningRx and chair of the Youth and Education Committee of the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce, in a press release. “We appreciate the continued support from our business community.”

Local programs hosting high school students for shadowing includes:

• Convene
• CST Group
• Delegate Mark Keam
• FACETS Cares
• Food for Others
• Grossberg Company
• Impact Business Solutions
• Intelsat
• Jiffy Lube
• Navy Federal Credit Union
• Senator Mark Warner
• StraTac Marketing
• The Arc of Northern Virginia
• Vienna Animal Hospital
• Yext

The proposed redevelopment of a vacant office in northeast Tysons is moving forward for approval over the next month.

The Hanover Company’s plan is to demolish the existing seven-story office building and replace it with a new 400 unit residential development called Hanover Tysons.

The project is scheduled to be discussed at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 27 meeting with a Board of Supervisors hearing at on March 19.

The Washington Business Journal noted that the new development is one of the new crop of developments, like the nearby The Mile residential complex, that are being built slightly further away from transit than the more high-profile and high-impact developments like The Boro. Hanover Tysons is a little under one mile from the Tysons Corner Station, a roughly 20-minute walk.

Brian Tucker, managing director for JLL, said at Bisnow’s Tysons State of the Market last month that developments are becoming increasingly stratified between those built almost on top of the Metro stations and those further away.

“Roughly 30 percent of buildings [in Tysons] are built have been close to Metro,” said Tucker. “Those further away from Metro are going to have to make certain changes and accept the fact that their rent streams are going to be significantly lower. It’s going to be a tale of two cities.”

According to the staff report on the new development, 66 residential units in the Hanover Tysons, or 20 percent of the total, will be workforce affordable.

Photo via The Hanover Company

After a fall and winter spent reviewing public feedback on the Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zone regulations, Town of Vienna staff think the controversial regulations are ready for the limelight once again.

At tonight’s (Feb. 11) Vienna Town Council work session, the council is scheduled to review the updated design guidelines and amendments to the plan. A moratorium on new proposed developments was imposed last year after new developments sparked extensive controversy.

According to a staff memo, staff looked at the proportion and scale of Church Street, which runs parallel to Maple Avenue, to see how guidelines there could be applied to Maple Avenue. How the new guidelines differ from the existing ones is not immediately obvious reading through the presentation, but the changes will likely be the topic of discussion at tonight’s work session and several meetings planned over the next month.

Andrea West, a planner for the Town of Vienna, said in an email that tonight’s meeting will focus on the process of approving the regulation changes, while the changes themselves will be the subject of a Planning Commission meeting next week.

The new guidelines will be scrutinized at a Planning Commission work session on Feb. 13 and the Board of Architectural Review on Feb. 15.  After review at the individual boards, a joint work session is scheduled for March 6, followed by community workshops later in March.

The planned workshop will include a mock-up of a sidewalk section with moveable parts and building blocks showing proposed setbacks and roof lines.

Image via Town of Vienna

Police are looking for a suspect in the robbery of a gas station in Falls Church over the weekend.

The Shell station at 6623 Wilson Blvd. was robbed around 7:10 p.m. Saturday, according to Falls Church police.

Police say the man implied he had a handgun and demanded cash.

“The suspect is described as a 35-40 year old black male, about 6′ tall, clean shaven, slim build, wearing a black sweater,” police said. A short video of the suspect entering the store is available online.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 703-248-5053.

Photo via City of Falls Church Police

It’s a little outside the usual area for weekend events, but volunteers are needed to help clean out the river access at Great Falls on Saturday.

If enough volunteers arrive to clear out the ravine in one day, the National Park Service will re-open river access from Great Falls on Sunday.

The National Park Service will provide trash bags, gloves, and pickers.

Volunteers should meet at the top of the ravine, near Overlook 3, and wear sturdy shoes.

