A pedestrian tunnel under Route 50 near the National Guard Readiness Center (Flickr pool photo by Cyrus W.)
DCA Sign Changes Start Tomorrow — “We’re making it easier to find your gate! Beginning June 4, we will be updating our signage to include a letter in front of each gate number. Don’t worry, no airlines or gates are actually moving!” [Twitter, DCist]
Summer Reading Program Underway — “The Arlington County library system’s summer-reading program kicked off June 1 and will run through Sept. 1. ‘Readers of all ages are invited to immerse themselves in reading, participating in 500 free programs and explore the 2022 theme, ‘Oceans of Possibilities,” library officials said.” [Sun Gazette]
Weekend Road Closures — “There are planned road closures to accommodate the 2022 Armed Forces Cycling Classic bicycle races, which will take place during the weekend of Saturday, June 4 – Sunday, June 5, 2022.” [ACPD]
New Name for Park Near HQ2 — “Before the HALRB’s meeting of May 18, it looked like “Teardrop Park” would be a runaway choice for the new space, which will be bounded (in a teardrop shape) by South Eads Street and Army Navy Drive and bisected by 11th Street South… But at the HALRB meeting, Berne stopped that train in its tracks by countering with “Arlington Junction Park,” which would pay homage to an important trolley-line nexus of the last decade of the 19th century and the first four decades of the 20th.” [Sun Gazette]
Free Donuts Today — “It’s National Donut Day on Friday, and several eateries in Virginia and Washington, D.C., are offering a sweet deal or two to lure in donut lovers across the state.” [Patch]
Paper Calls for Return of SROs — “One wonders if Arlington’s School Board members will have a change of heart, now that there is a national drumbeat for more, not less, public-safety presence in schools. Sadly, one presumes not.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Friday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 78 and low of 65. Sunrise at 5:46 am and sunset at 8:31 pm. [Weather.gov]
As of this past weekend, they are all open with varying hours — save for the water feature at Mosaic Park. It’s currently closed for repairs, Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish says, but it should be open in about a month.
“We are still waiting for essential components to repair the Mosaic water feature,” Kalish writes, “It will be open before July 4th.”
The Ballston park underwent a $6 million renovation in 2019 after years of delays. It finally reopened to the public in late 2020.
Spraygrounds and water features are actually two different things, with spraygrounds specifically designed to be a play area for kids.
“A sprayground is a playground for children to get wet. An interactive water feature was designed for people of all ages to have fun viewing and getting wet,” Kalish notes. “Interactive water features do not meet Playground Safety Guidelines.”
The water features at Penrose Square and Mosaic Park are, despite the the all-ages designation, popular with children and families.
Of course, there are rules to follow while using the county’s spraygrounds and water features: No running, horseplay, or climbing on features is allowed. Pets are also prohibited and, please, avoid drinking the water, the parks department says. Enjoyment, though, is allowed.
“Having fun is permissible and highly encouraged,” reads the county’s website.
Just last month, Arlington’s park system was ranked number three in the nation by the non-profit Trust for Public Land. The availability of spraygrounds was cited as one of the reasons for the high ranking.
