A family-owned chain of Tex-Mex restaurants will soon add Merrifield to its roster of locations across the D.C. area.
Guapo’s plans to take over the former Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant at 3052 Gate House Plaza, as the Washington Business Journal reported on Friday (Sept. 23).
“We are looking to open early 2023,” Guapo’s owner Ángela Musalem told FFXnow by email, adding that more information will be available as the opening gets closer.
Chevys didn’t return FFXnow’s request for more details about the closure of its Merrifield location by press time.
The restaurant will be located between Uno Pizzeria and Fairfax County’s first unionized Starbucks in Gatehouse Plaza, which also has a Wendy’s, Panda Express, Sweetwater Tavern and Sunoco gas station.
Fairfax County granted an interior alteration permit to Guapo’s on Sept. 9 allowing renovations to the building’s patio, vestibule, bar area, and dining room.
According to its website, Guapo’s was started by the Ricon family, who moved to Virginia in the late 1970s. The chain is currently run by the original owners’ children after they all attended and graduated from Fairfax County Public Schools.
The business has six Guapo’s locations, including one in Fair Lakes, as well as three Charcoal Chicken & Taquerias, one of them on Elden Street in Herndon.
The Washington Post ranked Guapo’s as the fourth-best Tex-Mex restaurant in the D.C. region in 2017, highlighting its freshly made flour tortillas.
There were undeniably hiccups along the way, but Fairfax County’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic earned an overall positive assessment from community surveys conducted this summer.
A general community survey issued in June received 2,148 responses, representing just a fraction of the county’s over 1.1 million residents.
However, 90% of respondents reported experiencing little or no difficulty accessing county services during the pandemic, and 89% said the same specifically for services related to COVID-19, Fairfax County Emergency Management Coordinator Seamus Mooney told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 13.
On average, 71% of 147 surveyed businesses said they would’ve had to stop operations or been otherwise negatively affected without access to county services. 91% of community organizations said they were satisfied with their collaborations with the county, per Mooney’s presentation.
“This was an international health emergency, the likes of which none of us had ever seen before,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “So, we were pivoting day in and day out, every minute to try to respond to our community, and this survey proves that our response was effective and that our agencies really stood up and did their job.”
The survey findings were shared as part of a COVID-19 After Action Report that the county is compiling to assess its response to the pandemic and how this experience could inform its response to future emergencies.
While the full report won’t be finalized until later this year, Mooney said the surveys and feedback from the supervisors’ offices and different county agencies suggest the government successfully adapted to the pandemic’s changing circumstances, from the park authority and library’s pivot to online programming to the “rapid rollout” of non-congregate options for sheltering people experiencing homelessness.
A Quarantine, Protection, Isolation/Decompression (QPID) emergency housing program provided temporary shelter in hotels for 2,188 people. Though the program ended in March, the board directed county staff to evaluate how it might inform the county’s approach to supportive housing going forward.
According to the presentation, the county also provided over $90 million in funding for rent assistance, food and other basic needs services. From May 2020 to July 2022, over 1.5 million meals were distributed at Fairfax County Public Schools and by trucks.
“Changes made during the pandemic have the potential to reset expectations for future operations and establish a new path forward that the county can utilize from here on out,” Mooney said.
One change here to stay is the option for community members to testify remotely at Board of Supervisors meetings, which was “a major success,” the presentation says.
When it comes to challenges, one date looms large in county officials’ memories: Jan. 18, 2021. That’s when the county launched its online COVID-19 vaccine registration system, which immediately ran into technical issues after demand overwhelmed the county’s call center a week earlier.
Mooney noted that some factors out of the county’s control, such as the limited vaccine supply and Virginia’s faster-than-expected expansion of eligibility, contributed to the registration system’s botched rollout.
Once introduced, the county’s system proved “more reliable” than the state’s, Mooney said, though there was some initial confusion. While frustrating, the amount of demand showed that Fairfax County was “a community who cared enough about each other and wanted to break down the door and be the first one to get vaccinated,” McKay said.
