The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors hopes to preserve a smaller version of Lake Accotink, but a number of questions still need to be answered before it commits to a specific action plan.

At Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw’s request, the board directed staff yesterday (Tuesday) to begin a series of studies to flesh out a task force’s determination that it would be feasible for the county to save 20 to 40 acres of the Springfield lake as opposed to fully dredging it or allowing it to disappear.

“This has been closely coordinated with staff, so they’re aware of all of this,” Walkinshaw said prior to the unanimous board vote. “I believe we should proceed with the smaller lake option unless the feasibility study identifies unforeseen hurdles.”

In addition to a feasibility study that will look at the process, costs, implementation timeline and other factors of the potential project, the county will conduct a sedimentation rate study to get updated calculations of how much sediment is flowing into and out of Lake Accotink. A separate analysis will assess whether the man-made dam that created the lake meets Virginia’s current regulatory standards and the cost of any needed improvements.

To support the studies, the board told staff to develop a community engagement plan and assign a Department of Public Works and Environmental Services employee to coordinate the work, either by creating a new position or repurposing an existing one.

The county has already committed $60.5 million to Lake Accotink in its capital improvement program (CIP), according to Walkinshaw’s board matter. Approved in 2019 and 2021 to help dredge and maintain the lake, the funds will be continued in the next CIP, which is slated to be unveiled on Feb. 20 with the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget.

“I think we’re in a much better spot now than we were just a few weeks ago,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said. “I am very interested in the feasibility study not just looking at the initial costs of preserving Lake Accotink as a smaller lake, but also the ongoing maintenance costs and future capital costs.”

Lake Accotink Park (7500 Accotink Park Road) is one of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s most popular facilities, in part because of the boat rentals offered by its marina. However, the once-110-acre lake has shrunk to 49 acres due to sentiment transported by Accotink Creek, according to the Lake Accotink Task Force report released in December.

After previously planning to dredge the lake, a process undertaken in 1985 and 2008, county staff recommended last February that the lake instead be turned into a wetland, stating that the projected cost and neighborhood and environmental impacts no longer made dredging viable.

As community members urged the county to save Lake Accotink, the Board of Supervisors convened a task force led by former board chair Sharon Bulova to study if a smaller lake could be feasibly maintained with an initial, partial dredge, followed by regular maintenance dredges.

The task force studied the possibility of a 22-acre, 33-acre or 41-acre lake and found all of them could work, preserving the lake for recreation “while minimizing maintenance costs and impacts on surrounding communities,” Walkinshaw said in his board matter.

The smaller lake could be supplemented by trails, a managed wetland and other new amenities, the task force suggested. After the new feasibility study is completed, the park authority will restart a master planning process that was put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Depending on the exact size of the lake, the task force estimated that it could cost $24 to $34 million for an initial dredge that would restore a depth of 4-8 feet, but future maintenance costs are expected to be far lower than the $395 million that the county says it would take to preserve the full lake for the next 25 years, Walkinshaw noted.

Lingering questions include how to transport and dispose of the dredged sediment. A task force member suggested the Robinson Terminal Warehouse (7201 Wimsatt Road) as a processing site, but the property owners have made it “pretty clear they weren’t interested” when approached by county staff, according to Walkinshaw.

“Obviously, as this moves forward, all the potential processing sites will have to be reevaluated. For the time being, that’s been affirmed no,” he said.

Board Chairman Jeff McKay called the vote to initiate the feasibility study “a big step” in a discussion that’s been ongoing since 2016.

“Making sure the community knows where we’re heading is really critical here,” McKay said. “We still have some t’s to cross and i’s to dot here. This is a milestone moment, but not the end by any stretch of the imagination, and I know this will continue to be an issue of countywide importance until it’s resolved.”

TGI Fridays has shuttered another Fairfax County location.

The chain’s restaurant in Springfield Commons at 6751 Frontier Drive permanently closed on Tuesday, Jan. 2, part of a slew of closures that took effect nationwide that day.

“We regret to inform you that Fridays has made the difficult decision to close our doors at Springfield VA effective Jan. 2,” a notice posted to the restaurant’s door said. “We are extremely grateful to our loyal Guests and our Team Members at our Springfield restaurant.”

