A Maryland man arrested in Tysons last week may be behind multiple burglaries in the Tysons and Reston areas, police say.
Officers encountered the man on Oct. 13 inside a building in the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive in Tysons after they were called there for a commercial burglary around 6:30 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department reported yesterday (Thursday).
“[The man] was found in possession of burglarious tools, including screwdrivers, and a collection of stolen property,” police said.
The FCPD didn’t detail what kind of property had been stolen or the business that was targeted. Located northeast of The Boro, the 8200 block of Greensboro Drive is filled with office buildings.
Detectives have found “physical and video evidence” connecting the man to “a series of burglaries spanning across the Reston and McLean” police districts, according to the FCPD.
“Detectives are reaching out to the community, urging residents to come forward if they can identify [the man] or recall seeing him inside any other businesses,” the police department said.
The FCPD advises anyone with information to contact its detectives with the McLean station at 703-893-0886 or the Reston station at 703-478-0904. The department also accepts anonymous tips through Crime Solvers, which can be reached by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477) or online.
Court records indicate that the man is facing charges for the Oct. 13 incident as well as offenses on May 19 and Oct. 3. The charges include misdemeanor petit larcenies, along with possession of burglary tools and breaking and entering to commit burglary, which are felonies.
The man has been released from custody on a $1,000 bond, according to police. He’s scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 16, per Fairfax County General District Court records.
Homebuilder Arrested for Defrauding N. Va. Families — “Fairfax County Police confirmed to WUSA9, Craig Tadlock with T&S Homebuilders was arrested Thursday morning after several Northern Virginia families came forward alleging the homebuilder took their money and failed to successfully build their new homes, claims which the builder denies.” [WUSA9]
School Board Member Harassed While Campaigning — “Fairfax County School Board member Ricardy Anderson (Mason) says she was verbally assaulted while campaigning for re-election…Anderson had just pulled into a townhouse community on Meeting House Road in Lincolnia with plans to canvass voters when a large man approached her on the sidewalk and started screaming at her.” [Annandale Today]
Inova Adds Health Clinics in Mount Vernon — The Inova Cares Clinic for Families (ICCF) and Inova Juniper Program (IJP) celebrated their grand openings Wednesday (Oct. 18) at the Mount Vernon Professional Center. ICCF offers primary care to Medicaid recipients, people who are uninsured and other underserved patients, while IJP is “Northern Virginia’s largest provider of HIV/AIDS care.” [On the MoVe]
Daily Mexico City Flights Coming to Dulles — “Mexico’s return to the highest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety level is likely to aid the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s efforts to lure additional traffic to and from the U.S.’s neighbor to its south…Aeromexico has announced plans to bring daily service from Mexico City to Washington Dulles International Airport starting next year.” [Gazette Leader]
Man Robbed in Dunn Loring After Visiting Casino — “An adult man was followed home from a Maryland casino when he was approached at gunpoint and robbed in Fairfax County. Police responded to the area of 8100 block of Timber Valley Court for the report of an armed robbery 10:30 p.m. According to police, the suspect assaulted the victim and then stole his money.” [FOX5]
Longtime Reston Dancer to Retire — “Gin Dance Company (GDC)…stands at a bittersweet crossroads as it announces the forthcoming retirement of its Artistic Director, Shu-Chen Cuff, from the stage. After an illustrious career spanning 27 years as a professional dancer, Shu-Chen Cuff will gracefully take her final bow in GDC’s mesmerizing production ‘Insight’ on November 11, 2023, at Capital One Hall.” [DC Theater Arts]
Fire Department Promotes New Deputy Chief — “Fire Chief John Butler is pleased to announce the promotion of Battalion Chief Brian Edmonston to Deputy Chief with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, effective November 4, 2023. He will be assigned to the Fire and Rescue Training Academy.” [FCFRD]
N. Va. General Assembly Elections to Watch — “With so many districts falling into either solidly-blue Democratic or reliably-red Republican territory, there are only a handful of tossup seats…that could end up deciding which party controls the General Assembly. In Northern Virginia, analysts and observers are closely watching districts in outlying Loudoun and Prince Williams counties, as well as Stafford County.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — Expect showers later in the afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 69. For Friday night, there is a possibility of showers and thunderstorms, a mostly cloudy sky, and a low around 51. The chance of precipitation is 50%. [Weather.gov]
A teen has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in a crash on Route 50 near the Mosby neighborhood in West Falls Church.
