Fairfax County will phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in county operations.
Gas-powered leaf blowers are too noisy, dirty, and do not adhere to the newly-adopted Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan, according to several county supervisors. Instead, officials are recommending the use of electric equipment, along with leaf and grasscycling.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw presented a joint board matter directing county staff to develop a plan for ending gas-powered leaf blower purchases at last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting. The board approved the matter by a vote of 9-1 with Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity dissenting.
“The use of gas-powered leaf blowers presents a number of problems,” said Walkinshaw at the meeting. “Most prominently, their extreme and pentertraing noise levels and the highly toxic emissions from the out of date two stroke engines.”
Walkinshaw noted that the blowers operate at a noise level that could potentially cause hearing damage. He also mentioned that they are inefficient in terms of its output and emit 23 times the amount of carbon dioxide as a Ford pickup truck.
The board matter additionally calls for contractors that work for the county to begin transitioning away from this type of equipment, encouraged by incentives from the county.
“By taking an incentive-based approach to our procurement policies, we can jumpstart the transition from dirty and noisy gas-powered blowers,” wrote Walkinshaw in a statement. “This initiative sends a strong signal to landscaping contractors that now is the time to invest in cleaner equipment.”
However, specific incentives were not discussed and will be established “when staff reports back,” a spokesperson from Walkinshaw’s office wrote to FFXnow in an email.
As of yet, there’s no deadline established for the phase out.
During the meeting, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn noted that the county currently owns 133 gas-powered leaf blowers.
However, that number doesn’t include ones used by contractors who work for the county, a spokesperson from Walkinshaw’s office confirmed.
Alcron said he still hoped that this idea of banning gas blowers would be also adopted by the Virginia General Assembly, but stated that the county’s adoption was “clearly a step in the right direction.”
McKay acknowledged converting to an entirely electric fleet of blowers could be very expensive for some contractors, but hopes that the county phasing out this type of equipment is “leading by example.”
A cost estimate for phasing out this equipment isn’t available yet, but it’s expected to be minimal, according to Walkinshaw’s office.
Photo via Cbaile19/Wikimedia Commons
More than 16% of children in the Fairfax Health District have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine dose since the shots became available to them on Nov. 3.
As of today (Monday), 17,578 of the district’s over 108,000 residents between the ages of 5 and 11 have received their first dose of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech regimen, according to the Fairfax County Health Department’s vaccine data dashboard.
After formally kicking off its pediatric vaccine rollout with first lady Jill Biden last week, FCHD announced on Thursday (Nov. 11) that it will host a series of vaccine clinics specifically for this age group at nine public elementary schools starting tomorrow (Tuesday).
According to the county health department, it is working on the 19 scheduled school-based clinics with Fairfax County Public Schools, the Virginia Department of Health, Giant Pharmacy, and Ashbritt/IEM, the same contractor partnership that operates the mass vaccination site at Tysons Corner Center.
“Capacity at each clinic is expected to be 150 doses,” FCHD spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said by email. “In the event supply is exhausted at a particular event, our staff will assist families onsite to make an appointment at a nearby vaccine provider.”
For now, the clinics will all take place after school hours or on the weekend, though FCPS officials have said they plan to eventually make vaccinations available when students are in school as well, likely after their winter break.
Unlike at the county’s mass vaccination sites, which have temporarily suspended walk-ins, appointments are not needed for the school clinics, but children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
According to Caldwell, the schools that will host the clinics were chosen by FCPS and county health department staff based on data showing areas with “higher rates of COVID-19 illness but less access to sites offering vaccine for children ages 5-11.”
However, every clinic is open to all children regardless of whether they attend that particular school.
Vaccinations for all ages can still be scheduled at health department sites, Inova, private healthcare providers, and various community sites like grocery stores and pharmacies through vaccines.gov.
Overall, at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose has been administered to 855,751 residents of the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. That amounts to 72.3% of all residents, including 83.7% of people aged 18 and older.
762,954 residents, or 64.5% of the population, are now fully vaccinated, including 76.4% of adults.
