Author: Chris Teale

TRAFFIC ALERT: Downed Power Lines Close Patrick Henry Drive

By Chris Teale
1/4

Updated 11:30 a.m. — Police have reopened Patrick Henry Drive.

Earlier: Emergency crews have closed part of Patrick Henry Drive in the Dominion Hills neighborhood due to downed power lines.

Patrick Henry Drive is closed between 9th Street N. and 9th Road N. where the live wires fell into the road just after 9:30 a.m.

A police officer at the scene confirmed that a truck or similarly high vehicle pulled down the power lines, which are laying in the roadway.

Workers from Dominion Virginia Power are on the way to the scene, but they had not arrived as of 10 a.m. Drivers should seek alternate routes.

Higher Costs Halt Approvals of Neighborhood Improvements

By Chris Teale

No new projects to improve pedestrian safety — such as sidewalk fixes or streetlight installations — will be approved until at least December after a vote last week by a citizen committee.

The Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee voted April 13 to suspend its spring funding round due to “anticipated increases in construction costs for projects that have already been approved by the County Board,” neighborhood conservation program coordinator Tim McIntosh said in an email.

NCAC represents 48 of the county’s 57 civic associations and leads the development of neighborhood plans. It also recommends neighborhood-initiated improvements for county funding, like sidewalks, street beautification, pedestrian safety projects, street lights and parks.

The NCAC’s decision does not affect existing projects already approved by the County Board. McIntosh said design work and construction on several plans will continue this year, but that the committee “wanted to reserve a portion of its 2016 bond to cover any cost overruns which may occur later this year for projects going out for competitive bid.”

“The focus will be on continuing design work for approved projects and making sure sufficient funding is on hand to complete them prior to approving new ones,” McIntosh said.

In an email, an anonymous tipster was critical of the NCAC approvals process and said more must be done to help improve pedestrian safety.

“Clearly, the NCAC system isn’t working as a method to help improve pedestrian safety,” the tipster wrote. “These projects are getting conflated with beautification projects and are now shut down due to poor project controls. The queue of vital pedestrian safety projects, many in the NCAC process for years already (projects that have neighborhood endorsement) is growing rapidly as Arlington traffic increases and there is now no way to address these problems.”

McIntosh said no decision has been made about the fall round of funding, set to be voted on in December.

“[Neighborhood Conservation] staff and the NCAC will evaluate whether or not to have the December funding round later this year,” he said.

Woman Found Lying on GW Parkway

By Chris Teale

(Updated at 7 p.m.) A woman was found lying in the middle of the roadway along the George Washington Parkway Monday night.

First reports indicated the was woman lying in the northbound lanes near the Key Bridge. U.S. Park Police officers responded to the call, assisted by medics from the Arlington County Fire Department.

A fire department spokesman said Park Police made first contact with the woman.

When units arrived, the spokesman said, they found the woman able to speak but “with an altered level of consciousness and possibly wanting to commit suicide.” Medics transported her to Virginia Hospital Center for treatment.

U.S. Park Police has not provided additional details about the incident.

Signs Up at New Rosslyn McDonald’s

By Chris Teale
1/5

(Updated 4:10 p.m.) A new McDonald’s in Rosslyn appears close to opening in the new Central Place building.

External signage is up for the fast food restaurant, and on Tuesday morning construction crews were installing signs inside the windows too. Preparations continue inside the ground-floor space, while the sidewalks around the property appear largely complete.

Rosslyn’s previous McDonald’s at 1823 N. Moore Street closed in 2014 to make way for the Central Place development. At that time, a sign in the McDonald’s window stated it would be closed “indefinitely,” which left open the possibility that the eatery would return to Rosslyn in the future.

A company spokeswoman said the eatery is set to open this spring, although an exact date is to be determined.

County Board to Debate New Elementary School Near Thomas Jefferson Middle School

By Chris Teale
1/4

The County Board will debate the plan to build a new elementary school on the site of Thomas Jefferson Middle School at its meeting Saturday.

