Falls Church and Vienna residents are concerned that proposed changes to urbanize Fairview Park will worsen traffic and put on a strain on overcrowded schools.

Fairfax County is currently considering altering the Merrifield Suburban Center to turn an office park engulfed by I-495, Lee Hwy and Route 50 into a mixed-use development with more office space, multi-family homes, a hotel, retail and recreational uses.

Fairview Park is currently home to offices — including the four-story-tall HIIT Contracting building — and residential communities by a lake.

County staff said in a report that mixed-use developments are more attractive to employees than single-use office parks. Additionally, the plan amendment would encourage developers to include affordable housing dwelling units or workforce dwelling units, along with senior living and student housing options.

Elizabeth Baker, a senior land use planner for Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, told the Planning Commission that the fact that three of the eight previously planned office buildings have been built points to office parks being out an outdated concept. The offices at Fairview Park had a 29% vacancy rate last year, she said.

At the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s public hearing last night (Wednesday), residents urged the commissioners to scale back the number of housing units proposed for the area and speed up pedestrian and biking improvements, like a pedestrian bridge over Route 50 (Arlington Blvd).

While several residents who testified said they don’t want to see a new building along the man-made peninsula, county staff said that they have language in the plan amendment that would discourage that. If a developer decided to build there, they would be prevented from creating a mixed-use development.

Charlie Hall, who was on the task force that helped evaluate the proposed changes, told the commissioners that schools, park and transportation in the area “are under strain.”

While Hall noted that the Planning Commission is probably eager to repeat the “spectacular” Mosaic District, they are “in danger of choking on its success.”

Hall — and several other people — pointed to New Providence and Yancey drives at Fairview Park Drive as a “unique situation” that would require road work to make it safer — especially if thousands of more people eventually come to the area.

The plan currently proposes up to 1,060 dwelling units. Several of the residents who testified said that they prefer scaling back the number of units to 840.

Hall said that he thinks 840 housing units are “economically viable and will create an attractive community.”

Baker, the land use planner, argued that the extra units could help the housing shortage in the area. “We really do feel the need for the 1,060 [units],” she said.

Several residents also raised concerns about the anticipated 119 students the changes could add to the area, saying that nearby schools — like Falls Church High School — are over capacity.

Magaret Irish, representing the homeowners’ association for Carr at New Providence, said that plan amendment would be “the end of quiet evenings in our neighborhood,” in addition to threatening wildlife and trees in the area.

“When does more become enough?” she asked the commissioners. “We need less traffic. We need better infrastructure… We need schools, not wide roads.”

Kevin Warhurst, a McLean resident and member of the Greater Merrifield Business Association said that — while he is sympathetic to residents’ concerns — the changes “will allow [Fairview Park] to grow and thrive.”

“Having a mixed-use is important,” he said.

Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, the commissioner for the Providence District, asked the commission to delay the vote on the plan amendment until next Thursday (Sept. 19) to give the Planning Commission time to review the public comments.

The proposal is set to head to the Board of Supervisors for a hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Images via Fairfax County 

The City of Falls Church will host their annual festival this coming Saturday (Sept. 14).

This year’s 44th annual festival will feature a Biergarten, local food vendors, pony rides, live entertainment, amusement rides and booths from businesses. The event will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. outside City Hall (223 Little Falls Street).

Admission to the event is free, but attendees can purchase tickets for food and drink from more than 15 vendors, along with tickets for the rides.

Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy live entertainment. Noland the Magician will perform a live magic show for onlookers featuring puppets at 10 a.m. Sudden M Pac Band, an R&B soul band, will perform at 12:15 p.m.

The Biergarten will be open from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. While everyone is welcome to hang out in the space, anyone wishing to purchase or consume alcohol must be 21 or older. There will be beers on tap from Audacious Aleworks and assorted cocktails with liquor from Falls Church Distillers.

For kids, there will be a crafting tent in Cherry Hill Park.

Photo via the City of Falls Church

City of Falls Church police arrested a man for allegedly setting a marked sheriff’s vehicle on fire outside City Hall.

Falls Church police and the Arlington County Fire Department responded to a call for a vehicle fire around 6 a.m. yesterday (Monday).

“The fire was extinguished without injuries or damage to city buildings,” according to a Falls Church press release. The cruiser was totaled in the blaze, police said.

Police charged a 23-year-old man for arson near the scene of the fire. Police said “any additional charges are pending.”

