After hovering around zero since Memorial Day, coronavirus cases in Arlington have started to rise again since the beginning of July.
The rate of new cases remains relatively low, but the trend is unmistakable: up. Eleven new cases were reported yesterday, bringing the trailing seven-day average to six cases per day.
That’s the highest point since mid-May.
Arlington’s COVID-19 test positivity rate, meanwhile, has crept up to 1.3%. That’s the highest point for that figure since mid-May, after bottoming out at 0.3% on June 18.
The rise in cases here comes amid a rise nationally, attributed primarily to unvaccinated individuals contracting the newer, more contagious delta variant of the virus. About 70% of the adult population in Arlington has received at least one vaccine dose, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.
One death and about a dozen Covid-related hospitalizations have been reported in Arlington over the past month.
Arlington Getting Hipper Restaurants? — “Clarkson said the Clarendon-Courthouse area is drawing some bar and restaurant operators from the District who previously haven’t had any locations in Virginia. He said he has seen this type of interest as his team has begun to lease the 17,500 SF of retail in the Landmark Block project. ‘You’re starting to see good retail from D.C., Shaw-type retailers, plant flags in the R-B corridor in Clarendon,’ Clarkson said. ‘Folks I never thought would consider the R-B corridor are now interested… Hopefully there will be some names that haven’t necessarily been seen in Virginia yet, especially on the [food and beverage] and bar side.'” [Bisnow]
Committee Critiques HQ2 Phase 2 Plan — “‘I am still seeing three — on the bulky side, seems to me from the rendering I’ve seen – office buildings at 22 stories high,’ Siegel said. ‘I think the community — certainly, speaking for myself — had hoped for more of a varied skyline.’ James Schroll, the committee chair, said he agreed with Siegel’s concerns. ‘While we appreciate the modifications, I don’t think they achieve what folks were after in our last discussion,’ he said.” [Washington Business Journal]
Environmental Review for ‘CC2DCA’ Bridge — “Arlington County, in coordination with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), has initiated a study to explore the possibility of providing a multimodal connection between Crystal City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). An online community meeting on July 15 will serve as the public kick-off for the study, which is anticipated to take approximately three years to complete.” [Arlington County]
Va. Lauded for Business Climate — “A year of pandemic and social reckoning has changed the nation in countless ways. But one thing has stayed the same: America’s Top State for Business is Virginia. The Old Dominion captures top honors in CNBC’s 2021 competitiveness rankings, just as it did in the previous study published in 2019. It is Virginia’s fifth win since the study began in 2007, more than any other state.” [CNBC]
Crystal City could get more affordable housing under a new agreement between Amazon and Arlington County, announced earlier today.
The tech giant said in a new blog post that it would hand over to the county the rights to $40 million in vacant land within the Crystal House apartment property, on which Arlington County could develop more than 550 new affordable homes.
“Amazon is committed to promoting economic inclusion for all families and fostering a thriving community in and around Arlington,” said Catherine Buell, Amazon’s head of community development.
Construction is slated to begin in 2025, the Amazon blog post said.
The contributions are part of Amazon’s new Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2 billion commitment to create and preserve more than 20,000 units in Amazon’s three primary footholds: the Seattle area, Nashville and Arlington.
This announcement follows up on a commitment Amazon made in January to preserve 1,300 affordable housing units in Arlington as property values are rising amid its expansion. As part of the commitment, the company financed $381.9 million in loans and grants to a D.C. area housing nonprofit so that it could buy and stabilize rent at Crystal House (1900 S. Eads Street), a set of two apartment buildings one block from Amazon’s future HQ2.
The financing allowed Washington Housing Conservancy to preserve units in the existing Crystal House apartment complex, which has 828 units, for low- to moderate-income residents for 99 years.
“We are excited to build on our earlier work to preserve affordable housing at Crystal House in the heart of our new headquarters,” Buell said. “This donation to the County brings us a step closer to achieving up to 1,300 total affordable homes at the site for families earning moderate- to low-incomes.”
If the agreement is approved, the county will be carrying out a development plan that the County Board approved for the Crystal House property in December 2019. This site is set to have six more “Crystal Houses,” adding 820 units in total, as well as two public open spaces and a protected bike lane along S. Eads Street.
