A new look could come with a new name for Patrick Henry Library.
With a major renovation on the horizon, the Fairfax County Public Library’s board of trustees is set to vote next Wednesday (Feb. 14) on whether to rename the Vienna facility after William and Lillian Carter, who co-founded the nonprofit friends’ group that has supported the library for over half a century.
Living members of the Carter family requested the name change last year as a recognition of their ancestors’ efforts to ensure Patrick Henry would be integrated when it launched in 1962, according to Library Board Chair and Braddock District Trustee Brian Engler.
“Mr. Carter was a founding member of the nonprofit Friends of the Library group in Vienna, which advocated for a County library facility within the Town to serve all residents,” Engler told FFXnow. “At that time, library services were only available to white residents. After receiving the inquiry, the Library Board first reviewed its policies regarding facility naming conventions and is now at a point where it can have full board discussion on the request.”
The request came to the board of trustees on Sept. 13, 2023, prompting a re-consideration of FCPL’s policy for naming facilities, according to the board packet for next week’s meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. at George Mason Regional Library (7001 Little River Turnpike) in Annandale.
Previously updated in 2020, the existing policy permitted renaming proposals from residents of a library’s service area “if the benefits of the name change outweigh the costs such a name change could generate.” However, the new name had to reflect the library’s geographic location.
The board approved a revision on Nov. 8 that added the option for libraries to “also include the name of a group or individual, living or deceased, who has made a significant contribution” to FCPL as a whole or to that individual branch. A reference to the branch’s location must still be included.
As a result, FCPL staff are recommending that Patrick Henry be renamed the “Carter-Vienna Library” after it’s rebuilt.
Vienna’s first public library operated out of a one-room building at 101 Maple Avenue East from 1897 to 1962. Spurred by the advocacy of the Friends of Vienna Library group that the Carters helped found, Fairfax County started Patrick Henry Library as a shopping center storefront before its current building opened in 1971.
The original library was relocated to 164 Mill Street NE in 1969 and has been preserved as a museum run by Historic Vienna Inc.
Last renovated in 1995, the Patrick Henry Library building is now nearing the end of its usable life, according to FCPL. The planned overhaul will pair an approximately 18,000-square-foot, one-story library with a 209-space, three-level parking garage partially funded by the Town of Vienna.
According to the board’s Feb. 14 agenda, county staff currently anticipate construction on the project to begin this fall or winter, putting the new library on track to open in fall 2026.
“The County has additionally committed to opening a temporary library space within the Town of Vienna to continue providing resident services during the demolition and construction period,” FCPL staff wrote.
Given its eventual demolition, staff recommended that Patrick Henry Library’s name change, if approved, not take effect until the new building opens.
Compass Coffee is still weeks, if not months, away from opening its first Fairfax County cafe, but it’s already being warmly welcomed — at least by local planning commissioners.
After a public hearing on Wednesday (Feb. 7), the Fairfax County Planning Commission voted in support of the D.C.-based coffee company’s application to convert a vacated BB&T bank at 7393 Lee Highway (Route 29) in West Falls Church into its second drive-thru restaurant.
Before the unanimous vote, a couple of commissioners admitted that they’re inclined to view Compass Coffee favorably based on their experiences with its existing locations.
The Rosslyn shop is a regular morning stop for Franconia District Commissioner Dan Lagana, who joked that the business may “sort of have an unfair advantage.” After visiting on Tuesday (Feb. 6), Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina praised the Fairfax City location for its ambiance and the coupon for a free cup of coffee for first-time patrons.
“It’s a very nice, comfortable place, and people looked like they were settling in for the day,” she observed.
For its new location, Compass Coffee intends to repurpose the 2,552-square-foot bank building in the Shops at West Falls Church as a full-service cafe with two drive-thru aisles — one for in-person orders and one for online and mobile orders. One of the three existing aisles will be closed to traffic so baristas can bring items to vehicles in the online and mobile pick-up lane, according to a staff report.
The drive-thru lanes will accommodate a total of 14 stacked vehicles at a time, more than what’s currently possible on the site. To fit those vehicles on the 0.55-acre property, the coffee shop has proposed limiting the travel aisle closest to Route 29 to westbound traffic.
“The applicant has proposed to install landscape islands, bollards and signage to ensure eastbound travelers recognize this driveway is ‘do not enter’ for eastbound traffic,” county planner Curtis Rowlette told the commission.
The business has also committed to refreshing the trees and shrubs around the building with native, non-invasive plants after “site visits revealed that landscaping was either missing or in poor condition,” according to Rowlette.
