News

Corvette carjacked by armed suspects near Lyon Village

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A man was carjacked by gun-wielding suspects early this morning at the Lyon Village Shopping Center.

It happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. near the 24-hour CVS store, according to scanner traffic. The suspects could be seen fleeing down the Spout Run Parkway in a traffic camera video posted by local public safety watcher Dave Statter.

The man also reportedly had his phone and wallet taken.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

CARJACKING, 2023-09210006, 3100 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 12:26 a.m. on September 21, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking to his parked vehicle when the suspect vehicle approached and the male suspect exited. The suspect approached the victim while brandishing a firearm and demanded his vehicle. The suspect then pushed the victim to the ground and stole his keys, wallet and personal items. The suspect then fled the scene in the victim’s stolen vehicle, a blue 2023 Chevrolet Corvette bearing Virginia tags TYG4480, followed by the suspect vehicle, a gray sedan, which had approximately three occupants. The victim sustained minor injuries and declined medical attention.

This is at least the 14th carjacking reported in Arlington so far this year. That would equal the total number of carjackings reported in 2022.

Amazon holds its first product launch at HQ2 in Pentagon City

By James Jarvis
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(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) Channeling the energy of an iPhone launch, Amazon unveiled its new line of AI-powered gadgets in Arlington on Wednesday.

While a September product launch is typical for the tech giant, this event was the first major unveiling Amazon has hosted at its new HQ2 in Pentagon City — and the top brass went all out for the occasion.

Inside the 2.1-million-square-foot complex, which wrapped up its first phase of construction in June, Amazon employees ushered attendees to their seats in the airy auditorium. Caterers served hors d’oeuvres, kombucha and cold-pressed juice. Pop music from the likes of Dua Lipa and Ellie Goulding played in the background.

Then, an ethereal voice put an end to the bustling activity, leading the crowd in a countdown and asking everyone to “silence their cellphones.”

Amazon Senior Vice President of Devices and Services David Limp took the stage first, making arguably the most consequential announcement of the day. He explained how generative AI — the buzzy tech that people use to create anything from raps to digital illustrations — will shape the future of Amazon’s products.

Limp demonstrated Alexa’s new enhanced AI-powered capabilities talking to the the company’s forthcoming $150 Echo Show 8, highlighting the smart home device’s capacity to comprehend complex requests and engage in more human-like interactions.

“We’ve studied what it takes to make a great conversation over the past nine years. It’s not just words, it’s body language. It’s understanding who you’re addressing. It’s eye contact, it’s gestures,” Limp said.

To create “much more conversational experiences” with Alexa, Limp said Amazon combined the sensors in an Echo — including its camera and ability to detect someone’s presence — with its newest Large Language Models. These “talk to” humans by processing large amounts of text on the Internet and predicting the right response.

After Limp, a cadre of Amazon executives introduced new products such as the $50 Echo Pop Kids smart speaker, the $180 Echo Hub Home, a control panel for managing smart devices, and a more aesthetic upgrade to its smart glasses, the $270 Echo Frames.

Each announcement sparked a flurry of keyboard activity from tech journalists in attendance — with resulting headlines in Engadget, The Verge and elsewhere — as well as applause from employees and stakeholders.

Before inviting the audience to try out demo devices, Limp said he believes this new technology can “redefine” the way people “interact” with their homes.

“Customers have now connected over 400 million devices to their Alexa Smart Home and they’re using Alexa to control those devices hundreds of millions of times each week,” he said.

Most devices will start shipping in October. Customers can pre-order through Amazon’s website.

The full list of products announced is below.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Westover Baptist Church in the fading sunlight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Training Exercise Along S. Courthouse Road — “NSAW Security Forces will be conducting regularly-scheduled drills tomorrow, Thursday, Sept 21 on [Naval Support Facility] Arlington. Impacts: Please expect to see Police activity on ARL during the morning.” [Twitter]

DCA Work Ahead of Schedule — “It adds up fast: 800 tons today, 800 tons tomorrow, 800 tons the next day, and so on and so forth. That’s how much asphalt is being laid on a nightly basis as efforts to upgrade pavements on Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s major runway roll ahead until cooler weather conditions call a halt through early next spring. ‘We’re ahead of schedule,’ said Jack Potter, president/CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.” [Gazette Leader]

