Get ready for more speed cameras in Fairfax County school zones.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave its support this week for the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) to move ahead with the installation of 50 additional speed cameras in school zones following the success of its speed camera pilot program.
Fairfax County is considering tweaking its zoning ordinance to ensure that last year’s parking requirements overhaul doesn’t lead to a decrease in accessible spaces.
Because developers build accessible parking in proportion to total parking, the number of accessible spots could go down if overall parking is reduced.
On this day 10 years ago, Metrorail arrived in Tysons and Reston, connecting two growing communities in Fairfax County to D.C. by train for the first time.
Decades in the making, the Silver Line’s Phase 1 launch on July 25, 2014 represented the D.C. region’s biggest rail expansion since the Green Line opened in 1991 and set the stage for a connection to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County that came to fruition with Phase 2 on Nov. 15, 2022.
Watch Olympics Opening Ceremony at Library — “Let the games begin! Join us to watch a live steam of the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Games in Paris at the library! Light refreshments will be provided. No registration required. All ages.” The viewing begins at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) in the Centreville Regional Library meeting room. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Part of GW Parkway to Close Temporarily — The George Washington Memorial Parkway’s northbound lanes will temporarily close between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123 “to install drainage systems and conduct other required rehabilitation work.” The closures will last from 8 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday for the weekends of July 26-29 and Aug. 2-5. [ARLnow]
Fairfax City 7-Eleven Robbed at Knifepoint — “City of Fairfax Police arrested a 28-year-old man they say robbed a city convenience store at knifepoint early Monday morning. Officers responded around 12:54 a.m. to the 7-Eleven at 3810 University Drive for the report of a robbery.” [Patch]
Korean Bar Opens in Annandale — “1943 Classic, a Korean fusion bar and restaurant at 7220 Columbia Pike in Annandale, is having a soft opening. The vibe is dark and classy, with a low-hanging chandelier at the entrance. 1943 Classic is a popular nightspot in Korea, where the franchise has dozens of locations.” [Annandale Today]
Vida Fitness to Host Grand Opening in Reston — Vida Fitness will throw a grand opening party for its new Reston Row location from 7-11 p.m. this Saturday (July 27). The dress code calls for cocktail party attire “with black, gold, silver, and white strongly encouraged, and the festivities will include craft cocktails, live music and appetizers. [Vida Fitness]
Update on Dulles Airport Development — “At their July 17 meeting, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board members were briefed by chief capital development officer Roger Natsuhara on the status of a number of key projects at Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports.” [Gazette Leader]
LGBTQ Center Creates Community Hub in Oakton — “The NoVA Prism Center in Oakton has emerged as a hub for LGBTQ community engagement in Northern Virginia. Leon van der Goetz, a transgender man, founded NoVA Prism Center in 2022 after he returned to the U.S. from Japan where he had been an English teacher. The organization has steadily grown since.” [Washington Blade]
Local Evangelical Pastor Embraces Tough Topics — “As lead pastor for megachurch McLean Bible Church, [Rev. Mike] Kelsey draws parallels between biblical context and current events for the thousands of congregants who call him their pastor. Provocative issues — race, social injustice, and politics — are on people’s minds and in his sermons.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Thursday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, increasing in likelihood after 5pm, under cloudy skies with a high near 85. At Thursday night, shower chances dwindle after 11pm, with skies turning from cloudy to partly cloudy and a low of 69. [NWS]
Despite steady growth in employment numbers, office vacancy rates in Fairfax County continue to rise.
Stephen Tarditi, director of market intelligence at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), presented recent data on office vacancies to the Board of Supervisors during an economic advisory committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Fairfax County officials are exploring privatizing the police department’s school crossing guard program as a potential solution to address staffing challenges and reduce the burden on officers.
