Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This recurring column is sponsored and written by Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Sharmane at 813-504-4479.
Are you an inspired foodie like me?
If so, I am sure you are ready to experience some of the newest restaurants in Fairfax County. The list has something for everyone!
Roots Natural Kitchen (Fairfax) — Fast casual dining serving natural foods. Pick a signature grain bowl or salad, or customize your own.
Kusshi Ko (Vienna) — Specializes in modern Japanese cuisine. Don’t forget to check out the area’s largest selection of sake and whisky!
Davio’s (Reston) — The white tablecloths of their spacious, relaxed dining room serve as the perfect stage for Davio’s signature Northern Italian steaks, veal chops, and handmade pasta creations.
Kirby Club (Mosaic) — Kirby Club tells the Middle Eastern-American story through food. It’s a place where everyone belongs exactly as they are. All they ask is that you bring your full, vibrant self… ready for a good time.
Milk & Honey Café (Fairfax) — Milk & Honey Café is a New Orleans-themed Southern Brunch that features award-winning shrimp & grits, chicken & waffles, Rum Chata French toast. They specialize in other slow-cooked, mouth-watering favorites.
Circa at The Boro (Tysons) — Whether dropping in for brunch, lunch, or dinner — every meal is accompanied by an extensive wine list and a seasonal cocktail list.
AmThai By Kanjana (Burke) — Traditional Thai with a twist. It’s delicious!
Harvey’s (Falls Church) — “Home to Good Food and Friends” is their tagline for a reason. You have to check out this gem in the Little City of Falls Church.
Èl BEBE at The Boro (Tysons) — The website sums it up perfectly. “ÈL BEBE is a tribute to those who work hard and deserve all the tacos and tequila they can handle. This is a judgment-free taco zone and we applaud the grind as well as the unwind.”
Explore Fairfax with Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney.
Sharmane Medaris | Live Fairfax | www.soldbysharmane.com | [email protected] | @soldbysharmane | 813-504-4479 | 374 Maple Avenue Suite 202, Vienna, VA 22180
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
The clock is ticking for Fairfax County and the D.C. region to adopt a new transportation plan aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This past June, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) approved Visualize 2045 — a regional transportation plan that runs through 2045 and must be updated every four years, as mandated by the federal government.
At the same meeting, it voted to include greenhouse gas emission goals in the next plan, targeting cuts of 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
Now, six months later, Fairfax County is already preparing to submit its segment of that plan with those emission goals in mind, but the process will be slightly different from previous years.
Presented at the Board of Supervisors transportation committee meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 31), Visualize 2050 will include “zero-based budgeting,” meaning all localities have to resubmit their transportation projects for consideration to ensure they adhere to the new emission reduction goals.
Before, most projects automatically carried over from one plan to the next, though projects could be added or taken out if needed, Fairfax County Department of Transportation planner Malcolm Watson explained to the supervisors.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, who’s on the TPB with Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, noted that the board has had a “lively discussion” over the last few years regarding the emission goals.
“There’s been…quite a difference of opinion on the climate change stuff, particularly between the inner jurisdictions and the outer jurisdictions,” Alcorn said. “We are kind of right in between.”
County staff have identified 33 projects they expect to be part of the transportation plan and will need to be resubmitted under the new standards. Projects currently “in development” include Reston Parkway improvements, a new Dulles Airport Access road from Chain Bridge Road, and a widening of Frying Pan Road from Sully to Centreville roads.
Most of those projects are expected to be completed between 2025 and 2040.
There are 25 projects that could be exempted from the emission standards because they are already funded or under construction. Those include the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit system, an I-495 overpass at Tysons Corner Center, and the $237 million Soapstone Connector.
Watson cautioned that the lists may change as projects get taken off and added, depending on priorities, the new emission goals, and other factors.
Next month, the TPB will issue a “call for projects,” and the lists will be officially published for public review.
“This will officially kick off Visualize 2050,” Watson said.
The county board ultimately will have to vote to approve the project lists over the summer before they get submitted to the TPB.
The hope is that by December 2024, the TPB will approve Visualize 2050, and the new emission goals will become the norm, making Visualize 2055 perhaps a bit less labor-intensive.
Photo via Fairfax County
Giant Food in Vienna (via Google Maps)
A man who allegedly fired a gun during a family dispute in the parking lot of Vienna’s Giant Food has been arrested, the Vienna Police Department announced today (Friday).
