Author: Chris Teale

Pimp Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Teen in Arlington

By Chris Teale

A man who forced a 16-year-old girl to work as a prostitute in an Arlington County hotel pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking a minor.

According to documents filed in federal court, Andrew Lee Thompson II, aka “Slim,” 34, of Florida, brought the girl to Arlington after meeting her in Arizona.

While in Arlington, a security guard called police after seeing multiple men go in and out of two rooms at a hotel, identified by WUSA 9 as the Best Western on S. Glebe Road near I-395.

“When law enforcement investigated, they found evidence of prostitution related activity in the hotel rooms and recovered the minor victim,” said a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “After arresting Thompson, law enforcement found tattoos on his body bragging about his pimping activities, including on his arm and across his chest.”

Thompson also trafficked the girl in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and elsewhere in Virginia for prostitution dates, then collected the money. Thompson worked alongside two co-defendants, Delberta McKenzie and Rachel Robillard, prosecutors say, using prostitution ads posted online.

Thompson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. He will be sentenced on February 9, 2018.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the guilty plea with Arlington County Police Chief Jay Farr and Andrew Vale, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Arlington and Alexandria to Cooperate on Upgrades to 911 Systems

By Chris Teale
1/5

Arlington County and the City of Alexandria will be working together on further upgrades to their respective 911 systems.

The Arlington County Board is set to approve a Memorandum of Understanding at its meeting on Saturday (October 21), paving the way for cooperation with the Alexandria City Council and interoperability between the two 911 systems.

Last year Arlington added text-to-911 capability, 5.5 years after first announcing, during a visit from the then-FCC chairman, that it was working to give residents the ability to send text messages to 911. Other “Next Generation 911” capabilities are still in the works.

In a report on the MOU, county staff said the two jurisdictions working together will help “improve operational standards and increase public safety in the region,” as part of a regional goal to improve the efficiency of handling emergency calls.

“Towards that end, Arlington County and the City of Alexandria have proposed an MOU for the planning, design, procurement, installation, configuration, operation and lifecycle management of a new shared NG 9-1-1 system to support these goals of interoperability and improve efficiency of call processing and public safety emergency response,” staff wrote. “Arlington County and the City of Alexandria have both planned for and allocated funding to improve their 9-1-1 call processing systems.”

The MOU will help create an integrated system for both jurisdictions, meaning they can process both emergency and non-emergency calls from either jurisdiction’s primary and backup 9-1-1 center.

Both will also be able to answer each other’s telephone calls when the other cannot do so, such as during a system failure or an evacuation.

The county will be the “fiduciary agent” for the scheme, meaning it handles all the finances. Alexandria will provide an inter-jurisdictional transfer of money to fund its side of the project.

Four Designs For Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center Released

By Chris Teale
1/16

The four possible designs for the next phase of the Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center have been released.

The revamped center at 475 Long Bridge Drive will have a 50-meter pool; diving platforms from one, three and five meters up; a family pool; and health and fitness spaces. The contractor can then add extra features from a “menu” of potential options, so long as it stays within budget.

That “menu” could include advanced energy efficiency, a therapy pool, a 10-meter dive tower and more spectator seats, among other enhancements.

The project, plagued by a years-long delay caused by anticipated cost overruns has a scaled-down aquatics and fitness center from previous plans. The county will be using a design-build approach, which keeps costs down by establishing a budget at the start that the contractor must not exceed.

“We are incredibly excited about these designs,” County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a statement. “We’ve got four nationally recognized design and construction firms who are putting together their best ideas, based on their creativity and knowledge, for project options for Arlington. By using the Design-Build method, we can focus on the community’s needs while completing the project within budget.”

Links to videos showcasing the designs of the four bidders are below.

Members of the public can give feedback on the four design concepts in several ways between now and October 29:

  • Attend a public event on Thursday, October 19 from 7-10 p.m. at 2011 Crystal Drive, 11th Floor. Watch the presentations, ask the firms questions and share feedback.
  • Visit the Courthouse Plaza lobby (2100 Clarendon Blvd.) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays (from October 19 to 29) to watch the videos of the designs, view schematic drawings and share feedback.
  • Starting today, go online to watch the videos of the designs and share feedback.

