Fairfax Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking — “According to court documents, in March and April 2022, Calvin Ray Brown, 50, and a co-conspirator sold counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl to a Fairfax County Police Department confidential source and undercover detective on multiple occasions…Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26.” [DOJ]
Drive-Thru Taco Bell Proposed in Fairfax — “Planning commissioners expressed concerns about a pre-application proposal Monday evening from ABTB Mid-Atlantic, LLC to construct a Taco Bell restaurant with a drive-thru in the Boulevard Marketplace Shopping Center…Some commissioners said the new Taco Bell would likely experience the same traffic and parking issues already observed at similar drive-thru restaurants along Fairfax Boulevard.” [Patch]
Expansion Planned for Annandale Power Substation — Dominion Energy wants to upgrade and expand the Westcott Substation in Holmes Run Stream Valley Park. The project will replace “outdated equipment” with new technology that will help the utility company respond faster to outages and support “distributed energy resources, such as home solar panels, electric vehicle charging, and battery storage.” [Annandale Today]
State Lawmakers Still See Path for Underground Utilities on Route 1 — “State Senator Scott Surovell and his counterpart in the House of Delegates, Paul Krizek, have not given up on the possibility of getting utilities undergrounded along the Route 1 corridor as part of the Richmond Highway widening and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system projects.” [On the MoVe]
Cherry Blossoms Peak Bloom Predicted — “The cherry blossoms surrounding the Tidal Basin will reach peak bloom from March 22 to 25, 2023, the National Park Service announced Wednesday at a National Cherry Blossom Festival press conference…The National Cherry Blossom Festival will take place from March 20 to April 16.” [Washingtonian]
Lake Accotink Maintenance to Begin Mid-March — The Fairfax County Park Authority will remove debris from the dam’s spillway and replace flashboards that “control water flow through the spillway…The replacement of the flashboards, expected to begin in early April following the debris removal, will require FCPA to lower the lake surface elevation by approximately 2 feet” to complete the project by Memorial Day weekend. [FCPA]
State Education Superintendent Steps Down — “Jillian Balow has resigned as Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction, without providing a reason…Balow’s tenure was marked by controversy, especially regarding the ongoing revision of the state’s curriculum standards for history and social studies.” [The Washington Post]
Reston Startup Targets Software Updates — “A local cybersecurity startup wants to take the anxiety out of running updates to computer software. Trackd, a Reston company founded last year by a former National Security Agency network engineer, has emerged…with a software of its own that helps companies identify if an update, or patch, will cause disruptions to their networks.” [DC Inno]
FCPS Job Fair for Teachers Coming This Weekend — “We are searching for educators with strong academic backgrounds and a passion for making a difference. To meet hiring needs in instructional areas, we are hosting an in-person job fair at Oakton High School on Saturday, March 4, 2023 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.).” [FCPS]
It’s Thursday — Light rain in the morning. High of 64 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:41 am and sunset at 6:03 pm. [Weather.gov]
Several locations linked to African American history in Fairfax County could be eligible to be designated as historic places.
Those buildings and neighborhoods include the Louise Archer School, the Tinner Hill neighborhood and Clifton Primitive Baptist Church. Along with other candidates, they appear in a draft African American Historic Resources Survey Report, which was released on Feb. 23.
The county is looking for residents to share their thoughts on the report ahead of its final version, anticipated late this spring.
“We’re looking for feedback on the historical context and properties as written in the report,” Leanna O’Donnell, planning division director at the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
Residents who want to weigh in on the report can do so through Friday, March 24. There will also be a virtual community meeting on the report’s findings at 6:30 p.m. on Monday (March 6).
“Any feedback will be taken into consideration as we finalize the report and help identify properties that could be nominated for inclusion in Fairfax County’s Inventory of Historic Sites, the Virginia Landmarks Register or the National Register of Historic Places,” O’Donnell wrote.
The survey report furthers the work of the African American History Inventory, a database of resources related to the county’s African American culture and history. That inventory came to be following an October 2020 motion from a commissioner on the Fairfax County History Commission.
