(Updated April 8) Despite a host of other compromises, the Sunrise Senior Living Facility and Vienna Town Council are still at odds over the project exceeding the town’s height requirements.
Both parties agreed at a work session on Monday (April 1) that there’s been compromise from Sunrise. There were modifications made to spaces on the ground floor and mezzanine and the number of proposed units was taken down from 85 to 83.
But a mezzanine that cuts just under the town’s 50-percent coverage limit for what can be considered a floor is still a sticking point for Town Council members who say the project is out of line with the town’s five-story height limit.
Jerry Liang, senior vice president of development for Sunrise, argued that Vienna should reframe its limits rather than force the building to come in under a certain height.
“There’s different ways to think about density, [like] units and square footage,” Liang said. “By setting your limits on floor and height, you’ve created the maximum box. We believe the building we designed is visually pleasing.”
Planning Commissioner Mary McCullough said there were concerns from nearby residents that the back half of the building still had a “five-story look.”
The next public hearing for the project is tentatively scheduled for April 24, when the Planning Commission will discuss the development.
“Part of our goal is to satisfy a lot of particular needs for a lot of stakeholders,” Liang said. “We’re trying to find the right balance between providing critically needed service with the cost-benefit balance to really solve that Rubik’s cube.”
Image via Town of Vienna
The emerald ash borer has wiped out Vienna’s ash tree population, but Fairfax County has a new guide to help locals fight back against the bug where the trees are still standing.
“While the trees are waking up from dormancy in the spring, the tiny emerald ash borer (EAB) beetles are beginning to emerge, primed to create a new generation of tree-killers,” the guide says. “Spring is the perfect time, right after the trees have leafed out, to protect any ash trees that are of value while the beetles are out and flying.”
EABs strike fear in the hearts of arborists nationwide, with sightings putting entire towns under emergency quarantines. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the EAB is responsible for the destruction of tens of millions of ash trees across 30 states.
Signs of EAB infestation include winding “galleries” — maze-like patterns on the surface of the tree where the larvae burrow. An increased presence of woodpeckers at the tree can also be a warning sign.
The Fairfax County guide recommends pesticide use in yards with 30-50 percent of their canopy intact. Pesticides may need to be applied every year or every three years, depending on the brand.
The Virginia Department of Forestry adopted an EAB cost-share program that allows residents to apply for 50 percent assistance for pesticide costs.
Photo via Flickr/Chesapeake Bay Program
Christian Aliferis, a senior at James Madison High School and a saxophonist, has scored $2,000 in scholarships and is scheduled to solo at the City of Fairfax Band’s May 4 concert.
The City of Fairfax Band Association hosts an annual Young Artist Competition to encourage high school musicians to pursue a musical career. Three finalists competed in a recital in March, and the winner was chosen by a panel of judges.
“I’m thrilled to be performing with the band! This is my first time ever performing a concerto with an ensemble, and I’m super excited,” Aliferis said in a press release from the City of Fairfax Band. “My first solo was in sixth grade when I played the ‘Mario Brothers Theme’ with the band.”
Aliferis not only studies saxophone, but also clarinet and recorder.
At the concert in May, Aliferis is scheduled to perform ‘Tableaux de Provence” by Paule Maurice. The concert is themed around music evocative of various parts of rural America.
The concert is planned to take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Ernst Cultural Center at Northern Virginia Community College (8333 Little River Turnpike). Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, of free for students.
Photos courtesy City of Fairfax Band
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
Welcome back Nats fans!
Baseball season is back in session. My husband and I took our kids to Opening Day at Nationals Park last week and I always love the excitement of going to a game, especially on a nice day. The kids are excited, there’s fun music, good food and the hope for a winning season.
We make it to a lot of games throughout the season. Here are my favorite tips and tricks (with or without kids).
Tips For A Kid-Friendly Trip
Drive. The metro trip from Vienna is long and waiting for the train at the end of the game when it’s packed, the kids are tired and coming off their ballgame sugar high is no fun. Buy parking ahead of time. Check pricing between Spothero and ParkWhiz.