Multiple people reported hearing gunshots in the shopping center parking lot near 311 Maple Avenue East on Jan. 8, according to police.
“Officers from the Vienna Police Department responded to the area and after an initial investigation, determined the incident involved a civil dispute between family members, which resulted in one individual discharging a firearm,” the department said in a news release.
One person sustained “minor” injuries as a result of the incident, police said at the time.
After a “lengthy” investigation, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Aria Shahryary on Jan. 31, charging him with felonies for shooting into an occupied vehicle and willful discharge of a firearm in a public place. He also faces a misdemeanor brandishing charge.
Shahryary voluntarily turned himself in at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center yesterday (Thursday), the VPD says.
A judge set a $50,000 secured bond for his release. An arraignment has been scheduled for Wednesday (Feb. 8), and there will be a preliminary hearing in the case on March 30, according to Fairfax County General District Court records.
“The Vienna Police Department would like to thank the witnesses who remained on scene to give statements and the Fairfax County Police Department who assisted in the investigation,” the VPD said.
Photo via Google Maps
As work gets underway to memorialize those killed by COVID-19, the Fairfax County Health Department wants to ensure the individuals and organizations who helped it navigate the pandemic will have at least one moment in the spotlight.
The department will host a recognition ceremony tomorrow (Saturday) for its many partners in the local pandemic response, from hospital workers and nonprofit volunteers to residences and businesses that supported public awareness campaigns.
“We are honoring individuals and organizations who supported the COVID-19 vaccination effort from the mass vaccination clinics to hosting vaccine equity clinics,” Sharon Arndt, the event’s lead organizer, said. “Public health is what we do together as a society to create the conditions in which everyone can be healthy. Thank you to all who served a role in support of public health.”
For Arndt, the ceremony will close out a 25-year career working for Fairfax County. The director of FCHD’s community health development division is retiring after next week, according to a department spokesperson, who praised her dedication to her public health work and the county.
Over 1,000 community members and groups will be recognized at the ceremony, which will take place at the Fairfax County Government Center in three separate sessions. In addition to hosting vaccine clinics, their contributions ranged from providing basic resources like food to sharing information with non-English-speaking residents.
The proceedings will start at 10 a.m. with Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay delivering remarks. Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik is scheduled to speak at 11:30 a.m., followed by Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust at 1 p.m.
Each session will also feature musical and dance performances by local artists.
“These organizations played key roles during the worst health crisis of our lives and we couldn’t have done it without them,” McKay said. “This is true not just during COVID-19 but at all times. They allow the County to leverage our resources and reach the most people possible with life-saving services.”
The ceremony will precede a potential end to the county’s ongoing state of emergency for the pandemic.
The agenda for the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 7) includes an item requesting that the board vote on whether to terminate its local emergency declaration, which has been in place since March 17, 2020. If the measure is approved, the declaration will end March 1.
The county previously said a vote could come last September, but that didn’t happen, as officials were still evaluating the possible implications of ending the declaration, which gave the county more resources and flexibility to address Covid.
Most other Northern Virginia localities have already let their emergency declarations expire, and President Joe Biden is expected to end the national emergencies on May 11.
Though it may soon no longer be labeled an official “emergency,” Covid hasn’t vanished.
The Fairfax Health District, including the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, is averaging 140 new cases and three deaths per day for the past week, as of yesterday (Thursday). Hospitals are admitting 9.4 Covid patients for every 100,000 county residents — just within the threshold for a “low” community level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over the past three years, the district has reported 264,878 cases, 5,301 hospitalizations and 1,763 deaths. Nationwide, over 1.1 million people have died from Covid.
