Drivers have one week left to use the Vaden Drive Bridge over I-66 before it closes and gets replaced by a new bridge.

The bridge, which is near the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station, will be closed for about 10 months starting at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 18.

The closure is apart of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s multi-year Transform 66 project.

“The previously announced bridge closure is expected to cut in half — from 24 months to 12 months — the time needed to demolish the existing bridge and construct a new one,” according to an update yesterday from VDOT. “This shortened schedule will help reduce construction impacts on adjacent communities and roadway users.”

A new bridge is getting built to accommodate more cars and the I-66 widening. People can keep a lookout for the construction to start on the new bridge in November, with an anticipated opening next September.

While the bridge is closed, drivers will be detoured to Nutley Street to get to I-66. Pedestrians will be detoured to the pedestrian bridge at the Metro station.

Demolition of the bridge is expected to be finished by early December, according to VDOT.

Crews will also work on the intersection of Saintsbury Drive and Nutley Street while the detour is in place.

The parking garages at the Metro station will remain open.

Image via Google Maps

Recently, Vienna police received reports of a pizza bag robbery, a road rage incident involving a baseball bat and a bag of dog poop found on a porch.

A male resident reported to the police a road rage incident in the 200 block of Cedar Lane SE around 4 p.m. last Saturday (Oct. 5).

When the man pulled into the shopping center’s parking lot, “[another] driver followed him into the parking lot, then exited his vehicle with a baseball bat threatening the resident,” according to the police report.

Police found the other driver, who said that the Vienna resident “was acting aggressively toward him on the roadway and he exited the vehicle with the bat as protection,” police said.

Police said they explained the warrant process to both drivers if they decide to pursue charges.

The next day (Sunday), a pizza delivery man was allegedly assaulted by a customer outside of an apartment building in the 200 block of Terrace Court SE around 5:30 p.m.

“The customer grabbed the pizza bag from the delivery man, struck the man, then fled the area on foot without paying for the pizza,” police said.

Police arrested a 19-year-old Vienna resident for robbery on Wednesday (Oct. 9). The resident was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and is being held without bond.

Vienna police have also received a new report of an unwanted bag of dog poop.

Yesterday (Thursday), a woman who lives in the 800 block of Glyndon Street SE reported to the police she found a bag of dog poop at her front door.

Speaking of dogs — the police took a dog without identification that was running around a farmer’s market on Saturday (Oct. 5) to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter.

Photo via Facebook

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.

Plans are no longer in the works for an assisted living facility in the Vienna area after facing criticism by the Planning Commission and residents.

The proposed 86-bed facility would provide accommodations for people with dementia or memory loss at 2347 Hunter Mill Road, adjacent to the United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd.

The applicant, Orr-BSL Hunter Mill, LLC, wanted to build a two-story building with approximately 43,680 square feet of space, along with outdoor courtyards and a garden for the facility’s residents.

Fairfax County planners gave the proposal a favorable recommendation in the staff report, writing,”In staff’s opinion, the development has been thoughtfully designed to be compatible with adjacent residential uses and to preserve the property’s rural character.”

Many residents opposed the proposed project during a four-hour-long public hearing in July, arguing to the Planning Commission that the proposal does not meet the county’s comprehensive-plan requirements.

Some of the commissioners agreed — including John Carter, the commissioner who oversees the Hunter Mill District.

Carter and another commissioner brought up a long list of issues with the proposal and special needs of the site at the Sept. 12 meeting — like pointing out that emergency vehicles might have trouble traveling to and from the site, which has a two-lane scenic by-way policy.

Carter also said the proposed facility’s size would not fit in with surrounding buildings. “It’s a football field in length,” he said.

Carter deferred the proposal indefinitely — essentially killing it since he said that other developers are eying the site.

“This is only one case. I expect more cases on this site,” he said.

