The renovation of Louise Archer Elementary School is finally beginning to take shape.

The Vienna Town Council heard an update on a potential site plan and timeline during a work session on Monday (Dec. 14). The timeline moves up the completion of the project to mid-2024.

Fairfax County Public Schools design and construction lead Eric Brunner, who serves as coordinator for the project, presented the update alongside Architecture, Inc. senior project manager Brad Pierce.

The renovation project is currently in a planning and design phase that Brunner expects to be completed by mid-2021. Permitting will be the next step and should run through the spring of 2022, followed by a two-year construction process.

The projected completion of construction has moved up a year ahead of expectations. FCPS told the Vienna Planning Commission in May that construction would take three years and finish in 2025.

The potential site plans include nearly doubling the size of the school to around 103,000 square feet. The majority of the new square footage will come from a new second-story addition that will be constructed behind the existing school.

“A lot of the space is already on the site that we’re just making permanent,” Brunner said.

The current site plan concept also includes repurposing the current cafeteria for the library, adding a stage off of the school gymnasium, and creating a community room that may be utilized for community meetings. A new cafeteria and kitchen will be built “from the ground up,” Brunner said.

The current interior of the community room will be preserved as much as possible while displaying some history of the school, Pierce added.

Additional site concepts include expanding the bus loop, increasing the stormwater management system, and expanding the parking lot to about 106 available spaces, according to Brunner. The plan also shows a new playground and new basketball courts.

The project will remove temporary facilities — two trailers and a 66-foot by 180-foot modular classroom — that exist on site as construction progresses. The Town Council approved the continued use of the trailers for two years on June 15. The Board of Zoning Appeals voted on June 17 to permit continued use of the modular classroom for five years.

The modular classroom on the south side of the school will be replaced with a kiss-and-ride parking lot for student drop-off. The lot will run off the current three-way stop at the intersection of Nutley Street and Knoll Street Northwest, which Brunner said could potentially be permanently converted into a four-way stop.

According to the latest FCPS proposal, the renovation will be done in phases to allow for minimal interruption for students during the construction process. The new two-story addition would be built first, while students stay in the existing sections of the school.

Students would then move into the new addition upon its completion, allowing for renovation of the existing school to be completed.

John McGranahan, a partner with Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, which represents Fairfax County Public Schools, said the group would like to reappear before the council with another progress report before officially submitting an application for the project.

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 (Dec. 15)

• Kanopy Film Discussion Group (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — For its December meeting, Falls Church City’s Kanopy Film Discussion Group will talk about the movie Driveways, which stars Hong Chau and the late actor Brian Dennehy. Email Pete Sullivan at [email protected] to request a link to the Zoom meeting.

Wednesday (Dec. 16)

• MCA Virtual Public Safety Forum (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The McLean Citizens Association will host a discussion on criminal justice issues with Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. To view the event on Zoom, register here. It will also be streamed live on the MCA Facebook page.
• Vaccinate Virginia Town Hall (Online) — 7 p.m. — The Virginia Department of Health will host a statewide town hall with community and medical leaders to answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Check the VDH website for the panel speakers and a full listing of the TV news stations that will broadcast and livestream the event.

Thursday (Dec. 17)

• Middle School Book Club (Online) — 4 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library in Falls Church is inviting kids in grades 6-8 to discuss March Book 1, the first part of the late Rep. John Lewis’s graphic novel series about the Civil Rights Movement. Email [email protected] to reserve a copy of the book that will be available for curbside pick-up at the library (120 N. Virginia Ave.).
• Holiday Pop-Up Market (Dec. 17-20) — 5-8 p.m. at Vienna Shopping Center (136 Maple Ave.) — Local artisans will sell jewelry, art, and other handmade gifts at a pop-up market organized by the Town of Vienna and Vienna Shopping Center. Shoppers can reserve a time online or walk in, and admission is free. Hours vary depending on the day.
• Clemyjontri Park Public Meeting (Online) — 7 p.m. — The Fairfax County Park Authority will share updates on its master plan revision for McLean’s Clemyjontri Park. Potential changes include the development of a new arts center for the McLean Project for the Arts. Participate online or via telephone by calling 855-925-2801 and entering the access code: 8950.

Friday (Dec. 18)

• Mayor’s Walk — 9:30 a.m. at Vienna Town Hall — Chat and stroll through town with Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert, who holds this event once a month.
• Networking Effectively (Even Online) (Online) — 10:30-11:30 a.m. — The Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce will host a free webinar on how small and mid-sized businesses can strengthen connections, improve engagement, and leverage their networks. Register online to receive event details.
• Virtual Holiday Bingo Fun (Online) — 1:30-2:30 p.m. — Town of Vienna Program Coordinator Kathy Blevins will lead an hour of bingo through Zoom. Winners will receive prizes from local businesses, according to the event page. Email [email protected] by Thursday (Dec. 17) to register.

