A construction worker at work on Dick's House of Sport at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Va. Lagging on AI Expertise, Report Says — “Virginia’s information technology office is not up to speed on artificial intelligence, and the agency that helps draft laws does not have the AI expertise needed to address the quickly evolving technology, according to a state-directed report.” [Cardinal News]
Arlington Removes Flock Cameras — “All county-leased Flock Safety technology had been removed as of last week, in compliance with a County Board vote last month, county spokesperson Ryan Hudson told ARLnow … The decision, which came amid nationwide backlash against the technology and concerns about potential misuse by federal agents, does not affect cameras installed on private property.” [ARLnow]
A commercial alteration permit issued in July 2024 for Ugly Dumpling at Fair Oaks Mall (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County is planning to streamline its restaurant permitting process and improve communications to support small businesses.
The county recently conducted a study of its permitting process, covering the time from when restaurants submit building plans to their opening day to identify areas the process is slow or could be improved. The results were presented to the Board of Supervisors’ audit committee on Oct. 6.
Cannabis cultivation (via Richard T/The CDB on Unsplash)
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors set the stage yesterday (Oct. 13) for a tax on recreational marijuana at the highest rate allowed when retail sales become legal next summer.
On a 10-0 vote, the supervisors directed staff to develop an ordinance that would impose a 3.5% cannabis tax on top of the state sales tax and a 6% state marijuana tax, all slated to take effect when Virginia starts permitting retail sales on July 1, 2027.
Streetlights along Sunset Hills Road by the Aperture apartments in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Early Voting Strong in N.Va. — “Virginia has recorded nearly twice as many early ballots as it had at the same point in the 2022 midterm election cycle, with early voting surging in Northern Virginia.” As of Oct. 11, “In Fairfax County, early voting increased 128% over the same period [in 2022], rising from about 27,000 ballots in 2022 to more than 62,000 this year.” [WUSA9]
Developer Moving HQ to Tysons — “Middleburg Communities is moving its headquarters from Vienna to a new office about a mile away in Tysons, Bisnow has learned. The multifamily owner and developer inked 27,800 SF at Lerner Enterprises’ 1800 Tysons Blvd.,” which will make it easier for employees to get to work and enable it to better accommodate future growth, founder and CEO Chris Finlay said. [Bisnow]
A for sale sign for a house on Lawyers Road in the Wolf Trap area (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Prices ticked up slightly for single-family houses, but otherwise, Fairfax County’s September real estate market was soft, according to new data.
A total of 897 properties went to closing during the month, down from 953 a year before and below the five-year September average of 930 transactions, according to figures reported Monday (Oct. 12) by MarketStats by Showing-Time.
Fall foliage emerges in a Vienna neighborhood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Rally Calls for Data Center Moratorium — “About 200 people – young activists, older adults, and parents with strollers – came out to a rally and march on Oct. 10 to show their support for a moratorium on data centers in Virginia. The event took place outside the Plaza 500 site in the Bren Mar Park community where Starwood Capital is planning to build a huge by-right data center complex next to residential neighborhoods. [Annandale Today]
Spilled Milk Closes Road — Henderson Road was temporarily closed between Winding Creek Court and Wolf Valley Lane in Clifton yesterday (Monday) afternoon “after a semi-truck lost its cargo containing milk crates on the roadway.” Drivers were advised to find alternate routes until the road reopened at around 6:45 p.m., according to Fairfax Alerts. [FCPD/X]
Individuals call attention to homelessness in Reston near a newly cleared homelessness encampment on the morning of Sept. 10, 2024 (staff file photo by Fatimah Waseem)
Fairfax County needs to move further away from a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing homelessness, local supervisors were told last Tuesday (Oct. 6).
At a meeting of its housing committee, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors reviewed a draft revision to the Homelessness Strategic Plan, which is undergoing its first major update in nearly two decades.
Fairfax County Public Schools bus on the road (file photo)
Fairfax County Public Schools leaders say they are making staffing adjustments in the wake of a year-over-year decline in student enrollment that seems to have caught them by surprise, though the downward trend isn’t new.
As a result, the school division will work to do better forecasting so there are fewer enrollment surprises in the future, Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board last Thursday (Oct. 8).
The state government needs to step up and take some of the burden for funding core services off the backs of Northern Virginia residents and localities, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay told members of the county’s legislative delegation.
“The exhaustion level is getting real,” McKay said of the state pushing off its funding responsibilities to the local level.
People sit in lounge chairs at Strawberry Park in the Mosaic District on a fall day (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Hearing Tonight on Dominion Merger — “The Virginia State Corporation Commission will hold a local public hearing in Fairfax to receive comments on the proposed merger between Dominion Energy Inc. and NextEra Energy Inc.” The in-person hearing will take place in the board auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center tonight (Friday) from 6-8 p.m. [Fairfax County Government]
Funding for Metro Near Football Stadium — “The D.C. Council approved hundreds of millions of dollars for Metro upgrades addressing challenges getting fans to and from the new Washington Commanders football stadium.” The District will allocate $300 million “to renovate and add capacity to the Stadium-Armory station, which could serve more than 30,000 fans before and after games.” [NBC4]
State Reports Gains in School Performance — “The Virginia Department of Education released its accountability results, showing how schools are performing against state expectations. The data will be used to identify schools that need additional support. The results mark the second release under Virginia’s new School Performance and Support Framework, which replaced the state’s previous accountability system.” [Virginia Mercury]
Spirit Halloween Takes Over Vacant Sears — “This year’s pop-up Spirit Halloween store in Mason District is located in the Sears building at 6211 Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners. Spirit Halloween sells costumes,” decorations, and other spooky season decor and accessories. [Annandale Today]
Va. Developing Tree Plan — The Virginia Department of Forestry is getting close to finalizing a forest and urban tree canopy plan that will provide a clear picture of how much of the state has tree cover and “guide future decisions” around managing those forested acres. “The plan is crafted by a Technical Advisory Committee and about two years in the making.” [WVTF]
Late State Senator Honored — “Arlington Democrats are honoring the legacy of former Virginia Sen. Janet Howell, who died Aug. 2 at age 82 … Emerging out of civic activism in Reston, Howell was elected to the Senate in 1991, becoming one of a small group of female senators.” [ARLnow]
Trails in Fair Oaks-Area Park Reopen — “The trails at Random Hills Park reopened last week following the completion of a major improvement project. The work was part of the Transform 66 effort to create a continuous shared-use trail along the Interstate 66 corridor.” The Virginia Department of Transportation is expected to begin work “soon” on a nearby crosswalk project on Random Hills Road. [Fairfax County Park Authority]
General Assembly Celebrates 250 Years — “Over the summer, America celebrated its 250th anniversary. This week, the Virginia General Assembly is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its first session. A special commemorative session of the General Assembly was held in Williamsburg Wednesday.” [WVTF]
Mason Restaurant Week Returns — “The third annual Mason District Restaurant Week, hosted by Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez, kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 10 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 17.” For this year’s campaign, 19 participating restaurants throughout the district are offering a range of promotions, from special menus to discounts off in-person and to-go orders. [Annandale Today]
It’s Friday — Mostly sunny with a high near 74 and a light northwest wind at 3 to 7 mph. Friday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 54 and calm winds. [NWS]
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