According to a county report, WHC does not intend to serve as the property’s developer, so Amazon purchased development rights for the vacant land. It approached the county in early 2021 with its plan to give the property to the county to develop.
Proposed development plan for Crystal House property (via Arlington County)
According to Arlington County’s map of projects, the project’s status remains “approved.”
The Arlington County Board is set to review the agreement during its regular meeting this coming Saturday, July 17.
“Amazon is demonstrating dedication and commitment to the Arlington community with this game-changing opportunity to increase affordable housing in the County,” said Arlington County Housing Director Anne Venezia. “Future development on the Crystal House site will help bolster critical housing supply goals in an area with limited affordable housing options.”
If the board accepts the gift, the county will embark on a national search for a master developer and sub-developers. The site could have 554 affordable units on it by Jan. 1, 2028, according to a county statement.
Of those units, at least 148 will be committed to households earning 50% or less of the area median income, and at least 406 will be committed to households earning 80% or less of the AMI.
A man was found dead on a bench outside the H-B Woodlawn school in Rosslyn this morning.
Police are now investigating the man’s death, but note that there is no known threat to the community.
“At approximately 8:36 a.m., police were dispatched to the 1600 block of Wilson Boulevard for the report of a check on the welfare of a man lying on a bench,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, officers located an adult male deceased. The police department is conducting a death investigation and there is no apparent threat to the community related to this incident.”
The deceased individual was wearing a hospital gown when he was found unresponsive by first responders, Savage confirmed to ARLnow.
A man with a gun robbed a woman along Lee Highway late Sunday night.
The robbery happened around 11:30 p.m., near the intersection of the soon-to-be-renamed road and N. Columbus Street — across the street from the McDonald’s.
“As the victim was entering her office space, the suspect approached from behind and brandished a firearm towards her,” Arlington County police said in a crime report. “He forced the victim to remove her jewelry before entering her office space. At that time, the victim was able to run from the scene. It was later determined that the suspect rummaged through the space and stole cash.”
There were no reports of injuries.
Police searched the area but could not locate the suspect, who was only described as a man wearing black clothing.
The new 2021 rankings were released this morning by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Anthem Foundation. It’s at least the third year in a row that Arlington ranked No. 1 on the list.
“Arlington, Virginia, earned its #1 designation by ranking first in eight indicators and scoring among the top 10 cities in 18 of the 34 categories,” the organizations said in a press release. “Residents reported the most physical activity with 85.7% exercising in the previous month. In the lowest-ranked city, Lubbock, Texas, only 64.2% of residents exercised in the previous month.”
Being a healthier place has benefits beyond just wellness, experts say.
“Beyond the health and wellness benefits of being a fit city, we know there are many economic advantages as well,” Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., the chief health officer for Anthem, said in a statement. “Cities designed to encourage physical activity have enjoyed higher home values, business and job growth, and more robust retail activity — leading to overall improved social drivers of health for our communities.
Separately, Virginia was again named America’s Top State for Business this morning by CNBC.
Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti is scheduled to be presented with an award by ACSM members at county government headquarters in Courthouse later this morning.
Rounding out the top 25 on the latest “fit” list were:
AWLA Captures Escaped Parakeet — “Officer K. Davis of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington successfully captured this errant budgie tonight… She used her phone to play budgie calls in hope of enticing the stray bird. Twice the budgie alluded the net but three times proved the charm as Officer Davis’s patience and speed completed the apprehension.” [Facebook]
Massage Studio Opening Next Week — “Elements Massage opens at Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) on Monday, July 19… The 2,100-square-foot studio will be located at 1101 S. Joyce Street, Suite B10.” [Press Release]
Arlington Tech Students Earn Nat’l Medal — “Lina Barclay and Ellie Nix, two Arlington Tech seniors at the Arlington Career Center, won the second-place silver medal in the 2021 SkillsUSA National Competition for Television Video Production. This is the highest placement for APS students since placing fourth in 2018 and 2019.” [Arlington Public Schools]
Marymount Conducting Heat Study — “Marymount University is joining 11 other higher education institutions within the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) in setting out across the state to understand where residents are most at risk during extreme heat waves. Marymount faculty, staff, students and community volunteers will use specially designed thermal sensors to record air temperatures and humidity throughout the Northern Virginia area over three specific times this Thursday: 6 am, 3 pm and 7 pm.” [Press Release]
Local Woman’s Journey from Vietnam — “It was April 30, 1975 – as North Vietnamese troops converged on Saigon in the last hours of the Vietnam War – that Sonia Johnston (then known by her Vietnamese name To Nga) boarded an American helicopter atop the U.S. embassy and, with no family at her side, was whisked away to a refugee camp in preparation for a new life… ‘I had nothing, and here I am. You can’t do it by yourself,’ Johnston said during a July 7 presentation.” [Sun Gazette]
Arlington Children’s Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Children’s Center at 1915 N. Uhle Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated 5 p.m.) Arlington Children’s Center, a childcare facility that has operated in a county-owned building for 30 years, will close temporarily at the end of August.
