At a work session this Friday (Feb. 8), Vienna’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR) is going to take another crack at the Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zone design guidelines.
The exact nature of the BAR’s review is a bit unclear. Details are scarce in the agenda, but the BAR is the second stage of a six-step process for new developments along Vienna’s main boulevard, following a staff review.
In September, the Town Council voted to impose a moratorium on new developments filed under the MAC ordinance. The moratorium took effect on Sept. 30 and is scheduled to last until June 17. As part of the moratorium, the BAR was tasked with drawing up new guidelines for public review of projects.
Scale and massing for new Maple Avenue developments has been the largest topic of debate in Vienna over the last year. The MAC ordinance, originally approved in 2014, was aimed at providing a new mechanism for developers to convert outdated and often vacant properties along Maple Avenue into mixed-use developments.
But to make these projects cost-effective for developers, many are significantly larger in scale than the buildings they’re replacing.
The tensions between developers, the Town Council and local residents came to a head last fall over the redevelopment of the Vienna Wolf Trap Hotel. During heated arguments on the Town Council over the four-story development in October, Councilmember Howard Springsteen called the projects that would ultimately be approved the “most divisive project to hit the town in 20 years.”
Photo via Vienna Vienna Development Associates LLC
Anyone who’s driven to the western end of Maple Avenue has probably spotted the enormous castle-looking building under construction just past Nutley Street.
The new building’s unusual design is representative of an eclectic mix of uses planned for 540 Maple Ave W.
The ground floor will host a Chick-fil-A restaurant with a ramp leading up to the Flagship Carwash on the second floor. The site will also include a wider pedestrian walkway in front of the building.
And after a series of delays and public backlash, construction has resumed on what is planned to be the first of a series of new projects approved under the Town of Vienna’s contentious Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) process.
The process allows greater sizes and densities for new buildings on Maple Avenue as part of an effort to push back against rampant vacancies plaguing the town’s main street.
Signs from last year indicated that the new site had planned to be opened by winter 2018, a deadline that has come and gone with construction noticeably far from complete.
Construction at the facility had briefly stalled in 2018, but has made significant project over the last month. InsideNova reported the delay was likely related to the water table at the location. But whatever the reason, the work has resumed at the project.
No new timeline has been posted.
A sign is up, but little else is clear about Gem Tea, a new restaurant coming to 155 Maple Ave W.
Renovations are underway at the space between Marjan and the Vienna Carwash. The location was previously home to Swan Cleaners. The building is remaining intact, with interior work turning the space into a restaurant.
An employee at Marjan, a Persian carry out and catering restaurant next door, said Gem Tea will be offering bubble tea and is likely to be opening sometime in April.
No website is available for the restaurant, and a similarly named Gem Tea in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, confirmed they are not opening a new location in Vienna.
After some uncertainty about when or where the new Wawa in Vienna would arrive, plans have finally been submitted to Vienna’s Board of Architectural Review.
The new plans show the new Wawa will be located at 465 Maple Ave W.
The Wawa will be constructed on a property that was formerly a Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage location and has been vacant for over a year. The location is across the street from the controversial mixed-use development approved in October at the Vienna Wolf Trap Hotel.
The Board will review the plans at today’s (Friday) work session, which started at 8 a.m.
The new Vienna location is part of a regional expansion for Wawa, which has previously said that it plans to add 30-50 stores in the Washington, D.C. area.
Shinsekai Ramen, a new ramen eatery under construction at 234 Maple Avenue E., is just two weeks away from a planned opening.
Kevin Choe, regional operations manager for the Shinsekai, said the restaurant is scheduled to open on Monday, Feb. 11, though if there are delays he said the restaurant could open around mid-February.
Most ramens at the restaurant cost around $12 for lunch or $13 at dinner, with smaller dishes like steam buns and onigiri for $4.
The restaurant also has a variety of vegan options, including a veggie miso ramen and tempura bowl.
Also on the menu are a wide array of Japanese beers and sake.
The type of ramen at Shinsekai is a traditional type of ramen made from chicken bone broth. According to Choe:
“Ramen has many styles and with today’s pop culture it has become even more broad. Our style dates back in the old traditions where our chef owners Jin and Hideyoshi Matsu hometown of ashahikawa region only cooked chicken Bone broth ramen, which eventually made its way to the popular ramen city of Kumamoto, however today’s most popular style of ramen broth is made with pork bones (tonkutsu broth). We are using a very a underrated and yet a traditional style of chicken bone broth of ramen of Kumamoto. This style of ramen is highly underrated in the [United States].”
Choe said the type of broth used in the restaurant is a fusion of the popular “white broth” and the more traditional “clear broth.”
“Our core focus is to introduce to U.S palate to a beloved recipe… without the fancy price tag,” said Choe. “What better place to start their legacy in the diverse food community of Vienna.”
After three months of work, a bare wall behind the Vienna Shopping Center has been turned into a sweeping mural depicting the Tysons skyline and other prominent locations throughout the region.
The project was led by artists Eleanor Doughty, a Vienna native who now lives in Seattle, and Emily Herr, who lives in Richmond. Students from the nearby James Madison High School also lent a hand over a weekend in November.
The project was funded by Rappaport, owners of the shopping center at 180 Maple Avenue. The mural can be viewed at the end of Cottage Street.
The mural is complete at Vienna Shopping Center, showcasing the DC Metro sites like the cityscapes of Arlington, DC, and Tysons.
Check it out on your lunch break when you are visiting your favorite dining spots, like @TacoBamba, @panerabread, or @cava. #murals #art pic.twitter.com/TOyRKXTSdr
— Rappaport (@RappaportCRE) January 14, 2019
Don Pollo, a Peruvian chicken chain with several locations in Maryland, just opened its first restaurant in Virginia at in the Vienna Shopping Center (146 Maple Ave).
