Locals want more eco-friendly guidelines as Fairfax County looks ahead to the next 10 to 20 years.
Roughly four dozen attendees showed up to the meeting at Marshall High School last night (Wednesday) to provide feedback on the county’s preliminary strategies.
After brief presentations by County Executive Bryan Hill and James Patterson, the manager of the countywide strategic planning process, attendees were able to choose three out of the nine areas they wanted to learn more about by talking to team members.
Attendees were given copies of the preliminary strategies — 166 in total — and asked to provide feedback to the teams.
The county is especially interested in these nine areas:
- cultural and recreational opportunities
- economic opportunity
- education and lifelong learning
- effective and efficient government
- health and environment
- housing and neighborhood livability
- mobility and transportation
- safety and security
- self-sufficiency for people with vulnerabilities
The nine areas have five shared themes: affordability, equity, sustainability, innovation and collaboration, Patterson said.
Many of the people told the various teams that they support environmentally-friendly strategies, urging the staffers to strengthen or add language that would reduce pollution and waste. “I feel like the environment is critical,” one attendee said.
Locals talking to the “Health and Environment” team pushed for replanting of older instead of younger trees and stronger recycling rules.
People also suggested mandating that businesses recycle, adding urban gardens to schools and reducing food waste. Several attendees expressed frustration about unclear recycling rules and suggested that Fairfax County use stickers and more communication to clarify its glass recycling rules.
“We’re a wealthy county,” one person said. “Give us a glass recycling bin.”
While attendees seemed to come to a consensus that they want stronger protections in place to protect the environment, not everyone agreed on the specifics. In response to a suggested plastic ban, an attendee pointed out that plastic bans can hurt low-income families.
Over at the “Mobility and Transportation” station, people pushed for more frequent bus transit, suggesting different size buses — like double-deckers and buses of various lengths — to accommodate more riders.
Brent Riddle, a transportation planner for Fairfax County, said that the staffers are exploring different ways to add more cross-county transportation, like adding buses between Annadale and the Mosaic District and creating bus-only lanes.
“Public transit is more oriented as a feeder system into D.C,” Riddle said about current transit options.
Overall, attendees said that it’s better to incentivize group travel than disadvantage single-occupancy vehicles — possibly hurting lower-income communities in the process.
Some of the strategies that attendees showed strong support for include:
- Increase the walkable access (within half-mile or 10-mile walk countywide) to parks, facilty entrances or trailheads to connect people to nature and receational experiences, prioritizing implementation in areas with disparate health outcomes and other equity measures.
- Prioritize and incentivize the use of high-occupany vs. single-occupant vehicles; this includes transit buses, vanpools and carpools.
- Shift the design of selected roadways away from a sole focus on automobile traffic to a multi-modal focus by incorporating sidewalks, bike lanes and high-occupancy vehicle and bus lanes and rail lines.
The meeting last night was the last of six recent meetings to seek community input. Currently, county staffers are working to develop and refine strategies before finalizing the draft by the end of the year, Patterson said. Early next year, the draft will get publicized and adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
The county plans to use the input to identify priority areas and success metrics for the county-wide strategic plan.
People can still submit feedback on the preliminary strategies through an online survey that is available in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Urdu and Vietnamese.
Locals can learn about Turkish coffee at the Tysons Corner Center tomorrow (Sept. 26).
The Turkish Coffee Lady will host a pop-up truck event from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Plaza (1961 Chain Bridge Road) to share Turkish culture, educate the public on travel opportunities to Turkey and allow visitors to sample Turkish delicacies like specialized coffee, a press release said.
At the event, guests can not only taste-test samples but also watch a micro-art demonstration from Hasan Kale and also participate in a workshop led by a gastronomy author.
The truck is stopping by Tysons on part of a month-long non-profit tour around New York, New Jersey, Maryland and D.C.
Gizem Salcigil White is the owner of Turkish Coffee Lady and the director of the cultural initiative.
“Turkish coffee is the world’s first coffee brewing method invented by Turks in the 16th century, and it is recognized by UNESCO’s World Heritage List as a cultural inheritance that was passed on from generation to generation,” White said in the press release.
The project is sponsored by several companies and partners including the American Turkish Association of DC and the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
“The coffee truck will also participate in the 17th Annual Washington DC Turkish Festival organized by American Turkish Association of DC this Sunday and conclude the tour at ‘Study Abroad & Global Citizenship Influencer Summit’ in early October hosted by Hostelling International USA,” the press release said.
Photos via Turkish Coffee Lady
(Updated at 9:40 a.m.) Two apartment buildings are now open in The Boro development in Tysons.
The Rise and Bolden buildings in Meridian Group’s 1.7 million-square-foot development opened last weekend, according to tweets.
“The Boro offers the perfect blend of a spacious, airy, and accessible living environment with an urban, amenity-rich retail district designed to connect people to everything around them,” Tom Boylan, the senior vice president of The Meridian Group, said in a press release.
Both apartment buildings (8305 Greensboro Drive and 1660 Silver Hill Drive) started leasing in the spring.
The 32-stories-tall Rise has more than 400 apartments, while Bolden, which sits atop the upcoming Whole Foods Market, offers 133 residences.
