Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.
“This is the guy who thought it would be a good idea to suggest putting 8-plexes in the middle of Arlington neighborhoods? Put him in the room next to the guy who came up with the gondola proposal.”
For opponents, suddenly living next to a multiplex building in what has otherwise been an exclusively single-family home neighborhood for decades may seem like the worst idea ever. For supporters, proposing eight-plexes off the bat, even if only on certain large lots, may seem in retrospect like a blunder that galvanized opposition.
Catch all of Mike Mount’s local ‘toons in the ARLnow Press Club weekend newsletter. Your membership supports our reporting and includes the daily Early Morning Notes newsletter, previewing the stories we’re planning to cover that day.
Leaves have started to turn on a tree in Rosslyn’s Freedom Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
MdF Fixes to Nix Six Plexes? — “Arlington County Board member Matt de Ferranti says he is opposed to including eight-plexes as part of plans to eliminate single-family zoning across much of the county, and is still up in the air on whether six-plexes should be included… De Ferranti’s is the lone County Board seat on the Nov. 8 ballot, and he is hoping to retain it for a second term.” [Sun Gazette]
Early AM Fight in Crystal City — “500 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 2:45 a.m. on September 25, police were dispatched to the report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival, officers located the male victim who was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries considered serious but non-life threatening. The investigation determined the victim and an unknown male suspect had been involved in a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation. The suspect fled the scene on foot prior to police arrival.” [ACPD]
Student Walkouts Planned Today — “Students at nearly 100 schools across Virginia are planning to walk out of class Tuesday in response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed policies that would change how schools in the commonwealth treat transgender students. The student-run Pride Liberation Project is organizing the walk-outs on Tuesday. A list of participating schools shows several high schools in Arlington, Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties.” [WUSA 9]
W-L Whomps Winless Wakefield — “Washington-Liberty (2-3, 2-0) led 33-0 at halftime, eventually winning, 39-0, over winless Wakefield (0-5, 0-1) in the Liberty District clash. The victory was the first for W-L against Wakefield since the 2014 season, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Warriors.” [Sun Gazette]
Baltimore Also Eyes Zoning Changes — “A new proposal before the Baltimore City Council could dramatically rewrite the city’s building regulations, banning single-family zoning policies that advocates argue have driven housing scarcity and more than a century of segregation. Dubbed the Abundant Housing Act, the proposal follows legislation recently introduced or adopted by numerous local governments around the country and would open residentially-zoned districts across Baltimore to multi-unit housing — a tool supporters say would cut housing costs and increase residential density in neighborhoods with quality housing and access to jobs, amenities or transportation.” [Baltimore Banner]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 69 and low of 55. Sunrise at 7:02 am and sunset at 6:59 pm. [Weather.gov]
Arlington police cruiser damaged by alleged DUI driver in crash (photo via ACPD)
Arlington police cruisers were “significantly” damaged in two separate DUI crashes in September, according to ACPD.
The police department said on social media that the crashes happened while “officers were working incidents along Arlington roadways” but “the cruisers were unoccupied at the time of the crashes and no officers were injured.”
It’s a cautionary tale against both drunk driving and failing to drive carefully around those working in the roadway, police say.
“These crashes highlight the dangers emergency personnel can face when they step out onto the roadway to assist travelers and keep our communities safe,” write ACPD. “We all have a responsibility to protect those who protect us. Slow down and move over when you see flashing red, blue or amber lights.”
MOVE OVER: IT’S THE LAW. This month, two ACPD cruisers were significantly damaged after being struck by motorists as the officers were working incidents along Arlington roadways. Luckily, the cruisers were unoccupied at the time of the crashes and no officers were injured. pic.twitter.com/gNyslaUdHT
In both incidents, the drivers of the striking vehicles were arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence. Remember, it is never okay to drink and drive. Always plan a sober ride—whether it’s a ridesharing service, taxi, public transportation, or designated sober driver.
The drivers of both striking vehicles were arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence, the police department said. These incidents come amid a continued rise in DUI arrests.