In 2021, the county received funding through the Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ Cost Share Grant Program to support the current study.
The report includes historical information about African Americans in present-day Fairfax County, starting in the 1600s. It also features photos and descriptions of buildings and communities surveyed, as well as preliminary recommendations.
For example, the entry on Louise Archer Elementary School includes a description of the building’s location, its exterior and the surrounding area of Vienna, along with pictures of the building and some historical context.
“The evolved building is the third purpose-built school for African Americans in Vienna,” the report says. “Once Fairfax County schools began to integrate, Louise Archer School was the only formerly Black elementary school to integrate and remain open.”
The report calls the school “a strong candidate for NRHP listing.”
Of the sites not already listed, Lane’s Mill in Centreville and Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield were deemed eligible for the national register. Other potential candidates include McLean’s Chesterbrook Baptist Church, Clifton Primitive Baptist Church, Quander Road School in Belle Haven, and the Tinner Hill neighborhood in Falls Church.
The Gum Springs area was the only part of the county excluded from the survey. That area is “part of a more intensive survey effort focusing specifically on this prominent African American community,” according to a county press release.
The county has also moved to honor Black and African American history with new historical markers, selected late last year.
A candy land will soon come to life at Tysons Corner Center.
The temporary, traveling exhibit Candytopia will arrive at the mall in mid-March, filling a 16,000-square-foot space across from H&M that has previously hosted installations dedicated to the Sistine Chapel and Princess Diana.
Like the Dr. Seuss pop-up scheduled to visit the mall in April, Candytopia will feature a variety of interactive sets and photo opportunities — only this time, everything will be made out of or designed to resemble sweets.
And yes, there will be samples.
“We’re thrilled to partner with [Tysons Corner Center owner] Macerich again in bringing this sweet experience to one of its premier shopping destinations,” said John Goodman, CEO of Youtopia Entertainment LLC, which operates Candytopia. “There will be plenty of fun for people of all ages to discover and enjoy at our newest location and I am excited to see guests’ reactions to this unique entertainment experience.”
Candytopia launched in 2018 at Santa Monica Place, a California shopping center also owned by Macerich. The exhibit has since traveled around the country, including stops in San Francisco, New York City, Philadelphia and Miami.
It’s currently open in Houston and Atlanta. Past visitors have included celebrities like singers CardiB and Pink, actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Adam Sandler, and basketball player Kevin Durant, according to a press release.
Elements of the pop-up include an art gallery with pieces made out of candy, a candy confetti room “complete with confetti-farting pigs,” and a pit filled with 250,000 marshmallows. The 14 different interactive sets will feature some touches specifically inspired by the D.C. area, Candytopia says.
Tickets went on sale today (Wednesday). They cost $23 for kids aged 4-12 and $30 for adults. Kids 3 and younger can get free entry.
The exhibit will open its doors in mid-March, though an exact date is still being determined, and it will remain at Tysons Corner Center until the end of May.
Macerich declined to comment on its long-term plans for the space opposite H&M, but temporary exhibits have become a regular sight at the mall, often but not always filling vacant storefronts. A recent Nintendo pop-up, for example, was located in the court outside Macy’s and proved popular over the winter holidays.
“Ticketed attractions are part of how Macerich delivers great entertainment to people in our markets who, now more than ever, are seeking fun, in-person experiences,” Tysons Corner Center Senior Marketing Manager Lindsay Petak said.
State Sen. Janet Howell will retire from the Virginia General Assembly after representing a significant swath of northern Fairfax County for over 30 years.
Rumors that Howell wasn’t planning to pursue another term began circulating during Virginia’s 2021 redistricting process, which paired her with Sen. Jennifer Boysko — a more junior Democrat currently representing the 33rd District — in the newly created 38th Senate District.
Now, at 78 years old, Howell has officially announced that she won’t seek reelection this year, meaning her three-decade tenure in the State Senate will conclude with her current term on Jan. 10, 2024.