Get there early to get food. The lines get long once the game starts. Check the full list of concessions here to scout food. You can buy bottled water outside for $1 and bring it in with you as long as it’s unopened (1 per person). They also do allow outside food as long it’s served in single serving bags or factory-sealed containers can be brought in.
The Nats offer a $5 discount on tickets for Military, Seniors, Government Employees, and students under 18 with valid ID at the box office on the day of the game.
The Presidents race in the middle of the 4th inning. It’s one of the highlights for kids, so make sure you don’t miss it! As soon as the race is over, head over to section 131 where the President’s line up for a photo opportunity with fans during the 5th inning.
If you have kids who need to get some energy out, there’s a PenFed Kids Zone for kids under 10 on the 100 level of right field. Slides, climbing structure, place to run etc. One tip though: it’s all plastic, so on hot days when the slides are too hot, they close it to the public.
On Sundays, the kids can run the bases after the game, ages 4-12. From the Nats site:
Kids will start their run at first base and they will be directed around the bases to home plate. Sliding into bases is prohibited. An adult must accompany each participating child to the field – adults will drop children off at first base and meet them near home plate. Please note that adults may not accompany children as they run the bases. One adult will be permitted onto the field per child participating in Kids Run the Bases. The line for Kids Run the Bases forms outside the ballpark on the First Street sidewalk – participants should exit the ballpark through the right field gate and proceed to the line. The run will begin approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the game and the event usually lasts about an hour. Jr. Nationals Kids Club members age 12 and under receive access to an exclusive line that goes onto the field first.
Parents start lining up early because the Kids Club (see below) get in first and way worth it.
For $20, you can join the Nationals JR Kids Club. We did this for my son and it was totally worth it. They get coupons for free food at the ballpark, a Harris Teeter coupon, free birthday message on the screen during the game and other freebies.
Keep your eye out for special kid-friendly days at the park, like Bobble Head giveaways, kids watch giveaways, etc.
If you are bringing a diaper bag, make sure you read the new bag policy. You can bring a diaper bag but it must be smaller than 16″x16″x8″. There’s a nursing lounge for mother’s to feed babies, pump, change diapers or cool off with the air conditioning. You’ll find that space adjacent to section 223.
Kids under 2 are FREE
Adult Only Tips
Ignore steps 4-11 above. Grab a beer/cocktail in the right field bar and have a great time!
Go Nats!
A resident called Vienna police to turn in a firearm last week, but the gun turned out to be a starter pistol.
The call went out Friday, March 22, shortly after noon, according to this week’s Vienna Police Department crime report, which details even the most minor police actions in the town.
According to the report, a resident on Woodland Court, NW turned in the starter pistol, which fires blanks to mark the start of races, and police will destroy the gun per the resident’s wishes. Accepting unwanted firearms is a common service provided by local police departments, including in Fairfax County.
Elsewhere in Vienna, this week’s crime report includes a case of a Lewis Street, NW resident who “reported a continuous problem with people banging loudly on the doors and windows of their home and running away,” and an incident on Glyndon Street, NE in which “a resident was walking her dog in the park when another dog in the park escaped its owner’s grasp and knocked over both the resident and her dog.”
Photo via Facebook
Despite a large number of vacancies on Maple Avenue and some recent high profile closures, the Town of Vienna’s Finance Department says twice as many businesses are opening in the town compared to those closing.
Last year, 115 businesses opened and 65 closed, the finance department said, in response to an inquiry from Tysons Reporter.
It’s an optimistic note for a town that, economically, could really use a win.
Last year, Vienna’s commercial vacancy rate was 13 percent. Of the town’s 1,095 commercial properties, 138 were vacant and 68 were on Maple Avenue, according to InsideNova.
But it’s businesses off of Maple Avenue that are being hit the hardest by increasing rents and declining sales. Peggy James, executive director of the Vienna Business Association, said a combination of increasing rents and limited parking availability are making it hard for local businesses to stay afloat.
