The two candidates vying for the Dranesville District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors debated last night in McLean.

The debate was hosted by the League of Women Voters-Fairfax Area at the McLean Community Center last night. Incumbent John Foust and Republican Ed Martin sparred on issues ranging from traffic congestion to gun regulations.

While they both agreed that it’s difficult to afford to live in the county and that focusing on climate crisis is important, the two men took very different approaches to how they would tackle the issues in the audience-submitted questions.

Foust pointed to his experience on the county board — he was first elected in 2007 — to emphasize that the local government will continue to make progress, pointing to the expansion of Balls Hill Road at Georgetown Pike to address traffic and the county’s conversion of existing streetlights to LEDs.

“We’re doing what’s necessary to prepare for the growth,” Foust said in response to a question about infrastructure and population growth. “[We need to do] more of what we’re doing.”

Meanwhile, Martin, who currently lives in Great Falls, pushed for lower taxes, more pressure on Richmond and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan about the traffic on I-495 and reconsideration of the One Fairfax policy — a social and racial equity policy.

“I reject One Fairfax,” Martin said, adding that equity is in the eye of the beholder. “Don’t we like equity? I like exceptional.”

While the debate was mostly civil, the conversation became heated around guns and whether Fairfax County should be a “sanctuary county.”

Foust passionately said that he supports banning guns from public facilities. “It’s scary. It is not fair to people,” he said.

While Martin said that he would defer to law enforcement’s opinion on guns in public facilities, his answer mostly criticized Foust for not taking enough action on the trailers at McLean High School.

“Having trailers behind a school is not safe,” he said before transitioning to his position that sanctuary counties can lead to violence.

Foust responded that he wants to see the trailers go away as well. While Martin noted safety several times throughout the debate, Foust said that Republicans wanting to limit gun regulations have made “none of us safe.”

“We are constantly rated the safest community for our size in the country,” Foust said, adding, “We are not a sanctuary county. I will tell you, we don’t go out and enforce civil warrants by ICE.”

By the time the debate wrapped up, the candidates had taken several jabs at each other.

Martin said Foust’s “I delivered” statements show Foust is part of antiquated leadership, while Foust dragged Martin for being a newcomer to the area — “I have never seen you at a community event” — and also for not filing some of his campaign finance reports.

The election is on Nov. 5.

Images via Fairfax County and voteedmartin.com

(Updated 10/18/19) In-person absentee voting starts today (Thursday) at the McLean Governmental Center, along with several other locations around Fairfax County.

In total, 10 locations will offer in-person absentee voting until Saturday, Nov. 2, at 5 p.m. — the last day to vote absentee in-person.

Voters in the Tysons area can head to the McLean Governmental Center (1437 Balls Hill Road) and the Providence Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive) between 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays.

All of the locations will be closed on Sundays.

The last day to apply for an absentee ballot was Oct. 29.

10 locations across Fairfax County are now open for in-person absentee voting. Learn more: https://t.co/5hVlINJtoU #absenteeballot #virginiaelections #VAleg #VApol #vote #fairfaxcounty pic.twitter.com/53wjheiCou

— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) October 17, 2019

The McLean Medical Building’s days are numbered now that Sunrise Senior Living is building a senior living facility on the site.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently approved the facility, which will add 140 beds, 40 employees at peak times and a public garden, along with open space for private use by the residents.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust praised Sunrise at the meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 15), calling the facility’s public garden “an excellent contribution to downtown McLean.”

Sunrise tried to bring a senior living facility to McLean two years ago.

In 2017, the board nixed Sunrise’s plans to open a facility at 1988 Kirby Road over concerns that it would overwhelm the surrounding residential area and worsen traffic.

“The last time Sunrise came before this board in Dranesville, it wasn’t this much fun,” Foust said. “The funny thing was a lot of the testimony pointed to this [location].”

Now, Sunrise plans to raze the McLean Medical Building on the site at 1515 Chain Bridge Road. A historical link was uncovered earlier this year tying the building, which is not listed on any official historical register, to the doctor behind the first polio vaccine.

“They have taken the perfect site and done it exactly right,” Foust said.

First image via DPZ, second image via Fairfax County

Work to fix cracked sidewalks and replace old benches in McLean is slated to happen by the end of the fiscal year 2020.

The improvements are apart of Fairfax County’s efforts for five community revitalization district (CRDs). The Department of Public Works and Environmental Service runs the CRD maintenance program.