The restaurant features Peruvian cuisine, like fried rice with shrimp or the eponymous chicken. Sides include South American staples like yuca.
Meals range from $8 to a whole chicken and two sides for $20.
According to Milton Escobar, manager of the Vienna location, the store opened on Jan. 19 and has seen steady growth as word of mouth spreads.
“Every day, we’ve been having about 15-20 percent more people,” said Escobar. “We had 50 customers on Saturday, then 75 on Sunday. So it’s a little more every day.”
Escobar said he’s hoping things really kick off with the restaurant’s Super Bowl special. Don Pollo will be running a special deal where any purchase of a “fiesta-sized” family platter will come with a whole chicken for free. The deal is available on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
According to Escobar, the restaurant fills a niche for diverse food on Maple Street at an affordable price. Many of the patrons at the restaurant around noon yesterday were dressed in construction gear and came from nearby projects.
“This town doesn’t really have anything for Spanish cuisine,” said Escobar. “People have been saying that it’s about time for real Peruvian cuisine in Vienna… Our journey is just about to get started.”
Nothing Bundt Cakes has been baking in 129 Maple Ave W. in Vienna for two months, but a ribbon cutting on Tuesday (Jan. 29) and celebrations this weekend mark the official grand opening for the bakery.
Tomorrow (Friday), 20 percent of sales at the store will go to Amy’s Army, a non-profit dedicated to cancer research.
From 5-7 p.m., the store will also host a wine and cake tasting. Nothing Bundt Cakes’ most popular flavors will be specially paired with selections from Vienna Vintner.
On Saturday, the first 50 guests will receive free bundtlets — small bundt cakes — for a year. This offer is limited to one bundtlet cake per month for 12 months. The store opens at 10 a.m.
From 12-2 p.m., Nothing Bundt Cakes will host a “Cake-A-Palooza,” with a variety of free samples of various types of cakes.
Photo via Facebook
The three-story office building at 380 Maple Street in Vienna, a squat brick structure from the 1970s, could soon be replaced with a new mixed-use development.
At tonight’s Board of Architectural Review meeting, the Board will review a proposal to replace the building with 7,500 square feet of retail and 40 residential condominium units. The new development will include a dog park for residents of the building.
The development is proposed to have one floor of below-ground parking and two floors of structured above-ground parking.
The developer is also proposing to plant a series of trees along the surrounding streets as part of the development’s streetscape improvements.
The building is proposed as part of the Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) zoning, which last year was at the center of a controversy surrounding a new development a block away.
A previous work session on the new development was held on Dec. 14.
Photo via Google Maps
Update 4:25 p.m. — Lynne Coan, communications and marketing manager for the Town of Vienna, said the Vienna Town Council removed pedestrian bridges and digital information board from the strategic plan and changed “get rid of planters” to “enhance streetscapes to encourage walkability.”
As the Vienna Town Council begins to craft a new strategic plan, one of the largest sections of the document focuses on how to revitalize the town’s economy.
A full draft of the plan can be found in the agenda for the Jan. 15 Town Council work session. The strategic plan’s stated aim is for Vienna to serve as a “location of choice for unique, independent businesses that add to the town’s charm, attract visitors as well as residents and collectively serve to establish the town as a destination.”
So far, that’s been a challenge for Vienna. While there are new businesses, many of the largest additions are retail chains, and the western end of Maple Avenue suffers from rampant vacancies and “blight” like the burned husk of Marco Polo.
The strategic plan points to plans to update the town’s zoning code as one of the largest projects in the next year related to new economic development. The strategic plan says the aim is to start work on addressing the zoning code in spring 2019. The process is anticipated to take 18 months.
Part of the plan to make Vienna a destination also involves making it more walkable. The plan includes a series of recommendations on how to make Vienna more pedestrian friendly:
- Make wider sidewalks a part of new Maple Avenue Commercial developments
- Get rid of planters to allow more walking area
- Enhance traffic-light timing to improve crossing Maple Avenue
- Add more pedestrian-controlled signals on Maple Avenue
- Start a local bus shuttle service to walkable destinations in Vienna
To help diversify the economy and bring in non-chain businesses, the plan recommends hiring an economic development consultant or deputy town manager to focus specifically on economic development. One of the recommendations would also loosen some of the sign ordinance restrictions, allowing businesses to get waivers allowing signs and balloons for events on Church Street, as well as additional way-finding signage.
In an effort to reduce the rampant vacancies, the plan recommends providing a link on the website to current vacant properties and opening up those spaces for pop-up arts or other short-term uses.
The plan also says that the current Town Green could be utilized more effectively as a social hub for Vienna, with recommendations for the square including bringing events with food trucks into the area.
Additional proposals in the strategic plan include:
- Implement campaigns such as restaurant week
- Celebrate small business week for a whole week, starting on the date of the Church Street Stroll; ask businesses to come up with deals to offer that whole week
- Create a mobile app with an interactive business map
- Create an app and printout for a Vienna walking tour focusing on local history and points of interest
- Publicize where to park off-hours
- Host more events that draw people to the commercial area
- Create a Vienna dining and restaurant directory
- Create a Chocolate Escape event; ask all businesses to feature a low-cost chocolate items as part of event
- Host a Casino Night; have live music frequently
- Encourage more dining options
- Encourage local groups to adopt a spot and keep it clean
- Create training centers
- Feature a business of the week
- Additional free events: dances, dance lessons, senior events.
Lynne Coan, communications and marketing manager for the Town of Vienna, said the strategic plan is still a work in progress with the Town Council scheduled to consider a draft of the plan in the spring.
