News

Local lawmakers again introduce legislation to remove Lee’s name from Arlington House

By Matt Blitz
Arlington House, as seen from the Kennedy gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery in 2011 (staff photo)

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) Local lawmakers have again introduced legislation to officially remove Robert E. Lee’s name from Arlington House.

For fifty years, “Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial” has been the official name for the National Park Service-managed mansion that sits on top of a hill at Arlington National Cemetery.

But in recent years, there has been a push to drop Lee’s name from the memorial and return it to its original name of simply “Arlington House.”

In 2020, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va) proposed legislation to do just that since Arlington House lies in his district. The bill was co-sponsored by two other local representatives, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va) and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va), along with D.C. Congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Beyer said at the time that the legislation was partially inspired by requests for a name change from descendants of those who were enslaved at Arlington House. However, the bill never got out of committee and no change was made.

Two years later, though, these local lawmakers are trying again with a bicameral push.

The House bill is co-sponsored by Beyer, Connelly, Wexton, and Norton while a new Senate bill is sponsored by Tim Kaine (D-Va). The legislation, if passed and signed into law, would strip the Confederate general’s name from the house he once lived in.

“If we are serious about ending racial disparities, we need to stop honoring those who fought to protect slavery,” Kaine said in a press release. “I’m proud to be part of the effort to rename Arlington House, and am going to keep fighting for the kinds of reforms we need to create a society that delivers liberty and justice for all.”

This year’s bills are very similar to the one from 2020, Beyer Communications Director Aaron Fritschner confirmed to ARLnow, save for small language changes including adding a formal historic site designation.

If the legislation does pass, the mansion would officially be called “The Arlington House National Historic Site.”

The building that now sits inside Arlington National Cemetery was first built by enslaved people in the early 19th century to be the residence for George Washington Parke Custis. It was also intended to be a memorial to George Washington, Custis’s adoptive grandfather.

Custis’s daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis married Robert E. Lee in 1831. The soon-to-be Confederate general was known to be a cruel and sometimes violent head of the household.

During the Civil War, the Union Army seized the house as well as the grounds and turned it into a military cemetery.

In 1955, Congress passed legislation to designate the house as the “Custis-Lee Mansion.” The name was changed again in 1972 to what it is today, “Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial.”

For years, Arlington House was featured prominently in the county’s logo. That changed last year after a push to remove the house from the logo, in large part due to its formal name and association with Lee.

(An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Lee’s relationship to the house and property.) 

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
New signage on Crystal Drive warning drivers to not block vehicle or bike lanes (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Flyover This Morning — Updated at 9:15 a.m. — “The US Air Force reports 2 flyovers in the NCR consisting of 4 military aircrafts (in both flyovers) at Arlington National Cemetery today, July 14… at 9:55AM and 11:43AM.” [PoPville]

Arlington Again No. 1 ‘Digital County’ — “Arlington County continues to be a national leader in technology, once again being recognized as the No. 1 Digital County by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties. The 2022 award marks the fifth time that Arlington has received the top honor in the 150,000-249,999-population category.” [Arlington County]

County Seeking Funding for Crash-Prone Ramp — “Arlington County officials are slated to apply for $10 million in federal funding to improve an interchange at Arlington Boulevard and Washington Boulevard, while seeking a similar amount from the state government as a backstop in case the federal cash never materializes. The proposal aims to reconfigure two existing interchange ramps and create a straighter, two-directional ramp with signalization.” [Sun Gazette]

Another Group Backs ‘Missing Middle’ — “Count Habitat for Humanity on board with the Arlington government’s Missing Middle housing proposal. The proposed zoning change ‘is not the answer to the affordability crisis, but it is one answer, that the county [government] could and should implement,’ John Smoot, co-president and CEO of the organization’s D.C./Northern Virginia chapter, said in a recent letter to County Board members.” [Sun Gazette]

Jewelry Robbery on the Pike — “Columbia Pike at S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 1:50 a.m. on July 13, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim who stated he and the witness were in a parking lot when the unknown male suspect approached them. The suspect became confrontational and a verbal dispute occurred during which the suspect implied he had a weapon. The suspect then forcibly removed the victim’s necklace and fled the scene of foot. The witness recovered the chain of the necklace from the suspect as he fled.” [ACPD]

Prosecutor: Long Sentences Not Always the Answer — From Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: “I understand the easy answer is to simply say: keep people locked up for as long as possible because if they’re locked up they can’t commit any crime. But, what about if doing so increases the chance they will reoffend once released, thereby decreasing public safety?” [Twitter]

