(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) Congress has passed another short-term budget package, averting a partial shutdown of the federal government just hours before a midnight deadline.
In addition to funding the Justice Department, Housing and Urban Development, and other key agencies, the slate of bills passed 75-22 by the Senate on Friday (March 8) includes $12.7 billion in “pork” — money designated for local projects requested by lawmakers for their constituents.
In a joint press release, Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner announced that Fairfax County and other Virginia localities will be among the beneficiaries of the more than 6,600 projects that got funding, per the Associated Press.
“I’m proud that we secured funding for 105 community projects across Virginia that will improve transportation, upgrade water infrastructure, support health care, and more,” Kaine said. “I urge Congress to take up the rest of the government funding bills as soon as possible.”
According to breakdowns provided by Warner’s and Rep. Gerry Connolly’s offices, the biggest allocation for Fairfax County is $4.1 million “to fund a new homeless and domestic violence shelter for families.”
The county’s existing domestic violence and family shelters have exceeded their useful lives, but instead of building new facilities, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority is planning to convert an existing “extended stay” hotel that will be able to house about 50 families a day.
“Site acquisition activities are ongoing, with the goal of securing a location that is well-served by transit, and close to jobs and services,” FCRHA spokesperson Allyson Pearce said.
Connolly’s office says the site “will entail combining rooms, creating service and office space, and other changes to the existing hotel setup,” noting that converting an existing building instead of constructing a new one will enable the county “to deliver this essential, brand new facility years earlier than might otherwise be accomplished.”
The county has two shelters specifically for people fleeing domestic violence — Artemis House and Bethany House — and two shelters that accommodate people with children — the Katherine Hanley shelter outside Centreville and the Patrick Henry shelter in Seven Corners.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved plans in August 2022 to replace the Patrick Henry shelter with supportive housing after some delays related to land acquisition challenges.
The appropriations package also includes funding for several road and pedestrian projects:
- Spring Street widening from four to six lanes between Herndon Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway ($1 million)
- Fox Mill Road and Pinecrest Road intersection improvements in Herndon ($850,000)
- Silverbrook Road and Lorton Road intersection improvements ($850,000)
- Sidewalk on Ninian Avenue and along Bush Hill Drive to improve safety and accessibility for Bush Hill Elementary School students in Rose Hill ($850,000)
- Gunston Road shared-use path from Julia Taft Way to the Pohick Bay Golf Course entrance in Lorton ($500,000)
- Compton Road bicycle and pedestrian path from the Bull Run Special Events Center access road to the Cub Run Stream Valley Trail in Centreville ($500,000)
- Stone Road trail from the I-66 interchange to an existing trail along southbound Route 28 in Centreville ($500,000)
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation applied for federal grants last summer to fund the Bush Hill and Compton Road projects. Read More
Starbucks is preparing to update its shop in McLean’s Chesterbrook Shopping Center.
The coffee house at 6214 Old Dominion Drive will temporarily close for about a month during the interior renovation, which is slated to begin on next Monday, March 18. A sign posted to the door says that the last day of business before the closure will be this Saturday (March 16).
According to Federal Realty, which owns the shopping center, the renovation will include:
- Alterations to the current bar setup
- Updated partition arrangements
- Installation of new lighting
- Incorporation of modern furniture and fixtures
- Application of fresh finishes
- New, inspiring artwork
- Redesigned second story seating
“We are excited to bring this transformative Starbucks renovation to Chesterbrook Shopping Center, which aligns with Federal’s commitment to creating vibrant and modern spaces for the community,” Federal Realty Senior Vice President of Asset Management Deirdre Johnson said in a press release. “This project builds on our long-term vision and unwavering commitment to delivering an outstanding experience for all visitors.”
Federal Realty told FFXnow last fall that a renovation of the Starbucks in Chesterbrook would be coming in the first half of 2024.
At that time, Starbucks didn’t respond to a request for comment, and when contacted again last week, a spokesperson said the company had “no store renovation plans to share.”
