News

Two announce Democratic bids for Libby Garvey’s Arlington County Board seat

By Jo DeVoe
Arlington County Board candidates Julie Farnam, left (via Julie Farnam/Facebook) and Natalie Roy, right (file photo)

Two women have already announced they are vying for the Arlington County Board seat currently occupied by Vice-Chair Libby Garvey, who faces re-election next year.

First-time candidate Julie Farnam and second-time candidate Natalie Roy announced today (Monday) that they have joined the Democratic primary race, set to culminate next June.

Meanwhile, both Garvey and former County Board candidate Julius “JD” Spain, Sr. tell ARLnow they are biding their time before making a decision about whether to run next year.

Farnam and Roy’s announcements come less than a month after voters picked Susan Cunningham and Maureen Coffey to replace outgoing Board Chair Christian Dorsey and former member Katie Cristol.

Farnam, a current Arlington Ridge Civic Association board member, is campaigning on a platform of improving public safety and taking what she calls a “smart” approach to planning and growth.

“I am proud and excited to announce my candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Arlington County Board,” Farnam said in a statement. “I believe in a community where residents feel safe, where the needs of our community are placed above the desires of developers, and where no resident must wonder if they are being heard.”

Farnam has held leadership positions in both the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and the U.S. Capitol Police and has a forthcoming book on her account of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“As a woman who has spent her career in security and law enforcement, I know what it takes to address the unique safety challenges Arlington faces in years and decades ahead,” she said.

On social media, she has decried the Arlington County Board’s “dreadful” handling of the Missing Middle zoning ordinances, calling for more targeted policies to address affordability and racial inequities.

She has also waded into the local discourse about whether crime is rising, pointing to carjacking stats for proof it is on the rise. Farnam also criticized the County Board for spending money on new Metro entrances, saying it should instead direct more to police.

More from her statement:

I am a small business owner and a single mother of students in Arlington. I know just how difficult it is to afford to live and support a family in Arlington, and what needs to be done to ensure Arlington is a place where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. I am running to ensure our community flourishes into the future for my daughters and for generations to come.

Reprising similar campaign messaging from this year, Roy and Farnam highlight transparency as a key campaign issue.

“I strongly believe that the Arlington County Board needs a voice like mine advocating for more transparency and responsiveness,” Roy said in a statement.

During the 2023 Democratic primary, Roy ran a targeted County Board campaign focused on criticizing the Missing Middle ordinances, which allowed 2-6 unit homes to be built in districts once zoned exclusively for single-family homes.

The ordinances gave rise to community and candidate discussions about transparency this election cycle, whether candidates relitigated the zoning changes or criticized how the county fulfills Freedom of Information Act requests and publishes information.

As for potential competition Farnam and Roy face, ARLnow asked Vice-Chair Garvey and former County Board candidate Spain about their plans.

Garvey said she is “planning to decide by January or early February whether I will run again.”

Spain told ARLnow that he is undecided at this time.

Farnam will be holding a campaign kick-off event next Monday at The Freshman (2011 Crystal Drive) at 6:30 p.m. Other forthcoming events, including one held in English and Arabic, are posted on her website.

Roy will host a pre-holiday campaign launch the day before, on Sunday, from 4-6 p.m., with more details forthcoming.

Photo 1 via Julie Farnam/Facebook

Arlington ranks as No. 6 destination for millennials

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn skyline, with Tysons in the background (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Millennials are still flocking to Arlington.

That’s according to new rankings from the website SmartAsset, which looked at where those ages 25-44 moved in 2022. (Yes, there are millennials who are now in their mid-40s.)

Arlington was No. 6 on the list of U.S. localities where millennials moved last year, as a percentage of the population.

“About 11.5% of Arlington’s residents are new millennials,” according to SmartAsset. “The [county] saw 26,699 millennials move in in 2022, and the median age across the city is 35.6 years.”

Ranking above Arlington were mostly tech-oriented cities: Cambridge, Massachusetts; Santa Clara, California; Seattle, Washington; Sunnyvale, California; and Denver, Colorado. Neighboring Alexandria and D.C. were No. 13 and 15 on the list, respectively.

