The Spring Hill Rec Center in McLean is now being partly powered by the sun.
The Fairfax County Park Authority announced today (Thursday) that it has turned on a new, 307-kilowatt solar panel array on the roofs of the recreation center’s gym and indoor swimming pool at 1239 Spring Hill Road.
The largest array installed on a park authority facility to date, the solar panels will generate enough energy annually to power 33 homes and reduce the rec center’s electricity needs by 13%, according to the press release.
“Turning the switch at this solar project represents another step in our journey away from fossil fuels and toward a more sustainable future,” John Morrill, director of Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, said. “Not only will this solar array save money in electricity costs over time, it confirms the county’s commitment to meeting the goals in our Operational Energy Strategy.”
Adopted by the Board of Supervisors in July 2021, the county’s Operational Energy Strategy laid out a plan for achieving carbon neutrality — when it absorbs or removes the same amount of carbon emissions as it releases — by 2040. By that year, the county aims to generate 50% of its electricity with renewable sources, among other goals.
The solar panel launch represents a key step forward in a larger push by the FCPA to make the Spring Hill Rec Center more energy efficient. Under construction since July 2023, the project will also install a geothermal HVAC system, replace the pool’s dehumidification units, add LED lights and improve the building’s automation system.
Work on all of the improvements is expected to wrap up this summer.
“We decided, when it was time to make improvements to the rec center, that we would be intentional about installing fixtures and infrastructure that would minimize the impact on our environment, enhance user experience, and save money in the long run,” FCPA Director Jai Cole said. “This is doable, and it’s the right thing to do.”
Other park authority facilities that have undergone similar retrofits include the Cub Run and South Run rec centers.
The county unveiled its first major solar photovoltaic arrays on the Reston and Woodlawn fire stations last September and anticipates completing 12 installations this year in addition to the Spring Hill project.
The Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail has reached the half-century mark.
The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) is marking the facility’s 50th anniversary with various activities from April to September, starting this Saturday (April 27) with a trail-wide cleanup event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Coinciding with the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Celebrate Trails Day, the cleanup effort encourages volunteers to participate along the entire 45-mile trail, which stretches from Shirlington to Purcellville.
According to a press release, the trail was named after the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad and played a vital role in the economic development of Northern Virginia. It linked Alexandria’s seaport to communities westward, including Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
When the railroad was abandoned in 1968, Dominion Power installed transmission lines along the corridor. NOVA Parks immediately started studying the feasibility of converting the former railroad to a trail.
Nearly 50 years ago, on Sept. 7, 1974, the “first ride” was documented on the first stretch of the W&OD Trail — a 1.5-mile-long, 6-foot-wide asphalt path in Falls Church City, per the release. It made the amenity among the first rails-to-trails conversions in the U.S.
Over 14 years, NOVA Parks expanded the trail into a continuous 45-mile pathway from Arlington to the Town of Purcellville, serving over 2 million people annually.
To improve safety, several ‘grade-separated’ intersections have been installed along the trail’s 70 road crossings, allowing trail users and vehicles to travel at different levels. Recent upgrades include a bridge over Route 29 in Arlington, completed in 2021, and one over Wiehle Avenue in Reston that’s expected to open this June.
NOVA Parks has also been remaking parts of the trail into separate, parallel tracks for pedestrians and cyclists. A section in Falls Church became operational in 2021, and there are plans for expansion into other urban areas, including in Arlington and the Vienna, Herndon and Reston segments, per the release.
Additional events for the W&OD Trail’s 50th anniversary can be found on the NOVA Park’s website, which lists several scheduled through July.
APRIL 27: CELEBRATE TRAILS DAY
Make Earth Day everyday and show your appreciation of the trail by participating in the first ever 45-mile trail cleanup of the W&OD Trail. Celebrate Trails Day is presented by the Rails to Trails Conservancy. Sign up to volunteer anywhere along the 45-mile trail from Shirlington to Purcellville, Virginia.MAY 17: BIKE TO WORK DAY
Bike to Work Day celebrates the many benefits of using alternate transportation to work. The first 16,000 who register and attend at a pit stop receive a free Bike to Work Day t-shirt. Free giveaways, food, and beverages are available at participating locations, while supplies last. Register for and stop by one of the pit stops where NOVA Parks will be located:
- Falls Church, 6:30-9 a.m.
