Editor’s Note — Tysons Reporter is running Q&As with the candidates who qualified for this year’s Vienna Town Council election on May 4. The interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Steve Potter is one of four candidates running for the three Vienna Town Council seats up for election this year. A U.S. Navy veteran and professional consultant, Potter is seeking his second term after joining the council in 2019.

Interviews with fellow incumbents Howard Springsteen and Nisha Patel are also available.

Why did you decide to run for reelection?

I’m running because we’re in the midst of numerous projects that I’ve been a part of and would like to see through completion. I believe continuity, knowledge, and experience are going to be more important in this election than in previous elections because of the magnitude of the initiatives involved and the long-term effects they will have on the community. They include the zoning code rewrite, transportation and traffic studies, land purchases, library and parking expansion, police station construction, new sidewalks, infrastructure upkeep and repairs, and economic development.

What has it been like dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic? How well do you think the town has handled its pandemic response?

I think the major focus has been on financial relief for our businesses and identifying sources of funds and revenues that can help our businesses through tough times. Just the RISE grant alone, we had 254 businesses and nonprofits who got $2.76 million in grant funding. So, we have been able to help people with those kinds of relief to get them through. There was another relief fund for $100,000 for the Town of Vienna residents and business workers, and there’s been loan and grant application systems.

We have temporary permits that we’ve put in place for outdoor commercial activity for our restaurants. We did things for child daycare businesses in commercial zones and expanded opportunities in that area. We’ve done…an eight-course boot camp for new business owners. There’s a weekly newsletter that provides business-related news. We’ve had several social media campaigns to promote local businesses. So, I think we have done a lot in terms of being able to support the community and help folks get through this.

What are your thoughts on how the zoning code rewrite has gone so far?

The zoning code prior to the rezoning update was very antiquated. It was very ambiguous. It allowed multiple interpretations on a single subject, and it was also conducive to having very large buildings, high density very close to the borderlines, small setbacks, and all of these things didn’t contribute to what really needed to be done in today’s world, in our minds.

Bringing it back to the drawing board has allowed us to look at how each ordinance interfaces with each other, to look at the logic of having a 1.2-mile stretch [on Maple Avenue] of the same code, and just allows us to look at things differently so that we can update things that reflect smart growth, reduce density, increase green space, allow for greater setbacks, and are environmentally sound. Read More

(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) Everyone who lives or works in the Fairfax Health District and falls under a phase 1b category can now register for an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

The Fairfax County Health Department announced this morning (Tuesday) that, starting today, it is opening eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to essential government workers, clergy and faith leaders, and janitorial and cleaning staff — the last three priority groups in phase 1b of Virginia’s vaccine rollout.

Approximately half of the Fairfax Health District’s population — which includes the county, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, and the towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton — is now eligible to register for the vaccine, according to Fairfax County Director of Epidemiology and Population Health Dr. Benjamin Schwartz.

“We anticipate those who’ve registered today will get an appointment in a few weeks,” FCHD spokesperson Tina Dale told Reston Now, Tysons Reporter’s affiliate site.

This is the third time Fairfax County has expanded eligibility for vaccine appointments this month, a pace that the health department says reflects a growing supply of vaccine doses.

The county received 55,470 doses from the Virginia Department of Health during the week of March 22-28. Its weekly shipments have been increasing by more than 10,000 doses per week over the past couple of weeks.

“We are moving through our current waitlist at a faster pace,” FCHD said in its blog post. “We expect to move into Phase 1c by mid-April and move into Phase 2 by May 1 in accordance with VDH guidance.”

Phase 1c covers remaining essential workers, including food service workers, housing and construction workers, water and waste removal workers, and media. Reaching phase 2 by May 1 would mean making vaccine appointments available to all adults, a stated goal of Gov. Ralph Northam and President Joe Biden.

Fairfax County remains cautious about committing to a timeline for when all adults will actually get at least one vaccine dose. Virginia’s vaccine coordinator, Dr. Danny Avula, has suggested that everyone who wants to get vaccinated could receive their first dose by May 31.