A generic version of that message was sent to local members of TGI Fridays’ loyalty rewards program. One member told FFXnow that they had visited the Springfield location just last Friday (Dec. 29) and saw no indications of the impending closure.

The Jan. 2 closures targeted 36 restaurants across the U.S. that were “underperforming,” TGI Fridays announced on Wednesday (Dec. 3). Locations in Manassas, Woodbridge’s Potomac Mills shopping mall and Fredericksburg were also affected, according to the company’s guest relations team.

The company said more than 1,000 employees, or over 80% of those affected, were offered the option to transfer to a different location.

“Our top priority has always been delivering a superior experience for each and every TGI Fridays guest, and we’ve identified opportunities to optimize and streamline our operations to ensure we are best positioned to meet — and exceed — on that brand promise,” TGI Fridays U.S. President and Chief Operating Officer Ray Risley said in a statement. “By strengthening our franchise model and closing underperforming stores, we are creating an unprecedented opportunity for Fridays to drive forward its vision for the future.”

TGI Fridays had been at Springfield Commons since at least 2007, according to the location’s Yelp page, where it has an average rating of just 2.2 stars.

The 6,830-square-foot space is now available for leasing. Rappaport, which manages and leases the strip mall, told the Washington Business Journal that it’s actively seeking a tenant for the storefront, which is adjacent to a recently opened Pure Hockey store.

This round of closures was preceded by TGI Fridays shutting down its Fair Lakes location late last year. That restaurant at 12249 Fair Lakes Promenade Drive will be replaced by First Watch, a daytime cafe expected to open this summer.

Costco is fueling up to expand its Springfield location with a new 12-pump gas station.

In a proposal submitted to Fairfax County on Dec. 15, Costco Whole Corp. says it wants to demolish a vacant, two-story office building next to its warehouse at 7373 Boston Blvd and replace it with the fueling station, which would be open for Costco members only.

To move forward with the plan, Costco would consolidate two parcels of land, adding roughly 9,300 square feet of usable space to its property.

“The consolidation of Parcel 24 and Parcel C would allow the Applicant to redevelop the currently vacant office building with a state-of-the-art members-only vehicle fueling station and integrate all 17.61 acres into the Costco Wholesale retail experience with the same departments and features Costco includes in any new developments and which exist in all of their other locations in Fairfax County,” the application said.

The application emphasizes that the changes, if approved, would actually reduce the overall density of the site.

Access to Costco — which is currently provided at two points on Boston Blvd. — would not be impacted by the proposal.

At the western entrance to the property, an existing entry to the office building would be repurposed as an entry point, “seamlessly integrating it into the consolidated Costco retail center.”

“This consolidation ensures continuity in site accessible while enhancing overall operational efficiency,” the application said.

The fueling station would have 24 fueling positions and a 8,100-square-foot fuel canopy.

The proposal is under review but hasn’t been officially accepted by county planners yet. Costco is also seeking to expand its heavily used retail warehouse at 4725 West Ox Road in the Fairfax area.

Image via Google Maps

Customers that bank at Truist in Reston and Springfield may soon have to make some changes.

The company, Truist Financial Corp., plans to close its Reston (11100 South Lakes Drive) and Springfield (6810 Commerce Street) locations early next year.

The closures were disclosed in a letter to customers in this month, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Here’s more on the closures from the WBJ:

A Truist spokesperson said declines in foot traffic and transaction volume in its branches drove the decision to close these locations, along with others it’s shuttering in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other markets within its footprint. On average, there’s another Truist branch within about a mile of any location it’s closing, the spokesperson said.

There will also be layoffs associated with the move, though the company didn’t specify how many. A spokesperson said the bank is “committed to supporting teammates affected by these branch closures through this transition.” There are some new positions being created at other branches and employees will have “elevated access” to other jobs within Truist, the spokesperson said.

Truist has nearly 200 branches in the D.C. area, 11 of which will close in March. Five of the ones slated for closure in March are in D.C., four are in Prince George’s County and two are in Fairfax County.