Soccer practice at twilight at Long Bridge Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
State Budget Adds Marijuana Misdemeanors — “Today, the Virginia General Assembly voted to approve the budget bill which contains language to recriminalize personal possession of over four ounces of marijuana in public. The language, which creates two new misdemeanors, will take effect immediately upon Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s signature on the budget.” [NORML, Washington Post]
Man Exposes Self in Women’s Restroom — “500 block of 12th Street S. At approximately 12:33 p.m. on May 31, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim exited a restroom stall and observed the unknown male suspect inside the women’s restroom with his pants down and genitals exposed. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival.” [ACPD]
New Workforce Development Program — “Arlington Economic Development (AED) is proud to announce an innovative workforce development program benefitting Arlington residents and tech employers. AED is working with Arlington-based Exelaration, the #2 tech and engineering internship provider in the U.S., on the Arlington Talent Pilot program.” [Arlington County]
Historical Society Needs Moving Help — “As it embarks on a renovation of its Arlington Ridge Road museum, the Arlington Historical Society is seeking community help in preparing many of its historic items for relocation. The organization has received space donated by JBG Smith in Crystal City for storage of its collection. ‘Now, the real costs will be in packing and moving the approximately 5,000 artifacts that are not on display,’ the organization said in a recent missive to supporters.” [Sun Gazette]
County Offers Hurricane Prep Tips — “The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1, and now is the best time for Arlington residents to prepare for hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding. Here are four helpful tips to help you and your loved ones prepare for hurricane season.” [Arlington County]
New Paint Job for Clarendon Restaurant — “And #MexicaliBlues gets fresh blue! Summer Is Here!” [Twitter]
Metro Ridership Rising — From NBC 4’s Adam Tuss: “Metrobus ridership continues to trend upward, topping 300,000 trips per day according to the most recent data. Are gas prices pushing people to the bus?” [Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Rain and storms in the afternoon. High of 85 and low of 73. Sunrise at 5:46 am and sunset at 8:30 pm. [Weather.gov]
A temporary roundabout on Military Road (staff photo)
A temporary roundabout along Military Road has garnered strong feelings as a deadline for community feedback nears.
The pilot project at Military Road and Nelly Custis Drive launched in October, with bollards in place to direct traffic around the center, and has reduced speeds on all approaches, according to data the county recently released. Benefits to pedestrians are less clear, as vehicle rates were varied and there were small sample sizes for pedestrian crossings.
The data collected on the roundabout’s use will be considered, as well as community feedback — which is being collected through this coming Monday, June 6 — when the county decides in October whether to make the roundabout permanent or to configure an intersection with a stop light instead.
A preliminary mock-up of a signal at the Nelly Custis and Military Road intersection (via Arlington County)
More than 100 comments flooded a Nextdoor post that outlined takeaways from a community meeting last month on the pilot.
“By my observation, all but one or two of the citizens present were opposed to the roundabout at the intersection of Military Road and Nelly Custis Drive,” one user wrote about a recent meeting on the roundabout. “The bottom line is that the County is dead set on ‘re-engineering’ that intersection. Returning the intersection to the way it was for 50+ years was not even contemplated, and it either will have a permanent roundabout or a three-way traffic signal.”
Another resident said “this roundabout is absolutely a solution looking for a problem.”
But other posters — especially those who use the roundabout as pedestrians and cyclists — expressed support, stating that the roundabout “is both more efficient and safer, for cars and for pedestrians.”
The Nelly Custis Drive intersection was identified in the county’s Vision Zero action plan as a location for improvements to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. The roundabout is supposed to increase allow more vehicle traffic, shorten crossing distances for people walking through the intersection, provide predictable turning movements and reduce vehicle speeding.
“Our focus is meeting the project goals of increasing safe, accessible travel for people walking, biking, driving and taking transit through this intersection,” Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors said.
The Old Glebe Civic Association, which is located well to the north of the roundabout but along the commuter route of Military Road, has long fought against the pilot, saying the changes were unwarranted and there were no significant safety concerns at the intersection.
“Detractors contend that the new pattern has generated confusion and near-accidents, that it is difficult to navigate, and that the required merging of auto and cyclist traffic is particularly dangerous and difficult for cyclists… OGCA pledges continued opposition to the roundabout,” the association wrote in an April newsletter.
Prior to the pilot, Nelly Custis Drive met Military Road at the intersection in a T-shape, with a stop sign for traffic on northbound Military Road.
The OGCA previously said three crashes occurred over eight years, including two involving bicycles, out of the approximately 32 million vehicles that passed through the intersection during that period.
Per Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services data, about 11,000 vehicles pass through the intersection daily. In a presentation last summer, county staff said conversions to roundabouts reduce pedestrian crashes by 27%, while conversions from stop-controlled intersections reduce injury crashes by 82%.
Flags outside county government headquarters in Courthouse (photo courtesy Arlington County)
(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) A printing vendor accidentally mailed tens of thousands of duplicate property tax bills to Arlington property owners, the county said today.
ARLnow started getting reports from readers earlier this week about the rogue mailings.
“We received a duplicate real estate tax bill today and contacted a couple of friends who also don’t have mortgages and they did too,” said one reader. “All of us have already paid and, in any case, the taxes aren’t due until 6/15.”
