The Town of Vienna is moving forward with its plan to add public parking with Patrick Henry Library’s upcoming renovation.

The town is partnering with Fairfax County so that the town can have public parking spots when the county rebuilds the library (101 E. Maple Avenue).

The town is looking to incorporate public parking into a three-story parking garage, according to the Capital Improvement Plan.

Director of Finance Marion Serfass told the Town Council that the town would have 188 spaces, while the library would have 125 — a total of 313 parking spaces.

The parking garage is expected to cost $6.3 million, and the town is seeking a grant from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

The Vienna Town Council approved the 2020-2036 Capital Improvement Plan at their meeting on Monday (Oct. 21).

Image via Town of Vienna

Some parts of the design plans for the Vienna Market project are heading back to the drawing table.

Back in the spring, Vienna’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR) called the proposed plans rigid, plain and unbecoming for Maple Avenue and continued working with the developer to tweak the plans.

The project plans to replace the Marco Polo building and other surrounding properties with 44 condominiums and 8,200 square feet of retail space — along with an underground parking garage — to 245  W. Maple Avenue.

The BAR approved the project in chunks, with the final approval on Sept. 19.

Appeal Attempt 

Residents Charles and Laura Anderson sought to get the Board of Architectural Review’s approval of the rear architectural designs and plans for the Vienna Market appealed.

In a letter dated Oct. 1 to the town clerk, the Andersons claimed that the approved plans violate the Maple Avenue general design criteria and the Town Code, saying that the facades of the rear are not consistent with the front and side facades.

“As approved, the rear facades of four of the five townhouse rows along the proposed Vienna Market Lane consist almost entirely of siding material with no brick; whereas the front and side facades consist almost entirely of brick with no siding,” the Andersons wrote.

The Town Council considered the appeal at a meeting on Monday (Oct. 21).

“Since the structures won’t be coming out of the ground, I’m told, until November or December at the very earliest, there’s time to do this and get it right,” Charles Anderson said at the meeting.

Anderson’s concerns seemed to resonate with many residents and some of the councilmembers.

“I’m concerned that [if] I lived back there I would want to be looking at something halfway decent,” Councilmember Howard Springsteen said.

Public’s Input 

The Vienna residents who testified during the public hearing about the project on Monday stressed that all of the sides of the buildings can be clearly seen.

“It’s seen from all sides,” one resident testified. “There is really not a back to this building in my opinion.”

Residents asked that the Church Street facade have the same attractiveness as the Pleasant Street and Maple Street facades.

“This is right across the street from the historic district,” another resident said. “We get one chance to get this right.”

Several residents, including the Andersons, said that town officials might be able to avoid future controversies if residents have more opportunities to provide input.

“The citizens of this town need to brought into these conversations in an earlier stage,” Charles Anderson said.

Motion to Move Forward 

After the public hearing, Councilmember Pasha Majdi suggested a motion to reverse the BAR’s decision on Sept. 19 to approve Vienna Market. Repand to BAR

“I have no interest in cutting a deal tonight or making architectural designs,” Majdi said. “I think that’s a poor way to make decisions way outside my expertise.”

After Majdi presented his motion, the developer proposed a compromise that would wrap brick on the rear of two of the four rows of townhomes.

Nisha Patel said that she would like to see a compromise, but wants to see renderings of the proposal.

“I would be really cautious to undo the entire approval that happened at the Sept. 19 because there were a whole bunch of other things that were approved,” Councilmember Douglas Noble said.

Majdi then amended his motion to modify the BAR’s decisions Sept. 19 and Aug. 15 and to direct the BAR to consult with the Town Council before Town Council’s next scheduled meeting on the project.

When Noble proposed an amendment to Majdi’s motion to keep the modification specific to the four rear facades of the townhomes parallel to the Bank of America property and facing Market Square.

The Town Council approved both Noble’s amendment and Majdi’s motion.

“I do think we should move on this as quickly as possible,” Mayor Laurie DiRocco said.

Renderings via Town of Vienna

Fairfax County is looking to scrutinize Fairfax Connector routes for riders around the Tysons area starting next year.

The county plans to start looking at five-year route optimization next year for riders in the Vienna and Merrifield areas next year, FCDOT officials told the Board of Supervisors during the Transportation Committee meeting today (Tuesday).

Then, the county would turn to Tysons, McLean and Falls Church areas in 2021.

