Reston Association has settled on designs for two long-awaited capital projects, unveiling final concepts for a new dock at Lake Thoreau and updated tennis courts at Lake Newport last week.
A community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. today (Wednesday) to discuss the proposed Lake Thoreau observation dock design. Attendees can meet RA staff at the dock, which is located near the swimming pool at 2040 Upper Lakes Drive.
Work on accessibility improvements to the off-leash area for dogs inside the high-traffic Westgrove Park in Groveton will begin next week.
Half of the dog park at 6801 Fort Hunt Road will stay open while new amenities designed to make the park more accessible are installed, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval at its July 22 meeting of a proposal that could more than quadruple the number of residential units at the Merrifield at Dunn Loring Station Apartments.
County staff’s comprehensive plan amendment would pave the way for Malkin Properties — which has owned the 35-acre garden-apartment complex at 8130 Prescott Drive since its construction in the late 1960s — to replace the existing 706 units in phases with up to 2,975 apartments in high-rise and mid-rise buildings near the Dunn Loring Metro station.
Arrest in Groveton Shooting — Fairfax County police officers have taken a person into custody following a shooting last night (Tuesday) in the 7200 block of Fairchild Drive. “One adult male was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Preliminarily, the parties are known to one another and this appears to be an isolated incident.” [FCPD/X]
Repairs Progress on Potomac Sewer — “DC Water has completed the first major phase of emergency repairs on a critical section of the Potomac Interceptor near Pennyfield Lock in Potomac, marking a significant milestone in an effort to strengthen the aging sewer line. The repairs follow the January 19 collapse of a section of the Potomac Interceptor along Clara Barton Parkway.” [MoCo Show]
Data Center Group Launches Ad Campaign — Promotional campaigns advocating for data centers and challenging critiques have cropped up in Virginia and other states considering regulations or restrictions. “They’re all part of a network of groups created by the nonprofit Data Center Coalition, an industry group hoping to improve public opinion of data centers as pushback grows.” [Virginia Mercury]
Feds Propose Transportation Funding Shift — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed cutting funding for mass transit and “Complete Streets” projects aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. “The administration’s key transportation goals include improving transit safety and security, supporting development of autonomous vehicles, ensuring freight railroad safety and building or expanding interstate highways, according to the letter.” [Smart Cities Dive]
Reston Man Arrested for Reported Theft — “Northern Virginia Community College Police Department officers have arrested a man in connection to a July 24 incident at NVCC’s Loudoun Campus. NVCC and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the campus around 12:30 p.m. for a report of a robbery” involving a theft of $580 in cash from a car belonging to a college employee. [Loudoun Now]
New Mural Celebrated in Annandale — “The artwork, featuring the Statue of Liberty, was installed on July 24 on the fence around a construction site on John Marr Drive. Several volunteers painted the mural on June 27 at an Asian Night Market in Annandale under the direction of Omaid Sharifi, the president and co-founder of the ArtLords international art collective.” [Annandale Today]
RCC Seeks Board Candidates — “Reston Community Center (RCC) is seeking interested candidates to run for seats on its Board of Governors, a nine-member body responsible for oversight of RCC … Statements of Candidacy will be available at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 31 at both RCC Hunters Woods and RCC Lake Anne locations and online” until a filing deadline of Aug. 14 at 5 p.m. [RCC]
Thumbs Up for Vienna Ice Cream Shop — Frozen custard is “not an easy thing to find these days, so this summer’s opening of Whistler’s Ice Cream Extraordinaire in Vienna has brought a welcome change to my frozen dessert game. Made with an egg-yolk base, custard may be the antithesis of gut-friendly yogurt, but when treating myself, I see nothing wrong with going for it full force.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — It will be sunny and warm with a high of 84°F. Expect northwest winds of 10 to 13 mph, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low of 68°F, and northwest winds around 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. [NWS]
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Fairfax County has installed new wayfinding signs on the 66 Parallel Trail to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate, but county officials say more improvement is coming on key gaps to improve overall trail connectivity.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation recently installed directional signs at locations throughout Centreville, Fair Lakes, Fair Oaks and Oakton.
