News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Italian Deli Coming to Pentagon Row — “Napoli Pasta Bar, the Bib Gourmand-designated Italian restaurant in Columbia Heights, will expand into Northern Virginia next month when it adds a sister deli in Arlington. Napoli Salumeria is expected to open in early October at 1301 South Joyce Street… The Pentagon Row space was largely turnkey ready, as it formerly functioned as a deli called A Deli.” [Eater]

Shirlington Movie Theater Reopens — The AMC Shirlington 7 theater reopened earlier this week, after closing over the weekend. A PR rep said the closure was due to a “plumbing issue.”

More Hazy Skies Possible — “More smoke from western wildfires likely to stream into DC area tonight and into Wednesday. Skies unlikely to be as blue as the past several days.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Restaurant Break-in on Pentagon Row — “At approximately 10:41 a.m. on September 21, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 12:25 a.m., two suspects forced entry to a business, causing damage, and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and items of value. The suspects are described as males, wearing hooded sweatshirts, masks, and gloves. The investigation is ongoing.” [Arlington County]

Cooking School Adapts During Pandemic — Cookology at Ballston Quarter mall was just hitting its stride when the pandemic hit. After shutting down for weeks, the cooking school reopened via “Cookology Live” virtual classes. And now, the business has secured outdoor space at the mall’s covered “Instagram Alley” in which to hold in-person classes. [Washington Business Journal]

Apartment Building Designated as Historic — “The Glebe Apartments (now known as Knightsbridge Apartments) in the Ballston area has been placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register… The apartment complex, located in the 200 block of North Glebe Road, is an example of garden-style apartment units that were constructed in Arlington from the 1930s to the 1950s to provide moderately priced housing for a growing number of federal workers and, after World War II, returning veterans.” [InsideNova]

Today: ‘Spirit of Community’ Event — “Please join us for the 2020 Spirit of Community celebration on Wednesday, September 23 at 12 p.m… The program will include interviews with Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton, and Steve Presley, Chairman and CEO of Nestle USA.” [ARLnow Events]

Confederate Costumes Cause Controversy — ” Party City is racing to clear its shelves of children’s costumes celebrating the Confederacy. An Arlington, Virginia mom of two adopted Black children, was shocked to find the Party City store at Bailey’s Crossroads selling Civil War rebel costumes emblazoned with the Confederate flag.” [WUSA 9]

Renderings Released for New Public Plaza in Virginia Square

By Scott Fields
1/5

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) After years of stalled plans, concepts for a new public plaza and office building in Virginia Square are taking shape.

Arlington County and developer Skanska released two new concept designs for the plaza as part of a community engagement process for the planned development, located near Arlington Central Library. The county is seeking feedback on the designs, which have changed since the development was first approved in 2012.

The site at 3901 Fairfax Drive once housed the Arlington Funeral Home, but has been a parking lot since the funeral home was demolished in June 2012. The site plan was amended twice, in 2015 and 2018, to extend the term of the original plan and allow the location to be used for temporary parking.

Skanska bought the property, after years of development limbo, in October 2019.

In its latest iteration, the building now includes 10,280 square feet of space for retail tenants at the bottom level, with storefronts featuring roll-up doors that open to the plaza, and 184,036 square feet of office space.

Designs for the plaza have been updated due to changes to the building design, including the removal of a proposed black box theater and tweaks to the ground floor retail space. The two new, proposed designs for the .2-acre public plaza are dubbed “The Serene Urban Oasis” and “The Breezy Public Forum.”

“Neighbors, patrons of nearby businesses, and library goers can use this space to chat, play, or even get started on that new book they’ve checked out,” says the project website.

“The Serene Urban Oasis” features a passive water feature that is proposed as “more of a sculptural object,” according to John Becker, an architect for CallisonRTKL Inc. and project manager for the development.

“The Breezy Public Forum,” trades the water feature in the first concept for an overhead shade structure in a small area on the northern side of the plaza. It also integrates ornamental trees in the paved area to allow for additional shade.