Both Rise and Bolden include a fitness center, yoga studio, club room with entertainment kitchens, indoor bike room and pool with a lounging area. They share an elevated outdoor sky park with a theater, bar area, fire pits and lounges.
Architectural firm Shalom Baranes Associates designed both of the buildings. Rise’s interior was designed by Perkins Eastman, while the Bolden’s was done by RD Jones + Associates.
The apartments include washers, dryers, dishwashers and walk-in closets.
The least expensive apartment listed in the online brochure is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom in Bolden starting at $2,098. The most expensive one listed is a two-bedroom, 2.5 bath apartment with a den in Rise for $5,488. Some of the rents are not listed and require inquiry.
“The opening of Rise and Bolden at The Boro marks a significant milestone in the transformation of this Tysons’ community into a walkable urban place, or ‘Walk-UP,'” Boylan said.
The new Scotts Run Fire and Rescue Station 44 in Tysons East officially broke ground today (Wednesday).
The new fire station in the Tysons East neighborhood is meant to relieve the overburdened Fire Station 29 by the Spring Hill Metro station. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue tweeted earlier today (Wednesday) that the groundbreaking was set to take place at 10 a.m.
Construction of the fire station was part of a proffer for Cityline Partners LLC’s mixed-use development called Scotts Run Station South.
Herndon-based TRINITY Group Construction is building the new station, which was designed by Samaha Associates. It will be located at 1766 Old Meadow Lane — near future adjacent athletic fields.
The two-story fire station will have three bays, offices, living quarters for up to 12 crew members per shift and restrooms that people using the Scotts Run Station South athletic field can use.
The parking lot for the fire station will have 22 spots for staff members and four public parking spaces.
Fairfax County planners want the building to achieve LEED certification, according to TRINITY.
The fire station is set to be completed by the end of next year.
Ground breaking for future home of Fire Station 44, Scotts Run happening at 10 a.m. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/y7qfsMckTr
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) September 25, 2019
Images via TRINITY Group Construction
Come help us celebrate the first year since founding Tysons Reporter at Tysons Biergarten next week.
The first 50 guests will enjoy a drink on us next Thursday (Oct. 3).
You will have the chance to meet the editorial and business teams that work behind the scenes to bring all of the local news to you each day.
Find us on the patio between 5-7 p.m. Kids and dogs are welcome.
Check out the Facebook event to RSVP and stay updated on the latest birthday bash news.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved yesterday (Tuesday) plans to urbanize a Merrifield office park engulfed by I-495, Lee Hwy and Route 50.
The changes to the Merrifield Suburban Center will turn Fairview Park into a mixed-use development with more office space, multi-family homes, a hotel, retail and recreational uses.
Additionally, the changes urge developers to include affordable housing dwelling units or workforce dwelling units, along with senior living and student housing options.
The changes to the plan will also alter an area catty-corner to Fairview Park near the Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Fairview Park currently has offices — including the four-story-tall HIIT Contracting building — by a lake and residential communities. A tributary of Holmes Run runs along the southern edge of the area. Northrop Grumman Federal Credit Union and the 2941 restaurant are nearby.
“The justification for the nomination states that the existing single-use office park model that was successful in the 1980s is no longer competitive with mixed-use work environments that provide retail and service amenities, as well as the opportunity to live near work,” according to a staff report.
Elizabeth Baker, a senior land use planner for Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, previously told the Planning Commission that only three of the eight previously planned office buildings have been built for Fairview Park, which had a 29% office vacancy rate last year.
Baker told the supervisors last night that Fairview Park’s offices were the “gold standard” in the 1980s. While the office park has been well maintained, she said that retaining tenants has been a struggle.
Charlie Hall, a Falls Church resident who chaired the task force that helped to evaluate the proposed changes, told the supervisors that the new vision “closely align with the task force’s recommendations.”
“Every major dispute has been resolved,” Hall said. “This is exactly what [the taskforce] wanted to come out of this.”
Hall urged the board to make an immediate commitment to improving the public sector in the nearby area to keep pace with the increased number of people from the upcoming urbanization, echoing concerns from residents worried about worsening traffic and housing congestion, along with added strain on overcrowded schools.
Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth said that it’s important to make sure that Merrifield — the center of Fairfax County — does not become a “congestion center” that will hurt not only locals, but also people traveling through that area.
The board approved the proposal, along with five follow-on motions from the Planning Commission, which include:
- conducting a multi-modal transportation study
- conducting a study of the connectivity barriers created by I-495
- working with property owners to reduce single-occupancy car trips
- working with Fairfax County Public Schools staff to determine school capacity needs
- developing a funding plan for transportation projects recommended in the Merrifield Suburban Center Comprehensive Plan
“Merrifield has been a success and the idea here was to keep the success going,” Smith said.
Image via Fairfax County, map via Google Maps
The Town of Vienna has now received the funding it needs for a $2 million stream restoration project.
The Board of Supervisors approved giving a little more than $1 million for the project to the town at its meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
“The project will restore approximately 1,900 linear feet of [the] stream on Bear Branch Tributary, providing nutrient reduction and improved water quality in the Accotink Creek watershed,” according to county documents.