At-Large Commissioner Phil Niedzielski-Eichner questioned whether the one-way drive aisle will affected parking. The change will require the replacement of 14 perpendicular parking spaces with four parallel ones, but the restaurant will have 27 spots overall, which Rowlette said meets the county’s standards.
Cortina said she doesn’t anticipate parking will be an issue, since the cafe will be in a strip shopping center that currently has 200 total spaces.
As of late December, Compass Coffee was targeting a spring opening for its West Falls Church shop, Vice President of Marketing Joel Shetterly told FFXnow. With the Board of Supervisors not scheduled to vote on the special exception amendment application until March 19, it’s unclear if that timeline will hold.
Still, Shetterly said at the planning commission hearing that the company is “very excited” to expand into Fairfax County.
“I just wanted to thank everyone for their hard work and all their help on our application over the last year, so we’ve learned a lot,” he told the commission and county staff. “We’re very excited about what lies ahead for us in Fairfax.”
The Virginia State Police will be quick to call foul on any drivers behaving poorly on I-66 before, during and after the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers’ big game this Sunday (Feb. 11).
With many sports fans planning visits to their local bar or stocking up on snacks and drinks for at-home Super Bowl parties, state troopers from the Fairfax and Culpepper divisions will have an increased presence in the 76-mile-long I-66 corridor throughout the weekend.
Dubbed “Operation Diss-rupt,” the traffic enforcement and safety initiative will take place from Saturday to Monday (Feb. 10-12) and focus on distracted and impaired driving, speeding and seat belt use, the VSP announced yesterday (Thursday).
“The weekend of the Super Bowl is an excellent time to ‘tackle’ bad driving behaviors,” VSP Bureau of Field Operations Director Lt. Col. Matt Hanley said. “Additional state troopers will be on patrol along the entire I-66 corridor to enhance highway safety for all motorists. We ask Virginians to ‘DISS-rupt’ risky driving behaviors by focusing on the roads and by designating a sober driver, especially if your Super Bowl celebration includes alcohol.”
According to the VSP, its troopers charged 23 drivers with driving while intoxicated during last year’s Super Bowl Sunday.
Preliminary data shows that 839 people died in traffic crashes on Virginia roads last year, state police said. In Fairfax County, 15 people were killed in crashes involving alcohol in 2023, and there have already been 45 such crashes, including one fatality, recorded this year, according to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles data.
After the county saw an uptick in traffic-related deaths in 2022, especially among pedestrians, the Fairfax County Police Department conducted a “Road Shark” campaign last spring and summer to address speeding, phone usage and other unsafe driving behaviors. The campaign resulted in almost 25,000 citations and warnings to drivers.
This weekend’s I-66 crackdown will the VSP’s second “Operation Diss-rupt” campaign after the agency similarly stepped up patrols of I-95 on Jan. 10-11.
“State Troopers cited 120 drivers for reckless driving, 117 drivers for speeding, 33 drivers for violating Virginia’s ‘Hands Free’ law, and 25 drivers and passengers for seatbelt violations (one improperly restrained child),” the VSP said in a press release. “There were no fatal crashes along the interstate during the enforcement period.”
Setting a goal of reducing crashes in general by 10% this calendar year, the VSP says it hopes to see no fatal crashes while the operation is in effect this weekend, advising drivers to follow basic traffic laws:
- Ditch Distractions: Virginia has a “Hands-Free” law that prohibits a driver from holding a handheld personal communications device while driving. GPS and making phone calls are still legal, as long as the device is mounted and/or not in your hands.
- Never Drive Impaired: Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is illegal in Virginia. Even buzzed driving is drunk driving. Always designate a sober driver or use public transportation or a ride-hailing service.
- Comply with Speed Limits: Posted speed limits on Virginia interstates never exceed 70 mph. So, neither should your speed. Speed-related crashes claimed 441 lives in 2022 in Virginia. Simply, drive to save lives.
- Seat Belt Safety: Virginia law requires all front seat occupants of motor vehicles be restrained, and any passenger from birth to 18 years old be properly restrained in an appropriate child safety seat or seat belt, no matter their seating position.
