(Updated at 1:05 p.m.) Fairfax County is ready to unveil its new, combined police station and animal shelter in Lorton.
The Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s Lorton campus and the Lorton District Police Station will get a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Oct. 28. The event will start with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by an open house with games, refreshments, tours and more from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The animal shelter announced on Wednesday (Oct. 11) that its Lorton campus will open for dog, cat and small animal adoptions on Thursday, Oct. 26, but all drop-offs should still be made at the Michael Frey Animal Shelter in Fairfax (4500 West Ox Road) through Oct. 31.
Located at 8875 Lorton Road, the 23,000-square-foot shelter features 44 dog kennels, 42 cat “condos,” two “catios,” a veterinary clinic and a 20,000-square-foot outdoor space for the animals.
The additional space will help relieve capacity at the Fairfax shelter, which has been strained by a post-pandemic influx of pet surrenders, particularly dogs. The expansion will also enable the Fairfax County Animal Shelter (FCAS) to provide services and housing for animals from Fairfax City.
“This facility will allow us to substantially grow the geographic reach and impact of our work for the residents of Fairfax County,” FCAS Director Reasa Currier said. “Not only will we be able to create even more families through adoption, but the second shelter will provide a hub for essential services including behavior and training support, veterinary medical care, pet supplies and other critical services that help keep pets with their families.”
Currier added that she’s excited to welcome South County residents “who may have not have had access to our resources and services before,” given the distance to the Fairfax shelter.
The animal shelter is co-located with the Lorton District Police Station, a 34,000-square-foot facility at 8855 Lorton Road. The Fairfax County Police Department has said the new South County station will improve service by allowing smaller patrol areas and reducing response times.
The FCPD has appointed Capt. Richard Morvillo as the station’s first commander.
“He is charged with beginning to develop community relationships with existing advisory committees and HOAs,” the FCPD’s public affairs bureau told FFXnow. “He also will serve as a conduit for any concerns brought to his attention to be relayed to the station commanders responsible for a particular area of the County until Lorton is fully operational.”
When fully staffed, the station will have 70 sworn officers and 10 professional staff employees. There will be about 20 to 30 officers working each day across two shifts, according to the police department.
As the FCPD waits for incoming recruits to alleviate a staff shortage, the new station will follow a phased approach, with officers from the Sully, West Springfield and Franconia districts continuing to patrol the Lorton District area.
“During the initial stages of the opening, the police department plans to begin front desk operations during the day and will have an emergency phone available outside during hours the station may be closed for community members to contact the police,” the FCPD said. “Coverage of the southern county patrol areas will remain the same until we begin transferring officers into the new station.”
In addition to Morvillo, the first phase of staffing includes a police lieutenant and former Fairfax County NAACP president Shirley Ginwright as a new community outreach specialist, On the MoVe reported.
The joint Lorton facilities broke ground in May 2021 after years of planning. The project cost an estimated $30 million for design and construction, funded by a $151 million public safety bond referendum approved by voters in 2015.
Updated at 5:45 p.m. on 10/8/2023 — Police have identified the suspect in Friday’s Lorton stabbing as 27-year-old Jorge Andres Esquivel Rivera, the son of the victim.
Updated at 10:25 a.m. on 10/7/2023 — The man suspected of stabbing a woman in Lorton was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol in Jacksonville last night (Friday), the Fairfax County Police Department announced today.
“He is now facing a charge of Aggravated Malicious Wounding and will be extradited back to Fairfax County,” the FCPD said in a tweet.
Earlier: A woman has been hospitalized with potentially life-threatening injuries after a person stabbed her at a home in Lorton.
Emergency medical services were dispatched to the 9200 block of Cardinal Forest Lane in the Gunston Corner Condominiums around 12:56 p.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
A dispatcher told responding officers that the victim was reported to be bleeding and appeared to have been beaten up, leading police to believe that the stabbing is a case of domestic violence.
The Fairfax County Police Department says the suspect is believed to have fled the scene in a vehicle.
“The victim remains hospitalized,” the FCPD said in a tweet. “The suspect is believed to have left the area. Detectives continue to investigate.”
The victim remains hospitalized. The suspect is believed to have left the area. Detectives continue to investigate. Follow our blog for available information. https://t.co/9NaOOFJFZa
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 6, 2023
An 89-year-old man has died in the wake of a two-vehicle crash on Route 123 (Ox Road) in the Lorton area.
