The Falls Church City Council marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon last week with a celebration of the city’s Vietnamese-American community “Thank you for being part of Falls Church,” Mayor Letty Hardi said at Monday’s Council meeting attended by several dozen community representatives Council members adopted a resolution noting the anniversary and honoring Vietnamese immigrants who made the city and its surroundings their home “It’s good to remember that hardships like the fall of Saigon [bring] new beginnings vibrant communities grow from that hardship,” Hardi said Last Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the capitulation of the South Vietnamese government and the occupation of its capital Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City) by North Vietnamese forces on April 30 Saigon’s fall represented the final stage of a civil war that had raged for more than 20 years In the displacement that followed the North Vietnamese victory France and Australia in taking in refugees An estimated 70,000 settled in Northern Virginia, first in Arlington — establishing a thriving commercial area in Clarendon — and then elsewhere. The Eden Center in Falls Church has become a region-wide hub for Vietnamese-American culture Earlier this year, the Falls Church City Council held a ceremony marking the honorary renaming of the 6600 and 6700 blocks of Wilson Blvd fronting the Eden Center as “Saigon Blvd.” Falls Church was not alone in the region in marking the anniversary and the contributions of Vietnamese Americans The Arlington County government plans to erect historic markers noting the importance of the Vietnamese-American community in Clarendon which from the 1970s to 1990s earned the nickname “Little Saigon” for the proliferation of Vietnamese businesses Rents in the corridor grew after the arrival of Metro service in Clarendon, and many of the businesses moved to the Eden Center or further out into the suburbs. A few, such as Nam Viet restaurant Fairfax County supervisors on April 22 also marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and saluted the Vietnamese-American community’s contributions to the local area and nation “Millions of Vietnamese lost their lives, and more than 58,000 Americans sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom,” said Uyen Dinh an attorney and civic leader who represented Vietnamese-American families at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting “All of our families bear the scars of the Vietnam War,” Dinh said Fairfax Board Chair Jeff McKay noted that the audience also included American-born veterans of the Vietnam War and their families “We really appreciate you making the time to come out Conifer Realty has secured $51M to convert a former Inova Health System office building to 80 units of affordable housing The Inova-owned office building at 2290 Telestar Court is now vacant and poised to be acquired by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority FCRHA and Conifer announced in separate releases this week Conifer is partnering with Joseph Brown Development for the development of the site through the joint venture Merrifield Housing LLC FCRHA will immediately enter into a 99-year ground lease with Merrifield Housing FCRHA is contributing $8M toward the site acquisition The authority said it is the first office-to-affordable housing deal it has undertaken “There are many challenges involved in an office-to-residential conversion and ensuring affordability will be preserved for years to come,” FCRHA Chair Lenore Stanton said in its release and very intensive analysis on the part of our staff and Conifer we have been able to outline a successful solution that will achieve our goals.” The developer also received housing opportunity credits affordable and special needs housing subordinate loans from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and Virginia Housing tax-exempt bonds and financing Telestar Court is Conifer’s first project in Virginia The developer plans to break ground this month and deliver the project at the end of 2026 The joint venture that owns Marriott’s Bethesda headquarters has landed a $252M refinancing deal. BXP, which has a 50% ownership stake in 7750 Wisconsin Ave., revealed the deal in its first-quarter earnings report released Tuesday nonrecourse CMBS loan with a fixed rate of just under 5.5% that matures in 2035 The 736K SF property is fully leased to Marriott International Ernst Equities has completed a merger with Gaithersburg-based J and acquired a minority stake in the firm's 823-unit portfolio in Hyattsville Ernst Equities Managing Partner Felipe Ernst told Bisnow Alexander are forming one management company to oversee the companies' combined properties that total more than 1,700 units Each party is bringing around 30 employees for a combined team of 60 Berkadia's Robert Meehling and Louis Jacobe brokered the deal The seven properties that Ernst acquired a minority stake in are:  Bethesda-based Metropolis Capital Advisors and Philadelphia-based AMA Advisors have merged into one commercial mortgage brokerage firm Metropolis-AMA Advisors will be headquartered in both of the merged firms’ home cities It has regional offices in Fort Lauderdale and it plans to open new locations in Los Angeles and New York City It also plans to hire seven to 10 new loan originators and hopes to double its transaction volume over the next three years to $2B annually A coworking company is opening its first location in D.C is taking 20K SF at TF Cornerstone’s 1156 15th St The coworking space will include 12 private offices It plans to open two more in New York City and one in Savannah Real estate attorney Jill Parks has joined Ballard Spahr as a partner, the law firm announced this week. Parks is working out of the firm’s D.C. office. She comes from Hunton Andrews Kurth, where she served as counsel for 3.5 years, according to her LinkedIn profile The firm announced Hunton Andrews Kurth alumnus Samantha Steketee has also joined Ballard Spahr as a senior land use planner and is assisting Parks in her practice You are subscribed to the Bisnow Washington or click here to copy link to clipboard We will email you a link to reset your password Upcoming regulations in the European Union require us to show this pop-up and ask you to agree to keep using Bisnow.com We want to take 15 seconds to tell you what's going on: The views expressed here are the author's own along with related arts and crafts vendors from Virginia and the surrounding areas Besides all types of readings done at tables there will also be related arts FREE Entry / Tickets Not Required / Donations via Ticket of Any Amount Very Much Appreciated (in advance or at the door) 45 vendors https://va-psychic-fair-2025.eventbrite.com Tuesday, 6:30 pmAnnandale, VA Wednesday, 6:30 pmChantilly, VA Thursday, 6:00 pmArlington, VA Saturday, 9:00 amMarshall, VA This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The latest concept from Arash Tafakor brings a dog-friendly patio local brews and casual eats to the heart of The Little City For decades, the brick motor lodge at 300 West Broad Street seemed frozen in time, but now a metamorphosis is in the works. Brothers Arash and Afsheen Tafakor, owners of Dominion Wine & Beer and Brick House Butcher are expanding their footprint in The Little City transforming the vintage motel into a restaurant and beer garden Their hope is that this adaptive reuse project will revitalize a prime piece of real estate that’s been sitting vacant for years Slated to open this fall, Stratford Garden will feature a 200-seat indoor dining room, as well as an expansive wrap-around pavilion with outdoor seating for 100. The modern interiors, designed by Francois Frossard Design of Miami will preserve some of the structure’s original elements “A project’s storytelling ability—its potential to merge the old with new—is always exciting,” says Matt Lee, principal of Lee Design Studio in Falls Church “I think the charm of those former establishments will shine through when we give the motor lodge new life.” Positioned as a neighborhood gathering place the restaurant will turn out classic bar fare ($13-$17) and main courses ($20-$30) from cheesesteaks and burgers to rockfish and branzino using locally-sourced meats and seafood from Brick House Butcher just up the street The concept also includes a carry-out café serving coffee The beer menu will highlight craft suds from some 20 local breweries (Arash Tafakor says partnerships with DMV brewers are currently in the works.) Also on the beverage list: premium wines and a cocktail program centering on timeless classics including a rye old fashioned and a gin gimlet Canine friends will be welcome on dog-friendly outdoor patio areas with atmospheric lighting and greenery—and possibly fire pits Tafakor envisions the setting as a relaxing Raising and Educating Our Children During Uncertain Times “We want this outdoor area to be an oasis away from the city,” he says “We want guests to feel like they’re at a brewery or winery in the middle of Virginia where they can breathe and relax The goal is to make this a destination spot that’s an experience.” Become a digital partner ... About UsContact UsSubscribeAdvertiseWrite for Us (7News) — Ellie Bird in Falls Church is offering a special meu for Mother's Day On Friday- the co-owners joined Megan on set to show off their French Toast and pastries You can book your table for that special Mom in your life here A historic Seneca Falls church will open its doors to the public as part of the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s 15th annual Sacred Sites Open House on May 17 and 18 The event offers a unique opportunity for residents to explore extraordinary architecture and history at diverse houses of worship across the state “Building for Eternity: Religious Architecture and Artisans,” celebrates the craftsmanship and artistry found in religious institutions throughout New York Participating sites will feature guided tours and musical performances to showcase their buildings “Open House Weekend is a wonderful opportunity to explore buildings you might not have entered otherwise,” said Peg Breen President of the New York Landmarks Conservancy “We hope you will enjoy discovering the architectural treasures in your own community.” For more information about the Sacred Sites Open House Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for our Morning Edition to start your day. FL1 on the Go! Download the free FingerLakes1.com App for iOS (iPhone, iPad) FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]. “We’re proud to continue serving the Falls Church community as we have for more than 25 years “This store showcases the best of local producers and brands from the DMV area offering a curated selection of fresh and unique products Our team is excited to welcome customers into a space designed to deliver both exceptional service and an elevated shopping experience.” Opening morning, customers were treated to complimentary coffee from 1790 Coffee and baked goods from Whisked by Jenna The first 300 shoppers in line were given a limited-edition Falls Church tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon Additionally on opening morning, Whole Foods Market provided a food donation to Northern Virginia Food Rescue., The nonprofit previously received a refrigerated van from the company which makes regular surplus food pickups from Whole Foods Market stores to help prevent food waste and serve the surrounding community Both donations are part of Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program which aims to enhance the ability of local food rescue organizations to transport food to areas facing the greatest need: each donated van has the capacity to rescue more than 1 million pounds of food Find more information on the features and product assortment in the newly relocated Falls Church store here Founded in 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer and the first certified organic national grocer in the United States. Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market serves customers in more than 530 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/ Falls Church leaders are seeking a compromise on a new ambulance fees agreement with Arlington County In addition to increasing the amount that the City of Falls Church pays for fire and ambulance services, the proposed agreement would cap the amount of revenue that the city can receive from ambulance transport fees at $295,000 annually Any generated revenues over $295,000 would go to Arlington County At a City Council work session on Monday leaders raised concerns about leaving the maximum rate fixed over the life of a contract that will run 5 to 10 years Mayor Letty Hardi asked staff from both jurisdictions to see if they could build in an inflationary component before the proposal returns for final action there has been no upper limit on the amount Falls Church has received from Arlington for ambulance transports that begin inside the city limits The proposed $295,000 cap is based on what Falls Church officials expect to receive this year The governing bodies of both localities must ratify all changes ambulance fees for rides originating in Arlington and Falls Church are expected to rise either 33% or 50% depending on the type of service delivered The fees are set by the Arlington government as part of the agreement between the jurisdictions “This is not a money-making effort. This is just trying to recover costs,” Arlington Fire Chief David Povlitz told Arlington County Board members during the county’s budget process County Board members approved raising fees for transport to $1,000 for basic life support and $1,500 for advanced life support Current rates are $750 and $1,000 Medicaid and TriCare (military health care) are not billed for any amount beyond what those health providers reimburse Arlington for ambulance service People with private medical insurance are billed for any excess not covered by their provider and those with no insurance are billed directly Waivers exist for those with financial hardships In addition to service from Arlington County, the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department also provides EMS services in the city. The organization recently celebrated its centennial The 125th-anniversary celebration of Falls Church’s Mary Riley Styles Public Library brought two awards from the Virginia Public Library Directors Association (VPLDA) The Impactful Marketing and Outreach Campaign award was bestowed on Falls Church for its promotion of the event while the VPLDA Outstanding Staff Member of the Year Award was presented to Paula Hawkins for her leadership in marking the event Both awards were in the category of Virginia libraries serving under 25,000 people Mary Riley Styles Public Library again received the Virginia Public Library Gold Standard of Excellence award from the statewide organization The silver screen has found a new home in the Little City Paragon Theaters is set to open a new two-story theater with seven auditoriums dining service and seating for over 600 moviegoers at 112 Founders Avenue next month is the glory days of movies — where you have these intimate sort of neighborhood theaters,” CEO Michael Whalen told ARLnow “We want to bring that nostalgic look and feel back to the movies with all the current technological amenities that we could do today.” The theater is holding a hiring event from 10 a.m.-4 p.m The City of Falls Church plans to spend more on paving roads in the coming year The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes $1.4 million for road-paving initiatives up from $870,000 in the coming fiscal year The additional funding will allow for the repaving of 3.5 lane-miles compared to 2.5 lane-miles in the current year “We’re looking for improved execution,” Andrew Young, the deputy city manager for external operations, said at an April 21 City Council work session “The goal is to extend the pavement life and minimize long-term cost.” City officials plan to use capital reserves to cover part of the FY 2026 cost just as they are doing for the current fiscal year the city will still have about $1.1 million in unfunded paving needs Staff reported that a pavement-management consultant will be hired to examine long-term needs Residents’ views of road conditions declined in a recent satisfaction survey conducted for the city government The city’s public works department is also about to kick off a new round of studying pavement conditions in the city something that takes place once every three years Roadways selected for repaving receive a two-inch mill topped by a two-inch overlay Council member David Snyder said that multiple transportation-infrastructure initiatives require attention “We need to find a way to get more money into it not less — whether it’s paving or it’s sidewalks or it’s lighting “We’re just not funding this at a level it has to be funded at.” “Our collective challenge is both short-term and long-term,” Snyder said Photo by Alan Kotok/Flickr The upcoming weekend is packed with family-friendly events to celebrate Easter and springtime Still planning your weekend? Here’s a look at some of the upcoming seasonal festivities, including a spring plant sale, free arts and crafts and several Easter egg hunts across Arlington and Falls Church The Easter Bunny will pay a visit to this egg hunt where the “golden egg” contains a $100 Astro Beer Hall gift card An Easter brunch afterward will serve pancakes The Easter egg hunt includes candy and small prizes for kids and spring-themed cocktails for adults This free event includes a free magic show at 10:30 and a meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny Dogs are welcome to Colada Shop’s patio for a dog-friendly Easter egg hunt during happy hour A $6 ticket includes a “pup cup,” a surprise egg for your pet and a rum spritzer A post shared by Colada Shop (@coladashop) This annual egg hunt at Douglas Park includes face painting a bouncy house and pictures with the Easter Bunny Kids of all ages can complete a daily scavenger hunt of Potomac Overlook’s nature center and park to win a special egg prize kids find clues and complete a worksheet to collect treat-filled eggs Reservations are available for Easter brunch in Skydome’s dining space offering 360-degree views of Arlington and D.C An all-you-can-eat $80 buffet includes eggs Benedict Create free decoupage eggs with the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington while listening to live music by Laurel Halsey This event is part of a recurring Sunday series at Met Park with live music and crafts Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia will host its annual spring celebration with native and locally propagated plants There will also be all-day kids activities crafting and an educational tree walk at 1 p.m This annual springtime 5K for charity returns next weekend outside Clarendon United Methodist Church Participants are encouraged to dress up and the best three costumes will receive medals Photo via Astro Beer Hall/Facebook The race for four seats on the Falls Church City Council is underway Incumbents Laura Downs and David Snyder have already qualified for the Nov city elections director David Bjerke told ARLnow Connelly and Debora Schantz Hiscott will be on the ballot City Council members serve four-year terms starting Jan. 1 after their election, and members choose a mayor and vice mayor from among their ranks. Downs gained office last year through a special election and has been filling out the remainder of the term Elections for the Council happen in odd-numbered years with either four seats (as in 2025) or three (in 2023 and again in 2027) on the ballot so no primaries or nominating caucuses take place before the general election Council members receive $11,000 per year and the mayor gets $11,500, although Council members have discussed raising that pay level The Falls Church elections office’s budget will benefit from no Republican primary taking place this year Pat Herrity’s decision to drop his bid for lieutenant governor ended what would have been the lone Republican statewide primary election Gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears and current Attorney General Jason Miyares will represent the GOP in the general election along with lieutenant-governor candidate John Reid In the Democratic primary six candidates are vying for the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor and two are running for attorney general Abigail Spanberger was unopposed in her quest to be the nominee for governor While the Democratic and Republican primaries happen in tandem having only one political party involved will reduce staffing costs as the office exceeded its budgeted costs in last November’s election Falls Church Electoral Board members agreed last week to staff polling places for each of the city’s three wards with one chief one assistant chief and four officers of election for the primary The initial plan had been six officers of election but Bjerke advised going with a lower number “I just don’t see [turnout] being huge,” he said Early voting in the primary will begin Friday Electoral Board officers tested voting machines and determined all equipment was operating normally Electoral Board secretary Renee Bergmann Andrews said The deadline to register to vote in the primary is May 27 Falls Church City Council members appear as divided as ever on how costs for trash collection in single-family neighborhoods should be funded At a Monday work session, Council members split almost down the middle on whether to shift to a fee-for-service model or to stick with funding weekly trash services through the city they are still debating whether they can work out details in the few weeks remaining before the city’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget is due for adoption The City of Falls Church currently provides once-a-week trash services to about 3,000 single-family residences at a cost of about $950,000 a year Shifting to a fee-for-service system would enable county officials to lower the property tax rate by approximately 1.5 cents per $1,000 assessed value The proposed annual trash collection fee is about $310 per household Adding this would create financial winners and losers who currently are taxed to pay the costs of trash collection even though they do not participate in the program Losers would be those with single-family homes valued at less than $2 million for whom the new fee for trash collection would exceed what they had been paying via taxes Mayor Letty Hardi and Council member Debora Schantz-Hiscott were among those supporting the change “we’re asking people who are receiving services to pay for the service they’re receiving,” Schantz-Hiscott said “It shouldn’t be subsidized by others.” But several of her colleagues feared that trying to get this done in just a few weeks “It’s too rushed and there’s not enough community engagement,” Council member Erin Flynn said we’re going to make mistakes.” “There’s not been enough community discussion to make a fundamental change like this,” Council member David Snyder added “What I want is a legitimate public discussion a much more thorough public process.” At the end of an animated back-and-forth that lasted until almost midnight Council members asked City Manager Wyatt Shields to come back with answers to a few specific questions that would guide the next round of discussion Shields was signaling concerns about getting a policy ready by the time the budget is adopted in coming weeks “There’s going to be a hundred more questions — that’s just the way it’s going to go,” he said Shields asked for permission to begin fleshing out the details of a staff-and-resident work group that could study the issue should Council members opt to take that route A study group would be able to provide options that would be considered for Fiscal Year 2027 Its work “doesn’t have to stretch out for a whole year,” he said “This is way too complicated to implement with this current budget,” Board member Marybeth Connelly said in pushing for a study group “has a different idea” how to address the situation Hardi pushed to include an additional $22 fee per household for composting services while there also was discussion of whether homeowners could pay less by opting for a 35-gallon recycling bin rather than the 65-gallon option