Man Charged With Stealing FBI Car — “A man working as a contractor at FBI headquarters in downtown D.C. stole a bureau car from the building’s basement garage Tuesday and was arrested hours later after trying to drive onto the grounds of an FBI facility in Northern Virginia, authorities said.” The man allegedly posed as an agent in a failed attempt to access the Vienna facility. [Washington Post]
Overdose by Herndon HS Student Reported — “A non-fatal student overdose was reported by the Fairfax County Public Schools District Tuesday night. The overdose, which was reported by Fairfax County police, involved a student from Herndon High School. Officials said the overdose did not happen at the school.” [WJLA]
FCPD Expands Use of “BolaWrap” Remote Restraints — “Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced Tuesday that his department was buying 450 of the devices — good for one in each patrol vehicle, which officers sometimes share. The department will become the first big law enforcement agency in the D.C. region to have them.” [Washington Post]
CIA Fires Woman Who Alleged Assault — “The CIA this week terminated a woman whose whistleblower account of being assaulted in a stairwell at the spy agency’s headquarters prompted a flood of colleagues to come forward with their own complaints of sexual misconduct. The woman’s attorney called the action a brazen retaliation. While the CIA said that accusation was ‘factually inaccurate,’ it wouldn’t comment further on the case” [Associated Press/WTOP]
Outdoor Furniture Chain Secures Bailey’s Crossroads Store — “Fortunoff Backyard Store, an outdoor furniture retailer that got its start in New York more than a century ago, is expanding into Northern Virginia. The outdoor furniture retailer has leased about 18,000 square feet in the Giant-anchored Crossroads Place by south Jefferson Street and Leesburg Pike.” [Washington Business Journal]
Amazon Fresh Revives Bailey’s Crossroads Plans — “The Amazon Fresh grocery store that had been on hold since 2021 is back on track, and Floor & Decor is moving into the shopping center on Leesburg Pike, reports Senior Property Manager Joe Simi. Amazon has submitted plans to redo the interior of the space and could open by late summer, although the company has not announced a date to start construction.” [Annandale Today]
Vienna Gets Tips for Becoming More Business-Friendly — “Seeking to experience the town of Vienna’s business licenses and permits, consultant James Patteson…attempted to open a tattoo parlor in the building directly across from Vienna Planning and Zoning Director David Levy’s office. Patteson found the experience generally favorable and praised the competence of town staff members, but had some suggestions for improvement.” [Gazette Leader]
Lorton Golf Club Honored as a Top Wedding Venue — “For the second year in a row, Laurel Hill Golf Club received the prestigious Weddy Award for Best Golf Club venue presented by Brides & Weddings Magazine…The award reaffirms Laurel Hill Golf Course’s dedication to providing an outstanding venue and event planning for weddings and special events.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
It’s Friday — Expect gradual clearing leading to a sunny day with a high temperature around 60°F. Showers are possible late Friday night, particularly after 4am, as clouds increase and the temperature drops to around 46°F. Winds will be from the south at 3 to 6 mph, with a 30% chance of precipitation. [Weather.gov]
Police have arrested four people in connection with multiple home burglaries involving pretend flower deliveries in Fairfax County.
The Fairfax County Police Department announced on Jan. 10 that it was investigating five recent home burglaries linked by a woman who was seen on surveillance cameras pretending to deliver flowers. After determining that no one was inside, she alerted two men in a waiting vehicle who broke into the houses and stole cash, purses and other valuable items, police said.
In an update released today (Thursday), police reported that they have now connected seven cases between Dec. 28 and Jan. 11. Burglaries were reported in McLean, Reston, Oakton and Great Falls.
Detectives closed in on the suspects in January after identifying their vehicle, which was then spotted on Jan. 17 in a residential area of Cobb County, Georgia, according to the FCPD.
When contacted by Fairfax County detectives, the Cobb County Police Department reported that the vehicle was involved in a recent burglary in their area. That led to the arrest of four people who were charged with the Cobb County burglary.
“Our detectives traveled to Georgia to coordinate with CCPD detectives and review evidence obtained from the vehicle the suspects were driving when they were arrested,” the FCPD said. “Detectives were able to link the four suspects to multiple burglaries in Fairfax County.”
Detectives obtained warrants on Feb. 7 charging a 34-year-old man, a 27-year-old man, a 23-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman in connection to the Fairfax County burglaries. The charges include burglary, conspiracy to commit a felony and acting as an accessory to a crime.
All of the individuals are currently in custody in Cobb County, which is in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The FCPD says they will be extradited to Fairfax County after the Georgia burglary case is resolved.
(Updated at 6 p.m. on 2/9/2024) A former staffer for state Sen. Barbara Favola has ushered a new postpartum care center into the world.
