Ambulances were temporarily re-routed to other hospitals after VHC Health suffered some technology issues this morning.
The re-routing for non-critical cases was broadcast to Arlington County Fire Department medics around 10:30 a.m. As of 12:45 p.m., another broadcast suggested that the hospital was back on line for ambulances.
A spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow that technology issues prompted a re-route notice out of “an abundance of caution.”
“VHC Health is experiencing intermittent downtime of some non-critical systems,” the VHC spokesperson wrote. “The redirection is in an abundance of caution. Care for all patients on campus is not impacted.”
VHC did not directly answer a question about what caused the systems issue. American hospitals have been dealing with a wave of cyberattacks and ransomware hacks, sometimes knocking systems out for weeks at a time, various news outlets have reported.
Arlington police vehicle responding to assist with foot chase in Pentagon City on Oct. 16, 2023
A pair of suspects led Arlington County police on extended foot chases through Pentagon City yesterday afternoon.
Police first responded to a parking garage below Amazon’s HQ2 building around 3:30 p.m. Monday after security observed suspects in ski masks trying to break into a car.
The suspects were later spotted in the area and took off running. Personnel from some federal law enforcement agencies with nearby offices — the DEA and the U.S. Marshals Service — helped police spot the fleeing suspects, according to scanner traffic. Both suspects were apprehended around 4:30 p.m.
More, below, from today’s ACPD crime report.
ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY AUTO, 2023-10160155, 500 block of 14th Road S. At approximately 3:30 p.m. on October 16, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined security personnel were inside a parking garage when they heard an activated car alarm and observed the two male suspects wearing ski masks allegedly tampering with the steering column of the vehicle. Security personnel verbally confronted the suspects and they exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. A lookout was broadcast and officers canvassed the area for the suspects. A short time later, officers located the suspects in the area of S. Fern Street and 12th Street S. and attempted to detain them during which both suspects ran from the area. Following foot pursuits, both suspects were located and taken into custody. During the course of the investigation, burglarious tools were recovered from the scene. No injuries were reported. [Suspect 1], 18, of Fort Washington, Md. was arrested and charged with Attempted Grand Larceny Auto, Possession of Burglarious Tools, Destruction of Property, Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and Wearing a Mask in a Public Place to Conceal Identity. [Suspect 2], 18, of Alexandria. Va. was arrested and charged with Attempted Grand Larceny Auto, Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and Wearing a Mask in a Public Place to Conceal Identity.
Fall foliage in Arlington Ridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
An exhibit of native plants planted at the newly renovated Ballston Wetlands Park (staff photo by James Jarvis)
James Moore, Jr. cuts a client’s hair at his barber shop on Langston Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Ball-Sellers House (via Google Maps)
Two significant county plans — one governing stewardship of trees and natural resources and the other historic preservation — are reaching the finish line.
On Saturday, the Arlington County Board sethearings for both plans. Members will vote on adopting the plans at the hearings.
First up will be the Historic and Cultural Resources Plan, set for a Planning Commission hearing on Monday, Oct. 30 and a County Board hearing on Saturday, Nov. 11. The hearings on the plan were approved without further discussion at the start of the meeting over the weekend.
“This is an element of our comprehensive plan but we haven’t updated it since 2006,” Board Chair Christian Dorsey said. “We have been engaged in a multi-year planning process that has resulted in five recommended focus areas: community engagements… incentives, partnerships, regulations, technology, information and tools. This will provide a framework for us to advance the mission and the effectiveness of the county’s Historic Preservation program.”
Next up will be a Planning Commission hearing on Dec. 4, followed by a County Board hearing on Dec. 16, when the Board will consider the new Forestry and Natural Resources Plan.
It “emphasizes equity, a community-wide approach based on education and volunteerism and a focus on reconnecting nature to daily life,” says Dept. of Parks and Recreation Principal Planner Ryan Delaney.
For the first time, he said, Arlington will have a document that views all natural resources “as an interconnected system that covers not only public natural areas and parks but the built environment and private property as well.”
The plan updates and replaces a 2004 plan for urban forests and a 2010 natural resources management plan. It makes several notable recommendations, including the following goals to:
enhance development standards to retain or replace more trees, natural vegetation, permeable surfaces and biophilic elements
The county studied current practices, innovative programs and lessons learned by Fairfax, Albemarle and Prince William counties in Virginia, Montgomery County in Maryland, and Seattle and Richmond, among others, Delaney said.
