Then-Vice President Biden visits Liberty Tavern in 2013
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are scheduled to cross the river into Arlington next week.
“On Monday, December 12, as part of the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative, the President and the First Lady will travel to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia to participate in a United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots sorting event, in celebration of Toys for Tots’ 75th Anniversary,” the White House announced Friday afternoon.
A time for the event was not given.
That the presidential visit is taking place at the military base should limit traffic impacts for local residents, but the presidential motorcade could still result in rolling closures on certain roads and bridges.
Biden previously traveled to Arlington for this year’s 9/11 remembrance at the Pentagon. Prior to that he campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in Pentagon City in October 2021.
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
Four people suffered minor injuries Wednesday night during a pellet gun drive-by shooting.
The incident happened on the 3200 block of Columbia Pike, just east of S. Glebe Road, around 6 p.m. It involved 3-4 male suspects in a white SUV, including the shooter of the airsoft gun, who is believed to be in his 20s.
From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ASSAULT AND BATTERY (Significant), 2022-12070175, 3200 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 6:11 p.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, it was determined unknown male suspect(s) discharged an airsoft gun from a vehicle, striking four victims with pellets. The victims reported minor injuries which did not require medical treatment. Responding officers canvassed the area yielding negative results. The suspect vehicle is described as a white SUV with three or four male occupants. Suspect One is described as a White male in his 20s with short dark hair and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. There are no other descriptions for the vehicle’s occupants. The investigation is ongoing.
Back in March police responded to a series of drive-by paintball and pellet gun shootings that might have been inspired by a viral video trend. Few, if any, such shootings have been reported since in Arlington, until Wednesday’s incident.
Closed pedestrian bridge over Route 50 (via Arlington County)
A pedestrian bridge in the Rosslyn area is closed after inspectors founds something worrisome.
The bridge over Route 50, connecting N. Fairfax Drive and Fort Myer Drive in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, was found to have deteriorating concrete in sections, according to Arlington County. The span is closed while crews work on repairs.
More from a county press release:
Engineers are closing the pedestrian bridge connecting North Fairfax Drive to Fort Myer Drive over Arlington Boulevard, effective immediately, as a result of a bridge inspection today, Thursday, December 8, out of an abundance of caution.
Pedestrian access over Arlington Boulevard will be maintained on the Rhodes Street bridge to the west and North Meade Street to the east.
The restrictions will stay in place until further notice. The Arlington Boulevard multi-use trail will remain open on the north side of the bridge.
Crews had been conducting maintenance work on the bridge’s surface. An inspection revealed deterioration of the concrete in some sections of the bridge. The bridge will be temporarily closed while crews work on these repairs.
Christmas lights and the moon in the fog on Dec. 7, 2022 (staff photo)
County Preps for Winter Weather — “Area meteorologists have predicted a somewhat below average total for seasonal snow accumulation in the region. That would be the sixth time in the past seven winters. Did we mention the historical chance for a white Christmas is at 7%? Regardless, Arlington County continues with almost year-round planning and training for the possibility of a sudden bad blast of winter. County crews are ready once again to hit the roads with a fleet of almost 50 trucks as well as contractors on call.” [Arlington County]
Large Water Main Break in Courthouse — From last night: “Emergency Water Main Repairs: Crew working on 12-inch main at 2410 North 14th Street. Some 200 customers could be affected. Estimated time for completion: 12/9/2022 4:00 AM. Traffic diverted around work site.” [Twitter]
Beyer Lauds Same-Sex Marriage Bill — “Passage of the Respect For Marriage Act is a victory for freedom, civil rights, and love… The General Assembly and Governor Youngkin must protect marriage equality in the Commonwealth by repealing Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban. Virginians overwhelmingly value equality and freedom, and they deserve this basic measure of respect from their leaders.” [Press Release]
Local GOP Focuses on Election Security — “Until the pandemic, Republicans frequently were absent from Arlington Electoral Board meeting (excepting of course Electoral Board members themselves). Over the past two years, the GOP’s election-integrity team has been vocal at meetings, in particular pushing for a reduction in the number of voting dropboxes in the community. Republicans contend that having a significant number of dropboxes – there currently are nine – is costly and invited the potential of fraud.” [Sun Gazette]
