Author: Chris Teale

Nestle Employees Expected to Finish Rosslyn HQ Move By Month’s End

By Chris Teale

Employees at Nestle’s USA headquarters are expected to finish moving into its new Rosslyn office by the end of January.

In an interview with ARLnow earlier this month, Rosslyn Business Improvement District President Mary-Claire Burick said the moving process is expected to be complete soon.

Burick noted that Nestle has worked hard to help any employees relocating from its current home of Glendale, Calif., and helped them settle into Arlington County.

“They’ve done a magnificent job with acclimating the employees, doing a resource fair and just making sure that those employees are well acclimated, not only to the neighborhood of Rosslyn but of Arlington in general,” Burick said.

Ahead of that move, Nestle has worked closely with building owner Monday Properties to prepare its new headquarters. It will include spaces for employees to collaborate, and Burick added the building will have a new open stairway to promote “walkability between floors.”

Nestle will be the first tenant in the building, which was completed in 2013 after being built “on spec” and had remained vacant since.

“I think Nestle was really creative about their office space and how it would support their culture,” she said.

And a major catering company will provide food and drinks to the new Nestle headquarters in Rosslyn, according to permit and ABC license applications.

According to applications, Compass Group, Inc. will provide the catering for Nestle’s USA headquarters at 1812 N. Moore Street, on the 33rd floor. Compass serves “award-winning restaurants, corporate cafes, hospitals, schools, arenas, museums, and more,” per its website.

A county permit application notes that the new cafeteria will require an inspection by the Department of Health before it can be used.

As of the time of writing, a spokeswoman for Compass Group had not provided any further details.

Disclosure: Monday Properties is an ARLnow advertiser.

Rosslyn-Ballston Office Vacancy Rate Expected to Keep Dropping This Year

By Chris Teale

The office vacancy rate in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor continued to recover in 2017, with new tenants moving in this year expected to maintain that recovery.

Commercial real estate firm JLL found that the recovery continued for the third straight year, after tenants moved out in droves from 2009 to 2014 following BRAC and sequestration at the federal level. That contributed to Arlington County’s total office vacancy rate being at 22.7 percent in 2017.

And this year, JLL said the arrival of Nestle in Rosslyn as well as the redevelopment of the Ballston Exchange — formerly known as Stafford Place and the previous headquarters of the National Science Foundation — and Ballston Quarter Mall will help drive down that office vacancy rate.

Rosslyn is set to add occupants in 500,000 square feet of vacant office space this year, including the likes of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which is relocating from D.C. Although with a 29 percent office vacancy rate at the extremes of the corridor, it is not all good news.

A previous JLL report found that office rent is highest on Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn and increasing, due to new high-end “trophy class” offices coming online, as well as the unobstructed views of Washington, D.C. and the Potomac River.

And locating close to Metro stations is still pushing rent up on office space across Northern Virginia by up to 34 percent, according to JLL. It also found that all of the new office space being constructed is close to Metro.

But despite the positives, the Northern Virginia region as a whole is still struggling, with a 20-year historical high for office vacancies and not much improvement forecast in the coming years. Fairfax County’s office vacancy rate of 21.1 percent is second behind Arlington, followed by Alexandria (19 percent), Loudoun County (16.6 percent) and Prince William County (15.6 percent).

The lowest vacancy rate close to D.C. is in Frederick County, Maryland, which has a 9.1 percent vacancy rate.

“The forecast broadly is not likely to shift greatly from today as slower demand caused by limited near-term lease expirations, limited economic diversification outside of the core government and contractor drivers and a dysfunctional Congress will keep supply-demand fundamentals relatively flat,” John Sikaitis, managing director for research at JLL, wrote in a presentation on the findings.

Beyer Blasts Bill Renaming Gravelly Point Park for Nancy Reagan

By Chris Teale

Rep. Don Beyer (D) criticized a bill that would rename Gravelly Point Park for former First Lady Nancy Reagan as it passed a U.S. House of Representatives committee earlier today.

