Rosslyn surrounded by fall foliage, as seen from Waterfront Park in Georgetown (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington on Veterans Day — “Arlington County Government offices and services are operating on modified schedules for the Veterans Day holiday, Fri., Nov. 11, 2022. Arlington County will host a Veterans Day Commemoration and Concert, featuring the U.S. Army Brass Quintet, to honor all who proudly serve and defend our nation. Everyone is invited to join us in person at Bozman Government Center Plaza (2100 Clarendon Blvd.) tomorrow Thursday, November 10, at 11:30 a.m.” [Arlington County]
Veep Coming to Arlington Friday — From the White House: “At 11:00 AM ET, the First Lady will join Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff at Arlington National Cemetery for the National Veterans Day Observance to honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.”
Lunar Eclipse Photo — “Here’s my lunar eclipse sequence shot at the US Marine Corps War Memorial. The sequence spans about 40 minutes, from 5:51 to 6:30 am.” [Twitter]
APS Considering Employee Bonus — “Superintendent Francisco Duran is recommending that the board approve a plan to give school system workers a one-time bonus of up to $500 on Nov. 18. Staff hired on or before Nov. 1 would be eligible, and temporary or hourly staff would receive a $250 bonus as long as they worked at least 245 hours between Aug. 18 and Nov. 1.” [WTOP]
New Doc Office in Pentagon City — “Just walked by the former A-Deli space on South Joyce Street at @PentagonRow (Westpost) and they’ve started construction of a @NOVAPatientCare.” [Twitter]
Seminary Coming to Rosslyn — From Saturday’s County Board agenda: “The Washington Theological Seminary (the “College”) proposes to operate a college for a maximum enrollment of 30 students within the existing building located at 1911 Fort Myer Drive. The College proposes to occupy 2,108 square feet in Suite 108 on the building’s ground floor. The proposed hours for academic classes are Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.” [Arlington County]
Seeking Thanksgiving Donations, Volunteers — From the local Knights of Columbus: “With your help, we feed more than 2,500 people in need each Thanksgiving. The effort takes manpower and money. We take over duties for Meals on Wheels, homeless communities, group homes, assisted living buildings, shelters and individual neighbors… We urgently need help to raise $20,000 to fully fund this yearly effort.” [Facebook]
It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 47. Sunrise at 6:47 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
County Board candidate Audrey Clement in Virginia Square on Election Day — Nov. 7, 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Political signs at the Madison district polling location in North Arlington (staff photo)
The Madison polling place in North Arlington (staff photo)
Matt de Ferranti and crowd at the Arlington Democrats election watch party at William Jeffrey’s Tavern on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Arlington’s Missing Middle housing proposal has aroused plenty of passion, but the strong opposition (and support) only registered a blip in last night’s election results.
Democrat incumbent Matt de Ferranti easily won his re-election bid for the Arlington County Board, with 61% of the vote to 28% for Audrey Clement and 10% for Adam Theo. (All but one county precinct have reported results as of publication.)
Leading up to the election, Missing Middle — a series of zoning changes that would potentially allow the construction of townhouses, duplexes and 3-8 unit buildings in districts zoned for single-family homes — had become a battleground issue for candidates.
De Ferranti staked out a middle ground on the issue, supporting lower density types such as duplexes, three-unit townhomes and fourplexes, but not eight-plexes, while independent candidate Adam Theo did not support any caps on density.
Perennial independent candidate Audrey Clement opposed the plan full-stop based on concerns about its impact on the environment and county infrastructure, as well as concerns of displacement.
Proponents of the zoning change say last night’s results indicate as the support of most residents and the County Board needs to crack on with approving it.
“Arlington County voters have spoken,” said YIMBYs of Northern Virginia in a statement. “In a race that was widely seen as a de facto referendum on the Missing Middle housing proposal, 70% of voters chose a candidate who ran in support of these zoning reforms. Legalizing diverse forms of housing throughout Arlington County is not only existentially important to making the housing market function again and building a more inclusive Arlington. It is also good politics.”
The organization’s Activism Coordinator Grace White said Arlington is mostly made of renters and people who live in multifamily buildings, but they’re constrained to 25% of the land.
“To them, Missing Middle housing is a no-brainer, and necessary for them to see any kind of future here,” she said.