Fire Department Gets Grant for Cancer Screenings — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department recently got a $450,000 grant from FEMA to support free cancer screenings for all workers, some of whom are currently diagnosed. Firefighters face a 9% higher risk of getting cancer, and one Fairfax County firefighter died last year. [FCFRD, NBC4]
Shooting Threat Found on Fairfax School Wall — City of Fairfax Police responded yesterday (Thursday) morning to Katherine Johnson Middle School after a message threatening “to shoot up the school” was found. Police said they didn’t know how long the message had been there, but with no evidence of immediate danger, the school never went into lockdown. [Patch]
Driver Trapped After Breaking Through Resident’s Fence — “Units on the scene of a vehicle crash in the 3900 block of Rosebay Court in Fair Oaks area. Car drove into fence in front of a townhouse. Driver was initially trapped. Crews have extricated from car. Driver not injured.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Penn Daw Aldi Expected to Open Next Month — “Just over five years since ALDI signed a contract with Combined Properties to anchor the retail space at South Alex in Penn Daw, the grocery store is scheduled to open at the mixed-use apartment community in early March…Details on a grand opening ceremony will become available closer to the store’s opening date.” [On the MoVe]
Park Authority Plans Black History Month Events — “Whether in the park, along the trail or at our many historic sites, Fairfax County parks offer a rich collection of sites, artifacts and stories from the past that encourage conversation and inspire change for the future.” [FCPA]
GMU Gets Funding for Opioid Response Center — George Mason University has secured more than $1 million in federal funds for a new center “that would help alleviate pressure on Virginia’s health care system and prevent opioid overdoses.” Tasked with providing care for recently incarcerated individuals, the Empowered Communities Partnership Center anticipates opening a physical location in “Manassas or the greater Prince William County area.” [Washington Business Journal]
Vienna Nonprofit Gets Shoutout From Costco — “Vienna-based nonprofit Rustic Love got some national exposure for its efforts to address food insecurity through a Costco magazine feature. Rustic Love is featured in the February edition of The Costco Connection, the magazine of the popular membership-based bulk retailer.” [Patch]
Imagining a Metro With More Stops — “What would the Metro system look like if it had been built with more local stops, like New York City’s system? To see what this parallel universe might look like, I drew up a different map…keeping the stations that exist today and adding infill stations about every half mile.” [Greater Greater Washington]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 42 and low of 23. Sunrise at 7:14 am and sunset at 5:33 pm. [Weather.gov]
The Fairfax Board of Supervisors recently got a preview of what future transit connections between Tysons and Maryland could look like.
At a transportation committee meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 31), Todd Horsley, director of Northern Virginia Transit Programs, presented a study of how transit could make use of the I-495 Express Lanes being extended from Springfield across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
Horsley pointed out, repeatedly, that the designs presented were not a plan, but part of a study that could be used in case those transit plans came along later.
“The VDOT study…[is] to extend I-495 Express Lanes across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Maryland,” Horsley said. “The document we will produce is a study, not a plan. We believe it will provide a solid foundation for a future planning effort if or when there is a funded capital project in the corridor to plan for.”
Currently, there is limited bus service along I-495 and across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. But if new I-495 toll lanes are built, Horsley said the department wanted to provide a look at what future transit connectivity on those lanes could look like.
The short-term plans — which Horsley said could be implemented almost immediately using the express lanes — could include an express route that would run from Tysons down to Alexandria. The other route could connect Tysons to locations in Maryland.
The mid-term plans doubled down on that Maryland connection with bus routes connecting Tysons to Oxon Hill, Clinton, National Harbor, and even up into Navy Yard in D.C. Those routes, Horsley said, could be implemented sometime between this year and 2045.
The longer-term connections beyond 2045 would include both more extensive bus coverage connecting Fairfax County and parts of Alexandria, and curling that cross-Woodrow Wilson Bridge connection up into The Wharf.
The study also included a model of a rail connection from Huntington into Maryland, but Horsley said it didn’t show a huge benefit in the short term for ridership compared to buses on express routes.
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said despite the lack of short-term benefits in the modeling, the proposal would be worth keeping an eye on.
“I recognize the first stage of that could be using bus transportation and etcetera,” Storck said, “but if we’re looking at 2040 and 2045 and we’re not looking at what fits in after that, I think we’re making a big mistake.”
Public comments on the I-495 Southside transit study will be accepted via e-mail to [email protected] through Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Photo via Google Maps
Getting court time at Glyndon Park in Vienna may be tougher going forward for pickleball players.
In the hopes of alleviating noise complaints from nearby residents, the Vienna Town Council approved a significant reduction in playing time for the increasingly popular sport at the 11-acre park’s four courts during its Monday (Jan. 23) meeting.
However, the new schedule represents less of a reduction in days than initially proposed, allowing pickleball on four days per week instead of just three. It also eliminates shared playing times between tennis and pickleball, so hours designated for pickleball will be exclusively reserved for that sport.
