Redevelopment of vacant commercial parcels in Springfield into housing is one step closer to reality, though there are still contentious issues to be worked through later in the process.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Comprehensive Plan amendments on Tuesday (Nov. 19) to permit up to 732 multifamily units and ground-floor non-residential uses on multiple parcels along Springfield Blvd and Amherst Avenue.
D.C.’s National Cherry Blossom Festival recently branched out to Reston with the planting of six Yoshino cherry trees at South Lakes High School.
Representatives of the festival and the Japanese airline All-Nippon Airways (ANA), which sponsored the trees, joined school officials and students on Nov. 13 for a ceremony to celebrate the plantings, which had taken place on Oct. 23.
This holiday season, shoppers at Tysons Corner Center will be able to buy gifts for local charities as well as their family and friends.
Northern Virginia’s biggest mall was chosen as this year’s host of the Giving Machines, philanthropic vending machines that will be unveiled with a “Grand Unwrapping” event at noon tomorrow (Saturday) outside AMC Theatres (7850 Tysons Corner Center).
Fairfax City is launching a new program to provide free training and certifications for fast-growing industries like information technology, health care and cybersecurity.
The Upskill Fairfax City program, a partnership between Fairfax City Economic Development and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), offers no-cost certifications and technical training through specialized courses at the college.
What to Expect From Thanksgiving Travel — “Almost 80 million people nationwide are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, per a AAA forecast — a record that shatters last year’s traveler record.” In addition, driving congestion is projected to peak on “Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 4:30pm on the US-50 East stretch between D.C. and Annapolis, per data transportation group INRIX.” [Axios DC]
Suspect in 2023 Shooting Still at Large — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau continue to seek the community’s help in locating Javon Reid, who is wanted for a murder that occurred on May 7, 2023.” A man from D.C. was killed and another man was hospitalized in the shooting in the 3800 block of South George Mason Drive. [FCPD]
Great Falls Restaurant Ranked Among Top 100 in U.S. — “As if it wasn’t hard enough to get a reservation at L’Auberge Chez François, good luck now. The Great Falls restaurant was selected as one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the United States by OpenTable. This marks the second year in a row the old-school French eatery made OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants list.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Redevelopment Rolls Along in Falls Church — A proposal for 223 senior-living residences with ground-floor retail and restaurants on S. Washington Street and S. Maple Avenue is “the latest in a series of projects helping transform the Little City from a bedroom community with aging office and commercial spaces, benefiting from a prime location between Tysons and Arlington.” [ARLnow]
Sushi Restaurant Opens in Annandale — “Issho, an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant and izakaya, had a soft opening in Annandale on Nov. 20. It’s located at 7358 Little River Turnpike in the former Baden spot between a laundromat and Gopchang Story BBQ. For those unfamiliar with an izakaya, it’s a casual, late-night bar with small bites.” [Annandale Today]
Woodlawn Home Getting Renovation — “Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia (Habitat DC-NOVA) is back in Southeast Fairfax County with an active build site in Woodlawn.” The house on Frye Road, first purchased and remodeled by Habitat in 2016, is getting “additional renovations with the goal of selling the house to another family” after its last owner passed away. [On the MoVe]
Falls Church Wine Store Recovers From Theft — “The overnight intruder is believed to have smashed a window at Dominion Wine and Beer in Falls Church last week before cutting a hole in a wine cabinet and climbing through it to access the store, owner Arash Tafakor told ARLnow.” The suspect made away with about $3,000 worth of wine. [ARLnow]
South Run Trail Project Undergoes Maintenance — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has begun a trail maintenance project in South Run Stream Valley Park. The project includes trail repairs, culvert replacements and related improvements to enhance safety and usability.” Occasional trail closures may be needed, but the repaving is expected to finish by next Wednesday, Nov. 27. [FCPA]
It’s Friday — Scattered snow showers will turn into a mix of rain and snow between 11am and noon, likely followed by rain after noon. Expect increasing clouds and a high of 44. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, but negligible snow accumulation. Night could bring scattered showers before 10pm with a low of 38. The precipitation chance decreases to 40%. [NWS]
The new townhomes under construction along Route 7 in Pimmit Hills have all been snapped up.
Developer EYA announced in late October that all 104 townhouses in Tysons Ridge have been sold, months ahead of the anticipated completion of construction.
With just seven weeks before the start of the 2025 General Assembly session, supporters and opponents of a proposed casino operation in Tysons are dusting off their arguments and ramping up their efforts.
In the latest round in the fight, advocates on both sides of the issue used a public hearing on the county’s draft 2025 legislative priorities and the public comment period at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 19) to focus attention on the matter.
Fairfax County’s most prominent Republican policymaker is mulling a run for statewide office.
Pat Herrity, the lone conservative voice on the county’s Board of Supervisors, will announce within the next two months whether or not he will seek the office of lieutenant governor next year, he told FFXnow.
Fairfax County Public Schools will enlist an outside firm to conduct an independent investigation of all student-athlete transfers, as questions about Hayfield Secondary School’s football program continue to percolate.
Superintendent Michelle Reid announced last night (Wednesday) that the district will pursue a “comprehensive and external independent investigation” of its student transfer and eligibility practices after she met with six football coaches who reportedly planned to forfeit their scheduled games against Hayfield.
The man charged with raping a woman in Herndon on Monday (Nov. 18) had been sentenced to jail less than a week earlier, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office says.
Denis Humberto Navarette Romero, 31, was previously arrested by Herndon Police for a separate incident and brought to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on Oct. 20, according to the sheriff’s office.