While vaccinations have helped reduce the pandemic’s threat, they haven’t extinguished it entirely.
After dropping to 58.7 cases last Wednesday (Nov. 10), the lowest point since July 24, when the Delta variant first took hold, Fairfax County’s weekly average has ticked up over the past few days and now sits at 77.1 cases per day, according to VDH data.
With 93 new cases today, the Fairfax Health District has reported 94,770 COVID-19 cases total. 4,390 residents have been hospitalized by the novel coronavirus, and 1,219 people have died.
While it’s too soon to tell whether the rise in cases is a blip or the start of another surge, past patterns and a resurgence of the virus in Europe have health experts reiterating the need to vaccinate as many people as possible, with the winter holidays and cold weather approaching.
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Monday, Nov. 15
- Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights — 5:30-10 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) in Wolf Trap — Enjoy lights and holiday scenes in this annual transformation, which will stick around through Jan. 2. For those ages 2 and over, cost is $16 plus fees or $20 for an onsite ticket.
Tuesday, Nov. 16
- American Red Cross Blood Drive — 1-6 p.m. at Boro Station (1775 Greensboro Station Place) in Tysons — Donate your blood as The Boro partners with the American Red Cross, taking place at the Boro Station’s Conference Room.
Wednesday, Nov. 17
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Artmobile — 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. by Capital One Hall’s box office (7750 Capital One Tower Road) in Tysons — Check out a free traveling exhibit, “A View of Home: Landscapes of Virginia,” which features paintings, photographs, and prints of landscapes from the mid-1800s through 2017. Event also repeats on Thursday (Nov. 18) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- MCC in Conversation with…Mason Young — 7 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — Hear from Capital One executive Mason Young, who is part of the company’s corporate development team. Free, but preregistration is required.
Thursday, Nov. 18
- Celebrate Tysons 2021 — High PointPub in Whole Foods (1635 Boro Place) in Tysons — Meet Tysons residents, business leaders, and community organizations at this open house hosted by the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required by 5 p.m. today (Monday).
- “Secret Things” — 7 p.m. at 1st Stage Theatre (1524 Spring Hill Road) — A journalist investigates mysterious tips in her hometown involving Mexican-Americans and Judaism. Tickets are $50 with steep discounts available. Following the debut performance, the show runs through Dec. 12.
Friday, Nov. 19
- Holiday Tree Lighting — 6-8 p.m. at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — From Santa lighting the tree to community performances as well as free s’mores and hot chocolate, the mall has a number of festivities planned to kick off the holiday season.
Saturday, Nov. 20
- Joan Osborne at Wolf Trap — 8 p.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday at The Barns (1635 Trap Road) — The 59-year-old “One of Us” hit singer gives performances this weekend with a career spanning decades that first captured the world’s attention with her 1995 debut album.
Sunday, Nov. 21
- Spend Yourself 5K Run/3K Walk — 7:30 a.m. start at Falls Church City Hall (300 Park Ave.) — Columbia Baptist Church of Falls Church, in partnership with its nonprofit social needs organization Columbia Foundation, holds its 10th annual run and walk with a new route through the city. Cost is $40 plus fees for individuals age 12 and older and $20 plus fees for those younger than 12. Proceeds benefit the church’s World Hunger ministry and Bailey’s Crossroads food pantry.
Bring out the tote bags, Wegmans shoppers.
The grocery store chain announced this morning (Monday) that, starting on Dec. 1, it will no longer offer single-use plastic bags at its four Fairfax County stores, including the one at Capital One Center in Tysons (1835 Capital One Drive South).
Plastic bags will also be removed from stores in Fairfax, Alexandria, and Chantilly.
The move comes in anticipation of Fairfax County’s new 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags, which will take effect on Jan. 1.
Wegmans will still have paper grocery bags available for a 5-cent fee that will be donated to the nonprofit United Way and each store’s food bank, according to the news release.