Both concepts feature a smaller paved area on the north end of the plaza, with a larger paved area on the south. They also feature trees along the sidewalks, berms with inset benches, moveable tables and chairs, and a seating zone for retail. Interactive play elements are also a listed possibility.

County-standard streetlights surround the perimeter of the site on the sidewalk. A mixture of hidden, direct and indirect LED lighting is included with both concepts. Both designs are accessible for those with disabilities.

The original plaza budget — which is funded by the developer — was $825,000, but now sits at $914,000 after being adjusted for inflation.

“Through estimates, we believe that the schemes presented are capable of being delivered within the $914,000 budget,” Becker said.

Feedback received on concepts for the plaza will be used to create a “hybrid of these two preliminary concepts” that will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission on Oct. 27 for review, according to planners. The County Board will consider the final concept as a part of a site plan amendment in November.

There is no listed timeline for the start of construction on the project.

Affordable Apartment Complex in Green Valley Slated for Redevelopment

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Local affordable housing developer AHC Inc. is in the early stages of redeveloping the Fort Henry Gardens apartment complex in Green Valley.

Located on the 2400 block of S. Lowell Street, Fort Henry Gardens currently consists of “82 affordable garden apartments in a tree-lined community minutes from the bustling Shirlington neighborhood.” The complex “was built in the 1960s and is in need of an update,” according to AHC Communications Director Celia Slater.

In its place, AHC wants to build taller, more modern apartment buildings.

“We’re excited about redeveloping Fort Henry Gardens because it’s an aging property and this is an opportunity to provide new, energy efficient homes to hardworking families and individuals who need affordable, quality places to live in Arlington,” Slater said. “There is so much need for affordable living opportunities in Arlington… The redevelopment is also giving us the opportunity to provide homes to a wider variety of individuals, including more one bedroom apartments for seniors, which the community mentioned as a real need.”

“The proposed plan includes 26 three-bedroom apartments and 149 two-bedroom units for families and 120 one-bedroom apartments and 5 studios to serve individuals and couples,” Slater tells ARLnow. “Altogether, the new Fort Henry Gardens could add an additional 218+ new affordable apartments in response to the pressing need for more affordable living options in the county.”

Slater said the new apartment community will have a new fitness center, three open lawn areas surrounded by shade trees, and two preschool-age playgrounds “meant to complement the existing recreational field at Drew Elementary School.”

It will also have some features Slater said were requested by the community, including:

  • Designating the proposed 48-unit building on Lincoln St. to be a senior building after we learned from community members of this need and long-time desire.
  • Almost doubling the size of our on-site community center in response to the need expressed from our AHC Green Valley residents. We currently have a robust Resident Services program at Fort Henry in a fairly small community center. The new space will give our students more room for indoor learning activities and also provide an opportunity to explore additional ways to build community.
  • Committing a healthy portion of our site to outdoor gathering and recreational uses in response to this request from the Civic Association.
  • Designing for solar panels in response to the County’s desire for renewable energy.

AHC is hoping to begin construction in the spring of 2022 and welcome residents back in the spring of 2024. The initial site plan for the redevelopment was submitted to Arlington County in May, Slater said, and the County Board is expected to consider the project early next year.

The developer might face some community skepticism, however, due to complaints about its nearby Shelton apartment building on 24th Street S. In 2016, building residents spoke out publicly, demanding better living conditions. This year, an anonymous group of neighboring residents has been writing letters to AHC and Arlington County complaining about “ongoing noise, litter, and criminal issues” associated with the building.

AHC wrote a letter in response, blaming construction at a nearby park for crowds gathering outside the building, and Arlington County police for not responding to noise complaints.

“Both our residents and our staff have found their calls to police to be nonproductive this summer,” the letter said. “Our residents report that the police are not responding to their calls about noise and large gatherings.”

(ACPD confirmed to ARLnow that “the department is diverting some non-emergency incidents to the online reporting system,” while continuing to respond to “in-progress crimes and emergency calls for service where there is an immediate threat to life, health or property.” Overall police call volume to Green Valley for the period from Jan. 1-Aug. 31 was down 16%, according to department spokeswoman Ashley Savage.)