The bill failed once in the House Natural Resources Committee, but then was brought up again and passed 18-16 on a party-line vote.

It now heads to the House floor for debate and a final vote, with similar actions required by the U.S. Senate before it can be signed into law by President Donald Trump.

But Beyer, a committee member whose district includes Arlington County, took exception to the efforts to rename the park near Reagan National Airport’s main runway as Nancy Reagan Memorial Park. The bill, H.R. 553, is sponsored by Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) and has 51 Republican co-sponsors.

In remarks to the committee today (Wednesday), Beyer criticized the bill for not taking sufficient public input from residents of Arlington and Alexandria, the communities closest to Gravelly Point.

“[This] bill is the equivalent of someone coming in and changing the furniture in your house without asking you,” he said. “First, you would have liked them to ask you, and even if you do like the furniture, you probably would have wanted input since it’s your house…Gravelly Point is not a national tourist attraction, it’s where local families go to have a picnic, throw a ball around, put a blanket down and watch the planes coming in and out, and it’s also where almost every Northern Virginia Uber driver sits to wait for a pickup.”

Beyer also called the bill a “pet project” by conservative advocacy group Americans For Tax Reform, which looks to minimize “the government’s power to control one’s life.”

“This is what some call Washington at its worst — when we ignore the will of the local community to appease the desire of a moneyed, special interest,” Beyer said.

In response, Hice said there was “no better way” to honor Reagan by naming the park after her.

Beyer’s full remarks on the bill, including a video clip, are after the jump.

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Trash Collections Suspended, Shifted by One Day After Overnight Snow

By Chris Teale

Trash pick-up is suspended for the rest of today (Wednesday) due to road conditions from the overnight snow, with all collections pushed back by one day.

In a tweet this morning after about an inch of snow fell on Arlington County last night, staff from the county’s Department of Environmental Services said roads were particularly difficult in hilly sections.

A DES spokesman noted in an email that “Wednesday routes tend to be in the hilly part of north Arlington.”

Instead, all collection routes will take place a day later than planned. Those who would normally have trash collected today will have it collected tomorrow (Thursday); Thursday collections will be handled on Friday (January 19); and Friday’s will be done on Saturday (January 20).

That decision followed what could have been a weather-related crash by a garbage truck this morning. According to scanner traffic, the truck hit a utility pole on the 4600 block of 27th Street N., near Marymount University and brought down some power lines. There were no injuries.

Photo via Department of Environmental Services

Rosslyn PNC Bank Branch to Close in March

By Chris Teale
1/3

A branch of PNC Bank in Rosslyn will close in mid-March.

A sign on the door of the bank at 1801 N. Lynn Street said it will permanently shutter on Friday, March 16.

The sign directs customers to nearby PNC branches in Clarendon (2601 Clarendon Blvd) and Georgetown (1201 Wisconsin Ave NW).

An anonymous tipster also reported receiving a notice about the closure when they logged into internet banking.

Residents Launch Petition to Change Zoning Ordinance After Home Extension Denied

By Chris Teale

Two residents have launched a petition to try to change the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance after the Board of Zoning Appeals denied their plan to add a story to their home.

John and Gina Quirk, who live on 20th Road N. in the North Highlands neighborhood north of Rosslyn, had an application to convert an unused attic at their duplex home (pictured above) into a third-story bedroom rejected by the BZA late last year.

John Quirk said the “minimal” addition to make more room for their expanding family had the support of all their neighbors. It also had the support of some BZA members, who said at their December meeting that the fact that it stayed within the property was laudable.

“I think this is a really wonderful attempt to gain more space without increasing the footprint, and if we don’t grant these kinds of variances, then we’re faced with variances where they want to expand with the footprint,” said BZA member Charles Smith. “I think this gives developers and builders a [really] good model on how you can gain more with less.”

