Fairfax County officials are exploring the possibility of promoting “home sharing” for older adults.
Home sharing lets a homeowner provide accommodation to others in exchange for rent assistance and household tasks or both. The program was discussed at the county board’s older adults committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Staff noted that several complexities must be considered before moving forward with a pilot program. Other options include leaning on the private sector, with no direct involvement from the county, and boosting awareness about homesharing possibilities.
“In the context of Fairfax County, there are complexities that must be considered before going forward,” said Jacquie Woodruff, who works for the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging for the Department of Family Services.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said he would likely lean toward pushing forward a public awareness campaign about the possibility of home sharing, which requires a special permit from the county.
“I do think the private sector clearly, according to these examples, [is] playing pretty heavy in this…but I also think we have a role to play,” McKay said.
Most supervisors leaned toward option two — creating awareness about existing resources and services — and allowing the public to seek resources on their own.
Others like Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik felt more information may be needed to better evaluate how to move forward.
“I’m not even at the point of recommending an option,” Palchik said.
The discussion came following a June motion by Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity that directed staff to examine the feasibility of a pilot program, next steps and possible fiscal impacts.
He says he sees home sharing as potential solution of affordability for seniors to be able to remain in their homes.
The county’s zoning ordinance allows the program if the home is functioning as a single household for up to four people unrelated by blood or marriage, according to Woodruff.
There are varying ways of implementing a home share program. For example, a web-based model allows the owner and home seeker to collaborate through another online platform, limiting local coordination and case management.
Other approaches require more local involvement.
A matching service offers limited phone support or in-person case management support. These models would require background checks, social worker support, and rent agreements.
While the county is still deliberating over whether to advance a pilot and, if so, what form it should take, Woodruff said the risks of a program would be “no greater than other resident programs currently provided by the county.”
With a new school year underway, students will soon jockey for seats in Fairfax County’s prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ), even as a federal court considers whether its current admission system discriminates against Asians.
For now, thanks to an earlier ruling upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the upcoming class of 2027 will be determined by the same, much-debated process that has helped diversify the magnet school’s student body over the past two years, FCPS confirmed to FFXnow.
Launching at 4 p.m. on Oct. 24, freshman student applications will consist of a student portrait sheet and a math or science-focused problem-solving essay. Other criteria include a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and consideration of a student’s English language learner, special education, or free/reduced-price lunch status — known as “experience factors.”
Those experience factors and a guarantee that all participating schools get seats equal to 1.5% of their student population are central to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of policy, which was adopted by the Fairfax County School Board in December 2020.
The revised process — which eliminated a standardized test and application fee — doesn’t explicitly consider race when evaluating students, but a lawyer for the Coalition for TJ argued to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Saturday (Sept. 17) that it was designed to boost Black and Latino representation at the expense of Asian applicants.
“That’s clear in the record from the statements that the board members and other senior staff in Fairfax County Public Schools made, that Asian American students were in the way,” Erin Wilcox said to the three-judge panel. “They needed to clear out room to increase the numbers of Black and Hispanic students.”
In February, a U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of the Coalition for TJ, agreeing that the changes amounted to “racial balancing” in violation of the Constitution’s equal protection clause, which prohibits laws from discriminating based on race.
FCPS promptly appealed the decision, maintaining that the policy is race-neutral, as stated in the school board’s adopted resolution, and backed by legal precedent. Donald Verrilli, the school board’s legal representative, cited a 2016 Supreme Court ruling that supported universities taking steps to diversify, ideally without directly looking at race.
“There are no quotas, no targets, no racial preferences of any kind, no racial classifications of any kind, and it is 100% race-blind in its administration,” he said. “No application contains any racially identifying information, so all applicants are judged on a race-blind basis.”
He noted that the number of low-income, Asian American students admitted rose from one in the year before the policy overhaul to 51 a year later — more than the 39 Black students total in a historically diverse class.
“What this plan was designed to do was to remove socioeconomic and geographic barriers that held back people of all races, including African Americans and Latinos,” Verrilli said. “So, that was one purpose, and we don’t deny it, but it benefited all races.”
Judge Allison Rushing challenged that the intentions behind a policy could still be discriminatory, even if the targeted group doesn’t see a disparate impact.
