Public Affairs

With seven high rises facing a central park on top of a podium-style parking garage, Reston Crossing’s unique 2-million-square-foot development plan won approval from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on June 25.

The buildings will be perched around of a four-story, mainly underground parking structure that spans the entire development. Rather than making their way across a network of local streets, cars will primarily traverse the development through the garage with building lobbies accessible underground. The parking podium will have parks on top with openings called “oculi” that offer views to the parking structure below while offering natural light and views to motorists.

Located Next to Reston Station Metro

New York-based Tishman Speyer plans to build offices, residences and retail on a site that’s a quarter mile south of the Reston Town Center Metro station’s platform. The 14-acre property sits south of the Dulles Toll Road between Edmund Halley Drive and Reston Parkway and is located immediately north of Halley Rise, a 4.1-million-square-foot project that will feature Reston’s first Wegmans.

Seven New High-Rises

The site is currently developed with two late ‘90s-era, mid-rise buildings that will be replaced with two office buildings and five residential towers. The development contains up to 890,000 square feet of office uses; up to 1,194 residential units and up to 50,000 square feet of retail in seven buildings. Building heights will range from five to 22 stories. Affordable housing will make up 16% of the planned residences, totaling 191 units.

Pedestrian Connections to Metro

Reston Crossing will build an elevated pedestrian bridge to the Metro station platform in addition to sidewalks and trails that connect to the station.

The development includes 10-foot-wide shared walking and biking trails along the property’s boundaries, including a new public road connecting Edmund Halley Drive to Reston Parkway. This road will be jointly built with Reston Crescent’s developer Brookfield Properties. There will be pedestrian and bike access across Reston Crossing, and the developer will provide space for a bikeshare station.

Six Parks Span Reston Crossing’s Length

The project provides 3.7 acres of urban parks, more than recommended by the county’s guidelines. The six parks planned, and they will stretch across the entire development from Reston Parkway to the entrance plaza to the Metro station:

• The Crossing Plaza: Located on the property’s west side, this 30,492-square-feet plaza will be the gateway to Reston Crossing from the Metrorail entrance pavilion. It includes outdoor tables and chairs, and is planned to be built along with the first office building.
• Verdant Park: This park will be an extension of The Crossing Plaza, and it is designed with flexible, multi-purpose lawn panels that be changed to allow for, an ice rink, temporary sports court or other seasonal activities.
• Halley’s Steps: This pocket park, at Edmund Halley Drive along the site’s southwest corner, will feature steps and an ADA accessible ramp, seating and landscaping.
• The Grove:  A 1.4-acre common green that is designed the with oval-shaped, oculi, pedestrian paths, outdoor seating, public art and landscaping.
• Lively Park: Next to The Grove, this one-acre common green space will offer a synthetic turf lawn that could accommodate kickball, volleyball, frisbee, lawn bowling, whiffle ball and U-8 soccer; a multi-generational play area; and public art.
• Promontory Garden: Located along Reston Parkway, this 13,068-square-foot pocket park will have steps and seating integrated into the hillside that can be used like an amphitheater.
• Ribbon Garden: This one-acre trail along the development’s northern boundary will connect Reston Parkway to the Metro station and feature a 10-foot wide shared-use trail and outdoor seating areas along with landscaping.

In addition to these parks, Tishman Speyer will contribute money to buy land for an athletic field.

Phased Construction

Reston Crossing will be built in three phases, and the Board of Supervisors approved its final development plans for the project’s first phase. This includes the up to 16-story office building closest to the Metro Station entrance, a 15-dock bikeshare station and the urban plaza that connects Reston Crossing to the Metro entrance.

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The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved changes yesterday, June 25, to the site layout for the massive 4.1.-million-square-foot Halley Rise development that will feature the first Wegmans in Reston.

Brookfield Properties had requested moving the location for its 200-room hotel on the development, formerly called Reston Crescent, which is located at the intersection of Sunrise Valley Drive and Reston Parkway. Originally, the hotel was to be located on the development’s northern boundary. It has now been relocated to what was previously planned to be a residential building along Edmund Halley Drive, near the intersection with Sunrise Valley Drive.