Sanu Postnatal Retreat launched on Jan. 31 at The Watermark Hotel (1825 Capital One Drive South) in Tysons, offering stays ranging from three to seven or more nights to new parents in the post-hospital period of recovery from a pregnancy.
Founder and CEO Julia Kim, who previously worked as a chief of staff for Favola and former delegate Mark Keam, spent two years working with medical advisors to develop Sanu, which was inspired by Korean sanhujoriwon centers that provide postpartum care to mothers and infants.
“Sanu is driven by a mission to normalize a culture of postpartum care by providing foundational, focused support so families can thrive during this critical period and beyond,” Kim said. “Our signature postnatal retreat is anchored by the belief that a strong foundation for parenthood begins with judgment-free, mother-centered care, because a supported mother has whole-family benefits.”
A mother of two, Kim pivoted from a 15-plus-year career in politics and policymaking after experiencing a “difficult postpartum journey,” according to a press release.
To develop Sanu, she worked with physician and postpartum wellness consultant Dr. Kristal Lau, mindfulness expert Lisa Abramson and nursing educator Dr. Esther Park.
Modeled after the traditional Korean concept of “sam-chil-il,” a 21-day resting period following a pregnancy, the retreat’s 24-hour, customized services include a nursery, feeding assistance, mental health services, parenting classes, IV therapy and postnatal massages.
According to the press release, The Watermark Hotel was chosen as Sanu’s first location for “its elevated residential-style suites” that, in some cases, have kitchenettes.
All suites feature extraordinary beds dressed in luxury linens for a well-deserved rest experience, fine bassinet linens, and luxury personal care, as well as high-tech nightlights and baby monitors. In addition, rooms are stocked with clean, high-performance diapers and wipes from Coterie and other premium baby care products. The floor also houses a tranquil parents-only lounge and a separate 24-hour nursery staffed with medically accredited caregivers.
During their stay, guests can get chef-prepared breakfasts and dinners from Wren, the Japanese restaurant in the hotel lobby, and lunches from the meal delivery service MightyMeals.
Sanu is currently open for reservations, which can be booked through its website and start at $975.
Restaurants in Fairfax County are officially free to set up temporary outdoor dining areas as they wish — provided they adhere to a handful of new regulations.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a zoning ordinance amendment on Tuesday (Feb. 6) to create a permanent outdoor dining program, codifying many of the more relaxed measures that the county adopted to help local eateries stay open during the pandemic.
“Integrating outdoor dining into the county’s regulations has the potential to enhance the pedestrian experience, activate street-level environments and contribute to the vibrancy of commercial areas,” the county said in a news release announcing the approval.
As of 12:01 a.m. yesterday (Wednesday), when the amendment took effect, restaurants and other food service establishments can provide temporary furniture for outdoor dining on patios and sidewalks by right, meaning they don’t need the county’s permission specifically for that use.
They can also have outdoor dining areas in parking lots with an administrative permit, which can be approved without public hearings and comes with a lower application fee of $205 than the minor site plan approval previously required.
In all cases, the outdoor dining area can be at most half the size of the restaurant’s indoor dining area, a slight change from the emergency rules that have been in place since July 2020 to limit the spread of Covid. County staff recommended setting a maximum size based on floor area, instead of 50% of the occupancy limit, because it would be easier to gauge compliance.
The outdoor dining area’s operating hours should match those of the main restaurant to ward off noise issues, Lily Yegazu with the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning told the board.
Outdoor dining areas must also maintain access for pedestrians and people with disabilities and obtain a fire marshal’s permit for tents bigger than 900 square feet. Businesses aren’t required to provide additional parking, but they still need to meet the minimum number of spaces required for the site.
“It makes good sense to me,” Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said of the proposed regulations.
The board’s vote preceded a March 1, 2024 expiration date for the uncodified ordinance that eased regulations for outdoor dining, among other allowances, during the pandemic. The ordinance could stay in place for up to a year after the county’s state of emergency ended.
When initially presenting a proposal for permanent outdoor dining in October 2022, county staff reported that 91 businesses had implemented outdoor dining during the pandemic, but by Sept. 1 of that year, only five sites were confirmed to still be using parking spaces for that purpose.
Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) Vice President of Government Affairs Che Ruddell-Tabisola testified that having permanent guidelines will encourage more businesses to invest in outdoor dining, which expanded across the D.C. region and the country during the pandemic.
“Expanded outdoor dining has been wildly successful in its efficiency and efficacy of maximizing the use of outdoor space,” he said. “Additionally, outdoor dining is popular among Fairfax residents, and we have not yet maximized either the demand or capacity for outdoor dining.”