Opponents, like Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future, say the proposal has the same flaws today as it did the day before the election, and its members will continue educating voters about what those are.
“Speaking for ASF, the only way to really know in a comprehensive way what Arlington residents think on Missing Middle would be to have a referendum,” says group founder Peter Rousselot. “That would be a clear way for people to express how they feel about Missing Middle. In an election we just had where there are so many other issues being talked about, the whole impact is diluted a lot.”
How Missing Middle split voters
For George Mason University Mercatus Center senior research fellow Emily Hamilton, the results appeared to mirror Arlington’s geography.
“I’m not sure to what extent voters were focused on Missing Middle versus other issues, but it does seem that the election results followed housing typologies, with Clement doing the best in some of the least-dense parts of North Arlington and Theo doing the best in some of the densest,” she said.
“The results show that while people who are opposed to Missing Middle have been visible at public engagement sessions and with yard signs,” Hamilton continued, “most voters didn’t cast use their vote to oppose Missing Middle.”
A precinct map of Arlington County, showing the four precincts where independent Audrey Clement beat Democrat Matt de Ferranti (via Virginia Public Access Project)
Arlington County Republican Committee communications chair Matthew Hurtt says the debate split Arlington Republicans, too, with an “overwhelming majority” of the Arlington GOP opposing the proposal, but “a strong contingent” of Young Republicans supporting it.
“The Arlington GOP likely broke for Audrey Clement, while the YRs likely broke for Adam Theo,” he said.
(Theo, who has described himself as “an independent progressive libertarian,” has advocated for streamlining building permits, lowering property taxes and allowing more housing to be built.)
Despite the divide, Arlington County Democratic Committee chair Steve Baker says he hopes the problem of housing affordability can get Arlingtonians to work toward a solution.
“I think we all agree that in a county where a residential lot costs over $1 million, that housing will remain one of our key issues,” he said. “Even though some candidates tried to use our varying views to divide us, Arlingtonians voted to affirm that we can solve our biggest challenges together.”
De Ferranti echoed this sentiment last night.
“We have to tackle housing with creativity and commitment, and that means both affordable housing and housing affordability — which are related but distinct,” he said. “We need to have a civil discussion and stay engaged in the work needed to address housing affordability.”
Blown up Little Free Library in Arlington Forest (photo courtesy Michael Thomas)
A Little Free Library was blown up in the Arlington Forest neighborhood overnight.
The explosion happened shortly after midnight on the 100 block of N. Columbus Street, near the intersection with the Arlington Blvd service road.
“When crews arrived, they found a small outside fire as well as a damaged privately owned outdoor book collection box,” Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner. “A Fire Marshal was requested to the scene to investigate.”
The suspect or suspects remain at large.
“The incident remains an open investigation and anyone with information pertaining to this incident is encouraged to reach out by emailing [email protected] or calling the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180,” Hiner said.
A resident tells ARLnow that at least one person who lived nearby ran to help control the fire.
“A neighbor went out with a fire extinguisher to control the resulting fire,” said Michael Thomas. “The Fire Department arrived shortly after to take over and ensure that the fire did not spread to [Lubber Run Park], which could have easily happened with the forest bed and understudy being so dry.”
“The explosion was followed by several others nearby,” including one that blew up another wooden fixture near the Lubber Run amphitheater, Thomas said.
Wooden fixture destroyed at the Lubber Run amphitheater (photo courtesy Michael Thomas)
Hiner said the fire department was not aware of additional explosions.
A message sent to a neighborhood listserv suggested that the Little Free Library explosion might have been caused by “a modified firework or mortar.”
Update at 4 p.m. — Fire Marshals and Virginia State Police are now on the scene of the apparent explosion at Lubber Run amphitheater, according to Thomas.
Update on 11/10/22 — The FBI and the ATF is also assisting with the investigation, the Arlington County Fire Department said in a press release.
Investigators on scene at the Lubber Run amphitheater (photo courtesy Michael Thomas)
ACPD traffic enforcement in Virginia Square in 2019 (via ACPD)
Arlington County police are set to conduct high-visibility traffic enforcement tomorrow as part of its “Street Smart” road safety campaign.
The enforcement will take place Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Arlington View neighborhood, just south of Columbia Pike, at the intersection of 12th Street S. and S. Rolfe Street.
