Author: ARLnow.com

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.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Summer in the community garden (Flickr pool photo by Jeff Vincent)

New ‘Missing Middle’ Conversations — “Members of the Arlington County Board are hosting 11 community conversations on Missing Middle Housing. Participants will have the opportunity to learn, listen, reflect, and share perspectives with County Board members and neighbors. Sessions will be offered in person across the County, and virtually, with registration required. Community members are asked to register only to one session.” [Arlington County]

Murder Suspect Arrested in Arlington — “A Virginia man has been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in the killing Wednesday of a female acquaintance who was found stabbed and “actively on fire” in her Fairfax County apartment, police said Thursday… [Arlington resident Richard Montano, 47] was arrested Wednesday night at an Arlington gas station. O’Carroll said Montano ‘has had very minimal contacts with law enforcement in the past.'” [Washington Post]

New Top Tech Official — “Norron Lee has been named as the County’s next director of the Department of Technology Services and Chief Information Officer for Arlington County… After serving as the Director for the Department of Technology Services and Chief Information Officer for 22 years, Dr. Jack Belcher will be moving to a new role within Arlington County Government as chief technology innovation officer.” [Arlington County]

Pair of Crashes on I-395 — Public safety watcher Dave Statter caught two crashes on camera along the stretch of I-395 near Pentagon City yesterday. One was a single-vehicle crash while the other involved a driver trying to cut across multiple lanes to make it to the ramp to Route 1. [Twitter, Twitter]

Parents to Return to Schools — “After two years in which parents have largely been asked (and in many cases required) to stay out of school buildings and classrooms owing to public-health conditions, Arlington Public Schools leaders say they are hoping to welcome them back for the year that starts later this month. ‘We’re looking forward to bringing that back,’ Superintendent Francisco Dúran told School Board members earlier this month.” [Sun Gazette]

Upcoming: Encanto and Mermaids — Those who have children of a certain age have a couple bangers coming up on the event calendar: a free screening of Encanto tonight outside of the Arlington Mill Community Center and a mermaid-themed event in Crystal City on Wednesday afternoon featuring crafts, games, snow cones and, we’re told, “mermaid photo ops.” [Columbia Pike Partnership, National Landing BID]

State Tax Rebates Coming — “If you owed income taxes to the state of Virginia for 2021, some of that money might be coming back this fall. As part of a bipartisan tax rebate plan approved this year, the state government is preparing to send out payments of up to $250 per tax filer (or up to $500 for couples who file jointly).'” [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Friday — Partly cloudy and pleasant throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:21 am and sunset at 8:09 pm. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool by Jeff Vincent

Revamped class registration process avoids total meltdown, but widespread problems reported

By ARLnow.com
Fall 2022 Arlington parks and rec class registration poster

Arlington’s fall aquatics class registration did not go swimmingly for many who attempted it on Wednesday.

On the plus side, there appears to have been some degree of improvement from past meltdowns.

Until now, the quick clicking fingers of Arlington parents were virtually undefeated in bringing down even the beefiest of servers that the county’s tech vendor could assign to the competitive class and camp registration process.

Such was the case in February, for summer camp registration, and in March, for spring class registration. From our March article:

Waitlists, error messages and a call line 90 people deep thwarted Arlington residents’ attempts to enroll in spring classes through the parks department this morning.

The Department of Parks and Recreation offers a variety of classes in the spring, fall and winter that range from gymnastics and swimming to ceramics and jewelry making. The classes for kids are particularly popular with local parents. And registration day system failures — like those from opening day of summer camp registration — are not new for these classes, either.

Some compared the registration process to “getting front row Bruce Springsteen tickets” — to wit, “stressful and horrible.” […]

After summer camp registration crashed immediately upon opening the morning of Feb. 23 — despite attempts to beef up the platform in advance — parks department spokeswoman Susan Kalish said the platform vendor conducted “tests and improvements that should have resulted in a smooth registration” on Wednesday morning.