Saturday (Dec. 19)

• Free Food Distribution — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Merrifield (8122 Ransell Rd.) — The First Baptist Church of Merrifield will host a drive-by food distribution event. Each car or household can take one produce and one non-perishables box. Organizers request that everyone wear a mask and respect social distancing requirements.

It has barely been 10 days since Fairfax County launched its annual Hypothermia Prevention Program, and it’s already clear that this winter will be unlike any other that Abby Dunner has experienced in her nearly decade-long work with the initiative.

Now the manager of the Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, Dunner has been involved with the hypothermia prevention program since she was employed as a case manager and assistant by the nonprofit FACETS in 2012.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, forced Dunner and the other county and nonprofit officials who run the program to completely reengineer their operations, which were well-honed after 15 years of providing shelter for people in need during the coldest months of the year.

This year’s hypothermia prevention program, which started on Dec. 1 and runs through Apr. 1, 2021, must contend not only with the public health risks and social distancing protocols created by COVID-19, but also the looming threat of a surge in homelessness if emergency assistance measures end.

“We recognize the challenges and kind of the unique situation that we’re in, but everybody is also very much on board with understanding that the program has to continue,” Dunner said. “We have to still be able to shelter people who are experiencing homelessness.”

County officials and the nonprofit contractors that operate the hypothermia prevention shelters realized early on that they would have to make major changes to the program to make it viable this year.

Dunner says the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness collaborated extensively with the Fairfax County Health Department throughout the planning process. Health officials walked through each site and recommended ways to implement social distancing as much as possible.

Typically, the county relies on faith communities and nonprofits to host the actual shelters, which rotate between different locations every week, but the churches and other buildings usually utilized were too small to allow for the approximately 100 square feet of space sought per guest.

This time, the county turned to its own facilities, ultimately identifying seven sites that were sufficiently spacious, centrally located, and accessible by public transportation.

The ideal site for Central Fairfax, which includes the Tysons area, turned out to be a former Container Store at 8508 Leesburg Pike in Vienna.

According to Mike Dykes, the hypothermia coordinator for FACETS, which is operating the site, Fairfax County had been renting it out to George Mason University as a storage space before realizing it could be repurposed. At roughly 19,000 square feet in size, it can accommodate up to 84 shelter guests with social distancing.

“It’s quite a lot of space, much larger than the spaces we were looking at earlier and larger than most of the spaces we’re at in other years,” Dykes said.

Dunner says the hypothermia prevention program generally serves about 1,200 people across its four months of operation, and roughly 215 people utilize the shelters each night.

Though only a handful of people stayed at the Container Store site for the first couple of nights, the shelter averaged about 26 guests over the program’s first seven days, reaching 40 people on Dec. 7 with numbers expected to continue rising, according to Dykes. Read More

The Vienna Police Department plans to join several other local law enforcement agencies in forming a Northern Virginia Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) that will investigate shootings, in-custody deaths, and other situations where a police officer could face criminal charges.

The Vienna Town Council voted unanimously last night (Monday) to approve a memorandum of understanding that outlines the responsibilities, organizational structure, and basic procedures that the CIRT will follow.

Police chiefs in the region came together to develop the CIRT as a tool to enable departments to share resources and to establish a more independent process for investigating incidents where an officer inflicts death or serious injury.

“We don’t even have that capability to do that ourselves right now,” Vienna Police Chief Jim Morris said regarding the concurrent criminal and administrative investigations that are required after a use-of-force incident. “…This would solve that problem for us. It would also solve the problem of making sure you have independent, unbiased investigations.”

Under the CIRT MOU, which will take effect on Dec. 15, each agency will appoint a detective and a supervisor to serve on the team for two-year terms. The team will be governed by a board of directors that consists of the heads of the participating departments.

The team can be activated by a police chief when a critical incident occurs in their jurisdiction. Team members from the department under investigation would not participate in that criminal investigation, though they could act as a liaison officer.

Incidents that could trigger CIRT’s involvement include intentional and accidental shootings, in-custody deaths, police officer suicides, crashes where a vehicle is used as deadly force, and any action by a law enforcement officer during the performance of their duties that results in a death or life-threatening injury.

Vienna Police Chief Jim Morris emphasized that the CIRT is not meant to fill the same role as a citizen review board, which allows members of the public to provide input and evaluate police policies and procedures.