Saturday (Feb. 9)

Meal Packing: 75K Meals for 75 Years (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) — To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the McLean Presbyterian Church is hosting a meal packing event. The goal is to pack 75,000 meals for people in need. Lunch for volunteers will also be provided.

Swolemates Bootcamp (10:30-11:30 a.m.) — The Tysons Sport & Health at 8250 Greensboro Drive is offering a free training session tomorrow morning. Non-members, as well as members, are invited to the free work-out event. The event is themed around partners, but singles are invited as well. The workout session will be followed by a raffle with dozens of prizes from local partners.

Supervisor and School Board Candidate Meet and Greet (1-3 p.m.) — Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust and School Board candidate Alicia Plerhoples are hosting a meet-and-greet at 1815 MacArthur Drive in McLean. The event is aimed at getting feedback from residents of the Chesterbrook neighborhood on what the important issues are in the area.

I Love McLean Party (3-6 p.m.) — The McLean Citizens Association is hosting a celebration of all things McLean at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave) with music from a local school choir and a meeting with various community leaders.

Sunday (Feb. 10)

Valentine’s Day Wine and Book Tasting (3-5 p.m.) — Bards Alley and The Vienna Wine Outlet are teaming up to host a romantic Valentine’s Day event. The sampling will be hosted at Bards Alley (110 Church Street NW) and is free, but RSVP is requested.

All You Need Is Love (7 p.m.) — Jammin’ Java is hosting its annual tribute to the Beatles and love songs in general. Tickets to the event are $16.

Photo via Facebook

If you’ve driven east out of Vienna along Maple Avenue, you’ve probably passed a new subdivision under construction at the intersection with Follin Lane.

Six lots are under development for the spot located around a small cul-de-sac off Mashie Drive.

The project attracted some criticisms from Vienna officials when seven lots were originally being considered for the lot with direct access from Maple Avenue.

While the houses could have been developed by-right, without extensive town approval, the developer changed the layout of the properties to reflect the feedback.

The new designs also show a tree barrier between Maple Avenue and three of the adjacent lots. A new bus shelter is also planned to be built at the site as part of the agreement.

(Updated 9:30 a.m.) After a protracted battle with the National Park Service, Claude Moore Farm in McLean closed last year. While the lot currently sits fenced off, it’s still unclear what will happen to the farm next.

In December, the park service released a statement saying discussions on the park would begin in early 2019.

Early in the new year, the NPS will invite the community, the farm’s volunteers and any interested parties to share their vision for the park’s future. The public engagement process will help to determine what happens next and when. The NPS will listen to people’s ideas about how they would like to enjoy the park. Should the NPS offer farm activities, return the area to its natural state, provide connections to neighboring trail systems or something else altogether? The NPS will not pursue any kind of commercial development or sell the property.

But a month and a half into 2019, NPS representatives say no concrete plans for those meetings have been made yet.

“We look forward to beginning public engagement in the coming months,” said Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles, chief of public affairs for the NPS National Capital Region. “Since [December], our agreement has expired and we are actively working with the Friends organization on a safe and orderly close out, which includes the Friends removing personal property from the park.”

The NPS and the organization that managed the park, Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm, had a long history of sparring over administrative and financial oversight. A 2015 report demanding more oversight at the farm started the final round of conflict between the two organizations that ended with the NPS shuttering the park for good at the end of 2018.

But even if the NPS has nothing planned, the McLean Citizens Association said at a board of directors meeting on Wednesday that they are going to begin considering suggestions for new uses for Claude Moore Farm.

“The [farm] has closed, but members will plan to walk that space and look at the layout to consider potential uses,” said Ed Monroe, chair of the group’s Environment, Parks & Recreation Committee. “So if you have things you want to share, we’re open to receiving those.”

There was a fire earlier this week at the 8200 block of Crestwood Heights Drive in Tysons, but even before Fairfax Fire & Rescue arrived it was doused by the building’s sprinkler system.

