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More * Home * About Us * Advertising Info * Contact Newsroom * Newsletter * FFXnow * Home * About Us * Advertising Info * Contact Newsroom * Newsletter * FFXnow Search News for a developing city News FAIRFAX COUNTY TO REVISE ZONING REGULATIONS FOR DATA CENTERS AMID SURGING USAGE TysonsReporter.com March 20, 2024 at 3:50pm CoreSite’s Reston data center campus (staff photo by James Jarvis) Amid a surge in digital storage demand in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County is drafting stricter zoning regulations to enhance oversight of data center projects. On Tuesday (March 19), the Board of Supervisors directed staff to update the county’s zoning laws to include new data center development criteria, such as increased residential buffers, size limits, energy efficiency standards and a mandatory noise study in the site plan. “The increasing demand for data centers and the increased understanding of their potential impacts reveal a need to consider strengthening our current regulations,” Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith said, emphasizing the “urgency” of the new rules sought by the board. Potential changes include new requirements for data center developments to receive a special exception in zoned areas where they are currently allowed by right, meaning they can be built without county board or planning commission approval or public hearings. Last year, the board requested research, findings and recommendations from county staff on possible new guidelines for data centers, including ways to mitigate their environmental impact, criteria for locating facilities and the approval process for data centers. The report presented to the board in January found that, while data centers bring advantages such as high-paying jobs and significant tax revenue, they have also encountered resistance from residents worried about the noise, greenhouse gas emissions, and high energy usage of the facilities. At a land use policy committee meeting on March 12, the county supervisors signaled that they support staff’s recommendations for amending the zoning ordinance with higher standards. Northern Virginia remains the world’s leader in data centers with 51 million square feet of space, per a recent JLL report. Fairfax County has roughly a third of the square footage of neighboring Loudoun and Prince William counties, the region’s epicenter of development. Supervisors noted that there’s been significant community pushback against large projects like the recently approved Digital Gateway in Prince William. At Tuesday’s board meeting, Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez said the county needs to make sure “we’re putting data centers where they belong.” “We have very few [data center projects] on the horizon that we know of, but it’s important that we get the protections right and the guidelines right, and the quickest way to do that is to get these zoning ordinance amendments approved,” Chairman Jeff McKay said. The county staff recommendations In terms of land use and site design, staff suggested that developers secure special exception approval from the county before constructing data centers in most commercial and industrial districts. Staff also recommended that, in industrial districts where data centers are permitted by right, the county could proactively implement height and size limitations, along with minimum distances for equipment, such as generators, from residential zones. Due to the swift pace of data center development, staff also advise collaborating with utility providers, including NOVEC and Dominion Energy, to evaluate how future development might affect energy demand. Read More News EASTER EGG HUNT, NEW FOOD TRUCK COMING TO THE PERCH IN TYSONS TysonsReporter.com March 20, 2024 at 1:33pm Looking out over The Perch at Capital One Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey) Capital One Center will bound into spring later this month with an Easter celebration at The Perch (1803 Capital One Drive). The Tysons skypark is inviting kids and their parents to an Easter egg hunt on March 30. Visitors will have a chance to meet an Easter bunny, along with actual bunnies, alpacas and a baby goat in a petting zoo run by My Pet Alpaca. Other activities include sack races, balloon animals, arts and crafts, and “special entertainment” from a DJ at the Perch Putt mini-golf course, according to a media advisory. After closing for the winter, Perch Putt will reopen this Saturday (March 23) with a new Korean food truck called Bap-Bowl. The menu includes DIY rice, greens and japchae bowls, kimchi, a Korean corn dog and soft-serve ice cream. For the Easter celebration, the tiki bar Rhum Roost will serve “festive” beverages, such as Peeps hot chocolate and mimosa buckets, and Dos Los Carlos, another food truck, will have breakfast tacos. Easter at The Perch will also feature: * A pop-up box office offering fee-free tickets to upcoming shows at Capital One Hall * Free chair massages from the nail salon and spa Nothing in Between (1590 Capital One Drive) * A Magnolia Dessert Bar pop-up from Sisters Thai, which is set to open its largest restaurant yet at Capital One Center this year Tickets for the Easter egg hunt cost $22.20, including an online processing fee, but the rest of the event is free. Capital One Center charges $10 for event parking, advising visitors to instead utilize