In a statement first reported yesterday (Tuesday) by independent journalist Brandon Jarvis and shared today in a newsletter to supporters, Howell said she believes she has accomplished “most” of her legislative goals over her 32 years of service and now hopes to spend more time with her husband, including for travel.
“My focus has always been on education, from preschool through graduate school, and on helping our neighbors in need,” she wrote. “We have made great progress — yet much more must be done.”
State Senator Janet Howell (D) will not be seeking re-election this year. Her statement is below pic.twitter.com/WM2rKTRIO5
— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) February 28, 2023
Howell first took office in 1992 as senator for District 32, which encompassed Reston, Tysons, Wolf Trap, northern Chantilly and portions of McLean and Arlington County.
Second in seniority only to Sen. Dick Saslaw, who announced retirement plans last week, Howell is the longest-serving woman currently in the State Senate. When Democrats took control of the chamber in 2019, she became one of its most powerful members as the new chair of the influential finance committee, the first woman to hold that position.
According to her office, Howell views her top accomplishments as:
Guiding the budget to significantly increase funding for education and mental health services; reforming family violence laws; passing the first in the nation genetic privacy legislation; receiving national child advocate of the year award from American Academy of Pediatrics for increasing vaccinations.
In the wake of her retirement news, colleagues and the Fairfax County Democratic Committee lauded Howell as a “champion” for education, women’s rights and health care.
Congratulations on a great career Janet Howell! I enjoyed my 10 session serving down the hall from you, and being your constituent for most of your 32 year career. pic.twitter.com/ycYASrbTV4
— Marcus Simon (@marcussimon) February 28, 2023
Thank you Sen. Janet Howell for your more than 30 years of service to Fairfax and Virginia. A champion of families, education and health care, and the longest-serving female legislator in Virginia–we will miss you and wish you the best! pic.twitter.com/0xV4wEthjO
— Fairfax Democrats (@FairfaxDems) February 28, 2023
Senator Janet Howell has been an unmatched champion for Pre-K and K-12, is a calming voice of reason in our Caucus when things get heated, a passionate advocate for women's rights, our budget leader & a consummate team player who will be deeply missed by @VASenateDems https://t.co/f2cjBoME8G
— Senator Scott Surovell (@ssurovell) February 28, 2023
Howell joins a slate of at least 16 incumbent state legislators so far opting out of another term, including three others who represent parts of Fairfax County: Saslaw, Reston’s longtime delegate Ken Plum, and McLean delegate Kathleen Murphy.
Though she hasn’t made an official announcement yet, Boysko’s campaign has filed finance reports indicating she will seek election in the new District 38. Her office didn’t return a request for comment by publication time.
On the Republican side, military veteran Matt Lang will attempt to win the seat after unsuccessfully challenging Plum in 2021.
With each party putting forward just one candidate, primaries won’t be needed for this district. The general election on Nov. 7 will have an extensive ballot, with all 140 General Assembly seats, Fairfax County supervisors, the school board, and commonwealth’s attorney up for grabs.
(Updated at 1:45 p.m. on 3/2/2023) Compass Coffee is planning to open a second drive-thru location, and it will be right in Fairfax County.
The growing regional coffee business will add a full-service, drive-thru cafe at 7393 Lee Highway, a standalone building that previously housed a BB&T bank in the Shops at West Falls Church, confirmed Joel Shetterly, the vice president of marketing.
“We have something for every coffee lover — from delicious seasonal drink flavors to year-round classics like our nitro cold brew,” Shetterly said by email. “We also serve a delicious range of house-made breakfast sandwiches and pastries for folks who want to pick up breakfast on the go.”
A commercial alterations permit application filed with Fairfax County in mid-February indicates that the shop won’t have any on-site food preparation work or cooking.
The space will be about 3,000 square feet “with ample seating,” Shetterly told FFXnow.
Based in D.C., Compass Coffee launched in 2014 and now operates 16 shops across the region, including one that opened in Fairfax City on March 21, 2022. The company’s first drive-thru location arrived on Langston Blvd in Arlington this past October.