The fire started just after midnight in an upper-floor apartment of a 19-story high-rise building. There were no injuries and $200 in damages.

Bill Delaney, a public affairs officer for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, said fires being taken out by sprinklers before firefighters arrive is uncommon, given that sprinklers are only typical in newer high rise buildings.

“Sprinklers are mostly located in high-rise buildings, condos, apartments,” said Delaney. “Also a variety of commercial type buildings and businesses. Older types of those buildings do not have fire sprinklers as it was not a requirement at the time they were built.”

Delaney said the fire was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Delaney noted that this was the sixth fire in 2019 caused by discarded cigarettes or other smoking devices. One last week caused significant damage to a home after cigarettes were thrown into the trash.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue offered a few suggestions for safely disposing of cigarettes.

• Never dispose of cigarette butts in potted planting soil. The soil, when it gets too dry, can become highly flammable.
• Never flick cigarettes into mulch or shrubbery. Dispose of them in a suitable ashtray or bucket with sand. Ensure designated outside smoking areas have an appropriate fireproof container, ashtray or bucket.
• Completely douse butts and ashes with water before throwing them away, as they can smolder and cause a fire.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Provide large, deep ashtrays with a center support for smokers. Check furniture for any dropped ashes before going to bed. Empty ashes into a fireproof container with water and sand.
• Keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn (i.e., mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, draperies, etc.).
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is being used.
• If you smoke, choose fire-safe cigarettes. They are less likely to cause fires.
• To prevent a deadly cigarette fire, you must be alert. You won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine or other drugs.
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of children’s sight and reach.

Valentine’s Day Options in McLean and Tysons — “With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you don’t want to be stuck trying to find a last-minute dinner reservation… We’ve got a few suggestions for restaurants around McLean and Tysons, including those offering special dining options on OpenTable.” [Patch]

Inca Social Officially Open in Merrifield — “Inca Social just brought Merrifield a colorful new getaway for Peruvian comfort foods that are designed to be paired with a long lineup of Virginia craft beers.” [Eater]

A Local Teardown Story — A local man who grew tired of his five-level townhouse in McLean decided to pursue a new home but, unsatisfied by the options, decided instead to buy and tear down a “distressed” house in Pimmit Hills and build his dream home in its place. [Washington Post]

Keam in the Times — “Asked about the state of the government, Delegate Mark L. Keam, a Democrat from Fairfax County, replied with one word: ‘Uncertain.'” [New York Times]

McLean Mansion Offered for Sale — “Buyers will be able to bid in person and online when the mansion in McLean, Va., known as Whispering Woods goes on the auction block on Feb. 27. The 15,000-square-foot mansion at 8305 Alford St. rests on three acres behind fences and gates.” [Washington Post]

If you’re a McLean resident with a passion for your community, you’re invited to run for the McLean Community Center’s (MCM) governing board.

The MCM is located at 1234 Ingleside Ave and reopened earlier this year after extensive renovations. The facility’s governing board is seeking local residents to run for a seat.

The governing board is composed of volunteers elected by the community to set policy, approve budgets and provide oversight for the center’s programs and facilities.

There are currently five openings on the board: three for adults and two for young people. Adults serve a three-year term and youths, who must be between 15-17 years old by “McLean Day” on May 18, serve a one-year term. All candidates must be residents of the McLean tax district.

To be considered for the seat, each candidate must obtain 10 signatures of endorsement from McLean residents. For teen candidates, those signatures must be from peers living in their high school area. Candidate petition packets are currently available at the McLean Community Center.

All candidates must have their information submitted by no later than 5 p.m. on March 15. McLean residents are then encouraged to come out to the McLean Day festivities on May 18 from 10:30 to 5 p.m. at Lewinsville Park to vote for their candidate of choice.

Adults vote for adult candidates only while youths vote for youth candidates. Absentee ballots can also be submitted from March 18 through May 15.

Photo via McLean Community Center