A few good volunteers are needed to roll up their sleeves and help clean up Vienna.

This Saturday (Nov. 3), the Town of Vienna will host its biannual Town Clean-Up Day. Volunteers will help pick up trash, remove invasive plants, and spruce up areas near the Town Green and several local creeks.

“Community service is alive and well in Vienna,” said John King, Vienna’s parks maintenance superintendent, in a press release. “It brings a closeness — volunteers get to know our staff, and we get to know them. There’s a lot of bonding when you’re expending elbow grease together.”

Organizations, business, families and individuals are all encouraged to come out and help clean the town.

Volunteers are requested to wear full-length pants and long sleeve shirts no matter the weather conditions, as some of the cleanings could take place in underbrush near the creeks. Those with trash pickers are encouraged to bring them, while the Town of Vienna will supply gloves, trash bags and other necessary equipment.

Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the Town Green, rain or shine.

Those interested in volunteering should email King at [email protected].

Photo via Facebook

Blend 111, a cafe and wine bar, will planning to open in Vienna this coming spring if it can get local government approval.

The restaurant is planned to go into 111 Church St NW, and according to a Facebook post the construction plans have been finalized and sent to Town of Vienna and Fairfax County for review.

The location is near the heart of Vienna, just one block away from the Town Green.

According to the restaurant website, Blend 111 will offer a collection of food and wines from Spain, France and Venezuela. The restaurant styles itself as a cafe by day, with juices and locally roasted coffee, and a wine bar by night.

The full food menus for the restaurant are still forthcoming, but in addition to the usual animal-based cafe options Blend 111 will offer vegetarian and vegan options.

Blend 111 is currently looking for an assistant general manager with a marketing focus. The position would involve helping to support operations in the restaurant as well as running social media.

Photo via Facebook

It wasn’t nearly as contentious as the preceding vote, but the Vienna Town Council voted on Monday (Oct. 29) to authorize a $1.6 million contract to design a new police station. The new station will likely be triple the size of the current one.

The contract was awarded to architecture firm Dewberry. The company previously designed the Fairfax Criminal Justice Academy and several government buildings across the county.

The current police station is a 9,800 square foot building at 215 Center Street South. It was built in 1994 and houses the administrative, operations and communications divisions of the department, while the criminal investigations section works out of an office inside the Vienna Town Hall.

A needs assessment in 2013 determined that the department would need a roughly 30,000 square foot building to house all of the police operations. The project will likely involve renovating the current building and constructing a new facility on the adjacent property at 144 Locust Street, which is owned by the town.

The total cost of the new police station’s construction is estimated to be $15.8 million. According to the Town of Vienna CIP review, the project is being financed through general obligation bonds. Construction is expected to begin in 2020.

According to the proposal, the new building will also have offices for other Town of Vienna departments as well as public spaces. Vienna Police Chief James Morris said it was important that the new building be a “community space” in addition to a police department.

“We do community policing all the time so that’s really important,” Mayor Laurie DiRocco agreed. “It’s nice to have people enter the police station for reasons other than negative reasons.”

Photo via Facebook

The large-scale redevelopment of three blocks of Maple Avenue, the subject of earlier debate and discussions, returns for consideration at tonight’s Vienna Town Council meeting.

A proposed four-story, mixed-use development would replace the Vienna Wolf Trap Hotel and Tequila Grande restaurant at 430, 440 and 444 Maple Ave. W. The subject has been the topic of conversation in development meetings throughout the summer.

In a response to questions raised at the earlier work session, project developer Vienna Development Associates LLC said the proposal was scaled down to 151 total residential units, a nine-unit decrease from the initial proposal.

The development has also been decreased by 12,000 square feet of floor area while open space on the site has increased from 20,000 to 24,000 square feet.

Critics of the development called for the building to feature more setbacks and to be reduced to three stories. But the developer said reducing the building to three stories would make the project economically unfeasible given the cost of underground parking, undergrounding utilities and proffers.

Included in the list of proffers offered by the developer are a variety of traffic improvements. The added congestion was one of the major concerns voiced by the public and the Town Council at earlier meetings.

• Extend the westbound left turn lane from Nutley Street to Maple Avenue by 120 feet.
• Adjust the existing crosswalk on the east side of the Maple Avenue and Nutley Street intersection, including the construction of a new accessible curb and the relocation of the pedestrian signal at the crosswalk.
• Apply signal timing and/or phasing modification at the Maple Avenue and Nutley Street intersection.
• Provide a dedicated left turn lane and dedicated right turn lane to exit new development onto Maple Avenue.