- Herndon, 5:30-10 a.m.
- Arlington, 7-9 a.m.
MAY 27: CITY OF FALLS CHURCH MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
Cheer on NOVA Parks’ W&OD-themed float at the City of Falls Church’s 42nd Annual Memorial Day Parade. The fun starts at 2 p.m. Learn more.JUNE 1: NATIONAL TRAILS DAY
Visit NOVA Parks at the W&OD Trail’s mile marker 0 in Shirlington, where EcoAction Arlington will coordinate volunteers for an invasive cleanup between the start of the W&OD Trail and George Mason Drive. National Trails Day is a day of service for hometown trails and the people who love them, presented by the American Hiking Society.JULY 4: CITY OF FAIRFAX INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE
Cheer on NOVA Parks’ W&OD-themed float at the City of Fairfax’s Independence Day Parade and stay for the fireworks! The parade takes place 10am-noon in downtown Fairfax. The event is rain or shine. Learn more.
Stellina Pizzeria has a launch date for its upcoming Tysons restaurant.
The D.C.-based chain will open its largest location yet at Capital One Center (1610 Capital One Drive) in Tysons next Tuesday, April 30, at 4 p.m. The occasion will be marked with an offer of free tiramisu to the first 50 customers who make a purchase.
For its first week, the restaurant will be in soft opening mode, operating only for dinner from 4-10 p.m. Hours will later expand to include lunch, starting at 11 a.m.
“We’re thrilled to be opening Stellina’s fifth location,” owner Antonio Matarazzo said in a press release. “Stellina Pizzeria has been operating in the D.C. area since 2018, and we’ve been fortunate to grow our presence to several different locations within the District and Northern Virginia. We’re looking forward to becoming a part of the Tysons community and beyond, and sharing a taste of our native Italy with long-time residents and visitors alike.”
The opening date announcement confirms Capital One Center’s earlier projection that Stellina Pizzeria would open by the end of April — prior to its spring 2024 Perchfest, a celebration that will take place on May 3 and 4.
The development also anticipated an April opening for Starr Hill Brewpub, which will complement Starr Hill Brewery’s biergarten in The Perch, but an exact date remains to be determined.
Designed by Perkins Eastman senior associate Kimony Lallement in collaboration with Matarazzo and chef Matteo Venini, Stellina’s 4,700-square-foot dining room in Tysons blends elements from the company’s existing locations in Union Market, Shirlignton and K Street, according to the press release.
It also uniquely features floor-to-ceiling windows for its storefront, allowing “uninterrupted views” of Capital One’s campus. Customers will be able to watch their pizza getting prepped in a glass-enclosed kitchen and pick up pizza dough, pasta, sauces and other freshly made ingredients from a Stellina Bottega.
The restaurant has the capacity for 104 patrons indoors and 22 outdoors in a landscaped courtyard that will host live music and other events.
“The restaurant’s menu will stay true to the concept’s authentic Italian roots and feature traditional dishes inspired by Northern and Southern Italian pizza and street food,” Stellina Pizzeria said. “In addition to food offerings, the new location will host private events and pizza and pasta cooking classes.”
Stellina serves 11 signature, Neo-Neapolitan-style pizzas made in a custom oven by Venini, who uses a biga yeast and malted flour that have been fermented for 48 hours. That process produces “a light, moist crust with a distinct crispiness around the edge,” the business says.
Beyond pizza, the menu will consist of paninis, pastas, salads and traditional Italian sweets, along with cocktails, beer and wine. Specials at the Tysons location will rotate throughout the week and could include fish, pizza and other dishes.
The annual Tour de Hunter Mill bicycle ride will kick into full gear early next month with new routes designed to show off sights and amenities throughout the district.