As of this morning (Tuesday), 85.6% of Fairfax Health District residents have gotten at least one Covid vaccine dose, including 93% of people 18 and older, and 78% are fully vaccinated, according to the county health department’s dashboard.
Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said the pandemic exposed a gap in the county’s communications when it comes to people who don’t have access to or aren’t familiar with online technology, noting that information was often shared in ways “predicated on the fact that you would have a device and be able to respond.”
According to the community surveys, residents primarily got information about Covid through the county website, social media, and by phone, either by calling directly or through Fairfax Alerts notifications.
“I think we need to be able to have our communication on several levels,” Gross said. “For those who have no problem with the current technology, great. For those not used to technology, those of us who didn’t grow up with it, really, we need to have another approach, an understanding approach to be able to work with that particular segment of the community.”
Photo via Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter
A developer has officially filed plans with Fairfax County to bring housing, retail, and new office and academic facilities to Virginia Tech’s campus in Idylwood.
As a joint entity named Converge West Falls LLC, real estate investment firm Rushmark Properties and the construction company HITT Contracting have proposed replacing the existing Northern Virginia Center at 7054 Haycock Road with a 283,000-square-foot office building, up to 440 residential units, and a 2,000-square-foot retail pavilion.
Submitted last Thursday (Sept. 22), the application fleshes out an agreement made earlier this year between Converge and the City of Falls Church, which intends to sell the approximately 7.5-acre site to the developer.
The project will “serve as a logical connection” between the West Falls development on Falls Church’s former George Mason High School property and a planned redevelopment at the West Falls Church Metro station, Walsh Colucci land use attorney Andrew Painter wrote in a statement of justification on Converge’s behalf.
Rushmark is also involved in the Metro project, which will turn the Metro station’s existing parking lots into housing and office buildings with some retail.
Reviving a stalled plan between Virginia Tech and HITT, Converge’s Northern Virginia Center proposal features roughly 820,000 square feet of development across three buildings on two blocks west side of Falls Church Drive and north of Haycock Road:
- Building A: A 283,000-square-foot office and education facility that will house HITT’s corporate headquarters and a 40,000-square-foot laboratory space for Virginia Tech, dubbed the National Center for Smart Construction (NCSC)
- Building B: A residential building with up to 440 units and approximately 16,000 square feet of ground-floor retail uses. It will have a maximum height of 15 stories and 145 feet, providing parking in a 2.5-story underground garage.
- Building C: An approximately 2,000-square foot one-story retail kiosk/pavilion
If approved, the project would link the West Falls and Metro developments by extending the former’s central West Falls Station Blvd through the property. Building C would be in the center of the street’s 12,300-square-foot, publicly accessible median.
Straddling the boundary between the city and Fairfax County, the “Median Green” will also serve as a green space with landscaping, trees, movable tables and chairs for “informal gatherings,” open lawn areas, an outdoor stage or performance space, and public art.
Other proposed amenities include entry plazas for both the office and residential buildings and public gardens on Haycock Road and Falls Church Drive. The latter’s garden would feature a bio-retention rain garden.
The developer says it will also provide approximately 0.29 acres of publicly accessible open space on the Metro redevelopment site as well as private, “vegetative” roof decks for the office and residential buildings.
“Building A’s office roof will, for example, feature outdoor working and social spaces with lush planters and stormwater areas,” the application says. “The Building B’s residential roof deck will include a pool, recreation lawn, and seating terraces.”
As part of its transportation commitments, the applicant says it will upgrade the existing sidewalks on Haycock Road and Falls Church Drive, provide bicycle racks, and extend bicycle lanes planned for West Falls Station Blvd through the development. A total of 1,138 parking spaces will be provided.
