Wolf Trap Goes Full Capacity Starting in August — Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts will return to full capacity in August for the second half of its summer season. Unveiled yesterday (Tuesday), the lineup for August and September includes Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Indigo Girls, and Renée Fleming with the National Symphony Orchestra. [Patch]
Justice Department Will Assist in Bijan Ghaisar Case — The Justice Department will allow FBI agents to cooperate in the prosecution of two Park Police officers charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing McLean resident Bijan Ghaisar in 2017. The move reverses a decision made during the Trump administration and could help the Fairfax County prosecutors on the case. [The Washington Post]
Longtime McLean Hardware Store Owner Dies — McLean Hardware owner Glenn Kirby Wiggs died on June 5 at Medstar Washington Hospital Center at 71 years of age. He had operated the store for almost 40 years after purchasing it in 1984, and he continued visiting twice a week from his home in Frederick, Maryland, even as his health declined. [Patch]
Merrifield Student Advances in Spelling Bee — Akshita Balaji of Merrifield is one of 30 students to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s semifinal round after she spelled two words correctly and gave an accurate definition for a third word during yesterday’s quarter-finals. Broadcast on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. on June 27, the semifinals will determine the 10 to 12 spellers who will go to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., for the finals on July 8. [Inside NoVA]
1st Stage Celebration Sold Out — Tickets for 1st Stage’s first in-person event since February 2020 have sold out. The theater company’s June 27 outdoor concert reading of “A New Brain” at The Boro will still be available for other viewers to watch via an online livestream. [1st Stage/Twitter]
Caffe Amouri Resumes Indoor Service — Vienna’s Caffe Amouri welcomed patrons back inside yesterday (Monday) for the first time in 16 months. The coffee shop will maintain some COVID-19 health rules, including a 30-minute seating limit and continued mask-wearing for staff with a request that customers keep using them as well. [Patch]
Capital One Hall Announces Opening Weekend Performer — The country band Little Big Town will perform two shows during the opening weekend of Capital One Hall in Tysons, the venue announced yesterday. Tickets for the shows on Oct. 2 and 3 will go on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday (June 18). [Capital One Hall/Twitter]
FCPS Hires Cybersecurity Director — Fairfax County Public Schools has a director of cybersecurity for the first time, with Vijai Rao, who previously worked for Metro, joining the school district on June 1. The position was created after a ransomware attack in September compromised personal information of students and staff. [Providence District School Board newsletter]
Tysons Company Holds Sports Equipment Drive — PenFed Credit Union, which is headquartered in Tysons, collected $3,000 worth of sports equipment with a drive led by employees and their families on June 9. The equipment will be distributed to at-risk youth in the D.C. region by local police, and the company also donated $15,000 to the Washington D.C. Police Foundation. [PenFed]
County Board Approves PIVOT Grant Program — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday (June 8) to create a new grant program that will use $25 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to support businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will focus on the hotel, food service, retail, and arts and culture industries with applications scheduled to open from June 23 through July 9. [Fairfax County Government]
Armed Robberies Reported in Falls Church — Fairfax County police are investigating a series of armed robberies that have occurred in the 3300 block of Glenmore Drive since Saturday (June 5). In all four cases, a masked man described as white and between 17 to 25 years of age approached victims with a knife and demanded cash or property before running away. [FCPD]
Reckless Driving in Tysons Subject of Capitol Complaint — Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton is under investigation by the agency’s inspector general after a woman “recklessly” drove his work-issued vehicle around Tysons on March 6. A complaint says the vehicle was traveling at a high speed and made an unauthorized stop at Walmart, and the driver “made obscene gestures at the person who reported the incident.” [Roll Call]
Developer Starts Selection Process for Maryland Beltway Project — The development group selected to carry out Maryland’s plan to widen the Capital Beltway at the American Legion Bridge will launch a competitive procurement process on June 16 to identify design and construction contractors. The process will be watched by Virginia, particularly in McLean, as the Commonwealth moves forward with its 495 NEXT project. [Accelerate Maryland Partners]
Reminder: Idylwood Substation Public Hearing Tonight — The State Corporation Commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. today (Thursday) on Dominion Energy’s plans to rebuild a substation in Idylwood. The project has been repeatedly delayed, and the utility company has proposed pushing the timeline for completion back even further to 2026. [SCC]
As the spread of COVID-19 abates, Fairfax County is exploring a variety of ways to help local businesses recover from the pandemic’s economic impacts.