Arlington, meanwhile, was No. 1 in at least one regard.

“Arlington, VA had the highest rate of millennials moving in from out of state at 5.2% of the total population,” SmartAsset wrote. “Studywide, Arlington placed 6th. Charleston, SC (45th); Washington, DC (15th); and Sandy Springs, GA (10th) similarly saw particularly high rates of millennial transplants from out of state.”

In 2017, another ranking website declared Arlington to be the “Best City for Millennials” on account of its nightlife, diversity, public schools, and being “good for families.”

Ranking of “Where Millennials Are Moving” in 2022 (via SmartAsset)

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

County approves more Missing Middle projects after trial date set for lawsuit

By Jo DeVoe
An anti-Missing Middle sign in front of a house in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Although Arlington County is set to go to court next summer over its Missing Middle zoning ordinances, it has not stopped approving these new housing projects.

Judge David Schell has scheduled a 5-day trial to begin on July 8, 2024 after ruling in October that the 10 residents suing Arlington over the ordinances had standing. Among other claims, they argue the county violated state law by not sufficiently considering the impacts of Missing Middle.

“The court found it ‘readily apparent’ that a homeowner whose land is rezoned could sue, adding that it would be difficult to understand how such a property owner would not have standing,” per a press release from Arlingtonians for Upzoning Transparency, or AfUT, a group that formed in opposition to the ordinances but is not a party to the case.

“Such a challenge, the Court stated, was a ‘quintessential use’ of the law,” it continues.

The county disagrees. Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey told AfUT in an email it “is wholly within the purview of the local legislative body, which has the constitutional authority to make countywide land use decisions, revisions, and repeals if necessary.”

“It is our position that the Judiciary should not substitute its judgment for decision-making expressly reserved for the local legislative body,” Dorsey continued.

Arlington County will attempt to appeal the judge’s standing decision in a hearing on Jan. 11. Should the judge grant the appeal, the Virginia Court of Appeals would decide whether to accept the case.

“The County’s hubris in claiming that the courts don’t have a role in reviewing EHO zoning is astonishing,” says Dan Creedon, speaking for Arlington Neighbors for Neighborhoods, the organization that is financially supporting the lawsuit. “But now that a trial date has been set, and maybe reality is setting in, the County is seeking an appeal that could delay the trial and add tremendous expense to the litigation.”

The residents, meanwhile, plan to appeal the judge’s decision to deny its claim the county violated Freedom of Information Act laws in how it disseminated information to the County Board and the broader community.

“They had argued that they asked the County clerk for all public comments and the clerk emailed a link to the County website that had only a few letters,” anti-Missing Middle group Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future said in a press release last week, after the trial date was set. “A FOIA request revealed, in fact, the County had far more.”

Twenty-one Missing Middle projects — about a third of the 58 permits currently allowed per calendar year — have been approved as of last week, according to the county’s permit tracker. Five are under their first or second review, eight had their first review rejected and one application was withdrawn.

None of the projects are located in the county’s zoning districts with the largest lot sizes, or 8,000 to 20,000 square feet.

Developers who spoke to ARLnow said their project’s status depends on how many of the required permits they have in hand.

Home builder Ned Malik, whose Bluemont neighborhood project has started demolition following county approval, says he is undeterred by the lawsuit.

“We’re hoping to get started on construction in the first quarter of 2024,” Malik says. “We are moving forward on it. We definitely would be a witness for the county [as to] why it’s a much-needed thing, smart thing to do.”

(more…)

UPDATED: More than 3,000 were without power due to large Arlington outage

By ARLnow.com
Power outage map as of 9:15 a.m. (via Dominion)

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) More than 3,000 Arlington homes and businesses were in the dark this morning due to a large outage.

The outage appeared to be centered around the East Falls Church Metro station, affecting several northwestern Arlington neighborhoods including Westover.

In addition to the 3,042 Dominion customers reported to be without power in Arlington as of 9:15 a.m., another 1,700 were without power in Fairfax County, according to the power company.

