Fairfax County planning staff appear to agree with many neighboring residents that Reston National Golf Course should remain a golf course.
Property owner War Horse Cities and developer NVR’s proposal to replace the 168-acre golf course at 11875 Sunrise Valley Drive with housing and parkland or other public uses is among eight potential Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan amendments not recommended for advancement in a staff report.
Vienna’s Planning Commission offered little enthusiasm last week about the prospect of replacing a single-family home with a group of townhouses.
At a meeting on Wednesday (April 23), the commission voted to defer a vote on a plan to replace a home at 128 Nutley Street with nine townhouses.
Displaced Businesses Win Concessions — VHC Health “has agreed to assist the small businesses it’s displacing from” West Falls Church’s Graham Center to make way for an ER and urgent care facility. After a campaign led by the Viet Place Collective, “VHC extended the deadline to vacate the property from March 30 to May 15. VHC also promised to return tenants’ security deposits and fully cover the cost of junk removal.” [Annandale Today]
Retired Cop Intervened in Robbery Attempt in Huntington — “A retired D.C. police officer on his way to work Thursday says he stopped by his neighborhood store and walked right into a robbery in progress. He says he pulled his weapon, told the suspect to freeze and shared with police what he saw after the man ran.” [NBC4]
Reston Community Advocate Dies — “Community activist and attorney Barbara Cheryl Terio-Simon, the widow of Reston founder Robert E. Simon Jr., died peacefully on Friday, according to her daughter, Karen Terio.” In addition to serving Reston Association and other organizations, she “was instrumental” in getting Lake Anne Village Center designated as a national historic place. [Patch]
Multiple Failures Contributed to Fatal DCA Crash, Review Finds — “One error did not cause the worst domestic crash in the United States in nearly a quarter-century. Modern aviation is designed to have redundancies and safeguards that prevent a misstep, or even several missteps, from being catastrophic. On Jan. 29, that system collapsed.” [New York Times]
Federal Funding Cuts Could Affect Virginia Parks — “Virginia boasts several trails, parks and historic landmarks that fall under park service management which could be impacted. State officials hope park tourism stays strong because of the millions it generates, and park officials are trying to manage expectations with less resources.” [VCU Capital News Service/Inside NoVA]
FCPD Shares Drug Take Back Day Results — “On Saturday, our district stations partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies to collect nearly 1,000 pounds of expired medications and prescription drugs from our community.” The haul was led by the Reston Police District Station, which collected 257 pounds of drugs. [FCPD]
GMU Receives $20 Million Donation — “A Fairfax County business woman has made a $20 million donation to George Mason University, the university announced Friday. The Kimmy Duong Foundation made the donation to support a department in the university’s College of Engineering and Computing; it will be renamed the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong School of Computing.” [Virginia Business]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny weather and a high near 85 with a south wind at 9-14 mph, gusting up to 25 mph. At night, there’s a 20% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms. Night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 67, and south winds similar to the daytime. [NWS]
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and saluted the Vietnamese American community’s vital role in the local area and nation.
“We honor all the contributions that the Vietnamese American community makes to Fairfax County on an everyday basis,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said when presenting a resolution at an April 22 meeting. “Anywhere you go in Fairfax County, you can see this.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly, who has represented Virginia’s 11th district for nearly 20 years, will not seek another term in Congress, he announced today (Monday).
The 75-year-old congressman, who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer late last year, has seen a re-emergence of the illness, according to a statement.
Great Falls is one of 233 communities nationwide where the value of a typical “starter home” now tops $1 million, according to a new Zillow analysis.
At just over $1.2 million, the typical value of a Great Falls starter home is six times the national average. Great Falls is the lone Virginia community to make the 2025 list.
A motorcycle rider died in a fiery crash yesterday (Sunday) after allegedly speeding on I-66, police say.
According to the Virginia State Police (VSP), a trooper spotted a motorcyclist traveling over 100 mph on eastbound I-66 near Nutley Street in Merrifield at around 12:09 a.m.
Arrest in Armed Robberies at Fairfax County Store — “The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) said a man from Maryland was charged with armed robbery.” [DC News Now]
McLean Baseball Team Works to Defend State Title — “After a close loss to Washington-Liberty, the Highlanders are 11-4 as the postseason nears.” [Washington Post]
Fairfax County Students Advocate for After-School Programming — “The county’s Middle School After-School Program is on the chopping block in the proposed fiscal 2026 budget as the county faces a $300 million shortfall.” [Inside NoVa]
Get Your Real ID, Without a Trip to the DMV — “These pop-up events offer many of the same services as a standard DMV office.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature near 75 during the day, with initially north winds at 5 mph calming in the morning. In the evening, it will be mostly clear with a low around 54, accompanied by a south wind from 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
At their first meeting after a stabbing at West Potomac High School this week, School Board members said safety and the Fairfax County Public Schools budgets are inextricably linked.
School Board members expressed sympathy for staff, students and families affected by the stabbing, but also used it as a rallying cry in an ongoing budget battle with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Consideration of a meals tax has gained most of the attention this budget cycle, but Fairfax County supervisors also are looking at increasing the transient-occupancy tax paid on hotel stays.
If adopted next month, the increase from 4% to 6% on stays of less than 30 days will raise an additional $13 million in the coming fiscal year, said Phil Hagen, director of the county’s Department of Management and Budget.