A second enforcement campaign is planned for Thursday, Dec. 1 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in front of Nottingham Elementary School, in the Williamsburg neighborhood. That’s near the scenes of three fatal pedestrian crashes that have occurred since 2014, including one last month.
“The Street Smart campaign aims to identify and change unsafe behavior patterns amongst motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, with the goal of reducing the number of traffic related collisions and injuries on our roadways,” police said in a press release.
The full ACPD press release is below.
Fall brings cooler temperatures and less daylight hours, meaning reduced visibility during peak commuting times for all road users. As we adjust to the end of Daylight Saving Time, the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is sharing important transportation safety tips to ensure all travelers can reach their destinations safely. ACPD and law enforcement agencies throughout the region will take part in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Fall Street Smart Campaign from November 7 – December 4. The Street Smart campaign aims to identify and change unsafe behavior patterns amongst motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, with the goal of reducing the number of traffic related collisions and injuries on our roadways.
Street Smart Enforcement Activations
As part of the Street Smart campaign, officers will conduct high-visibility traffic enforcement at the following locations:
Thursday, November 10, 2022, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – 12th Street S. at S. Rolfe Street
Thursday, December 1, 2022, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – 5900 block of Little Falls Road […]
Transportation Safety Tips
No matter how you travel, remember to always be a P.A.L. – predicable, alert and lawful.
Drivers are reminded to:
Slow down, drive the speed limit and obey all posted traffic signs and signals.
Remain alert for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Use caution when passing buses or stopped vehicles.
Yield to people walking or biking when turning.
Allow for at least 3 feet when passing bicyclists.
Avoid using your cell phone and never text while driving. Holding a hand-held communication device while driving is illegal in Virginia.
Pedestrians are reminded to:
Cross the street at the corner and use marked crosswalks when they are available.
Use pushbuttons when available and wait for the walk signal to cross the street.
Look both ways before crossing.
Remain visible, especially after dark and in bad weather, by wearing light colored or reflective clothing.
Watch for blind spots around trucks and buses.
Avoid using devices that distract you, such as cell phones, while crossing the street.
Bicyclists and shared mobility device operators are reminded to:
Ride in the same direction as traffic, using bike lanes when possible.
Use hand signals to communicate your intentions with other travelers.
Wear a helmet, which is required for all bicycle riders 14 years of age and younger and recommended for all other riders. (Arlington County Code 14.2-64.)
Keep your eyes on the road and avoid the use of devices that may distract you.
Remain visible, especially after dark and in bad weather, by wearing light colored or reflective clothing.
Use headlights and taillights, especially when riding between sunset and sunrise.
A person receiving a vaccine from Arlington County’s clinic in early 2021 (Image via Arlington County/YouTube)
In another sign that we’ve reached the later stages of the pandemic, Arlington County is permanently closing its public vaccine clinic next month.
The announcement was made this morning.
“Demand has significantly decreased at the County’s clinic, with COVID-19 vaccines now widely available in the community through pharmacies, urgent care centers, and medical providers,” the county said in a press release. “As such, the final day of operations for the clinic at Sequoia Plaza (2100 Washington Blvd.) will be Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022.”
The clinic first opened nearly two years ago and saw long lines for the original vaccine after it was made available. In addition to its closing, the county announced that all but one of its Covid testing booths are closing.
“All County Curative COVID-19 testing kiosks will close on Nov. 30, 2022, except for the Arlington Mill Community Center location,” the press release said. “The closure of kiosks aligns with a significant decline in kiosk testing demand across the County (an 80% decline since Nov. 2021) and the widespread availability of at-home and pharmacy-based tests.”
Covid case rates in Arlington have held relatively steady over the past month and currently stand at a seven-day moving average of 30 cases per day, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. That’s about the middle of the range for what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a “low” Covid level.
Meanwhile, some of the public health attention has shifted to rising levels of flu and the childhood illness RSV.
“The emergency department is pretty much as busy as we have ever seen it,” Virginia Hospital Center emergency department chair Mike Silverman wrote Friday in his weekly public Facebook post. “Our volume this week (and actually last week) is 20+% higher than our typical volume. We are definitely seeing this with the flu and RSV numbers. We’re also seeing this in the increased number of pediatric patients coming to the ER.”
The full Arlington County press release about the clinic and testing booth closures is below.