“We continue to add more county vaccination partners and continue to receive more doses of vaccine,” Dale said. “But whether or not everyone will have their first dose by May 31 is dependent on many factors.”

In addition to advocating for more doses, Fairfax County has been working to expand its capacity to administer the vaccines. Inova opened a mass vaccination site in Alexandria yesterday (Monday) that could accommodate at least 6,000 people per day.

According to the FCHD vaccine dashboard, which updates roughly every hour, Fairfax County is now making appointments for people who registered on March 16, when 4,412 individuals signed up. There are currently about 40,000 people on the waitlist, 11% of the 355,438 people that have registered for an appointment through the health department.

Newly eligible individuals can register to get vaccinated in Fairfax County, which is still operating its own registration system separate from the state, by filling out the health department’s online questionnaire or contacting its call center at 703-324-7404.

More than 300,000 people in Fairfax County have now gotten at least one dose of vaccine. According to VDH data, providers in the county have administered at least one dose to 309,338 people and fully vaccinated 158,541 people.

3.7 million total vaccine doses have been administered in Virginia, and 1.3 million people have been fully vaccinated — 15.5% of the state’s total population.

Photo via Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter

The man who died after a vehicle crash in Merrifield early Monday morning (March 29) was a 49-year-old Centreville resident named Dashdavaa Zambalgarav, the Fairfax County Police Department reported yesterday afternoon.

Police say the crash occurred just before 4 a.m. at the intersection of Arlington Boulevard and Javier Road, and it involved a single vehicle with Zambalgarav as the driver and lone occupant.

Crash reconstruction unit detectives have preliminarily determined that Zambalgarav was traveling west on Route 50 in a 2008 Lexus RX “when he drifted into the center median and crashed into a traffic pole at Javier Road,” according to the police report.

Zambalgarav was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

“Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this crash, but preliminary, do not believe speed or alcohol were factors,” the FCPD said.

Since the investigation is ongoing, police are still seeking additional information about the crash:

Anyone with information about this crash is asked to contact our Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.

Image via Google Maps

Sameday Health in Tysons Offers Vaccinations — “Vaccinations began this week at Sameday Health‘s Tysons location, a parking lot at 1981 Chain Bridge Road. This is the same location offering PCR and rapid testing. In a few weeks, the location will transition from a testing and vaccination site to solely a vaccination site.” [Patch]

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Sees Increase in Emergency Incidents — “Firefighters/Paramedics responded to 1,985 incidents last week! An increase of almost 5.5% in overall incidents from previous week.” [FCFRD/Twitter]

WeWork Offers Two Months Rent-Free at Tysons Space — “The company is offering two months of free private office space at select locations in the D.C. region with a six-month commitment or three months free with a commitment of 12 months…Outside of the District, only WeWork’s locations at the University of Maryland, in Ballston, and Tysons are participating.” [Washington Business Journal]

Ribbon Cutting Held for Greenheart Juice in Vienna — “Thank you to everyone who attend the Greenheart Juice Shop ribbon cutting last Friday, and welcome to Town” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]

The Vienna Town Council authorized funds for two sidewalk improvement projects last week, paving the way for the town to create a more integrated sidewalk network.

First, the council voted unanimously on March 22 to approve an additional $61,000 for the town’s Park Street NE sidewalk project, which will close an approximately 850-foot gap between Ayr Hill Avenue and Albea Court NE with five-foot-wide concrete sidewalks, including curb and gutters.

In the works since at least 2016, the project’s total estimated cost of $855,104 is being funded by a Virginia Department of Transportation transportation alternatives grant. The grant requires a 20% local match, which Vienna is providing through its Northern Virginia Transportation Authority funds.

The additional $61,000 is needed to pay a contracted construction management firm Whitman, Requardt & Associates for right-of-way services. The project will require 10 temporary property acquisitions to accommodate construction, according to a scope-of-work document from the town.

