Families are invited to explore Early Childhood Education Center Oakton College welcomes families to discover its licensed and accredited preschool program A special Preschool Open House will take place from 10 a.m Hosted by Oakton’s Early Childhood Education Center the event provides a unique opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet the center’s educators; tour the learning spaces; explore the play-based curriculum tailored for children ages 3-5; learn about the center’s low teacher-to-child ratios “The Oakton College Early Childhood Education Center offers a nurturing enriching environment where every child is supported to learn and grow We’re excited to open our doors to families and show them what makes our program truly special,” said Monique Hudson Families who enroll during the open house will receive a discount on the registration fee independence and school readiness through developmentally appropriate As a learning lab for Oakton’s early childhood education the program offers a dynamic environment where education professionals and children thrive together the center has consistently earned the Gold Circle of Quality from ExceleRate Illinois a testament to its high standards and deep commitment to family involvement and individualized learning Licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children the center upholds the highest early childhood education standards The center is also proud to be designated as an Eco-Healthy Child Care® provider and health-conscious environment for every child and five-day options to meet the needs of busy families • Engagement with Oakton employees and resources including sustainability and nature experts • Access to outdoor learning areas for physical and cognitive development all through the lens of play-based learning Register for the open house through Eventbrite. To learn more about the center, visit oakton.edu Sign up to receive our email newsletter in your inbox Northwestern apologized for and condemned a performance held Tuesday in Sargent Dining Commons by Firket.. Northwestern confirmed recent cases of grant terminations payment suspensions and stop-work orders tied.. As the federal government dismantles DEI programs Northwestern administrators and student demonstrators reached an agreement.. Nathaniel Foster and Lia Kim Nathaniel Foster is a student at the School of Professional Studies and writer of Ducks Dan and Dave... 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Seesaw Theatre brings accessibility to theatre spaces Valentina Valcarce, Finian Hazen, and Isabela Camargos Everything Evanston: Partners of the Evanston Public Library hosts open mic poetry reading for National Poetry Month Northwestern students sweep Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium awards McCormick Prof. Karen Smilowitz named associate provost for undergraduate research BridgeUSA debate sparks sharp divides over education, trade, immigration Residents launch community organization for downtown Evanston Local crafters, shoppers connect at Maker’s Market New storefront celebrates a month of placing artists center stage Marie Lynn Toussaint and Micah Eimer lead the Oakton College Board of Trustees election according to unofficial election results from the Cook County Clerk’s office The Clerk’s office reported 74,107 votes cast and voters could select three of six candidates for trustee Eimer is a cardiologist with Northwestern Medicine with no prior political experience He said he wants to raise the number of skilled workers in health care and provide more career paths for individuals who are not college-bound he plans to increase the number of high school students who attend Oakton and pursue careers in the health care industry afterward remedy local worker shortage issues and increase the availability of college credits in high school to make college more affordable.  “I’m really excited about the opportunity to work at the community’s college and to help young people get a start on their life and their career,” Eimer said “I’m especially excited about the prospect of helping young people get into the healthcare workforce where I think their help is badly needed and will be rewarded with a lasting and fulfilling career.” Yanow is a consultant and adjunct professor at DePaul University She has centered her career around adult education and wants to expand on Oakton’s current partnerships with Endeavor Health and Northwestern Medicine Yanow also hopes to include elementary school districts and other industries in these partnerships Toussaint is an attorney and co-founder of the Haitian American Lawyers Association She served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defenders for the past 30 years Toussaint hopes to make Oakton College more accessible and affordable and to advance equity and justice issues while upholding Oakton’s academic reputation Yanow and Toussaint could not immediately be reached for comment This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.  Email: [email protected]  X: @BenShapiroMedia  — Ald. Clare Kelly leads over Stephen Hackney in 1st Ward race — Ald. Krissie Harris leads 2nd Ward race — Matt Rodgers leads 8th Ward race over incumbent Devon Reid Some say it will breathe new life into the Flint Hill area of Oakton. Others fear it will add to an existing traffic nightmare After hearing from both sides, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (March 18) unanimously approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment to allow mixed-use development on the 33-acre former AT&T site at the intersection of Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) and Jermantown Road The comprehensive plan change is a key step toward the parcel’s redevelopment, but a rezoning application still needs the county’s approval The board’s vote on Tuesday was a win for developer EYA, which has been shepherding the project through what has been a sometimes contentious public process for more than two years now the comprehensive plan amendment’s approval came with some limits attached Supervisors approved a recommendation from the Fairfax County Planning Commission, which gave its support to the amendment last week to reduce the project’s maximum overall floor-area ratio (FAR) from 1.0 to 0.88 — a 12% cut in development potential Floor-area ratio measures the interior square footage of development divided by the square footage of the parcel To address ongoing concerns about traffic the board appropriated $425,000 for a traffic study that will look at short-term and long-term options for improvements along a 1-mile stretch of Chain Bridge Road near Jermantown Road who represents Providence District where the parcel is located said the allocation has been cleared by County Executive Bryan Hill and county attorneys where the funding will come from and how much money is needed Acknowledging that “transportation improvements need to be made,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said the overall development proposal represents “a rare opportunity” to deliver substantial new housing in an area of the county that needs it That was the view of some of the two dozen people who delivered testimony at the public hearing preceding the vote “This is an investment in our future a space we can all be proud of,” said Michel Kotoff-Rizzo He said the development will bring more economic and cultural diversity and represent “a new public and vibrant core for the Oakton community.” But a majority of speakers voiced discontent many over a lack of details on how the extra transportation congestion would be managed Nearby resident Rachel Hammes predicted the proposal will bring “crippling traffic and a degraded quality of life” in its wake “Have you walked in our shoes?” she asked the supervisors “Driving this route during rush hour is already a big mess.” all that have been offered have been “half-baked” proposals to address the extra traffic “Many Oakton residents remain deeply concerned,” Robert Means, a member of the community advocacy group Options for Oakton He urged supervisors to do what they ultimately did — fund a traffic study — and also advocated for a reduction in the retail component of the proposal and guarantees about park space in and around the project but the developer “has made a good-faith effort” to address the various the county government and broader community county staff recommend that future development of the AT&T site include updated transit shelters improved crosswalks and the construction of pedestrian and bicycle facilities