The approval also allows the developer to shift 291,000 square feet of residential, 95,000 square feet of retail and 150,000 square feet of office development among the project’s buildings.

Halley Rise's ’s total amount of development remains unchanged. Spread over eight blocks, the project will feature 1.5 million square feet in new office space, 1,721 residential units and 380,000 square feet of retail. This includes a 110,000-square-foot, urban-format Wegmans along Reston Parkway.

While the newly approved site layout moves the hotel’s location, the building remains 10 stories, but the plan boosts the height of an adjacent mixed-use building on block D. This previously seven-story residential building will be transformed into two buildings: one a mid-rise and the second an up to 27-story high-rise. The changes also increase the residential component for two buildings by 141,000 square feet and add 100,000 square feet in office space and 90,000 square feet of retail.

Brookfield also received approval on amended final development plans that confirm the location for the project’s new local street grid as proposed when Halley Rise was approved in 2018.

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Fairfax County has been selected to participate in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ Survey and Planning Cost Share Program. This program assists local governments in surveying their community to identify cultural and historic resources. It goes beyond identifying traditional historic landmarks and includes looking at planned communities of which Reston is an outstanding example.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources will hire expert consultants to do the survey work from the public right of way and will monitor the project through their field office.

The survey will specifically look at buildings constructed between 1961 and 1978 – prime development years in Reston’s history. It will identify potential buildings or neighborhoods to be evaluated for their architectural or historic significance. These districts or buildings, if significant, can then be nominated to be included in Fairfax County’s Inventory of Historic Sites, the Virginia Landmarks Register or the National Register of Historic Places.

The survey will cover all of Reston except the land within the existing Lake Anne Historic Overlay District. Lake Anne Village Center was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2017 and has been thoroughly documented.

As part of the survey process, properties will be photographed, mapped and documented to include information about a building’s style, construction date, a detailed architectural description and a preliminary evaluation of a property’s relative significance.

The state and county plan to hold a joint public information meeting this fall to kick off the project, and the community will be briefed on the survey’s findings when it is completed early next year.

For more information, contact Denice Dressel, Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-324-1383, TTY 711.

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On July 1, Neighborhood Health and HealthWorks for Northern Virginia, non-profit Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) operating in Northern Virginia, will take over the clinics currently operated through Fairfax County’s Community Health Care Network.

The CHCN program provides primary care services to approximately 16,000 low-income, uninsured county residents. For the past three years Inova has been operating the clinics on an interim basis. Beginning July 1, the Merrifield (Fairfax) and South County (Alexandria) clinics will become part of the Neighborhood Health system, and the North County Clinic (Reston) will become part of the HealthWorks system.

"We’re very excited about the changes coming to our Community Health Care Network. Neighborhood Health and HealthWorks have years of experience providing care to low-income individuals and families in Northern Virginia,” says Deputy County Executive for Health and Human Services Tisha Deeghan. “We’re pleased to be working with them and to be able to offer expanded services to our residents. And we’re also very grateful to Inova for the excellent service they’ve provided through our CHCN partnership.”

Fairfax County will continue to provide financial support to the FQHCs to build capacity, increase access to integrated quality primary care for county residents served by the system, and expand the safety net for whole family service delivery.

HealthWorks and Neighborhood Health offer:

• Affordable, full health services, including medical, dental, and behavioral health services. These services will now be available for families, including children.
• Established partnerships with local hospitals and other community providers for specialty care.
• Free translation services and staff who speak languages other than English.

The county has been working closely with Inova, Neighborhood Health and HealthWorks to ensure an effective and efficient transition.

For more information visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/strategymanagementhhs/community-health-care-network-transition.

Fairfax County-based nonprofit arts organizations will be able to take advantage of the performance venues of Capital One Hall in Tysons through an agreement with Fairfax County. The performance hall is scheduled to open in September 2021.

Arts organizations can find out about the user application and scheduling processes at a presentation and question-and-answer session from ARTSFAIRFAX and Capital One on Wednesday, June 19, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Capital One Headquarters, 1600 Capital One Drive, 7th Floor Maplewood Room.

The 125,000 square-foot Capital One Hall will include a 1,500-seat main hall with an orchestra pit and a 250-seat black box theatre. Local nonprofit arts organizations will be able to use the performance spaces for a specified number of days each year through a 30-year agreement with Fairfax County.