Tech Co. Opens New Rosslyn Office — “Shift5, the onboard operational technology (OT) data and cybersecurity company for planes, trains, and tanks, today officially opened the doors to its new office space in Rosslyn, Virginia, expanding its office footprint by 67% as the company closes out a year featuring 54% growth in headcount.” [GlobeNewswire]
Green Valley Park Artist Speaks — “Artist and landscape architect Walter Hood shares what drew him to the John Robinson, Jr. Town Square project and how his conversations with the Green Valley community shaped his vision for the landscape and inspired the creation of the FREED sculpture.” [YouTube]
It’s Friday — Mostly clear throughout the day. High of 49 and low of 38. Sunrise at 7:17 am and sunset at 4:48 pm. [Weather.gov]
Proposed apartments at the YMCA redevelopment site (via Arlington County)
Proposed apartments at the YMCA redevelopment site (via Arlington County)
Renderings for a redeveloped YMCA facility in Arlington (via Arlington County)
Original renderings for a redeveloped YMCA facility in Arlington (via Arlington County)
Renderings for a redeveloped YMCA facility in Arlington (via Arlington County)
Renderings for a redeveloped YMCA facility in Arlington (via Arlington County)
The current conditions at the YMCA in Arlington (via Arlington County)
The exterior of the YMCA in Arlington (via Arlington County)
Plans to redevelop a local YMCA may have too many apartment units and not enough community benefits, county planners say.
The YMCA is proposing to tear down its existing facility on N. Kirkwood Road in Virginia Square and build an 87,850-square-foot facility with indoor swimming pools, pickleball and tennis courts, a fitness space and a conference and lounge area, as well as 203 parking spaces. To finance the project, the nonprofit is building a separate 7-story, 374-unit apartment building.
County planners say the baseline for this project is around 270 units and that the YMCA it needs to provide more community benefits to build beyond that.
The reason for the 104-unit gulf is a disagreement over whether the gross floor area of the recreation facility should be excluded from the overall project area. This number determines, for instance, the size of a developer’s affordable housing contribution, either in cash or in on-site units.
The nonprofit’s attorney, David Tarter, says it is financially necessary to exclude the entire facility from density calculations and cites the “best in class” facility as a community benefit to be included in the benefits package.
“This full exclusion is necessary to provide the YMCA the resources needed to construct the proposed YMCA facility,” Tarter writes in the nonprofit’s site plan application.
On its website, the nonprofit says the new building “will serve an estimated 11,415 children, adults and seniors annually, creating 108 new permanent living wage positions and 175 construction jobs.”
Other benefits include three open spaces totaling about an acre and an east-west pedestrian and bicycle connection through the site.
County planner Michael Cullen says past precedent for site plans and ordinances support including the building’s square-footage in density calculations. He said in a presentation these extra 104 units “must be earned through a comprehensive community benefits package” that goes beyond earning LEED Gold certification in exchange for more units.
He says the nonprofit will also have to do more for affordable housing to obtain approval to build apartments in the first place. In the Washington Boulevard and Kirkwood Road Special GLUP Study governing the site, the land is zoned for commercial use.
The county developed the plan, with community input, to guide the YMCA development and two other projects on the same block.
That includes Terwilliger Place, which Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing completed this September on the American Legion site, and a 270-unit apartment building dubbed Modera Kirkwood, on which Mill Creek Residential broke ground in December 2020. The latter could be completed next year.
Projects in this situation “have generally been expected to achieve greater achievements in accordance with the affordable housing master plan,” Cullen said.
Arlington Dept. of Community Housing, Planning and Development spokeswoman Erika Moore says the county is discussing with the applicant ways to offset the 104 units with more sustainability and affordable housing commitments. Potential approaches will be discussed at a Site Plan Review Committee meeting, a date for which has not yet been set.
The public review process has just kicked off for the project. An online feedback opportunity, which opened on Tuesday, will run through Monday, Dec. 19.
A woman was groped, followed and pulled to the ground by an unknown suspect in the Lyon Park area, police say.
The incident happened last night (Wednesday) around 5:30 p.m.
The suspect initially grabbed the victim’s buttocks as she was walking along the Arlington Blvd trail at 10th Street N., not far from Courthouse, according to Arlington County police.
He then re-approached on the 2500 block of N. Pershing Drive and pulled her to the ground by the shoulders, but ran off when she screamed, police said.