Robin Stombler and Portia Clark, who lead the Green Valley Civic Association, said they are in touch with the anonymous letter writer and are working to address the issues with the apartment building and with the police department. Stombler and Clark said they do not believe County Board involvement is needed to address issues with the Shelton at this time, but suggested that they want to see AHC make some changes.

“Suffice to say, AHC Inc. will need to reexamine how they conduct business in our community in order to garner our support,” they wrote.

Slater, meanwhile, said AHC “will continue to meet with the Green Valley Civic Association and other neighbors throughout” the Fort Henry Gardens redevelopment process.

Photo (1) via AHC Inc., (2) via Google Maps

Temporary Location Opens to Pay Vehicle, Real Estate Taxes

By Scott Fields

Arlington County has opened a temporary tax payment location.

As the Oct. 5 deadline approaches for vehicle personal property taxes and the second installment of real estate taxes, the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office on Monday opened a temporary payment location at Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2nd Street S.) to accept payments in person.

The satellite location is in addition to the Treasurer’s Office payment windows on the second floor of county government headquarters (2100 Clarendon Blvd), which is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“In addition to having limited staff at our main office, we will be at Thomas Jefferson Community Center to safety take your payments in person, Sept. 21-25, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.,” the Treasurer’s Office said via email. “Please remember to wear a mask.”

Payments can also be made online via the Customer Assessment and Payment Portal (CAPP), mailed to Arlington County Treasurer at PO Box 1754, Merrifield, VA 22116-1754, or a check can be dropped off at one of two 24-hour drop boxes.

Any person financially impacted by COVID-19 may call the Treasurer’s Office at 703-228-4000 for assistance.

For anyone who moved or sold their vehicle, taxes may still be owed for the months the vehicle was still located in Arlington. Vehicle tax bills — which were mailed in August — should be reviewed for accuracy in this matter, the Treasurer’s Office said.

“If you are waiting for your account to be adjusted, please be sure to avoid a late payment penalty by paying your bill in full by October 5,” the office said. “Any overpayment will be refunded to you once your account has been adjusted.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Fall Officially Starts Today — “While many of us think of the first day of fall as a full calendar day, the equinox itself is a rather fleeting astronomical event. It happens at a precise moment when the sun’s direct rays are straight over Earth’s equator. This year’s equinox is at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on Sept. 22.” [Capital Weather Gang]

JBG Acquires Local 5G Radio Spectrum — “JBG Smith Properties has paid $25.3 million for licenses to use small parts of a new class of wireless spectrum to set up a 5G internet network in National Landing, home to Amazon.com Inc.’s second headquarters and Virginia Tech’s innovation campus.” [Washington Business Journal, Press Release]

County Board Challenger Amps Up Rhetoric — “Is Arlington’s political ruling elite a bunch of preening political poseurs unwilling to do the heavy lifting of implementing a truly progressive agenda for the community? That somewhat uncharitable (and decidedly paraphrased here) assessment comes  from Audrey Clement, the perennial independent candidate for office who this year is facing off against County Board Chairman Libby Garvey.” [InsideNova]

County Launches New Data Portal — “Arlington County today unveiled a new Open Data Portal with several benefits and features that make it easier than ever to access and use Arlington data. The new portal, a centerpiece of the County’s Open Government Program, builds upon the first open data solution that launched in 2016.” [Arlington County]

Robbery Suspect Arrested in Pentagon City — “At approximately 3:36 p.m. on September 19, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect allegedly stole merchandise from a business without paying. Upon being confronted by loss prevention at the exit, the suspect allegedly brandished a knife, then fled on foot. The victim was not injured. Arriving officers located the suspect in the Pentagon City Metro, still in possession of stolen merchandise.” [Arlington County]

Postal Service Keeping Rosslyn Office — “The United States Postal Service has tacked on an additional 3 years to its office lease at the International Place building in Arlington, Virginia, but will give up one of its floors in the process.” [CoStar]

JUST IN: Police Called After Man Attempted to Lure Teen Girls to Car

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are investigating an incident involving two teen girls and a man who tried to lure them into his car in a 7-Eleven parking lot.

