The City of Fairfax is asking the public for help in planning long-anticipated improvements to Jermantown Road.

On Wednesday (May 31) from 7-9 p.m., Fairfax will hold an open house at Katherine Johnson Middle School (3801 Jermantown Road) so the public can weigh in on preliminary design concepts for the Jermantown Road Corridor Improvement Project.

The project is set to add sidewalks, medians, and pedestrian crossings along about a mile-long section of two-lane Jermantown Road that extends from Route 50 to the city limits at the I-66 interchange. Other changes include a traffic circle at Orchard Street as well as a right-turn lane south of Orchard Street.

Also proposed are enhanced roadway crossings at Katherine Johnson Middle School and Providence Elementary School (3616 Jermantown Road), and a reduction of the number of driveways and access points along the road.

“Jermantown Road provides key local access (residential, school, & commercial locations) and connections to Fairfax County,” the project page says. “Current conditions are challenging for some users, and accommodating future growth and changes will require improvements to help the city.”

Fairfax City received $21 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to make these road improvements. There’s no timeline for when construction might begin or be completed, with the project now in the design phase.

The city first brought on engineers to provide a concept plan for the project in 2018. Two options were put on the table: a widening of all of Jermantown Road from two to four lanes or more limited “spot improvement” option. The latter prevailed.

Earlier this month, city council members got a preview of the planned improvements during a work session with city staff, including transportation director Wendy Block Sanford.

According to staff, the average daily traffic along Jermantown Road is about 14,000 vehicles a day — a relatively high number for a road of this nature. There are also more than 30 access points to the road, like entrances or driveways. Typically, access points are where more crashes  occur.

The road also is home to a growing population, making pedestrian and bicycle access even more crucial. About 1,100 households either live on or within a quarter-mile of the road, per the staff presentation. In addition, about a quarter of the roughly 2,000 students who attend the two schools could walk to school if safety was improved.

As noted at the council work session, tomorrow’s open house is really the beginning of the engagement process.

“The 31st is really meant to be a kick-off and listening session,” Sanford told the city council. “We don’t have the answers yet. What we know are what some of the challenges are and we want to know more about those challenges and understand everything. There will be plenty more. This is truly the first engagement of many engagements.”

While not part of the project, but related since it connects, the Jermantown Road Bridge over I-66 is now scheduled to likely open in the fall. Previously expected to reopen this spring, the bridge is getting new sidewalks and bicycle paths.

Sanford said there are “some issues” going on between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the contractor, but the expectation is that it will open later this year.

Image via Google Maps

Wingstop is planning to open a new location in Fairfax County.

The franchise is expected to open at 11181 Lee Highway in Fairfax Centre. A sign posted at the front of the business says it is slated to come soon.

The company did not return requests for comment from FFXnow.

Items on the menu include wing combos, chicken sandwiches, and tenders. The business has locations throughout the country, including in Springfield, Bailey’s Crossroads, Centreville and Sterling.

Another franchise location is also in the works on Little River Turnpike in Annandale, according to Annandale Today.

The shopping center is anchored by Walmart and Lidl. There are currently three vacancies, according to A.J. Dwoskin & Associates. Other tenants include Edible Arrangements, Dulce Crepers, Pizza Boli’s and Grill Kabob Express.

(Updated at 9:20 p.m.) Two members of Rep. Gerry Connolly’s staff were assaulted this morning by a Fairfax resident with a baseball bat.

The City of Fairfax Police Department and the United States Capitol Police (USCP) are investigating the incident at 10680 Main Street, Suite 140. The suspect has been arrested, while the victims were taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, police said.

According to police, 49-year old Xuan-Kha Tran Pham entered Connolly’s Fairfax District Office in the Mainland Building around 10:49 a.m., carrying a metal baseball bat and used it to assault two staffers. One police officer also “sustained a minor injury and is receiving medical treatment,” Fairfax City police said.

Connolly wasn’t present at the time. The injured staffers included a senior aide and an intern who was on her first day of work, according to his office.

“Right now, our focus is on ensuring they are receiving the care they need,” Connolly said in a statement. “We are incredibly thankful to the City of Fairfax Police Department and emergency medical professionals for their quick response.”

Pham has been charged with one count of aggravated malicious wounding and one count of malicious wounding, according to police. He’s being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

“At this time, it is not clear what the suspect’s motivation may have been,” the USCP said. “Based on what we know right now, investigators do not have any information that the suspect was known to the USCP.”

Fairfax City police and the USCP are working with the FBI’s Washington Field Office on the investigation.

The Capitol Police says it has recorded an approximately 400% increase in threats against members of Congress over the past six years, with USCP Chief Tom Manger testifying before Congress that the world has become “more violent and uncertain” particularly over the past year.