Registration is now open for the fourth iteration of the May 5 community bike ride, which was introduced in 2021 by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
The event will feature two brand-new routes — one spanning 16 miles and the other covering 27 miles — that both begin and end at the North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive) in Reston, with a rest stop at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) in Wolf Trap.
This year’s routes will incorporate portions of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and, for the first time, a new shared-use path along Route 7 (Leesburg Pike), according to Alcorn’s office.
The 10-foot-wide path is part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Route 7 widening, which is redesigning key intersections and adding a lane in each direction from Reston Avenue to Jarrett Valley Drive just outside of Tysons.
Though VDOT is targeting July 31 for completing the overall project, the trail is already functional enough for cyclists and pedestrians to use — at least between Reston Avenue and Towlston Road, according to Brian Worthy, a spokesperson for Alcorn’s office. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be scheduled for late May.
“I’m excited that this year’s Tour de Hunter Mill will take advantage of the newest bike trail in the district — the new shared-used path along both sides of Leesburg Pike,” Alcorn said in a statement to FFXnow. “It will allow bikers to get from Reston all the way into Tysons safely, and it expands the transportation options for traveling safely along this busy corridor.”
Co-sponsored by the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB), Reston Bike Club and Reston Community Center, the Tour de Hunter Mill costs $30 for adults, but children 15 and under can participate for free, as long as they’re accompanied by an adult.
The fee includes custom Tour de Hunter Mill socks for at least the first 165 registrants and a $5 donation to FABB, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that advocates for bicycling to be “safe, accessible and commonplace in Fairfax County for all ages, abilities and skill levels.”
The event will begin at 8 a.m. with riders checking in at a welcome table. After some opening remarks, the 27-mile ride will start at 8:30 a.m., and the shorter route will follow at 8:45 a.m. Once they finish, cyclists will be able to enjoy “food & fun” at the North County Governmental Center from 10 a.m. to noon, according to the registration page.
In a promotional video for the Tour de Hunter Mill, Reston Bike Club Vice Chairman Joel Kuester expressed hope that next year’s routes will utilize the new W&OD Trail bridge over Wiehle Avenue, which was installed earlier this month and is slated to open for use in June.
“Tour is a great way for folks to get out and experience the local roads, the trails and so on, so they know how to get around by bike,” FABB President Bruce Wright said in the video.
FCPS Prevails in Sexual Assault Lawsuit — “A jury on Wednesday rejected a woman’s lawsuit seeking tens of millions of dollars from Virginia’s largest school system over allegations that she was raped multiple times as a middle schooler.” The former student claimed “school officials at Rachel Carson Middle School in Reston ignored her complaints,” which Fairfax County Public Schools lawyers argued had been fabricated. [NBC4]
Woodlawn Chicken Restaurant Reopens in New Spot — “Su Pollo, a Peruvian charcoal chicken restaurant long located on Richmond Highway in Woodlawn, officially reopened April 23 at its new location at Engleside Plaza…The restaurant made the move to a new space due to the future Richmond Highway widening project,” which will replace its original site with a stormwater facility. [On the MoVe]
Chick-fil-A Kiosk Planned at Reston Hospital — “The owner of Reston Hospital Center has been working to create an ‘indoor food truck’ concept, with Akeno Sushi open for lunch two days a week and, we recently learned, Chick-fil-A on two other days.” The kiosk will be open to the general public, with sushi available on Mondays and Tuesdays and Chick-fil-A on Wednesdays and Thursdays. [Washington Business Journal]
Hybla Valley Apartments to Maintain Affordable Status — “SCG Development and the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) announced the financial closing and preservation of Creekside Village Apartments” on Tuesday (April 23). The 319-unit complex will get a “comprehensive renovation…to include energy efficiency upgrades to building interiors and exteriors.” [FCRHA]
Renovation Underway at Annandale Office Building — “A small restaurant and an office will share a building undergoing renovation on the corner of Annandale Road and Poplar Street.” The tenants will include Shawarma Taco, which also has a location at Springfield Town Center, and the accounting firm Olwan, Ghannam & Associates, which is run by the building’s owner. [Annandale Today]
Pony Rides Coming to Oakton Park — “The Greater Oakton Community Association is bringing ponies to the Oakton Community Park! The pony rides on May 4 will last about 8 minutes. Parents must accompany children and stay on-site during the ride. Register today!” [Supervisor Dalia Palchik/Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 61 and a north wind of 6 to 8 mph. At night, the weather will be partly cloudy, and temperatures will drop to around 43, accompanied by a southeast wind at around 6 mph. [NWS]
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors faces tough decisions ahead of next week’s budget markup session, following demands from local unions to increase county employees’ wages.Last week, dozens of county employees from various departments gathered at a series of public hearings to protest the 2% market rate adjustment (MRA) included in the county executive’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget — asking instead for an increase of at least 4%.Every year, the county compares its salaries against similar jobs in the area to ensure pay is competitive. Though the full market rate adjustment was estimated at over 4%, County Executive Bryan Hill proposed allocating roughly $24 million for a 2% increase for FY 2025, citing revenue constraints.