In addition to creating a new grant program that will provide financial relief to small businesses and nonprofits, the Board of Supervisors voted today (Tuesday) to license and pursue a trademark for a new “Made in Fairfax” logo that businesses could use to indicate that their products were made in the county.
The board’s vote gives the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development authority to execute licensing agreements that would let local businesses include the logo in their marketing. The county will also apply for a trademark registration from the Commonwealth of Virginia, which would enable the county to protect its brand.
Officials say the logo will be a useful promotional tool not just for the businesses that use it, but also for the county as it seeks to build a vibrant local economy.
“This is an innovative approach,” Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said. “This is how we differentiate ourselves. This is how we make Fairfax County a leader in new areas as well.”
The Made in Fairfax program launched in June 2018, growing out of a Small-Scale Production Initiative that the county started to identify ways to better support and bring visibility to local manufacturers and entrepreneurs.
Initially, the program focused on revising Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan and zoning code to make them friendlier to what the county calls “maker” businesses — manufacturers that work on a small scale to produce anything from food and beer to clothing and furniture.
Drafted during the early stages of the Zoning Ordinance Modernization Project but as a separate effort, the new zoning rules permit production businesses in most commercial zones within the county, instead of restricting them to industrial areas, according to Doug Loescher, the program manager for Fairfax County’s Community Revitalization Office.
“We recognized that we probably had small-scale production businesses in Fairfax County, but they were not very visible,” he said. “…Our hope was that, by being in commercial shopping centers and retail areas, they can be more visible, and we can support them better.”
The county also created a Made in Fairfax network and directory that now consist of more than 125 businesses. About half of them provide food products, but there are also woodworking shops, candle makers, and even a blacksmith.
While Loescher says his office hopes to also work with larger Fairfax County-based businesses, Made in Fairfax primarily concentrates on small businesses that are more isolated and lack their own marketing resources. Most participants are working solo or have fewer than 10 employees.
The county developed the new logo with the help of a committee of maker businesses as part of a larger branding effort to promote the Made in Fairfax Network.
For the most part, the only criterion for businesses to be eligible to license the logo will be that they need to have a production facility located in Fairfax County. The county also reviews makers that register for the network to ensure “there’s no problems with what they’re producing, that it’s not illegal or improper in some way,” Loescher says.
Though the Made in Fairfax program was established prior to the pandemic, Loescher says the past year has illustrated why it’s necessary for the county.
“There’s a recognition by people about how important it is to actively support small, independent, local business enterprise, and this is just another way of doing it,” Loescher said. “It’s a fairly small program, but I think symbolically, we hope it communicates to the business sector and to the community that we value these businesses and that we want to support them.”
Photo courtesy Fairfax County
The City of Falls Church government is grappling with whether to let restrictions eased on businesses over the last year stay permanent, be reverted entirely, or somewhere in between.
At a work session yesterday (Monday), Planning Director Paul Stoddard walked the city council through the options that are currently being considered.
“[The recommendation] is to keep temporary allowances in place until the business community at large has more time to understand how business is going to resume as the economy comes out of the pandemic and things get back to the new usual,” Stoddard said. “Is it going to look like things were before the pandemic? During the pandemic? Some blend of the two?”
Three of the biggest temporary changes that went into effect last year are:
- Allowing for additional signs and banners to support carry-out operations
- Permitting carry-out orders where not otherwise allowed
- Repurposing surface parking spaces to be used as outdoor dining areas
According to Stoddard, there are three longer-term solutions being considered.
The first is a “No Build” option where the city would revert back to pre-pandemic restrictions, though Stoddard said he thought it unlikely that city leadership would see that as the right approach.
The other extreme is by-right allowance, which would allow businesses taking advantage of the loosened restrictions to continue to do so in perpetuity.
Stoddard says this could bring its own problems, though, potentially complicating the city’s parking minimums and raising questions about how the by-right allowances would exist alongside new and proposed uses.
The third option — and the one Stoddard said staff is likely to recommend — is utilizing special use permits (SUPs). Stoddard said SUPs are already used for a variety of unconventional uses, and the application process gives the city the right to approve them on a case-by-case basis, with potential for staff to implement site-specific measures.
