Fairfax Supervisor Linda Smyth, whose Providence district includes Tysons, announced at a Board of Supervisors meeting earlier today (Tuesday) that she will not be running for reelection.

At the meeting, Smyth said she will be retiring next year.

“It’s truly been a pleasure to work with all of you, but this will be my last term in office. I will retire at the end of next year. But, I suspect this will be a busy year in Providence. We may have a lot of land use to finish up, so I am apologizing in advance for everything that may need to get done next year and asking for your patience with all of it.”

Fellow local officials were quick to share their thanks and congratulations to Smyth.

Congratulations to Supervisor Linda Smyth (Providence District) on announcing her retirement at today’s Board meeting. Thank you for your years of dedication and service to Fairfax County.

— Supervisor Pat Herrity (@PatHerrity) December 4, 2018

Supervisor Smyth has been a valued colleague on the Board of Supervisors. Her meticulous work on land use and transportation issues have resulted in tremendous progress to revitalization & redevelopment areas of the county such as Tysons and Merrifield. https://t.co/fDR1LLrzGQ

— Sharon Bulova (@SharonBulova) December 4, 2018

Smyth was elected in 2003, then reelected in 2007 and 2011. Smyth’s district includes Tysons and Merrifield, both of which have seen substantial development since she was first elected.

Smyth’s announcement is part of a shakeup on the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor John Cook (R) from the Braddock District announced that he would not be running for election again.

The Washington Post reports that Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sharon Bulova (D) and Hunter Mill’s Supervisor Catherine Hudgins (D) are also deciding whether or not to run again. The Hunter Mill district includes Vienna and Reston.

Friday Night Fire in Merrifield — “On Friday, November 30 at approximately 11:59 p.m., units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and the City of Fairfax Fire Department were dispatched for a reported kitchen fire in the 9400 block of Lee Highway in the Merrifield section of Fairfax County.” [FCFR]

More on Bluestone Lane Coffee Shop — “Bluestone Lane plans to break into the Northern Virginia market next year at the Boro development in Tysons Corner in mid-to-late 2019… The global brand from Australia is known for its ‘avocado smash’ toast, cold-pressed juices, custom teas, and other healthy fare.” [Eater]

PSA: Don’t Illegally Park in Accessible Parking Spaces — “With the holiday shopping season underway, finding parking at shopping centers can be harder than tracking down the hottest toy of the year. As a result, shoppers sometimes illegally park in accessible spaces reserved for people with disabilities. Approximately 75,000 county residents have a disability, so it is critical that these parking spaces remain available to them.” [Fairfax County]

Winchester Woman Arrested for Vienna Assault — “Vienna police officers went to Park Terrace Court, S.E., on Nov. 5 at 1:42 a.m. after authorities received a 911 hang-up call. Police located a resident who advised she had been assaulted by her girlfriend.” [InsideNova]

Fairfax Tax Deadline Extended — “Fairfax County Government Offices will be open Wednesday, December 5. However, because Wednesday has been proclaimed as a national day of mourning to honor the passing of former President George H.W. Bush, the due date for 2018 second installment Real Estate tax payments has been extended until December 6.” [Fairfax County]

Fairfax Co. Sales Tax Receipts Rise — “The Virginia state government distributed $15.6 million in sales-tax receipts to the Fairfax County government in October, an increase of 4.3 percent from a year before, according to new figures from the Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget.” [InsideNova]

Local Nonprofit Seeks Holiday Volunteers — “Fairfax-based non-profit Britepaths (formerly Our Daily Bread) is seeking individuals, families, companies and community groups to assist 800 individuals and families in need who reside throughout the Fairfax County area for the December holidays.” [Britepaths]

Taxpayer Groups, County Employees Split on Pension Proposal — “Before deciding on proposed changes to Fairfax County’s pension plans early next month, the Board of Supervisors will have to weigh the potential impact on employee happiness and recruitment versus the public’s ability to pay.” [InsideNova]