Instead, the CIRT will be responsible for conducting interviews, gathering evidence, and other aspects of a criminal investigation so that the case can be turned over to a prosecutor, who then decides whether to bring charges against the officers involved in the incident.

Morris says Vienna currently doesn’t have any formal written policy dictating how its police department would handle a criminal investigation in these situations. If the town opted out of CIRT, it would need to develop an arrangement with the Fairfax County Police Department so that there is a process in place if a critical incident occurs in Vienna.

“In this day and age especially, we need something in writing for these investigations,” Morris said.

Including the Town of Vienna, 11 Northern Virginia agencies have agreed to participate in the CIRT: Read More

The woman who died from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash on Leesburg Pike on Sunday (Dec. 6) was Holly Kuga, a 72-year-old resident of Great Falls, the Fairfax County Police Department reported this afternoon (Tuesday).

According to Fairfax County police, the fatal crash occurred around 11 a.m. at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Towlston Road in Vienna, when Kuga attempted to turn left from southbound Towlston onto Leesburg Pike.

The driver of a 2017 GMC Sierra who was traveling west on Leesburg crashed into Kuga’s 2012 Honda Accord as she was going through the intersection.

Kuga was transported to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

“Detectives are continuing to investigate whether speed, alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash,” the FCPD said. “Charges are pending further investigation.”

After a three-week delay, the Vienna Town Council has approved plans to demolish a house that once belonged to the late Mayor Charles Robinson and his wife, the late former Councilmember Maud Robinson.

The council voted unanimously yesterday (Monday) to permit the Tysons Service Corporation to raze the single-story residence at 124 Courthouse Road SW after town staff determined that the existing building cannot be repurposed.

“The residential structure, detached garage, and outbuildings are not in condition to be reused or modified,” Vienna Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Herman said.

According to the Sun Gazette, the Robinsons moved into the house in 1951, and portions of its structure date back to at least 1870.

However, the three-quarter-acre property has been vacant since Maud Robinson died in March 2019. The Town of Vienna purchased it in December 2019.

The town council had been scheduled to make a decision on the house’s fate during its Nov. 16 meeting, but members decided to postpone the vote after a member of Historic Vienna, Inc., a group dedicated to preserving and promoting the town’s history, asked them to consider saving the oldest parts of the property.

The council ultimately agreed with town staff that, despite its sentimental value, the house is not worth saving since it does not meet modern accessibility standards and is assumed to have asbestos based on its age, though a survey conducted on Jan. 17 found less than 1% of the substance.

“Certainly, we had two very prominent people living there that mean so much to our town, but demolishing their house will not do anything to their memory,” Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert said. “We can still do other things to honor them in our town, so I do think it’s time, I think, for safety, and it just makes sense that it’s time to do that.”

The Tysons Service Corporation, which has been hired for the demolition, estimates that the work will cost between $25,405 and $28,000, depending on any additional work that is needed, according to Herman.

In addition to knocking down the house, the contractor will be responsible for getting rid of any asbestos and turning off sewer and water services in the property line.

The project costs also include the installation of a construction entrance and silt fence, the transportation of till dirt to level out the site, and the addition of grass seed and straw to undisturbed areas.

The Town of Vienna has not yet developed plans for what it will do with the site once the house is demolished.

“Tonight, we’re just looking at demolishing the structure, and then we can move on and have work sessions and have further discussion,” Colbert said.

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 (Dec. 8)

• Great Books Discussion (Online) — 7-8 p.m. —  Falls Church’s “Great Books” Book Club meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of most months. Today, the group will discuss On Justice, Power, and Human Nature by Thucydides via Zoom. Email Marshall Webster, [email protected], to request the Zoom link.

Wednesday (Dec. 9)

• Gingerbread Houses Crafternoon (Online) — 3-3:30 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will go live on its Facebook page to make gingerbread houses. Participants can pick up Grab and Go Kits at the library at 120 N. Virginia Ave. through Dec. 15, while supplies last.
• Reopening FCPS Schools — 6 p.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St. S) — The Town of Vienna is hosting a town hall meeting with Hunter Mill School Board Representative Melanie Meren to discuss questions and concerns regarding reopening Fairfax County Public Schools.
• “The Red Balloon” in Community Hall — 7 p.m. at McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — MCC is hosting a free screening of the French short film The Red Balloon. Attendees must wear a face covering and practice social distancing. To register, use this link.
• Virtual Improv Show (Online) — 7 p.m. — The Alden‘s professional teen improv company, The Unruly Theatre Project, will present an hour-long improv show. Tickets are free, but registrations must be made at least two hours in advance of the show’s start time. To register, use this link.

