Author: Alex Koma

County Unveils Amazon Incentive Deal, Sketching Out How Company Can Earn $23 Million in Grants

By Alex Koma
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Arlington officials have, at last, unveiled a detailed version of the county’s proposed incentive package designed to bring Amazon to the county.

A draft copy of the county’s “Economic Development Incentive Grant Agreement” posted online for the first time today (Tuesday) sketches out the exact amount of office space Amazon will need to occupy in Arlington in order to win $23 million in incentive cash over the next 15 years.

The agreement also reveals additional details about how the county plans to work with the company to add infrastructure improvements in the Crystal City and Pentagon City neighborhoods, which Amazon hopes to soon call home, and lays out the procedure for either side canceling the incentive arrangement.

County staff are unveiling the incentives agreement 11 days before the County Board is set to vote on the deal, the last hurdle for the company to clear before it can start to officially set up shop in Arlington. Gov. Ralph Northam signed off on $750 million in state incentives for the company last month, amid persistent complaints from critics on both sides of the political aisle that government officials shouldn’t dole out grants to a company run by the world’s richest man — proponents of the deal argue that the incentives are well worth it, given Amazon’s potential to send hundreds of millions to county coffers in tax revenues.

Notably, Amazon has agreed to only use the incentive money to build its new Arlington facilities, including any expenses associated with “construction,” and “furniture, fixtures and equipment.”

Under the terms of the proposed deal, Amazon will need to lease 60,000 square feet of space in the county by June 30, 2020 to start qualifying for the cash. Arlington plans to draw the money from an expected increase in revenue from a tax on hotel stays, with Amazon’s arrival projected to juice hotel tax revenues in the area.

That office space occupancy target jumps to more than 567,000 square feet by 2021, and regularly creeps upward from there. By 2026, when the company expects to have new buildings built near Metropolitan Park in Pentagon City, Amazon will need to occupy about 1.8 million square feet of space. By 2028, when its new buildings at the former “PenPlace” site are set to be ready, it will need to hit a 2.69 million-square-foot target.

The timeline included in the incentive agreement tops out with a 6 million-square-foot target in 2035. The company has said it intends to build and lease a minimum of 4 million square feet in the county, and could reach 8 million square feet by the time it reaches its peak of roughly 38,000 employees stationed at the new headquarters.

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UPDATED: Haagen-Dazs in Pentagon City Mall Shuts Down for Renovations, Set to Re-Open Soon

By Alex Koma

(Updated at 4 p.m.) The Haagen-Dazs ice cream shop in the Pentagon City mall has shut down for renovations.

All evidence of the small store on the first floor of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is now gone, but an employee says they’re hoping to reopen by the end of the week.

The shop is located near the mall’s Sunglass Hut and the new dumpling eatery Yong Kang Street.

An ARLnow reader first reported that the store was closed last Wednesday (Feb. 27). An employee subsequently told ARLnow that the store “is being updated to the newest Haagen-Dazs finishes,” including “counters, wall tile, floor tile and equipment.”

Anyone hoping to get their ice cream fix from Haagen-Dazs  in the meantime will now have to venture to the store at the Pentagon, or to one of the company’s two D.C. locations — or to a local grocery store.

In a Bid to Add More Housing, County Readies New Accessory Dwelling Unit Rules Changes

By Alex Koma

After months of work, Arlington officials are gearing up to advance a new round of regulatory changes designed to encourage the creation of accessory dwelling units around the county.

The county plans to hold an open house on the new regulations tonight (Tuesday), specifically on policies governing how far the homes can be set back from the street.

Commonly known as “ADUs,” or “mother-in-law suites,” the homes can include everything from basement apartments to those located above a house’s garage. The County Board passed a series of revisions to Arlington’s ADU regulations in 2017, in a bid to prompt more people to create those units and beef up the supply of reasonably priced homes in the county.

Those changes were primarily targeted at allowing homeowners to more easily create ADUs within existing structures, rather than building new ones. The rules changes also allowed property owners to create an ADU in an existing structure detached from a single-family home, like a garage, but they could not build any new structures on properties for such a purpose.

Still, the Board vowed to subsequently consider rules changes allowing people to build free-standing ADUs on properties. The homes are broadly seen as a key way to provide “missing middle” housing, or homes that fall in between luxury apartments and subsidized, affordable homes, and advocates have long championed additional ADU rules changes.