Many county employees who attended the April 16-18 public hearings on the advertised budget, which will take effect on July 1, argued that wouldn’t be enough to keep up with the cost of living.
Lauren Tumbleson, a social services worker and member of SEIU Virginia 512, a union for general county employees, said she is considering leaving her job to care for her 4-year-old son, as child care costs would be too high without a bigger pay raise.
“Not fully funding the MRA this year will have a direct impact on our daily lives,” she said during the April 17 hearing.
Other SEIU members and representatives from the Fairfax Workers Coalition (FWC) said that without the pay raises, departments will continue to experience staff turnover, reducing the quality of services to residents.
FWC member Marie Kenealy, a veteran parole officer at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, noted that inadequate staffing and training puts at risk both the safety of the staff and their ability to help youth in the judicial system.
“We are part of the courts, but we do not have the protections afforded to law enforcement,” she said on April 17. “…At times, we escort violent offenders without adequate protection or training. At times, we are confronted with gang violence, aggression, exposed to fentanyl, and we’re often conducting home visits where we know firearms are likely present.”
Without fair wages and improved conditions, the court risks losing experienced personnel, Kenealy said.
Many local educators called on the Board of Supervisors to fully fund Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid’s $3.8 billion budget request — including an additional $254 million to adequately compensate the public education system’s employees.
Jennifer Ives, a special education teacher at James Madison High School in Vienna, said she knows several experienced colleagues who have left to take higher paying jobs in surrounding counties.
Ives argued that funding the superintendent’s request could mean less staff turnover, because teachers may be able to afford to live closer to where they work.
“The increase could help us find one of the cheaper rentals in the area and maybe I could have a 30-minute commute instead of an hour and a half,” Ives said. “I’d be able to sleep in past 5 a.m. and maybe get home an hour before dinner.”
When Hill presented his budget proposal in February, supervisors lamented that the burden of funding FCPS falls too heavily on the county due to limited funding from Virginia.
Earlier this month, Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed budget amendments that, according to WTOP, would reduce funding for FCPS by nearly $17 million for FY 2025 and $24 million in fiscal year 2026.
Regardless of the state budget, though, Fairfax County School Board Chair Karl Frisch argued the county needs to ensure the school system can pay its employees competitive wages at a time when enrollment and demand for services is increasing countywide.
“Our budget request does not include new initiatives,” Frisch said during the board’s April 16 hearing. “We are focusing on what is needed to continue ensuring excellence in our schools.”
Tysons Corner Center visitors will get another opportunity to sample the mall’s culinary scene this spring.
After drawing a big crowd when it launched last year, the Taste of Tysons is set to return for a second year on May 4. More than 40 eateries throughout the mall will participate, offering free food bites from noon to 2 p.m.
Attendees should first stop by the Plaza to check in and get access to a digital “Passport to Delicious: Eatery Guide.” There will also be music from the party band Cazhmiere, a Barrel & Bushel beer bar, a photo booth, a prize wheel for “swag” and gift cards, and a “Career Corner,” where restaurants will provide information about their job openings, per a press release.
