Metro Eying Redevelopment of WFC Site — “Metro may soon seek developers to remake a 24-acre site by its West Falls Church rail station that could potentially be combined, or at least coordinated, with two adjacent projects in the works by the city of Falls Church and Virginia Tech.” [Washington Business Journal]
Progress on Vienna Police Station Project — “The Vienna Town Council on Jan. 7 approved an up-to-$318,950 contract with Downey & Scott LLC of Warrenton to provide project-management services for the upcoming renovation and expansion of Vienna Police Headquarters. Too small when it opened in 1994, the police station, located at 215 Center St., S. has remained open 24 hours per day ever since and badly needs upgrades and more room, police leaders have been saying for years.” [InsideNova]
Innovative Tysons Co. Keeps Low Profile — “From the exterior, Evans Federal Solutions’ first-floor office on Spring Hill Road in Tysons Corner is completely unassuming. A visitor needs to venture inside to appreciate Evans’ futuristic world of command-and-control centers, with high-resolution monitors, LED images and maps that jump off the screen in a semi-darkened showplace.” [FCEDA]
The election to replace Linda Smyth as Providence district supervisor just turned into a four-way race — two veterans of Fairfax government have thrown their hats into the ring for the Democratic primary in June.
This week, Planning Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner and former Vienna Town Councilmember Edythe Kelleher both announced that they will be running for the Smyth’s seat. The two join Tysons resident Erika Milena Yalowitz and School Board member Dalia Palchik, who announced last month that they would be running for the seat.
“I love the idea of participating in the defining of a new future for Fairfax,” said Niedzielski-Eichner . “It’s a great time for us to look for the future and make sure we’re on the right track. The second piece is we’ll have five new members and one new chairman. It’s critical we have strong leadership — leadership that I bring to the table based on breadth and depth of experience.”
Niedzielski-Eichner is a former Fairfax County School Board member and current planning commissioner. Niedzielski-Eichner was appointed to represent the Providence District in 2017.
“The Planning Commission provides the experience in land use and meeting those challenges, that’s the place where you really get an understanding of how land use impacts the county,” said Niedzielski-Eichner. “But the Planning Commission advises, they don’t decide. I want to be in a position to be part of that decision process.”
Kelleher now lives 1.5 miles from where she did in the early 2000s, which shifts her from Vienna to the Providence District.
“A lot of the issues are the same,” said Kelleher. “I worked with a lot of Providence issues. Vienna is surrounded on three sides by the Providence District.”
Kelleher said her experience on the Town Council has given her unique executive decision-making experience. In particular, Kelleher said during her seven terms on the Town Council she was part of the budgetary decision making during the recession.
Tysons’ comprehensive plan is coming up on its 10-year anniversary, and both candidates said it’s time to take another look at the plan.
“We’ve had 10 years of comprehensive plans,” said Niedzielski-Eichner. “I’d like us to get an assessment of where we are in relation [to what was planned].”
Niedzielski-Eichner said looking at the transportation aspect of the plan is going to be particularly critical, particularly in terms of implementing the planned grid of streets.
“[Tysons] has got to be a walking urban center,” said Niedzielski-Eichner. “We need to strengthen our ability to be pedestrian friendly. That means putting public facilities in place for the center to grow around it. “
“My concern [with the plan] was at the time, and still, has to do with things like recreational space,” said Kelleher. “The original plan did not call for anything other than pocket parks and public plazas. I thought with an area that large, there would be a need for real playing fields. I expressed that and advocated for that, and that was included in the final plan.”
Kelleher noted that traffic issues also tie in with the availability of housing around Tysons. If more mixed-use buildings can be developed at a wider range of prices, Kelleher said more people working in Tysons will be able to live and shop there too, hopefully getting more cars off congested local streets.
Both candidates have said they are hoping to host kick-off events soon, but neither has concrete plans at the moment.