But, to allow for any new construction, officials would need to change the “setback” requirements, which stipulate how far the homes can be located from the street. County Manager Mark Schwartz has been developing proposals for such rules changes, but has yet to unveil them in a public setting.

That is set to change later this afternoon. The exact shape of the proposals remains unclear, however — a county spokeswoman could not immediately provide details on the proposed regulations. Michelle Winters, the executive director of the affordable housing advocacy group the Alliance for Housing Solutions, also said she was unsure when the county will release the details of the proposal publicly.

The ADU meeting is set for the Ellen M. Bozman Government Center (2100 Clarendon Blvd) in conference rooms C and D from 4-8 p.m. Any zoning changes discussed there would likely need to be scrutinized by both the Planning Commission and County Board before they go into effect.

Courtesy photo

Arlington Once Again Ranked ‘Best City to Live in America’

By Alex Koma

Arlington has once again been ranked as the “Best City to Live in America” by the online review service Niche.

The website awarded the county with its top marks in part due to its high-quality public schools, low crime rate, abundant nightlife options and walkability. Niche calculates the rankings each year, and last named Arlington to its top spot in 2016.

Niche also previously ranked the county’s school system as the top option in the state and one of the best public school systems in the country last summer. The site has named Arlington among the best suburbs in the country as well.

The county beat out Ann Arbor, Michigan for the top spot, which placed in second after finishing in first last year. Rounding out the top five cities were Berkeley, California; The Woodlands, Texas; and Plano, Texas.

In a new list created this year, Niche also ranked Arlington neighborhoods among the top places to live in Virginia using similar metrics.

In fact, five Arlington neighborhoods claimed the top five spots in the company’s rankings — in order, Bluemont, Colonial Village, Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights, North Rosslyn and Waycroft/Woodlawn topped the website’s list.

Flickr pool photo by Bekah Richards

Bolt Brings Its Dockless Scooters to Arlington, Becoming Seventh Company in the County

By Alex Koma
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Yet another company is now offering dockless electric scooters around Arlington, as Bolt has now becomes the seventh firm operating in the county.

Bolt first began renting out its scooters in Arlington last Wednesday (Feb. 27), county transportation spokesman Eric Balliet told ARLnow. Like its six other competitors, the company is participating in the county’s pilot program for dockless vehicle providers, which is set to run through the summer and help Arlington officials determine the best way to regulate the technology.

February was a busy month for scooter companies in Arlington, with three winning the county’s approval for participating in the program in the last few weeks alone: Skip, Spin and Jump.

Bird kicked off the flood of scooters onto county streets this past summer, when it dropped hundreds of devices around the county. That prompted the County Board to sketch out a more formal pilot program to guide the process, clearing the way for Lime, Lyft and the others to follow suit.

Under the terms of the pilot, the companies are restricted to operating 350 vehicles for their first month in the county, and can then apply for gradual increases each month (so long as they can meet certain ridership targets).

Thus far, county officials haven’t recorded many problems with the scooters, though they remain a bit vexed in how to dissuade younger riders from using them or how to enforce the county’s ban on the scooters on local trails and sidewalks.

The pilot program is set to wrap up in July, when the Board will subsequently consider passing a formal ordinance governing the devices.

Arlington Agenda: March 4-10

By Alex Koma

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.

Monday, March 4

First Time Home Buyer Seminar*
Optime Realty (1600 Wilson Boulevard)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

In this free class, the Keri Shull and Orange Line Living Team will teach you everything you need to know about buying your first home, from your first steps exploring the market to throwing your housewarming party.

Tuesday, March 5

SMART Start
Arlington Chamber of Commerce (2009 14th Street N.)
Time: 4-5:15 p.m.

A free networking seminar for new, existing, and prospective members, SMART Start is your opportunity to learn how to maximize your Chamber membership.

Thursday, March 7

Trivia Night: Are you smarter than a Catholic Sister?
Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Boulevard)
Time: 6:30-9 p.m.

Test your knowledge in a friendly trivia-style competition against a team of Catholic Sisters. Happy hour starts at 6:30 p.m. and the trivia starts at 7 p.m.

Friday, March 8

Saint Agnes Lenten Soup Suppers*
St. Agnes Catholic Church, Parish Hall (1910 N. Randolph Street)
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.

Bring your family or friends on Fridays during Lent for the church’s Soup Suppers, which include meatless soups, noodles, bread, community and fellowship.

