Metro Extends Service Hours This Weekend — Starting Sunday (July 18), Metro will provide rail service until midnight for the first time since operating hours were reduced at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The transit agency approved a package of fare reductions and service improvements in June aimed at attracting riders as more offices are set to reopen in the fall. [The Washington Post]

Freedom Hill Park to Recognize Historic Carter Family — As part of an interpretive history project, the Fairfax County Park Authority is inviting the public to a traditional land ceremony and sign dedication at Freedom Hill Park in Vienna on July 31. The new signs will tell the story of the multiracial Carter family, whose accomplishments include establishing the First Baptist Church of Vienna and possibly spying for the Union during the Civil War. [FCPA]

Fairfax County School Board Elects New Chair — The school board unanimously approved Sully District representative Stella Pekarsky as its new chair for the 2021-2022 school year. Board members thanked Mason District representative Ricardy Anderson for her time as chair amid the pandemic and noted she will get some much-deserved time with her family. [FCPS]

Food Trucks Stop by Providence Community Center — “Come by the Providence Community Center tomorrow [July 16] from 11am to 1:30pm for some freshly made empanadas by @empanadasdemza! This will make for a great snack over the weekend so make sure you grab some extra to share with your friends and families!” [Supervisor Dalia Palchik/Twitter]

The Town of Vienna is receiving a huge tranche of money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), but it’s still unclear where that funding is going.

The Vienna Town Council formally accepted $8.5 million in ARPA funding this year on Monday (July 12). The town is expected to get an identical amount in funding next year.

Marion Serfass, the town’s director of finance, told Tysons Reporter that Vienna staff will be working over the next few months to gather public input to help determine where that funding would be best utilized.

The town will hold a public hearing on Aug. 30 to collect feedback on what issues locals would like to see that funding put toward, and the town council will have a conference on Sept. 20 to pin down a definitive list of where the $8.5 million is going.

Serfass told the town council on Monday that the advice she has received in conferences about the funding is to “take your time, be deliberate, and look at transforming projects.”

Serfass said her office is currently working with the town attorney to pin down what is or isn’t eligible for ARPA funding. The town could also get ideas, she said, for how to proceed from watching where other localities spend their ARPA funds.

Nearby, Alexandria received $29.8 million in its first tranche. The city spent the most — $4 million — on rental assistance and other emergency assistance programs. $3.7 million went to stormwater repairs and $3 million to a pilot program to guarantee a minimum income for city residents.

Looking long-term, Serfass told the town council that there’s no set deadline to spend the funding, giving Vienna room to invest in longer-term programs without putting next year’s tranche of funding at risk.

County Commits to Carbon Neutrality by 2040 — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors pledged yesterday (Tuesday) to make county government operations carbon-neutral by 2040 as part of a newly adopted Operational Energy Strategy. The move follows up on a recommendation issued by the county’s Joint Environmental Task Force last fall. [Fairfax County Government]

Virginia Named Best State for Business — CNBC named Virginia the number-one state for business in the U.S. for the fifth time, making it the only one to ever top consecutive rankings. CNBC, which didn’t release rankings last year due to the pandemic, highlighted the Commonwealth for its ability to recruit and retain talent. [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]

Northrop Grumman to Test Moon Outpost — “NASA has finalized a $935 million contract with Falls Church, Virginia-based Northrop Grumman for a moon outpost living quarters for astronauts as part of its Artemis program, which will eventually return humans to the surface of the moon…NASA is currently targeting November 2024 to launch the spacecraft on a SpaceX rocket.” [WTOP]

Park Street in Vienna Closed for Utility Work — “Park Street SE will be closed to SE-bound traffic between the traffic circle and Cherry Street SE for water utility work tomorrow, July 14, from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Thursday, July 15. One-directional NW-bound traffic on Park Street SE will be open.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]

For much of Plum Street, pedestrians can travel on a sidewalk along one side of the road. But once it hits Cottage Street, pedestrians continuing southeast face a difficult choice: walk in the street or trespass on nearby lawns.

At a meeting on Monday (July 19), the Vienna Town Council authorized $388,000 in funding to resolve the dilemma once and for all and install sidewalks along Plum Street SW, Holmes Drive SW, and 503 & 505 Park Street SW. The Town Council also authorized $30,000 for a concrete maintenance contract for the new sidewalks.

The funding includes a 15% contingency in case costs run over during construction. The funding comes from former Councilmember Maud Robinson, who died in 2019 and set aside much of her estate in a trust to help the town she served complete its sidewalk network.