Police and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at Annandale Road shortly before 8:30 p.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
“It looks like there’s a 13-year-old patient that’s unconscious. They are breathing,” a dispatcher told police at 8:28 p.m.
The teen was a pedestrian and has been transported to a hospital, the Fairfax County Police Department said. It’s unclear what vehicle was involved, but police said the driver stayed at the scene.
Eastbound Route 50 has been closed, and police are advising community members to avoid the area.
Officers are on scene of a crash involving a pedestrian at Rt. 50 and Annandale Rd in West Falls Church. The pedestrian, a juvenile teen, was transported in life threatening condition. Driver stayed on scene. EB Rt. 50 is closed, please avoid the area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/GGdbhmpB5a
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 20, 2023
Map via Google Maps
Fairfax County’s efforts to establish more regulations for data centers are heating up.
With the industry continuing to grow in Northern Virginia, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) presented guidelines on issues like noise, water and air quality, energy demand and aesthetics to the Board of Supervisors’ land use policy committee on Tuesday (Oct. 17).
Currently, the county allows data centers by right — meaning they only need administrative approvals instead of going through a public hearing process — in industrial districts, along with medium or high-intensity office districts and some special planned districts.
The zoning code that got re-adopted in May prohibited data centers in residential districts and added size, cooling, ventilating and equipment enclosures requirements.
Deputy Zoning Administrator Carmen Bishop said the county could consider establishing a maximum size that “would be allowed by right.” Larger sizes could be allowed with special exception approval.
“Now, of course, another option could be to require special exception approval for all data centers regardless of size,” Bishop said. “Other locational considerations could include setbacks, screening, additional screening requirements and other performance criteria.”
Data centers require generators, which can be noisy, according to county staff. To mitigate the noise impacts, Bishop said the county could consider requiring noise modeling, expanding existing equipment enclosure requirements and establishing standards for emergency generator usage and testing.
To protect water quality standards, the county could require monitoring before discharging to the wastewater system.
“If the monitoring indicates a need for pretreatment, then that could be required to be provided on-site,” Bishop said.
The DPD also proposed adding safety features for diesel handling and spill containment.
As for aesthetics, county staff suggested adding standards for facade differentiation, defined entrance features and screening.
Katie Hermann, the DPD’s environmental policy branch chief, said there could be added guidelines dictating LEED certification for data centers.
She said the county could also consider a salt management plan for exteriors spaces, maximizing tree preservation, and where applicable, establishing conservation easements or dedications to the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Loudoun County is the leading place in the country for data centers, with more than 100 projects, according to county staff. Fairfax County currently has at least 12 data centers, with five more in the pipeline and a controversial project in Chantilly nearing approval.
Research found that the demand for data centers is expected to double from 2022 to 2030.
Next Thursday (Oct. 26), the DPD will meet with the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s land use process Review Committee. Then, the department will put together a final report to submit to the board by December.
“We envision the board potentially directing staff to prepare proposed amendments to the comprehensive plan and or the zoning ordinance and those amendments would go through their own process, including public hearings before the Planning Commission and the board,” Hermann said.
Photo via Jordan Harrison/Unsplash
The Fairfax County Park Authority is celebrating spooky season with a bat-focused festival next weekend.
The 2023 Bat Festival is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 29, from 3-6 p.m. at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (1551 Trap Road).
Fairfax County is home to eight different species of bats, with big brown bats and Eastern red bats as the most commonly seen, according to the county’s wildlife management department.
“Come celebrate the captivating world of bats, learn about the vital role they play in our ecosystem, understand the threats they face and what you can do to protect them,” Fairfax County said in a release.
A pair of experts will be on hand to help “unveil the mysteries” behind the creature and talk about the challenges they face.
“Enjoy interactive activities for all ages and join our optional costume contest,” the event website said.
The educational tables and costume contest are scheduled for 3 p.m., followed by bat expert presentations at 4 p.m. and a bat listening demonstration at 5:30 p.m.
Guests are encouraged to bring picnic blankets, chairs, food and beverages. Registration is free online.
Photo via Clément Falize/Unsplash
Construction is about to ramp up on Dominion Energy’s undergrounding of a power line near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
The project will require an extended closure of the entire Vesper Trail from Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) to Vesper Street at Higdon Drive, starting Nov. 1, the utility company recently told residents in the area.
