The Falls Church City Council re-elected Mayor David Tarter and Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly.
Both were re-elected unanimously at last night’s meeting.
“Falls Church is a great community that we all love but our city is not standing still,” Tarter said, adding that the new high school and infrastructure changes will improve the city. “I am optimistic for the future.”
Tarter was first elected to the Falls Church City Council in July 2012 and has been been the city’s mayor since 2014, according to his city bio.
Connelly was first elected to the council in 2014 and has been the vice mayor since 2016, according to her city bio.
Tarter said that Connelly’s “collaborative approach to solving problems brings out the best in everyone.”
Images via City of Falls Church
Welcome to the first, revamped Morning Notes of 2020! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:
Toll Lane Plan Zooming Ahead — “Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday afternoon that he and Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) plan to approve the next step of the much-debated proposal to add toll lanes to interstates 270 and 495.” [Bethesda Magazine]
General Assembly Convenes Tomorrow — “Already, Democrats submitted more than 260 bills for consideration in the upcoming session… It’s been 20 years since the Democrats have had this kind of control in Richmond, but more realistically, those with the kind of progressive values of the current majorities have never come close to running the show in Richmond before.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Here’s a “Decade Review Story” for Tysons — “The last decade was a period of rapid transformation in Tysons, with the opening of four new Metro stations, the tallest building in the D.C. region and major mixed-use projects like The Boro.” [Bisnow]
FCPS to Close Early Today — “Light snow is expected between noon to 7 p.m. today (Tuesday) in the area. Fairfax County Public Schools will close two hours early today.” [Reston Now]
Snow will be affecting the area today, and will be heavy for a couple of hours this afternoon. Biggest concerns are the timing and intensity of this burst. Find the most likely start time on the graphic. Full details at https://t.co/ZOlvESgJ2H. pic.twitter.com/ih7HuDpN4T
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 7, 2020
You asked, we have answers: One reader asked what happened to House of Fortune in McLean. The restaurant’s Facebook page said that it closed Nov. 3, 2019. An employee said the restaurant closed after the owner became sick.
Sneak Peek: Looking ahead to stories later this week, Tysons Reporter will spotlight local thrift stores and provide more information about an upcoming “toy library.”
Have a great Tuesday and look out for Morning Notes again on Friday, Jan. 10.
Several restaurants recently opened in the Falls Plaza Shopping Center in Falls Church and another one plans to open this week.
Jersey Mike’s new location will open on Wednesday (Jan. 8), according to Phil Duncan, a Falls Church City Councilmember, who said that it will be the first new business to open in the City of Falls Church this year. The hours of operation for the new spot have not been announced yet.
The sandwich chain has more than 2,000 stores across the country, according to its website.
Tasty Dumplings (1112 W. Broad Street) in Falls Church officially opened in November.
The eatery offers customers a choice of either fried or steamed dumplings filled with beef, veggies, chicken or pork. Diners can also try the pork soup dumplings, which Linda Lang, Tasty Dumplings’ co-founder, said are extremely popular.
The eatery is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Plaka Grill (1216 W. Broad Street) relocated to Falls Plaza in December from a previous spot in the city and will continue to serve Greek and Mediterranean fare, according to its website.
Hours of operation are from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, according to Google.
Updated 1/10/20 — The Casual Pint has delayed its opening to later this month.
Earlier: Hungry for more food options around Tysons? Foodies are in luck — several eateries are set to debut this winter.
In Falls Church, The Casual Pint, a chain watering hole, is scheduled to open this month. The owner of the local franchise told Tysons Reporter that he plans to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6410 Arlington Blvd.
Jersey Mike’s is opening a new spot at 1108-A West Broad Street in Falls Plaza on Wednesday (Jan. 8), according to the sandwich chain’s website.
Over in Tysons, North Italia, an Italian restaurant chain, plans to open Feb. 5 at 1651 Boro Place. The restaurant would be the latest of several newcomers to The Boro development — Flower Child and Whole Food’s food hall and bar opened last year. For job seekers, there’s an ongoing job fair at the restaurant.