“We remain focused on serving customers in the McLean community,” the Starbucks spokesperson said.
But the renovation plans have now been confirmed by Federal Realty, which says the store will be closed for “approximately four weeks.”
The sign on the door encourages patrons to “please visit us at other locations.” The only other standalone Starbucks in McLean is at 1438 Chain Bridge Road, though the chain can also be found inside Giant at 1454 Chain Bridge Road.
Anchored by Safeway, Chesterbrook anticipates adding several tenants this year, including the beauty services retailer SkinSpirit, which will open this summer, and a Small Door Veterinary clinic coming in the fall.
Construction is expected to finish this fall on a permanent space next to Le Village Marché for Call Your Mother. Until then, the popular D.C. bagel shop will continue to operate its mobile “Lil Deli” truck. Also on track to open later in 2024 is Sorn Thai, a new restaurant from the team behind Donsak in D.C., and the beauty retailer Bluemercury is projected to open in early 2025.
Hat tip to Greg Brandon
The deadline has arrived for candidates seeking a spot on the McLean Community Center’s governing board.
Nominating petitions must be filed by 5 p.m. today (Monday), according to MCC, which made the forms available at its main facility at 1234 Ingleside Avenue. Candidates need signatures from 10 residents of the McLean tax district (Dranesville Small District 1A) to be eligible for the ballot.
This year, four adult seats will be up for grabs — one more than in a typical year after board member Ari Ghasemian announced earlier this year that he will resign, effective March 31.
According to minutes of the board’s Jan. 24 meeting, Ghasemian said he needs to step down because “he is very busy this year.”
“We are grateful for his service over the past two years as well as his work on the [elections and nominating committee],” the minutes said.
Ghasemian joined the governing board in 2022 as one of three winners in that year’s unusually heated election, along with Kristina Groennings, currently the board’s vice chair, and secretary Anna Bartosiewicz. One candidate who fell short in 2022, Katherine Gorka, ultimately got elected to the board last year.
Ghasemian’s vacant seat will be filled by the adult candidate who gets the fourth highest votes. That person will serve for the remaining one year of his term, according to MCC.
The three top vote-getters will be elected for the board’s standard three-year terms.
There are also two youth positions available: one for a teen aged 15 to 17 in who lives in the McLean High School boundary area and one for a teen who lives in the Langley High School boundary area.
Featuring 11 volunteering members, MCC’s governing board provides oversight of the community center’s policies, budget and strategic planning efforts. It typically meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Absentee voting for the upcoming election will take place in person at the community center or by mail from Wednesday, March 27 to Monday, May 13, at 5 p.m. The actual election is scheduled for McLean Day on Friday, May 17 at Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Road).
General Assembly Approves State Budget — “Virginia lawmakers wrapped up their 60-day legislative session Saturday by approving a two-year budget that includes pay raises for teachers and state employees, increases education funding and extends the state sales tax to cover digital services.” [Associated Press]
Man Gets Prison for Killing Lorton Landlord — “A Prince William County man was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for slaying his 72-year-old landlord in Lorton. Brian Sayrs Jr., 28, pleaded guilty in August to second-degree murder and concealing a body in the June 2021 killing of Emily Lu, who was found dead about 50 days after she vanished following what authorities said was a rent dispute with Sayrs.” [Washington Post]
County and Herndon Police Chiefs Clash — Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard asked last week for graduation certificates for her officers to be reissued with an English signature after Fairfax County Police Criminal Justice Academy head Maj. Wilson Lee signed them in Chinese. DeBoard says Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis “inappropriately accused me of being racist,” while the FCPD said it doesn’t plan to reissue the certificates. [NBC4]
Man Sentenced to Prison for Tysons Carjacking — “A Maryland man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a series of carjackings and an attempted carjacking in 2022.” The 22-year-old man from Hagerstown pleaded guilty to carjacking four people at gunpoint between May 15 and June 1, 2022, including one incident in Tysons, and attempting a fifth carjacking on June 6. [WTOP]