to close existing gaps EYA has also proposed eliminating left turns from Jermantown Road onto Chain Bridge Road redirecting that traffic instead onto Rosehaven Street A study of the intersection found that the change would reduce wait times for drivers while limiting the distance pedestrians and cyclists need to cross Palchik said specific concerns of residents and organizations can still be addressed when the actual development plan begins moving through the public review process “We’re just at the Comprehensive Plan level,” she said The supervisors’ vote was unanimous except for Springfield District’s Pat Herrity who is recovering from health issues and did not attend Remove all graphics and images from the website so that only the text and links are visible Reverts to original layout including graphics and images the Fairfax County Park Authority and the Greater Oakton Community Association officially finalized a Memorandum of Agreement to support the historic Oakton Schoolhouse in Oakton Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik Park Authority Board Member Ken Quincy and several members of GOCA joined FCPA for a special celebration on Friday afternoon Originally built in 1897 by carpenter James Thompson the Oakton Schoolhouse was the third school constructed in the Oakton community religious gatherings and student talent shows businessman Irvin Payne purchased the building repurposing it as a hardware store and garden shop The schoolhouse changed hands several times before FCPA acquired it in 2003 to preserve its historical significance is dedicated to fostering community connections and preserving Oakton’s historic and environmental assets and develops programs that enrich the community GOCA will use the Oakton Schoolhouse for events theater productions and educational programs This partnership strengthens the connection between the community and Park Authority-owned historic sites 703-324-7329 Website Accessibility Translate Download Mobile App ADA Accessibility FOIA Requests Website Administrator Fairfax County Public Schools Economic Development Authority Visit Fairfax Council of Governments Commonwealth of Virginia USA.gov The dividing line between supporters and skeptics of a proposed overhaul of AT&T’s office campus and other mixed-use developments in the area has become whether they believe the impending projects will alleviate or exacerbate the current congested a collection of homeowners and community associations urged the Fairfax County Planning Commission earlier this month to postpone consideration of the AT&T redevelopment until a comprehensive study of Oakton’s Chain Bridge Road corridor can be conducted “We continue to hear great concerns from our members about the impact that the proposed project as currently shaped would have on density and intensity in the face of already difficult traffic and pedestrian safety conditions throughout the greater Oakton area,” the Greater Oakton Community Association and Oakton Homeowners Association and Civic Leader Coalition said in a Feb Scheduled for the planning commission’s meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) night, the public hearing will look at a potential comprehensive plan amendment to allow residential mixed-use development on the approximately 33-acre site at 3033 Chain Bridge Road In addition to changing the site’s designation from office to housing the amendment would increase the permitted intensity of development from a 0.4 floor area ratio (FAR) — a metric that compares the amount of building space to the size of the land it’ll occupy — to 1.0 That would be equivalent to what’s currently allowed in Centreville but lower than Merrifield’s planned 2.25 FAR If approved, the changes would set the stage for developer EYA’s vision of a mixed-use center with roughly 854 residential units and 110,850 square feet of retail and restaurants in place of the existing 440,000-square-foot office building which has filled by AT&T since it was constructed in 1981 AT&T leased a building (4807 Stonecroft Blvd) at Westfields Center in Chantilly last year where its Virginia offices will be consolidated Since initially pitching a redevelopment in 2022, EYA has scaled down its proposal multiple times decreasing the number of homes first from 1,500 to 1,000 then to the current 854 units and dropping plans to retain about 80,000 square feet of office space The revisions have yet to win over the aforementioned resident groups, who argue that the existing infrastructure won’t be able to handle the increased density, particularly when compounded by other developments like two on Jermantown Road that got approved just last week “The overall density is 250% more than what it’s currently zoned for and we feel overall that’s just too much for our community to bear,” Smart Growth for Oakton’s Patty Montanino told FFXnow during a call with some of the group leaders Miller Heights Neighborhood Association President Doug Shuster expressed support for some of the changes that EYA has promised to bring including an internal grid of streets with wide sidewalks bicycle facilities and crosswalks with stop signs at every intersection But with the development projected to draw an additional 6,660 vehicle trips during weekday rush-hours and 11,333 more trips during peak hours on weekends compared to the existing office building more improvements are needed to the major roads surrounding the site what you have is … a lovely development being planned and then another one across the street with 550 new homes and a traffic sewer in between it,” he said “And all they’re required to do is to bring the level of service of those roads back to the level of a traffic sewer.” The need to improve the safety and functionality of Oakton’s roads hasn’t been lost on EYA and Fairfax County officials While its submitted development plan focuses on internal improvements EYA Executive Vice President of Acquisition and Development Evan Goldman says the company spent 18 months working with county staff and community members on a comprehensive traffic analysis that studied intersections adjacent to and in the vicinity of the AT&T property “The redevelopment of 3033 Chain Bridge Road presents an incredible opportunity to create a safer “As part of this mixed-use development we are committed to adding increased pedestrian safety measures such as a mile-long new trails and enhanced crossings and pedestrian infrastructure around key areas.” which was conducted by the consulting firm Gorove Slade At Chain Bridge and Jermantown, Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan currently calls for a grade-separated interchange with a bridge but that would worsen safety issues at the intersection for pedestrians and bicyclists Fairfax County Department of Transportation staff said in the plan amendment report Fairfax County Public Schools already deems Route 123 unsuitable for students at nearby Flint Hill Lower School and Oakton Elementary School to cross After looking at the possibility of a roundabout EYA instead proposed an “innovative” reconfiguration that would eliminate left turns from Jermantown onto Chain Bridge and instead have vehicles turn left at Rose Forest Drive and White Granite Road the change would reduce wait times for drivers while shrinking the distance that pedestrians and cyclists have to cross The county’s proposed plan amendment also recommends: The promise of improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities has convinced local transportation safety advocacy groups including Fairfax Families for Safe Streets and Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling to support EYA’s proposed development NoVA Affordable Housing Alliance and YIMBYs of NOVA are also expected to testify in support of the amendment at the planning commission hearing “I think those types of improvements can be delivered through this project for decades,” Fairfax Families for Safe Streets President Chris French said French says Oakton is currently “unwelcoming” to both pedestrians and bicyclists even in some areas that ostensibly have sidewalks and bicycle lanes has on-road bicycle lanes that start and stop switching from one side of the road to the other mostly with no separation from traveling or parked vehicles Though EYA’s project will bring more vehicles mixed-use developments reduce congestion compared to low-density sprawl by making it easier and safer for people to get around outside a car “It’s not the development that’s creating the safety issues,” French said “It’s the arterial roadways that are