Truist’s closure in Reston will give South Lakes Village Center a second vacant bank building. The center owner had proposed turning the first building — which was filled by SunTrust — into a fast-food drive-thru, but the plan was put on hold indefinitely in May.

Image via Google Maps

Any extension of the I-495 Express Lanes along the south side of the Capital Beltway should support additional transit options, Fairfax County leaders stressed in a recent letter to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

VDOT is currently studying options for completing the I-495 toll lanes by expanding them from the I-395/I-95 interchange in Springfield to Maryland Route 210 in Prince George’s County, an approximately 11-mile span that crosses the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Alexandria.

At a meeting on Nov. 21, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a letter to Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sheppard Miller emphasizing the importance of accommodating transit in the project, which is intended to relieve congestion on what VDOT has said is the most heavily traveled segment of the Beltway.

“The County is appreciative that the Commonwealth is assessing solutions on the only interstate segment in Fairfax that does not have a transit benefit at this time,” the board’s letter said. “It is critical that additional travel choices are available in the Capital Beltway Corridor to move the most people as efficiently as possible in this region.”

VDOT staff presented several preliminary concepts at a public meeting on Sept. 12, including the addition of one or two general-purpose or express lanes in each direction or two reversible express lanes that would change direction with rush-hour traffic.

Staff said it has also explored adding a dedicated transit lane for buses and making adjustments that wouldn’t require new construction, such as supporting new bus routes or allowing the existing I-495 shoulders to be used as travel lanes during peak traffic periods. However, the congestion relief benefits would be limited without more space on the highway, according to the study team.

Taking a slightly more open stance than officials in Alexandria City, the Board of Supervisors didn’t comment on specific concepts, but it urged VDOT not to pursue any option that would rule out the possibility of future rail service over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Opened to traffic in May 2008, the bridge was designed with a median to accommodate future transit, not with the expectation of toll lanes, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay noted at the Nov. 21 meeting.

“From an equity standpoint, I do appreciate the fact that this is on the table, because this remains the only piece of interstate highway in Fairfax County that currently has no transit benefit whatsoever,” McKay said. “I acknowledge a failure of past efforts when projects were done to literally cut off this part of the county from the same types of transportation options that other parts of the county now have, including the communities that are sandwiched between the Springfield interchange project and the Woodrow Wilson project.”

According to the board’s letter, Fairfax County staff would support “an interim phase” without rail while Metro continues exploring how to increase capacity on its Blue, Orange and Silver lines, a study that has been underway since 2019 and could conclude by the end of this year. Read More

The best path forward for saving Lake Accotink might to let it shrink, a Fairfax County task force has proposed.

Created by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in May, the 30-person group was charged with exploring alternatives to fully dredging the sediment that has accumulated in the man-made body of water or converting it to a wetland, as recommended earlier this year by county staff.

In a final report delivered to the board yesterday (Tuesday), the Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink suggested that 20 to 40 acres of the lake could be preserved with “a program of regular maintenance dredging,” which would allow kayaking and other water recreation to continue at the popular Springfield park.

The remainder of the lake could be turned into “some combination of a managed wetland and a grassland,” the task force proposed. Originally 110 acres in size, Lake Accotink has already been reduced to 49 acres, thanks to sediment build-up from the area’s development, the report says, citing Fairfax County Park Authority project manager and senior planner Adam Wynn.

“There is no doubt that preserving a smaller lake meets significant community and social goals,” a task force subcommittee charged with analyzing alternatives to a full dredging wrote in the report. “Even a small lake would allow the maintenance of the current marina area, a community gathering place for picnics, birthday parties, and many others who enjoy the calming effects of a lake environment. And, importantly, a small lake would still preserve the beauty that so many find in a lake for generations to come.”

Frequented by over 250,000 visitors a year, Lake Accotink Park (7500 Accotink Park Road) is one of the park authority’s top attractions. It features miles of trails, a carousel, a mini golf course, a picnic area, bicycle rentals and a recently updated playground in addition to a marina, where visitors can rent canoes, kayaks and paddle boats.