There is general support for the plan, the DPR planner continued, noting lingering concerns from some about whether the plan treats climate change and tree canopy decline with enough urgency.
Arlington Tree Action Group representative Mary Glass is one such critic. She was the last forestry plan speaker standing after four others did not outlast the lengthy Plan Langston Blvd discussion.
She says the county could “restore trust” with the community if it used newer data on tree canopy levels and adopted more aggressive tree canopy policies.
Glass says the forthcoming plan references a 2016 assessment that found tree canopy levels were at 40%, when a citizen-commissioned study from this year, using 2021 data, found the rate is lower, at 33%, and the situation more dire.
“The important takeaway is, based on these new numbers, which are very accurate, between 2008 and 2021, we lost nearly a quarter of our tree canopy,” Glass said. “It’s a bigger problem than how it may appear reading the plan.”
Caroline Haynes, a member of the Arlington County Forestry and Natural Resources Commission, said people can argue for more tweaks but a plan has to be adopted sometime soon.
“We’ve spent a lot of time developing these policy guidelines and we can always quibble about is it perfect or not but it’s time… we all feel it’s really urgent to get on with this and we really want to move forward on getting toward implementation,” she said.
Rosslyn as the sun sets (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Final APS Enrollment Figures — “Arlington Public Schools’ official 2023-24 school-enrollment figure is down 656 students from earlier projections and remains below pre-pandemic levels… The final figure of 27,452 for all students from pre-kindergarten to adult was down just three from the 27,455 reported for the 2022-23 school year, while the K-12 enrollment of 26,533 was up 94 students, Superintendent Francisco Durán said.” [Gazette Leader]
WHS Football Still Winless — “The Wakefield Warriors had their closest game of the high-school football season when they lost to the visiting Marshall Statesmen, 21-3, in an Oct. 14 afternoon Liberty District contest. The winless Warriors (0-8, 0-4) trailed just 6-0 at halftime, and got on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal by Josh Bronfield in the third period, cutting the lead to 6-3.” [Gazette Leader]
Narrow Victory for Yorktown — “One week after suffering a disappointing road loss in the final seconds, the Yorktown Patriots responded in their next high-school football game with a thrilling walkoff home victory. The Patriots defeated the Langley Saxons, 31-28, in that seesaw Liberty District Oct. 13 clash on a game-winning 35-yard field goal by Max Yoon on the final play with no time remaining.” [Gazette Leader]
Honor for W-L Junior — “Aaron Rafael Zevin-Lopez and Elijah Lee, co-presidents of the Virginia Chapter of Voters of Tomorrow (VOT-VA), received the 2023 AMPLIFY Award for a youth-led organization on Tuesday… ‘I am honored that our team has been recognized by Voices for Virginia’s Children for our advocacy work in the Commonwealth,’ Zevin-Lopez, an 11th grade student at Washington-Liberty High School.” [Patch]
Spooky Season in Full Force — “Arlington never disappoints when it comes to Halloween decorations. I loved seeing these gems up near Williamsburg MS.” [Twitter]
It’s Tuesday — Partly sunny conditions and a high temperature of around 63°F, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy with a low temperature of approximately 47°F. [Weather.gov]
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Julia M.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
The driver of a Tesla careened down a hill and smashed into a playground over the weekend along Columbia Pike.
The crash happened around 1:45 p.m. Saturday on the grounds of the Wildwood Park apartments, on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike.
No other vehicles were involved, according to police, and no injuries were reported.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the driver was attempting to park in the 3400 block of S. Jefferson Street when the vehicle proceeded down a hill and struck a fence, wall and utility pole,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.
Scanner traffic suggests the vehicle — a Tesla Model Y with Maryland temporary tags — overturned at least once while going down the hill but came to rest upright.
The playground, which is “usually packed with kids,” was empty amid a steady rain, a tipster tells ARLnow.
The driver, a 59-year-old Maryland woman, “was issued a summons for reckless driving,” according to Savage. She works at a nearby senior living facility, online records suggest.
The Arlington County Board during its Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 meeting (via Arlington County)
A document envisioning the long-term development of most of Langston Blvd is one step closer to adoption.
On Saturday, the Arlington County Board set public hearings by the Planning Commission on Monday, Oct. 30 and the Board on Saturday, Nov. 11, when members will hear from the community and deliberate the document, dubbed Plan Langston Blvd. The Board will ultimately decide whether to adopt it.