Following community feedback, the park’s Selection Advisory Committee will recommend the contract award based on written proposals, interviews, review of concepts, public feedback and negotiations.

The firm that is awarded the contract will complete its design and construction documents next year, with construction set to start as early as next July.

County to Consider Leasing ART Bus Maintenance Facility in Fairfax County

By Chris Teale
1/2

The Arlington County Board will vote Saturday on a seven-year lease for an ART Bus maintenance facility in Fairfax County.

Currently, British transportation company National Express leases the space and has a contract to maintain ART buses at 6100-A and 6104 Farrington Ave., in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. The space has a 10,000-square-foot building and a 32,833-square-foot parking area.

National Express’ contract with the county and its lease on the property both expire on June 30, 2018.

Under this plan, the county would control the facility for bus maintenance to, staff said, “promote more competition for the ART operations and maintenance contract, leading to more advantageous pricing for the county.”

The County Board voted last December to buy a maintenance site in Springfield for $4.65 million. But staff said that it will take at least five years to acquire the site and build it out, so this lease helps fill in the “gap years” until it is ready.

This new lease would begin on July 1, 2018, and expire on June 30, 2025. The initial base rent would be just under $180,000 a year, with an annual increase of 3 percent, which staff says would ultimately save the county money.

“The County’s new lease agreement cost of $178,345.80 for Fiscal Year 2019 is $16,483.32, which is 8.6% less than the amount National Express Transit would have paid,” the staff report says. “In the new ART operations contract, the payment to the contractor will be reduced accordingly.”

Photos No. 1 and No. 2 via Google Maps.

Best Western Hotel in Rosslyn Now a Red Lion

By Chris Teale
1/2

A hotel in Rosslyn near the Iwo Jima Memorial has changed its name.

The Best Western Rosslyn/Iwo Jima at 1501 Arlington Blvd. is now the Red Lion Rosslyn/Iwo Jima.

Permitting applications filed with Arlington County earlier this month indicate it is just a name change, and that no other aspects of the hotel have physically been changed other than its branding.

The Red Lion has 141 rooms, and other amenities including free Wi-Fi, complimentary bike rentals, a 24-hour fitness center and more. A hotel and condo redevelopment has been proposed for the property.

Hat-tip to Eric L.

Marine Corps Marathon Will Close Arlington Roads, Highway Lanes

By Chris Teale

The 42nd Marine Corps Marathon and MCM 10K will bring a bevy of road closures to Arlington County this coming Sunday (Oct. 22).

Opening ceremonies for the races begin at 6:30 a.m., with the wheelchair race starting at 7:45 a.m. and the marathon and 10K beginning at 7:55 a.m. Around 30,000 people are expected to take part in the races, which run through parts of Arlington and D.C.

There are a number of good vantage points in Arlington to watch the runners, including the beginning and end of the marathon in Rosslyn and some of its final miles in Crystal City.

Per an Arlington County Police Department press release, the following roads will close on Sunday:

4:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  Marshall Drive from North Meade Street to Route 110

4:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  North Meade Street from Marshall Drive to Lynn Street

4:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  Route 110 from I-66 to Jefferson Davis Highway

4:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  Wilson Boulevard from North Nash Street to Route 110

4:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  Lynn Street from North Meade Street to Lee Highway

4:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  Fort Myer Drive from North Meade Street to Lee Highway

4:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  North Moore Street from Wilson Boulevard to Lee Highway

4:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  19th Street North from Lynn Street to North Nash Street

4:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.  Route 110 ramp from Washington Blvd. to Pentagon North parking

5:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.    Exit 8B, Southbound 395 exit to Southbound Route 1. Motorists seeking to enter Crystal City are advised to continue south, take exit 7 (Glebe Road), and make a left at the traffic signal to travel south on Glebe    Road.  Continue south for approximately 2 miles, where Glebe Road intersects with both S. Eads Street and Route 1. Both thoroughfares lead into Crystal City.

7:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.  Lee Highway (eastbound) from Lynn Street to North Kirkwood Street

7:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.  Spout Run Parkway from southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) to Lee Highway

7:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.  GWMP from Spout Run to Memorial Circle Drive

7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  Francis Scott Key Bridge (all lanes)

7:35 a.m.-2:00 p.m.  HOV lanes from 14th Street SW to HOV ramp at South Eads Street

7:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.  South Eads Street from South Rotary Road to Army Navy Drive

7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.  Army Navy Drive from South Fern Street to 12th Street South

7:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.  15th Street South from Crystal Drive to South Eads Street

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.   12th Street South from Army Navy Drive to Crystal Drive

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Crystal Drive from 12th Street South to 23rd Street South

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  23rd Street South from Crystal Drive to North Clark Street

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Long Bridge Drive from 12th Street South to I-395

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Boundary Channel Drive from I-395 to Pentagon North Parking

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Washington Blvd. from Columbia Pike to Memorial Circle (southbound lanes will reopen at approximately 9:30 a.m.)

While roads will close for the race, Metrorail will open two hours early at 6 a.m. and have extra trains on the Blue and Yellow Lines. Metro said the extended hours, now a rarity compared to years past, are “funded through an agreement with event organizers.”

Travel tips from a Metro press release, after the jump.

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Plan for Reduced Parking Near Metro Stations Advancing Towards Board Vote

By Chris Teale
1/2

New residential buildings near Metro stations in Arlington County could have car parking spaces substituted for spots for bike and car-sharing.

The Arlington County Board is expected to advance an updated off-street parking policy for multi-family buildings at its meeting Saturday. It would allow developers to provide fewer car parking spaces for certain new apartment and condo buildings built in the Rosslyn-Ballston and Crystal City-Pentagon City Metro corridors.

The change, to encourage more use of transit, bicycles and other transportation, stemmed in part from a report released earlier this year by the county’s residential parking work group.

The new policy would incldue the following, per a report by county staff:

  • Minimum parking requirements for market-rate units ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 spaces per unit depending on distance from the nearest Metro station entrance (ranging from 1/8 to 3/4 of a mile).
  • Minimum parking requirements for 60-percent-of-Area-Median-Income and 50-percent-of-AMI committed affordable units, and no minimum parking requirements for 40%-of-AMI units.
  • Reductions of up to 50 percent of the minimum parking requirements in exchange for providing bike parking, bike share, or car-share amenities on site, in addition to those already required by the county.
  • A separate visitor parking requirement of 0.05 spaces per unit for the first 200 units.
  • Allowances for shared parking between different land uses in mixed-use projects, like offices, retail and residential.
  • Allowances for meeting parking requirements through the dedication of spaces at existing garages located within 800 feet of the new building and in the Metro corridors.
  • Mitigation requirements for parking in excess of 1.65 spaces per unit.
  • Relief from minimum parking requirements for sites with physical constraints like size, historic structures that must be retained and more.

In their report, staff noted the potential for knock-on effects in neighborhoods where new buildings have lower parking requirements.

“Staff have heard concern from some stakeholders that low parking requirements will lead developers to seek permission to build less parking on-site than the buildings’ residents will need,” they wrote. “According to this line of thinking, some residents of those multi-family buildings will then park on neighboring streets, thereby increasing competition for on-street parking spaces, making parking less convenient.”

If the Board moves the plan forward on Saturday, as staff recommends, a public hearing and final vote on the subject will be set for its November meeting.

Images via county presentation.

‘Little Free Library and Bike Repair Station’ Pops Up in Penrose

By Chris Teale
1/5

Anyone in the Penrose neighborhood can now pick up a book or fix their bike at a new tiny wooden library.

The “Little Free Library and Bike Repair Station” is at the corner of 8th Street S. and S. Courthouse Road, two blocks from Columbia Pike.

The handcrafted station is open for people to take and donate books at any time. When a reporter stopped by early Wednesday morning, a graphic novel and children’s book joined other paperbacks inside.

It also has a bike pump, metric Allen keys and a crescent wrench for bicyclists to carry out any running repairs on their bikes.

It is not the first Little Free Library to pop up in Arlington, but does appear to be the first to offer bike repairs at the same place.

Transportation Commission member and Penrose resident Chris Slatt was the brains behind the project.

“My friend’s two daughters wanted to build a Little Free Library, but that’s tough for them since they live in an apartment building so they came over and we built it together and installed it at the end of my lawn,” Slatt told ARLnow. “I wanted to add a bike spin to it — the various ‘bike fix stations’ that the County has installed inspired me to add the tools.”