However, sediment carried into the lake by Accotink Creek needs to be periodically dredged, a process undertaken in 1985 and 2008. The Board of Supervisors approved a plan in 2019 to conduct an initial $30.5 million dredging operation, followed by annual maintenance dredges that would cost an estimated $2 million per year.

But the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) and its consultant, Arcadis, reported in February that 43% more sediment would need to be removed than initially estimated, and the costs of both the initial dredgings had skyrocketed to roughly $95 million.

The first 20 years of the annual dredging program would require an additional $300 million in funding, according to the February report, which was based on data collected since 2021.

As a result, DPWES staff recommended letting the lake fill up and revisiting the park’s master plan to determine how it might be maintained in the future as a “wetland and/or floodplain forest complex” — a proposal that alarmed community members. Read More

Local police are searching for additional victims after arresting a Falls Church man in connection to two robberies of massage parlors: one that occurred this fall and one from 2021.

Mohamed Tahir, 33, was arrested on Sept. 9 after a reported robbery at Deep Blue Massage (6105 Arlington Blvd) in Seven Corners, the Fairfax County Police Department reported this morning (Friday).

Officers responded to the robbery at 10:52 a.m.

“A man armed with a handgun and taser entered the business, assaulted two employees, and stole money,” the FCPD said. “The two victims were treated for minor injuries at the scene.”

Police identified Tahir as the suspect based on a review of surveillance footage. He was charged with robbery, strangulation and two counts of abduction by force.

According to the FCPD, detectives working on the case realized that Tahir “matched the description and behavior of a suspect in a similar robbery in 2021.”

At 10 p.m. on December 15, 2021, officers responded to a commercial armed robbery at the Blue Therapy Massage, at 5532 Hempstead Way in Springfield. The suspect, armed with a handgun, assaulted and robbed two victims. Through the detective’s investigation, the suspect was not identified.

According to a Fairfax County General District Court clerk, Tahir was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond granted by Judge Michael Lindner at a Nov. 17 hearing. The bond came with a condition that he be supervised and that his attorney be contacted if needed to address medical needs he may have been experiencing.

Police arrested Tahir again yesterday (Thursday) morning on new charges of robbery, abduction by force, strangulation and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection to the December 2021 robbery.

He is now being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center with no bond, the FCPD said.

A preliminary hearing for the Sept. 9 case has been set for next Tuesday (Dec. 5), while a hearing for the 2021 case will be held on March 4, 2024.

The FCPD says its detectives believe there may be additional victims from both cases.

“Detectives encourage victims to come forward regardless of when a crime may have occurred,” the department said in a news release. “Victims can speak with a Victim Services specialist at 703-246-2141.”

Image via Google Maps

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) The federal government has officially decided to review its decision to award the FBI’s new headquarters to Prince George’s County, Maryland, over Fairfax County.

The inspector general’s office for the General Service Administration has initiated an evaluation of the “process and procedures” that led the agency to choose a 61-acre site near the Greenbelt Metro station for the FBI’s future headquarters campus, according to a letter sent to Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) today (Thursday).

“We intend to begin this work immediately and will share with you and the relevant committees a copy of any report which may result from this evaluation,” acting Inspector General Robert Erickson wrote.

The GSA announced on Nov. 9 that the Greenbelt site had prevailed over the former Landover Mall in Prince George’s County and its own Franconia Warehouse Complex (6808 Loisdale Road) in Springfield, concluding a combative search that spanned three presidential administrations.

Local, state and Congressional representatives in Virginia quickly blasted the decision, arguing that the GSA should’ve followed a panel recommendation that identified the Springfield site as the “most advantageous.” Those criticisms coalesced into a call for an investigation after a leaked letter showed that FBI Director Christopher Wray had opposed the Greenbelt location and raised conflict-of-interest concerns.

Wray suggested former GSA Commissioner of Public Buildings Nina Albert may have interfered with the process to favor the Greenbelt site, which is owned by Metro, her previous employer. The GSA disputed Wray’s claims, noting that it had reviewed Albert for possible ethics conflicts in 2021 and found that her history with Metro wasn’t disqualifying.

