The application for a controversial redevelopment on Maple Avenue will be coming back to the Vienna Town Council later this week.
On paper, the rezoning application for 430, 440 and 444 Maple Ave. W. is a simple redevelopment issue, but over the last months the application has ignited questions about how Vienna adapts to a marketplace swiftly leaving it behind.
On Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m., project developer Vienna Development Associates LLC will return to the town hall for a work session to try to convince Vienna the project is right for Maple Avenue.
The site is currently occupied by the Vienna Wolf Trap Hotel, but the developer hopes to convince the Vienna Town Council to approve rezoning of the site to let them build a new four-story mixed use development. The project would have 160 multi-family residential units and 22,000 square feet of retail space.
The project attracted controversy in the community from the start, with 53 residents speaking mostly against the project at a July 9 public hearing on the project. The Vienna Town Council received 99 written comments by the time the comment period closed in August.
Many of these comments expressed concerns about the validity of traffic studies paid for by the developer. The traffic studies showed that the project would not have more of a traffic impact on Maple Avenue than any development not-requiring rezoning approval would have.
But public comments and emails to the council said citizens were still concerned the new development would add to the congestion at an already busy intersection and make traffic worse in close proximity to two nearby schools.
A third-party review initiated by Vienna Town Council staff verified the findings of the initial traffic studies, but Vienna Development Associates LLC deferred its application at the Aug. 20 Town Council meeting to take into account feedback from the council and from public comments.
Now, the developer has said the traffic concerns about the project have been addressed. Along with a series of project changes that the company says will reduce residential traffic by 25 percent, the developer has identified several transportation improvements that it hopes will make the project more palatable, including:
- Extending turn lanes on the nearby Nutley Street and Maple Avenue
- Widening the Maple Avenue exit to allow right and left turn lanes
- Pedestrian and bus stop improvements
- A shuttle running from the site to the Metro
But transportation concerns are only one part of the opposition to the project. For many who oppose the project, the development is too large and out of character for the small-town feel of Vienna.
“If we’re going to have a project there, this one is not ready for primetime,” said Councilmember Howard Springsteen at the August meeting. “I think the developer has done a horrible [public relations] job and has created a firestorm of concerns around town. This is probably one of the most divisive things that has come to this town in 20 years.”
In addition to traffic concerns, Springsteen said he and many Vienna residents were concerned that the building was too large and lacked substantial green space.
“People are upset about this around town,” said Springsteen. “Some are in favor, but the majority are opposed. This project needs to be reworked.”
But for others on the Vienna Town Council there are concerns that pushback on projects like the mixed-use development on Maple Avenue will lead to developers passing Vienna by. While residents are concerned about Vienna losing its unique small town character as more of its neighbors become rapidly urbanized, Maple Avenue is plagued with chronic vacancies.
Nearly every block on Maple Avenue has a vacancy of some kind. Traveling west on Maple Avenue, Vienna starts to look like a ghost town. Some whole blocks, like the former Marco Polo Restaurant at 245 Maple Ave., are completely abandoned and showing signs of overgrowth.
“Maple Avenue is a terrific location, but there are concerns with vacancies and commercial corridor perception,” said Councilmember Carey Sienicki. “Relying on the traditional model of neighborhoods separated from strip malls may no longer be justifiable to meet those needs. It’s important to see the benefits of mixed use options.”
Sienicki said that she believed that the additional height of the building won’t negatively impact the character of the town.
“There has been a citizen insurgency precipitated from what has happened in surrounding jurisdictions,” said Sienicki. “Town must react to those external concerns for Vienna. We are not looking to be like other jurisdictions. We are Vienna.”
Concept renderings via Vienna Development Associates LLC. Hotel photo via Vienna Wolf Trap Hotel.