In the Town of Vienna, a new tavern is revamping a building along Maple Avenue. Bear Branch Tavern is set to open this winter with two bars, a patio, indoor and outdoor fire pits, an oyster bar, frozen drink machines and bike racks at 133 E. Maple Avenue.
While not a restaurant, Black Dog Beer Shop is set to start selling craft beers near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station in February. The owner told Tysons Reporter in December that the new store plans to debut at 2672M Avenir Place in early February.
Photo via The Casual Pint/Facebook
With the new year almost here, the editorial team at Tysons Reporter took a look at the archives to gear up for 2020.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest things that we’ll be keeping an eye on and covering next year.
Spanning the Tysons Area
Fairfax County has approved regulations that limit how many (and how fast) scooters can zip around their areas. The new rules start Jan. 1.
New faces are joining the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board, including Dalia Palchik, who will oversee the Providence District on the Board of Supervisors.
The Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church stations will tentatively be closed between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Meanwhile, the West Falls Church station will stay open with trains running less frequently from the station. At the East Falls Church Station, trains will still pass through the station even though it will be closed to riders.
Tysons
What Happens to the Proposed Valo Park Redesign?
The owners of Valo Park want to open the office complex to the public by adding restaurants, a 9/11 memorial and a bocce court. The plans are tentatively scheduled to go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission on March 25, 2020.
State of Proposed Spring Hill Project
The Fairfax County Planning Commission is set to decide on two mixed-use developments by the Spring Hill Metro station in March. The project would bring more commercial and residential units near Tyco Road.
Construction is aiming to be done on the new Scotts Run Fire and Rescue Station 44 in Tysons East by Dec. 31, 2020. The station is designed to relieve the overburdened Fire Station 29, which currently covers the entire Tysons area.
Dozens of stores and eateries opened in the mixed-use development this year, including Whole Foods and Ethan Allen. For next year, we’ll be keeping an eye on when ShowPlace ICON opens, along with the El Bebe and Open Road eateries.
Tysons Partnership is working with Gensler to rebrand the area to encourage economic growth and is also looking to establish a “sustainable business and funding model” for the nonprofit association.
New Concept From The Owners Behind Tysons Biergarten
Tysons Biergarten is now closed by the Greensboro Metro station, but sometime in the spring, a new concept called The Shipgarten — made of shipping containers — aims to open at Scotts Run. Diners can expect a biergarten with German and Belgium beers, Asian fusion cuisine, barbecue food and a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant.
No More Dropped Calls in the Tysons Metro Tunnel
Metro plans to have cell coverage in the tunnel between the Tysons Corner Center and Greensboro Metro stations by June. The tunnel is one of the last set of areas Metro is working to complete wireless coverage for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon customers.
Merrifield
More Mosaic District Newcomers
Fairfax County permits indicate that Sephora, Drybar, a Connecticut-based eatery called The Granola Bar, Madison Reed and several new food options like Neapolitan pizza chain Pupatella and Urban Hot Pot are coming to the Mosaic District. While opening dates haven’t been announced yet, Tysons Reporter will be following up to find out when people can expect the newcomers.
A pilot program with autonomous shuttles from EasyMile is set to start transporting people from the Mosaic District to the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station in the spring or summer.
City of Falls Church
Solutions for Stormwater Issues
After severe flooding in July, officials in the Little City have been working to fix the damage, while also planning how to prevent future issues. A newly formed taskforce is set to work until July on updating the list of priority projects for stormwater improvements in the Watershed Management Plan.
Whole Foods Expanding NoVa Footprint in Falls Church
Weeks after opening in Tysons, the grocery chain signed a lease in early November to anchor the redevelopment of the corner of E. Broad and N. Washington streets. Tysons Reporter is looking to find out when the store plans to open and what community members think the new store’s impact will be on local businesses.
Progress of Little City Commons Development
Tysons Reporter will continue to provide updates on the construction of the new commercial area in Falls Church known as Litty City Commons.
Town of Vienna
New Tavern Opening Along Maple Avenue
The owners of Bear Branch Tavern said they want to open later this winter, adding a restaurant with two bars, a patio, indoor and outdoor fire pits, an oyster bar, frozen drink machines and bike racks to 133 E. Maple Avenue.