Local Neighborhood Profiled — “Madison Manor is composed primarily of brick ramblers and ranchers, some with recent additions, interspersed with larger contemporary homes. Most of the original homes maintain the red brick facade; a few have been painted white or partially covered with siding.” [Washington Post]

Two Charged in Rare Liquor Scheme — “In the search for hard-to-find bottles of bourbon at Virginia ABC stores, some liquor enthusiasts have been worried about leaks of a more serious kind… The conspiracy theories apparently weren’t wrong. An ABC investigation led to four felony indictments against two men who were arrested last month and charged with computer trespass and embezzling ABC’s inventory list.” [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 87 and low of 72. Sunrise at 5:56 am and sunset at 8:35 pm. [Weather.gov]

NEW: Driver crashes into office building in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
1/4

A man crashed his Subaru into a Courthouse office building this afternoon.

The crash happened around 4 p.m. at the National Science Teaching Association building at 1840 Wilson Blvd, in the alley between Wilson and Clarendon boulevards.

The front of the Subaru went through a brick wall and into the building, but no one inside the building was reported to be hurt.

The middle-aged male driver of the car appeared disoriented as he was being pulled out of the driver’s seat by firefighters. He was taken on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance and on to a local hospital.

It’s unclear what caused the crash and whether the driver might have suffered a medical emergency.

The fire department’s technical rescue team remains on scene, shoring up the brick wall which was damaged as a result of the crash.

County Board discusses “missing middle” housing proposal amid roiling community debate

By ARLnow.com
1/10

(Updated at 4:35 p.m.) The Arlington County Board is eyeing December for a vote on residential zoning changes suggested by the county’s Missing Middle Housing Study.

But changes to the study’s draft framework — for allowing multi-family homes with up to 8 units on properties currently zoned only for single family homes — seem likely.

The Board discussed the often-contentious community feedback to the proposal and possible modifications at a work session Tuesday afternoon. As they talked with county staff and amongst themselves, residents — many with signs supporting or opposing the proposal — packed the Board room and watched with interest.

Slide from staff presentation at Missing Middle Housing Study work session

The feedback, county staff said in a presentation, has been mixed but more negative than positive. Of note is the split between feedback from residents of single-family detached homes and those who live in apartments, condos and townhouses.

Asked whether any housing types, from townhouses to 8-plexes, should be removed from the proposal, 78% of single-family detached home residents who provided feedback said yes, indicating opposition to the current proposal, while 70% of those who live in other housing types said no, indicating support.

Slide from staff presentation at Missing Middle Housing Study work session

Arlington has about 29,000 single-family detached homes and 79,000 townhouses, apartments, condos and other housing types, the staff presentation said.

Though critics of the missing middle proposal have been calling for more public outreach and feedback, county staff argued that they conducted extensive outreach, including 150,000 postcards, nine pop-up events, six walking tours and an online feedback form.

Slide from staff presentation at Missing Middle Housing Study work session

The online feedback form received 2.5 times as many negative comments as positive comments, the staff presentation said, though feedback at the pop-up events and through emails and letters was more positive, with roughly 2.5 times more positive comments as negative via email.

County staff noted that the vast majority of those responding to the feedback form said they own a single-family detached home and reported “white” or “prefer not to respond” under “race and ethnicity.”

Slide from staff presentation at Missing Middle Housing Study work session

Given the overrepresentation of white homeowners in providing online feedback, staff said they used the county’s “equity lens” and decided to hold pop-up events in areas with renters and minority residents, so as to gather more feedback from those groups.

All told, staff told the Board that it has received “strong” interest and extensive input from the community about the proposal.

“The feedback was fast and furious and ongoing,” said Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development Communications Manager Erika Moore.

Slide from staff presentation at Missing Middle Housing Study work session

Following the staff presentation, the Board discussed aspects of the proposal and posed questions to staff.

Board members Libby Garvey and Matt de Ferranti — who is up for reelection in November — both expressed concern about putting eight housing units in the footprint of a single-family home in an otherwise single-family home neighborhood.

“The eight units makes me kind of uncomfortable,” Garvey said

“I share the concern with the 8-units for this specific reason, I think it will result in more small half bedroom units,” de Ferranti agreed, joining other Board members in expressing support for “missing middle” homes with more bedrooms, which could house a family.

There was also discussion of whether missing middle zoning should be limited to transit corridors, which received pushback from some members.

(more…)

Three arrested after a spate of men exposing themselves in various parts of Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car (file photo)

Arlington is seeing a spate of men exposing themselves.