For at least a year, the developer will also have to provide a shuttle bus that runs from the property to the Vienna Metrorail station. The shuttle must be operational before the development reaches 90 percent capacity.

If the development is approved, the developer says rents at the new apartments will range from $1,500 to $3,000 per month.

Image via Vienna Development Associates LLC 

Many people like the taste of bacon, but sometimes bacon likes the taste of people.

According to the monthly Vienna Police highlights, last Friday (Oct. 19) at noon, a woman on the 600 Block of Tazewell Road reported that she had been bitten by her pet mini-pig.

Vienna Animal Control Officer John Barker said the pig was taken and placed on a ten-day quarantine, where it currently remains. Barker said the homeowner was trying to clear something from the pig’s mouth when the animal bit down.

Barker said pet pigs are not prohibited in Vienna provided they are not being raised for a commercial use. Though somewhat outside the array of typical household pets, pet pigs are not unheard of.

This summer, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter found a new home for a pet-pig named Roger abandoned outside the shelter. While pigs can bite like any animal, the shelter described other pet pigs like Roger as smart and loving.

“He’s clearly been a pet since he knows how to wear a harness and walk on a leash and generally just be super friendly and sweet with everyone he meets,” the shelter said in a Facebook post. “He’s young and still has some growing to do, and is 100 percent a pet pig. Pigs are just as smart as dogs and love to root around, eat all kinds of tasty snacks, and snuggle up in a comfy cushy bed when it’s nap time.”

Photo via Flickr/Cloudtail the Snow Leopard

Get the fresh fruit and veggies while you can, because several local farmers markets will be closing for the season next month.

In and around Tysons, there are at least four weekly farmers markets to choose from:

• Tysons Farmers Market (last day: Sunday, Nov. 18)
• McLean Farmers Market (last day: Friday, Nov. 16)
• Vienna Farmers Market (last day: Saturday, Nov. 3)
• Mosaic Central Farmers Market (year round)

The Tysons Farmers Market is held Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the National Automobile Dealers Association parking lot (8400 Westpark Dr). Organized by Community Foodworks, the market features a variety of vendors offering everything from empanadas to coffee to fresh produce.

Like the Tysons market, the McLean Farmers Market starts up for the season in May and closes in mid-November. There are four market days left for the popular McLean bazaar of locally-produced food, which is held every Friday from 8 a.m.-noon in Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Rd).

In addition to a variety of vendors, the Master Gardener Plant Clinic sets up at the McLean market to help locals learn more about the vegetation of their yards.

The Vienna Farmers Market, meanwhile, will not be open this weekend, according to its website. There’s only one market day remaining before the Vienna market closes for the season: Saturday, Nov. 3, from 8 a.m.-noon.

For those in the area who need to get their farmers market fix year round, the Mosaic District hosts a weekly farmers market on Sundays that runs through the winter. Mosaic Central Farmers Market is held at 2910 District Ave from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. — that is, until the end of December.

From January to March, the market shifts to a winter market, with modified hours and 40 vendors instead of the usual 55, according to its website.

Photo via Facebook

Vienna’s 72nd Annual Halloween Parade tonight (Wednesday) will haunt Maple Avenue starting at 7 p.m.

The parade starts at the corner of Maple Avenue and Branch Road SE. It will proceed west along the street past a reviewing stand before ending at Center Street S. The streets surrounding Maple Avenue will be closed with traffic redirected along Church Street.

Expect a crowd for the popular, family-friendly parade. Attendees, however, are asked not to place blankets or chairs on the sidewalks, benches, or bus shelters.

Children are invited to walk in the parade in their costumes with no registration required but they must be accompanied by an adult. Those wishing to walk in the parade should meet in the parking lot at United Bank (374 Maple Ave. E).

The parade is also a contest, with participants judged in the following categories:

• Youth bands
• Floats with and without music
• Youth performers
• Antique/classic vehicles

Winners of the costume contest will be recognized by the Vienna Town Council at a meeting in November.

Spectators are asked to keep off the street and monitor any children they might bring. Merchants along Maple Avenue are asked not to put items on the street today and to keep the sidewalks clear so pedestrians can easily walk along the parade route.

For those who have never attended the parade, local realtor Laura Schwartz had a few tips for how to get the most out of the experience.

