Author: Chris Teale

Report Recommends Less Residential Parking Near Metro Stations

By Chris Teale
From a preliminary site plan document

New apartment and condo buildings close to Metro stations in Arlington could have fewer parking spaces, and more spaces for bikes and car-sharing services, under a recommendation by a county working group.

The county’s residential parking work group made a series of recommendations on future parking for new buildings and released its final report this week.

The group is made up of residents and other stakeholders, and came together in 2016 to work on a policy to guide county staff on required parking for new apartment and condo buildings.

Staff is now asking for feedback on those recommendations in an online survey, which is open through April 18.

The group’s first recommendation was to reduce the number of spaces available depending on how close a new building is to a Metro station. According to the final report, members were split evenly on how low that parking ratio of units to spaces should be.

One proposal would have 0.4 parking spaces per unit for a building less than one-eighth of a mile from a Metro station, and up to 0.8 parking spaces per unit for a building less than a mile away. The other would have even fewer spaces per unit.

The working group also recommended that if developers provide parking spaces for bicycles and car-sharing, they should be permitted to reduce vehicle parking spaces. The group said that providing 10 bicycle parking spaces should allow two fewer vehicle spots, while adding a Capital Bikeshare station and paying for its upkeep should mean up to four fewer spaces.

Meanwhile, every space for car-sharing services like Zipcar or Enterprise CarShare guaranteed for at least three years should mean up to five fewer parking spots, the report said.

Committed affordable housing units would also see lower parking ratios if close to Metro, due to what the report said is lower demand for parking spaces.

Units priced at 40 percent of area median income would not be required to provide any parking spaces, while affordable homes at 60 percent AMI would be required to provide 0.7 spaces per unit.

Other recommendations include a one-time payment by developers for “excess” parking, expanding shared parking on-site, and permitting developers to provide 100 percent of parking off-site, provided it is no further than 800 feet from the building and is secured for at least 10 years.

File photo

BalletNova Drafts Former Redskin For Program Kick-Off

By Chris Teale

A Super Bowl-winning former linebacker joined the BalletNova Center For Dance to kick off a new community engagement program today.

Former Washington Redskins linebacker Andre Collins joined BalletNova for its “M.O.V.E” residency session at Hoffman-Boston Elementary School in the Arlington View neighborhood Tuesday morning.

M.O.V.E stands for motivation, opportunity, vitality and empowerment. The school-based program uses accessible movements to teach elements of dance and develop sophisticated choreography, while challenging children physically and mentally. For most students participating in the M.O.V.E. program, it is their first experience with dance.

The school residencies are six to eight weeks in length, with classes meeting once a week for an hour. Each residency culminates in a performance at the school.

Collins joined the class earlier this morning. He studied dance in college and took classes while playing in the NFL. After graduating from Penn State, he was drafted by the Redskins in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft.

After four years with Washington, including winning Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, he played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions before retiring in 1999.

He is now director of retired players for the NFL Players Association and executive director of the Professional Athletes Foundation.

Photo via Professional Athletes Foundation

County Seeks Input on Crystal City Street Improvements

By Chris Teale

Designs for the project to improve 12th Street S. in Crystal City are coming together, and now the public can take a look themselves.

The “Ask the Project Team” event for the Complete Street project between Clark and Eads streets is scheduled to take place on Wednesday from 3-6 p.m. at The Connection pop-up library at 2100 Crystal Drive. The designs are 30 percent complete, so this event means residents can provide feedback on any major concerns in the plans.

The project will help create dedicated bus lanes for the Crystal City/Potomac Yard Transitway in that section of 12th Street S. — the same stretch in which a commuter bus crashed into an apartment building last week — as well as provide pedestrian improvements.

It will add two-way bicycle lanes under the Route 1 bridge, which will link a future two-way bicycle track on Army Navy Drive to a planned two-way bike lane along S. Bell Street heading toward the Crystal City Metro station. Those new bicycle facilities will then link to Long Bridge Drive.

The design will also include improved landscaping, sidewalks, pedestrian ramps and streetlights, as well as new north/south crosswalks at Army Navy Drive. It is adjacent to the 12th Street S. extension project from S. Eads Street to S. Fern Street in Pentagon City.

