Author: Angela Woolsey

Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.

Countywide

Fairfax senator proposes expansion of accessory living units that would override county rules

By Angela Woolsey
An accessory dwelling unit detached from the primary residence (via City of Alexandria)

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) A state-level push to ease restrictions on accessory residential units could put Fairfax County at odds with one of its own senators.

The proposed Senate Bill 304 from state Sen. Saddam Salim (D-37) would require localities to permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in residential districts and prohibit them from setting certain conditions, including the provision of dedicated parking for the unit.

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News

Pickleball Club of Tysons on track to open indoor courts this spring

By Angela Woolsey
Pickleball Club of Tysons founders Marc Greenberg and Tarlika Amin announce that the indoor, six-court facility will open in spring 2024 (via Pickleball Club of Tysons/YouTube)

Construction is underway to convert a warehouse in Tysons into an indoor pickleball facility.

The Pickleball Club of Tysons is now accepting membership reservations on its website after receiving the necessary approvals from Fairfax County to begin work at 8520 Tyco Road last week, according to co-owner Alesya Semukha-Greenberg.

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News

Affordable housing developer jumpstarts initiative to clean up Tysons’ green spaces

By Angela Woolsey
Crews have begun clearing overgrowth and invasive plants from the Route 7 and Route 123 interchange (courtesy SCG Development)

With the help of local developers and property owners, the Tysons Community Alliance is on a mission to beautify the green spaces found where many of the area’s major roads intersect.

The first site targeted is the southwest quadrant of the Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) interchange, where the Vienna-based company Tyson’s Tree Service began clearing overgrowth, invasive plants and dead trees on Jan. 2.

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Countywide

Snow closes Fairfax County government, delaying start of early voting

By Angela Woolsey
About two inches of snow fell overnight in Vienna, accumulating on top of earlier snowfall (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Updated at 6 p.m. — The GW Parkway has reopened after closing for the snow, the National Park Service announced, though both north and southbound traffic is limited to a single lane in the construction area.

Earlier: Like the snow that triggered them, facility closures and service delays are piling up in Fairfax County.

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News

Police charge teen with murder after fatal stabbing in Annandale

By Angela Woolsey
Police leave the Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by David Taube)

The police investigation into Fairfax County’s first homicide of 2024 has resulted in a murder charge against a 14-year-old.

The teen allegedly stabbed a 17-year-old boy in Annandale at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 13), killing him, the Fairfax County Police Department reported last night (Thursday).

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Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools to close again Friday with more snow expected

By Angela Woolsey
Snow on leaves (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The D.C. area is expected to be hit with another round of snow tomorrow (Friday), prompting Fairfax County Public Schools to call for its second snow day this week.

All schools and central offices will be closed tomorrow, FCPS announced at 5:25 p.m. today. The closure includes extracurricular activities, field trips and other events on school grounds.

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Around Town

Romano’s Macaroni Grill closes Kingstowne restaurant, its last in Virginia

By Angela Woolsey
Romano's Macaroni Grill has officially closed in Kingstowne (courtesy LocalAuctions.com)

Romano’s Macaroni Grill is ending a two-decade stay in Kingstowne.

The chain Italian restaurant served its last customers at 5925 Kingstowne Towne Center on Monday (Jan. 15) and officially closed its doors the next day. Now, all of its decor, furniture, equipment and supplies is being auctioned off.

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Around Town

Chinese noodle and Mexican restaurants to add locations in Merrifield Plaza

By Angela Woolsey
The Chinese noodle shop Shi Miao Dao will soon open a franchise in Merrifield Plaza (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

(Updated at 5 p.m.) A few new tenants are making their way to Merrifield Plaza, the H Mart and Lidl-anchored shopping center at Route 29 and Gallows Road.

The newcomers will include a franchise of Shi Miao Dao, a Chinese noodle shop that can also be found in Rockville, Maryland, among other locations. The Merrifield restaurant is part of the same brand, but the operator isn’t affiliated with the one in Rockville, says a broker for TSCG, which manages and leases Merrifield Plaza.

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News

Inova opens pediatric sick clinic near Seven Corners to relieve emergency room demand

By Angela Woolsey
A pediatric sick clinic is now open at the Inova Cares Clinic for Children near Seven Corners (courtesy Inova)

Inova patients in the Falls Church area can now get medical attention for their sick kids without having to visit an emergency room or make an appointment.

The nonprofit health system launched a pediatric sick clinic this morning (Thursday) out of the Inova Cares Clinic for Children (6400 Arlington Blvd, Suite 50) near Seven Corners. Described as the first service of its kind in Northern Virginia, the sick clinic serves children with common but less severe symptoms of illness, such as fever or coughing.

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News

NEW: Fairfax County casino push targets abandoned Tysons auto dealership

By Angela Woolsey
The former Aston Martin and Bentley dealership in Tysons has been proposed as a future casino site (via Google Maps)

The proposal to permit a casino in Fairfax County has honed in on one specific site: a former Aston Martin and Bentley dealership in Tysons.

Site criteria for the potential gaming establishment emerged yesterday (Wednesday), when state Sen. Dave Marsden’s long-awaited/dreaded bill was officially published online, just two days before the Virginia General Assembly’s filing deadline for the 2024 session.

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