Vienna Director of Public Works Mike Gallagher says the town previously expected to be able to handle the right-of-way process on its own or with “limited consultant help.”

“For town and state projects, we’re very fortunate in the town. The citizens and adjoining property owners routinely sign temporary easements if it’s necessary,” Town Attorney Steven Briglia said. “Most times, we just use right-of-way agreements so it’s not recorded and a cloud on their title.”

However, this project requires more formal right-of-way agreements, even though the takes aren’t permanent, because the VDOT grant includes federal funding. That means it has to adhere to the “complicated and time-consuming” process set by the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act, Vienna town staff say.

Gallagher assured the town council that the public works department will not need any more money for the Park Street sidewalk project, stating that the new funding request is likely for more than they will actually need.

“I know that the project is budgeted higher than what we projected the cost to be, so there’s sufficient funds,” he said.

The Vienna Town Council also approved a $1.4 million construction contract for a project to replace an existing asphalt trail on Old Courthouse Road with approximately 500 linear feet of concrete sidewalk, closing a gap between Gosnell Road and Pine Valley Drive.

The project will also add curbs and gutters with drainage improvements to eliminate a ditch alongside the roadway.

The contract went to Sagres Construction, which submitted a bid of roughly $1.2 million, the lowest amount out of the six vendors that responded to the town’s invitation to bid. The approved funding includes a 10% contingency.

Initiated in 2013, the Old Courthouse project is divided into two phases since a portion of the road extends outside of town limits into Fairfax County. The Vienna Town Council approved an agreement with the county to get $2.3 million for construction funding in January 2019.

The Town of Vienna has prioritized filling in gaps in its sidewalks to improve the town’s walkability. A gift from the late Councilmember Maud Robinson enabled the town to establish a dedicated fund for sidewalk construction, though the Park Street and Old Courthouse projects don’t qualify since they are getting funding from elsewhere.

The town council also voted in February to require developers of single-lot properties to construct a sidewalk regardless of whether sidewalks exist on adjacent lots.

Map via Google Maps

(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) 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 (March 29)

• COVID-19 Sports Informational Meeting (Online) — 6 p.m. — The Fairfax County Health Department will discuss COVID-19 & athletic programs. The county has provided a handout with policies related to COVID-19 and its effect on athletics. There will be time to voice any questions or concerns during the meeting. Questions may be sent in advance to [email protected].

Wednesday (March 31)

• Celebree School Groundbreaking — 11 a.m. at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Dr.) — Celebree School, a private early childhood education franchise, will break ground on its new location in Tysons. Families and other community members are invited to attend as construction begins on the school, according to a press release.

Thursday (April 1)

• New McLean Project for the Arts Exhibit — The McLean Project for the Arts opens two new exhibits at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave.). New works by Alonzo Davis, Yuriko Yamaguchi and Mineke Schipper will be on display. A virtual opening reception and artist talk will take place on Apr. 8 at 7 p.m. Visit the MPA website to reserve tickets, view the virtual collection, and to learn more information.

Friday (Apr. 2)

• Vienna Theatre Company Production: Dear Elizabeth (Online) — 7:30 p.m. — Dear Elizabeth is the story of the famed correspondence between two of the 20th century’s top poets, Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell. Live, virtual performances will also be available to view on April 3 at 2 p.m. and 7: p.m.  Tickets are on sale now for $15. Questions call Lily Widman at 703-255-5738 or email [email protected].

