Capital One Park is winding up for another year of baseball.
Capital One Center unveiled a schedule yesterday (Thursday) for the ballpark’s second season since it opened at 1820 Dolley Madison Drive in Tysons on March 31, 2023.
The season will kick off earlier this year, with Marymount University squaring off against Hampden-Sydney College on Feb. 17. The Arlington-based Catholic university’s baseball team will join the Georgetown Hoyas in making Capital One Park its “home” stadium for 2024.
Georgetown University’s team will make its local debut on March 1 with the first of three games against Fairleigh Dickinson University, which is visiting from New Jersey. The Hoyas are also scheduled to play Cornell, Maryland University, George Mason University, George Washington University and other Division 1 teams at Capital One Park.
Designed for collegiate and high school games, the stadium will also again host the entire season of the nonprofit Potomac Summer League. The college-level, eight-team D.C. area league is set to start practices during the first week of June.
Other highlights of Capital One Park’s upcoming season include two college tournaments in May, with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament taking over on May 9-11 and the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament following on May 19-25.
This season will also bring some new amenities, including more bleacher seating, a merchandise kiosk, locker rooms and a rentable “party deck,” according to Capital One Center, the mixed-use development emerging at Capital One’s headquarters in Tysons.
Planned for 6 million square feet, the 35-acre campus already consists of 3 million square feet of commercial development, including a performing arts venue in Capital One Hall, The Watermark Hotel and The Perch skypark. The Tex-Mex restaurant Ometeo opened in December and is slated to be joined by Sisters Thai, Stellina Pizzeria, Ox & Rye and Starr Hill Brewpub this year.
Fairfax County may continue waiving permitting and installation fees for electric vehicle chargers, following an initial trial period of 18 months that showed mixed results.
At a land use policy committee meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 30), Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said he hopes to extend the trial period by one year.
Despite losing revenue from the waived fees, the county should find ways to reduce barriers for EVs, particularly since there are already many existing barriers, McKay argued.
“From a value statement standpoint, being able to say that we do not charge [for] permits to encourage people to adopt EVs, I think, should be our standard,” he said.
It was unclear how much eliminating the fees incentivized installation of EV charging equipment — if at all, county staff said in a presentation. Between October 2022 and October 2023, fees for 38 commercial permits and 858 residential permits were waived.
The Dranesville and Sully districts had the most residential permits issued, while the Providence District led the way when it came to commercial permits. The 38 commercial permits issued during the waiver period represented an increase from 19 permits in 2021, 11 in 2020 and just one in 2019.
The data doesn’t include the number of chargers installed through each permit.
John Friedman, an engineer in the county’s Department of Land Development Services (LDS), said it’s difficult to directly correlate the fee waiver with EV utilization.
“We had hoped to be able to collect enough information to determine whether or not having a zero permit fee actually incentivizes installation. We weren’t able to do that because you don’t actually know why people are doing things,” Friedman said, adding that staff were surprised by the relatively high number of residential permits.
The county missed out on $125,000 in revenue over the trial period — a loss that Friedman was concerned likely needs to be offset by increases in other LDS fees.
“The big issue for us is the lost revenue,” Friedman said.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said the societal benefits of EV further the county’s equity goals.
“Everybody benefits if even an affluent person decides to move forward with an EV,” Walkinshaw said.
McKay hopes to file a board matter for consideration at the board’s May meeting, giving county staff time to continue evaluating the impact of the fee waiver on utilization. The current fee waiver pilot program will end on May 1.
A food truck that delivers free meals throughout Fairfax County has encountered nothing but support in its bid to stay long-term at the Lewinsville Center in McLean, county staff recently told the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
The commission gave SevaTruck Foundation another endorsement by recommending after a public hearing on Jan. 24 that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approve a special exception amendment so the nonprofit can continue to operate out of the center, which includes a senior center, adult day care and two child care programs.
