Plans are in the works for Fairfax street lights to be converted into more energy-efficient LEDs, but it could be five years before LED light touches streets in some parts of the county.
In August, Fairfax County signed an agreement with Dominion Energy to convert its streetlights to LED technology, but Matthew Kaiser, information officer for the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, said the plans are still in a very preliminary stage with no timetable established for which areas will be converted first. Kaiser said the conversion process is expected to be a five year program.
The current street lights are high-pressure sodium, metal halide and mercury vapor. LEDs, electric lights which draw their name from the light-emitting diode, often have a higher installation cost than traditional lights but are longer lasting and more energy efficient.
Under the new agreement, Dominion will charge $130 to convert an existing streetlight, though streetlight fixtures that fail will be converted at no cost. Previously, Dominion charged $12 in electricity distribution for basic LED streetlights based on last year’s utility rates, but under the new agreement maintaining LED light costs would be reduced to $7.
Fairfax County has also begun working on installing LEDs inside County facilities. Over 2,277 LED bulbs have been installed since the program began last July.
Kaiser said Dominion Energy informed the County that the earliest they could begin conversions would be sometime after February 2019. Funding for the conversions has been requested to be included in the FY 2020 budget.
Currently, Dominion installs, owns, operates and maintains most of the 58,000 streetlights in Fairfax County, though who owns the lights after Fairfax contributes to the conversion still remains in discussion.
“We anticipate information/recommendations regarding LED streetlight conversions/installations will be presented at a future Board committee meeting in early 2019,” Kaiser said via email. “Whether the lights remain Dominion owned or convert to some percentage county owned, additional funding would still be required to go to LED.”
Photo via Fairfax County
The United Methodist Women of Andrew Chapel’s annual Christmas Market returns to the Tysons area next weekend.
The market will run Dec. 8 and 9, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. The Christmas Market will be held inside the Andrew Chapel at 1301 Trap Road.
The market will feature handcrafted holiday gifts, jewelry, photography and other items available for purchase. Any and all gifts will be wrapped while you continue to shop.
On Saturday, Santa will be available to take pictures from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Proceeds of the Christmas market will support women and children’s missions.
Photo via Andrew Chapel
Tysons East Aims to Keep ‘Creative Class’ Around — “Lots of people come to the glitzy, suburban Tysons East neighborhood to work, but most of them leave as soon as the workday is over. Tysons wants to change that.” [Greater Greater Washington]
USA Today ‘Firmly Entrenched’ in Tysons — “The company split in 2015, spinning off TEGNA as a separate broadcast television and digital media entity that will soon to move to a new home atop Boro Tower in Tysons Corner. Gannett and USA Today remain firmly entrenched on Jones Branch Drive in the impressive, two-tower campus now known as Valo Park, where the news of the nation and world continues to be filtered through a bustling newsroom.” [FCEDA]
Local Companies Making Acquisitions — Two Tysons-based companies are making notable acquisitions. Global IT services provider Avineon is buying Michigan-based InfoGraphics, Inc. while Capital One is acquiring Wikibuy, a “tech start-up used by millions to price-check while shopping on Amazon.” [Citybizlist, CNBC]
Forum on Anxiety in McLean — “The Safe Community Coalition and McLean High School PTSA will host a screening of the documentary ‘Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety’ on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at the high school.” [InsideNova]
Vienna and Fairfax County Police have arrested two teen boys and charged them with a series of crimes, including setting fire to the Marco Polo restaurant.
One of the teens is a 14-year-old Vienna resident; the other is a 13-year-old Reston resident, according to police.
The boys are being charged with both felony and misdemeanor crimes, including arson. Police say other charges are being filed in relation to a Nov. 4 vandalism of two historic government-owned buildings near Lahey Lost Valley Park, which caused several thousand dollars in damage.
The Oct. 14 fire destroyed most of the Marco Polo building, which had been vacant. There were no injuries. The site is planned to be redeveloped as a retail and townhouse complex.
The teens are also charged with the vandalism of several buses in the rear parking lot of the restaurant on Sept. 9.
The pair is being held in the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center.
Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact Officer Juan Vazquez at [email protected] or 703-255-7845.
Update on 11/30/18 — A Wawa spokeswoman says the company is still looking to open a store in Vienna, but not at the site discussed below.
Wawa is working to open a new store at the busy corner of Maple Ave and Park Street in Vienna, TysonsReporter.com has learned.
The store will replace a shuttered gas station at the corner and an adjacent property that houses two well-liked businesses: a tailor shop and the Arthur Christine salon.
The Vienna Town Council approved the redevelopment of the properties into a new gas station and 2,500 square foot convenience store — the identity of the store operator was not revealed — by a 5-2 vote in May. The development includes 11 parking spaces, wider sidewalks and the placement of utility lines underground, the Sun Gazette reported.
In response to an inquiry from Tysons Reporter, Wawa confirmed that it was working to open a new store at the location, though no opening timeframe has been set.
“We are pursuing this site in Vienna,” said Wawa Public Relations Manager Lori Bruce. “While it’s too soon in the land development phase to confirm a timeline for construction, we can say that we are excited to have the opportunity to bring Wawa to this community.”
Wawa has been expanding across the D.C. area after announcing plans last year to add 30-50 stores in the region. The convenience store chain currently has locations in Sterling, Chantilly and the District.
Mr. Foutah, the owner of the tailor shop that is set to be redeveloped, said his lease expires in June 2019 and he has been told that the building will be torn down.
Foutah, who prefers to only go by his last name, said he has been in the location at 109 Park Street NE for 20 years. He added that he is planning to move to a new storefront somewhere in Vienna.