The new elementary school at 125 S. Old Glebe Road would provide 752 seats and replace the current Patrick Henry Elementary School at 701 S. Highland Street. A naming process for the new school is underway. It is projected to cost $59 million and to open in September 2019.

But a report prepared by county staff acknowledges the project still has concerns, including theater parking during construction, the impact on homes at the north side of the site, whether an existing surface parking lot should remain and neighbors’ desire for sidewalk improvements in an area outside of the project’s scope.

As part of the approval process, the County Board will also discuss leasing county-owned land at the site to the School Board so the new school can be built.

If the County Board allows the lease to be executed, Arlington Public Schools would then have the right to use the land to build the new elementary school and a 214-space, joint-use parking garage. The lease would be set to expire in 75 years, in 2092.

A report by county staff found that executing the lease would not impact the county financially, but an agreement will be necessary to solidify how the county and APS will share the parking garage’s operating and maintenance expenses.

Staff recommends approval of the use permit for the new school and the execution of the lease.

County Hails Transitway Impact One Year After Launch

By Chris Teale

One year after it began service through Arlington, the Transitway appears to have picked up steam, and thousands of riders each day.

Metroway operates between the Braddock Road and Pentagon City Metro stations via U.S. Route 1 through Potomac Yard and Crystal Drive in Crystal City. It opened last April after collaboration with the City of Alexandria but ran into construction delays and cost challenges.

According to statistics provided by the county’s department of environmental services, there have been an average of 3,805 boardings and disembarkings at all stations in Arlington every weekday.

County staff said there have been an average of 474 weekday boardings and disembarkings at the S. Glebe Road station, just north of Arlington’s border with Alexandria. The station has the most riders in Arlington by that metric.

County staff estimate that riders starting their journeys at S. Glebe Road saved two-and-a-half minutes on their journeys with the dedicated bus lanes, compared to when they rode the Metrobus’ 9S service, which was replaced.

The Transitway also played a role in providing alternate transportation routes for Arlingtonians during Metro’s SafeTrack surges that affected Metrorail’s Blue and Yellow lines.

Phoenix Bikes to Celebrate 10th Anniversary with Ball, New Location

By Chris Teale

It promises to be a busy few months for local nonprofit Phoenix Bikes as it celebrates 10 years since its founding.

The organization — which lists its mission as promoting bicycling, building community and educating young people — marks its 10-year anniversary today.

It will celebrate on Thursday night from 6:30 p.m. with its Makers’ Ball at 1750 Crystal Drive. The evening will include music, food, drink, an auction of art and other hand-made craft, a bicycle showcase and more.

Later this year, Phoenix Bikes will take center stage once again as it hosts this year’s Youth Bike Summit on October 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

The summit is geared toward youth, bikes, education, advocacy and leadership, and it features a number of workshops and seminars as well as keynote speakers and networking.

“By creating a space where voices of all bicyclists can be heard, the Youth Bike Summit fosters an inclusive national dialogue that addresses the issues, rights, and concerns of all bicyclists,” Phoenix Bikes posted on its website.

Phoenix Bikes currently is located in Barcroft Park, where it provides its community bike shop to help recycle, mend and repurpose used bicycles. But before the end of the year, the organization will relocate to the ground floor of the Arlington Mill Community Center. Such a move has supporters very excited.

“It is an exciting step for Phoenix Bikes, the youth they serve and our Arlington community,” County Board member Libby Garvey, also a Phoenix Bikes board member, wrote in an email to supporters.

Photos via Facebook

Dunkin’ Donuts Now Open on N. Glebe Road

By Chris Teale
1/6

The former KFC on N. Glebe Road in Buckingham has a new tenant: coffee and doughnut shop Dunkin’ Donuts.

KFC closed last year for what was described at the time as “maintenance,” but the new occupier has now opened its doors.

