Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA and D.C. with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.

I came downstairs to my husband vacuuming the filter under our fridge yesterday and teaching my son how to clean it and it was a good reminder of all the little things we forget to do to keep our homes in good shape for the long run.

Here’s my list of stuff to do, that I would actually do on my own home:

1. Extend your downspouts away from your house. Water is enemy #1 for a foundation and corrugated pipe extensions are cheap!
2. Power wash your exterior stairs and/or siding, or “soft wash” hardiplank if you have build up on it. You’ll want to repaint any foundation that’s missing paint.
3. Service your HVAC.
4. Make sure any outside drains are clear of debris. Again, water.
5. Clean your dryer vent annually.
6. Check any trees around your house. If they’re touching or overhanging your home, get them cut back. It’s dangerous in storms and also invites easy access for critters into your attic.
7. Caulk. Such an easy thing to do, and cheap, but can prevent so much damage from water. Check around doors, windows, light fixtures, hose bibs, and vents. Plumbers putty is your friend.

I’m going to end there. If you do those things, your house will be set up for a good spring and summer!

Remember, if you don’t know who to call for service, you can always download my free Vendor Guide!

A proposal for 40 new townhomes in Springfield is heading to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a vote next month.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval last Wednesday (April 24) for developer JR Real Estate Group’s plan to construct 40 single-family homes on a 5.81-acre property located near the Franconia-Springfield Parkway.

According to the county staff report, 50% of the site at 7051 Villa Park Road will be designated as open space with several amenities for residents, including a playground, seating areas, a bicycle rack and a multi-purpose lawn.

The plan also calls for 174 parking spaces and emphasizes environmental preservation with nearly 60,000 square feet dedicated to existing tree conservation. Tree plantings are proposed on an additional 33,000 square feet to buffer the noise and sight of the nearby highway.

The Towns at Villa Park project was first submitted to the county in October 2021, originally proposing 49 single-family townhomes, 35% open space and approximately 8,000 square feet of tree preservation.

Commissioners generally shared mostly positive feedback about the proposal, with a few caveats. Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina and others expressed some concern that the level of noise generated by traffic from the highway would be burdensome to residents.

A representative for the developer acknowledged that a sound study revealed a few homes, specifically those with decks, would be exposed to noise levels of 65 decibels — comparable to the volume of an air conditioner or background conversation in a restaurant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, the representative mentioned that JR Real Estate Group plans to install several sound barriers and will conduct a supplemental noise study in the future.

“It’s consistent with the county’s noise policies once you include the sound walls on those units on each side,” he said.

Toward the end of the hearing, Franconia District Commissioner Dan Lagana, who is resigning after this month, noted that no speakers had signed up to comment, which he interpreted as a sign that the project is on the right track.

“All in all, I think we’re in a great spot and I’m just really proud to support this project,” Lagana said.

A child care company with hundreds of day care centers and preschools across the U.S. is seeking to add one in Tysons.

Primrose Schools has submitted an application for a special exception from Fairfax County that would allow it to open a day care center inside the office building at 1749 Old Meadow Road near Scotts Run.

The facility would support up to 193 kids a day — its proposed maximum capacity — from the “greater McLean area,” according to a statement of justification dated April 19. There would be up to 35 employees, including teachers and attendants, on site at a time.

The center will occupy 88,350 square feet in the existing building, but some new construction would be required for adjacent outdoor play areas, Carlos Montenegro, an attorney representing Primrose Schools Franchising Company, wrote.

The submitted plans show a two-floor facility with 12 classrooms and an approximately 4,300-square-foot play area, including separate playgrounds for infants and toddlers, early preschool attendees and preschool or after-school students.

Estimating that the center will draw 450 vehicles per day, mostly during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up periods, Primrose Schools is proposing to remove about 45 of the building’s 348 parking spaces, while re-striping five accessible spaces.

The changes would give the building a total of 316 parking spots.

“All children will be delivered and picked-up after parking on the property. There will be no vehicular cueing line,” Montenegro wrote.

Established by Paul and Marcy Erwin in 1982, Primrose Schools opened its first school in Marietta, Georgia, with a goal of centering education at a time “when ‘all-play’ is the accepted norm” for child care, according to its website.

The private company has since expanded to over 500 locations, including franchises in Chantilly and Reston.

One of Primrose’s Arlington locations came under scrutiny last year by Virginia’s Department of Social Services. An investigation found that the center had failed to report child abuse and mistreatment by employees who were fired shortly after the alleged incidents, according to NBC Washington.

County staff are currently reviewing the special exception application for a Tysons location to determine whether it should be formally accepted.