‘The G.O.A.T’ Sports Bar Opens Today in Clarendon

By Chris Teale
1/11

After months of anticipation, new sports bar “The G.O.A.T” will open this afternoon in Clarendon.

The sports bar and lounge at 3028 Wilson Blvd, in the former Hard Times space, will begin serving customers at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) in a soft opening that includes a limited food menu.

The G.O.A.T has three full bars and tables across two levels, with seating for around 350 people. Individual TV monitors line the walls, with a jumbo screen on each floor.

At the back, a champagne room will seat around 30 people and have its own screens, while nearby are several arcade games and a photo booth.

Scott Parker, a local nightlife titan behind the likes of A-Town Bar and Grill, Don Tito and Barley Mac in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, estimated there are more than 60 television screens throughout.

On the menu, guests can expect American comfort food with what executive chef Mike Cordero described as an “electrifying twist.” Some Tacos will come with Korean steak, while the sliders will come with smoked pork belly and duck among others.

And for dessert, Cordero said The G.O.A.T’s Baked Alaska will “take the cake,” and be flambéed at the table while customers look on.

Among the cocktails on the menu is the signature “G.O.A.T.,” made up of Hennessy Black, orgeat syrup, homemade margarita mix, lemons and Peychraud’s Bitters. Customers can also experience “The Cavalier” and “The Twenty-Three,” smoked with apple wood chips and hickory, respectively.

The G.O.A.T. will open at 4 p.m. on weekdays, and at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

The GOAT is opening today (Wednesday) at 4 p.m. in Clarendon. Here's a 360 view inside.

Posted by ARLnow.com on Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Co-Working Company TechSpace to Expand into Ballston

By Chris Teale

A new co-working space will move into Ballston next year, across the street from the under-construction Ballston Quarter mall.

TechSpace will move into the eighth floor of Two Liberty Center (4075 Wilson Blvd); its 10th location in the United States. It expects to open in June 2018. TechSpace already has similar co-working spaces in New York, California and Texas.

The new 20,000-square-foot Arlington office will include 56 private, interconnecting office suites with 198 workstations as well as open co-working desks and spaces for working. That will include fully-equipped conference rooms and lounges. Members who work in the space will also have access to building amenities like a rooftop terrace, bike storage, locker rooms and showers.

“Our new Arlington location extends TechSpace’s heritage of delivering extraordinary flexible, modern office space and technology services to all businesses as well as enterprise companies,” said Victor Memenas, Chief Executive Officer for TechSpace, in a statement. “We’re excited to bring our model of creative flexible office space and collaborative social experience combined with our exceptional customer service to the Arlington community.”

More from a TechSpace press release:

TechSpace Arlington will be prominently positioned along the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor within easy reach of Washington DC, The Pentagon, Tyson Corner, Maryland Suburbs, the Ballston-MU Metro, I-66 and Route 50. The campus is also close to retailers including Sweetgreen, Taylor Gourmet and celebrity Chef Mike Isabella’s 3 concept restaurants, Kapnos Taverna, Pepeita and Yona. This campus will join nine existing TechSpace locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, California and Austin and Houston, Texas.

“TechSpace Arlington will allow us to expand our outstanding customer service and highly flexible, low-commitment model to many more companies seeking to grow their businesses without the burdens of long-term leases and unnecessary capital investment,” said Memenas.

TechSpace will complete with a number of existing coworking spaces in Arlington, including the soon-to-open Spaces in Rosslyn, MakeOffices in Clarendon and WeWork in Crystal City, among others. There is demand for coworking space in Arlington: latter two offices are both at or near capacity.

Photo via Shooshan Company.

Asphalt Spill Causes Slowdown on Lorcom Lane

By Chris Teale
1/4

A passing truck spilled asphalt onto Lorcom Lane in Cherrydale earlier this morning, prompting a cleanup and causing some delays.

According to scanner traffic, the truck dropped the asphalt just after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Traffic slowed on Lorcom Lane’s eastbound lane at Nelly Custis Drive, near the Cherrydale United Methodist Church, as officers from the Arlington County Police Department cleared the debris onto a nearby sidewalk.

Police put flares out to alert drivers to the material in the road, but did not close any roads. Traffic continued to flow normally heading west.

By 10:15 a.m., police had cleared the asphalt from the street and removed the flares.

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