Expected to last until February 2024, the closure is needed so crews can work within the trail path, Dominion Energy said, noting that signs alerting users to the closure will be placed at the trail.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work in your neighborhood,” Dominion said in a postcard sent to residents. “We are committed to completing this work safely and expeditiously to minimize disruptions to the Vesper Trail and your community.”
Preliminary construction activities on the Spring Hill project began this spring, necessitating a roughly five-day trail closure in late April as crews installed a manhole.
To increase the capacity of its power grid as Tysons continues to grow, Dominion is moving part of an existing, overhead electric transmission line underground. The 230-kilovolt line will run a half-mile from a Tyco Road substation to a transition pole near a new substation around the Vesper Trail’s midpoint.
Construction on the new, 75-foot-tall substation will begin after crews finish undergrounding the power line. The overall project is currently on track to be complete and in service by the end of 2025, according to Dominion spokesperson Peggy Fox.
Dominion says the project will “generally” serve its customers south of Leesburg Pike and outside of the Capital Beltway (I-495).
Graphic via Dominion Energy
County VolunteerFest Returns This Saturday — “Hundreds of area residents will be out and about ‘doing good’ on Saturday, October 21, 2023, as part of VolunteerFest, a county-wide day of service. VolunteerFest is held every year in the fall and encourages anyone interested in volunteerism to get out and make a connection with a local organization.” [Volunteer Fairfax]
D.C. Area Economy Stagnating, GMU Researcher Says — “Issues that have been haunting the Washington region for years — slower economic growth, a high cost of living and regional outmigration — are solidifying into a concerning new normal. That’s the conclusion of Terry Clower, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis,” who pointed to a declining federal workforce as one factor. [Washington Business Journal]
House of Kabobs Opens in Annandale — “Moby Dick House of Kabob opened Oct. 15 at 7042 Little River Turnpike…The Annandale location is the first Moby Dick with a mini market, says manager Maria Hernandez. It’s stocked with take-home items, such as bottles of a homemade yogurt drink called doogh, nuts, dates, toasted sunflower seeds, bottles of tahini dressing, and saffron ice cream.” [Annandale Today]
Winter Lantern Festival Coming Back to Tysons — “The Winter Lantern Festival is heading again to Tysons, Virginia, this season….The luminescent fixtures will light up Lerner Town Square in Tysons from November 24 through February 18, 2024, with tickets available to purchase starting October 25.” [Washingtonian]
Local Urban Legend Featured in New TV Series — “Those who have grown up around parts of Fairfax County have heard some version of the Bunny Man story, stemming from reported sightings around Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland. The urban legend is revisited in an episode of horror legend John Carpenter’s new ‘Suburban Screams’ series.” [Patch]
County Awards Buildings for “Exceptional Design” — “This year’s James M. Scott Exceptional Design Awards recipients are being recognized for their commitment to design excellence that enhances the experience for people visiting each site.” The 2023 honorees are private residences in Lake Barcroft and the Dranesville area, Capital One Hall in Tysons and The Residence at Colvin Run, a senior living facility in Great Falls. [Fairfax County Government]
Mount Vernon Police Station Sends Community Alerts — “The Mount Vernon District Police Station has begun making updates available to community members through the Fairfax Alerts system…The alert program would be piloted by Mount Vernon Police District and, if successful, potentially be expanded throughout the entire department.” [On the MoVe]
Painted Benches to be Auctioned Off in Vienna — “The Vienna Arts Society (VAS) will cap its ‘Take a Seat Vienna Returns’ fund-raising initiative with a celebration and auction of painted benches Nov. 11 at the Vienna Community Center…VAS invites local residents to attend the celebration whether or not they plan to bid on benches.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Thursday — Expect partly sunny skies with highs around 69 degrees and south winds ranging from 6 to 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. At night, it will be cloudy with lows near 55 degrees accompanied by south winds blowing at 7 to 9 mph. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County is ramping up its efforts to help homeowners’ associations and other resident groups bring electric vehicle chargers to their communities.
The county’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is now accepting applications for the second phase of its Charge Up Fairfax pilot program, which provides technical and financial assistance to organizations looking to add charging stations in common areas.
“County staff and consultants will work with a new cohort of five common-interest (e.g. HOA) communities,” OEEC acting director John Morrill said in an Oct. 11 memo to the Board of Supervisors. “This second phase of the pilot will build upon initial participant feedback and lessons learned to bring more informed assistance to additional communities.”