But the BZA voted down the proposal by a 3-2 margin on the grounds that the R2-7 zone for the property, a residential zone for townhouses and two-family homes, does not allow for such expansions by homes that were built before the Zoning Ordinance took effect. This home was built in 1939.

Such extensions are allowed for homes in other, similar residential zones, but in the Quirks’ zone it requires a special exception from the BZA.

In denying the extension, BZA members urged the Quirks to petition the County Board to change the Zoning Ordinance to allow the extensions in the zone where their home is.

“There’s hundreds like you, so maybe it could be a worthwhile community project for you to be the poster child for,” said BZA member Peter Owen, who also said the Zoning Ordinance is “broken.”

So the Quirks have done just that, and launched an online petition that has 91 supporters so far. The pair said their efforts could help the county address its lack of affordable housing and help people not be priced out of the county when they need more space.

“New county initiatives champion Missing Middle Housing as a strategy to support walkable, urban neighborhoods,” they wrote. “Duplexes are a perfect example of Missing Middle Housing if they can be improved to be compatible in scale to single family homes.”

Image via John and Gina Quirk

Virginia Hospital Center Expansion Plans Arrive for Public Scrutiny

By Chris Teale
1/5

A proposal to add a major expansion to Virginia Hospital Center has been opened up for public discussion ahead of a possible approval in the near future.

A walk-through of the site by the county’s Site Plan Review Committee had been planned for January 6 but has been postponed, with a new date yet to be confirmed.

SPRC held its first meeting on the project on December 18, 2017. It will review the plans and then make a recommendation to the Planning Commission, and also provide a first forum for public comment.

VHC is proposing a more-than 230,000-square-foot, seven-story outpatient pavilion for walk-in patients.

The plans would also convert around 120,000 square feet of existing outpatient space to 101 hospital beds and build a 10-story parking garage with just over 2,000 spaces.

The extension to its campus would replace the county-owned Edison Center on the 1800 block of N. Edison Street, to the north of VHC’s main site. The Edison Center is currently home to some county offices and an Arlington County Refugee Services location.

The County Board voted in July that it wants to acquire the hospital’s property at 601 S. Carlin Springs Road and use the site on N. Edison Street as part of the purchase price.

The county hosted a kick-off meeting for the project on November 16, 2017. According to a meeting summary posted online, feedback was generally positive, with questions raised about traffic and parking issues but also noting the project’s importance.

“This isn’t just some ordinary expansion,” one commenter wrote on a feedback card. “This is a vital resource to this County. No one wants something in their backyard. The renderings are beautiful and definitely better than what exists on Edison Street.

Images by HDR.

Arlington Agenda: January 16-21

By Chris Teale

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.

Tuesday, Jan. 16

Community Forum on Helicopter Noise
Abingdon Elementary School (3035 S. Abingdon Street)
Time: 7:30-9 p.m.

Rep. Don Beyer will host a community forum to discuss helicopter noise from the nearby Pentagon. The forum is part of a study Beyer had included in last year’s Defense Authorization Act after frequent complaints from neighbors.

Thursday, Jan. 18

Home Selling Seminar *
Heavy Seas Alehouse (1501 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6:30-8 p.m.

Learn about the process of selling your home, how staging can improve sales price, how to structure a loan, tips to fix commonly flagged issues found during a home inspection before listing your home. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Meet the Chair
GMU Arlington Campus (3351 Fairfax Drive)
Time: 6:30-8 p.m.

Hear new County Board chair Katie Cristol’s 2018 initiatives, then ask questions in a town hall forum. This special event connects Arlington residents and community citizens directly to one of their representatives.

Brian Posehn Live
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings

Comedian, actor and writer Brian Posehn brings his stand-up show to the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse. Posehn has starred in film and television shows as well as his own stand-up performances, including 2013’s “The Fartist.”