the nearby McLean Metro station. Located 11 stories up on top of Capital One Hall, The Perch opened in August 2021 with a dog park, bocce ball pits, an amphitheater and Starr Hill Biergarten. The mini golf course and food trucks were added to the 2.5-acre green space in May 2022. In the works since early 2022, Sisters Thai’s Tysons restaurant is under construction at 7730 Capital One Tower Road and will feature an outpost of Magnolia, which can currently only be found in Vienna. Capital One Center also anticipates that Stellina Pizzeria, Ox & Rye and Starr Hill Brewpub will open this year. A more specific timeline for the upcoming restaurants remains elusive, but the development did announce that Ometeo (1640 Capital One Drive North) — a Tex-Mex eatery that arrived in December — added lunch hours this week, opening every weekday at 11:30 a.m. Read more on FFXnow… Sponsored A WORLD OF INSPIRING FLAVOR Sponsor March 20, 2024 at 12:54pm Intriguing international dishes. Flavorful fresh ingredients and from-scratch recipes. Inspired, ever-changing menus. An in-house beverage program featuring craft cocktails and an enviable wine list. These are all things you might enjoy at a five-star resort or world-class hotel… and you’ll also find them at The Mather, a Life Plan Community for those 62 and better that opened in Tysons this month. “It’s time to scrap outdated ideas about food and beverage offerings in senior living,” says Thad Parton, AVP of Restaurant Operations for Mather, the parent organization of The Mather. “Residents at The Mather are connoisseurs of fine food and wine, world travelers, and discerning diners who seek out top-rated restaurants wherever they live and travel. Our menus and experiences are designed to meet their expectations and tastes.” Each of The Mather’s three restaurants, as well as its bar and lounge, has a distinct menu, and all are rotated regularly to offer creative new selections. Menus showcase cuisines from around the world including sushi, Berkshire Pork Bao, Mushroom Biryani, and crab cakes with mango-habanero salsita. The Mather’s enticing food and beverage program is supported by the culinary standards and philosophy of Mather. Mather has been highlighted by the New York Times as a prime example of senior living residences offering residents top chefs and “foodie delights.” The Mather takes local, seasonal food to the next level, adding inspired touches from inside their community: * A dedicated bake shop/pastry shop features a German-made, state-of-the-art bread oven. * On-site honey production by Italian honeybees will be available (starting late spring 2024) through a partnership with an urban beekeeping program. * Specially trained team members make coffee and espresso drinks to order, using beans from an Alexandria-based coffee roaster. * A hydroponic micro-farm provides opportunity for year-round fresh herbs and edible flowers to be used for special culinary events and resident programs. In addition to these special touches, The Mather will use technology to enhance residents’ culinary experiences. A country club-style plan allows them to draw on a prepaid account for meals, drinks, guest meals and private catering, CUISINE2GO food, and more. They can also use an in-house app to order food for pickup or delivery and make restaurant reservations. And a robot server will be on-hand in the restaurants to help with bussing tables and delivering food. “The Mather restaurants and event spaces are truly inspiring us to take our culinary processes, creativity, and service to the next level,” says Thad. “It’s been rewarding for our team to break new ground while we build a cutting-edge food and beverage program for residents.” The Mather, which opened in March 2024 in Tysons, VA, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better that defies expectations of what senior living is supposed to be. The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com News FCPS POISED TO FUND NEW SECURITY TECH AND SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS TysonsReporter.com March 20, 2024 at 11:02am Fairfax County Public Schools (file photo) Settlement money from vape-maker Juul will help Fairfax County Public Schools bolster security at some high schools. The Fairfax County School Board is set to vote tomorrow (Thursday) on adjustments to the school system’s fiscal year 2024 budget, including allocations of the $3.2 million it received from Juul after settling a class-action lawsuit over the company’s flavored e-cigarettes last year. In a presentation to the board on March 7, FCPS staff recommended using the funding to “install security scanning technology at select high schools” as part of a new pilot program. If approved, the funds would add onto $3 million designated for the program in August, FCPS Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden noted. However, FCPS has been tight-lipped about the pilot, including on the technology being implemented and how many schools are participating. “At this time, we are not prepared to provide details of the program to the public,” an FCPS spokesperson told FFXnow. “This information will be released when, and as appropriate, to include the identification of schools. Safety and security physical and technical systems are needed to assist in operational safety planning.” FCPS confirmed the safety and security screening pilot is separate from the security vestibules that it has