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High winds cause power outages in Fairfax County, fire on Georgetown Pike

High winds are causing power outages in Fairfax County, including in Great Falls and Oakton (via Dominion Energy)

(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) Hundreds of people in Fairfax County have lost electricity today (Tuesday) as winds buffet the D.C. region, taking out power lines and contributing to at least one fire.

Georgetown Pike is currently closed in both directions at Miller Avenue in Great Falls due to a tree that fell on power lines and “a resulting fire,” the Virginia Department of Transportation said shortly after 1 p.m.

The closure extends between Stephanie Circle and Ellsworth Avenue, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

“Expect delays for several hours as emergency and utility crews clear the scene,” VDOT tweeted.

That one outage has affected 277 Dominion Energy customers, according to the utility company’s outage map. Power isn’t expected to be restored there until 4-9 p.m.

Further south in the Vienna and Oakton area, Dominion crews are assessing the damage caused by the wind storm in the Lake Vale neighborhood. Power is now being restored to over 800 customers.

Vale Road has been closed between Hunter Mill Road and Stryker Avenue due to fallen power lines, according to Fairfax County police.

“The closure is expected to last several hours. Please use an alternate route,” the FCPD said.

While those are the largest outages reported so far, power losses and road closures due to fallen wires have been seen across the county today. As of 1:50 p.m., about 1,268 Dominion Energy customers in the county were without power.

The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory that took effect at 9 a.m. today and will remain in place until 2 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).

Winds have been consistently exceeding 40 mph, with some gusts topping 50 mph, according to the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang.

Fairfax County restaurants join in regional ‘Spring Wine Fling’ pairings

Wine and a dish at Alta Strada Mosaic (photo via Alta Strada Mosaic/Facebook)

Several Fairfax County restaurants are joining in Spring Wine Fling — a nearly two-week stretch of wine and dinner specials on offer around the region.

The special is set to run from Monday, March 20 through Friday, March 31.

Across Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia, restaurants will offer a $55 dinner with an appetizer, entree and two one pairings. Each restaurant has their own selection of wine pairings with certain entrees.

In Fairfax County, participating locations include:

The event is being organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), the trade organization that also puts on the region’s biannual Restaurant Week.

A full list of participating locations can be found on the Spring Wine Fling website.

Photo via Alta Strada Mosaic/Facebook

Read more on FFXnow…

West Falls Church, Franconia Metro facility changes advance despite ‘big number’ opposing latter

A proposed redevelopment of the West Falls Church Metro station property (via Fairfax County)

While the Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred a decision on the project to tomorrow (Wednesday), Metro board members seemed optimistic about its potential to transform not just that area in Idylwood, but the transit agency’s overall approach to development around its stations.

“They’re not just plots of land. They are assets we own,” Board of Directors Chair Paul Smedberg said. “There’s always been talk about…how do we best utilize those assets, whether it be parking lots or working with the jurisdictions?”

According to Segerlin, the West Falls Church project is one of WMATA’s first to evaluate parking needs based on station utilization and area household growth trends instead of requiring every eliminated parking space to be replaced, a change implemented as part of a joint development policy update in 2018.

Some residents have objected to the project’s density and elimination of roughly 700 parking spots, but Fairfax County and Metro officials have championed transit-oriented development as necessary to create more vibrant, less car-reliant communities.

In conversations with local leaders, Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said he has heard “loud and clear” that the authority should accelerate the strategic plan for development that it unveiled last year, calling for 20 more joint agreements to develop various stations by 2032.

“One of the things that we have to do is we have to make our sites pencil out, and if we’re going to tell people they have to do a one-to-one parking ratio change, these deals will never pencil out,” Clarke said. “…We want people to be as close as possible to our stations and build as many town centers, village centers.”

At the Morgan Blvd station in Prince George’s County, Maryland, it takes eight minutes to walk from one end of the parking lot to the other, he recalled from a recent visit.

“The reality is we need to have probably less parking there and more housing and mixed development. That’s what the state wants, that’s what we want,” he said.

Board member Michael Goldman cited North Bethesda as another underutilized station that has “laid fallow for 40 years.” He anticipates it’s one of several sites in Montgomery County — which figures heavily into the strategic plan — that will seek to take advantage of Metro’s updated policy on parking requirements.

“These are exciting. The West Falls Church project is a great way to utilize that station and breathe some life into it,” Letourneau said.

The West Falls Church and Franconia staff reports will both go to the full Metro Board of Directors for a vote on March 23.

Read more on FFXnow…

Fairfax County police crack down on aggressive driving, including at car meets

Don’t be surprised if you notice more cops on the road in the coming days.

The Fairfax County Police Department wants its officers to make their presence known this week with a “Road Shark” campaign intended to crack down on and deter aggressive and unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding and distracting phone usage.

