News

Space in Herndon’s Woodland Park neighborhood that was previously approved for office uses could flip instead into a mostly residential building.

The Texas-based developer Trammell Crow Residential has purchased the contract for a little over three acres of vacant land at the intersection of the Dulles Airport Access Road and Monroe Street so it can construct an apartment building with 320 units and nearly 118,000 square feet of storage space.


Around Town

The Washington West Film Festival will be cooking with Kevin Bacon when it returns to Fairfax County next month for its 13th year.

The “Footloose” star is set to visit the county both virtually and in-person as part of the philanthropic festival, which announced a varied lineup of movies this week that will screen from Oct. 10-13 at Look Dine-In Cinemas in Reston (11940 Market Street) and Tysons (1667 Silver Hill Drive).


News

A pair of office buildings built in Herndon’s McNair area at the turn of the millennium may soon be replaced with hundreds of homes.

The developer Mandrake Capital Partners is seeking to build 240 townhomes and 18 multifamily units on roughly 12 acres of land at the southwestern corner of the Dulles Technology Drive and Sunrise Valley Driver intersection, according to an application submitted to Fairfax County on Sept. 13.


An I-95 exit out of the Springfield Mixing Bowl (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Man Found Shot Near Herndon Park — “Police are investigating a shooting that occurred Sunday evening in the vicinity of Hutchinson Park.” Officers found a 21-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the lower body in the 13000 block of Parcher Avenue. A preliminary investigation indicated that he was shot during a fight that “broke out near where the man was found.” [Patch]

Construction to Start on Mount Vernon Apartments — Developer Elm Street Communities anticipates starting site work on its new residential building between Richmond Highway and Buckman Road within the next couple of weeks. The 280-unit Elms Mount Vernon apartments are “the first phase of the broader Mount Vernon Gateway project.” [On the MoVe]

Herndon Police See Tire-Slashing Spree — “Herndon PD has received calls for multiple tires slashed in town over the past week and half. A total of 15 vehicles have been identified at the following locations: 9/14/2024: 3rd Street/Stanton Park Court, 9/14/2024: 1100-blk Casper Court [and] 9/19: 12900-blk Alton Square.” [Herndon PD/Instagram]

Fairfax Block Party Raises Funds to Fight Cancer — A Fairfax neighborhood raised over $87,000 for the Pancreatic Action Network with a block party that drew over 400 people. The tradition began last summer to help a resident’s relative Kyle, who died this past June from pancreatic cancer. Organizers decided “to continue their tradition in honor of Kyle’s memory by raising funds for others going through their own cancer journeys.” [WUSA9]

GMU to Accept Students Without Applications — “Some Northern Virginia seniors will be admitted to George Mason University without having to fill out an application, as part of a pilot program that aims to address the falling number of underrepresented students applying to college. The initiative, which is part of the university’s Direct Admissions Program, includes a partnership with several D.C.-area school divisions.” [WTOP]

County to Extend Lease for Wellness Services — At its meeting today (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to authorize an Oct. 22 public hearing on a lease extension for Inova Health Care Services. Inova has leased the top floor of the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health in Merrifield since 2015 for community wellness services. [Gazette Leader]

Reston Eye Doctor Wins Lottery Money — “A Reston optometrist was blown away after winning $195,543 on the Virginia Lottery’s VIP game recently…[Dr. Michael] Khalil, who works at the Khalil Eye Care in the North Point Village Center in Reston, has no immediate plans for his winnings.” [Patch]

It’s Tuesday — Scattered showers and cloudy skies are expected with a high near 70 and an east wind of 6 to 9 mph; the chance of precipitation is 40%. Tuesday night will have a 50% chance of scattered showers and potential thunderstorms after 2 am with a low around 65. [NWS]


Around Town

Though fall hasn’t officially arrived yet, Reston is already dreaming of hot cocoa and snow in anticipation of the return of Winterfest.

