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

Ballston-Based E*TRADE Acquired —  “Morgan Stanley and E*TRADE Financial Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement under which Morgan Stanley will acquire E*TRADE, a leading financial services company and pioneer in the online brokerage industry, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $13 billion.” [BusinessWire, Wall Street Journal]

County Wants Feedback on Capital Projects — “As part of this year’s budget season, you’re invited to share your input on capital priorities for Arlington County Government. Where should we make investments? Which types of projects top your list? We want to know what you think. Your input will help guide development of the County Manager’s Proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Fiscal Years 2021 – 2030, which will be presented to the Arlington County Board in May.” [Arlington County]

More on Upcoming EPA Move — “‘Facing budget constraints during the past few years, the agency has tried to reduce impacts on its programs by using rent savings to absorb appropriations cuts,’ said the EPA spokeswoman. ‘The lease for [Potomac Yard South] expires in March 2021 and by not renewing it, the agency can expect to attain approximately $12.7 million in rent savings annually,’ she said.” [E&E News]

New AED Director Settling In — “Tucker is pledging not to lose focus on helping the county’s existing businesses, particularly its small, family-owned companies. Critics of AED have long accused it of pursuing large corporate tenants at the expense of supporting mom-and-pop shops, a perception Tucker is keen to reverse.” [Washington Business Journal]

AHC Returns $$$ to Affordable Housing Fund — “AHC Inc., an Arlington, VA-based affordable housing developer, deposited more than $710,000 this week into the County’s revolving low-interest loan program, the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF). This year’s annual repayment boosts AHC’s total repayments to more than $45 million since the AHIF program began in 1988. The payments vary from year to year. Last year, AHC returned $4.9 million to the fund.” [Press Release]

Saturday: Census ‘Celebración Comunitaria’ — “Join us at the Gates of Ballston Community Center for food, family activities, an art contest, a kid’s raffle, and information about the upcoming 2020 Census 2020! Event sponsored by Arlington County, Census 2020, Alfo-Conce, Producciones POPB’IL.” [Arlington County]

‘Good News Budget’ Gives County Staff Raises, Has No Tax Rate Increase

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Amazon is moving in at a quickening clip and Arlington County’s budget-makers are breathing a sigh of relief.

After a few years of tight budgets, involving tax rate hikes and a handful of county staff layoffs, “this is a good budget year,” County Manager Mark Schwartz said today, ahead of presenting his proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget to the Arlington County Board.

That means a lack of hard choices: under the proposal, the $1.013 per $100 property tax rate remains steady, county staff — particularly public safety personnel — are getting raises, and library fines are being eliminated.

“We’ve gone through some lean years where we’ve been challenged on the revenue side,” Schwartz told reporters. “This is a good news budget, based on the fact that… we have a revenue infusion that has allowed us to do some things we just weren’t able to do before.”

In all, the $1.4 billion budget increases spending by 2.9% and anticipates a 4.6% increase in tax revenue, thanks in part to rising property assessments and a boost in business taxes paid to the county.

The average homeowner can expect to pay an extra $376 in property taxes, even with the rate holding steady. Arlington’s tax rate is lower than that of Alexandria ($1.130), Fairfax ($1.150) and Loudoun ($1.045).

After years of budget pressures caused by increases in health costs and Metro funding, among other rising expenses amid slowly-growing revenue, Schwartz struck a decidedly upbeat tone this year. He predicted future revenue growth as Amazon continues to grow its presence and other businesses flock to the county.

“The past few years we have seen the effects of a record-high commercial vacancy rate,” Schwartz said in a statement. “Now we are beginning to see the results of our commitment to economic development and spending realignments. This budget represents an investment in the cornerstones of County government with an eye toward an innovative future in Arlington.”

“We’re coming out of the trough,” Schwartz added.

Perhaps the biggest source of budget friction this year will be with Arlington Public Schools.

Schwartz is taking pains in his presentation to emphasize that Arlington County has been increasing the percentage of tax revenue it sends to the school system, a separate governmental entity. This year, under Schwartz’s budget, APS is slated to receive $550 million, up from $500 million two years ago.