Throwing a cautionary note into the entire discussion was City Treasurer Jody Acosta who voiced concern that necessary technological changes to accommodate the change might not be possible in time for tax bills to be printed and mailed in the fall Keeping the switch simple by avoiding issues like composting or the size of recycling bins would simplify the process but “I still would be leery of getting it done by this December’s bill,” she said Hardi asked Acosta to mull the intricacies in coming days to see if it would work or not Falls Church’s current real-estate tax rate is $1.21 per $100 Under the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that Shields presented and if trash-collection costs were removed it could dip to $1.17 Even if the tax rate dropped the full 4 cents (3.3%), most owners of residential property would still see a net tax increase owing to higher assessed valuations Plans for a supermarket in Falls Church’s West End development are likely to be downsized city leaders do not expect to lose out on any sales-tax revenue Fresh Market, the North Carolina-based chain that has agreed to lease the space at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Haycock Road has requested to take only 32,900 square feet of the 39,200 square feet set aside for a supermarket in the mixed-use development The smaller space would provide a better footprint for the supermarket Because the square footage would be lower than the zoning agreement between the city and developer permits Since the supermarket chain expects to meet the agreement’s minimum sales requirements despite the smaller amount of space, there would be “no net negative impact” in terms of sales-tax revenue, City Manager Wyatt Shields said at a Monday (April 7) Council work session Final Council consideration of the request will come in mid-May It is in the process of being leased for a retail-service use When open, the Fresh Market will be competing against a long-existing Giant Food supermarket directly across Haycock Road. It joins a growing number of grocery stores in the city The amount that the City of Falls Church pays Arlington County for fire and ambulance services could be about to surge Under a proposed new agreement the projected cost of these services would increase by 20% — from an anticipated $3.24 million to $3.89 million Staff from the two jurisdictions have been negotiating the arrangement for months Falls Church City Council action to replace the current agreement is slated for May with Arlington County Board action due in June The new agreement would go into effect July 1 the start of the new fiscal year for both jurisdictions “It really is just driven by the county’s costs,” City Manager Wyatt Shields said at a Monday (April 21) City Council work session Arlington Fire Chief David Povlitz told Council members medical supplies — it’s all inflated It’s just the times we’re in,” Povlitz said “We have million-dollar fire engines now That was unthinkable 5 or 10 years ago.” The current agreement has been in place since 2014 Falls Church also will have to shoulder some costs associated with union contracts between Arlington and its firefighters That process builds “a lot of uncertainty” into budget planning State law allows adjoining localities to contract for fire/EMS services. Under the Arlington-Falls Church contract, Arlington provides staffing for Fire Station #6 The station responds to about 2,000 calls for service annually up from 33 when the last agreement between the jurisdictions was signed Council members brought up several questions about the proposed new agreement asking staff from both localities to take a look at certain areas Broadly, Council member David Snyder asked if Falls Church, which has seen significant growth in mixed-use development over the past decade has enough fire and ambulance personnel and equipment available resources to respond to calls “we have one station and basically the same apparatus,” Snyder said Povlitz said multiple years of data show that the community has adequate coverage “The station can respond to more incidents,” he said The city also benefits from services of the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department The Little City is starting to think big for the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026 Much remains up in the air, including the question of how much funding the City of Falls Church will set aside. At a March Falls Church250 committee meeting officials floated ideas ranging from history talks to planting a remembrance tree Commemorative events could kick off at the city’s annual 2025-26 Watch Night celebration set for New Year’s Eve although planning for that event “is a little up in the air,” said Holly Irwin the city’s arts and humanities coordinator Leaders are conducting community outreach to determine other appropriate events Elise Bengston, who heads the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, said she had been reaching out to musical groups to gauge interest. Lyn Sherlock of the Falls Church chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution told commission members her organization also is happy to help “We’re very interested in any activities you have and how we can support them,” Sherlock said who serves as the Council’s liaison to the committee recommended establishing an oral history project that would record the views of current city residents for posterity “This community is filled with people who are doing fascinating things,” Snyder said “I would like to give them an opportunity to talk so that people will have a sense of what people were thinking in 2026.” There also will be coordination with state-level organizing efforts. The state initiative gained momentum on March 23 with an event marking the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech at St Falls Church committee members and staff will look to recent efforts coordinating the 75th anniversary of Falls Church’s incorporation as a city They also will dig into archives held at Mary Riley Styles Library related to the city’s efforts marking the nation’s bicentennial in 1976 That year’s centerpiece initiative in Falls Church was restoration of the 19th century Cherry Hill Farmhouse Local festivities won’t necessarily end in July 2026 it was noted that there had been a public reading of the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Falls Church on Sept The church’s most famous parishioner While organizers seem eager for a major commemorative event to mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 “[We] have no idea what that looks like We don’t even know if we are going to have funding,” she said Perhaps signaling the committee plans to move at a brisk pace in determining a theme for the celebration the body opted to meet again today (Monday) rather than wait for its next planned gathering in May Other Northern Virginia jurisdictions already have or are expected to appropriate some funding to mark the birthday celebration In Fairfax County, staff has recommended that the Board of Supervisors expend $900,000 for a signature project, on top of other funding to support the county’s commemorative efforts and the group tasked with leading the festivities The Arlington County Board has designated the Arlington Historical Society to take the lead in planning events in that community The Falls Church City Council has reached a compromise on accessory dwelling units allowing for by-right development on most single-family parcels The unanimous 7-0 vote followed public discussions with the public last summer and nearly a year of further deliberation Most public speakers showed up in support of the decision although some controversy remains on issues such as setbacks “Not everyone’s perfectly happy but I think we’re in a good place,” City Council member Marybeth Connelly said on Monday ADUs are ancillary properties on single-family lots that include provisions for living eating/cooking and sanitation for one family The current policy has “gone through many iterations,” City Manager Wyatt Shields said “I’m happy where we’ve landed,” Council member Erin Flynn said as the final vote approached Even Council member David Snyder, who throughout the process voiced concerns about the impact of ADUs on residential neighborhoods, opted to support the measure. “There was a serious effort to find compromise — to find a middle ground,” he said. “A genuine effort to listen to all the citizens.” ADUs have been allowed on many of the approximately 2,400 residential parcels in Falls Church, but typically only if the property owner applied for and received a special-use permit. The new ordinance removes that requirement for most residential property. As the ordinance-development process rolled on over the past year, only limited opposition to the concept materialized. Public-comment speakers expressed differences on some issues, like setback requirements, but most generally were supportive of the proposal at this week’s meeting. “There’s no need to delay any further,” local resident Marc Cloutier told Council members. The final ordinance represents “a reasonable, modest and balanced option” for homeowners, said Robin Ramey, another local resident who spoke at the meeting. The feeling was not unanimous, however, either at the April 14 meeting or during the policy’s crafting. One resident who spoke out strongly against the measure — Jennifer Veale — said opening the door to more accessory units constitutes a “slap in the face to homeowners and residents who value the beauty of a backyard.” Veale called approving what she termed a one-size-fits-all policy “mind-boggling,” and said it was being pushed by a small cabal of community leaders. “Certain council members are acting like bullies,” Veale said. On the contentious issue of setbacks, Council members decided against a proposed five-foot buffer in favor of eight to 10 feet from the property line, depending on the height of the accessory unit. Local resident Gene Gresko was among those asking Council members for wider than five-foot setbacks. Such a close proximity to a lot line would be an intrusion on the privacy of neighbors, said Gresko, who called the final decision of 8 to 10 feet “a good compromise.” Property owners still have the ability to go to the Board of Zoning Appeals to seek a waiver from the longer setback distances. Tackling another contentious issue — an owner-occupancy requirement — the ordinance takes a middle ground. Under its provisions, the owner of a property must be using the dwelling as their primary residence at the time the building permit and certificate of occupancy are issued. An owner-occupancy exception is carved out in the ordinance for future development, when the principal dwelling and accessory dwelling are built at the same time. The new ordinance also addresses existing accessory units: Those who already have them on their property, but do not meet the newly adopted regulations, can go to the Board of Zoning Appeals for one-time special-use permits to be grandfathered in. City officials anticipate a relatively small number of property owners to add ADUs, based on the experience of neighboring localities. On estimate pegs the likely number at fewer than a half-dozen per year. Supporters view the new ordinance as an opportunity to retain smaller-scale housing on lots that otherwise might be razed to make way for McMansion-style development. The accessory-dwelling ordinance gives property owners “a gentler option to add a small unit rather than just tearing down a modest sized home to build something bigger,” Ramey said. Scattered thunderstorms are expected Monday afternoon and evening. Some may become severe with large hail and high winds. TRACK RADARFalls Church businesses face displacement as new healthcare facility moves inby Joy Wang there's something so comforting about a large bowl of pho He took over the business last year to fulfill a family friend's dying wish "He get sick and he ask me buy the place," remembered Le Le said he had no idea VHC Health had bought the property Northern Virginia will soon be home to a new health care facility but that move will also displace a group of small businesses that have called the Graham Center in