Herndon’s business community expressed overall levels of satisfaction with the town in a recent survey, but some say they want the town to focus more on expanding support for businesses.
Presented at a Herndon Town Council work session on Tuesday (Sept. 19), the results were gathered from a business survey by Priority Metrics Group (PMG), which included 155 respondents, the average of which has been in the town for 17 years.
At the work session, council members emphasized the need for the town to more actively support businesses and expand town events that draw customers — two themes of improvement from the survey.
“They want a more business-friendly government,” Councilmember Donielle Scherff said. “We’ve talked a bit about customer service-centric leadership and staff, and this just sort of buttresses into that.”
Most respondents say they chose Herndon because of its location.
“They like being here. There are amenities and attributes that are here that they like,” said John Barrett, owner of PMG.
Overall, sentiments about the town’s general business environment dipped only slightly since the last survey was conducted in 2018.
Business owners said they were drawn by the access to airports — which expanded last year with the opening of Metro’s Silver Line extension — as well as the overall quality of life and the image of the town. Top concerns included licensing, taxation, regulations, crime rates, traffic and the quality of new development.
Many business owners said they wanted to see more special events in the town — a move that Councilmember Cesar del Aguila said emphasizes the need for the council to focus extra attention on event development.
“What I’m hearing here solidifies my personal belief that we’re on the right track,” del Aguila said, noting a need to focus on branding for the town. He said it was “painful” to hear that some business owners did not feel noticed by the local government.
So far, use of the Mason Enterprise Center — a business accelerator program from George Mason University that launched earlier this year — appears limited, according to the survey. A little over 80% of respondents said they had not heard about the center.
Most respondents — 77% of businesses — said the Metro Silver Line has had no impact or a neutral impact on their businesses.
PMG also recently completed a survey of town residents, who flagged traffic as a top concern.
Photo via Google Maps
Wiseguy Pizza is slated to replace Herndon’s Big Buns Damn Good Burgers.
Big Buns closed its location at 1142 Elden Street on Sept. 4 — less than a year after opening in late 2022.
Both restaurants are brands of Thompson Hospitality.
Thompson Hospitality Chief Operating Officer Alex Berentzen says the company chose to pivot to Wiseguy Pizza because of the location’s proximity to another Big Buns five miles away at Reston Station. There is also a Big Buns close to Chantilly in the Franklin Farm Village Center.
“This strategic move aligns with our commitment to expanding our dynamic portfolio throughout the DMV region,” Berentzen wrote in a statement. “Additionally, this particular location is ideally suited for Wiseguy Pizza, as their performance excels in venues with limited seating and grab-and-go capabilities.”
Wiseguy is expected to open in the fall. The restaurant serves cheese, pepperoni and specialty pizzas, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
This will be Wiseguy Pizza’s first location in the Fairfax County area. Started in 2012 by a Turkish immigrant who sought to bring a New York City-style pizzeria to D.C., the business can currently be found in the District and Arlington. It will arrive in Maryland this month with a stall in the Wheaton Mall food court.
An office building near the Innovation Center Metro station is on its way to becoming 348 apartment units.
Last week, the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a plan to replace the ePlus headquarters at 13595 Dulles Technology Drive in McNair with a new residential building.
It would be up to six stories tall with a partial basement and 41 workforce dwelling units. A 418-space parking garage is planned on the site, along with a 4-foot-wide pedestrian pathway next to the apartment building.
At the Sept. 14 public hearing, several residents testified against the development proposal, criticizing its density, impacts on environmentally protected areas, and other neighboring developments.
The area surrounding the proposed apartments has been the focus of increased residential development, including Stanley Martin’s Overlook at Dulles Tech project.
Kathryn Taylor, a lawyer for Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh who represented developer H/F Techpointe, said the project creates a distinct community.
“The proposed development has been thoughtfully designed with high quality architecture, well landscaped public spaces, the preservation and restoration of onsite environmental features, an improved sidewalk and roadway network that enhances connectivity and facilities safe and convenient access to the Innovation Metro Station,” Taylor said.
But several residents said they were unconvinced of the project’s value to the community.
The Dulles Technology Building Association plans to seek a restraining order to stop the project if it moves forward, according to president Carl Strauss. He expressed concern about improper notification of the project, widening of a road that he said would encroach on eminent domain of his office building next door, environmental damages, and other issues.
He called the requested reduction in parking “stunningly disrespectful.”
His testimony was echoed by another resident who lamented the loss of environmental areas — including a runoff lake — caused by neighboring projects and the buildout of housing in the area.
“It’s like Moscow there,” one resident said, referring to the number of new residential units in the area.
Taylor emphasized that the proposal protects environmental areas and preserves as many trees as possible.
“The proposal will not encroach on any environmentally sensitive areas at all,” she said.