“I’m optimistic about the move,” he said. “It’s a lot of memories, but the way I think about it is that it’s going to give me a good opportunity to clean up the place.”
Rachel Grante, who co-owns the Arthur Christine salon with her husband, said the business moved out of the 113 Park Street NE location on Oct. 1, after seven years there, and is now temporarily operating out of the nearby Michel Rene salon at 165 Maple Ave E. She called the move “bittersweet,” adding that “it will be interesting how the town adjusts” to the new Wawa store.
Dusan Grante said the couple is looking for a new, permanent location and “trying our best to stay here” in Vienna, though they’re also scouting storefronts in Merrifield and Reston.
Photo via Google Maps
The following article excerpt is from our content sharing partner, FairfaxNews.com.
Church Street wine and book shop Bards Alley has taken home the grand prize in the Vienna Town Business Liaison Committee’s second annual holiday window decorating contest. Winners were announced Monday, November 26, at the Town of Vienna’s 22nd annual Church Street Holiday Stroll.
Bards Alley won Best in Show over 23 other participating businesses for its Polar Express-themed storefront display, and, as the shop’s reward, will take Mayor Laurie DiRocco aboard its staff for one hour to help with holiday sales this season.
Read more at FairfaxNews.com
Photo via Facebook
Tysons Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield and McLean. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Wednesday, Nov. 28
Winterbock Ugly Sweater Tapping Party
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (7861 Tysons Corner Center)
Time: 6-8 p.m.
The Tysons Corner Center restaurant will be tapping into its Winterbock, a German-style beer, at an ugly sweater party. Proceeds of the party and Winterbock sales through December will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Friday, Nov. 30
10th Annual Virginia Women’s Business Conference
Sheraton Tysons Hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
The conference is a one-day event for women in the area to make business connections. The keynote speaker will be Michelle Poler, founder of the Hello Fears social movement. Tickets are $349 for general admission or $499 for the VIP upgrade.
Saturday, Dec. 1
Annual Norwegian Christmas Luncheon/Julefest
Seasons 52 (7863 Tysons Corner Center)
Time: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Norwegian Christmas celebration, hosted by Norwegian heritage group Lakselaget DC, will include live musical guests and a lunch with Norwegian Kransekake for dessert. Tickets are $40 per person.
Pictures with Santa
Tysons West (1500 Cornerside Blvd)
Time: 1-4 p.m.
Selfies with Santa, or a free professional photo, are available at the Tysons West shopping center. Hot chocolate, cookie decorating, and holiday crafts will also be available.
As the days start getting colder, the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library is inviting the public to come find a value-priced used book with which to curl up at home.
Starting on Friday, Nov. 30, the Friends of the Tysons-Pimmet Regional Library will be hosting its quarterly book sale. The sale will run through Sunday.
According to Janella Blanchard, President of the Friends of Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, the book sale will fill one large room of the library and a smaller side room will be set aside exclusively for children’s books. In addition to books, the sale will have used CDs and DVDs for sale.
Throughout most of the weekend sale, non-fiction hardcovers are $3 and paperbacks are $2. Fiction hardcovers are $2 and paperbacks are $1. For mass-market, smaller paperback books they are five for $1.
Timing at the sale can be crucial because while Blanchard said enthusiasts often show up early in the weekend to browse the widest selection of books, on Sunday the sale offers a special discount: $10 for a bag full of books.
“We generally have enough that people come in on Sunday and find lots that they’re happy with,” said Blanchard. “I often hear people [on Sunday] say ‘wow, I’m surprised you still have this.'”
Blanchard said the books sold are all donated to the sale rather than books sold from the library stock. Sale proceeds go towards supporting the library programs since the library itself cannot fundraise. These include ESL programs, children’s programs, a scholarship fund and more.
“We do things for the library like buying materials and paying for programs the library sponsors,” said Blanchard. “We also do things with books that don’t sell, like we donate them to schools or to prisons or homeless shelters. We don’t just throw them away.”
If you’d rather add to the book sale, donations can be placed in the donation bin near the circulation desk during library hours.
Photo via Friends of the Tysons-Pimmit Library
Traveling for Thanksgiving? Not a problem, our weekly top stories rundown can get you caught up quickly on the past week of local news for Tysons, McLean and Vienna.
Below are the most-read stories on the site last week. Note that some of the articles were published prior to last week.
- Apple Eyes Fairfax County As Arlington Lands Amazon
- A Look at Scotts Run, the Tysons Development That Apple Has Its Eye On
- Police Searching for Couple Who Tried to Lure Child into Van
- Local Restaurants That Serve Thanksgiving Dinner
- Grand Opening for Caboose Commons in Merrifield This Weekend
- Tysons Corner Center’s Skating Rink Not Returning This Winter
- McLean Double Murder Suspect Arrives in Fairfax County, Due in Court Tomorrow
- New Book Explores the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Pimmit Hills
You can also check out previous top stories here.
Final Plea to Save Claude Moore Farm — “As the National Park Service’s planned closing of Claude Moore Colonial Farm gets closer, Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm is pleading for the public and lawmakers to take action. The living history farm depicting life in 1771, will close on Dec. 21.” [Patch]
Tysons DMV Office Closing Temporarily — “The Tysons customer-service center of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles will be closed through mid-December for renovation. The facility, located at 1968 Gallows Road, will close on Dec. 1.” [InsideNova]
Blustery Day Today — Expect cold temperatures and high, gusty winds today. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is asking residents to be safe, as a Wind Advisory is in effect until 4 p.m. [Capital Weather Gang, Fairfax County Fire & Rescue, Twitter]