The past two Arlington County Police Department crime reports have included five separate indecent exposure incidents, four of which involve men masturbating in public and three of which resulted in arrests.

The incidents happened in the Pentagon City, Courthouse and Buckingham neighborhoods, as well as along Langston Blvd between the Yorktown and High View Park communities.

In the Buckingham incident, the given location of which is 2-3 blocks from Ballston, the suspect was following a female victim late at night when he allegedly started to touch himself inappropriately.

More from ACPD:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07110110, 5200 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 11:10 a.m. on July 11, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure. Officers met with the reporting party who stated she was walking into a building when she observed a male suspect on a bench with his genitals exposed and masturbating. The victim continued into the building and called police during which the suspect fled in an unknown direction. A lookout was broadcast and additional units canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07120017, 2200 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 1:32 a.m. on July 12, police were dispatched to the report of a trespassing. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect, who had been previously banned from the business, and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined the suspect entered into the lobby of the building, sat in the common area and allegedly began masturbating. [The suspect], 34, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public, Trespassing, and Indecent Exposure.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07090174, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 4:26 p.m. on July 9, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered into the business and began looking at merchandise before allegedly placing his hands in his pants and touching himself inappropriately. Responding officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. [The suspect], 46, of Arlington Va., was arrested and charged with Public Masturbation.

INDECENT EXPOSURE (Late), 2022-07090002, N. George Mason Drive at N. Henderson Road. At approximately 12:02 a.m. on July 9, police were dispatched to the late report of an indecent exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 11:25 p.m. on July 8, the female victim was walking in the area when she observed the unknown male suspect walking behind her. The suspect exposed himself and began masturbating before fleeing the area on foot.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2022-07090118, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 11:36 a.m. on July 9, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from a business just occurred. While officers were enroute, dispatch advised that the suspect had entered into a second business and began exposing himself. Responding officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined that the suspect allegedly entered into the first business and concealed merchandise before fleeing on foot into the second business and exposing himself. During a search of the suspect incident to arrest, the stolen merchandise and suspected drug paraphernalia were recovered. [The suspect], 47, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Possession of Schedule I/II Controlled Substance, Indecent Exposure, Petit Larceny: Shoplifting. He was held on no bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Lightning over Cherrydale last night (photo courtesy Kennedy Combs)

‘Missing Middle’ Fight Heats Up — “The topic of housing wasn’t even on the agenda for lawmakers in Arlington County, but residents streamed into one recent meeting with a sea of posters to express their dueling views on the issue… That raucous meeting offered a taste of what promises to be one of the most contentious political battles in recent memory in Arlington: a proposal to legalize ‘missing middle’ housing — from townhouses to duplexes to eight-unit buildings — that many are treating as an existential debate over the future of this affluent, deep-blue Northern Virginia suburb.” [Washington Post]

Arlington Has Priciest Local Rent — New data shows that the average rent for one-bedroom apartments in Arlington is the highest in the region, after rising 5% month over month to $2,310/mo. [Zumper]

Video: A Ride in the Rain — Updated at 9:20 a.m. — “Was just past the White House on Constitution Ave heading… towards Arlington when I got pummeled by rain.” [YouTube]

Videos: Stormy Evening — Videos posted to Twitter show the strong wind and the spectacular lightning from yesterday evening’s storm. [Twitter, Twitter]

It’s Wednesday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 87 and low of 74. Sunrise at 5:55 am and sunset at 8:35 pm. [Weather.gov]

Clarendon park to be renamed 11th Street Park

By Mavis Chan
11th Street Park (via Google Maps)

A park in Clarendon is getting a new name that has in neighbor support what it lacks in creativity.

After months of feedback, Arlington is set to name the park on the corner of 11th Street N. and N. Danville Street “11th Street Park.”

The County Board is set to vote on the name change during its meeting this Saturday (July 16).

The park, which is near The Crossing Clarendon retail center, was originally called 11th Street North and North Danville Street Park. But the county decided to rename it after a renovation project approved in 2021, according to a report to the County Board.

The Department of Parks and Recreation started a public engagement period in March, asking residents to vote on and suggest new names for the park. The county and the Clarendon Courthouse Civic Association narrowed down possible names to a handful, including 11th Street Park, Danville Park, Wayside Green Park and Nguyen Ngoc Bich Park.

Out of 164 responses to the public engagement survey, 11th Street Park received the most votes, followed by Danville Park, according to the Parks and Recreation document. Community and government organizations — namely the Park and Recreation Commission, the Arlington Neighborhoods Advisory Committee and the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board — all voted for the proposed name change.

