News

Arlington to require businesses to file taxes online as part of paperless push

By Jo DeVoe
Flags outside Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse (photo courtesy Arlington County)

Well in advance of Tax Day, Arlington County is telling business owners they can no longer file their business tax returns via mail.

Arlington’s Commissioner of Revenue says the office is getting rid of the option and will now require people to file their taxes through an online payment portal.

On Oct. 13, the office mailed out postcards telling business customers that they will not receive Business License, Business Tangible or Custodial tax forms in 2023. Until now, the commissioner’s office has mailed out pre-printed business tax returns annually on Jan. 1, according to Susan Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Commissioner of Revenue’s office.

Instead, the office’s Business Division is encouraging customers to review and update their Customer Assessment and Payment Portal (CAPP) accounts or sign up for the portal no later than Dec. 31 of this year so they can receive courtesy reminders leading up to filing deadlines and file on time in 2023, she said.

“Our office also plans to send other courtesy reminders about the paperless initiative to customers before the end of this year,” said Anderson.

The paperless switch began in 2019 with monthly custodial tax return filings, including meals tax and transient occupancy tax, she said.

“Every year since, we have transitioned other tax types to the initiative, such as the annual business license and tangible property taxes, by phasing out the printing and mailing of pre-printed returns to customers who were already recurring online filers,” Anderson said.

Many businesses have already made the shift.

“During the pandemic, we experienced a record high of new online filings and successfully provided all business tax services electronically via phone, email and CAPP,” Anderson said. “Our goal is to aid any remaining customers without a CAPP profile to effectively manage their business tax accounts online for continued quality customer service.”

She says the paperless initiative aims to reduce recurring issues with processing business tax returns on time, such as invalid addresses and multiple submissions of the same tax filing. Messy handwriting, incomplete forms, missing or illegible postmarks, and third-party versions with inaccurate information also delay processing.

According to the Commissioner of Revenue’s office, there are a number of benefits to filing online. For taxpayers, she said it offers:

  • Fast, secure, and convenient online submission with immediate confirmation
  • The ability to file up to midnight EST on the due date
  • One-stop access to all business documents and records
  • No risk of returns lost in the mail or placed in the wrong mailbox
  • No risk of delayed postal mailings and receipt of correspondence
  • Safe and contactless correspondence
  • Reduced clutter and paper to be stored, shredded, or discarded

In addition, by going paperless, the office is able to continue its services during events “beyond our control” and saves printing, postage and labor costs that can be spent in other ways, Anderson said.

The Business Tax team at the Commission of Revenue’s office is available to assist customers with their online filings via phone at (703) 228-3060 or in-person at the customer service window 208, located at county government headquarters in Courthouse (2100 Clarendon Blvd).

“In the near future, self-service kiosks will also be available,” Anderson said.

A mailer from the county announcing mandatory paperless business tax returns (staff photo)

Two dozen vehicles have windows smashed during overnight vandalism spree

By ARLnow.com
Vehicle window shot out last week (photo courtesy anonymous)

Someone shot out or smashed the windows on two dozen vehicles parked in Arlington during one night last week.

The vandalism spree happened overnight between the evening of Thursday, Oct. 20 and the morning of Friday, Oct. 21.

“An unknown suspect(s) smashed the windows of approximately 24 victim vehicles with an unknown object,” ACPD spokesperson Alli Shorb told ARLnow. “The victim vehicles varied in make and model. There is no suspect description(s) at this time. The investigation is ongoing.”

The locations of damaged vehicles included neighborhoods in and around Crystal City, Rosslyn, Courthouse, Ballston, Waverly Hills and Dominion Hills.

Location of damaged vehicles (courtesy ACPD)

One of the victims, whose vehicle was parked in the North Highland neighborhood near Rosslyn when it was damaged, believes that the vandal or vandals were using BB guns or something similar.

“I believe it was a BB gun or air rifle. I can’t find a round or BB in my car to be sure, however,” he told ARLnow. “My car and another from my block in North Highland are pictured.”

Update on 10/26/22 — Another vehicle vandalism spree has been reported, potentially involving the same suspect or suspects.

Update on 10/27/22 — Yet another vehicle vandalism spree by a BB gun-armed suspect (or suspects) has been reported.

Update on 10/28/22 — A suspect has been arrested, Arlington County police announced.