“It’s an important program,” Dranesville District Planning Commissioner John Ulfelder said. “People think of McLean, they say, ‘Well, people of McLean don’t need this kind of help.’ The fact is there are people in McLean who need it, as well as other areas that can be served by this…It’s an important service that the county provides to help people that really need it.”
The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) contracted SevaTruck to make meals for low-income and other vulnerable residents in 2021, according to county planner Zach Fountain. The county board had suspended zoning code provisions preventing temporary uses that could be helpful for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, SevaTruck’s presence in Fairfax County dates back to its arrival in the D.C. area in 2017, when it began providing meals to Title I schools and low-income neighborhoods. With the NCS contract, it got access to the Lewinsville Center’s commercial-sized kitchen, enabling it to expand its capacity and reach, NCS North County Region 3 Assistant Division Director Karen De Mijango said.
Since launching, the nonprofit has served over 380,000 meals in the D.C. area, including more than 85,000 meals in Fairfax County in 2023, according to De Mijango. In addition to providing food at the Lewinsville Center (1613 Great Falls Street), the employee-run food truck and volunteers have visited communities from Herndon to the Route 1 corridor.
There are no plans to further expand the program, but with the county’s emergency status for the pandemic now expired, the nonprofit needs a special exception to keep using the Lewinsville Center’s kitchen, a dining room and a designated parking spot.
SevaTruck operates from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with two workers and up to two volunteers preparing meals in the kitchen each day.
“I think what we’ve established the last few years with SevaTruck Foundation, it has worked well for us and the senior program and other campus partners,” De Mijango said. “We would like to ensure this resource continues to benefit Fairfax County residents, especially the Title I schools in low-income communities and neighborhoods.”
De Mijango noted that NCS has conducted thorough community outreach on the application, including four public information sessions, postcards mailed to all residents living within a mile of the center and meetings with community groups like the McLean Citizens Association.
The county hasn’t gotten any complaints about SevaTruck since it started using the center, and none were raised during the community meetings, she confirmed when asked by Ulfelder.
Jakelin Lake, an office assistant for Braddock Elementary School in Annandale, attested to SevaTruck’s importance to a Title I school where about 67% of students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches, as of the 2022-2023 school year.
Since partnering with Braddock Elementary seven years ago, the nonprofit has served over 150,000 meals to students, including the approximately 250 to 300 children who attend its after-school programs.
“Without the meals they give to us every Monday and Wednesday, we wouldn’t be successful,” Lake said. “Our scores have gone up, because the kids are able to study and learn and not worry about the food they do not have at home.”
Reopened in 2019 after a redevelopment, the Lewinsville Center contains the Lewinsville Senior Center, Westgate Child Center, Lewinsville Montessori School, and Lewinsville Adult Day Health Care. The property also features an athletic field and is adjacent to the Fallstead Apartments, an 82-unit independent living community for seniors.
Ulfelder remarked that “both the residences and the center have been highly successful” since they opened, and Franconia District Commissioner Dan Lagana praised the facility as an example of how the county can coordinate service to support different groups in one location.
“Hopefully, this sets an example and we can see more of that, especially partnerships with nonprofits,” Lagana said.
The application from NCS is now scheduled to go to the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing on March 5.
An expanding chain of sauna studios is targeting West Falls Church for its introduction to Virginia.
Local entrepreneurs Michael Sobhi and Michael Baffa will open three Perspire Sauna Studio franchises in Fairfax County under a recently signed agreement with the California-based company, which offers infrared sauna and red-light therapy services.
The first location will be in West Falls Church, though a specific site is still being identified, according to a public relations representative for Perspire. The locations for the other two studios are also being determined.
Sobhi and Baffa, who have a combined 20 years of experience in the real estate and construction industries, hope to eventually expand the company’s presence in the area to 10 spas.
“We’ve always been health-conscious and familiar with the benefits of saunas, though our experiences have been limited to gyms and public facilities, where truly enjoying the experience can be challenging,” Sobhi said in a press release announcing the franchising deal. “The concept of Perspire, with its private and personalized approach to wellness, immediately resonated with us. We saw it as something we would personally use and benefit from if it were available in our area.”