For now, city staff recommends that the current lax provisions be extended through January 2022, allowing businesses to take full advantage of outdoor seating through the fall and without any legislative change getting lost in the muddled holiday schedules in November and December.
Stoddard said the extra time will also help the city figure out what the long-term economic situation will look like for local businesses as more people get vaccinated.
Councilmember Debbie Hiscott agreed, saying that the city’s economic recovery is not up to a healthy level just yet.
“Business revenue is going in the right direction, but it’s not there yet,” Hiscott said.
A vision that began snowballing with two Fairfax County residents — Niels ten Berge of Vienna and Jeff Hokenson of McLean — is closer to becoming a reality.
Based in McLean, their company Alpine-X is behind the Fairfax Peak indoor winter slope facility that will turn a landfill by I-95 in Lorton into what Fairfax County hopes will be a prime tourist destination for skiing, snowboarding, and more.
Hokenson says the idea for Alpine-X came from ten Berge, who was inspired by his experience with indoor snow sports venues in Europe.
“Niels had a simple but powerful premise: These venues are popular in many parts of the world — why shouldn’t they also be successful here in the U.S.?” Hokenson said by email. “Also, there’s a vibrant skiing, snowboarding and active-lifestyle culture here in the Washington, D.C. area, so this market seemed like a logical place for the first project.”
With Fairfax Peak as the flagship site, Alpine-X announced on May 25 that it hopes to bring more than 20 facilities to North America. Previously, the company stated that it envisioned 10 destinations in America.
The company told Tysons Reporter that the new number includes locations in the U.S. and Canada.
For Fairfax Peak, Alpine-X has proposed leasing land from the county, which would still keep parts of the landfill in operation.
Plans presented to the county called for several other elements, including an alpine coaster and a wave pool with surfing possibilities that could come with a second phase of the project. The indoor slope would have an approximately 20-degree angle.
“The proposed Snow Sports facility is expected to be approximately 450,000 sq. ft., with multiple slopes, the longest of which should be 1,700 ft. in length,” the company said in its proposal. “Additionally, the facility will have a terrain/fun park, snow tubing runs, a ‘bunny slope’ for new skiers, or for training, a ski shop, multiple restaurants and bars, a sky-bar and event space, an outdoor courtyard…and more.”
Alpine-X is the developer of the recreational project and has partnered with SnowWorld International B.V., a consulting subsidiary of SnowWorld N.V., which has indoor snow resorts in the Netherlands and has worked on other projects across the globe.
Alpine-X has a 50% ownership stake in SnowWorld USA, which will be the owner and operator of the snow sports facility and other elements, such as a 100-plus-room hotel.
Fairfax County supervisors approved an interim agreement for the project in November, extending a previous approval. It allows the company to explore the potential of the site and continue negotiations with the county. The interim agreement lasts until Dec. 31, 2021 and could be extended for another year.
The company initially suggested a 99-year lease with a potential buyout option for the property. The county’s public affairs office said it’s county policy to not comment on ongoing negotiations.
Proposed pricing for Fairfax Peak is not yet available, but the facility is expected to be more cost-effective than traditional slopes that have seasonal windows.
“The Alpine-X experience aims to complement established ski resorts — not compete — as we will have the opportunity to introduce new demographics to snowsports at large, ideally inspiring passion and potential interest in hitting the outdoor mountains down the road,” Hokenson said, noting that the company plans to partner with established winter resorts nationwide.
The new facility could also be a boon for local businesses like Alpine Ski Shop, which has a store at 9629 Fairfax Boulevard in Fairfax as well as a location in Sterling (21999 Shaw Rd.).
“We love the prospect of introducing the sport of skiing and snowboarding in a fun, controlled environment and bringing it to a wider audience,” owner Chris Bunch said in an email. “The proximity is an added bonus!”
Bunch also said the slope will “provide experienced skiers and snowboarders the opportunity to get a quick ride in during the work day or head over and ‘run laps’ to keep the legs in shape.”
Alpine-X believes Fairfax Peak could be in operation in late 2024 or early 2025.
