Author: Airey

County Board to Hold Meeting on 5G Technology Installation Regulations

By Airey
1/3

(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Whether or not Arlington County chooses to make a small code change could have a big impact on how quickly the county rolls out 5G wireless technology.

The new technology promises faster mobile data speeds and a network more capable of real-time connections to “smart city” infrastructure like driverless cars, among other benefits. But 5G requires many small devices with antennas be installed throughout an area to work — and that’s where plans hit a snag in Arlington.

The Arlington County Board is set to hold a public hearing during its regular Saturday, July 13 meeting in Courthouse to discuss whether these devices can be placed on publicly-owned structures like light poles and utility poles.

The county has yet to share the agenda for the upcoming July meeting.

Since 2017, small cell telecommunications facilities could be installed on privately-owned structures (like buildings), but not on publicly-owned structures. If the Board approves the code change, the equipment could start being installed on county-owned structures as early as August, per a staff report to the Board.

The staff report also notes that companies would have to pay a $250 application fee plus another, “nominal” annual fee to Arlington for installing the tech on public property.

The County Board unanimously agreed to schedule the hearing during their Board meeting last Saturday, June 15. Beforehand, Board Chair Christian Dorsey noted that an Arlington resident submitted “an extensive letter” listing concerns about the initiative.

Residents in neighboring jurisdictions have opposed the installation of the devices out of concerns about construction and whether the low levels of radio wave emission could be harmful.

“One of the reasons why we wanted to have a hearing is that we haven’t really discussed this in broad circles,” said Dorsey last week. “This is in many ways going to touch on our way of life.”

Board member Katie Cristol said she supported the motion and looked forward to a more “fulsome discussion” next month.

“If we do not have small wireless facilities, we actually can’t deploy the 5G networks, and the differences between 4G and 5G is significant,” said Nate Wentland, the county’s chief business technology officer, during the meeting.

“We’ve been such leaders in a lot of ways nationally,” said Board member Matt de Ferranti, adding 5G was essential for the county to stay competitive.

Amazon may have eyed Arlington for its second headquarters partially because of its access to advanced network technology like 5G, but some say D.C. area jurisdictions needed the next-generation technology anyway to keep up with the region’s growing digital demands.

The antenna devices themselves are about the size of a backpack, Wentland said, and are sometimes installed together with an equipment box the size of a refrigerator.

Upgrading America’s digital highways with 5G faces other roadblocks as well: the tech is currently caught up with President Trump’s trade war with China, as well as the legal battle over T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger.

The next-generation tech is already up and running in several cities depending on your mobile carrier.

Image 1 via Christoph Scholz/Flickr, images 2, 3 via Arlington County.

Video: Arlington Veterans Bridge Project Complete

By Airey
Arlington Veterans Bridge (Screenshot via Arlington County)

Construction on the Washington Blvd (Route 27) bridge near the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery is now complete.

The newly reconstructed bridge was renamed Arlington Veterans Bridge in honor of the county’s veterans; it maintains the original design spanning over Route 110, recently renamed as Richmond Highway.

Arlington County shared a video this week spotlighting the completion of the bridge this past May. The span was originally built in the 1940s.

“The substructure includes granite, which is not a very common material that we use in our bridges these days,” said VDOT Project Development Engineer Nicholas Roper, who is also a retired Army colonel.

Roper explained that crews were able to widen the bridge and add granite cladding to the structure, adding that, “three of the original piers from the 1940s still remain.”

As part of the reconstruction, VDOT added a sidewalk on one side of the bridge and a 14-foot wide path, which opened in 2017, on the other side for pedestrians and cyclists.

“It’s a place where daily residents of Arlington County and thousands of individuals… traverse the bridge,” said retired Army Col. Joseph A. Simonelli Jr., who chairs the county’s Military and Veterans and Committee, which recommended the name.

“It honors the 13,000 current Arlington veterans,” said Simonelli. “And the millions of veterans in our nation. And as a veteran, it makes me proud.”

Arlington to Hold Public Meeting on Amazon’s First New Buildings

By Airey

Next month, the county will hold a public meeting about Amazon’s first phase of new development for HQ2.

The meeting will “kick off the review process” for Amazon’s first construction project on S. Eads Street, according to a public event notice. The following week, the county’s planning commission will hold a formal review of the development plans.

Amazon’s S. Eads Street development aims to build two, 22-story towers along with retail space, public park space, and parking facilities for bikes and cars. Plans for the 6.2 acre site indicate the buildings will provide 2.1 million square feet of space for the tech and retail giant.