One casualty of the Plum Street sidewalk expansion will be a large oak tree on the street. Councilmember Howard Springsteen asked if the tree could be saved, but staff explained that the owner would not agree to an easement that would bypass the tree by going further into their property.

The street is also considered too narrow to bump the sidewalk out into the street without creating a traffic hazard.

The town also considered working around the tree with rubber sidewalks but determined that these would not be ADA compliant. The work would also ultimately end up irreparably damaging the roots of the tree the rubber sidewalk was ostensibly there to save.

The council unanimously approved new sidewalk construction, but Councilmember Nisha Patel said the town needed to consider focusing the sidewalk efforts around streets closer to downtown Vienna.

“We still have quite a few sidewalks in the heart of town that could use some improvements and upgrades for safety issues,” Patel said. “When we approach this Robinson Trust money, I would like us to prioritize sidewalks adjacent to Maple Avenue and one or two blocks out before we delve into smaller, safer streets that don’t necessarily need a sidewalk as badly.”

Mayor Linda Colbert noted that while downtown sidewalks definitely need work, the town also needed to consider which streets are routes to schools or connected to bus stops, making them likely for pedestrian use.

Photo via Google Maps

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

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

Tuesday (July 13)

• Kids on the Green — 10 a.m. at the Vienna Town Green (144 Maple Ave. E) — Vienna’s annual kids’ summer program presents a demonstration of Japanese Taiko drumming featuring performer Mark Rooney. The event is part of the final Liberty Amendments Month week celebrating the 19th Amendment, which extended voting rights to women.

Wednesday (July 14)

• Stargazing 101 — 6 p.m. — Office tenants at The Boro can join University of Maine professor Shawn Laatsch for an evening of stargazing. The family event is perfect to learn about star gazing before any summer camping trips. Register online ahead of time.

Thursday (July 15)

• Summer Live Music Series: Deanna Dove — 5:30-8 p.m. on the Upper Promenade near Boro Park (8350 Broad St.) — This week’s live music performance at The Boro features multi-genre artist Deanna Dove. RSVP for more information.
• Films in the Park: Grease — 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Strawberry Park (2910 District Ave.) — The Mosaic District’s Films in the Park series continues with Grease starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The film is rated PG and will run for one hour and fifty minutes. Grab your picnic blanket and join your neighbors at Strawberry Park for a movie night!
• Concerts in the Park: Andrew Acosta — 7-9 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave.) — This week’s Concert in the Park in Falls Church features Andrew Acosta, a Falls Church native who is bringing his guitar to serenade his home town. Email [email protected] with questions or concerns.

Friday (July 16)

• Cinderella/Sāvitri in Concert — 8 p.m. at Filene Center (1551 Trap Road) — Wolf Trap pairs Pauline Viardot’s one-act take on “Cinderella” with Gustav Holst’s chamber opera “Savitri” for a concert featuring a chamber orchestra led by Kelly Kuo. Tickets will be sold in socially distanced pods for two to eight people with no single tickets available. Questions can be directed to Wolf Trap’s patron services at 703-255-1868 or email [email protected].

Saturday (July 17)

• Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Wolf Trap — 8 p.m. at Filene Center (1551 Trap Road) — Wolf Trap will host the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which has been a staple of New Orleans music for over 50 years. Tickets will be sold in socially distanced pods for two to eight people.
• Vienna Multicultural Festival — 2-7 p.m. on Church Street — Vienna’s 2021 Multicultural Festival closes out the inaugural Liberty Amendment Month with a day-long festival celebrating the diverse cultures and communities across Northern Virginia. The event will offer food vendors, crafts, interactive activities, and a variety of musical performances.

Sunday (July 18)

• Summer Sunday Concert — 5 p.m. at McLean Central Park Gazebo (1468 Dolley Madison Blvd.) — Next up in McLean’s Summer Concert Series is The Sensational Soul Cruisers: A Tribute to Motown. The 11 horn players and four vocalists pay homage to the best of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Big Tony and Trouble Funk — 8 p.m. at Filene Center (1551 Trap Road) — Wolf Trap presents Big Tony and Trouble Funk and their worldwide famous go-go music. Tickets will be sold in socially distanced pods for two to eight people.
• Grind Day — 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Colvin Run Mill (10017 Colvin Run Road) — The Colvin Run Mill will be up and running as it did in 1811 for guests to come see it operate and learn about its history. The program runs on the hour, and the cost is $60 per family. Guests should register in advance. For more information on this event, call 703-759-2771.