“We are just extremely, extremely happy that this wasn’t worse,” a Fairfax City police spokesperson told NBC4.

As first reported by NBC4, before going to Connolly’s office, Pham allegedly smashed a woman’s car windshield with the baseball bat shortly after 10:30 a.m. in the Chantilly area. The woman was reportedly sitting in the car when Pham approached her and asked if she was white.

The Fairfax County Police Department obtained warrants for Pham charging him with property destruction and a hate crime, but he wasn’t located until the assault in Connolly’s office.

Connolly, a Democrat who represents Virginia’s 11th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, also has an office on Capitol Hill in D.C.

“I have the best team in Congress,” Connolly said. “My District Office staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day. The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.” Read More

A Fairfax-based developer is hoping to build a 4,000-seat concert hall and a 163-room hotel in Old Town Fairfax.

The application — first reported by Washington Business Journal — is Ox Hill Companies’ second crack at building an arts and entertainment venue in the City of Fairfax.

Fairfax City’s Planning Commission will discuss the pre-application for the project at a meeting today (Monday) at 7 p.m. Called The Ox, the project would be located at 4020 University Drive, 4029 Chain Bridge Road, 4031 Chain Bridge Road and 4057 Chain Bridge Road.

“The performing arts center, which will be managed by an internationally-known arts and entertainment operator, will attract musical acts and other performing artists to the city,” Walsh Colucci land use agent Robert Brant wrote in the April 20 application. “It will inject activity into the downtowns and transform Old Town Fairfax into an entertainment destination.”

In its first proposal, the company wanted to build a mixed-use project on nearly two acres of Main Street. But the project shifted to a mixed-use residential condominium building due to the pandemic and size constraints, WBJ reported.

With the new concept, nearly 19,000 square feet of ground-floor retail or restaurant uses are also proposed on the nearly 4-acre site. A four-level garage with 454 parking spaces is also proposed.

The applicant also plants to construct an east-west public street, with an extension of South Street from Chain Bridge Road to University Drive.

Most of the buildings on the site would be demolished, except for a two-story bank at 4029 Chain Bridge Road.

“The applicant is eager to work with the city and the community on this exciting proposal, which presents an opportunity to implement several key objectives of the comprehensive plan,” the application states.

The City of Fairfax is moving forward with a plan to make the Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place intersection safer.

After some debate at an April 11 meeting — and an alternate motion was proposed and failed — the Fairfax City Council ultimately voted 4-2 in favor of a redesign to the intersection, which is just outside Oakton near the Fairfax County border.

Changes planned for the intersection include a new sidewalk on the west side of the road, a new traffic signal, and more.

“Improving this intersection, which serves as the northern gateway to the city and connects travelers to the Northfax area, is a top priority for the city,” the city said in a release.

The City of Fairfax received $10.7 million in funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) to evaluate the project and confirm the congestion reduction benefits.

According to the city, the redesign will include:

• Converting the west side service road to one-way inbound from Chain Bridge Road
• Constructing a new exit for Cobbdale vehicular traffic via a new traffic signal (being installed by VDOT) north of Eaton Place
• Constructing a residential sidewalk on the west side of the western service road to enable consolidation of the school bus stops
• Constructing a separate shared use path on the west side service road between the new traffic signal and Eaton Place, to extend the shared use path being installed by VDOT north of the new signal
• Implementing a buffer management plan on the west side buffer to remove dead trees, remove vines from healthy trees, and add supplemental vegetation
• Closing the service road access points from Eaton Place on the east side of the intersection
• Converting the single left southbound left turn lane from Chain Bridge Road to Eaton Place to two lanes controlled by a restricted green arrow (versus allowing lefts on green)

At the city council meeting, Councilmember So Lim said she was torn between the original plan and alternatives suggested by staff.

The proposed design would separate the shared-use path and sidewalk, while staff’s alternative combined the two elements.

Ultimately, Lin said the city had to go with the most safety precautions possible for a project like this.

“I was really torn between alternate plan number one or the recommended plan, but I think the safety of the bikers and pedestrians has to be a priority,” Lim said. “Right now, there may not be many bikers or pedestrians, but once we create a shared use path, that will be here to stay. I have to make a decision, not just about today, but how it’s going to be five or ten years from now. I’m going to support the original plan.”

According to Fairfax City, Chain Bridge Road sees approximately 39,000 vehicles per day, and the Eaton Place intersection “experiences significant congestion and safety concerns.”

“The intersection is a critical component of the regional transportation network, with access ramps to I-66 located just north of the intersection,” the city said in its news release. “The intersection has been the site of many traffic accidents, including fatalities.”