Photo courtesy Alpine-X
Fairfax County to Host COVID-19 Remembrance Ceremony — The Northern Virginia Regional Commission will hold a virtual ceremony next Wednesday (June 9) at the Fairfax County Government Center to honor the more than 2,350 people in the region who have died from COVID-19. Local officials will discuss the pandemic’s impact, and the event will conclude with a “last alarm” bell service courtesy of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. [Fairfax County Government]
Falls Church Man Drowns in North Carolina — 46-year-old Falls Church resident and U.S. Air Force veteran Sean Chung died on May 28 when he reportedly drowned while surf fishing in the Outer Banks. Friends launched a GoFundMe fundraiser on Tuesday (June 1) to help his family pay for funeral costs and other immediate expenses. [Patch]
County to Discuss Climate Resilience Initiative — The Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination will hold a virtual public meeting on June 15 to get input on its Resilient Fairfax initiative, which aims to reduce the impact of flooding, severe storms, and other climate change-related dangers on the county. The public will also be able to comment through an online survey that will launch on June 8. [Fairfax County OEEC]
Hilton Misses Fortune 500 List — The hotel company, which is headquartered in McLean, ranked 596th on Fortune’s annual list of the biggest companies in the U.S., more than 250 spots below where it was in 2020. The plunge came as Hilton reported a 54.4% decline in revenue, an indication of how hard the COVID-19 pandemic hit the hospitality industry. [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Community Center to Host Blood Drive — The blood drive on June 11 will support the American Red Cross and Sickle Cell Foundation of Northern Virginia, which are especially looking to recruit people of color as donors. “Blood given to patients with rare blood types or conditions such as sickle cell disease must be matched closely with someone from the same race to avoid complications,” the community center says. [MCC]
Photo by Joanne Liebig
A new report confirms what anyone who has driven to a business in Vienna might have suspected: getting there by car can be a nightmare, strict zoning rules can make storefronts hard to find, and much of the retail space is going to need some heavy maintenance if it hopes to survive.
An economic development report from consultant Streetsense and real estate consulting firm RCLCO examined the economic health of Vienna and made recommendations for where it can be improved.
“Retailers reported that the greatest pain point for customers arriving by car is heavy traffic on Maple Avenue and adjacent streets leading to commercial nodes,” the report said. “The extended travel time results in customer perception of inconvenience.”
The report notes that many streets in the town are designated with turning restrictions, which limits vehicle circulation around town and poses an inconvenience to customers, particularly those trying to reach commercial areas when entering the city along back roads — for example, people traveling to Vienna from the Mosaic District.
The report also said a lack of a cohesive parking strategy is another pain for visitors:
Although there are approximately 200+ public parking on-street and off-street spaces available to visitors in the core of the Town with a larger existing supply of parking spaces in privately-owned shopping centers along Maple Avenue, customers reported challenges in finding convenient parking during peak evenings when customer dwell times in Town are longer due to restaurant dining. At this time, there is no shared parking structure/agreement to support complementary utilization of available parking lots across disparate shopping center properties and public parking.
The report says the challenges of driving in Vienna are exacerbated by the clear delination between residential and commercial districts, which leaves few residents within walking distance of much of the town’s retail.
“In Vienna, there are few residents living within 0.25 mile of the commercial core of town when measured from the intersection of the W&OD Trail and Maple Avenue,” the report said. “As such, it is expected that most customers will arrive by car and must find parking within convenient proximity to their final destination storefront.”
The report said that these challenges put Vienna behind regional competitors like Old Town Alexandria, the Mosaic District, and Falls Church.
According to the report, Vienna currently has a 9% retail vacancy rate, but over half of that vacancy is in Class B space — mid-quality facilities that will require maintenance for a national retailer to operate.
“Class B space makes up the majority of spaces within the Town at 45%, or 472,000 SF, of the total inventory,” the report said. “Though present throughout the Town, most Class B space is present in the Maple Avenue node.”
To grow a healthier commercial base, the report recommends that the Town of Vienna loosen up a little bit in regards to flexible zoning, something that could be addressed as part of the town’s ongoing zoning code rewrite.
“Although Maple Avenue, Church Street, and Mill Street permit a variety of uses as-of-right — mainly retail, restaurant, light manufacturing and professional offices (although only in ‘office buildings’),” the report said, “there are still a number of emerging uses that are highly complementary to retail tenants and that in fact drive visitation to the commercial nodes that are either not permitted or that require conditional use permits or high minimum off-street parking that inhibit concept testing in the market.”