“When constructed, this new neighborhood will function as one larger transit-oriented neighborhood,” Painter wrote. “The proposed NCSC facility will serve as a hub for research and testing of emerging construction methods, materials and technology that will inform Northern Virginia’s construction and real estate industries. Further, the proposal will attract individuals who think creatively, share ideas, and drive daytime demand locally-serving office and retail uses, as well as Metrorail ridership.”
Tolls on First Day of New I-66 Lanes Top $6 — “Washington-bound drivers paid an average of $6.10 during the Monday morning commute to use new Interstate 66 toll lanes from Gainesville to Centreville, according to the toll operator. The highest toll in the eastbound lanes was $6.50 at the peak of the commute, officials said.” [The Washington Post]
Monkeypox Vaccine Eligibility Expands — “The VDH announced eligibility expansion for JYNNEOS, the monkeypox vaccine to include people of any gender or sexual orientation living with HIV/AIDS or who were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the past three months.” [Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter]
Man Arrested for Reported Chantilly Robbery — “Fairfax County Police located a suspect in an assault and robbery that occurred midday on Monday in the Chantilly area, according to a post on the department’s official Twitter account. Officers were on the scene at 12:26 p.m., in the 13200 block of Leafcrest Lane in Fairfax” [Patch]
County Board to Consider Police Hiring Bonuses — “A newly proposed ordinance change would give the county executive the ability to give up to $15,000 in hiring bonuses to attract new police officers to the force. The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the ordinance change on Oct. 11, 2022.” [ABC7]
Volunteer Fire Departments Face Staffing Challenges — “There are fewer volunteers in the ranks, as some departed during the pandemic and some departments saw lower recruitment…’Yet with the core group of volunteers we have today, we are maintaining and in some cases growing our capacity and level of activity, which is very encouraging,’ [Fairfax County Volunteer Fire Commission Chairman Shawn] Stokes said.” [Sun Gazette]
Colvin Run Road Intersection at Route 7 Reopens — “Starting the week of Sept. 26, the Colvin Run Road (west) intersection will open to all movements at Route 7. The following movements will be restored: Drivers on westbound Route 7 will be able to turn right onto Colvin Run Road (west). Drivers on Colvin Run Road (west) will be able to turn right onto westbound Route 7.” [VDOT]
FCPS Recruits Spanish Teachers From Puerto Rico — “When a friend told Lesliean Luna that Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia was recruiting native Spanish speakers in San Juan, she didn’t hesitate…Now years after Luna was hired in 2016, she and her daughter both work in Virginia’s largest school system.” [WTOP]
Fire Station Open Houses Planned — “In celebration of Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15, 2022), all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Stations will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Stop by your local station that day to meet your firefighters and paramedics, join in the activities, learn about fire safety, see the fire trucks and ambulances.” [FCFRD]
Tysons 5K Fundraiser Sees Strong Turnout — “Thank you to everyone who joined us for @foodforothers’ 9th annual Tysons 5K and Fun Run! This year, 390 people participated in the event and a total of $92,585.40 was raised for Food for Others, an organization dedicated to distributing food to our neighbors in need.” [Tysons Partnership/Twitter]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 69 and low of 55. Sunrise at 7:02 am and sunset at 6:59 pm. [Weather.gov]
With the national shortage of commercial drivers continuing to strain services from trash collection to school buses, the Town of Vienna plans to increase salaries and offer bonuses to bolster its maintenance workforce.
As part of a new incentive program, the Department of Public Works recommends that the town increase its entry-level salary for maintenance workers to $55,000 and offer a $2,000 hiring bonus to new employees with a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Maintenance workers — who handle tasks from paving and plowing roads to maintaining sewers and parks facilities — currently get a minimum annual salary of $40,354 or $44,490, depending on the exact position, according to Vienna’s pay plan for fiscal year 2022-2023.
The incentive program would adjust the salaries of existing employees with CDLs accordingly “to address compression and years of service,” town staff wrote in a request for $80,000 to fund the plan in the FY 2022-2023 budget.