designed to move high volumes of cars quickly through our neighborhood not the people that are living in our neighborhood.” Full Chain Bridge Road corridor study in the works The AT&T redevelopment could serve as the foundation for additional transportation improvements in Oakton When the comprehensive plan amendment reaches the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors which is slated to hold a public hearing on March 18 Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik intends to propose a follow-up study to assess the entire Chain Bridge Road corridor “I am committed to ensuring that transportation planning in Oakton is thorough and community-focused and am in support of a data-driven approach to address traffic concerns,” Palchik said Any recommendations from the study will likely be the responsibility of Fairfax County and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) but Goldman says EYA is “committed to working with the county and Oakton community to improve traffic and pedestrian safety and welcome continued discussions around our efforts to build toward a safer and more connected Oakton.” French expressed optimism about the potential follow-up study but worried that it might end up prioritizing moving traffic over safety by widening roads “I worry that VDOT doesn’t quite have the same goals as the county that we would end up with more pavement and no real Montanino with Smart Growth for Oakton also suggested that insufficient coordination between Fairfax County and VDOT is “really the crux of the problem” when it comes to implementing transportation improvements Prompted by safety concerns reignited by the June 2022 crash that killed two Oakton High School students, a road safety audit of Blake Lane released last year identified several possible improvements relevant to the AT&T redevelopment site VDOT and Fairfax County haven’t solidified timelines for implementing the recommendations average driver speeds have dropped from nearly 34 mph before the camera was installed to 31.7 mph spanakopita and more will have to get familiar with a new eatery in 2025 After closing on Dec. 21 the neighborhood’s SouvlakiBar at 2930 Chain Bridge Road is in the process of rebranding due to a partnership with a fellow chain of Greek restaurants Housed in the Oakton Shopping Center, the restaurant is expected to reopen in January as The Big Greek Cafe Director of Operations Nikos Kontos told FFXnow Each of SouvlakiBar’s four Northern Virginia locations will come under The Big Greek Cafe umbrella as part of the move giving the Maryland-based cafe a presence on the south side of the Potomac River That part is not expected to change under The Big Greek Cafe though updates will be made to bring the location’s menu in line with other Big Greek Cafe locations The merger with The Big Greek Cafe will ultimately allow for “a more extensive selection” of food options, according to a statement on the former SouvlakiBar website The Big Greek Cafe proclaims that its cuisine is “just like yia yia used to make,” using the Greek term for grandmother. The menu is led by Big Greek Bowls that feature rice Customers can also choose six different salads and a variety of sandwiches When it opens, The Big Greek Cafe will ultimately retain SouvlakiBar’s title as the only specifically Greek dining option in Oakton, though the Mediterranean food truck Yalla Pita opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in nearby Hunter Mill Plaza in August Greek eateries can also be found in nearby neighborhoods like Vienna’s Plaka Grill and Our Mother Eugenia in Merrifield’s Mosaic District The Big Greek Cafe joins the likes of Famous Dave’s BBQ For over a decade, mixed-use, multi-family residential developments have been the defining building type around Northern Virginia. A recent presentation about redevelopment at the Hunters Branch office complex in Oakton indicated that type of development may be in peril The Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended on March 12 that the Board of Supervisors approve a comprehensive plan amendment to allow housing on the nearly 14-acre office campus at 9300 and 9302 Route 29 The commission and a staff report both expressed enthusiasm for a proposal — called option A — that would replace the existing mostly vacant offices with two multi-family buildings but a representative of the property owner doused some of those hopes a land use and real estate partner with McGuireWoods said the developers are more likely to pursue an option B that would instead construct one multi-family building with 450 units and 76 stacked townhouses This plan would result in lower density at a total of 546 units “We’re excited about everybody coming together on a vision for the site moving forward,” Adams said it’s suffered from long-time vacancy — not only this site but this submarket is really struggling for office.” Adams said the property owner had considered retaining office uses on the site or keeping the office building intact and converting it to residential but ultimately found that neither option is feasible “These existing buildings are not good candidates for repurposing,” Adams said “Bringing them up to a place where you could convert them to residential would require significant changes to the structure including cutting through the core of the building This resulted in substandard units once you make those changes to the building.” Much to the chagrin of the planning commissioners, Adams said “economic issues” preclude the denser, high-rise residential development initially proposed by property owners BCSP Hunters Branch Fee and BCSP Hunters Branch Lessee (BCSP) who nominated the site for a comprehensive plan amendment in 2022 “We’ve been focused on option B,” Adams said “There are economic issues with developing multifamily right now If the client could figure out a way to carry forward with option A they would do that they have not been able to figure out a way forward with that.” Adams said labor and material costs along with interest rates have all been going up for construction which makes building multi-family residential a riskier bet Tariffs on lumber, steel and other materials might also put a damper on the market for new housing “Equity and capital funding for multi-family projects has been difficult I think you’ve probably seen a lot of those projects come forward there’s a really strong demand for those uses and it’s easier to get those uses financed.” having single-family townhouses on the site is a safer bet that will make it easier for the developer to get the multi-family housing financed The planning commission wasn’t thrilled about this outcome particularly after the staff report noted the project’s close proximity (a five-minute walk) to the Vienna Metro Station “There’s a differential of about 300-plus units between option A and option B,” Commission Chair Phil Niedzielski-Eichner noted “There’s a lot to be said for the diversity of housing product a lot to be said for the ownership of a two-over-two townhome but we suffer from a shortage of housing.” “I don’t think it’s a choice between 800 units of multifamily or 400 units of multifamily and 76 two-over-twos,” Adams responded “It’s between 400 multifamily and 76 two-over-twos or essentially zero housing because we wouldn’t be able to move forward with the project.” The plan amendment was unanimously supported by the planning commission with a few modifications including improvements to the streetscape and lighting The commission also lightly scolded the applicant for its approach to the development proposal “If this was an outside investor looking to maximize profit over quality of housing I’d have a real problem with the way in which this nomination has come forward particularly having two options presented while having all the appearance of having only one option seriously considered,” Niedzielski-Eichner said The plan amendment is scheduled for a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors on May 13 Building screenshot via Google Maps OAKTON – Fox Mill Road (Route 665) between Waples Mill Road (Route 664) and Bronzedale Drive (Route 5428) will be closed to through traffic Monday according to the Virginia Department of Transportation Those needing to reach properties along Fox Mill Road will have access; however drivers will not be able to go beyond the point of pipe replacement (located just north of Waples Mill Road) in either direction Through traffic will be detoured via Waples Mill Road History Drive (Route 5977) and Bronzedale Drive back to