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

Amazon Buys Pentagon City Site — “Amazon.com Inc. has quietly purchased the 6.2-acre Pentagon City site where its first pair of HQ2 towers will be built. Acorn Development LLC, an Amazon subsidiary that is often listed when the company files for permits or makes land acquisitions, purchased the Metropolitan Park site on Jan. 15 from JBG Smith Properties (NYSE: JBGS) for $154.95 million, according to Arlington County records.” [Washington Business Journal]

Waverly Hills is Hot — “‘Hot’ is a subjective term in any context, including real estate. While it’s possible to measure the number of sales, price increases and how quickly homes sell, what draws one buyer doesn’t always appeal to other buyers.
According to Redfin real estate brokerage, Willowsford in Ashburn, Va., and Waverly Hills in Arlington are the No. 1 and No. 5 hottest neighborhoods in the country.” [Washington Post]

Next Step for GMU Expansion — “University officials released a request for proposals Tuesday, looking for developers interested in teaming up with Mason to build a new home for the Institute of Digital Innovation on its Virginia Square property. The building is set to include a mix of uses across its 460,000 square feet, with room for classes and research labs alongside space for companies big and small looking to partner with the university.” [Washington Business Journal]

High Water Bill Saga Continues — Residents are still seeking answers to the recent spate of high water bills, even though it appears that the drought — and outdoor irrigation — during that time period is to blame. The COO of Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services “said about 3,900 people, 11 percent of the county’s residential customers, had their bills double. He said during the 2016 drought that number was about 2,000 to 2,500 people.” [WUSA 9]

Macy’s to Close Stores — Facing major retail headwinds, Macy’s is planning to close 125 of its stores, nearly a fifth of all of its current stores, over the next three years. So far the exact location of most of the closures have not been announced. There are two Macy’s stores in Arlington, at mall in Pentagon City and Ballston. [Wall Street Journal]

Va. Lawmakers Considering Stronger SLAPP Law — “Many states have enacted tough laws making it harder to get away with so-called SLAPP suits: nuisance litigation designed to bury its targets in paperwork and fees. Virginia, however, is considered friendlier to those kinds of filings, and some experts and advocates say that has become a problem.” [Washingtonian]

Man Seriously Injured in Buckingham Stabbing

By ARLnow.com

A man was stabbed multiple times and seriously injured Monday night in the Buckingham neighborhood, near Ballston.

The incident happened around 6:20 p.m. on the 4200 block of 2nd Road N. Police say a man and a woman were arguing in a residence when the woman “produced a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times.”

The 58-year-old suspect fled the scene but was later arrested by police. The victim is expected to survive.

More from an Arlington County Police crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2020-02030215, 4200 block of 2nd Road N. At approximately 6:20 p.m. on February 3, police were dispatched to the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, an adult male victim suffering from multiple stab wounds was located. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The investigation determined that the victim and suspect became engaged in a verbal dispute inside a residence. During the dispute, the suspect produced a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. During the course of the investigation, officers developed a suspect description, located her and took her into custody without incident. Debbie Williams, 58, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding. She was held on no bond.

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann

County Board Member Wants to Encourage Electric Delivery Trucks

By ARLnow.com

Delivery trucks are a frequent topic of complaints from Arlington residents.

Aside from double parking issues, they’re noisy and polluting. When you live near a truck loading dock, you often dread early morning deliveries and the “beep beep beep” of a truck going in reverse. The county often requires that new developments limit loading dock hours, as a condition of approval.

But what if the noisy idling, shrill beeps and diesel fumes could be a thing of the past? That is a future that Arlington County Board member Erik Gutshall is seeking to hasten.

Electric trucks, which are poised to become an increasingly common sight on the roads over the course of the decade, are the solution to many of the current delivery truck complains. Gutshall says Arlington County should take proactive measure to encourage their adoption — “some extra oomph,” as he puts it.

Cautioning that “the idea is very conceptual at this point,” Gutshall said the general idea would be to give electric delivery trucks special privileges, via development site plans and other regulatory means, for things like longer loading dock hours and designated curbside loading spaces on public roads.

Rewarding electric truck owners, instead of punishing fossil fuel truck owners, should “stay within a legally defensible framework” when it comes to the Dillon Rule in Virginia, he said. And if it doesn’t, the now-Democratic controlled state legislature could also carve out permission for localities to pass such ordinances.

“Update the regulations to accommodate the reality of modern life,” he said.

Gutshall plans to raise the idea, which he tweeted about last month, with his colleagues on the County Board in the near future — perhaps during an upcoming discussion on curbside management. Should it prove politically feasible, the next steps would include a public engagement process and legal review.

Electric trucks will come with the added benefit of helping Arlington achieve some of its Community Energy Plan goals.

“This is not just an Arlington issue,” Gutshall told ARLnow. “There are lots of other communities developing climate action plans and everyone knows that vehicle emissions are a huge part of the overall emission profile.”

“Any boost we can give to push early adopters out of the nest,” Gutshall said, will “help get other jurisdictions to do the same.”

Photo via Tesla

BREAKING: Truck Catches Fire Beneath Crystal City Apartment Building

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 6:40 p.m.) Firefighters from Arlington County and Alexandria are on scene of a truck fire in Crystal City.

A box truck caught fire along S. Bell Street, beneath the Crystal Square Apartments (1515 Richmond Highway). Firefighters have extinguished the blaze but smoke has been reported in some parts of the building. No injuries have been reported.

S. Bell Street was blocked by the emergency activity as of 2:45 p.m.

“If possible avoid the area,” ACFD said in a tweet.

https://twitter.com/jpincus14/status/1224780607420616705

Map via Google Maps

Arlington’s Michael Wardian to Run Across U.S.

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s resident running superhero Michael Wardian is preparing to attempt another outrageous athletic feat.

Having already run 10 marathons in 10 days, nearly qualified for the Olympics, run across Israel in a record-breaking 10 days, won a marathon while dressed like Elvis, set a world record for running back-to-back marathons on all seven continents, and set another world record for fastest indoor marathon, Wardian is planning to go full Gump and run across the continental United States this summer.

Wardian, 45, tells ARLnow he’s hoping to run the roughly 3,000 miles from coast to coast — potentially from San Francisco or Los Angeles to one of the Mid-Atlantic beaches — in 60 days.

For the record, Wardian noted, that would not be a record-setting pace. Setting the record would be difficult since, between his daily ~50 mile runs, Wardian intends to telework for his day job as an international shipbroker.

Accompanying Wardian on the journey will be a small crew, who will help document the feat and provide logistical support, and perhaps some other runners. Attempting the run, including a stretch through the desert, at the beginning of the summer “is probably going to be terrible,” he said, but he’s excited about the “big, epic” challenge.

Though the exact route is being worked out, while Wardian conducts more research and talks to other people who’ve done the coast-to-coast run, one possible path is to take the Lincoln Highway all the way across the country.

Wardian did not totally rule out turning around and running back across the U.S. after completing the first transcontinental run, like the fictional Forrest Gump, though he said “my wife would probably disown me if I did that.” Another possibility, according to Wardian, should this run go well: attempting the same kind of coast-to-coast run on all seven continents, including Antarctica.

As for how he’s managed to continue running ultra-marathon distances at a seemingly impossible pace for the past 25 years, Wardian credited clean living, a vegetarian diet, and a bit of luck.

“I’ve taken pretty good care of myself, avoiding injury,” he said. “I know when something doesn’t feel right.”

Photos courtesy Michael Wardian

Morning Poll: Are You Shopping Less Frequently at Bricks-and-Mortar Stores?

By ARLnow.com

There’s little doubt that a retail apocalypse is underway, though there is some debate about how to assign blame.

Store closures and imminent closures in Arlington since last summer include Abercrombie & Fitch, Swatch and Papyrus at the Pentagon City mall; World Market in Pentagon City; Rite Aid in Crystal City; and Pier 1 in Rosslyn. Malls in Tysons have also seen a spate of recent closures.

Meanwhile, Ballston Common Mall recently underwent an extensive renovation. Instead of retail stores, of which there are but a few, the newly-rebranded Ballston Quarter focuses on restaurants, entertainment, fitness and other “experiential” businesses.

The prime suspect in the retail woes is the rise of e-commerce — driven in large part by a company that’s opening a large new office in Pentagon City. But there are other potential factors: long-time retailers not adapting to the current consumer environment, private equity firms loading retail chains like Toys R Us up with debt and watching them deteriorate, and an over-building of malls and other retail space.

Regardless of the exact set of causes, it is consumer behavior that ultimately controls the fate of retail businesses. So this morning we’re wondering: do you shop at physical retail stores more or less now than you did in 2018?

Let us know why in the comments below.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

No Coronavirus in N. Va. So Far — “UPDATE: Tests came back negative on a second Northern Virginia resident suspected of having the novel coronavirus.” [Twitter]

HQ2 Search Was Intended to Extract Handouts — “When Elon Musk secured $1.3 billion from Nevada in 2014 to open a gigantic battery plant, Jeff Bezos noticed. In meetings, the Amazon.com Inc. chief expressed envy for how Musk had pitted five Western states against one another in a bidding war for thousands of manufacturing jobs; he wondered why Amazon was okay with accepting comparatively trifling incentives.” [Bloomberg]

Todd Hitt’s Path to Fraud — “Todd Hitt had never worked for the family company. He’d built spec houses around the same North Arlington neighborhoods where he’d grown up, but according to a court document, his homebuilding business had collapsed… now solidly into midlife, Hitt suddenly seemed eager to leave his fingerprints on the Washington landscape.” [Washingtonian]

Ballston Homicide Investigation Update — An update on last month’s homicide in Ballston, from an Arlington County Police spokeswoman: “The homicide investigation remains a top priority of the department with detectives continuing to process evidence, interview witnesses and follow-up on investigate leads. At this time, there is no new information to provide regarding the investigation. Arlington County Crime Solvers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of a suspect. Report tips anonymously by calling the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at ‪1-866-411-TIPS (8477).”

Virginia’s Favorite Valentine’s Candy — Virginia’s favorite Valentine’s Day candy is conversation hearts, followed by heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, according to a candy website. [CandyStore.com]

Kabob Palace Threatens Legal Action Against ARLnow for Measles Report

By ARLnow.com

Kabob Palace restaurant in Crystal City has sent a cease and desist letter to ARLnow, threatening legal action over an article that reported on a possible measles exposure there.

The article was published Friday evening, after Arlington County and the Virginia Dept. of Health issued press releases warning that a person with measles had traveled to a number of places in Northern Virginia, including the restaurant on the 2300 block of S. Eads Street.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Health Districts in northern Virginia are informing people who were at various locations — including Kabob Palace (2333 S. Eads St., Arlington, VA 22202), on Jan. 26-27, 2020, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. — that they may have been exposed to a person with measles,” Arlington’s press release said.

“Northern Virginia area health officials are mounting a coordinated effort to identify people who may have been exposed,” the press release continued. “Based on the date of exposure, we have determined that if you were infected with measles, you may develop symptoms as late as February 19, 2020.”

The cease and desist letter, below, demands that ARLnow’s article relaying the information from the county “be removed from your website immediately, as the article contains misinformation that has had a direct negative and significant impact on Kabob Palace’s business.”

Kabob Palace was the only Arlington location mentioned by authorities as having been visited by the measles patient. The cease and desist letter says the ARLnow article, and accompanying photo, “unfairly single out Kabob Palace.”

“Your voluntary removal of the picture of my client’s business as well as a more balanced and factually accurate report of the facts will be appreciated,” the letter says. “Failure to comply with these reasonable requests may force my client to take further legal action, which we all would hope to avoid.”

The full letter is below.

Photo via Google Maps

One Arrested After Assault and Robbery in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

A Pentagon City resident was attacked and robbed while walking back to his apartment early Saturday morning.

The incident happened around 3 a.m. Saturday, on the 400 block of 12th Street S. — which is home to a pair of high rise residential buildings and is a block away from Amazon’s future, under-construction HQ2.

Police say the victim had just exited a vehicle and was walking back to his building “when he was approached from behind by three male suspects.”

“The suspects assaulted the victim and stole his phone and personal belongings, then fled on foot prior to police arrival,” Arlington County Police said in a crime report today. “Responding officers located the suspects and attempted to make contact with them, however, they fled on foot. Following a brief foot pursuit, one suspect was taken into custody. Two suspects remain outstanding.”

The victim reportedly suffered minor injuries. The suspect arrested is a juvenile and is now facing robbery charges, police said, adding that “the investigation is outgoing.”

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Cristol Reacts to Lawmaker’s Arlington Suggestion — After another Republican state Senator suggested, jokingly, that Arlington and Alexandria go back to being part of D.C., Arlington’s state lawmakers and County Board member Katie Cristol were not amused. Cristol tweeted: “Hmmm, is it possible their grievance is that my diverse, progressive constituents are EXACTLY what it means to be a ‘Real Virginian’ in 2020?” [Twitter, Blue Virginia]

More on Planned Pentagon City Study — “County staff have been overwhelmed by a flood of new development applications in the area since Amazon announced its intentions to set up its second headquarters. And the sizes of some of those projects have been so large that staff have begun urging developers to be patient and wait for a revision of the area’s planning documents before pursuing them.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Man Struck, Killed by Driver — “A 29-year-old man from Arlington, Virginia, died early Saturday morning after being hit by a dark-colored SUV on Industrial Road near Backlick Road in Springfield. David Velasquez was walking in the right lane of Industrial Road at about 1 a.m. when he was hit by the driver, who did not stop, Fairfax County police.” [WTOP]

‘We Will Buy Your Tech Business’ Signs — “There are mysterious signs all over Ballston saying ‘We will buy your tech business…’ [A person who returned our call] said they’re just interested in talking to people looking to sell their business and are not interested in being the subject of a news story.” [Twitter]

W-L, Yorktown Face Off on Hard Court — “There was a double feature of nail-biting thrillers the evening of Jan. 30 in a packed and loud Washington-Liberty High School gymnasium. That’s where the Yorktown Patriots and Washington-Liberty Generals met in all-Arlington girls and boys varsity basketball games with close finishes. The Yorktown girls won in overtime, 53-50. Then, in the nightcap, the W-L boys won, 65-63, on a last second-shot in the Liberty District high-school contests.” [InsideNova]

Minor Apartment Fire — Arlington County firefighters responded to a small cooking fire in an apartment near Courthouse on Saturday. No one was hurt and only minor damage was reported, although the apartment did fill with smoke. [Twitter]

Gymboree at Pentagon City Mall — “A popular children’s clothing retailer that closed all of its stores a year ago is taking steps to re-enter the marketplace. Officials with Gymboree this week announced plans to relaunch the brand at more than 200 Children’s Place locations nationwide,” including at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. [Patch]

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

It has been a great 10th anniversary week for ARLnow — thanks again to everyone who came out to celebrate Wednesday night.

The weekend is here and that means a look back at the most-read articles of the past week.

  1. Local Elementary Student is a Finalist to Name the New Mars Rover
  2. Authorities Warn of Possible Measles Exposure in Arlington
  3. Healthy Scratch: Quick End for ‘Dirt’ Eatery?
  4. Elderly Couple Trying to Find Their Former Dog’s New Owners
  5. Police Investigating Another Carjacking at Pentagon City Mall
  6. Man’s Death in Ballston Ruled a Homicide (from Jan. 21)
  7. Lawmaker Who Wants to Return Arlington to D.C. has I-66 Reverse Toll Bill Rejected
  8. Pike Pizza Restaurant 1000 Degrees Flames Out
  9. Alto Fumo in Clarendon Has Closed (updated on Jan. 25)

Feel free to discuss any of those stories, or any other topics of local interest, in the comments. Or, for those so inclined, feel free to come up with your own anniversary party-themed Vern fan fiction (that’s him, in the orange jacket, above).

Have a great weekend!

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