Falls Church home for decades all of these businesses are in the process of leaving this plaza along Route 50 received a letter from VHC Health letting them know their lease would be over by the end of March 2025 to allow for new construction for the new medical facility "It's very short notice," said Le "A lot of them don't understand that they're entitled to help," said Hoinam Nguyen "During public board meetings for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors they mentioned how this is a win win for everybody," said Nguyen "But I noticed they left out the small businesses They left out the businesses that got displaced something to help these businesses stay afloat during this tough transition "I think it'll be really devastating for these businesses to close down," said Nguyen VHC sent 7News details about their efforts saying: "They put up some signs that were very small like near the road," described Nguyen "But there needs to be more outreach." Viet Place Collective told 7News the small businesses "have provided integral community services and food to the multicultural communities of Falls Church and the greater area for decades." A core organizer for Viet Place Collective “Fairfax County approved this development without consulting the impacted small businesses and without considering how this displacement of the businesses and their workers would affect the community It’s clear that the outreach that’s legally required is neither sufficient nor considerate." Supervisor Dalia Palchik told 7News in a statement: and several business owners onsite last week including the Department of Economic Initiatives to provide additional resources and help us learn from the entrepreneurs I was encouraged by the dialogue and the additional concessions made by VHC to support the business owners We also had helpful takeaways for similar circumstances in the future.” "It's just important that these businesses get help," said Nguyen Many of these businesses can't make profits while also moving and I love to be a business owner of the Pho Golden Cow," said Le "It's part of my goal and part of my dream to own the restaurant." A dream he'll have to fulfill elsewhere in just a few weeks A Viet Place Collective tells 7 News after the meeting facilitated by Fairfax County VHC Health has offered tenants who have paid rent through February: "We are pleased that VHC has agreed to the requests of the business owners It will help ease the burden of having to close down their business and/or relocate," the organization said VHC said it "will provide highly in-demand emergency urgent care and imaging services to the community less than 15 minutes and 4.6 miles from the hospital campus." Around 1,650 homes and businesses are reported to be without power in central Falls Church as of 3:45 p.m Arlington County firefighters responded to the 100 block of W Broad Street for several reports of people stuck in elevators as a result of the outage Dominion lists the estimated restoration time in Falls Church as between 5-10 p.m A blown transformer was reported in Arlington’s Columbia Forest neighborhood resulting in an outage of fewer than 100 homes according to scanner traffic and Dominion’s online outage map downed utility lines and scattered small outages have been reported Arlington, Falls Church and much of the D.C. area remains under a Wind Advisory, amid gusts of over 40 mph …WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING… * WHAT…West winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts of 45 to 50 mph expected * IMPACTS…Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result Winds this strong can make driving difficult — Power has been mostly restored in Falls Church though nearly 100 customers remain in the dark in Arlington Arlington resident Michael Lindsay earned the People's Choice Award for his abstract work 'Full Circle in Blue.' Michael Lindsay describes the color blue as “peaceful and calming,” but it was excitement he felt most when his painting Full Circle in Blue won the People’s Choice Award this month at the Falls Church Arts’ Full Circle exhibit “Full Circle in Blue represents the good and hard things in life,” the 22-year-old Arlington resident wrote in an email response to questions—an interview format his mother “As someone with autism who has trouble expressing themselves with no one understanding,” Lindsay says Expressing yourself through art is so freeing and these circles [in the painting] are free she thought Full Circle in Blue would be a perfect fit She and Lindsay’s mom submitted it for consideration without telling him His mom worried that he would be disappointed if it wasn’t accepted but never got accepted or won anything,” says Fakes LoGerfo 6 to cast a vote for their favorite of the show’s 45 artworks using a blind ballot so this just felt like people really saw his art and reacted to it.” become a better artist and enter more exhibits to share my art with others.” Debra Lindsay says art has long been an outlet for her son “He’s been doing art since he was a little kid” at public school and through private lessons When it comes to “people with autism or a communication impairment…it’s easy for people to either assume things about them or not really get to know them Lindsay works at  Washington Golf & Country Club’s restaurant through the Arlington Career Center Fakes LoGerfo joins him in his dedicated art room at home for a lesson The two began working together three years ago when Fakes LoGerfo got an email from the Arlington Artists Alliance about a mother looking for a teacher for her son Having run the art department at an international school in her native Jordan Fakes LoGerfo says she “felt so confident being with Michael because I…could tell which stage he’s in and how can I help them improve.” “Michael and I have a passion for blues,” she adds “and this is how we clicked from the beginning.” the pair focused on painting replicas of masterpieces by famous artists Debra Lindsay hopes painting will be something her son can do for the rest of his life and perhaps turn into a business He’s already sold three pieces: Full Circle in Blue sold for $125 Family friends bought a Van Gogh-inspired painting he made of a church “this is just something really happy in his life that he can do right now One of the few remaining pieces of an abandoned railroad in East Falls Church is about to receive public recognition The Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) on March 19 approved the design of a commemorative marker to be located adjacent to remnants of a train trestle next to Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park The request to install the marker came from NOVA Parks McCray said the structure represents “one of the very few remaining pieces of the railroad” that ran along what is now the trail’s right-of-way until the late 1960s the trestle permitted coal-filled train cars to pull on top of bins and unload supplies of coal which then was trucked away for delivery to customers The structure remained in use until the Washington & Old Dominion rail line was abandoned in 1968. In 2014, a developer removed about a quarter of the trestle structure but the remainder is still standing on NOVA Parks property In 2014, the county government named the structure a local historic district. To date, it is the only industrial structure in the county to have won the designation While HALRB members were happy about the marker some were not as thrilled by its planned ground-level location — inaccessible to people using the pedestrian/bicyclist bridge that crosses Langston Blvd McCray said the plan is to install directional signage on the bridge showing the public a pathway to take in order to view the marker and trestle remnants “I would love to have it overlooking the trestle from the bridge,” McCray said but pointed to concerns about people stopping to view it while others are trying to pass by “It’s strictly a safety concern,” he said HALRB member Richard Woodruff argued that the bridge is wide enough “I just think that’s overstating the safety concerns,” he said HALRB’s unanimous approval of the design gave NOVA Parks the leeway to make minor wording adjustments and swap out photographs if better options can be found There will also be a QR code directing people to more information available online the trestle marker will join about 40 other historical markers on the W&OD Trail from Shirlington to Purcellville The Falls Church City Council is keeping the door open to maintaining the same tax rate in the coming fiscal year Council members unanimously voted on Monday night to advertise a maximum tax rate of $1.21 per $100 assessed valuation — unchanged from the current rate This is greater than the proposed tax reduction to $1.185 per $100 which City Manager Mark Shields requested just a few weeks ago to fund his budget package Uncertainties about the local economy have caused Council members who have until May 12 to make a final decision “many of us are interested in reducing the tax rate,” Council member Debora Schantz-Hiscott said on Monday Falls Church homeowners would be paying more in the coming year as the average home assessment in the city rose about 8.6% over the past year With a median home assessment value of just over $1.02 million the tax bill on a typical property would be $12,115 at the $1.185 rate and $12,371 at $1.21 Also under consideration is increasing the personal property tax on vehicles from $4.80 per $100 to $5 per $100; increasing sewer service fees from $10.86 per $1,000 gallons to $11.15; and increasing the stormwater utility rate by 2.7% to $21.33 per 200 square feet of impervious surface Some on the Council voiced unease about the cumulative impacts “I just have a concern that across every single place where people are paying money — whether it’s fees or through taxes — all of these continue to add up,” Council member Erin Flynn said The net result would be “difficult for people who are very cost-burdened right now,” she said In neighboring Arlington, County Board members this year advertised a higher real estate tax rate but ultimately kept the existing rate of $1.033 per $100 unchanged Fairfax County officials currently are working through their annual budget process and have not set a tax rate At the April 14 meeting, Council members also continued their discussion on how to charge for trash collection the costs are included in the overall budget but some on Council have sought to move to a fee-for-service model Such a switch would benefit owners of commercial property apartment buildings and individual condominiums whose taxes fund trash collection but who do not receive collection services would likely end up paying more in fees than what they had paid through a portion of their tax bills Shields said that if the Council could not decide whether to make the change by May 12 it could come back later in the year and address it If the city moves to a fee-based trash collection model the city’s real estate tax rate could be retroactively lowered up to 1.5 cents per $100 as long as action by Council is taken before tax bills are mailed out in November who has voiced concerns that the trash collection proposal was being advanced without sufficient public input advocated for a delay in making any action “To rush a decision would unnecessarily divide the community,” he said We can end up with a better product by not rushing it.” An Arlington woman began her entrepreneurial journey earlier this year with the opening of a new fitness studio in Falls Church Hope Wheeler opened a barre3 this winter at 450 N making a career shift after two decades in professional communications the new boutique fitness studio has brought dozens of people together for classes in strength Leading barre3 is Wheeler’s full-time job today from teaching classes to coordinating social media restocking merchandise and processing payroll “It’s been quite a journey,” Wheeler told ARLnow “It took me almost two years to get to this point … it was a really big The studio offers between four and five group classes each day “all packaged in a really welcoming environment,” Wheeler said the skinniest or the strongest or the prettiest or the richest,” she added “You can just completely be yourself.” Wheeler said she felt compelled to open a new barre3 after the franchise’s Clarendon studio shut down in 2022 Going to that location had become an important part of her life after the pandemic helping her to socialize and hold herself accountable driving to other D.C.