The new year will bring some upgrades to the trails at Royal Lake Park.
With a two-year-long design and permitting process nearing completion, the Fairfax County Park Authority is accepting public comments through Jan. 27 on an environmental review of the planned trail-network improvements at the park in Kings Park West.
Fairfax County has bumped up the amount of money developers must contribute toward public facilities in Tysons if they’re unable to deliver the goods themselves.
As of Dec. 16, the county is charging developers who submit rezoning applications for Tysons sites $2.22 per square foot of their project’s gross floor area to support the construction of roads, parks and other public spaces and infrastructure, Department of Planning and Development (DPD) staff said in a recent report to the Board of Supervisors.
A driver was critically injured in a crash this morning (Friday) that has completely shut down Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) near Colvin Run Mill Park.
Fairfax County police officers and Fire and Rescue responders were dispatched to eastbound Leesburg Pike at Serenity Woods Lane in Great Falls around 9:20 a.m. for a two-vehicle crash, according to scanner traffic.
Fairfax County has two pieces of land that it hopes will eventually host affordable housing, but first, it needs to find developers who can turn that vision into a reality.
Earlier this month, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority began advertising a 2.93-acre parcel at 5827 Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads and a 9.6-acre parcel at 13500 Dulles Greene Drive just north of the Innovation Center Metro Station in Herndon as opportunities for affordable multifamily housing.
The public has a few more weeks to weigh on on two construction scenarios as Fairfax County officials work to improve safety on a deadly stretch of Lee Chapel Road.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation proposed two options at a virtual community meeting on Dec. 10 for approaching a project that will level the narrow, two-lane roadway between Ox Road (Route 123) and the Fairfax County Parkway:
Kid-Friendly Ways to Celebrate New Year — For anyone with young kids who can’t or don’t want to stay up until midnight next Tuesday (Dec. 31), options for ringing in the new year include Rocknoceros New Year’s Eve Ball at Jammin’ Java in Vienna and Noon Year’s Eve Party at Shipgarten in Tysons. Some Fairfax County libraries are also planning “Noon Year’s Eve” celebrations. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Library Contest Offers Free Signed Books — To wrap up its 85th year of service, Fairfax County Public Library is giving out 13 free books signed by its visiting authors. Until next Tuesday, Dec. 31, patrons can enter to win a copy by sharing “how much Fairfax County Public Library has saved you this year (hint: it’s found at the bottom of your checkout receipt).” [FCPL/Instagram]
Local Mom Honors Son Lost to Drug Addiction — For Fairfax resident Debbie Zane, Christmas has become a time for mourning and remembering her son, Alex, who died in January 2022 “after a ten-year battle he had with serious mental illness and addiction.” She has written a book as “a cathartic and giving way to honor Alex while hopefully helping others.” [NBC4]
Falls Church Considers Design for ‘LOVE’ Sculpture — “It was not love at first sight, art-wise, for members of the Falls Church City Council. As a result, city staff will return early in the new year with refinements to a proposed ‘LOVE’ sculpture that will adorn the west side of the City Hall campus.” [ARLnow]
When Fairfax County Will Pick Up Christmas Trees — “Natural Christmas trees will be collected from January 6 to 17, 2025 for recycling. Lights, decorations, and stands must be removed to ensure collection. After January 17, please schedule a brush Special Pickup to have the natural Christmas tree removed.” [DPWES]
Inova Urgent Care Opens in Alexandria — “Inova opened a new urgent care center in Alexandria’s West End on Monday (Dec. 23). The Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care opened at 4600 Kenmore Avenue in the Seminary Plaza shopping center, and it’s the ninth center to open this year in Virginia.” [ALXnow]
Area Restaurants Repurpose Former Pizza Huts — “What do a taqueria, a Korean-Chinese restaurant, and a barbecue joint have in common? They all used to be Pizza Huts. The restaurant chain ditched its distinctive red-hut architecture in 2016, but you can still find the structures around the area, now housing other eateries.” [Washingtonian]
It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies, with temperatures reaching a high of around 43 degrees. Chances of rain will increase at night, mainly after 1 am, accompanied by patchy fog and overcast conditions, with lows around 38 degrees. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall possibly accumulating between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. [NWS]
Fairfax County police are still investigating a crash on Route 28 in Chantilly that killed a pedestrian earlier this week.
A preliminary investigation found that, on Monday (Dec. 23) morning, Amin Emad-Eldin Hammoud, 33, of Centreville was standing on the right shoulder of Route 28 (Sully Road) under Poplar Tree Road after his vehicle became disabled, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
More than a year after it launched, Fairfax County’s program to help neighborhoods introduce communal electric vehicle charging stations has resulted in its first installations.
County officials joined residents of the Harpers Square cluster in Reston on Dec. 18 for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the addition of two EV chargers, making it the first community to successfully get through the Charge Up Fairfax program.
At its final meeting of 2024, the Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved a policy revision that it hopes will lead to more consistent grading policies countywide.
The measure represents “a huge improvement from what was there before,” according to Mason District School Board Representative Ricardy Anderson.
Fort Hunt Man Revived Elaborate Christmas Display — “Christmas displays that inspire awe take effort. But arguably none put up this year took as much effort as the one that [Bill] Vaughan has spent nearly four years working on while recovering from a devastating injury that occurred the last time he tried to put up his display.” [Washington Post]
Woman Injured in Newington Crash — Fairfax County police officers responded around noon on Tuesday (Dec. 24) to “a single vehicle crash on Pohick Road near Havenbrook Way in Newington. The driver, an adult female, was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.” Pohick Road was closed for a couple of hours while detectives investigated. [FCPD/Twitter]
Fairfax City Names Acting Police Chief — “City of Fairfax Police Captain Natalie Hinesley has been selected to serve as acting police chief for the City of Fairfax Police Department … She will assume the acting police chief’s duties on Jan. 3, 2025. The need to select an acting police chief arose when current City of Fairfax Police Chief Erin Schaible announced her retirement earlier this month.” [City of Fairfax]
Annandale to Get New Cafe — “A coffee and sandwich shop, called Coffee & Bread, is expected to open in Annandale in January. The standalone building, at 7109 Columbia Pike, has been empty since December 2023 when Tobacco Luxe closed.” [Annandale Today]
N. Va. Nonprofit Gives Holiday Gifts and Meals — Once a teen struggling with homelessness and hunger, Elizabeth Ford recently “founded a nonprofit called BetterALife that provides children and their families in Loudoun and Fairfax counties with a variety of services … At their annual event called ‘A Child’s Wish,’ her group gave away gifts last weekend to 800 children and their parents.” [Washington Post]
Vienna Hires Economic Development Head From Fairfax — “After the departure of Vienna’s first economic development director, a new director was chosen from Fairfax City Economic Development. The town announced Nicole Toulouse will be the next economic development director, effective Jan. 13. 2025.” [Patch]
Chef Peter Chang’s Rise in the D.C. Area — “Just as Disney devotees make pilgrimages to the legendary theme parks worldwide, Chang fans visit his Sichuan-laden eateries across the DMV and beyond. Though diners are bound to find a cohesive culinary dynamic among his restaurants, various X factors set each apart.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Thursday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, having a high close to 42 degrees and calm wind conditions. By Thursday night, expect partly cloudy skies with a low near 29 degrees and a continued calm breeze. [NWS]
