The Town of Herndon has granted Comstock a little more breathing room before the developer needs to move forward with its long-planned downtown overhaul.

A two-year pause in construction that was set to expire today (Tuesday) has been extended to Aug. 15 under a revised comprehensive agreement, the town announced this morning.

With a revised site plan and building permits for the redevelopment currently under review, the town and Comstock anticipate the extension will provide the time “necessary to finalize project details” that would allow construction to finally start, according to a press release.

“Comstock remains committed to the Town of Herndon and sees great value in being a part of this great community,” Comstock Chief Operating Officer Tim Steffan said. “The Herndon team has been tremendous to work with through these extremely trying economic times. We believe there is a path forward to create a tremendous asset to the town and Herndon community that will work for all involved.”

Adopted by the Herndon Town Council in October 2017, the agreement between the town and Comstock calls for nearly 5 acres of downtown Herndon to be redeveloped with 273 apartments, approximately 17,000 square feet of retail, a 16,265-square-foot arts center and a 726-space parking garage.

The agreement was amended in 2020 to set Dec. 31, 2021 as the deadline for construction to start, but it included an option allowing Comstock to pause the start date for up to two years due to market conditions and other complications, including issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As that initial deadline approached, the developer indicated that construction could instead begin by August 2022. Instead, it exercised the option for a pause in April 2022, citing increased costs and challenges with obtaining construction materials.

A current estimate for the project’s total cost is not immediately available, according to a Town of Herndon spokesperson.

The town says it’s been “working diligently” with Comstock to “restructure their contractual relationship in a manner that reflects the realities of project development in 2024.”

“In particular, today’s sky-rocketing inflation and its impact on interest rates are markedly different than when we first entered our agreement with Comstock,” Herndon Town Manager Bill Ashton said. “Our aim is to arrive at a mutually beneficial process that realizes the town’s vision for our downtown and makes good business sense for Comstock.”

The Elden Street Tea Shop is almost ready to unveil its new location in Reston.

After closing its original Herndon location in January, the business is set to reopen at 1633A Washington Plaza in Lake Anne Plaza this Saturday (May 4).

The tea shop will celebrate its grand opening in conjunction with the second annual Northern Virginia Tea Festival, which will take place on the Lake Anne Plaza waterfront from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Lake Anne Washington Plaza Merchant Association, the festival is expected to draw more than 40 vendors who will sell various tea-related products and accessories, according to a press release.

“Visitors can browse and shop for everything from loose-leaf teas and tea blends to tea sets, teapots, and infusers, as well as local crafts and unique gifts,” the merchant association said in an announcement for the festival. “…The Tea Festival is a fun and educational experience for all with plenty of opportunities to sample teas, learn from experts, and have fun!”

Other activities will include live music, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony demonstration, morning yoga sessions, classes and workshops, and chai-making and costume contests.

While admission to the vendor market is free, access to the classes, workshops and tea ceremony will require a ticket. Tickets will be sold at the festival, but a Northern Virginia Tea Excursion package that includes a full-day trip to Lunch The Tea Cart in Berryville on May 5 has sold out.

The tea festival was first held in May 2023 at Elden Street Tea Shop’s first location at 714 Pine Street in Herndon.

Co-owner Rachel Eisenfeld previously told FFXnow that the business had outgrown the space, which it established in 2017. Though they hoped to retain the downtown Herndon location while opening a second spot, lease negotiations with the landlord stalled, leading the shop to relocate instead.

Elden Street Tea Shop sells loose-leaf tea, both in-store and wholesale. Once it reopens in Reston, it will offer a variety of events, such as tea parties, yoga and tea meditation, paddle board tea time, open mic night and literary tea hours.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has thrown its support behind Maryland’s pursuit of federal funding for a long-awaited replacement of the American Legion Bridge.

At the request of Chairman Jeff McKay and Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, the board approved a letter on April 16 urging U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to fulfill the Maryland Department of Transportation’s expected grant request for its American Legion Bridge and 270 Corridor project.

In addition to replacing the 60-year-old bridge, the only direct connection between Fairfax and Montgomery counties, MDOT is considering adding toll lanes on its side of the Capital Beltway from I-495 to the I-270 western spur, along with transit, pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

According to McKay, the department’s State Highway Administration informed county officials that it will apply for the federal Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program, which has $5.1 billion to allocate to transportation infrastructure projects nationwide. Applications are due by May 6.