Ruddell-Tabisola praised Fairfax County’s “commonsense approach” to the permitting process for outdoor dining, adding that RAMW has cited the program “as the model for other jurisdictions to follow.”
Area localities that have approved permanent outdoor dining regulations in recent years include Arlington County, the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Leesburg. Fairfax City has a seasonal pilot program that offers permits for outdoor dining areas that can operate between March 1 through Nov. 30.
The embrace of outdoor dining is “one of the good things to come out of the pandemic,” Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity said.
“There weren’t many good things, but this is [one],” Herrity said before the board voted. “I want to thank staff for jumping on this right away early in the pandemic with the temporary rules and great job here.”
Though the new rules are already in effect, the county is giving restaurants with existing outdoor dining areas until April 30 to get them in compliance.
Third Person Dies After Braddock Road Crash — “A third passenger in the crash that occurred early Sunday morning at the intersection of Braddock Road and Bradfield Drive in Annandale has been pronounced deceased at the hospital.” Detectives were notified yesterday that Yan Zhou, 68, of Burke, died from her injuries, bringing the county’s traffic death toll for the year up to five people. [FCPD]
County Seeks Feedback on Workforce Housing Policy — “Fairfax County is opening a period of public comment to review and provide feedback on the revised WDU sales prices,” which drop units for households earning 120% of the area median income and add 70% AMI households. Recommended by a task force, the changes are open for comment until 4 p.m. Thursday, March 7, 2024. [Housing and Community Development]
Community Farm Coming to Woodlawn — “The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture is preparing to launch a community farm this spring that will provide free growing space for low-income and military-connected individuals and families around the Richmond Highway Corridor.” The 2-acre farm will include a barn, a well, electricity and dozens of raised planting beds. [On the MoVe]
Great Falls Treatment Facility Allowed to Stay — “The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) on Jan. 31 voted 5-0 to uphold the zoning administrator’s determination that a Great Falls group facility is a by-right use. A Mission for Michael…was licensed as a mental-health group home on April 19 last year by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services.” [Gazette Leader]
House Passes Four Bills From Reston Delegate — “Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (D-Reston) was elected in November to succeed Reston’s long-time delegate Ken Plum. As of Saturday, the freshman lawmaker already had four bills passed in the Virginia House of Delegates,” including ones related to services for homeless students and maternal health. [Patch]
Virginia Senate Votes to End Tax Exemption for Confederate Group — “With two Republicans joining all 21 Democrats, senators agreed to dismantle a pair of obscure tax breaks for the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the organization that sponsored most of the Confederate statues that dotted Virginia’s landscape until localities began removing them over the past several years.” [Washington Post]
Mantua Teacher Uses Super Bowl to Teach Math — “In Paul Malc’s math class at Mantua Elementary on Wednesday afternoon, the longtime teacher asked his students to raise their hands if they plan to watch the Super Bowl. Then, in an effort to talk about probability, Malc asked the class how common Hail Mary passes and onside kicks are…In his 20 years in the classroom, Malc has often turned to football and other real-life scenarios to teach math concepts.” [WTOP]
Share Love of Hunter Mill District for Valentine’s Day — “Valentine’s Day is next week and a good time to showcase our love of #HunterMill. My office is requesting your help. By Tuesday (2/13), email up to 3 things you [heart] about Hunter Mill & include ‘HMD Valentines’ in subject line to [email protected].” [Walter Alcorn/Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Expect mainly sunny skies with the temperature reaching around 53 degrees and a south wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. By night, the skies will turn mostly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 38 degrees, accompanied by a southeast wind at approximately 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
A circus that accommodates both performers and audience members with disabilities will swing back into Tysons later this February for a new, one-day-only show.
Omnium Circus will launch its 2024 tour of the production “I’m Possible” at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) on Feb. 24. It will be the third visit to the Tysons performing arts venue for the nonprofit-run circus, which first stopped by in February 2022.
“Capital One Hall has always been a special venue for us and we are excited to bring our show and our new cast to such a welcoming audience,” Omnium Circus founder and executive director Lisa Lewis said. “We look forward to continuing the tradition of creating wonderful circus experiences for the whole family with all of the D.C. metro area!”
A former clown trained by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Lewis unveiled Omnium Circus to the world with a live-streamed show in December 2020. The circus planned to premiere in-person at Lerner Town Square at Tysons II in fall 2021, but the multi-week stay got canceled.