“Isn’t this a terrible waste of time and postage expense of our tax dollars by the county?” the reader added.
In each case, the readers said they countacted the county, which confirmed that they had in fact paid and the mailings were sent in error.
Arlington County Treasurer Carla de la Pava tells ARLnow that her office is not at fault and taxpayers won’t bear the extra expense, though she apologized for the confusion the letters caused.
The county treasurer’s office is issuing the following statement this afternoon.
The Arlington County Treasurer’s Office discovered yesterday, May 31, 2022, that an error made by our external print vendor resulted in the printing and mailing of approximately 26,000 duplicate letters to our taxpayers. The vast majority of these duplicate letters were real estate tax bills, and we regret the confusion and inconvenience that this error has caused our customers.
The Treasurer’s Office routinely sends test files to our outside print vendor before major billings like the recent billing for 1st installment real estate taxes. Although our office followed established procedures, unfortunately our external print vendor did not. A print vendor employee mistakenly printed and mailed letters from the test environment, and Arlington County customers began to receive the letters last weekend.
Arlington County taxpayers will not bear any of the cost of printing and postage resulting from this error. In addition, we will work with our print vendor to improve their internal control procedures to prevent errors like this from occurring in the future. If you are concerned about a particular bill, please email us at [email protected] or call 703-228-3702.
De la Pava estimated the total cost of the mailing, had the county been on the hook for it, at around $14,000.
A similar incident involving a “significant number” of duplicate tax bills happened in 2016. It was blamed on “a glitch” in sending data to the printing contractor.
“We are currently having conversations with [the contractor] to find out what processes and procedures they have in place, or can put in place, to stop duplicate files from being printed and mailed,” de la Pava told the Sun Gazette at the time.
Traffic on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge at the exits for Route 50 and the GW Parkway in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated on 6/2) Wider sidewalks may be coming to a major Potomac River crossing.
The long-awaited rehabbing of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, one of the main thoroughfares connecting Arlington to D.C., will result in a new paint job, updated overhead lights, and significant widening of sidewalks, a new D.C. Department of Transportation report says.
Later this week, the National Capital Planning Commission will meet to approve a new report that focuses on much-needed repairs and rehabilitation of 58-year-old bridge that carries I-66 traffic over the river.
Plan for expanded sidewalks on the Roosevelt Bridge (via National Capital Planning Commission)
The report calls for the bridge to be repainted to its original white color, as well as for updating the overhead lighting and doubling the sidewalk width for pedestrians on both sides of the bridge. It notes that the current sidewalk widths, varying between four and six feet, “do not meet safety standards.”
Neither do the current barriers separating pedestrians from traffic, which are steel columns that are only a few feet high.
“The existing traffic barriers between the sidewalk and traffic lanes provide minimal protection from pedestrians and do not meet current safety standards,” says the report.
While the bridge is owned, operated, and maintained by DDOT, Arlington County has a significant stake in this rehab project considering that it’s one of the main connectors to D.C.
“TR Bridge has been a subject of discussion between our staff and DDOT for over a decade. Arlington has always strongly advocated for improving pedestrian and bicycle facilities on the TR Bridge,” Arlington County Director of Transportation Dennis Leach told ARLnow. “The existing conditions, both on the north side and south side, are pretty meager and really not up to current standards.”
There are also “long term goals” to further connect the sidewalks to more pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares.
On the north side, the walkway connects the Mount Vernon trail in Rosslyn to the Kennedy Center Reach ramp. However, on the south side, the sidewalk currently does not connect to any trail or pedestrian-accessible walkway. Leach acknowledges that taking the south side walkway from D.C. to Rosslyn the entire way currently ends in a dangerous place.
“You end up in the middle of the ramp system between Arlington Boulevard, Route 50, 110, and the Parkway,” he says.
The National Park Service, Arlington County, and the Virginia Department of Transportation are working together to look into the possibility of connecting the south side of the Roosevelt Bridge sidewalk to the Marine Corps War Memorial near Rosslyn, Leach notes.
