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August 26, 2026

Students returned to the classroom on Monday, the first day of the Fairfax County Public Schools.

As students and parents begin a new school year, they can expect many new opportunities and changes ahead. This week brought one notable change: for the first time, school crossing guards will no longer be stationed at high schools across the county, including those in the Hunter Mill District.

These crossing guard positions were eliminated as part of the FY 2027 budget reductions, which cut $1.89 million and 13 crossing guard positions from the Fairfax County Police Department. This reduction was one of the reasons I opposed the nominal reduction in the real estate tax rate in this year’s budget, which also resulted in cuts to other programs and services that support some of our community’s most vulnerable residents, including children.

Although the school year is just beginning, some have already expressed concerns about the elimination of crossing guards at high schools.

This is why I co-sponsored Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity’s motion at yesterday’s board meeting to take another look at the crossing guard program. (Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk also joined me in co-sponsoring this motion.) 

It asks for the police and schools to report to the Board with any immediate concerns due to the lack of crossing guards at high schools — like the entrance to South Lakes High School at Tanbark Drive (thank you school board member Melanie Meren for providing info about that situation this week). Secondly, it directs the police to provide the Board later this year with a more comprehensive review on their use of contracted crossing guards. This practice began last summer as a pilot program.

These privately contracted crossing guards are intended to help fill needs at elementary and middle schools, along with county crossing guards and police officers who continue to perform this function. Starting last August, these contractors began working at 31 elementary and middle schools, including a number in the Hunter Mill District.

I can assure you that crossing guards will remain at elementary and middle schools, and this won’t change, although contractors may be used for some crossings. More on that as I get the updated information we asked for yesterday.

For those who may remember, however, the Fairfax County Police Department proposed eliminating crossing guards for schools in Vienna two years ago. They wanted to turn over this responsibility to the Vienna Police. I strongly opposed this proposal resulting in the county police continuing to cover crossings in the town as needed, as well as leading the county to eventually hire contractors to help with the crossing guard program overall.

Safety remains a top priority — and we can all play a role in keeping our school kids safe, including the students themselves, their parents and families and community members. To learn how, watch the video below, and follow these tips too:

Driving Around Schools

• Slow down and obey posted school-zone speed limits.
• Stay alert for children at crosswalks, sidewalks, and bus stops.
• Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and keep crosswalks and intersections clear
• Put your phone away and keep your attention on the road.
• Drop off and pick up students at the officially designated spots at each school, such as the kiss-and-ride.
• Allow for extra time when arriving or departing from school. 

School Bus Safety

• Be prepared to stop when a school bus activates its flashing lights.
• Stop for buses with flashing red lights and extended stop arms unless a positive median separates the roadway.
• Never pass a stopped school bus when you are required to stop.
• Watch for children entering or exiting the bus and crossing the roadway.

Regards,

Walter

• Summer Restaurant Week
• Celebrate John Carter's Retirement Sept. 8
• Board of Supervisors Update
• Upcoming Land Use Meetings
• What's News in Vienna
• Events and Activities

Board of Supervisors Update

The Board of Supervisors met yesterday on Aug. 25. You can watch the meeting and review the agenda and package.

Yesterday, I presented the Reston Community Center with a proclamation to recognize the Reston Multicultural Festival's 25th anniversary (see photo above). I hope you'll join me at this festival on Sept. 19 at Reston Town Center.

Lake Fairfax Business Center Comprehensive Plan Amendment Approved

What’s happening: The Board approved the Site-Specific Plan Amendment for the Lake Fairfax Business Center, creating a new residential mixed-use option for the 76-acre office park near the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station. Following this action, we also approved scheduling the Board’s public hearing for Nov. 17 to review EYA’s rezoning application for about two-thirds of this site. (The Planning Commission's public hearing for this application is already scheduled for Sept. 23.)

Located north of Sunset Hills Road and the W&OD Trail and south of Lake Fairfax Park, the business center currently consists of suburban office buildings constructed in the 1980s and 1990s. The site features several vacant offices, including the National Wildlife Federation headquarters.

Comprehensive Plan Update

Before yesterday, the Comprehensive Plan designated this business center exclusively for low- to medium-intensity office, light industrial, research and development, and institutional uses at up to 0.50 Floor Area Ratio (FAR).

The newly approved plan amendment adds an option for residential mixed-use development, establishing key planning guidance for the property:

• Density & Intensity: Increases allowable intensity up to 1.0 FAR, accommodating up to 1,250 residential units (a mix of townhomes, stacked townhomes, and multifamily buildings).
• Pedestrian and bike friendly: Recommends a more compact, cohesive walkable development with a more connected street network, including internal streets, pedestrian and bicycle facilities and shared use path.
• Community Amenities: Recommends neighborhood-serving retail be incorporated into the ground-floor of residential buildings, publicly accessible park space, multimodal street and trail connections, and — perhaps most importantly for the broader community — land reserved for a future public elementary school or other public facility.
• Buffers & Compatibility: Retains and enhances environmental protections and natural landscape buffers along the eastern boundary to protect neighboring single-family homes in the Equestrian Park subdivision.

