Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Transportation impacts of new Lofts at Reston Station homes draw scrutiny

Published April 8, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated April 9, 2026 at 10:30AM

Pulte Group's concept plan for Lofts II at Reston Station (via Land Design Consultants/Fairfax County)

Fairfax County staff are prepared to allow housing on an aging office property near the Wiehle Metro station in Reston with the expectation that the future developer will also deliver some transportation improvements.

The county’s planning commission will hold a public hearing tonight (Wednesday) on a proposed comprehensive plan amendment that would pave the way for Lofts at Reston Station builder Pulte Group to redevelop three low-lying office buildings at 1810, 1825 and 1850 Samuel Morse Drive with stacked townhouses and condominiums.

News

Multifamily housing proposed to replace neighboring Richmond Highway hotels

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 7, 2026 at 1:45PM

Apartment building proposed to replace Days Inn on Richmond Highway in Huntington (via Hord Coplan Macht/Fairfax County)

A pair of adjacent hotels along Richmond Highway in Huntington are being eyed for redevelopment.

Separate developers have proposed replacing Moon Inn Hotel (6140 Richmond Highway) and Days Inn by Wyndham (6100 Richmond Highway) with multifamily residential buildings that could deliver more than 500 homes combined, according to rezoning applications submitted last month to Fairfax County.

Countywide

Freeze Warning and elevated fire threat issued for Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 7, 2026 at 11:45AM | Updated April 7, 2026 at 2:43PM

A dusting of ice on a shrub with berries (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

After a warmer-than-usual start to spring, the D.C. region is expected to be hit overnight with a throwback blast of winter.

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for much of the area, including Fairfax County, starting at midnight and continuing until 9 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).

Around Town

Five Fairfax restaurants among 2026 RAMMYS Awards finalists

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 7, 2026 at 8:30AM

A jetski bagel sandwich with a drink from Call Your Mother (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A handful of restaurants with Fairfax locations are still in the running for the D.C. region’s 44th annual RAMMYS Awards.

Narrowed down from dozens of semifinalists who were publicly revealed last month for the first time ever, the list of finalists announced last night (Monday) by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) includes regional chains and hip, chef-driven spots as well as a longstanding local favorite.

News

Residents at one Reston condo complex might not have AC this summer

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 6, 2026 at 1:45PM

Vehicles parked at the Vantage Hill Condominiums in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Residents of the Vantage Hill Condominiums in Reston might not have access to air-conditioning this summer after the central cooling system that served the neighborhood shut down last year.

Abaris Real Estate Management, which manages the 152-unit complex, informed residents last Tuesday (March 31) that individual AC units are still prohibited for now because the property currently doesn’t have the electrical capacity to support them.

News

Construction on Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 nears finish

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 6, 2026 at 9:15AM

Construction barrels on the Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 in McLean (courtesy VDOT)

The new toll lanes on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean have been operating for a few months now, but construction on the project known as 495 NEXT is not yet complete.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will set the stage for a new milestone tonight (Monday) with a traffic shift on the Georgetown Pike Bridge over I-495.

News

Second fatal pedestrian crash on Richmond Highway in 2026 under investigation

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 6, 2026 at 8:30AM

A fire truck arrives at the scene of a fatal pedestrian crash on Richmond Highway at Pohick Road in Fort Belvoir on April 3, 2026 (courtesy Dave Statter/X)

For the second time this year, a pedestrian has died in a crash on the Fairfax County section of Richmond Highway (Route 1).

Police responded at 10:30 p.m. on Friday (April 3) to Richmond Highway’s intersection with Pohick Road and Backlick Road in Fort Belvoir after receiving a report of a crash involving a pedestrian.

News

Delayed Lake Thoreau dredging will begin this month in Reston

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 3, 2026 at 10:00AM

An excavator scoops up sediment from Lake Thoreau in Reston during its last dredging in 2018 (via Reston Association/YouTube)

The water in Lake Thoreau is finally high enough to allow crews to begin clearing sediment.

Delayed from last fall due to insufficient water levels, Reston Association now anticipates beginning the approximately four-week process of dredging Lake Thoreau’s Westcove next week.

News

Frustrations grow with parking, traffic disruptions at West Falls Church Metro station

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 3, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated April 3, 2026 at 5:31PM

A notice outside the West Falls Church Metro station for construction on new roads, bus facilities and a parking garage renovation (staff photo by Jared Serre)

An increased fee for non-riders is one option reportedly being considered to ease traffic and parking constraints at the West Falls Church Metro station in Idylwood.

Traditionally one of Metro’s sleepiest stops, the West Falls Church station has become a hub of activity in recent months due to simultaneous construction on three different developments.

Countywide

United Airlines testing security wait times tracker at Dulles, as DHS shutdown drags on

By Angela Woolsey and Associated Press

Published April 3, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated April 3, 2026 at 1:43PM

A security screening area at Dulles International Airport in April 2025 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

United Airlines is testing a digital tracker for airport security wait times after the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown snarled lines at major airports across the country.

Touting the tool as the “first of its kind” from a major U.S. airline, United added the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times tracker to its mobile app on Wednesday (April 1). It’s currently available for seven pilot locations, including Dulles International Airport.