Fox Mill Road Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs You can get traffic, work zone and incident information online at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, via the free mobile 511Virginia app or by calling 511 in Virginia anywhere anytime Follow VDOT Northern Virginia on Twitter: @vadotnova Please note that this file is not ADA compliant The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved two redevelopment proposals on Tuesday (Feb 18) that will turn areas in and around the Flint Hill Office Park near Jermantown Road in Oakton into residential communities The proposals to redevelop Redwood Plaza (10600 Arrowhead Drive) and a portion of the Flint Hill Office Park (10530 Rosehaven Street) were both approved unanimously Another parcel targeted for redevelopment on the office park site will go the county’s rezoning process later this year At Redwood Plaza, A&A Properties proposed razing two existing office buildings and constructing 88 single-family attached townhouses and 186 triplexes on the 14.6-acre parcel located on the west side of Rosehaven Street east side of Jermantown Road and north side of Arrowhead Drive Meanwhile, Network Realty Partners is seeking to demolish three commercial buildings in Flint Hill Office Park and replace them with 196 attached townhomes on a 12.13-acre parcel located on the east and north sides of Arrowhead Drive west of Rosehaven Street and generally south of Jermantown Road Though owned by separate entities, the two projects moved through the development process in tandem, ultimately winning the Fairfax County Planning Commission’s support before coming before supervisors The dual projects will add needed residential properties to the immediate area and remove older office buildings that have struggled to maintain tenants in the post-Covid era “This is the future of where we need to go,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said of the redevelopments and accompanying amenities and improvements agreed to by the developers the developers have committed to providing extensive park spaces that will be accessible to the broader community as well as the new residents The property owners also worked together to design a 10-foot, shared-use path through the site that will provide a connection between the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail and the I-66 Trail. There will also be easy access to Oakmont Rec Center Some units in both developments will be designated as committed affordable housing Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk recalled a time when the Flint Hill Office Park’s buildings were filled with tenants The change reflects “a seismic shift” in the office environment who termed the proposals for housing “a noticeable Network Realty Partners’ application to build another 139 townhomes in place of the existing Three Flint Hill office building at 3201 Jermantown Road is scheduled to be heard by the planning commission in June The annual Cassel’s Holiday Classic at Oakton High School is scheduled for Dec The Oakton Cougars (8-0) are the host team with teams included that won various championships last season other teams from Fairfax County Public Schools are the Robinson Rams Falls Church Jaguars and West Potomac Wolverines Stone Bridge and defending Virginia High School League Class 4 state champion Woodgrove from Loudoun County are entered Patriot and Gainesville from Prince William County are in the field William Penn Charter School from Pennsylvania is entered The school has been in continuous operation since 1689 Oakton won the Concorde District tournament last season while Robinson was the Patriot District and 6C North Region tourney winner Gainesville was the Cedar Run District tournament runner-up Joe Coughlin is a co-founder and the editor in chief of The Record. He leads investigative reporting and reports on anything else needed. Joe has been recognized for his investigative reporting and sports reporting, feature writing and photojournalism. Follow Joe on Twitter @joec2319 Led by three winning relays and two individual champions, the Oakton Cougars won their fourth straight Concorde District girls swimming and diving title Oakton finished first in the high-school meet Saturday (Feb. 1) with 521 points at the Cub Run Rec Center in Chantilly under first-year Oakton head coach Nathan Pawlowicz The 521 points were the team’s highest total during the championship streak The Cougars’ individual winners were Alexa Thrash in the 100 backstroke (58.75 seconds) and Esther Swanson in the 200 freestyle (1:58.37) Thrash was second in the girls individual medley race and swam on the winning medley relay (1:48.27) Swanson was third in the 100 free and was a member of the winning 200 (1:39) and 400 (3:39.14) free relays Oakton’s Devon Corderman was second in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke Ady Chow placed second in the 100 butterfly third in the IM and swam on the medley and 400 free relays Alicia Yangas also had a second (100 free) and third (200 free) and was on the 400 relay fourth in the 50 free and a member of the 200 and 400 relays Mira Gareau was fourth in the IM and 500 free eighth in the 200 free and a member of the medley and 200 relays Faith Sun was fourth in the fly and seventh in the 200 free Dana Barakat was fifth in the 500 free and eighth in the 200 free Danielle Kim was sixth in the 500 free and Taryn Knepper was seventh in the 100 free Oakton divers Isabelle Whang and Kayla Knight finished second and fourth Unresolved issues ranging from traffic and pedestrian safety to parks, schools and overall density led the Fairfax County Planning Commission to defer action on Wednesday (Feb 26) on a key step toward the redevelopment of the former AT&T site in Oakton The 33-acre parcel at the intersection of Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) and Jermantown Road is one of several contiguous plots of land expected to be redeveloped in coming years as part of the 110-acre Flint Hill Suburban Center planning district Coming on the heels of final approvals for two other projects on Jermantown Road, the planning commission’s public hearing this week focused on amending the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to make way for the AT&T site’s redevelopment Prospective developer EYA nominated the site at 3033 Chain Bridge Road for a plan amendment in 2022 and submitted a rezoning application in 2023 that will be considered later this year The proposal calls for the circa-1981 office building to be razed and replaced by 854 housing units and 110,850 square feet of space for retail and service uses Providence District Planning Commissioner Jeremy Hancock said the comprehensive plan amendment drafted by county staff will provide “guardrails” — including a cap on density and other limitations — to guide later action on the rezoning to permit construction Given the complexity of the proposal and the mixed reaction it has received the planning commission signaled early in the evening they wouldn’t be voting a vote that night “We have some more work to do,” Hancock said after about four hours of discussion and the audience in the room had thinned considerably But even when the room was packed hours earlier Hancock had signaled that the commission wasn’t ready to make a recommendation and forward it to the Board of Supervisors A potential vote is now slated for March 12 The extension of the planning commission’s discussion could bump back a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors If approved, EYA’s proposal bring a mix of apartments, townhouses and condominiums to the site. The planned housing has been whittled down from the 1,500 units proposed by the original concept Non-residential spaces would be limited to retailers a supermarket and perhaps day-care and educational facilities serving the immediate surrounding area and take up no more than 9% of total developed space “This is not a replication of Mosaic it’s not Reston Town Center,” said Mark Looney a land-use attorney representing the applicant The comprehensive plan revision would increase the development allowed on the site to a floor-area ratio (FAR) of 1.0 FAR measures the total interior square footage of buildings divided by the square-footage of the lot Looney acknowledged “some challenges” need to be worked through but replacing the end-of-life commercial building provides a chance to bring housing parks and other amenities to the Oakton area just north of Fairfax City and I-66 “This is a really unique opportunity,” he said of a