Sunday (Dec. 13)

• McLean Uncorked Part 2 (Online) — 5-6 p.m. — Participants can enjoy four pre-purchased, unique wines during a virtual wine tasting with The Wine Outlet in McLean. Participants can purchase the wines by visiting the store in person (6727 Curran St.) or by shopping online.
• Holiday Wine Tasting (Online) — 3 p.m. — Participants can enjoy six wines and an Italian snack platter. The cost is $99 for two people. Tasting kits can be picked up from Thompson Italian (124 N Washington St.) between 12-1:30 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 13).

Photo via Thompson Italian/Facebook

Updated at 9:30 a.m. on 12/7/2020 — An adult woman involved in yesterday’s vehicle crash on Leesburg Pike died in the hospital, Fairfax County police reported.

Leesburg Pike reopened around 1:50 p.m. yesterday (Sunday). The crash remains under investigation.

Earlier: Leesburg Pike is currently closed in both directions around Towlston Road in Vienna due to a crash involving two vehicles.

One person has been taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to the Fairfax County Police Department, which is investigating the incident.

“Please use an alternate route,” police said Sunday morning.

The crash involving two vehicles remains under investigation. One person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Leesburg Pike remains closed in both directions. Please continue to avoid the area. https://t.co/ogylYbzb9K

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 6, 2020

Mail-stealing mischief is once again afoot in the Town of Vienna.

Vienna police warned today (Friday) that U.S. Post Office collection boxes on the corner of Church Street and Lawyers Road have been the targets of several break-ins this year.

The most recent incident occurred overnight between 3 a.m. on Nov. 22 and 5 p.m. on Nov. 23, when a resident reported that a check she had deposited in the mailbox at that intersection had been stolen, forged, and cashed.

“If you used these mailboxes during that time, please ensure that any checks, banknotes, or other important mail reached its intended destination,” the Vienna Police Department said in its crime summary for the week of Nov. 25 to Dec. 3.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is responsible for investigating all mail theft and tampering incidents, which can be reported to the U.S. Postal Service’s law enforcement arm through their website at uspis.gov/report.

Vienna police forward mail theft reports to the USPIS and support their investigations, but they advise anyone who sees suspicious activity at the collection boxes to contact the town police department to get an immediate response.

With the mailbox thieves apparently still at large, people with mail to deliver should drop it in the collection boxes inside the post office (200 Lawyers Road) instead, the VPD says.

The police report includes three other incidents involving issues with mailed checks that don’t appear to be part of the spree of postal box break-ins.

One resident reported that a check she mailed was stolen, forged, and cashed sometime between Sept. 1 and Nov. 23.

Another said a check she was supposed to get in the mail never arrived. The incident is dated between Nov. 3 and Nov. 10. Police advised the woman to file a report with the U.S. Postal Service.

Finally, there was a grand larceny incident between 9 p.m. on Nov. 30 and 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 1:

A resident placed outgoing mail in her mailbox that included three checks that she was sending to various creditors with her bills. The next day she observed shredded paper in the gutter that she recognized as the remnants of the envelopes she had placed in the mailbox.

Image via Google Maps

The winter holiday season tends to be a crucial time for retailers, restaurants, and other small businesses that rely on the annual flurry of gift-giving and festivities to bring in the revenue they need to stay afloat, but it will be especially pivotal this year after months of economic challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of its ongoing efforts to encourage community members to support local businesses, the Vienna Business Association has expanded the Small Business Saturday guide that it normally puts together every year into a Vienna Holiday Guide.

Launched online on Nov. 1, the guide gives local businesses a platform to share the deals and promotions that they are offering during this holiday season. It also features public events hosted by the VBA and the Town of Vienna, such as the Shop & Stroll series and the annual decorating contest.

“We just want to do everything we can to help the businesses that are struggling so much, and this holiday season is so critical,” VBA Executive Director Peggy James said. “Nothing against Amazon, but our businesses really, really need the business. Small businesses really need the business, so it just seemed like a nice thing to do.”

Vienna business owners say the VBA’s support and the sense of community fostered by Town officials and residents have buoyed them as they adapted their products and services to a world of social distancing and public-gathering restrictions.

“Vienna is really awesome. They’re really a loyal customer base,” Potomac River Running Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator Gina DeGaetano said. “…The business association [is] doing everything right to encourage people to continue to shop small, whether that’s supporting them online or coming into the store, and we’re certainly seeing the Vienna customer base is doing just that.” Read More