Vehicle window shot out last week (photo courtesy anonymous)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Development in Courthouse at night (Flickr pool photo by Cyrus Wilson)

Scare After DJO Game — “Officers with the Arlington County Police Department were sent to a local high school Saturday afternoon after several teens alerted police to seeing a man with a gun on the football field… Police say this incident occurred after a varsity football game at the school had ended and most of the people at the game had left.  No contact was made between the witnesses and the man allegedly with a gun.” [WUSA 9]

Beavers Stripped from Park Name — “The beavers are gone from Beaver Pond Park. And now their name is, too. Arlington County Board members voted unanimously Oct. 18 to rename the property ‘Ballston Wetland Park,’ in hopes of encouraging the public to visit the natural surroundings.” [Sun Gazette]

Issues with Arlington Traffic Cams — From Dave Statter: “A quick survey of the 49 @arlingtonva traffic cameras east & south of I-395 shows 20 of them, or 40%, don’t work. I’m sure it isn’t any better in the rest of the system. Maybe worse.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Fundraiser for Stranded Family — “The family, which planned the trip to celebrate the mother and youngest daughter’s birthdays, was visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa when someone robbed them. The person stole the family’s luggage, passports, and more than $21,000 in cash. ‘It’s been my sister’s dream to go to Italy, and we tried making her dream come true,’ Stephanie Trujillo of Arlington wrote on a GoFundMe page about her family’s vacation to Italy.” [Patch]

YHS Field Hockey Reigns — “In another convincing performance, the Yorktown Patriots repeated as the Liberty District tournament champion in girls high-school field hockey, as the top seed outscored its two opponents 8-1.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Monday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 64 and low of 55. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 6:19 pm. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Cyrus Wilson

Prep continues for Rosslyn RCA building demolition, but no date set yet

By Jo DeVoe
1/7

Work is underway to take down the aging RCA building in Rosslyn — but a demolition schedule has yet to be set.

The forthcoming residential redevelopment for 1901 N. Moore Street, by McLean-based developer Jefferson Apartment Group, was approved in June 2021.

Sixteen months later, JAG Senior Vice President Greg Van Wie tells ARLnow that “the crews are removing cell tower equipment from the roof in preparation for demolition.”

As of now, though, there is no set date for the demolition, Van Wie said.

“We will have more updates on the schedule in the coming weeks,” he said.

A reader noted to ARLnow that he noticed the cell towers were gone in late September. This month, he described a large crane clearing the roof of HVAC units and other equipment, while down below, N. Lynn Street was closed down to one lane.

Before cell towers, circled in red, were removed from the roof of the RCA building (courtesy of anonymous)

Those who were hoping for a dramatic implosion may be disappointed.

“We will be dismantling the existing building rather than imploding it so there won’t quite be the same show as with the old Holiday Inn, unfortunately,” Van Wie said.

One December morning in 2020, the 18-story hotel in Rosslyn came down during a controlled demolition that closed local roads and I-66. A new development with a 25-story residential tower an a 36-story hotel tower are being built in its place.

After taking apart the 13-story, 1960s-era RCA building, JAG will build a 27-story, 423-unit apartment complex. The planned 260-foot tall building is composed of a north and a south tower joined at the base and at the rooftop with an “amenity bridge.”

The fourth floor will feature a landscaped terrace and the roof will also have garden elements. There will be two levels of retail and 286 parking spaces spread across garages on the third and fourth floors and underground.

As part of the project, the developer will remove inner loop roads around the Rosslyn Metro station, as well as the skywalk connection between the RCA building and the Rosslyn Gateway building.

The developer will also donate $2.2 million toward improvements within Rosslyn, such as for Gateway Park, and add a mix of buffered, protected and unprotected bike lanes, colorized bus lanes, new intersections, a relocated red-light camera and a new Capital Bikeshare station.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Fall arrives… in a rental van (staff photo)

New Tenant and Sign in Crystal City — “Developer JBG Smith has reached an agreement to lease 36,809-square-feet of space to defense contractor HII at 2451 Crystal Drive… Under the 11.5-year lease, HII will move into the space in late summer 2023 and will have signage rights to the 11-story office tower. The company will remain headquartered in Newport News and will maintain company office space next to the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.” [Patch]

Too Much Midday Engagement?  — From Chris Slatt: “You love to see the County working hard to reach that notoriously unreachable demographic of *checks notes* ‘people with free time in the middle of the workday.'” [Twitter]

‘Fill the Cruiser’ Returns Next Month — “Help spread joy this holiday season by donating new, unwrapped toys during the Arlington County Police Department’s (ACPD) eighth annual Fill the Cruiser Holiday Toy Drive. Your generosity helps ensure the holidays are bright for some of our most vulnerable community members – children in need.” [ACPD]

It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 63 and low of 40. Sunrise at 7:25 am and sunset at 6:23 pm. [Weather.gov]

Local homebuilders say stronger stormwater regulations cause costs to surge

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

A year into new stormwater requirements for single-family home projects, homebuilders and remodelers say even the improved process is laborious and expensive, costing homeowners extra money.

