Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo is inching closer to opening its second location in Fairfax County.

Uniqlo plans to open this fall at Kirkland’s former location, which was 13041 Fair Lakes Shopping Center, according to representatives for Peterson Cos., which owns the center. The business already has a locations in Tysons Corner Center.

Uniqlo did not return multiple requests for comment from FFXnow over the last several weeks.

The business was founded in Yamaguchi, Japan first as a textiles factory in 1949. The first store opened in 1984 with a unique element: the manufacturer retail model controlled the entire process from product planning to marketing. Since then, the company has cemented a global presence.

The redevelopment of the former Fannie Mae campus in Reston is still waiting to clear the docket of the Fairfax County Planning Commission.

At a meeting last night (Wednesday), lack of agreement on whether or not part of the nearly 9-acre townhouse project should have security gates led the group to defer a vote to June 22.

Instead of the two additional office buildings currently approved for the site at 11600 American Dream Way, the applicant is seeking the county’s permission to build up to 74 townhouses and eight two-over-two units. The existing 396,074-square-foot office building will remain on the site.

The deferral was hung up by a discussion on whether or not it was appropriate for the applicant to retain a gate along American Dream Way around the existing office building. This is the second deferral for the project, which was delayed by six weeks to work through a litany of issues.

Developer Wheelock Street Capital said discussions are underway with a prospective tenant that has a strong need for security gates around the road.

As a compromise, the county attempted to draft a proffer that would let the owner put in and take out gates, depending on the needs of future tenants.

But county staff and planning commissioners called that approach confusing for the area, particularly for residents of the townhomes whose access could be cut off sporadically.

“It’s coming and going and coming and going…There’s no consistency there,” said Mary Cortina, planning commissioner for the Braddock District.

Mary Ann Tsai of the Department of Planning and Development’s zoning evaluation division also said allowing the removal and reinstallation of the gates was contrary to the county’s vision for a mixed-use project in a transit area.

“We felt it was a very confusing situation,” Tsai said, particularly regarding getting in and out of the facility.

Ultimately, Wheelock agreed to drop the proffer and instead apply for a final development plan that could retain the gates, prompting the deferral to give staff the time to draft language for the revision.

Although the gates issue held up a vote on the project, Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter said the developer agreed to a number of changes to the project.

“The project has come a long ways over the years and especially since the initial application,” he said.

According to Carter, the changes include ensuring that residential units are not built inside the site’s ponds, that the site isn’t completely gated off, and that appropriate setbacks are put into place.

He noted that the plan now ensures that adequate setbacks are provided, public access is provided for ponds and trails, and the ponds are preserved with a joint maintenance agreement is in effect. Between eight to 10 units were shaved off of the project to accommodate the changes.

(Updated at 1:45 p.m. on 6/14/22) A new lounge and bar is filling out ground-floor space at a residential neighborhood on Reston Station Boulevard.

Eve’s Garden plans to open soon at Faraday Park, a redevelopment of a 7-acre site into two apartment buildings and townhouses. The restaurant will be located at 11207 Reston Station Boulevard, according to county permits. (An earlier version of this article had the wrong address number.)

The business did not immediately respond to a request for comment from FFXnow.

Eve’s Garden has some familiar names as business partners like Herndon’s Alo Vietnamese Cuisine, Emiline Day Spa, Elan Studio and La Botanica.

Its website says the Reston location is “almost open.”

Faraday Park includes two seven-story apartment buildings with 408 units and ground-floor retail, along with 26 townhouses built around public parks. The project was formally broken up into two chunks: Faraday East converted surface parking into 166 apartments, while Faraday West includes 252 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail.

Cravings for every wacky snack-related desire have a high chance of fulfillment at Highs & Lows, a new exotic snack shop in Springfield Town Center.

Located on the lower level near JCPenney, Highs & Lows sells a mix of foreign snacks, sodas and treats.

Items at the store include Choco Banana KitKat, cucumber-flavored lays potato chips, Japanese steak Cheetos, and ocean bomb sparkling water.