Warner and fellow senator Tim Kaine welcomed the inspector general’s announcement of an investigation in a joint statement with Virginia’s House of Representatives delegation, including Reps. Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly and Jennifer Wexton.

Given the overwhelming evidence suggesting that the General Services Administration (GSA) administered a site selection process fouled by politics, we agree that an inspector general investigation is the appropriate next step. We applaud the inspector general for moving quickly and encourage him to move forward to complete a careful and thorough review. In the meantime, the GSA must pause all activities related to the relocation until the IG’s investigation is complete.

A spokesperson for the GSA’s Office of the Inspector General confirmed the office has started an evaluation of the headquarters site selection in response to the request from members of Congress, which it is taking seriously.

“All inspectors general regularly receive requests to conduct oversight from Members of Congress and must regularly decide whether the subject matter of the request supports directing OIG resources to answer some, none, or all of the issues raised in the request,” the office said in a statement. “GSA OIG’s decision to start an evaluation reflects the importance of the FBI headquarters project and is consistent with our past work in this area.”

Currently located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in D.C., the FBI has been seeking a replacement for the aging J. Edgar Hoover Building for more than a decade now. The GSA initiated a search in 2012, but it got put on hold during Donald Trump’s presidency.

In a subsequent review, the Justice Department’s inspector general determined that the Trump administration’s push to keep the FBI headquarters in D.C. was not influenced by “improper considerations or motives.”

A Maryland man died early yesterday (Sunday) morning after crashing into the jersey barrier at the Old Keene Mill Road and Backlick Road intersection in Springfield.

Issac Garcia Mendoza, 21, of Oxon Hill was seen driving north on Backlick “at a high rate of speed” around 1:21 a.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

“Mendoza failed to turn onto Old Keene Mill Road and struck the barrier head-on,” the FCPD said in a news release yesterday.

Mendoza, who was driving a 2019 Nissan Rogue, died at the scene of the single-vehicle crash, police said.

At 1:28 a.m., an officer asking for units to shut down Backlick Road said witnesses reported that Mendoza had been driving “about 100 mph and went straight through to the jersey barrier,” according to the police scanner on Open MHz.

Per scanner traffic, Mendoza was pronounced dead at 1:31 a.m.

Police are still investigating whether alcohol or drugs might’ve been a factor in the crash, in addition to speed.

Mendoza is the 15th person to die in a crash not involving pedestrians in Fairfax County this year, the FCPD says. There had been 20 non-pedestrian fatal crashes at this point in 2022.

Detectives from our Crash Reconstructive Unit are on scene of a single-vehicle fatal crash at Backlick Rd and Old Keene Mill Rd in Springfield. The motorist, an adult man, was pronounced deceased on scene.
Preliminary, speed was a factor. Please avoid area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/p0gHyTZkd4

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 19, 2023

Image via Google Maps

Best Buns Bakery and Burgers is set to open its new Springfield location shortly after Thanksgiving Day.

A company representative tells FFXnow that the location is expected to open on Dec. 5 in Concord Shopping Center at 6119A Backlick Road.

The eatery and bakery, which kicked off in 1995, sells baked good and sandwiches, salads and burgers. It has other locations in Shirlington and Tysons.

“The bakery is celebrated for its outstanding hospitality, commitment to quality, and dedication to the art of baking,” the company said in a press release.

A product of Great American Restaurants, Best Buns will offer all-day breakfast, lunch, dinner, pastries and coffee.

Anchored by the grocery store Aldi, Concord Shopping Center is also home to a Planet Fitness, Eleni’s Greek Taverna and Paisano’s Pizza. Best Buns will be located at the end next to the cafe Fonda Latina, replacing Mattress Warehouse.

Great American Restaurants CEO Jon Norton highlighted the shopping center’s proximity to Mike’s American Grill — another one of the restaurant group’s brands — as part of its appeal. Located at 6210 Backlick Road, Mike’s American suffered from a fire on Valentine’s Day this year, but it managed to reopen just a week later.

“We are excited that the next location of Best Buns Bakery & Burgers will be nearby Mike’s American, which has been popular in Springfield since 1987, in a community we love,” Norton said.