been adding at dozens of schools around the county. Prioritized by the school board in response to the May 24 shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the vestibules add an extra layer of verification for visitors seeking to enter school buildings. Last April, Superintendent Michelle Reid detailed several other security measures that FCPS was either testing or considering, including vape sensors in bathrooms, panic alarm systems and a weapons screening system. At the time, FCPS said the weapons screening system was in the pilot phase. It’s unclear if that’s the same as the screening technology pilot now poised to get additional funding. The school board also approved funding in December for exterior security cameras at nine elementary schools, along with money to support continuous employee background checks. Other changes proposed as part of the FY 2024 third-quarter review include a transfer of $3.3 million from a reserve fund to a fund dedicated to supporting FCPS’ summer school programs. “Summer school focuses on executive functioning, acceleration of reading and mathematics foundation skills, enrichment programs at the elementary and middle school level, and course credit recovery to ensure on-time graduation at the high school level,” staff said in a summary of the third-quarter review. The money will support programs for 35,000 students at 73 sites, according to Burden. FCPS had set aside a total of $6.7 million in August for enhanced summer learning programs, but that was before staff finalized the locations and enrollment projections. The budget is also being adjusted to reflect a grant received for food services, new federal funding for adult education and an $143.5 million increase in “additional contractual commitments” for bond-funded renovation projects at Bren Mar Park, Brookfield and Lees Corner elementary schools. Read more on FFXnow… News FCPD REMOVES CROSSING GUARDS FOR HERNDON, FORT BELVOIR AND POTENTIALLY VIENNA SCHOOLS TysonsReporter.com March 20, 2024 at 10:19am A crossing for Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey) Schools in Vienna, Herndon and Fort Belvoir have or are at risk of losing their crossing guards due to budget constraints facing the Fairfax County Police Department. The Vienna Town Council and Mayor Linda Colbert were informed at a recent work session that the county will no longer provide crossing guards for any schools in the town’s limits because of a lack of funding, Councilmember Howard Springsteen shared at the council’s meeting on Monday (March 18). The nine affected crossings would instead need to be covered by the Vienna Police Department, which doesn’t have sufficient staffing to handle the added duties, according to Springsteen, whose comments were first reported by Patch. “Schools are not our responsibility. It’s a county responsibility,” he said. “…I know the mayor’s been working on this and the council’s been pretty upset about this. We’re working on that, but people need to be aware of some of the issues we deal with behind the scenes.” Vienna isn’t the only place affected. The FCPD said it would also eliminate coverage for one crossing each in Herndon and Fort Belvoir, according to a letter from Vienna Police Chief Jim Morris to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis. The Herndon Police Department says it was notified late last fall that FCPD was removing its officers from a crossing at Herndon Elementary School, effective Jan. 1. Because only one spot was affected, the town was able to fill the gap. “Herndon does not have a school crossing guard program, but we take the safety of our kids very seriously,” HPD spokesperson Lisa Herndon said. “Unlike the Town of Vienna, which has been left with multiple vacancies as a result of the crossing guards being removed, we have only one crossing and have managed to cover it with patrol officers each day.” Fort Belvoir didn’t return a request for comment on its affected crossing by press time. The FCPD indicated in a statement to FFXnow that discussions about how to handle the school crossings in Vienna are still in the preliminary stages. “Given the primary jurisdiction responsibilities afforded to the Town of Vienna for law enforcement and public safety, the FCPD has engaged the Vienna Police Department in preliminary discussions surrounding school crossing coverages,” the department said. “As our conversations continue, all school crossing coverages will be handled by the FCPD.” The service reductions stem from an evaluation of all school crossings that the FCPD conducted in the spring, summer and fall of 2023, FCPD Operations Support Bureau Commander Major Dalton Becker told Morris in a Dec. 18 message. The evaluation was intended to determine whether the crossings “continue to meet the minimum standards required to qualify as a school crossing location” and whether the FCPD can continue to staff them. Read More News MORNING NOTES TysonsReporter.com March 20, 2024 at 8:17am Trees with pink flowers bloom on plaza near the Dunn Loring Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey) Man Charged With Indecent Exposures at Local Malls — A 29-year-old man from Maryland was arrested on March 15 for allegedly exposing himself at Five Below in Springfield Town Center on Oct. 12 and again in Spencer’s at Fair Oaks Mall. Police believe there may be other victims “due to the repeated nature of these offenses.” [FCPD] FCPD Shares