Kent Gardens Elementary School is still bursting at the seams, but at least the trailers accommodating the overflow of students will soon get an update.
Seven old, one-classroom trailers behind the McLean school (1717 Melbourne Drive) will be removed and replaced by a four-classroom trailer and one with two classrooms, principal Holly McGuigan and Fabio Zuluaga, an assistant superintendent for Fairfax County Public Schools, recently told families.
Construction staging for one of the new trailers took place last week (April 1-9) over spring break, according to FCPS. The other will be delivered in June, when construction on both facilities is expected to start.
“These are replacements for the trailers behind the school that were at the end of their useful life,” an FCPS spokesperson said, noting that each classroom in a trailer has a capacity of 29 students.
One existing duplex trailer will remain. The school system hopes to finish the new trailers in time for the next year, which will begin Aug. 21, McGuigan and Zuluaga said in the letter shared by Dranesville District School Board Representative Elaine Tholen.
In addition, maintenance will be performed on all of the school’s bathrooms over the summer to ensure they’re working properly for the next school year.
The trailers being replaced were installed at Kent Gardens between 1997 and 2000, FCPS says. The area where they currently sit will be turned into an outdoor classroom space, though FCPS doesn’t anticipate that being ready for the fall.
“This will take planning and time over the next year or two,” the letter said.
Though it won’t provide any additional capacity, the trailer replacement is intended as a short-term improvement for Kent Gardens, which has been viewed as overcrowded for over a decade now.
Last renovated in 2005, Kent Gardens was at 121% capacity with 1,023 students for the 2022-2023 school year, according to the latest FCPS capital improvement program (CIP). As of February, though, enrollment had ticked up to 1,042 students, the school’s profile says.
The Fairfax County School Board amended the CIP in February to prioritize addressing the crowding situation at Kent Gardens. A community meeting to determine the scope of possible program or boundary changes will be held on April 26 at 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the McLean High School cafeteria.
According to FCPS, recommendations will be presented this fall, followed by a public hearing and school board vote. Any changes would get phased in starting with the 2024-2025 school year.
Capacity relief can’t come soon enough for Susan Taylor, who has a fifth-grader and a sixth-grader at Kent Gardens and is among many parents frustrated by what they see as inaction by FCPS.
Talking to FFXnow in February, she said she has emails going back a decade of parents complaining about the state of the trailers.
“My son is in an advanced math classroom in one of these new modular buildings they put out front with very thin walls on the other side of the music classroom,” she said. “So, when his class is doing testing, the music class has to be silenced. I mean, it’s absurd.”
Though FCPS says its renovation queue isn’t based on capacity, Taylor argues an addition or other permanent structure will be needed as the area’s population continues to grow.
“I understand that these decisions are difficult because things cost money, but you can’t keep kicking this can down the road,” Taylor said.
(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) For the first time ever, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee is allowing registered Democrats to vote on which school board candidates it will endorse this year.
The Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) announced yesterday (Monday) that it will hold an open caucus to allow any voter who registers with the party to vote in this year’s nonpartisan races.
On the ballot will be several school board seats — three at-large members, the Mount Vernon District representative, and the Hunter Mill District representative — as well as a member of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) board of directors.
To vote in the caucus, voters are required to register with the FCDC. Registration opened yesterday and will continue until May 5. Online voting for candidates will be from May 13 through May 20, when there will also be an in-person voting option.
“With our new endorsement process, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee is giving the choice on our endorsed candidates to the voters,” FCDC Chair Bryan Graham wrote in a press release. “This process will strengthen our candidates for non-partisan offices and our party as we work to elect Democratic candidates to every position on the ballot this year.”
The county’s school board and the NVSWCD board are nonpartisan offices, meaning members don’t represent a specific political party, but the local Democratic and Republican committees can make endorsements.
For the school board, Kyle McDaniel, Ryan McElveen, Ilryong Moon, Hamid Munir, and Lawerence Webb will all be vying for three at-large spots. None of the incumbents are running for those spots again, though Rachna Sizemore Heizer is campaigning for the Braddock District seat.
Both Moon and McElveen are former members of the school board, having stepped down at the end of 2019, while McDaniel, Munir, and Webb would be new.
In the Mount Vernon District, Mateo Dunne and Harold Sims are looking to replace current representative Karen Corbett Sanders, who is retiring.
Melanie Meren is seeking FCDC’s endorsement for reelection as the Hunter Mill District representative, competing against Paul Thomas, a current member of the Reston Community Center’s Board of Governors.