That did not happen.

More drastic measures were taken after March’s fiasco. The parks department, through its vendor, Vermont Systems, introduced virtual waiting rooms while staggering the registration for different types of classes.

Ever-popular gymnastics and swim classes, for instance, each got their own day this week. The goal was to prevent a crush of people all trying to register at once for the limited class spots.

That worked, to an extent, but there were still plenty of parent grumbles and reports of bugs in the online system.

“Totally unsuccessful for me,” one person reported on the popular Mothers of North Arlington (MONA) listserv. “Lots of errors, stalling out of the site, etc. I hope others had better luck.”

“We logged in exactly at [noon] and we’re unable to sign up for anything,” wrote another. “All wait-list sections also filled up within a minute apparently.”

“Virtual wait-room” for fall aquatics class registration

One parent’s effort, observed by ARLnow, had them placed 633rd in line to register for youth swim classes despite having arrived in the virtual “pre-wait room” well before registration started at noon. The parent was informed that the system “randomly assigned people to make selections.”

Ultimately, that parent was only able to get on a waitlist for a class.

On social media, other parents reported an array of bugs and errors.

https://twitter.com/brookeOB1/status/1557401315348824065

Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish, in a statement to ARLnow, acknowledged the issues and said the department is working to improve the process.

Despite the problems, more than 2,000 enrollments were processed in the first hour of class registration on Tuesday and Wednesday, Kalish said. The third and final registration window — for nature, history and other, general classes — opened earlier today.

Kalish’s full statement is below.

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Beyer airplane noise bill becoming law as part of CHIPS Act

By ARLnow.com
Airplane overhead at Gravelly Point (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is addressing a key constituent concern — airplane noise — through the just-signed CHIPS Act.

The $280 billion bill is primarily focused on boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing, but contains other scientific research provisions. Among them is wording from Beyer to “bolster NASA’s efforts to reduce emissions from the aviation industry while also reducing the impact of airplane noise in airport-adjacent communities.”

“Climate change and aircraft noise have always been two of the most consistent constituent concerns in my district,” Beyer said in a statement yesterday. “I wrote a bill to address both problems – the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act – which President Biden just signed into law.”

The legislation “authorizes NASA to accelerate its work on electrified propulsion systems and the integration of multiple technologies and airframe concepts to achieve noise and emissions reductions,” Beyer’s office said in a press release.

The roar of jet engines from airliners arriving at and departing from National Airport has long been a concern of Arlington and Alexandria residents, particularly those who live along the flight paths near the Potomac River. Beyer has frequently pledged to address the noise issue from commercial airliners and military helicopters, writing letters to top federal officials about flight paths and attaching legislation to larger bills.

The full press release is below.

President Joe Biden yesterday signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, which included the first NASA authorization passed by Congress in over five years. That section of the Act, Title VII of the science division, included the full text of Rep. Don Beyer’s Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act. Beyer chairs the House Science Committee’s Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics; he introduced the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act to bolster NASA’s efforts to create the next generation of climate-friendly aviation while also reducing the impact of airplane noise in airport-adjacent communities.

“Climate change and aircraft noise have always been two of the most consistent constituent concerns in my district. I wrote a bill to address both problems – the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act – which President Biden just signed into law,” said Beyer. “As the climate crisis continues to harm American communities, ensuring we are also tackling aviation emissions is vital. This piece of legislation does just that by making the necessary investments to develop the technology to make cleaner flight a reality in addition to driving innovation that would reduce aircraft noise pollution.” 

This legislation sets a goal for cleaner, quieter airplanes, accelerating NASA’s aeronautics work on reducing greenhouse gas and noise emissions. Specifically, this bill:

  • Establishes the ambitious goal of commercial airplanes emitting 50 percent less greenhouse gas compared to the highest performing aircraft in 2021 as well as being net-zero by 2050.
  • Challenges NASA to work with industry partners to carry out flight tests by 2025 that will enable industry to bring a new generation of more sustainable airplanes into service between 2030 and 2040.
  • Authorizes NASA to accelerate its work on electrified propulsion systems and the integration of multiple technologies and airframe concepts to achieve noise and emissions reductions.
  • Requires NASA to provide data and insight on new technologies to help the FAA’s work to ensure the safe and effective deployment of these technologies.