Schwartz says he expects APS, with its ever-rising student enrollment, to ask for more. But the extra $17.7 million the schools are receiving this year should be more than adequate to account for the increase in students, he said.

The budget presentation notes that APS spends $19,921 per student, according to the Washington Area Board of Education formula — the highest per-pupil cost in the region.

Other highlights from the budget include:

  • An additional $9.1 million for affordable housing, including more for housing grants, rent assistance and affordable housing development.
  • A 3.25-3.5% increase in pay for general county employees and an approximately 6.5% increase in pay for public safety employees (to help, in part, with police and fire department recruitment.)
  • $49.3 million for Metro, a 4 percent increase from last year.
  • Creating a new “traffic enforcement and control” position inside the police department, with six new full-time staffers charged with enforcing things like scooters on sidewalks and cars parked in bike lanes.
  • Nine new positions in the fire department and funding for a second recruit class.
  • Eliminating library fines, as part of the county’s new focus on equity. The fines disproportionally are imposed on people of color who live on the western end of Columbia Pike, Schwartz said.
  • “Funding to phase in [County] Board member salary increases over a three-year period.”
  • Additional funding for sidewalk, street, and streetlight maintenance.

The budget focuses “on foundational area of County government” and “shores up investments in County infrastructure and core services,” Schwartz says in his presentation.

(more…)

Democratic Presidential Hopeful Pete Buttigieg Coming to Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 6:10 p.m.) Pete Buttigieg, Democratic candidate for president and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is making another appearance in Arlington — and this time it won’t be in a resident’s backyard.

Buttigieg will be holding an upcoming Northern Virginia town hall meeting in Arlington, at the Washington-Liberty High School stadium, the campaign confirmed Thursday evening.

The event is being held this coming Sunday, Feb 23, from 3:45-5:15 p.m. It’s taking place ahead of the March 3 Super Tuesday primary in Virginia, and after last week’s Elizabeth Warren campaign event at Arlington’s Wakefield High School.

Buttigieg’s last known campaign appearance in Arlington was a private fundraiser at a Waverly Hills home this past June.

State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who endorsed the mayor’s presidential candidacy early in the race, sent the following email to supporters about the event:

On Sunday, February 23rd from 3:45 to 5:15 Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be holding a town hall in Arlington, at a location to be announced.

Throughout my political career I have had the opportunity to work with only a handful of candidates who simultaneously embody pragmatic progressive reform, and possess both the strong commitment to our nation formed by service, as well as the ability to bring Americans from all walks of life together with the common purpose of ensuring that future generations will be better off than their parents.

Mayor Buttigieg embodies these qualities, and has outlined a plan to address gun violence, advance and support communities of color, and build a [resilient] path forward for America.

What’s ‘Missing Middle Housing’ Anyway?

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is in the midst of a “Missing Middle Housing Study,” to determine whether legalizing additional housing types in certain areas could  “address the shortage of housing supply in Arlington.”

So what is “missing middle housing” anyhow?

It’s described by Opticos Design, whose founder claims to have coined the term, as “a range of multi-unit or clustered housing types — compatible in scale with detached single-family homes — that help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living.”

Alternately, Wikipedia describes it as “multi-unit housing types such as duplexes, fourplexes, bungalow courts, and mansion apartments that are not bigger than a large house, that are integrated throughout most walkable pre-1940s neighborhoods, often [on] blocks with primarily single-family homes, and that provide diverse housing choices and generate enough density to support transit and locally-serving commercial amenities.”

In a nutshell, missing middle housing is what’s between single-family detached homes and mid-rise apartment buildings, including duplexes, townhouses and fourplex apartments. And Arlington County is studying zoning changes that would allow it in certain places, to increase housing supply and provide alternatives to moderate-income households that can’t afford pricy detached homes (median sale price in 2019: about $950,000, compared to $575,000 for townhouses and duplexes.)

In a recent webinar, below, county staffers said the study is being conducted as housing costs rise and the county’s population is expected to exceed 300,000 by 2045.

Without finding ways to increase the housing stock and the types of housing in the county, the webinar suggested, Arlington will become more expensive and less diverse.