Joined by the Virginia State Police, which will also participate, the police department officially launched the first, week-long phase of the campaign yesterday (Monday).

“Traffic safety is community safety,” FCPD Deputy Chief for Operations Robert Blakley said outside the county’s Public Safety Headquarters. “…This offers us the opportunity to remind everybody to look down at that speedometer, set their mobile phone down and pay full time and attention to the conditions around them to increase traffic safety on our roadways.”

First introduced in 1999, Road Shark was supplanted over the years by other programs, but the FCPD has decided to revive it after the county saw an alarming increase in pedestrian fatalities last year.

There has been an increase in reckless driving throughout the county, including at the meet-ups of car enthusiasts that have become popular around the D.C. region, according to Blakley.

Already this week, police broke up an informal car meet on Willard Road in Chantilly after getting reports of “several cars driving recklessly,” the FCPD said in a Facebook post:

When officers tried to stop the cars from leaving, a 2001 BMW struck two marked Fairfax County Police cruisers. Officers took the 22-year-old driver into custody. He was charged with two counts of attempted malicious wounding of law enforcement, two counts of hit and run, driving while intoxicated and no operator’s license. He was held without bond. Thankfully, no officers or community members were hurt.

Blakley said the police department doesn’t have an issue with car meets, but participants should “respect the rules of private property and the laws on public highways and drive in a manner that’s safe and responsible and not going to get someone hurt or even killed.”

For the Road Shark campaign, officers have been instructed to be vigilant throughout their daily shifts for traffic violations, including speeding, distracted driving, school zone-related issues, and attempts to run red lights.

The campaign will particularly focus on locations known to see frequent crashes and other safety issues. Blakley pointed to Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road in Fairfax Station as an example.

Though enforcement is a major component, officers won’t necessarily issue more citations or warnings, Blakley said. Instead, the FCPD hopes that its increased visibility in the community — including having crime prevention and traffic safety officers work with local schools — will lead people to adjust how they drive.

The campaign will be conducted in four phases during this year, with this week marking the first phase.

“The majority of people who drive too fast or maybe make an unsafe lane change, they’re probably distracted or not intending to drive aggressively,” Blakley said. “…When we engage in high-visibility enforcement — lots of police, lots of blue lights throughout the area — it causes us to remember. ‘I’m going to watch my speedometer, I’m going to pay attention.’ And that’s really the goal of this whole campaign.”

Read more on FFXnow…

Multi-vehicle crash at GW Parkway blocks up Beltway in McLean

After a multi-vehicle crash at the George Washington Parkway, traffic backups on I-495 extend past Lewinsville Road (via VDOT)

One person got trapped and needed to be extracted from a vehicle in a crash on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean this morning (Tuesday).

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported at 9:05 a.m. that it had units on the scene of the multi-vehicle crash on northbound I-495 at the George Washington Memorial Parkway interchange.

“Occupant being evaluated by EMS. Only one lane open on I495 NB. Expect delays,” the department tweeted.

As of 9:25 a.m., traffic backups extend nearly 7 miles, almost to the I-66 interchange in Dunn Loring, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s traffic cameras.

Read more on FFXnow…

Morning Notes

Passing by the Mosaic District on Route 29 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Wind Advisory Expected Today — “There is a Wind Advisory in effect from 2 PM Tuesday (3/14/23) to 2 AM Wednesday (3/15/23). Northwest winds from 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected. Use extra caution when driving and secure objects that could blow around outside.” [Ready Fairfax/Twitter]

Fatal Car Crash Victim’s Family Not Satisfied With Sentencing — The family of a woman killed in a DWI crash on I-495 near Telegraph Road says prosecutors should’ve pursued higher charges. The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney sought 10 years in prison for former D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission chairperson Devon Lesesne, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, but Judge John Tran sentenced him to just four years, one of which has already been served. [WUSA9]

Metro Sees Low Initial Ridership for Silver Line Phase 2 Stations — “Figures from the extension’s first months show light usage at new stations…Regional leaders and transit officials, whose expectations have been reshaped by the realities of the pandemic, say they are optimistic after the slow start.” [The Washington Post]

Former School Board Member Seeks to Return — “Former school board member Ilyrong Moon kicked off his campaign on Saturday for one of the three at-large seats on the Fairfax County School Board…From 2004-2019, Moon was an at-large member on the school board, twice serving as its chairman.” [Patch]

County Updates Covid Vaccine Data Display — The dashboard now aligns “with current vaccine recommendations and new measures reported by the Virginia Department of Health…In the Fairfax Health District, about 24% of people 6 months and older have gotten an updated booster dose. Nationally, about 16% of the population has received an updated booster dose.” [FCHD]