Alexandria to Support Bus Stop Expansion — “Arlington calls for aid, and Alexandria will answer. Alexandria’s City Council is scheduled to vote at a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, to support neighboring Arlington’s funding application for an expanded Shirlington Transit Center. Arlington County is applying for funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to expand the transit center in Shirlington, a major hub for bus traffic.” [ALXnow]

Community Award Winners Announced — “A trio of Arlington civic leaders will be honored by the Arlington Community Foundation with its 2023 William T. Newman Jr. Spirit of Community Award… John Foti has coached Arlington youth baseball for decades… Dr. Tsehaye Teferra is founder and president of the ECDC Enterprise Development Group… Andres Tobar’s community leadership also has included many years” of work with various local organizations. [Gazette Leader]

Sighting Along the Custis Trail — “Some want to light the fire just to watch it burn” with Gondola Now slogans written in chalk. [Twitter]

Farmers Market Donation to AFAC — “Field to Table, which operates a number of farmers’ markets in Arlington, on Sept. 16 presented its annual gift of $10,000 to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.” [Gazette Leader]

Fashion Pop-Up at Marymount — “PrettyLittleThing, a U.K.-based online fashion retailer, will be making a stop at Marymount University in Arlington on Friday as part of its East Coast pop-up shop tour. All customers are invited to visit the PrettyLittleThing pop-up shop to update their wardrobes, even if they don’t attend Marymount.” [Patch]

GMU Study on Local Mental Health — “A new study shows an alarming trend taking a devastating economic toll: Northern Virginia has lost more than $16 billion in unrealized gross regional product over the last two years due to the impaired mental health of its workforce—with no end of the losses in sight.” [George Mason University]

It’s Thursday — Mostly sunny in the morning with temperatures reaching around 79°F, accompanied by a gentle north wind at 6 mph. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy, with lows near 59°F. [Weather.gov]

County poised to require drivers to come to a full stop for pedestrians in crosswalks

By Jo DeVoe
A runner uses a rapid flashing beacon to cross N. Park Drive (staff photo)

The Arlington County Board is set to update the rules of the road to align with a new state law aimed at improving pedestrian safety.

This weekend, the Board is set to enact changes to local ordinances requiring drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. These changes were advertised this summer.

Currently, county code only requires drivers to yield to those crossing the street on foot, according to a county report. This conflicts with state code, which was amended this March to require drivers to “stop for” pedestrians.

In addition to being consistent with state law, the proposed changes support Arlington’s Vision Zero effort to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030, the report says.

“Pedestrians are one of our most vulnerable road users because their bodies are not surrounded with a metal frame and airbags,” the report says. “This law encourages drivers to look for, be aware of, and stop for pedestrians to help get to Arlington’s goal of Vision Zero transportation deaths or serious injuries by 2030.”

The report notes that, from 2018-2022, a third of all severe or fatal crashes in Arlington County involved a pedestrian.

A county data dashboard shows there were 82 pedestrian crashes in those years, spread fairly evenly over those years and located all throughout the county. The number of fatal pedestrian crashes reached a high of four in 2019.

Serious and fatal pedestrian crashes versus overall serious and fatal crashes, between 2018 and 2022 (via Arlington County)

Any driver who does not stop is guilty of a traffic infraction and can face a $100-$500 fine, according to the new law.

The county intends to notify residents of the change via a press release, emails and social media posts, per the report.

There will also be new signage, the Dept. of Environmental Services previously told ARLnow.

County Board to consider $25k grant for GMU to study local Black history

By James Jarvis
George Mason University Arlington campus (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

George Mason University is set to receive a $25,000 grant from Arlington County to study Black demographic shifts and migratory trends in Arlington.

The Fairfax-based university, which has a campus in Arlington, proposes to develop a “database of research that documents Black displacement, migration, mobility, and the legacy of the Black diaspora that remains today in Arlington County,” according to a county report.

GMU envisions the database serving as a “significant learning source for Arlington and lead to future meaningful artistic projects focused on African American history,” the report says.

A team comprising GMU’s University Curator, Don Russell, visual artist Veronica Jackson, as well as several university librarians and historians, will sift through hundreds of primary documents to create the database.

This includes:

[M]aps, oral histories, census data, photographs, historic Black newspapers, travel guides, land surveys, Black businesses, real estate transactions, churches, cemeteries, schools, and related examples of Black cultural life in Arlington County, historically and contemporarily.