The committee has already endorsed several school board candidates who were uncontested in seeking its support, including:
- Braddock District: Rachna Sizemore Heizer
- Dranesville District: Robyn Lady
- Franconia District: Marcia St. John-Cunning
- Mason District: Ricardy Anderson
- Providence District: Karl Frisch
- Springfield District: Sandy Anderson
- Sully District: Seema Dixit
The Fairfax County Republican Committee will determine its endorsements in the nonpartisan races at a meeting on April 19, according to Fairfax GOP Vice Chairman Nick Andersen.
The committee has hosted both in-person and virtual meetings in recent months so its members can get to know the candidates.
“The endorsement meeting itself will include district-level caucuses to provide recommendations to the full membership followed by a paper ballot-based vote for all members in attendance,” Anderson said. “Candidates for office must achieve a simple majority of voting members that are participating in the meeting in order to receive the FCRC endorsement.”
There are also a number of partisan races coming up this year, meaning candidates can represent a specific political party. Those primaries will be held on June 20.
Last week, the FCDC announced the candidates in those races that have officially qualified to seek Democratic nominations.
Notable contests include the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chair and four district seats, Commonwealth’s attorney, sheriff, four State Senate seats, and three House of Delegate seats.
The primary is set for June 20, and the general election is on November 7.
Northern Virginia is the place to be if you’re shopping in the D.C. area, a recent poll of local residents found.
A handy 61% of respondents favored Northern Virginia when asked what’s the best place to shop in the region by the Washington Post and George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, which conducted the wide-ranging poll from Feb. 17-27.
In comparison, just 18% of respondents chose suburban Maryland, and 13% chose D.C., with 7% saying they had no opinion, according to results released on Friday (April 7).
Northern Virginia’s dominance in this particular area can likely be traced to Tysons — at least based on a comment by James Hackley, identified by the Post as chief style officer for a clothing store in Takoma Park, Maryland.
In the DMV area, without a doubt, Northern Virginia has the best shopping. The reason? You have the old Tysons and Tysons II. So if you’re looking for the higher-end designer things, that’s where you go. That’s just a known quantity. No one else really competes with that. D.C., they tried to make major inroads with the CityCenter area, but it’s still a nascent being compared to Tysons and Tysons II. Those are big malls. That’s where people go to shop, because if you’re driving in your car, you’re getting an hour to go shopping someplace, you want it to be a destination. You’re not just going to one store. You want to hit a bunch of other stores as well.
Established in 1968 and 1988, respectively, Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria transformed once-rural farmland into a regional retail destination, a reputation that has persisted even as malls decline nationwide and high-profile crime and gun violence incidents leave some skittish.
Touching on topics ranging from Metro to the Washington Commanders, the Post-Schar poll was administered by phone to a random sampling of 1,668 adults in the D.C. area.
While we don’t have the capacity to match that level of scientific rigor, FFXnow is curious how the results line up with your perception of the region. Is Tysons still a go-to place for shopping, or do you have another preference — perhaps even outside Northern Virginia?
Area Traffic Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels — “In the ‘inner suburbs’ of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, traffic was 94% of pre-pandemic norms as 2022 closed…Several factors may be contributing to this seeming disconnect — congested highways but half-empty offices — but most eyes have turned to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Canan said.” [Washington Business Journal]
Wolf Trap National Park Brings Back Food Service — “The Fermented Pig, a barbecue-focused food vendor, will return to Wolf Trap’s on-site restaurant Ovations. There will be an updated farm-to-table buffet menu with vegan and gluten-free options as well as a picnic box option and new quick service bar.” Picnic boxes will be available for the first time since 2019. [Patch]
County to Recognize Contributions to Black Community — “Nominations are now open for the 2023 Juneteenth Resiliency Award for residents ages 13-21. This award recognizes the incredible resiliency shown by young people in Fairfax County who have made meaningful contributions in their lives and in the lives of others.” [Fairfax County Government]
Virginia School Bus Driver Shortage Persists — “Public schools continue to face challenges transporting students to school amid ongoing bus driver shortages spurred by factors such as low pay and strict safety and retirement regulations…Data also reveal the situation is far more complicated, making it difficult to determine whether shortages are actually improving.” [Virginia Mercury/Inside NoVA]
Hundreds Join Herndon Easter Egg Hunt — “More than 300 children and their families descended on Bready Park on Saturday to take part in the annual Hoppy Egg Hunting event hosted by the Town of Herndon Parks & Recreation Department. Children up to the age of 7 took part in three egg hunts.” [Patch]
How Local Family-Owned Restaurants Are Faring — “Though she’s never been formally employed at her parents’ A&J restaurants in Rockville and Annandale, Debbie Tang says she’ll always be the general counsel — whether she wants to be or not. Her paid work is at an executive search firm, but she’s an attorney by training. So she will still look over a restaurant’s lease, for example, if asked by her parents, Elaine and Jye Tang.” [DCist]
County Could Support Bonds for Inova Projects — “Fairfax County supervisors on April 11 were set to authorize the county’s Industrial Development Authority to issue health-care revenue bonds periodically to support capital projects undertaken by Inova Health System…Inova’s revenues will support the bonds, which will not constitute a debt obligation to the county or the Board of Supervisors, county staff said.” [Gazette Leader]
Prepare for Library Catalog Outage — “FCPL’s catalog system will be undergoing maintenance Monday, April 17. Because of this maintenance, the public catalog including Libby and Overdrive will be unavailable to the public from 8 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. that day.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Tuesday — Scattered clouds. Mild. High of 75 and low of 43. Sunrise at 6:38 am and sunset at 7:41 pm. [Weather.gov]
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is going to take a second stab at its ambitious Zoning Ordinance Modernization Project (zMOD) after Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the prior approval.