EYA’s Rezoning Proposal

While the Comprehensive Plan amendment covers the entire 76-acre business park, EYA Development has submitted a concurrent rezoning application for approximately 49 acres (see the conceptual plan below.)

Their proposal will transform the underutilized office space into an up to 1.9 million-square-foot residential neighborhood featuring 1,017 total housing units:

• 🏢 385-unit apartment building
• 🏢 132 condo units across three buildings
• 🏠 501 townhomes (a mix of traditional attached and stacked units)
• 🌳4.59-acres of parks and open space

The existing uses at the business center — including Lifetime Fitness, Reston Montessori School, a hotel, and a data center — will remain since they aren’t part of the rezoning application.

In June, the county held an open house for residents to learn more about this rezoning proposal, and EYA previously held a series of community meetings last year.

Speed Humps Approved for John Milton and Fairway Drives

What’s happening: The Board endorsed two speed humps for John Milton Drive and three humps for Fairway Drive through Fairfax County’s Residential Transportation Administration Program.

On John Milton Drive, one hump will be placed next to the Fox Mill Shopping Center (near 2572 and 2574 John Milton Drive). The second hump will be located opposite the Fox Mill Elementary School between Thomas Young Lane and John Milton Court (see map below.)

For Fairway Drive, three humps will be installed on this street between North Shore Drive and Orchard Lane. Two humps will be placed across from Reston Association’s ballfields and tennis courts, and a third will be located near Waterhaven Court (see map below). 

On both roads, the speed humps will be 12-feet wide and three-inches high in the middle. As requested by the community, the humps on Fairway Drive will have cut-outs to allow public safety vehicles to pass over them without needing to slow down.

Residents voted yes: Residents in both neighborhoods voted to approve these humps, as required under the county’s program that helps communities deal with traffic impacts. To win approval, more than 50% of occupied homes in the neighborhood must vote for the speed humps.

Homeowners along John Milton Drive voted 53% to 47% to approve the speed humps. Fairway Drive residents voted 78% to 21% for their speed humps.

Community members in both neighborhoods approached me with their concerns about speeding, and I worked with them to initiate the county’s traffic-calming process.

Speeding documented: To be eligible for speed humps, they may only be installed on roads with a 25 mph speed limit, and a county traffic study also must find that at least 15% of drivers exceed this limit by at least 10 mph (in at least one direction of travel).

Drivers were traveling 36 mph in the eastbound lane and 34 mph in the westbound lane on John Milton Drive, according to the county’s 2026 traffic study. The traffic study for Fairway Drive found even more motorists speeding: 82% of cars exceeded the 25-mph speed limit — with 3.45% going more than 55 mph.

Want humps? If you have concerns about speeding or traffic issues, please contact Shyamali Hauth in my office by email or call 703-476-0283, TTY 711. The county provides a variety of ways to help neighborhoods deal with traffic issues from “Watch for Children” signs to speed humps. 

Prohibiting Truck Cut-Through Traffic on Crowell and Browns Mill Roads

What’s happening: The Board approved prohibiting trucks from using Crowell and Browns Mill Roads as a cut through, and at my request, the Board will also ask the Virginia Department of Transportation to review the potential impacts of this truck ban on Buleah Road and Hunter Mill Road. 

If approved by VDOT’s following their review, signs will be posted on these roads through the county’s Residential Traffic Administration Program. (The ban will not apply to pickup or panel trucks, however.)

Background: Residents approached my office with major safety concerns about cut-through traffic and speeding on Crowell and Browns Mill Roads. Trucks have been increasingly using them as a shortcut to get to Route 7.

I assisted the neighborhood to start the process for prohibiting truck cut-through traffic. Previously, I also worked with neighbors to get “$200 Additional Fine for Speeding” signs on Crowell Road between Hunter Mill and Browns Mill Roads. (Read my June newsletter for more background.)

Traffic problems? If you have concerns about speeding or traffic issues, please contact Shyamali Hauth in my office by email or call 703-476-0283, TTY 711. 

Lahey Lost Valley Resident Curator Lease Approved

What’s happening: The Board approved an almost 30-year lease for the historic Lahey Lost Valley House under the county’s Resident Curator Program.

Curators Sonja Lupescu and Michael Nakagaki will live in the home rent-free in exchange for renovating the property. These repairs and upgrades will cost the curators an estimated $292,000, according to the renovation plan approved by the Fairfax County Park Authority.