Started by CEO Lee Braun in Costa Mesa, California, in 2010, Perspire Sauna Studio says it utilizes “age-old” sauna heat therapy practices that can help cleanse the body, ease joint and muscle pain, encourage relaxation and assist with weight loss.
The cedar-paneled saunas generate heat with colored lights that warm up the body, rather than the air, according to the company’s website. Available services include red light therapy, which is used in treatments for skin conditions, hair loss and other health needs, and chromotherapy, which can supposedly be used to treat diseases.
Perspire currently has 49 studios, with another 20 in development and 170 signed franchise agreements. Sobhi and Baffa’s franchises will be Perspire’s first locations in Virginia.
“At the crux of our brand is the intent to ignite a passion in our members and our communities for a more relaxing, health-conscious lifestyle,” Braun said in a statement. “That passion starts by introducing the science-backed approach of infrared and red light therapy to new people and new places; something both Michaels are now playing a pivotal role in seeing through.”
State Legislators Plan Town Hall on Casino — Sen. Jennifer Boysko, Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra and other Fairfax County representatives will hold a town hall at McLean High School tomorrow (Saturday) “to hear public concerns and comments” about the bill to allow a casino in Fairfax County. The legislation won’t get a vote this year, but it “will re-emerge during the 2025 General Assembly Session and can be voted on by the Senate.” [Jennifer Boysko]
County Library Marks 85th Birthday — “We are incredibly proud of how far we have come in providing access to books, programming and other resources in the last 85 years. We have a lot planned by way of celebrating this milestone so we hope you join us, not only as we look back, but also as we look forward to what we can achieve in the many years to come.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
New Street Landscaping Requirements Adopted — “The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 23 adopted changes to the Zoning Ordinance on landscaping. The amendment increases the requirement for landscaping in parking lots, adds provisions on street frontage landscaping, establishes shade structure requirements for parking lots, and makes other changes.” [Annandale Today]
Why N. Va. Population Growth Is Slowing — “Virginia is seeing its slowest population growth since the Civil War thanks to steep costs, remote work and declining birth rates…Richmond and Bristol continue to grow, while Northern Virginia continues to decline. Lombard told WTOP that housing and remote work are the drivers of this.” [WTOP]
Local Office Buildings Declining in Value — Brandywine Realty Trust reported on an earnings call that four of its office properties in the D.C. area collectively lost $115 million during the fourth quarter of 2023. The properties weren’t named, but the firm said three of them are in Northern Virginia and one in Maryland. Brandywine has 14 office buildings in Fairfax County, including ones in McLean, Herndon and Fair Lakes. [Washington Business Journal]
Lincolnia Stream Under Restoration — “The restoration of a section of Turkeycock Run in Lincolnia is expected to be completed in May. The project consists of stabilizing the stream banks using natural channel design beginning at the culvert under Little River Turnpike and extending approximately 300 feet downstream, says Sharon North of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.” [Annandale Today]
Falls Church Seeks Artists to Decorate Utility Boxes — “The City of Falls Church welcomes artwork submissions from local graphic designers and artists for four electrical box wraps. Select artists (up to a maximum of four) will be awarded $1,250.00. The submission deadline is February 9, 2024, at 5 p.m.” [City of Falls Church]
Vienna Embraces Cloud to Secure Financial System — “In an effort to boost cybersecurity, the Vienna Town Council on Jan. 29 unanimously agreed to have Tyler Technologies move its software for the town’s financial system to the ‘cloud’…If the town suffers a cyber-attack, the cloud-based system will provide backup for the financial system and reduce the amount of downtime involved, officials said.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Friday — There is a 20% chance of brief showers before 1pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature near 49 degrees. Winds will come from the north at 6-14 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. Friday night, expect partly cloudy conditions with a low of around 31 degrees and a 10 mph north wind. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 11:30 a.m. on 2/2/2024) The push to allow a casino in Fairfax County has stalled — at least for 2024.