Architecture Firm Moves Out of Tysons Office — “This week the firm [KTGY] began working out of the 15,000-square-foot home it designed for itself in Alexander Court, 2001 K St. NW, cementing a long-planned move from Northern Virginia that firm leaders say will play a role in reinvigorating downtown.” The company’s D.C. area office had been at 8609 Westwood Center Drive since 2010. [Washington Business Journal]
Volunteers Wanted for Earth Day Celebration — “Join us for Fairfax County’s largest official Earth Day Event on Saturday, April 20, at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly…The event attracts nearly 5,000 people from across Fairfax County annually. Volunteers are needed to fill shifts throughout the day in a variety of capacities.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Former Tysons Area Delegate Honored — Former delegate Mark Keam returned to the Virginia State Capitol on Friday (March 8) when his successor, Del. Holly Seibold presented a resolution “commending” his 13 years as a state legislator. Keam says he “can’t thank my Delegate enough for being so thoughtful and kind to do this, even though it was not at all necessary.” [Mark Keam/Facebook]
Fairfax Symphony Premieres New Composition — “Among the things to admire about the [Fairfax Symphony Orchestra] is its commitment to variety…Saturday night’s concert at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts represented a particularly well-struck balance: two sizable portions of music from Syrian American composer Malek Jandali, including the world premiere of his ‘Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra,’ followed by a heroic dose of Beethoven.” [Washington Post]
It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high of 53 degrees, accompanied by strong northwest winds of 26 to 28 mph, and gusts reaching up to 47 mph. The clear night will bring a low temperature of around 40 degrees, with west winds of 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 24 mph. [Weather.gov]
The architecture consulting firm that helped design Capital One Center’s baseball stadium now has a base of its own in Tysons.
Little Diversified Architectural Consulting moved into a new office in Pinnacle Towers (1753 Pinnacle Drive) at the end of February, a spokesperson for the national company announced on Feb. 29.
Located in Suite 1100, the 7,500-square-foot space is hosting the firm’s 37 D.C.-area workers, who were previously split between offices in Arlington and Sterling.
“This move marks a significant milestone, allowing our growing team to collaborate more closely, innovate together, and better serve our clients,” Little marketing and business development manager Lillian Parker said.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it was founded in 1964, Little now has more than 400 employees across five offices in the U.S., including ones in California, Florida and a second North Carolina location in Durham.
The company’s D.C. area office was located at 4245 Fairfax Drive in Arlington, but then, it acquired the Sterling-based firm Hughes Group Architects in May 2023. The new Tysons office is roughly 500 square feet smaller than the Arlington space, according to Parker.
Little provides architecture, site design, planning, marketing and engineering services. Its projects in Fairfax County have included Capital One Park, which kicked off its second season last month, and Herndon High School, according to its website.
Little’s arrival comes at an uncertain time for the office market in Tysons. A market study released last year by the Tysons Community Alliance found that foot traffic remained below pre-pandemic levels, and vacancy rates had climbed to 20% in 2023.
In mid-February, one of the area’s most prominent tenants, the media publisher Gannett, moved out of its longtime headquarters at Valo Park, announcing that it will relocate its corporate base to New York City while maintaining a D.C. news bureau for USA Today.
Though not in Tysons, another design firm — Land Design Consultants — announced last fall that it would open a second Northern Virginia office in Dunn Loring. About 20 employees were expected to move into the 4,000-square-foot space this past January.
Hopes that Gov. Glenn Youngkin might sign a bill legalizing retail sales of marijuana in Virginia faded fast this week as Democrats blocked one of the governor’s top priorities: the plan to bring a professional sports arena to Northern Virginia.
As recently as Wednesday, according to multiple Capitol sources, the cannabis bill was being raised in closed-door budget talks with the governor as one of several Democratic priorities that could conceivably have been part of a package deal with the arena.