Around 9:40 a.m. on Saturday (Sept. 23), Lloyd South, 89, of Fairfax Station was headed east on Ox Road in a 2014 Nissan Frontier truck when he “disregarded” a stop sign and collided with a 2018 Volvo XC90 SUV, the Fairfax County Police Department reported today (Monday).
“The impact caused the Volvo to spin then collide with a highway sign in the median and into the guardrail,” the FCPD said.
While the police news release didn’t mention a cross-street, scanner traffic on Open MHz indicates that the crash occurred north of the Occoquan bridge.
“A complaintant passed by, giving more information [about] a black truck spinning out, blocking two lanes on southbound 123, a bit more north at…Workhouse [Road],” a dispatcher said at 9:44 a.m.
According to police, South was transported to a hospital, where he died yesterday (Sunday).
The Volvo driver and passengers were also taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, the FCPD said.
“Preliminarily, speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the crash,” police said.
South is the 12th person to die as a result of a vehicle crash that didn’t involve a pedestrian in Fairfax County this year, exceeding the 10 such deaths that had occurred at this time last year, according to the FCPD.
He was among two fatalities from the past weekend, joining a pedestrian who was killed on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in the Merrifield area yesterday.
(Updated at 4:45 pm) Local police have arrested a man suspected of crashing a stolen car into a Lorton home earlier this morning at around 4:40 a.m.
Nico Anthony Doublet, 32, was arrested today (Thursday), after a community-led search.
The car drove into a home in the area of Cumbria Valley Drive and Derwent Valley Court. The suspect was wearing dark clothing and a surgical mask. He is described as a Black male in his 20s.
Police said the man was seen taking things from various cars in the neighborhood. Police attempted to stop the man in the act, but he sped away in the stolen car — which was taken from the neighborhood.
Officers followed him on foot, after which the man crashed into an electrical transformer near the house. The house and car then caught fire.
No injuries were reported, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Officers are in the area of Cumbria Valley Dr. and Derwent Valley Ct. in Lorton, for a stolen car that drove into a house. The suspect is described as a B/M in his 20s, wearing dark clothing and a surgical mask. There are no injuries at this time. Call 911 w/ info. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/O0SYYL3Qom
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 7, 2023
Fairfax County is making another push to fund pedestrian safety improvements at Shrevewood Elementary School in Idylwood.
The long-gestating crosswalks project is one of five that the Fairfax County Department of Transportation intends to submit to the state for funding consideration under the federal Transportation Alternatives grant program.
“This program invests in community-based projects that expand non-motorized travel choices and enhance the transportation experience by improving the cultural, historical and environmental aspect of the transportation infrastructure,” FCDOT said in a press release last week.
For fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1, 2024, the department will request a total of $9.2 million to fill walkway gaps to the Mason Neck Trail in Lorton, add a shared-use path on Compton Road in Centreville, and support three Safe Routes to Schools projects — a program that encourages students to walk and bike to school.
Shrevewood Elementary School — Safe Routes to School
- Total estimated cost: $2.99 million
- Grant request: $1.14 million
Part of a larger effort to improve safety in the Shreve Road corridor after a fatal crash in 2019, this project will add marked crosswalks at Fairwood Lane, the school’s eastern driveway and across Virginia Lane at Virginia Avenue. The Fairwood Lane crosswalk will include a pedestrian refuge island.
FCDOT says the crosswalks “will provide neighborhood access to school amenities” and the nearby Washington & Old Dominion Trail.
Bush Hill Elementary School — Safe Routes to School
- Total estimated cost: $3.66 million
- Grant request: $1.86 million
Approximately 850 feet of sidewalk will be added on Bush Hill Drive between Ninian Avenue and Larno Avenue in Rose Hill.
“Completing this missing sidewalk link will improve safety and accessibility for children walking and bicycling to school,” FCDOT said.
Lake Braddock Secondary School — Safe Routes to School
- Total estimated cost: $2.55 million
- Grant request: $2.04 million
Crosswalks and a pedestrian signal will be constructed at the school’s entrance on Burke Lake Road. The project will also reconstruct a sidewalk on the road’s south side to be 6 feet wide and bring six ramps up to ADA standards.
Mason Neck Trail
- Total estimated cost: $13.96 million
- Grant request: $1.7 million
The project will build missing pieces of the walkway along Gunston Road from Richmond Highway (Route 1) to the existing trail.