Locations of Sobriety Checkpoints — “The Fairfax County Police Department will be conducting sobriety checkpoints around the county throughout the year to identify and remove impaired drivers from local roadways. The checkpoints, hosted by the department’s dedicated Driving Under the Influence squad and district stations, will occur between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.” [Gazette Leader] Get Sneak Peek of Future Metrorail Cars — “Out with the old, and in with the new! Metro is set to showcase its newest trains and railcars on the National Mall from March 20 to April 3. At Fleet of the Future Expo, visitors can walk inside a mock-up rail car to experience their future ride on an 8,000-series rail car.” The trains aren’t expected to be deployed “en masse” until 2026. [NBC4, Washington Post] Fairfax Station Road to Close for Pipe Work — “Fairfax Station Road (Route 660) between Colchester Road (Route 612) and Route 123 (Ox Road) will be closed to through traffic, weather permitting, Monday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day to replace drainage pipes…Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.” [VDOT] County Transportation Department Labeled “Bicycle-Friendly” — “The League of American Bicyclists recently recognized the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) with a silver level Bicycle-Friendly Business designation. The recognition was awarded after an extensive review of FCDOT’s facilities and programs to support its two-wheeled commuters, along with how the agency works to encourage bicycling in the community.” [FCDOT] Jobs Agency Renews Reston Office Lease — “Employment agency Quadrant has renewed its 23,000-square-foot lease at 1881 Campus Commons Drive in Reston, Va. TF Cornerstone acquired the 245,755-square-foot office building in September for $25.1 million, adding to a larger campus it has been assembling since 2015.” [Commercial Observer] Workforce Hub Could Help Military Veterans — The Workforce Innovation Skills Hub, which opened in Hybla Valley in fall 2022, is finalizing a program to provide entrepreneurship training to spouses and “transitioning” military personnel from Fort Belvoir. Conducted with George Mason University’s business school, the program “will train local residents and students on how to start their own businesses and provide them with options — either to work for a company or to start their own.” [On the MoVe] Author Details History of Local Mixed-Race Community — “All that remains of Ilda is a historic marker and the name of the Ilda Community Recreation Association on Braeburn Drive…Tom Shoop, a former resident of that area, felt there was a lot more to the story and wrote a book, ‘A Place Called Ilda: Race and Resilience at a Northern Virginia Crossroads,’ which was published this year by the University of Virginia Press.” [Annandale Today] It’s Wednesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high around 62 degrees and breezes. Winds will start at 8-13 mph, then increase to 15-20 mph in the afternoon. Night will be mostly clear with a low of about 32 degrees, featuring northwest winds of 13-17 mph and gusts up to 24 mph. [NWS] Read the comments News YOUNGKIN ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS BILL TO EXPAND LOCAL AUTHORITY TO LOWER SPEED LIMITS TysonsReporter.com March 19, 2024 at 3:49pm A 25 mph speed limit sign on a residential road in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey) The Virginia General Assembly passed a measure three years ago allowing local governments to decrease roadway speed limits in their localities to as low as 15 mph. But recently, lawmakers found that the Virginia Department of Transportation denied seven of eight speed limit decrease requests, because, by state law, only the Commissioner of Highways can authorize changes on state-maintained roads. Earlier this month, legislation advanced that would expand a locality’s speed-reducing authority to roadways within a business or residence district, including state-owned highways. The number of requests represent a small fraction of the local governments in Virginia, including the 190 towns and 39 independent cities in the commonwealth, according to data from the U.S. Census. For the localities that are seeking to reduce speeding, though, the limits of the 2021 legislation are a challenge. “Everybody can concede that there’s an issue here, but we have very little authority to do anything about it,” said Mayor Roger Vance, who represents the Town of Hillsboro, which was denied their request to lower the local speed limit to 20 mph last year. The 2021 legislation did not extend localities’ speed reducing power to state-owned highways, which typically run through some towns like Middleburg and Hillsboro. As proposed, the new bill would require local governments to conduct engineering and traffic studies as part of any effort to change the speed limit, post “lawfully placed” signs showing the reduced speed limit and notify the commissioner of the change. The bill nearly failed in the Senate in February after Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears split a tie vote, but it was reconsidered successfully and sent to Gov. Glenn Youngkin for approval. Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, the legislation’s sponsor, said she is working with the governor’s administration to ensure Youngkin signs her bill into law, but it could require an amendment. Representatives from the Virginia Municipal League and Virginia Association of Counties, representing local governments in the commonwealth, said their members supported this bill. “We firmly believe that this enhanced authority serves as an invaluable addition to our existing toolkit for implementing crucial safety measures,” said James Hutzler, government relations associate for VACO, in a statement. “With this legislation in place, counties will be empowered to take proactive steps towards safeguarding the well-being of our communities.” Changing the speed limit In Northern Virginia, the town of Leesburg is the only locality of at least three that submitted their studies and speed change requests to VDOT in February 2023. Leesburg was the only one allowed to adjust the speed limit to 20 mph. “Speeding was most certainly a problem,” said Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk. She said residents are “extremely happy” with the change and feel much safer crossing high-traffic streets. The police have also been enforcing the speed limit, she said, and the town has “found it to be a very useful tool.” The towns of Middleburg and Hillsboro had different experiences when they sought to lower their speed limits from 25 to 20 mph. VDOT denied their requests last year. The two mayors said that with the increased number of visitors and pedestrians in their towns, it’s essential for them to find thoughtful traffic solutions, which the 2021 legislation provided. “The moment it got passed, we wanted to take advantage of it,” Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton said. He said that because the town of Middleburg has seen an increase in visitors, the pedestrian traffic and on-street parking on Route 50 — a major thoroughfare in Loudoun County — raised leaders’ speeding and safety concerns. When VDOT denied the April request, representatives from the agency visited Middleburg to meet with leaders and conduct a speed and safety assessment. Even so, the agency still didn’t approve the request because “a reduction of the posted speed limit will be an ineffective way to get more drivers to travel at safer speeds in this context,” the VDOT study stated. Hillsboro completed a large infrastructure project in June 2021 that helped to calm traffic, reduce congestion and improve pedestrian safety on Route 9, which runs through the town. Still, Vance said, the authority to lower the speed limit from 25 to 20 would have a “positive impact” on traffic and pedestrian safety and could help Hillsboro’s economic activity, but only if they are able to exercise their agency to do so. Littleton agreed. “Just giving us the authority to go ahead and lower by five miles an hour is not a big deal,” Littleton said. “Government is best when it’s closest to the people. So [the legislation] is putting more authority closer to the people to be able to manage the unique nature of their community. Pedestrian fatalities still remain high Pedestrian fatalities are higher in urban areas compared to rural areas of Virginia, according to data from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. According to the agency’s most recent data, in 2022,Virginia recorded 168 pedestrian-vehicle fatal crashes, compared to 124 in 2019. “We have a road safety issue in this commonwealth, and it is in no small part due to a rise in speed-related crashes, which tend to be more fatal and more injurious,” said Mitchell Smiley, the Virginia Municipal League’s policy manager for transportation and natural resources. In January, Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller said Virginia has some work to do regarding traffic crashes during a Senate Transportation committee hearing. He said preliminary data from the Virginia Highway Safety Office, which is under the Department of Motor Vehicles, shows that highway fatalities were down 11% in 2023 compared to the previous year, the likely result of launching two statewide campaigns targeting speeding and distracted driving. “While there’s still too many deaths on our highways, an 11% decrease is significant — and that bucks the national trend of increasing fatalities,” Miller said. According to DMV’s data, 20% of the 122,434 crashes in the state last year were speed-related, a 1% increase over the previous year. Virginia Department of Transportation crash data also shows that between 2018 and 2022, the annual number of traffic fatalities increased from 819 to 1,005. Miller added that while Virginia has had around 1,000 traffic fatalities every year, he projected that number will fall in the commonwealth this year following the decrease in highway fatalities. He said reinforcement of the state rules and commitment to improving road safety are keys to decreasing the number of deaths. “1,000 people every year die on the highways in Virginia,” Miller said, “and think about what it would be like if three fully loaded passenger airplanes crashed into the fields in Virginia every year and killed 1,000 people. … What do you think we’d do? We’d do something very different and so that’s where we are.” This article was reported and written by the Virginia Mercury, and has been reprinted under a Creative Commons license. Read more on FFXnow… News HELLO KITTY CAFE TRUCK IS COMING TO TYSONS CORNER CENTER THIS SATURDAY TysonsReporter.com March 19, 2024 at 2:18pm The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is set to return to