Herndon town leaders didn’t find much success with the 2024 “streeteries” outdoor-dining initiative.
However, they’re hopeful some tweaks in 2025 will provide the data needed to determine whether to move forward with the effort on a permanent basis.
Herndon leaders past and present are surveying the aftermath of Comstock’s decision to officially pull the plug on its long-percolating downtown redevelopment project, but so far, they’re not blaming the developer.
With details of its separation from Comstock still being worked out, including the fate of the Arts Herndon building that would’ve been demolished, the Town of Herndon declined to comment beyond interim town manager Chris Martinez’s announcement last Tuesday (Dec. 10).
All three incumbents vying for seats on Herndon’s town council this year are on track for reelection after all.
Councilmember Naila Alam secured a spot on the council based on the final tally of votes from this year’s Nov. 5 general election, pushing out Herndon Board of Zoning Appeals Vice Chair Stevan Michael Porter, who had an edge in preliminary election night results.
Herndon leaders indicated this week that they’re confident enough in the town’s financial reputation to put it on the line for the sake of Comstock’s long-awaited downtown redevelopment project.
As discussions continue on a new agreement with the developer that must be finalized by Dec. 10, the town is starting to hammer out a financing plan for the public portions of the project that could involve borrowing money through the issuance of municipal bonds.
The Town of Herndon has elected a new mayor and town council.
Councilmember Keven LeBlanc will be Herndon’s first openly gay mayor after defeating fellow Councilmember Pradip Dhakal with 55.3% of the vote to his opponent’s 43.5%, according to unofficial returns from the Virginia Department of Elections.
Fairfax County saw high early voting turnout for this year’s presidential election, though the numbers didn’t reached the levels seen during the last presidential cycle.
Since early voting began on Sept. 20, over 322,000 residents, or 43% of the county’s 748,492 registered voters, have cast a vote, as of Friday (Nov. 2), the last day of in-person early voting, the Fairfax County Office of Elections posted on Twitter.
Town of Herndon officials are exploring ways to build more affordable housing in a jurisdiction that has few legal options for boosting its housing stock.
In an effort to fill the void of affordable housing, the town hopes a third party consultant can help it analyze and develop a policy plan for affordable housing.
Herndon Town Councilmember Naila Alam’s attendance record is under fire from one of Fairfax County’s Congressional representatives.
In a tweet sent on Sunday (Oct. 13), Rep. Gerry Connolly said Alam has had the worst attendance in the council, missing more than 25% of all public meeting since she took office in 2020.
In anticipation of finalizing an agreement for the long-awaited downtown redevelopment, Town of Herndon officials are turning their attention to the arts organizations that will be at least temporarily displaced by the project.
Interim town manager Christopher Martino told the Herndon Town Council at a work session yesterday (Oct. 15) the town is on track to complete a final comprehensive agreement with developer Comstock by an imposed Dec. 10 deadline after years of delay.
Though it’s now 145 years old, the Town of Herndon’s identity continues to evolve.
A small-town feel and diversity were among the salient attributes highlighted by an emerging brand strategy, a consultant reported to the Herndon Town Council at a work session on Tuesday (Oct. 1). But questions remain on how the town will engage its minority-majority community.