Compass Coffee is “shooting” for a summer opening for its West Falls Church location, which furthers the company’s goal of expanding in the area after getting “fantastic feedback” on its cafe at 10400 Fairfax Blvd, Shetterly said.
“We are thrilled to continue growing in the region,” he said.
Managed by EDENS, the developer that’s also behind the Mosaic District in Merrifield, Shops at West Falls is anchored by a Safeway grocery store. Other food service tenants include Subway, Fava Pot, The Original Pancake House and Vocelli Pizza.
This month marks the third anniversary of the first Covid case in Fairfax County, and the Board of Supervisors has voted to bring the state of emergency to a close.
The emergency declaration that has been in place since March 17, 2020 officially ends today (Wednesday).
The declaration provided increased flexibility and resources to address public health issues. The county said in a release there will be no direct impact of the declaration ending on the county’s operational responses, which were already scaled back in December.
The county’s relaxed policies on outdoor dining and using speakers for activities will continue until March 2024.
The days of saving up loose change to pay the Dulles Toll Road’s fees are officially in the past.
Effective today (Wednesday), the 14-mile highway also known as Route 237 has converted to an all-electronic, cashless payment system, joining the network of express lanes that criss-cross Northern Virginia.
“Eliminating cash toll collection is expected to speed traffic flow and benefit the environment by reducing emissions that would have been produced by vehicles waiting in toll-booth lines,” the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates the road, said in a news release.
All coin baskets have now been deactivated.
The MWAA Board of Directors approved the plan to transition away from coin payments on Nov. 16. At that same meeting, the board also increased fees on the Dulles Toll Road for the first time in five years, a hike that took effect on Jan. 1.
Under the new system, payments can be made with an E-Z Pass or mobile apps. Drivers who don’t have an E-Z Pass transponder will be identified by their license plate and get an invoice mailed to them.
For those who “pay by plate,” two-axle vehicles will be charged $5.60 at the toll road’s main plaza and $3.60 on the ramps. That rate includes a $1.60 administrative fee that state law permits MWAA to collect “to recover the costs of pay-by-plate transactions.”
The fees can be paid online before or after an invoice arrives.
Fees are slightly lower for E-Z Pass users at $4 for the main plaza and $2 for the ramps, since they don’t have to pay the administrative fee.
According to MWAA, about 2% or 726,367 Dulles Toll Road transactions were paid by cash in 2022. The authority had already removed many toll booths to create E-Z Pass express lanes in 2019, and manual toll collections ceased in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dulles Toll Road stretches from Route 28 by the Dulles International Airport in the west to the Capital Beltway near Tysons to the east.
Toll revenue goes toward the highway’s operating and maintenance costs, while also funding construction of Metro’s Silver Line, which launched service from Reston to Ashburn on Nov. 15.
Child Care Enrollment Starts Next Week — “Registration for 2023-2024 Fairfax County School Age Child Care (SACC) will begin on March 9. Registration will open on a rolling basis in alphabetical order by school…The SACC School Year Program…offers before- and afterschool care for children attending kindergarten through sixth grade in most Fairfax County public elementary schools and several community centers.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
Couple Found Dead in Fairfax Home — Fairfax County police are conducting a death investigation after an adult man and woman were found dead in a home on the 8900 block of Walker Street. Police believe preliminarily that the “elderly couple” died in a murder-suicide incident. [FCPD/Twitter]
Judge Drops Murder Charge in Hybla Valley Fatal Shooting — “At a preliminary hearing Feb. 7 the prosecutor called only one witness, the responding police officer, and the judge dropped the charges, saying not enough evidence was presented.” The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney plans to seek a grand jury indictment that could reinstate the second-degree murder and firearm charges once forensic results are available. [NBC4]
Beer Garden Coming to Annandale Shopping Center — “The last empty storefront at the EastGate Square shopping center on John Marr Drive is going to be a beer garden. That was confirmed by workers fixing up the interior space.” Home to The Block food hall, the center is being eyed for a partial redevelopment that could add housing. [Annandale Today]