Union member Sam Dukore in front of the Starbucks at Courthouse Plaza (photo courtesy of Richard Bensinger)
Workers gathered in front of the Starbucks at Courthouse Plaza (photo courtesy of Richard Bensinger)
(Updated, 5:30 p.m.) Yesterday was an election day as well for employees at the Starbucks in Courthouse Plaza, who voted to become the second D.C.-area location of the coffee giant to unionize.
Workers at a local Starbucks won their election to form a union, as first reported by Washington Post reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley. The employees are organizing with and joining Starbucks Workers United.
BREAKING: @SBWorkersUnited workers just won their 260th union election 8-to-2.
All of these victories have occurred in less than a year.
The Arlington, VA store is the 2nd DC-area location to unionize.
Arlington Democrats congratulated employees at the Starbucks in Courthouse at 2200 Clarendon Blvd for winning their union election.
Congrats to the works at Courthouse Starbucks for winning their @SBWorkersUnited union election today!
Thanks to everyone who came out to grab a #UnionStrong cup of coffee. We must continue to support union workers for a strong America and strong economy https://t.co/E8iZk9LSVl
Samuel Dukore, a member of the union and a shift supervisor at the Courthouse Starbucks, told ARLnow that he and his colleagues unionized for better pay, more consistent hours, and uniformly enforced rules and regulations.
This marks the 260th Starbucks nationwide to unionize but only the second one in the D.C. area. The other unionized Starbucks is on P Street in the District, which just voted to form its union last month.
As for what’s next, Dukore he would like to see Starbucks come to the bargaining table to “negotiate in good faith” with the union for a contract.
Over the summer, employees at Union Kitchen in Ballston also voted to form a union joining others at Union Kitchen locations across the region. The National Labor Board determined that Union Kitchen management violated a number of labor laws and engaged in illegal union-busting tactics while workers sought to unionize, as DCist first reported earlier today.
Late afternoon light in Virginia Square (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Roosevelt Bridge Work Still Going On — “It looks like motorists will have to wait a bit longer for the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to be reopened fully to traffic, after emergency work was ordered on the bridge between D.C. and Arlington. Everett Lott, director of D.C.’s Department of Transportation, said several things led to the work not meeting its targeted September completion.” [WTOP]
Smoke at Courthouse Station — “On 11/7 at 8:04pm the ACFD was dispatched for a report of smoke in the tunnel at Courthouse Metro. Crews arrived & found a light haze of smoke that was quickly dissipating. ACFD was unable to locate a source and the smoke was gone from the tunnel so units cleared the scene.” [Twitter, Twitter]
D.C. Residents Coming to Va. to Bet — “While mobile sports gambling is legal in the District, many D.C. players find themselves drawn to Virginia and its far more robust options, mostly because of frustration with the D.C. operation. They pull their cars to the side of Virginia roads, schedule visits to suburban friends, study college football lines before a trip to the airport — all for what they consider an easier and more enjoyable gambling experience.” [Washington Post]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 56 and low of 40. Sunrise at 6:46 am and sunset at 5:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
Matt de Ferranti at the Arlington Democrats election watch party at William Jeffrey’s Tavern (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Matt de Ferranti and crowd at the Arlington Democrats election watch party at William Jeffrey’s Tavern on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Matt de Ferranti at the Arlington Democrats election watch party at William Jeffrey’s Tavern (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Rep. Don Beyer and people watching the election results at the Arlington Democrats party at William Jeffrey’s Tavern on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Matt de Ferranti at the Arlington Democrats election watch party at William Jeffrey’s Tavern (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Democrats watch party at William Jeffrey’s Tavern on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day 2022 in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day 2022 in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day 2022 in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day 2022 in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Clement sign outside of The Jefferson senior living center in Ballston (staff photo)
De Ferranti sign slong Wilson Blvd in Ballston (staff photo)
(Updated at 9:30 p.m.) What many believed would be the most competitive Arlington County Board race in four years has turned out to be another convincing Democratic victory.
Clement strongly opposes the proposal to allow smaller-scale multifamily housing in neighborhoods currently zoned only for single-family homes, while Theo supports it. De Ferranti, meanwhile, staked out a middle ground, expressing opposition to the higher 8-unit end of the potential range of allowed housing types.
With 55 out of 57 precincts reporting, de Ferranti has 60% of the vote to 28% for Clement and 10% for Theo.