So far there’s no word on what caused the outage.

As of 10:30 a.m. power appears to have been restored to all customers.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A damp late November walk in the Ballston area (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Primary Day Off For Students — “Arlington School Board members on Nov. 30 will vote on a staff proposal to give students the day off on March 5. That’s the date scheduled for Virginia’s presidential-primary elections, meaning many schools potentially will be in use as polling places.” [Gazette Leader]

New Delegate Gears Up — “She won’t be a newcomer to Richmond, but Adele McClure will be the only new face in Arlington’s 2024 legislative delegation. McClure was unopposed in the new 2nd House District, and will join Patrick Hope (D-1st) and Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd) representing the voters of Arlington in the lower house of the legislature.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 49 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind of 8 to 17 mph, and gusts reaching up to 28 mph. For Monday night, the skies will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to approximately 27 degrees. The west wind will range between 8 and 11 mph. [Weather.gov]

ACPD investigating armed robbery near Ballston

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating a bold, broad-daylight armed robbery near Ballston.

The robbery happened two days before Thanksgiving — around 3 p.m. Tuesday — on the 4600 block of Washington Blvd. Businesses on that block include the Sunoco gas station and market.

Police say a man went inside the business, brandished a gun, stole cash and then ran off. Responding officers were unable to locate him nearby.

More, below, from an ACPD crime report.

ROBBERY, 2023-11210134, 4600 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 3:11 p.m. on November 21, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, went behind the counter while brandishing a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers established a perimeter, broadcast a lookout and searched the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a tall, thin-build male with a medium complexion, wearing a black jacket, hoodie, jeans and a black mask. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Leaf collection in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New Pike Partnership Leader — “With its current head moving into elected office in January, the Columbia Pike Partnership has tapped a new executive director. Andrew Schneider, who previously led Arlington Thrive, on Nov. 21 was announced as the successor to Kim Klingler, who has headed the Columbia Pike organization since 2019.” [Gazette Leader]

Financial Issues for Rosslyn Building — “A mezzanine lender is moving to foreclose on 1812 N. Moore St., according to an offering and a legal notice, making the Nestle USA headquarters building in Arlington the most prominent example of the commercial real estate debt crisis in the region.” [Washington Business Journal]

Jobs Growth in Arlington — “The growth of jobs within Arlington on a year-over-year basis is outpacing the national rate, according to new national figures. With 180,300 people counted as part of the workforce within the county (no matter where they live) in June, the annualized growth rate of 3.3 percent was above the national rate of 2.4 percent for the same period, according to figures reported Nov. 21 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” [Gazette Leader]

‘Knights’ Feed Thousands for Thanksgiving — “Arlington Knights are once again busy in the kitchen this Thanksgiving for a feast that has grown through the years. For 37 years, the Arlington Council of the Knights of Columbus has been known for its huge community Thanksgiving dinners that provide meals to thousands of guests.” [WJLA]

Local ‘Kindness Activist’ Profiled — “Susan Thompson-Gaines didn’t set out to be a kindness activist. It all started shortly after she and her husband, David, moved into a yellow house on a busy Arlington street corner in January of 2000. The home with the big wraparound porch is at a stoplight near Thomas Jefferson Middle School… They began putting little projects outside their house, inviting community members to participate: a camera to take pictures that would later be displayed; a Thanksgiving board with sticky notes where people could share what they were thankful for.” [Arlington Magazine]

It’s Friday — Partly sunny today, with a high near 52. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Tonight it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. [Weather.gov]

Podcast: Amy McWilliams on small business outlook along Columbia Pike

By James Jarvis
The Westmont construction site on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Despite weathering the pandemic, small businesses along Columbia Pike are now facing a new set of economic challenges, including rising rent, inflation, new developments and ongoing road work.