New Zoning Maple Avenue Guidelines
The Vienna Town Council extended the suspension of the Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) Zone to June 2020. Town officials are working to redesign the rules for new development applications for Maple Avenue.
Senior Living Facility Moving Forward?
Sunrise’s proposal to build a senior living facility at 380 Maple Avenue will go before the Vienna Town Council next year.
McLean
The Future of Claude Moore Colonial Farm
The National Park Service is trying to decide what to do with Claude Moore Colonial Farm property. Three different proposed plans were presented to the community in the fall for feedback. NPS is hoping to release a final proposal in spring 2020.
The Fate of Overcrowded McLean High School
Fairfax County wants to shift students from the overcrowded McLean High School to the under-capacity Langley High School. Boundary scope meetings are expected to continue into the spring, followed by a public hearing on the proposal and then a vote, so that the change can impact the 2020-2021 school year.
Tell us in the comments which pf these upcoming things you’re most interested in.
Local Student Heading to London Parade — “Emma [W.], a sophomore and varsity cheerleader from George Mason High School, is one of more than 800 high school cheerleaders from across the U.S. who will be representing Varsity Spirit in the world-famous London New Year’s Day Parade.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Hotel Sold in Falls Church — “The Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park has traded hands for $52.2 million, more than $40 million less than what it sold for nearly a decade ago.” [Washington Business Journal]
How to Get Rid of Holiday Trees — “When you got the tree, what condition it was in at that time and how much it was watered factor into when you should take the tree to the curb. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue recommends getting rid of trees immediately or when they get dry.” [Patch]
FCPS Students Soon Able to Take Day Off to Protest — “Beginning Jan. 27, 2020 students in seventh through 12th grades will be permitted one excused absence each school year to engage in ‘civic engagement activities,’ according to Lucy Caldwell, school spokeswoman for Fairfax County Public Schools.” [WTOP]
Registration Opens Today for Little City Outdoor Classes — “Registration for Recreation & Parks Winter/Spring 2020 classes opens on Monday, December 30 for City of Falls Church residents.” [City of Falls Church/Twitter]
Photo courtesy Bill Johnson
School Start Time Changes in Falls Church — “The Falls Church City Public Schools will begin classes two weeks prior to Labor Day next fall, on Aug. 24, based on a 4-2 vote by the School Board Tuesday night. The new calendar will conclude the school year next spring with graduation on June 2 and the last day of school on June 10.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Where Can You Eat Out This Christmas? — Here are lists of restaurants open for the holidays in McLean and Vienna. [Patch, Patch]
Local Police Fighting Crime at Tysons Malls — “Tysons urban team patrols the shopping centers. Over the past six years they busted organized retail criminals from other states, and even Russia, Romania and China.” [ABC7]
Want to Work at Wolf Trap? — The performing arts center and National Park plans to host three job fairs — one on Sunday (Dec. 29) noon-4 p.m., Saturday (Jan. 4) noon-4 p.m. and Tuesday (Jan. 7) 4-8 p.m. [Potomac Local]
The police departments for the Town of Vienna and City of Falls Church want people to be careful about phone scammers — especially ones pretending to be local police.
Falls Church officials put out a press release in late November warning locals of “a recent phone scam trend that spoofs, or fraudulently displays, actual Falls Church Police Department phone numbers on caller ID.”
“To further convince the recipient that the caller is a representative of the Falls Church Police Department, the scammer impersonates an actual Falls Church Police Department official and advises the victim to look up the phone number where the call is originating from,” the press release said. “The scammer then uses intimidation tactics, such as the threat of arrest, to demand payment of money purportedly owed to the government.”
Vienna police have also been dealing with the same issue.
“It is very strange,” Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, told Tysons Reporter.
Since people are becoming more aware of the IRS phone spoofs, Vazquez said that scammers have realized that those calls aren’t as effective. The fraudulent police calls “are another variation of the same thing,” he said.
Vazquez said he doesn’t know how scammers get the police department numbers to display as the caller ID.
Fishy Phone Calls
A review of the weekly crime highlights from the two police departments found several reported cases of residents receiving calls from people saying they were with the local police department.