Construction on the improvements isn’t expected to start for another two years, the city says.

Community organizer Erika Yalowitz has suspended her campaign for the Virginia State Senate’s 37th District.

One of three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, Yalowitz announced today (Thursday) that she is withdrawing from the race and will instead endorse her opponent, Saddam Azlan Salim, a financial consultant and vice president of the Fairfax Young Democrats.

After launching her campaign in February, Yalowitz says she has decided to work with Salim in a bid to defeat incumbent Chap Petersen, who has represented voters in the now-defunct 34th District since 2008.

“If we want to make progress on the issues we care about, such as gun safety, reproductive justice or housing affordability, we need to elect a different senator,” Yalowitz said in a statement. “That is why I am making the decision to suspend my campaign and endorse Saddam Salim in this race. Saddam is a good candidate that I know supports a lot of the same issues that I do.”

Yalowitz’s campaign has stopped accepting donations and will use its remaining funds to cover remaining expenses, such as staff compensation, she said in a message to supporters. She plans to give any funds leftover after that to Salim’s campaign.

Created by Virginia’s redistricting process in 2021, the new 37th Senate District incorporates Tysons, Merrifield and Falls Church City into the former 34th District’s boundaries, which included Vienna and Fairfax City.

An Arlington Circuit Court officer, Yalowitz lives in Tysons and has held leadership roles in several community organizations, including the Providence District Council, Tysons Community Alliance, and the Fairfax Federation. She also advocated for preserving Oakton’s Blake Lane Park when it was being eyed as a potential school site.

She previously ran for the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2019.

Both Yalowitz and Salim have criticized Petersen for breaking with Democrats on issues like an assault weapons ban and marijuana legalization.

In a statement released by his campaign, Salim thanked his former opponent for her support:

I want to thank Erika Yalowitz for bringing a progressive voice into this campaign and advocating for important issues like reproductive rights, the fentanyl crisis, gun violence prevention and public education. I also want to thank her for her endorsement – I appreciate it deeply and I look forward to working with her on the campaign trail to give the people of the 37th District a new choice for the first time in sixteen years. Erika will have a great future in the Democratic Party and I look forward to supporting her wholeheartedly in her next endeavors.

Petersen said that he spoke Yalowitz earlier today and wishes her well, but her decision won’t affect his campaign for reelection.

“We’ll continue forward with a positive message focused on our constituents,” he told FFXnow.

Petersen has raised the most money of the 37th District candidates so far, as of Monday (April 17), when the campaign finance reports for the first three months of the year were due.

The Democratic primary will be held on June 20, with this year’s general election coming on Nov. 7. The lone Republican candidate is Ken Reid, a former Loudoun County supervisor.

A three-decade-old Jewish film and music festival is coming to Fairfax for the first time next month.

The JxJ Festival, an arts festival set to run May 11 to May 21 dedicated to showcasing Jewish culture, is broadening its reach for the first time after years of being exclusively in D.C. venues.

That includes screening films at Cinema Arts at 9650 Main Street inside Fair City Mall in Fairfax City.

Artistic Director Yael Luttwak told FFXnow that the festival wanted to include a Northern Virginia venue in its lineup this year because the area has the D.C. region’s largest Jewish population. And the long history of Cinema Arts as a community movie theater fits perfectly into the festival’s ethos.

“We chose Cinema Arts because it’s a fantastic arts movie theater and it felt like the right home to share these exceptional art house films and more mainstream films that you can’t see anywhere else,” she said.

Seven films will play at the theater starting on May 18 and through May 21, including a mix of narrative features and documentaries:

• The Wild One on Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m.
• Exodus 91 on Thursday, May 18 at 8 p.m.
• The Seven Years of Absalon on Saturday, May 20 at 6 p.m.
• The Other Widow on Saturday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m.
• Kosher Rehab on Sunday, May 21 at 1:20 p.m.
• The Camera of Dr. Morris on Sunday, May 21 at 2:50 p.m.
• Schächten on Sunday, May 21 at 4:30 p.m.

Several of these films, including “Kosher Rehab,” will only play at Cinema Arts, Luttwak said. The documentary tells the story of young religious men struggling with addiction in Israel.

“Kosher Rehab is about recovery and there is actually a lot of recovery centers and places in Fairfax. So, I thoughtfully put that there,” she said. “In this case, it’s about ultra-Orthodox Jews who are former addicts living together in a house. It’s gritty and brilliant, and [we] hope that it would also help some people.”

The Washington Jewish Film Festival was first established in 1990, while the Washington Jewish Music Festival began in 1999. In 2019, the two area arts festivals became one as the JxJ Festival.