The program would also give an annual $2,500 bonus to employees who maintain a Class A CDL and $2,000 bonuses to employees who maintain a Class B license.
Per the staff memo, the proposed hiring bonuses are in line with what Fairfax County, the Town of Herndon, and other Northern Virginia jurisdictions are offering. However, they fall short of what workers can get from the private sector, where incentives range from $4,000 to $10,000.
Vienna’s public works department is seeking $80,000 for the program in a $1.28 million set of adjustments to the FY 2022-2023 budget, known as carry forwards.
“Carry forward money is available because the Town had a surplus in FY 2021-22 of approximately $720,000,” town staff said. “The surplus is due to a combination of several General Fund revenues exceeding budget plus salary savings due to position vacancies during the year.”
Intended to address needs identified after the budget was adopted in May, the package includes $100,000 for building maintenance, $15,000 for landscaping at the Bowman House, and $30,000 to switch 60 town cell phones from T-Mobile to AT&T, among other items.
Stricter regulations for massage salons that the town council approved on Aug. 29 will require a new temporary employee to help enforce the new rules, according to staff. The town estimates that the position will cost $40,000.
“During the 2024 budget cycle staff will recommend whether or not this requires a permanent full or half-time position,” the memo says.
The Vienna Town Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed carry forward plan during its regular meeting at 8 p.m. tonight (Monday).
Metro anticipates reducing the parking capacity at its West Falls Church station by over 700 spaces in order to accommodate a planned redevelopment of the property between I-66 and Haycock Road.
Under review by Fairfax County, the project would replace the Metro station’s surface parking lots with 24 acres of mixed-use development, including up to 900 residential units, 110,000 square feet of office, and 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
Working with private developers known collectively as FGCP-Metro LLC, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has proposed eliminating a south parking lot off of Falls Church Drive and reducing the number of bus bays and Kiss & Ride spots at the station.
“Proposed changes are intended to promote transit-oriented development, increase Metro ridership, enhance bicycle and pedestrian access to the station, and modernize transit facilities,” WMATA says.
Park and Ride
Taking out the south parking lot will reduce the station’s park-and-ride capacity from 2,009 to 1,350 spots, according to an environmental evaluation by the consultant WSP.
The evaluation found that demand had dropped from an average of 1,500 vehicles per day when the Silver Line opened in 2014 to 850 per day in 2017. Prior to the pandemic, the average rebounded to 950 in 2018 and 1,100 in 2019.
About 1,350 to 1,400 spaces are projected to be sufficient to meet parking demand through 2045, the report says. The station’s existing 1,200 garage will be retained, while construction on the office and multifamily residential buildings planned on the north parking lot won’t begin for another 10 years.
At that time, Metro will “reassess” whether to keep as parking or give the developers permission to redevelop it, on the condition that private garages for the new buildings include 150 to 200 spots for commuters.
“Several factors could affect commuter parking demand, including post-COVID changes in commuter travel patterns, the planned openings of Silver Line phase 2 and the I-66 toll lane project, and efforts by Metro to manage parking demand,” the evaluation says, noting that FGCP-Metro will construct approximately 700 parking spaces.
Kiss and Ride
The West Falls Church station currently has a kiss-and-ride lot with 47 short-term metered spaces, nine accessible spaces, and five spaces designated for pick-ups and drop-offs, but it’s “underutilized” with an existing demand of 14 vehicles before the pandemic, according to the evaluation.
Demand is expected to increase only slightly to 16 to 19 vehicles by 2045.
WMATA’s proposal would relocate the kiss-and-ride facility to a new roadway within the development and shrink it to 20 spaces, including 10 metered spaces, two ADA-compliant spaces, and eight pick-up or drop-off spaces.
Bus Facility and On-Street Parking
The development plan includes at least four bus bays on a new roadway adjacent to the Metro station plaza. The facility will be designed to potentially accommodate a total of eight bus bays, which would match number currently provided.