-area barre3 studios every day just wasn’t feasible for her schedule “It was something that I needed every day I guess I have to open my own studio,’ and the franchise was available in this area This is Wheeler’s first entrepreneurial endeavor Although she’s never been “a traditional gym girl,” she said she was drawn to work with barre3 because it provided an environment where she didn’t feel intimidated “When you believe in something so strongly it removes a lot of the worry,” she said The woman-founded franchise has over 200 women-operated studios nationwide Aside from classes, Wheeler’s studio offers a child-care area, locker room amenities and jewelry for sale by the Northern Virginia-based designer The Pink Reef Looking ahead, Wheeler said she hopes to do more community partnerships. She is currently scheduled to teach a free fitness class on April 26 at Mr. Brown’s Park for the City of Falls Church Fitness Challenge, and barre3 will also participate in the city’s Memorial Day Festival She looks forward to meeting more of her Falls Church neighbors and becoming embedded in the city’s community “I have been welcomed so warmly by the Falls Church community and other business owners really amazing group of people here,” Wheeler said has really exceeded my expectations.” Firefighters from Arlington and other local departments are on scene of a fire in Falls Church A one-story building is on fire at the Falls Green apartment complex at 501 Roosevelt Blvd just north of the Eden Center shopping center Numerous firefighters were on scene as of publication time working to bring the smoky fire under control Some used equipment to cut holes in the building’s roof Residents tell ARLnow that the building is a clubhouse that was renovated a few years ago The Arlington County Fire Department is the primary firefighting service for the City of Falls Church under an agreement between the two jurisdictions firefighters reported that the blaze was largely extinguished but the fire-and-water-damaged building would require “extensive overhaul.” A French cafe and creperie with a vintage aesthetic may be opening soon in Falls Church The Little Falls Cafe is a new concept by Enzo Algarme and Anastasiya Laufenberg, the founders of Pupatella, an acclaimed Arlington-based pizzeria A post shared by Kelly Thompson I Realtor in Northern Virginia- Patina Home (@kelly_stylishpatinahome) The cafe owners did not respond in time to requests for comment this bastion of Vietnamese culture was founded by immigrants Pass through the vivid pagoda-style archway on Wilson Boulevard in Seven Corners and you’ll invariably find a bustle of activity—shoppers of every ethnicity queuing up for fresh tofu and emerging from the Good Fortune Supermarket with bags of imported curry paste A new food hall, Pop Up District is slated to join the fray in late 2024 or early 2025 Named after the bygone Eden Arcade market in Vietnam’s most populous city, the Eden Center took shape in 1984 as a hub for the diaspora. Many of its early tenants were immigrants who fled war-torn Vietnam and at first landed a few miles away in Clarendon (known for a time as “Little Saigon”) only to have their small businesses displaced by rising real estate prices So it’s understandable that some of those same merchants were wary when the Falls Church City Council in 2021 began exploring potential improvements to the tangle of roads and aging commercial buildings around Seven Corners was right in the bull’s-eye of the 10-block area under review “The familiar sights, sounds and smells are what brings people here,” says Binh Ly, 34, a first-generation Vietnamese American and organizer with the Viet Place Collective a community group formed to advocate for the protection of Eden Center and its small businesses “A lot of them have been displaced—if not once it’s so important that there is a space like this.”  After gathering feedback from the Viet Place Collective and other community groups in a series of public forums, the Falls Church City Council in 2023 adopted its East End Small Area Plan which lays out a framework for future public and private investments in the area mixed-use district with Wi-Fi-equipped playgrounds a public square for special events (including a popular annual Lunar New Year celebration) Forty years after the first Vietnamese tenants gave the Eden Center its name the plan also includes strategies for protecting the mall’s small businesses and cultural heritage But with another milestone on the horizon—2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (or “the American War”)—many shopkeepers remain leery of gentrification and how it might play out long term “Vietnamese businesspeople [created this place],” Ly says “What’s important is…the collection of businesses we’d want this business community to thrive.” New data on sales tax and meals tax revenues in Falls Church might show the first headwinds of a looming economic storm Sales-tax revenues in the city were flat in February despite the opening of a Whole Foods supermarket in early February Revenue from the city’s meals tax also wasn’t as high as officials had anticipated She didn’t provide any specific numbers at the meeting City Manager Wyatt Shields said that “a good mindset would be this is going to be a multi-year structural change” in the local economy “This isn’t going to be a blip,” he said last week during a calendar-setting session with Mayor Letty Hardi and several other City Council members Hardi pointed out that one could view the Whole Foods opening as a form of “cannibalization” — its sales coming at the expense of other supermarkets in town there were enough concerns about the data that Council members also began discussing how to address an economic downturn in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget City officials expect to end the current fiscal year on June 30 with leftover cash The extra revenue came from increased interest returns on investments and money brought in from speed cameras “Our core taxes are all down,” he said As in most of Northern Virginia, jobless rates in Falls Church are on the upswing With 8,092 city residents employed in the civilian workforce and 253 looking for jobs That compares to Falls Church rates of 2.6% in January and 2.2% a year before The situation is more stark when comparing city residents looking for work The 253 reported as seeking jobs in February represented a month-over-month increase of 19% and a year-over-year rise of 30% Current economic conditions and the federal job cuts contributing to them already have become an issue in this year’s nascent race for governor between Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger A spokesman for current Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) told ARLnow that Virginia has retained a “strong “The commonwealth has seen approximately 1,500 combined unemployment-insurance claims from federal employees and federal contractors statewide,” Youngkin spokesman Peter Finocchio said the commonwealth is home to over 250,000 open jobs with approximately 100,000 of those being in the Northern Virginia region.” Regional leaders say the area has proved resilient in the past “We’ve got undeniable strengths a vibrant business ecosystem,” said Mark Carrier who chairs the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Still, at at a recent meeting of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Carrier echoed the idea that the changes arriving are not transitory “There are going to be long-term, fundamental challenges,” he predicted at the forum A Palestine-themed alphabet book will remain on the shelf following a review by Falls Church staff but it’s moving to a different part of the library A resident’s complaint in February about “P is for Palestine: A Palestine Alphabet Book” prompted a flood of nearly 4,500 emails to the city, library director Megan Dotzler told the Library Board of Trustees at a meeting last week The vast majority of emailers called for removing the book which critics have accused of antisemitism Library staff determined that the book does not violate Mary Riley Styles Library’s standards they moved the piece from the picture book section to children’s nonfiction given the “complex topics that will require adult explanations for some children.” The 2017 book by Golbard Bashi is particularly controversial for a passage titled “I is for ‘Initifada.’” The word, often translated as “uprising,” has disputed connotations Supporters of Palestine often use the term to talk about resisting Israel in Gaza and the West Bank but critics have argued the word is antisemitic and promotes violence against Jews and Israel Reading from written remarks during the trustees’ meeting noting that the library “does not endorse any particular views expressed in the materials it selects.” Of the thousands of emails the city received about “P is for Palestine,” only about 200 were in favor of retaining the book They noted that most emails on boths sides appeared to be part of coordinated efforts at the national level and were not from Falls Church residents The city resident who lodged the initial complaint who has not been named by library officials at first sought to appeal the decision to the board of trustees Additional no-turn-on-red traffic restrictions are coming to Falls Church Police Chief Shahram Fard told City Council members that the Department of Public Works has approved several of his requests for additional no-turn-on-red restrictions along Broad Street Signage is on the way, Fard said at a Council work session earlier this month His comments were part of a broader discussion on no-turn-on-red restrictions which have begun popping up with more frequency along the city’s main east-west thoroughfare she has sometimes been the near-victim of vehicles turning on and off Broad “I’ve had to leap out of the way in the crosswalk several times,” she said Hardi suggested that banning turns on red lights might be something to consider for all intersections on Broad it’s worth thinking [about]: Is it more confusing to have half no-right-on-red and the other have regular?” she asked City Manager Wyatt Shields said staff is looking at the possibility of more no-right-on-red limitations including the potential of a blanket prohibition on turning against the light “We’ll provide the council some feedback” later Death Could Get More Expensive in Falls Church: In Falls Church death eventually could become more expensive one has to look to the city’s eastern neighbor Leaders in that locality, as part of their fiscal 2026 budget planning, have proposed adding a $25 administrative fee on top of the state and county taxes levied on the probate process for wills The state probate tax is 10 cents on each $100 of an estate’s worth applicable to any estate worth more than $15,000 On an Arlington estate with a probate valuation of $1 million that would add up to $1,355 — $1,000 in state tax “Assets that pass outside of probate are not taxed,” Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson told ARLnow Falls Church imposes neither the probate tax nor the $25 fee But Ferguson — whose office serves both Arlington and Falls Church — tells ARLnow that he will alert city officials to the possibility of doing so it’s not likely such a measure would be included in City Manager Wyatt Shields’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal But it could be a consideration in the future The revenue brought in would be relatively small change for Falls Church leaders “We do have multi-million-dollar estates pass through probate,” Ferguson told ARLnow of the experience in Arlington “It is rare that we collect more than $10,000 in tax which has imposed an estate tax since 1916 currently has tax rates ranging from 18% to 40% although the first $14 million of an estate generally is exempt Demolition has begun at the vacant Stratford Motor Lodge in Falls Church where a local business owner