This proposed new name “reflects the degree to which this park is the bedrock within our urban community,” CCCA President David Creek said in a letter. He added that 11th Street Park “won by many votes” in the two public voting events carried out by the CCCA and the Department of Parks and Recreation, respectively.

The name Nguyen Ngoc Bich Park would have honored a local resident who died six years ago, who “advocated for… refugee and immigrant needs throughout his life and worked to share Vietnamese culture with the Arlington community in numerous ways.” He is likely to get a historical marker in his honor instead.

A design plan for 11th Street Park’s renovation (via Arlington County)

The park is set to get a new name because of the renovation project, which is set to begin this summer. New furnishings, park signage and path lighting are set to be added, according to previous ARLnow reporting. Additionally, the gravel walkways are set to be replaced with concrete. If the County Board approves the name change, a park entrance sign will be added, which is estimated to cost $5,300.

Photo via Google Maps

NEW: Arlington sets record after again ranking No. 1 on American Fitness Index

By ARLnow.com
Runners in Long Bridge Park in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington has ranked No. 1 on the American Fitness Index for a record fifth year in a row.

The county topped the list, published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Elevance Health Foundation, after placing first in the nation in six separate fitness and health categories. The new rankings were announced this morning.

“Arlington, Virginia, earned its No. 1 designation for the fifth time, a Fitness Index record, by ranking first in six indicators and scoring among the top 10 cities in 19 of the 34 categories,” ACSM said in a press release. “Arlington was ranked No. 1 in both the personal health and community/environment sub-scores.”

The categories for which Arlington received top marks, out of the 100 U.S. localities indexed by ACSM, are below.

  • % exercising in the last 30 days (Arlington 93.8%, city average 77.6%)
  • % in excellent or very good health (Arlington 70.1%, city average 55.9%)
  • % physical health not good during the past 30 days (Arlington 16.1%, city average 27.5%)
  • % with high blood pressure (Arlington 15.2%, city average 30.4%)
  • % with stroke (Arlington 0.4%, city average 3.2%)
  • % with diabetes (Arlington 5.2%, city average 10.3%)

Arlington’s overall rank was 85, compared to an average of 51.7, while the county’s personal health rank was 86.8, compared to an average of 50.5.

2022 Fitness Index Top 10 Infographic (courtesy ACSM)

There was good news for a nation in as a whole in this year’s rankings, with ACSM reporting an “increase in the percentage of Americans exercising in the previous month (77.6%); sleeping 7+ hours/day (68%); and reporting excellent/very good health (55.9%), since last year’s Fitness Index.”

An excerpt from this morning’s press release is below.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A flying porta-potty over a construction site in Clarendon (photo courtesy Peter Golkin)

More New Transit Stations Along the Pike — “Arlington County Board members on July 16 are expected to approve a contract revision that will allow for installation of eight transit stations along Columbia Pike, rather than the four originally envisioned when the contract was first consummated. The proposal calls for upping the contract total from $1.65 million to $2.72 million to accommodate the doubling of pre-fabricated transit stations to be installed at various spots along the route.” [Sun Gazette]

Missing Middle Form Closes Today — A feedback form for Arlington’s Missing Middle Housing Study is closing today, as the County Board is set to hold a work session on the draft proposal to allow relatively small-scale multifamily housing where only single-family homes can currently be built. The work session, which comes amid both vocal opposition to and support for the proposal among dueling groups of residents, starts at 3 p.m. today. [Arlington County, Arlington County]

Local Credit Union Merger — “Arlington Community Federal Credit Union (FCU) has announced plans to seek regulatory approval to merge with Alexandria-based InFirst Federal Credit Union, resulting in an organization with combined assets of more than $700 million. As part of the merger process, Arlington Community FCU will determine and announce a name for the combined credit union before merger completion.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Tuesday — Humid throughout the day with storms possible in the afternoon and evening. High of 90 and low of 70. Sunrise at 5:55 am and sunset at 8:36 pm. [Weather.gov]

Police investigating armed mugging in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A man was attacked by two would-be robbers, including one with a gun, in the Courthouse neighborhood Friday night, police say.

The mugging happened around 10:30 p.m. in the area of Rocky Run Park.