To RSVP and request reasonable ADA accommodations, contact ARTSFAIRFAX at hall@artsfairfax.org by Monday, June 17.

Free parking is available in the surface lot adjacent to the entrance.

Fairfax County’s I-95 landfill in Lorton may become home to the longest indoor ski slope in North America and one of the longest in the world.

Alpine-X submitted a public-private partnership proposal to the county to build a 450,000- square-foot snow sports facility with an expected 1,700-foot ski slope. The facility’s summit would reach an altitude of about 280 feet.

With this proposal in hand, the county will begin a formal procurement process to evaluate it, including seeking competing bids for the site.

“When Alpine-X approached me nearly two years ago through my work with the Sports Tourism Task Force with an innovative way to utilize the elevation of the county-owned landfill in Lorton, I was eager to help,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity.  “The fiscal, sports and community benefits of this opportunity are numerous, including new jobs, exciting new snow sports opportunities, the potential for high school ski teams, new hotel and restaurant amenities for the South County area, premier national competitions and financial benefits to our taxpayers from the lease, sales tax and hotel tax revenue streams. I am extremely excited to partner with Alpine-X to develop a unique downhill snow sports destination right here in Fairfax County.”

While the company considered several other locations in the D.C. region, the landfill was its top choice, according to the proposal.

Called Fairfax Peak, the proposed snow sports complex may include:

• Multiple ski slopes at approximately a 20-degree angle, including a slope compliant with the Fédération Internationale de Ski’s standards ensuring it can be used for competitions.
• A specially designed area for skiing and snowboarding with a variety of ramps, jumps, rails, boxes and other features, capable for use in national snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions.
• A bunny slope for beginners, snow tubing run and area for skiers and snowboarders to perform tricks.
• Restaurants, ski shop and sky bar and terrace at the summit.
• A 100-plus room luxury hotel at the base of the indoor snow facility.
• A gravity-powered, mountain coaster that will slide from the summit to Occoquan Regional Park.
• A gondala to ferry riders from Occoquan Regional Park and the facility’s base to the summit.

The proposal also envisions other amenities that could be added in the future, including a water park, a “gravity ropes course” and passive recreation areas. SnowWorld has signed a confidential agreement with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to possibly operate or own some of these facilities.

“When Alpine-X came to me in 2016 with a proposal to build an indoor ski facility in Lorton, I knew this could be a great opportunity for the county and the region,” said Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck. “I encouraged the Alpine-X team and county leadership to work together with our office to determine the viability of this project and the possibility of repurposing a closed landfill.”

The complex would contribute to Laurel Hill’s development as a regional recreation hub and arts destination. The facility would complement the existing equestrian center, Laurel Hill Golf Course and Workhouse Arts Center.

“The efforts we are leading with the Lorton 2040 Visioning and revitalization of Richmond Highway, combined with entrepreneurial partners like Alpine-X, will culminate in Lorton becoming a 21st century destination for sports, arts, entertainment and skilled fun!" Storck said.

As a public-private partnership, the county would lease its land to Alpine-X, and the company would build, own and operate its facility. This lease would be negotiated separately if the proposal is ultimately accepted.

County leaders say that Fairfax Peak could produce significant economic and recreational benefits.

Before Alpine-X submitted its proposal, Visit Fairfax estimated the project’s economic impact as part of the county’s Sports Tourism report. They projected that the complex could draw as many as 400,000 visitors per year, generating sales, hotel and property taxes for the county.

The firm included a confidential market analysis as part of its proposal, and it also intends to commission an additional, third-party, economic study for its entire proposed development.

Besides strengthening Laurel Hill as a recreational destination, Fairfax Peak would allow local schools to add ski teams. Alpine-X proposes making its facility available to law enforcement and military for cold-weather and snow training.

The project would be environmentally sustainable as well. Fairfax Peak plans to incorporate green and energy efficient technologies in its buildings. For example, the company says it will collaborate with Covanta’s private waste-to-energy plant to capture and re-use steam; reuse gray water and use solar energy. The facility also will open its doors to local colleges and universities that wish to test new environmental technologies.