HQ2 in Fairfax County? — Amid anticipation for Amazon’s announcement as to where it will establish its second headquarters, officials in Fairfax County are not betting the farm on it coming to the county. But even if it goes elsewhere, the local sites identified as a possible HQ2 landing spot stand to benefit from the Amazon attention. [Washington Business Journal]
Tysons People, Projects Awarded — Some Tysons people and projects were award recipients at the annual CREW D.C. awards ceremony last week. Among those honored by the organization, which brings together women in the local commercial real estate industry, were Capital One Mid-Atlantic Market Manager Sadhvi Subramanian and Meridian Group’s massive The Boro project in Tysons. [Bisnow]
Next Week: Open House at Fairfax Fire Stations — “In celebration of Fire Prevention Week, all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Stations will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 13 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Stop by your local station that day to meet your firefighters, see the fire trucks, join in the activities and learn about fire safety.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]
MoMo House, a restaurant serving Nepali cuisine, is coming to Maple Avenue in Vienna.
The new restaurant is located in the former Sweet City Desserts space at 131-A Maple Avenue W. Construction is currently wrapping up and the restaurant is hiring staff, according to signs posted in the papered-over doors and windows.
Reached via phone, MoMo House’s Roju Basnet said it will be a “full-fledged, family-run restaurant,” with a full-time staff that will include her dad, mom and two brothers. Basnet said her dad recently moved to Northern Virginia from Massachusetts and has spent more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, while the rest of the family — including her and her husband, who will be working at the restaurant part-time — have service industry backgrounds.
The family, Basnet said, is originally from Nepal and is fulfilling a longtime dream of opening their own Nepalese restaurant.
MoMo House will feature a variety of Nepali dishes including various types of momos (dumplings), thali (platters) and sekuwa (kebabs), along with street food items like noodle and potato dishes.
Basnet said the Vienna storefront is “a perfect spot for us.”
“We’ve been looking for a perfect space for almost two years now, this has been a long-term plan,” she told Tysons Reporter. “We’ve looked at a ton of space and when we came across this space in Vienna, it was just ideal. It’s right on Maple Avenue, there’s a lot of potential to serve different communities.”
She said the restaurant will serve a “big Nepali community” that lives in the area, but it also expects to serve locals of all stripes.
“Vienna is a beautiful town,” said Basnet. “It’s so open to different ethnic groups and different communities.”
The restaurant is hoping to hold its grand opening on Tuesday, Oct. 16, though it is still working on its final permits and, as with all restaurant openings, the date is subject to change.
The bike infrastructure in Tysons is still in a transitional state, with plenty of opportunities to add to and improve existing bike routes in the area.
One big win for cycling in Tyson was the addition of Capital Bikeshare stations near Metro stations and business hubs in 2016.
There are now nearly a dozen Capital Bikeshare stations around Tysons, up from the original 8. Meanwhile, a pilot program recently added powered e-bikes to the local CaBi fleet.
So where are the current bikeshare stations in Tysons? The system map lists the following 11 stations:
- Towers Crescent Dr & Tysons One Pl
- Tysons One Pl & Chain Bridge Rd
- Tysons Corner Station
- Westpark & Jones Branch Dr
- Greensboro & International Dr
- Greensboro & Pinnacle Dr
- Westpark Dr & Leesburg Pike
- Westpark & Park Run Dr
- Spring Hill Metro
- Tysons West Transit Center
- Jones Branch & Westbranch Dr
Photo via Capital Bikeshare
(Updated at 4:50) –Archontiko is bringing modern Greek dining to McLean.
Restaurant owner Theodoros “Ted” Theodorou said Archontiko, located at 1313 Old Chain Bridge Rd., will feature a variety of modern Greek cuisine beyond the traditional fare. One point of pride for Theodorou is that every few days, the restaurant will receive a new shipment of fish brought fresh from the Mediterranean.
Theodorou is no stranger to opening restaurants in Northern Virginia — he owns Delia’s Pizzeria and Mediterranean Grille in Alexandria and restaurants in Sterling and Springfield — but he says Archontiko is specifically tailored to suit the McLean community.
“We wanted to open here because of the area and the people that live here,” said Theodorou. “The prices are very moderate. We’re not going to charge $40 for fish. It will be what people here will be able to afford.”