Photos via Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner (left) and Edythe Kelleher (right)
A killer is stalking Vienna’s streets, leaving at least 30 of the town’s Norway maples dead at an alarming rate.
“We’ve noticed a lot of dead and dying Norway maples,” said Town Arborist Gary Lawrence. “These deaths are not slow. They’re sudden and in groups.”
Leslie Herman, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, said the mysterious deaths of Norway maples comes on the heels of the emerald ash borer completely wiping out the town’s supply of ash trees.
Lawrence said the Norway maple deaths aren’t anywhere near the magnitude of the ash tree deaths — that became a nationwide epidemic that started in Detroit and has since spread nationwide, killing millions of ash trees. But Lawrence said the spate of ash tree deaths did initially obscure the impact on the local maples.
At first, Lawrence said he made the assumption that the clumps of dead foliage were ash trees. The two share some visual similarities. While most trees have alternating branches, like steps up the tree, ash trees and maple trees are among the few trees with opposite branches. But on closer look, Lawrence realized the trees were maples and didn’t have the telltale signs of ash borer infestation — holes where the bugs emerged from the trees and stripped bark from woodpeckers in a feeding frenzy.
After realizing the dead trees were maples, Lawrence said he began to see more of them around the town. So far, whatever is killing the trees has targeted only the Norway maples, leaving others — like the town’s red maples — untouched. There was a group of six Norway maples that were healthy and strong last year, but Lawrence said when he returned to them this year they were all dead.
“There’s still plenty of healthy Norway maples, but I’m concerned by how quickly [this is happening],” said Lawrence. “There’s a pattern here. It’s not random.”
One of the most confusing aspects is that the phenomena seems isolated to Vienna so far. Lawrence said he’s been keeping his ear to the ground for buzz about Norway maples being killed in other parts of the country, but hasn’t heard anything.
So far, Lawrence said his suspicions about what’s causing the deaths are still a hypothesis.
“I have no answer for the maples,” said Lawrence. “A wild guess is that it’s some kind of soil-borne disease. I’m guessing it’s soil-borne because it seems to affect the root system, because of the quickness of death. Usually insects, other than the ash borer, are a secondary problem.”
The topic came up during last night’s Vienna Town Council meeting during a request to increase funding for tree removal as a result of the ash tree epidemic. Lawrence said the ash trees were scattered in small batches throughout the town and native, rather than town-planted.
“It’s a substantial amount of trees,” said Lawrence. “It is a major impact to the budget. The trees die quickly, and because of the quickness of their death they become brittle and fall apart quickly.”
In addition to the beetles and mysterious maple killer, Lawrence said the record-high rainfall has also made it a difficult year for local trees.
Photo via Flickr/F.D. Richards
Vienna is working on updating its 50-year-old zoning code, but at last night’s Vienna Town Council meeting, the prospect of the code overhaul raised concerns that updating those ordinances could open a new path for a higher density Vienna.
The Town Council voted in favor of a resolution requesting funds from Fairfax County’s Economic Development Support Fund to update Vienna’s zoning and subdivision ordinances.
While new urban areas with comparatively lax zoning codes have sprung up in Tysons and Merrifield, Vienna is still working with ordinances put together in 1969, and many of those relics of earlier zoning codes written in the 1950s. Staff joked that some zoning ordinances are kept in notebooks in a management office.
Councilmember Carey Sienicki, who announced earlier that meeting that she would not be running for reelection later this year, compared the code to an old station wagon.
“We keep replacing parts and fixing the station wagon from the 1960s, but in reality, there’s a lot of cars out there that work without all of the little patches. We have to take a holistic approach to this and I think this is going to be a benefit to the town in the long run.”
But while the majority of the Council approved exploring new zoning codes, Councilmembers Pasha Majdi and Howard Springsteen, who have both frequently opposed higher density developments, voted against the request.