The meeting will be held Wednesday, July 10 from 7-8:30 p.m. As of 4:30 p.m. So far, the meeting location has not been announced.

The county is asking people interested in attending to RSVP but notes seating will not be limited.

Amazon would need the Arlington County Board to approve amendments to plans the Board approved in 2016 for what’s now the tech giant’s lot. The original plans called for 22-story residential towers.

“Learn about the proposed development, planning background and how the review process will work,” the notice for next week’s event reads. “County staff and the applicant will be available to answer questions.”

Amazon tapped Portland-based architecture firm ZGF to design the buildings, reported Curbed.

“These buildings are the first step to creating an urban campus where our future 25,000 employees and the local community can live, work and play,” Amazon wrote in a blog post announcing the development.

Rosslyn Boathouse Project Advances, But Some Opposition Looms

By Airey

The Rosslyn boathouse project is one step closer to setting sail, thrilling some local officials but also facing opposition from some local residents.

The National Park Service ushered the project along to a new phase this week, announcing that the proposed site for the boathouse in Rosslyn will have no significant environmental impact. This closes NPS’ environmental assessment of where the boathouse could be located that has dragged on for seven years, and means the design phase can begin.

“I personally am thrilled about this possibility,” Mary-Claire Burick, president of the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, told ARLnow yesterday (Wednesday). “Access to the river is so important not only for the county but also for our residents and visitors throughout Rosslyn. I would say that the Potomac River is probably the greatest un-utilized recreational resource that we have.”

“I think we still have quite a bit to go in the process,” she added. “But I think this is a very important milestone.”

But not all share Burick’s optimism about the project’s progress. The Arlington County Civic Federation voted 33-1 earlier this month to request the Arlington County Board hold more discussions with the public about the site for the boathouse and the project in general, as the Sun Gazette reported.

The resolution approved by the federation accused the Board of “not acting in accordance” with its standards for public planning processes. Members were upset about the Board initially slating the vote for the boathouse on their meeting’s consent agenda instead of planning a public hearing, the Sun Gazette reported. They also asserted that the county’s Park and Recreation Commission and the Environment and Energy Conservation Commission were not consulted about the plan.

Previously, the Arlington County Board voted unanimously to allow NPS to finish the environmental assessment of 2105 N. Lynn Street (formerly known as 1101 Lee Highway), the planned location for the boathouse. The County Board’s vote sided with NPS in eschewing an alternative site at Gravelly Point.

“Since the 1980s, Arlington residents have sought a community boathouse to provide access to the Potomac for recreation, education and fitness activities,” said Erik Meyers, Arlington Boathouse Foundation president. He added in a statement that he was “grateful” NPS brought the project closer to that goal.

“We are pleased to see this long-planned project pass such an important milestone,” said Jane Rudolph, director of Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation, in a statement.

Rudolph said the county looks “forward to continuing to work with our community partners to establish this resource to benefit all Arlingtonians.”

The current plans propose a 14,000-square-foot boathouse, a 300-foot-long dock, a facilities building with lockers and bathrooms, an access road, and a small parking lot.

Burick said the BID is committed to acting as “a community convener” to bring civic associations and other groups to table during the upcoming design phase of the project. She believed Rosslyn residents will be excited about the project, considering residents’ love for outdoor recreation and the site’s Metro accessibility.

Burick added that she is a Potomac paddle boarder and hopes that a boathouse on the Potomac’s Virginia shores will teach people to love the river as much as she does.

“I think it will bode really well for the health of the river because the more people who start using it fall in love with it,” she said.

When asked if she thought the boathouse project moving forward put wind in the sails of Arlington’s long-debated gondola project, Burick said it could be a useful transit option for the region to explore.

“A lot of people say gondolas sound fanciful,” she said. “But you know what? I think we should be looking at water taxis, we should be looking at gondolas.”

Image via Arlington County

Arlington to Start Testing New Permitting System Next Month

By Airey

Arlington is considering a new online system that would digitize the county’s permitting system.

The new system aims to move the Permit Office’s application process into a digital database while phasing out paper applications. Staff is expected to start testing the system — now dubbed “Permit Arlington,” after formerly being known as “One-Stop Arlington — next month.

The project is being divided into two phases, with different types of permits going digital-only at two different times. Phase I is expected to launch at some point following the testing.

“Customers will be able to apply either 24/7 from a computer or mobile device, or will still have the option to come into the office during regular business hours to use a kiosk with staff assistance,” said Deborah Albert, the project’s program manager. “Customers will still have to visit the office in person for Phase II permits, which are anticipated to go online in 2020.”