plans to construct a restaurant and beer garden Broad Street is slated to become Stratford Gardens including Brick House Butcher and Dominion Wine and Beer – both located down the street from the new development which has fallen into disrepair since it closed in 2021 It consists of two buildings: the former La Caraquena restaurant and lobby facing Harris Teeter across the street while the former restaurant site will be refurbished Takafor declined to provide ARLnow with additional information about the new restaurant The idea for a restaurant with outdoor seating came up after Tafakor met with the motel property owners to discuss redevelopment. Before then, previous plans to redevelop the site — including a contract with Wawa in 2022 — had fallen through Falls Church officials approved the Stratford Garden site plan in December 2023 Tafakor told the council that the new restaurant would include “beautiful green space,” strong customer service and good food in a family-friendly atmosphere “I think it’s going to be a great addition to Falls Church we are super excited to be able to invest in the city because the city’s given myself and my family so much,” he said The project is being spearheaded by Falls Church-based Lee Design Studio It was a big morning for the Little City, with the grand opening of Whole Foods Market Broad Street this morning (Friday) to see the new 45,000-square-foot grocery store who crowded outside the shop just before 8 a.m “It was very chaotic getting in the garage and then I didn’t see the line outside,” said customer Kerry Englehart “It’s must nicer than the other one that closed down It’s nice to have [a Whole Foods] so close.” The new store replaces a previous Whole Foods at the Idylwood Plaza, which closed permanently Monday The grocery store is open from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. A new fast-casual seafood restaurant opened yesterday in Falls Church serving New England-style lobster rolls and seafood Annapolis, Md.-based Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls is soft opening now on the ground floor of The Oak condominiums on 243 West Falls Station Blvd It’s the first restaurant to open at the West Falls development with more eateries expected later this year Mason’s is open in Falls Church from 11 a.m.-9 p.m Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m 2025) – Whole Foods Market will open a new 45,000+ square-foot store located at 103 E Broad Street in Falls Church The store is a relocation of the existing Falls Church store (7511 Leesburg Pike) which has served the community for more than 25 years on opening day and regular store hours will be 8:00 a.m The new location’s product assortment features more than 700 local items from DC sourced with the help of Daniela D’Ambrosio Forager for Local & Emerging Brands at Whole Foods Market Features of the relocated Falls Church store include: Opening morning, customers will enjoy complimentary coffee from 1790 Coffee and baked goods from Whisked by Jenna The first 300 customers in line will receive a custom tote bag and Secret Saver coupon featuring offers up to $100 off All food at Whole Foods Market must meet the company’s rigorous Quality Standards high-fructose corn syrup and more than 300 flavors sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food all beauty and body care products must meet the company’s body care standards which ban more than 240 commonly used ingredients For more information, please visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/fallschurch Founded in 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer and the first certified organic national grocer in the United States. Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market serves customers in more than 530 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/ Deer culling efforts are unlikely to get off the ground in Falls Church any time soon “There’s no evidence that there’s an overpopulation of deer,” the city’s animal-control officer, James Overholt, told City Council members during a Monday night work session Public complaints about deer have been “minimal,” Overholt said “Most people are very welcoming of the deer,” he said Elected leaders seemed to accept his view, but said there should be ongoing consideration of the matter The deer population is “something to keep an eye on,” Mayor Letty Hardi said While it may not currently be a critical situation “the [deer] population is increasing,” Council member Laura Downs said Fairfax County for many years has used a number of methods to cull deer on public property. Late last year, Arlington County Board members voted to contract out an effort that will use sharpshooters on public property Alexandria currently has no deer-culling program The discussion came as Falls Church leaders plan to enact a comprehensive ban on hunting on public or private lands within the city’s 2.2 square miles The ban would prohibit hunting via firearms various types of bow weapons and other weapons said Maria Rojas of the city attorney’s office While complaints about hunting in the city have been minimal the issue “creates potential liability and public-safety concern,” Rojas said Virginia’s Constitution enshrines hunting as a right in the Old Dominion but state law does allow localities to restrict it in some cases Given the small size and large population density Falls Church has the ability to enact a blanket ban The recommendation “seems straightforward,” Hardi said Council members are slated to have their first formal look at a proposed ordinance at their meeting on Monday city officials would be required to post various no-hunting signage across the city While there is no current hunting ordinance in Falls Church the city does have an existing ordinance prohibiting the discharge of firearms within its borders Is 2025 the year Falls Church follows neighboring Arlington in enacting ranked-choice voting to elect its governing body It’s a question that will be answered in coming months by the seven-member City Council whose members will have to address both logistical and philosophical issues before coming to a decision and setting the timetable with campaign season 2024 in the rear-view mirror it’s a discussion that may soon be held “The City Council has said they want to consider it,” Falls Church Electoral Board secretary Renee Andrews said on Tuesday (Nov as Electoral Board members were putting the finishing touches on completing tallies for the 2024 election Falls Church next year could use ranked choice to select the four Council seats that will be on the ballot city leaders could stick with the more traditional winner(s)-take-all approach for the time being those casting ballots currently have as many votes as there are slots on the ballot (three or four with those getting the most votes winning no matter how high or low their percentage of the vote candidates would need to reach a minimum vote threshold which would vary depending on the number of seats and number of candidates The 2021 race saw six candidates vying for four seats; in 2023 there were four candidates for three seats Posts of mayor and vice mayor are not elected independently but are chosen by Council members from among their ranks Falls Church election officials expect their current voting equipment would allow the public to rank up to six candidates in order of preference where Arlington is currently limited to three Using powers granted by the General Assembly, Arlington officials this year held the first ranked-choice general election in Virginia history won an outright majority of votes in the four-candidate field for the single seat on the ballot it was not necessary to ramp up the ranked-choice machinery Ranked choice played a more substantial role in selecting Democratic nominees in both 2023 and 2024 when it was used in Arlington County Board primaries Arlington elects at least one member of its governing body every November County Board races are partisan affairs and Democrats long have been dominant making Democratic primaries or caucuses often tantamount to de facto general elections but by convention and tradition rather than by law — Democrats or Republicans can use caucuses or primaries to select nominees if they choose State law gives local governing bodies decision-making power over using ranked-choice; currently switching formats is limited to boards of supervisors and city councils To implement it for the November 2025 election Falls Church leaders would need to adopt an ordinance by mid-summer ranked-choice feasibly could be implemented as early as next year Or city leaders could opt to hold off until the Council election in 2027 when next-generation election equipment is expected to be purchased State law permitting a switch to ranked-choice would not seem to allow for a community referendum on the matter Council members previously indicated they would wait until the 2024 election was over before wading into the issue While Arlington thus far is the only Virginia locality to hold a ranked-choice general election, the Charlottesville City Council voted 4-1 in September to test-drive the alternate voting system during its June 2025 council primaries Several other localities also are considering moving ahead with the idea Agreement between the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Republican governor would be required to expand ranked-choice elections to statewide Winning any consensus in Richmond on the issue in a year that leads into a statewide election would seem to be a remote possibility U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) for years has backed federal legislation to use the ranked-choice process in congressional elections but what was seen as a longshot even before Nov Photo via Mockup Free/Unsplash Luxury Mixed-Use Community Adds 280 Homes Adjacent to Founders Row a contemporary mixed-use community approximately 10 miles west of Washington located in the heart of the City of Falls Church at the intersection of West Broad and North West Streets 22,260 square feet of retail space and adds another best-in-class development adjacent to Founders Row a flourishing mixed-use lifestyle center developed by Mill Creek "We're excited to welcome residents to a dynamic new community adjacent to our Founders Row development, which has quickly become a key centerpiece of the City of Falls Church," said Joe Muffler senior managing director of development for Mill Creek "Modera Falls Church offers a refined living experience in which residents have a multitude of options without having to venture beyond the block Residents have access to some of the best dining options in the D.C and the newest movie theater in Northern Virginia." Modera Falls Church sits directly adjacent to the popular Washington & Old Dominion Trail and within a 15-minute walk of the Falls Church West Metro Station which provides seamless connectivity to the greater Washington Interstate 66 is approximately one mile west of the community and links to the Dulles Toll Road Route 50 and other thriving areas in Northern Virginia.  