(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) Mike’s American Grill faced a three-alarm fire last night (Tuesday) that forced staff and Valentine’s Day diners to evacuate.
Smoke could be seen issuing from the popular Springfield restaurant when Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units arrived at 6210 Backlick Road, the department said at 8:52 p.m, indicating that the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen.
Architect of the Capitol Fired After Reckless Driving Probe — “President Joe Biden has fired the embattled Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, following a scathing inspector general report on his personal and professional management and calls for his removal.” The inspector general found that Blanton’s family was misusing his work vehicle after a 2021 reckless driving incident involving his daughter near the Tysons Walmart. [NBC4]
Springfield Lego Center Chooses Master Builder — “Andrew Litterst’s [most impressive LEGO creation] is a bunch of LEGO Star Wars spaceships mounted on an electric LEGO train so that they chase each other on tracks around the room. So it’s no wonder he was just named LEGO’s Master Builder in the D.C. region — the first to hold that title at the soon-to-open LEGO Discovery Center” [DCist]
In an unusual show of bipartisan unity, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will attend a press conference tomorrow (Wednesday) with Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and other elected leaders to rally for a Northern Virginia FBI headquarters.
A release from Warner’s office said the elected leaders will hold a press conference in Springfield to lay out the case for bringing the proposed headquarters to Fairfax County.
(Updated at 9:55 a.m. on 2/15/2023) A groundbreaking for a new Washington & Old Dominion Trail bridge over Wiehle Avenue is set for next month.
The event, which was originally scheduled for earlier this week, was postponed due to the unavailability of some elected officials.
Depending on who had the microphone, last week’s public hearing on the proposed redevelopment of Metro’s West Falls Church station suggested it will either overwhelm local roads or avert “climate arson,” to use one speaker’s phrase.
As they did earlier in the planning process, supporters of the project seemed to have an edge over skeptics at the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s meeting on Wednesday (Feb. 8), arguing that the over 1-million-square-foot development would deliver needed housing and amenities, while making the transit station area more accessible and vibrant than the parking lots that it would replace.
As Fairfax County pines for a better tree canopy, county staff is hoping a credit program expansion can spruce up the area’s street trees.
While developers could already a 10-Year Tree Canopy Credit for trees built on-site, trees in the public right-of-way aren’t eligible despite positive impacts on the environment and site development. At a meeting last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors raised no objection to an information item expanding eligibility to include trees.
An office building adjacent to Freedom Hill Elementary School is the latest commercial property in Tysons to be considered for housing instead.
The owner of 8221 Old Courthouse Road has submitted a proposal to Fairfax County that would convert the existing three-story office building into 55 one and two-bedroom apartment units, including six designated as workforce housing.
Improperly discarded smoking material was flagged as the cause of a fire in a Reston home on Friday (Feb. 10).
Shortly after 1:20 a.m., Fairfax County Fire and Rescue crews tackled a fire at the three-story apartment-style building at the 11500 block of Stoneview Square.
(Updated at 5:50 p.m.) A former Fairfax County prosecutor who now practices as a private defense lawyer has joined the commonwealth’s attorney race.
Ed Nuttall launched a campaign yesterday (Monday) to challenge incumbent Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for the Democratic nomination, which will be determined by a primary election on June 20.
Key Tysons Developer Dies — “Theodore N. ‘Ted’ Lerner, a self-made billionaire developer who became principal owner of the Washington Nationals and oversaw the team’s rise to prominence, capped by its victory in the 2019 World Series, died Feb. 12 at his home in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 97.” [The Washington Post]
Emergency SNAP Benefits End This Week — “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government passed a law to temporarily increase SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to support families. The law has recently changed, and the benefits will end Feb.16. Effective in March, SNAP benefits will return to normal, without the added supplement.” [Fairfax County Government]