Image via Google Maps

Google plans to invest $1 billion to expand data center campuses in Northern Virginia this year, including two Loudoun County sites and a newly opened site in Prince William County.

Ruth Porat, the president, chief investment officer and chief financial officer of Google and its parent company, Alphabet, announced the funds on Friday (April 26) at the company’s Reston headquarters. They will bring Google’s total investment in the state to more than $4.2 billion to date.

“We’ve been here for five years with two data centers, and today, I’m really proud to announce that we’re investing an additional billion dollars in Virginia to expand those campuses and to add a third data center in Prince William County,” she said.

Google also introduced a $75 million artificial intelligence opportunity fund and an AI essentials class as part of two new workforce development initiatives geared towards helping employees and learners in Virginia benefit from new technologies.

“The intent is to ensure that everyone everywhere across Virginia and across the United States has the ability to get central training around AI,” Porat said. “How can we individually use it? How can we use it to support our businesses large and small?”

Through providing grants to best-in-class workforce development and education organizations, Google’s opportunity fund will equip more than a million people with fundamental AI skills.

“Google’s new AI Essentials course will teach people to use AI effectively in day-to-day work. In under 10 hours, people will get practical, hands-on experience using AI to help with work tasks through videos, readings, and interactive exercises,” a press release reads.

One of the fund’s first recipients, Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), will provide the new AI Essentials course and a Google Cybersecurity Certificate to its Onward to Opportunity participants in Virginia and across the country, according to the release.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin spotlighted the state’s technological advances, noting that Northern Virginia is the global hub for data centers with more development than the next five U.S. markets combined.

“With that comes tremendous synergy and an ecosystem that enables advanced development,” Youngkin said. “And so, Google’s $1 billion investment is a continued demonstration that that ecosystem is one worth investing in.”

Youngkin also said local communities are benefitting from data centers by paying $2.2 billion in wages and “a billion dollars in local revenue that funds an immense investment in schools and public services and social services.”

At the same time, some localities have moved to more closely regulate data centers in response to concerns about their neighborhood and environmental impacts. Fairfax County will hold community meetings starting this Thursday (May 2) to gather feedback on its proposed zoning changes.

In the press release on Google’s announcement, IVMF Executive Director Dr. Mike Haynie expressed appreciation for the technology giant’s continual backing.

“We are extremely proud to receive continued support from google.org that will allow us not only to continue to deliver the cybersecurity training that we’re currently delivering to the military connected community, but now also enhance the support we can provide to our nation service members, veterans and military spouses through AI training,” he said.

Fairfax City Schedules Fireworks Test — “Fairfax City Parks and Recreation has arranged for a “test fire” of fireworks from the roof of Fairfax High School. The test fire, consisting of two 15-second bursts, will occur between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. April 30.” The test is planned in preparation for the city’s Independence Day Celebration, which is scheduled for July 4. [City of Fairfax]

Vienna Veteran Charged With Making Toxin — “A judge on Friday ordered a Marine Corps veteran and former militia member to remain jailed pending trial on charges he attempted to make ricin, a biological toxin.” The 42-year-old man was arrested about two weeks ago after “traces of ricin along with lab equipment and castor beans, from which ricin is derived,” were found in his home. [Associated Press/WTOP]

Local Man Allegedly Showed Porn to Elementary School Students — “The 18-year-old man from Fairfax County was arrested and is facing several charges, including possession of child pornography, Arlington County police announced…The man worked at Abingdon Elementary School in the Fairlington neighborhood, in the after-school program for students, police said.” [ARLnow]

Arrest Made in Reston Armed Robbery — “Reston Days B officers & K9 just arrested a man after he broke into a home & robbed a woman at gunpoint in the 2200 blk of Stone Wheel Dr in Reston. The man tried to flee across a nearby golf course but was quickly apprehended.” [FCPD/Twitter]

Community Service Held for Clifton Fire Victims — “The Brice family held a celebration of life after the family was struck by tragedy earlier this month: their sons, 6-year-old William and 3-year-old Zachariah, died in a fire at their grandparent’s house in Clifton…The parents, supported by the community, cherished the memories of the kids on Saturday at the event.” [WUSA9]

Local Musicians Plan Inaugural Mount Vernon Festival — “Fifty-five years after hundreds of thousands of people descended on Woodstock, New York for a legendary music festival, a Fort Hunt-area musician is organizing a somewhat smaller rendition for local community members’ enjoyment — Waynewoodstock.” [On the MoVe]

Satellite Company Signs Deal for Reston Move — “SES and SES Space & Defense have inked a 35,000-square-foot lease restructure and relocation at Reston Square, 11790 Sunrise Valley Dr. in Reston, VA. As part of the deal, SES, a Luxembourg-based satellite communications company, will consolidate operations at the Reston property, serving as one of its main U.S. offices.” [Connect CRE]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of approximately 89 degrees, with a west wind at 5 to 7 mph that will turn southward in the afternoon. Monday night will be mostly clear with a low temperature around 65 degrees and a south wind at about 7 mph. [NWS]

Good Friday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 26, 2024.