The report says the revised layout and the new street grid in the development could cut bus travel times down by 10 to 15%.
On its project page, Metro suggests hourly paid parking meters could be reduced or eliminated, but per WSP’s report, the 68 public, metered spaces on Metro Access Road will continue to be paid.
“However, ownership and operations of the paid parking spaces may be transferred to an entity other than Metro, depending on the final ownership and maintenance of the roadway,” the report says.
The road is expected to be redesigned with bicycle lanes and new sidewalks as well as on-street parking.
Metro is accepting comments on the proposed parking and bus changes until 5 p.m. on Oct. 31 through an online survey. A public hearing in person at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center (7054 Haycock Road) at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 19. Testimony can also be provided by phone or a pre-submitted video.
Human remains discovered by a drainage ditch in Tysons over two decades ago have been linked to a teen who went missing back in 1975, Fairfax County police announced today (Monday).
With help from the private forensics lab Othram Inc., cold case detectives have identified the remains found behind the Post apartments in 2001 as those of Patricia Agnes Gildawie, a Fairfax City resident who disappeared when she was 17.
Also known by the nickname “Choubi,” Gildawie was last seen on Feb. 8, 1975. At that time, she had been dating an older man who worked at an upholstery store near the intersection of Church Street and Lawyers Road in Vienna, the Fairfax County Police Department says based on information shared by her half-sister.
According to the department, Gildawie was born in France in February 1958 before coming to the U.S. when she was 8 months old. She moved to Fairfax in the early 1970s and was known to drive a white Cadillac Eldorado with red interior.
The skeletal remains now identified as Gildawie’s were found on Sept. 27, 2001, in the 1500 block of Lincoln Circle by a construction crew, according to police:
A construction crew found the remains behind an apartment complex along with some clothing. The remains were recovered and reviewed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and an anthropologist. This initial review determined the female died from a gunshot wound to the head. This report further indicated the remains were like that of an African American female in her late teens to early 20s.
Detectives partnered with Othram on the case earlier this year, thanks to funding from anonymous donors through the site DNASolves.
Othram’s advanced DNA testing and forensic-grade genome sequencing determined that the remains, in fact, belonged to a Caucasian woman and identified Gildawie’s half-sister as a possible relative, according to the FCPD.
“Identifying this young woman solves a mystery that has been more than 47 years in the making,” Ed O’Carroll, FCPD’s Bureau Commander of Major Crimes and Cyber and Forensics, said. “Our community should take comfort in knowing that our detectives never stop working these cases. Advancements in technology have given my Cold Case detectives an opportunity to pursue fresh leads and bring some relief to families that have been long suffering with the unknown.”
The department says its detectives are continuing to investigate Gildawie’s case using the new information provided by her family.
Information about the case can be submitted anonymously to police through Fairfax County Crime Solvers.
The FCPD has partnered with Othram to investigate several cold cases recently, including the mystery of the “Christmas Tree Lady” who died by suicide in Annandale in 1996.
Metro has officially debuted changes to its 2019 map of the rail system.
This past Friday (Sept. 23), Metrorail began rolling out the new maps — which feature the Silver Line extension and stations with new name — to its stations, trains and transit centers.
As first reported by DCist, the new map includes stations on phase two of the Silver Line: Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.
The map also lists Potomac Yard station in Alexandria as a future station.
But it will take some time before the whole system’s maps are upgraded. The overall system has more than 5,000 maps in stations and trains alone.
“Metro is getting a head start now for what will take more than a month to replace every map in the system in preparation for opening,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said.
The map also includes new station names — which were approved by Metro’s Board of Directors — changing Largo Town Center to Downtown Largo, Prince George’s Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing, White Flint to North Bethesda, and Tysons Corner to Tysons. West Falls Church-VT is also the new name of the station that used to bear the University of Virginia’s name.