Dunkin’ Donuts serves a variety of doughnuts and coffee, as well as other offerings like teas, sandwiches and soft drinks.

This location, the 10th in the county, has space for 29 seats inside and a drive-through option. No major alterations appear to have been made to the exterior of the building.

Arlington Startup Selected for Smart Cities Business Accelerator

By Chris Teale

Startup Monday header

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

A county startup was one of just six companies selected last week for a business accelerator focused on helping cities be smarter and more livable.

Arlington-based Greater Places will participate in the Smart City Works Infrastructure Actuator, the first in the Greater Washington area, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) announced on Friday.

The accelerator focuses on growing young companies that help make cities smarter, more livable and more resilient. This program, operated in conjunction with the Center for Innovative Technology, is anticipated to help drive innovation in infrastructure while fostering economic development.

Also in the program are McLean- and San Jose, Calif.-based UnomicEdge; Integrated Health Solutions of D.C.; Infraccess of New York; Chicago-based Capital Construction Solutions and PlanIT Impact of Kansas City, Mo.

Greater Places provides urban design solutions including models of transit-oriented development, and it is already looking ahead to the growth of driverless vehicles. It comprises a soon-to-be-launched mobile app as well as the website, which have evolved from it previously being published as a physical textbook, and is based at startup incubator 1776.

Founder Lisa Nisenson previously helped create “Cards Against Urbanity,” a parody of the irreverent card game “Cards Against Humanity” to get players thinking about urban planning while poking fun at the cities they live in.

The incubator program consists of an intense 90-day business boot camp where startups are mentored in creating a sustainable and successful business, with a focus on identifying pilot opportunities, testing and marketing opportunities.

Smart City Works brings together subject-matter experts, industry leaders and investors to help launch, build, and grow successful startups.

Nisenson said in an interview that one-on-one mentorship is one of the most helpful aspects of the program.

The one-on-one attention that everyone’s getting is so completely essential,” Nisenson said. “There’s other types of incubators, and a lot of times you don’t get that one-on-one, it’s just, ‘Here’s the business model canvas, here’s the PowerPoint, check it out.’ In this case, they can go straight into your data and tell you what to modify and look at customer segments. It’s that attention to really honing in.”

The spring program ends on June 28 with a Demo Day, where companies will have the opportunity to pitch and demonstrate their technology to an audience of external mentors, investors and stakeholders.

“This first-in-the-nation business accelerator affirms Virginia’s role as a leader in creating livable, resilient communities,” said McAuliffe in a statement. “It will harness our region’s valuable assets and will attract technology companies from across the globe to the commonwealth. The actuator will allow us to bring cutting-edge technology to market, deploying these innovations in smart communities across Virginia and making us a national model for smart cities.”

Arlington Agenda: April 17-23

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

Challengers Toastmasters Meeting
Asahi (2250 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Join Toastmasters to practice, learn and receive feedback on giving toasts in a comfortable and supportive environment. Learn confidence, vocal variety, storytelling, physical presence, inflection, eye contact, vocabulary, emotion and more.

Wednesday

School Board Candidate Forum
Patrick Henry Elementary School Gymnasium (701 S. Highland Street)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

The Pike President’s Group invites all Arlingtonians to a school board candidates’ debate between candidates James Lander, Maura McMahon and Monique O’Grady, who are all vying for the Democratic endorsement in the May caucus.

Thursday

Lafayette Federal Homebuying Workshop *
Lafayette Federal Credit Union (3141 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 170)
Time: 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

Owning a home is a great financial investment and mortgage specialists are here to help. Lafayette Federal’s Henry Molina, vice president of business development, will be on hand to discuss best practices for the home buying process.

Arlington Rotary Awards Banquet *
China Garden (1100 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6-9 p.m.

The Arlington Rotary Educational Foundation’s annual Fundraiser Banquet. Rep. Don Beyer (D) will be the keynote speaker, while scholarships will be awarded to graduating students from Arlington High Schools both in the county and Uganda.