Festival highlights this year include the mid-Atlantic premiere of director Jake Paltrow’s “June Zero“, Israel’s box office hit “Matchmaking,” and the documentary “Closed Circuit” with a conversation afterward moderated by CNN’s Dana Bash.

Luttwak said all of the performances and films over the 10-day-long festival starting next month are connected in the way they help tell the story of Jewish culture.

“I think the connective tissue is not Judaism, per se. That’s complicated because [Judaism] means a lot of different things to lots of different folks. It’s Jewish culture,” she said. “Culture is the soul of who we are and our storytelling is the soul of who we are. And these stories have an incredible ability and impact to educate, inspire, and enlighten.”

Commonwealth Brewing Company is slated to open in Old Town Fairfax this summer.

Currently based in Virginia Beach, the family-owned artisanal craft brewery will expand to 10420 Main Street, which was previously the home of several restaurants, a judicial center area and duckpin bowling alley.

It will also be the permanent home of Earp’s Ordinary, a new music venue and pub that has been operating a temporary pop-up nearby.

The Fairfax City Economic Development Authority lauded the coming of Commonwealth Brewing to town.

“We’re thrilled to have Commonwealth Brewing Co. bring their beach vibes, excellent beer and inviting atmosphere to the heart of Old Town Fairfax,” the authority said in an announcement on Facebook.

Natalie and Jeramy Biggie created the brewery in 2015 to “embody their life’s passions, connections to family, friends, the ocean and making creatively original craft beers,” according to the company’s website.

The business, which did not return a request for comment by press time, is currently located at 2444 Pleasure House in Virginia Beach.

Slice of Matchbox, an offshoot concept of the Matchbox restaurant chain, has officially closed its doors at Fairfax City’s Point 50 Shopping Center (10408 Fairfax Blvd).

The business’s last day was March 20, a company representative told FFXnow. It closed after less than a year of operation.

Jamie Weber, a spokesperson for the company, told FFXnow that the offshoot — which offers a slimmed down version of Matchbox’s full menu — was created during the pandemic when customers sought quick alternatives to full-service restaurants.

“Post-COVID, the concept didn’t resonate with guests the same way our traditional Matchbox’s do,” Weber wrote in a statement. “We made the difficult decision to close Slice of Matchbox which has allowed us to focus on our sister restaurant in the Point 50 complex, Big Buns, which continues to thrive.”

Matchbox has other locations in Merrifield and McLean, along with several across the country.

Photo via Google Maps

Sophia Manicone has come a long way from her “Vienna Idol” days.

The 18-year-old Vienna resident recently realized the dream of every theater kid with her Broadway debut in the revival of “Parade,” which officially opened yesterday (Thursday) at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City.

Starring Tony winner Ben Platt and “The Cher Show” breakout Micaela Diamond, the musical explores racism and antisemitism as a dramatization of the real-life 1913 trial of Jewish American factory manager Leo Frank, a case that stoked the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan and led to the creation of the Anti-Defamation League.

Manicone — a senior at the Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts with Vienna’s James Madison High School as her base school — plays Iola Stover, a factory worker who testifies against Frank.

She joined the revival’s Off-Broadway premiere at New York City Center (NYCC) in November and learned a month later that she would be part of the transfer to Broadway. She was one of 18 cast members making their debut when the show began previews on Feb. 21.

“It’s so unbelievable. It still doesn’t feel real,” Manicone told FFXnow by email. “Being a part of this incredible cast is so thrilling. I’m performing alongside people I listened to (and sang along with) on cast recordings since I was a little kid. The people in the cast and the creative team have been welcoming and supportive. I feel so lucky!”

Manicone traces her love of theater back to the musical films and cartoons she watched as a young kid. A trip to see “Mary Poppins” on Broadway when she was 3 cemented that infatuation, leading her to pursue her first audition in New York when she was in second grade.

“My parents got us tickets in the last row of the theater in case I wasn’t able to sit through the show,” she recalled. “But apparently I didn’t move an inch and was mesmerized — especially when Mary Poppins flew across the theater!”

Manicone’s journey to the Great White Way began in earnest on the Vienna Town Green, where she made her first big public performances competing in the annual “Vienna Idol” fundraiser, she told DC Theater Arts in 2016.

She was 9 when she won the title in 2014 with “her booming Broadway voice,” The Connection reported at the time. From there came roles in local theater productions, including her first professional lead role in Creative Cauldron’s “Ruthless! The Musical.”

Because of her community theater work, Manicone says her ability to participate in school plays was limited, but in sixth grade, she appeared in “Seussical” at Louise Archer Elementary School. She also sang choir in her elementary and middle school years.

“I had amazing teachers and as a middle schooler, it was wonderful having such a supportive environment where I felt I belonged,” she said. Read More