The Fairfax County Police Department has struggled to meet the demand for crossing guards in recent years, leading sworn police officers to step in and provide additional support, Assistant Police Chief Bob Blakley told the Board of Supervisors at a Safety and Security Committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Pedestrian Injured in Herndon Crash — A pedestrian was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by the driver of a car on Sterling Road near Herndon Parkway last night (Tuesday). Sterling Road reopened around 3 a.m. [Herndon Police/Twitter]
Idylwood Man Battles Damaging Golf Balls — “For more than half his life, Forrest Hatcher has dealt with near-daily damage from errant golf balls flying from Jefferson Park Golf Course. The balls have shattered his windshield, dented his van, and damaged his home’s siding, trim and windows…Netting was put up to stop the golf balls, but Hatcher said it’s not high enough.” [NBC4]
Va. Democrats Back VP for Nomination — “Nearly all of Virginia’s 119 delegates to next month’s Democratic National Convention have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the party’s presidential ticket in November, after President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid.” [Virginia Mercury]
Capital One Reports Drop in Profits — Tysons-based Capital One Financial Corp. reported a profit of $597 million for the second quarter of 2024, down 54% from the first quarter and 57% from Q2 2023. The decline reflects an increase in “credit card chargeoffs” and “the termination of its credit card partnership with Walmart Inc.” [Washington Business Journal]
Annandale Commercial Building Up for Sale — “A small commercial building at 7229 Little River Turnpike in Annandale is up for sale. The current tenant, HanmiPost, has a three-year lease. HanmiPost moved to that space in April 2023 after its previous building on Columbia Pike burned down.” [Annandale Today]
Reston Realtor Collects Backpacks for Students — “Nicki Moravitz, a Realtor with Century 21 New Millennium in Reston, will be celebrating her birthday on Saturday by collecting new backpacks for local children in support of Cornerstones’ Annual Back-to-School Backpack Drive…Cornerstones will be accepting in-person donations of new backpacks from Monday, July 29-Friday, Aug. 2.” [Patch]
Vienna Planning Commissioner Wins Award — “Stephen Kenney, a member of the Vienna Planning Commission, has been presented with the 2024 Chandler Award for Citizen Planner of the Year by the Virginia chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Virginia).” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Wednesday — The day will be mostly cloudy, reaching a high near 85 and a 70% chance of precipitation. Showers and possible thunderstorms are expected before 8pm, continuing with a chance afterward. The night will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 74. [NWS]
Fairfax County Public Schools has adopted a new boundary adjustment policy to help manage transportation issues and overcrowding.
The Fairfax County School Board approved the policy 9-2 at a meeting last Thursday (July 18) that drew a raucous crowd. The board also directed the superintendent to implement boundary changes for Lincolnia’s Glasgow Middle School that were put on hold while the countywide policy was reviewed.
FCPD Officers to Provide Security for Olympics — “A group of 12 Fairfax County police officers, including a K-9 unit, will work to secure the Olympics,” which start this Friday, July 26 in Paris, France. The Fairfax County Police Department was invited, along with other U.S. law enforcement agencies, to help French police secure venues and Metro stations. [NBC4]
Reston Town Center Bridge Work to Affect Buses — “Heads up! The Reston Town Center Transit Station will be closed July 26-28” due to construction on a pedestrian bridge over the W&OD Trail. “Regular service at RTC resumes on Monday, July 29. All impacted bus stops will be relocated along Bluemont Way.” [Fairfax Connector/Twitter]
Madison HS Student Under Investigation — “Town of Vienna Police are investigating whether a student at James Madison High School uploaded and sent images of child pornography using his Instagram account, according to court documents.” [Patch]
West Falls Church Homes to Be Demolished for Flood Project — “Fairfax County plans to demolish nine houses on Barrett Road in the Falls Church area of Mason District as part of a project to reduce flooding along Tripps Run…Those properties would be excavated and replaced with an environmental corridor with a passive recreational area.” [Annandale Today]
Rep. Connolly Calls for Secret Service Leader’s Resignation — Rep. Gerry Connolly says it was “unacceptable” that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle didn’t express a stance on how the accessibility of guns affects the agency’s ability to do its job during a House committee hearing yesterday (Monday) on the agency’s handling of the July 13 campaign rally where former president Donald Trump got shot. [Gerry Connolly]
Arrest Made in Mount Vernon Plaza Burglaries — “On July 20 at 7:49 a.m., officers responded to a burglary in progress at Mount Vernon Plaza in the 7600 block of Richmond Highway in Hybla Valley.” A preliminary investigation found that a 22-year-old man used an “unlocked roof fire hatch” to get into a building at the shopping center, where “he proceeded to burglarize five businesses.” [FCPD]
Day Care Approved in Vienna — “Vienna Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) members on July 17 unanimously granted a conditional-use permit for a family daycare serving up to 12 children at 430 Old Courthouse Road, N.E…Happy Hive Daycare LLC will operate the facility out of an existing 4,006-square-foot single-family detached house at the 0.3-acre site.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Tuesday — There is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 89. Expect a 70% chance of precipitation at night, mainly between 8 and 11 pm. It will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 74. [NWS]
After weeks of speculation and reported angst within the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden announced yesterday (Sunday) that he will no longer seek a second term, instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his party’s nominee.
Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, who represent parts of Fairfax County in the House, and Virginia senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner quickly expressed support for Biden’s “difficult decision” and joined him in backing Harris.
