Tysons | FFXnow - Part 505

Published September 27, 2022 at 3:45PM

West Potomac High School students hold signs expressing support for transgender rights (courtesy Adam Ebbin)

Across Fairfax County and Virginia, thousands of students walked out today (Tuesday) in protest of proposed state policies that would limit schools’ ability to support transgender and other gender-nonconforming students.

Students from more than 90 schools, including nearly 30 in Fairfax County, took a stand against policies introduced earlier this month by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin regulating everything from which bathroom a student can use to the definition of “the phrase ‘transgender student.'”

News

Regional Tex-Mex chain is coming to Merrifield’s Gatehouse Plaza

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 27, 2022 at 2:15PM

Guapo's will replace the now-shuttered Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant at Gatehouse Plaza in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A family-owned chain of Tex-Mex restaurants will soon add Merrifield to its roster of locations across the D.C. area.

Guapo’s plans to take over the former Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant at 3052 Gate House Plaza, as the Washington Business Journal reported on Friday (Sept. 23).

Countywide

Surveys give Fairfax County mostly high marks for Covid response

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 27, 2022 at 12:30PM

The Fairfax County Government Center's COVID-19 vaccination site in March 2021 (via FCHD/Twitter)

There were undeniably hiccups along the way, but Fairfax County’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic earned an overall positive assessment from community surveys conducted this summer.

A general community survey issued in June received 2,148 responses, representing just a fraction of the county’s over 1.1 million residents.

News

New plan submitted for Virginia Tech campus redevelopment near West Falls Church Metro

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 27, 2022 at 11:00AM

Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center in Idylwood (via Google Maps)

A developer has officially filed plans with Fairfax County to bring housing, retail, and new office and academic facilities to Virginia Tech’s campus in Idylwood.

As a joint entity named Converge West Falls LLC, real estate investment firm Rushmark Properties and the construction company HITT Contracting have proposed replacing the existing Northern Virginia Center at 7054 Haycock Road with a 283,000-square-foot office building, up to 440 residential units, and a 2,000-square-foot retail pavilion.

Countywide

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published September 27, 2022 at 7:30AM

Snakeden Branch at Lake Audubon in Reston (photo by Ray Copson)

Tolls on First Day of New I-66 Lanes Top $6 — “Washington-bound drivers paid an average of $6.10 during the Monday morning commute to use new Interstate 66 toll lanes from Gainesville to Centreville, according to the toll operator. The highest toll in the eastbound lanes was $6.50 at the peak of the commute, officials said.” [The Washington Post]

Monkeypox Vaccine Eligibility Expands — “The VDH announced eligibility expansion for JYNNEOS, the monkeypox vaccine to include people of any gender or sexual orientation living with HIV/AIDS or who were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the past three months.” [Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter]

News

Vienna proposes bonuses to attract more maintenance truck drivers

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 26, 2022 at 2:30PM

A kid runs past Vienna Town Hall (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

With the national shortage of commercial drivers continuing to strain services from trash collection to school buses, the Town of Vienna plans to increase salaries and offer bonuses to bolster its maintenance workforce.

As part of a new incentive program, the Department of Public Works recommends that the town increase its entry-level salary for maintenance workers to $55,000 and offer a $2,000 hiring bonus to new employees with a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

News

West Falls Church development plans will require major Metro parking cuts

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 26, 2022 at 1:30PM

A rendering of the proposed development outside the West Falls Church Metro station (via WMATA)

Metro anticipates reducing the parking capacity at its West Falls Church station by over 700 spaces in order to accommodate a planned redevelopment of the property between I-66 and Haycock Road.

Under review by Fairfax County, the project would replace the Metro station’s surface parking lots with 24 acres of mixed-use development, including up to 900 residential units, 110,000 square feet of office, and 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

Neighborhood Expert: Last 100 days of 2022

By Sponsor

Published September 26, 2022 at 12:30PM

Photo via Alexa Williams/UnSplash

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.

Can you believe we’re approaching the last 100 days of 2022?

News

Remains found in Tysons identified as teen who disappeared 47 years ago

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 26, 2022 at 11:45AM

Police have identified the remains of Patricia Gildawie, a 17-year-old Fairfax City resident who went missing in 1975 (via FCPD)

Human remains discovered by a drainage ditch in Tysons over two decades ago have been linked to a teen who went missing back in 1975, Fairfax County police announced today (Monday).

With help from the private forensics lab Othram Inc., cold case detectives have identified the remains found behind the Post apartments in 2001 as those of Patricia Agnes Gildawie, a Fairfax City resident who disappeared when she was 17.

Countywide

Metro unveils new map with addition of Silver Line extension

By Fatimah Waseem

Published September 26, 2022 at 9:30AM

The latest map includes phase two of the Silver Line (Image via Metro).

Metro has officially debuted changes to its 2019 map of the rail system.

This past Friday (Sept. 23), Metrorail began rolling out the new maps — which feature the Silver Line extension and stations with new name — to its stations, trains and transit centers.