According to FCPS data, Asian students received more than half of the offers to TJ in 2021 and 2022, though they represented a smaller percentage than in previous years.
During Wilcox’s argument, judges Robert King and Toby Heytens questioned how FCPS could’ve increased Black and Latino representation at TJ — a goal that the Coalition for TJ said it supports in a deposition — without affecting other groups, given the limited number of slots offered to the school.
“You’re speaking with what they used to call back in the Indian Wars a forked tongue,” King said. “…You take a position, and then when another proposal is adopted that does pretty much what you wanted, or said you wanted, you challenge it.”
Wilcox said the coalition developed an alternative approach that it saw as a compromise. She suggested that the school board could’ve offered free test preparation, enacted a lottery — a proposal that drew parent protests — or even eliminated the magnet program.
“Any step that it takes that does not disproportionately burden a group of students because of their race would pass Constitutional muster,” she said.
Joined on a brief by 15 other states, the Commonwealth of Virginia appeared in support of the coalition. FCPS backers included the federal government, which argued that the district court’s ruling “would inappropriately freeze in place the status quo” by preventing public bodies from fixing inequities.
An artificial intelligence startup is expanding its headquarters in West Falls Church by investing $1.4 million and creating 117 new jobs.
Enabled Intelligence, Inc., a company that provides secure data labeling services to enable artificial intelligence operations, will add more than 10,000 square feet of space to its current offices at 6400 Arlington Blvd, just outside Seven Corners, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced today (Wednesday).
Unclassified space is also planned.
“We are excited to expand our operations here in Virginia,” Enabled Intelligence Inc. CEO Peter Kant said. “Our Fairfax County home is close to our federal customers, and we are able to draw on the highly qualified Virginia workforce of high-tech neurodiverse professionals and military veterans.”
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority worked with the state’s economic development partnership to secure the project for Virginia.
Here’s more from what state and county leaders had to say about the expansion:
“I am pleased to once again see a major technology innovator expanding its operations in Fairfax County,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “This growth in AI applications from a company that also capitalizes on the tremendous workforce diversity of our County is a perfect example of how next-generation companies headquartered here are leading the way.”
“We are honored to have Enabled Intelligence expand their presence here in Fairfax County,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). “The opportunities they offer to our diverse populations is extraordinary, and their efforts shine as a bright example of the true spirit of inclusion, upon which we continue to build our thriving business community.”
“Accelerating the transition of start-ups is one of my administration’s goals, and the expansion of businesses such as Enabled Intelligence in Fairfax County is key to our economic development strategy,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “We are proud to support this homegrown Virginia business and remain committed to fostering a business climate and training a workforce that supports our corporate partners of all sizes.”
Photo via Google Maps
I-66 Lane Shift in Fairfax Area Starts Today — “The travel lanes on I-66 West and East between Route 50 and Route 286 (Fairfax County Parkway) will be shifted into a new configuration during the early morning hours Wednesday, September 21, and Thursday, September 22. These temporary lane configurations are part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.” [VDOT]
First X-Men Among Items Stolen From Local Comic Book Store — Tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of comic books were stolen from Victory Comics in Falls Church City early yesterday (Tuesday) morning, police reported. Store founder and president Jeff Weaver said the losses include rare, vintage comics and could total as much as $100,000, though police put the estimate at over $40,000. [NBC4]
Gun Law Promoted With County Bus Signage — “Fairfax County officials gathered outside of the government center Tuesday morning as part of the county’s campaign to raise awareness of Virginia’s red flag law…Last week, the county installed “Speak Up To Prevent A Gun Tragedy” signs on all 334 Connector buses. About 30,000 riders use Connector buses every day, according to a transportation official.” [Patch]
Decision on Mosaic Skating Rink Pushed Back Again — “The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) on Sept. 14 again deferred its decision on a proposal to allow temporary roller- and ice-skating rinks in Merrifield’s Mosaic District so the applicant could get more input from nearby businesses and residents.” [Sun Gazette]
Lorton Man Arrested for Business Robberies — Fairfax County police have arrested a 19-year-old Lorton resident for three commercial robberies on Aug. 14, 25 and 27. Targeted business include a Tobacco Hut in Springfield as well as a Sunoco and 7-Eleven in Lorton, though the department is still investigating whether the man was involved in other incidents. [FCPD]
New Sully Community Center Makes Debut — “On Saturday, Sept. 17, members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and community leaders celebrated the opening of the new Sully Community Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Grand Opening Celebration.” [NCS]
Braddock Senior Housing Project Lands Funding — The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) recently issued $8 million in bonds for a project to build 80 units of affordable housing for adults 62 and older. Developed by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, the apartments will replace the former Northern Virginia Training Center at 9901 Braddock Road. [Fairfax County Government]
Private McLean School Opens New Building — The Langley School celebrated 80 years with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 6 for its new Crossroads Building. “The 40,000-square-foot facility was designed to support student learning, promote an inviting campus community, and position the school as a national leader in preschool-through-eighth-grade education.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 84 and low of 64. Sunrise at 6:57 am and sunset at 7:09 pm. [Weather.gov]
A developer that turns aging, underused office buildings into apartments designed for residential and work use has set its sights on a property in Tysons just east of the Capital Beltway.