Construction is ongoing inside the restaurant. The location had previously been Evo Bistro, also a Mediterranean restaurant. The interior is being completely refurbished and redecorated, the walls adorned with scenes depicting Greek ruins.
Theodorou says the restaurant is aiming for a mid-November opening.
This Saturday (Oct. 6), Vienna will kick off its 11th annual Oktoberfest.
The festival will run from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. along Church St. in Vienna. Admission to the Oktoberfest is free, with a variety of food and alcohol vendors set up along the street.
Beer will be available from the Caboose beer garden, with wine offered at Vienna Vintner. Food will be sold at a German food beer garden and elsewhere.
Three stages will be set up across the Oktoberfest hosting entertainment like live German music and children’s shows.
Leashed dogs are allowed at the Oktoberfest as well, but owners should be aware that the crowds can be large and loud. Average Oktoberfest attendance ranges from 25,000-35,000 people.
There is no festival-specific parking lots. A shuttle will run to the festival from the Vienna Metro station and Madison High School.
Image via Facebook
It’s our second official week of reporting local news for Tysons, McLean and Vienna, and the response so far has exceeded expectations.
Thank you to everyone who has liked, followed and bookmarked us.
Unfortunately, for those who only get our stories via social media, you’re missing out. Algorithms decide what you see on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and oftentimes that means important local stories don’t make it to your feed.
So how can you make sure you’re seeing all Tysons Reporter headlines? Sign up for our email newsletter, which delivers local headlines to your inbox once a day.
Also, if you think you signed up via a form on Facebook, an important note: some 1,400 would-be subscribers are, in fact, not subscribed because a byzantine Facebook policy. If you haven’t gotten the email yet, you are not subscribed and need to re-subscribe.
Capital One Building Among Largest Projects in U.S. — “Capital One Financial’s new Headquarters II addition to its Tysons Corner campus, a 31-story, 971,000-square-foot, 470-foot tall tower at 1600 Capital One Blvd. — the tallest building in the Washington region — ranks as the 4th-largest office building project in the U.S. in 2018.” [WTOP]
Vienna Taco Shop Holding Competition for Charity — “On Thursday, Oct. 4, Taco Bamba will hold its first annual BAMBATHON, a charity drive to fight childhood hunger. Taco Bamba’s four locations will compete to sell the most tacos that day.” [Patch]
Fairfax Co. Wants VDOT to Mow More Often — “Tall grass along the road can make it tough to see whether it is safe to turn and create an eyesore for the community, so Fairfax County is asking the Virginia Department of Transportation to mow more often.” [WTOP]
Bisnow Event in Tysons This Week — Online business publication Bisnow is hosting an event — “Fairfax County Forecast: What Does the Future Hold for the Region’s Booming Market?” — Thursday morning at 1550 Westbranch Drive in Tysons. Tickets are $99. [Bisnow]
To every single person seeing this — thank you for being among the first readers of Tysons Reporter.
In case you just tuned in this week, following our official launch on Tuesday, here are the top 10 articles (in chronological order) you might have missed in the prior weeks.
- Oktoberfest at Tysons Biergarten is running through Oct. 20
- Honeygrow is now open in Tysons
- FCPD investigates racially-charged road rage incident
- Injured and starving dog rescued in Tysons
- Major congestion relief project nears partial opening
- Facebook deleted 1,400 Tysons Reporter email subscribers
- Dramatic rescue via crane from Tysons construction site
- Towers Crescent offers maps and new amenities for bike commuters
- VDOT proposal: improve local traffic by closing Beltway access
- Olive oil store in Tysons mall closes permanently
Also, in case you missed it, we published a trio of article taking a look at the past, present and future of Tysons:
Olympian Eli Bremer, a bronze medalist pentathlete, is coming to Tysons Sport and Health (8250 Greensboro Drive) for a talk.
Tomorrow (Saturday), Bremer will host a discussion on health and athletic performance. Bremer, who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will look at incorporating diet, exercise and nutrition into a healthy routine.
Tickets are $25 apiece and seating is limited. Tickets are available online and will not be sold at the door.
The event runs from 6-8 p.m.