The county’s zMOD overhaul involved a variety of sweeping changes to the zoning ordinance, from loosening limits on accessory dwelling units to changes in regulations governing flags and flagpoles.
Unfortunately for the Board of Supervisors, the Virginia Supreme Court voided the 2021 approval of zMOD because the meeting where it was approved and prior public hearings were held virtually, which it said violated the county’s Virginia Freedom of Information Act requirements.
The ruling raised questions about development and land use decisions made in the wake of the zoning code update, though Virginia passed a new law last year that loosened restrictions on virtual public meetings.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), the board is set to start the public hearing process to give zMOD approval another go. An administrative item at the board’s meeting for tomorrow would grant “authorization to advertise public hearings on the readoption of the zoning ordinance.”
According to the docket:
If the Board’s 2021 adoption of the zMOD Ordinance was void, so was the contemporaneous repeal of the 1978 Zoning Ordinance (as amended), leaving that earlier Ordinance still in effect. As a result, new public hearings are required for reconsideration of the zMOD Ordinance as previously adopted on March 23, 2021. And while subsequent Zoning Ordinance amendments are not addressed in the opinion, staff recommends that they be included as part of the complete Zoning Ordinance being considered.
Unsurprisingly, the county executive is recommending that the board authorize advertisement of public hearings for an ordinance it already approved in a 7-3 vote on March 23, 2021.
If the advertisement of public hearings is approved, those will come at the May 3 Planning Commission meeting and the May 9 Board of Supervisors meeting, meaning zMOD could be reapproved less than two months after the original approval was struck down.
Aware of a growing need for more variety in its housing options, the Town of Vienna is taking a harder look at its standards for multifamily residential development.
Changes currently under consideration include the introduction of minimum parking requirements for bicycles, according to draft regulations for apartments, townhouses, and other residences allowed in a new residential multi-unit (RMU) zone.
The Vienna Town Council will discuss the draft at a conference session tonight (Monday).
As part of a general overhaul of the zoning code, the town’s first in over 50 years, staff have proposed requiring multi-unit residential developments to provide three bicycle racks or six spaces for every 2.5 dwelling units to serve residents. Three racks will also be needed for every 50 units to accommodate visitors.
The suggested bicycle parking standards are based on requirements used by Falls Church City, according to the draft.
The revised code will also establish standards for parking lot landscaping and screening, outdoor lighting standards and loading areas, though loading spaces won’t be required for townhouses, duplexes and cottage courts.
For other multifamily developments, the draft would require one loading space per 50 units, with each space measuring at least 25 feet long and 15 feet wide. Right now, Vienna doesn’t dictate a specific number of spaces for different land uses, and the size varies based on the size of the building.
The need for updated multifamily residential regulations became clear last year during discussions about the proposed conversion of the Vienna Courts offices into duplex condominiums. The project’s eventual approval in December came after weeks of the developers, the town council and residents haggling over parking and open space to reduce its lot coverage.
Vienna’s zoning code overhaul — known as Code Create Vienna — has been underway since July 2020. Amendments giving residents more flexibility for outdoor decks were approved last June, but public hearings on the overall draft code aren’t anticipated until this fall.
A fire broke out this morning (Monday) in an abandoned automobile dealership near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
Units with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched to 8546 Leesburg Pike at 10:45 a.m. for a commercial building fire, according to scanner traffic on OpenMHz.
Firefighters on the scene reported smoke from the roof of the building, which was once a Bentley and Aston Martin dealership.
Scanner traffic suggests that firefighters needed to break through a chain link fence around the property to get to the building. The fire was located in a bathroom.
The FCFRD reported around 11:30 a.m. that the fire had been extinguished, and no injuries were reported. Units are still on the scene to ventilate smoke from the building.
UPDATE: building fire in the 8500 block of Leesburg Pike in Tysons area. Fire is out. Units still on scene ventilating https://t.co/sws8vq3CfD investigators on scene to determine cause. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/xFGOHFswLW
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 10, 2023
For the next six months, anyone who wants to visit Turkey Run Park in McLean will have to get there on foot.