The incident prompted an investigation by the Fire Marshall.

At a City Council meeting last night, City Manager Wyatt Shields said that “it was very startling… for employees who were coming to work this morning, they came by this burnt vehicle.”

While the police investigation is ongoing, Shields said, “We do not think there was any real rationale behind this arson. I think it was a random event.”

Shields said that the loss of the vehicle is covered by insurance.

A park in the City of Falls Church will now honor the city’s oldest business and the family behind it.

Located in the 100 block of W. Broad Street, “the park has generally been known as a downtown plaza, but is now a popular gathering place in the heart of the City in need of a name to identify it for publicity and place-making,” according to city documents.

The Falls Church City Council unanimously voted to name the park “Mr. Brown’s Park” to honor Brown’s Hardware (100 W. Broad Street)and the three generations of Browns that go back to 1883.

A survey of locals showed “overwhelming community support to reference Brown’s Hardware,” according to city documents.

“This park was first created in the 1960s and was significantly renovated this year using funds provided by the Economic Development Authority (EDA),” according to city documents. “The park is currently being used for events such as live music, yoga lessons, and children’s entertainers.”

Jim Snyder, the city’s economic development director, told the council that the park, which was built in 1966, is well used and needs restoration.

Synder also said that the park might get a mural on the wall. “It’s been painted, so we have a blank canvas,” he said.

In response to Councilmember Dan Sze’s question about funding for signage and a gateway to the park, Snyder said that signage will cost about $10,000.

A grand reopening of the park to celebrate the new name will take place on Monday, Sept. 30.

“I think it’s a great name,” Sze said.

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (Sept. 12)

• Mayor at Your Service — 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall (127 S. Center Street) — Susan Shaw from the Virginia Department of Transportation along will join Town of Vienna Mayor Laurie DiRocco to discuss the I-66 expansion project near the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station. The event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday (Sept. 11)

• Canvas Painting — 7-9:30 p.m. at Muse Fairfax (2920 District Avenue, Suite 100) — An instructor will teach attendees how to paint a road and nature scene. The event is $35 and open to all ages.
• Yoga with Alyson — 10 a.m. at Caboose Tavern (520 Mill Street NE) — For $10, participants can take part in a yoga class. All experience levels are welcome and guests should bring their own mats.

Friday (Sept. 13)

• DMV 2 Go Full-Service Bus — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Falls Church City Hall parking lot (300 Park Avenue) — The Department of Motor Vehicles will host a pop-up full-service office, helping people to obtain identification cards. The service will also help people apply for various licenses including fishing and hunting, driving permits, ordering disability placards and registering to vote.

Saturday (Sept. 14)

• Red Cross Wilderness First Aid — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Campaign Pay It Forward (9893 Georgetown Pike, Suite 105 — This two-day training course prepares attendees for dangerous wilderness scenarios and how to take care of medical emergencies in the field. It costs $150 and everyone is welcome.
• Vienna Quarterly Recycling Day — 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Northside Property Yard (600 Mill Street NE) — People can come and recycle unusual items such as chemicals, appliances or small electronics. No TVs or dangerous items will be accepted.
• Comedy and Cocktails — 8 t0 10 p.m. at Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street A) — North American Comedy Distillery Tour will bring nationally known comedians to Falls Church for an evening of humor. Presale tickets start at $20.
• 2019 Wolf Trap Ball: Singapore — 7 p.m. at Filene Center (1551 Trap Road) — This black-tie gala supports Wolf Trap’s arts and cultural foundation while allowing guests to enjoy a classy evening with Singapore Ambassadors Ashok Mirpuri and Gouri Mirpuri. Email Wolf Trap for tickets.

Sunday (Sept. 15)

• Tysons Farmers Market — every Sunday through November from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at 1961 Chain Bridge Road — The weekly farmers market features local produce, meats, eggs, hot foods, baked goods and more. In addition to food, attendees can enjoy live music, cooking demonstrations and kids events. The market accepts SNAP and matching on all SNAP purchases.

Image via Wolf Trap

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

So this fall schedule of back to school, fall sports and oh yeah, the fall real estate market, has begun to really mess with my ability to plan for dinner!

I don’t own an instant pot, and I barely use our crockpot, so I’ve been looking for other ways to feed my boys (well, okay, one of them survives on air somehow but the other kid actually eats). I’ve put together some deals around town that offer a “kids eat free” option or a cheap incentive to bring you in. As always, if I have left something off the list, please drop it in the comments to share with other readers!