Doors to the facility at 1915 N. Uhle Street, near Courthouse, will shut on Aug. 31, when the contract expires between Arlington County and the company operating the program, AA Daycare, according to Arlington County spokeswoman Jennifer K. Smith. The two could not reach an agreement to extend the contract ahead of major renovations slated for January 2022, she said.
AA Daycare has managed the program, which enrolled children of Arlington residents and county employees, for the last 17 years, according to owner Anna Wodzynska.
“This is a dramatic situation for all of us,” she said in an email to parents.
According to a letter to parents from the county, shared with ARLnow, the county and AA Daycare were negotiating an extension up until a week before the news of the closure. Parents were notified of the changing situation last Wednesday.
Parents tell ARLnow they are under immense pressure to find an alternative while childcare is in such high demand. One said this “is a herculean task given that most daycare centers in the area have waitlists of at least 6-9 months. If the county is serious about solving the childcare shortage issue, this decision is baffling.”
AA Daycare was notified about the planned renovations to the space, which has not been updated in 30 years, in January 2020, Smith said.
“We offered alternative space to AA Daycare to continue operations for the period of planned construction,” she said. “This offer, along with an option to extend the contract, was declined.”
Parents said they had heard about the upcoming renovations early last year. The county letter to parents said the planned improvements include reconfiguring the space to meet current standards for daycare and to reach compliance with the Americans with Disability Act, as well as an interior refresh.
“We started at ACC in January 2020 when our daughter was 4.5 months old,” said one mother. “Shortly after starting, I do remember receiving a flyer from the center detailing that, at some time, work would need to be done on the building… But it was not worrisome at the time, and it was certainly not presented in a way that the center would unexpectedly close forcing families to find new care within 6 weeks.”
Smith acknowledged the parents’ frustrations.
“We recognize this is short notice and have offered to assist parents as best we can — this was not the outcome we wanted,” she said.
Wodzynska, meanwhile, has assured parents that their children who are two-and-a-half years old and older will have a spot in a sister facility in Ballston, at 3850 Wilson Blvd. She said the transition “will be as smooth as possible,” with some staff transferring to BCC.
“The only consolation is that less than 2 miles away from ACC, we own another beautiful daycare called Ballston Children’s Center and we have space for all our children that are 2.5 years and older,” she wrote in the letter. “Unfortunately, BCC is not licensed for younger children, so we will not be able to enroll our youngest children.”
Door damaged at Bricks Pizza in Arlington Forest on July 12, 2021 (photo courtesy Michael T.)
A new series of break-ins at the Arlington Forest Shopping Center has caused losses for a pair of local businesses.
The overnight burglaries were discovered this morning, at the low-slung shopping center along Route 50.
“At approximately 7:54 a.m. on July 12, police were dispatched to the report of two vandalized businesses,” according to Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined that unknown suspect(s) broke the glass door to a business with a rock, gained entry and stole a cash register. The door to a second business was damaged but no entry was made and nothing was reported stolen.”
A nearby resident tells ARLnow that Bricks Pizza had its door damaged and DA Studio Salon had its cash register stolen.
Bricks Pizza was also burglarized in January, when a thief or thieves damaged and/or stole from Crystal Thai restaurant, Sense of Place Cafe, and the Forest Valet dry cleaner. An online fundraiser after the January break-ins raised nearly $32,000 to help with repairs.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Savage said of the latest incident.
