Fairfax Board Defers Vote on Data Centers

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week deferred to July 30 a decision on a proposed zoning ordinance regarding data centers.

Board Chair Jeffrey McKay commented on the fact that more than 60 people had written, called or spoke in person to comment at the public hearing on the matter in the past week. “This proposed amendment,” he wrote, “Which is the culmination of a year-long initiative begun with my Board in May of last year, has generated a tremendous amount of public interest which is exactly what the Board wanted to see. I have received hundreds of emails representing the full spectrum of views of this issue – from do not regulate to do not allow data centers at all. We heard from County residents who talked about the economic benefits of data centers. We also heard from residents who are concerned about the impact of data centers.”

Jack Wielar, Diener Student, Wins National Competition

The voice training studio of Wesley Diener, son of prominent Falls Church businessman Michael Diener, has announced that one of its students, Jack Wielar of Charlottesville, achieved national semifinalist standing in both musical theater and commercial music at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) conference in Knoxville, TN, and in the final concert, won first place for the entire U.S.
Wielar, rising junior at Charlottesville High School and voice student of Diener’s WD Studio, was a National Semi-Finalist in Musical Theatre and a National Semi-Finalist in Commercial Music. He competed in Knoxville at the NATS National Conference and advanced to the top three finals in musical theater. At the finals concert, he won first place (in the entire nation). Hundreds of students across the country competed at state, regional, and national qualifying events before advancing to the National Semi-Finals in Knoxville.

Wielar’s teacher, Wesley Diener (founder of WD Studio), son of Michael Diener, is a Virginia native and University of Virginia alum. He was invited by NATS to present a workshop entitled Empowering Young Singers: Strategies for Teaching Musical Theatre Foundations (Ages 12-18) at the NATS National Conference in Knoxville. Diener will be performing a solo concert at Falls Church’s Creative Cauldron on August 10.

Urban Land Institute to Assist F.C. Evaluate Gordons Road Options

Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields reported this week that the City’s submission of an application to the Urban Land Institute’s Technical Assistance Program (TAP) to study the Gordons Road Triangle Area for its best potential development has been accepted and a study will be conducted in the coming year.
Shields explained that the Urban Land Institute “will assemble a panel of industry experts in that fields of architecture, engineering, real estate, urban design and financing, to support innovative planning in the Gordon Road Triangle at the western gateway to Falls Church. The panel will consult with community stakeholders to explore public-private partnerships to reinvest and rebuild its property yard, and explore possible private reinvestment in the Gordon Road Triangle area.”

Shields added, “Given the area’s location and proximity to regional assets like the W&OD Trail and West Falls Church Metro Station, the effort also includes working with local property owners and regional partners, including Fairfax County, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority (NOVA Parks), and WMATA.”

F.C.’s Public Works Chief Heading to Arlington

Zak Bradley, director of public works for the City of Falls Church, is heading to Arlington County. His last day with Falls Church City will be August 9. The City will be recruiting for the position.

Va. Lawmakers Write to Youngkin, Seek IRS Option

Members of Virginia’s congressional delegation announced yesterday that they have written to Governor Glenn Youngkin urging him to take the necessary steps to allow Virginians the option of using the IRS Direct File program to file their future tax returns. The Treasury Department piloted Direct File for 2023 returns in a smaller group of states, which did not include Virginia, with strong positive feedback from – and savings for – U.S. taxpayers who took advantage of the program. IRS recently announced that it would open participation to all 50 states; Virginia’s full participation will require further actions by the Governor’s administration in concert with the General Assembly.

Virginia’s Rep. Don Beyer, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and Reps. Bobby Scott, Abigail Spanberger, Gerry Connolly, Jennifer Wexton, and Jennifer McClellan wrote:

“On May 30th, the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that Direct File, a free tax filing tool operated by Treasury and the IRS, will continue as a permanent option for taxpayers. All 50 states are invited to partner with the IRS to provide Direct File as an option to their residents next year. We urge you to take the necessary steps to provide Virginia taxpayers with the option to use this service in the future.

“The IRS piloted a Direct File program during Filing Season 2024. The pilot allowed taxpayers with simple tax situations in 12 states to file taxes for free, directly with the IRS. The results of the pilot indicate the program was well received by taxpayers. 140,803 taxpayers utilized the tool to claim more than $90 million in refunds and save an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees.”