“When we say we’re not changing the zoning, that’s missing the issue,” said Majdi. “We have ordinances that are woefully out of date. OK, but what is the effect of bringing them up to date? Bringing them up to date means a potential developer has the ability to develop on that land financially viable project.”
Majdi said that rather than being a detriment, the town’s arcane zoning ordinances are a source of strength, forcing developers to work closely with Vienna staff if they want to get a development approved.
“I would bet my entire salary, $10,000, that the recommendation is going to result in higher density, which I oppose,” said Majdi. “When you update the code, you get higher density. If you want higher density, you got Tysons. This is a niche market for homebuyers with a niche appeal. It’s brought a lot of success to our town. We don’t have to be everything to everybody.”
But other members of the Council called Majdi’s bet. Councilmember Douglas Noble said he’d match Majdi’s $10,000 that updating zoning codes wouldn’t automatically result in higher levels of density unless that was something specifically sought out by the Town Council.
“We’re not going to be Tysons,” said Mayor Laurie DiRocco. “We’re not going to be Arlington. We’re going to update the code in a way that’s more understandable to residents, developers and everyone… so it’s all written down and not just in a booklet in a manager’s office.”
Majdi and Springsteen voted against the request, but the resolution was approved on a 5-2 vote.
File photo
If you check the Google homepage, you might have noticed today’s charming dancing dinosaurs doodle. What you might not know is the artist is local second-grader Sarah Gomez-Lane.
Last year, Gomez-Lane won the 10th annual “Doodle 4 Google” competition, earning a $30,000 scholarship and $50,000 for her school, Pine Springs Elementary, to spend on technology.
Animators at Google also helped Gomez-Lane turn the artwork into a short interactive, animated feature where, on clicking, each of the animals will act out a scene, from eating berries to playing the trumpet.
Surfing the net today? Take a minute to peep the Google Homepage and celebrate #OurFCPS https://t.co/Qybq5bHotH
— Fairfax Schools 🌟 (@fcpsnews) January 8, 2019
“When they called my name, I felt happy and surprised,” said Gomez-Lane in a video put together by Google. “I’m going to call my principal. He’s going to say ‘yay.'”
According to a statement from Google:
“We’re thrilled to share the work of our 2018 Doodle for Google winner on the US Google homepage: 2nd grader Sarah Gomez-Lane, who drew delightful dinosaurs to highlight her dream of becoming a paleontologist! We fell in love with Sarah’s rendering of her dinos, and were blown away by her big (you might even say “dino-sized”!) ambitions for her future, especially at her young age.”
Image via Google
Tysons Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield and McLean. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Tuesday, Jan. 8
Food 4 Thought: Likely Federal Policy and Budget Priorities for 2019
Temple Rodef Shalom (2100 Westmoreland St)
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
Tim Shaw, senior policy analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center, will host a discussion of congressional budget priorities. The event is free and open to the public.
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Inca Social Soft Opening
Inca Latin Kitchen (2670 Avenir PL)
Time: 4-9 p.m.
The new Inca Latin Kitchen in Merrifield will host a soft opening this week before a grand opening planned in early February.
Thursday, Jan. 10
Chairman’s VIP Breakfast
The Tower Club (1700 Towers Crescent Drive)
Time: 7:30-10 a.m.
The Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce will host a breakfast with community and business leaders featuring a discussion about the future of Tysons. Admission is $45 for chamber members or $65 for non-chamber members.
Meet Brad Meltzer
Tysons Corner Center Barnes & Noble (7851 Tysons Corner Ctr)
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Author Brad Meltzer will be stopping by the Barnes & Noble for a signing of “The First Conspiracy,” a non-fiction book about a plot to kill George Washington.
Old World vs. New World Wines
Chain Bridge Cellars (1351 Chain Bridge Rd)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
The McLean wine store Chain Bridge Cellars will host an exploration of the difference between old and new world wines. Tickets are $30.