Dranesville District John Ulfelder added that the site is pending being listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

While Ulfelder said that schools and churches would be appropriate on the site, he said that he was worried that a medical facility would “erode” the site’s history.

The application was withdrawn at the end of September.

Image via Fairfax County

The Vienna Arts Society is seeking the public’s help to solve the mystery of the stolen painted benches.

The first bench was stolen between July 7-9, followed by the second bench between August 9-12. Vienna police are currently investigating.

The arts group sent out an email today (Tuesday) to our sister site ARLnow with the subject line: “VIENNA ART SOCIETY ASKS FOR HELP IN RECOVERING STOLEN BENCHES.”

“Art Center Director Lu Cousins, says ‘It’s possible someone witnessed their theft and they may no longer be in the immediate area. We have been working with the Vienna Police Department to secure the remaining benches and we’re hoping that anyone with information will come forward,'” the email said.

The benches are valued at $500 and $600, Sgt. Conor Tracy, who works in the Vienna Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, told Tysons Reporter.

“To my knowledge, there is no video footage from security cameras of either incident,” Tracy said, adding that the police department does not have any leads or suspects at this time.

The Vienna Arts Society is determined to keep the remaining 40 benches painted by local artists available for public enjoyment until they get auctioned off on Nov. 2.

New security measures include bolting the benches to the ground and chaining them to nearby objects, Tracy said.

While the Vienna Arts Society recommissioned a bench to replace the missing one from Grass Roots Fitness, the artist of the other stolen bench won’t be painting a new one due to time constraints.

Anyone with information about the stolen benches can contact the Vienna Police Department at 703-255-6366.

Photo via Susan Scanlon

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

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

Thursday (Oct. 10)

• Design Lab: Drawing Treehouses — noon-1:30 p.m. at the Apple Store (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — This event will teach attendees how to design a treehouse on an iPad while keeping sustainability and the environment in mind. This is event is free and open to the public; iPads will be provided.
• Stars & Stripes Benefit for the Troops — 7-11 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton (1700 Tysons Blvd) — This prohibition themed networking gala will benefit the troops. Tickets start at $95 and include food, drink, raffles and activities. Attendees are encouraged to dress in 1920s attire.
• Power of Pink Tysons — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Equinox (8065 Leesburg Pike) — Join Equinox for a lunch and workout fundraiser to benefit the Arlington Free Clinic and Breast Care for Washington DC, which helps local women fight breast cancer. This event is donation-based, and all of the proceeds will go towards the cause.

Saturday (Oct. 12)

• Farm Day — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Avenue) — The Cherry Hill Farmhouse will host the community and have activities including horse-drawn hayrides, a petting farm, pony rides, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making, live music, tours of the farmhouse and barn, blacksmith demonstrations and food. Admission is free but there may be fees for specific activities.
• Halloween Window Painting Festival — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mr. Brown’s Park (223 Little Falls Street) —  The community is invited to pitch ideas for window painting. The event is free but those wishing to participate must email Marty Behr at [email protected] with a design idea for approval.
• NAACP Candidates Forum — 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Vienna (450 Orchard Street NW) — This event allows the public to hear from Commonwealth’s Attorney and School Board At-Large candidates representing the NAACP. There will also be voter registration opportunities.

Sunday (Oct. 13)

• Free Koren Language Lesson — 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Shilla Bakery (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — Anyone who speaks Korean or is interested in learning can join this free event to practice their language skills and get to know others curious about Korean language and culture.

Photo via Cherry Hill Historic Farm

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

This year the 73rd Annual Vienna Halloween Parade will take place on Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m.

The theme this year is “Famous Children’s Books & Fairytales Brought to Life.” The parade is about half a mile long and lasts about 1.5 hours. The parade route runs from the intersection of Branch/Maple and ends at the library at Center/Maple.

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.
• 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).
• Depending on what part of town you live in, you should be able to find parking to easily get out. Many people park at Vienna Elementary, the library, the Giant shopping plaza, side streets, Walgreens shopping center, or the Fresh Market parking lot.