After the meeting, the project display boards will remain at the library for public viewing until April 15.

School Board Candidates Open To Neighborhood Focus For Future Reed Elementary

By Chris Teale
1/3

Three Arlington School Board candidates looked to ease neighborhood fears about the future Reed Elementary School at a forum Monday night.

A presentation last month by Arlington Public Schools staff suggested the 725-seat elementary school offer the International Baccalaureate as a countywide choice program when it opens in 2021.

But neighbors have raised concerns about the traffic impact of students being bussed in, and neighborhood children having to be educated elsewhere.

And at a candidate forum hosted by the Highland Park-Overlee Knolls Civic Association, incumbent James Lander and challengers Maura McMahon and Monique O’Grady all agreed the IB designation was just a suggestion and not set in stone. A fourth candidate, Mike Webb, was absent.

“There is no decision, there is no proposal, it’s a concept,” said Lander. “It’s a concept I don’t support, but it was a way to get the conversation started with the community.”

The school currently hosts The Children’s School, a nonprofit that provides education and child care for the children of APS parents, and the Integration Station, which helps students with disabilities integrate with those without disabilities.

But it is set to be the temporary location for the Stratford program while the Stratford School building is renovated.

The Stratford program will then relocate in 2019 with H-B Woodlawn to the redeveloping Wilson site in Rosslyn.

The Reed School site would then be revamped as an elementary school, with construction likely to begin that year once Wilson is open, Lander said.

And rather than be an IB choice program, the majority of those present appeared more supportive of Reed being a neighborhood school. O’Grady encouraged neighbors to make their voices heard on that point.

“I keep hearing from the community that a neighborhood school is important,” she said. “If that’s what you want, I suggest you come together and advocate for that.”

McMahon, meanwhile, said APS must be strategic to combat its growing enrollment and ensure the programs it already has are of a high standard. She cited previous conversations with parents about adding schools with immersion programs in world languages like French and Mandarin.

“My opinion is they would be great, but we have a lot of other things we need to focus on first, like do we have enough schools?” she said.

Transportation and traffic also weighed heavily on the discussions around Reed. Lander said he wanted to revisit adding an exit on the back of the site, a plan that has not been supported in the past. McMahon said discussions on bussing must also involve catering to low-income families who use public transportation to get to and from school.

And while several attendees said the community is often consulted too late in the planning process for such projects, O’Grady said getting involved early would be a good way to shape the future.

“I think it’s an exciting time for your community, and it’s the perfect time to step up and say, ‘This is what we want,'” she said.

Two Affordable Housing Units Up For Lottery on Friday

By Chris Teale

A local nonprofit is looking for qualified buyers for two affordable housing units, and will hold a lottery this Friday to find new owners.

The two homes are in the new Carver Place community, at 1316 S. Rolfe Street in the Arlington View neighborhood. The affordable condo units were built as part of an agreement between developer Craftmark and Arlington County.

Arlington Home Ownership Made Easier, Inc., is sponsoring the lottery. AHOME helps first-time buyers with education and counseling in Arlington and the surrounding communities.

The lottery is only open to a family of four or five that earns no more than 60 percent of area median income. For four people, that would be a total household income of $65,520; it’s $70,800 for five people.

The homes both have a purchase price of $282,800, and each have three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

Eligible applicants must also have a minimum credit score of 660; have a minimum cash down payment of $9,900, which is 3.5 percent of the homes’ purchase price; afford the monthly Homeowner Association fee of $272; fill out the homebuyer assessment form; and complete a Virginia Housing Development Authority homebuyer education class.

AHOME executive director Karen Serfis noted in an email that this is the first time in more than five years that the organization has had three-bedroom condos available for purchase.

Server Issues Again Hamper APS Extended Day Registration

By Chris Teale

Parents were left frustrated on Saturday after registration for Arlington Public Schools’ Extended Day Program was beset by server issues for the second time in as many months.

Originally, the program’s registration portal had opened at midnight on March 1, but suffered technical issues and was closed indefinitely to be fixed.

APS reopened online registration at 3 p.m. April 1 for Summer School and the 2017-18 school year, but within minutes the system struggled with technical issues.

Several parents vented their frustrations on the APS Facebook page at the repeated technical issues.