Currently, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is seeking the public’s input on proposed service changes to routes in Herndon and Reston.

FCDOT is looking at Fairfax Connector routes because overall ridership is below targetted levels, according to the presentation. Additionally, shifting demographics and job opportunities have changed travel patterns.

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

The Ni Family does it again!

A fantastic light show during Christmas time has stepped out of their regular schedule and put on a fantastic Halloween light show! The show is located at 2528 Drexel Street, Vienna. Make sure you drive by over the next 2 weeks to see the show

When: Now through October 31

• Sunday-Thursday: 6:45-9:30 p.m.
• Friday & Saturday: 6:45-10 p.m.

What: 2019 Halloween Light Show — the show runs 30:32 in total length.

• This is Halloween from Nightmare Before Christmas (4:07)
• Spooky Scary Skeletons (1:01)
• Thunderstruck by ACDC (3:23)
• Mix — Ghostbusters/Fun House/Baby Shark (4:06)
• Know What You Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy (3:06)
• Beetlejuice Theme Song (2:26)
• Calling All the Monsters by China Anne McClain (3:26)
• Monster Mash (3:19)
• Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell (3:36)
• Stranger Things — Never Ending Story (2:06)

How: When you pull up to the house, tune your FM radio to 90.3 if you don’t to get out of your car.

Reminders:

• Don’t block any driveways
• Turn your headlights off
• Don’t make the music too loud
• Park close to the curb

To find out when their holiday light show is up, including times and playlist, make sure you follow their Facebook Page.

Halloween is 10 days away and there are plenty of events around the Tysons area to help enthusiasts celebrate.

Tysons Reporter rounded up the spooky festivities, including community festivals and happy hour deals.

Tysons

At the Palladium’s (1524 Spring Hill Road) Halloween Costume Party, Eddie Attar, Morvarid and other guests will hit the stage for an evening of performances and live music. Admission is for people aged 21 and older and tickets are $40. This event will take place on Saturday (Oct. 26) from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m.

The Ritz Carlton ((1700 Tysons Blvd) is hosting a Halloween Tea on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $64 and costumes are encouraged.

There will be a Pumpkin Carving Class for kids on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 3-4 p.m. at Wildfire Steakhouse (2001 International Drive). Tickets are $20 per child.

From 4-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, TenPenh Tysons (7900 Westpark Drive) will host a Halloween Spooktacular happy hour with prizes for the best costume. Tickets are not required and this event is free and open to the public.

Tysons Corner Center will host a Malloween event from 3-5 p.m. on Halloween night (Thursday). The Fairfax County Police Department will be handing out candy on The Plaza and American Scream will be providing some spooky entertainment. Facepainting will be on-site and participating stores will be marked with a jack-o-lantern sticker in their window.

Also at the mall, Spirit Halloween is open for anyone in need of a Halloween costume or decorations. The store is open from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Sundays.

The American Scream Selfie Museum offers attendees the chance to take pictures with various Halloween themed displays. Admission is $20 and there are various time slots available until Nov. 3.

Vienna

The Vienna Halloween Parade will start at 7 p.m. along Maple Avenue on Wednesday (Oct. 23). This yearly event will celebrate its 73rd year anniversary and include a contest for the best band, float with music, youth performer, antique/classic vehicle, adult band, float without music and performer. This event is free and open to the public.

The Caboose Halloween Costume Contest at Caboose Tavern (520 Mill Street NE) will have prizes for people with the best outfits on Monday (Oct. 28). This event takes place from 4-9 p.m. All ages and dogs are welcome to attend. There will be a prize for the best adult, kid and dog costume.

Falls Church

The upcoming Halloween Carnival will give kids from preschool to fifth grade a chance to enjoy games, food, reptile demonstrations and face painting. It will take place at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street) on Friday, Oct. 25, from 3-6 p.m. Admission is $2 for kids over two years old.

McLean

Kids and their families are invited to a Trunk or Treat event from 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church (1724 Chain Bridge Road). There will be games and treats available.

Merrifield

The Caboose Halloween Costume Contest will feature an extended happy hour at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) as well as prizes for people with the best outfits on Halloween night. This event takes place from 3:30-9 p.m. All ages and dogs are welcome to attend. There will be a prize for the best adult, kid and dog costume.

The Vienna Police Department also issued a set of tips to help people stay safe while celebrating Halloween.