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 favorite Vienna events!

Bring extra blankets in case it’s cold. In years past, people would jump over to the old Starbucks for hot chocolate on cold nights, but now that’s gone so you’ll still have the Vienna Shopping Center for food (Panera has hot chocolate) and Caffe Amouri is open until 9 p.m. too.

Vienna police received a report of a man allegedly taking pictures of women sneakily at Caffe Amouri last week.

The incident occurred between 10 a.m.-noon last Thursday, Sept. 26.

A person at the cafe reported to police on Friday, Sept. 27, that she saw a man taking pictures of women in and around the cafe and would hide the camera if anyone seemed to notice him, according to the police report.

“The citizen reported the man to employees,” police said. “The owner of the café was alerted to the man’s behavior; he watched the man and confirmed the citizen’s account.”

The man left after the owner told him that he could not take pictures inside the cafe, police said.

Inside a separate incident, Vienna police are looking for the three men who allegedly stole money from the Subway at 222 W. Maple Avenue last Friday night.

“On September 28, the manager reported that on the previous day, three men entered the restaurant, distracted the employee and took US currency,” police said.

Photo via Facebook

Tysons Reporter is back with its new monthly crime map showing where the incidents occurred in Fairfax County Police Department’s McLean District Station.

We went ahead and pulled together all of the incidents noted for the McLean District Station in FCPD crime recaps from Sept. 1-30, weeded out the ones that are not in the Tysons Reporter coverage area and plotted them in the interactive map above.

The McLean District Station covers crime in Merrifield, Dunn Loring, Falls Church, McLean, Tysons and Great Falls.

The map only includes information from FCPD and does not include reports to the police departments in the Town of Vienna or the City of Falls Church.

Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle between the various types of crimes displayed.

Fairfax County’s weekday police recaps are not comprehensive lists of every incident and the addresses are approximate. FCPD also notes that information in the recaps “is generally based on initial reports made to the police department.”

Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477).

The Vienna Town Council is looking to add new transportation options to make getting around town easier.

Michael Gallagher, the director of public works, presented information about microtransit service and potential grants to the Vienna Town Council last night (Monday).

Microtransit falls in the middle of private, individual transportation like taxis and mass public transit.

“It’s like Uber with shuttle buses,” Gallagher said, adding that it’s designed to be low-cost or fare-free.

People within a certain geographic area would be able to request rides through an app. Microtransit routes and schedules are flexible to try to match the demand for trips, he said.

“There’s really no data yet because it’s fairly new,” he said, noting that D.C. is one of the areas around the country exploring microtransit service.

Microtransit would cost between $200,000-$400,000 per year for the third party running the system, Gallagher estimated.

As for funding, Gallagher told the Town Council the upcoming application deadlines for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT).

Councilmembers were supportive of pursuing the new option.

“If we can get a grant for a pilot program, I think that would be a great option for the town,” Councilmember Pasha Majdi said. “I think this should be considered without making major budget commitments.”

Councilmember Linda Colbert supported the idea for a trial period, adding that she is interested in seeing how many people would use microtransit compared to Uber or another ridesharing service.

Most of the debate was about how quickly the town staff would need to act in order to meet different grant deadlines.

Councilmember Douglas Noble argued the town should not seek funding immediately, saying that microtransit needs to be considered in the context of other transportation options. The council is set to hear about the multi-modal study from Kimley-Horn on Nov. 6.

Majdi noted that there may not be a lot of information about microtransit’s feasibility since it is a new technology.

Gallagher said that he is meeting with NVTC in about two weeks to discuss potential grants. The Town Council said that it will continue the discussion of microtransit service this year.

“Do you want to get a microtransit service that gives everyone a ride everywhere wherever they want to go 24/7 or do you want a shuttle that takes people back and forth to the Metro?” Majdi said. “Very, very different levels of service.”