Current building trends, according to the presentation, are skewed toward the replacement of smaller, older homes with large, luxury houses in single-family home neighborhoods, while developers build small one- and two-bedroom apartments and condos along Metro corridors.

Neither are good options for a family of moderate means.

“We have a gap in housing options here in Arlington,” the presentation said. “Arlington’s Metro corridors offer smaller apartment and condo units in medium to high density buildings, however that style of housing does not suit everyone’s needs. Other neighborhoods offer single-family homes or townhomes and only a very limited quantity of other housing types.”

“If we do nothing to address these challenges, the existing housing stock will continue to get more and more expensive while existing mid-sized homes will continue to be replaced by large single-family homes and very little else,” the presenter continued. “Arlington’s vision to be diverse and inclusive will become less and less attainable. Our lowest income households are at home risk of being squeezed out, while moderate income households will also be at risk, further burdened with rising housing costs and potentially unable… to stay here.”

The webinar went on to explain the history of Arlington’s zoning ordinance, which echoes the history of such zoning decisions in many other communities. Currently, the zoning ordinance prevents duplexes and triplexes in most neighborhoods.

“A recent study found that 73 percent of the land zoned for residential use in Arlington is zoned exclusively for single-family detached housing,” the presenter said. “These zoning restrictions originated in early 20th century decisions that required the separation of different housing types. This enabled patterns of racial and economic segregation and the repercussions of that persist today.”

(more…)

Four Courts Four Miler Returning Next Month As Part of ‘St. Pat’s Run Fest’

By ARLnow.com

A Courthouse pub is again lending its name to an annual St. Patrick’s Day-themed race.

The Four Courts Four Miler will start and finish in front of Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd). It’s taking place on Saturday, March 14, starting at 9 a.m.

New this year, the race is now a part of the St. Pat’s Run Fest, a two-day event that offers three races, including a 5K and 10K in the District on Sunday, March 15.

“Join us for an entire weekend of celebration and running as we combine two of our favorite iconic events,” wrote organizer Pacers Running. “The Four Courts Four Miler (Arlington) and the St. Pat’s Run (DC) merge across our community into one Run Fest. A region-spanning, shamrock-shaking, running event with adult beverages, Double Challenge and Triple Challenge finisher custom medals for our multi-event competitors, post-race fun and the most beautiful views in Arlington and DC.”

The registration fee for the Four Courts Four Miler is $48. Those who register can pick up their bibs from Pacers Clarendon and Pacers 14th Street beginning March 2, up until the morning of the race.

The Four Courts Four Miler course will take runners down Wilson Blvd into Rosslyn, then down Route 110, and back. It famously includes a steep climb at the end and a leprechaun that passes and heckles runners — for a good cause.

Shreeya Aranake contributed to this report. Photo by Brian W. Knight/Swim Bike Run Photography.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

HQ2 Employment Up 50% in Two Months — “Less than two months into the new year and Amazon.com Inc. says it has more than 600 employees at its second headquarters — a fairly significant staffing jump considering there were some 400 employees there as of late December.” [Washington Business Journal]

Construction Progress at DCA — “It’s happening: Reagan National’s nightmarish Gate 35X at Terminal C will soon be demolished. Construction is underway for Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Project Journey, which will bring a new concourse to the north end of the airport and add new security checkpoints for Terminal B/C.” [NBC 4, DCist]

Fire Alarm Delays DCA Flights By 30 Minutes — “Flights have resumed and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) controllers have returned and continued tower operations after a control tower was evacuated to investigate a sprinkler alarm activation Wednesday.” [WJLA]

Food Delivery Driver Robbed in Claremont — “At approximately 11:04 a.m., the victim, who was operating as a food delivery driver at the time of the incident, exited his vehicle to make a delivery and was approached by three male suspects. The suspects demanded the victim provide them with the contents of the delivery, then attempted to assault him. The suspects stole the delivery and fled on foot.” [Arlington County]