The incident happened Saturday afternoon, outside the convenience store at 5747 Lee Highway.

“At approximately 2:46 p.m. on September 19, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances,” Arlington County Police said in a crime report today. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the female juvenile victims were exiting a business when the male subject pulled up next to them in his vehicle and attempted to engage them in conversation. They declined and began to run away.”

“The subject yelled to the victims again to come back to his car, at which point a witness came to the aid of the victims and contacted police,” the crime report continues. “The subject fled in the vehicle prior to police arrival.”

On Nextdoor, a Leeway Overlee resident who identified himself as a parent of one of the 13-year-old victims further described what happened, calling it an “attempted abduction.”

“Our daughter and one of her friends walked up to 7-Eleven next to Sloppy Mama’s BBQ yesterday, they walked past a small white car when the driver yelled out ‘I will buy you Slurpees if you get in,'” he wrote. “They ignored, bought their goods and left, again walking by the car, he opened the door and yelled at them to get in, they ignored and proceeded towards Lee/Lexington intersection, the man drove out of the lot to that intersection and again yelled once again.”

According to the poster, the witness who intervened was the manager of the nearby District Taco restaurant. The company’s founder and CEO confirmed to ARLnow today that the restaurant’s general manager was on her break and jumped into action upon seeing what was happening.

“Lashelle Mason was there at the right spot and time,” said Osiris Hoil. “Thank God.”

Hoil, who lives in the neighborhood and has three children, added that he’s being more cautious after the incident.

Also quick to intervene, according to the Nextdoor post, was Joe Neuman, founder of Sloppy Mama’s, who provided security camera footage to police.

“We immediately went to our cameras and helped Arlington PD as best we could,” Neuman confirmed. “We had the incident on our cameras but the car had [a] license plate cover on it so we were unable to get a plate.”

“The investigation is ongoing,” ACPD said in today’s crime report.

As Flu Season Approaches, New COVID-19 Cases Continue to Fluctuate

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County has seen three consecutive days of coronavirus cases below the seven-day moving average.

The relative reduction in cases over the weekend is welcome news, but the county is — like much of the rest of the country — continuing to see a baseline of new cases as colder weather and the flu season approach.

The seven-day moving average of new daily cases currently stands at 15.7, and has remained within a range of 12 to 21 since the beginning of the month.

As of Monday morning, Arlington had recorded 32 new cases, one new COVID-related death and two new hospitalizations since Friday, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. The cumulative totals for all three currently stand at 3,851 cases, 493 hospitalizations and 147 deaths.

The case fatality rate — the percentage of deaths compared to reported cases — has continued to fall over the past couple of months, and is currently 3.8%. Arlington’s test positivity rate is also currently 3.8%.

Virginia Hospital Center ER chief Mike Silverman, in a weekly update posted to social media, said on Friday that healthcare providers have been getting better at treating COVID patients since the start of the pandemic, using steroids, the antiviral drug Remdesivir, and other treatments and techniques to bring down the death rate — though there’s no silver bullet yet.

He said that the hospital has seen other positive trends lately.

Masks and social distancing remain our best strategies and I think we’re seeing the benefits. Our overall hospital positivity rate continues to trend down. In the [Emergency Department], we’re definitely see less COVID than a month ago. We have less symptomatic patients presenting to the ED week over week for about a month and their test positivity rate continues to trend down. Our overall testing rate in the ED is also trending down. We also have less hospitalized COVID patients than we’ve had in the recent post. All of these metrics are good news for today, though we continue to plan for whatever COVID and the flu bring us later this fall and winter.

Silverman continued to urge people to get flu shots, though there’s some hope that the fast-approaching flu season might not be as bad as once feared.