Earlier this year, the Town of Vienna received a grant from the Department of Environmental Quality that will cover roughly half of the design and construction costs.
About half of the Bear Branch Tributary, which is apart of the Accotink Creek watershed, is located in the Town of Vienna.
The Accotink Creek Watershed Management Plan rates the Bear Branch Tributary’s condition as “very poor” and calls for a series of restoration projects, starting with retrofitting the stream channel on the upstream side of I-66 at Southside Park.
“The channel is over-widened with moderate to severe erosion along the stream banks,” according to the plan. “Restoration would include reducing the channel dimensions, raising the bed elevation and installing grade controls.”
After work is done on that portion, the plan calls for work on the stream from Hunter Road to Route 50 to stabilize the stormwater outfall structures and regrading eroded stream banks.
“Partnering with the town on this project will save the county the time and administrative costs that would be incurred if the county were to implement the project under its stormwater program,” according to county documents.
Image via Google Maps
Comic fans rejoice — today is National Comic Book Day. Tysons Reporter has rounded up some places to check out to buy comic books.
The concept of comic books originated in the U.S. around 1933, according to the National Day calendar. “Famous Funnies” was a reprint of popular newspaper comics and sold as the first comic book. It embodied storytelling devices associated with comic books seen today.
Several local shops keep the comic book spirit alive in the Tysons area.
At the local chain’s Vienna location (426 E. Maple Avenue), the store offers visitors a large variety of comic book options including print editions, online comics and even a comic-book based podcast. Today, the store is open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. The shop also has locations in Mayland and D.C., though hours vary.
Though more of a bookshop, the store does offer customers a comic and graphic novel section. People can browse over 100 pages of options on the bookstore’s website. The store also offers a selection at their physical location (2200 N. Westmoreland Street) near the East Falls Church Metro station. Hours of operation today are 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Victory Comics claims to have one of the most comprehensive inventories in the D.C. area, according to its website. Located in Falls Church at 586 S. Washington Street, the store sells new comics, sports cards, paperbacks and a variety of other items. The store is also looking to buy comics. Hours of operation today are 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Hole in the Wall Books also used to sell comics in Falls Church until it closed in August.
Photo via Big Planet Comics/Facebook
As scrutiny continues of public building and road names tied to the Confederacy, the Fairfax County School Board is looking to revamp its renaming guidelines for schools.
A proposal under consideration by the school board would allow the school board to rename schools to “reflect an inclusive, respectful learning environment as outlined in our adopted One Fairfax Policy.”
Two local elementary schools are named after individuals with Confederate ties — Haycock Elementary School (6616 Haycock Road) in McLean and Shrevewood Elementary School (7525 Shreve Road) in the Falls Church area, according to the school board.
They are a part of six FCPS schools and one facility owned by the City of Fairfax School Board that have names with Confederate ties.
The school board has been discussing the issue over the past year, Reston Now reported, adding that school board members recently said that “Confederate values are ones that do not align with our community.”
The school board is scheduled to vote on a proposal this Thursday (Sept. 26).
If the proposal is approved, it is unclear how soon the schools and facility might undergo name changes.
Two Vienna residents looking to simplify the way people buy and sell event tickets decided to start their own company.
Newly created TicketFam is an online platform that controls ticket distribution for events. Though still in the early startup phase of the company, co-founders and friends Ashik Banjade and Arian Shahbazi said that their main goal is to disrupt how people buy and sell tickets now.
The James Madison University graduates met while in college a few years back and launched their company eight months ago. Though they both have full-time jobs as IT consultants, they said they work on their company during their spare time.
“We’ll work with anyone — vendors, artists or stadiums,” Banjade told Tysons Reporter, adding that users can register on the platform and create an event page.
The platform functions by working with event organizers to create a seating or ticketing arrangement, promote events and special offers, analyze the target audience for the event for marketing purposes and allow attendees to purchase tickets from sellers, according to the company’s website.
Currently, the co-founders work with a production company run by Shahbazi’s family called Arian Productions.
On TicketFam’s website, tickets are only available for the upcoming act 25Band, which the production company booked. But the founders said they will be adding more ticket opportunities this week, including an event on Halloween.
Event attendees will be given a QR code upon checkout, the co-founders said.
“All of our payment processes are managed via Payment Card Industry-certified third parties, ensuring the checkout process is secure and regulated,” Banjade said. In the future, the co-founders also want to accept cryptocurrency, PayPal and other forms of payment for tickets.
Soon, TicketFam will unveil a new user interface and features, including a rewards system and game, which Banjade and Shahbazi declined to provide more details on.
Within the next five years, the young entrepreneurs said they hope to catch the attention of competitors and maneuver into a position of power to challenge the status quo and become a main player in the ticket sales industry.
When it comes to costs for artists and event organizers, they do not have a set cost, Banjade said. Instead, they are competitive and will match the price of any competitor until they establish themselves in the ticket sales industry.
“As young entrepreneurs, you’ve just gotta keep trying,” Banjade said.
Photo courtesy TicketFam
