News | FFXnow - Part 488

Morning Notes

Published July 27, 2023 at 7:30AM

Construction cranes are reflected in the Reston Station office building at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

D.C. Area Braces for Heat Wave — “The heat could challenge several calendar day records for both afternoon highs and warm nighttime lows. And there’s a chance Washington could see the air temperature touch the century mark for the first time since Aug. 15, 2016. Significant relief…is not anticipated until Sunday.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Heat Cancels Pickleball in Herndon — “Attention pickleball players! Due to the high heat index and moving summer camps inside, drop-in pickleball for Thursday, July 27, is canceled. Your safety is our top concern, and we apologize for any inconvenience. Stay hydrated and cool, and we’ll resume soon!” [Herndon Parks & Recreation/Twitter]

Police: Man fired gun in Bailey’s Crossroads bar, injuring women

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 26, 2023 at 3:45PM

A Fairfax County police car (file photo)

An Arlington man was arrested in Alexandria yesterday (Tuesday) for a shooting incident that occurred in Bailey’s Crossroads earlier this month.

Fairfax County police officers were called to the Lion’s Den Lounge at 5820 Seminary Road around 4 a.m. on July 16 after getting a report of gunshots being fired.

Hunt Club residents in Reston worry redevelopment will affect possible slave cemetery

By Vivian Hoang

Published July 26, 2023 at 3:00PM | Updated July 27, 2023 at 5:00PM

Cemetery #FX242 near Lake Fairfax Park in Reston (via SEM Fairfax Land Associates/Fairfax County)

Hunt Club Cluster residents in Reston are pushing back against a potential redevelopment of a 9-acre property just north of Lake Fairfax Park that encompasses a possible slave cemetery and a 1790s-era log cabin.

SEM Fairfax Land Associates has been working to secure approval from Fairfax County to build Fairfax Hunt Estates, a community of eight single-family homes, at 1321 Lake Fairfax Drive and preserve the log cabin known as Fairfax Hunt Club, according to the application submitted on Nov. 22, 2022.

D.C. area will be under Heat Advisory on Thursday

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 26, 2023 at 1:30PM | Updated July 26, 2023 at 2:04PM

Forecasts suggest Thursday, July 27 could feel like 107 degrees in the D.C. area (via NWS/Twitter)

(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) A Heat Advisory will take effect tomorrow (Thursday) for the D.C. area, including Fairfax County, with temperatures expected to near 100 degrees.

Released by the National Weather Service this morning, the alert is slated to be in place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow.

Plans are brewing again to redevelop Lake Anne’s Crescent property

By Fatimah Waseem

Published July 26, 2023 at 11:00AM

A rendering of a nixed plan for development at Lake Anne (via Fairfax County)

Over the next year, a major redevelopment project involving the Crescent Apartments at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston may be on the horizon.

The Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development will work with county partners for the next year to develop a process for the redevelopment of the Crescent property, according to Tom Fleetwood, the department’s director.

Upcoming task force will study how to preserve ‘Tysons Last Forest’

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 26, 2023 at 10:15AM

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn tours Tysons Forest with community members (courtesy Hunter Mill District Office)

With development starting to pick up in the Spring Hill area, the need to protect some of the last remaining natural green space in Tysons has taken on a new level of urgency.

Acknowledging the potential threat, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn — who represents Tysons west of Route 7 and north of Route 123 — will create a community task force to determine the best way to preserve Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley, also known as Tysons Forest.

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published July 26, 2023 at 7:30AM

Looking up at the Kingston at McLean Crossing apartments in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

New Dunkin’ Donuts Coming to Woodlawn — “The next-generation Dunkin’ under construction at Woodlawn Shopping Center is tentatively slated to open toward the end of third quarter 2023, according to the public relations firm for the ownership group. The store originally had hoped to be open for business early this year.” [On the MoVe]

Taller Metro Fare Gate Installations Begin — “After more than half a year of testing, Metro has finalized a taller faregate design that will roll out across the entire rail system in the coming year. The goal is to reduce fare evasion, which costs the agency about $40 million a year.” Vienna will be the first Fairfax County station to get the new gates, likely in early fall. [DCist]

County board redirects funds to remove hills from Fairfax Station road where teens died in crash

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 25, 2023 at 3:00PM

Fairfax County plans to remove hills that limit driver visibility on Lee Chapel Road (via Google Maps)

In the wake of a fatal crash earlier this year, Fairfax County intends to get rid of the hills that make Lee Chapel Road near Fairfax Station so harrowing to navigate.

Eliminating the two hills has emerged as “the most prudent” mid-term option for improving safety on the 1-mile stretch between Ox Road (Route 123) and Fairfax County Parkway, where two teens were killed and another seriously injured in a crash on Jan. 10, according to Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity.

County seeks more funds for Lake Anne economic visioning study

By Fatimah Waseem

Published July 25, 2023 at 2:15PM | Updated July 25, 2023 at 5:02PM

By the water at Reston's Lake Anne Plaza (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 5 p.m.) The final phase of the economic visioning of the Lake Anne area is nearing.

At a meeting today (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors opened up a request for an additional $200,000 for the third phase of the project.

McLean’s Spring Hill Rec Center will get solar panels, energy upgrades

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 25, 2023 at 1:30PM

A man on a bench outside the Spring Hill Rec Center in McLean (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County’s efforts to become more energy efficient will get a power boost this week, as work begins on improvements at McLean’s Spring Hill Rec Center.

Set to break ground at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday), the project will add the recreation center at 1239 Spring Hill Road to a growing list of county facilities supported by solar panels. Other planned changes include pool dehumidification unit replacements, LED lighting upgrades, improved building automation systems and a new geothermal HVAC system.