In late November, Falls Church police received a report of “unknown suspect(s) purporting to be a retired Falls Church police officer called community members and falsely stated that they had outstanding warrants and demanded money.”
A man came to the Vienna Police Station in September “advising he was on the phone with someone claiming to be a Vienna Police Officer and they were attempting to defraud him of money,” according to a crime report.
“An officer attempted to speak to the caller; however, the caller hung up when the officer identified himself,” the report said. “The phone number the call initiated from was the Vienna Police non-emergency number.”
How to Stay Safe From Scammers
Vazquez advised that if people get a suspicious call claiming to be from the police department, Social Security Administration, IRS or other entity that they ask for the caller’s name, then hang up and call the organization the caller says they’re from to ask to speak to the caller. That way, the person can verify whether or not the person works there.
Falls Church police advise a similar strategy, urging people to call the Falls Church police’s non-emergency number 703-241-5050 (TTY 711) to confirm if the caller is a legitimate official.
“Indicators of scam calls are threats, orders to not hang up and other statements about immediacy,” Falls Church police say. “Never give out personal information — such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, or passwords — in response to unexpected calls if you are at all suspicious.”
Both police departments have said they do not make calls in an attempt to collect money.
“The City of Falls Church Police Department will never call and request payment for fines, traffic tickets, or bail over the phone,” the Falls Church press release said. “All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Police will also never call an individual to threaten arrest or remove an arrest warrant.”
More from Falls Church police:
Caller ID spoofing is a scam that deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise the scammer’s identity as well as appearing as an official organization or entity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
Scammers will oftentimes know the victim’s full name and their extensive background, such as birth date and names of family members.
You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed.
People who receive suspicious calls can file a report about attempted fraud with the Fairfax County Police Department and visit the Federal Communications Commission’s “Caller ID Spoofing” webpage for information on spoofing scams.
Photo via Facebook
The Casual Pint, a chain watering hole, will finally open its doors in Falls Church (6410 Arlington Blvd) just after the new year.
The location’s opening date is set for Thursday (Jan. 9) with a grand opening party and ribbon cutting on Friday (Jan. 17), according to the bar’s owner Darren McClure.
The original opening date was pushed back from December because of a delay in county inspections, according to the company’s Facebook page.
“We decided to wait until after the holidays,” McClure said. “We are excited to get going.”
McClure said he plans to invite Falls Church City Council Members to the ribbon-cutting on Jan. 17.
Free growlers await the first 50 attendees that day and there will be a variety of other prizes up for grabs, he said.
Hours of operation listed on Facebook are Sunday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. On Sundays, from 11 .m. until 12 a.m.
There will be around 34 craft beers on tap, according to McClure, adding that he is in the process of forming agreements with local brewers.
“We want to represent the whole area,” he said.
The location will accommodate around 60 people at one time, McClure said. Both indoor and covered outdoor seating will be available.
Photo via The Casual Pint/Facebook
Nearly two acres of land next to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School could become anything from community gardens to a public park.
Officials have hired a contractor to demolish the property at 604 S. Oak Street, kicking off the process to reclassify the 1.95-acre parcel from “low-density residential” to “parks and open space,” the city said in a press release.
“The land came into play following the passing of its long-time occupant, Betty Fellows, and moves by their heirs to subdivide it with an eye to multiple residential home uses,” the Falls Church News-Press reported.
Per city officials, the land is not on the official registry of historic homes in the city.
In the press release, officials stated that “staff worked with both local and regional organizations to determine ways to deconstruct or salvage any items of value.”
Once the land is cleared, it will be added to the Master Park Planning process, which will begin in the spring of 2020.
The land leaves the city with a plethora of options — it could become either open space, a public park, a new school or a community garden, among other options. Members of the public are invited to become involved and share input.
“Parks, open space, and recreational facilities are critical components of a community’s quality of life and the health of its citizens,” city officials said in a statement. “Parks provide social, environmental, and economic benefits.”
The city is also in the process of updating the nearby Oak Street Bridge after it was damaged from flooding in July.
Image via Google Maps