Tysons Corner Center (via Tysons Corner Center) Spring has officially arrived, and in Tysons, that means the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is on its way. The popular mobile shop will pull into Tysons Corner Center this Saturday (March 23), setting up on the Plaza near Shake Shack from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. “Fans of Hello Kitty can look forward to edible goodies and limited-edition merch and best-selling items like Hello Kitty Cafe Plush Toys and giant Hello Kitty Cafe chef cookies,” the mall said on the event page. Launched by Sanrio in October 2014, the Hello Kitty Cafe Trucks tour dozens of cities around the U.S. every year. Tysons Corner Center has become a regular stop, usually getting a visit in March. According to Sanrio’s website, this year’s food and drink menu includes macaron, cookie and madeleine sets, along with a “giant chef cookie.” The truck’s merchandise collection will include: * Treats & sprinkles glass mug * Ringer tee * Hoodie * Cup plush * Sprinkle mug * Truck lunchbox * Stainless steel thermal bottles (18 or 32 ounces) * 2-piece enamel pin set * Rainbow canvas tote * Charm keychain As noted on the mall’s event page, the truck doesn’t accept cash, limiting payments to credit and debit cards. Read more on FFXnow… Sponsored YOUR VOICE MATTERS: CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE 2024 RESTON ASSOCIATION ELECTION Sponsor March 19, 2024 at 1:54pm Reston celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and remains a model of a true planned community — one that stresses quality of life and the ability for residents to live, work and play in their own community. Founder Robert E. Simon had that goal of quality of life and common shared scenic beauty, and those guiding principles remain, even as Reston has changed over the years. Today, Reston Association and its Board of Directors are the ones tasked with ensuring we have a community that is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. It is those qualities that make Reston a great place for people to call home. Those qualities are fundamental to maintaining excellent property values and our prized community amenities. So it’s important that all of us within Reston Association take time to cast votes this month in our annual Board of Directors election. A total of four seats are open in this year’s election, and the candidates for each seat have shared priorities and goals. These individuals are the ones tasked with guiding the policies and procedures for the Association, approving the annual budget and assessment, and helping to ensure Reston remains a unique and welcoming community. If you value being a part of the Reston community and want to ensure its place in the future, I urge you to take a moment to learn about the candidates and cast your vote in the Board of Directors election. Ballots were mailed to all households within the Association and must be either mailed back or submitted online no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, April 1, 2024. The results of the election will be announced at the 2024 Annual Members’ Meeting on Tuesday, April 9. All RA members are invited to attend the reception and meeting; registration is required. By Ed Abbott, Chair, Reston Association Elections Committee The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com News OFFICE BUILDINGS NEAR TYSONS-PIMMIT LIBRARY COULD BE SUPPLANTED BY TOWNHOUSES TysonsReporter.com March 19, 2024 at 10:18am An official proposal is on the table to redevelop an office complex adjacent to the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library with townhouses. The owner of 7600 Leesburg Pike submitted plans to Fairfax County on Friday (March 15) for a 165-unit townhouse development that would replace the existing 4-story office buildings. Built in 1986, the 230,620-square-foot property’s current tenants include Westgate Realty Group, Oak Hill Montessori and Standard Healthcare Services’ College of Nursing. Townhouses would provide a more compatible transition between Route 7 and the single-family homes to the rear than the “more intense office use,” the application from GACM 2019-FLI REO LLC argues. “The Applicant’s proposal is characterized by high-quality site design,” Walsh Colucci land use agent Lynne Strobel wrote in a statement of justification for the developer. “…The proposed building will be consistent in character and scale with the various residential developments in the surrounding community. Sandwiched between the library and Saint Luke’s Methodist Church, the roughly 10-acre site in Pimmit Hills is already envisioned as a future residential development in Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan, but an increase in density is needed to accommodate the property owner’s proposal. Requested by the developer Elm Street Communities in 2022, a plan amendment to allow 12 to 16 dwelling units per acre — which would yield 122 to 162 townhomes — will be reviewed by the county in conjunction with the new rezoning application. Right now, the county recommends a density of five to eight units per acre. The increase would result in a development similar to the Tysons Ridge townhouses now under construction on the other side of the church building. The proposed development will consist of 55 “traditional” single-family townhouses along the north and west perimeter and 110 stacked, two-over-two, multi-family