Falls Church City is acquiring a Virginia Village apartment building on Shirley Street with the goal of preserving the units as market-rate affordable housing.
The City of Falls Church Economic Development Authority unanimously voted on Feb. 17 to enter into a contract to purchase the property at 302 Shirley Street for $925,000.
According to a presentation given to the EDA, there were nine other bidders for the property, which is 2,560 square feet in size and has four one-bedroom apartments. The competition required that the city act quickly to take advantage of the opportunity, Falls Church EDA Chair Robert Young says.
“The EDA has taken a strong position in the last year or such that its members believe that Affordable Housing is key part of economic development, especially in a small city like Falls Church,” Young said in a statement to Tysons Reporter. “This opportunity arose over a weekend and it quickly became clear it would be necessary to move quickly if the city/EDA was to have any chance of acquiring this asset.”
Young is also president of the property developer The Young Group, which he says put the building under contract to give the EDA and Falls Church City “sufficient time to properly consider the purchase.”
The building is currently fully leased, but three out of the four tenant leases are scheduled to terminate on May 31. Once the sale is complete, the existing tenants will be allowed to remain until the end of their leases, and the city will consider options for future property uses with a commitment to maintaining the units as affordable housing.
According to the presentation, the current rents for the one-bedroom apartment units are below 60% of the area median income.
If the sale is completed, this will be the second Virginia Village property owned by the City of Falls Church, since the city already owns the apartment building at 208 Gibson St. near Big Chimneys Park. That building is managed by a property management company for use by a nonprofit, and the rents are around 40% AMI, according to Young.
The city’s plans for the Shirley Street property will be in line with its South Washington Street Small Area Plan, which states that the Virginia Village neighborhood should either be preserved or redeveloped with replacement affordable housing incorporated into the new development.
To cover the purchase and operating costs, the EDA is utilizing $1.3 million in land banking funds, including $100,000 in transferred coronavirus relief funds.
Falls Church’s land banking program allows the city to sell a property to a developer for redevelopment. Previous purchases made through the program include a property in the mixed-use Rushmark development that now contains the West Broad apartments and Harris Teeter.
“Opportunities to acquire property consistent with the EDA’s land banking program are rare,” EDA Vice Chair Brian Williams said. “In this case, the City will be able to preserve affordable housing units in what is an important part of the South Washington Street small area plan. The EDA is pleased to help the City make progress in this area.”
Photo via Google Maps
City of Falls Church community members will soon get an opportunity to share their thoughts on how the city should address the issue of affordable housing.
The League of Women Voters-Falls Church and Citizens for a Better City are co-sponsoring a series of public forums to discuss the state of affordable housing in the city called “Affordable Housing Falls Church: Problems & Prospects.”
The first of three forums will be held on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. A public Zoom link will be posted on the LWV-Falls Church website.
A panel of four longtime Falls Church leaders will be speaking at the forum:
- Former Mayor H. Alan Brangman
- Former Mayor Brian O’Connor
- Former Falls Church Housing Corporation leader Katharine Emmons
- Developer Robert Young, president of The Young Group
The panelists will discuss the efforts that have been made over the last 40 years to address the availability of affordable housing in Falls Church.
The other two forums will focus on current developments and possible options for the future. The dates of those discussions will be released at a later time.
“At this pivotal time, we look forward to engaging with an expert panel to understand past efforts to build affordable housing in the city, as we work toward offering more affordable housing options here,” Allison Brown, the co-president of the League of Women Voters-Falls Church, said.
The need to create more affordable housing has become a priority for Falls Church and other Northern Virginia communities since Amazon announced in 2018 that it would build its second headquarters in Arlington, leading housing prices to rise throughout the region.
The City of Falls Church commissioned and published a study in October 2020 that outlined possible options for creating and sustaining affordable housing. Some of the proposed options include financial incentives for landlords, utilizing Amazon REACH funds to extend affordability, and encouraging the production of accessory homes.