On the other hand, Arlington County says that permit review times have shortened and that the program will be evaluated for possible improvements.

Before September 2021, builders had to demonstrate that a given property had ways to reduce pollution in stormwater runoff to comply with state regulations aimed at cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.

Last year, the county began requiring projects that disturb at least 2,500 square feet of land to demonstrate the redeveloped property can retain at least 3 inches of stormwater during flash flooding events through features such as tanks, planters and permeable paver driveways. Builders must also refurbish the soil with soils that increase water retention.

Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesman Peter Golkin says improvements like these “are vital as we continue the work toward a flood resilient Arlington,” especially as “the pace of single family home construction in Arlington remains strong.”

But the regulations are fairly new and could change, Golkin said.

“The first projects in LDA 2.0 are now coming to construction, and the County is entering the phase of evaluation to identify potential adjustments and improvements,” he said. ”The County expects to have more information about any LDA 2.0 updates by mid-2023.”

The updates were intended to address increasing infill development and rainfall intensity, and the downstream effects of runoff and impacts to the county’s aging storm drains and local streams.

Builders and remodelers say the changes have caused new headaches and resulted in projects shrinking in size.

“It only gets more complicated, costs more, and takes longer,” says architect Trip DeFalco.

Andrew Moore, president of Arlington Designer Homes, said he’s avoided this process in many projects after telling the clients about the potential costs and permitting time.

“People are motivated to think, do I need that bump-out to be 14 feet? I can live with 12 feet,” he said. “It saves you $50,000 and 3 months.”

Despite the hassle, permit applications are still coming in at a clip of, on average, 20 per month.

Responding to redevelopment

In the wake of the destructive July 2019 flash flood, residents has discussed and voted on ways to address stormwater mitigation in Arlington, while the county has put more funding toward stormwater improvement projects.

The issue of runoff has figured into debates about how to protect streams and the impacts of allowing the construction of two- to eight-unit “Missing Middle” houses in Arlington, though such projects could only occupy the footprint currently allowed for single-family homes on a given property.

In the wake of the flash flooding, the county introduced new regulations for what it says is one of the biggest runoff contributors: new single-family homes.

“Ensuring more robust control of runoff from new single family homes, which create the majority of new impervious area from regulated development activity, remains a top County priority as part of the comprehensive Flood Resilient Arlington initiative,” Golkin said.

An average of 167 single-family homes have been built and an average of 155 torn down annually over the last 11 years, according to Arlington’s development tracker tool. Demolitions peaked in 2015 and completed projects in 2016.

Single-family detached demolitions and completed projects (via Arlington County)

A past of pollution

DeFalco, who spent a few years as a builder, too, says the “county’s hands are a little bit tied” on this issue because they have to meet state requirements aimed at curbing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.

Runoff brought fertilizer into the bay, causing algae and plants to grow quickly and then die, sink to the bottom, where they decayed and used up oxygen, says civil engineer Roger Bohr.

“The state is pushing on the county and the federal government is pushing on the state,” DeFalco said. “But the implementation on the homeowner level is pretty onerous… I don’t think the residents have any idea what’s going in their side yards.”

Golkin compared the transition period right now to when new state stormwater management requirements took effect in 2014.

“Staff and the building and engineering community ultimately came up to speed,” he said.

(more…)

UPDATED: Firefighters battle shed blaze in Green Valley

By ARLnow.com
Smoke from the shed fire in Green Valley (photo courtesy anonymous)

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A shed next to a house caught fire and filled a portion of the Green Valley neighborhood with smoke this afternoon.

The blaze prompted a large fire department response to the 2400 block of S. Oakland Street but firefighters later determined that the flames had not spread to the house, according to scanner traffic. The fire has since been extinguished.

Despite the main house not catching on fire, the blaze has displaced seven residents, according to the Arlington County Fire Department. One person was taken to a local hospital in stable condition, ACFD said.

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaFD/status/1583188664120537089

ACPD: Armed suspects carjacked delivery driver’s Prius last night

By ARLnow.com
Police speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

A pizza delivery driver was carjacked in the Arlington Mill neighborhood last night.

The incident happened Wednesday night on S. Dickerson Street, a couple of blocks north of the Arlington Mill Community Center and Columbia Pike.

A pair of suspects, at least one of whom was armed with a gun, threatened the delivery driver and stole his 2005 Toyota Prius, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report. The driver was not hurt.