townhomes. In the statement of justification dated March 1, Strobel notes that the developer will provide recreational amenities, including common open spaces that will be publicly accessible and an extension of a shared-use trail. The development plan shows four urban parks totaling more than 33,000 square feet in size, or 0.77 acres, and featuring a playground, a dog park, a pickleball court, open play areas and seating or gathering spaces. “These open spaces will be highly visible and easily accessible by walking and/or biking,” the plan says. “They will be fully landscaped with a consistent aesthetic to create a sense of community identity. These spaces will consist of high quality materials…and will provide varied opportunities for socializing, small-scale recreation, passive activities, and future connectivity with the larger residential community and surrounding neighborhoods.” Each residence will also have a private yard, according to the application. As part of the project, the developer intends to extend Kilgore Road through the site to Leesburg Pike, constructing one 10-foot-wide travel lane in each direction. Read more on FFXnow… News FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE HOME IN ON TRAFFIC SAFETY WITH RETURN OF ‘ROAD SHARK’ CAMPAIGN TysonsReporter.com March 19, 2024 at 9:36am Fairfax County police and Virginia State Police are partnering on a “Road Shark” traffic safety campaign (courtesy FCPD) Local and state police are on the prowl once again for dangerous driving behaviors. The Fairfax County Police Department and Virginia State Police announced yesterday (Monday) that they have launched a “Road Shark” enforcement and education campaign for a second year with the goal of reducing aggressive driving and crashes. Phased out for a time after getting introduced in 1999, the initiative was revived last year in response to a surge in pedestrian fatalities in 2022. With the campaign, officers issued nearly 25,000 citations and warnings during four week-long “waves” involving increased visibility and enforcement of traffic laws, particularly in locations with frequent crashes or safety issues. The FCPD says the first “Road Shark” campaign helped the county make “significant strides in promoting safer roads.” “Through the efforts of our officers, partners, and engaged drivers, we saw a remarkable decrease in traffic incidents and a notable improvement in overall road safety last year,” the police department said. According to state data, the total number of crashes in Fairfax County went up in 2023, as did the number of injuries, but fatalities dropped to 42 after soaring to 66 in 2022 — the most since Virginia’s Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS) launched in 2010. Ten of the people killed in crashes last year were pedestrians compared to 32 in 2022. Less than three full months into 2024, however, the county’s death toll has already reached nine for people killed in vehicles — most recently, in a head-on collision on Fairfax County Parkway — and five for pedestrians, two of them on Richmond Highway, two on I-495 and one on Buckman Road in Mount Vernon. The I-495 and Buckman Road fatal crashes all occurred in the morning of March 10. Like last year, this year’s “Road Shark” campaign will combine enforcement with education, all based on data collected by police, according to the FCPD: > * High Visibility Enforcement (HiVE): FCPD officers will be strategically > conduct enforcement and education areas all over the county to deter unsafe > driving behaviors. Officers will be looking for an array of traffic > violations including aggressive driving, excessive speeding, driving under > the influence, school zone violations, distracted driving, and others. A > recent NHTSA synthesis of studies concluded that high-visibility > enforcement efforts such as these reduced crashes and improved safety > outcomes in study locations. > * Community Engagement and Education: FCPD encourages all community members > to play an active role in road safety by adhering to traffic laws, > promoting responsible driving behavior, and reporting any concerns to local > law enforcement. Road Shark 2024 will involve community engagement, > communication, and education to help educate our residents on safe driving > practices and raise awareness about the importance of road safety. > * Data-Informed Decision Making: Fairfax County police officers, along with > Virginia State troopers, will utilize data-informed enforcement strategies > and operations that target areas with high crash concentrations to reduce > crashes. This allows us to identify trends, address specific areas of > concern, and implement effective strategies to best address road safety > issues. “The Road Shark campaign will once again bring together law enforcement, community organizations, and community members to address and mitigate traffic safety challenges,” the FCPD said. “Through increased patrols, targeted enforcement, and educational outreach, the FCPD aims to create a safer and more secure environment for all road users.” Read more on FFXnow… View More Stories × SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST * Email Address: First Name: Last Name: Subscribe Tysons, VA Copyright © 2018-2024 Local News Now LLC. All Rights Reserved. * About Us * Advertising Info * Privacy and Other Policies * Email Newsletter * * * * Update Privacy Preferences A Raptive Partner Site