Friday

Refugee Doll Project
Arlington Central Library Auditorium (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Learn how to engage children about the refugee crisis. Jeanne Trabulsi, an Arlington educator and founder of The Refugee Doll Project, will share how parents can foster awareness and appreciation of refugees and new immigrants by using dolls, books and age-appropriate activities.

Paul Rodriguez Live
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: Friday 7:30 and 10 p.m., Saturday 7 and 10 p.m., Sunday 7 p.m.

Longtime comedian Paul Rodriguez has been making audiences laugh all over the world in Spanish and English for nearly three decades with his unique brand of humor that is a perfect blend of his Latin heritage, the American dream and his undeniable universal appeal.

Saturday

Arlington Festival of the Arts *
Clarendon (3003 Washington Blvd)
Time: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

One hundred and fifty national and international artists are set to display their fine works from across the globe in a prestigious show encompassing fine jewelry, exquisite works of art and hand-crafted apparel and decor.

Arlington Teen Summer Expo
Wakefield High School (1325 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

An annual event that links Arlington teens with summer jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities. The Expo is offered free to teens, young adults and those advertising summer positions. Teens will be able to connect with more than 100 employers.

Arlington Community Foundation Spring Gala *
The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City (1250 S. Hayes Street)
Time: 6-11 p.m.

The Arlington Community Foundation’s annual spring gala, a one-of-a-kind evening featuring culinary delights and wines from around the world expressive of the diverse Arlington community. Event also includes outstanding silent and live auctions, dancing and more.

Sunday

In Christy’s Shoes 5th Annual Sole Celebration *
Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 4-7 p.m.

This fundraising event celebrates the life of Christy Levy Peters who may have lost her battle with brain cancer but, not her fight to help women achieve greatness. Event includes a runway fashion show, food and drink, a mobile silent auction and more.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

DEVELOPING: Virginia State Police Seeking Missing Senior

By Chris Teale

Update 8:50 p.m. – Olga Price was found safely in Washington, D.C. earlier this afternoon, after being declared missing on Saturday morning.

Earlier: The Virginia State Police issued a senior alert earlier this morning on behalf of Arlington police, who are looking for a missing woman.

Olga Ann Price, 84, was last seen on April 14 at 8:30 p.m. at 1910 N. Randolph Street. She is 5-foot-4 and weighs approximately 180 pounds.

Police believe she is wearing a gold wedding ring, a gold necklace and a red Washington Nationals baseball cap.

Anyone with information is asked to call Arlington police at 703-558-2222.

More from Virginia State Police:

** SENIOR ALERT ** SENIOR ALERT ** SENIOR ALERT ** SENIOR ALERT **

THE VIRGINIA STATE POLICE HAS ISSUED A SENIOR ALERT ON BEHALF OF THE ARLINGTON COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT ON APRIL 15, 2017, AT 0600 HOURS.

THE ARLINGTON COUNTY POLICE DEPT IS LOOKING FOR OLGA ANN PRICE, W/F, 84 YOA, HGT/5’4″ WGT/180 EYE/GRN HAI/GRY.  HER CLOTHING DESCRIPTION IS NOT KNOWN.  SHE SHOULD BE ADORNED WITH A GOLD WEDDING RING, A GOLD NECKLACE AND WEARING A RED WASHINGTON CAPITALS BASEBALL CAP.

SHE IS BELIEVED TO BE IN DANGER AND WAS LAST SEEN ON APRIL 14, 2017, AT 2030 HOURS, AT 1910 NORTH RANDOLPH STREET, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.

SHE SHOULD BE DRIVING A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY, BEIGE IN COLOR, WITH VIRGINIA LICENSE PLATES JGR-5815.

PLEASE CONTACT THE ARLINGTON COUNTY POLICE DEPT AT 703-558-2222 WITH ANY INFORMATION.

YOU MAY FIND COMPLETE INFORMATION AT HTTP://WWW.VASENIORALERT.COM/

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