Deputy Director of the Columbia Pike Partnership Amy McWilliams sat down with ARLnow’s James Jarvis to delve into the economic hurdles that these small businesses are still confronting, nearly four years post-pandemic. McWilliams offers insight into the enduring strength of the small business community, emphasizing its continued resilience.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Arlington County facilities to close, trash collection delayed due for Thanksgiving

By ARLnow.com
Recycling collection in Arlington (photo courtesy Arlington County)

Thanksgiving is one of the few times of the year when Arlington’s hardworking waste collection crews take a weekday off.

Trash, recycling and organics bins will not be emptied as usual on Thursday. Instead, collection will be delayed a day and extended into Saturday.

Likewise, parking meters will not be enforced on Thanksgiving Day and on Black Friday, a county spokesman confirmed to ARLnow.

Arlington County schools, offices, libraries and community centers will also be closed Thursday and Friday, though the Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center will be open Friday from 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

More on planned Thanksgiving closures, from a press release, below. Additional holiday closures can be found here.

  • Recycling/Trash/Organics Curbside Routes – No collection Thursday. Thursday routes run on Friday, Nov. 24; Friday routes run on Saturday, Nov. 25.
  • Leaf Collection – No first passes will be done on Thursday, Nov. 23. Vacuum trucks will resume leaf collection on Friday, Nov. 24.
  • Special Collections (Brush, Metal, E-waste) – No collection Thursday. Thursday routes run on Friday, Nov. 24; Friday routes run on Saturday, Nov. 25.
  • No Household Hazardous Material (HHM) facility drop-off appointments on Thursday.
  • HHM Facility is closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Saturday, Nov. 25.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn surrounded by fall foliage, as seen from Waterfront Park in Georgetown (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Site Sold for Rosslyn Redevelopment — “Penzance has acquired Rosslyn Gateway, an aging two-tower office complex north of the Rosslyn Metro station, with an eye toward reviving a long-stalled redevelopment there. The D.C. real estate firm paid $52 million for the 1960s-era, 12-story buildings at 1901 and 1911 Fort Myer Drive, which together total about 255,000 square feet. The deal, which closed Nov. 14, works out to about $208 a square foot.” [Washington Business Journal]

Store Robbed, Employee Struck — “2700 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 5:40 p.m. on November 17, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown male suspect entered the business, collected alcohol and left the store without payment. A store employee then confronted the suspect during which a brief struggle over the merchandise ensued. The suspect then entered his vehicle and reversed, hitting the employee and another parked vehicle before he fled the scene. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]

Elementary Students on APS Committees? — “As part of a rewrite of school-system policies and their implementation procedures, Superintendent Francisco Durán and his staff are asking the School Board to allow students, in schools that potentially will be renamed, to serve on the public committees that debate the matter and recommend potential changes. Not just for high schools – which long has been the case – but apparently all the way down to the elementary-school level.” [Gazette Leader]

Motorcyclist Crashes into Car — From Dave Statter: “A car stopped in the right lane of N. Barton Street in Arlington County (VA) last night. The motorcyclist behind them did not. This was just before 7 p.m. near 10th Street. @ArlingtonVaFD and @ArlingtonVaPD handled.” [Twitter]

Church Hosts Thanksgiving Giveaway — “Thanksgiving came early for families in need benefiting from Mount Olive Baptist Church’s holiday food giveaway, a Nov. 18 event that brought hundreds, on foot and in vehicles, to the Arlington View community. Frozen turkeys and fresh-from-the-farm sweet potatoes and collard greens were part of the distribution, augmented by other fruits, vegetables and non-perishable items.” [Gazette Leader]

Local Baseball Team Victorious — “The Arlington Travel Baseball 14-under Arsenal team recently won two tournaments, finishing 8-0 across the competitions and allowing just four runs with five shutouts. The team’s first triumph was in the Coach Fox Fall Classic in Arlington… The following weekend, the Arsenal bested 10 other teams to win the Sykesville Maryland Wood Bat Classic without allowing a run.” [Gazette Leader]

No Publishing Tomorrow — Due to the Thanksgiving holiday ARLnow will not be publishing tomorrow. On Black Friday, depending on the news of the day we may publish on a limited schedule in the morning.