Board members unanimously approved the request to advertise hearings next month after nearly 50 people spoke and the Board asked questions for about an hour and a half.
Renderings of Cherry Hill Road in front of the Lee Heights Shops in the draft Plan Langston Blvd document (via Arlington County)
Board member Matt de Ferranti proposed and received majority support for two revisions before the final document was passed. One is intended to hasten a review of planning for the East Falls Church and Cherrydale neighborhoods and the other removes language calling for the consolidation of community centers.
East Falls Church and Cherrydale were excluded from Plan Langston Blvd because they already have neighborhood plans that have yet to be fully realized. Since this decision was made, however, some community members, Planning Commissioners and County Board members have stressed these communities need a second look — sooner rather than later — as they can help the plan meet its own affordable housing goals.
“This is a burning priority for me and so, this almost rises to level of office vacancy rate for me,” de Ferranti said, acknowledging that in the case of East Falls Church the county will have to keep applying pressure to VDOT and Metro while relying on private developers, too.
“What you see here is an attempt to signal to the community that these two parts of the plan should be considered sooner,” de Ferranti said.
County Manager Mark Schwartz said he will “never say no to the Board” on a request like this but it will require them to reconsider how county staffers prioritize their work.
“I’m working right now on [a budget]… that’s going to have cuts in it. I’m not going to have additional resources available. The team available here, once they finish up with this, they have two to three things to turn their attention to,” he said. “If you want to find additional resources, absolutely, we will move it higher up on the list, but that means something has to move lower on the list.”
The plan’s most recent iteration said community centers should be consolidated to better address the needs of a growing population, a goal espoused in the county’s Public Spaces Master Plan.
De Ferranti, however, argued that the goal is not in the county’s best interest because of the expected population increase. The lone dissenter to de Ferranti’s motion, Board Chair Christian Dorsey, countered that consolidation will not mean a reduction in services.
The corridor currently has 1,936 market-rate and committed affordable units, said county planner Natasha Alfonso-Ahmed. That includes 1,088 that are affordable to people earning 80% of the area median income (AMI) and 900 are affordable at 60% AMI.
The plan aims to increase the number of affordable units to 3,200-3,800 units by 2075, focusing especially on units affordable up to 60% AMI. Some argue the county does not have the tools to get there nor does this plan consider people who earn 30% AMI or less.
“Many of these low-income residents provide our community with essential services — child and health care, restaurants and retail, maintenance and construction and more,” wrote Anne Vor der Bruegge, the director of grants and initiatives at the nonprofit Arlington Community Foundation, which has also advocated for deeper affordable housing elsewhere in the county.
“If we want to create a truly equitable Langston Boulevard corridor for the future, we need to proactively support creating and preserving homes that serve the lowest income residents,” she said.
4434 19th Street N. in the Waverly Hills neighborhood (via Google Maps)
This weekend, the Arlington County Board approved $1.6 million to buy its next property for flood mitigation.
The property is located at 4434 19th Street N. in the Waverly Hills neighborhood, where the county has already purchased three homes this past year.
This happens to be the most expensive purchase thus far. The other homes in Waverly Hills sold for $969,200-$1.3 million, with one in Westover selling for $1.5 million.
Arlington County has told residents of the flood-prone Spout Run Watershed that it is willing to buy their homes. The county plans to tear down the homes on the properties it buys and re-landscape the vacant lots to prevent erosion.
These lots will provide “overland relief” during floods — that is, a safe path for flood waters to flow to get to the nearest stream or storm drain during a large storm event. They act as backup when existing stormwater systems and public space cannot handle floods, like those seen in 2019.
Arlington will be responsible for maintaining these properties and possibly developing long-term stormwater plans for some sites.
As it buys its next property, the county is gearing up to demolish the first home it acquired, this March, located at 4437 18th Street N.
This property “is projected to begin demolition before the end of the year,” says Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien, adding that a public meeting about the work is scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 26.
“A schedule has not been finalized for the other properties,” she said. “The County will notify the community prior to any work beginning.”
Several steps have to take place after the property is acquired to get to the demolition stage and this generally takes about six months, O’Brien said. This includes work such as disconnecting utilities and assessing any hazardous materials that require removal.
Demolition schedules depend on when a contractor is available as well as site-specific details and designs. Getting the necessary permits requires about two months and nailing down contractor price quotes and issuing purchase orders requires about one month.
