Around Town

(Updated at 11:30 a.m. on 12/20/2023) A Spanish fashion brand that has started utilizing artificial intelligence to design its clothes is coming to Tysons Corner Center.

Mango recently announced that it will expand to the D.C. area for the first time with four stores opening in 2024, including one in the region’s largest mall. New locations are also planned at 950 F Street in D.C.’s Penn Quarter, the Westfield Montgomery mall in Bethesda, and Pentagon City.


Countywide

Fairfax County is moving forward with updates to its landscaping and screening requirements along streets and parking lots.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended the approval of changes to the ordinance at a meeting on Dec. 6. If fully approved, it would be the first major change to the ordinance in 40 years and could make parking lots greener.


News

Reston Association’s Board of Directors deferred a decision last week on how to handle the planned addition of pickleball at Barton Hill’s tennis courts to Jan. 25.

The decision on Thursday (Dec. 14) comes as the organization grapples with community concerns about noise from the new courts and enthusiasm from pickleball players seeking more locations to play the burgeoning sport.


News

The potential benefits and challenges of converting commercial properties into housing both emerged during a public hearing last week on a proposal to repurpose the now-vacant Sheraton Tysons Hotel at 8661 Leesburg Pike.

Promising up to 544 new residential units, the project will boost the supply of housing in Tysons with a unique, market-rate affordable option, a representative for developer JBG Tysons Hotel touted at the hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Thursday (Dec. 14).


News

An Ashburn man was charged last week with reckless driving — almost a month after his alleged speeding killed a motorcyclist on Route 28.

Gael Cruchet, 53, received a summons on Friday (Dec. 15) charging him with exceeding the speed limit by over 20 mph while driving a 2016 Acura TLX sedan in the lead-up to the crash on Nov. 16, the Fairfax County Police Department announced.


Countywide

County Expands Electric Vehicle Pilot — The Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination recently picked five new communities to join its Charge Up Fairfax pilot program, which helps neighborhoods install electric vehicle charging equipment. The latest participants are the Colonies at McLean, Strathmeade Square Community, Villa Ridge Condominium, Washington Plaza Cluster Association and Waterford Square Condominium Unit Owners Association. [WTOP]

School Board Members Share Identity Through Books for Inauguration — “Four returning members and eight newcomers were sworn onto the board at the ceremony Wednesday evening. Some members brought sentimental Bibles, some brought stacks of books they connected with and others used no book at all. A number of members saw the ceremony as an opportunity to demonstrate their stance on the rise of book challenges.” [Washington Post]


Countywide

Fairfax County has launched a new data dashboard to offer insights into its mobility and transportation realm.

The dashboard — which was developed as part of the county’s strategic plan — dives into four indicators: efficient and varied transportation options; infrastructure conditions, sustainability and environmental impact; traveler safety; and increased accessibility, affordability and equity.


Around Town

Next year, the Lake Thoreau spillway will feature a nature-inspired public artwork created by South Lakes High School’s STEAM team.

The 10-foot tall installation was designed to embrace Reston’s natural environment with a “modern twist,” according to Public Art Reston. Viewers will see a forest from one perspective and a single tree from the other. Students plan to illuminate flowers fastened to the tree’s branches.