Saturday (Apr. 3)

• Outdoor Yoga — 9:30-10:30 a.m. at The Boro (8350 Broad Street) — Join The Boro for an early morning of yoga in celebration of the beginning of spring. All registered participants will receive a $10 gift card from Flower Child and a cherry blossom treat. Tickets are $20 per person, $10 from each ticket will be donated to Autism Speaks.
• Bunny Hop — 10 a.m. on the east side of Falls Church City — The City of Falls Church canceled its annual Easter egg hunt, but families can celebrate instead by greeting Mr. and Mrs. Bunny as they drive through neighborhood streets, escorted by city staff, police, and the sheriff’s department.
• Mini Golf and Egg Hunt — 11 a.m. at Burke Lake Park (7315 Ox Road) — Celebrate Easter at Burke Lake Park with socially-distanced mini golf and an egg hunt. Groups of up to five people can register for $10 per person to play through the specially decorated course, which will culminate with the egg hunt at the 18th hole. For more information, call 703-323-6600.
• Drive-In Movie at Mosaic — 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Market Garage (8295 Glass Alley) — Pull up for a springtime movie at the Mosaic District. For $28 per car, enjoy a movie on the roof of the Market Garage. Saturday’s two movies are “Mary Poppins” at 4 p.m. and “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off” at 7:30 p.m. See the Mosaic website for tickets and more information.

Sunday (Apr. 4)

• Drive-In Movie at Mosaic (8295 Glass Alley) — 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. — The Mosaic District’s spring-themed drive-in movie series continues today with “Hop” at 1 p.m. and “42” at 4 p.m. Screenings will again cost $28 per car and take place on the roof of the Market Garage. Sunday’s shows will include a special appearance from the Easter Bunny. See the Mosaic website for tickets and more information.

Photo via The Boro/Facebook

The trajectory of COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County is starting to trend upward again after a roughly two-month decline.

The Fairfax Health District, which also includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, reported 154 new cases today (Monday), bringing the total to 72,111 cases over the course of the pandemic. The district has now recorded 3,752 hospitalizations and 1,066 deaths due to the novel coronavirus.

Now at 174.4 cases per day, the county’s weekly average has hovered around 160 to 170 cases since hitting a low for 2021 of 133.6 cases on March 15. That mark followed a two-month-long drop from an all-time high seven-day average of 696.7 cases on Jan. 17.

Fairfax County still has yet to return to the relative lull in the pandemic that came last summer, when the county had weekly averages of 40 to 50 cases.

The county’s plateauing case levels aligns closely with what is happening statewide. Virginia is currently averaging 1,506 cases over the past seven days, and like in Fairfax County, cases have been slightly but clearly increasing since mid-March, a potentially worrying sign as the Commonwealth prepares to further loosen public health restrictions.

Effective April 1, Virginia will increase the number of people permitted at both indoor and outdoor social gatherings and recreational sporting events, while removing caps on the number of attendees at entertainment and amusement venues, though a 30% capacity limit will remain in place.

Gov. Ralph Northam cited rising COVID-19 vaccination rates when announcing those changes on March 23, reporting that approximately one in four Virginians had received at least one dose of vaccine at that point.

While the upward trend in cases might be cause for concern, the pace of vaccinations continues to accelerate in Fairfax County as well.

The Fairfax County Health Department got 55,470 doses from the Virginia Department of Health during the week of March 22-28, the largest supply yet.

Last week, several Northern Virginia leaders urged the state to increase the region’s allocation of vaccine to match its capacity, which will further expand today with the opening of a mass vaccination site run by Inova Health Systems to serve Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria.

Inova's new mass vaccine site opens today in the City of Alexandria- This is a new option for Fairfax County residents in addition to our 150 others . Remember, to get in the vaccine queue, please register with the Fairfax County Health Department: https://t.co/sej7N0M4To pic.twitter.com/81qyHQwQLE

— Jeff McKay (@JeffreyCMcKay) March 29, 2021

According to its vaccine data dashboard, the county health department is now making appointments for people who registered on March 16. As of 10 a.m. today, the county has whittled its waitlist down to 37,837 individuals — 11% of the 350,429 people who have registered since the COVID-19 vaccines became available in December.

VDH data indicates that 296,241 people in Fairfax County have gotten at least one vaccine dose, and 151,223 of them have been fully vaccinated, meaning they’ve received both shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Virginia has now administered more than 3.5 million vaccine doses. 1.2 million people — 15% of the state’s population — have been fully vaccinated.