“We’ve always understood the need to reduce single-use grocery bags,” Jason Wadsworth, Wegmans packaging, energy, and sustainability merchant, said. “By eliminating plastic bags and adding a charge for each paper bag, our hope is to incentivize the adoption of reusable bags, an approach that has proven successful for us in New York State and Richmond.”
Since introducing reusable bags in 2007, Wegmans has stopped using single-use plastic bags in New York and, as of 2019, at two stores in Richmond.
Local grocers took different stances at a public hearing before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a plastic bag tax ordinance on Sept. 14. The county was the first locality in Northern Virginia to implement the new tax but was soon joined by Arlington County and the City of Alexandria.
Enabled by a state law passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020, the measure is also being considered in the City of Falls Church and Loudoun County.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Coming to Elementary Schools — “Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Fairfax Health District and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, at nine clinics located at schools across Fairfax County. Clinics will be held after school hours, evenings and weekends at nine school sites, initially.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
Person Hospitalized by Crash in McLean — Georgetown Pike was shut down between 1:40 and 5:20 a.m. yesterday (Sunday) after two vehicles crashed at the Langley Lane intersection that night. One person was taken to a hospital with injuries considered life-threatening, Fairfax County police reported. [FCPD]
FCPS Shortens Student Quarantines — In an email to parents, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand said, starting today (Monday), the amount of time students have to quarantine after a COVID-19 exposure will be reduced from 14 to 10 days, if they have no symptoms. FCPS will also start offering voluntary screening testing for unvaccinated students. [WUSA9]
Deer Bursts into Vienna Barbershop — “A deer broke through the storefront window of Clip & Style Barber Shop, 116 Branch Road, S.E., on Nov. 6 at 1:03 p.m., then ran around the salon and back out the window, Vienna police said. The deer struck one of the employees in the leg. Rescue personnel responded and assessed the employee.” [Sun Gazette]
Mosaic District to Host Holiday Pop-Up Market — “URBNmarket, an upscale handmade and vintage market, is returning to Mosaic for its Holiday Village Extravaganza December 4-5. Shop for everyone on your gift list from URBNmarket’s 65+ curated artisans. The Holiday Village will also include Caboose Brewing Co. beer garden, Bach To Rock music, kids activities, the FRESHFARM farmers market and more.” [URBNmarket]
Editor’s Note: Tysons Reporter is following a lighter publishing schedule today (Friday) for Veterans Day weekend.
Falls Church Police Seek Man in Sexual Assault Case — “The City of Falls Church Police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the pictured individual who was in the area at the time of an assault. Late night on Wednesday, November 10, an adult female was sexually assaulted in the vicinity of 444 W. Broad St.” [City of Falls Church]
County to Add Veteran Services Coordinator — “Today, I’m excited to share that we will be hiring a Veteran’s Services Coordinator to improve the well-being of veterans in our community. This person will help vets access resources and advocate for new tools to help our veterans. Thank you to our vets for your service!” [Chairman Jeff McKay/Twitter]
See Marshall HS Veterans Day Display — “Students, staff, and parent volunteers at Fairfax County’s Marshall High School set up close to 400 American flags outside the school on Wednesday afternoon. The display is a tradition at Marshall, installed twice a year ahead of both Veterans Day and Memorial Day.” [ABC7]
County Adopts Plan to Eliminate Waste — “On Nov. 9, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Fairfax County Government and Schools Zero Waste Plan. This sets county government and Fairfax County Public Schools on a path toward zero waste by 2030 with two goals: diverting 90% of waste away from landfills or incinerators and decreasing the total amount of waste generated by 25%.” [Fairfax County Government]
Meadowlark Replaces Korean Bell Garden Totems — “Four freshly carved wooden totem poles — representing a king, queen, bride and groom — now stand guard over the Korean Bell Garden at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in the Vienna area. NOVA Parks officials held an installation ceremony for the poles Nov. 8…Traditionally placed at the entrances of Korean villages, the totem poles symbolically protect residents from misfortune.” [Sun Gazette]
Roaming Rooster Grand Opening Tomorrow — “Great news RR Fam! Rooster #5, our first VA location, officially hatches in Tysons Corner this weekend. As part of our grand opening, we will be giving out free samples, RR merch, and $20 gift cards randomly throughout the day on Sat & Sun. Come check us out!” [Roaming Rooster/Twitter]
Fairfax County should minimize disruption as much as possible when adopting new electoral district maps, the chair of the county’s Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC) said at a public hearing yesterday (Tuesday).