Metro Will Take Three Years to Fix Trains — “Metro says it is planning to re-press all 5,984 wheels on its 7000-series trains, a process that will take an estimated three years and cost about $55 million.” The transit agency has been slowly returning the trains to service after removing them following a derailment in Arlington in October 2021. [DCist]
Vienna Town Council Won’t Halt Sidewalk Project — “On Monday, Councilmember Nisha Patel proposed stopping any more engineering studies on the final design of sidewalk on the even number side of Melody Lane SW. Patel cited a resident petition against the sidewalk on the even side of Melody Lane mentioning concerns of drainage issues, safety and potential impacts to trees.” [Patch]
Couple Behind Braddock Community Center Honored — County leaders, community members and relatives gathered on Monday to celebrate the late James and Marguerite Mott. “According to the Post, the Motts began their activism after they were turned away from picnicking at Lake Fairfax Park in 1965. They subsequently sued in U.S. District Court in Alexandria and won equal access to county facilities for Black people.” [NCS]
Tysons Communication Company Faces Federal Scrutiny — “Tysons TV station owner Tegna Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) says it is ‘currently evaluating its options’ after the Federal Communications Commission asked its administrative court to review the media company’s proposed $5.4 billion purchase by hedge fund Standard General on antitrust grounds.” [Washington Business Journal]
Bill to Notify Schools of Employee Arrests Reaches Governor — “A Virginia bill that would require police to notify schools when educators are arrested is now awaiting Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature. Its passage follows an incident involving a Fairfax County middle school counselor who remained on the job, months after his arrest connected to child sex crimes.” [WTOP]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 58 and low of 35. Sunrise at 6:42 am and sunset at 6:02 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Fairfax County hopes to get a head start on its annual street paving and restriping efforts this year, thanks to the D.C. area’s warmer-than-usual winter weather.
The county and Virginia departments of transportation program will kick off next month in Merrifield with the proposed addition of bicycle lanes on Ellenwood Drive from Route 29 to Route 50, along with crosswalks at two intersections.
“Because of the warmer winter weather, VDOT recently began repaving some streets during the winter on short notice,” an FCDOT spokesperson said. “The Ellenwood Drive project was selected for this accelerated schedule, which also helps reduce the repaving backlog.”
The street’s two travel lanes will narrow to 10 feet to make room for the 5-foot-wide bicycle lanes, which would be separated from the curb by 7-foot-wide parking lanes, according to a presentation from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
In addition to linking two key thoroughfares, Ellenwood Drive is a good candidate for on-road bicycle lanes, because it has wide travel lanes, on-street parking and sidewalks on both sides, and the lanes can connect to trails on both ends, FCDOT says.
The Arlington Blvd service road at the southern end of Ellenwood has a trail connection to Armistead Park. In addition, the upcoming Fairfax Landing neighborhood’s developer is constructing a 6-foot-wide asphalt trail that will extend the Armistead Park Trail north to the Route 29 service road.
Per the presentation, parking reductions will be limited to the loss of two spaces at Ellenwood and the Route 29 service road.
However, the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB) says more parking likely needs to be sacrificed to build bicycle lanes that are actually safe and comfortable to use.
“If you keep on-street parking, your options are very limited to add safe bicycling routes,” FABB board member Shawn Newman said. “Our preferred option would be to remove the parking on one side of that street and to add in buffered bike lanes, so a bike lane with adequate space next to it in order to provide bicyclists space between them and the vehicle.”
While the restriping program has resulted in some good, safe lanes, the new facilities are often similar in design to the lane proposed on Ellenwood, Newman says. The lack of buffers puts bicyclists at risk of either getting hit by passing vehicles or “doored” when people exit their parked cars.
FABB says it was a “challenging decision” to come out in opposition to the county’s proposal, given the group’s mission of advocating for more bicycling infrastructure, but the board feels the planned design would make the lanes a “net negative” for cyclists.
“They look good on paper, but they’re hard to use in reality, and they don’t encourage people to bike more,” Newman said. “What they end up doing is drivers see them, and they see them empty, and they’re like, ‘Why don’t people use the bike lanes?’ Because they’re not comfortable or safe, the end.”