Vienna police advise that drivers should expect extra pedestrian traffic and be on the look-out for kids in dark clothing, along with discouraging inexperienced drivers from being on the road.

For pedestrians and parents, the police suggest kids should wear brightly colored clothing or reflective materials, teach kids never to enter a stranger’s home, make sure everyone sticks together in groups and remain on well-lit paths and streets.

For people planning on taking the Metro, one Twitter user created a punny, Halloween-themed version of the map.

For no particular reason, I made a Halloweeny, pun-filled version of the @wmata metro map.

Get on at Pentagram City, get off at Fear-in-gut West for spooooooky brunch. pic.twitter.com/Egmm6JvsHv

— Paul Hostetler 🌻 (@phostetlerart) October 7, 2019

Swinks Mill Road Reopens in McLean — Severely damaged by flooding in July, the road at Scotts Run reopened Friday (Oct. 18). [VDOT/Twitter]

McLean Resident Retires From NVTC — “Northern Virginia Technology Council’s (NVTC) president and CEO Bobbie Kilberg is set to retire on June 30 after 22 years leading the organization.” [Technical.ly]

Pedestrian Killed Along Route 50 in Falls Church — “A police cruiser struck and killed a man who was crossing an intersection in West Falls Church, Virginia, early Sunday morning, police say.” [NBC4]

Home Catches Fire in Dunn Loring — Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 8100 block of Timber Valley Court in Dunn Loring area on Saturday. The fire is now out. “No reported injuries at this time.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]

How Walkable is Tysons? — Find out what it’s like to stroll around Tysons with a walkability researcher, who measured the noise levels and air quality. [Greater Greater Washington]

New Leader at McLean Private School — “BASIS Independent McLean, a preK to grade 12 private school in McLean, Va., recently named Paul Geise as its head of school. As a veteran educator with more than 40 years of experience, Geise excels in leadership of schools in the United States and United Kingdom, specializing in strategic plans and fostering student and community development in schools.” [Patch]

Marshall HS Students Visit Capital One HQ — “Members of Marshall High’s Latinos United Club took a field trip to Capital One’s headquarters in McLean to meet with their mentors. Students learned about the vast career opportunities in technology at Capital One and participated in various activities with the mentors including job shadowing, panel discussions, and a tour.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

USA Today May Phase Out Print Edition — “After a nearly 40-year run, USA Today and its digital sites are about to undergo a major restructuring that will include building up digital marketing while phasing out the print edition.” [Poynter]

Falls Church Receives High Bond Ratings — “For the second consecutive year, the city has earned the highest credit rating from all three major bond rating agencies.” [City of Falls Church]

Falls Church Polling Place Moved — “Due to delays in a renovation of the Falls Green apartments (formerly Oakwood), the City of Falls Church’s Ward 2 polling place has to be moved for the upcoming Nov. 5 election.” [Falls Church News-Press]

New Natural Health Center in Vienna — “The Health Improvement Center, a natural health care center, has moved to a new location in Vienna. The move to a larger space happened in August, while a ribbon-cutting is set for Nov. 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The new location is 407 Church Street NE Suite C.” [Patch]

A cyber tip led Vienna police to charge a 53-year-old Vienna man with more than 20 felonies after police say they discovered child pornography at his home.

The tip from the Northern Virginia/Washington DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said that a local internet account had uploaded child pornography videos, according to a Vienna police press release.

The Vienna Police Department investigated the tip, which brought them to a house in the 1200 block of Cottage Street SW.

“A search warrant was executed at the home, and several electronic storage devices were seized,” the press release said. “A forensic examination of the devices was completed and numerous files containing child pornography were uncovered.”

Police charged resident Charles Snow with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of unauthorized videotaping.

Snow is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

First photo via Facebook, second photo via Town of Vienna

New Mexican cuisine is coming to the Vienna area.

A liquor license is pending for El Sol at 262 Cedar Lane SE, Suite C in the Cedar Park Shopping Center.

Restauranteur Alfredo Solis is behind El Sol, which currently has a D.C. spot, along with Mezcalero and Little Havana — also in D.C.

The restaurant plans to let diners build their own tacos and order other items like quesadillas and tortas with a fast-casual style service for lunch and sit-down dining for dinner, Washingtonian reported. Diners can expect El Sol to open in Vienna this fall, Eater reported.

Tysons Reporter reached out to the leasing agent and property owner of the shopping center and will update this story if they respond.

