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County Board OKs Purchase of House to Expand Chestnut Hills Park

Published March 16, 2016 at 11:35AM

Arlington County is spending nearly $900,000 to buy and tear down a house along N. Harrison Street, to expand Chestnut Hills Park.

The County Board voted 5-0 yesterday to approve the purchase of 2833 N. Harrison Street for $820,000. The move comes just a few months after the county purchased an adjacent house for $728,000.

Chestnut Hills Park, near Yorktown High School, recently received a new pre-school playground. The park is said to be one of the most popular and most-used in the county.

Once the house is demolished, the county will expand the park and will “work with the community to enhance its features.” From an Arlington County press release:

For the second time in a year, Arlington County has agreed to buy land to expand the popular Chestnut Hills Park on N. Harrison Street in the Yorktown neighborhood.

The County Board today approved the purchase of a home and surrounding property at 2833 N. Harrison St., adjacent to the park. The agreed purchase price is $820,000 for the 10,405 square foot lot.

“Arlington is serious about looking for opportunities to add to our parkland and open space, and we plan for such purchases. We’re seeing real results for our commitment and planning,” said Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey.

The house on the lot the Board agreed to purchase today is a modest rambler, built in 1954, and has no remarkable individual architectural or historical significance. The County plans to deconstruct the house and restore the site as open space. The purchase price was obtained from a licensed Virginia real estate appraiser. The County estimates that closing costs will be about $5,000 and the deconstruction of the house and site restoration will cost about $50,000. The funds will be allocated from Park Land Acquisition funds.

The Board voted 5-0 to approve the acquisition. To read the staff report for this item, visit the County website. Scroll down to Item #21 on the Agenda for the Tuesday, March 15 County Board Meeting.

In the late 1990s, the County asked owners of certain properties along North Harrison Street whether they would be interested in selling their properties to the County to expand Chestnut Hills Park. Between 1996 and 1998, the owners of three properties along North Harrison Street sold their properties to the County. A fourth sold his property in 2015. The park was renovated in 2014. As the park grows, the County will continue to work with the community to enhance its features.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 16, 2016 at 10:35AM | Updated March 16, 2016 at 6:32PM

Arlington Asks for I-66 Corridor Grants — The Arlington County Board has selected five transportation projects for state potential grant funding. The county is seeking grants from a pool of $5 million allocated by VDOT for initial improvements along the I-66 corridor, ahead of the tolling of the highway. Among the projects Arlington is submitting for consideration: real-time transportation information screens along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, expanding certain bus routes, and a series of initiatives including vanpools and a travel planning app for smartphones. [Arlington County]

APS to Renovate Fenwick Center for High School Program — Arlington Public Schools will renovate the 50-year-old Fenwick Center along Columbia Pike for use by the soon-to-be-renamed Arlington Mill High School program. Moving the program will make room at the Arlington Career Center, next door from the Fenwick Center, for the new Arlington Tech initiative. [InsideNova]

Remembering James Kimsey — James Kimsey, the co-founder of AOL, died on March 1 at the age of 76. Kimsey spent his childhood in South Arlington and most recently lived at the very northern tip of Arlington, in a $30 million “castle” known as “The Falls,” which he built around the turn of the century. The house, one of the largest private residences in Virginia and one of the priciest properties in Arlington, was so big that it prompted Arlington County to build a new sewage line. [Falls Church News-Press]

Photo by Dennis Dimick

I-395, Route 50, GW Parkway Jammed in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published March 16, 2016 at 8:55AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:45PM

Looking for evidence of a nightmare commute due to today’s Metrorail shutdown? Look no further than I-395.

I-395 is slow for the entire length of the highway, from the Beltway to the 14th Street Bridge. The good news is that traffic appears to be moving — just slowly.

Route 50 is also jammed, starting around Washington Blvd. The southbound lanes of the GW Parkway are slow from the bridge over Donaldson Run to Key Bridge, while northbound traffic is very heavy from Alexandria to the 14th Street Bridge. Washington Blvd is crawling all the way from I-395 to the Key Bridge.

There’s also heavier-than-usual traffic on some local roads. Clarendon Blvd is slow from Courthouse to Rosslyn. Eastbound Lee Highway jams up starting at N. Rhodes Street to Rosslyn. Pretty much the entire street grid of central Rosslyn is a mess.

There are some surprising bright spots: I-66 is pretty clear for most of the stretch inside the Beltway. Route 1 could be worse. And Columbia Pike traffic doesn’t appear to be out of the ordinary.

Despite the traffic mixed bag, it’s obvious that Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) doesn’t want to make the Metro shutdown a regular occurrence, based on his tweet below.

This morning we get a sad, frustrating vision of what a working day in our nation's capital is like #WithoutMetro

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) March 16, 2016

ART to Boost Service During Metro Shutdown

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 6:20PM

ART bus (file photo)

Arlington Transit buses will be running more frequently or on expanded hours tomorrow, on certain routes, to try to help commuters during the all-day Metro shutdown.