project that anticipates final buildout around 2031 Transportation concerns were “the big elephant in the room” at the public hearing Sully District’s Evelyn Spain said she was looking for a package of transportation improvements that’s “more concise more efficient” than what’s now in the proposal One of the biggest points of contention as the project has evolved is how to manage the project’s impact on congestion along Chain Bridge and Jermantown roads The developer has proposed eliminating left-turn lanes on Jermantown Road onto Chain Bridge Road to improve traffic flow Drivers traveling north on Jermantown who currently turn left onto southwest-bound Chain Bridge would instead be directed to continue on Jermantown left on Rose Forest Drive and then right on Chain Bridge Road County staff said that alternative was “more promising” than trying to add more travel and turn lanes The proposed workaround route is “not really addressing human behavior or human nature,” Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina said arguing that drivers are more likely to use surrounding neighborhood streets More detailed traffic studies would be conducted prior to consideration of the rezoning request County staff said the comprehensive plan won’t set the developer’s proposal — or any other option — for that key intersection in stone we would have to figure that piece out,” Hancock said Concerns also cropped up about the impact of new housing on Oakton Elementary, Thoreau Middle and Oakton High schools. Except for Thoreau, the schools are approaching capacity, although Fairfax County Public Schools projections only span the next five years, and enrollment has recently taken a downturn The amount of park and community gathering space provided on the site which abuts the 3.6-acre Borge Street Park More than 40 community members testified at the hearing with both supporters and critics being well-represented “This is an investment in the future of the area — an amazing opportunity to create a gathering space for the Oakton community,” said Laura Pickford a physician who has lived near Oakton High School for decades She lauded the addition of retail and service businesses to serve the new development and immediate area a resident of the nearby Arrowood community praised the new housing options and other parts of the project “Mixed-use development is going to be very beneficial,” he predicted who has lived on Jermantown Road near the planned redevelopment for 40 years sought a more detailed plan from the developer Virginia Department of Transportation and Fairfax County Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety “There has been ample time to show good faith but we haven’t seen it,” she said McCarthy said she walks her dog daily through the corridor and “the fear of being hit is now ever-present in my mind.” who lives about a mile from the subject area was supportive of the project generally but also raised concerns about pedestrian safety “Prioritize pedestrians,” she pleaded Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik recently confirmed to FFXnow that she will propose a study of the Chain Bridge Road corridor if the comprehensive plan amendment is approved by the Board of Supervisors In addition to joining the calls for attention to pedestrian safety Oakton resident Linda Byrne said the existing sewer network can’t support the project as now planned She advocated for maintaining the existing 0.4 FAR Pete Montanino, president of the Grays Oakton Civic Association acknowledged that the project has support from a number of housing and other advocacy organizations — including the Coalition for Smart Growth Fairfax Families for Safe Streets and Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance — but said their views should not be given precedence over those who live around the site “Those groups don’t live next to the development and will not be affected by the traffic so they have no skin in the game,” he said “Why does their voice matter more than the Oakton residents?” Montanino intimated that some believed approval was a done deal alleging enthusiasm for it from Providence Supervisor Dalia Palchik “We were told our voices mattered,” Montanino said but he now felt that “because our viewpoint does not align with the Providence supervisor Vocal reactions from the audience to some of the early speakers drew an admonition from Planning Commission Chairman Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner “We’re going to be civil and respectful — ensure that everyone has a voice,” he said Niedzielski-Eichner said that while participants were “a little aggressive on the applause at times,” he appreciated how people conducted themselves He praised “the spirit in which you brought your interest to our hearing.” “We were listening avidly and learned a lot,” Niedzielski-Eichner said the planning commission deferred action until March 12 on a comprehensive plan amendment for parcels in the 9200 and 9300 blocks of Ox Road A developer has asked to increase density on the site to construct residential housing at 2 to 3 dwelling units per acre The commission held a public hearing on the Ox Road application in January and had expected to vote on a recommendation at its meeting this past Wednesday But the commission member whose district contains the affected parcels was absent 2024 at 3:57 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}R claims in a federal lawsuit he was fired for whistleblowing on grade inflation and discriminated against due to his race and gender (Jonah Meadows/Patch)CHICAGO — A former adjunct geography instructor at Oakton Community College this month filed a federal lawsuit against school officials claiming that he was fired in retaliation for complaining about grade inflation Cary Capparelli also alleges that Oakton administrators discriminated against him because he is a white man while conspiring to deny him his constitutional free speech and due process rights "At all relevant times during his employment [Capparelli] was treated less favorably than his female counterparts seeking and holding employment with [Oakton] " according to the suit filed on his behalf Dec Capparelli says he taught at Oakton for more than a year but he stopped receiving class assignments before the fall of 2022 Capparelli had tried to give a failing grade to one of his students "The aforementioned student did not meet basic academic requirements The student did not participate in discussion nor did the student ever submit a term paper," the complaint alleges The student complained to the department chair who sided against Capparelli "in line with the policy of inflating grades," and the dean ultimately gave the student a passing grade over the teacher's objection including the head of its adjunct faculty association promoted lenient grading policies to maintain enrollment and responded to his ethical and legal concerns with apparent contempt according to the former instructor's complaint Capparelli alleges he had also been outspoken about no-show students in staff meetings prior to his termination "In department meetings during the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 terms [Capparelli] raised concerns about students enrolling without participating in classes potentially to secure government grants," it said [Capparelli] became aware of and spoke out against the Community College’s unlawful practices which included directives to inflate student grades and encourage enrollment of students who did not participate in classes "These actions were designed to misrepresent academic performance and student participation thereby fraudulently securing state and federal funding for which the College would not otherwise qualify," it said "[Capparelli] raised these concerns during faculty meetings directly challenging the College’s actions and refusing to participate in the misconduct Despite [his] efforts to expose these practices punishing him for his whistleblowing rather than investigating [his] allegations," according to his suit Capparelli is a Chicago businessman with a background in marketing and motorsports and a two-time Republican candidate for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District He also teaches a dozen classes at South Dakota State University Patch requested comment about his suit from representatives of Oakton College, a public body with campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie All but about 25 of the approximately 250 emails that Capparelli alleges he exchanged with college officials were "lost," though one recovered message confirms that college staff had required him to teach in-person after he told them he did not want to do so, according to his 20-page complaint The suit also notes that Capparelli had a meeting in September 2023 with Oakton's provost dean and human resources to discuss his complaints "[Capparelli] noted that three of the administrators present at the meeting displayed hostile treatment towards him based on him being a white male Non-white males who made reports and requested investigation were treated fairly," it said determined that he was no longer qualified to teach courses at the community college without addressing his complaints "The college has a well-settled and widespread policy of retaliating against employees for their speech and taking adverse employment action against employees" it alleges "if they posed any kind of perceived comments that would jeopardize the college from securing funding." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Two have moved on to college sports, while one remains at Oakton High School but all three Toole-family siblings are plenty busy and productive in athletics Girls basketball and softball player Sophie Toole is a junior standout in both sports at Oakton currently helping the hoop team to a 15-1 record this winter season She leads the team in many statistical categories Toole had a typical hard-playing game in Oakton’s recent victory over Madison She wreaked plenty of havoc against the opponent three steals and multiple deflections on defense Toole will finish her high-school basketball career by scoring in excess of 1,000 points Toole is a standout shortstop on the Cougars’ softball team Madison girls head basketball coach Kirsten Stone consistently praised Toole for her hard play and versatile abilities on the court are now members of different college teams Nick completed his junior season as a versatile multiple-position player for the Division III Carleton College football team in Northfield, Minn. Noah Toole will be a freshman shortstop this coming spring on the Division I Radford University baseball team The brothers were three-sport standout athletes at Oakton — in football basketball and baseball — receiving all-district honors the 6-foot-4 Nick Toole played quarterback tight end and was the holder on place kicks he completed 33 of 54 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns Toole was 13 of 24 and 17 of 26 passing for 128 and 149 yards Nick Toole is 54 of 86 passing for 477 yards and three touchdowns in 26 games has two catches for two yards and five kick returns for 48 With Sophie Toole having plenty of games and production to come at Oakton the siblings have been one of the most impactful in the school’s sports history It took a bit, but once the Oakton Cougars “calmed down” they took control of the road game against their biggest neighborhood basketball rival en route to a comfortable victory After trailing 17-12 early in the second quarter, Oakton (15-1, 3-1) rallied to defeat the Madison Warhawks 24) in a Concorde District girls high-school game The Cougars might have been out of sorts early on because head coach Fred Priester was not on the bench coaching the team He missed the game because he received two technical fouls in Oakton’s previous game against Chantilly Virginia High School League rules prohibit a coach from participating in the team’s next game Longtime assistant Kathleen Rose took over as the head coach against Madison (7-8 “I think I was more nervous than our players,” Rose told FFXnow “Once we calmed down and got our running game going in the second quarter Behind the scoring of senior guard Brooke Chang Oakton took the lead — and control — to close the first half on an 11-0 run moving in front 23-17 at the break and 40-24 after three periods Oakton also did not turn the ball over in the second period after having six turnovers in the first period Chang scored nine points in the second quarter then 12 more in the fourth for a total of 21 She found wide-open spaces to make four three-pointers junior guard Sophie Toole had an active game with 15 points Sophomore center Jocelynn Kinlaw had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds Bailey Zimmerman had three points and three boards and Melissa Ally had three points and two steals “Our players made good decisions on the court and our other coaches were great helping with adjustments,” Rose said Madison did not have starting forward and inside scoring threat Sara Becker Madison coach Kirsten Stone said her absence hurt struggled to score and had 12 first-half turnovers “She [Chang] made some wide-open shots Sophie Toole plays so hard and makes a lot of plays and their center [Kinlaw] gets better each year,” Stone said “She did things she wasn’t able to do last season.” Allison Creighton scored four and had seven rebounds and Riley Brick scored three with eight rebounds and two steals NOTES: The matchup between the game’s head coaches — Stone and Rose — was interesting The two have known each other since the third grade In high-school they played against each other on different teams “I guess I should retire now,” Rose said after the victory … Oakton’s win over Madison was its third in a row have traded winning streaks for many seasons Oakton College will commemorate Black History Month throughout February with a series of events at its Des Plaines and Skokie campuses and some online activities All events are free to attend and open to the public The theme of the series is “African Americans and Labor.” A book discussion series that began last week will continue through February The subject is Byron Motley’s “The Negro Baseball Leagues: Tales of Umpiring Legendary Players Breaking Barriers and Making American History.” Discussions are scheduled to run from noon to 2 p.m 20 and 27 at the Center for Campus Inclusion and Diversity at the Des Plaines’ campus A workshop titled “Breaking the Stigma: Black Mental Health Matters” is scheduled for 12:15 p.m It will be led by therapist Damita Cravens A market celebrating the African diaspora will be staged Wednesday Featuring Black-owned businesses that sell food A virtual panel discussion called “Connect & Conquer: Black Excellence in Careers” is planned for 12:30 p.m An array of original Black movie posters from the 1930s 21 through March 28 at the Koehnline Museum of Art at the Des Plaines campus Screenings of “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” a documentary about the late civil rights leader and congressman at the Des Plaines student center and the diversity center in Skokie Audience discussions will follow the films take in a screening of “The League,” a documentary about the Negro baseball leagues will speak with audience members after the film For more information or to register for any of these events, visit events.oakton.edu Content warning: This article contains discussions of firearms Oakton Elementary School went on lockdown Thursday afternoon after reports of a person with a gun in the area The school lifted the lockdown at about 4 p.m EPD made contact with the armed individual and police said on X that the incident was not random and involved two parties who know each other.  The remaining students are being released from Oakton EPD is encouraging residents to avoid the area for now Email: [email protected] X: @william2tong — Handgun magazine leads to lockdown at Lincolnwood School — Loaded gun found at ETHS, student in custody If an undefeated record over the course of a dozen games qualifies as a strong start — and it does — the Oakton Cougars are off and running in the girls high-school basketball season Two lopsided victories in recent days and a 3-0 mark in its own holiday tournament give the Cougars a 12-0 record the team’s best start since beginning 13-0 in the 2021-22 campaign Oakton defeated the visiting South County Stallions, 60-39, then the Lake Braddock Bruins Sophie Toole and Brooke Chang each scored 21 points against South County Oakton led 17-6 at the end of the first quarter and pulled away in the third and we played really well,” Oakton coach Fred Priester told FFXnow “We got good minutes out of our bench.” The coach said Oakton didn’t play nearly as well against Lake Braddock but he credited the Bruins (1-9) for having a strong performance Lake Braddock built an early 5-2 advantage The Cougars took the lead for good with a 14-0 first-half run but Lake Braddock stayed within 10 points into the fourth quarter and we didn’t have our A-game,” Priester said Kinlaw