A six-month-long study identified 28,000 features, including benches, bike racks and bus shelters within the CRDs that the county could maintain.

“The CRD program is responsible for slightly more than half of the features, with the other half maintained by utilities or the private sector,” according to the county.

PJ Tierno, one of the CRD program managers, told the Board of Supervisors last Tuesday (Oct. 8) that people will see old benches replaced and cracked sidewalks fixed in McLean within the upcoming fiscal year.

So far, the program has made 1,113 repairs in FY 2019 to trip hazards up to 2 inches deep in McLean through a company called Precision Safe Sidewalks, Tierno said.

Coming in FY 2020, 13,350 square feet of sidewalks in McLean are set to be repaired, Tierno said.

“That is the largest [square footage] of any of the CRDs,” Tierno said.

Old wooden benches in McLean will also be replaced, added.

“This is an awesome program,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said at the meeting, saying that he likes that the county is maintaining VDOT’s sidewalks.

Columbus Day — also known as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in some areas — is coming up on Monday (Oct. 14).

For people staying in the Tysons area, some government facilities will be closed and public transit options will be operating on modified schedules.

Tysons Reporter has rounded up a list of public services that will be affected by the upcoming holiday on Monday.

County-wide

• All county offices, schools and libraries will be closed.
• The Circuit and General District Courts will be closed.
• The Fairfax Connector will operate on a Holiday Weekday Service where certain routes will run every 12-15 minutes.
• United States Postal Service offices will be closed.

Vienna

• The Vienna Community Center will have reduced hours from 10 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.
• The Town of Vienna’s government offices will be closed.

McLean

• The McLean Community Center will be closed.
• The Old Firehouse will be open.

Falls Church

• The City of Falls Church’s government offices and buildings will be closed.
• The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed.
• Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street) will be open from 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

The City of Falls Church and the Town of Vienna recognize Oct. 14, 2019 as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.”

“Celebrating the two holidays on the same day is a way to inform our understanding of each group’s contributions to our national fabric without demeaning the significance of either,” according to a Falls Church press release.

Speaking of closures, Tysons Reporter will be taking a break as well on Monday.

As election season heats up, debates give voters a chance to hear from candidates and learn more about pressing issues that matter to them most.

Throughout October, there will be several public forums around the area hosted by community organizations.

Wednesday, Oct. 16: Providence District candidates

The Providence District Candidate Forum will take place from 7 -9 p.m. at the Providence District Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive). This is an opportunity to meet the candidates running for the Providence District School Board and Providence District Supervisor seats. This event is hosted by the League of Women Voters in the Fairfax Area.

Thursday, Oct. 17: Dranesville District candidates

The League of Women Voters-Fairfax Area will host a forum at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue). Speakers will include those running for Dranesville District Supervisor, Dranesville District School Board Member and House District 34, which represents Great Falls, parts of McLean and the Wolf Trap area. It starts at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 24: Falls Church City Council candidates

Attendees will be able to hear from the four candidates vying for three seats on the Falls Church City Council starting at 7 p.m. at the Falls Church American Legion Hall, Post 130 (400 N. Oak Street).

The candidates are: Phil Duncan, Letty Hardi and David Tarter — incumbents — and Stuart Whitaker. Former candidate Thomas Cash dropped out of the race in August.

Wednesday, Oct. 30: Dranesville District candidates

The McLean Citizens Association will hold a forum at the McLean Community Center with the candidates running for Dranesville District Supervisor, Dranesville District School Board Member and House District 34. The event starts at 7:30 p.m.

Almost one year after it’s expected opening date, Archontiko just started serving up modern Greek dishes in McLean.

The restaurant opened about one week ago, an employee told Tysons Reporter.

Archontiko occupies the former spot of Evo Bistro, another Mediterranean restaurant, at 1313 Old Chain Bridge Road. The restaurant’s opening was delayed multiple times due to construction work and the inspections from Fairfax County.

Diners can find a crab burger, vegetarian entrees, pikilia (a plate of mixed appetizers) and sandwiches served over pita bread with lemon potatoes and salad on the lunch menu. Meanwhile, the dinner menu features seafood and lamb entrees, vegetarian entrees and salads — including Greek salad.

For dessert, there’s baklava, rice pudding with cinnamon, yogurt cake and more.