“With a decades-long record of only limited success in affordable housing efforts in our city, and now faced with the added question of more diversity in such housing, a public discussion to promote citizens’ awareness of the need to increase the supply is timely and long overdue,” Citizens for a Better City President Hal Lippman said.

Combatting climate change will be an all-hands-on-deck effort, and at least one private company in Fairfax County has promised to do its part to help.
HITT Contracting, a construction contractor headquartered in Falls Church, announced a commitment on Feb. 11 to become carbon-neutral by 2023. The company pledged to reduce its reliance on carbon after starting to track its emissions in 2018 and learning that its operations generated 19,173 carbon-equivalent metric tons of greenhouse gases.
“Environmental stewardship is at the core of all we do. After tracking and understanding our greenhouse gas emissions, we could not ignore the effect our operations have on the environment,” HITT Director of Sustainability Isaiah Walston said. “By reducing our carbon footprint and moving toward carbon neutrality, we can positively impact our workforce, clients, and society as a whole.”
Walston acknowledged that carbon neutrality is not the same as eliminating all carbon emissions, but says the company sees this as a starting point and is “committed to taking further steps to reduce our emissions in the future.”
HITT’s emissions reduction strategy will involve purchasing primarily U.S.-based carbon offsets in locales where it operates. It has also pledged to focus on making its office and on-site operations efficient and sustainable even as it plans to expand.
The company also says in its press release that it will continue tracking its corporate emissions and present annual feasibility studies on its reduction practices.
“The commitment to becoming carbon neutral is our next major investment in fighting climate change,” HITT CEO Kim Roy said. “Making the world a better place through our work is a core value that aligns with our clients and partners. It’s simply the right thing to do as a good corporate citizen.”
Fairfax County commended HITT’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint, as the county pursues similar green aspirations.
“The Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is pleased to see local business leaders, like HITT, taking steps to address climate change,” OEEC Deputy Director Susan Hafeli said. “The business community has a large role to play in addressing greenhouse gas emissions, and Fairfax County is fortunate to have numerous examples of companies making strides in sustainability planning and action.”
Reducing emissions is especially critical for building operations and construction, which collectively account for 38% of all carbon dioxide emissions globally, according to a United Nations report published in December.
Hafeli says Fairfax County will look to businesses, as well as community organizations and individuals, to help drive emissions down as it develops its first-ever Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP), which will set goals and strategies for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change.
The county is also developing a Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan to address and identify risks and areas of concern in the county that could eventually be impacted by climate change.
Fairfax County will hold two community meetings next week to discuss the CECAP. The first meeting on Feb. 23 will focus on energy issues, while the second on Feb. 25 will center on transportation, waste, and development.

Presidents Day is just around the corner on Monday (Feb. 15), and the federal holiday will bring a few closures of public buildings in the Tysons area.
Fairfax County Government:
- County government offices will be closed on Feb. 15.
Fairfax County Courts:
- The Fairfax Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District courts will be closed all day on Feb. 15.
Town of Vienna
- Town offices and the community center will be closed.
- The holiday will not affect waste collection. Residents scheduled for pick-up on Mondays can place their waste by the curb as normal.
City of Falls Church:
- All city offices and services, including City Hall and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, will be closed. The community center will be closed except for scheduled evening basketball clinics. The city council’s work session has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16.
Public Schools:
- Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed, and there will be no meal distribution services on Presidents’ Day.
County Libraries, Recreation Centers, Parks:
- All Fairfax County library branches will be closed.
- All Fairfax County RECenters will operate at their regular hours.
- Colvin Run Mill and Sully Historic Site will be closed on Feb. 15.
- The E.C. Lawrence, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond, and Huntley Meadows nature centers as well as the Riverbend Park visitor center will be open from noon until 4 p.m. on Feb. 15.
- The McLean Community Center will be closed Feb. 15.
Public Transit:
- Connector buses will operate on a Holiday weekday service plan. Check the link for details on specific routes.
- WMATA Metrorail service will operate from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday, from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. on Sunday, and from 5 a.m.-11 p.m. on Monday.
- WMATA Metrobus will operate on a Saturday service schedule.