From an ACPD crime report today:
SEXUAL BATTERY (Late), 2022-12070193, Arlington Boulevard trail at 10th Street N. exit ramp. At approximately 7:32 p.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined approximately two hours prior, the victim was waiting at a crosswalk when the unknown male suspect approached her from behind and touched her buttocks before fleeing the area on foot. The victim continued traveling and was in the 2500 block of N. Pershing Drive when the suspect reapproached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, causing her to fall to the ground. The victim yelled and the suspect fled the area on foot. The victim sustained minor injuries and did not require medical attention. Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 20-30 years old, 5’8-5’10, medium build, wearing a black hoodie and black pants. The investigation is ongoing.
The suspect description is a bit different than that of a man who groped a woman in Courthouse last week, though the victim in that case wrote that she “didn’t get a good look at the guy.” Both suspects were reported to have been wearing a black hoodie and black pants, according to police.
“Both incidents remain under investigation and detectives will work to determine if they are linked,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
Police outside Yorktown High School after a false report of threats, February 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police outside Yorktown High School after a false report of threats, February 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police on scene of a false shooter threat at Washington-Liberty High School, October 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police on scene of a false shooter threat at Washington-Liberty High School, October 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
In February of this year, a hoax call about an armed suspect inside Yorktown High School holding hostages triggered a lockdown, evacuations and a massive police response.
That incident is now informing one of Arlington’s legislative priorities for the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session. The Arlington County Board and School Board are calling for a law that specifically names and criminalizes false calls to police, describing a life-threatening situation, with the intent to trigger a police response. It is widely known as “swatting” because of the SWAT teams it sometimes elicits.
Swatting is on the rise in Arlington County, according to Lt. Matt Martin of the Arlington County Police Department. There have been four instances in 2022 so far, up from two in 2021 and one incident per year from 2018 through 2020. (Martin says because there is no swatting category in crime statistics, these numbers were pulled manually based on case facts and may not be comprehensive.)
In nearby Fairfax County, there were 11 such incidents in 2020 and 30 in 2021, a police spokesperson previously told our sister site, FFXnow. There were four such incidents in Alexandria this year.
“Swatting has been on law enforcement radar for 15 years,” says Martin. “The intent is to send officers to a call where someone’s life is at risk, which ups the ante, and ups our response.”
It started in the online gaming community, when people would call the police on their target in response to a slight or unpaid bet, Martin says. It has since become a nationwide problem, one where even identifying those behind the incidents can be tricky, says ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
“The person that calls in could realistically call in anywhere in the world, which leads to a challenge for identifying them,” she said.
In September, hoax calls triggered a police response at Washington-Liberty High School and several other schools across the state, including in Loudoun and Fauquier counties. W-L was previously evacuated in October 2021 after a false report of an active shooter.
A 19-year-old man from Vienna was sentenced last year for his roles in numerous swatting attacks that targeted journalists, the Old Dominion University in Norfolk and Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, which has a predominantly Black congregation.
Swatting not only applies to pranksters calling the police, but also to people who call others — schools, for instance — and describe a threat that prompts them to call 911. But Virginia law only criminalizes making a false report, which means people who spread false information but don’t make the call can’t be charged with a crime.
That is what police and elected officials would like to see changed.
“Any law that’s going to prohibit a behavior needs to define the behavior,” Martin said. “The detective who investigated [the Yorktown incident] came to me and said, ‘We looked at potential charges. Making an indirect call doesn’t violate Virginia law… It was that detective who recognized that gap in the law that started all of this.”
Commissioner of Revenue candidate Kim Klingler and Arlington County Sheriff candidate Jose Quiroz
Ingrid Morroy at a DMV office grand opening (staff photo)
Sheriff Beth Arthur at Arlington Democrats watch party (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 10:10 a.m.) Candidates are starting to emerge in the races to replace two retiring, long-time local elected officials.
Last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting featured candidate announcements from Jose Quiroz, who is running for Arlington County Sheriff, and Kim Klingler, who is running for Commissioner of Revenue.
Quiroz, a 21-year veteran of the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office who would be the county’s first Latino sheriff, has the endorsement of retiring sheriff Beth Arthur.
More from a press release:
Tonight, Jose Quiroz announced his candidacy to be the Democratic nominee for Arlington County Sheriff before the Arlington County Democratic Committee. Jose has served the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office for over 21 years, rising through the ranks of the office and gaining experience in virtually every division.
“As Sheriff, I am committed to running a safe and progressive jail focused on rehabilitation and refocusing lives.” said Jose, “As part of this commitment I will explore eliminating phone and video call fees from the jail so that people in jail are able to maintain contact with their friends and family, which will make it easier for them to rejoin the community after incarceration.”
Additionally, current Sheriff Beth Arthur announced her early retirement this evening. As Chief Deputy, Jose will succeed Sheriff Arthur in January 2023. “I am incredibly thankful to have the support of Sheriff Arthur, a true leader and trailblazer as the first female Sheriff in Arlington County. I wish her well in her retirement after nearly 36 years with the office.”
On assuming the office, Jose will be the first Latino Sheriff in Arlington County. More about his platform and experience can be found at his campaign website: joseforsheriff.us
In Arlington County, the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for running the jail, providing courtroom security, transporting prisoners, serving summonses and assisting with traffic enforcement.
Also announcing a run for public office last night was Kim Klingler, a local civic figure who currently runs the Columbia Pike Partnership. Klingler is running for Commissioner of Revenue — the elected head of the local tax collection office — and would replace Ingrid Morroy.
Morroy, who first took office in 2004, announced her retirement and endorsed Klingler, according to a press release from the Columbia Pike Partnership.
Last night during the Arlington Democrats monthly meeting, Ingrid Morroy announced her retirement as Commissioner of Revenue for Arlington County and endorsed Kim Klingler, Columbia Pike Partnership Executive Director as her successor.
The Columbia Pike Partnership supports Kim’s decision to run for Commissioner of Revenue. “We’re excited about this opportunity for Kim. During the campaign and months ahead, Kim, the staff, and the board will remain focused on our mission and work in the community,” says Columbia Pike Partnership Board Chair Shannon Bailey.
The Columbia Pike Partnership does not endorse any political candidate in the 2023 election.
Klingler has twice unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for County Board, in 2012 and 2017.
Morroy and Arthur have both been relatively popular in their respective roles, re-elected with more than 95% of vote in 2019 after running unopposed.
More recently, Arthur has faced scrutiny after a series of deaths at the jail, primarily among Black men. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Arthur and the Sheriff’s Office earlier this year by the family of one of the men who died. The jail has since updated some of its medical protocols.
More candidate announcements are expected in the coming weeks and months. Two County Board seats will be on next year’s ballot and at least one will be open, with County Board Chair Katie Cristol not seeking reelection.
“We’ll have a lot more candidates announcing,” Arlington County Democratic Committee chairman Steve Baker told the Sun Gazette. “Next year will be a busy year.”
North Arlington neighborhood in the fog on Dec. 7, 2022 (staff photo)
CivFed Preps for Controversial Vote — “The Arlington County Civic Federation plans to set aside its entire February meeting to discuss, debate and (perhaps) vote upon a resolution that drew decidedly mixed reviews at the organization’s November meeting. But until then, the organization will take a breather on the matter. The ‘Resolution to Restore the Public’s Confidence in Arlington County Governance’… has been circulating since September and by the time of the November meeting had grown to include 695 footnotes taking up 100 pages.” [Sun Gazette]
W-L is a Choir Contest Finalist — Washington-Liberty High School’s choir is one of three named a finalist in the 97.1 WASH-FM Christmas Choir Competition. The final voting closes after Saturday. [WASH-FM]
More Bad Driving on I-395 — From Dave Statter: “Record breaking!! A driver recently smashed the I-395S Exit 8C hang time record in a big way. An amazing 1:25. 85 full seconds.” [Twitter]
Pentagon City Pay Phone Down — “I want to get this old @Verizon pay phone removed or restored on S. Hayes St. in front of @FashionCtrPC + @RitzCarlton.” [Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Cloudy with possible drizzle overnight. High of 55 and low of 46. Sunrise at 7:16 am and sunset at 4:48 pm. [Weather.gov]
Construction on an upsized home on N. Dinwiddie Street in Halls Hill (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
In Green Valley, resident Portia Clark says she and her neighbors are bombarded with calls and letters from realtors and potential investors about buying their homes.