Property Owner Goes 100% Renewable — “Brookfield Properties has added 100 percent clean, renewable power to six of its office buildings in Northern Virginia, with the new energy source going into effect this month… The changes are impacting three of the firm’s Arlington properties: Potomac Tower at 1001 19th St., 601 South 12th Street, and 701 South 12th Street.” [Commercial Observer]

Big Raise for Startup With Clarendon Office — “Carbon Relay and Insight Partners today announced a $63 million transaction to accelerate the growth of its Red Sky Ops solution for optimizing application performance in Kubernetes environments.” [Carbon Relay via Potomac Tech Wire]

‘Mr. Z’ Wins Award, Gets on TV — “The Virginia Department of Transportation has named an Arlington County crossing guard one of 2019’s Most Outstanding Crossing Guards. He’s one of only four in the state. Affectionately called Mister Z by faculty and students, Zeleke Taffesse says his smiling students make him feel younger every day. Taylor Elementary School is one of three schools he’s worked for.” [Local DVM]

UPDATED: Injured Kitty Helps AWLA Raise $80,000

By ARLnow.com

https://www.facebook.com/AWLArlington/videos/210962840086600/

Update at 5 p.m. on 2/20/20 — AWLA now says more than $80,000 has been donated.

Earlier: People have fallen in love with Cupid, an injured kitten brought to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, and opened their wallets to help pay for his care.

The shelter near Shirlington received a call from a fellow animal rescue group in West Virginia on Friday — Valentine’s Day — that they had a seriously injured orange tabby that they were unable to care for. Cupid, as he was named, had been shot in the head with an arrow.

The Animal Welfare League brough Cupid to Arlington, paid for his expensive surgery, then asked the public for donations to help defray the costs.

AWLA set out to raise $6,500. In a Facebook post yesterday evening, above, the nonprofit’s CEO announced that it had received $65,000 from donors.

“This is fantastic… this is beyond my wildest expectations,” said AWLA CEO Samuel Wolbert, while making the dramatic reveal. “Thank you guys, Cupid is a fighter and as long as he’s fighting we’re going to do what it take to give him the care he needs.”

“Anything that we don’t use for Cupid, we’re going to be able to help so many other animals,” added AWLA spokeswoman Chelsea Jones. “We’re going to be able to say ‘yes’ when we get phone calls like this and to help when we need [to].”

Police Make Another Vehicle Break-In Arrest

By ARLnow.com

A D.C. man has been arrested and charged in another series of vehicle break-ins in Arlington.

The arrested happened early Saturday morning, near the Wellington Apartments at the corner of S. Scott Street and Columbia Pike.

Officers were called to the area for a report of a vehicle tampering, according to Arlington County Police, and while investigating a man jumped out of the vehicle and started running. He was taken into custody after a brief foot chase, police said, and is now accused of three break-ins in the area.

More from an ACPD crime report:

VEHICLE TAMPERING (significant), 2020-02150063, S. Scott Street at Columbia Pike. At approximately 4:25 a.m. on February 15, police were dispatched to the late report of a tampering with auto. Upon arrival, officers were directed to a vehicle, which the reporting party had previously observed the suspect allegedly enter. While investigating, the officer heard noise from inside the vehicle and, while determining if the vehicle was occupied, the suspect exited and attempted to flee on foot. A brief foot pursuit ensued and the suspect was taken into custody without incident. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect had also gained entry to two other vehicles in the area. Rudolph Renfrow, 68, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with Tampering with Vehicle (x3), Entering or Setting in Motion a Vehicle, Possession of Burglarous Tools and Obstruction of Justice. He was held on no bond.

The arrest comes amid a continued rash of vehicle break-ins and thefts.

Two D.C. men were arrested last week and charged with three break-ins in the Rosslyn area. Arlington police say at least 882 cars were broken into between July 2019 and January 2020.

Redevelopment Plan for Courthouse ‘Landmark Block’ Appears Ready to Move Forward

By ARLnow.com
1/8

A long-awaited redevelopment in Courthouse appears poised to take the next step forward this year.