Saturday, March 9

Hula Workshop
Charles Drew Community Center (3500 23rd Street S.)
Time: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Join in for a day of hula with workshops taught by Kumu Hula Keith Awai & Kumu Hula Pōmaika’i Krueger.

Sunday, March 10

Julia Sarcone-Roach — There Are No Bears in This Bakery
One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland Street)
Time: 2-3 p.m.

Julia Sarcone-Roach shares from her new picture book. The creator of the New York Times bestselling “The Bear Ate Your Sandwich” brings another sly story of a hungry bear and a smooth-talking narrator.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

No Mardi Gras Celebrations Scheduled in Clarendon This Year, But Others Set Fat Tuesday Plans

By Alex Koma

Clarendon residents will go without any sort of local Mardi Gras celebration this year, but there are still plenty of ways to mark Fat Tuesday around Arlington.

The Clarendon Alliance, which normally puts on an annual parade and ball to celebrate the impending start of Lent, says it has no plans for the annual event this year.

The business booster group has gone through a bit of a transition recently, just tabbing a new executive director. Elizabeth Crocker is stepping in for Matt Husmann, the alliance’s longtime leader who retired from the post last year (and accepted a new position as the new manager of the Arlington County Fair).

Crocker urges residents to “stay tuned for information about new events and happenings, coming soon,” but apologized for not being able to put on the events this time around. The alliance even had trouble with Mardi Gras last year, cancelling the annual ball and “jester jaunt” in the face of stiff competition from events elsewhere in D.C.

However, Bayou Bakery will once again be offering its signature king cakes for sale on its website — the Courthouse eatery is also inviting Arlingtonians to a party at The Showroom on 14th Street in D.C.

According to StayArlington, the Heidelburg Pastry Shoppe on Lee Highway is also selling king cake, while Sugar Shack is offering up king cake donuts for a limited time.

The Chasin’ Tails Crawfish restaurant in East Falls Church (2200 N. Westmoreland Street) will also offer food and drink specials for Mardi Gras, including deals on raw oysters.

The Arlington Jaycees, an organization that organizes events for young people aiming for “personal and professional growth, community involvement and social engagement,” is also hosting a Mardi Gras happy hour at the G.O.A.T. in Clarendon.

File photo

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Alex Koma

Keep your eyes peeled for another round of snow and wintry mix tonight into tomorrow morning.

It seems March has plenty of cold weather left, with evening an outside shot at some snow Sunday night in the forecast.

But if you feel like braving the cold, you can check out our round-up of popular events around the county. And if you’re driving around Ballston, watch out for a major road closure near Ballston Quarter this weekend.

If you’d rather stay inside, you can always catch up on our most popular stories of the past week:

  1. Students at Rosslyn’s Argosy University Left Without Federal Aid Cash, As School Faces Financial Woes
  2. Ballston Quarter Misses Proposed Opening Date for New Food Court, Targets Early March
  3. Pedestrian Struck in GW Parkway Crosswalk, A Frequent Spot for Dangerous Crashes
  4. In Rare Public Appearance, Amazon Leaders Pledge to Become ‘Good Neighbors’ in Arlington
  5. Redevelopment of American Legion Post into Affordable Housing Complex Wins County Approval

Head down to the comments to discuss these stories, your weekend plans or anything else local. Have a great weekend!

Flickr pool photo via wolfkann

Rosslyn Set to See New Pedestrian Safety Improvements at Busy Road Crossings

By Alex Koma

Rosslyn is set to see a few more pedestrian safety improvement over the course of the next year or so.

The neighborhood’s Business Improvement District, which advocates for Rosslyn businesses by collecting a small property tax, is planning a variety of short-term fixes to make the bustling streets a bit safer for walkers.

In plans delivered to the County Board Saturday (Feb. 23), the BID says it hopes to use some of its tax revenue to work with county police on the fixes, as part of a broader initiative to make the area more walkable. County officials have even contemplated the more drastic step of make certain roads in Rosslyn “car-free,” though they have yet to settle on a precise strategy for the neighborhood beyond some guiding principles.

In the short term, the BID plans to build new “crash-grade planters to help delineate safer pedestrian crossings” at several intersections. Many of the roads crossing Wilson Blvd are often the site of robust crowds in the morning and evening rush hours.

The BID also hopes to expand some of its “wayfinding” efforts “that will eventually encompass not only pedestrian signs, but also traffic signage” to better brand each section of Rosslyn. The BID has already done some work in that department, setting up area maps, and even rolling out efforts to improve green space in the area, including the county’s first “parklet.”