A Virginia Senate subcommittee voted this afternoon (Thursday) to “continue” Senate Bill 675 until next year so a more in-depth analysis of the potential casino can be conducted.
The postponement came despite apparent support for the proposal by Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-18), who chairs the Senate Finance & Appropriations resources subcommittee and quipped that she’s been called “the casino queen” during the meeting.
Sen. Dave Marsden (D-35), who patroned the bill that would make Fairfax County — specifically Tysons — eligible for a casino, previously told FFXnow that he was hopeful it would pass, noting that Lucas, who also chairs the overall finance committee, “likes [the] bill.”
However, some senators, led by Creigh Deeds (D-11), questioned whether the county had been sufficiently studied as a possible host locality. Tyler Williams, a subcommittee staffer, confirmed that the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission looked at Northern Virginia as part of a casino gaming study in 2019, but Fairfax County wasn’t being considered individually at the time.
The study estimated that a Northern Virginia casino would employ 3,200 workers and bring in an additional $155 million in tax revenue to the state, including about $100 million that Virginia residents are currently spending at out-of-state casinos, such as MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
“I would like to see some updated projections, because I would like to keep this bill alive,” Lucas said before the subcommitte voted.
Marsden first introduced legislation that would allow a casino along the Silver Line last year, but the bill was quickly withdrawn to allow for more research. Patch reported in September that the proposal would be revived during the 2024 General Assembly session, with developer Comstock targeting the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station area as a possible site.
However, after Reston Association and other community groups began to marshal opposition to the impending legislation, Marsden filed a bill on Jan. 17 with criteria that narrowed the potential locations to Tysons. The bill advanced to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee from a general laws committee on Jan. 24.
Marsden has argued that a casino could give Fairfax County a new source of tax revenue with the office market in flux, and he maintained at today’s meeting that the bill is intended to give the county the authority to make its own decision. If the bill eventually becomes law, a voter referendum would still be required to authorize a casino.
“I think it’s time to send this to the local government [to] make their own decisions about this. There’s plenty of local control here,” Marsden said.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors hasn’t adopted an official stance on the legislation, but members made their reservations clear in a legislative committee meeting last Friday (Jan. 26) and in a letter that Chairman Jeff McKay sent to General Assembly leaders.
In addition to questioning whether the county would actually reap the revenue benefits touted by casino proponents, the supervisors stressed that they hadn’t requested the authority for an establishment and hadn’t been consulted by Marsden or the prospective developers.
According to Marsden, Comstock’s vision includes a conference center, arts venue and hotel, along with a casino.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn told the resources subcommittee that he’s “a strong no” on the possibility of a Fairfax County casino. Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert and Herndon Town Councilmember Naila Alam also stated that they oppose SB 675.
“I’m very happy that the subcommittee members listened to the community and the people elected to represent them,” Alcorn said in a statement, thanking Colbert and Alam for joining him in testifying. “It is a big victory for everyone who cares about good government!”
Marsden says he’s “disappointed” by the outcome, while that the vote still keeps the bill alive until 2025.
“No one has any other ideas to give Fairfax County a brighter revenue future,” he told FFXnow.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay praised the resources subcommittee’s vote as “the right thing” to do, hopefully enabling the community to learn more about the proposed casino project.
The Senate finance committee will formally vote on whether to accept the subcommittee’s recommendation next Tuesday (Feb. 6).
“We only learned many of those details in dribbles as the bill was sorted out and after it was introduced, and we still do not have all of the information we need,” McKay told FFXnow. “The community deserves to know all the details of a major proposal like this, details such as what is actually included in the proposal, the proposed site, potential revenues, community impacts, traffic impacts, and more, before the General Assembly considers it.”
(Updated at 8:30 p.m. on 2/6/2024) Idylwood Plaza is shaking up its retail mix to start 2024.