From ART:

During the Metrorail shutdown on Wednesday, March 16, ART will run normal weekday service PLUS the following additional service:

ART 41 – Supplemental service will be added between Ballston Mall and Courthouse to connect with Metrobus bridge from Courthouse to DC.

ART 42 – Midday service will be more frequent.

ART 43 – Service will be provided during off-peak hours, with lower frequency than rush hour.

ART 45 – AM peak service will end 60 minutes later than usual. PM peak service will begin 60 minutes earlier than usual.

Because of the short notice for the service changes, real-time arrival info for the additional services will not be available. We apologize for any inconvenience.

#ART bus

Lawmakers Weigh in on Metro Closure: ‘It’s Sad That It’s Come to This’

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 5:40PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:45PM

Update at 6:10 p.m. — The federal government is open tomorrow. Federal workers has the option of unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework, says the Office of Personnel Management. Arlington County government is also open with a telework option.

Arlington’s congressional delegation is weighing in on tomorrow’s complete closure of the Metrorail system for safety inspections.

Rep. Don Beyer (D):

Our office has been in contact with the Office of Personnel Management. We have urged them to allow unscheduled leave for federal employees, and I urge other employers in the region to be equally flexible, allowing employees to take unscheduled leave or to work from home if at all possible.

I have confidence in the new leadership of Paul Wiedefeld and look forward learning more about the technical details behind this decision. We must overhaul this critical public transit system, and we must continue our federal investment in Metro in order for that to happen. Tomorrow we will get a glimpse of what our nation’s capital will look like without this essential system.

Sen. Mark Warner (D):

“It’s sad that it’s come to this, but hundreds of thousands of people depend on the safety of the Metro system. We need to take it seriously. I’m glad that Metro’s new leadership is treating system safety with an appropriate sense of urgency.”

Sen. Tim Kaine (D):

“While this is an unprecedented step and a major inconvenience for thousands of daily commuters, it’s also the type of tough call that signals WMATA’s new management team is doing whatever it takes to ensure the safety of Metro riders. Employers across the region — including OPM — should offer their employees flexibility tomorrow as they face limited transit options.”

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Arlington Agenda: March 14-20

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 4:20PM | Updated March 15, 2016 at 4:49PM

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Wednesday

Controlling Clutter
Aurora Hills Branch Library (735 18th Street S.)
Time: 2-4 p.m.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension is holding workshop about tackling clutter and becoming organized. Learn how to organize papers and what documents to keep or shred.

Friday

Arlington Community Chorus to Present “March Medley”
Wakefield High School Black Box Theater (1325 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 7-8 p.m.

The Arlington Community Chorus presents “March Medley,” a program of choral music, interspersed with performances by soloists, ensembles and instrumentalists. Admission is free, and the program is suitable for the entire family.

Saturday

The Junior League of Washington’s Annual Tossed & Found Sale
1225 South Clark Street, 10th Floor
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

JLW’s 24th annual Tossed & Found Sale runs from March 19-20. The sale provides quality, gently used household goods to local families and community groups at bargain prices. Last year this event raised more than $158,000.

28th Annual Four Mile Run Stream Clean-Up
Various Locations
Time: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Arlington County’s Park Rangers are calling on volunteers to help clean Four Mile Run at five locations: Madison Manor, Glen Carlyn, Barcroft and Shirlington Parks and by Arlington Mill Community Center.

Home Buyer Seminar*
Optime Realty (1600 Wilson Blvd, Suite 101)
Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Our team is hosting two Home Buying Seminar events on March 19 and 2t at our Rosslyn office. We will have specialists on hand (including lenders and buyer agents) to give you an overview of the buying process. The event is free but registration is required.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

#Arlington Agenda

Here’s a Performance of Arlington’s Official Song

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 3:35PM

It’s been a decade since its last public performance, but Arlington’s official song has now been recorded — and released on YouTube — for future generations.

The song is, well, a bit boring and dated, to be honest. But it is Arlington’s only official song and no one seems to eager to replace it.

The revival of the song has been spearheaded by county communications manager Peter Golkin. In December Golkin uploaded a scan of the sheet music — the first time the song has appeared on Arlington County’s website — and penned a press release recounting the County Board’s adoption of the song 45 years ago.

But back on the first Saturday morning of October 1970, a unanimous County Board deemed Ernest K. Emurian’s words and melody worthy of a place in Arlington’s official identity. Reasoning for such approval sits right there in the lyrics of the first verse: “[T]he songs of home are ones we really cherish/For home is the place we love the best.”

It was love in E flat and 4/4 time, consummated with a 10,000-copy print run funded by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, prime sponsor for the song’s adoption.

The composer, the Reverend Ernest Emurian, was already a local institution, a beloved and prolific man. Pastor of Cherrydale United Methodist Church, he had lived in the County for seven years before attempting his anthem for Arlington. The inspiration was his long-held belief that “if a place is worth living in, it is worth singing about.”

Golkin’s research suggests the last time the song was performed was at the opening of an Arlington Historical Society exhibit on county constitutional offices, in 2006. “VIPs listened politely but made no attempt to emulate the singing Board of ’70,” Golkin quipped.