• 8:15 am: Morning Notes | 🗣️ Comments
• 9:30 am: NEW: Reston library will close this summer for renovation | 🗣️ Comments
• 10:30 am: Tysons Forest task force recommends steps for preserving 65 acres of woods | 🗣️ Comments
• 11:30 am: Metro board approves new budget, but Virginia funding remains a question mark | 🗣️ Comments
• 1:30 pm: Lake Anne cooling service to launch ahead of expected heat wave | 🗣️ Comments
• 2:50 pm: JUST IN: Oakton driver sentenced to four years for fatal crash that killed two teens | 🗣️ Comments
• 3:30 pm: Local independent bookstores hope to draw visitors with new ‘passport’ program | 🗣️ Comments

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

1. UPDATED: West Potomac HS evacuated after reported bomb threat (17582 views)
2. Smoke billowing into sky from two-alarm fire in Sterling (14234 views)
3. Fairfax County employees advocate for pay raises during April budget hearings (2442 views)
4. McLean Starbucks reopens after extensive interior renovations (1945 views)
5. FCPD: Lincolnia school counselor charged after allegedly head-butting student (1605 views)
6. Taste of Tysons festival showcasing mall’s eateries to return in May (1539 views)
7. Lorton Community Center worker arrested for ‘indecent’ relationship with teen, police say (1278 views)
8. WillowWood Plaza mixed-use development advances to Fairfax City Council (1270 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

• 8:30 am: Reston Association’s 80-Family Community Yard Sale
• 8:30 am: AARP Life@50+ Academy
• 9:00 am: Spring Native Plants & Arts Sale
• 9:00 am: Fairfax Funky Flea
• 12:00 pm: Rare,Exotic & Carnivorous Plant Market
• 1:00 pm: From Garden to Vase: Flower Arranging
• 1:00 pm: HOTWORX Anniversary Celebration
• 6:00 pm: Live Aid Karaoke Fundraiser (for World Hunger)
• 8:00 pm: Bamberg Symphony featuring Hélène Grimaud, piano
• 9:00 pm: Rockits Band (Free Event) at The Old Fire Station

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

• 12:00 pm: The Bee Charmers Band
• 5:30 pm: Electric Blues Open Mic at The Old Fire Station#3

🌧️ Saturday’s forecast

Scattered showers are expected mainly between 9am and 4pm, with cloudy conditions and a high near 58. Winds will come from the southeast at 6 to 11 mph, and there’s a 40% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 52, and south winds blowing at 6 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

For this year’s Independent Bookstore Day, local bookworms will be encouraged to collect not just new literary titles, but also places to buy them.

More than a dozen shops across Northern Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia have teamed up for a new “Passport” program, giving customers a chance to win prizes if they visit different locations.

“The Passport will introduce book lovers to more of our region’s growing bookstore scene, and offer them a way to celebrate with their favorites,” a press release for the campaign says.

The passports will be issued by the participating stores this Saturday (April 27) on Independent Bookstore Day, which is organized by the American Booksellers Association to celebrate the importance of independently owned book shops to local communities.

Passport holders will then have until May 31 to collect stamps from the participating stores. Four stores will net a book, eight stores a tote bag, and those who visit at least 10 stores can enter to win a grand prize, which will have books, gift cards and other items from each of the 15 shops, according to Fonts Books and Gifts owner Amber Taylor.

Taylor’s McLean store, which opened last year near Chesterbrook Plaza, is one of several Fairfax County businesses involved in the promotional campaign. Bards Alley in Vienna (full disclosure: this reporter’s sister is an employee), Scrawl Books in Reston and Herndon’s A Thousand Stories are also taking part.

“Northern Virginia is home to a robust and growing community of local, independent bookstores. And, our region is full of readers, book lovers and supporters of local businesses,” Taylor said by email. “We hope all of our customers enjoy filling their Bookstore Passports beginning on Saturday as they visit their favorite stores, and some stores that are new to them.”

In addition to the Passport program, each of the stores has its own activities planned for Independent Bookstore Day.

Scrawl Books has lined up several author visits, while Fonts will offer non-alcoholic drink samples, among other activities. Bards Alley will host a “stuffy sleepover” and storytime, and A Thousand Stories has partnered with Arts Herndon and the Friends of Runnymeade Park for a native plant and art sale.