But the prospects of a grand policy bargain appeared to collapse Thursday as Democrats revealed a budget proposal without Youngkin’s arena plan, prompting the governor to say he was less inclined to look favorably on Democratic priorities. In a news conference (link added by FFXnow) on the Capitol steps, Youngkin said the arena deal Senate Democrats rejected involved up to 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in economic impact.
“And, bluntly, you want to talk about putting a cannabis shop on every corner?” Youngkin said. “I don’t quite get it.”
The governor said several other topics had been part of an “overall discussion” with Democrats. However, he suggested the rejection of an economic development project that could’ve drawn bipartisan support isn’t going to make him more likely to approve bills that passed mostly along party lines.
“I think this really sets us meaningfully back,” Youngkin said.
Del. Paul Krizek, D-Alexandria, a key sponsor of the marijuana proposal, said hopes for the bill were not high.
“As those great philosophers Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin would say, ‘It’s up in smoke,’” Krizek said.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, pointed to Youngkin’s comments on cannabis as evidence that it’s the governor who’s refusing to budge on issues that have popular support.
“He just basically flat out said one of our biggest priorities he’s not willing to consider,” Surovell said. “This governor wants to set the terms of every single negotiation as if he’s the sole arbiter of what’s reasonable in a bipartisan environment. That’s just not how it works. … If he wants something, he’s got to give us something.”
Youngkin can’t veto the marijuana bill immediately, because it technically hasn’t been sent to him yet. After this week’s developments, it may only be a matter of time. Youngkin said again Thursday that he doesn’t have “any interest” in greenlighting a retail marijuana market during his four-year term.
He has just under two years remaining, and if Democrats retake the Executive Mansion in 2025, the bill sent to Youngkin this year could potentially be the starting point for future legislative efforts. Read More
A retail store that sells tennis and pickleball equipment is expanding to McLean after almost two decades in Maryland.
Tennis Topia anticipates opening its second location on April 13 at 6262 Old Dominion Drive, taking over suites F and G, which respectively belonged to a hair studio and a dry cleaner.
After 18 years at Wintergreen Plaza in Rockville, Maryland, where the company launched in 2006, owner Marco Impeduglia decided the time had come to extend Tennis Topia’s physical footprint further south in response to the demand for its services in Fairfax County.
“We have seen the tennis and pickleball participation numbers increase all over the DMV, but specifically, also in Fairfax County, and the McLean area is a hot bed for tennis,” Impeduglia told FFXnow. “…We’ve seen that over the last few years, and at the end of the day, we would be the only tennis and pickleball retail store in specifically McLean.”
Impeduglia has witnessed that growth firsthand as the founder and executive director of Pros to You, which provides racquet ball coaching to several swim and tennis clubs in Northern Virginia and Maryland. In McLean, its clients include the Langley, Chesterbrook, Highlands and McLean clubs.
Based on national data that indicated participation in both sports had increased in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fairfax County Park Authority estimated that the county had about 12,881 pickleball players and 83,141 tennis players in a pickleball study report released in December 2021.
After starting Pros to You in 2015, Impeduglia bought Tennis Topia in Rockville last year, because he saw “untapped potential” in a business where coaches could teach athletes not only how to play tennis and pickleball, but also what equipment to use and how it functions.
He says branching out into the retail market has “elevated” Pros to You’s coaching capabilities, ensuring their players have access to the best, most up-to-date equipment.
“It’s really worked hand-in-hand specifically over the last year,” he said. “So, we’re excited to cater to our tennis players and pickleball players that are down there, but also, even for other tennis programs that are out there in Virginia, we welcome them to come to the store and get the best new hot item for their players.”
In addition to racquets, Tennis Topia sells shoes, balls, apparel and other athletic gear. Though it’s smaller than the flagship Rockville store, the 2,100-square-foot McLean store will have the same equipment brands and services, including racquet stringing with a 24-hour turnaround time.
Impeduglia says his team looked at “dozens” of potential store locations before finding the Old Dominion Drive site, which is adjacent to the Chesterbrook Shopping Center. Other retailers in the strip include Fonts Books & Gifts, an independent bookshop that opened last fall.