The shopping center on Leesburg Pike in Idylwood will usher in its newest tenant, MIYU Beauty & Wellbeing, with a grand opening celebration at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday). Falls Church City Vice Mayor Letty Hardi and Councilmember Marybeth Connelly are expected to attend.
Miyu occupies a 2,545 square-foot space next to Whole Foods Market at 7505-P Leesburg Pike, where Honest Soul Yoga used to be. The salon offers non-toxic, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free manicures and pedicures, along with yoga and pilates classes.
The business comes from neighbors Zeina Chouman El Eid and Karen Abouzeid, who both have experience in the beauty industry and decided to combine their skills to “help individuals tap into their inner essence, promote well-being, and bring beauty into everyday chaos,” according to Miyu’s website.
“We offer a tranquil haven and safe space to empower everyone,” Abouzeid, now a managing partner at Miyu, said. “MIYU’s skilled and experienced staff will guide our clients towards self-realization and unmatched confidence, while connecting them with like-minded individuals who share a passion for holistic living.”
Later this year, Miyu will be joined at Idylwood Plaza by First Watch, the daytime cafe, and Fairfax County’s first Chicken Salad Chick.
First Watch aims for summer opening
First Watch confirmed to FFXnow in November that it was looking for a new site in the Falls Church area, but the lease hadn’t been finalized at that time. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant at 7501 Leesburg Pike was officially announced last week.
Known for its seasonally rotating breakfast, brunch and lunch menus, which include items like avocado toast and lemon ricotta pancakes, First Watch is expected to open its Idylwood location in late summer 2024, according to public relations manager Hunter Carpenter.
The cafe will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. for pickup, delivery and dine-in service. It will employ approximately 30 people.
First Watch can currently be found in Fairfax City, Chantilly and Bailey’s Crossroads, where it opened in 2021. Additional locations are slated to open this spring in Franconia’s Festival at Manchester Lakes and this summer in the former TGI Friday’s in Fair Lakes.
After finding success in Bailey’s Crossroads (5880 Crossroads Center Way), First Watch decided “it was about time to bring our experience closer to home for our neighbors further north,” Carpenter said.
“Though we may be relative newcomers to Fall Church, that doesn’t mean we’re strangers to Fairfax County,” Carpenter told FFXnow by email. “As we quickly approach two decades in the region, we look forward to expanding our presence not only in Falls Church but also in Fair Lakes and Franconia and inspiring a new morning routine for our customers with each new opening.”
Chicken Salad Chick makes way to D.C. area
Started in 2008 by Stacy Brown, a stay-at-home mother in Auburn, Alabama, Chicken Salad Chick announced last May that it had signed a development agreement with Devon Chamberlin and her family, who will open eight franchises in Fairfax and Arlington counties over the next five years.
The first franchise is slated to open at Idylwood Plaza this spring, according to Chicken Salad Chick Chief Marketing Officer Tom Carr.
An Arlington location is also planned. FFXnow’s sister site ARLnow previously reported that that site would open this spring, but Chick Salad Chick now says the Idylwood Plaza restaurant will be the first to open.
The 2,717-square-foot restaurant will be located at 7505 Leesburg Pike, Suite 120A, replacing Loyal Companion after the pet wellness chain shuttered all of its local shops last year, according to Federal Realty, the property manager for Idylwood Plaza.
Chicken Salad Chick sells Southern-style chicken salads made from scratch, sandwiches and pimento cheese. The company has 258 locations right now, including six in central and southern Virginia, but it has wanted to expand into new regions of the U.S., according to Carr.
“The demographics of Northern Virginia, generally, and Falls Church and adjacent areas specifically, make it well-suited for Chicken Salad Chick and its healthy menu options,” Carr said.
Fairfax County wants to consolidate the duties of its Department of Animal Sheltering (DAS) and Animal Protection Police (APP).