Modera Falls Church, which is built to, and is pursuing, a LEED Gold certification, features studio, one- and two-bedroom homes with select den layouts and an average size of 915 square feet Community amenities include a resident clubroom resort-style swimming pool with sundeck and cabanas pet spa and a club-quality fitness center with cardio equipment fitness on-demand and a yoga/Pilates studio with interactive fitness mirror separately managed coworking facility that features private conference rooms and workstations Additional features in the community include controlled-access garage parking a bike repair station and dedicated bike storage spacious closets and a variety of smart home features including smart thermostats and keyless entry showers with floor-to-ceiling tile surrounds and quartz countertops Select homes feature moveable kitchen islands frameless glass showers with floor-to-ceiling tile surrounds and private patios or balconies Media ContactStephen UrseryLinnellTaylor Marketing[email protected] 303.682.3945 owner-operator and investment manager specializing in premier rental housing across the U.S. Real Estate Residential Real Estate Do not sell or share my personal information: Falls Church is poised to welcome another Tatte to the D.C Offering signature pastries and brunch bites the bakery and cafe is slated to open at 1001 W Tatte will have a total of 17 locations in the region including spots in Crystal City and Clarendon The oldest surviving business in Falls Church is selling off the last of its wares as it prepares to close for good after 142 years The past few weeks have been busy but somber as patrons shuffle in to say goodbye With about a fifth of all inventory remaining and an across-the-board 50% off sale there’s not much we can do really at this point,” Taylor said “It’s unfortunate that it’s going to happen Taylor said that someone has purchased the property but he was unable to comment on the buyer’s identity or plans More information on the sale is not currently available at the Falls Church Assessment Office All the way back in 1883, James W. Brown founded the store as J.W. Groceries & Hardware, according to a tourism website for the city of Falls Church Over the years it passed through three generations of Brown family men The key to consistent success was the family’s legacy of customer service and “taking care of the customer individually,” Taylor said Taylor began working at Brown’s in 1997 and took over the store for the late Hugh Rose Brown While Taylor carried the torch for the small business the property remained under Brown family ownership Taylor has anticipated the store’s sale for many years as property values have risen inflation and competition with vendors like Amazon have also introduced new difficulties for him since the pandemic at some point the property will be worth more than the business,'” Taylor said a representative at the Falls Church Assessment Office told ARLnow Elsewhere on that strip, the storefront of another legacy business, Dominion Camera, remains vacant. The 56-year-old camera shop closed at 112 W Photo 4 via City of Falls Church Falls Church officials used the recent unveiling of “Saigon Blvd” signage to reaffirm support of the city’s immigrant and second-generation communities Following up on a promise two years in the making 22 formally unveiled signs for “Saigon Blvd” in the 6600 and 6700 blocks of Wilson Blvd The honorary signage, approved by the City Council last year, stands in front of the 15-acre Eden Center a central hub for Northern Virginia’s Vietnamese-American community Mayor Letty Hardi praised the hard work of the Vietnamese immigrant community and their descendants in creating “a cultural haven in Northern Virginia and the East Coast.” The honorary name will have no legal standing and will not impact mail or public-safety services But with the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City) approaching it was an appropriate time to recognize the immigrant community’s contributions “We understand the importance,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay who attended the event with Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez in support of the Falls Church effort The honorary renaming was part of the follow-up to Falls Church’s planning study of the easternmost part of the town The signage effort represented a collaboration between the city of Falls Church Viet Place Collective and the Eden Center management “We are just really honored,” said Graham Eddy Advocates for the Vietnamese-American community came to the event with a request They expressed hope the the city government would soon have at least one staff member fluent in Vietnamese Such a staff member could support economic-development efforts as well as serve as a liaison between the city and older residents for whom Vietnamese might remain their primary language Hardi thanked attendees for braving temperatures well below freezing — and about 70 degrees below that day’s 93-degree high half a world away in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City The mayor noted that the looming 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and collapse of the South Vietnam government on April 30 would represent a “somber and significant day” for the local Vietnamese-American community Places like Eden Center are the living embodiment of “the stories the aspirations” of immigrants everywhere Fairfax County could be next in bestowing the honorary name “Saigon Blvd” on its stretch of Wilson Blvd near Seven Corners McKay nodded in the affirmative when asked at the ceremony whether Fairfax would be willing to join Falls Church in renaming the area in front of the Eden Center in honor of the one-time South Vietnamese capital The renaming would help “preserve the cultural heritage and traditions” that are now “more important than ever” while “making sure that legacy continues,” McKay said Restaurateurs and shop owners that initially had settled in Arlington’s Clarendon neighborhood after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 by the 1980s had begun to use Eden Center Falls Church officials used a consultant to develop a plan for what city leaders call the Eastern Gateway nearby Koons dealerships and various residential The plan looks at development opportunities on the roughly 70 acres through the year 2050 It calls for continuation of the Eden Center site for commercial uses but doesn’t rule out the possibility of mixed-use redevelopment in the future Discussion Sought on City Fire Services: A member of the Falls Church City Council thinks it’s the appropriate time to focus on prospective changes in city fire and emergency-medical (EMS) services “I want to make sure we’ve got the fire resources we need,” Council member David Snyder said at a Wednesday meeting where Council members and staff worked through the city government’s upcoming calendar of events Recent development throughout the city means “we have much higher buildings than we’ve ever had,” said Snyder who asked City Manager Wyatt Shields to schedule a work session on fire issues Falls Church contracts with the Arlington County government for fire-and-rescue services paying about $3 million a year in support of Fire Station #6 on Little Falls Road The funding provides for 33 fire/EMS personnel assigned to the station Operations are augmented by the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department According to the city’s adopted fiscal year 2025 budget fire/EMS personnel responded to 1,066 calls within the city limits in the preceding year including 12 fires and just over 700 medical calls Tree Canopy on Council Agenda: Falls Church leaders on Feb 3 are slated to have a work session with members of their Economic Development Authority on potential updates to the city’s towing regulations A draft ordinance for public review is slated to be discussed in early March with action to follow at a later public hearing A Council work session on March 3 will include a scoping discussion on efforts to increase Falls Church’s tree canopy with an initiating resolution set for a week later public hearings and final action will follow Falls Church residents are less satisfied with their roads than they used to be, a new survey suggests they continue to have a generally positive view of city services and their community’s overall quality of life Those were key takeaways from a study conducted for the city government by Probolsky Research. Details of the community-satisfaction service, the first in two years, were detailed at a City Council work session on Monday The good news: Just under 89% of respondents were satisfied with the overall quality of life in Falls Church That was roughly the same as 89.5% in a similar survey conducted in 2023 while the number of those dissatisfied moved from 9.8% to 10.5% during the same period Satisfaction over the maintenance of streets and traffic signals took a hit however — declining from 79% in the 2023 survey to 70% in 2025 The dissatisfaction level rose from 20.5% to 29.8% with a small fraction in each survey being unsure City leaders were not particularly shocked by the findings “We know from community input [that the issue] is a critically important topic,” Council member Dave Snyder said “We are doing some things to rectify it but it seems to me we need to do more.” “It really tracks with what we hear” in the community Mayor Letty Hardi said the results arrived at a timely manner with the city government about to move through its annual budget season would be “making sure our budget dollars are all aligned” with areas identified by the public as priorities A total of 79% of those responding said they were satisfied with the level of city services provided for their city taxes The level of those dissatisfied declined from 30.3% to 19.3% A majority — 53.8% — opposed being taxed more to provide for additional services but that rate was down from 61.3% in the survey taken two years ago Those in favor of higher taxes for more services was 40.5% road/infrastructure upgrades were seen as the top priority by 24.7% of respondents Development/business initiatives ranked third at 6.2% Surveys went to select city residents via email About 400 people participated by completing the 20-minute survey in English The responses have an error rate of plus or minus 5% Probolsky Research president Adam Probolsky told Council members City Manager Wyatt Shields said a staff luncheon event was being organized to go over the data and determine how it can be applied to current and future efforts sound bath or walk with Mayor Letty Hardi to earn prizes for making healthy choices this month The nation’s healthiest community is flexing that title with a monthlong City of Falls Church Fitness Challenge which focuses on both mental and physical well-being Now through April 30, residents and city employees of all ages and abilities can mark off activities on a Fitness Passport Bingo Board that they can print or pick up at Falls Church City Hall Mary Riley Styles Public Library or the Parks and Recreation department building but you will find 36 ways to put wellness first Options include taking a mindful walk in a city park writing or drawing three things you’re grateful for and taking a 24-hour digital detox from screens and devices Complete six activities and earn a Fitness Challenge decal Finish half to score a pair of branded sports socks or knock out 32 to get a duffel bag “The Bingo Board is an intentionally playful and inclusive way for everyone in the Little City to feel welcome to participate,” says Mary Catherine Chase it’s a great way to challenge our community to get out and enjoy our natural environment and engage in services in our local community that empower positive mental health There are all kinds of ways to fill the bingo cards We have big and small trails for a morning run parks and green spaces for some playtime or a recharging meditation session local businesses for pretty much any kind of workout,” Hardi says “Because we’re so compact and walkable it’s easier to choose a walk or bike ride to pick up groceries or get dinner out or meet our other daily needs which can be a healthier habit to try out with a little nudge via the challenge.” “We’re all so busy that I find it easier to focus on my health and fitness when it can be feathered into my daily life,” Hardi says “I hope the challenge inspires us to try something new.” “The challenge is intentionally focused on accessibility mental health and wellness activities that benefit participants throughout the month and are also great activities to build into healthy habits to practice throughout the year,” Chase says The initiative is a spinoff of the former “Mayor’s Fitness Challenge,” a healthy competition among Fairfax City the town of Vienna and Falls Church to log the most minutes of exercise in a certain time period the other jurisdictions dropped out [this year] and as the new mayor I didn’t want to lose the good intent behind the competition,” says Hardi who was elected mayor of Falls Church in January 2024 “I thought it was a good opportunity to revamp and rebrand the effort and make it more inclusive I wanted to broaden it to include mental health involve our fitness and wellness small businesses and design the challenge to invite the whole community Hardi says she plans for the event becomes an annual one but I hope it becomes a popular tradition.” and sell or trade your used Lego sets at this new toy shop for builders of all ages You know that sinking feeling when you go to place that last Lego brick on your masterpiece, only to realize it’s missing? With the  Nov. 23 opening of Bricks & Minifigs in The Shops at West Falls Church you needn’t ever have that sensation again Falls Church resident Christian Luik has spent 18 months preparing to open the store with new and retired Lego sets During the one-stop Lego shop’s grand opening Nov shoppers can get a free minifigure torso emblazoned with the store’s name and bricks with the opening date and logo on them Raffles and balloon and airbrush artists will also be part of the celebration a routine visit to Bricks & Minifigs will provide a different experience from Lego stores at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City or Tysons Corner Center his shop has a dedicated non-retail space for events such as birthday parties (look for bookings to open next month for dates in early 2025) Other ideas he’s toying with—see what we did there?