The grant is part of Arlington’s Historic Preservation Fund. It was established in April 2022 to support individual and community-led projects that preserve “Arlington’s history, built environment, or cultural heritage” per a county webpage.

In December, the County Board approved a form for applicants seeking either a $25,000 non-capital grant or a $100,000 capital grant. This June, GMU secured a grant earmarked for projects such as historical research and educational outreach.

The university, however, says it cannot agree to the terms of the grant as written, and is requesting a few changes. These changes are set to go before the County Board for approval this weekend.

GMU requests new wording clarifying it, as a public university, is not responsible for the county’s legal fees if the county faces a lawsuit. It also requests the ability to use the funds for an extra 90 days after the current deadline of June 30, 2024.

The university expects about $8,000 would go toward personnel costs, nearly $6,000 toward travel expenses and nearly $11,000 for general costs, including equipment, supplies and an artist fee for Jackson’s work.

Eleven other organizations and people received grants for capital projects — such as restoration, cleaning and repairs — and non-capital projects, says Historic Preservation Program Coordinator Cynthia Liccese-Torres.

She told ARLnow the county plans to share more details “once all of the grant agreements have been finalized and signed by all parties.”

August fire forces 68 residents to vacate a Crystal City apartment building

By Jo DeVoe
Crystal Plaza Apartments (via Google Maps)
Crystal Plaza Apartments (via Google Maps)

Sixty-eight residents of an apartment building in Crystal City were told this week that they have 14 days to leave due to damage from a fire in the boiler room last month.

One resident tells ARLnow the news leaves affected tenants scrambling for last-minute housing options. He says those told to vacate include an octogenarian who has lived in her apartment for three decades and “is unsure of where to go.” 

“To say that this has caused turmoil and distress would be an understatement,” the resident said. “Finding alternative housing, coordinating a move, and dealing with the various challenges that come with such a sudden eviction is a monumental task in itself.”

On Aug. 21, a fire broke out in the boiler room of the southern wing of the Crystal Plaza Apartments at 2111 Richmond Hwy. Industrial hygienists, air quality specialists and engineers, among other specialists, assessed the impacts to every apartment, according to a letter shared with ARLnow.

They determined some apartments need new flooring, cabinetry, walls and systems to remove all residual soot and other pollutants — work that would require tenants to vacate, the letter said. The notice gave them 14 days, the minimum required by Virginia law, to leave.

The notices were dated Sept. 14, after owner Dweck Properties learned from an industrial hygienist that these apartments would need a more comprehensive assessment and, possibly, extensive remediation work, a Dweck spokesperson tells ARLnow.

These additional assessments are contingent on apartments being vacant, the spokesperson added. They would determine the scope and cost of work as well as how long it could take. 

“This notice was needed to ensure we could access units for repair if required,” the spokesperson said. “We are now working with each resident on their transition — identifying alternative apartments, understanding each of their timing needs, and assisting them in any way we can.” 

Before this notice, the resident says a community-wide notice went out a few days after the inspections, describing which apartments suffered the most damage and required immediate work.

“Our apartment was not included in this list,” the resident said. “It is essential to emphasize that since the fire, we had received no communication or updates regarding our situation.”

The Dweck spokesperson did not say whether residents also received the community-wide notice. 

Notice to vacate from Dweck Properties (courtesy photo)

In its letter, Dweck was apologetic and offered to cover $2,000 in moving expenses per unit. 

“The fire incident has had a wide-ranging impact, and we are so very sorry for the disruption it has caused,” the letter said. 

Since the letters went out, Dweck tells ARLnow it has taken more steps to ease these transitions. In meetings convened Monday and Tuesday, Dweck told residents it would also cover insurance deductibles up to $500 and reimburse residents for rent paid from the time of the incident to the time they move out.

“While some of this work requires units to be vacant, our inspection team is revisiting all of these 68 apartments this week to see if there is any possibility of performing remediation while the apartments are occupied — in apartments that potentially require less work,” the company spokesperson said. 

(more…)

Fire Marshal’s Office looking for witness to car fire started with stolen fireworks

By ARLnow.com

“Possible witness” to June 17 vehicle arson (photo via Arlington County Fire Marshal’s Office)

Someone lit a car on fire near the Arlington border, using fireworks stolen from the Bluemont area.