The application window will be open through Nov. 12. In the memo, which was delivered to the board’s transportation committee yesterday (Tuesday), Morrill said his office hopes to launch the program at full scale next spring.
As the county pushes to expand Charge Up Fairfax, the HOAs selected for the pilot’s first phase in March are still working to get EV chargers into the ground.
Chosen out of nine applicants, including one that later withdrew from the process, the five communities were:
- Penderbrook Community Association
- Hidden Creek Homeowners Association near Burke
- Three Reston neighborhoods — Harpers Square Cluster Association, Nantucket at Reston and the Inlet Cluster Association
Prior to the pilot’s launch, Reston Association had anticipated starting installations as early as July, but as of September, none of the five participating groups have selected a contractor yet, Morrill said in the memo. Four are now discussing quotes from contractors with their boards.
“There are no further updates beyond what is documented in the memo,” OEEC spokesperson John Silcox said when asked if any progress has been made in the past month.
Though Charge Up Fairfax hasn’t resulted in any new EV chargers yet, the pilot has helped the county and HOAs learn more about the process and obstacles that residential neighborhoods face when trying to add that infrastructure.
The two top challenges that the HOAs have encountered so far are the cost of installing chargers and the limited availability of guest parking, since the stations have to be accessible to all residents and guests, Silcox told FFXnow.
Townhouse communities will soon be required to provide visitor parking in common areas after the Board of Supervisors approved new parking regulations last month that will take effect on Jan. 1.
The county is paying up to $10,000 for engineering site visits and feasibility assessments by its consultant, Vybe Energy, for each of the communities, which can also get grants to cover up to one-third, or $5,000, of their installation-related costs reimbursed. HOAs in highly vulnerable areas can get up to $10,000 reimbursed.
However, one of the HOAs has been “reexamining whether to move forward with community charging stations” or have residents install stations individually in their assigned spaces, the OEEC said. Another group is still determining how many stations it will install, and a third has put its project on hold after it had to shift funding to address “more pressing repair needs.”
In addition, two communities are working with county staff to potentially create more parking spaces that could be used for their EV chargers, according to the memo.
Despite those challenges, the OEEC says interest in Charge Up Fairfax has been strong, with 63 participants joining a Sept. 14 webinar and “dozens of individuals” signing up to receive updates.
When fully launched, the program is expected to support 15 communities annually. The county allocated $625,000 in its current fiscal year 2024 budget that will fund approximately two years of Charge Up Fairfax.
“Participants have also indicated that the program materials and the feasibility memo have been helpful with their decision-making and next steps,” Silcox said. “OEEC will continue to work closely with the pilot communities to learn what adjustments should be made to the program before it is launched more broadly in spring 2024.”
Any future buildings constructed in the heart of Vienna will get a little more vertical wiggle room under the town’s impending new zoning code.
Slated for adoption right on schedule at the town council’s meeting next Monday (Oct. 23), the first comprehensive rewrite of Vienna’s land use regulations since 1969 will introduce a few new uses and simplify the zones and districts that guide development.
Among the more potentially noteworthy changes will be an increase in the maximum height for buildings in the newly named Avenue Center (AC) and Gateway South (GS) districts, which can be found, respectively, along Maple Avenue between Lawyers Road and Glyndon Street, and at the corner of Park Street and Cedar Lane (essentially just the Cedar Park Shopping Center).
Under the updated code, buildings in those districts could be up to 42 feet tall, up from the current limit of 35 feet. However, any part within 95 feet of a residential property would be required to drop back down to 35 feet.
As noted by town staff in a summary of the code changes, the height increases are proposed “in very specific locations,” but they address a top focus of the zoning overhaul, which was initiated in 2020 partly in response to resident concerns about the size of developments on Maple Avenue.
In place from October 2014 to June 2020, the controversial Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zoning ordinance sought to revitalize Vienna’s central corridor by giving developers more height and density in exchange for needed amenities.
The incentives drew developers, but the resulting projects — including the Chick-fil-A/Flagship Carwash, the recently opened Sunrise Senior Living, the Vienna Market townhomes and the not-yet-built Wolf Trap Hotel redevelopment — became so hotly contested that the town put the ordinance on hold in 2018 before repealing it two years later.
It remains to be seen whether the zoning code overhaul, known as Code Create, will produce similar reactions.