All parking lots and the Turkey Run Loop Road that leads into the park from the George Washington Memorial Parkway will close today (Monday) for repair and repaving work, the National Park Service (NPS) announced this morning.
The park and its trails will still be open, but the only way to access them will be by walking on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
“The NPS will mill and resurface Turkey Run Loop Road and the parking lots within the park,” the park service said in a news release. “The NPS will complete full depth repairs for some road surfaces. All repaired pavement surfaces will also receive new pavement markings.”
The road and parking lot closures will remain in place through construction, which is expected to finish by Sept. 30.
According to the NPS, the road project is being funded by park entrance fees, which can be used “for construction projects that directly enhance visitors’ enjoyment and access.”
The scope of the closures is necessary for “safety and security protections” during construction, a record of determination approved by GW Parkway Superintendent Charles Cuvelier on March 23 says.
“The project will improve the driving experience and safety while retaining the beauty of the park,” the NPS said. “…The closures will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic, or cultural values. The closures do not require significant modification to the resource management objectives and are not of a highly controversial nature since this is similar to closures that have occurred in the past.”
Photo via Google Maps
Driver Hospitalized After Mount Vernon Crash — “Detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department are investigating the single vehicle crash that occurred on Sacramento Drive near Bedford Terrace on Saturday. Police say the driver was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries following the collision.” [WUSA9]
Man Shot in Kingstowne — Fairfax County police are investigating a shooting on Friday (April 7) near Barclay Drive and King Centre Drive. Police say a man was found with a gunshot wound to the upper body and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police believe preliminarily that it was “an isolated incident.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Metro Police Turn to Localities for Staffing Help — “Metro is working to increase its use of police officers from other agencies in the Washington region, paying overtime rates for extra shifts at train stations and bus boarding areas to combat a rise in crime within the transit system.” The Fairfax County Police Department says it doesn’t have a formal agreement with Metro but works with the agency on joint initiatives. [The Washington Post]
County Opens Mental Health Clinic on Richmond Highway — “A group of people, led by retired school social worker Felicea Meyer-DeLoatch, came together to address the local need for culturally competent, accessible, community based behavioral health care on Richmond Highway. Their work resulted in the opening of The Growth and Healing HUB, which provides affordable, inclusive behavioral health and wellness services to children and families in southern Fairfax County.” [FCHD]
Capital One Pushes Workers to Return to Offices — “The McLean banking and credit card giant, one of the D.C. region’s largest employers, is telling workers companywide that they will be required to be in their offices Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting May 2, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported this week.” [Washington Business Journal]
Colvin Run Bridge Work Will Require Traffic Stoppages — “On Tuesday, April 11, weather permitting, Hunter Mill Road (Route 674) will have early afternoon traffic stoppages between Crowell Road (Route 675) and Cobble Mill Road to install beams for the new bridge over Colvin Run…The full traffic stoppages lasting up to ten minutes each will occur between noon and 3 p.m.” [VDOT]
Lawsuit Challenges Rollback of Felon Voting Rights — “A discretionary process being used by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to decide which felons can get their voting rights back is unconstitutional and could lead to decisions based on an applicant’s political affiliations or views, a lawsuit filed Thursday argued.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
George Mason University Band Goes to White House — “The Pep Band has some very exciting news… we are thrilled to announce we will be performing at the @WhiteHouse Easter Egg Roll on April 10th! We can not wait to perform at this amazing event!!” [GMU Green Machine/Twitter]
It’s Monday — Sunny. Mild. High of 65 and low of 38. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 7:40 pm. [Weather.gov]
If you stopped by Kusshi Ko in Tysons for lunch today and found the doors locked, don’t be alarmed.
The sushi restaurant announced this week that it has temporarily closed, but co-owner Tony Chow says a reopening can be expected shortly, attributing the closure to the need to obtain another permit.
“WE WILL BE BACK VERY SOON!” Kusshi Ko said in the Instagram post. “Sorry for any inconvenience and THANK YOU all for your support and patience!!!”
Chow said the restaurant otherwise had no comment on the closure.
The scaled-down spinoff of Kusshi, a Bethesda-based sushi restaurant that also has locations in Arlington and Silver Spring, opened at 8365 Leesburg Pike in Pike 7 Plaza in early December.
In addition to sushi, Kusshi Ko serves ramen, donburi or curry bowls and other Japanese dishes.
Retailers expected to open at Pike 7 Plaza this year include Dave’s Hot Chicken and the grocery store Lidl. The shopping center is also working to obtain permits so it can begin construction on a standalone Shake Shack.