The Town is taking some steps to make commercial businesses in Vienna more viable, including a plan in the town budget to hire a full-time economic development consultant to focus specifically on ways to make life easier for businesses. Vienna is currently the only Northern Virginia locality without staff tasked specifically with economic development.
In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the more recent businesses to open in Vienna:
Tickets are now on sale for the 8th annual Taste of Vienna, a showcase of the town’s dining options hosted by the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (VVFD).
The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at the VVFD (400 Center St. S). The event is planned to be held rain or shine.
Admission to the festival is free, with guests able to purchase food and drink there or via a variety of ticket packages that include tokens for drinks and a commemorative pint glass.
All proceeds from the event go to support the VVFD.
Photo via Facebook
The Town of Vienna is making a push to get locals to “solarize,” converting their homes and businesses to relying on solar energy.
On Tuesday, April 9, the town will host a meeting in partnership with Solarize NOVA, an outreach program founded in 2014 that vets contractors and establishes pre-negotiated contract terms to make the process easier for those looking to solarize.
The meeting’s goal is to help get those curious about solar energy learn more about the costs involved and next steps in the process.
There’s a handful of ways installing solar energy can help residents save money. Those who install solar panels are eligible for a federal tax credit. Fairfax County also offers a real estate tax exemption for five years for those who install solar panels.
In Virginia, residents can also meter excess energy generated by solar systems, receiving a credit on their electric bill at full retail rate for the energy produced by their panels.
This is the fifth year that Vienna has participated in the Solarize NOVA program, voting unanimously in January continue working with the initiative.
According to the program’s website, since 2014, Solarize NOVA has facilitated installation of 263 solar energy systems, saving 1,969 tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted and 1,954,180 pounds of coal from being burned.
The program also offers free site assessments for solar power and free inspections for energy use.
Photo via Facebook
A new study of the Maple Avenue corridor shows Vienna’s most dangerous intersections and details extensive gaps in the town’s sidewalk network.
At an April 1 work session, the Vienna Town Council is scheduled to discuss the initial results of study by planning consulting firm Kimley-Horn.
The report also showed three major traffic crash hotspots calculated over three years: where Maple Avenue intersects with Nutley Street, Courthouse Road, and Park Street.
The study shows that while Maple Avenue has extensive sidewalk coverage, streets one block away like Windover Avenue and Glen Avenue on the west end or East Street and Mashie Drive at the east end of town are completely without sidewalks.
Church Street, another major street through the town, only has sidewalks on one side of the street between Park Street and Beulah Road.
In a finding that will surprise few Vienna residents, Maple Avenue is overcrowded. The report said daily traffic on the street topped 30,000 vehicles per day, on the high end of the study’s scale.
The street’s traffic density was worst between Nutley Street and Follin Lane, the main stretch through town.
Maple Avenue also sees high levels of bicycle traffic. It os ranked by the report at “level of traffic stress 4,” the highest category available, meaning that it is exceedingly uncomfortable and stressful for cyclists to use.
Nearly every major road feeding into the street, like Nutley Street and Park Street, as well as the aforementioned Church Street also saw high levels of car traffic and cyclist stress.
The Fiore Montessori School in northern Vienna is seeking Fairfax County approval to increase the school enrollment and expand into a nearby vacant building.
The property is spread across 4.5 acres across from the Meadowlark Gardens Regional Park on Beulah Road. The site has been used as a private school since 1985 and in 2010 won approval to operate a childcare center and nursery school. In 2013, the school was accredited as a Montessori facility.
The vacant building was once part of the school, but has been unused since 2000.
According to the application, the increase is necessitated by demand from new Tysons residents. The school primarily serves families in Vienna and Tysons.
“Since 2010, significant growth has been occurring around the school, particularly in [Tysons],” the applicant said. “New families moving into the area especially value the quiet neighborhood, educational methodology and green and natural surroundings that the school offers for childcare, nursery school and elementary school.”
The vacant building would be remodeled without increasing the size of the building but would increase the school’s enrollment capacity. The application notes that the school is also considering expanding the school’s age range to care for students younger than 3 years old.
A Planning Commission hearing for the project is scheduled for June 12.
Photo via Facebook