Friday, Jan. 11
Chesterbrook PTA Meeting
Chesterbrook PTA (1753 Kirby Rd)
Time: 9-10 a.m.
The Chesterbrook PTA will host its first meeting of 2019. The meetings are open to members of the Chesterbrook Elementary School community, including parents, guardians, teachers and staff.
Voyages Opening Reception
Torpedo Factory Artists at Mosaic (2905 District Ave)
6-9 p.m.
The Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association will host an opening reception for Voyages, the latest exhibit in the group’s Mosaic District gallery. The gallery will run through Jan. 27.
New development is underway across Tysons, but school officials believe it will take years yet for buildings to reach capacity.
In McLean, however, overcrowding at all levels is a problem that’s likely going to get worse over the next few years.
According to the Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), McLean High School and nearly all of the schools that feed into it will be over capacity by the start of the 2020-2021 school year. While additions are planned for West Potomac, Justice, and Madison High Schools, there are no plans in the CIP for major additions to McLean High School.
McLean High School is currently at 114 percent capacity and is projected to go up to 127 percent capacity by the 2022 school year, as the school built to handle 1,993 students welcomes 2,524. Over the next few years, the CIP says temporary classrooms, modular additions and boundary changes are possible for McLean High School.
The elementary schools feeding into McLean High School — Chesterbrook, Franklin Sherman, Haycock, Kent Gardens, and Timber Lane — also face challenges in the coming years. Chesterbrook, Haycock, and Kent Gardens all exceed 100 percent capacity and projections from the school show that overcrowding continuing for at least the next five years. Kent Gardens currently has 117 percent capacity and is projected to reach 119 percent of its capacity next year.
More temporary classrooms are proposed for Chesterbrook, Haycock and Kent Gardens, with new modular facilities or building additions at Chesterbrook and Kent Gardens. New boundary changes are also possible for Haycock and Kent Gardens.
Marshall High School, which covers the Tysons area, fares a little better in terms of overcrowding than McLean. The school is currently at 95 percent capacity and isn’t projected to reach 100 percent capacity until the 2023 school year.
The only Tysons-area elementary school facing severe overcrowding over the next five years is Shrevewood Elementary School, currently at 118 percent capacity and projected to increase to 125 percent capacity by 2023. Temporary classrooms, building additions, and boundary adjustment are all being considered as potential solutions to address overcrowding at Shrevewood.
While school staff downplayed the immediate impact of residential developments on schools, in the long run, the school CIP will need to include plans for a growing student population in the Tysons area.
“In addition to the estimated student yields, for comprehensive plan studies, recommendations to address future school facilities needs are provided to Fairfax County government,” staff wrote. “Recent long-range planning initiatives include [the] Tysons Urban Center, Merrifield Suburban Center, [and] McLean CBC.”
New residential developments are proposed to form the core of the downtown McLean Community Business Center. At least 4,000 new residential units are planned for the Spring Hill development alone, according to the Tysons Partnership.
By 2027, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) hopes to start planning for a new elementary school in the area to handle the youngest generation of Tysonians.
The FCPS 10-year Capital Improvement Plan shows planning for a new Tysons Elementary School FY 2027, and repurposing of the Pimmit Hills school a year later as an elementary school to provide capacity relief to other schools feeding into McLean High School.
FCPS documents show plans to seek funding for Tysons Elementary and the Pimmit Hills Repurposing in a 2025 referendum.
A public hearing for the CIP is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. in Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Rd). A School Board decision on the CIP is scheduled for Jan. 24.
There’s plenty of acclaimed restaurants around the Tysons area, but the selection for vegetarians or vegans are a little more slim.
Chains like Cava and &pizza have vegan options and several locations across the Tysons area. Honeygrow, a stir-fry chain with vegetarian options and a vegan dish, recently opened at 8409 Leesburg Pike.
Happy Cow, a website that lists vegetarian-friendly food options, lists a handful of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area. Most are in Vienna or Merrifield.