DUI arrests in Arlington (image courtesy ACPD)
After falling in the first year of the pandemic, DUI arrests have been on the rise in Arlington County, according to ACPD stats provided to ARLnow. Between the first of the year and Sept. 22, there were 342 DUI arrests, compared to 253 and 318 arrests during that same time period in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
A fatal hit-and-run that killed a woman crossing the street near Thomas Jefferson Middle School in August has also brought attention to DUI and alcohol-related crashes. The driver was later arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, hit and run, driving under the influence and driving on a revoked license.
“Remember, it is never okay to drink and drive,” ACPD said via social media. “Always plan a sober ride — whether it’s a ridesharing service, taxi, public transportation, or designated sober driver.”
Asked about how the department handles cruisers being damaged by crashes, police spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow that if repairs are not possible it takes 6-8 months to outfit a new cruiser.
“ACPD maintains a fleet of police vehicles for officer use,” Savage said via email. “Generally speaking, vehicles involved in crashes are removed from service and taken to the equipment yard for evaluation and repair. If a police vehicle is determined to no longer be operational due to a crash, it takes approximately 6 – 8 months to obtain and outfit a vehicle with the necessary police equipment.”
Car goes vertical in the Arlington Mill neighborhood (photo courtesy anonymous)
The Arlington Mill neighborhood was the scene of one of the more unusual crashes in recent memory yesterday afternoon.
Just before 4 p.m. Sunday, police and firefighters were dispatched to the intersection of 8th Road S. and S. Florida Street for the report of a single-vehicle crash involving an older Toyota Camry and an elderly driver. One of the first arriving units reported the car “completely up on the telephone pole, a good 10 feet in the air.”
It appeared that the driver somehow backed up onto the guy-wire of a utility pole with enough force for the beige Toyota to get suspended vertically.
Thankfully, no one was injured, we’re told, and little damage was evident in a photo sent to ARLnow.
“The driver was out [of the car] prior to our arrival,” said Arlington fire department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner. “I can’t speak to the cause or how it happened.”
Golf carts (Photo by Ralph [Ravi] Kayden on Unsplash)An Atlanta suburb is known for its “miles of natural, wooded beauty” — and its 10,000 golf carts.
At 26.04 square miles, Peachtree City is just a touch smaller than Arlington County size-wise, though its population of 36,000 is a fraction of Arlington’s nearly 240,000. The master-planned community is best-known for its unique way of getting around: on almost 100 miles of golf-cart-friendly, multi-use paths.
There’s some suggestion that transportation planners across the country are beginning to see the benefits of adding golf carts to the modal mix. From a Twitter thread (and Slate article) last month:
When you think about it, the golf cart offers powerful advantages over a car:
-Lighter & slower = less likely to kill in a crash -Accessible to those unable to drive a car -~$10k new, vs $48k for a avg car -Less noisy/polluting (esp electric models) pic.twitter.com/tdb58FFzxq
As you might have gleaned above, the places where golf carts are catching on are in Sun Belt cities that rarely experience very cold weather.
The knock on bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and other micro-mobility options — Arlington has long pushed bicycling in particular as a transportation alternative that doesn’t clog roads or pollute skies — is that they are highly undesirable in wet or cold weather, and not accessible for the elderly and some with differing abilities.
Golf carts at least partially solve those issues, though cold weather and snow remain challenges.
Even setting aside the weather, the advantages of golf carts — greener, cheaper, friendlier and more enjoyable commutes, for instance — run into the wall of reality in Arlington when one considers that they occupy a middle ground between driving cars and walking/biking that our transportation network is not set up to handle.
Peachtree City has an extensive trail network built out and golf-cart-ready, but Arlington’s trails were made for those on foot and on bike, not in electrified passenger vehicles traveling 20 mph.
Still, it’s fun to envision a future for Arlington that involves more golf carts as mobility devices. At the very least, the size of Arlington and its growing network of urban villages makes it more realistic.
Today we’re wondering: on the completely theoretical premise that a magic wand is waved and Arlington suddenly golf-cart-friendly like Peachtree City — used by much of the population, with safe and convenient trails — would you drive one?