“I see this as a long-term issue,” said Councilmember Chuck Anderson, who proposed the adopted schedule. “I think we all on council agree on that, that what we need to do is roll up our sleeves and take a look at capacity. This is a rapidly growing game. It’s very popular, but it also has a noise issue, and it’s something I think we need to work on and manage.
Pickleball is now limited at the park to the following hours:
Dec. 1 to the end of February
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday
March 1 through Nov. 30
- 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
Outside of those hours, only tennis will be allowed. The courts close at 10 p.m.
As part of the approved motion, the council also directed the Department of Parks and Recreation to post signage at the park recommending that pickleball players use “quiet” paddles that supposedly make less noise.
Prior to Monday’s 5-2 vote, pickleball and tennis were both permitted at Glyndon Park (300 Glyndon Street NE) seven days a week, but they alternated during open-play hours on Monday through Thursday mornings — a schedule confusing enough that the town council spent several minutes of a Jan. 23 conference session on the proposed changes trying to get clarification.
Anderson said he had considered continuing some shared usage of the courts as part of his proposal but ultimately decided it would be too complicated. He also found that the suggestion didn’t appeal to either pickleball players or the residents who raised the noise issues.
“If you start sharing [on pickleball days], you have to do it the other way too,” he said. “On a tennis day, if the tennis courts aren’t being used and a pickleball player shows up, it would be used, and I just don’t think that’s workable.”
Since Vienna added pickleball lines to Glyndon Park’s two tennis courts in 2020, some residents have complained that the noise made by paddles hitting the plastic balls is “unbearable,” an issue that has cropped up across the country.
Town staff reduced open-play hours and introduced a reservation system for afternoons, but complaints persisted, with some residents calling for pickleball to be banned from the park altogether, Parks and Rec Director Leslie Herman told the council.
After talking with staff, the residents agreed limiting pickleball to Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays would be acceptable, leading Mayor Linda Colbert and Councilmember Ed Somers to object to the addition of a fourth day.
“I’m just concerned about adding a fourth day at this point. I might get there eventually if more people use the soft paddles, if the noise is reduced, if things change, I could get there very easily, but I’m not there right now,” Somers said to a smattering of claps from the audience.
Anderson and other supporters of the four-day schedule said it would give players more flexibility, while starting play later and ending it earlier.
“There’s just a one-hour difference, and it gives people more peace in the mornings and evenings,” Councilmember Nisha Patel noted.
Fairfax County Public Schools has to adjust its budget outlook for the next two years after a miscalculation led the state to overestimate how much funding it will give local school districts.
The error means FCPS will get nearly $18 million less than it had anticipated, including $5.1 million for the current fiscal year 2023, which began on July 1, 2022. The remaining reduction of $12.7 million will affect the upcoming budget for FY 2024.
Overall, Fairfax County’s shortfall is the biggest of any district, Virginia Department of Education spokesperson Charles Pyle confirmed to FFXnow.
According to the Washington Post, an unidentified “someone” discovered last week that a calculator tool provided to help local school divisions determine their allocation from the state budget had failed to account for the elimination of the state’s grocery tax.
Virginia stopped imposing a 1.5% tax on groceries and personal hygiene products on Jan. 1, though a 1% local tax remains in effect. The legislation, which was incorporated into the state budget, directed the state to use its revenue to compensate localities for any lost education funding, starting Feb. 1.
“The tool released last month did not include recognition of the grocery tax hold harmless payment, which began in FY 2023,” State Superintendent Jillian Balow said in an email sent to local superintendents last Friday (Jan. 24).
Statewide, Virginia will provide $201 million less in aid than expected, including $58 million for the current school year, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Balow said the VDOE will release an updated calculation tool after the General Assembly votes on a new state budget on Feb. 9.
It’s unclear how the $18 million deficit will affect FCPS, though it’s a relatively small portion of the district’s $3.3 billion budget. FCPS said it didn’t have an immediate comment, as of press time.
As part of their legislative agenda for the General Assembly, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and school board are advocating for the state to increase its funding for FCPS, arguing that the current formulas used to calculate allocations for each district don’t adequately reflect the area’s high cost-of-living.