Paul Berry urged the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to make the least-disruptive changes possible, keeping each supervisor’s district — and who they represent — close to the same, while taking into account factors like population growth and equity.
“We strongly encourage the board to consider the concept of minimal disruption,” he said. “Minimal disruption is the idea that residents of a political geography have as much stability in their civic life as possible.”
With a condensed timeline due to the delayed release of 2020 Census data, the board-appointed RAC met 13 times between July 27 and Oct. 12 to develop recommendations for redrawing the boundaries that will determine local supervisor and school board districts for the next decade.
The committee ultimately released a report on Nov. 1 with 64 proposed reapportionment maps: 32 that maintain the county’s current nine-district setup, 25 with 10 districts, and seven with 11 districts.
Berry recommended keeping a 10-member county board with nine district seats and an at-large chair, the most common plan from both the public and RAC members.
The board agreed to adopt a redistricting plan on Dec. 7. The public hearing record has been left open, allowing written comments to be accepted until the vote.
Local Process Differs from State
Redistricting is legally required every 10 years in conjunction with each new Census to ensure electoral districts have proportional representation.
According to the 2020 Census, Fairfax County’s population grew 6%, from less than 1.082 million in 2010 to over 1.15 million in 2020, and it is now a minority-majority locality, with notable growth in its Asian and Hispanic populations.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay contrasted the county’s redistricting process with the one currently underway at the state level, where the new Virginia Redistricting Commission succumbed to the partisan gridlock it was intended to prevent.
The Commonwealth’s new General Assembly and congressional districts will now be drawn by the Virginia Supreme Court instead.
“This is a very different process than used in Richmond for redistricting,” McKay said. “I, in past lives, have served on a redistricting committee myself, as has [Hunter Mill District] Supervisor [Walter] Alcorn, and I can attest how open and transparent our process is and a model for how you do redistricting.”
Berry, a substitute teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools, said the effort was 100% citizen-led, drawing more proposals than any previous redistricting effort in the county. RAC members came up with 24 maps, and the public submitted 40, an increase from three in 2011.
Equity, Development Among Concerns
The residents and leaders of public-interest groups who spoke at yesterday’s public hearing were split on whether Fairfax County needs change or stability.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax Rev. David Miller urged supervisors to consider how the county could promote equity and inclusion.
He argued that Black and Latinx communities’ political power shouldn’t be diluted by breaking them apart, citing the country’s history of discriminatory practices like redlining, where financial services are denied to certain neighborhoods — usually ones that are predominately Black.
Several speakers called for a South County district to be formed, citing the changing character of the region.
“It might have worked okay for decades, but not now,” said Dale Rumberger, president of the South County Federation, an organization that represents residents and civic associations in southeastern Fairfax County.
He cited the increase in homes, shopping plazas, and schools. Looking back at his 31 years in the district, he said he couldn’t count how many new housing developments have emerged and continue to be built.
Meanwhile, others called for continuity:
- Katherine Ward, co-chair of the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens’ Associations, said there’s no need to change the current Mount Vernon District makeup at this time.
- Jon Kandel, president of the Montebello Condominiums Unit Owner Association, said it made no sense to move the housing development out of Mount Vernon.
- Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert asked for the town to remain in Hunter Mill District, saying its population and demographics are really not changing.
Resident Cathy Hosek said if any precinct is moved, homes with Springfield addresses should be considered first, noting that it can be confusing for residents who have that mailing address but aren’t in the Springfield District.
She also said supervisors should consider what equitable representation would look like. The RAC report noted that if all nine supervisor districts were equal in population size, each would have 127,874 residents.