Located at 9750 Brookmeadow Drive, this historic home is a mid-18th century house with a 1940s brick addition that is set within a public park.

Who are the curators? Lupescu and Nakagaki were selected as the curators following the Fairfax County Park Authority’s review of their application. This will be the duo’s first historic restoration project.

Lupsecu, who has worked in international development, stated in their application that her experience also includes working on archaeological sites in Jamestown and Yorktown where she “gained familiarity with the processes of excavation, cataloging, and preservation of historical artifacts.” Nakagaki, who has worked for 15 years in federal policy and environmental management, is also an experienced woodworker, building custom furniture and restoring antique furniture.

Why it matters: As one of the oldest surviving homes in Fairfax County that’s also on the Inventory of Historic Sites, Lahey house is a significant example of a brick hall and parlor house that dates to circa 1760.

The home is also notable for its association with the Gunnell family who were leaders in Fairfax County throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Henry Gunnell, who built the house with his wife Catherine, was active in the community, including as Truro Parish vestryman from 1756 to 1765 and Justice of the Circuit and District Court of Fairfax County between 1757 and 1764. He is also recorded as serving as a member of the Fairfax Committee of Safety in 1774 and sheriff in 1772.

Starting in the 1940s, the house was also owned by renowned artists Richard and Carlotta Lahey. Richard studied with Robert Henri a leading figure of the Ashcan School, and his paintings are in museum collections across the country, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Library of Congress. He also served as President of the Corcoran School of Arts and Design. Carlotta taught sculpture at Goucher College and was a staff artist with National Geographic in the 1940s, while living in Vienna. In 1960, the couple worked on battle map murals at the Honolulu Memorial erected by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Carlotta Lahey bequeathed the house to the Park Authority, including its furnishings, art, antiques and 22 acres of land. She requested that the land be largely undisturbed to be a nature preserve in “the midst of the unbelievable growth” in Fairfax County.

Reston Planning & Zoning Special Meeting

Attend this virtual meeting on Monday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. Click here to join. To attend by phone, call 571-429-5982 and enter meeting ID 550 568 144#

Agenda: 

• Reston East Planning Study

Questions? Email Mark Goldberg-Foss or call 703-478-5123, TTY 711.

Community Center Programs Paused Until Sept. 6

Vienna Community Center programs, classes, open gym, and events will all be paused for two weeks through Sunday, Sept. 6, for an annual deep clean and building maintenance. The lobby, including the front desk and restrooms, will remain open on a modified schedule. Learn more.

Meet the Mayor September 2

Meet Mayor Linda Colbert as she holds office hours at Nozzo Pazzo (122 Branch Road, SE) on Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Share what’s on your mind and chat all things Vienna with Mayor Linda Colbert over breakfast.

🎸 Four Star Combo belt out high-energy 1950's Rockabilly and honky tonk tonight at Lake Anne Plaza.

🎺 Groove to funky New Orleans parade music when New Line Brass Band plays on Aug. 27 at Halley Rise.

🎸 Keep this world from draggin' you down when you listen to Tom Petty tribute band Don’t Back Down on Aug. 28 at Reston Station.

🎉 Celebrate the end of summer at the Back to School Bash on Aug. 29 at The Boro in Tysons.

🍽️ Dine at the 10th annual Around The World Cultural Food Festival on Aug. 29 at Oronoco Bay Park, Alexandria.

🪕 Traditional bluegrass band Chuck Perryman Acoustic Trio performs on Aug. 30 at Temporary Road Pavillion.

🎹 Piano and saxophone duets are showcased by R2DUO on Aug. 30 at Reston Town Square Park.

 💬Learn what’s fact and fiction when it comes to tariffs and trade deficits at the Lifetime Learning Institute of Northern Virginia forum on Sept. 2 at the Little River United Church of Christ.

♨️ Eat at the Middle Eastern Food Festival on Sept. 3 at Holy Transfiguration Church in McLean.

💬 Listen to nine storytellers during Huzzah! on Sept. 3 at Jammin Java in Vienna.

📖 Join a book talk about World War II spy Peter J. Oritz on Sept. 3 at Bards Alley in Vienna.

🎸 Relive the Glory Days as Springsteen-tribute band Bruce in the USA plays Sept. 4 at Reston Station.

🎭 Watch the Theater Alliance’s performance of “Woody Guthrie’s American Song” on Sept. 4-6 at Reston Town Square Park.

🛍️ Shop at the Main St. Market on Sept. 6 in historic Old Town Fairfax.

📖 Find your next read at the Tysons Library Friends Book & Media Sale on Sept 10-13.

💃 Join the Silent Dance Party on September 11 at Reston Station.

Find all events for these local organizations: Reston Community Center, Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation Programs, Tephra ICA and Arts Fairfax. Find other community events in the Reston Letter.