Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Developer of Oakton’s AT&T campus scales back housing, preserves more trees

Published October 9, 2023 at 11:45AM | Updated October 9, 2023 at 1:48PM

The existing AT&T campus at 3033 Chain Bridge Road in Oakton (via EYA)

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) A proposal to redevelop AT&T’s campus in Oakton with housing and retail has undergone some changes since it went before the Fairfax County Planning Commission in March.

Joined by county planners, developer EYA presented a revised concept to the community on Oct. 2 that cut back slightly on the number of proposed apartments, while tweaking the site layout to allow more open and green space.

News

Route 29 pedestrian path in Merrifield no longer ends at ditch

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 9, 2023 at 10:15AM

There's now a continuous shared-use path along northbound Route 29 between Vaden Drive and Nutley Street (courtesy VDOT)

A ditch will no longer force pedestrians and bicyclists to ditch the shared path along Route 29 in Merrifield.

Construction has been substantially completed on a new, unbroken shared-use path spanning about one-third of a mile between Vaden Drive and Nutley Street, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Friday (Oct. 6).

News

Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run crash on Richmond Highway

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 7, 2023 at 11:00AM | Updated October 7, 2023 at 1:18PM

Richmond Highway at Brevard Court in Mount Vernon (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 1:20 p.m.) A pedestrian died last night (Friday) after a hit-and-run crash on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Woodlawn area of Mount Vernon.

Police officers were called to Richmond Highway near Brevard Court at 10:10 p.m., followed by emergency medical services with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department around 10:12 p.m.

News

UPDATED: Man arrested in Florida after stabbing woman in Lorton

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 6, 2023 at 3:50PM | Updated October 8, 2023 at 5:44PM

Fairfax County police car lights flashing (file photo)

Updated at 5:45 p.m. on 10/8/2023 — Police have identified the suspect in Friday’s Lorton stabbing as 27-year-old Jorge Andres Esquivel Rivera, the son of the victim.

Updated at 10:25 a.m. on 10/7/2023 — The man suspected of stabbing a woman in Lorton was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol in Jacksonville last night (Friday), the Fairfax County Police Department announced today.

Countywide

Oakton nonprofit launches crisis services to help LGBTQ youth

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 6, 2023 at 11:45AM

The Oakton-based nonprofit PRS is adding specialized crisis services for LGBTQ youth (courtesy PRS CrisisLink)

The Oakton-based nonprofit that runs Northern Virginia’s suicide and crisis hotline is now offering mental health services specifically geared toward young, LGBTQ people.

PRS announced yesterday (Thursday) that it’s hiring 40 new crisis workers who have specialized training and experience to handle calls and texts from LGBTQ individuals who are 25 or younger.

News

Vienna’s former Faith Baptist Church to be demolished early next year

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 6, 2023 at 10:15AM | Updated October 31, 2023 at 2:24PM

The former Faith Baptist Church building in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

(Updated at 2:20 p.m. on 10/31/2023) The end is nigh for Vienna’s former Faith Baptist Church.

The Vienna Town Council gave town staff the green light on Monday (Oct. 2) to pay a contractor $327,608 to demolish the building at 301 Center Street South, where it has stood since the 1950s and remained vacant since the police department finished moving out in January.

News

Man who stabbed woman in Seven Corners, set body on fire convicted of murder

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 6, 2023 at 9:30AM | Updated October 6, 2023 at 11:36AM

Police are conducting a homicide investigation at The Villages at Falls Church (photo by Ed O'Carroll)

(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) An Arlington man could be sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a woman and setting her body on fire in a Seven Corners condominium last year.

A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury has convicted 48-year-old Richard Montano of first-degree murder and arson for killing Silvia Vaca Abacay, whose body he subsequently attempted to burn, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced yesterday (Thursday).

Countywide

Emerging disease is killing young plants in Virginia, county warns

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 5, 2023 at 3:40PM

A redbud with scorched and yellowing leaves, signs of the disease vascular streak dieback (photo by Nicole Kopas/VDACS, courtesy DPWES)

Any Fairfax County residents who recently bought a budding tree or shrub may want to keep an eye on its leaves.

A relatively new disease called vascular streak dieback is killing plants from nurseries in Virginia and five other states, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services’ (DPWES) Urban Forest Management Division says.

News

Newly completed high-rise will bring retail, outdoor plaza to Scotts Run in Tysons

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 5, 2023 at 2:30PM | Updated October 9, 2023 at 12:10PM

Construction is complete on Heming, a 28-story, mixed-use apartment building in Scotts Run (courtesy Skanska)

(Updated at 12:10 p.m. on 10/9/2023) A central piece of the Scotts Run development near the McLean Metro station is now in place.

Distinguished by a tall, glass-box front, the 28-story Heming has wrapped up construction after more than three years, bringing 410 new apartments and 38,000 square feet of retail space to 1800 Chain Bridge Road in Tysons, developer Skanska announced yesterday (Wednesday).

Around Town

Peter Chang’s Chinese restaurant to open in McLean next week

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 5, 2023 at 10:15AM | Updated October 5, 2023 at 2:29PM

Peter Chang opened his first D.C.-area restaurant in Arlington in 2015 (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) Peter Chang’s new McLean restaurant is almost ready for diners.

The eponymous restaurant from the prolific Chinese chef will open at 6715 Lowell Avenue in one week on Oct. 12.