Like the state as a whole, Fairfax County hopes to open registration for vaccine appointments to all adults by May 1, and after expanding eligibility to additional phase 1b priority groups, the health department anticipates reaching phase 1c by mid-April.

Images via CDC on Unsplash, VDH

Fairfax County police are investigating a fatal crash in Merrifield that happened early this morning (Monday).

The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) and Javier Road. It involved a single vehicle with one occupant, a man who was taken to the hospital, where he later died, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Police closed westbound Arlington Boulevard between Javier Road and Williams Drive so that detectives from FCPD’s crash reconstruction unit could investigate the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing, but Arlington Boulevard reopened around 8:22 a.m.

Detectives continue to investigate this crash. Arlington Blvd is now open. Follow our blog, https://t.co/PBMfNnRMp0 for further updates. https://t.co/bMQgQ23xvQ

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 29, 2021

Police Arrest D.C. Resident for Attempted Robbery in Tysons — There was an attempted robbery in the 1600 block of International Drive around 11:30 a.m. on March 23. According to the police report, a man “approached the victim, displayed a knife and demanded property before walking away. Responding officers arrested the man, Jason Stokes, 38, of Washington, D.C. and charged him with robbery.” [Fairfax County Police Department]

Vienna Delegate Joins Other State Legislators to Create AAPI Caucus — Del. Mark Keam (D-Vienna) is among several Virginia lawmakers to join the General Assembly’s newly formed Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus. The group’s creation was announced on Friday (March 26) to coincide with a national #StopAsianHate Day of healing and action in response to the March 16 shootings that killed eight people, including six Asian women, in Georgia. [DCist]

Peak Bloom for Cherry Blossoms Comes Early — The National Park Service declared yesterday (Sunday) that the cherry trees around D.C.’s Tidal Basin have hit peak bloom, a week earlier than initially anticipated. The agency attributes the early bloom to “well above average” temperatures for the region over the past week. [National Park Service/Twitter]

Tysons is Key to Region’s Economic Recovery, PenFed CEO Says — “As we look to the coming year, we must support a return to offices, continue to diversify our community and prioritize the recovery of Tysons’s hospitality sector, which has suffered the most during the pandemic. We must continue investing in factors that increase livability, like parks and walking paths, and we must incentivize new retail, new businesses and new residents.” [Washington Business Journal]

Photo by Joanne Liebig

A girl reported that she was harassed and followed by an older man outside the Dunkin Donuts at 314 Maple Avenue West on March 17, the Vienna Police Department says in its round-up of highlights from the week of March 19-25.

According to the report, the incident occurred at 3:15 p.m. when the “female juvenile reported that she was harassed by an older man in the Dunkin Donuts’ parking lot.”

“When the juvenile observed that the man appeared to be waiting for her to exit the store, she requested an employee escort her to her vehicle,” the VPD said. “As the juvenile drove away, the man appeared to follow her for several blocks.”

The report classifies the incident as a “suspicious event.”

This past week also saw Vienna police officers respond to a reported assault at Chick-fil-A (538 Maple Avenue West) at 1:45 p.m. yesterday (Thursday).

The weekly highlights report describes the incident as follows:

An employee reported that a woman parked her vehicle in the drive-thru line, walked into the restaurant, and began acting disorderly. When the employee asked her to leave, she crawled out the drive-thru window, kicking the manager, and throwing food at a customer. The woman got back into her vehicle, drove onto Maple Avenue, parked her car on the roadway, and began trying to climb into a delivery truck that was stopped in traffic. The woman got back into her vehicle and fled the area before officers arrived.

In a particularly oddball occurrence, a resident on the 600 block of Hine Street SE told the VPD at 2:59 p.m. on Tuesday (March 23) “that he had a cannonball that he wanted to dispose of.”

“The resident found the cannonball while gardening in his yard several years ago,” the police report says.

Vienna officers were accompanied by an explosive ordinance disposal team from the Fairfax County Police Department when they responded to the request. The cannonball was handed off to the county team for destruction.

Image via Google Maps