The Fairfax County supervisors representing Tysons and McLean voiced support for a proposed change that would allow residents to access roads with restricted turns during peak-hours.
Currently, a joint program from the transportation departments for Virginia and Fairfax County restricts access to neighborhood roads during peak-hour traffic — including the residents.
Fairfax County has three cut-thru restrictions in place. Four additional ones are at various stages, including:
- Dead Run Drive/Carper Street in McLean
- Electric Avenue/Williams Avenue/Overlook Street in the Tysons area
- Allen Avenue in the Falls Church area
Earlier this year, Virginia General Assembly passed a law allowing local jurisdictions to create a program to issue permits or stickers to residents to make turns into or out of a designated area during certain times of the day when those turns are not allowed.
Now, Fairfax County is considering creating the program with permits.
“Permits would not be available for visitors, caregivers, service providers, non-resident owners, relatives, or other non-residents,” according to a presentation to the Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday).
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has submitted a budget request for fiscal year 2021 to pay for the change.
“We have not received any funding to pay for this,” Henri Stein McCartney, a transportation planner for FCDOT, told the board.
While the supervisors mostly agreed that cut-thru traffic is — as Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay called it — a “bad problem” made worse by navigation software like Waze, they disagreed on whether or not to pursue the proposed change.
Chairman Sharon Bulova said that she is worried about not allowing people who need to get to the homes in the cut-thru area but aren’t residents.
Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross echoed Bulova’s concerns, saying that the program would create an “equity problem.”
“I don’t see anything that is broken here that needs to be fixed,” Gross said.
Gross also said that she does not support the “enormous” cost of the $230,000 software needed for the change.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust argued that residents should have access to the cut-thru areas, saying that the proposed change would allow more people in instead of keep more people out of the areas.
“Not being able to turn into your own neighborhood is what keeps neighborhoods from doing [the cut-thru program],” Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth said. “We need to have some sort of selectivity here.”
Other supervisors, like McKay, voiced indecision on the proposal.
FCDOT now plans to work on a draft ordinance for a Board of Supervisors public hearing.
Photo via Facebook
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The West Falls Church Economic Development Project in the Little City has updated plans, including a new design for the hotel.
The Falls Church City Council held a joint work session with the Planning Commission and Economic Development Authority on Monday (Dec. 9) to review progress and discuss project aesthetics.
A presentation by James Snyder, the city’s director of community planning and economic development services, explored how the new development will look in the community and revealed a variety of building styles and colors to break up block redundancy.
People can expect numerous trees to be included in the final project, rooftop greenery, a grocery store, hotel, a new high school, senior living homes, family housing, shops and pedestrian-friendly walkways in the development, according to the presentation.
It has not been announced which hotel or grocery store will move into the space, but a commissioner said the announcement should be made either in the spring or summer of 2020.
Images and blueprints from the presentation primarily featured grey and white brick buildings with red, light wood and metal accents. Architects and designers said they looked toward New York and D.C. for industrial design ideas.
“The biggest change is the hotel. We heard everybody’s feedback that time that they were not thrilled with the hotel design, so we have started in a new direction,” another representative said.
The plans are expected to remain somewhat consistent throughout the next ideation phases, except for the senior living center, according to Snyder, who added that the Planning Commission is still awaiting development plans from the senior living facility.
“I like the geometric forms and modern architecture,” Planning Commission Chair Russell Wodiska said. “That’s a new look for Falls Church.”
Going forward in January, the next steps will be to work on creating a sense of community in the development, another commissioner said.
This Thursday (Dec. 12), community members are welcome to attend an event at the Town Hall (300 Park Avenue) from 7-9:30 p.m. where they will be able to learn more about the project and share their comments.
Image via City of Falls Church
Mayor Laurie DiRocco announced last night that she will not seek re-election in 2020 in the Town of Vienna.
“After great thought and reflection, I have decided not to seek a fourth term as mayor,” DiRocco said at the Town Council meeting last night (Monday).