There are 33 permit types included in this summer’s Phase I testing, including right-of-way use permits, site-plan applications, and civil engineering plans.

Arlington Board Chair Christian Dorsey said during the annual State of the County address this week that the new system would be “a welcome relief for many of our community’s businesses.”

He added that “it’s taken longer to get to this point” because each type of permit application has a different process and has to be manually coded into the digital system.

“We know that we have more to do to make our county government as efficient and user-friendly as possible for everyone — businesses and residents,” he said.

Many businesses have cited the county’s lengthy permitting process as a reason for delayed openings over the years. Arlington requires business owners to seek separate permits for zoning, building, and business licensing, and to take other steps before they can open their doors. Most applications have to be filed in person at the county’s Permit Office in Courthouse. It’s a time-consuming process some business leaders said stifles innovative business.

Restaurateur Mike Cordero told ARLnow in a podcast interview that opening Don Taco in Alexandria showed him just how fast that city’s permit process was compared to Arlington’s.

“I think it’s a major issue that we have to wait so long to get a permit when other counties and other jurisdictions are giving it to them right away,” he said. “I don’t know how they’re going to take care of Amazon.”

Meanwhile, some permit fees are increasing next month with the start of the new fiscal year on Monday, July 1. According to Albert, the increases include:

  • A 2.5% inflationary increase to the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development’s Development Fund fees, including the Department of Environmental Services development-related fees.
  • A 5% increase in the Automation Enhancement Surcharge for building, electrical, plumbing, gas, elevator, and fire protection systems permits and for zoning permits
  • New fees for Special General Land Use Plan studies and for Conceptual Site Plan applications.

Two Columbia Pike Apartment Communities Slated for Redevelopment

By Airey
1/8

Two apartment communities along the Columbia Pike corridor could soon be getting major facelifts.

Developers are planning to build a new three-to-four story affordable residential building to replace Arlington View Terrace, a 77-unit apartment complex at the 1400 block of S. Rolfe Street, according to a presentation last week to the county’s Form Based Code Advisory Working Group.

In a separate redevelopment proposal, developer Merion Companies wants to remake the 1940s Greenbrier apartment community made up of 179 residential units on S. Greenbrier Street. The project will be split into two phases, with the first phase seeing the north half of the community replaced by a six-story building with ground floor retail and residential above.

Designs for the project indicate the development could convert the drive that partially borders the complex into a “two-way alley” and add new roadways through the development that would potentially connect with S. Frederik Street to the east.

The project is being designed by D.C.-based KGD Architecture, which previously worked on the mixed-use building that replaced the Food Star along the Pike and a tower project in Tysons.

The total number of units planned for the Arlington View Terrace project is unknown, but they will all be affordable units, as per last week’s staff presentation, helping bolster Arlington’s dwindling affordable housing stock.

Arlington View Terrace is bordered by the Army-Navy Country Club to the south. Developers will need to request an amendment to meet county standards regarding setbacks and separation between the two property types, mixed-use residential and golf course residential zoning, the presentation says.

The working group is scheduled to evaluate amendments to the two development plans in July and September. The Form Based Code Advisory Working Group is then scheduled to review the plans again in the winter.

Both developments have to be approved through the Columbia Pike’s Form Based Code, which guides development and favors mixed-use buildings with retail on the ground floor and housing units above.

The developments are expected to apply for LEED Silver certification, unlike the proposed Westmont Shopping Center redevelopment, which staff noted is not seeking the green building designation.

Kim Klingler, the new Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, said the “main theme” from residents who discussed the residential projects last week was “a lot of concern with access to and from Columbia Pike and making sure that these buildings have appropriate access.”

Klingler said that the Greenbrier development, which the developer is dubbing “Pike West,” may have redesigned roads too narrow for fire trucks to access both sides of the building. She told ARLnow today (Thursday) the developer acknowledged the problem and pledged the fix it during the meeting.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt. Images 3 and 7 via Google Maps, others via Arlington County,

Arlington Pet of the Week: Leon

By Airey
1/4

Arlington’s newest pet of the week is orange foster kitty Leon whose best friend is a stuffed lion named Leo.

Here’s what Leon’s owner Jolie said the feline had to say about his life as a foster so far:

So here’s my story: See, I was living out in Winchester and my mom decided to bolt. Me and my sisters were like, ummm, hello, we’re only five weeks old. BUT, luckily, these really nice people from the Animal League of Arlington picked us up, gave us this fantastic meal and comfy bed to sleep in. Quite the B&B for a night! Then they found us a cool place to live temporarily… or at least that was their plan. But you see, I am very charismatic and with my charm, wit and good looks, “the lady” of the house gave into MY plan. I’m now officially hers and her two humans. They love me more than I ever thought I could be loved. Not only that, “the lady” found another cool house for my sisters so I can visit! How neat is that?