More from Vienna’s town government on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/138098266212749/posts/2014486968573860

https://www.facebook.com/TownofViennaVA/posts/2013359752019915?__xts__[0]=68.ARDaI9EfUEqJj3C37nDt0PXWzWllaDBbQOq0FtIKYT_5_D269Q9VqhGdurr6LpQCLMjQ4fi5u3fRp_2Gz5s1Cbkwo-kISZSdSpPgXUuVuSYWuseJjN6N3C-ruo7RYZcJvafkWoDIIEz2LiJNPcfDq5RRjKChSNjXjt3X3RmpqK4qLy2ln3yGi2NvHsbsEe5jaQhepdmIYKffRqz92zpQcqGvfOk&__tn__=-R

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

On Wednesday, October 24, the town of Vienna will celebrate the 72nd annual Halloween Parade. The parade begins at 7 p.m. and starts at the corner of Branch Road SE and Maple Avenue E before ending in front of Patrick Henry Library on Center Street SW.

If you’ve never been, here are some tips to help you make the most of the experience!

• People set out chairs and blankets early in the day to reserve their spot. If you want a front row view, I suggest you do the same. The town asks that no one does this before noon on the day of the parade and that revelers stay clear of the sidewalk and benches during the day.
• If you have a flat bed truck, you can back into parking spaces at the shopping centers and sit high to get a better view.
• In the parade, there are walking groups and floats with some walking groups giving out candy.
• Some of the groups in the parade are very loud. If you have someone who is noise sensitive, consider bringing something to help them enjoy the parade without the noise.
• There are no food vendors except for the nearby restaurants so plan to bring food if you need it or support a local restaurant.
• Kids in costumes can walk in the parade with an adult if they want to. Participants meet at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot at United Bank (374 Maple Avenue E).

Pro Tip: The Weichert Realtors office at 156 Maple Avenue E holds a haunted house every year from 5:45-7 p.m. They have a designated area for small kids, but they also have a scarier “Haunted Room” if you are looking for bigger thrills. They also give out candy.

The parade is one of my many favorite Vienna events! You’ll find me there with my 4 and 6 year old boys so please say hi!

One week after a fire gutted the abandoned Marco Polo restaurant on Maple Avenue, there’s still no answer for what caused the blaze.

At a Town Council meeting on Oct. 15, Vienna Chief of Police James Morris said the fire was reported around 2 p.m. on Sunday, and by 3:16 p.m. the flames under control. The building was vacant and there were no injuries in the fire, but the building itself is a complete loss.

Morris said throughout the week there have been complaints of kids hanging around gawking at the site. Even when the building was intact though, Morris said there was some unsavory activity at the site.

“The property itself has had broken windows and significant vandalism of buses in the back lot. There has been a lot of activity around that building.”

Battalion Chief Willie Bailey said it’s not uncommon for fire investigations to take over a week, with variables being size of the structure and the level of damage.

Before the fire, the building had been planned for demolition to make way for a new development approved on May 7 this year.

The site has been home to a number of buildings since 1900, but the recently-burned one had been located there since 1954. Local developer Doug D’Alexander applied to have the lot redeveloped in 2015, but a protest petition meant the Town Council would have to vote 6-1 in favor of development. In the end, the development fell one vote short.

D’Alexander returned in 2017 with a more scaled down version of the development called Vienna Market. The new development would consist of 8,200 square feet of retail space with 44 townhouse condominiums. The development was unanimously approved at the meeting.

Tysons Reporter was unable to reach D’Alexander, so the timeline for the development and the impact of the fire on redevelopment plans are currently, like the cause of the fire, still unknown.

In-Person Absentee Voting Underway — Fairfax residents can now vote absentee in person at 10 locations throughout the county until Nov. 3. Among the locations is the McLean Governmental Center at 1437 Balls Hill Road. [Fairfax County, Twitter]

Thieves Steal ATM Machine from Vienna Metro — “Police are searching for the people they say stole an ATM from a Metro station and then packed it into the bed of a stolen pickup truck. Five suspects in a heavy-duty pickup rammed into the machine at the Vienna station and dislodged it about 1:30 a.m. Monday, a Metro spokesman said. The thieves then lifted the machine onto the truck bed and drove off.” [NBC Washington]

Public Safety Agencies Holding Job Fair — “The public safety agencies of Fairfax County invite residents to learn more about career opportunities available at the Fairfax County Public Safety Career Fair on Saturday, Oct. 20.” [McLean Connection]