The suspects threatened the victim with a gun after knocking him to the ground, but fled without stealing anything after he called out for help, according to police

From today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-07080245, N. Barton Street at Fairfax Drive. At approximately 10:27 p.m. on July 8, police were dispatched to the report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking southbound on N. Barton Street when Suspect One struck him with an unknown object, knocking him to the ground. Suspect Two then brandished a firearm, threatened the victim and demanded his property. The victim yelled for help and the suspects fled the scene on foot without the victim’s property. A canvass of the area for the suspects yielded negative results. The victim sustained minor injuries and was treated on scene by medics. Suspect One is described as a Black male in his 20’s, slim build, approximately 5’7, with short black hair, light-colored shirt and jeans. Suspect Two is described as a Black male in his 20’s, slim build, approximately 6’0, with short black hair wearing a light colored shirt and jeans.  The investigation is ongoing.

The crime report also has details about an arrest made after an alleged road rage incident Friday afternoon.

Police say a 21-year-old Falls Church man was charged with brandishing a weapon after the incident — which started in Courthouse and ended with a dramatic, guns-drawn traffic stop along Route 50 — even though the weapon ended up being an airsoft gun.

The man is facing additional charges, police say, because two children were inside his car at the time.

From ACPD:

BRANDISHING, 2022-07080144, 1500 block of N. Veitch Street. At approximately 1 p.m. on July 8, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Arriving officers located the two involved vehicles and initiated a traffic stop in the area of Arlington Boulevard and N. Irving Street. The investigation determined the occupants of the vehicles had been traveling along Arlington Boulevard when they became involved in a traffic dispute, during which the passenger in the suspect vehicle allegedly displayed what was believed to be a handgun. During the traffic stop, officers recovered an airsoft gun inside the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle was also determined to have to juvenile occupants at the time of the incident. Manuel Rivas, 21, of Falls Church, VA was taken into custody without incident and charged with Brandishing and Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor (x2).

Height dominates discussion of development proposal for Clarendon parking lot

By Matt Blitz
1/2

(Updated at 7:10 p.m.) A planned development roughly between Clarendon and Courthouse could go as high as 16 stories, though county staff and some nearby residents are asking for it to be shorter.

At its meeting last week, the Arlington Planning Commission voted in favor of advertising an amendment to the General Land Use Plan which governs development for what is now a parking lot at 2636 Wilson Blvd.

The County Board is now set to vote at its meeting this Saturday on whether to advertise public hearings on the GLUP change.

The change calls for rezoning from “service commercial,” which allows the building to be up to 4 stories, to “Office-Apartment-Hotel.” This designation would allow the development to be between 6 and 16 stories high.

But the crux of the conversation last week was exactly how many stories should the development actually be allowed to get to.

The proposed project, dubbed “Courthouse West,” would redevelop a parking lot that’s just east of the Clarendon Whole Foods store. The lot currently houses a number of “ghost kitchen” trailers. A PNC Bank branch is also part of the development site, per documents filed with the county.

Ballston-based CRC Companies wants a 16-story apartment building there, as would be allowed by the new zoning designation.

However, county staff is calling for the development to be rezoned as a “medium” office-apartment-hotel development with a maximum height of up to 12 stories. And members of the public, at least those who filled out a recent online survey, want it to be even shorter than that.

In a survey first disseminated in December, three options were provided — 6, 10, and 17 stories — and about half of respondents, in total about 175, choose the six-story option.

After nearly two and a half hours of discussion and public comment last week, the commission voted against staff recommendations and in favor of advertising the 16-story option.

A number of commissioners noted that the vote was intended to allow continued discussion about 16 stories and not take it off the table; it didn’t necessarily constitute a recommendation for the development to go that high, they said.

County staff’s recommendation of 12 stories is essentially a compromise. There’s an understanding that the development could have the right to go to 16 stories, but staff doesn’t want to set a “precedent” since so many other buildings in that part of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor are shorter.

During the public comment section, a number of nearby residents went into detail about why they didn’t want a 16-story, or even a 12-story, building on that specific parcel of land that lies halfway between the Clarendon and Courthouse Metro stations. Among the reasons were concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety and school crowding.

John Carten of the Lyon Village Citizens’ Association called the survey that went out to the public “very flawed and biased” because it only offered three choices. He says the residents he represents want a six-story building at maximum.

“Twelve story buildings would tower over houses in Lyon Village,” he said. “This will open the door to other developers who want the same density.”

(Carten and the association have also been sharply critical of the potential for more development on the other side of the largely Metro-accessible neighborhood that could result from the ongoing Langston Blvd planning process.)

Still, other residents noted that a 12- or 16-story apartment building would contribute more affordable housing and better take advantage of the neighborhood’s transit options.

(more…)

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