Text of the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act is available here.

Man accused of robbing security guard of flashlight arrested next to police headquarters

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car outside police headquarters (file photo)

A man accused of robbing a security guard in Courthouse was arrested in front of Arlington police headquarters Tuesday night.

The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and started inside an office building lobby on the 2100 block of Clarendon Blvd. Arlington County government headquarters is the only office building on that exact block.

“The suspect was inside the lobby of an office building when the security guard informed him that the building was closed,” said an ACPD crime report. “A verbal dispute ensued, during which the suspect allegedly pushed the security guard to the ground and stole her flashlight before fleeing the scene on foot.”

The security guard followed the suspect a short distance and flagged down police on the 1400 block of N. Courthouse Road, the same block as ACPD headquarters. Officers “took [the suspect] into custody without incident.”

“The victim sustained minor injuries and declined the treatment of medics,” the crime report noted.

A police spokeswoman declined to confirm to ARLnow whether the alleged robbery happened inside the county government building.

“ACPD reports criminal incidents by block number as to not directly or indirectly identify victims and reporting parties,” said Ashley Savage.

The 38-year-old suspect, who has no fixed address, has been charged with robbery, police said. Court records show no prior criminal history in Arlington, though a man of the same name and age has been arrested several times in Rhode Island, records posted online show.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rain in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Few APS Students to Remain Remote — “The number of Arlington Public Schools students using the ‘virtual-learning’ option for the coming school year will be down more than 90 percent from last year, according to new figures, owing largely in a change to how online learning is being delivered. There were 533 students in the school system’s ‘VLP’ (Virtual Learning Program) at the end of the 2021-22 school year… The families of 36 students applied for participation in the program” this year. [Sun Gazette]

Change in County Board Speaker Rules — “Previously, an individual could show up at the 8:30 a.m. meeting (either in person or ‘virtually’) and submit a speaker form prior to the last public-comment speaker wrapping up comments, usually something that occurs about 9 a.m. or slightly later. Under the new rules, sign-ups must occur before 8:15 a.m. to make the cut.” [Sun Gazette]

Group Plans New Offender Re-entry Program — “[A planned program] will provide gender-responsive and liberation-minded therapeutic services, including individual and group psychotherapy, tailored case management plans, and family reunification support to female-identifying individuals who are coming home to Alexandria, Arlington, and the City Falls Church after experiencing incarceration. Some participants may also enroll in a universal basic income pilot program that provides a monthly stipend over the course of 5 months.” [Press Release]

Pickle Purveyor Shuttering Soon — From Jessica Strelitz: “Sad news: @Number1Sons will close shop at the end of the month. No more pickles, beets or kimchi. Always a favorite at any market in Virginia. No details, but it’s a tough time for all local businesses.” [Twitter, PoPville]

Major Metro Work in N. Va. Transpo Plan — The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s massive long-range transportation draft plan is here: with 429 projects spanning all modes, totaling an estimated $75 billion in capital costs… [The draft includes] Realignment of either Metro’s Blue Line or Silver Line between Rosslyn and Union Station, via M Street NW in Georgetown, with a second rail tunnel beneath the Potomac River and a second Rosslyn Metrorail station.” [Washington Business Journal]

N. Va. Arts Agencies Aligning — “After years of ad-hoc collaborations to boost the region’s arts scene, several Northern Virginia arts agencies are forming a designated multijurisdictional alliance for the first time. The Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA) — the official title of the collaboration — includes the Alexandria Office of the Arts, Arlington Cultural Affairs Office, and ArtsFairfax.” [DCist]

Murder in Seven Corners — “A woman is dead after she was set on fire outside a [Seven Corners] apartment complex Wednesday afternoon, Fairfax County Police said. Now police are trying to find the person responsible. Officers responded to the 2900 block of Willston Place around 2:45 p.m. and found the woman on fire as well as part of the apartment.” [WJLA, Washington Post]

It’s Thursday — Possible drizzle in the morning, clearing later in the day. High of 85 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:20 am and sunset at 8:10 pm. [Weather.gov]

JUST IN: Severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com
The storm as of 5 p.m.