Columbia Pike at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Grumbles About Car Tax — “County Board members have been getting their share of comments, too. ‘We have definitely heard some concerns,’ County Board Chairman Katie Cristol acknowledged, as elected officials and their staff have been fielding complaints about sometimes significant increases in personal property taxes on vehicles, which come due Oct. 5.” [Sun Gazette]
Puerto Rico Dogs Arrive in Arlington — “Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and the Puerto Rico Alliance for Companion Animals are evacuating 30 animals from the destruction in Puerto Rico left by Hurricane Fiona… Moving these shelter animals to the mainland to find forever homes not only save their lives but allows PR Animals to repair their facility (which currently has no power or running water) and prepare for animals displaced by destruction.” [Twitter]
Parking Rate Lower at DCA — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is seeing a slightly lower percentage of vehicles in its parking garages compared to passengers in its terminals than it had during pre-pandemic times… At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, it is running at 8 percent, down from 9 percent pre-pandemic.” [Sun Gazette]
Metro Map Updated — “Metrorail’s iconic map is getting an update with the addition of the six new Silver Line stations. Beginning today, you’ll start to see new maps rolling out… Also on the new map, Potomac Yard Station is shown as a future station. Changing the map is no easy feat. With more than 5,000 maps in stations and trains alone, Metro is getting a head start now for what will take more than a month to replace every map in the system in preparation for opening.” [WMATA]
D.C. Misspells ‘Virginia’ — Updated at 10:15 a.m. — “A sharp-eyed Twitter user noticed a misspelling at the eastern terminus of Virginia Avenue, Northwest. A Washingtonian reporter confirmed the street sign was misspelled as ‘Virgina’ but was unable to find any other typos between Constitution Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway.” [Washingtonian]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 73 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:01 am and sunset at 7:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
Feel free to discuss these stories or anything else of local interest in the comments. Have a great weekend, Arlington — hope you enjoy Clarendon Day, Valley Fest, or any other local events you might be attending!
It’s officially fall and we have a new round of open houses to check out this weekend.
According to Homesnap, there are currently 523 homes for sale. Of those homes, 308 are condos, 172 are detached homes and 43 are condos. The median sales price is $625,00 and the median list price is $695,000.
Here’s a look at some of the open houses taking place in Arlington this weekend:
1801 N. Herndon Street
5 BR/5.5 BA Single-family home Noteworthy: Private front patio, built-in gas fireplace, vaulted ceilings Listed: $3,195,000 Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Michelle Sagatov – Washington Fine Properties)
6037 23rd Street N.
5 BR/4.5 BA Single-family home Noteworthy: Three finished levels, two car garage, screened in patio Listed: $1,875,000 Open: Saturday, 1-4 p.m. (Brittany Camacho – Century 21 Redwood Realty)
1146 N. Vernon Street
4 BR/3.5 BA Townhouse Noteworthy: End unit, second level deck, gas fireplace Listed: $1,096,000 Open: Saturday, 12-2:30 pm. (Aiden Berri – The ONE Street Company)
3220 5th Street N.
5 BR/2 BA Single-family home Noteworthy: Screened back porch, fenced lot, den Listed: $989,000 Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m. (Anne Cronin – McEnearney Associates)
1201 N. Garfield Street #616
2 BR/2 BA Condo Noteworthy: Corner unit, gas fireplace, natural oak hardwood floors Listed: $699,900 Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Shawn Battle – Century 21 Redwood Realty)
Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) is closed in both directions around Bailey’s Crossroads as police investigate gunfire (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) is closed in both directions around Bailey’s Crossroads as police investigate gunfire (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) is closed in both directions around Bailey’s Crossroads as police investigate gunfire (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 8:55 p.m.) Wakefield High School and Claremont Elementary School were secured today in response to reports of gunfire in nearby Bailey’s Crossroads.
The secure-the-building status has since been lifted, an Arlington Public Schools spokesman told ARLnow shortly after 1 p.m.
Police initially believed that someone armed with a rifle in a high-rise building damaged several vehicles in the Crossroads Place shopping center along Route 7, according to scanner traffic. Fairfax County police, including the county’s police helicopter, searched for the shooter for hours.
Later Friday, FCPD announced that detectives determined that the shots were fired from the ground and not from a rifle.
Officers were first dispatched to the scene around 11:15 a.m. after someone reported hearing a loud noise and finding a hole in their car’s rear window.