While the immediate plan for each site — to demolish and replant it — is the same, eventually, some properties could serve other functions, too. This depends on how big the property is and if it abuts other properties acquired by the county, among other factors.
Others could be used to provide county access to existing stormwater infrastructure. Not having the proper easements has previously stymied county efforts to stabilize part of Donaldson Run and provide flooding relief to residents of a nearby townhome association.
Intersection of N. Rhodes Street and Wilson Blvd facing east (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Intersection of N. Rhodes Street and Wilson Blvd facing west (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Arlington County is looking to make safety upgrades to an intersection between Rosslyn and Courthouse that has seen four pedestrian-involved crashes in four years.
The intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Rhodes Street has long been seen as dicey, according to complaints from cyclists and commuters and previous ARLnow coverage. Resident complaints, plus a review of crash data, have prompted the county to make changes now.
The $2.8 million project would see updated signal equipment, sidewalks and pedestrian ramps and upgrades to reduce conflicts between cyclists and buses. The county is in the design stage of the project and wants community feedback on possible changes. An online survey is open now through Sunday, Oct. 22.
The intersection saw 28 total crashes between 2016 and 2020, including 22 resulting in property damage and four involving pedestrians, Dept. of Environmental Services spokesperson Claudia Pors told ARLnow. These numbers fast tracked the intersection for improvements as part of Vision Zero, the county’s goal to end serious and fatal crashes by 2030,
“[The intersection] was flagged as a pedestrian crash Hot Spot because it had more than 3 pedestrian crashes,” Pors said.
Pedestrians are especially vulnerable to crashes here “due to higher vehicle speeds during turning movements when pedestrians have the right of way in the crosswalks,” according to the county.
The intersection has seen several crashes over the years. A spate of three crashes occurred in 2010, including one involving a pedestrian. Another dramatic crash, including an SUV that flipped on its side, occurred in 2017.
Originally, the county planned to build a “bus stop island” at the northeast corner of the intersection to reduce the number of close calls between cyclists and buses. This particular bus stop ranks in the top 10% of transit stops in Arlington, exceeding 50 users per day, according to the county.
After reviewing the crash data and hearing from road users, however, county staff determined it made more sense to overhaul the entire intersection.
The survey asks respondents to identify whether they are residents or commuters and to specify their usual mode of transportation through the intersection. Participants are then invited to rate their sense of safety while navigating the area and to pinpoint potential improvements on an interactive map.
Some people who have already commented have suggested removing the right-turn lane onto Wilson Blvd and install a concrete median to separate cyclists and vehicles. Other ideas include relocating the bus stop to ease congestion and implementing traffic-calming measures.
The survey results will inform a conceptual design set for publication this winter for a second round of public engagement.
Old Glebe Road bridge over N. Glebe Road (via Google Maps)
Old Glebe Road bridge over N. Glebe Road (via Google Maps)
Old Glebe Road bridge over N. Glebe Road (via Google Maps)
A nearly 60-year-old bridge over N. Glebe Road is slated for replacement.
The circa-1964 Old Glebe Road bridge, which spans the north-south artery just before the steep hill down to Chain Bridge, would be too costly to repair, VDOT says. The state transportation agency is instead planning a $15 million project to replace it.
About 7,000 vehicles per day use the bridge, VDOT says. A virtual public meeting is planned this Wednesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the project.
VDOT’s current timeline calls for a public meeting late next year to discuss the design of the new bridge, followed by construction starting in mid-2027.
More, below, from a VDOT email.
The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public information meeting Wednesday, Oct. 18 on the planned replacement of the North Old Glebe Road bridge over North Glebe Road (Route 120). The bridge, which averages 7,000 vehicles a day, was built in 1964.
A new bridge will be constructed due to the estimated rehabilitation cost of the existing bridge exceeding 65% of the estimated cost to replace the bridge.
The new bridge will feature a wider sidewalk on the eastern side and an additional sidewalk on the western side.
Get Involved
In lieu of an in-person meeting, VDOT invites residents and travelers to learn more, participate in the virtual meeting and give feedback in the following ways through Nov. 1:
Attend the Oct. 18 online meeting. Register for the meeting or to participate without registering in listen-only mode, call 844-992-4726 (use access code 2484-673-7292 and password 1234). The project team will make a short presentation beginning at 7 p.m. and answer questions after the presentation. In case an alternate date is needed, the meeting will be held Nov. 1.
Provide comments via the online comment form or by email to [email protected].
Mail comments to Ms. Dipali Patel, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Meeting materials and the presentation will be available online at virginiadot.org/OldGlebe, including the recorded presentation after the meeting.
Signs in Shirlington tell consumers to keep alcohol in the crosswalk while crossing the street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Helicopter Search Last Night — “ACPD is investigating a domestic dispute in the 4300 block of 12th Rd. S. The male suspect fled the scene and aerial search by a police helicopter yielded negative results. Police remain in the area investigating.” [Twitter]
New Wakefield Baseball Coach — “For some time, Adam Balutis has been considered a Mr. Baseball of sorts in Arlington because of his variety of involvements in the sport… Balutis recently was named the new head varsity coach at Wakefield High School. He has been an assistant coach in different capacities the past 20 years at Arlington rival Washington-Liberty High School.” [Gazette Leader]
Board Approves Tree Grant — “How much does it cost the Arlington government – or, more specifically, Arlington taxpayers – to plant and maintain a tree? A new grant application gives some idea: $500 per tree planting, on average, plus $500 for ongoing maintenance. That’s according to a planned submission by the county government to state officials, seeking $300,000 from two separate grant programs to plant and maintain trees in the county.” [Gazette Leader]
Local Restaurant on TV — “Osteria Da Nino’s owners visit the Good Day Cafe to show off how to make pasta noodles at home.” [Fox 5]
It’s Monday — Sunny skies in the morning will gradually transition to mostly cloudy conditions during the afternoon. The high temperature is expected to be near 60°F, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 13 mph. Monday night will remain mostly cloudy, with a low temperature hovering around 47°F and a gentler northwest wind at approximately 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
Bronze plaques dubbed “stumbling stones” will honor the lives of three people once enslaved in what is likely Arlington’s oldest house, the Ball-Sellers House.
The three commemorative markers are the first of their kind and will be the subject of a dedication event later this month. The event will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Ball-Sellers House (5620 3rd Street S.), which is now a free museum.
The markers remember a woman named Nancy and two unnamed men who were enslaved by the Carlin family, which lived in the house from 1772 to 1887. The Carlins are the namesake for Glencarlyn, one of Arlington’s oldest neighborhoods, in which the Ball-Sellers House is located.
The Arlington Historical Society (AHS) found records of these three enslaved people while combing through historical records. This effort is part of an ongoing project to uncover the lives and restore the humanity of enslaved people.
“Few records exist in Arlington that document enslaved individuals, and even fewer that provide names,” the historical society said in a release. “Yet, after two years of research, Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington has shed light on these early Americans, and many others, who contributed so much to the economic, social, and cultural development of our county.”
Black Heritage Museum Director Scott Taylor tells ARLnow the museum believes “it is vital and important having these plaques around” Arlington.
“I just know it will make us a better and healthier community as we recognize those unsung heroes who had a stake filled with blood, sweat and tears in efforts to making us triumphant,” he said.
One of the memorialized slaves is Nancy, who was born around 1775 and died between 1835-38. As an older woman, Nancy “waited on” her enslaver, Elizabeth Carlin, from the 1820s until Elizabeth died in 1834, according to probate records AHS reviewed.
Elizabeth was the wife of William Carlin, who bought the Ball-Sellers House from the estate of John Ball in 1772. She also enslaved one of the unnamed men who will be memorialized.
The second unnamed man was enslaved by Letitia Carlin, the widow of James Carlin, one of William’s sons, per census records from 1850 AHS reviewed. For the two enslaved men, only their birth years are known, circa 1806 and in 1844, respectively.
While Nancy and the two unnamed men were identified through probate and census records, others could have come and gone between census years, Kaplan says.
“[The Carlins] could have hired many enslaved people which was common but the records don’t exist to tell us about it,” she tells ARLnow.
As for the plaques honoring them, AHS made a point of involving Arlington Public Schools teachers and students. Career and Technical Education teachers helped design the plaques and students at Arlington Tech and Washington-Liberty High School will make them, Kaplan said.
“Students… will be cutting the bronze for the Ball-Sellers House plaques, engraving them, mounting them on hand poured concrete pillars and helping put them into place at Ball-Sellers,” she said. “All the students involved have learned about the three enslaved people they are making the plaques for and given an overview of slavery in Arlington.”