The business launched in 2020 at 6436 Richmond Highway in Groveton. Customers can also purchase snacks online. Other items for sale include music, toys and pop culture-related merchandise.

The Springfield Town Center location opened late last month. The mall also recently welcomed Caragari, a boutique that offers Pakistani, Afghani, Bangladeshi and Indian clothing, jewelry and shoes. Pink & Blue, a store that sells baby and kids’ clothes also relocated on the lower level near the kids’ play area.

Photo via Springfield Town Center/Facebook

A man reportedly assaulted someone with nunchucks in Reston.

Fairfax County police say that a man assaulted and robbed a victim with nunchucks on June 5. The incident happened on Glade Drive near Cocquina Drive at around 12:53 p.m.

The victim was treated for injuries that are not considered life threatening.

No immediate information was released on the suspect and no arrests have been made.

Nunchucks are used in martial arts primarily as training weapons.

Local police are seeking the public’s help in a homicide investigation after a 27-year-old man was found slain on a wooded path in Reston.

The Fairfax County Police Department is investigating the death of Rene Alberto Pineda Sanchez, a Reston resident, as a homicide. His body was found on June 2 on a path behind apartments in the 12000 block of Greywing Square.

Police believe the man was killed overnight on May 31.

This was the county’s eighth homicide this year, though that count climbed to 10 this week after three people were found dead with gunshot wounds in Fair Lakes on Tuesday (June 7).

Earlier this week, police said they canvassed the area where Sanchez was found with a one-page document showing his picture.

Reston District Station police also hosted a town hall meeting yesterday (Thursday) at the Reston Community Center in Hunters Woods that included discussion of the homicide investigation.

The FCPD is asking people to contact them if they saw Sanchez in their neighborhood or if they have any information regarding the incident.

“The information you have, regardless of how trivial you feel it may be, could be the critical link in solving this case,” the one-pager said.

Police are offering a cash reward of between $100 to $1,000 if the information leads to an arrest or closure.

Tipsters can submit information by contacting Crime Solvers over the phone at 866-411-8477 or by texting TIP187 to 274637. Information is also accepted over the phone at 703-691-2131. Tips can be submitted anonymously.

Assessments for Reston Association members could increase by 10% over last year based on preliminary budget talks.

At an RA Board of Directors meeting Wednesday night (June 8), board treasurer Bob Petrine kicked off a preliminary discussion on the budget and a proposed increase.

Last year, the board voted to hold the line on major fee increases, keeping the assessment at $740 with the use of its good cash standing and existing funds. Fees still went up 3%, since RA’s budget has a built-in increase, but a 6% hike had been initially proposed.

However, Petrine said that method is not a “sustainable” way to manage RA assessments into the future.

RA operates on a biennial budget developed in the fall of every odd year. The organization often visits the budget annually between August and November and prior to the second year of the budget.

Board member and vice president Jennifer Jushchuk called the potential assessment increase “a little scary.”

“I think we’re going to have our work cut out for us in the next several months to get to something everyone can feel comfortable with,” she said, emphasizing that the 10% hike was considering “a bare bones” budget.

The proposed budget could include $145,000 for a long-anticipated website upgrade, $70,000 for an administrative assistance for the covenants department, and a $30,000 increase in credit card fees.

The association could also hire a data manager to handle member-facing applications — a roughly $70,000 ticket item.

But the budget is in the initial planning stages, so a proposal will not be formally considered for several weeks.

A vote on the budget is slated for Nov. 17 and will be proceeded by several meetings and opportunities for public comment. The board will formally review the first draft of the budget on Sept. 22.

Amazon is bringing its version of a grocery store — Amazon Fresh — to Lorton this month.

The business plans to open a 38,000-square-foot location on June 23. It’s one of three locations coming soon to Northern Virginia.

A location in Manassas opened today (Thursday), and an Arlington location is expected to open in the coming weeks.

“Amazon is proud to support these communities by creating hundreds of high-quality jobs with the opening of each store, offering a starting wage of $15.50/hour, and donating surplus food to local food banks,” the company wrote in a press release.