Ellenwood doesn’t have room for the design option suggested by FABB, and it wouldn’t be allowed by VDOT, according to FCDOT spokesperson Robin Geiger. She noted that the proposed design is similar to other bicycle lanes in the county and complies with Federal Highway Administration guidelines.
“Hearing from the community and community partners like FABB is very important in the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the county,” Geiger said. “Although not all suggestions are able to be implemented, the input from bicyclists and others who use bike lanes and pedestrian pathways is critical for successful outcomes.”
FCDOT has also proposed painting crosswalks at Jersey Drive and the Arlington Blvd service road. The former will introduce parking restrictions for 11 spaces — one on the west side of Ellenwood and 10 on the east side — while the latter will “repurpose” about eight spaces on the west side.
FCDOT and the Virginia Department of Transportation will discuss the proposal at a virtual public meeting today (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. Comments will only be accepted at the meeting and online through the project page until noon on Friday (March 3).
“Pending community input, the project is scheduled to be repaved within the next few weeks,” FCDOT said.
The department says working with VDOT to add bicycle lanes and crosswalks when it repaves and restripes roads allows it “to increase driver, bicyclist and pedestrian safety with road and crosswalk improvements while minimizing the financial investment in restriping work.”
The 2023 program will take place from spring to November. Most of the planned changes haven’t been announced yet, since the public meetings aren’t scheduled until April.
Photo via Google Maps
The traffic safety advocacy group Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (Fairfax FSS) says the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is primarily to blame for Fairfax County’s high pedestrian fatality count last year.
The Safe Streets Report compiled by Fairfax FSS examines the crashes that resulted in 32 pedestrian fatalities and 53 serious injuries in 2022. Like the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) earlier report, Fairfax FFS found that the county saw a dramatic increase in fatalities and serious injuries last year from any other year going back to 2010 — the first year where data is available.
The median count for pedestrian fatalities in Fairfax County was 13, but there were over twice as many in 2022.
Fairfax FSS lays the blame at underfunding for pedestrian-focused projects in its report:
Years of underfunding of critical projects and lack of sufficient attention to pedestrian safety in new projects and development has led to increasing systemic risk for pedestrian safety. Safety is more important than speed. Particular attention is needed to provide safety in identified high risk corridors. While we applaud increased commitment for future funding, the proposed levels are insufficient to reduce today’s risk.
Most of that frustration was directed at VDOT, which controls the majority of the county’s roadways.
According to the report:
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), as the primary agency with authority for road infrastructure design and maintenance throughout Fairfax County, bears significant responsibility for the safety of pedestrians. The high number and increasing trend of pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries indicates that VDOT has not sufficiently prioritized pedestrian safety, lacks an understanding of the current risks to pedestrians, and/or has operationally failed a basic safety responsibility. Fairfax FSS requests VDOT leadership evaluate its culture, organizational structure, and operations to ensure that pedestrian safety is appropriately elevated and integrated throughout VDOT.
The report also said Virginia’s criminal code is too lenient on drivers who crash into and kill pedestrians. Of the 32 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, only five crashes saw the drivers charged with a felony. One case was finalized, with the driver pleading guilty to a misdemeanor. Four others remain pending.
Four drivers were charged with misdemeanors. One was reduced to an infraction, one was found not guilty, and another was abandoned without prosecution. The last case remains pending. One driver was charged with an infraction.
“The report also highlights the lack of consequences in Virginia’s criminal code when drivers who crash into and kill pedestrians (many of whom had the legal right of way in a crosswalk) receive de minimis financial fines, no points and rarely jail time of any sort,” the release said.
Fairfax FSS said local residents should expect more from their local and state elected officials when it comes to pedestrian safety.
“Each pedestrian fatality and serious injury is preventable,” the release said. “Our local and state elected leaders along with transportation officials need to demonstrate a greater level of commitment and urgency in implementing comprehensive and effective solutions. Making greater investment today will save lives tomorrow.”