A resident of Vienna since 1995, DiRocco was first elected to the Town Council in 2009 and has been mayor since 2014.
“I have served on the council for over a decade and served on town boards and commissions for six years prior to that, so after 17 years of service to the town, I would like to start a new chapter in my life and pursue some other interests,” DiRocco said.
DiRocco said that when she was first appointed to the Transportation Safety Commission for 17 years, she did not plan to run for elected office.
“I never really thought of myself as a politician,” DiRocco said, thanking former Mayor M. Jane Seeman for encouraging her to run for mayor.
DiRocco also thanked volunteers, staffers and supporters in the town.
“I am so grateful to the many citizens who have supported me over the years,” DiRocco said. “I am very humbled by it because many of you are so active and involved yourselves.”
While DiRocco noted that there has been disagreement over commercial redevelopment in the town, she lauded the town’s operations
DiRocco did not elaborate on her plans for after her term ends, but she did say that for her last six months in office she plans to push for a parking structure for Church Street.
“The Town of Vienna is in a very positive state,” DiRocco said.
DiRocco’s term expires on June 30.
The next election for the Town of Vienna is in May 2020.
The Town of Vienna recently bought the property of the late former mayor — and may possibly turn it into a park.
The town was the winning bidder of the Nov. 22 auction hosted by McGuire Group, LLC for the property at 124 Courthouse Road SW for $1,438,500, including a 5% buyer’s fee, according to a press release from the town.
The property was once the home of former Mayor Charles Robinson and former Councilmember Maud Robinson.
“Both of the Robinsons had an outsized impact on the Town of Vienna and contributed an enormous amount of their time, energy, and heart to creating a more personally connected and livable community,” Mayor Laurie DiRocco said.
More from the press release:
Following discussion in a closed session earlier in November, Town Council authorized Town staff to bid on and purchase the property at a cost not to exceed a certain limit. Last night Town Council officially authorized the purchase.
The nearly three-quarters of an acre property includes a single-family house and outbuildings. The property was made available via auction by the executor of Maud Robinson’s will; Robinson passed away March 11 this year at the age of 96. Her husband served as Vienna’s mayor for 24 years, from 1976 until his death in 2000…
The Town tentatively plans to use the property as parkland, but additional uses will be considered as well.
“Maud Robinson was a champion of parks and conservation,” DiRocco said. “The town felt it appropriate to keep her and Charlie’s property ‘in the family’ and to utilize it for the benefit of the entire community.”
Image via Google Maps
Local officials are set to talk about how to improve safety along Shreve Road at a town hall on Thursday.
The event comes several months after a Falls Church resident Betty Ana Bernstein-Zabza died from a hit and run near the intersection of Shreve Road and Hickory Street in August.
Del. Marcus Simon (D-53rd) and the Shreve Road Community Working Group, a coalition of residents and community associations advocating for improvements to the corridor, plan to provide an update “on actions by local officials to improve the notoriously dangerous Shreve Road,” according to an email from the working group’s co-founders.
The town hall is set to start at 6:30 p.m. at the cafeteria in Shrevewood Elementary School (7525 Shreve Road).
First image via Google Maps; flyer via Shreve Road Community Working Group
Fairfax County police arrested a woman from California for allegedly making fraudulent credit card charges at a Marriott in Tysons.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 6) at 8028 Leesburg Pike.
“The victim, who resides in Florida, called the hotel to report that someone was using her credit card and making fraudulent charges at the hotel,” according to the police report.
When officers arrived at the hotel, they were directed to the reserved room and charged a 28-year-old with credit card theft, the report said.
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Tysons Reporter also complied a list of the upcoming holiday events, for those seeking festivities.
Monday (Dec. 9)
- NVTC Tech 100 Party — 6 to 8 p.m. at Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner (1700 Tysons Blvd) — This event invites community members involved with technology to network and enjoy drinks and food. The cost of the event ranges from $195-$235.