If the new shop works out, he sees opportunities to further expand Tennis Topia in Northern Virginia, possibly including a location in southeastern Fairfax County, where Pros to You currently works with clubs in the Hollin Meadows, Mount Vernon Park and Riverside Gardens neighborhoods.
For now, Impeduglia is looking forward to giving players in the McLean area a more convenient retail option.
“We literally get a chance to open up this store right when the outdoor [playing] season starts,” Impeduglia said. “So, I’m super-pumped to really cater to the Northern Virginia folks, because it’s tough for them to come to Rockville. So, they want a location, they want a store like that, they’re going to get it in less than six weeks.”
After updating its parking standards last fall, Fairfax County is conducting an online survey seeking feedback from the community on its current supply of accessible/ADA parking spaces.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted new parking standards last September for the first time in 35 years through its Parking Reimagined initiative. Among other changes, the amendment created a tiered system for parking requirements based on a development’s density and proximity to transit.
A spokesperson with the county’s Land Development Services (LDS) says discussions about the potential impacts of the updated requirements on the supply of accessible parking prompted the board to approve a review of the standards.
“The county is analyzing whether a higher requirement to compensate for the change in baseline parking rates is appropriate and implementable,” the spokesperson told FFXnow.
Currently, accessible parking requirements are based on the overall number of spaces provided for a use, such as an apartment building, retail store or restaurant. The rates are based on federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements as well as Virginia’s state requirements.
“Text was already added to the new requirements to preserve a stable amount of accessible parking even when general parking supply is reduced either with new parking rates or parking adjustments,” the LDS spokesperson said. “However, there was some concern that our new baseline rates would create a gap that requires less accessible parking.”
Potential changes could be broadly applied or targeted to certain circumstances. Additionally, there could be recommendations on the management of accessible spaces, such as standards for additional signage.
The online survey will be “essential in helping the department develop recommendations,” the LDS spokesperson said.
“The survey was created to get a better understanding of accessible parking experiences from those who need and use it,” they said. “From that, we can determine how we should look at potential changes to parking requirements.”
The survey is available until April 15.
Prospect Iffy for Wiz and Caps Stadium in Alexandria — “A visibly frustrated Gov. Glenn Youngkin made a last-minute appeal to the Virginia legislature to support the Potomac Yard arena ahead of the General Assembly adjourning on Saturday…Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) told the Washington Post [on Wednesday] that the Potomac Yard arena won’t be in the budget compromise.” [ALXnow]
Design of Route 1 BRT Stations Under Revision — Fairfax County’s “Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project team continues to work on art design concepts for five of the nine future BRT stations…The county finalized artwork for windscreens to be located at the Lockheed, Hybla Valley, Woodlawn and Fort Belvoir stations” based on concepts submitted last year by high school students. [On the MoVe]
How FCPD Defused Barricade Situation — “It was a bitter cold February night, and the townhouse community along Butterfield Lane in Annandale was flooded with officers…responding to a call of shots fired inside of one of the homes that quickly escalated into a barricade situation. The first responders on the scene, however, were not alone in de-escalating the situation.” [WJLA]
FCPS Adopts Guidelines for Meditation Spaces — “FCPS has developed a regulation to ensure all students and staff have reasonable accommodation and access to meditation and silent reflection spaces within the school division.” The regulation took effect on March 1 and sets guidelines for designated areas where students and staff can “engage in prayer, meditation, or silent reflection, inclusive of their religious or non-religious beliefs.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
GMU Gets Donation for Domestic Violence Research — George Mason University “received a $4.85 million gift to help continue…research in detecting injuries caused by domestic violence, which will now include the use of artificial intelligence…The anonymous donation will allow researchers to build a new AI software that can help identify bruising injuries with a database of different skin colors.” [WTOP]
