A rendering of the future Vienna-Carter Library seen from Maple Avenue and Center Street (via Town of Vienna)
Plans for an expanded public library paired with a new parking garage in the Town of Vienna have been solidified.
The Vienna Town Council voted unanimously on Monday (Oct. 28) to approve Fairfax County’s site plans for the facility — which will be known as the Vienna-Carter Library — even though it fall short of some code requirements for setbacks, tree coverage and loading areas.
A stand sells pumpkins in the parking lot of Merrifield’s Providence Place, which was known until recently as the Pan Am Shopping Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Potomac River Levels Still Below Average — “Flows in the Potomac River have fallen far below normal averages raising the prospect of a continued drought watch in the region and the restarting of daily drought monitoring by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, according to ICPRB executive director Mike Nardolilli.” [WUSA9]
Reston Station Leads Drug Take-Back Day — “On Saturday, our district stations joined forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies to collect 818 pounds of expired medications and prescription drugs from the community during the 27th Annual National Drug Take Back Day Initiative.” [FCPD]
Firefighters Distribute Winter Coats — On Monday, Oct. 28, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department “hosted a winter coat distribution event at FS11, Penn Daw. Firefighters & volunteers distributed approximately 1,800 coats to local schools, shelters, & non-profit groups that will go to deserving kids. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!” [FCFRD/Twitter]
A Look at the Future of Dulles Airport — “Dulles Airport has presented its latest 25-year master plan to the FAA.” Anticipating close to 30 million annual passengers by 2030, the Metropolitan Area Airports Authority is planning for a new runway, a new concourse that’s now under construction, a three-level parking garage and “potentially development like new offices.” [NBC4]
Tysons Korean Steakhouse to Expand — Ingle Korean Steakhouse is planning to open a second restaurant in fall 2025 at 1926 14th Street, NW in downtown D.C. Named one of the 50 best restaurants in Northern Virginia this month, Ingle was started by former Donburi owner James Jang and opened at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons in 2022. [Popville]
Mural Completed in Annandale — “The Annandale community celebrated the completion of the mural at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space with a ribbon-cutting on Oct. 26 … The mural on the [Child Development Center] building is the first in the county’s Paint It, Fairfax! initiative to facilitate murals in commercial revitalization districts.” [Annandale Today]
ArtsFairfax Reports Fundraising Record — The ArtsFairfax Awards, which were held in Tysons last Friday (Oct. 25), “raised a record high” of $200,665 by the end of the event. With fundraising still open, ArtsFairfax says it “intends to raise operating funds in order to dedicate more County funding towards grants to arts and culture partners.” [ArtsFairfax]
Trendy Foods Available at Local Cafes — “Viral TikTok food trends are live at D.C.-area restaurants.” That includes the traditional Chinese dessert tanghulu at Shilla Bakery in Annandale, dirty sodas from Coco’s Sodas and Sweets, and Dubai chocolate from Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee, which can both be found in Vienna. [Axios DC]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 77 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind at about 7 mph. As for Wednesday night, anticipate partly cloudy conditions and a low around 60 degrees, with the southwest wind persisting at approximately 7 mph. [NWS]
Three Robinson players placed at the Girls State Open (file staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
With a strong back-nine finish, Robinson Rams’ golfer Erin Mullin finished second in the Girls State Open golf tournament
The junior shot a 1-under-par round of 69 at the Virginia High School League event on the Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg Monday (Oct. 28). She was two shots behind the winning seven-birdie round of 67 shot by Kathryn Ha from Salem High of Virginia Beach.
A Cybertruck and a Lamborgini set up for a race on Leesburg Pike at Westwood Center Drive in Tysons (via @ccj_media/Instagram)
A Cybertruck and Lamborghini recently took over a block of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in Tysons for a brief speed contest.
One video of the race, which only lasted about five seconds, has accumulated over 57 million views on Twitter since it was posted early this morning (Tuesday), drawing the attention of Tesla and Twitter owner Elon Musk.
The entrance to Ometeo at Capital One Center in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
More than half of Northern Virginia’s top 10 restaurants can be found in Fairfax — either the county or the city, according to one regional magazine.
In its November issue, which hit newsstands last week, Northern Virginia Magazine released its annual ranking of the region’s 50 Best Restaurants, as determined by its four food critics. A few Fairfax establishments have become permanent fixtures, but the 2024 list also includes some first-timers and comebacks.
Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
If you recently got a call claiming you missed jury duty, that’s (likely) not the case.
Fairfax County officials have received an uptick in reports about a scam claiming that residents have missed their jury duty assignments, according to Circuit Court spokesperson Camila Alfonzo Meza.
Najla Drooby urges the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to publicly support a ceasefire in the Middle East (via Fairfax County government video)
Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors seem to be standing firm in staying out of political and military issues in the Mideast.
But that hasn’t stopped community members seeking support for a permanent ceasefire between Israel, Hamas and related players to continue pressing their efforts.
Fall foliage at Wildwood Park in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Plea Deal Expected in Herndon Double Murder Case — “An au pair accused in a double homicide in Northern Virginia will take a plea deal in the case, according to a commonwealth’s attorney spokesperson.” Juliana Peres Magalhaes is scheduled to face a jury trial in November, followed next year by a trial for Brendan Banfield for their alleged roles in the killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. [NBC4]
D.C. Area Rent Increases Highest in U.S. — “The study by the Redfin real estate company found that median rents in the capital region rose by 12 percent between September 2023 and last month, the highest among the regions analyzed. Virginia Beach saw the second-biggest rise, followed by Cleveland, Baltimore and Chicago.” [Washington Post]
Affordable Housing Developer Wanted for Bailey’s Crossroads Site — “Fairfax County plans to issue a request for proposals by the end of 2024 seeking a developer to build affordable housing in Bailey’s Crossroads … It would replace the Crossroads Interim Park at 5872 Columbia Pike between Radley Acura and the market-rate Alta Nova apartment building under construction.” [Annandale Today]
Casino Opponents Skeptical of Economic Benefits — At a community forum on Sunday (Oct. 27), Dranesville Distict Supervisor Jimmy Bierman “disagreed with the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO’s contention that building a casino, performance space and convention center in Tysons would create 5,000 new jobs.” Bierman, who previously expressed opposition to the idea of a Fairfax County casino, argued it would “make the area less attractive to the business community.” [Patch]
Tysons Holiday Pop-Up Store Now Open — “Creative Collective Holiday Pop Up is now open! Meet the makers, artists, designers, and the people behind the brands! Shop small and local this holiday season! We are located on the lower level of Tysons Corner Center, @shoptysons, across from Camp, near Coastal Flats restaurant.” [Creative Collective/Instagram]
Turkish Cafe Opens in Chantilly — “The new Moda Cafe & Bakery has opened in the Route 50 corridor of Chantilly — and it’s bought a luxury vibe to an otherwise nondescript strip mall.” Located in the Chantilly Park Shopping Center, the restaurant has been “getting good reviews for its brunch, lunch, and dinner menus of Turkish-focused cuisine.” [The Burn]
Tysons Development Tracker Updated — “The Tysons Tracker, a community resource for monitoring the growth and development of the Tysons Urban center, is now updated with projects from June 2023 to May 2024.” Highlights include the construction of two new residentialbuildings and the addition of park spaces. [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies, a high temperature near 70°F, and a south wind of 3 to 8 mph during the day. In the evening, anticipate partly cloudy conditions, a low temperature around 53°F, and a south wind of approximately 6 mph. [NWS]