The Lorton location is at 9409 Lorton Market Street and will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Like the Fairfax City store that opened in April, all three locations will feature Just Walk Out shopping — technology that allows customers to skip the checkout line.

Customers enter the store by scanning an in-store QR code in the Amazon app or using a credit or debit card to open the “Just Walk Out’ gates. Anything taken off a shelf is added to the virtual card. Customers then scan or use their card to exit the grocery store.

Amazon Fresh will accept cash, SNAP/EBT, credit or debit card, and the Amazon app.

The store will include national brands, made-to-order pizzas, rotisserie chickens, hot sandwiches, 365 by Whole Foods Market organic products, and local brands like Mason Dixie Biscuits, Bread First Bakery and Taharka Brothers Ice Cream.

According to the press release, Amazon Fresh will provide a coupon for $10 off orders of $20 or more that can be used at its new stores.

A plan to build 154 townhouses on a property surrounded by industrial uses and bisected by transmission lines opposite Westfield High School in Chantilly is drawing scrutiny from the Fairfax County Planning Commission.

At a meeting last night (Wednesday), some commissioners called the proposal by K. Hovnanian Homes at Gallery Park inappropriate for the area.

Providence District Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner said the applicant was attempting to putting a “square peg in a round hole” and struggled to understand why county staff recommended approval of the application, which requires the site at 15014 Northridge Drive to be rezoned from industrial use to residential.

“We don’t have more industrial uses than we need in the county and here we are taking an industrial use and creating a residential island in the middle of industrial use,” Niedzielski-Eichner said.

Other commissioners expressed concern about the transmission lines that cross over the entire property.

The applicant’s attorney, Kenneth Wire, noted the presence of the high school contributes to the sense of community, suggesting that the development would not be on an island.

He also said the developer worked closely with the community, Dominion Energy, and Washington Gas to design the development so that the road network aligned with most of the transmission lines.

“The center of a community is often a school,” Wire said, adding that some buyers may not be perturbed by the presence of transmission lines above.

Staff said the development was appropriate for an area — known in planning jargon as Land Unit J — that could have up to 4,000 additional residential units.

“It’s really just the beginning of the evolution of Westfields,” Bill O’Donald of the county’s zoning department said.

The proposed townhouses are “strategically organized” around the power lines to include open spaces like grilling pavilions, fitness stations, play costs, and a playground, according to the application.

By county standards, 12% of the units are considered affordable, and roughly 3.5 acres of open space is planned. Trails will also be provided along Stonecroft Boulevard and Northridge Drive.

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) A new chicken spot is opening soon for Merrifield’s Pan Am Shopping Center.

Chicka Loca plans to open at the shopping center in mid-May at 3089 Nutley Street.

Owner Pedram Kanzi says his restaurant will offer 25 percent off all menu items for the first two weeks of opening.

“I’m thrilled to share a piece of my culture with the Fairfax community,” Kanzi said. “It feels surreal to be opening my very first restaurant — a dream that has been years in the making.”

A precise opening date hasn’t been set yet.

With a ramen and Korean barbecue restaurant also slated to open in the coming months, Pan Am Shopping Center continues to add new tenants, even as Federal Realty Investment Trust eyes it for redevelopment, though that could take several years to come to fruition.

“Federal Realty Investment Trust has taken the first steps toward seeking approval for a mix of uses at Pan Am,” said Deirdre Johnson, senior vice resident of asset management. “It should be noted that this project could take several years to bring to fruition. Our relationships with our merchants are extremely important to us, including Michael’s and Micro Center, and we plan to incorporate them into the property for many years to come.”

She says the company plans to work with all stakeholders to create “something that is successful, vibrant and something that can positively define the community.”

The proposal submitted to Fairfax County in March would transform the strip mall into a mixed-use development with three residential buildings, townhouse, and a public plaza.

In addition to the Micro Center and Michaels block, structures slated for demolition include the now-vacant, standalone McDonald’s building, and the Wells Fargo bank in the center’s northwest corner, which will be replaced by a 5,000-square-foot retail building.