Update at 5:20 p.m. — Dominion is currently reporting 775 customers without power in Arlington, mostly in the Boulevard Manor, Arlington Forest, Douglas Park and Ashton Heights neighborhoods. It appears that Alexandria bore the brunt of the storm, with nearly 7,000 outages in the city, according to the power company. 

The National Weather Service reported a 41 mph wind gust at Reagan National Airport during the height of the storm, around 4:30 p.m.

Update at 5 p.m. — A new Flash Flood Warning has been issued for most of Arlington until 8 p.m.

From NWS:

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
457 PM EDT WED AUG 10 2022

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING […]

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT.

* AT 457 PM EDT, DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. BETWEEN 1.5 AND 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 0.5 TO 1.5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. FLASH FLOODING IS ONGOING OR EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

HAZARD…FLASH FLOODING CAUSED BY THUNDERSTORMS.

SOURCE…RADAR.

IMPACT…FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS, URBAN AREAS, HIGHWAYS, STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS WELL AS OTHER POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW-LYING AREAS.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE… ARLINGTON… ALEXANDRIA… BETHESDA… COLLEGE PARK… LANGLEY PARK… FALLS CHURCH… CORAL HILLS… BLADENSBURG… HOWARD UNIVERSITY… FORT TOTTEN… GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY… ROSSLYN… NATIONALS PARK… CRYSTAL CITY… RFK STADIUM… REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT… UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND… LANDOVER… HYATTSVILLE… TAKOMA PARK…

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

BASEMENT FLOODING CAN OCCUR QUICKLY AND CREATE A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. IF YOU ARE IN A BASEMENT, OR A RESIDENCE BELOW STREET LEVEL, MOVE TO A HIGHER FLOOR IMMEDIATELY.

Earlier: Much of Arlington is currently under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.

Two separate storm warnings have been issued for northern and southern portions of the county, plus a Flash Flood Warning for Alexandria and southern portions of Arlington.

One passenger on a departing flight that’s holding on the tarmac at Reagan National Airport said the storm there is causing the plane to shake. The airport is currently under a ground stop and experiencing 30-45 minute flight delays, according to the FAA.

More from the National Weather Service:

BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
428 PM EDT Wed Aug 10 2022

The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for… The northwestern District of Columbia… Southeastern Montgomery County in central Maryland… Northwestern Arlington County in northern Virginia… Northeastern Fairfax County in northern Virginia…

* Until 515 PM EDT.

* At 428 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over North Bethesda, or over Rockville, and is nearly stationary.

HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE…Radar indicated.

IMPACT…Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches to fall. This could injure those outdoors, as well as damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by downed trees. Localized power outages are possible. Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.

* Locations impacted include… Arlington, Rockville, Bethesda, Olney, Pimmit Hills, Mclean, Howard University, American Legion Bridge, Fort Totten, Aspen Hill, Potomac, North Bethesda, North Potomac, Fairland, Tysons Corner, White Oak, Redland, Takoma Park, Great Falls and Colesville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

Flood Watch in effect for Arlington and most of N. Va.

By ARLnow.com
Heavy rain along Four Mile Run Drive near Shirlington (file photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington — along with D.C., Alexandria, Fairfax County and most of the rest of Northern Virginia — is under a Flood Watch today.

The watch takes effect at 2 p.m. and will remain in effect into the evening hours as slow-moving storms roll into the area.