Falls Church

• Pizzeria Orso, Falls Church — Kids eat free Tuesday for lunch and dinner kids 10 and under get one free item from the children’s menu for each traditional or house specialty pizza ordered. Dine in only.
• Chevy’s Fresh Mex, Falls Church — Kids eat free all day Tuesday. Two free kids meals per regular priced adult entrée. Dine in only.
• Pizzeria Uno, Falls Church — Kids eat free on Tuesday.
• Liberty BBQ, Falls Church — Kids 3 and under free at Bottomless Brunch on the weekends AND on Monday nights, kids 12 and under eat free (Pulled Pork Sandwich, Pulled Chicken Sandwich, or a Hot Dog with a side of fries, fruit or tomato soup).
• Jason’s Deli, Falls Church — Kids eat free on Tuesday from 5-10 p.m. Dine in only, 1 kid’s meal per each adult entrée for kids 12 and under.

Vienna/Oakton

• IHOP — Kids eat free from the children’s menu everyday, 4-9 p.m. with the purchase of 1 adult entrée.
• Anita’s Mexican Grill, Vienna — Kids under 10 eat free all day on Tuesdays.
• Foster’s Grille, Vienna — Kid’s meals for 10 and under are 1/3 off the regular price with the purchase of an adult entrée. Dine in only.
• Ledo’s Pizza, Vienna — Kids eat free on Thursdays with 1 adult entrée.
• Dickey’s BBQ, Vienna — Sundays, kids eat free 12 and under if an adult spends at least $10.
• California Tortilla, Oakton — Free kid’s meal with adult entrée purchase.

McLean

• Lebanese Taverna, McLean — Kids age 12 and under eat free off the kid’s menu with adult entrée purchase on Thursdays 11 a.m. to close.
• Silver Diner, McLean — Kids eat free on Tuesday.
• Rocco’s Italian Restaurant, McLean — Kids eat free (1 per adult entrée), or 1 free kid’s meal with a medium pizza, or 2 kid’s meal with a large pizza over 25. Dine in only. Mondays and Tuesdays.

Local Schools Receive “Common Sense Recognition” — Chesterbrook Elementary School in McLean and Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna are two of the 23 Fairfax County Public Schools recognized for their digital citizenship. [FCPS]

Ramen Chain Coming to The Boro — “A Japanese ramen chain that has 61 shops in 10 countries will make its D.C. area debut this fall, when it’s expected to open a branch in Tysons Corner… [Santouka] is expected open inside a modern, brick-lined space in the new Boro mixed-use development (1636 Boro Place, McLean) by early November.” [DC Eater]

Parking May Arrive Along Maple Avenue — “A consulting firm aiming to squeeze some additional parking in Vienna’s commercial core has come up with a unique option: Turn parts of Maple Avenue into parking strips.” [Inside NoVa]

Capital One Hosting Code Fest — “Girls Computing League, a nonprofit working to empower underrepresented groups in technology, will host its first national code fest InnovateGCL later this month. The Sept. 14 event at the new Capital One headquarters in Tysons Corner, Virginia, will have over 150 students showcase and develop new ideas on the topics of artificial intelligence, health, finance, education and many more.” [WashingtonExec]

Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Falls Church Pawn Shops — “An Arlington man previously convicted of a pair of bank robberies in Alexandria is facing more jail time. Budder Khan, now 29, pleaded guilty today to robbing two pawn shops in Falls Church, federal prosecutors announced. [ARLnow]

USAID Deploys Fairfax County Rescue Team to the Bahamas — “Members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team [were] deployed to the Bahamas as part of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) responding to Hurricane Dorian.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Blue, Yellow Line Metro Stations Reopen — “The six Blue and Yellow line stations south of Reagan National Airpor — Braddock Rd, King St-Old Town, Eisenhower Ave, Huntington, Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield — will reopen as scheduled Monday, September 9, with completely rebuilt platforms and several customer improvements.” [Metro]

Falls Church city officials have mixed reactions to a proposal that would allow for more downtown development in exchange for protection of certain properties.

City staffers have identified a lack of park and open space, financial pressures to redevelop historic structures and a need for flood prevention as some of the challenges the city faces it pursues its 2024 vision. To address those issues, staffers want the City Council to consider a new program.

The Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program would let development rights get shifted from one area to another in the city. It consists of three components:

• sending zones: certain areas the community wants to protect
• receiving zones: areas designated as places for additional development
• bank: sells available development rights

City staffers have suggested that existing parks and open space, the floodplain and parcels with historic structures become sending zones, while multiple parcels along Broad and Washington streets become receiving zones.

According to the draft proposal:

A Transfer for Development Rights (TDR) program is one possible tool to preserve and increase green space, protect sensitive areas such as floodplains, and preserve historic structures. TDR can also help to diversify the City’s housing stock by creating a tool to facilitate the provision of missing middle housing which is critical to supporting a growing community.

As for the receiving zone, developers would be able to build townhomes or small condo buildings, based on a variety of factors, according to the proposal.

Currently, the city has a special exception process for mixed-use development. Staff said that they envision TDR complementing the special exception process, by allowing infill development on small sites.

The program received mixed reviews from councilmembers during a work session on Tuesday (Sept. 3).

Councilmember Ross Litkenhous noted that if owners of properties along the floodplain sell off the development rights, they would be selling off the value of the future property — possibly leading to home deterioration.

City staff said that the city would purchase — possibly granting a life estate to the current owners — floodplain properties and then tear down homes on those properties once the residents move out.

Councilmember Dan Snyder requested more information from staff about where similar programs have been implemented, downsides, possible public reaction and cost.

“I want to know what are we going to face if we go forward,” he said. “I’m not negative toward the concept, but I’m trying to get a fuller understanding.”

While Snyder said he wants to be supportive of the proposal, he said he doesn’t think the proposal should be on “a fast track right now.” “Are we simply transferring dense development from one place to another?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, Mayor David Tarter took the strongest stance against the proposal.

“I hate to say this, but I have some serious reservations about this plan and I think it has limited applicability,” Tarter said.

Tarter said that if the program is by-right — meaning it wouldn’t go through the special exception process — “unintended consequences” could result.

Tarter pointed to Arlington County, saying that TDRs have to go through the special exception process and that the county retains control of the receiving and sending sites.

“As it’s proposed tonight, as I understand it, there would be limited supervision of the transfer [by the city],” Tarter said, adding that he’s confused about how the transfers would work.

Tarter added that he does want to see the city find cost-efficient ways to buy up floodplain property.

The proposal heads to the work session for the city’s Economic Development Authority on Oct. 1.

Image via City of Falls Church 

A husband and wife team have opened a business franchise that cleans and does maintenance on homes in the Tysons area.

Carmen Hendricks and Chad Akers, who both have backgrounds in real estate, decided to join the TruBlue Total House Care franchise after looking for affordable home care in the area, according to a press release.

“There was definitely a need for a holistic, reasonably-priced approach to exterior and interior home maintenance in this area that could help seniors stay in their homes longer and be great for busy professionals, like ourselves, who want to spend less time working on their own homes and more time with family and friends,” Hendricks said.

TruBlue Total House Care of Vienna provides handyman, maid, lawn and seasonal services in Vienna, Oakton, Tysons, McLean, Great Falls, Falls Church and Dunn Loring.

The business offers a monthly maintenance program, along with services to homeowners, realtors and rental property owners who need help with moving maintenance and commercial services for business clients.

“We both love this area, but have never felt like we’ve gotten to know the community or the people who live here, other than those we have met through work,” she said. “We want to be the neighbor you can trust with all of your house care needs.”

Photo courtesy TruBlue Total House Care of Vienna

Construction on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in the City of Falls Church is almost over.

The W&OD Trail closed at Grove Avenue and N. West Street starting Aug. 19 and is expected to open back up on Friday, Sept. 6, according to a tweet.

The closure brings a series of changes including the temporary rerouting of paths, paving paths that were previously gravel, widening paths, burying utilities, creating safer crossings and eventually realigning the path with the new Founders Row development, Mike DePue, a W&OD Trail spokesperson, said.

DePue said the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority is also in the design process to install dual paths that will ease congestion.

“The goal of dual surface trails is to separate bike traffic from pedestrian traffic to improve user safety and enjoyment of the trail,” he said.

Work continues on the temporary trail detour in Falls Church… pic.twitter.com/j5OprfwiRe

— The W&OD Trail (@WODTrail) August 28, 2019

Photo via The W&OD Trail/Twitter