County Trash and Recycling:
- There will be no change in the county’s trash and recycling collection, but Fairfax County Public Works and Environmental Services administrative offices will closed.
- The recycling and disposal centers at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be open.
Photo by Lucas Sankey via Unsplash
The Marriott TownePlace Suites Falls Church hotel is under new management as Sonesta Simply Suites Falls Church (205 Hillwood Ave).
The pandemic has hit Fairfax County’s hospitality industry hard, resulting in a huge loss in revenue and widespread lay-offs. But one hotel brand called Sonesta International Hotels has steadily been acquiring hotels during unprecedented drops in travel.
Sonesta acquired the TownePlace Suites in Falls Church and 97 other hotels affiliated with Marriott in October because the hotelier had fallen behind on payments, according to the properties’ owner, Service Properties Trust (SVC).
A Massachusetts-based real estate investment company, SVC says it ended its 26-year relationship with Marriott last fall after attempting and failing to collect $11 million in missed payments from the hotel chain. SVC owns a 34% share of Sonesta.
“We believe that the rebranding of these hotels with Sonesta will benefit SVC as an owner of Sonesta, create greater flexibility in managing these hotels through these challenging market conditions and have a positive impact on this portfolio’s performance in the future,” SVC President and CEO John Murray said in a statement last fall.
The international hotel chain lost 122 hotels, which had collectively generated only $2.6 million in eight months, the press release said.
Sonesta took over the management of 98 of the 122 hotels. The remaining 24 hotels were sold for more than $150 million.
“This is a momentous time for the company, underscoring the continued growth and amplifying the long-term success of Sonesta and its branded hotels,” Sonesta says on its website.
Sonesta has experienced 350% growth in less than six months, and will soon have 300 operating properties across seven brands operating in North and South America, Egypt, and St. Maarten, according to a press release from Sonesta.
The D.C. area saw hotel occupancy rates drop below 50% last year, Visit Fairfax President and CEO Barry Biggar previously told Tysons Reporter. Fairfax County saw $9.1 million in hotel revenue in May 2020, compared to $70 million in May 2018, and that figure did not include related services, such as catering.
Sonesta’s growth comes amid early signs of recovery in the hard-hit hotel industry, including a sudden spike in occupancy rates ahead of the Inauguration last month. Still, travel is not projected to bounce back fully until 2024.

The Falls Church City Council took a notable step earlier this week in its effort to increase affordable housing.
The city council unanimously approved a resolution on Monday (Feb. 8) to reduce some of the voluntary concessions attached the city’s Broad and Washington mixed-use project in exchange for a commitment from the developer Insight Property Group to provide more affordable housing.
“I’m very excited about this project,” City of Falls Church Mayor David Tarter said. “The possibility of having increased affordable housing and raising the bar in that area is one I think is very exciting for our community.”
In its initial voluntary concessions agreement, Insight said that 18 of the 339 residential units planned for Broad and Washington would be available for below market value. Nine studio efficiency units would be at prices affordable for households making 40% of the area median income (AMI), and the remaining nine would be two-bedroom units for households making 60% AMI.
The voluntary concessions agreement also included an option to trade off other cash proffers that were proposed for schools, stormwater funds, and Bikeshare facilities, as well as a concession for libraries and park and recreation.
The newly approved resolution permits city staff to ask for 15 additional affordable studio units at 80% AMI, making 10% of the units in the Broad and Washington project available at some level of affordability below market rate, according to City Manager Wyatt Shields.
“What we’re getting in Broad and Washington is probably the richest mix and largest contributions in [voluntary concessions] across the board,” Councilmember Letty Hardi said. “So, while we can always do better, I do want to make sure people understand that we are getting a lot from this project.”
The resolution reduced Insight’s funding obligations to school capital costs by $2.3 million and to libraries and parks and recreation by $153,000 to allow for the increase in affordable housing.
While the project received unanimous approval, Councilmember David Snyder voiced concern with the manner in which the additional affordable housing was procured.