“This was the issue a month ago and it is still not fixed,” wrote one. “Please provide additional guidance to parents (many of whom signed up the first time at midnight) on if we should continue to wait for the site to be fixed (now at 36 mins of trying) or try again later. It is the weekend and expectations should be managed.”

“Thanks for wrecking a Saturday afternoon,” wrote another. “It would be much appreciated if you would either offer a time frame or advise whether or not we should keep trying. You have a lot of parents feeling stuck and afraid not to keep hitting ‘refresh.'”

At 4 p.m., APS posted the following on its Facebook page:

UPDATE from Extended Day:

We greatly apologize for the inconvenience as the registration website is again experiencing issues. The developers are working to correct any issues and make the process faster.

Please send an email [email protected] with your student(s)’s name, school and requested sessions and we will process your registration. You will be contacted in the next few weeks with additional information.

But less than an hour later, APS posted to say the website “appears to be working now,” then again the following morning to “apologize for the inconvenience as the registration website experienced issues.”

There do not appear to have been any further issues with the website since.

Arlington Agenda: April 3-9

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

Arlington Thrive’s YP Bingo Happy Hour *
Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill (2424 Wilson Blvd.)
Time: 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Free attendance to enjoy food and drink specials along with getting to know your fellow young professionals and how Arlington Thrive helps neighbors in need. Try your hand at winning prizes and a 50/50 cash raffle.

Managing Student Debt for Yourself and Your Children
Arlington Public Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 7-8 p.m.

Learn how to save for your child’s education, while keeping your personal financial goals in perspective. Workshop highlight include resources for managing student loans and creating and reviewing plans to repay existing student debt.

Salute to AmeriCorps Service Event & BBQ
Barcroft Park (4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive)
Time: 5-6:30 p.m.

In honor of National Mayor and County Recognition Day, Aspire! Afterschool Learning will celebrate its dedicated AmeriCorps team that has contributed more than 100,000 hours of community service to south Arlington children and families.

Wednesday

HireEd: Bridging the Education and Workforce Gap
George Mason University Founder’s Hall (3351 Fairfax Drive)
Time: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Entrepreneurs, corporations, business leaders, educators and nonprofits will discuss successful solutions and strategies to place students, graduates and workers at all levels and bridging the gap between educating, finding and placing talent.

Wine Tasting *
Osteria da Nino (2900 S. Quincy Street)
Time: 5-7 p.m.

With RWK Imports owner Robert W. Kennedy, enjoy Paolo Grillo from Sicily, Pietraventosa EstRosa, Paolo Cali Mandragola, Alice Buonaccorsi Rossorelativo and Ettore Gemano Barolo Serralunga. After the tasting you can purchase wine at discount prices.

Friday

Crystal City 5k Fridays
Crystal City Courtyard Green (2121 Crystal Drive)
Time: 6:30-8 p.m. (each Friday in April)

The Crystal City 5K Fridays series will take runners on a USA Track & Field-certified course along Crystal Drive and past Long Bridge Park. After the race, runners can enjoy area bar and restaurant specials exclusively for them.

Author Conversation and Wine Tasting
One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland Street #101)
Time: 6:30 p.m.

Authors Sarah K. Stephens and Laura Ellen Scott lead a discussion of psychological thrillers, having both recently released new titles in that genre. A wine tasting will precede the talk at 6:30 p.m., then the conversation begins at 7 p.m.

Natasha Leggero Live Stand-Up Comedy
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: Friday 7:30 and 10 p.m.; Saturday 7 and 10 p.m.

Natasha Leggero has been a favorite round table guest on the wildly popular “Chelsea Lately”on E! and is currently headlining packed comedy clubs across the country with her own brand of sophisticated writing, physicality and glamour.

Saturday

Arlington Free Clinic Bites & Blues Party
Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill (2424 Wilson Blvd.)
Time: 7-11 p.m.

Arlington Free Clinic hosts the second annual Bites & Blues Party benefiting its Oral Health Program. The Bites & Blues Party is a casual evening of music by the band Fast Eddie and the Slowpokes, dancing, raffles and food & drink.

Arlington Poetry Fest
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 12-4 p.m.

With performances by Christylez Bacon, Arlington Poet Laureate Katherine E. Young, the Indian Dance Educators Association and a poetry slam by the likes of Busboys & Poets’ Pages Matam and the Shirlington Poetry Hosts.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

DEVELOPING: Car Flips After Crash on George Washington Memorial Parkway

By Chris Teale
File photo

A car flipped over after a crash on the southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway on Friday afternoon.

According to scanner traffic, the crash occurred just south of the Spout Run Parkway exit at around 3 p.m. A woman was reportedly ejected from a car by the impact. She was transported to the hospital at around 3:40 p.m. in a critical condition, per scanner traffic.

Arlington police and fire units responded to the area with U.S. Park Police, which stopped southbound traffic on the George Washington Parkway from Route 123 and the southbound ramp from the Spout Run Parkway.

At 3:50 p.m., Park Police said on Twitter that northbound lanes on the GW Parkway may also need to be closed temporarily.

Arlington police recommended travelers find an alternate route.

ABC7 reporter Kimberly Suiters reported seeing good samaritans trying to rescue the driver of the car that flipped.

First Best of Ballston Awards Will Honor Neighborhood’s Hidden Stars

By Chris Teale

The Ballston Business Improvement District’s annual meeting will have a new twist this year, as it hands out the first Best of Ballston Awards.

The awards will be in three categories for those in the neighborhood: property manager, innovator and broker.

Nominations are being accepted through May 1, ahead of the event on June 21 at the Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel at 801 N. Glebe Road.

“Talented, creative, smart and savvy people walk the streets of our neighborhood — this event is our time to share their success stories!” reads the online nomination page.

The Property Managers Award will be presented to a neighborhood property manager who connects tenants to services, products and programs that help build their business and retain or grow their presence in Ballston.

The Best of Ballston Innovation Award is for a Ballston tenant who has developed an innovative product or service, and the Best of Ballston Broker Award will go to a local real estate broker that has leased space, attracted the greatest number of new tenants, or leased the greatest square feet of space.

In addition to the awards, BallstonGives, the charitable subsidiary of the Ballston BID, will give the donation check from the Taste of Arlington food festival to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

And the Robert Ball Award, named after the Ball family for which the neighborhood is named, will be presented to developer John Shooshan in recognition of his contributions to Ballston and Arlington.

Easter Bunny Photos Available At Pentagon City Mall

By Chris Teale

Easter is just a couple of weeks away, and the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is getting in the holiday spirit.

From today through April 15 in the Nordstrom Court on the mall’s first level, shoppers can have their photographs taken with the Easter Bunny.

Times vary each day, but the bunny is around until 8 p.m. each day except Sundays, when he leaves at 6 p.m.

Appointments with the Easter Bunny can be made online for those wishing to skip the line. A $10 non-refundable deposit is required for reservations.

And on April 2 from 9-11 a.m., children and young adults with special needs can have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny in an adapted environment in the same location.

The environment will be adjusted to support the sensory, physical and other developmental needs of children of all abilities. Those interested are asked to RSVP ahead of time.

Easter this year is on Sunday, April 16.

Car Flips After Collision Near Williamsburg Middle School

By Chris Teale
1/6

A car flipped over after a collision near Williamsburg Middle School on Wednesday afternoon.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Williamsburg Boulevard and N. Harrison Street around 4 p.m.

A police officer at the scene said the driver of a Toyota Prius misjudged the speed of oncoming traffic while trying to turn left on a green signal. The car then collided with an oncoming black Toyota, which spun and flipped.

The white Prius sustained major damage to its front and had several pieces ripped off by the impact, but the driver was able to drive it to the side of the road under direction from police officers on the scene.

The officer said that there were minor injuries to the drivers. Police set up traffic cones around the scene and temporarily stopped traffic. The stoppage lasted for a short period, then cars were able to proceed slowly around the crash site.

A nearby resident who declined to be identified said he heard a loud bang, then saw the black car skid for approximately 15 or 20 yards before flipping over.

The crash took place while some students were leaving the school, and the resident said Williamsburg crossing guards were immediately on the scene to keep the children safe, including one from outside the school.

“If I want anyone on my team, I’d want that crossing guard,” the resident said.

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