FCPS received a projected $869.7 million — or 26.4% of its operating budget — from the state for FY 2023.
A $3.5 billion budget that Superintendent Michelle Reid proposed last month projected $696.4 million in state aid. Items covered in the budget include the addition of middle school athletic programs, staff compensation increases, and expanded pre-kindergarten education.
“The average Virginia school division receives less than 50 percent of its financial support from its local government,” the budget overview says. “FCPS must rely on local funds for 68.8 percent of its revenue.”
Tysons moviegoers can now escape to Pandora while munching on blackened salmon.
CMX CinéBistro (2001 International Drive, Suite 1700U) has officially opened at Tysons Galleria after a couple of delays last fall. The dine-in movie theater, which features a full bar and lounge, is located on the third floor of the mall’s redeveloped Macy’s wing.
CMX Cinemas announced on Instagram that its newest theater opened its doors for the first time last Friday (Jan. 27).
The 43,268-square-foot theater has over 800 reclining seats in eight screening rooms. Available in theaters and at the Stone Sports Bar in the lobby, the menu focuses on “rustic New American cuisine” prepared by formally trained chefs, CMX said in a press release.
“The thing that really sets our menu and concept apart from other theaters in the region is that we serve it in-theater while guests are sitting in a plush recliner, and we pair it with the latest projection and audio technology,” CMX CEO Patrick Ryan said. “We want to be able to check every box in terms of food, technology, comfort and amenities, because it’s when you put it all together that it adds up to an unbeatable experience.”
Dishes include blackened salmon with roasted garlic mash and butter sauce, artichoke cakes with Old Bay remoulade and Brazilian tomato slaw, a signature CMX Burger, and a crispy chicken bowl with jasmine rice.
Standard movie theater concessions are also available, along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic milkshakes.
Patrons planning to use the in-theater dining service need to arrive at least 30 minutes before their showtime, and except for films designated as “family-friendly,” showings after 8:30 p.m. are limited to people 21 and older.
Movies currently playing include recent Oscar nominees like “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” along with this weekend’s new releases “80 for Brady” and M. Night Shamalyan’s “Knock at the Cabin.” There was also a repertory screening of “Rocky” on Wednesday (Feb. 1).
Ticket prices vary based on the movie and time of day, from $8 for a weekday matinee of “80 for Brady” to $14.49 for a “prime time” showing of “Top Gun: Maverick” on Friday night. On Tuesdays, all tickets for adults and kids are just $5, according to a promotional sign outside the theater.
This is CMX’s first location in Fairfax County, though the Florida-based company has theaters in Richmond and Leesburg.
“We are proud of our tenant offerings, and CMX CineBistro is one of the final elements that will complete the new wing at Tysons Galleria,” said Chris Pine, executive vice president of anchors, big box leasing and development at Brookfield Properties for retail. “CMX offers a sophisticated and comfortable experience that compliments the Tysons Galleria experience.”
The final additions to the new wing include the Southeast Asian restaurant Jiwa Singapura, which is located directly across from CinéBistro and expected to open early this year, and Yard House.
The sports bar was scheduled to have a grand opening on Jan. 15, but permit issues with Fairfax County delayed the opening, which will now be on Feb. 26, according to Dylan Wieder, executive chef for Yard House’s Tysons location.
A Fairfax County Public Schools bus had a tire catch fire while on Route 7 yesterday (Wednesday), causing some alarm in the surrounding Pimmit Hills neighborhood.
The tire fire occurred around 11:42 a.m. on Leesburg Pike in front of the Trader Joe’s shopping center near Pimmit Drive, as first reported by the Falls Church News-Press.
The bus driver noticed smoke coming from the vehicle’s wheel area and evacuated the students who were on board, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
“Tire fire was small and did not catch fire until students were off,” FCFRD spokesperson William Delaney said, confirming that there were no injuries to students or staff.
FCPS says the bus was towed by Fairfax County’s Department of Vehicle Services, which manages and maintains the fleets for both the county government and the school system. The department “will conduct a thorough investigation,” an FCPS spokesperson said.
Community members on Nextdoor reported hearing explosions, with one resident saying the “second one” made their house shake. Another person said they could hear and feel the explosions from Idylwood Road.
Delaney told FFXnow that the “explosion” was from the tire “popping.”
H/t to Alan Henney
