Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

UPDATED: Two people found dead on Reston trail, possibly shot

Published March 22, 2023 at 3:45PM | Updated March 22, 2023 at 6:11PM

Fairfax County police car lights flashing (file photo)

(Updated at 6:10 p.m.) Fairfax County police are investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found on a trail in Reston’s Stratton Woods area.

Officers are currently at the scene in the 2300 block of Players Pond Lane, where the two people were found dead, the Fairfax County Police Department said around 3:30 p.m.

News

Botanical makeover for Vienna’s main streets delayed to uproot cost concerns

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 22, 2023 at 2:30PM

A Fairfax Connector bus stop and trees line the sidewalk on Maple Avenue (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Town of Vienna wants to bring more color to Maple Avenue and Church Street with a landscaping refresh, but new greenery won’t be in the ground until August at the earliest.

Department of Parks and Recreation staff approached the Vienna Town Council on Monday (March 20) to request $600,000 for a landscaping contractor that will help design and install new planters along the town’s main commercial streets.

Around Town

Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken is cooking up a Tysons restaurant

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 22, 2023 at 10:30AM

Hangry Joe's serves Nashville-style hot chicken in sandwich, finger and bite form (courtesy Hangry Joe's Franchising)

The stage is being set in western Tysons for a battle royale between Nashville-style hot chicken chains.

Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken, a rapidly expanding brand that started in the Richmond area, plans to open a new restaurant in Tysons Square (8359-A Leesburg Pike) — next door to Pike 7 Plaza, where a Dave’s Hot Chicken is expected to launch this year.

Countywide

County board approves lower-than-advertised pay raises, its first in eight years

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 22, 2023 at 9:30AM

SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax President Tammie Wondong advocates for better worker compensation at a public hearing on proposed Board of Supervisors pay raises (via Fairfax County)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will get its first salary increase in eight years, starting next January.

The current board voted 8-2 last night (Tuesday) to raise the pay to $123,283 for a supervisor position and to $138,283 for the chairman — slightly lower than the ranges that were proposed on March 7.

Around Town

How to celebrate cherry blossoms this spring without leaving Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated April 6, 2023 at 1:58PM

A cherry blossom-themed LOVE sign at Tysons Corner Center Plaza (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

(Updated at 1:55 p.m. on 4/6/2023) Spring is here, and despite a cold snap over the weekend, cherry trees around the D.C. area are rapidly approaching full bloom.

The Yoshino cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin remain on track with the National Park Service’s prediction that they will reach peak bloom — meaning that 70% of the flowers will be open — between Wednesday and Saturday (March 22-25).

Countywide

Park Authority seeks funding, staff to clear 250 acres of running bamboo

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2023 at 1:30PM

Fairfax County parkland has an estimated 250 acres of running bamboo (courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority)

The Fairfax County Park Authority is going to need a bigger budget to handle its running bamboo.

The agency has requested an additional $500,000 and a new, full-time staff position for an ecologist to help manage bamboo removal projects now that the county requires property owners to contain the species.

Around Town

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck gears up for pit stop in Tysons this weekend

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2023 at 11:00AM

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck (courtesy Sanrio)

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is rolling back into Tysons for its typically annual spring visit.

The pop-up from toy company Sanrio will park at Tysons Corner Center’s Events Plaza from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday (March 25), just over a year after its last appearance.

News

Updated e-bikes are coming to some Fairfax County Bikeshare stations

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2023 at 10:15AM

A 12-dock Capital Bikeshare station will be installed tomorrow at Reston Town Square Park (Photo courtesy FCDOT).

Electric bicycles with a brand-new look will dock at select Capital Bikeshare stations in Fairfax County this spring.

The rental bicycle-sharing service is rolling out 850 new e-bikes across the D.C. area, more than doubling its current stock and bringing its total fleet close to 7,000 bicycles, according to the Washington Post.

News

Plan to redevelop West Falls Church Metro wins planning commission’s support

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 20, 2023 at 2:30PM

A proposed multi-family residential building in the West Falls Church Metro station redevelopment (via Fairfax County)

The redevelopment of the West Falls Church Metro station secured the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s endorsement last week, a critical step forward for a project that could serve as a guide for other transit-oriented developments in the D.C. region.

The commission voted unanimously on Wednesday (March 15) to recommend that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approve a rezoning of the 24-acre property to allow over 1 million square feet of development, including 810 multifamily residential units, 85 townhouses, a 110,000-square-foot office building and up to 10,000 square feet of retail.

News

McLean residents sue to stop I-495 widening over environmental impacts

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 20, 2023 at 10:15AM | Updated March 20, 2023 at 11:57AM

Construction on the 495 NEXT project has cleared land by the GW Parkway for a stormwater pond, seen on March 15, 2023 (photo by Stephen Jasak)

(Updated at 11:55 a.m.) A group of McLean residents opposed to the extension of the I-495 toll lanes past their neighborhoods have turned to the courts in a bid to halt the project, now in its second year of construction.

The Northern Virginia (NOVA) Citizens Association filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Alexandria on Thursday (March 16) alleging that major revisions to the project design violated federal law, resulting in “significant on-going environmental harms” to residents.