Instead, the circus performed live for the first time at Gallaudet University in D.C. that November before putting on a one-day show at Capital One Hall on Feb. 26, 2022.
The organization has since traveled around the country, and just last month, it collaborated with Alamo Drafthouse for interactive screenings of the musical movie “The Greatest Showman” in Arlington.
Led by Ringmaster Danette Sheppard Vaughn, the upcoming show at Capital One Hall will feature some new cast members, including D.C. resident Ermiyas Muluken as the main character, Johnny, and Deaf dancer Malik Paris in his circus debut. Patrons can also expect contortionists, acrobatics, comedy and “gravity-defying aerial acts.”
Omnium Circus presents all of its performances in English and American Sign Language. Other accommodations include ADA seating, live audio description, tactile experiences, and relaxed seating rules and a calming area for neurodiverse and sensory-sensitive audience members, according to a press release.
Tickets for the Capital One Hall show are currently on sale, starting at $39. The circus will perform in the venue’s main theater, with doors opening at 1 p.m.
Future developers in Vienna may have half as much time to cultivate tree shade on their properties.
The Virginia State Senate recently passed legislation that would enable Vienna to adopt 10-year tree canopy requirements in place of the current 20-year time frame, getting the town a step closer to accomplishing one of its top priorities for the past couple of years.
Senate Bill 316 from Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37) passed the Senate 28-12 on Jan. 25 and now awaits a vote in the House of Delegates, which could send it to Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
“The Town of Vienna has made this a priority in their legislative agenda for the past few years,” Salim’s office told FFXnow. “Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, [meaning] localities are required to get permission from the state legislature to do things.”
An identical bill filed in the House by Del. Holly Seibold (D-12) got rolled into a larger bill dealing with tree preservation. Read before the full House for the first time yesterday (Tuesday), House Bill 1100 would let all localities require developers to conserve trees, an authority currently only available to Northern Virginia.
The Vienna Town Council has been advocating for the ability to strengthen its tree canopy rules for developers since at least 2017, but the issue took on new urgency after a 2022 study found that the town had lost 13% of its tree canopy in the past decade.
The request to amend state law so the town could offer credits for the preservation of medium and large trees or require developers to cover at least 20% of a lot with tree canopy in 10 years, rather than 20, topped the council’s legislative agenda for the General Assembly’s 2024 session.
Right now, the 10-year canopy requirement is only an option for Williamsburg City and localities like Fairfax County that had adopted the provision before 1990, according to the Town of Vienna.
In the legislative agenda, the town council also called for the option to protect trees notable for their age, species, size “or other special significance”:
Given the vital role that trees play in the protecting our urban environments, and their contributions to the local look and feel of neighborhoods, decisions over tree policies should be determined at the local level, reflecting the wishes of the local residents. Trees canopy requirements or incentives should also be included in acceptable best management practices for storm water management.
While Salim’s bill only addresses the time frame for developers, the Vienna Town Council is poised to adopt other tree preservation standards that it already has the authority to implement.
The proposed ordinances would increase the minimum tree-canopy requirement from 20% to 25% lot coverage, require developers to preserve trees when possible to meet their requirements, create a tree planting fund and replace the town’s tree board with an appointed commission.
The ordinances were expected to get a vote on Feb. 26, but the town council agreed on Monday (Feb. 5) to defer advertising their intended adoption, partly to see what happens with the state legislation and partly to give members more time to comment on the final draft.
Councilmember Chuck Anderson, who proposed the deferral, admitted he needed more time to read the ordinances after a separate bill to allow a casino in Tysons “sucked all the oxygen out of the room.” Vienna publicly opposed the casino bill, which was officially postponed to 2025 by the Senate’s finance committee yesterday (Tuesday).
“Since this is so important to me personally, I really want to spend some time looking at the final draft and to make sure it’s basically as good as possible,” Anderson said of the tree ordinances. “…I’m not looking for major changes at all, but I would just like one more shot at looking at this carefully before we enact this.”
The council will now vote on publicizing its intent to adopt the ordinances at its Feb. 26 meeting. The council’s first meeting after the required 10-day waiting period will be on March 18.
Vienna Parks and Recreation Department Director Leslie Herman and Town Attorney Steven Briglia confirmed to FFXnow that the outcome of the state legislation won’t affect the council’s ability to adopt its tree canopy preservation ordinances.
“Should the bill pass, and Vienna is allowed to require a 10-year time frame for tree canopy requirements, the newly adopted Town code amendments to the ordinance will need to be amended by the Council to reflect that change,” Herman said.