Reston Association announced last Tuesday (Sept. 17) that the three-day festival will return on Dec. 5, 6 and 7 from 5-7 p.m. at Brown’s Chapel Park (1575 Browns Chapel Road).


News

A Fredericksburg man was arrested and charged last week in connection with sexual assaults that allegedly occurred over 40 years ago at a horse farm in Great Falls.

Edward Shelton, 81, turned himself in to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday, Sept. 19, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.


An arts and crafts exhibit set up for the Taste of Thai Festival at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Early Voting Brings Out Crowds in Fairfax County — “Lines were long at early voting locations, including at the Fairfax County Government Center where hundreds stretched from the front door to the parking lot.” Fairfax County general registrar and director of elections Eric Spicer called the turnout for the first day of early voting in the Nov. 5 general election “record-breaking territory.” [WTOP]

Missing Campaign Signs Under Investigation — “When Mayor Catherine Read and a member of the City of Fairfax Democratic Committee arrived at City Hall around 7:35 a.m. on Friday, they discovered that someone had removed campaign signs they’d placed outside the polls on Thursday.” The missing Harris-Walz signs, which appeared to have been replaced with Trump signs, were reported to police. [Patch]

Guns Stolen from Newington Store — Fairfax County police are searching for four people who allegedly stole 14 guns from Dominion Defense on Fullerton Road around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 18). The theft of over 50 guns from the same store in May led to prison sentences for two men who pleaded guilty to the crime. [WUSA9]

Kids Design New Fairfax City Voting Stickers — “Since 2020, the City of Fairfax has given voters and future voters custom stickers at the polls. These stickers are designed by city students. The city has selected new stickers for the Nov. 5 General Election, and the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts and the City of Fairfax Electoral Board honored the two young artists who created them at a special reception on Sept. 17.” [City of Fairfax]

Floor and Wall Store Opens in Bailey’s Crossroads — “A huge store that sells almost nothing except flooring and wall materials had a grand opening on Sept. 19 in Bailey’s Crossroads. Floor & Decor took over two large commercial spaces formerly occupied by A.C. Moore and Bed Bath & Beyond at the Crossroads Center on Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]

Mental Health Crisis Center Helps Address Trauma — “When [Wellness Circle Crisis Stabilization Unit Program Manager Amy] Miller and her staff began to track trends in the behaviors and needs of the individuals they were serving, the demand for a specialized program that addressed trauma was at the top of the priority list…The Trauma Resilience Program launched at Wellness Circle earlier this year.” [Fairfax-Falls Church CSB]

South Lakes Kicker Breaks Barrier — “Lila Jaster is the first girl to ever score a point in a football game for South Lakes, whose program dates back to the mid-1970s.” The junior varsity kicker first made a point-after kick against Falls Church High School last year, and she had a repeat on Friday (Sept. 20) when South Lakes High School enlisted her to make the kick with a 28-point lead. [Patch]

It’s Monday — Expect drizzle in the area starting around 11am, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 72. The drizzle will continue into Monday night, mainly between 11pm and 2am, while it remains cloudy and the temperature lowers to approximately 62 . [NWS]


Countywide

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wants to change how it assesses transportation impacts by switching from an automobile-focused methodology to a more inclusive approach.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is working on a Comprehensive Transportation Analysis (CTA) to collect data and identify the trade-offs between different modes of transportation, FCDOT planner Tim Kutz told the board during a transportation committee meeting on Tuesday (Sept. 17).


Around Town

Herndon foodies will soon have a more convenient option for tasting chef Peter Chang’s creations.

Peter Chang Herndon is set to open on Saturday, Sept. 28 in Arrowbrook Centre, the mixed-use development near Innovation Center Metro station, the restaurant announced yesterday (Thursday).


Countywide

Early voting for the Nov. 5 general election in Fairfax County kicks off today (Friday) at three polling locations.

Voters will not only be deciding between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump in the presidential race, but also choosing candidates for Congress and, for Herndon residents, the town’s mayor and six council members. Several bond referenda and a proposed amendment to Virginia’s constitution will also be on the ballot.


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