Under the new arrangement, DAS would oversee both animal care services and enforcement of animal protection laws, which would be carried out by animal control officers (ACO), according to the recommendation from DAS and the Fairfax County Police Department.
Staff presented the proposed changes to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a safety and security committee meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 30).
In 2016, the county chose to split animal care and control functions between the DAS and the police department, a decision that did not “result in a successful integration of two separate departments working together to provide animal services,” the proposal says.
DAS currently manages two public animal shelters, one on West Ox Road in the Fairfax area and a second campus that opened in Lorton last October. The FCPD’s Animal Protection Police unit deals with encounters between humans and animals, including wildlife and potential criminal situations involving pets.
Under the proposed changes, ACOs would have “nearly the same” scope of authority as Animal Protection Police Officers (APPO) and would handle all calls for service, including for:
- Issuing a summons, obtaining search and arrest warrants
- Investigation of animal cruelty and neglect
- Investigation of animal fighting
- Investigation of animal bites
- Response to sick, injured, or stray companion animals
- Rabies vaccination and dog license enforcement
FCPD would continue to assist with criminal investigations, and ACOs would still get required training through the Commonwealth of Virginia, but they wouldn’t go through the police academy as APPOs do.
DAS Director Reasa Currier said having the two separate services has presented challenges for decades, and other jurisdictions that have consolidated their departments are seeing success.
“Jurisdictions that have recently moved to a consolidated model report significant benefits, including increased compliance rates, decreased shelter intake and a trusting community,” she said.
Describing animal services as a “highly specialized and technical field,” Currier said providing those services through one department “ensures we’re embracing industry best practices.”
She said the proposal would also enhance the health and safety of the community, and it’s in direct alignment with the county’s One Fairfax policy and equity goals.
In addition to their law enforcement duties, ACOs would connect pet owners with several services, such as free pet food and supplies as well as free and low-cost veterinary care.
“It is important to note that this proposed model does not replace enforcement for animal cruelty and neglect,” Currier added.
Deputy Chief of Police Lt. Robert Blakely said the changes would allow police officers to focus more on enforcing the law and would have very little impact on animals and people in the community.
“An animal control officer can enforce all of Virginia’s animal control laws as it pertains to domesticated animals running at-large and rabies vaccinations and county ordinances,” Blakely said.
Police Chief Kevin Davis said the people calling for service would see a similar process. For example, residents would still call the Department of Public Safety Communications through 911 or the non-emergency number, and the department would still dispatch animal control officers to respond to the scene.
“In the very few cases that police were needed to assist, police would then be added to that call, just as we are today,” Davis said.
The proposal could be included in the county executive’s advertised budget for fiscal year 2025, which will be presented on Feb. 20. The Board of Supervisors will then decide whether to adopt the reorganization.
Noodles & Company has closed its doors in the Town of Vienna.
The fast-casual noodle chain had anchored the Vienna Marketplace shopping center at the corner of Maple Avenue and Park Street for nearly 20 years. Now, the windows at 201 Maple Avenue East have gone dark, the linguine-ladling storefront sign stripped down.
“We’re sorry to say, this Noodles location is permanently closed,” a flyer posted to the eatery’s door says. “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed serving you and appreciate all your support.”
The notice encourages customers to visit the company’s closest remaining location, which is in Idylwood Plaza at 7501 Leesburg Pike.
An employee at that location confirmed to FFXnow that the Vienna restaurant closed Wednesday, Jan. 24 due to the high rent. Press contacts for Noodles & Company and KLNB, the retail broker for Vienna Marketplace, didn’t immediately return requests for comment.
Noodles & Company had been in Vienna since at least 2007, the days of its earliest Yelp reviews, though one reviewer said they’d previously ordered from that location “years ago.” That makes the Vienna restaurant one of the brand’s first sites in the D.C. region after it arrived in Fairfax City in 2002 and began more rapidly expanding a decade later, according to the Washington Post.
In addition to Idylwood and Fairfax City, Noodles can still be found in Kingstowne, Mount Vernon, Chantilly, Fair Lakes, Herndon, Reston and Springfield. It has 26 Virginia locations.