Compton Road Walkway
- Total estimated cost: $9.3 million
- Grant request: $2.5 million
Approximately 550 feet of a 10-foot-wide, paved shared use path will be added on the east side of Compton Road, connecting the Cub Run Stream Valley Trail with an existing path crossing to the Bull Run Regional Events Center’s entrance.
The project will also widen a bridge over Cub Run to accommodate the shared use path.
FCDOT Communications Specialist Lynn Krolowitz noted that the grant request amounts could be revised if the project cost estimates changed before the applications are finalized in October.
“FCDOT select projects based on several factors such as program eligibility criteria and project readiness requirements, the need of continued funding for existing projects, and previous Board approval/consideration, which assumes some level of public involvement,” Krolowitz said in an email to FFXnow.
To be eligible for Transportation Alternatives grants, projects must have already gotten public feedback, be ready for design, require less than four years of construction, have a “logical” endpoint — such as an existing sidewalk or a road intersection — and be beneficial even if no other improvements are made in the area, according to FCDOT.
Three of the projects under consideration in this round, including the Shrevewood project, have previously gotten the grants, giving them priority in the selection process, Krolowtiz says.
FCDOT will host a virtual public input meeting to discuss the proposed projects at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).
Image via Google Maps
Updated at 4:45 p.m. — The Tornado Warning was terminated early at 4:33 p.m., but Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood warnings remain in effect until around 5 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., respectively.
Updated at 4:25 p.m. — A Tornado Warning has also been issued until 4:45 p.m.
“At 418 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Franconia, or over Springfield, moving northeast at 25 mph,” the National Weather Service said.
Updated at 4:20 p.m. — The Flash Flood Warning has been expanded to include the Tysons area, Vienna and Annandale.
Earlier: This afternoon’s rush-hour commute will be a wet one.
A thunderstorm has reached Fairfax County, and it could bring some flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency has issued a Flash Flood Warning specifically for the southern half of the county and the Fairfax City area. The alert will be in effect until 8 p.m.
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the NWS said. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Basement flooding can occur quickly and create a life-threatening situation. If you are in a basement, or a residence below street level, move to a higher floor immediately.”
[8/14/23 3:57P M] Fairfax County is currently in a FLASH FLOOD WARNING until 8:00 PM EDT. pic.twitter.com/jN2YCPJtLB
— Ready Fairfax (@ReadyFairfax) August 14, 2023
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is also in effect until 4:30 p.m., affecting the Fort Belvoir, Mount Vernon and Lorton areas.
According to the NWS, radar showed “a severe thunderstorm” moving northeast at 20 mph from Quantico at 4:02 p.m. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph are possible.
“Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches to fall,” the agency warns. “This could injure those outdoors, as well as damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by downed trees. Localized power outages are possible. Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.”
The full Flash Flood Warning is below:
* Flash Flood Warning for…Southern Fairfax County in northern Virginia…Prince William County in northern Virginia…The City of Fairfax in northern Virginia…
* Until 800 PM EDT.
* At 353 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain developing across the warned area. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash
flooding is expected to begin shortly.HAZARD…Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE…Radar.
IMPACT…Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include…
Centreville…Dale City… Annandale…Springfield… Fairfax…Fort Hunt… Groveton…Huntington… Mantua…Fort Belvoir… Woodbridge…Quantico… Lake Ridge…Burke… Oakton…Lincolnia… Montclair…
Lorton… Franconia…This includes the following Flood Prone Roads:
Woodburn Road at Accotink Creek…Fairfax Boulevard at Oak Street…Fairfax Boulevard at University Drive…Pickett Rd at Accotink Creek near Old Pickett Rd… Mine Road and Cameron Street…
Oakton residents will have a new Tex-Mex restaurant in their stretch of Fairfax County at the end of the month.
Taco Rock will be moving into a 3,206-square-foot space at the Oakton Shopping Center (2930 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 102) by the end of August, Divaris Real Estate Assistant Vice President Christopher Saa confirmed via email.
“If you’re looking for a great atmosphere, amazing cocktails and hands down the best tacos and street food, Taco Rock is where you want to be,” Saa said in a February press release. “Mike and his team have created a super cool concept that has proved itself in the market. We are excited to see what the future holds and are in expansion mode as we speak.”
Last year, Taco Rock told FFXnow that it would also be opening a new location at Liberty Market, a mixed-use development in Lorton, occupying approximately 2,770 square feet of space at the center that also houses grocer Lidl.
The press release from Feb. 13 notes that the Lorton storefront is set to open this fall, which will make it the fifth Taco Rock to hit Northern Virginia, alongside locations in Rosslyn, Alexandria and Falls Church.