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

Long Lines at Local Whole Foods — If you ordered turkey or anything else for Thanksgiving dinner from the Whole Foods Market in Idylwood Plaza, expect long lines this morning. [Instagram]

County Offices Closed for Holiday — Fairfax County Government offices will be closed Thursday and Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, the Fairfax Connector will be running on a modified holiday schedule both days. [Fairfax County, Fairfax County]

Turkey Frying Safety Tips — “Using a turkey fryer this year to cook your Thanksgiving dinner? Please make sure you fry the turkey and NOT your home!” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

‘Political Transformation’ in Fairfax Co. — “A group of younger candidates is gathering in the wings, frustrated by crowded classrooms, traffic congestion and the rising cost of living in the county of 1.1 million — Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction and its undisputed economic engine.” [Washington Post, Erika Yalowitz]

Holiday Stroll Planned in Vienna — “The 22nd annual Church Street Holiday Stroll is slated for Monday, Nov. 26 along historic Church Street in Vienna. Santa is expected to glide into the area on a 1946 fire truck at 6:15 p.m., then help Mayor Laurie DiRocco light the holiday tree at 6:20 p.m.” [InsideNova]

Big New Development for West End of Falls Church — “The development team of EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency Centers was chosen by the Falls Church City Council Monday night to orchestrate a dense and diverse $500 million development of 10.3 acres of City-owned land where its George Mason High School currently sits,” near the West Falls Church Metro station. [Falls Church News-Press]

Anyone who has visited Republik Coffee (7915 Jones Branch Dr) might have noticed that the building it’s located in is “Highgate at the Mile.” But what exactly is The Mile?

The Mile is a proposed development aimed at transforming 39 acres of office park east of Tysons Galleria into 13 mixed-use buildings. The Mile development would include residential, retail, office, hotel and storage locations.

The Mile is set to be a mixture of high-rise and mid-rise residential and commercial structures, with the ground floor reserved for retail uses. According to the application:

The goal is a transformation of the existing suburban office park into a vibrant mixed-use community interwoven with parks, open spaces, and public gathering areas. The proposal will replace the existing mid-rise office buildings and substantial surface parking typical of an older suburban office park and help transform Tysons Corner into the urban environment envisioned by the County.

The first of the new developments proposed, simply referred to as Building A in the application, would be a seven-story residential building with 280-425 units. Building A would be located just west of Highgate.

The development application for Building A also includes the first stage of a series of street improvements planned for the new development to improve connectivity between the potential development sites.

Plans for the development were submitted late last year but, according to the Fairfax County website, no Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors hearings have been scheduled.

New Alcohol Policy for Fairfax Parks — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has updated its policy on the use of alcoholic beverages in county parks, allowing for expanded alcohol consumption under specific conditions… [this] comes in response to an increasing number of requests for alcohol use at park facilities for gatherings and events of all types.” [Fairfax County]

GOP Going Extinct in Fairfax — “The loss of two-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (D-10) means Republicans are down to one lone elected official in Northern Virginia, Del. Tim Hugo (R-40). The blue wave that started last year unseating Republicans like Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67) and Del. Bob Marshall (R-13) continued this year, when state Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-10) was able to flip a seat that had been in Republican hands since… 1980.” [Connection Newspapers, NPR]

Nov. is Adoption Awareness Month — Fairfax County is marking Adoption Awareness Month this month. There are currently 196 children in foster care in the county. [Fairfax County]

Mike Tyson Still Dominates ‘Tysons’ Headlines — Although he’s been retired from professional boxing since 2006, Mike Tyson still pops up almost daily for anyone who has set a Google Alert for news about “Tysons.” [Twitter]

County: Be Careful During Dark Commutes — “As night falls earlier now, please take it easy on the roads. Pedestrians: watch for drivers. Drivers: watch for pedestrians.” [Twitter, Fairfax County]

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is looking to expand its Falls Church headquarters.