—include STEM classes such as Lego Robotics play time for homeschooled children and summer camp the store will feature a roughly 28-foot-long racetrack that kids can trick out with their own freestyle creations “We’re going to have a wall that has a bunch of Lego base plates attached to it where kids can build off the side of the wall and create little mosaics or write their name,” he says “It’s just going to be a lot of free building with Lego Kids getting to explore their creativity and do so with their friends.” create their own minifigs and browse sets ranging from chunky Duplo for the youngest builders to complex creations aimed at AFOLs (adult fans of Lego) “We will have a variety of different sizes at different price points,” Luik says with displays that allow shoppers to cherry-pick the pieces they need I want a bunch of gray pieces,’ or ‘Maybe I want to build a spaceship What cool spaceship pieces can I find here?’” Bricks & Minifigs will buy them for cash or store credit and then resell them at a fraction of their original prices “Our team will basically validate that all the pieces are there and include the instruction manual,” says the shopkeeper This Luik’s first venture into retail Watching his 4-year-old become a “full-on Lego guy” rekindled his own childhood passion for the plastic pieces When he discovered the Bricks & Minifigs parent company on Reddit “I see it as this marriage between wanting to interact with people on a day-to-day basis while working with something that I really enjoy,” he says of his decision to open the franchise The store is ideally situated, he adds, given that the same shopping plaza is home to several kid-centric businesses: Gold Fish Swim School, Kips Family Gymnastics and Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids Although Luik suspects little ones won’t be his only customers. This area has no shortage of Lego fans of all ages. Case in point: The store’s Instagram page already has almost 1,700 followers a Lego Discovery Center (in the Springfield Town Center) and the BrickFair LEGO Fan Expo which comes to the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly each year As of this year, Lego has produced more than 1.1 trillion pieces. It’s the world’s biggest toy brand reporting nearly $10 billion in revenue in 2023 “A surprising amount of people…when you tell them that you’re opening a Lego store will confide in you that they love Lego,” Luik says “I’ve probably talked to 20 different sets of parents and kids who have come up to the door It’s been a great validation of the general enthusiasm for Lego in this area.” Find Bricks & Minifigs at 7395 Lee Highway in Falls Church (7News) — Firefighters rushed to extinguish a fire erupting from a clubhouse in the City of Falls Church Tuesday afternoon according to the Arlington Fire and EMS Department crews said they responded around 12:45 to a fire at a clubhouse on the 500 block of Roosevelt Boulevard Firefighters were quickly able to extinguish a large fire The cause of the fire remains under investigation Falls Church officials are keeping a watchful eye on about $50 million in approved grant funds “we have not heard any word of adverse actions on those grant projects,” City Manager Wyatt Shields told City Council members Monday night Shields said about half the $50 million in the pipeline relates to transportation projects The remainder is split among areas ranging from affordable housing to stormwater As in Arlington, Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia localities there’s little for Falls Church officials to do but hold tight make their voices heard and await developments Shields said he is confident the local projects being funded through federal dollars are appropriate “We’re working really hard to provide real value for taxpayers,” he said in the latest in a series of local discussions about the impact of actions being taken at the federal level The city manager will propose both his fiscal 2026 budget and an updated capital-spending plan in mid to late March Meals-Tax, Sales-Tax Revenues Down: Delays in opening and leasing up at some of Falls Church’s new mixed-use developments have caused recent tax-revenue streams to fall short of city leaders’ expectations For the first half of the city’s fiscal year meals-tax revenue was 8.7% below budget forecasts Figures were detailed at a City Council meeting on Monday While meals-tax revenue was “on par” with the preceding year’s figures and sales-tax revenue was up 3.2% from a year before the two revenue streams collectively were running nearly $370,000 behind expectations The big-picture takeaway: the city’s tax-revenue picture is “close to budget but slightly under — that’s the bottom line,” Shields said City officials hope that with Founders Row leasing up its retail spaces and Whole Foods now open at the Washington & Broad development revenues will be more in line with projections for the second half of the city’s fiscal year Falls Church collects a 4% meals tax on top of sales tax from 148 establishments prepared foods and salad bars at restaurants overall city-government revenue for the first six months of the fiscal year was up 0.6% from budget projections That represents an increase of about $300,000 above a projected $50.35 million The increase was fueled by service charges and higher than anticipated investment income owing to elevated interest rates Shields told Council members “it’s always important for us to understand what our revenue picture is.” But that may be even more important now, given the uncertainty of federal revenue streams and the Northern Virginia economy as a whole The Falls Church City Council has voted to pursue eminent domain in order to build the city’s first traffic circle Several Council members voiced unease at the idea of setting unwelcome precedent but ultimately took the gloves off on Monday in an 18-month battle to obtain a key easement The city has been seeking to acquire about 1% of the 2.48-acre Bowl America site as part of a project to install the roundabout at the current four-way intersection at S Facing a looming deadline, City Council members voted 5-0 to authorize condemnation proceedings against the corporate owner of the Bowl America site at 140 Maple Avenue S The Monday vote allows the city government to take control of the property so the construction project can move forward The final price the city will have to pay the property owner (V Bowl Falls Church LLC) will be determined later City officials are running up against a Tuesday deadline to get all the agreements in place or face having to re-bid the construction contract The city also needs easements from property owners on the three other corners of the intersection Those negotiations are moving forward and problems are not expected While several Council members expressed unease about using condemnation proceedings against a property owner City Manager Wyatt Shields said efforts to have the owner of the Bowl America parcel to negotiate terms have proved fruitless “We’ve been at it for 18 months,” Shields told Council members “We’ve exhausted all normal means That’s why we’re before you tonight.” generally cordial negotiations between city staff and representatives of the property owner “it’s getting to the decision-maker we can’t seem to penetrate.” The city has engaged the services of eminent-domain attorney Courtney Harden as outside counsel She told Council members that despite the city’s offers of $128,300 and then $134,800 there have been “no meaningful negotiations” with the landowner Under the eminent-domain process in Virginia the city will file a “certificate of take” on the parcel It also starts the clock ticking on 180-day period where negotiations on price could continue before the matter goes to a jury of city property owners They would set the price via a condemnation trial Harden suggested it unlikely to get that far “Settlement occurs 95% of the time after the petition is filed and before the trial occurs,” she told Council members Ending up in court would cost the city an estimated $50,000 more in legal and expert feeds Council member Dave Snyder was among those voicing disquiet over using the city’s condemnation powers to get the land He said he hoped “it’s a last resort rather than a first resort,” and commended the 48-lane bowling facility as “a regional draw” that should be embraced by city government Council member Erin Flynn added concerns about city leaders becoming “comfortable with the idea” of “over-aggressive” condemnation on future transportation projects Mayor Letty Hardi said that wasn’t likely to occur “This absolutely is a last resort and something that we don’t take lightly,” she said The lone speaker at the public hearing said city leaders would come to regret bringing roundabouts to the city citing his experience with them in Australia “We wouldn’t be doing this unless the evidence was that it would improve safety and improve operations,” he said Later in the Jan. 13 meeting, Council members voted to approve a contract of up to $2.13 million with Ardent Co While Bowl America won’t lose any parking long-term owing to construction of the one-lane roundabout about 20 spaces would be rendered unusable during construction State law gives the property owner the ability to seek compensation for potential lost business owing to reduced parking “Virginia is one of the most property-owner friendly states in the U.S.,” Harden said Funding for design — which is completed — and construction comes from state grants the city government would have to return the funding The intersection is expected to remain open during construction City Officials Remind Public of Sidewalk-Clearing Rules: It was decidedly a mixed bag in terms of Falls Church sidewalks being cleared in a timely manner after two recent snowstorms And at the City Council meeting Monday, leaders reminded the public of, and pressed adherence to, snow-clearing rules City ordinances require that snow be cleared from sidewalks by property owners within six hours of snowfall stopping for commercial properties and within 12 hours for residential properties the window for snow removal begins at the start of daylight Those failing to adhere to the requirement could race fines of between $100 and $750 city officials asked property owners to do their civic duty by getting sidewalks cleared expeditiously but couldn’t,” Mayor Letty Hardi said For property owners unable to clear snow on their own the city’s parks department maintains a list of teens willing to provide the service Construction Work Limits Hours at Community Center: Work has begun on a long-planned upgrade to the HVAC system at the Falls Church Community Center the effort will modernize aging infrastructure and install geothermal systems on the grounds of the center The center is expected to remain open through late February programming will be offered at ancillary locations until the work is wrapped up City Manager Wyatt Shields told Council members will be worth the short-term inconvenience “It is significantly more efficient,” Shields said of the HVAC system the is being installed