The combination of slow storm movement and the potential for training — a series of downpours focused on a specific west-to-east area — raises the possibility of flooding, forecasters say.

More from the National Weather Service:

…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING…

* WHAT…FLASH FLOODING CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL CONTINUES TO BE POSSIBLE. […]

* IMPACTS…EXCESSIVE RUNOFF MAY RESULT IN FLOODING OF RIVERS, CREEKS, STREAMS, AND OTHER LOW-LYING AND FLOOD-PRONE LOCATIONS.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– SHOWERS AND NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE AROUND 1 TO 1.5 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA, BUT LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE LIKELY AND MUCH OF THAT MAY FALL IN A ONE TO TWO HOUR TIMEFRAME. HEAVY RAIN IN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME MAY CAUSE CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RAPIDLY RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS ALONG WITH POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS.
– HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SAFETY/FLOOD

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

Hello Kitty truck returning to Pentagon City this weekend

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Like the swallows of Capistrano, the Hello Kitty truck keeps returning to a warm and welcoming place: Pentagon City.

As it did last summer, the truck will be setting up shop along Pentagon Row this weekend, offering its baked goods and pink-hued merchandise to the masses. Only credit and debit cards will be accepted during the event, which is set to take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, near the DSW store.

Hello Kitty, for the uninitiated, is an internationally beloved Japanese character first created in the mid-1970s and still going strong as a multi-billion-dollar media franchise.

The truck will only be in the area for one day. After the Arlington stop on the truck’s East Coast tour, it’s off to New Jersey.

More from a press release, below.

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is continuing its 2022 tour across the U.S. with its all-pink cafe on wheels carrying exclusive treats and collectibles celebrating all things Hello Kitty.

Fans of Hello Kitty can look forward to edible goodies and limited-edition merch, including:

  • NEW Hello Kitty Cafe Glass Mug with Sprinkle Handle
  • NEW Hello Kitty Cafe Coin Bank
  • NEW Hello Kitty Cafe Lunchbox
  • Hello Kitty Cafe Lavender T-Shirt
  • Hello Kitty Cafe Canvas Tote
  • Stainless Hello Kitty Cafe Rainbow Thermos (18oz and 32oz)
  • Hand-Decorated Cookie Sets
  • Madeleine Cookie Sets

Other best-selling items include: Hello Kitty Cafe Plush Toys and giant Hello Kitty Cafe chef cookies.

*Hello Kitty Cafe Truck accepts only credit/debit card payments -no cash.

Following DC, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will continue its 2022 East Coast tour with a stop in Cherry Hill, NJ on 8/20.

Since the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck made its debut in October 2014 as part of Sanrio’s first food-related venture, the cafe on wheels has delighted thousands of fans from all over the U.S., drawing crowds of up to hundreds of Hello Kitty lovers at each stop. To date, two Hello Kitty Cafe trucks have traveled to more than 100 cities across both coasts – from Los Angeles, Seattle and Houston – to Chicago, New York and Miami.

Morning Poll: When do you typically buy your first fall beer?

By ARLnow.com
Pumpkin beer in the Clarendon Trader Joe’s on Aug. 10, 2016

It will be hot again today but things should start cooling off by the weekend, providing an early preview of the season to come.

As the calendar marches inexorably towards September, there’s a certain feeling in the still-humid air: a sense that fall will be here sooner rather than later. And that’s only enforced by what we’re starting to see on store shelves around Arlington.

Exhibit A:

Yes, like it or not, those pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers are back. As Arrowine’s Beermonger column discussed last August, it seems that fall beers arrive earlier in the summer with each passing year. And while that outrages some summer stans, those whose vibe is more a hot coffee and a warm sweater seem to like it.

After all, the breweries wouldn’t be pushing their orange-clad cases out the door if people weren’t buying them.