The “Landmark Block” is a full block of low-slung commercial buildings across from the Courthouse Metro station, which include the former Cosi, Boston Market and Jerry’s Subs restaurants, and the current Summers Restaurant and Mattress Warehouse. According to a presentation by Arlington’s planning division to the County Board yesterday, county planners expect developer Greystar to file redevelopment plans this year.

Planners anticipate the site plan filing being considered by the County Board by the end of the year, according to the presentation.

It’s unclear what will be built on the block, but there are some clues.

Greystar bills itself as the “global leader in rental housing,” suggesting an apartment building may be in the works. A planning process five years ago suggested that at least some of the building facades on the block would be preserved. And that same planning process — dubbed Envision Courthouse Square — resulted in renderings that depicted a tall tower on the current Landmark Block.

(The tower is just north of what is currently a large county-owned surface parking lot but envisioned as “Courthouse Square,” a large green park with underground parking below and subterranean connections to the Landmark Block and other nearby buildings.)

It’s anticipated to be a busy year for Arlington’s planning division, with some 15 major site plans expected to be considered in 2020. The post-HQ2 workload is also set to include land use studies for Clarendon, Shirlington and Lee Highway.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Duke

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Meet Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week, Duke, a 2 year old German Shepherd who loves to play in the snow.

Here is what Duke’s owner told ARLnow about their life together in Arlington:

Duke is a 2-year-old silver German Shepherd. Even though he weighs about 105 lbs, Duke is a big baby with a very caring heart. Sometimes, because of his size and breed, he gets mistaken as mean, aggressive, or dangerous. In reality, he loves all people and fellow doggos and all he really wants is affection, attention, and a few head scratches here and there.

Duke is originally from Mississippi, where he was born into an unexpectedly large litter and was unable to be cared for by his parent’s owners. At 5 weeks old I took him in and we have been inseparable ever since! Since moving to Arlington, he has adjusted to city life pretty well, however the only things he can’t seem to get used to are the subway grates. He approaches them very cautiously and refuses to walk over them – he doesn’t trust them. On the other hand, one thing he has learned to love since moving here is snow. In his eyes, the magical white dust that falls from the sky is magnificent and turns the whole city into a playground. To him, there is no downside of snow – he loves to roll around in it, burrow his face in it,  pounce into it (as if attempting to catch the ground by surprise), and lay quietly in it to enjoy the cold.

Duke’s favorite day-to-day activities are swimming, playing fetch, and napping – and he excels at each one! He enjoys splashing around in any body of water (except in the bathtub), no matter what the temperature is outside – whether it’s 33 degrees or 98, that’s where he wants to be. He would also play fetch until he passed out, if he were allowed. His favorite places to go around Arlington are the Shirlington Dog Park, James Hunter Dog Park, and the U.S Marine Corps Memorial next to the National Cemetery.

Duke’s favorite thing about living in Arlington is having so many new friends (human and canine) to make friends with every day! If you happen to spot Duke walking around Courthouse or Clarendon, feel free to say hello and give him some pets – it would make his day.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of eight consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

Crash, Road Rage Incident Leads to Arrest of Alexandria Man

By ARLnow.com

A 69-year-old Alexandria man is facing a felony charge after police say a minor, two-vehicle crash led to a physical altercation along Lee Highway.

The crash happened shortly before noon this past Friday — Valentine’s Day — near the intersection of Lee Highway and N. George Mason Drive. In its aftermath, numerous people called police to report a physical fight in the street.

Police responded and determined that one of the drivers punched a window on the other car several times, then “produced a knife and allegedly attempted to strike the victim,” according to Arlington County Police. The suspect was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding.

More from a new ACPD crime report:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2020-02140133, N. George Mason Drive at Lee Highway. At approximately 11:40 a.m. on February 14, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim and suspect were involved in a minor vehicle crash when the suspect began yelling obscenities towards the victim. The suspect then pulled his vehicle in front of the victim’s vehicle, exited and approached the victim. The suspect struck the victim’s window multiple times with a closed fist. The victim attempted to push the suspect away by opening his door, however, the suspect produced a knife and allegedly attempted to strike the victim. The victim was not injured. Ralph Graham, 69, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding.

ARLnow posted about the incident on Twitter at the time:

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