Blog posts are the personal views of Letty Hardi and not official statements or records on behalf of the Falls Church City Council

Dear Friends,

While we had no meeting this week with the Fourth of July holiday, there is plenty to share and get on your calendars. There is a lot of work underway across the city so this should be an informative, popular post about new stuff happening around town – from private development projects to info sessions about accessory dwellings (ADs) to work happening on the streets. Read on!

City Council will have two more meetings in July and two more meetings in August before we take our summer recess at the end of the summer.

Stay cool,
Letty

PS – While we get a brief break from the heat today, help keep an eye on elderly neighbors or those with AC issues during the extreme heat we’ll see again next week – note that the Community Center is a designated cooling shelter.

What Happened This Week:

(1) Accessory Dwelling Curious?

After kicking off the work in May where we discussed the scope of the Accessory Dwelling (AD) update and public engagement schedule, city staff will hold the first of many community meetings with two open house/information sessions at the end of July. This is a good opportunity to learn more about what’s allowed today, what changes are being explored, and how ADs add and diversify housing stock.

Can’t make these sessions? There will be more as we’re just starting the process. There is also much reading online as many localities nearby and across the US have already updated their accessory dwelling unit laws to encourage production. Of note, the AARP has an excellent website about ADs and in fact are one of the strongest proponents of this housing option to enable aging in place – where seniors could rent out the new AD or the principal dwelling and generate an income stream or house themselves or a caregiver in the AD.

(2) Economic Development Updates

One of the frequent questions I get is “what’s opening here and when?” I know construction projects are disruptive and inconvenient, especially to adjacent neighborhoods and we’ve got a lot around town. We are getting close on several projects and have opportunities to welcome new businesses, including signed leases in existing buildings.

Most notably – Broad and Washington (future home of Whole Foods and Creative Cauldron) is close to the finish line and the streetscape, park, and its garage and 64 public parking spaces now open for use. With pre-leasing underway, new neighbors will be moving in this summer. If you don’t follow my city Facebook page, I posted lots of photos from a recent run around the site. See below for more updates or the full deck from the July Economic Development Authority (EDA) meeting.

For existing spaces – the build out for Cafe Zevian at the former Famille space in the Kensington is underway, Dolan Uyghur will be coming to the former Pizzeria Orso space, and Paris Baguette to the Tower Square (Aldi) shopping center.

(3) Street Projects

Summer is also the prime season for street work. The trail crossings at the W&OD is nearly complete and the first of three HAWK signals along Broad St is underway near Oak St. Not to mention new crosswalks and updating curb ramps for ADA compliance.

As HAWK (High-Intensity Activated CrossWalK) signals will be new to Falls Church and different than RRFBs (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons) that we have in the city already – for example, on Lincoln/Dorchester and Annandale/Big Chimneys – this is a good time to share more info about what HAWKs exactly are. From this website, HAWK signals are pedestrian-activated traffic control devices that help make pedestrian crossings safer for everyone, whether you are walking, rolling, or driving, typically for mid block crossings. Instead of flashing white lights on either side of the street like RRFBs alerting drivers of a pedestrian, HAWKs will go through a series of yellow and red sequences requiring motorists to slow down and stop. After the people walking and biking cross, the HAWK will go dark again, allowing motorists to continue through the intersection.

Data suggests that HAWK signals create safer crossings, reduce crashes and increase driver compliance with crosswalk laws. Exciting stuff!

And finally, summer is a great time to keep adding public art on our streets for safety, vibrancy, and community building – check out the new Mt Daniel purple crosswalks and many thanks to the volunteers who rolled up their sleeves with me a few weeks ago. More photos here.

What’s Coming Up:

Monday, July 15 – City Council Work Session*

Monday, July 24 – City Council Meeting*

Monday, August 5 – City Council Work Session*

Wednesday, August 7 – Ask the Council Office Hours (9 am, City Hall)

Monday, August 12 – City Council Meeting*

*Mondays (except 5th Mondays and holidays) at 7:30 pm. You can access the agenda and livestream here, including recordings of past meetings