Executive Chef Markos Baladimas creates dishes inspired by traditional Greek cuisine, “which is combining the simplicity of the raw materials with the richness of their flavors,” according to the restaurant’s website.

The restaurant’s hours are 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sundays, the employee said.

Photo via Archontiko

Drivers can expect lane closures as work begins tonight (Tuesday) on areas of the GW Parkway in McLean.

The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) wants to repair sections of the GW Parkway in McLean and Clara Barton Parkway in D.C.

On the GW Parkway, the work will take place between Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) and I-495. Drivers can expect single-lane closures from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

“We’re working this fall so the parkways are ready for winter driving,” Superintendent Charles Cuvelier said in the press release. “Even though this work won’t address the entirety of either road, it’s part of the National Park Service’s long-term plan to maintain and eventually reconstruct both.”

The project plans to level uneven parts of the road, add new pavement markings and replace old asphalt.

“The work will last into late fall with completion depending on the weather in the weeks ahead,” the press release said.

Construction crews are also working to fix the cause of a sizeable sinkhole that opened up on the GW Parkway back in March.

“The FHWA recently finished 50 vertical feet of excavation to remove a 60-year-old brick drainage structure that had failed,” the press release said. “Workers are now completing the installation of a new drain and back-filling the excavated area.”

NPS is also competing for federal grants to fully fund a project that would reconstruct GW Parkway near Route 123.

Map via Google Maps

Appeals of zoning determinations for controversial proposed therapy facilities in McLean will head to Fairfax County’s Board of Zoning Appeals in January.

Newport Academy, a therapy program for teens with mental health or addiction problems, wanted to open two treatment facilities — one along Davidson Road and another at 1318 Kurtz Road in the Salona Village neighborhood.

While the planned treatment facilities have received widespread community backlash, Newport Academy has hinged its claim on the two locations being by-right uses — a use that won’t require approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Fairfax County Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson issued a letter in May saying that Newport Academy’s three adjacent properties at 1620, 1622 and 1624 Davidson Road would be a congregate living facility.

Newport Academy is trying to appeal the Davidson Road decision, saying that county staff overreached in its determination.

While Johnson later noted that Newport Academy is no longer planning to open a facility at the Davidson Road properties, Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust told Tysons Reporter that the appeals process will continue for Davidson Road.

Foust said that Newport Academy plans to sell the properties, but doesn’t want the zoning determination to negatively impact future plans elsewhere.

In August, Johnson issued a letter saying that the Kurtz Road facility is a group residential facility — a win for Newport Academy.

Three appeals from McLean residents want the decision about 1318 Kurtz Road overturned.

The Board of Zoning Appeals will consider the four appeals at 9 a.m. on Jan 22.

First image via Google Maps

Some students at the overcrowded McLean High School may end up moving over to nearby Langley High School.

The Fairfax County School Board approved an amendment to its Capital Improvement Program that kicks off a boundary study about moving some students from McLean High School to Langley High School.

McLean High School is projected to go up to 127 percent capacity by the 2022 school year, according to the CIP.

Other possible ideas outlined in the CIP to address overcrowding at McLean High School include temporary classrooms and modular additions.

Jane Strauss, a school board member for the Dranesville District, said at the meeting that — if no changes are made — McLean High School will be the most overenrolled school by 2023.

While Strauss said that McLean High School is not the only overenrolled school in the county, she said that the other schools have a plan to address their crowding, while McLean High School does not.

“This fall, more trailers came into McLean which indicates that the overcrowding situation is continuing,” Strauss said.

The trailers are starting to get cramped on the constrained site, Strauss said. “Trailer villages — as we’ve all agreed — is not the solution.”

Langley, which was recently renovated, has extra space to accommodate the students.

“It’s unusual to have this much capacity in a neighboring school,” Strauss said about Langley.

A few school board members, including Elizabeth Schultz, who represents the Springfield District, and Thomas Wilson, who represents the Sully District, criticized the amendment, saying it lets McLean High School leapfrog more severely overcrowded schools in the county.

The school board voted 9-1 on the amendment — Wilson voted “no” while Schultz abstained — during the Sept. 26 meeting. Staff is expected to begin the scoping process this fall.

Strauss said that community members from Langley and McLean high schools will help decide the future decisions around the possible boundary change.

“It’s overdue for the McLean community,” Pat Hynes, the Hunter Mill District representative on the school board said.