Though it’s not clear yet what will replace Noodles & Company, The Burn reports that the vacated Cold Stone Creamery two doors down will be filled by the D.C. deli Call Your Mother — not Taïm Mediterranean Kitchen as previously confirmed.
According to The Burn, the deli “swooped in” to take over the 1,300-square-foot space after Taim’s deal “fell through.” FFXnow has reached out to both Taim and KLNB for confirmation.
Known for its bagels, Call Your Mother entered Northern Virginia last May when it launched a “Lil Deli” at Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean. The business is expected to move out of the mobile truck and into a permanent, brick-and-mortar location later this year.
Taim, a fast-casual Mediterranean eatery that originated in New York City, opened restaurants in Pimmit Hills last July and at Plaza America in Reston on Dec. 5.
Remaining tenants in Vienna Marketplace include Crumbl Cookies, South Block, Chipotle, AT&T and Lacrosse Unlimited.
Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against FCPS Moves Forward — A federal judge has rejected a request by Fairfax County Public Schools to dismiss a lawsuit filed in 2019 by a former student who says she was raped and sexually abused by classmates when she was in seventh grade. The school board said in November that it had evidence that the allegations were fabricated. The lawsuit will now go to trial in March. [Associated Press]
Reston Man Skis to South Pole for Charity — “A Reston businessman recently found himself at the polar opposite of where he hoped to be nearly a year ago — literally. Instead of standing at the North Pole, Len Forkas instead skied 60 nautical miles to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.” The trek was intended to raise awareness of his nonprofit Hopecam, which helps kids diagnosed with cancer. [Patch]
Study Finds Park Authority Fees Limit Access — An equity study presented to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Jan. 30) found that the fees charged by the Fairfax County Park Authority “make programs unaffordable and therefore inaccessible” to many residents. The report recommends updating the agency’s fee structure, which was originally developed during segregation. [WTOP]
Police Look to ID Huntington Carjacking Suspects — “Fairfax County police are asking for help from the public in identifying three teen boys who carjacked two men in a Huntington parking garage. The three approached the men, who were inside a black Lexus, displayed handguns, and told the men to get out of the vehicle, the police said in a news release.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Health Food Chain Coming to Fair Lakes — “Philadelphia-based fast casual restaurant honeygrow will open another D.C.-area location this summer at Fair Lakes Center…Honeygrow has other locations in Tysons Corner, Reston Town Center, Rockville Pike, and, its most recent addition, in Mount Vernon Plaza on Richmond Highway in Alexandria.” [WTOP]
Mobile Pet Food Business Now Operating — Arlington resident Laura Tartaro-McGowan and her son, Ian McGowan, launched Pet Wants Falls Church after encountering the healthy pet food concept at a farmers market. The mobile unit “pops up at events and offers delivery to local communities like Falls Church, Annandale, Alexandria, Arlington and Tysons. They are looking to open a brick-and-mortar location in Falls Church around late 2024.” [Patch]
Vienna Town Council Sets Priorities for 2024 — “As they did last year, the Vienna Town Council agreed Jan. 29 to set four top priorities as its goals for the year ahead.” This year’s list includes two repeats — tree preservation and a master parks plan — and adds diversifying the town’s housing stock and any zoning changes not addressed by last year’s code update. [Gazette Leader]
Pedestrian Safety Improvements Planned for Route 1 Schools — “The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is in the early stages of planning pedestrian safety improvements” near Hybla Valley and Mount Eagle elementary schools. The Hybla Valley project will add sidewalk, while the Mount Eagle project will “consolidate two crosswalks across North Kings Highway at the school and add a pedestrian hybrid beacon.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high of 53°F and gentle southwest winds blowing at 5-8 mph. As night falls, skies will turn mostly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to approximately 41°F. The southwest wind will reduce to around 6 mph before becoming light and variable. [Weather.gov]