Photo via Preservation Hall Jazz Band/Facebook

MCA Supports Proposal to Replace Office Building — “The McLean Citizens Association’s board of directors on July 7 passed a resolution generally supportive of a proposed townhouse development at 7700 Leesburg Pike, but sought changes to bolster pedestrian safety and discourage cut-through traffic.” [Sun Gazette]

Lack of Transparency Frustrates Justice Park Advocates — Documents obtained by the community group Justice for Justice Park, which opposes a proposal to convert part of the Falls Church park into a parking lot, show that county park and school officials had been negotiating a land transfer for two years without telling the public. The group argues a master plan amendment should be required before any moves are made. [The Annandale Blog]

New Jersey Driver Wanted for Assault on Police Officer — According to the Fairfax County Police Department’s weekly report, a police officer was treated at a hospital for minor injuries after attempting to arrest a man who was driving a vehicle without the owner’s permission. The incident occurred in the 2000 block of Peach Orchard Drive in Tysons on July 3, and the man has not been located yet. [FCPD]

Vienna Named Bicycle-Friendly Community — The Town of Vienna has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a bronze-level Bicycle-Friendly Community, an award given to “communities that demonstrate a strong commitment to bicycling by creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit residents and improve the quality of life.” [Town of Vienna]

The Arlington-founded burger chain Big Buns Damn Good Burgers is coming to Vienna, looking to take over the Danor Plaza space formerly occupied by Elevation Burger (142 Branch Road SE).

Big Buns, which specializes in making different styles of burgers and also provides craft beer and more, filed for Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control beer, wine, and mixed drinks licenses around May 28 and June 1.

“We couldn’t be more excited about these locations,” founder Craig Carey said in an email to Tysons Reporter, noting that the eatery is also working on sites in Franklin Farm and Fairfax.

Big Buns plans to open in Vienna on Sept. 1. Its hours of operation will be from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, according to a state ABC application obtained by Tysons Reporter.

Patch reported that the organic-focused chain Elevation Burger closed its Danor Plaza location in March. A sign still posted to the door notes that its Arlington location remains open (2447 Harrison St. N.).

Big Buns’ planned fall opening depends on permits, construction, and hiring, but Carey believes the timeline should be doable.

“We would love more patio seating but will need to see what the county comes back with in terms of occupancy after they review our plans,” Carey wrote about possible changes from Elevation Burger’s setup.

The chain seeks to have indoor and outdoor seating, with 14 tables outside for 28 people and a full capacity for over 55 seated customers, not including a counter/bar area, according to its state ABC application.

Carey and his business partner Tom Racosky started the chain in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood in 2007 with the goal of providing a variety of burgers as an alternative to “best burger” restaurants that each focus on their own specialty.

Those seeking jobs at the Vienna location can start at the Reston Big Buns (1908 Reston Metro Plaza) now and will transfer over to Vienna as part of a grand opening team, Carey wrote.

The chain, which typically has a staff of 25 full and part-time workers at each location, is offering $500 sign-up bonuses for workers on their 100th day.

With summer in full swing, the Latin American fusion restaurant Blend 111 hopes to conjure up a cool sea breeze with a new seafood-focused tapas pop-up concept that will launch next Monday (July 12).

Pescao, which translates to “fish” in English, will operate out of Blend 111 (111 Church St. NW) in Vienna every Monday through Sept. 6. The menu will only be available during dinner hours from 4-9 p.m.

“We really wanted to try a small plate, tapas style concept,” Blend 111 owner and sommelier Michael Biddick said in a statement. “With all of the isolation and difficulty that we have all seen over the past 18 months, we thought that a concept that focused on sharing and having new experiences with friends as vaccinations increase was needed.”

Developed by Executive Chef Andrés-Julian Zuluaga, the menu will feature seafood small plates that are intended to be shared. There will be cold dishes, such as oysters and crab and trout cavier arepas, as well as hot dishes, including scallops and pulpo (grilled Spanish octopus).

The pop-up will also serve side dishes, cocktails, and wine, according to a press release.

Pescao represents a continuation of Biddick’s efforts to keep refining Blend 111, as relayed to Tysons Reporter when the restaurant marked its two-year anniversary in Vienna in May.

That willingness to adapt has been crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the introduction of a to-go lunch menu and the conversion of the venue’s parking lot into a patio for outdoor dining.

Biddick says the restaurant has seen “a steady increase” in customers since January.

“Since we have the patio space, we were fortunate to be able to host guests outside,” he said. “Even with the restrictions removed and higher vaccinations, guests still prefer to sit outdoors.”

The Fourth of July is coming up this weekend, and with Monday (July 5) as a designated federal holiday, many public facilities and services will be shaking up their schedules.