County officials say they will evaluate the proposal to determine if there are any impacts to future solar projects at the I-95 landfill complex. There is an ongoing study to look at the relationship between the two projects.

If Alpine-X’s proposal is accepted, the company projects that it could complete the project’s first phase in 36 to 48 months.

The project will be contingent on the company successfully achieving any required land use entitlements to allow for the proposed uses. This process includes opportunities for community input, including public hearings and ultimately the Board of Supervisors’ approval.

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At its meeting today, Tuesday, May 21, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a Public Safety Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program.

The county’s UAS program will provide an enhanced level of operational capability, safety and situational awareness for the Office of Emergency Management, Fire and Rescue, Police and Sheriff by delivering relevant high-quality imagery, data and customized geospatial solutions using unmanned aircraft.

Fairfax County’s UAS program is designed to assist public safety personnel with search and rescue, flooding assessments, pre- and post-disaster damage assessments, crash reconstruction, fire incident/scene management and investigations, hazardous materials responses and situational awareness for wildlife management.

The county’s program will focus on responsible and accountable operations; the safety of the public and UAS flight crews; the protection of individual privacy, civil rights and civil liberties; compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies; public information; data management; and operation and training requirements. 

Following today’s vote, county public safety agencies will begin an approximately 90-day process of equipment purchases, pilot certifications and flight/ground school training with a “go live” for real-world operational flights beginning in late August/early September. All pilots in the county program are required to have a remote pilot certificate with small UAS rating issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. In addition, a UAS program manager will be appointed and a UAS Steering Committee, with public representation, will be created to provide oversight to the program and ensure adherence to the county’s UAS program manual and training requirements.

A UAS notification group has been created in Fairfax Alerts to provide public notifications for missions or training flights.

For questions about the program, a copy of the program manual, information about the equipment used, flights that have taken place, presentations and details of public outreach efforts, visit the UAS webpage. In addition, the UAS program can be reached by both email (UAS@fairfaxcounty.gov) and phone (571-350-1234).

Today’s approval of the program followed two years of work by a county UAS Work Group formed in May 2017 and a UAS Task Force that was created in fall 2018. The task force included representation from groups and organizations such as the ACLU, NAACP, George Mason University, area chambers of commerce, Audubon Society, FAA, Fairfax Federation, McLean Citizens Association, Leadership Fairfax, the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board, Communities of Trust, the commonwealth of Virginia and numerous county agencies.

Further Information

UAS can operate in many types of environments (natural or manmade), or other critical incidents that might be hazardous to the safety of first responders or others. UAS provides a unique, viable, safe, versatile, supplemental tool for incident commanders and first responders. For some missions UAS provide first responders with a tool that can access areas where manned aircraft cannot fly due to weather or other safety regulations.

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Note to Media: Roy Shrout, deputy coordinator, Office of Emergency Management, and chair of the UAS Work Group is available for media interviews. He can be reached at roy.shrout@fairfaxcounty.gov or 571-350-1225.

It’s the summer of LOVE in Fairfax County.

The mobile “LOVEwork” sign will travel to 11 destinations around the county this summer before being permanently installed at the Workhouse Arts Center.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Visit Fairfax (@visitfairfax) on May 9, 2019 at 1:42pm PDT

The celebration marks the 50th anniversary for the tourism slogan “Virginia is for Lovers.” Visit Fairfax, the county’s official tourism marketing organization, received a state grant for this event.

“Fairfax County indeed has such a wide array of tourism experiences, and we welcome our visitors and residents to explore these locations during this exciting summer program,” said Barry Biggar, president and CEO of Visit Fairfax.

You can share the love by visiting the iconic sign as it travels the county—and share your photos using the hashtags #FXVA, #SHAREWHATYOULOVE or #LOVEVA.

Find LOVE at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center from now until May 19 before it moves.

Once the sign is taken to its permanent home, the letters will be creatively bedazzled by several of the artists-in-residence at the Workhouse Arts Center, making it a unique piece of art that visitors will enjoy for years to come.

Fairfax County promotes tourism and arts as part of its strategic plan to grow and diversify the economy. Tourism is an instant revenue generator in Virginia. In Fairfax County alone, the tourism industry contributes over $3 billion to the economy.