After 2 p.m., the Plaza will host cooking demonstrations from the chefs at Seasons52, Shake Shack and other restaurants. The event will conclude with live music from the Delaware-based Party Fowl Band.
Taste of Tysons is free to attend, but the mall is encouraging prospective attendees to register in advance. Tickets for a V.I.P. lounge on the Plaza can be purchased through Eventbrite.
“Purchase of a $30 ticket grants you access to the exclusive VIP lounge…complete with complimentary pairings from our top restaurants including Nordstrom Marketplace Cafe, Earls, Seasons52, and Barrel & Bushel!” the press release says.
Proceeds from the VIP ticket sales will go to the nonprofit Food for Others, which operates a food bank and other food distribution programs out of a warehouse in Merrifield.
According to Tysons Corner Center, here are some of the eateries participating in this year’s food sampling, including the Indian restaurant Dhoom, which opened in February:
Beng Beng Chicken
California Tortilla
Capital Musubi
Cha Street Food
Cinnabon
Dhoom
Haagen-Dazs
Istanbul Kitchen
Kung Fu Tea
Maman Joon
Matcha Café
Moe’s Chicken
Naan & Beyond
Nordstrom Ebar
Olivia Macaron
Shake Shack
Shilla Bakery
Soricha Tea
Wasabi
Clifton Family Mourns Sons Killed in Fire — “When Fairfax County firefighters found two boys inside a fiery Virginia house earlier this month, 6-year-old William was shielding his younger brother, 3-year-old Zachariah, from the flames. Both boys were pulled from the fire and died days later, but their father says that heroic story has given the family faith.” [WTOP]
Fairfax Court Clerk Warns About Scam Email — An email purportly from the “Florida County Circuit Court” that asks the recipient to appear in Fairfax County Circuit Court on May 14 is part of a phishing scam, court clerk Chris Falcon says. He warns “those who receive the e-mail to delete it and not open its attachment.” [Gazette Leader]
Virtual Reality Pop-Up Lets Drivers Test Safety Skills — “A Chevy Camaro parked inside Springfield Town Center in Fairfax County on Sunday let shoppers test whether they are safe drivers. The traveling exhibit is part of the Street Smart campaign from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety.” [WTOP]
Nutley Street over I-66 to Close Overnight Friday — “Southbound Nutley Street over I-66 and associated I-66 ramps will be closed for bridge joint repairs during the overnight hours Friday, April 26. The southbound side of the roadway between Virginia Center Boulevard and Saintsbury Drive will be closed to thru-traffic between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.” [VDOT]
Preserved Cherries Found at George Washington’s Mount Vernon — “The legend about George Washington chopping down a cherry tree may have been a myth, but the bigger story may be about archaeologists’ recent real-world discovery of cherries perfectly preserved in 18th century bottles of liquid in the cellar of the Mount Vernon Mansion. The two upright and sealed bottles were discovered in a pit beneath a brick floor laid in the 1770s, according to an April 22 press release.” [On the MoVe]
Annandale Preschool Celebrates 75th Anniversary — “Hundreds of people with ties to Sleepy Hollow Preschool came back April 20 to celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary…The event also honored Debbie Brown, who has been with Sleepy Hollow Preschool (SHPS) for 30 years — as a parent, teacher, and since 2006, the school’s director until her retirement in 2023.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — Expect scattered showers in the early morning, clearing up to a mostly sunny sky with a high near 70 degrees. The night will be partly cloudy, maintaining a low temperature around 43 degrees and accompanied by a north wind at about 10 mph. [NWS]
Vienna is considering several options to improve parking availability along its commercial corridor.
At a conference session on April 15, the Vienna Town Council reviewed recommendations to its update zoning laws, promote shared parking and improve signage, aiming to optimize downtown parking usage and reduce traffic in busy areas.
The recommendations were informed by a recent parking study conducted by the town’s consultant, Nelson Nygaard. The study included a survey completed in February 2023 that got responses from over 700 residents and visitors who shared feedback about their experiences parking in the town.
According to the survey, respondents most frequently visit areas between Maple Avenue and Church Street. They typically park in free lots or garages — with only about a third parking for more than two hours — and often no more than a block from their destination.