The Fairfax County Health Department announced today (Friday) that all of its COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be closed on Independence Day, but walk-in services will be available at the Fairfax County Government Center and the former Safeway at Mount Vernon Square in Alexandria on Saturday.

A vaccine site at Springfield Town Center will also be open for walk-ins on Monday.

Here are some other closures that county residents should keep in mind this holiday weekend:

Fairfax County Government

• County government offices will be closed on July 5.

Fairfax County Courts

• The Fairfax Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District courts will be closed all day on July 5.

Town of Vienna

• Town offices will be closed all day.
• The Vienna Community Center will be closed.
• The holiday will not affect waste collection. Residents scheduled for pick-up on Mondays can place their waste by the curb as normal, but no brush, bulk, or yard waste will be collected.

City of Falls Church

• All city offices and services, including City Hall, the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, and the Falls Church Community Center, will be closed.

Public Schools

• Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed in observance of Independence Day.

County Libraries, Recreation Centers, Parks

• All Fairfax County library branches will be closed.
• All Fairfax County RECenters will operate at their regular hours.
• Colvin Run Mill, Sully Historic Site, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond, E.C. Lawrence, and Huntley Meadows nature centers will be closed.
• The farm at Frying Pan Park and the indoor arena will be open, but the visitor center will be closed.
• The McLean Community Center will be closed on Sunday and Monday.

Public Transit

• Fairfax Connector buses will operate on a Saturday service schedule on Monday. Check the Connector website for details on specific routes.
• WMATA Metrorail service will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Details on routes and closed stations can be found on the Metro website.
• WMATA Metrobus will operate on a Saturday service schedule on Monday.

County Trash and Recycling

• There will be no change in the county’s trash and recycling collection.
• The recycling and disposal centers at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be closed.

Updated at 4:40 p.m. — Metrorail service has been restored between the Vienna and West Falls Church stations after the transit system encountered power issues at its Dunn Loring station.

“Residual delays continue in both directions,” Metro says.

Updated at 1:40 p.m. — The I-66 eastbound and westbound left lanes in the Vienna/Oakton area have now reopened, the Virginia Department of Transportation says.

Earlier: More than a thousand people in the Pimmit area of Tysons are currently without power after a thunderstorm rattled the D.C. region last night (Thursday).

According to Dominion Energy’s outage map, the most substantial power outage in the Tysons area involves 1,215 customers in the Pimmit neighborhood west of Leesburg Pike, specifically along George C. Marshall Drive.

Those affected include the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, which will not open at 10 a.m. today as scheduled.

FYI, #Fairfax: we are sorry to report that our Tysons-Pimmit Regional branch will not open at 10 a.m. today due to a
power outage. pic.twitter.com/AJ1gqNj5fP

— Fairfax Library (@fairfaxlibrary) July 2, 2021

Dominion is attributing the outage to the storm and says crews have been dispatched. The estimated time of restoration is between 6 and 11 p.m.

As of 9 a.m. today (Friday), there were 6,699 customers in Northern Virginia without power, primarily in Fairfax and Arlington counties. Overall, the storm produced 33,000 power outages in the area, according to Dominion spokesperson Peggy Fox.

“Due to much damage from last night’s storm, it’ll take most of day for our @DominionEnergy crews to repair all the damage & get everyone’s power back,” Fox said in a tweet. “Thank you for your patience!”

Outage update:
6,699 customers in Northern Virginia @ 9am.
Many ETRs are in— due to much damage from last night’s storm, it’ll take most of day for our @DominionEnergy crews to repair all the damage & get everyone’s power back.
Thank you for your patience! pic.twitter.com/tt1JkqsB4i

— Peggy Fox (@PeggyDomEnergy) July 2, 2021

Metro announced just after 5 a.m. that the power issues had affected its Dunn Loring-Merrifield station, requiring a suspension of train service between the Vienna and West Falls Church stations. Shuttle buses are being provided to serve that section of the Orange Line.

UPDATED: Orange Line Delay: Train service suspended btwn Vienna & W Falls Church due to a power problem at Dunn Loring. Shuttle buses established.

— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) July 2, 2021

As of 9:30 a.m., service has not been restored yet.

In addition, the Virginia Department of Transportation says the Interstate 66 east and westbound left lanes have been closed at the new split near the 61-mile marker in Vienna so that crews can clear standing water left by last night’s rain.

The I-66 westbound ramp to Nutley Street was also temporarily but reopened around 7:35 a.m.

Update: 66WB ramp to Nutley has reopened. https://t.co/S6X4nkoIzS

— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) July 2, 2021

According to The Washington Post, the National Weather Service is investigating whether a tornado touched down after a tornado warning was issued last night for neighboring Arlington County and D.C.