News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Tree adorned for the holidays in the Williamsburg neighborhood (photo courtesy John Seymour)

Bus Costs Well Exceed Fare — “Depending on their age, passengers riding Arlington Transit (ART) Route 62 – which connects the Lorcom Lane area with Courthouse and Ballston – during the transit system’s 2022 fiscal year paid either $1 or $2 per ride. County taxpayers kicked in a subsidy of about $75 for each of those passengers. That’s according to data presented at the Nov. 14 County Board meeting.” [Gazette Leader]

County Seeking Budget Feedback — “Arlington County, Va. officials are asking for public input on the Fiscal Year 2025 budget as the county faces a $25 million to $40 million shortfall. In a survey shared on social media, county officials are asking community members to share their recommendations for balancing the budget for the upcoming year.” [WJLA]

Approval for Ball Marker — “The Arlington County government’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) has given approval, allowing for any minor tweaks, to an historical marker noting the Robert Ball Sr. Family Burial Ground in the family’s namesake community of Ballston. The marker will join gravestones of family members in a small parcel – but where exactly those interred lie, or whether they are even on the site, is something of a mystery.” [Gazette Leader]

‘Snouts’ Grand Opening Saturday — “Expect various fun activities while you and your dog experience the first Indoor Dog Park & Bar in the DMV… Day passes to Snouts & Stouts will become available the day after the Grand Opening party.” [Snouts and Stouts]

YHS Grad Leads ODU Team — “Yorktown High School graduate Grant Wilson has enjoyed a productive season as the starting quarterback for the Old Dominion University football team this fall. In 11 games, the 6-foot-3 junior helped the Monarchs finish with a 6-6 regular-season record, making the team eligible to play in a bowl game. Wilson led ODU to victories in its final two games.” [Gazette Leader]

Race Closures in Pentagon City — “The Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell 5k Run will be held Sunday, December 3, 2023 beginning at 8:00 a.m. The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following road closures in order to accommodate the event.” [Arlington County]

Snow Seen in Arlington — “ARLnow can confirm: there was a period of light flurries [Tuesday afternoon] in North Arlington.” [Twitter]

Alexandria Passes Housing Plan — “Single-family-only zoning is no more in Alexandria. Alexandria’s City Council voted unanimously at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, to approve the Zoning for Housing/Housing for All initiative. The plan includes zoning changes that aim to encourage the development of more housing units.” [ALXnow]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunshine and a high around 39 degrees, accompanied by a south wind blowing at 7 to 10 mph. The night will be mostly clear and cooler with a low temperature of 28 degrees, while the southwest wind continues at 6 to 10 mph. [Weather.gov]

Fire department charts a new course with first-ever strategic plan

By James Jarvis
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In a bid to improve accountability, the Arlington County Fire Department is looking to put its mission and priorities in writing with its first-ever strategic plan.

The plan is designed to help the department identify its values and strengths and determine where to channel its resources over the next five years.

“The core values that someone wrote or prescribed in years past don’t necessarily reflect what [community members and fire personnel] believe in and feel represent them today,” ACFD Assistant Fire Chief Jason Jenkins told ARLnow. “This is our opportunity to rebrand our mission, reimagine our core values to again focus on our future.”

Although a strategic plan is not mandatory, Jenkins — who spent 26 years at Fairfax County Fire and Rescue before coming to Arlington — said he believes it would provide clarity where there is “a lot of uncertainty” around the department’s goals.

“And without a clear focus, or clarity around the organizational goals, then it leaves folks wonder wondering where are we going, and how do we plan to get there,” he said.

The focus on core values comes as amid internal changes made in response to allegations of harassment of female employees and hazing of recruits.

Jenkins also the strategic plan could also inform how firefighters, and other resources, are allocated from station to station. The fire department got a boost last year when the Arlington County Board greenlit the hiring of 40 more firefighters and instituted a Kelly Day, which cut the average workweek from 56 to 50 hours.