Facing high rates of pandemic-era apartment vacancies, Dittmar Company is looking to recoup its losses through short-term rentals.
The Tysons-based developer and property management group is asking the Arlington County Board for permission to convert up to 75 furnished apartment units in three Arlington buildings into flexible hotel rooms.
These “Flexible Units,” which comprise less than 5% of the total units in each building, may be rented for short-term stays of fewer than 30 days or long-term stays of more than 30 days. Dittmar will require a minimum length of stay of at least three consecutive nights, and the units cannot be rented for more than 90 nights in a calendar year, according to a county staff report.
Currently, the furnished units are “rented by foreign embassies, corporations, universities, medical facilities, and other tenants desiring long term residential stays,” Nicholas Cumings, Dittmar’s legal representative, wrote in a letter to the county this spring.
They are “typically vacant for three months out of the year and require significant operational costs (i.e. provision of utilities, furniture, housekeeping facilities and housekeeping personnel, etc.),” said Cumings, an attorney with the land use firm of Walsh Colucci.
The new arrangement would allow Dittmar to offset the losses from when such furnished units are vacant, Cumings said. The conversions would be in effect for up to five years.
County Manager Mark Schwartz recommends the County Board approve the request during its meeting on Saturday. The County Board previously heard the requests in May and, following staff recommendation, deferred them to allow for more conversations and analysis, county staff wrote.
“Concerns have been raised by the community and Planning Commission regarding the potential impacts on housing affordability and the absence of County policy on temporary conversions of residential to hotel use,” the staff report said. “Since the Flexible Units may be rented by any individual seeking either a long- or short-term furnished stay, staff expects the temporary conversions to have limited, if any impact on the broader housing supply or rental rates.”
One resident told ARLnow he thinks this arrangement will lead to a spike in travelers in the building.
“Although they claim now to rent furnished units to institutional partners (like universities or embassies), I worry that Dittmar will seek to rent them on a day-to-day basis,” the resident said. “This will ruin the nature of communities that are primarily for long-term tenants. When we finally get through the pandemic and people can travel more freely, I worry that these buildings will become prime destinations for countless travelers.”
In his letter, Cumings wrote that Dittmar “has no desire to operate as a hotel and seeks the ability to rent their existing furnished units for short-term stays in order to offset the cost of vacancies throughout the year.”
The rental units will be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, mostly located on the lower floors, “with some premium furnished units located on the penthouse floors,” he said.
The County Board will be meeting in-person on the third floor of county government headquarters, at 2100 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse. It resumed in-person meetings in June after switching to virtual meetings last year due to the pandemic.
For the second month in a row, police are investigating early morning gunshots in the Green Valley neighborhood.
No one was hurt, but a resident found a bullet hole in her home’s door, according to the Arlington County Police Department. The gunshots were reported around 4:45 a.m. Sunday on the 3500 block of 22nd Street S.
Like the June 6 gunfire incident, the shots were apparently fired near Drew Elementary School.
“Responding officers made contact with the victim and observed that a glass door in her residence in the 3200 block of 24th Street S. was shattered and had a bullet hole in the glass,” said an ACPD press release this morning. “While searching the area, officers located an additional shattered window in a construction site across from the residence. No injuries have been reported.”
“There is no suspect(s) description at this time,” the press release continued. “This remains an active criminal investigation. Anyone with information or home surveillance that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).”
A neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, told ARLnow that if the gunfire continues it’s only a matter of time until someone — either the intended shooting target or a sleeping local resident — is hurt.
“At approximately 4:43 this morning my husband and I woke up to the sound of several gunshots,” she recounted. “We immediately called 911 and saw police respond. ACPD called back around 5:15 and asked for someone to come out and speak to them. My husband walked down at that time and the police reported that bullets had gone through a bedroom window at the Shelton and a parked vehicle.”
In a home surveillance video reviewed by ARLnow, three shots can be heard in quick succession.
“We have seen stepped up police enforcement since the large shooting in June,” she added. “However, we are barely one month out since that time and we already have another incident. This morning’s shooting could have struck an innocent victim sleeping in their residence.”
The resident called for authorities “to take increasingly aggressive steps to deter further gun incidents.”