In addition to reorganizing the code to be easier to navigate, the 331-page draft consolidates the town’s jumble of zoning classifications by creating a single zone for all multi-family attached residences and grouping commercial areas into districts based on “geographic integrity and common development patterns.”
“By doing so, the Town will be able to recalibrate more frequently, as needed and desired, to adjust for evolving conditions within a particular geographic area,” town staff said.
Other notable changes include:
- A “step down” in height from 45 feet to 38 feet for commercial Mill Street buildings within 30 feet of a residential property
- Townhouses can now have three full stories, not just 2.5 as previously allowed, though the height limit of 35 feet is unchanged
- Open space requirements for multi-unit residential developments, in place of a 25% cap on lot coverage that has been waived for every approved project in the past decade
- More standardized — and, in some cases, bigger — setbacks for commercial properties
- Newly defined uses for cottage housing, community gardens, cultural facilities or museums, adult day support centers, animal care facilities with boarding, brewpubs, continuing care facilities, shared kitchens, specialized instruction, composting drop-off facilities and craft beverage production establishments
- More detailed lighting regulations
- More relaxed, simplified sign standards, including allowing hanging signs in all commercial areas
- The first-ever bicycle parking regulations
Additional revisions will likely come even after the code is adopted, particularly with parking regulations left mostly untouched pending a supply-and-demand study.
At an Oct. 2 meeting, when the town council voted unanimously to advertise Oct. 23 as the date when they intend to adopt the new code, some members suggested they may want to revisit the definition and standards for “adult” businesses.
Prohibited from being next to a residential property or within 1,000 feet of a school, church, child care center or another adult business, adult businesses are defined in the draft as establishments that primarily sell products or provide services related to “specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas.”
A previous draft also included any establishment that presents “such materials” and “limits its customers to persons over 18 years of age,” a definition that the town’s Code Create consultant ZoneCo worried would be too broad.
“We just have to be careful not to be a whole bunch of businesses in an ‘adult business’ category that don’t belong there just because they’re targeted at adults, because ‘adult business’ has a very particular meaning,” Vienna Planning Director David Levy said.
Councilmember Ed Somers proposed that tobacco stores should be regulated as adult businesses, but Levy said staff would have to review state laws to see if that’s allowed.
Vienna currently doesn’t have any clubs or other businesses that would be classified as an adult business, according to Levy.
“The names, I’m glad we don’t have them in Vienna,” Councilmember Ray Brill said after referring to a list of such businesses in Fairfax County. “But if we do, I hope we’re strong enough to revisit this.”
Local shoppers looking to put the finishing touches on their Barbie Halloween costumes are in luck.
The Barbie truck is rolling back into Tysons Corner Center later this month, this time featuring a “Dreamhouse Living” theme to celebrate 60 years since the doll moved into her first residence, according to Mattel lore.
Unfortunately for all the Kens out there, the Barbie Dreamhouse truck won’t have a competing Mojo Dojo Casa House truck in tow, but the mobile shop will have plenty of exclusive clothes, mugs and other merchandise to sell when it stops at the mall’s Plaza on Oct. 28.
Inspired by “a day in [the] life of Barbie in her Dreamhouse,” per a press release, offerings will include:
- Graphic T-shirt
- Hoodie
- Denim jacket
- Baseball cap
- Throw blanket
- Tote
- Embroidered patch set
- Necklace
- Keychain
- Pouch set
- Coasters
- Glass tumbler
- Glass mug
- Accessories cup
- Thermal bottle
Prices range from $12 to $75, with purchases of $40 or more netting a free gift. The truck will be parked near Shake Shack from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This will be the Barbie truck’s third time stopping in Tysons, following visits by the original “Totally Throwback” tour truck in 2020 and the Barbie Malibu truck in April 2022.
“There has always been such an amazing response from Barbie fans in the D.C. area,” Barbie Truck spokesperson Hannie Peng said.
The Dreamhouse truck launched this July at the 2023 National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention in Orlando, Florida, which unfolded over four days just before Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” premiered. While the truck isn’t directly tied into that $1-billion-grossing movie, it has received such a positive response that a second truck was added for the West Coast, according to Peng.
After visiting Tysons, the East Coast truck will advance to Richmond on Nov. 4 and Virginia Beach on Nov. 11. The two trucks will continue touring the U.S. into 2024.