Both Clement and Theo ran for County Board last year, before Missing Middle came to the fore as a hot-button local issue. In the 2021 race, Democrat Takis Karantonis carried about 60% of the vote to 18% for Clement, 6% for Theo and 14% for Mike Cantwell, another independent candidate..
The Missing Middle proposal has attracted the ire of many homeowners, while a coalition of groups — from affordable housing boosters to the local chapter of the NAACP — support it.
An early look at precinct-by-precinct results shows support for Clement in Arlington’s northern, single-family home neighborhoods. The Madison district in far northern Arlington, for instance, has voted 58% for Clement to 36% for de Ferranti and 4% for Theo. She also claimed the Thrifton (Woodmont), Rock Spring, and Yorktown districts — all also in far northern Arlington.
That compares to the more renter-heavy Met Park district, in the Pentagon City neighborhood, which voted 64% for de Ferranti and 20% for Clement and 15% for Theo. A more “in between” district — Fairlington, with its mix of townhouses and smaller condo buildings — voted 66% for de Ferranti, 23% for Clement and 9% for Theo.
Also on the ballot today were School Board and congressional races, which were even more lopsided for the Democratic candidates.
For the open Arlington School Board seat vacated by Barbara Kanninen, Arlington County Democratic Committee-endorsed candidate Bethany Sutton has 68% of the vote to 30% for independent James ‘Vell’ Rives IV.
Meanwhile, incumbent Rep. Don Beyer has 77% of the vote in the Virginia 8th District congressional race, to 21% for Republican Karina Lipsman and 1.5% for independent Teddy Fikre.
Arlington Democrats claimed victory on Twitter just after 9 p.m.
Results are in! Congrats to @DonBeyerVA, @Matt4Arlington on their re-elections to Congress and Arlington County Board and to @BethanyZSutton on her election to the Arlington School Board!
De Ferranti tells ARLnow he was impressed by the 85,000 people who voted this election, in which there was no senatorial, gubernatorial or presidential race.
“In Virginia, that doesn’t happen very often,” he said. “There are other elections where there is an even lower turnout. This is a pretty rare election, and to have 85,000 vote in this election is a pretty solid turnout.”
He said addressing climate change, investing in schools and tackling affordable housing and housing affordability — “related but distinct” issues — will be key priorities this term.
“I’m grateful to Arlington residents for the chance to serve them,” he said. “I love doing this job and I’m humbled, grateful, and looking forward to serving over the next four years. I’m going to try and live up to Arlingtonians: that means being smart, thoughtful and compassionate, caring about our community and being forward-looking.”
Clement told ARLnow she was dismayed with the results, though she won four out of 54 districts — including Madison, with her 22-point margin — and came within just over 1% of the vote in another.
“I didn’t perform as well as I thought I would,” she said. “I thought I would push 40% — the sentiment I got on the street indicated a better showing.”
Traffic camera locations and the image of a feed when it is out (via Arlington County)
Arlington maintains a sizable network of traffic cameras, but a significant portion of those cameras have been “temporarily unavailable” in recent weeks.
It’s a problem that the county county is promising to fix.
The publicly viewable feeds of conditions on Arlington’s main roads help with real-time reporting on breaking news of crashes or hazardous driving conditions, such as heavy snow. The feeds also allow residents to check conditions before heading out.
Arlington County has more than 200 traffic cameras trained on its roads. As of last weekend, at least two dozen were out. A few weeks ago, in Pentagon City and Crystal City alone, about 40% of cameras were out, according to public safety watcher Dave Statter.
For comparison, it looks like only about 10% of the traffic cameras @VaDOTNOVA has along the entre length of I-395 in Virginia aren't working. That seems a lot more reasonable. https://t.co/RpSD8MWQ4G
The outages have a variety of explanations, but the county is working on addressing them, according to the Dept. of Environmental Services.
“A camera feed can stop working for several reasons like equipment failure, communications issues, or planned construction,” spokesman Peter Golkin said. “Sometimes only a camera’s public feed is impacted while the internal feed continues. Although a single camera supplies both feeds, they can be independently impacted — especially in older analog cameras.”
Thanks for responding. Would also be interested in knowing what rules/guidance the County has issued on the operation of the cameras.