Fairfax City Restaurant Week Extended — “Fairfax Economic Development Authority and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce are extending the sixth annual Fairfax City Restaurant Week for a second week. From Monday, March 13 through Sunday, March 19, the city’s restaurant community will be offering a week-long selection of meals and deals.” [Patch]

Merrifield Gets New Art Gallery — “Mosaic Arts, the new art gallery next to the Mosaic District, is more than a showcase for local artists; the gallery also has a studio offering art classes…Sisters and artists Van Nguyen and Lynh Nguyen opened Mosaic Arts in December at 2931-B Eskridge Road…in the space formerly occupied by Auntie Te’s consignment shop.” [Annandale Today]

Springfield Photographer Wins International Award — “A photo of wildlife taken at Huntley Meadows Park was a winner in the 2022 World Nature Photography Awards, announced Feb. 20. The photo of a male Hooded Merganser won gold in the ‘behavior — birds’ category.” [On the MoVe]

It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 43 and low of 33. Sunrise at 7:23 am and sunset at 7:15 pm. [Weather.gov]

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Vienna police offer free wheel locks to combat rise in Hyundai thefts

Vienna police officer with a Hyundai steering wheel lock (courtesy Vienna Police Department)

Vienna residents who own a Hyundai can now obtain a free steering wheel lock from the town’s police department.

The Vienna Police Department has “several” wheel locks on hand from Hyundai Motor Company, which launched a national campaign in response to a TikTok challenge that has inspired an increase in thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

“The Town of Vienna Police Department is taking a proactive approach to combat the uptick in thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles across the United States,” police said in a news release. “Owners of these cars may be wondering how to make their vehicles less appealing to thieves. Locking a vehicle’s doors is a very effective deterrent but, adding a steering wheel lock may provide an additional layer of protection.”

The locks are available to Vienna residents in the zip code 22180 who own a Hyundai vehicle with a key ignition that was made in 2010 to 2021.

Starting today (Monday), the devices can be picked up in the lobby of the police station at 215 Center Street South from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday through Friday.

Thefts began to surge in 2021 when TikTok users started posting videos under the hashtag “Kia Boyz” encouraging teens to steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles by taking off their steering wheels and hotwiring them with a USB cable, according to CNBC.

The videos revealed that models manufactured from 2010 to 2021 that use mechanical keys — rather than push button ignitions — are vulnerable to theft due to their lack of immobilizer systems, which prevent hotwiring using computer chips in key fobs that communicate with the engine.

The Fairfax County Police Department reported 28 carjackings last year, up from 16 in 2021, and seven to open 2023, as of Feb. 10. The data that the department shared with FFXnow didn’t specify how many incidents involved Hyundai or Kia vehicles, but it confirmed those were targeted in a series of stolen or damaged vehicle reports in Lorton on Jan. 14.

At that time, the FCPD said its officers had taken 24 reports for stolen Hyundai vehicles and 13 reports for stolen Kia vehicles between Nov. 22 and Jan. 17.

Hyundai and Kia announced in February that they will provide free software upgrades for approximately 8.3 million vulnerable cars.

Read more on FFXnow…

Beulah Road closed after crash takes out electric pole near Meadowlark

Beulah Road has been closed near Meadowlark Botanical Gardens for repairs to an electric pole down by a vehicle crash (via Google Maps)

Residents of the Wolf Trap area near Meadowlark Botanical Gardens may want to charge up their phones now before the power goes out sometime today (Monday).

A “large power outage” is expected to be necessary so that Dominion Energy can replace a pole on that was knocked down last night by a vehicle crash on Beulah Road, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

No injuries were reported in the single-vehicle crash, which occurred in the 1600 block of Beulah Road. Police responded to the scene around 10:20 p.m.

While the crash didn’t result in a power outage, work to replace the damaged pole is still underway. Traffic on Beulah Road is being detoured, with the roadway anticipated to remain closed until early in this afternoon’s rush hour, police said.

Map via Google Maps

Read more on FFXnow…

Fairfax County Public School workers secure collective bargaining rights

Members of the Alliance of Fairfax Education Unions and supporters celebrate the Fairfax County School Board’s approval of collective bargaining (courtesy David Walrod)

The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously on Thursday (Mar. 9) to give public school teachers and staff collective bargaining rights.

The resolution gives employees the right to organize and elect a union that can negotiate labor contracts, including pay, benefits and work conditions.

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2020 allowing local governments to give collective bargaining rights to public workers. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution for county employees the following year.

After more than a year of work, administrators with Fairfax County Public Schools presented a 22-page draft resolution to the school board in December.

Karl Frisch, the school board’s Providence District representative, introduced the motion during a school board meeting, saying collective bargaining will positively affect staff retention and student success.

“Everyone wins when teachers and staff have pay increases, better working conditions, reduced turnover, and workers have a seat at the decision-making table,” Frisch said.