Before that the song had been performed off and on at the Arlington County Fair, but was otherwise fading out of the public consciousness. That is, until now.

Among those performing the song in the video above are three members of the original teen chorus that serenaded the County Board before the song’s adoption in 1970. Also performing: three generations of Arlington’s Dodge-Strehle family, County Board aide Liza Hodskins and “Our Man in Arlington” columnist Charlie Clark, who also wrote about the song in December.

The full list of performers, in order from left to right, after the jump.

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Spring Beer Festival Returning to Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 2:35PM

Shirlington’s spring beer festival is returning for its third year.

Hosted by Capitol City Brewing, the third annual Mid-Atlantic Spring Beer Festival will take place Saturday, April 30 from noon to 7 p.m., rain or shine.

“The springtime beer-tasting event will include a line-up of 35 regional breweries,” according to a press release. “Admission for beer drinkers is $30 (one general admission pass per person), which includes a wristband, official tasting glass and 10 drink tickets. Additional drink tickets can be purchased for $1 each with a five-ticket minimum. The event is free for non-drinkers and children.”

Participating breweries include:

DC Brau
Pleasure House Brewing
Starr Hill
Flying Dog
Adroit Theory
Hellbender
Fair Winds
Bold Rock
Caboose
Union

A number of Shirlington restaurants will be participating, offering springtime fare to festival-goers, including Busboys & Poets, Café Pizzaiolo and Luna. Music will be provided by DJ Julius Talvik.

Ticket sales will begin at 11:30 a.m. the day of the event.

Restaurant and Lounge Coming to Former Ri Ra Space in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 12:05PM | Updated March 15, 2016 at 1:19PM

(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) A new restaurant and lounge will be coming to the former Ri Ra Irish Pub space in Clarendon.

An ownership group that includes a number of local restaurant and nightlife veterans has signed a lease for the space, ARLnow.com has learned. Among them are partners in Opera Ultra Lounge in D.C. and local nightlife impresario Jad Bouchebel.

Bouchebel is a partner in a number of hot new hangouts in the District, including Provision No. 14, The Prospect and Bonfire.

For now, Bouchebel declined to provide additional details about the group behind the new Clarendon establishment but he did reveal a few early details about what’s planned.

“The group intends to develop a sleek and fresh restaurant, bar and lounge,” he wrote. “The restaurant will offer lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, serving contemporary American dishes with extensive wine and beer selections. The venue will also provide daily happy hour specials and periodic live music.”

Tentatively, the new restaurant is expected to open this fall.

Ah Love Oil & Vinegar Is Changing Its Name

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 11:00AM

Ah Love Oil & Vinegar opened in Shirlington in 2011. At the time, many couldn’t believe that a boutique store that primarily sold olive oil and balsamic vinegar could survive.

Almost five years later, Ah Love Oil & Vinegar has not one but two stores — it expanded to the Mosaic District — and is looking to the future.

No longer defined by just two types of products, the store is changing its name.

“Today, we offer much more including kitchen tools, serveware, cocktail products, table linens, and culinary products made by local artisans,” owner Cary Kelly wrote. “Our name no longer represents the breadth of our offer.”

Through March 27, the store is conducting an online survey to help select a new name. Among the possible options:

The Cookery, A Culinary Marketplace
Edibles, A Cook’s Marketplace
Ah love Cooks
The Kitchen, A Culinary Marketplace

“We’ll continue to offer award-winning olive oil, Italian balsamic vinegar and the other products you love,” Kelly wrote. “This is a change in name only to better represent who we are to those who have not yet experienced our market of goods.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2016 at 9:45AM | Updated March 15, 2016 at 10:10AM

Vida Fitness Coming to Ballston? — D.C.-based Vida Fitness is reportedly planning a 30,000 square foot gym in Ballston. The plan depends on County Board approval of a site plan amendment for the as-yet-unbuilt final building in the Liberty Center development. Given the high office vacancy rate, local developer Shooshan Co. is proposing to reconfigure what would have been a 20-story office building into a 22-story building that mixes residential, office and retail space. [Washington Business Journal]

‘WeLive’ Close to Opening in Crystal City — WeWork recently opened its new coworking space at 2221 S. Clark Street in Crystal City. Now, the company is nearing an opening for “WeLive,” a communal living space in the same building. WeLive is opening “very soon” and the company is now giving tours to prospective tenants, we hear. A second WeLive location, in Manhattan, recently opened for “beta testing.” [Fast Company]

Rail Was Once Planned for Columbia Pike — In the 1950s planners envisioned Columbia Pike as a rail corridor. That plan was scrapped when Metro was built and the Blue and Yellow lines ran south instead of west. In 2014, of course, a planned streetcar system for the Pike was also nixed. [InsideNova]

County Board Campaign Gets Underway — County Board Chair Libby Garvey and her Democratic primary challenger, Erik Gutshall, both held campaign events on Columbia Pike over the weekend. Garvey said getting out the vote will be the key to victory in the June 14 primary. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Eric