Public feeds are produced by the DES Transportation Engineering & Operations (TE&O) Bureau. Feeds are also shared internally with the county’s emergency services agencies.
He said while TE&O’s first priority is maintaining the internal feeds that support critical county services, given limited staff and resources, the bureau is “still stepping up its checks of the public feeds.”
“Many public feeds have been restored in recent weeks,” Golkin said. “To avoid confusion, staff are looking at ways to differentiate long-term, planned outages from temporary outages on the public website.”
The outages compound another issue: the county’s policy of censoring public feeds during incidents — from minor crashes to major public safety incidents. Turning off the feeds makes real-time reporting more difficult for ARLnow and other news outelts.
@ReadyArlington If you could rotate the traffic camera there that would be appreciated
Arlington says it controls what is relayed via traffic cameras during certain incidents to protect privacy.
“Arlington County upholds its values of transparency with public safety information beyond camera footage, including daily crime reports, press releases, emergency alerts, and EMS/fire event summaries,” the county said in a statement. “Camera access furthers our transparency but must be balanced with community privacy concerns.”
ARLnow was provided the following criteria that go into evaluating when to stop publicly broadcasting a traffic scene.
Cameras are diverted to protect:
Health information: This includes identifiers related to a potential patient, like their face, demographics, and health condition. This is all protected information until the person is determined to no longer be a patient, which occurs after they sign a refusal to be assessed or transported.
Law enforcement tactics and officer identity: The County protects the identities of law enforcement personnel who serve in plain clothes or undercover roles. Cameras may also be diverted during an active incident, such as an Emergency Response Team (ERT) response, to safeguard tactical information and ensure the safety of all present.
Victim and witness privacy: Victim and witness privacy protection is always central, but especially if there are juveniles present — something responders wouldn’t know for sure until arriving at a scene. The County also seeks to protect victim and family privacy and dignity by diverting footage in a medical incident, especially when next of kin must be notified of a significant event.
It’s unclear how much identifiable information can be obtained, however, given the relatively lower resolution of the feeds.
Traffic camera footage of Columbia Pike at S. Wayne Street (via Arlington County)
Election Day in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Adam Theo at the polls on Election Day (via Twitter)
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, Rep. Don Beyer, Arlington County Board member Matt de Ferranti and School Board candidate Bethany Sutton gather at a rally in Arlington on Monday (staff photo)
County Board candidate Audrey Clement (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Election Day is here, and thousands of residents are hitting the polls — manned by 426 volunteers — to cast their ballots in the 2022 mid-term election.
By 9 a.m., about 10% of Arlington voted in-person, according to the county elections office, in addition to the 13% of people who voted early and in-person and 7% who voted by mail.
“The polls have been steady so far this morning,” said Tania Griffin, spokeswoman for the Arlington Office of Voter Registration and Elections.
Turnout in a midterm is typically about half the turnout of a presidential election, Arlington Director of Elections Gretchen Reinemeyer previously told ARLnow.
Just over 20,000 people voted early in this year’s general election, Griffin said. Combined with the more than 11,000 absentee ballots sent in, Virginia Public Access Project says Arlington’s early voting rate surpasses those for Northern Virginia and the state. (Nearly 5,000 have not returned the mail ballots they requested.)
Early voting rates in Arlington, the region and the state (via Virginia Public Access Project)
In 2018, the last midterm election, 21,147 ballots were cast early, per VPAP.
While early voting got off to a muted start to in September, and was “slightly slower” than last year’s election, local and statewide Democrats celebrated early voting numbers yesterday during a rally at the home of Matt de Ferranti, the Democrat Arlington County Board incumbent running for re-election.
“The trends are positive, particularly in the three parts of the state that have really competitive congressional districts. We see high numbers, and we really see good Democratic advantage in the early vote,” said U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who came out for the rally. “We really like what we’re seeing.”
In the local U.S. House race, Arlington voters can choose among Democrat incumbent Rep. Don Beyer and his two challengers for the 8th District, Republican Karina Lipsman and independent Teddy Fikre.
Kaine said one top driver for races this year is the economy, which he characterized as a mixed bag.
“You have inflation but you have historic job growth. Inflation might make you worry if there’s a downturn coming, but then you see how strong job growth is — during Biden’s term, 10 million-plus jobs, manufacturing coming back, big job announcements with Amazon,” he said. “I think the evidence will be mixed.”