He also brought up that beyond day-to-day traffic, the Roosevelt Bridge is a particularly important connection between Rosslyn and the National Mall, be it for emergency response or for special events like the Fourth of July. The entire bridge length is about 3,200 feet or about .7 miles, so it is short enough to walk and bike across.
“Currently, the sidewalk infrastructure is insufficient to provide good, safe connections between the National Mall and Rosslyn,” Leach says.
Despite it being unsafe, DDOT tells ARLnow that they are “not aware”of any pedestrian-related incidents or accidents within the bridge sidewalk.
In terms of repainting work that also will be done, that has more to do with “a cohesive aesthetic” than safety.
“Staff recommends that the Commission note that DDOT would repaint all structural steel on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to match its original white color designed to create a cohesive aesthetic between the bridge and nearby monuments and the Arlington Memorial Bridge,” reads the report.
Work isn’t expected to start for awhile, though. The project’s final design phase won’t completed for another year, a DDOT spokesperson writes to ARLnow in an email, until early summer 2023. At this point, it’s anticipated that construction will begin at the end of 2023 or early 2024 and will take four to five years to complete, the spokesperson said.
However, the sidewalk widening will be among the first elements of the project to be completed and could happen by the end of 2024.
Nonetheless, Leach is confident that when the project does happen, the widening of sidewalks and adding better barriers separating pedestrians from traffic on the Roosevelt Bridge will make Arlington a more pedestrian-friendly place.
“We’ve talked about this project for over a decade,” he says. “These long term collaborations actually yield results. And I think this bridge rehab will bring a really good result for the District, Arlington and the region.”
An airliner leaving DCA is reflected in a building in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Gun Violence Rally Planned — “A National Gun Violence Awareness Day rally will be held Saturday in Arlington. The rally will be held by the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a group that supports stricter gun laws, at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Hope Garden near Courthouse Plaza in Arlington.” [Patch]
Animal Control Rescues Bald Eagle — From the Animal Welfare League of Arlington: “Our animal control officers were all very surprised this weekend when a call about a large bird behaving oddly turned out to be a fledgeling bald eagle! He is now with a licensed wildlife rehabber and when he’s feeling better we hope to release him back into the wild!” [Twitter]
Blood Drive this Weekend — “Fire Works American Pizzeria and Bar is partnering with Inova Blood Donor Services to host an Arlington Community Blood Drive on Monday, June 6.” [Patch]
Pride Month Events at Library — Pride Month starts today and Arlington Public Library has a page with LGBTQIA+ book lists, stories and history discussions. The library is also hosting a series of Pride Month events. [Arlington Public Library]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 89 and low of 73. Sunrise at 5:46 am and sunset at 8:29 pm. [Weather.gov]
Smoke coming from the roof of Matchbox in Pentagon City (photo courtesy Steve Brusk)
Smoke coming from the roof of Matchbox in Pentagon City, as seen on a traffic camera
Matchbox restaurant in Pentagon City (file photo)
A restaurant at the Pentagon City mall has been evacuated due to smoke coming from the roof.
Firefighters from Arlington, Alexandria and elsewhere are on scene at wood-fired pizza eatery Matchbox, at 1100 S. Hayes Street, trying to find the source of the smoke. It’s currently believed that debris within the kitchen’s ventilation system may have caught fire.
Firefighters used a ladder truck to get to the roof, which reportedly was not accessible from the restaurant space.
Rush hour commuters should expect some traffic impacts from the emergency response along S. Hayes Street, which is closed between Army Navy Drive and 15th Street S., according to Arlington Alert.
#Alert – Units are operating at a Structure Fire in the 1100 BLK of S.Hayes St. Expect delays and avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/TBqxrVkv88
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) May 31, 2022
LOCATION: SB Hayes St. / Army Navy Dr. INCIDENT: Fire Department Activity IMPACT: Hayes St. is shut down from Army Navy Dr. to 15th St. Seek alternate route. pic.twitter.com/RdYzrxEjek
Due to Fire Dept activity, S Hayes St. is closed at Pentagon City. All passengers can board/alight the ART 74 & 84 on 15th St at the corner of S. Hayes.