Founded in 2019 by Chef Mike Cordero, his sons Nick and Anthony Cordero and partner Chef Stefano Marzano, Taco Rock is best known for its blue corn tortilla tacos and ice cream churro sandwiches accompanied by rock and roll music.
Cordero Hospitality employs over 300 people in Northern Virginia, the press release says.
The arrival of one of the largest indoor ski facilities in the world to Fairfax County is still up in the air.
Alpine-X, a Tysons-based company, had hoped to file plans late last year to lease land at the county-owned I-95 landfill in Lorton for the public-private project called Fairfax Peak.
“Market changes” pushed that goal back, according to Alpine-X Chief Financial Officer Jim Calder.
“We’re hoping to have a better sense of timing in the next three months,” Calder said.
“The current markets/inflationary construction costs have impacted our timeline,” a spokesperson for the company told FFXnow. “However, our goal is to transition to rapid development as soon as these factors improve.”
Alpine-X filed a proposal in 2018 to build the 450,000-square-foot snow sports facility with a 1,700-foot ski slope.
Other features of the proposed snow sports complex might include multiple ski slopes, a water park, gravity ropes course, areas for skiing and snowboarding, restaurants, a gondola, a luxury hotel and a gravity-powered mountain coaster, according to the submitted proposal.
In December 2021, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to extend the negotiation period between the county and the company until Dec. 31, 2023.
A vacant property along I-95 near Lorton Marketplace may not be vacant for much longer.
Milestone Properties is pitching either a recycling center or storage facility for the nearly three-acre site at 9420 Gunston Cove Road, which is currently home to a 75-foot retaining wall that will remain on the property.
The applicant is considering three options for the property: a recycling center, storage yard, or storage for building materials and sales purposes.
The recycling center operation would involve buying scrap metal from demolition and construction projects in the area. Metal would be consolidated and sold wholesale to users. A dozen employees would work at the site, with roughly 10 to 15 daily deliveries from contractors dropping off scrap metal.
The second option would also require up to 15 employees but would only involve the storage of construction and landscaping equipment, along with other large items. No sales of goods will occur on site, according to the application.
The final use would involve storage and sales of lumber, rock, gravel, landscaping and other materials. Sales would be allowed but not to the general public.
So far, Milestone Properties wants to phase the uses. In the first phase, a trailer with an office, two 90-foot truck scales, and outdoor storage in three locations would be provided. The plan calls for 21 parking spaces and three loading spots.
The second phase will consist of a nearly 16,000-square-foot building. The 40-foot-tall building would contain most of the storage areas.
The application is in the early phases of Fairfax County’s proposal process and has not yet been formally accepted for review.
Photo via Google Maps
(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) A massive fire broke out last night (Monday) at the Rainwater Landfill on Richmond Highway in Lorton, occupying Fairfax County firefighters for hours.
As of 9 a.m., the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department remains on scene in the 9900 block of Richmond Highway after units were dispatched to a reported outside fire at 11:03 p.m.
The department reported at 5:47 a.m. that the fire had been contained, but smoke was still visible from Route 1 and I-95.
Given the size of the fire, it will be at least 24 hours before investigators can determine a cause, FCFRD spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt told FFXnow.
“The fire was contained to the landfill,” Hildebrandt said, describing the site as an area for construction debris rather than a trash landfill.
Established in 1969, Rainwater Topsoil & Recycled Concrete provides mulch, soil, construction and other debris disposal services to Northern Virginia, according to its website.
The mulch section of the landfill appears to have been most affected, since the fire department says the site is “mainly logs & brush.”
“Due to the amount of smoke generated, HazMat units conducted atmospheric monitoring. All readings are within normal levels,” the FCFRD said at 12:25 p.m.
Around 11pm #FCFRD units responded to a landfill in the 9900 blk of Richmond Hwy in Lorton for reports of an outside fire. Crews are actively working to get the large volume fire under control & will be on scene for an extended period of time. Smoke is visible from Rte 1 & I-95. pic.twitter.com/d9sLBnKfuC
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 6, 2023
UPDATE 9900 Richmond Hwy: The fire is under control. The landfill is mainly logs & brush. Due to the amount of smoke generated, HazMat units conducted atmospheric monitoring. All readings are within normal levels. Crews to remain on scene to assist w/ extinguishment efforts. pic.twitter.com/0nDFtDB0nM
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 6, 2023
