Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Tysons West developer plans to turn former Sheraton hotel into housing

Published March 1, 2022 at 9:45AM

A conceptual rendering of developer JBG Smith's proposed repurposing of Sheraton Tysons Hotel as housing (via JBG Smith/Fairfax County)

After giving travelers shelter for more than three decades, the now-shuttered Sheraton Tysons Hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike) could soon become home to hundreds of permanent residents.

Property owner JBG Smith wants to turn the 22-story building and its parking garage into a 544-unit multifamily residential tower with up to 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to a rezoning application submitted to Fairfax County on Feb. 14.

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Morning Notes

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 1, 2022 at 7:30AM

A Metro rider uses an updated fare gate at the Vienna Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reminder: Old Metro Cards Stop Working Today — “SmarTrip cards purchased before 2012 are no longer compatible with new, faster, modern faregates already installed in many stations. In an announcement more than 10 months ago, Metro advised customers that the old cards would need to be replaced as stations are equipped with new faregates.” [WMATA]

County Circuit Court Ends Mask Requirement — Fairfax County Circuit Court Chief Judge Penny Azcarate announced yesterday (Monday) that masks will be optional to enter the Courthouse effective immediately in accordance with the county’s new policy. Rules in courtrooms “are at the discretion of the presiding judge.” [Circuit Court]

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With Covid transmission now ‘low,’ Fairfax County drops mask mandate

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 28, 2022 at 3:00PM

A sign indicating that a face mask should be worn (via Waldemar Brandt/Unsplash)

For the first time since early August, face masks are no longer required for staff or visitors inside most Fairfax County facilities.

County Executive Bryan Hill shared the news in an email to all local government workers yesterday (Sunday) after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced new metrics for measuring community COVID-19 transmission levels on Friday (Feb. 25).

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Youngkin: Security company to add 180 jobs in $2.6M Tysons expansion

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 28, 2022 at 1:30PM

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announces Alarm.com expansion in Tysons in February 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin made his first official appearance in Fairfax County as Virginia’s chief executive today (Monday).

The property security provider Alarm.com will expand its technology research and development division in Tysons with a $2.6 million investment, creating 180 new jobs, Youngkin announced at the company’s headquarters (8218 Greensboro Drive).

News

Vienna Police seek to introduce body cameras with federal relief funds

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 28, 2022 at 9:00AM | Updated February 28, 2022 at 1:29PM

The police department is working with a company to automatically review body-worn camera footage

(Updated at 1:30 p.m.) The Vienna Police Department plans to institute a body-worn camera program, a practice that has gone from rare to commonplace in the D.C. region just within the past half-decade.

Police will request the Vienna Town Council’s approval tonight (Monday) to use $223,732 in federal relief funds for a five-year program that would equip all 41 of its sworn officers with cameras, according to the agenda for the council’s meeting.

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Morning Notes

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 28, 2022 at 7:30AM

Angelika Film Center and Cafe in the Mosaic District (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

FCPS Will Start COVID-19 Rollback Plan Tomorrow — Masks will be optional for both students and adults, including staff and parents, in Fairfax County Public Schools after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its health metrics so that the county is now considered to have low transmission. FCPS said on Friday (Feb. 25) that masks would be optional for students, as ordered by a state law, but still mandatory for adults. [FCPS]

Judge Calls TJ Admissions Discriminatory — The Coalition for TJ on Friday (Feb. 25) won its lawsuit against the Fairfax County School Board over changes to admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The judge found that the shift from a standardized test to “experience” factors was done in a way discriminatory to Asian applicants. The school system intends to appeal. [The Washington Post]

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Most-read Fairfax County stories of the week: Feb. 21-25

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2022 at 3:45PM

Flags outside the Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The weekend is almost here, and with it, FFXnow’s launch week comes to a close. Before parents start fretting over whether their kids go to school without masks or you head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.

Here are the five most-read stories on FFXnow this week:

News

Tysons business leaders donate meals in backpacks for local students

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2022 at 3:00PM

Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce members organize food donations for their monthly "Third Thursday" backpack drive on Feb. 17 (courtesy Andrew Clark)

The inspiration for the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce’s new monthly backpack drive came to Andrew Clark on the Saturday before Christmas.

“I’m at home and realized — really, an epiphany of how good my life is,” the chamber’s board of directors chairman recalled last Friday (Feb. 18).

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JUST IN: Masks will be optional for FCPS students starting Tuesday

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2022 at 12:00PM

Irving Middle School students wear face masks in class (via FCPS)

Fairfax County Public Schools will comply with the new Virginia law prohibiting local school boards from enforcing universal mask requirements.

Face masks will be optional on school property for students starting Tuesday (March 1), Superintendent Scott Brabrand confirmed today (Friday) in a message to families.

News

Taste of Vienna food festival returns for first time in Covid era

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 25, 2022 at 9:45AM

The Taste of Vienna food festival, pictured from 2018, will return for 2022 (courtesy Vienna Volunteer Fire Department)

Taste of Vienna is back.

After two consecutive cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual festival showcasing the town’s food scene will return for 2022 on April 30, the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department confirmed on Tuesday (Feb. 22).