had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds to go with two blocked shots had five rebounds and had multiple steals; Melissa Ally made two three-pointers; and Kara Bumbary scored four off the bench “I like how the team is working hard and the bench is coming along,” Priester said Chang and Kinlaw are returning starters from last season’s team that won the Concorde District tournament finished second in the region and had a 22-7 overall record The Cougars are expected to contend for both titles again this season Emily DePaul scored 14 points and had six rebounds Kaitlyn Lastra scored six and had two rebounds Emma Cajchun had two points and eight rebounds with a block NOTE: In its Cassel’s Holiday Classic from Dec A woman was seriously injured in a crash that occurred near Oakton Shopping Center this morning (Saturday) Officers are currently on the scene of the two-vehicle crash on Hunter Mill Road at Lynnhaven Place the Fairfax County Police Department tweeted at 12:03 p.m “An adult female passenger was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries,” the FCPD said Hunter Mill has been shut down between Lynnhaven Place and Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) as Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives arrive to investigate The FCPD is advising drivers to find another route The same intersection was the site of a crash on Sept. 21 that killed a pedestrian Image via Google Maps 2025 at 11:00 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The AT&T campus in Oakton is the subject of a mixed-use development proposal under review by Fairfax County VA — Community organizations are raising concerns about the size of a mixed-use development proposed at the AT&T corporate campus on Chain Bridge Road in Oakton As part of Fairfax County's Site-Specific Plan Amendment Process, a county comprehensive plan amendment was proposed to allow a mixed-use residential development at the 3033 Chain Bridge Road campus The proposal calls for 543 multifamily units The current 33.1-acre site has a three-story It is home to AT&T’s regional headquarters but the company has scaled back occupancy of the campus and is not expected to return to full occupancy This area of Chain Bridge Road has a mix of office retail and restaurant uses and is near the Interstate 66 exits a rezoning proposal is being considered for the site The density of the site — a 0.4 floor area ratio — would increase to a 1 floor area ratio under the proposal the density is the equivalent of a recently-approved residential development across the street The report also notes modern townhouse sizes would produce a 16 to 20 dwelling units per acre based on a 0.8 to 1 floor area ratio The Fairfax County Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the proposed plan amendment at 7:30 p.m the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider it at its 4 p.m Community organizations in Oakton have been voicing concerns ahead of the planning commission meeting Five civic associations — the Greater Oakton Community Association and Miller Heights Neighborhood Association — called for a delay in planning commission action The groups are requesting a vote be delayed until completion of a full transportation study of Oakton’s Chain Bridge corridor and plan of action with estimated costs is approved by Fairfax County and VDOT the organizations outlined the concerns about greater residential density on traffic and pedestrian safety The organizations noted other by-right residential development projects are being planned across Chain Bridge Road from the site "Most of our community agrees that the concept of redevelopment of the AT&T site is appropriate and it is important for our County to revitalize underperforming commercial space and generate tax revenue," the letter said "The community also recognizes the need for housing and is in favor of a limited mixed-use development with a vibrant community space we continue to hear great concerns from our members about the impact the proposed project as currently shaped would have on density and intensity in the face of already difficult traffic and pedestrian safety conditions throughout the greater Oakton area." The groups noted hundreds of Oakton residents have attended meetings and communicated to the developer the need to downsize the proposal. Over 1,000 people have signed a petition to keep the 0.4 density an approximately 12 to 16 dwelling units per acre density similar to surrounding sites The petition also calls for maintaining landscaping seeking proffers for about four acres of park land and constructing new roads to mitigate traffic impacts and pedestrian safety A county staff report recommended the proposal for a plan amendment noting the site's potential for a core center in the Flint Hill Suburban Center zone of Oakton "Unlike the county’s other suburban centers Flint Hill currently lacks a defined core area wherehigher development intensities and a more urban character are envisioned," the staff report says "As a relatively small suburban center that was largely built out in the 1980s Flint Hill has not experienced the mixed-use development interest that would allow for the opportunity to create a core supporting the envisioned suburban center designation." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A young Oakton Cougars squad continued an established tradition by winning another Concorde District girls gymnastics championship Oakton High won a fifth straight title, by fractions, over the Chantilly Chargers, finishing first with a 139.625 team score. Chantilly had 139.175. The Madison Warhawks were third at 137.025 “We had four athletes place in the top eight in the all-around,” Oakton coach Katie O’Rourke told FFXnow including freshman Elsha Chi who finished second in the all-around with a 35.625 total Chi placed second on the vault (9.3) and balance beam (9.35) and was third on the floor exercise (9.2) The all-around champion was Chantilly senior Alli Booker with a 36.275 total She won the vault (9.75) and uneven bars (9.125) was second on the floor (9.225) and 13th on the beam (8.175) Oakton sophomore Tessa Gay was fifth in the all-around (34.7) senior Nyla Williams eighth (34.2) and junior Lindsey Liang 22nd (32.158) Gay’s highest finish in the four events was a third on the vault (9.25) and she was sixth on the beam (8.7) Williams tied for third on the beam (9.025) and was fourth on the bars (8.4) Roselle won the floor (9.35) and was third on the beam (9.025) Also participating for Oakton were junior Caroline Curtis and senior Abby Cribbs sophomore Mazzie Cox was 11th in the all-around (34.05) Lauren Lattanze tied for 16th (33.375) and Michaela Turner was 18th (33.325) Chantilly’s Emma Saunders was fifth on the beam (9.0) Adison Zampiello was seventh on the bars (8.125) with Lattanze 10th on the beam (8.475) and Sabirah Smith Bey tied for 10th on the floor (8.9) Madison was led by Charlotte Feigin’s third-place all-around score of 35.275 and Lydia Shaw’s seventh (34.225) tied for sixth on the floor (9.0) and was eighth on the bars (8.1) seventh on the vault (8.8) and ninth on the beam (8.5) Madison’s Leanna Zaccack was fifth on the vault (8.875) and tied for 10th on the floor (8.9) Westfield’s Jenna Van Buren was fourth (34.725) with teammate Amaya Wilkins ninth (34.175) Milly Navarro of South Lakes was 10th (34.15) fourth on the vault (9.0) and fifth on the floor (9.025) South Lakes fifth (134.6) and Centreville sixth (119.675) Mithra Venkatesan was third on the bars (8.45) — The Ridgewater baseball team dropped two games to a strong team from Illinois on Tuesday at Lake Myrtle Park Illinois beat Ridgewater 16-5 in six innings and 20-9 in five at the RussMatt Invitational having also beaten Century College of Minnesota 4-3 The Warriors now are 1-6 to start the season Ridgewater plays Rhode Island Community College for a doubleheader beginning at 8 a.m Thursday at Chain of Lakes Field in Winter Haven Ridgewater erupted for two runs in the seventh inning and five in the eighth to edge Minnesota North-Vermilion at Lake Myrtle Field in Auburndale a sophomore from Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted walked one and allowed four hits and two earned runs the Madison Warhawks will match the football program’s only other undefeated 10-0 regular season — one that occurred 46 years ago Madison improved to 9-0 Nov. 2 with a 28-6 road win over its neighborhood rival Oakton Cougars in Concorde District high-school action The first-place Warhawks improved to 4-0 in the district The Warhawks host the Centreville