An upcoming community garage sale in McLean will offer people the chance to buy or sell unwanted items.
Hosted by the McLean Community Center, the sale offers more than 50 booths and even an area where kids can practice their entrepreneurial and business skills.
If anyone wants to set up a booth, it will cost $45 or $35 for McLean residents. For kids aged 3 t0 15 wanting to set up a booth, there will be a fee of $25 or $15 for McLean residents. The webpage warns that spots are available on a first-come-first-serve basis and interested parties can contact organizers by email.
For those looking to buy or just browse the selection, admission is free.
The event will be held regardless of the weather on Saturday (Sept. 14) from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the intersection of Ingleside Avenue and Beverly Road.
Photo via Freddie Marriage on Unsplash
The wait is over for Mediterranean restaurant Zenola. The restaurant announced on Friday (Sept. 6) that it opened in Vienna.
Zenola had previously pushed its expected opening from the winter to this summer.
“We’ve spent the last year renovating [our] space and creating a warm and inviting dining experience for our guests,” the restaurant said in an email.
Located in the former Maplewood Grill space (132 Branch Road SE) near the Fresh Market, the restaurant serves up Mediterranean cuisine. Diners can find pan-roasted quail, stuffed grape leaves and crab lasagna on the menu.
Founder and Executive Chef Samer Zeitoun was inspired by one small fruit: olives.
“Food is our passion and the olive is our inspiration,” Zenola says on its website, adding:
Olives are a foundational ingredient in each of the five great cuisines of the Mediterranean. Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Moroccan and Spanish cuisines each uniquely pay homage to the olive in their savory offerings. Which is best? We couldn’t decide so we give you the opportunity to determine for yourself by offering exquisite dishes from each…
From childhood, olives and olive oil have been staples of [Zeitoun’s] diet – his “comfort food.” He has spent a culinary career spanning more than 25 years in the pursuit and perfection of Mediterranean cuisine.
Interestingly, his last name literally translated means olive.
The restaurant is open for dinner every day starting at 5 p.m.
Photos via Zenola/Facebook
Local Schools Receive “Common Sense Recognition” — Chesterbrook Elementary School in McLean and Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna are two of the 23 Fairfax County Public Schools recognized for their digital citizenship. [FCPS]
Ramen Chain Coming to The Boro — “A Japanese ramen chain that has 61 shops in 10 countries will make its D.C. area debut this fall, when it’s expected to open a branch in Tysons Corner… [Santouka] is expected open inside a modern, brick-lined space in the new Boro mixed-use development (1636 Boro Place, McLean) by early November.” [DC Eater]
Parking May Arrive Along Maple Avenue — “A consulting firm aiming to squeeze some additional parking in Vienna’s commercial core has come up with a unique option: Turn parts of Maple Avenue into parking strips.” [Inside NoVa]
Capital One Hosting Code Fest — “Girls Computing League, a nonprofit working to empower underrepresented groups in technology, will host its first national code fest InnovateGCL later this month. The Sept. 14 event at the new Capital One headquarters in Tysons Corner, Virginia, will have over 150 students showcase and develop new ideas on the topics of artificial intelligence, health, finance, education and many more.” [WashingtonExec]
Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Falls Church Pawn Shops — “An Arlington man previously convicted of a pair of bank robberies in Alexandria is facing more jail time. Budder Khan, now 29, pleaded guilty today to robbing two pawn shops in Falls Church, federal prosecutors announced. [ARLnow]
USAID Deploys Fairfax County Rescue Team to the Bahamas — “Members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team [were] deployed to the Bahamas as part of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) responding to Hurricane Dorian.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]
Blue, Yellow Line Metro Stations Reopen — “The six Blue and Yellow line stations south of Reagan National Airpor — Braddock Rd, King St-Old Town, Eisenhower Ave, Huntington, Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield — will reopen as scheduled Monday, September 9, with completely rebuilt platforms and several customer improvements.” [Metro]
Falls Church city officials have mixed reactions to a proposal that would allow for more downtown development in exchange for protection of certain properties.
City staffers have identified a lack of park and open space, financial pressures to redevelop historic structures and a need for flood prevention as some of the challenges the city faces it pursues its 2024 vision. To address those issues, staffers want the City Council to consider a new program.
The Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program would let development rights get shifted from one area to another in the city. It consists of three components:
- sending zones: certain areas the community wants to protect
- receiving zones: areas designated as places for additional development
- bank: sells available development rights
City staffers have suggested that existing parks and open space, the floodplain and parcels with historic structures become sending zones, while multiple parcels along Broad and Washington streets become receiving zones.
According to the draft proposal:
A Transfer for Development Rights (TDR) program is one possible tool to preserve and increase green space, protect sensitive areas such as floodplains, and preserve historic structures. TDR can also help to diversify the City’s housing stock by creating a tool to facilitate the provision of missing middle housing which is critical to supporting a growing community.
As for the receiving zone, developers would be able to build townhomes or small condo buildings, based on a variety of factors, according to the proposal.
Currently, the city has a special exception process for mixed-use development. Staff said that they envision TDR complementing the special exception process, by allowing infill development on small sites.
The program received mixed reviews from councilmembers during a work session on Tuesday (Sept. 3).
Councilmember Ross Litkenhous noted that if owners of properties along the floodplain sell off the development rights, they would be selling off the value of the future property — possibly leading to home deterioration.
City staff said that the city would purchase — possibly granting a life estate to the current owners — floodplain properties and then tear down homes on those properties once the residents move out.
Councilmember Dan Snyder requested more information from staff about where similar programs have been implemented, downsides, possible public reaction and cost.
“I want to know what are we going to face if we go forward,” he said. “I’m not negative toward the concept, but I’m trying to get a fuller understanding.”
While Snyder said he wants to be supportive of the proposal, he said he doesn’t think the proposal should be on “a fast track right now.” “Are we simply transferring dense development from one place to another?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, Mayor David Tarter took the strongest stance against the proposal.
“I hate to say this, but I have some serious reservations about this plan and I think it has limited applicability,” Tarter said.
Tarter said that if the program is by-right — meaning it wouldn’t go through the special exception process — “unintended consequences” could result.
Tarter pointed to Arlington County, saying that TDRs have to go through the special exception process and that the county retains control of the receiving and sending sites.
“As it’s proposed tonight, as I understand it, there would be limited supervision of the transfer [by the city],” Tarter said, adding that he’s confused about how the transfers would work.
Tarter added that he does want to see the city find cost-efficient ways to buy up floodplain property.
The proposal heads to the work session for the city’s Economic Development Authority on Oct. 1.
Image via City of Falls Church
The McLean Citizens Association would like a little more space between neighbors on corner lots.
Currently, homes built on corner lots fall under a special set of zoning parameters. While the zoning law says the home must be at least 25 feet from the front and side streets, homes can be built with as little as 12 feet between them and rear lots — though some in the MCA said there are lots with as little as 8 feet of distance.
The result are tiny back yards on homes built at an angle and very little space between the corner lot and their catty-corner neighbor.
In a resolution approved on Wednesday (Sept. 4), MCA calls for Fairfax County to change the regulations so the setback is at least 18 feet if at an angle or 25 feet if set squarely.
“In recent years redevelopers have increasingly been targeting corner lots in order to take advantage of Fairfax County’s unusual corner-lot rear setback requirement… by placing large houses with square footprints squarely onto corner lots, with only a rump ‘rear yard,'” the resolution said.
The resolution noted that the unique corner lot calculations mean homes on street corners can be 25 percent larger than interior lots within the same subdivision. The MCA said recent corner lot permits with inadequate setbacks have resulted in increased stormwater runoff, reduced natural light and reduced privacy.
It’s a problem county staff are aware of and have been making efforts to amend. As part of Fairfax County’s efforts to modernize its zoning regulations — called zMOD — the county has a section specifically about corner lot setbacks:
Corner lots need to provide the minimum front setback adjacent to both streets, but in the referenced districts, the rear setback can take the dimension of the side setback. For instance… a corner lot is required to provide a 35-foot front setback from the lot lines which abut each street, and a 15-foot setback from the lot lines which abut both adjoining lots, in lieu of providing a 25-foot setback from the rear lot line.
The zMOD document notes that in older residential areas experiencing redevelopment, older homes are being replaced with new homes that maximize the lot’s space, “leaving limited usable rear yard area.”
“Staff has received comments about this setback provision, noting that the additional lot width required for a corner lot as compared to an interior lot more than off-sets the additional front setback requirement,” staff said in the document. “The attached draft now requires that a 25-foot rear setback be provided.”
The MCA resolution also includes information about technical changes requested, like adjusting where the “front lot line” is located for the corner lots. But the resolution also encouraged Fairfax County to act more swiftly on the issue than the framework of the zMOD ordinance would indicate.
“County staff are aiming for public hearings in spring or summer of 2020 on the new Zoning Ordinance arising from zMOD, and effectiveness of the new ordinance is expected to follow enactment by an interval of some months,” the resolution said. “The MCA urges Fairfax County to enact and implement such reform by the end of the first quarter of 2020.”
Image via McLean Citizens Association
Tysons may not have the liveliest nightlife at the moment, but that could soon change as more late-night restaurants and places to hang out open. “Tysons After Dark” will highlight a different spot every week.
As mocktails become increasingly popular around the country, diners and happy hour-goers can enjoy alcohol-free cocktails at Tysons-area restaurants.
According to CNBC, fewer Americans are drinking alcohol. In 2018, alcohol consumption fell by 1.6% across the globe. To meet the growing demand for alcohol alternatives, many restaurants are adding mocktails to their menus so they can cater to “sober-curious” customers.
Tysons Reporter compiled a list of local places now offering booze-free adult beverages.
- True Food Kitchen (2910 District Avenue Suite 170): The Mosaic District spot offers a variety of mocktail-type drinks that offer guests refreshing beverages without the ABV. Their drinks range from $4-$7.50 and include mixed teas, fruit juices kombucha, herbal essences and soda waters. For example, the “Original Ginger” — or the “O.G.” — drink includes lime, honey and bubbly water. Another option for guests is the “Hangover RX,” which includes pineapple, orange, honey and coconut water.
- American Tandoor (7943B Tysons Corner Center): Staff at the Tysons Center Corner location on the first level offer guests eight different mocktail options, including flavored sodas and a blackberry or mango lassi.
- Earls Kitchen (7902 Tysons One Place): Located on The Plaza by the mall, Earls Kitchen has six non-alcoholic drinks. One of the first options on the menu is the “Calamansi Caipirinha,” which includes Calamansi, pomegranate, green tea and fresh lime juice. Prices range from $4-5.
- La Sandia (7852 Tysons Corner Center): Diners have a choice of seasonal mocktail or other traditional Mexican non-alcoholic drinks such as Horchata at the Mexican restaurant.
- ENTYSE (1700 Tysons Blvd): The wine bar and lounge at the Ritz-Carlton serves up seasonal mocktails. The menu currently features the “Pretty in Peach” with peach nectar, raspberry, blackberry shrub and lemon; the “Tire Swing” with strawberry, mint, lemon and club soda; and the “Kernel of Truth” with ginger, pomegranate shrub, lime and Himalayan salt. Prices range from $14-$16.
- Founding Farmers (1800 Tysons Blvd): The farmhouse-inspired restaurant offers an alcohol-free drink called “Today’s Rickey” that is made with lime juice, jerk soda and the syrup of the day for $5.50. (The raspberry version is apparently popular.) Diners can also find cold-press juices and sodas made from scratch on the menu.
Photo via True Food Kitchen/Facebook
Shoppers at Tysons Corner Center may want to plan to take the mall’s elevators while several escalators are out of order.
Tysons Reporter walked around the mall yesterday (Thursday) and spotted six escalators closed off.
The most extensive escalator work Tysons Reported spotted was at Macy’s. The department store has multiple escalators closed. Enough escalators are open for shoppers to navigate the store’s multiple levels without needing to take an elevator.
The escalator inside Bloomingdale’s going from the first to second levels is closed, which means that shoppers trying to get up to the second level have to take the store’s elevator.
An employee said that the escalator has been broken for a “long, long time,” but should hopefully be working again soon once a required part comes in to finish the repairs.
Elsewhere in the mall, the escalator on the first level by the food court that goes up to the second level has an “Out of Order” sign.
Next to Victoria’s Secret and the exit on the second level to The Plaza, both escalators connecting the first and second levels are out of order.
Tysons Reporter reached out to the mall to find out how long the escalators have been out and what’s being done to fix them, but has not heard back.
Hat tip to R. Luper
After seven months of work, construction crews finally refurbished the stream that cuts through a nature preserve in McLean.
Scotts Run Tributary is encompassed by the Scotts Run Watershed project.
Improvements to the stream included reducing sediment, improving ground nutrients, stabilizing the banks and improving the overall water quality for 600 feet of stream, Matthew Kaiser, a spokesperson for Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, said.
The project began in late November of 2018 and finished this July and cost Fairfax County $1.5 million, Kaiser said.
“Water quality benefits of the project include removal of 47 pounds of total phosphorus, removal of 238 pounds of total nitrogen, and removal of 15,132 pounds of total suspended solids per year,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust wrote in his September newsletter.
The makeover also added setup pools, a reinforced pipe and stronger material, according to a Fairfax County presentation.
Photo via Fairfax County
Diners can spot Stanley Cup champ Alexander Ovechkin’s signature on a painting of himself at Randy’s Prime Seafood and Steaks in Tysons.
A spokesperson for the restaurant confirmed to Tysons Reporter that the Washington Capitals captain signed the painting.
The painting — one of five paintings in the restaurant by artist Jack Gable — depicts Ovechkin on the ice holding the Stanley Cup triumphantly above his head.
Randy Norton, the CEO of Great American Restaurants and the restaurant’s namesake, previously told Tysons Reporter that the Ovechkin painting “was the easiest one to pick” when he planned the paintings with the artist.
Norton called the Washington Capitals winning the Stanely Cup last year as “such a wonderful event.”
“I can still see the people celebrating in the streets on the streets around the arena,” Norton said.
https://twitter.com/MLB_News247/status/1169318294932705281?s=20
https://twitter.com/CapitalsDist/status/1169330590069510145?s=20
After flooding in early July washed two dumpsters into Pimmit Run, the stream bed is now dumpster-free.
On Wednesday, Tysons Reporter found the two dumpsters — washed up on the bed of Pimmit Run near Old Chesterbrook Road.
Fairfax County officials said the bins that washed up on the stream bed roughly eight weeks ago and belonged to American Disposal Services and Republic Services.
The county alerted the companies about the dumpsters in July, Judy Pedersen, a spokesperson of the Fairfax County Park Authority, told Tysons Reporter.
“Over the past few weeks we have contacted these two companies six times in an effort to get them removed,” Pedersen said.
One Nextdoor user said they reached out weeks ago to Fairfax County Park Authority, DPWES, law enforcement and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust about the dumpsters.
“Admittedly, removing the dumpsters is going to be difficult,” the user wrote. “There’s no easy access for heavy equipment to reach them.”
Both bins were removed today (Sept. 5), according to Nathan Geldner, a spokesperson for Republic Services.
Geldner did not answer Tysons Reporter question about why it took so long to respond to the requests from governmental officials.
American Disposal Services promised to have both bins removed after the county’s Department of Code Compliance pressured the garbage companies to make changes, Matthew Kaiser, the spokesperson for the county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), told Tysons Reporter.
Kaiser said a contractor removed the bins. Tysons Reporter has not been able to confirm which company hired the contractor.