In the long term, the BID plans to continue to work on efforts to someday convert streets like N. Fort Myer Drive, N. Lynn Street and N. Kent Street into two-way roads, though those changes are still a ways off.

Other, more ambitious efforts could someday remove the Fort Myer Drive tunnel under Wilson Blvd, or replace the existing Rosslyn skywalk system in favor of an all-pedestrian and cycling corridor leading up to the area’s Metro station. Some new developments in the area could help spur progress on the latter effort.

But all of these changes won’t be on the way until the new fiscal year, according to the BID’s proposal. The group is also asking the Board to hold its tax rate on local businesses level at $.078, though ever-rising real estate values will send the BID an extra $166,000 in revenue from a year ago.

Photo via Rosslyn BID

BREAKING: Firefighters Respond to Blaze at Columbia Pike Apartment Complex

By Alex Koma

(Update at 4:15 p.m.) Arlington firefighters have extinguished a blaze at an apartment complex just off Columbia Pike.

First responders were called to a complex along the 1300 block of S. Scott Street around 3:30 p.m. today (Friday). The block is home to the Wellington Apartments.

The fire was concentrated in a commercial drier at the complex, which was quickly shut off, according to the fire department’s Twitter account.

The department said there were no injuries as a result of the blaze, though they’re still warning people to avoid the area if possible.

Photo courtesy of Becca M.

Arts Advocates Blast Proposed Cuts to Theater, Grant Programs in New County Budget

By Alex Koma

Arlington arts advocates are sounding the alarm about planned cuts in the county’s new budget, arguing that they’ll disproportionately impact the government’s already modest arts programs.

County Manager Mark Schwartz is proposing a total of $5.2 million in spending slashes for fiscal year 2020, in tandem with a tax increase to meet some of the county’s financial challenges. About $500,000 of those cuts will targets arts-focused programs specifically, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Embracing Arlington Arts.

“We all have to sacrifice when budgets are tough,” Embracing Arlington Arts Chair Janet Kopenhaver wrote in a statement. “However, we remain stunned at the very high proportion the small arts budget is being asked to shoulder.”

Schwartz plans to close the Costume Lab and Scenic Studio Program located at the Gunston Community Center (2700 S. Lang Street), which provide scenery construction space and costume rentals for local arts groups. That will involving laying off two employees who staff the programs, a savings of about $180,000 each year.

The manager also expects to cut funding for its arts grant program by a third, dropping it from about $216,000 to $146,000 annually. The program provides some matching funds to support local artists, and both County Board contenders last year pressed for increases to the fund.

Kopenhaver group says that would make the county’s budget for the grant program “the lowest in the region.”

The county would also ditch the use of its mobile performance stage, which is available for rent, under Schwartz’s proposal.

The Cultural Affairs Division of the county’s economic development arm would also lose an audio production specialist who worked on county events, and the facility manager and facility technology services director working at the county’s arts studio at 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive. Schwartz expects existing staff could absorb the responsibilities of those employees, who are responsible for managing the space as a variety of different arts groups make use of it.

Finally, Kopenhaver’s group is also concerned about the proposed layoff of a supervisor of after-hours building engineers, who supervises building maintenance workers. Many county arts groups rely on county facilities after normal business hours for performance space.

In all, the arts advocates estimate that cultural affairs and arts program take up about one tenth of one percent of the county’s budget — Schwartz’s proposed cuts are much larger than that for arts-related services.

“In the end, the tiny arts program is being held accountable for a share of this year’s budget shortfall that is 62.5 times greater than its share of the fiscal year 2019 county budget,” Kopenhaver wrote. “If the cuts were proportional to the actual budget, then the cuts to the arts would be only $8,000.”

Embracing Arlington Arts notes that a recent study found that the arts generate $18 million in economic activity for the county, meaning that cuts to the arts budget could well have an impact on the county’s tax revenue.

Other proposed cuts in the budget including spending reductions for everything from Arlington Independent Media to the county’s bus service.

The Board will evaluate Schwartz’s proposal over the next few months, while also keeping a close eye on school needs as well — Superintendent Patrick Murphy is already warning that the school system will face painful cuts unless the Board approves a substantial tax hike.

Officials are scheduled to finalize the budget in late April.

Photo via Arlington Arts

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