“We know this is an emergency situation. We applaud Maryland for getting this going again,” McKay said during the board meeting.

Maryland went back to the drawing board on its plans for the Beltway last year after private express lanes operator Transurban withdrew from a project championed by then-governor Larry Hogan. Then called Op Lanes Maryland, the proposed road widening and bridge replacement encountered fervent opposition from residents and local officials, leading to delays and lawsuits.

Virginia has pushed ahead with its own effort to widen the Beltway with toll lanes, known as 495 NEXT, but some community members, including elected officials, have worried it won’t offer much congestion relief without Maryland’s involvement, instead merely pushing the existing chokepoint at the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons north to the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean.

In his letter to Buttigieg, McKay notes that capacity improvements for the American Legion Bridge have long been a priority for Fairfax County.

The American Legion Bridge, as a direct connection between the region’s most populous counties, is one of the most heavily used. It is also the most congested, with traffic volumes expected to increase. The chokepoint created by this bridge requires long-term solutions to help those traveling between Maryland and Virginia.

The Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant availability provides an opportunity to advance a project that is an important regional conduit for travel and economic activity between Virginia and Maryland, which will ensure the continued economic vitality of the Metropolitan Washington region.

In addition to adding toll lanes, the new bridge will feature a shared-use path and allow for planned bus routes between Tysons and Bethesda.

At community open houses last fall, MDOT officials touted potential benefits for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users, though limited details and a need for funding left some skeptical. The project could break ground by 2026, which would put it on track to finish construction by 2031, Maryland Matters reported.

After breaking ground in spring 2022, the Virginia Department of Transportation anticipates starting operations for the new I-495 toll lanes in December 2025 and fully wrapping up 495 NEXT in May 2026.

A fourth-grade teacher at Colin Powell Elementary School in Centreville for more than 20 years has been named the Washington Post’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

The newspaper announced last Tuesday, April 23 that Laura Senturia had earned the title — and a $7,500 prize — for her “rare talent for identifying her students’ innermost strengths.”

“I think a lot of educators right now see more of what we’re not doing because there’s so much for us to do,” Senturia said. “It’s been a gift to stop and take a step back and say, ‘Okay, there might be things that I’m not getting to, but I am getting to the important things.'”

Senturia told FFXnow that the honor has been very surreal for her, as she has grappled with “imposter syndrome,” or the fear that she’s unqualified. The feeling first started when Fairfax County Public Schools named her as its Outstanding Elementary School Teacher last year.

“I felt like for the first time, I really, really understood what imposter syndrome was because I work with all these amazing educators and I could see reasons why any of them could also have this honor,” she said.

Senturia said the award has solidified the importance of the relationships she’s built with her current and former students.

“The day the announcement came out, I got emails from former coworkers and people I’ve worked with …It was just this outpouring of love and amazingness,” she said. “But one of the emails came from a former student, who took the time out of their high school life to send me an email that just said, ‘I saw that you won this and you made such an impact for me and my sisters.’ And that completely blew me away.”

Senturia has spent her entire teaching career at Colin Powell Elementary, moving to Fairfax County following a stretch of years working in public relations. The St. Louis native said she immediately felt at home when she arrived at the then-new school building at 13340 Leland Road in 2003.

She said it hasn’t been a conscious decision to stay at Colin Powell or FCPS more generally for two decades, but she’s grateful for the community and resources available to teachers in the system.

“The community really means everything, and we have a really great community here,” Senturia said.

Senturia was selected from a group of 19 finalists who teach at schools in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. She was nominated for the honor by several different people.

“Senturia is the type of teacher that goes above and beyond to show her students how much she cares. Her love of children shines through in all that she does,” Powell principal Jamie Luerssen said in an FCPS press release.

In addition to her classroom duties, Senturia mentors other teachers, sponsors the school’s Student Council Association and has led several fundraising initiatives, including Pennies for Patients, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and building a school in Africa.

“I try to focus on the most important things, which are the relationships with the kids. And that’s what I feel like this award honored,” she said.