It’s Wednesday — There’s a 20% chance of rain before 10am, followed by partly sunny skies and a high near 61, with northwest winds at 7-14 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. Expect a mostly cloudy Wednesday night with a low of 41 and winds at 11-16 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Thanksgiving Day will be sunny and 55 degrees, accompanied by northwest winds at 8-13 mph and gusts as high as 22 mph. [Weather.gov]

Arlington County zeroes in on automated enforcement to tackle dangerous driving

By Jo DeVoe
ACPD officer conducts traffic stop during November 2023 Street Smart campaign in Courthouse (staff photo by James Jarvis)

High speeds, traffic scofflaws and distracted drivers are the top three reasons people feel unsafe when traveling around Arlington.

That is according to the county’s latest Vision Zero mid-year report, which summarized how Arlingtonians responded to online and in-person surveys about their top concerns as travelers.

County data on fatal and severe-injury crashes appear to back that up. Among speeding, distracted driving and alcohol, speeding leads the pack as a factor in serious crashes.

To tackle speeding — and one day, other traffic violations — Arlington County is laser-focused on automated enforcement. The road to get there, however, is long and some goals could take years of politicking to achieve.

First, the county has to implement speed cameras in school and work zones, which the Arlington County Board authorized in January 2022, shortly after the General Assembly permitted this.

Although Arlington is still working on procuring a contract for speed cameras, the County Board, the Vision Zero team and ACPD are working on expanding the use of speed cameras by including it among legislative priorities in the upcoming General Assembly session.

This could be an uphill battle, as some local legislators told ARLnow there is not yet an appetite in Richmond for widespread automated enforcement.

“The General Assembly has been reticent to allow full use of red light cameras,” said Sen. Adam Ebbin. “I think there might be some hesitancy to having fully automated enforcement, in general.”

Still, the county is pursuing automated enforcement to influence driver behavior when police are not present, lower its reliance on in-person enforcement and reduce potentially adverse interactions with police.

“They’re doing everything they can with what they’ve got right now,” says Vision Zero Coordinator Christine Baker, of the traffic enforcement Arlington County Police Department currently conducts. “We’re both just really hoping for more automation to help keep that progress toward better behaviors.”

Automation would also “let officers do the work that they need to do and leave the traffic enforcement up to ubiquitous, unbiased technologies,” she said.

Mike Doyle, the president of Northern Virginia Families for Safer Streets, agrees that it would limit potential racial bias and escalation in routine stops as well as alleviate police staffing shortages.

“Technology, with a photo and sending the ticket to the person, mitigates the risk of the officer,” he said.

Cameras would be effective, he says, “as long as the speed cameras are balanced in terms of equity: we can’t put them just in all the poor sections of town — they have to be where the speeding is.”

ARLnow asked ACPD whether it supports more cameras or has concerns about the hours officers might have to dedicate to reviewing footage.

Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage says the department “will continue to work collaboratively with the County on any future legislative changes to automated enforcement programs.”

ACPD reports keeping busy with enforcement 

Despite staffing concerns — and scaling back operations due to low numbers — ACPD says it is committed to traffic enforcement and considers it a key safety initiative.

ACPD is authorized to have 377 officers and currently has a “functional staffing level” of 278 sworn officers, down from 284 this fall. Sworn offices can stop people for traffic violations and are “expected to meaningfully contribute to the department’s key initiatives,” through education and enforcement, Savage said.

How many are assigned to traffic duties is sensitive information, she said.

“In March 2022, the department announced service changes due to a reduction in our workforce,” says Savage. “There were no key impacts to transportation safety and the department reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring the orderly flow of traffic in the County while conducting transportation safety enforcement and education campaigns.”

Enforcement stats from ACPD (data visualization by Jo DeVoe)

ACPD’s Special Operations Section conducts education and enforcement in “identified areas of concern with the goal of voluntary compliance when police are not present, Savage said.

They also address safety concerns, work with Vision Zero staff, deploy variable message boards and other technology, and manage the police department’s participation in local and regional traffic safety programs.

The unit includes civilians who work as parking enforcement agents; traffic directors during events, crashes and emergencies; and school crossing guards.

(more…)

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