Now in its 11th year, Independent Bookstore Day was started in 2013 by booksellers in California before going national in 2015. According to the American Booksellers Association, over a thousand stores across all 50 states will host events this year.

Passport programs or “bookstore crawls” have become a popular promotional method. The Northern Virginia crawl — which also includes Curious Iguana in Frederick, Maryland, and WordPlay in Wardensville, West Virginia — echoes similar campaigns in D.C., Connecticut and other areas.

The Oakton driver behind a 2022 crash that killed two teenagers has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Earlier this week, 20-year-old Usman Shahid was convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the June 7, 2022 crash on Blake Lane, where he struck and killed two Oakton High School students while driving 46 mph over the 35-mph speed limit.

A jury proposed the sentence today (Friday) after issuing its verdict Wednesday (April 24).

“At trial, prosecutors proved that Shahid’s high rate of speed and lack of evasive action to avoid the situation were responsible for both the initial crash and the subsequent pedestrian collision,” the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

Multiple news outlets reported that, during the trial, prosecutors stated Shahid was driving his BMW at 81 mph on Blake Lane shortly before noon on the day of the crash. Students had been released early that day with the end of the school year approaching.

Upon seeing a yellow traffic light, Shahid accelerated and collided with a Toyota 4Runner that was turning left. Police testified that the collision forced Shahid’s vehicle off the road and onto the sidewalk, where it struck three teenage girls.

According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, a crash expert testified during the trial that the data recorder in Shahid’s vehicle showed he accelerated from 60 to 81 mph in the five seconds before the crash as he approached the intersection. The recorder also indicated that Shahid didn’t attempt to brake.

Two of the victims, 14-year-old Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco and 15-year-old Leeyan Hanjia Yan, died of their injuries, while a third teen was seriously hurt.

“This is one of the most tragic cases in Fairfax County’s history,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in the release. “I have a daughter just a few months younger than Ada and Leeyan were – and I can’t imagine how broken I would be in her absence. My heart breaks for the families, friends, and loved ones of these young girls. While there is nothing that can make up for such an immense loss, I hope that this conviction can help our community finally begin to heal from this tragedy.”

A judge will finalize the sentence — which could be lower but not higher than the jury’s determination — later this year.

RELAC Water Cooling will begin delivering air-conditioning services to residents and businesses in Reston’s Lake Anne area this weekend — ahead of its official launch date of May 22.

The volunteer-run utility announced today that it will “go live” tomorrow (Saturday) to test its services, providing chilled water from the artificial lake to cool 635 residential and commercial properties.

“Being ready for the start date, which is prescribed by state regulations, is mission-critical,” RELAC Steering Committee Chair Simon McKeown said in the announcement. “We want to avoid any adverse impact on our community’s health and comfort when the temps go high. That’s why it’s imperative we implement a rigorous testing period.”

RELAC will have full services available during the testing period, which will begin before a surge in temperatures next week. The National Weather Service’s current forecast for Reston shows highs in the 80s, starting this Sunday (April 28) through at least Thursday (May 2).

While some maintenance and refurbishment work remains in progress, engineering contractor, Innovative Mechanical Systems (IMS), confirmed last night that RELAC can start its chilling operations, according to McKeown.

Since it was created in the mid-1960s, the Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning Corporation has been required for certain homeowners by the Reston deed, which prohibits individual air-conditioning units for residential clusters where the central AC service is available.

However, the State Corporation Commission-regulated utility announced last December that it would cease operations, citing increased operating and maintenance costs as well as difficulties with getting customers to pay their bills.

In response, McKeown and other residents moved to take over the company with plans to turn it into a community-run co-op. The new RELAC officially registered with the SCC as a nonprofit on Feb. 5.

That reorganization unfolded concurrently with a Reston Association referendum that sought to repeal the RELAC requirement. Like previous efforts, the campaign fell short of the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass.

RELAC’s new leaders announced earlier this month that they had received enough community donations to restart operations for the upcoming cooling season.

“This has involved a team of extremely dedicated people: the members of the Initiative Steering Committee and the subsequent members of the Advisory Board and the generous support of many of our neighbors that have financially played a critical role and provided thoughtful input and been so supportive,” McKeown said in this morning’s notice. “In short, this IS a community initiative.”

Properties where RELAC’s services will be available include the Coleson, Governours, Hickory, Wainright, Waterview, Washington Plaza and Chimney House Road clusters as well as the Vantage Hill Condominiums, the Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association (LARCA) and Lake Anne businesses, such as Reston’s Used Book Shop and the Washington Plaza Baptist Church.