The commission approved the application after considering a motion to defer. Staff noted that a deferral would push a decision by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to January.
Braddock District Planning Commissioner Mary Cortina said several of the problems voiced by residents were linked to other surrounding projects.
“The damage has already been done on this other area,” Cortina said.
Paris Baguette, an internationally known bakery and cafe, is opening its Herndon location in mid-November.
The nearly 4,000-square-foot restaurant — which serves bread, pastries, desserts and French-style sandwiches — will open at Arrowbrook Centre, a mixed-use development located at 2324 Silver Arrow Way.
The Herndon location features a new “3.0 design,” which includes a mural, a company spokesperson tells FFXnow. The mural will feature local landmarks. The store will also have a patio.
The international brand has locations in Tysons and Centreville. Items on the menu include sandwiches, packaged roll cakes, salads, breads, cakes and seasonal specials.
Arrowbrook Centre is expecting to welcome other tenants soon, like Ornery Beer Company Public House and Hello2India.
Town of Herndon officials are exploring ways to expand the number and quality of cultural festivals in the town.
At a Herndon Town Council meeting on Sept. 5, council members considered the option of providing funding for community cultural festivals if applications meet specific qualifications.
“Often referred to in discussions with Town Council as ‘mini-festivals,’ the desire is to add to the town’s already robust community event opportunities, with focus placed on highlighting and celebrating the town’s culturally diverse community,” according to the policy statement.
In order to be eligible to town funds, the event must be held on public property, be free and open to all, and celebrate and reflect the cultural diverse of the Herndon community.
Funding requests are limited to $5,000 per event per fiscal year.
At the meeting, council members honed in on process improvements for the disbursement and approval process. Others struggled to reconcile how involved the town should be in cultural programming.
Council member Pradip Dhakal said that the town should consider being an active organizer, not just a passive donor for cultural events.
“Let’s own this a little bit,” Dhakal said.
Dhakal also said that some applicants may not have ironed out details of proposed events, especially if the town allows applications one year before the event takes place.
“A lot of organizations who are planning to host certain events may want to apply and at least get the funds approved so that we don’t run out of the funds,” Dhakal said.
Council member Keven LeBlanc also encouraged staff to hone in on the semantics of proposed requirements — including what qualifies as a public event and public property and what defines a cultural activity.
“Is a Herndon grad party culture?” said LeBlanc, adding Juneteeth events as another ambiguous example.
Others like council member Cesar del Aguila noted that the town should consider restructuring some events like Friday Night Live! and the weekly farmers market in downtown Herndon.
Mayor Sheila Olem also noted that pooling volunteers is challenging for festivals. Town manager Bill Ashton II emphasized that seeking overtime hours from staff or the police department is often challenging, especially if additional security is needed.
“We’re going to have a really hard conversation about this,” Ashton II said.
The funding mechanism is intended for to support events that happen in downtown, encourage nonprofits to host more cultural festivals and encourage events that celebrate the community’s cultural diversity.
The concept was first introduced as a council initiative in 2022. The fiscal year 2024 budget includes $70,000 in funds for cultural festivals.
The Town of Herndon is considering reductions in its parks and recreation fees in order to reduce financial barriers and encourage underserved youth and families to use the town’s facilities.
At a Herndon Town Council meeting on Sept. 5, the council discussed the proposal. If approved, the town would identify specific single and multi-family residents that could benefit from a reduced admission fee for the Herndon Community Center, which includes an indoor pool, gym, fitness room and racquetball courts.
Qualification would be determined by using several data sets that identify equity emphasis areas and historically disadvantaged communities. The town may also filter for areas below the median income, which is currently $117,741.
Town residents within these areas would receive discounts if they provide proof of address. Residents who provide proof of residency and documentation of need would also receive discounts. Non-residents living within the Herndon High School pyramid will also receive discounted non-resident rates with required documentation.
The town also wants to hire more staff — preferably bilingual staff — during peak hours.
“The department is seeking to hire (preferably bi-lingual) staff to maintain a presence within the center, develop a rapport with those using the facility, educate patrons on the availability and proper use of amenities, discourage unwelcome outside influences, and enforce expectations of behavior,” the Sept. 5 staff memo states.
Adults would pay $4 instead of $7 for daily passes and $40 instead of $63 for 10 visit passes. A 25 visit pass costs $90 instead of $140.
The idea came about after staff and the town manager met with Cornerstones, a local nonprofit organization that promotes self-sufficiency, to create a reasonable and equitable fee schedule.
As part of the proposal, the town would also increase the hourly light fee from $4 to $5 per hour for the lit fields at Bready Park.
A 29-year-old Fairfax resident has opened his own optometry office in Herndon’s Fox Mill Shopping Center.