So back to me and Leo… as you can see I’m in training for when the next foster group comes through my new house. I will be ready to take charge and teach the new kittens all the things kitties need to know. I want to help them like Leo has helped me. “The lady” said you should always pay it forward. So I will make sure I foster my new kittens really well. With Leo’s help, of course.

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 six 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.

Arlington Public Library’s Shed Has The Right Tool for Your Gardening Job

By Airey
1/2

Got a pesky boxwood that needs a bit of trimming or row of cabbages overdue for planting? Maybe it’s time to visit Arlington Public Library’s tool lending program “The Shed.”

“The Shed houses 157 garden tools and generates close to 700 checkouts each growing season,” APL spokesman Henrik Sundqvist told ARLnow. “We have made strides each year to reach more residents as we continue our outreach efforts in the community.”

The Central, Glencarlyn, and Westover branch libraries also care for flower gardens and organic vegetable gardens, with some of the vegetables being donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center’s food bank system.

The lending program allows library patrons to check out a variety of tools from the Central Library branch at 1015 N. Quincy Street. All patrons need to do to check out the tools for free is sign a waiver, have a library card, and show proof the patron is 18 or older.

“The idea for a garden tool lending program came as a natural evolution in the library’s continuing efforts to support the county on issues of community sustainability and particularly urban gardening,” Sundqvist said of the 2014 founding of The Shed.

“Library staff participated in the county’s Urban Agriculture Task Force and suggested a garden tool lending collection as one way of encouraging and facilitating urban gardening and healthy living,” he said.

Today, The Shed is open three days a week: on Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m., Fridays from 3-5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Sundqvist said hedge shears, tree pruners, and pruning saws are the garden tools patrons check out most frequently from The Shed.

The tool library is part of APL’s non-book collections, which also includes equipment for testing energy efficiency in your home. APL also opened a free makerspace in April where patrons can access a range of tools for woodworking, sewing, coding, and 3D printing projects.

This unusual collection is part of a bigger movement nationwide building “Libraries of Things” that serve communities by allowing patrons to borrow everything from neck ties to GoPros to musical instruments.

Stratford Program Soon to be Renamed After Special Olympics Founder

By Airey

Starting next month, Arlington Public Schools’ Stratford Program will be officially renamed the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program.

The secondary school program is for students with special needs. A seven-member renaming committee of teachers, parents, and students decided to rename the program after Eunice Shriver Kennedy, founder of the Special Olympics and long-time activist for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

“We decided that her name didn’t need any extra words around it,” said parent Lee Whitem, who sat on the renaming committee. She said at a School Board meeting earlier this month that the program would likely be called “the Shriver Program” for short.

School Board Chair Reid Goldstein said he was “delighted” to see the change.

Stratford is a reference to Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s home plantation and has been criticized as a relic of slavery. The School Board previously stripped the name from Stratford Junior High School, renaming it after civil rights activist Dorothy Hamm, who integrated the school and left a lasting impression on the community.

The Stratford Program will be renamed officially starting July 1, according to outgoing Superintendent Patrick Murphy, who announced the change during the June 6 School Board meeting.

In the fall, the special needs program is set to move into the new Heights building in Rosslyn together with H-B Woodlawn.

“We’re going to the Heights building changing our name to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program, which is very appropriate and very wonderful,” said Stratford Program Principal Dr. Karen Gerry. “Our students will flourish in this community and under this new name.”

In the past, School Board members stripped the “Lee” from Washington-Lee High School over heated opposition from some wanting to keep the reference to the Confederate general.

Last month, the state also agreed to let Arlington rename Jefferson Davis Highway as Richmond Highway to ditch the reference to the president of the Confederacy, and the Nauck Neighborhood renamed itself Green Valley Neighborhood, ditching a reference to a Confederate soldier.

Image via Google Maps

Two Columbia Pike Shopping Centers Are Slated for Redevelopment

By Airey
1/10

Two shopping centers along Columbia Pike are slated for redevelopment, according to new county planning documents.

Developers want to replace the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center at the intersection of the Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive with a six-story building with apartments and ground-floor retail, according to a presentation last week to the county’s Form Based Code Advisory Working Group.

Plans indicate the developer would connect S. Cleveland Street to the Pike by building a new road segment for the county as part of the project. The shopping center currently includes a CVS and Metro PCS store, as well as Turkish restaurant Atilla’s, the Salsa Room dance studio, and the beloved Burritos Bros food stand.