That’s according to the Arlington County Fire Marshal’s Office, which today released surveillance photos of a “possible witness” to the June 17 incident just east of Seven Corners. Fire marshals are trying to identify the person in the photos.

More from the flyer released today:

The Arlington County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a Theft of Commercial Fireworks and Arson of a Vehicle and is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a possible witness. At approximate 9pm on June 17, 2023 the Fire Department responded to Patrick Henry Dr Falls Church/ Wilson Blvd & N. McKinley Rd Arlington for the report of a vehicle fire. The investigation determined the cause of the fire was ARSON and the suspect used fireworks stolen from a commercial fireworks stand in the 5100 Block of Wilson Blvd to burn the vehicle. The individual pictured above may have information regarding or have witnessed the crime.

Anyone with information about the crime or the possible witness is asked to contact Lt. John Crooke at (703)-228-4649 or [email protected].

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaFD/status/1704479373372657967

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

A flock of birds fly past the U.S. Air Force Memorial (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

NAACP Candidate Forum — “With Arlington residents continuing to debate the effects of the county’s new Missing Middle zoning ordinance, housing issues were a major topic of discussion at the NAACP Arlington Branch’s candidates forum Monday night.” [Patch]

Ragtime Renewing Lease — “A popular restaurant in the Courthouse area has survived the pandemic and now is asking for a lease extension from the Arlington County government. The owners of the Ragtime restaurant, located in a government-owned building at 1345 North Courthouse Road, are asking to extend the lease from its current expiration in 2026 to 2031.” [Gazette Leader]

New Group Joins CivFed — “The Arlington County Civic Federation began its new year with one more member organization than it ended with in 2022-23. Delegates at their September meeting ratified the membership application of the African-American Leadership Council of Arlington… Founded in 2007 as a grass-roots group, the organization was the brainchild of the late Frank Wilson, a veteran member of the Arlington School Board. The first two co-chairs were Christian Dorsey (now on the County Board) and Sarah Summerville.” [Gazette Leader]

Rainy Weekend on Tap — “The odds are rising for a storm to form off the Southeast coast later this week before working its way northward this weekend, soaking the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. While it’s uncertain whether the system will qualify for a name, it’s expected to bring gusty winds, rough surf, rip currents and shoreline flooding along the coast and heavy rain over a swath that could extend well inland.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Wednesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 79 degrees and a light northwest wind of 3-6 mph. The evening will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 60 degrees and a gentle northeast breeze. [Weather.gov]

NEW: Judgment in Missing Middle lawsuit likely one month away

By Jo DeVoe

Arlington County courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Attorneys for residents contesting the new Missing Middle zoning ordinances and Arlington County squared off today (Tuesday) in court — but a decision will not be reached until at least next month.

Residents sued the county earlier this year, shortly after the Arlington County Board adopted the Missing Middle zoning ordinance changes authorizing 2-6 unit homes in areas previously zoned for single-family homes only.

They claimed the changes run afoul of state law on substantive and procedural grounds. The county disputes that and says the case ought to be dismissed because these residents will not be harmed — and are no more impacted than any other resident — by Missing Middle construction.

Gifford Hampshire, an attorney for the plaintiffs, argued the county made several missteps, including not commissioning studies to determine the impact of these changes; promulgating confusing ordinances; and failing to post online a document that the County Board was given ahead of the vote.

Documents should be provided to the public at the same time so “everyone is well informed and can participate meaningfully in the public process,” he said.

For Arlington County Attorney MinhChau Corr, the question at hand is not whether Expanded Housing Options, or EHOs, are a good idea. Rather, she told the court, the question is whether the County Board acted appropriately when it made its decision.

She said this case amounts to upset residents who disliked the decision, petitioning the court to overturn the decision. She said this tactic is a “subversion of our democratic process.”

After the arguments, retired Fairfax Judge David Schell informed those present he would render a decision on Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. He was appointed to handle the case after Arlington’s Circuit Court judges recused themselves, delaying the hearing process by a few months, the Gazette Leader previously reported.

Between now and next month, Schell said he will determine whether the plaintiffs have standing. This will determine whether he dismisses the case and will inform his judgment on the claims related to Freedom of Information laws.

Corr argued attempts to show the plaintiffs will suffer harm other residents will not face with EHO construction is speculative, saying “they don’t even know what [EHOs] look like.” Permits for EHO construction only recently started receiving approvals from the county.