Beyond Eyecare opened last month at 2539 John Milton Drive. Sami Khaldieh, who has lived in Fairfax since 1996 and attended local schools like Franklin Middle School and Oakton High School. He received his Doctorate of Optometry from Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
He worked for about a year and a half within two different companies before deciding to pursue his dream of opening a practice in his community, a spokesperson for the company told FFXnow.
Khaldieh says that his path to optometry was inevitable as a dry eye and high myopia patient. In his first eye exam, they found his prescription was -4.00. He had seen ten eye care practices in the area. His prescription has since grew to -14.00, and he suffers a subset of Dry Eye Syndrome.
That experience led him to pursue the career.
“My goal is to never let what happened to me happen to anyone else again. My ultimate passion is to make sure my community is receiving the consistent top-tier care that they deserve; that same care I wasn’t able to receive. At Beyond Eyecare, our mission is to go above and beyond the standard of care,” Khaldieh said.
The practice is open on Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Former Israeli Combat Vet to Bring Second Thesis Gym to Vienna — Thesis gym operator Ori Perlman has inked a deal for a second fitness center in Vienna, buoyed by strong demand at the downtown D.C. location the former Israeli combat specialist-turned-fitness-specialist opened more than a year ago. [Washington Business Journal]
Adult Man Found with Life-threatening Injuries in Fairfax County — “Authorities are investigating an adult man found with life-threatening injuries in Fairfax County. There is a police presence at Stringfellow Rd. under Interstate 66 in Greenbriar. Authorities say Stringfellow Rd. will remain closed during this investigation. Exits ramps from Eastbound and Westbound Interstate 66 onto Stringfellow Rd. are closed.” [FOX 5]
Reston Farm Garden Market Kicks Off Fall Fest — “Reston Farm Garden Market is excited to announce our annual Fall Fest, which runs from September 23rd to October 29th, including a special session on October 9th for Columbus Day. Join us on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or on-site.” [Reston Farm Garden Market]
Auto Century Expands with Fairfax, Herndon Locations — “Celebrating nearly two decades of automotive service excellence, Auto Century is excited to unveil two new service centers in Fairfax and Herndon, Virginia.” [Digital Journal]
It’s Thursday — There is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with mostly sunny conditions and a high of 96°F. Light south wind will increase to 5-10 mph in the morning. Thursday night, a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, turning mostly cloudy, with a low of 71°F. Southwest wind of 5-8 mph will become light and variable after midnight. [Weather.gov]
Plans for Herndon’s first beer garden — Herndon Biergarten — are still brewing, although at a slower place than previously anticipated.
In November 2021, the Town of Herndon’s Historic District Review Board (HDRB) reviewed the company’s plan to demolish a two-story building at 771 Center Street to make way for the business.
According to Town of Herndon spokeswoman Anne Curtis, the town is currently awaiting the resubmission of the plan by the applicant. The site plan is currently in the town’s review process.
Curtis said that the resubmission was sought as a “standard part of a site plan application” in October.
“The various reviewers provided several comments regarding design elements that did not meet applicable standards. The applicant’s engineer and design team is working to revise the application at their discretion for resubmission and re-review,” Curtis wrote in a statement.
The owner of Herndon Biergarten indicated that an update would likely be available in a few weeks.
The plan reviewed by the HDRB in November included an open kitchen area, barn doors opening to the rooftop bar area and green house room, and two dining areas. At the time, the application was in its early staged.
The Herndon Biergarten is expected to host daily activities, games, events and beer festival. The Tysons location closed in 2018 due to property redevelopment.
Reston Now, a sister site of FFXnow, previously reported that the Herndon location was expected to open in the spring of 2021.
Major improvements on Van Buren Street are officially complete.
The Town of Herndon is set to celebrate the completion of the project at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday (Sept. 7) at Halley Smith Park.
The project kicked off in the spring of 2022. It cost $12.4 million, including $4.7 million for improvements to the Herndon Parkway intersection. Roughly $8 million was funded through federal, regional and local grants.
“The projects provide significant enhancement to these primary roads in the town, particularly necessary due to their proximity to the Herndon stop on Metrorail’s Silver Line,” according to the Town of Herndon.
The most significant improvements — two left turn lanes on west bound Herndon Parkway and a right-turn lane to eastbound Herndon Parkway — took place at Herndon Parkway’s intersection with Van Buren Street. A right-turn lane was also built on northbound Van Buren Street.
Upgrades include widening lanes to 15 feet to accommodate bike lanes, the addition of five-foot sidewalks with streetlights, improved pedestrian crosswalks with ADA signals, upgraded storm water management facilities and relocated overhead utility lines.
At Alabama Drive, crosswalks and traffic signals were also added, along with a turn lane for northbound Van Buren Street at Herndon Parkway.