The report also recommends that the town relax some of its restrictions on creative use of frontage zones to help retailers market their stores.
“The storefront and its frontage zone is a retailer’s stage, and often helps grab a new customer’s attention or shapes a first impression,” the report said. “As such, it is critical that retailers are given the opportunity to maximize visual merchandising, signage, and advertising just outside the store. At this time, the Town prohibits blade signs that extend out onto the frontage zone as well as outdoor display of merchandise.”
The report says local businesses cited these restrictions as detrimental during feedback sessions.
“Customers’ attentions are often short-lived; especially now as they are being more selective in how and where they spend their time and their dollars,” the report said. “Now, more than ever, storefronts will need to carefully consider how to address a mix of temporary/ad-hoc and permanent signage and use classic, timeless approaches and even subtle touches, including creative outdoor display and dining, blade signs, and sandwich boards.”
The City of Falls Church is keeping some of the relaxed restrictions on noise levels for businesses put into effect during the pandemic, but it isn’t going as far as some on the city council have wanted.
The Falls Church City Council voted 6-1 on Monday (May 10) to accept city staff’s recommendation to adopt a new noise ordinance that codifies the extension of what is considered “daytime hours” for noise levels up to 10 p.m.
The change was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to help local businesses. However, a suggestion to extend the definition of daytime hours to 10:30 p.m. was not approved.
A proposal to increase the maximum decibel levels was also struck down after staff gathered city council members in a field to hear what different decibels sounded like. The current level for commercial districts of 65 decibels will stay intact.
Some councilmembers worried this could set up problems for some businesses down the road. In particular, Councilmember Ross Litkenhous said he was concerned about entertainment venues struggling to come back, like the State Theater.
“I’m not convinced that, for a weekend night, for a venue that wants to play music, that 65 decibels is the appropriate level,” Litkenhous said. “Is it 75? I don’t know, but keeping it at 65 decibels is setting those businesses up for controversy.”
Litkenhous was the sole vote against the approval of staff’s recommendation for the ordinance.
Photo via Google Maps
If there was a business that helped make the past year more bearable for you, whether it was a restaurant that became a takeout favorite or a yoga studio that kept you centered by pivoting to online classes, now is your chance to give them some recognition — at least if they’re located in the Town of Vienna.
May is Business Appreciation Month in Virginia, and the Town of Vienna Economic Development Office announced yesterday (Tuesday) that it will celebrate by reviving the #ViennaUnited campaign that it introduced last year to support local businesses during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every opportunity to support our business community in a unique and creative way is valuable,” Town of Vienna Economic Development Manager Natalie Monkou said. “Through this initiative, we are aiming not only to spotlight businesses in Vienna, but to also share their unique stories as they continue navigating the health crisis.”
The campaign focuses on two awards, one for businesses and one for employees.
For the #ViennaUnited Virtual Business Awards, residents, visitors, and businesses can nominate local businesses and their owners in three areas: Entrepreneur of the Year, Excellence in Customer Service, the Give Back Award, and Sustainability, a new category for this year.
Last year’s winners were Mo:Mo House for its customer service, Social Burger for the Give Back Award, and Sundown & Rise Up Salon for Entrepreneur of the Year.
Nominations for the Virtual Business Awards are due on May 24, and a new set of winners will be unveiled on May 28.
The town will also highlight employees and staff members of local businesses throughout May with the Vienna Changemaker Awards, which are intended to recognize workers who “have made exceptional contributions to their respective organizations.”
Businesses and community members can submit individuals for consideration until noon on May 24. Winners will be featured on the Town of Vienna’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts over the course of the month.
In addition to the awards, the economic development office is organizing some town-wide activities and encouraging businesses to offer in-store promotions and events.
A local business bingo is currently underway through May 24, with winners scheduled to be announced when ViVa Vienna returns during Memorial Day weekend.
Historic Vienna is also hosting a “Language of the Flowers” virtual tea ceremony at 3 p.m. on May 15.
Packages containing English tea bags, scones, homemade lemon curd, sandwiches, and other treats can be reserved for $40 through this Saturday (May 8). They must be picked up from the Freeman Store and Museum front porch between noon and 2 p.m. on May 15.
More information about Vienna’s Business Appreciation Month initiative can be found on the economic development department’s website.
Photo courtesy Adam Kincaid/Town of Vienna