An expansion that would more than double the size of the Lofts at Reston Station has secured Fairfax County’s approval, but not everyone was convinced the project is ready to move forward.
At its July 14 meeting, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved home builder Pulte Group’s rezoning application for a second phase of the condominium development, which opened in 2019 with 44 units at the corner of Reston Station Blvd and Michael Faraday Drive.
A police officer fired his weapon three times after a man hiding in the woods allegedly tried to grab the gun from the officer’s hand at his side, the Fairfax County Police Department said.
One of the shots hit the man, whose name has not yet been disclosed, and he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the police.
Fairfax County Public Schools has temporarily agreed not to release the disciplinary records of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) students who were suspended for making a “kidnapping” skit for social media to promote their chapter of the Muslim Students Association, pending the outcome of a lawsuit against the school system.
Filed in federal court last week, the preliminary agreement largely prevents FCPS from releasing disciplinary records related to the case to colleges and universities or anyone else who inquires. It also stipulates that the students will not be disciplined for wearing clothing with a map of Palestine or the Palestine flag.
At least one Fairfax County supervisor isn’t giving up on a push for bringing all residential trash collection under the purview of the county government.
“I hope we can look at it again. I want to have the conversation we never really had,” Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said at a July 7 meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Environmental Committee.
Alexandria Concerned by Fairfax Data Center — “Data center plans just outside Alexandria city limits has raised concerns among residents and officials.” Starwood Capital Group’s Plaza 500 site in Lincolnia was permitted by Fairfax County by right, but residents are planning to protest the project ahead of a Sept. 24 public hearing by the planning commission on an electrical substation to power the facility. [ALXnow]
Call for Action After Midair Crash Report — “Exactly six months after the National Transportation Safety Board issued recommendations following the 2025 midair collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Reagan National Airport, Chair Jennifer Homendy is calling for further action from Congress.” [WTOP]
Big Spending Expected on Amendments — “At least eight referendum committees have been formed in the lead-up to this fall’s vote on three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution” that deal with abortion rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights for formerly incarcerated people. “Virginia law requires organizations or individuals that spend more than $10,000 advocating in a statewide referendum to register with the Department of Elections.” [VPM News]
Pay Transparency Law in Effect — “The new law, which took effect July 1, requires employers to include a good-faith wage or salary range in public and internal job postings for openings, promotions, transfers and other employment opportunities. It also bars employers from asking applicants about their salary history or using prior pay when making hiring and compensation decisions.” [Virginia Mercury]
Tysons Consultant Sheds Some Workers — According to an earnings report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, Booz Allen Hamilton had about 30,900 employees, as of June 30, down 7.5% from 33,400 a year earlier. “Execs indicated during Friday’s earnings call that the company plans to ramp up hiring for its national security work,” despite a decline in federal government contract work. [Washington Business Journal]
Property Owners Seek to Evict Absent Tenants — “The tenants of the derelict building in Bailey’s Crossroads that formerly housed the Zaaki Restaurant have refused to fix up or vacate the property for years, despite court orders to do so. An eviction hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2 at the Fairfax County General District Court.” [Annandale Today]
Fitness Studio Opens in Fairfax City — “After years as a Fit Body Boot Camp member, coach and mentor to others, [Sarah] Crissup said she decided she wanted to spend what she calls her ’10 good years left’ building something for herself instead of another company … That decision led to the opening of Fairfax Fit Body Boot Camp, a new fitness studio in Fairfax City.” [Patch]
Police Tips for Safe Online Shopping — “Buying and selling items through online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, and Ebay make it easy to find great deals. While most transactions go smoothly, meeting a stranger to exchange cash and goods does carry some risk.” [FCPD]
It’s Tuesday — Expect showers and thunderstorms before 11 a.m. and again after 2 p.m., with partly sunny skies and a high of 85°F. There’s a 70% chance of rain. At night, there’s a 60% chance of precipitation, likely before 11 p.m., followed by isolated showers until 2 a.m. The sky will be mostly cloudy, with a low near 68°F. [NWS]
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