So this morning we’re wondering — with apologies for asking a similar poll question on this exact day in 2016 — when do you typically make your first fall beer purchase?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
“Ellen’s Trace,” a small park honoring the late County Board member Ellen Bozman, in Ballston (staff photo)

Literacy Issues in Elementary Schools — “More fourth and fifth grade students in Arlington needed literacy help at the end of the last school year than at the beginning, according to data from the Virginia school system. About 15% of fourth and fifth grade students needed intensive support at the beginning of the year, according to results from Arlington County Public Schools’ literacy screening test. About 16.6% needed extra attention in the middle of year, as did nearly 18% of all fourth and fifth graders at the end of the school year.” [WTOP]

Teacher Hiring Nearly Complete — “Arlington Public Schools is on track to have all the teachers it needs to welcome students back to classrooms later in August. With just 68 full-time vacancies, the school system’s ranks were 97.8-percent filled as of Aug. 4, Superintendent Francisco Durán told School Board members at that evening’s meeting.” [Sun Gazette]

University Opening Arlington Campus Soon — “Northeastern’s campus in Arlington, Virginia, the latest addition to its expanding global university system, will give the university a foothold in the Washington, D.C., area, one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S. Located in the Rosslyn neighborhood, the campus will welcome its first cohort of graduate students virtually this fall, with plans to open for in-person instruction in spring 2023.” [Northeastern University]

Funding For Potomac Ped Bridge — ” Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $64,207,045 in federal funding for Virginia infrastructure projects courtesy of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law… [including] $20,000,000 for the Long Bridge Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossing Project in Arlington County, Virginia, and the District of Columbia for the creation of a new bicycle-pedestrian bridge that crosses the Potomac River between Long Bridge Park in Arlington, VA and East and West Potomac Parks in Washington.” [Sen. Tim Kaine]

Rosslyn is No. 4 for HOA Fees — “For the most part, we found the highest HOA monthly dues in affluent neighborhoods inside or just outside major cities. Two New York City neighborhoods, including Forest Hills, Long Island City and New York City as a whole, appeared in the top 10 list. Rosslyn, VA, which came in at number four, lies just across the river from Washington, D.C., and is full of new construction.” [Cinch Home Services]

Bike on Bike Crash — “Scanner: Two cyclists collided near the intersection of Langston Blvd and Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn. One is being taken to the hospital with minor injuries.” [Twitter]

Boeing Hiring Fair — “Boeing is hosting career fairs in Arlington, Herndon and Fairfax, Va. to fill multiple positions as the airplane manufacturer establishes its global headquarters in Northern Virginia, according to a press release. Boeing is moving its global headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia. In a news release, Boeing said that in addition to designating Northern Virginia as its new headquarters, the company ‘plans to develop a research and technology hub in the area to harness and attract engineering and technical capabilities.'” [WJLA]

It’s Wednesday — Rain and storms starting in the afternoon. High of 88 and low of 77. Sunrise at 6:19 am and sunset at 8:11 pm. [Weather.gov]

Lane closures coming to section of Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
Crossing Columbia Pike at S. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A section of Columbia Pike will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting next week.

The lane closure, which is set to start Monday and stretch into January 2023, will run about a third of a mile from S. Wakefield Street to S. George Mason Drive. It will help make way for latest phase of the Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements project.

“Drivers — especially those commuting along Columbia Pike — are encouraged to use alternate routes and expect delays,” Arlington County said today in a press release, noting that prep work is starting this week. “Bus stops will also be temporarily relocated to accommodate work.”

The years-long project to improve Columbia Pike’s streetscape, enhance transit infrastructure, replace aging water and sewer mains and bury utility lines has previously closed lanes on other stretches of the Pike and even resulted on the occasional rogue utility pole.

In addition to the lane closures and bus stop relocations, road crews will also be implementing turn restrictions and a reduction in the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph.

Columbia Pike between S. Wakefield Street and S. George Mason Drive (via Google Maps)

More on the lane closures, the plans and the project from the county press release, below.

(more…)

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