Dominion Towers Apartments near Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)
The Brittany Condominiums (via Google Maps)
Residents of an apartment complex off Columbia Pike were without water and air conditioning over Memorial Day weekend — and are still waiting on the AC to return.
The air conditioning and hot water stopped functioning on Friday at Dominion Towers Apartments, at 1201 S. Courthouse Road. On Sunday evening, water to the building was shut off completely, residents told ARLnow.
“The main water shut-off valve that is controlled by Arlington County has broken, which is why there’s no water to the building,” an email sent from owner Capital Investment Advisors to residents on Sunday read. “In order to resolve this issue, we will need Arlington County and a plumber. Considering it’s a holiday weekend, Maintenance is doing everything they can to contact emergency personnel to assist.”
Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services said management’s description of the issue was not exactly what happened, however.
The broken valve was inside the building’s boiler room and was not owned by the county, DES spokesman Peter Golkin said, but after the valve failed and the complex was unable to find a replacement during the holiday weekend the county offered one it had.
“The Water, Sewer, Streets Bureau actually had a replacement in its inventory and offered it up as a courtesy with the building agreeing to reimburse for a new valve,” Golkin told ARLnow. “The Bureau shut off the main to the building on Sunday to allow for the repair and restored that service from the public main yesterday.”
Running water was restored Monday evening but hot water and air conditioning were still not functioning as of Tuesday afternoon. An email from management said the AC has not been restored due to low water pressure.
“County staff was only involved in going above and beyond to help the residents of the apartment building get their water service back as soon as possible during a long, hot holiday weekend,” Golkin noted.
In an email to ARLnow on Monday, one resident said the property manager “has not been on site all weekend and there has been no timetable for when water and a/c will be restored.”
Another resident told us that management has told its tenants that it hopes to restore both the air conditioning and the hot water by the end of the day today.
To add a bit of extra drama to the situation, the fire department was called to the building earlier this afternoon for a report of a fire, though in the end they only found burnt food on a stove in an eighth floor apartment.
Dominion Towers previously made headlines in May 2018 after the air conditioning malfunctioned and left residents sweltering during a several day stretch of particularly hot weather.
Meanwhile, another large Arlington residential building suffered a multi-day utility outage last week.
Hundreds of residents in The Brittany condominium complex at 4500 S. Four Mile Run Drive found themselves in a similar situation heading into the weekend, without running water for 2+ days last week. For them, it was resolved by Friday afternoon.
Suspicious package investigation at Lidl headquarters in the Crystal City area (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Suspicious package investigation at Lidl headquarters in the Crystal City area (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Suspicious package investigation at Lidl headquarters in the Crystal City area (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Suspicious package investigation at Lidl headquarters in the Crystal City area (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A suspicious package prompted a large emergency response at an office in the Crystal City area today.
A dramatic scene played out after Arlington’s dispatch center was called about a suspicious package at the U.S. headquarters of German grocery chain Lidl, at 3500 S. Clark Street.
First responders were told around 11 a.m. that the building was being evacuated after a package with an unknown powder and liquid inside was found partially opened, with the liquid leaking out. A unified fire and police command was established outside while an Arlington fire department hazmat crew investigated.
About an hour later, the drama had a happy if anti-climactic ending: units on scene reported that the substance was not hazardous and, in fact, the liquid was believed to be water.
An ACFD spokesman was only able to confirm that the substance was “non-hazardous.” Capt. Nate Hiner also noted that despite initial reports, the office was not evacuated.
A Maryland woman is facing charges after allegedly stealing flowers and punching a cop in the face.
The incident happened late Monday afternoon, during the Memorial Day holiday.
Arlington County police say they were initially dispatched to the scene, along the 200 block of S. Glebe Road, for a report of a larceny in progress.
“Upon arrival, officers made contact with the reporting party who stated the female suspect had stolen flowers and destroyed a planter outside of their business,” said today’s ACPD crime report. “The officers located the suspect in the area and attempted to detain her. The suspect resisted and struck one of the arresting officers in the face before being taken into custody.”
Businesses on that block of S. Glebe Road include a 7-Eleven store and a service station. Police did not identify the business involved.
The 34-year-old suspect from Rockville, Maryland was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Destruction of Property.
“She was held without bond,” the crime report noted.