“We were once a very stable community of homeowners who bought our homes to live here and pay them off,” she said. That increasingly seems to be changing.
There, as in Halls Hill — also known as High View Park — homes are being changing hands as the older generation passes away and their inheritors decide to sell. Some want to buy in more affordable areas, while others cannot afford to make necessary repairs or take over the mortgages, she said.
“At one time, we were the last affordable neighborhood in Arlington to buy a house in,” said Clark, president of the Green Valley Civic Association. “Investors are buying affordable homes, to tear them down and rebuild or have been building townhomes, condos or homes they are renting out.”
Green Valley and Halls Hill — both historically Black communities — are among a handful of Arlington neighborhoods with higher investment rates, according to a home ownership report published by the county in October. The report analyzed home-ownership market trends and barriers to buying.
The county report looked at the number of home loans for investors versus the total loans lent out for every census tract in Arlington. Pentagon City and Aurora Highlands, Radnor-Fort Myer Heights and Halls Hill had investment rates exceeding 12.5%. Investor purchases made up between 10% and 12.5% of financed purchases in Green Valley and Lyon Park, while other neighborhoods had lower rates of investor interest.
Loans issued to investors in 2021 by neighborhood in Arlington (via Arlington County)
Neighborhoods like Clark’s are have lower owner-occupancy rates and higher rates of property purchased for investment purposes, but overall 86% of Arlingtonians in single-family homes are owners, according to Erika Moore, a spokeswoman for the Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development.
Reasons for higher investment rates vary by neighborhood, per the report. The county attributes investment in Pentagon City and Aurora Highlands to Amazon’s HQ2, and investment in Radnor-Fort Myer Heights to interest in the River Place co-op, where an expiring ground lease makes properties more attractive to investors than to individual homebuyers.
When asked if staff had any guesses as to why Halls Hill, Green Valley and Lyon Park attracted more investors, Moore said the data staff collected was unclear.
Realtor Eli Tucker says these neighborhoods all have “pockets” of less expensive properties, typically multifamily homes, and many of the investors in Arlington are builders. That tracks with Arlington’s consistent rate of homes torn down, rebuilt and sold at a premium.
Tear-down and rebuild trends since 2012 (via Arlington County)
In Halls Hill, Green Valley and Lyon Park, the less expensive options include apartments and smaller duplex and townhouse properties, which often have no or low HOA fees. These neighborhoods also attract renters.
“[These] are very good rental locations and properties, but tend to be passed over more by principal buyers,” he said. “They can generate higher return-on-investment for investors than many other locations and property types that generate a lot more competition from principal buyers.”
Owner-occupancy rates by neighborhood (via Arlington County)
As for River Place, Tucker says it attracts investors whereas most cooperatives tend to restrict investors looking for rental income. The ground lease set to expire in 2052 creates two investor-friendly conditions.
First, the timeline means fewer mortgage options, which means buyers must pay with cash, which favors investors. Second, it means unit values are going down, instead of up.
Crime doesn’t pay, the saying goes, and that is particularly true if you get punched during a failed robbery attempt.
According to Arlington County police, that’s what happened early this morning in the Buckingham neighborhood.
Around 12:30 a.m., a man armed with a knife tried to rob another man of money along the 200 block of N. Glebe Road — the same block as the CVS and the post office. It did not go as planned for the would-be robber.
ROBBERY, 2022-12070004, 200 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 12:32 a.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was walking in the area when he was approached by the unknown male suspect who asked him for money. When the victim declined, the suspect allegedly displayed a knife and attempted to grab the victim. The victim then struck the suspect and ran from the area. The suspect fled the scene on foot prior to the arrival of police. Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male with a skinny build, 5’11, wearing a red hat, red shirt, black pants and white shoes. The investigation is ongoing.
Also in today’s crime report, someone fired several gunshots into a residential building along the 2000 block of Columbia Pike around 4 a.m. That’s the same block as the Dorchester Towers and Dorchester Apartments complexes, east of Penrose Square.
So far, there is no indication that anyone was actually shot, but a door was damaged.
SHOTS FIRED, 2022-12070025, 2000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 4:08 a.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, officers recovered evidence outside a residential building confirming multiple shots had been fired and located property damage to a door within the building. No injuries were reported. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.