Survey participants noted that, while many businesses they visit have ample private parking, there is a significant lack of free public parking.
According to the study, 5,033 of the 5,221 parking spaces in the area are privately owned, leaving only 94 publicly owned spaces.
“During existing peak demand, many parking spaces are available in most locations,” town staff said in a presentation. “This is not a parking supply problem — it’s a parking management problem.”
To address the issue of under-utilization, the consultant suggested the town modify its zoning laws to allow more flexibility in parking requirements and encourage higher-density development.
For example, office and retail uses, including grocery stores, currently need one parking spot per 200 square feet of space. Staff recommended amending the minimum to four spaces per 1,000 square feet.
Another suggestion is to make better use of existing parking spaces by promoting shared parking agreements between different businesses and property owners. This would allow visitors to use the same parking facilities, tailored to different peak hours and specific parking needs.
Other potential strategies include improving signage to guide people to available parking spots, introducing metered on-street parking to encourage quicker turnover, promoting the use of public transit among visitors and adopting parking design standards to “achieve a vibrant streetscape and attractive walking conditions.”
After some discussion about the difficulties of finding parking for the town’s most popular shopping areas, such as the strip housing Chipotle and Crumbl Cookies, Councilmember Chuck Anderson cautioned against making “hot spots” the norm for parking requirements.
“Overall, we’re over-parked, and what that does, it drives up our rates, our leases. It reduces the amount of space we have. It doesn’t come without a cost,” Anderson said. “There’s always going to be hot spots — always. You try to work around those and minimize those by doing the shared parking that we eventually got around to at Chipotle. But essentially, if you try to solve the problem by going to the spaces that have the worst parking and considering that the norm, you’re going to end up with a lot of empty parking spaces in the rest of town.”
Mayor Linda Colbert confirmed that those areas are “outliers.”
Council members didn’t vote on any recommendations and plan to continue discussing the next steps.
The Starbucks at the Chesterbrook Shopping Center (6214 Old Dominion Drive) in McLean has reopened after an extensive facelift.
Starbucks closed in early March to get some interior design improvements.
According to a release, the improvements brought a new bar set-up, a redesigned second story and more:
- Alterations to the current bar setup
- Updated partition arrangements
- Installation of new lighting
- Incorporation of modern furniture and fixtures
- Application of fresh finishes
- New, inspiring artwork
- Redesigned second story seating
Demolition begins at burned hust of Oud Resto and Hall — “The site of the Main Street restaurant that burned down in 2020 is where Ox Hill Companies will build a seven-story mixed-use development with condos, retail spaces, and a drive-thru bank. The company said a Truist Bank regional branch will be relocated to the new building.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Driver in crash that killed two Oakton High School students only had learner’s permit — “Usman Shahid, who police say was driving a BMW at 81 miles per hour southbound on Blake Lane just before the crash, only had a learner’s permit at the time. Virginia law requires that drivers must be 21 or older, or 18-years-old and accompanied by a legal guardian or sibling when they’re driving. At the time of the crash, Shahid was 18 and a resident of Fairfax County.” [Patch]
Students at Annandale Terrace Elementary School plan Arbor Day tree planting — “Students, faculty and staff at Annandale Terrace Elementary School are gearing up for a big Arbor Day celebration on April 26, 2024, at 8:50 a.m. The event will take place simultaneously with the County’s 41st consecutive year being designated a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.” [Fairfax County]
Firefighter sustains minor injury in Loudoun County warehouse fire — “A significant warehouse fire in Sterling drew a fire department response, causing one firefighter to be evaluated for heat exhaustion Monday afternoon.” [Patch]
It’s Tuesday — Frost is expected in the early morning until 8am, followed by sunny skies and a high temperature of around 71 degrees. The light southwest wind will shift to the south at 6 to 11 mph during the morning. Scattered showers are likely after 2am Tuesday night, accompanied by increasing clouds and a low temperature of about 56 degrees. The south wind will blow at 9 to 13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph, with a 50% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