Speed Camera Added Outside Oakton HS — A speed camera has been installed for Oakton High School on Blake Lane near Sutton Road, just days after a driver was sentenced to four years. Fines will be issued after a 30-day warning period. Fairfax County anticipates expanding its pilot program to as many as 50 locations this year. [Fairfax County/Twitter]

Annandale Doctor Pleads Guilty to Over-Prescribing Opioids — “An Annandale doctor pleaded guilty [on Friday, April 26] to maintaining a drug-involved premises.” While working at Fairfax Pain Clinic between 2016 and 2020, he “prescribed high opioid dosing without first confirming diagnoses, performing relevant medical examinations, or reviewing prior medical records.” [U.S. Attorney’s Office]

FCPD Reveals Drug Take Back Day Results — “On Saturday, our district stations joined forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies to collect 1,167 pounds of expired medications and prescription drugs from the community during the 26th Annual National Drug Take Back Day Initiative.” The West Springfield District Police Station led the way, collecting 303 pounds. [FCPD]

Annandale Church Volunteers Fix Up Homes — “Nine men with developmental disabilities living in two group homes in the North Springfield area got a nice surprise when they returned from outings Saturday evening. While they were gone, volunteers from several Annandale churches spent the day fixing up their homes.” [Annandale Today]

Mount Vernon Trail Bridge Project Nears Finish — “Nearly exactly a year after the National Park Service kicked off its replacement of Bridges 23 and 24 along the southern Mount Vernon Trail, the project is near its completion…The Park Service has scheduled a ribbon cutting for the opening of Bridge 23 on May 19 at 10 a.m. at Belle Haven Park.” [On the MoVe]

TJ Students Could Win $20K in Math Competition — “The students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology are among six teams that made it to the finals in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge…More than 600 teams in the U.S. and the U.K. submitted papers” proposing “ways lawmakers could potentially monitor and address the dual problems of homelessness and lack of affordable housing.” [WTOP]

Massive Reston Library Book Sale Coming Up — “Over 1,000 boxes of books mean this will be our biggest sale ever. And, due to upcoming library renovations, there will be no sales in August or September…So come to our big sale and stock up on our record-breaking selection!” The sale will start for Friends members tomorrow and for the general public at 10 a.m. on Thursday (May 2). [Friends of the Reston Regional Library]

It’s Tuesday — Mostly sunny skies with a high of 87°F and light southwest winds at 8 to 10 mph can be expected this afternoon with a 20% chance of showers after 2pm. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low near 65°F. There is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. [NWS]

Good Monday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 29, 2024.

• 8:15 am: Morning Notes | 🗣️ Comments
• 9:45 am: Google to invest $1 billion to expand data centers in Northern Virginia | 🗣️ Comments
• 10:30 am: Day care center seeks space in Tysons office building | 🗣️ Comments
• 11:30 am: Proposal for townhomes near Franconia-Springfield Parkway clears planning commission | 🗣️ Comments
• 1:30 pm: Pedal with Petals family bicycle ride returns to Tysons with new, bigger routes | 🗣️ Comments
• 2:30 pm: Farmers market, big trucks to park in Herndon this week | 🗣️ Comments
• 3:45 pm: Fairfax board eyes lower-than-proposed real estate tax hike amid budget constraints | 🗣️ Comments

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

• 8:30 pm: Tuesday Karaoke The Old Fire Station

🌦️ Tuesday’s forecast

There is a slight chance of showers after 2pm, with partly sunny skies and a high near 86. Expect southwest winds at 8-10 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. On Tuesday night, showers and thunderstorms are more likely, mainly after 8pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a low around 64. Southwest winds of 6-9 mph will shift to northwest after midnight, and there’s a 30% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Real estate taxes will likely go up for Fairfax County homeowners in the coming year, but perhaps not by as much as they could.

The Board of Supervisors plans to approve a 3-cent tax rate increase, down from the four cents that was advertised. That will reduce the average tax bill hike from about $524 to just over $450.

While additional funding is proposed for affordable housing, public libraries and parks, the county’s fiscal year 2025 budget won’t satisfy Fairfax County Public Schools’ full funding requests or include the pay levels sought by county employees.

An initial draft of the county’s FY 2025 budget markup suggests setting a real estate tax rate of $1.125 per $100 of assessed value, a 3-cent increase from the current rate of $1.095 per $100.

During a budget committee meeting on Friday (April 26), board members argued that the tax rate increase is necessary due to a revenue shortfall from a sluggish commercial sector and reduced state funding.

“Our current situation is not sustainable, and we can already imagine what’s going to happen in the next tax year as it relates to commercial office and particularly the elevator office,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said.