Photo via El Sol/Facebook

Next week, listeners can tune into another season of the Second Story podcast about homelessness.

The new season will premiere on Tuesday (Oct. 22), featuring stories of young adults and teens who overcame struggles of homelessness and abuse.

In the first episode, listeners will hear from a young woman named Bree who managed to escape an abusive relationship, Abigail Brougher, the podcast’s producer, said.

Second Story is a non-profit organization based out of Vienna that assists young people struggling with issues like homelessness, poverty or domestic issues.

The podcast was started to spread the organization’s message and educate the public on these issues within the community, Brougher said.

Bree’s story was chosen for the season premiere because Brougher said it set the tone for the rest of the season.

Bree took shelter with Second Story as a young mother and was later recruited to speak out about domestic violence on the podcast. Brougher said that Bree was “especially vulnerable” during this time in her life, and hearing her story will help people to acknowledge the issue of domestic violence.

Bree was forced to decide between homelessness or the constant threat of abuse, Brougher said. “It’s fairly common for young mothers to feel like they have to choose.”

Domestic Violence Awareness Month also happens to fall in October and calls attention to the issue that affects everyone, regardless of gender, race or socioeconomic status.

One in four women and one in nine men will be victims of domestic violence in their lives, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The podcasts tend to be around 30 minutes long, and new episodes will be available for free every Tuesday on Second Story’s website, as well as Spotify and Stitcher.

This season will consist of roughly nine episodes and feature various themes like domestic violence, PTSD and family trauma, Brougher said.

“Giving voice to this issue changes the narrative,” Brougher said.

Photo via Facebook

Wednesday  (Oct. 16)

• Panel Discussion on Human Trafficking — 7 to 9 p.m. at Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, Second Floor (400 Center Street S.) —  This panel will discuss human trafficking in local neighborhoods and how to end it.
• Boro Fall Festival — noon to 2 p.m. at Whole Foods (1635 Boro Place) — This free event offers attendees a chance to try fall foods, participate in crafts, enjoy live music and enter into a raffle.

Thursday (Oct. 17)

• Avenir Pumpkin Festival — 5 to 8 p.m. at Modera Avenir Place Apartments (2677 Avenir Place) — This event is free to attend and features a Biergarten, music and pumpkin decorating.
• Local Candidate Forum — 7 p.m. at George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike) — This public forum will allow community members to gather and hear from local candidates running for office on Nov. 5.
• Wild Game Beer Dinner — 7 to 10 p.m. at Caboose Commons (520 Mill Street NE) — This event will feature a five-course meal from chief David Rabin. Tickets are $90 and will include meat such as antelope, bison and goat.
• Meet Author Bill Lewers — 7:30 p.m. at Patrick Henry Library (101 E. Maple Avenue) — This author will discuss his upcoming fiction book “Gatekeepers of Democracy,” which discusses those who serve on election day. Copies will be available for purchase during the book signing.

Friday (Oct. 18)

• “One Man, Two Guvnors” — 8 to 10:30 p.m. at Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) — This play explores the life of someone who ends up employed by gangsters in England around 1963. Tickets start at $15.

Saturday (Oct. 19)

• Vienna Halloween on the Green — 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. at the Vienna Town Green (144 E. Maple Avenue) — Kids ages two to 10 are welcome to join in some seasonal fun including trick-or-treating, crafts, games, pumpkin decorating and age-appropriate activities. This event is free and open to the public.
• Recycling Extravaganza –– 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Recycling Center (217 Gordon Road) — People are encouraged to bring things they may not be able to get rid of at the curb including toxic chemicals, shredded documents, and electronics. A list of accepted items can be found online and people wishing to drop things off must prove residency.
• Party for a Cause — 9 p.m. t0 2 a.m. at Inca Social (2670 Avenir Place) — This free event will raise money for breast cancer awareness and support for families.

Sunday (Oct. 20)

• McLean Pet Fest — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McLean Central Park (1468 Dolley Madison Blvd) —  This event gives pet owners the chance to learn about opportunities that will enhance the lives of their furry friends while watching a pet-parade. This event is free and open to the public.
• Ito’s Taste of Colombia — all night at Blend 11 (111 Church Street NW, Suite 101) — Chef Andrés Julian will prepare a five-course meal for guests that includes traditional Colombian dishes. The price is $55 with an optional $21 wine pairing.

Photo via McLean Community Center/Facebook