Flu season is just around the corner. If you haven’t already gotten your flu shot yet, please do so over the next couple of weeks. We always look to the Southern Hemisphere to see what their flu season is like since theirs precedes ours. The good news is that flu appeared mild in many countries that we track. This is most certainly related to mask wearing and having a flu season that occurred during times of significant social distancing. I’m relatively optimistic that mask wearing and social distancing will reduce flu transmission this year. On the other hand, if kids return to school and increase their social activities, and people become complacent with masks and social distancing, we could have a bad winter.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Boat Catches Fire Near Gravelly Point — “Update boat fire Gravelly Point. Vessel is well involved. #DCsBravest Fireboats in active attack on burning vessel. The 11 occupants are being transported to Fire/Police pier for evaluation.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Flags at Half Staff in Va., U.S. — “Per an order from @GovernorVA, the Virginia flag is to be lowered to half staff at all federal, state and local government facilities across Virginia in memory of U.S Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday. Flags are to remain lowered until burial.” [Twitter, White House]

AMC Shirlington Temporarily Closed — The AMC Shirlington 7 theater appears to have suddenly, temporarily closed over the weekend. AMC’s website shows no planned showtimes at the theater. The reason for the closure was not given. The theater reopened on Aug. 27 at a reduced capacity after closing at the beginning of the pandemic. [Twitter]

Beyer Still Pushing for Rosslyn Boathouse — “The seemingly interminable planning process for a new boathouse facility in Rosslyn already has outlasted one of its champions in Congress, and while U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) is not planning on departing any time soon, one wonders if it might outlast him, too. Not if Beyer has anything to say about it. ‘It’s moving very slowly, but it will be done,’ Beyer vowed.” [InsideNova]

Local Startup’s Return to Office Normalcy — “Phone2Action’s first step toward that elusive new normalcy appears to be going as planned. That’s the latest word from Jeb Ory, CEO and founder of the advocacy platform, who said those employee volunteers the company selected to be the first workers back into Phone2Action’s headquarters at 1500 Wilson Blvd. seem to adapting well to the workplace changes.” [Washington Business Journal]

County Board Approves New Bonds — From last week: “The Board [voted] to authorize the sale of up to $172.32 million in General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds for new projects and the refunding of existing bonds to lower interest rates and save taxpayer money.” [Arlington County]

Arrest Made in Eden Center Nightclub Homicide — “City of Falls Church Police identified Geovanny Alexander Mejia Castro as the homicide victim in the September 11, 2020 shooting at the Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd.). Mr. Castro, a security guard at the nightclub, died from multiple gunshot wounds.” [City of Falls Church]

After Holding Steady All Week, A Bump in New Cases Today

By ARLnow.com

For the past two weeks, the seven-day moving average of new coronavirus cases in Arlington has kept a fairly tight range. Today, however, it is seeing something of a bump up.

Twenty-eight new cases were reported overnight, the highest one-day total since Aug. 28, bringing the seven-day average to 17. The seven-day total is now 119, after hovering around 100 all week.

Since Monday, one new COVID-related death and four new hospitalizations have been reported in Arlington. The seven-day total of new hospitalizations currently stands at 10.

The cumulative total of cases, hospitalizations and deaths since the start of the pandemic is now 3,819, 491, and 146, respectively, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

Over the past month, meanwhile, the age of new COVID-19 cases in the county has continued to skew younger, with the 0-9, 10-19 and 20-29 age groups showing the highest proportional increase since Aug. 19.

First Day of Early Voting Attracts Long Line in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington residents were lined up down the block in Courthouse this morning, on the first day of early voting in Virginia.

The county’s elections office said on Twitter that 200 people cast ballots in the first hour this morning, after voting opened at 8 a.m.

Any registered voter who wants to vote early can do so through Oct. 31, at designated early voting locations. Currently, voting is taking place at the former Wells Fargo bank (2200 Clarendon Blvd) near county government headquarters in Courthouse. Four community centers will also open for early voting on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Voters who don’t want to show up to the polls in person, for fear of COVID-19 or otherwise, can request mail-in ballots through Oct. 23. The first of the ballots are being sent out today. As of early August, about 17,000 Arlingtonians — 10% of active voters — had requested mail-in ballots, according to the elections office.

More information on how to vote in the upcoming general election is available on Arlington County’s 2020 Voter Guide website.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3

More views of the line via social media:

https://twitter.com/marbygirl/status/1306930297079058435?s=21

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