“My preference had always been that we not rob Peter to pay Paul, that we would add this on and use our leverage with developers,” Snyder said. “I want folks to understand that, yes, I support an increase in affordable dwelling units. This is not at all my preferred or desirable approach to funding them. I think we had other opportunities that were not taken.”
The Falls Church Planning Commission gave its support to the Broad and Washington project on Dec. 2 after a public hearing, but the group encouraged the city council to explore options for adding more affordable housing to the mixed-use development.
The city council voted on Jan. 25 to approve a comprehensive plan amendment, special exception, and the sale of a parking lot on Park Place to pave the way for Insight’s project.
The development plans call for a 56,000-square foot grocery store — likely Whole Foods — on the ground floor and mezzanine levels. At least 6,500 square feet of ground-floor space will be dedicated to other retail, sales, and restaurants, while 5,000 square feet has been set aside for the arts group Creative Cauldron.
A site plan for the development is expected in June, according to Shields.
Image via City of Falls Church
Unofficial Snowfall Totals from Sunday — In Fairfax County, snow accumulation from yesterday’s winter storm ranged from 0.8 inches in Langley to 2.9 inches in Herndon. 2.3 inches were recorded around Wolf Trap, and one inch at Dunn Loring and Falls Church, according to unofficial observations. [National Weather Service]
Fall into Ravine Injures Person in McLean — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to the 9000 block of Old Dominion Drive around 2:15 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 6) when a person fell 12 feet into a ravine. The individual was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. [FCFRD/Twitter]
Falls Church CVS to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine — “The News-Press has confirmed that the CVS Pharmacy at 134 W. Broad Street in downtown Falls Church will function as a distribution site for the Covid-19 vaccine effort.” CVS announced last week that vaccinations will roll out to stores in 11 states, including Virginia, starting this Thursday (Feb. 11). [Falls Church News-Press, CVS Health]
Fairfax County Imagines Tysons “Green Artery” — County officials have envisioned building a pedestrian/bicycle path and adding greenery, public art, and other amenities under the Metro Silver Line tracks through Tysons to make those spaces look more attractive. [Greater Greater Washington]
The Falls Church Use of Force Review Committee is nearly done compiling experiences and reviews of policies and investigations for a report on how police officers and sheriffs utilize force in their work.
The report is slated to go before the Falls Church City Council on Feb. 22 and will address the committee’s findings from pouring over 113 reports of uses of force by local law enforcement, nearly 400 community responses to a survey about experiences with officers, and the department’s policies governing the use of force.
It will also include 10 recommendations, ranging from procedural changes to community engagement.
The committee reviewed the results from the community survey, which drew 393 responses, last night (Wednesday).
“We would have loved to receive comments from every last citizen within the City of Falls Church,” Committee Chair Janis Johnson said during the meeting. “We did not, so we do appreciate those folks who were able to take time out to respond. It does inform the committee’s work and helps us validate some of our recommendations and discussions.”
The most-represented respondents were white women between the ages of 35 and 64, and 111 respondents identified as non-white or withheld their demographic information.
Committee vice chair Brian Creswick said the number of responses was encouraging, and neither the demographic percentages nor the distribution of answers surprised him. Broadly, he said the results of the survey mirror what the committee has found after reviewing policies and use of force reports.
“There was a generally positive view [of law enforcement],” he said. “I think there was a slightly more negative view among minority populations. I don’t want to editorialize whether it was significant or not — the numbers showed a decrease.”
Across the board, more than 96% of respondents said they had not experienced force by the Falls Church Police Department or sheriff’s department. Nearly 90% of respondents reported never seeing law enforcement use force, but among people of color and people who did not specify race — two groups that were combined in the committee’s data breakdown — the share was lower at around 77%.
About 10% of people of color/people who did not specify race said the police or deputies they interacted with displayed poor or very poor levels of professionalism. That was twice as high as when white people were included in the overall rate.
Around 85% of respondents said the police department and sheriff’s office keep the city safe. About 81% of people of color/unspecified race shared that sentiment.
Although nearly 400 people responded, the survey yielded 858 comments, which will be included in the report.