After the Board of Supervisors votes on a new electoral district map, the plan will need to be certified by Virginia’s attorney general, which is expected to happen on Feb. 22, 2022.
Earlier in the day, the board agreed to reappoint the redistricting committee on Dec. 7 so it can examine the names of the county’s districts. Conversations about renaming Lee District are already underway, but Supervisor Rodney Lusk said no decision will be made until after the committee makes its recommendations.
Dogtopia will salute its first year in Falls Church by helping bring comfort to a veteran in need.
After opening its doors on Oct. 14, 2020 despite the challenges of starting a business during the COVID-19 pandemic, the dog daycare has now achieved its goal of raising $6,000 — enough money to help cover the cost of training a service dog for a military veteran.
Dogtopia of Falls Church (108 W Jefferson Street) will officially announce the news tomorrow (Thursday) to coincide with Veterans Day.
“We’re hoping that this announcement will be powerful enough to help us accelerate our intended support of a second dog funded in much less time,” said Jim Hannesschlager, who owns the franchise with his wife Allie.
The fundraising effort was part of the franchise’s work with the nonprofit Dogtopia Foundation, which helps close funding gaps for community partners that focus on three main causes: service dogs for veterans, youth literacy programs, and employment for adults with autism.
To support the first cause, the Dogtopia Foundation is currently partnered with K9s for Warriors, a Florida-based organization that trains and provides service dogs to veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, sexual assault, and other challenges.
K9s for Warriors covers the costs of its training programs, which can run up to $30,000 to $40,000, but as a nonprofit, it relies on donations for at least some of that funding, according to Hannesschlager. The Dogtopia Foundation assists in filling that gap.
Hannesschlager and his wife, who both have family members that have served in the military, started working to raise money for a service dog even before their Dogtopia franchise opened, as he told Tysons Reporter in August 2020.
They found an eager supporter in Idylwood-based Settle Down Easy Brewing, which offered to contribute a portion of its sales from the September leading up to Dogtopia of Falls Church’s debut.
For Settle Down Easy owner Frank Kuhns, helping veterans is a personal mission. His father served during the Vietnam War, and his brother Bryan worked as a bartender at the Veterans of Foreign Wars outpost in Brockway, Pennsylvania.
The brewery’s name is a tribute to Bryan, who died in 2015, just two days shy of his 36th birthday. It comes from a lyric in the Grateful Dead song “Ramble on Rose,” which Bryan played at the bar at the end of every night.
“When Jim approached me asking for support to help raise funds for a service dog, we were honored and so proud of our customers who purchased beer with $1 going to Dogtopia’s Fundraiser,” Kuhns said by email.
Settle Down Easy, which announced expansion plans over the weekend, donated a total of $1,000 at the grand opening of the Falls Church Dogtopia, which matched those funds.
Dogtopia contributed another $1,000 to match the money raised by its customers over the past year, and the Hannesschlagers decided to personally give the remaining $2,000.
The money will go to the Dogtopia Foundation, which will then pass it onto K9s for Warriors.
While the dog and the veteran with whom it will be placed haven’t been identified yet, Hannesschalger says he is excited to receive updates over the next few months. He hopes raising awareness of Dogtopia’s effort will boost its next fundraising campaign for a second service dog.
“[Dogs] can — and many times do — perform an incredible service to people, whether it’s just companionship in the house or it’s all the way up on the other end of the scale being a service dog,” Hannesschalger said. “So, the fact that we can marry that with those who have served and protected our country is extremely important to my wife and I.”
Photo via Jeremy Bezanger/Unsplash
Veterans Day, honoring all those who have served in the U.S. military forces, is Thursday (Nov. 11).
From banks to post offices and more, expect many services to be not operating to observe the holiday.
Libraries, courts and other swaths of county, state and federal services are affected, such as the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Aside from banks, most businesses will be open. If you’re unsure, call ahead to check.
Meanwhile, Fairfax County Public Schools will have a two-hour early release.
Transportation
The Fairfax Connector will operate on a holiday weekday schedule, meaning some routes will offer their standard, weekday service, while others won’t operate at all.
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority Metrorail will continue with its reduced frequencies on the Silver Line amid its railcar investigation following a derailment in Arlington on Oct. 12.
WMATA buses will operate on a Saturday schedule.
Metro will have off-peak fares throughout the day, and parking at all Metro-owned lots and garages will be free.
Parks, Falls Church Services
County recreation centers and parts of Frying Pan Farm Park will be open, but other Fairfax County Park Authority centers will be closed.
Rec Center admission will be free for all veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families with a military identification.
City of Falls Church offices and services, including the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, will be closed.
Photo via Aaron Burden/Unpsplash
(Updated at 1 p.m. on 11/11/2021) The Boro can officially venture west of Westpark Drive.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday (Tuesday) to approve a pair of rezoning applications that will expand the Tysons mixed-use community with 1.1 million square feet of housing, retail, and other amenities.
The new development will be concentrated on a 9.37-acre site previously occupied by the former National Automobile Dealers Association headquarters. Demolition work on the existing building began at the end of August.
While three of the four buildings proposed by developer The Meridian Group still need to get approved individually, the overall project will benefit the community by adding housing, including affordable and workforce units, as well as recreational facilities and pedestrian improvements, according to Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
“While there is quite a bit of work ahead as we look at the [final development plans] for the remaining buildings, I do find that it’s an important asset to walkability, to the amenities, to a possibly new type of housing stock in this area,” Palchik said.
Major elements of The Boro expansion include:
- Block J: Silverstone Senior Living’s 210-bed, 198-unit continuing-care facility, expected to finish construction in 2023
- Blocks I and K: residential buildings with 122 and 421 units, respectively, and approximately 34,000 square feet of retail, joined by a glass bridge over Boro Place
- Block L: a 145,000 square-foot health club or 42 townhouses with a central green space
- A new grid of streets, including an extension of Boro Place and construction of the new Clover and Broad streets
- A rapid-flashing pedestrian beacon on Westpark Drive at Boro Place
- Tysons Community Circuit: the first three blocks of a 10-foot-wide recreational trail that will eventually loop through Tysons
- 1.49 or 1.59 acres of publicly accessible parks and recreational facilities
Prior to the board’s vote, Walsh Colucci land-use planner Elizabeth Baker, who represents Meridian, reported that the developer has made progress toward resolving a conflict with the neighboring Greensboro Square Condominiums regarding the size of retaining walls along their property line.
Ongoing negotiations over that issue were one factor in the board’s decision to defer voting on the development after holding a public hearing on Oct. 19.
Baker told the board yesterday that Meridian has come to a verbal agreement with the condo association for an off-site grading easement that will enable the developer to reduce the height of the retaining wall.
Palchik questioned Baker about The Boro’s attention to accessibility, citing a recent opinion piece in The Washington Post by a resident who took issue with the lack of streetlights, passenger loading areas, and parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities.
Accessibility concerns also came up when the Fairfax County Planning Commission approved the planned senior living facility — now named The Trillium — on Oct. 13.
Baker says Meridian believes it is in compliance with accessibility guidelines and took “great pains” to consider those issues when working with Silverstone on its plans for the 16-story building, noting that the developer had an accessibility consultant.
“We will also do the same for [future development plans] to ensure that we are meeting the standards for both handicapped parking and accessibility,” Baker said. “We understand it’s an issue, and we take it seriously. We will be working on it diligently.”
Overall, the development will have approximately 40,000 square feet of retail and over 800 residential units, depending on whether Block L ends up being townhomes or a health club.
The proposed townhomes would be triplexes that meet Fairfax County’s affordable and workforce housing policies for Tysons, Baker says. If the developer opts for a health club, it has committed to giving the county $3 per square foot of non-residential space to fund housing elsewhere in Tysons.
A final plan for Blocks I and K remains under review by county planning staff. If approved, those buildings could be delivered in 2024.