As a result, the county is unlikely to increase the market rate adjustment (MRA) for county employees beyond the 2% proposed by County Executive Bryan Hill.

According to the markup draft, general county employees are set to receive an average salary increase of 3.25% to 6%, effective July 1, including the 2% MRA, pay scale adjustments and increases for performance and length of service. Deputy sheriffs will, on average, receive an increase of 7.85% in FY 2025.

The county also proposes allocating only $165 million of the $254 million requested by FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid — nearly all of which would be used to fund teacher and personnel pay raises.

That will still be nearly 7% more in funding than what the school system got last year. The supervisors expressed hope it will cover Reid’s proposed 6% salary increase for all school employees, but their optimism hinges on the state providing additional money to fill any remaining financial gaps.

Board members raised concerns over the state’s chronic underfunding of public schools, which costs FCPS $345 million annually, according to a recent study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission of Virginia. That could be compounded by budget cuts proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

State funding cuts force local governments — which derive most revenue from real estate taxes — to place a heavier tax burden on homeowners, who end up footing the bill to make up the difference, supervisors said.

Looking to the future, they urged the school board to seek funding more in line with the county’s projected revenue to ensure it can fulfill the request. Read More

The Town of Herndon’s farmers market is opening for the season this Thursday (May 2).

The market will then reoccur from 8 a.m. to noon every Thursday through the first week of November on Lynn Street in downtown Herndon.

Farmers, bakers and pickle-makers are among the local vendors featured at the seasonal event. Plus, community members can bring food to the market for composting.

Organized by the town in conjunction with the Fairfax County Park Authority, the market will also feature live music during the summer months and gardening clinics by the county’s master gardeners.

The market’s web page lists 17 vendors. Sellers joining this year’s roster include Happy Creek Cheeses, BlackStone Honey Bee Farms and Bad Ass Pickles, according to a town press release. Returning vendors include Mt. Olympus Berry Farm, Sip Coffee, House of Empanadas and The Fermented Pig.

Last fall, the town considered moving the market to the weekend, though that ultimately didn’t come to fruition for this season.

“The town continues to pursue additional opportunities for markets on alternate days,” Herndon spokesperson Anne Papa wrote in an email to FFXnow.

After the farmers market opens, families can visit a display of “big trucks and heavy equipment” at the Public Works Maintenance Complex (1479 Sterling Road).

That event, dubbed Big Truck Day, runs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday (May 3), and admission is free. A press release advises large groups to call ahead (703-435-6860), and donations of non-perishable food will be collected.

The D.C. area’s cherry trees are no longer blossoming, but cyclists can still take in the warm, pollen-filled spring air when the Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride returns to Tysons next month.

Organized by the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA), the event was introduced last April as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This time, it will take place on May 11, from 8-11 a.m., and the routes will cover more of Tysons, instead of centering on Tysons Corner Center.

“We are thrilled to be bringing back this community event,” TCA CEO Katie Cristol said in a press release. “Pedal with Petals is a great opportunity to bring our community together while promoting active mobility opportunities throughout Tysons.”

Registration for the bicycle ride is open and free, but it’s limited to just 200 participants, who can undertake an advanced, 4.5-mile-long route or a nearly 2-mile, family-friendly route.

The advanced ride will start at 9 a.m. and reach Wolf Trails Park on Old Courthouse Road, while the shorter ride will start at 9:30 a.m. and follow a loop. Riders will meet in the parking lot of The Concourse (1593 Spring Hill Road) for both routes, which begin and end on the Vesper Trail.

In addition to cycling, activities planned for the event include a bicycle decorating station, free bike tune-ups offered by REI, music from a DJ, coffee and pastries from Vienna’s Frothy Mug van and post-ride ice cream provided by local caterer Tysons Creamery.

The Merrifield-based nonprofit Food for Others will also collect donations for a food drive. While not required, the TCA is encouraging participants to bring at least one non-perishable food item, such as cereal, pasta or canned goods.

The TCA is still seeking volunteers to support Pedal with Petals by helping set the courses up, checking riders in, overseeing activities and other duties. Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling will provide bike marshals to help guide cyclists along the two routes.

Coinciding with National Bike Month, the second annual Pedal with Petals will come on the heels of the Tour de Hunter Mill community bicycle ride organized every spring by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office. That event on Sunday, May 5 will concentrate on the Reston and Vienna area, featuring routes along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and the new shared-use path on Leesburg Pike (Route 7).