Wildcats (4-5 3-1) in their final regular-season game Friday Centreville will come into the game having won two straight contests A victory will give Madison the outright district championship A loss could result in a three-way tie for first with the Warhawks It also would quash Madison’s quest to match 1978’s 10-0 regular season senior runningback Dominic Knicely led the way with 171 yards rushing and a six-yard touchdown run Madison fullback Matthew Weiler added 61 yards rushing Quarterback Cael Yates had an 18-yard TD run and Graham Gorkowski had a 40-yard interception return for a score The Warhawks led 7-0 in the first quarter and 21-6 at halftime Oakton scored in the first quarter a 34-yard pass from Jack Martin to Ryan Henriques with Martin throwing for 109 yards and two interceptions Henry Maiden had Madison’s other interception 2025 at 12:07 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Coalition for Smarter Growth and other organizations have shared support for a plan amendment to allow mixed-use development on the AT&T campus site in Oakton VA — While some community groups have expressed concerns about the redevelopment of the AT&T regional headquarters site in Oakton others have chimed in to support a more walkable core area near Interstate 66 On Wednesday, the Fairfax County Planning Commission will consider a county comprehensive plan amendment for a mixed-use residential development at the 3033 Chain Bridge Road campus AT&T has used the site as regional headquarters The proposal came from Fairfax County's Site-Specific Plan Amendment Process which considers land use changes for specific sites A rezoning proposal is also proposed for the site The Coalition for Smarter Growth a DC-based organization advocating for walkable communities says the project will provide needed housing reduce reliance on cars and reduce climate pollution Joining the coalition in supporting the redevelopment project are the Sierra Club Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance and YIMBYs of NoVA "The community of Oakton and Fairfax County have the opportunity to say yes to a winning vision for a more walkable vibrant Oakton center – by supporting the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment before the Fairfax County Planning Commission this Wednesday a Fairfax County resident who serves as Northern Virginia advocacy manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth "The Comp Plan Amendment is fully in keeping with the County’s vision for more walkable communities and would support the upcoming rezoning proposal to replace the aging obsolete AT&T office building and its acres of parking with much needed housing in a walkable community with new parks and greenspace." SEE ALSO: Office-To-Residential Proposal Draws Concerns From Oakton Community Groups townhouses and two-over-two units proposed for the site the Coalition for Smarter Growth supports the boost in housing supply the project would give Oakton Several other sites across Chain Bridge Road are being redeveloped into residential projects all of which will make residential uses more prominent in the corridor "The plan amendments will enable development of 850 much-needed homes for a range of incomes and updated stormwater management," said Breehey The proposed density for the site is a 1 floor area ratio which the county staff report notes is equivalent to the highest residential densities in the immediate surrounding area That would be an increase from the 0.4 floor area ratio density currently approved for the site The report notes that modern townhouse sizes would produce 16 to 20 dwelling units per acre based on a 0.8 to 1 floor area ratio The site is located off the busy Chain Bridge Road close to the Interstate 66 exit. A county staff report notes that the Flint Hill Suburban Center that contains the AT&T site lacks a defined core center with "higher development intensities the Coalition for Smarter Growth's executive director says walkable mixed-use developments like the proposed project have been shown to reduce driving while increase walking That in turn can drive down greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution "Don’t just take our word for it –studies by the region’s Transportation Planning Board have confirmed these transportation results," said Bill Pugh a senior policy fellow at Coalition for Smarter Growth "That’s why Fairfax County and the region’s Council of Governments have adopted a regional plan for transit-accessible communities as the most sustainable and equitable way to grow One of the concerns from opposed residents is additional residential units in an area already busy with traffic and posing pedestrian safety concerns Breehey says the proposed plan amendment seeks transit as well as potential reconfiguration of the Chain Bridge Road and Jermantown Road intersection That "quadrant intersection" would move the left turns from eastbound Jermantown Road to northbound Chain Bridge Road as well as westbound Jermantown Road to southbound Chain Bridge Road to the intersection with Rose Forest Drive/White Granite Road Another proposal from the plan amendment nominator includes a shared-use path for pedestrians that could connect to the new trail along I-66 Breehey said Providence District Supervisors Dalia Palchik is expected to direct staff to do an area-wide transportation study to identify transportation alternatives confidence is riding high for the young Oakton Cougars football team Oakton, just a one-win team last fall, improved to 4-3 Oct. 18 with a 48-47 overtime home victory over the South Lakes Seahawks in Concorde District high-school action The OT win was the team’s second in as many weeks and snapped the team’s 29-game losing streak against district rivals that spanned eight seasons “Our players are having fun and enjoying winning games and being competitive,” Oakton coach Brian Slay said Two of Oakton’s losses were by three and seven points The 48 points were Oakton’s most in a game since late in the 2017 season Oakton defeated South Lakes when what would have been a tying Seahawks’ extra point in overtime was deflected by 6-foot-5 junior lineman Wesley Lattus Lattus deflected a South Lakes field goal attempt at the end of regulation The Cougars’ winning touchdown in overtime came on a short pass from Jack Martin to Brayden Vazquez then Collin Henriques booted what became the deciding extra point The scoring pass was Martin’s fifth of the game “Our offense needed a game like that,” Slay said “We have been putting our offense together and it finally produced big.” Collin Henriques had 11 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown Ryan Henriques had three catches for 56 yards and two scores Tim Volciak had two for 43 and Vazquez two for 25 and two TDs Oakton’s rushing leaders were Martin with 63 yards and Isaiah Coleman with 52 Quinn Smith had a 67-yard kickoff return for an Oakton touchdown Quarterback Mohamed Shuaib was 9 of 16 passing for 203 yards Cody Wood rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns and Alex Saunders for 54 and three scores Nick Picarelli caught three passes for 99 yards Saunders three for 62 and a TD and Matthew McArthur three for 56 Charlie McArter and Qais Khairzad were leading tacklers An Oakton-based doctor pleaded guilty on Wednesday (Jan 15) to improperly prescribing opioid and amphetamine pills after failing to properly assess patients David Allingham, who owns Oakton Primary Care Center, authorized renewals of medications without providing physical examinations of patients between at least April 2019 and January 2024, according to the Department of Justice Allingham relied on untrained medical staff to issue prescriptions on his behalf either in person or via phone-based “office visits,” federal prosecutors said Virginia pharmacies ultimately filled more than 7,300 prescriptions originating from Allingham’s office during that five-year period “After a national pharmacy chain informed Allingham that its stores would no longer fill prescriptions written by him Allingham instructed his employees to phase out all brand pharmacies in favor of ‘mom and pop’ pharmacies to avoid further scrutiny of his patients and so he could continue to prescribe high-dose opioids for them,” the DOJ said “Multiple” of Allingham’s patients died “within hours or weeks” of obtaining a prescription for oxycodone The federal case doesn’t appear to be Allingham’s first brush up with medical ethics He is scheduled to be sentenced April 30 by the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria