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.

Police: Car Thieves Strike Another Arlington Dealership

By ARLnow.com

A small used car dealership on Lee Highway had nine vehicles stolen from the lot overnight, the latest in a string of thefts from local dealerships.

Workers at Car World, on the 3500 block of Lee Highway, discovered the thefts this morning.

“At approximately 9:17 a.m. on January 13, police were dispatched to the 3500 block of Lee Highway for the report of a grand larceny auto,” Arlington County Police confirmed to ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined that unknown suspects forced entry into a business and stole nine vehicles. Police remain on scene investigating.”

Police say they believe there’s a connection to the theft of 12 vehicles from dealerships on Lee Highway, Wilson Blvd and Columbia Pike last month.

“Detectives are investigating today’s report as series with the earlier reported car burglaries,” said police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “ACPD has conducted crime prevention outreach at car dealerships in the County to encourage business owners to secure their properties and the keys to vehicles. Detectives continue to follow-up on investigative leads in the series but to best ensure the integrity of the ongoing case, we cannot provide more specific details.”

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rail Project Will Include New Pedestrian Bridge — “As part of the Long Bridge project, a stand-alone bike and pedestrian bridge would be built upstream from the new rail bridge, allowing people to walk or bike across the Potomac River between the D.C. waterfront and Crystal City in Arlington. Virginia officials said the state plans to build that pedestrian and bike bridge.” [Washington Post]

Weekend Propane Leak in Ballston — Per the Arlington County Fire Department: “FD and Haz-Mat units are on scene in the 4000 blk of Fairfax Dr investigating a report of a large propane [tank] leaking… Crews located a large propane tank leaking at a building under construction. The leak has been controlled and units are remaining on scene to [perform] air monitoring.” [Twitter]

ACPD Increasing Bike Lane Enforcement — “The county… says that Arlington police are stepping up their enforcement of bike lane violations. Cycling advocate Gillian Burgess says that she has seen evidence of more police presence, though she believes that the problem will ultimately be solved by better street design, not enforcement.” [WAMU]

Rosslyn Startup Gets Big Investment — “Arlington-based Advantia Health, a growing national provider of women’s healthcare, announced a $45 million investment by BlueMountain Capital Management, LLC (BlueMountain), a subsidiary of Assured Guaranty Ltd. This funding comes after a year of rapid growth.” [Advantia Health via Potomac Tech Wire]

County: Avoid Portion of Four Mile Run Due to Sewage Release

By ARLnow.com

Locals are being warned to avoid contact with Four Mile Run downstream of a reported sewage release.

The sewage release happened near 7th Street S., in the Barcroft neighborhood, according to Arlington Alert,.

“Avoid contact with Four Mile Run creek south of 7th Street S. for the next 24 hours,” the county advised as of 3 p.m. Sunday. That downstream area to avoid includes the popular Shirlington dog park.

https://twitter.com/ABC7TimBarber/status/1216784029908983808

Flickr pool photo by Mrs. Gemstone

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

It was a cold and snowy week in Arlington, and your ARLnow team is exhausted.

There was a lot to cover during a week in which most of the office was ailing with a cold bug that seems to be going around.

Here were the most-read stories of the week:

  1. Cosi Closes Two Additional Locations in Arlington
  2. Police Investigating Crash Involving Scooter, School Bus
  3. Power Outage Leaves Large Portion of Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor in the Dark
  4. Four Arlington Metro Stations to Close This Weekend
  5. Arlington Under Winter Weather Advisory as Officials Warn of Tough Evening Commute
  6. Virginia Hospital Center is Now Operating As a Trauma Center
  7. New Cafe Brings Odd New Eastern European Coffee Trend to Clarendon
  8. Gallery Clarendon to be Replaced with Connecticut Pizza Restaurant Colony Grill
  9. Despite New ‘Tacos’ Sign, Goody’s Is Still Selling Pizza in Clarendon

Feel free to discuss those or any other topic of local interest in the comments. Have a nice weekend and enjoy the warmer weather!

Superintendent Recommends More Modest Elementary School Swap Proposal

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) Interim Superintendent Cintia Johnson is recommending an elementary school swap involving four schools, a more modest of two proposals presented in October.

Both proposals have received considerable pushback from parents, but in a presentation to the Arlington School Board last night administrators said it’s the best option for dealing with projected increased in enrollment in certain parts of the county.

“As we look at our projections and we look at the growth that’s coming along,” a school staffer said, “the area where we see the biggest growth is on the eastern side of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.”

The recommended proposal would make the following changes, starting with the 2021-22 school year:

  • Move most McKinley Elementary students, plus most faculty and the principal, to the new school under construction at the Reed site in Westover.
  • Move students, faculty and the principal of Arlington Traditional School (ATS) — a “choice” school — to the larger McKinley building.
  • Move students, faculty and the principal of Key Elementary, a bilingual English/Spanish immersion program, to the current ATS building.
  • Make the current Key building a new neighborhood elementary school, to support growth in the area.

Administrators say moving Key to the ATS building would put it closer to more Spanish speakers and “allow for long-term growth in the program.”

A number of parents from each of the potentially affected school spoke out against the swap at the School Board meeting, for a variety of reasons, following the presentation.

The presentation also included discussion of an “alternate scenario,” that would change elementary school boundaries rather than swap schools. The decidedly unpalatable alternative called for about 4,000 students — 38% of the elementary population — to be assigned to a new school. On top of that, it would require more busing.

“To fill schools to manageable capacity, boundaries would require more students to be assigned to schools farther away instead schools closer to where they live,” the superintendent’s presentation said.

Next up in the process, the School Board is expected to hold a public hearing before taking action on the proposal in February.

Local Company Now Offering High-End Backyard Homes

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Local homebuilder Classic Cottages is no longer just building large, custom homes — a new subsidiary will now build a high-end “backyard cottages” as well.

Responding to Arlington’s recent loosening of rules on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) — small structures built in backyards, also known as “in-law suites” — Classic Cottages (an ARLnow sponsor) launched a new venture called Backyard Cottages.

“The ability to now legally add a Backyard Cottage creates a unique opportunity for Arlington County single-family home residents to create a flexible, separate living area,” the company’s website says. “There are many benefits from investing in a Backyard Cottage, including long-term rental income or flexible space to serve immediate or future needs.”

Backyard Cottages has partnered with URBANEER to offer a 510-square-foot ADU model (pictured above) to Arlington residents who want additional living space on their property, starting this spring. URBANEER’s lead investor is Raul Fernandez, who is part of the ownership group for the Washington Capitals and Wizards.

Supporters of ADUs tout them as a way to “fight against the national housing crisis” and provide additional, cost-effective homes in existing neighborhoods. Critics say ADUs, should they become more widespread, could result in trees being cut down, overcrowding and additional traffic in neighborhoods.

It has been a slow start for ADUs in Arlington since county code was first changed to allow them. From 2009-2017, only 20 ADUs were built. Backyard Cottages is banking on loosened rules and more attractive building options spurring a local boom in ADU production.

“There is an immediate need for new, affordable housing stock in the D.C. area, and we see this detached ADU sector as a large, new opportunity to help serve that need in this region for years to come,” said Backyard Cottages CEO Pierce Tracy. “The URBANEER 510 model will be unlike other ADU options on the market. Our ability to showcase one of the first units built in the country… will provide an opportunity for our local residents to see the innovation and quality of these units first-hand.”

“For homeowners, these ‘Backyard Cottages’ help with affordability by providing rental income, or can be used for a family member to live in,” he added. “The flexibility of uses provides value to the homeowner, as family’s needs will change over time.”

Pricing is expected to be finalized in March and will vary depending on site conditions and options selected, a Backyard Cottages spokeswoman said.