More from ACPD:

CARJACKING (Late), 2022-10190259, 800 block of S. Dickerson Street. At approximately 11:20 p.m. on October 19, police were dispatched to the late report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was delivering pizza when he was approached by two unknown male suspects. The suspects allegedly threatened the victim with a firearm and demanded his personal belongings and the keys to his vehicle. The suspects then stole the victim’s belongings and fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. No injuries were reported. Suspect One is described as a Black male, approximately 5’10”, wearing a ski mask and dark clothing. Suspect Two is described as a Black male with a husky build, approximately 5’6″, wearing a ski mask. The vehicle is described as a 2005 White Toyota Prius with Virginia tags TZE7770. The investigation is ongoing.

The last reported carjacking in Arlington happened in July in the Crystal City area, though a few attempted carjackings have been reported since then.

Redevelopment has changed the fabric of Halls Hill. Do residents think ‘Missing Middle’ would help or hurt?

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

The following in-depth local reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join today to support local journalism and to get an early look at what we’re planning to cover each day.

Marguarite Gooden, who is now in her 70s, remembers the day that her grandfather, “a sage man,” as she describes him, told her something that would forever alter her family’s course.

“Keep the land,” he said.

When she could afford it, she purchased her first childhood home, which her father built on her grandfather’s property. She then purchased her second, larger childhood home, which her father built across what’s now named Langston Blvd, then Lee Highway, when his wife became pregnant with twins.

“I own both properties and I have had the wherewithal to make sure they’re in trusts, and that my kids and grandkids cannot sell them,” Gooden tells ARLnow.

Gooden, who shared her anecdote during a county-facilitated conversation on the Missing Middle housing study, said in an interview with ARLnow that she is glad she could help her kids stay in Arlington if they wanted. She said she wants teachers, firefighters and nurses at the nearby Virginia Hospital Center to be able to afford to live here, too.

But all around her, new construction in Halls Hill is increasingly unaffordable — a new six-bedroom, single-family home with a modern design recently went for $1.7 million compared to a circa-1995, three-bedroom townhouse went for $825,000. Another new construction, single-family detached home on a dead-end street is listed for sale for $1.9 million.

There are still some relative bargains to be had in the neighborhood, like the five-bedroom rambler that sold for $735,000, but with each “fixer-upper” sale comes with the chance that another huge house from a local builder will replace it.

The pricier homes came at the expense of this historically Black community, Gooden said, as neighbors moved away for more space or cheaper property taxes and sold the property they inherited from their parents and grandparents.

“That completely changed that neighborhood,” Gooden said. “We don’t even know all our neighbors anymore. I used to know everybody.”

After all this upheaval, could the county’s plan to allow two- to eight-unit buildings in single-family neighborhoods create more attainable homeownership opportunities in Halls Hill? Could it prevent future displacement?

It’s unclear.

One prevailing attitude is “something is better than nothing,” but concerns remain that Missing Middle will increase development in Halls Hill without bringing down the price. Certain streets already allow low-density multifamily units, and given the recent sale of two duplexes for $1.2 million apiece, they’re worried new “middle housing” won’t be attainable and won’t stem the tide of gentrification.

“People who live here are worried Halls Hill will be targeted, not more north in Arlington, where options are needed,” said community leader Wilma Jones.

Some developers, meanwhile, are excited to tap into buyers who want homes that feed into Yorktown High School and still have lower property values, at least to compared to other North Arlington neighborhoods.

“There’s such little supply, people want to be anywhere in North Arlington,” said Charles Taylor, the head of acquisitions for Arlington-based Classic Cottages. “It’s pretty schools driven. A lot of times, we don’t granularly pick and choose ‘We want to be in this block or that block,’ it’s like, ‘Hey, this is a lot in North Arlington, it feeds into Yorktown, let’s go there.'”

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A park bench and a large spider web near the Gulf Branch Nature Center (staff photo

APS Enrollment Still Down — “Two-and-a-half years after COVID upended the international landscape and forced many American students to try and learn from home, Arlington Public Schools is still playing catchup. The school system’s official start-of-the-year count of 26,439 students in kindergarten through 12th grade is down 467 students, or 1.7 percent, from the total reported at the start of the 2019-20 school year.” [Sun Gazette]

Cars Damaged Near Wakefield High — “5000 block of S. Chesterfield Road. At approximately 7:49 a.m. on October 18, police were dispatched to the report of vandalism. Upon arrival, it was determined that between approximately 10:30 p.m. on October 17 and 7:49 a.m. on October 18, the unknown suspect(s) smashed the driver’s side windows of three vehicles. No items were reported stolen and no additional damage was reported. The victim vehicles are Honda, Subaru and Chevrolet models.” [ACPD]