So if you’re a lifelong vegetarian or someone trying out Veganuary, here’s a look at some vegetable-heavy dining options around the area.
Vienna
Amma Vegetarian Kitchen (344 Maple Ave E) — A quick service restaurant featuring South Indian cuisine like dosa, chole bhatura and uttapatham. Happy Cow notes that the restaurant uses dairy in some products, but still has vegan options.
The Pure Pasty Co (128 Church St NW) — This British pies and pastry shop in downtown Vienna is not vegetarian focused but has vegetarian hot and frozen options and frozen vegan options.
Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant (2531 Chain Bridge Rd) — An Asian cuisine restaurant with extensive vegan options.
Merrifield
Spice 6 Modern Indian (2674 I Avenir Place) — An assembly line-style Indian restaurant that serves meat but has vegan options. The menu has several vegetarian meals and curries, and the whole wheat naan is vegan.
Lost Dog Cafe (2729 Merrilee Drive) — A restaurant with locations throughout the region that features a large selection of sandwiches. The menu marks items that are vegetarian and has vegan options for sandwiches.
Puree Juice Bar (2905 District Ave) — A juice bar with organic produce, vegan smoothies and salads.
True Food Kitchen (2910 District Ave) — The menu changes seasonally at the True Food Kitchen, a national chain of restaurants with another location in Ballston Quarter, but always includes vegan and vegetarian choices. Options include tofu bowls and cheese-less pizzas.
Jinya Ramen Bar (2911 District Ave) — A casual Japanese food and ramen chain, with a new location opening soon in Vienna. Vegan ramen options are available, with vegetable-based sides and salads.
Oath Pizza (2920 District Ave) — A pizza restaurant with vegan cheese and some vegan toppings.
Tysons
Mixing Bowl (7949 Tysons Corner Center) — A Korean tacos, wraps and bibimbap restaurant on the first floor of the Tysons Corner Center mall with vegan options.
Earl’s Kitchen (7902 Tyson’s One Place) — A restaurant near the Tysons Corner Center mall with vegan options, including sushi, salads and bowls.
Inca Latin Kitchen, a new South American restaurant at 2670 in Merrifield, is hosting a series of pre-opening events this weekend and next week before its grand opening on Feb. 1.
Today (Friday) and tomorrow, the restaurant will host its final Machu Pisco tasting. No reservations are required and the event is free to attend. Parking is also free after 6 p.m. in the nearby Metro station lot.
“We will be featuring our Machu Pisco collaboration beer that can only be drank at Inca or Crooked Run Brewing,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. “You will also be able to enjoy our Pisco Sours as well as some of our classic Latin American cocktails like a Chilcano and our tasty sample menu for you to taste many of our menu items like Lomo Saltado, Inca Balls, Ceviche and so much more!”
The restaurant will have a soft opening Wednesday (Jan. 9) from 4-9 p.m.
Inca Latin Kitchen is also currently open to applications for positions from bartenders to managers.
Photo via Facebook
(Updated 1:40 p.m.) — The Tysons Pier 1 Imports is the latest victim of a series of closures that’s hit the furniture and decor chain.
The store is located at 8311 Leesburg Pike in a shopping center just southwest of the Greensboro Metro station.
Everything in the store, including the fixtures, is on sale. Most discounts range from 20-30 percent off in addition to existing sales. Items in the store range from large furniture and rugs to candles and bath bombs at less than $10.
As of Friday, the store was still around three-quarters full of items for sale, though with one scented air freshener and candle less than when the reporter arrived.
According to a spokesperson for Pier 1 Imports, the Tysons location will close late next month.
“As a matter of practice, we do everything we can to support our associates during this time of transition,” said the spokesperson in an email. “Pier 1 Imports continually reviews new and existing store locations to make sure we’re operating as efficiently as possible. Where necessary, based on that review, we make the strategic business decision to close certain locations on a case-by-case basis.”