The resolution states that the school board retains the right to determine budgets and can take necessary actions to carry out its mission during emergencies. It also guarantees workers the right “to engage in informal conversations and interactions about workplace and organizational issues while on duty” without facing coercion or intimidation.

According to Virginia law, bargaining unit members are not allowed to go on strike.

Any negotiations with budgetary or financial implications need to be initiated by Sept. 1 and agreed upon by Nov. 1 to be included in the following year’s budget.

FCPS will recognize separate bargaining units for:

  • Licensed instructional staff, including full and part-time teachers, librarians and counselors
  • Operational support employees, such as assistants, custodians, food service workers and bus drivers
  • Administrators and supervisors, including principals and program administrators

Through a majority vote, employees in the bargaining units can select an employee association to represent them. The association, with majority support, becomes that unit’s exclusive bargaining agent after the school board certifies the election results.

Substitute teachers and temporary employees are excluded from bargaining units. However, they could request to be recognized as a unit or seek inclusion in one of the existing units after July 1, 2023.

During his remarks, Frisch highlighted what he said are the causes of recent staffing challenges faced by the school system.

“Longstanding teacher and school staff shortages are driven by low pay relative to peers in other professions with similar credentials, inadequate or uneven professional support, and challenging work conditions.”

Sully District representative Stella Pekarsky seconded the motion and said because of the vote,  schools in the county will be a better place to learn and work in the coming years.

“With this vote, there should be no doubt where FCPS stands. We stand for our employees to have a voice and a seat at the table. We stand to ensure our schools can recruit and retain staff who provide a world-class education for all students,” she said.

In a release, Fairfax Education Association President Leslie Houston said passing the resolution is the first step to ensuring that FCPS employees “will have a seat at the table and not be on the menu.”

“The educators and staff in Fairfax County Public Schools will finally be able to make decisions that is best for their well-being and the well-being of their students,” Houston said.

While advocating for collective bargaining, the FEA joined forces with the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) to form the Alliance of Fairfax Educational Unions (AFEU), which will presumably seek election to represent the new bargaining units.

According to the school system, FCPS will secure a labor relations administrator (LRA) in the next few weeks to manage the certification and election processes.

Read more on FFXnow…

Morning Notes

A groundhog spotted in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fire Destroys Multiple Annandale Businesses — “Fairfax County and Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene of a building fire in the 7200 block of Columbia Pike. Four Annandale businesses, two restaurants, a shipping company, and a hair salon, sustained what fire officials called catastrophic damage.” [DC News Now]

FCPS Denies Attorney General’s Racism Allegations — “Jason Miyares is alleging that a Fairfax County middle school discriminated against students based on race, color, and national origin in an email sent to families regarding a college preparatory program offered by the county…A statement from Fairfax County Public Schools called Miyares’ assertions ‘false and damaging.'” [DCist]

Former D.C. Official Sentenced for Fatal I-495 Crash — “A former elected leader in D.C. was sentenced Friday to four years in prison one year after a deadly DUI wreck in Fairfax County. Former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Devon Lesesne pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Nov. 30, 2022, for driving under the influence when he struck and killed 20-year-old Katherine Reyes on March 6, 2022.” [WUSA9]

Density Dooms Annandale Development Pitch — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission rejected a site-specific plan amendment nomination for a mixed-use development on Little River Turnpike, but agreed to proceed with four others…The proposed plan amendment…called for 105 multifamily units in a four-story building with ground-floor retail between Columbia Road and Randolph Drive” [Annandale Today]

Mason District Residents Sound Off on Rising Taxes — “Real estate assessments for [fiscal year] 2024 are up an average 6.34 percent in Mason District, slightly below the countywide average of 6.79 percent. To help compensate for the rising assessments, Gross said she would support reducing the tax rate by at least 3 cents.” [Annandale Today]

Maryland Beltway Widening Project Faces New Setback — “The lead team involved with Maryland’s plan to build high-occupancy toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270, along with building a new American Legion Bridge, has pulled out of the project.” [NBC4, Maryland Matters]

FCPS Hosts Meeting Today on Opioid Crisis — “Opioid and fentanyl overdoses are rising nationwide, and more and more students nationwide and here locally are being impacted. Join @fcpsnews on Monday, Mar. 13, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at @fcpsfairfaxhs for a conversation about the epidemic.” [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]

A Look at the History of Two Lorton Roads — “Furnace Road and Cinder Bed Road assumed their official designations on April 1, 1965. The previous June, Fairfax’s Board of Supervisors had approved a resolution naming or renaming hundreds of the county’s streets and secondary roads. This was necessary because — as in the song by U2 — some streets had no names.” [The Washington Post]

It’s Monday — Light rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 47 and low of 39. Sunrise at 7:24 am and sunset at 7:14 pm. [Weather.gov]

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