Earthquake Drill Today — “More than 11 years after the Virginia earthquake that was felt by people up and down the East Coast, governments, schools and residents in Virginia will participate in the Great Southeast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill on Thursday. The Great Southeast Shakeout Earthquake Drill is part of International ShakeOut Day on Oct. 20, at 10:20 a.m. local time, when millions of people worldwide prepare for the possibility of an earthquake.” [Patch]

More on FCPD Chase into Arlington — “Armed Robbery @Homedepot Seven Corners at 1858HRS. Red F-150 VA Temp Tag… [Fairfax County police] pursuit into Old town after ramming PO. Chase up to I395 NB w/ foot bail out at Exit 10C… Driver arrested… Extensive History in Fairfax County. Felonies always Nolle Pros & sentences suspended. All fines remain unpaid.” [Twitter]

Silver Line to Dulles Opening Soon — “The second phase of the Silver Line may finally be ready to begin in time for the start of busy Thanksgiving travel, Metro announced today. But the opening of the long-anticipated and long-delayed extension into Loudoun County is pending security certifications.” [FFXnow]

It’s Thursday — Clear and cool. High of 57 and low of 36. Sunrise at 7:24 am and sunset at 6:24 pm. [Weather.gov]

County Board wants swifter action after most recent pedestrian death

By Jo DeVoe
Vision Zero team representatives during the Arlington County Board meeting on Oct. 18, 2022 (via Arlington County)

Arlington County Board members have indicated their impatience for traffic changes at an intersection where a woman was fatally struck by a driver two weeks ago.

During a meeting yesterday (Tuesday), Board members received a briefing from team members from Vision Zero — the county’s initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries — about all the work they do after a critical crash.

But Board members were less interested in the process and dwelled more on getting answers to questions like “How long will this take?” and “What can we do now?” Part of that motivation, according to Board Chair Katie Cristol, was that the death of 85-year-old Gwendolyn Hayes felt preventable.

“Any fatal crash is unacceptable to our community, as I know you feel deeply, as do we. And what feels so difficult about Ms. Hayes’ death is the sense that this is one that should have been prevented, especially because of those who had been killed at the same location before her,” she said.

Scene of fatal pedestrian crash along Little Falls Road in the Williamsburg neighborhood (staff photo)

This was the second pedestrian death and the third notable crash in recent months, and the rash has prompted residents to demand more action. Viviana Oxlaj Pérez died in early August after being struck by an alleged drunk driver on 2nd Street S. and Old Glebe Road. A man charged with involuntary manslaughter related to her death has hearings set for February 2023, according to court records.

Shortly after, a child on a bicycle who allegedly pedaled into oncoming traffic was struck at the intersection of 3rd Street S. and S. Carlin Springs Road. Then, Hayes died at the intersection of Little Falls Road and John Marshall Drive.

All three crashes were near schools: Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Kenmore Middle School and Nottingham Elementary School, respectively. And while school zones are slated to get speed cameras, possibly later next year, it won’t help safety at the intersection where Hayes died, which is just outside the school zone boundaries.

Scene of pedestrian struck in the Williamsburg neighborhood (staff photo)

In light of these crashes, Board members pressed staff to give timeframes for the police investigation into Hayes’ and Oxlaj Pérez’s deaths. They asked when police will choose a vendor for speed cameras, and asked if more red light cameras could be installed. They urged staff not to let new research into this intersection slow them down.

“We’ve got a lot of data, we’ve got a lot of information that doesn’t require a lot of time to initiate original research and study,” Board Vice-Chair Christian Dorsey said. “I would encourage us to use the data that we have and the analytical framework and tools we have to work as expeditiously as we can.”

County Board member Matt de Ferranti said he visited with a neighbor near Little Falls Road who always has first aid supplies ready to take care of people who get into crashes. There have been a total of three fatal pedestrian crashes along a two-block stretch of Little Falls Road near Nottingham Elementary School over the past eight years.

De Ferranti said he has seen videos showing how hazardous the conditions are. These are examples of “qualitative data” staff should use to prioritize changes to this intersection, he said.

“I really hope we can be thinking in weeks and not months in terms of additional action,” he said.

Staff at Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services, which builds and maintains local roads, say they’re working on preliminary designs for safety improvements, but are waiting for the facts of the police investigation to finalize these designs.

“We are prioritizing this [intersection],” Transportation and Operations Bureau Chief Hui Wang said. “We are trying to see if there are other data we can utilize without the fresh collection.”

(more…)

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