Among the countywide races, voters can choose between two School Board candidates — independent, Sun Gazette-endorsed James “Vell” Rives IV and Arlington County Democratic Committee-endorsed Bethany Sutton.
In Arlington, the most watched race this year is likely that for County Board, which has become a showdown on the topic of Missing Middle housing — the proposal to open up single-family zoning to smaller-scale multifamily housing.
De Ferranti said that could have driven the relatively higher early voting showing.
“The early vote we’re seeing is so stepped up that we’ll have to see what the total turnout is,” de Ferranti said. “This is greater turnout than 2018 so far, and I think some of that is the discussion we’re having on housing.”
His challengers for County Board — frequent independent candidate Audrey Clement and second-time candidate Adam Theo — say Missing Middle is a litmus test this election.
“After squeezing in last minute doorknocking yesterday, and all the responses I’m receiving this morning at precincts, I’m feeling very optimistic for the campaign and the success of the Missing Middle housing proposal,” Theo told ARLnow.
A drawing of the proposed St. Charles Church project in Clarendon (via St. Charles Catholic Church)
Conceptual site plan filings for St. Charles Catholic Church in Clarendon (via Arlington County)
Conceptual site plan filings for St. Charles Catholic Church in Clarendon (via Arlington County)
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Clarendon has filed conceptual designs for a new three-story church and parish center and a 10-story apartment building.
The mid-century church sits on two-and-a-half acres of prime property between the Clarendon and Virginia Square Metro stations, much of it is dedicated to parking.
Under the proposal, which has been in the works for a few years now, the 429-unit apartment building will have a courtyard in the center, a rooftop pool and ground-floor amenities. The church will be connected to the parish center, with meeting rooms and an event space, by cloistered gardens.
Parking will move underground and the two structures will be connected by an enhanced alley. Fairfax Drive will be redesigned as a walkable plaza, and there will be a new “West End Plaza” located in front of the church on a county-owned parcel.
But the plans include design elements that could conflict with streetscape design guidelines stipulated by the update to the Clarendon Sector Plan adopted earlier this year. Because of this, the church is seeking the perspective of county planning staff.
“The Applicant desires County feedback on the proposed conceptual plan, and particularly would like to discuss various recommendations of the Clarendon Sector Plan relating to ground-floor transparency, clear walkway zones, and sidewalk grade,” per a letter to the county included in the filings. “Existing site conditions and the programmatic needs of the proposed religious institutional use may complicate full achievement of certain Sector Plan recommendations relating to streetscape design.”
In other words, some elements of the proposed St. Charles Church — which reflect a centuries-long tradition of church architecture — may not align with the sector plan design guidelines for frontages along Washington Blvd and Fairfax Drive.
The streetscape guidelines, aimed at creating an attractive walking experience, call for sidewalks and store entrances to be the same level, without steps, and for storefronts to have mostly transparent windows unobstructed by blinds, fabrics and shelving. These are typified by the streetscapes of The Crossing Clarendon shopping center.
Former Iota Club space at The Crossing Clarendon (staff photo)
“Transparency is a key factor influencing the pedestrian experience: visual access, views to and from interior spaces, and interesting shopfront lighting and displays add visual interest and opportunities for the informal surveillance of public spaces,” per the sector plan.
Like many Roman Catholic churches throughout history, the renderings of St. Charles show an outdoor staircase, doors and a lobby (narthex) separating the sanctuary from casual pedestrian view.
The façades, meanwhile, include stained glass, which typically depict biblical stories and saints. These embellishments are not at pedestrians-scale; rather, they follow in the architectural tradition of drawing the eye upward to aid the worshipper in contemplating heaven.
While the county reviews the designs, the church is bringing a developer partner on board, according to a September church bulletin. The church will lease the land underneath the proposed apartment building to the developer in order to finance the project.
“We continue to refine our cost estimates for the project, but we anticipate that most of our total costs will be met by the proceeds from a long-term lease with our development partner,” parish priest Don Planty writes in the update. “Parishioners will be called upon to contribute to help cover immediate financial needs during planning and in support of sacred art for the new St. Charles church.”
Planty said the planning team estimates further planning, entitlement and permitting will take two years, followed by another two years for construction.
Renderings of St. Charles Catholic Church in Clarendon (via Arlington County)