Madison Highland hopes to repurpose the offices at 2000 Corporate Ridge into about 236 live/work units that would range in size from 500 to 2,000 square feet, according to a rezoning application recently submitted to Fairfax County.
Built in 1985, the 10-story office building is an ideal candidate for a live/work conversion, the developer says, citing its “sustained vacancy” and proximity to existing housing, offices and retail, including Tysons Corner Center just on the other side of the Beltway.
“These building and site improvements will transform an underperforming office building into a neighborhood amenity, providing this part of Tysons with a generational opportunity to secure forested natural park space and recreation areas that will also serve as a logical transition from the adjacent residential neighborhoods to nearby commercial amenities,” McGuireWoods land use planner Mike Van Atta wrote in a Sept. 12 statement of justification on the developer’s behalf.
First reported by the Washington Business Journal on Friday (Sept. 16), the proposal furthers Madison Highland’s plans to introduce more “live/work loft communities” to the D.C. area. The group formed this spring as a partnership between developers Madison Marquette and Highland Square Holdings.
The firms previously joined forces to build the Mission Lofts apartments in Bailey’s Crossroads and convert three buildings at the Skyline Center, a project that’s currently under construction. Fairfax County is also reviewing plans to turn two more Skyline buildings and a pair of Merrifield offices being vacated by Inova Health Systems into live/work residences.
In his statement, Van Atta says live/work conversions reflect shifting expectations for office space, as employers seek to accommodate an “unprecedented” rise in people working from home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2000 Corporate Ridge site already features sidewalks to Magarity Road, some trails and interior noise mitigation measures that were required when the county originally approved the office building, according to the application.
“This application seeks to build off of those commitments and retrofit the site to accommodate both the modern workplace expectations and necessary amenities for residential uses,” Van Atta wrote.
Proposed amenities include a new neighborhood park and pedestrian path that would be accessible to the general public as well as resident-only facilities, including a park with outdoor sports courts, a rooftop vegetable garden, and a boardwalk shaded by trees through an existing natural preserve space on the site.
According to the application, the apartments will retain a conference center, fitness room, and community kitchen that can already be found on the office building’s ground floor.
Parking will also be largely unchanged, with surface and garage spaces being restriped to provide 702 spots total — a decrease from the 895 spaces on the 8-acre site right now, according to the development plan.
The county’s Department of Planning and Development received the application on Thursday (Sept. 15) but hasn’t formally accepted it yet.
Against the backdrop of post-9/11 community policing, the Fairfax County Police Department has selected its first-ever liaison for the local Muslim community.
Lt. Wahid Alam, who has served in the department for more than 18 years, hopes to build upon the relationship that already exists between the local Muslim community and the police department.
“I want to be the conduit to all the resources the police department has to offer and encourage Muslims to consider a career in policing,” he told FFXnow in a statement.
Alam, who was born and raised as Muslim, says his faith and background in policing makes him a good fit for this role. He also hopes to meet with Muslim faith and business leaders to “networking within this unique community and build even more inroads with the department.”
When asked if the Muslim community faces any unique challenges, Alam noted that many Muslim seems to face many of the same struggles as the community at-large.