Scene of shooting investigation in Bailey’s Crossroads (via Google Maps)
FCPD told our sister site FFXnow that this was not considered an active shooter situation. No additional shots were fired and there have been no reports of injuries.
Route 7 was completely blocked by police between S. Jefferson Street and Carlin Springs Road for an extended period of time but has since reopened. Arlington County officers assisted with the road closure. People in the Bailey’s Crossroads area were urged to shelter in place.
Officers remain in the area continuing to investigate. Please continue to avoid the area and stay sheltered in place.
The following email was sent to Wakefield High School families shortly after noon.
Dear Families,
Wakefield has been notified of an incident involving police activity near the school. As a precaution, we have placed the school in Secure-the-Building* status. This means that all doors are locked and no one can leave or enter the building as a precaution.
Updates will be communicated via School Talk.
*What is the Secure-the-Building Status?
This action is activated when there is a reported threat or hazard outside of the school building. Secure uses the security of the physical facility to act as protection. All students and staff are brought into the secure building and all exterior doors are locked. Classes continue uninterrupted inside the building.
The search for the shooter was still ongoing as of 4 p.m.
Your safety is our priority. Officers remain in the area searching. Please continue to avoid the area & shelter in place. Anyone w/info please call 911.
The system, also known as “instant runoff,” prompts voters to rank candidates and a winner is selected over the course of many elimination rounds.
The Board could vote in November to introduce ranked-choice voting (RCV) during the primaries next June. […]
The survey of voter preferences went live yesterday (Wednesday). From now until Nov. 4, locals can share any comments and questions they have about RCV, whether they’ve voted that way before and — on a scale of “very unfavorably” to “very favorably” — how they view it.
The county may be surveying residents, but we also wanted to gauge reader opinions on ranked choice voting, which some see as a way to encourage more candidate diversity while minimizing the chance that a fringe candidate wins due to other candidates splitting the vote.
Opponents say ranked choice is confusing to voters, produces results similar to standard plurality voting, and is inferior to conducting an actual runoff election between the top vote-getting candidates.
Planes line up for landing at National Airport as a commuter train rolls by (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Two Flyovers This Morning — “The US Air Force will conduct a military aircraft flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, September 23, 2022 at 9:40 AM… [and] at 11:05 AM.” [PoPville]
Local Covid Update — “County health officials report 55 deaths so far in 2022 owing to COVID… There were 102 COVID-related deaths in Arlington in 2021 and 181 – from a much lower level of reported cases – in 2020.” [Sun Gazette]
Another Missing Man — Updated at 11:45 a.m. — The search for a missing 22-year-old man last seen in the Ballston area has ended after he was found deceased in Maryland. Per initial indications from police, the death is not being considered suspicious.
Bad News for Gondola Fans — “Exxon station. Police hangout. ‘Exorcist’ steps landing. Gondola dock of the future. The former Key Bridge Exxon station at 3601-3607 M St. NW has gone by many names over the years. But it seems its owners have settled again on familiar use: housing. Arlington-based Altus Realty has filed plans to convert the former gas station property on the western end of Georgetown’s affluent M Street shopping corridor into a 55- to 60-unit multifamily building.” [Washington Business Journal]
Hospital Gets Donation from Beer Sales — “[Virginia Hospital Center] is pleased to announce that it has received a donation of more than $5,500 from the proceeds of Bear Chase Brewing Company’s limited-release summer beer, ‘Doctor’s Orders,’ crafted in appreciation of the exceptional care VHC Health provided to a member of the Bear Chase team.” [Press Release]
International Award for AED — “Arlington Economic Development earned a Gold Award for its innovative ReLaunch program from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest nonprofit association for professional economic developers in the world. ReLaunch was honored in the category of Resiliency, Recovery and Mitigation during the organization’s 2022 Annual Conference held September 18-21.” [Arlington County]
High School Volleyball Update — “With a 12-0 overall record, including 11 victories by shutouts, the Bishop O’Connell Knights had the best overall record of the four varsity girls high-school volleyball teams in Arlington when the week began… Also with a winning record are the Wakefield Warriors with a 6-2 mark. The Warriors have defeated W-L, 3-1, and lost to Yorktown, 3-1.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Friday (and Fall) — Clear throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:59 am and sunset at 7:06 pm. [Weather.gov]
