(Updated on 7/1/2022 with new image and clarification on changes made to initial plans) The Fairfax County Planning Commission has approved a redevelopment of the former Fannie Mae campus in Reston after nearly seven weeks of sorting through multiple issues with the proposed plan.
At a meeting last night (Wednesday), the commission voted 10-1 in favor of the project, even though county staff recommended denial.
A slew of new laws are taking effect in Virginia tomorrow (July 1), including a ban on police ticket quotas, a requirement for licenses to deliver alcohol, and a new allowance for hunting on Sundays.
The 2022 General Assembly session finally wrapped this month with the approval of a new budget. All in all, about 800 laws were passed by the legislative body and signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin this year, including some from local lawmakers.
Riverbend Park in Great Falls debuted a new $1.3 million maintenance shop this week.
The Fairfax County Park Authority and other stakeholders celebrated the opening of the facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday (June 28).
Metro Warns of Hour-Long Waits for July 4 — “Due to the reduced number of railcars available for service, capacity on Metrorail will be less than previous Independence Days. That means customers should be prepared for longer wait times, up to 60 minutes, and for crowding to occur, especially at the conclusion of the fireworks.” [WMATA]
Unhealthy Air Possible Today — “Code Orange unhealthy air is forecast for tomorrow (Thursday) for the metropolitan Washington region. Area residents are encouraged to limit outdoor activities.” [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments/Twitter]
Outback Steakhouse will celebrate its grand opening on Tuesday (July 5), moving up the street from its previous location in the Town of Herndon.
The new 6,543-square-foot restaurant at 365 Elden Street features a large bar area and dining room. The current location at 150 Elden Street closed yesterday (Tuesday).
As Fairfax County finalizes its first-ever plan to address the future effects of climate change, community members can see how the phenomenon already affects them with a newly released interactive map.
Launched last week, the climate map depicts heat and flooding data that can be viewed in conjunction with maps of the county’s population and infrastructure, including roads, utilities, and public facilities.
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) This weekend through next week is set to be full of fireworks, parades and celebrations for the Fourth of July.
In D.C., the National Parade returns for the first time since 2019 after the Covid pandemic canceled the festivities in 2020 and 2021. Nearby, the City of Alexandria is holding its annual birthday celebration on Saturday, July 9, after it was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and scaled back last year.
A South American restaurant that specializes in street food is set to open later this year in Reston’s Plaza America.
Maizal plans to open on Halloween, according to the company’s marketing director Patrick Mika.
(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) Kitten Rescued in Groveton — Fairfax County firefighters from the Woodlawn station were dispatched to the 7000 block of Richmond Highway on Monday (June 27) after bystanders reported a stray kitten that got stuck in the engine compartment of their coworker’s SUV. First responders were able to “extriCATe the kitten without injury or damage to vehicle,” and a coworker of the original caller agreed to adopt the kitten. [FCFRD/Facebook]
(Correction: This article initially said the kitten was adopted by a firefighter, based on the department’s tweet about the incident.)
Information on reproductive rights resources will be posted to the Fairfax County website in light of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Last week’s decision leaves it up to individual states to determine regulations for abortions. Some states have trigger laws that went into immediate effect to ban abortions, but Virginia is not one of those states, though the governor has said he will seek to prohibit most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