“We are all concerned about keeping kids safe from cyber threats, traffic safety, staying safe in our neighborhoods and keeping from becoming a victim of crime. Identity theft, larceny from motor vehicles and street robberies are common concerns throughout Fairfax County,” he said.
Mistrust of police and concerns about community surveillance has been flagged by some Muslim organizations as issues, particularly in the years since 9/11.
Alam says the local Muslim community has strong support for law enforcement — which sometimes isn’t the case in other communities.
“The Muslim community needs to know how the Fairfax County Police Department conducts policing and surveillance in response to crime and dangerous threats,” he said. “FCPD does not conduct targeted surveillance to Muslims or any specific community. Building relationships and being transparent in our policing strategies and practices will build trust with the Muslim community.”
The man who allegedly fired a gun inside Tysons Corner Center this summer, sparking a chaotic evacuation of the mall, is expected to face trial after getting indicted by a Fairfax County grand jury yesterday (Monday).
The circuit court jury indicted Noah Settles, a 22-year-old D.C. resident also known as rapper No Savage, on seven charges that could result in up to 45 years of imprisonment if he’s convicted, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano told FFXnow.
“This really traumatized folks who were in the mall that day and really left a scar on the people in Fairfax County at large,” Descano said of the June 18 incident. “I want people to know that you cannot come into Fairfax County, wave a gun around and shoot off in a crowded building and not expect to be held accountable and to be held accountable severely, and that’s what we’re looking to do here.”
Settles turned himself in on June 22 after the Fairfax County Police Department identified him as the suspect in the shooting, alleging that he had fired three gunshots on a mall concourse after getting into an argument with a rival “crew” based in southeast D.C.
No one was hit by the gunfire, but three people were injured while fleeing, police said. About six weeks later, Tysons Corner Center was evacuated again after the sound of a shattered light fixture prompted panic and unfounded rumors of an active shooter.
Settles was initially charged with attempted malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and three counts of discharging a weapon into an occupied building.
According to Descano, the grand jury’s indictment included two additional charges for brandishing a firearm and possession of a concealed firearm that prosecutors introduced after a preliminary hearing in Fairfax County General District Court on Aug. 15.
At the hearing, a lawyer for Settles argued that he had acted in self-defense, though a judge found probable cause to send the case to a grand jury, WUSA9 reported. Settles’ defense attorney, Peter Greenspun, didn’t return a request for comment by press time.
Descano says the new charges will enable prosecutors “to fully tell the story of what allegedly happened that day, particularly before the first rounds were fired off.”
“Those two additional charges are vital to producing accountability, which is really what our end goal here is,” he said.
Descano says his office is committed to prosecuting existing gun laws, but he has also argued that more federal and state legislation is needed to address the issue of gun violence, including a closure of loopholes that allow untraceable “ghost guns.”
Just this past weekend, the FCPD responded to two shootings, one in Annandale and another in Woodlawn that ended in the victim’s death.
“Action is needed because we can’t live with this as the new normal,” Descano said. “…When you have guns flooding the streets, what starts as a personal beef can very quickly escalate into shooting, violence, and death.”