Friday, Jan. 19

Voices Out of Chaos
Yorktown High School (5200 Yorktown Blvd)
Time: 7-8:15 p.m.

Yorktown High School’s Theatre III & IV class performs “Voices Out of Chaos” again, so audience members can see how the original play created in response to current events has evolved. A Q&A will follow the free performance.

Saturday, Jan. 20

Aligning Your Real Estate New Year’s Resolutions *
Washington Golf & Country Club (3017 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 9-11 a.m.

A workshop for those wondering if their current home aligns with their lifestyle, financial, quality of life and other goals, or if it might be time for a change. It combines elements of life coaching, change facilitation and real estate.

Sunday, Jan. 21

Feast of St. Agnes Celebration *
St. Agnes Catholic Church (1910 N. Randolph Street)
Time: 1-3 p.m.

Join St. Agnes Catholic Church as they celebrate the feast of their patron saint. After the noon Mass, there will be a choir-led procession to the Parish Hall for lunch sponsored by the parish, featuring a music ensemble. All are welcome, RSVP required.

Free Weekly Bingo
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (3201 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

D.C. Fray hosts a free weekly bingo night at O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub in Clarendon with plenty of opportunities to win various prizes. Attendees can expect laid-back games, jokes and the occasional drink special.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Card Skimmer Found in Clarendon ATM

By Chris Teale

Arlington County Police said they recovered a “skimmer” device designed to steal credit and debit card information from a Clarendon ATM late last week.

ACPD said officers responded to the 3000 block of Wilson Blvd just after 11 a.m. on Friday, January 12 after hearing reports of the device. Police determined that it was installed at some point between the previous afternoon and that morning.

Police did not specify which ATM the device was installed at. That block is home to a BB&T bank branch and ATM.

The skimmers have recently been discovered inside pumps at local gas stations, while AAA warned of a spate of the devices across the region last year.

In a tweet, ACPD warned ATM users to monitor their bank statements and report any activity that appears to be fraudulent.

More from an ACPD crime report:

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES (Significant), 2018-01120112, 3000 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:11 a.m. on January 12, police responded to the area for the report of a skimming device located inside an ATM. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 4:30 p.m. on January 11 and 10:30 a.m. on January 12, an unknown suspect placed the device inside the machine. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

Photo via Google Maps.

Lopez Announces Formation of Virginia Latino Caucus in General Assembly

By Chris Teale

Del. Alfonso Lopez (D) announced last week the formation of the Virginia Latino Caucus in the General Assembly.

Lopez, who represents the 49th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, a district that includes swathes of south Arlington, said the bipartisan caucus will initially include Del. Jason Miyares (R-Virginia Beach) and first-term Dels. Elizabeth Guzman and Hala Ayala (both D-Prince William).

“Latinos make up 9 percent of Virginia’s total population,” Lopez said in a statement. “It’s long past time that we have more representation in the General Assembly to reflect that reality. I’m honored to welcome Delegates Guzman and Ayala to the House of Delegates and look forward to working with them to represent Virginia’s Latino community.”

Lopez announced the caucus’ formation on the House floor on Friday, January 12. The caucus is open to all members, regardless of ethnicity.

BREAKING: Glebe Road Closed After Car Strikes Pole

By Chris Teale
1/10

N. Glebe Road is closed in both directions after a car struck and shattered a utility pole, bringing wires down.

The collision took place just after 11:30 a.m. today (Tuesday) on the 3700 block of N. Glebe Road in the Old Glebe neighborhood. The driver of a white car struck the pole while heading south, then veered across into the northbound lanes. The car was left with significant damage to its front end.

Officers from the Arlington County Police Department closed N. Glebe Road in both directions and diverted traffic onto side streets. In a tweet, the Arlington County Fire Department said closures will be in effect for an “extended time.”

No injuries were reported. Several dozen Dominion customers in the area are currently without power, according to the company’s outage map. Crews from Dominion arrived on scene to assess the damage around noon.

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