Some comments after the survey indicated feelings toward law enforcement that were not captured by the questionnaire responses. Committee members said the comments indicate some people of color feel targeted by law enforcement and perceive a sense of arrogance among officers.
Public representative Raymond Touomou cautioned against only looking at what the majority said because this group is “overwhelmingly white.”
“One of the best ways is to look at what the minorities think happened to them,” he said. “When I read the results, there were some things that are alarming, and transcend statistical significance…such as kids who report being harassed on their way to and from school.”
Public representative Toni Lewis said the group was intentional about reaching out to minority communities. Although she phoned apartment complexes and churches, she said that “as in many surveys and initiatives, we ran into the problem of engaging the usual suspects.”
“I’ll own that we could have made this better marketed,” she said.
Falls Church established the committee on June 12 after recent deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, fueled calls for action on racial justice issues.
The committee was set to go before the city council in December but requested an extension so it would have enough time to collect data and debrief the results of the city-wide survey with the community.
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Final preparations are underway in the City of Falls Church for a pilot program to replace the city’s street lights with more energy-efficient LED bulbs.
The Falls Church Planning Commission is scheduled to provide feedback on proposed designs for the new street lights during its meeting tonight (Wednesday).
The pilot will proceed the rollout of a city-wide LED street light replacement program “to ensure that any unintended consequences will be mitigated,” according to a staff report that will be presented to the planning commission.
Falls Church initiated plans to convert over 1,000 street lights to LED last summer when the city added a “Streetlights and Sidewalks” program to its Fiscal Year 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). The program stems from a regional partnership with Dominion Energy, which has also committed to converting the street lights that it owns in Fairfax County to LED.
According to Falls Church staff, LED lights last five times longer and consume 75% less energy than the mercury vapor and high pressure sodium fixtures that are currently being used.
An energy savings summary prepared by a consultant indicates that converting street lights to LED will cost $152,639 — an average of $150 per light — but it will save the city $3,793 in monthly energy costs. The city would also reduce its energy usage by 40,270 kilowatts per month and its annual carbon emissions by 393,262 pounds.
“Energy and maintenance cost savings allow for payback periods of as little as four years for a basic fixture, or 12 years for a premium fixture,” Falls Church City Public Works Director Zak Bradley said in a memo. “The lighting can also offer improved visibility for public safety, enhancing walkability and bikeability in the City.”
The pilot program will focus on a small portion of the city designated by staff. Affected residents will receive letters notifying them that they can report any negative impacts resulting from the new LED lights immediately, though the city is not accepting public input on the aesthetics and design of the lights.
The pilot could start as soon as this month and will last one month before Falls Church starts expanding the LED street light conversion to the whole city.
Photo via Google Maps
Winter Weather Advisory in Effect Until 10 A.M. — The D.C. area could experience light freezing rain and ice accumulations up to an inch this morning. Travelers should expect slippery road conditions, slow down, and use caution. [National Weather Service]
Fairfax County Police Chief Retires — Edwin C. Roessler officially retires today after leading the Fairfax County Police Department for eight years. He oversaw key reforms, such as the creation of a civilian review board and the introduction of body-worn cameras, but some officers reported “a disconnect” with department leaders on issues like discipline, compensation, communications and promotions. Deputy County Executive for Public Safety Dave Rohrer is now serving as interim chief as a search for a permanent successor continues. [The Washington Post]
Falls Church Nonprofit Theater Gets Permanent Home — “After a tumultuous six-year journey, Creative Cauldron will have a new home, thanks to the hard work and tenacity of Insight Property Group and the City to bring the best possible project to the Broad and Washington Crossroads.” [Falls Church News-Press]
McLean Art Teacher Finds Success with Zoom Classes — “[Pamela] Saunders, a mom of two who has taught in McLean since 2004, typically teaches classes at Brooksfield School, Chesterbrook Elementary, Franklin Sherman Elementary and Kent Gardens Elementary. But once the pandemic hit, she moved from the classroom to Zoom so students could continue art lessons while staying home.” [Patch]
Photo by Craig Fingar