Vienna Council Reverses Rejection of Sidewalk Project — “The Vienna Town Council, in an unusual third vote taken one week after two previous tallies came up short, voted 5-2 March 4 to proceed with design work for a sidewalk on Johnson Street, S.W.” The council previously voted against awarding a contract, with opposing members “citing opposition to the project from some residents on the street.” [Gazette Leader]
Tree Rescue Event Coming to Park Near Lake Barcroft — “Community members are invited to gather in Sleepy Hollow Park on Sunday, March 10, 12-2 p.m., to learn how to rescue trees being strangled by invasive vines…Participants will learn how to save trees in their yards and take the first steps toward doing this restorative work in local parks. All are welcome; you don’t need experience.” [Annandale Today]
Prep for St. Patrick’s Day With Dancing in Fairfax — “On March 10, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish social dancing. From 3-5:30 p.m., dancers of all levels are invited to step onto the Sherwood Center’s dance floor to live music by the Shepherd’s Pie Ceili Band…Cost is $12/adults, $6/youths” [City of Fairfax]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly cloudy skies, with temperatures reaching a high near 59 degrees. An initial northeast wind of 5 to 7 mph will shift to southeast in the afternoon. Tonight, there’s a 30% chance of showers after 1am, and the cloudy conditions will continue with a low around 43 degrees. [Weather.gov]
A mixed-use condominium building taking shape in the upcoming West Falls neighborhood is now seeking prospective residents.
Developer Hoffman & Associates announced on Monday (March 4) that it has opened sales for the 126 condos in The Oak, a 174,000-square-foot, 11-story building under construction at 255 West Falls Station Blvd in Falls Church.
On track to be delivered in late 2024, the complex will feature about 23,000 square feet of retail on its ground floor and approximately 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space.
The restaurants SEOULSPICE, BurgerFi and Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, and the Spanish immersion preschool Tierra Encantada were revealed last summer as the first retail tenants in West Falls. They’re all expected to open this fall.
Designed by SK+I Architecture, the condo units come in one, two and three-bedroom layouts, including penthouse residences. Most of them feature terraces or balconies, and the building was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification with LED light fixtures, green roofs and bioretention areas, according to Hoffman & Associates.
“These residences offer a unique opportunity to live in the vibrancy of the West Falls neighborhood in a dynamic city and come home to inspired design and inviting amenity spaces,” Hoffman Realty Principal Broker Michelle Giannini said. “This condominium is truly unique, and we look forward to welcoming future residents to discover all that The Oak has to offer.”
More on the amenities residents can expect from the developer:
Indoor amenities include the light-filled fitness center, pet spa and bike storage, as well as the residents’ lounge, which offers a large communal dining table, lounge seating, fireplace, wet bar and built-in coffee machine for entertaining. The Oak also offers two outdoor terraces for relaxation and community connection on the second and eleventh (rooftop) floors. The second-floor terrace will feature lush greenery, alfresco dining areas, an outdoor kitchen with grills, a sprawling lawn, a pergola and cozy seating areas complete with a TV and a fire pit – all westward facing perfect for soaking in the sunset. The rooftop terrace will also offer lounge seating options with sweeping views of the West Falls neighborhood and beyond.
On track to be delivered in late 2024, The Oak is part of the first phase of development on Falls Church City’s former George Mason High School site.
The first phase will also include a hotel, a medical office building, two parking garages and an apartment building with a grocery store — all expected to be substantially complete by January 2025, the developer previously told the Falls Church City Council.
Approved by the council in 2019, West Falls will be the largest development in Falls Church history, bringing 1.2 million square feet of residential, commercial and civic space to a nearly 10-acre site. Community amenities will include an 18,000-square-foot gathering space called The Commons.
The neighborhood will eventually be integrated with planned projects at the West Falls Church Metro station and Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center campus. Combined, the cross-jurisdictional redevelopment effort will transform 40 acres between Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and the Metro station.
“The Oak is a core part of the vision for West Falls, offering residents the opportunity to call this neighborhood home and experience a lifestyle as vibrant as its community,” Hoffman & Associates President Shawn Seaman said. “…We look forward to welcoming residents to this modern, new condominium and taking the next step in building the future West Falls community.”