Car Taxes Due Next Month — “Personal property taxes — better known as car taxes — are due on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Bills were mailed this summer, and there are many convenient ways to pay…Car tax bills increased on average by 33% this year, due to the pandemic-induced shortage of new and used cars.” [Fairfax County Government]
Six Displaced by North Springfield Fire — A malfunctioning propane grill ignited a fire on the deck of a one-story house in the 7500 block of Inzer Street at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 17). No injuries were reported, with one resident going to the hospital for a check-up, but the fire displaced six people and resulted in approximately $93,750 in property damages. [FCFRD]
Metro Faces $185M Budget Deficit — “Metro is in better financial shape next year than previously hoped, but the transit agency will still face a tough fiscal road in the years ahead. Leaders say addressing the shortfall will require a wholesale look at the operation — from who it serves, to how much service it will provide and when.” [DCist]
Legal Experts Skeptical of Proposed Transgender Student Policies — “Legal challenges will likely start to take shape this week against Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s new policies restricting the rights of transgender students at schools…Legal experts say Youngkin is likely violating both state and federal laws.” [NBC4]
Marshall HS Student Makes Ice Skating History — Ilia Malinin, a senior at Marshall High School who competed in this year’s Winter Olympics, landed the first-ever quadruple axel in competition last week, according to U.S. Figure Skating. Jeffrey Litz, principal of the Idylwood-based school, praised Malinin for his ability to “perform at such a high level while also balancing his schoolwork and social life.” [FCPS]
Black Bear Spotted in Vienna — “Black bear sightings in Vienna have prompted multiple calls to the Vienna Police Department, the town government said Sunday night. The most recent black bear sighting was reported in the area of the 300 block of Park Street NE. That follows a sighting earlier this month at a McLean home” [Patch]
Oakton Student Gets Perfect SAT Score — “Stephen Kennedy, a senior at Flint Hill School in Oakton, recently learned he had received a perfect 1600 score on the SAT he took at the school in late August…He was among only 500 of the 2 million students who took the SAT this year to notch a perfect score.” [Sun Gazette]
Groveton Neighborhood Celebrates Anniversary — “I had the honor of presenting a proclamation to the Jefferson Manor Citizens Association in celebration of its 75th anniversary. Thank you, President of JMCA, Derek Cole, and Jefferson Manor residents for continuing the tradition of being a beautiful and welcoming community!” [Supervisor Rodney Lusk/Twitter]
It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 67. Sunrise at 6:56 am and sunset at 7:10 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County will install six new historical markers over the next year honoring Black and African-American history. The markers will highlight local civil rights activists, enslaved peoples, educators, and a famed four-star general.
At last week’s Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting, it was revealed that a Board-appointed committee had chosen the winners of the inaugural “Historical Marker Contest.”
The student-led contest, which was launched a year ago, was designed “to focus on narratives and oral histories of our African American communities, whose history, culture, and accomplishments in the County are underrepresented in our history books, lessons, and markers.”
Local students submitted 53 proposals for potential markers that held relevance to Black/African American history in the county. From there, 14 finalists were considered, and six were chosen.
The winning proposals will become physical historical markers sometime in the next year, per Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, who presented the joint board matter at the meeting on Sept. 13.
The six markers are:
- Louis Archer — The principal at a one-room schoolhouse in Vienna during the early part of the 20th century. She also established one of the county’s earliest 4-H Clubs for African Americans
- Lillian Blackwell — A civil rights activist who successfully sued Virginia to ban segregation in public accommodations, including schools and movie theaters
- Annie Harper — A Gum Springs resident who successfully challenged Virginia’s poll tax.
- Gunnell’s Chapel — A small wooden post-Civil War Methodist church in Langley
- General Colin Powell — A four-star general who was also the first African American to be appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as Secretary of Staff. He was a McLean resident.
- The West Springfield 16 — A group of 16 enslaved persons who lived and worked on the property where West Springfield High School now sits
Next, staff and the History Commission wil work to “refine the language of the marker,” have the marker made, and plan the eventual installations.
As Palchik noted at the meeting, the process to get each marker made and installed can be a “lengthy one” but the plan is to have them all in place within a year.
The board matter also authorized the preparation of a proclamation honoring the students, county and Fairfax County Public Schools staff, and the voting committee for their ideas and work to make these markers a reality.
Their work “has allowed us to engage deeply and authentically with the contributions of our Black/African American community in Fairfax County,” the board matter says.
A bucket truck operator has died after the vehicle hit a power line on Georgetown Pike in McLean, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
The collision occurred near Langley Fork Lane around 1:30 p.m. NBC4 reported that a police helicopter was called in to evacuate an injured person, but the FCPD says the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Georgetown Pike has been closed between Langley Fork and Chain Bridge Road, as police detectives respond to investigate.
Over 3,000 Dominion Energy customers in the area are currently without electricity, according to the utility’s outage map.
The site attributes two outages affecting a combined 3,166 customers to emergency work. As of 2:20 p.m., the estimated time of restoration is between 4 and 7 p.m.
Officers on scene of a death investigation on Georgetown Pike near Langley Fork Ln. Prelim, a man was operating bucket truck & struck a powerline. The man was pronounced deceased at the scene. Detectives responding to investigate. 193 closed between Chain Bridge & Langley Fork. pic.twitter.com/97kFfiB9vX
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 19, 2022
