July 9 – 15, 2020
FA LLS CHUR C H, V I R G I NI A • WW W. FC NP. C OM • FR EE
FOU N D E D 1991 • V OL. X XX NO. 21
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West End Project Pushes
Forward Amidst Pandemic F.C. Council To Vote On Site Plan Monday
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
With the Falls Church City Council’s first in-depth public look at the detailed special exception site plan for the 9.77-acre megaWest End development project Monday night, an undertone arising from the Covid-19 pandemic’s “unbelievable headwinds” suddenly facing it in these extraordinary times was in the background for the three-hour discussion. As Robin Bettarel of Hoffman, a lead member of the development team, said, the concerns are particularly strong for the future of retail and hotels in all development plans globally going forward. But when Bettaral and EYA’s Evan Goldman aired their concerns in a follow-on presentation to the City’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) Tuesday, the
EDA chair Bob Young exclaimed, “I believe that if anyone can get this project done, it will be this team.” Young cited the extensive process that the City engaged in to retain the development team, and Goldman followed Young’s remarks with words of confidence that the effort would go forward and succeed according to plan. The two presentations of the project followed the official submission of its detailed Special Exception Site Plan, available now in full on the City’s website, that include some changes introduced since the team’s last submission earlier this year, none of which are major. The Council is slated to vote to accept the site plan at its meeting this coming Monday. The EDA
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A DIGITAL RENDERING of what the team of EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency envision for the completed West End development that will stretch nearly 10 acres from the new site of the rebuilt high school to the West Falls Church Metro Station. (S���������: N���-P����)
New Parking Study Shows F.C. Not Hur�ng for Space BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
After years of endless studies, complaining, calls for one or more public structured garages and predatory towing practices, it turns out that actual parking shortages in the downtown (Broad at
Washington intersection) of Falls Church are not so severe, according to a welcome new study by Walker Consultants and presented at Tuesday’s meeting of the F.C. Economic Development Authority (EDA). Bernard Lee of the Bethesdabased Walker team presented the
results of the downtown parking study covering 23 largely commercial blocks it was commissioned to undertake following an EDA initiative that began last September. The summary result was that aside from periodic “hot spots,” there is not really a pressing park-
ing problem in that area, and there are available low cost solutions for the troubled areas that could alleviate the parking issues there. Ed Saltzberg of the EDA, who led the effort to set the study in motion last year, said there are certainly more workable solutions than the construction of a parking garage downtown somewhere which would come at the cost of $10,000 to $20,000 per parking
space. Options laid out by the Walker team include better use of existing spaces through signage and making them more visible to the public and the addition of some new on-street parking. For example, Lee said, there could be eight on-street parking spaces added on Little Falls Street
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SEE PAGE 8
SEE STORY, PAGE 4
It’s back! Even a global pandemic can’t stop the Best of Falls Church 2020 voting from going live and needing your input. Check out the pared down categories in this year’s contest to see who you think is the best.
Toy Nest and Harbor Freight Tools are two new Falls Church businesses weathering Covid-19 with the same gusto after their grand openings, but both had to traverse different paths due to how they’re judged as essential and non-essential businesses.
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Northern Virginia’s own “Rockin’ the Suburbs” podcast from Falls Church’s Patrick Foster and Ashburn resident Jim Lenahan will take their show to Jammin’ Java’s stage next Wednesday. SEE PRESS PASS, PAGE 14
INDEX
Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 News & Notes............................10–11 Comment ............................... 7,12–13 Crime Report .................................... 12 Calendar ........................................... 14 Business News ................................. 15 Classified Ads ................................... 16 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 17 Critter Corner.................................... 18