As ACFD begins to recover from several years of understaffing, which led to a troubling reliance on overtime, it is also having to evolve to respond to new public safety threats and more medical emergencies.

The strategic plan could ensure ACFD has “the right type apparatus in the right places as well as an effective number of specially trained firefighters on duty to mitigate any multitude of hazards,” Brian Lynch, president of the firefighters union, Local 2800, tells ARLnow.

“This is even more important now as Arlington continues to grow and threats, such as climate change, increase the risks we need to protect the community from,” he said.

Lynch commended Jenkins for his “energy” in helping spearhead the strategic plan.

“We are optimistic that by listening to the people who make the department work, as well as the people we serve, combined with the assistance of outside experts, will help guide the efforts to make a safer Arlington for all,” Lynch said.

Work on the strategic plan kicked off earlier this month with an in-person feedback session at the Long Bridge Aquatic Center.

About 20 community stakeholders, including county government representatives, civic association members and local business owners, filled out surveys about the department’s strengths and areas in need of improvement.

They also rated which programs — including fire code enforcement and prevention, fire suppression, and emergency medical services — they believe the department should prioritize.

The feedback will be published as part of a final draft of the strategic plan, which Jenkins says should be ready by Feb. 1, 2024.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Photo set ready for Santa’s arrival at Ballston Quarter (staff photo)

Burglary at Yorktown HS — “5200 block of Yorktown Boulevard. At approximately 7:29 p.m. on November 22, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary alarm. Upon arrival, it was determined two juvenile male suspects made entry into the building and stole exercise equipment before fleeing the scene.” [ACPD]

Rappahannock Coffee Now Closed — “Last day at long-time Arlington coffee shop Rappahannock Coffee. Came here nearly every day when I first moved to the neighborhood for coffee, to write, & – of course – talk with everyone who came in. Great to see a few of the regulars again. Happy retirement to owner, Mr. Lee.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Sex Ed Changes at APS — “Those hoping for one more chance to lobby the Arlington School Board on proposed changes to the school system’s sex-ed curriculum likely will come up empty on Nov. 30. The policy change, which picked up a number of public speakers when it was introduced several weeks ago, has been placed on the School Board’s ‘consent agenda.'” [Gazette Leader]

Record Thanksgiving Food Demand — “The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), a nonprofit organization with a mission to address long term food insecurity in Arlington County and Northern Virginia, served a record number of 3,807 families in need of food assistance during their Thanksgiving ‘Chicken Week.’ The week of November 13-18, 2023, AFAC gave out 3,579 whole chicken roasters.” [Press Release]

Write-In Votes in Prosecutor Race — “Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti scored victory unopposed in the Nov. 7 election, but also received a reminder that she was not the first choice of every voter. More than 4,800 voters in Arlington and Falls Church – 8.8 percent of those voting – cast write-in ballots for commonwealth’s attorney… Because the write-in total against Dehghani-Tafti was less than 10 percent of the total vote, county election officials were not required to break out and then report the results.” [Gazette Leader]

Intersection Work Nearly Complete — “New protected intersection at Clarendon and Courthouse in Arlington.” [Twitter]

Office to Housing Discussion — “Office to residential conversions. Can they be done in Arlington? The CivFed’s Housing Committee hosts a special guest on Thursday.” [Patch]

Local Podcast Host Profiled — “To understand the motivation of Aaron Sibarium, Yalie, Gen Z reporter and conservative media darling, it’s instructive to travel back in time to last December, and do a little eavesdropping. Right outside D.C., in a small studio apartment tucked inside an urban-suburban complex in Arlington, Virginia, Sibarium chats it up with libertarian writer Richard Hanania in a video call for a podcast exploring ‘the right-wing echo chamber.'” [Politico]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching around 37 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind starting at 7-12 mph and increasing to 13-18 mph in the afternoon. Wind gusts could reach up to 29 mph. As for Tuesday night, it should be primarily clear with lows near 22 degrees. West winds will persist at 7-15 mph, and gusts may reach up to 20 mph. [Weather.gov]

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.

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