Here’s more from Metro on the changes:
The map’s original design was created more than 40 years ago by graphic designer Lance Wyman and was revised by Wyman for the opening of the first phase of the Silver Line and the extensions’ completion. Over the decades, millions of people have navigated Metrorail using the simple but classic map showing all six rail lines – Red, Blue, Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow – crossing the region with crisp, clean lines.
Printing has been underway for weeks, as Metro prepares for the opening of the Silver Line extension. Maps of various sizes, fare tables, and customer brochures are all being updated.
Metro has not yet decided when the Silver Line extension will officially open. But its Board of Directors took a key step last Thursday (Sept. 22) when they delegated to Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke the authority to accept the project once certain conditions are met.
Right now, a fall opening is anticipated.
Rat Causes Tysons Power Outage — “Rats! Power Outage in Tysons area tonight was caused by a rat that infiltrated a piece of equipment. 1,588 customers lost power. All customers restored in 1 hour and 5 minutes.” [Peggy Fox/Twitter]
Reston Woman Arrested for Leaving Kids With Stranger — “Herndon Police arrested 24-year-old Paola Alejandra Salinas Padilla of Reston for child abuse after she left her two children at a stranger’s home on Thursday, according to a post on the department’s official Twitter account. Salinas Padilla left her two children around 3 p.m., on Thursday…telling the strangers that she would pick them up by 11 p.m., according to police.” [Patch]
County Task Force Activated for Potential Florida Hurricane — “Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue packing up and preparing to deploy as part of FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency response for #TropicalStormIan, which may hit Florida as a #hurricane.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
“Students Will Die” if New Trans Policies Are Adopted, Former FCPS Student Says — “[Aaryan] Rawal said it wasn’t until his senior year of high school that he began to openly identify as queer at school. He said he only felt safe doing that because of the ‘model policies’ put in place by then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to protect transgender students…Rawal is not transgender, but he said the polices created an atmosphere where he felt free to be himself at school.” [The Washington Post]
People Displaced by Hybla Valley House Fire — “Last night at 11 PM, units responded to a two alarm apartment fire in 7500 block of Republic Court. Fire on top floor w/ extension into attic and through roof. No reported injuries. Multiple residents displaced, and being assisted.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
CIA Renovates Langley Museum — A model of the late al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s compound in Kabul that was used to plan the U.S. drone strike that killed him is part of the spy agency’s headquarters’ newly renovated museum. The CIA Museum “isn’t open to the public. But it’s not exactly top secret either, welcoming CIA employees, official guests, foreign partners, potential recruits” [The Washington Post]
Vienna Acting Planning Director Gets Permanent Job — “Vienna officials recently announced that they had hired Kelly O’Brien, who had been serving as acting deputy director of planning and zoning for most of the past nine months, to continue in that role on a permanent basis.” [Sun Gazette]
Police Offer Commercial Robbery Tips — “Our Crime Prevention Officers recently conducted numerous site assessments at stores to enhance Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. There are several steps that you can take to enhance security at your business to deter and prevent robberies from occurring.” [FCPD]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 73 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:01 am and sunset at 7:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
The weekend is almost here. Before you double check your Congressional district or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
- Upcoming gastropub restaurant in Reston reignites family legacy, pays ode to Lake Anne
- Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery arrives in Herndon, will offer free ‘bundtlets’ at grand opening
- JUST IN: Truck hits McLean power line, killing man and prompting outage
- BREAKING: Assistant arrested for allegedly assaulting special needs student at Dogwood ES
- Developer seeks to convert Tysons office building into ‘live/work’ units
- DEVELOPING: Pedestrian in hospital after crash in Pike 7 Plaza parking lot
- FCPS ‘reviewing’ Virginia’s proposed policies on treatment of transgender students
- Metro board takes key step to setting opening date of Silver Line Phase II
- Proposed ‘home share’ program could help house older county residents
- Reston planning committee approves Vantage Hill redevelopment
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below. Have a great weekend, Fairfax County!