A portion of the current CVS parking lot would be ceded to the county to be added to Penrose Square park as part of the redevelopment.

The project is expected to be reviewed in the spring of 2020, according to a preliminary schedule for the working group.

The Fillmore project is similar to plans to tear down the Westmont Shopping Center at the intersection of the Pike and S. Glebe Road and also replace it with a six-story mixed-use building, in a project that include 250 market-rate housing units.

“People are excited and they’re excited to see the Form Based Code in action,” said Kim Klingler, the new leader of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, referring to the corridor’s development guidelines. Two apartment redevelopment projects are also in the works along the Pike.

“Of course with development and change you are going to have hesitancy, and folks really wanted to focus on maintaining diversity as much as possible, safe transportation, and also making sure the neighborhood is well informed,” she said, noting that 15 neighborhood residents who attended last week’s meeting.

Both redevelopment projects are requesting the maximum height (six stories) allowed along most of Columbia Pike per the area’s development guidelines. Both shopping center redevelopments also plan to build only market-rate housing, which was a topic of conversation among residents last week as the county’s stock of affordable housing continues to shrink.

“Staff clarified that based on the neighborhood plan and Form Based Codes those properties do not require affordable housing,” Klinger said.

Documents from last week’s meeting indicate that in addition to the 343 parking spaces for cars, the Westmont development would include 104 parking spaces for bicycles. Ninety bicycle spaces will be reserved for residents. The project will also add two bus stops, one along S. Glebe Road and another along the Pike.

County planners noted in an August report that they believed the Westmont project would only cause “minor increases in delay,” in terms of traffic at the nearby intersections — along a busy route that has seen its share of transportation challenges.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt. Images via Arlington County.

County Board Grants Outdoor Permit with Restrictions for Ballston Bar

By Airey
1/3

The Arlington County Board granted new Ballston bar Bronson a permit for an outdoor patio and live music, following initial wariness from staff and neighbors over bad experiences with its predecessor, A-Town Bar and Grill.

The County Board reviewed a use permit application from Bronson — which is currently under construction atat 4100 N. Fairfax Drive and billed as a German craft beer bar — on Saturday. It unanimously approved the bar’s request to seat patrons along the sidewalk and to host live music.

“There’s not a lot of trust, frankly,” said Board Member Erik Gutshall of the relationship between the neighbors and the bar after years of complaints with A-Town. Bronson is operated by some of the same owners as A-Town.

But Gutshall added that he wanted to give the new establishment an opportunity to prove “you will be good neighbors and you will fit in the community.”

“We don’t even need security here because we’re not bringing that crowd,” said Mike Cordero, one of Bronson’s owners. He acknowledged there was a “stigma” against the bar left over from A-Town.

Bronson originally requested to set up public seating buffered from the sidewalk with a 3-foot-high, removable fence, according to a staff presentation for the Board. Plans indicate that the set up would leave between 7 and 10 feet of sidewalk available for pedestrians.

The Bronson also asked to keep outdoor seating open on Mondays through Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. The nearby Berkeley and Alta Vista condominium associations requested the patio close by 9 p.m. on Sunday, 10 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays, and 11 p.m. on Fridays-Saturdays.

“If the Bronson is appearing to be a family-friendly restaurant, if they are seating [and] they are looking to bring in a different kind of clientele, the necessity to stay open until 2 a.m. is slightly befuddling,” said a neighbor, adding of nearby residents: “We all really like to sleep.”

Staff recommended Board members approve the permit, but curb the hours, keep sidewalk space clear, and require regular community meetings and permit reviews.

The County Board approved the Bronson’s request to stay open opening from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The Board also approved staff recommendation to require the bar to close its outdoor patio by 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and by 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Lee Austin, who lives in the Alta Vista Condominium near the Bronson, said he appreciated the restrictions but added that he wanted the German bar’s new roll-up doors to also close when the patio does to “help ensure quietude” for the neighborhood.

The recommendations come after the bar formerly occupying the space, A-Town, faced permit scrutiny after neighbors said its outdoor patrons were too loud. Police at one point considered it “to be the most troublesome establishment” in the county, generating fights and drunken drivers. The bar was also cited in 2014 for serving patrons outside from an unlicensed “champagne truck.”

County staff also recommended the Board make the permit subject to:

  • An administrative review in August.
  • Another Board vote in October.
  • Quarterly meetings with the Berkeley and Alta Vista condominium associations.

Courthaus Social (formerly Velocity 5) also faced possible outdoor permit restrictions in 2014 due to noise complaints until county staff recommended leniency.

Images 1-2 via Arlington County

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