A zoning application filed with the Department of Planning and Zoning in September says the new facility could potentially bring 300 to 500 uniformed personnel and civilian contractors to Fairfax County.

The application proposes to add a 179,200 square foot office building to the site, near the well-known 2941 restaurant, as well as a 948-space parking deck. This is in addition to the 670,000 square foot building already at 7700 Arlington Blvd.

DHA is the government agency that oversees health care to active duty and retired U.S. military personnel and their families. Included under the DHA is Tricare, which provides health benefits to 9.4 million people.

DHA moved into the site in 2012 after the building’s former occupant, Raytheon, moved out to consolidate its operations. The proposal cites the property’s proximity to Washington, D.C. and the Pentagon as the main reasons for the facility expansion.

The application says the new building on the site will include pedestrian amenities, like an open plaza area with tree cover and cafe tables. While most of the site expansion falls within existing zoning requirements, the new DHA offices will require additional screening and landscaping.

The area adjacent to DHA headquarters is currently under review by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to be turned into a new urban center like the nearby Mosaic District.

Halloween is just over a week away and across the area little ghouls and goblins are preparing for their annual candy-gathering bonanza.

But if you’re new to the area, you might not know when the witching hour is in Fairfax County. So if you live in McLean, Vienna, Tysons or elsewhere in the county, when should the kids go out?

The general answer is that trick-or-treating starts just before sundown on Halloween itself. So this year, expect trick-or-treaters on local roads starting around 5:30-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Typically, the costumed crowds dissipate by 8 or 9 p.m.

Fairfax County does not designate an official day or time for trick-or-treating, and some private communities may have different rules.

“Some communities, cities and counties designate a day other than Oct. 31 for trick-or-treating. Fairfax County Government does NOT set a different date,” the county notes on its Halloween web page. “Your homeowners association or apartment complex may set times for events, but neighborhood trick-or-treating is generally the evening of Oct. 31.”

The county also has a number of Halloween safety guidelines for residents, below.

If your children are preparing to go trick-or-treating, take these safety precautions:

• Make sure all costumes are flame retardant. Most commercial costumes are made of flame-retardant material and you should ask your fabric shop for flame-retardant material if you make your own costume.
• Make sure your children can see and be seen. Expand the eye holes in commercial masks to improve peripheral vision. Add reflective tape to costumes to make them more visible to motorists.
• Ensure that each trick-or-treater has a working flashlight.
• Tell the children to remove their masks and look both ways before they cross a street.
• Never let a group of children trick-or-treat alone. Adult supervision is a safety “must” during Halloween.
• Tell kids to stay away from candles and jack-o’-lanterns that may be on steps and porches. Their costumes could catch fire if they get too close.
• Kids should never carry candles when they are trick-or-treating. Always use a flashlight, flameless candle, or light stick.
• Tell kids to let you know right away if they see other kids playing with matches or lighters.

Fairfax County is looking to turn the forests around the Beltway-Arlington Boulevard interchange into Merrifield’s newest urban center.

The Merrifield Suburban Center Task Force meets for the first time tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 7 p.m. in the Inova Conference Center at 3225 Gallows Road. The group is tasked with developing recommendations for the land surrounding the interchange on three sides.

At the July 31 meeting, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors initiated a process to review land use for 203 acres of land in the vicinity. Mixed-use office, hotel, and residential are all being considered as potential choices for development.

The portion of the site to the northeast of the interchange is Fairview Park North, a parcel of land mostly wooded except for a Northrop Grumman headquarters and a few other office buildings.

Fairview Park South, across Arlington Boulevard, is the smallest parcel of land and is mostly unused land north of the Falls Church Marriott. The southwest parcel is a wooded area surrounding the Inova Center for Personalized Health, which will remain on site.

At tomorrow’s meeting, the Task Force is scheduled to review the existing conditions of the site. Transportation issues is the topic for a subsequent meeting scheduled for Nov. 13. A full schedule meetings is available online.

The group is expected to deliver a final recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on April 23, 2019.

Photos via Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning