News

County Releases Draft Outdoor Dining Rules — “Fairfax County officials are crafting a proposed zoning-ordinance amendment to make permanent some of the relaxed outdoor-dining rules implemented during the pandemic, but also address concerns about noise and the number of seats.” Virtual meetings on the proposal were held last week and on Tuesday (Aug. 15), with public hearings expected in early 2024. [Gazette Leader]

Tysons Nonprofit Opens Drone Testing Range — “Research and development nonprofit MITRE, with dual headquarters in McLean, Virginia and Bedford, Massachusetts, cut the ribbon this week on a new drone testing range near Orange, Virginia. The facility will be used to experiment with small, uncrewed aircraft systems and serve as a proving ground to develop, test and evaluate new drone, counter-drone and autonomous systems.” [WTOP]

Annandale Church’s “Black Lives Matter” Banner Vandalized — “Someone tore down banners at Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale during the night of Sunday, Aug. 13. One banner said ‘Black Lives Matter.’ The other said ‘Be the church'” and phrases like “fight for the powerless,” “reject racism” and “embrace diversity.” [Annandale Today]

Tysons Concourse Office Buildings Acquired — “A Rockville developer has acquired a 1980s-era office complex near Metro’s Silver Line in Tysons with an eye toward eventually redeveloping it as a mixed-use property with a focus on residential.” The new owner, Berman Enterprises LP, says its short-term plan is to lease the twin seven-story buildings at 1593 Spring Hill Road, but it will later evaluate “what a redevelopment could look like.” [Washington Business Journal]