Wednesday (Dec. 11)
- Holiday Cooking Party — 7 to 10 p.m. at McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) — Attendees will learn how to create recipes including festive fruits, veggies and desserts. Registration is $80 for the public and $65 for district residents. Participants must be over 18 years old.
Thursday (Dec. 12)
- Tysons Women’s Business Book Club — noon to 1 p.m. at 1751 Pinnacle Drive #600 — This book club invites industry professionals to come network and enjoy a new book. Attendees are encouraged to bring business cards and a lunch or snacks to share. It is not necessary to read the book beforehand.
- Holiday Happy Hour — 4 to 7 p.m. at Whole Foods (1635 Boro Place) — High Point Pub will host a happy hour with live music and drinks from Tory Pratt of Pratt Standard Cocktail Company.
Friday (Dec. 13)
- “The R-Word Film” Screening — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Capital One Bank (1680 Capital One Drive) — The McLean CapAbilities chapter will host this free event to educate the community on the lives of people with disabilities, using key characters in order to shift the conversation and societal views. Lunch will be provided and attendees will hear from the director and people highlighted in the film.
- Vienna Town Council Holiday Reception — 4 to 6 p.m. at Town Hall (127 S. Center Street) — Community members are invited to celebrate the holidays with the Vienna Town Council. This event is free and registration isn’t required.
- Live Nativity Scene — 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1325 Scotts Run Road) — This event will celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus with a nativity — including live animals petting zoo and actors. Cookies and hot cocoa will also be available.
Saturday (Dec. 14)
- “Another Silent Night – The Musical” — 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Columbia Baptist Church, The Sanctuary (103 W. Columbia Street) — This musical invites families to hear about an Army officer who returns from WW1 during the Christmas Season. Childcare for kids ages 5 and under is available with preregistration. Tickets are $5 per person or up to $20 per family.
Photo via Ed Robertson/Unsplash
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) announced today (Monday) that it has poached another one of Arlington’s economic development officials.
Back in July, Fairfax County hired Victor Hoskins, the then-head of the Arlington Economic Development (AED) who helped bring Amazon’s HQ2 to Arlington, to become FCEDA’s president and CEO.
Now, FCEDA is hiring Alex Iams as executive vice president, according to a press release.
Iams served as AED’s interim director after Hoskins left for the Fairfax County position.
“Iams has spent 13 years at AED, including five years as [an] assistant director before being named interim director,” the press release said. “The position is a new one at the FCEDA.”
AED’s bio for Iams says:
Alex Iams has spent the last 16 years working in economic development experience, including the past 12 with Arlington County. He has been the Assistant Director at Arlington Economic Development (AED) since 2014, focusing on efforts to lower the office vacancy rate and diversify the local economy. Before joining the director’s office, Iams worked on the land use and infrastructure finance plans for the redevelopment of Crystal City and the Columbia Pike area.
In addition, he has served in various leadership roles in Arlington County government, including a four-year term on the Arlington County Employee Retirement System Board of Trustees and as Acting Assistant Director of the Department of Environmental Services.
Iams has a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.
Iams is set to begin his new job on Jan. 21.
“The EDA’s talent initiative is unprecedented in this region, and I am excited to have the chance to make a difference in such a large community and one that is emphasizing transit-oriented development,” Iams said in the press release.
Photo via Arlington Economic Development
Updated at 6:45 p.m. — A spokesperson for The Meridian Group, the developer behind The Boro, said that the coffee shop has not signed a lease at the mixed-use development.
An Arlington-based coffee-and-alcohol joint wants to expand into Tysons with a new location.
While the website for East West Coffee and Wine says it is “coming soon” to Tysons, a representative for the cafe told Tysons Reporter that no plans have been finalized for a Tysons location.
The owner opened Central Coffee Bar in Arlington two years ago and then recently rebranded the cafe to “East West Coffee and Wine” to match its other new location in Arlington, ARLnow reported.
The online menu features coffee, espresso, red and white wine and beer.