$1 Million New Year’s Raffle Ticket Sold in Arlington Still Not Claimed

By ARLnow.com

A $1 million winning New Year’s Millionaire Raffle ticket from the Virginia Lottery was sold in Arlington — but as of Thursday afternoon no one has stepped forward to claim it.

The lottery says three winning $1 million tickets were sold — in Chesapeake, Arlington and Portsmouth. Another 5 tickets hit for the $100,000 prize, including one sold at the Pentagon City Harris Teeter store to an Alexandria man.

No other details about the $1 million ticket sold in Arlington were immediately available, other than the fact that it has thus far not been claimed, according to a lottery spokesperson. The winning raffle numbers were selected on New Year’s Day.

Virginia Lottery “generates more than $1.7 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools,” according to a press release. In Fiscal Year 2019 “an additional $6.5 million in unclaimed prizes was deposited in the Virginia Literary Fund… which provides low-interest loans to localities for public school construction, renovations and technology upgrades.”

Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash

Morning Poll: Would You Try the Bumble Coffee?

By ARLnow.com

Yesterday we told you about a new Clarendon cafe called This is Fine Coffee, but more importantly we told you about one of their signature drinks: an espresso, orange juice and caramel concoction called the Bumble Coffee.

It’s apparently popular in Eastern Europe, and fairly rare here stateside.

The immediate reaction in our office was that of horror upon hearing about an espresso drink made with OJ. But reporter Vernon Miles now swears by it, so much so that as this post is being written he’s en route to the office with several Bumble Coffees for a tasting by now-intrigued colleagues.

We were wondering how other Arlingtonians felt about this. Would you try a Bumble?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Changes to Stalled Ballston Development — “An Arlington homebuilder is reviving plans to redevelop a church in Ballston with a new proposal for a mix of townhomes and condos on the site… The site is currently home to the Portico Church, but the developer [BCN Homes] could someday replace it with 10 townhomes and 98 condo units.” [Washington Business Journal]

Beloved Former County Official Dies — “Ann Bisson, a long-time resident and former Deputy Commissioner of the Revenue for Arlington County, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2020… In addition to her work in the Commissioner’s office, Ann was very active in the community.” [Dignity Memorial]

History of Royal Visits to Arlington — “If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ever decided to make their home in the DC area, they’d be in good company. Many members of the royal family have made their way to Arlington over the years.” [Arlington Public Library, Twitter]

Bill Proposes Funding for Local Cemeteries — “Three Arlington cemeteries would receive state funding under a program designed to preserve burial places of African-American Virginians. Del. Rip Sullivan (D-Fairfax-Arlington) has patroned legislation to add the three graveyards – at Calloway, Lomax and Mount Salvation churches – to the more than two dozen statewide that already receive support from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.” [InsideNova]

Falls Church Man Charged with Brandishing Gun in Road Rage Incident

By ARLnow.com

A 20-year-old man was arrested earlier this week after getting mad at someone honking at him.

The incident happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Police say 20-year-old Lizama Gamez of Falls Church was driving on S. Thomas Street in Douglas Park when an oncoming driver beeped their horn.

Gamez then “allegedly pulled alongside the victims and became irate, yelling at them and brandished a firearm,” notes an Arlington County Police crime report. “Arriving officers located the suspect vehicle in the area and the suspect was positively identified.”

Gamez is facing two misdemeanor counts of brandishing a firearm, as there were two people in the other vehicle at the time, police said. He has since posted bail, court records show, and was due in court for an arraignment this afternoon.

Four Arlington Metro Stations to Close This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Trackbed lighting installation is prompting the closure of four Orange and Silver line stations in Arlington this weekend.

The Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon and Courthouse Metro stations will be closed Saturday and Sunday, WMATA says on its website.

Shuttle buses will run between East Falls Church and Rosslyn throughout the course of the weekend.

On either end of the Orange and Silver lines, trains will run every 12-15 minutes, as usual. At night, the last train on each of the Orange and Silver lines will run some 35-40 minutes earlier than usual, to accomodate shuttle schedules.

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