Arts also produce an economic impact for the county with more than $98.2 million in total spending. This is one reason the county created the state’s first interjurisdictional arts and culture district that encompasses the 55-acre Workhouse Arts Center. Since it was founded in 2008, the Workhouse Arts Center has been a hub for cultural activities in the southern part of the county.

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The Honorable Tina Snee, a Fairfax County General District Court judge, has championed mental health initiatives through the court by helping to expand the Fairfax County Diversion First initiative into the county system and securing funding for the expansion of the county’s Supervised Release Program. She has also been instrumental in developing Fairfax County’s new Mental Health Docket over which she and Judge Susan J. Stoney will preside. The docket, which was recently approved by the Virginia Supreme Court, is scheduled to launch in July.  

“The issue of mental health is important to the whole judicial system,” says Snee. “Unfortunately, a large number of individuals who are part of the judicial system suffer from varying degrees of mental health/co-occurring issues. Their needs would be best addressed by behavioral health specialists. The goal of the justice system is to make sure they are in the best place to have those needs addressed, which is not always the jail. They need to be treated for competency, so they can participate in their own cases.”

The Mental Health Docket was developed by Snee and Stoney to work in conjunction with the county’s Supervised Release Non-Compliance Docket as another option for those experiencing different mental health/co-occurring issues. The Supervised Release Non-Compliance Docket, which has helped 180 people since it began in August 2018, served as a pilot for a full Mental Health Docket. The Mental Health Docket will allow commonwealth and defense attorneys to require a defendant to complete different phases of treatment until they “graduate,” at which time the defendant’s charges will be resolved.

“It is the goal of every judge to promote the fair administration of justice,” Snee adds. “The goal of Diversion First is for those with mental health or co-occurring issues to be treated in a just and fair method. This new docket helps with these goals.”

Snee was appointed to the Fairfax County General District Court in 2015 for a six-year term, having served as a substitute judge for two years prior. Her legal career spans 26 years, focused mainly on civil litigation in the trial and appellate courts of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. 

Snee was recently recognized by Virginia Lawyers Weekly as one of the Influential Women of Law. This new award program honors women attorneys and judges for their excellent work on behalf of their clients, their commitment to their communities and their service to the profession. She received the award at a reception and dinner in Richmond, and her work was featured in a special supplement of Virginia Lawyers Weekly. 

On Tuesday, April 30, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors filed a lawsuit in Virginia state court against more than 50 known defendants, including opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, for their role in creating the public health emergency caused by the opioid crisis. The defendants include manufacturers Purdue Pharma, Abbott Laboratories, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon, Inc., Barr Laboratories, Inc., Actavis Pharma, Watson Laboratories, Inc., Allergan PLC and Insys Therapeutics; distributors AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp.; and PBMs Express Scripts, Inc., Caremark/CVS Health, United Health Group Inc. and OptumRx, Inc.

“Opioids are the number one cause of unnatural death in Fairfax County, and our residents are demanding action in response to this epidemic,” says Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. “In addition to Fairfax County launching an Opioid Task Force, offering REVIVE training courses, creating safe drug disposal opportunities and educating our community about the dangers of drug addiction and overdose, Fairfax County seeks to hold drug companies accountable for their role in this nationwide crisis.”

The lawsuit alleges that defendants are responsible for the opioid epidemic and profited enormously from their respective roles in manufacturing and moving opioid products throughout the county, while misrepresenting or understating their addictive nature.  The county has alleged violations of statutory and common law public nuisance, the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, fraud, common law conspiracy, negligence and unjust enrichment. 

The lawsuit seeks to recover the public funds the county has expended to address the effects of the opioid crisis, including the significantly increased expenditures for the delivery of emergency medical services, law enforcement services, mental health services and substance abuse services as a result of the crisis.

Fairfax County is being represented by outside legal counsel, Kaufman & Canoles, P.C., Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP and The Cicala Law Firm PLLC. Media can contact Tony Castrilli, Fairfax County Director of Public Affairs, at 703-268-8953, or Madelaine Strauss with Sanford Heisler Sharp at 646-331-2691.