Hampshire says the 10 plaintiffs own homes in neighborhoods where 2-6 unit homes would stress their water and sewer lines, overcrowd their schools and potentially increase their property assessments.

A few dozen people attended the arguments, including Dan Creedon, representing the Neighbors for Neighborhoods Litigation Fund, created to fund the lawsuit. He provided the following statement to ARLnow.

EHO/MMH zoning upends Arlington’s decades-old, successful land use policy to concentrate density along Metro corridors. The County Board eliminated single-family zoning in Arlington, allowing 6-plexes on single-family lots across the County, but failed to conduct the studies required by State law that would have revealed the impact of the increased density in residential neighborhoods.

Former Arlington County Board candidate Natalie Roy told ARLnow after the hearing that the county’s arguments “seemed to be based on an alternative universe.”

(more…)

Heads up: There’s a flaming pile of trash in the middle of Wilson Blvd

By ARLnow.com

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Bad news for those going to the Eden Center this afternoon: you’ll have to contend with a smoldering pile of garbage in the middle of Wilson Blvd.

Firefighters from Arlington and Fairfax County were dispatched to the intersection of Wilson Blvd and Roosevelt Blvd — near the Eden Center and the border of Falls Church and Arlington — around 1:30 p.m.

Refuse in the back of a garbage truck reportedly caught fire, leading the driver to dump the load across the street.

As of 1:45 p.m. firefighters were working to douse residual fire within the stinky, steaming trash pile. Wilson Blvd was blocked in both directions as of publication time.

Dumping the flaming garbage appears to be standard procedure so that the truck itself does not go up in flames. Similar trash fires previously happened locally in May 2019 and August 2021.

JBG Smith wants fewer restrictions on signage for two Crystal City offices, but some balked at the idea

By Jo DeVoe

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JBG Smith is asking Arlington County to relieve it of restrictions that it says present serious obstacles to putting up new rooftop signs.

The real estate company is specifically asking the county to remove language restricting the number and size of signs allowed on two office buildings in the Crystal Park development it owns in Crystal City. The proposal is set to go before the County Board this Saturday.

Not everyone is comfortable with the language change, however. Two area civic associations told the county that the restrictions should stay, fearing this would pave the way for more signs going forward.

Currently, Crystal Park offices are governed by a document that “ties certain approved signs to specific tenants, some of which no longer occupy the premises, limits installation of rooftop signs to a single, prescribed rooftop sign and contains outdated requirements for approved signs,” land-use attorney Kedrick Whitmore wrote in an application to the county.

This hamstrings JBG Smith, he continues.

“Collectively, these restrictions complicate the ability to re-design existing signage for new tenants and present obstacles to achieving new rooftop signage,” Whitmore wrote.

JBG Smith is requesting the county remove restrictions for Crystal Park 1 and 3 office buildings, located at 2011 Crystal Drive and 2231 Crystal Drive. Instead, it asks the county evaluate new signage only in accordance to the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance.

In 2012, the zoning code was updated, providing new clarifying parameters for signs and only requiring staff review. This change did not apply to a smattering of older developments throughout Arlington governed by more restrictive agreements.

County staff say this change would make it easier for JBG Smith to compete for tenants.

“As commercial buildings mature and market themselves for new tenants, it is imperative that building owners be able to avail themselves of sign permissions available to other similar buildings so as to not place themselves at a competitive disadvantage,” the report said.

The county notes that other building owners have made similar requests and had the support of staff, as this “allow[s] for fair administration of building signage.”

The report says Crystal City and Aurora Highlands civic associations told the county they do not support JBG Smith’s request because it could allow for more signs.

The other reason, leaders told the county, is that the current provisions were decided through negotiated community benefits during the site plan review process.

“The community accepted less in the way of other benefits to limit the number and size of signs, so they believe that changes to allow more signs would not be fair,” the report says.

The county says it found no evidence that the more restrictive language was related to community benefit packages.

“Rather these were common site plan conditions approved in the absence of comprehensive sign provisions of the [zoning ordinance], which are now in place,” the report said.

Eric Cassel, the president of the Crystal City Civic Association, told ARLnow this morning that, as of now, the issue is “relatively minor.”

“JBGS downgraded the proposal significantly and we are not spending resources to oppose it,” he said.

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