Water service in parts of the Westover neighborhood may be interrupted tonight due to emergency water main repairs.
County crews are planning to dig up portions of the road to investigate a leak along the 5800 block of Washington Blvd, near the post office and the intersection with N. McKinley Road.
One eastbound lane of Washington Blvd is expected to be closed starting around 9 p.m. Water service may be turned off for some around midnight, according to Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services.
Emergency Water Main Repairs TONIGHT: Crews to investigate leak along 5800 block of Washington Blvd near McKinley Road intersection. One eastbound lane closed beginning 9pm. Water service interruption approx midnight including Lancaster Street. Questions: 703-228-6555. #VaTrafficpic.twitter.com/x0pa0GROV3
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) August 14, 2019
Walter Reed Drive closed at Columbia Pike due to a ruptured gas line
(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) A reported ruptured gas line behind Papillon Cycles prompted evacuations and a road closure near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive.
As of 2:10 p.m., the gas leak has been stopped and police re-opened Walter Reed Drive, after temporarily closing it between the Pike and 9th Street S.
Some stores in the area, on the 2800 block of Columbia Pike, were evacuated during the incident, according to scanner traffic.
One restaurant owner said that means their business had to close, but told ARLnow, “but that’s fine, it’s a Wednesday so it’s slow anyway.”
A full fire department response has been dispatched to the scene as a precaution, as gas company crews work to stop the leak.
900 blk S Walter Reed Dr: @washingtongas has controlled the gas leak. ACFD crews have checked surrounding buildings to make sure they are safe. All units have returned to service and cleared the scene. pic.twitter.com/qt8nFF2i3H
Clarendon nightlife mainstay Whitlow’s on Wilson is “actively negotiating” for a new lease, manager Jon Williams says.
Readers tipped ARLnow off to a commercial real estate website listing the Whitlow’s space at 2854 Wilson Blvd as available for lease starting on July 1, 2021.
Per the listing:
Total street-level, enclosed area of approximately 8,450sf; plus 350sf of sidewalk seating area; plus 500sf of outside dining area (under tent); plus 4,100sf of Rooftop area; plus 2,500sf of Basement area (storage and walk-ins); and a private driveway for storage, parking and loading.
Fans of Whitlow’s and its rooftop tiki bar shouldn’t start breaking out the hankies just yet. Williams said the listing is part of the lease negotiation process.
“We plan on being here for years to come,” he said.
Whitlow’s celebrated its 20th anniversary in Clarendon in 2016. Earlier this month the bar raised some $8,000 to benefit flood July 8 victims in Westover, according to Williams.
Home Prices Around HQ2 Soar — “The median sale prices for all home types in the 22202 ZIP code, where Amazon is building and staffing up HQ2, was $995,000 in July — the highest for any month in a decade — according to data provided by MarketStats by ShowingTime based on listing activity from Bright MLS. It’s a 72% jump from June, when median sales were at $615,000, and a 25% year-over-year increase.” [Washington Business Journal, InsideNova]
ACPD Launches Anti-DUI Campaign — “The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 14 through September 2, 2019. During this period, police will conduct nightly saturation patrols with the goal of drastically reducing incidents of drunk driving on our roadways.” [Arlington County]
Courthouse Market Back On Next Weekend — After initially being set to skip next weekend due to scheduled parking lot paving, the Courthouse farmers market is back on for Saturday, Aug. 24. [Arlington County]
Amazon Truck Blocks GW Parkway — The southbound GW Parkway was temporarily blocked at the Memorial Bridge yesterday afternoon due to a too-tall Amazon tractor trailer. [Twitter]
Betting at Local Bars — “Locally, prosecutors haven’t paid much attention to the games. Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos said she wasn’t even aware that any machines were in the county until informed by the WBJ that bars in both Clarendon and Ballston operate them. An Arlington police spokeswoman said the department hasn’t noticed “any issues or concerns related to” the machines.” [Washington Business Journal]
The current stretch of 15th Street S. near the future HQ2 features an unprotected bike lane (Image via Google Maps)
Bike advocates want Amazon to build a protected bike lane on 15th Street S. along HQ2 (Map via Google Maps)
Advocates want Amazon to help build a protected bike lane in Pentagon City as part of the development of its second headquarters.
Advocacy group Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County wants Amazon pay for the new protected bike lane in exchange for added density for the two office towers the company is planning for the Metropolitan Park site along S. Eads Street. The group is asking the county to consider the request as part of the site plan process for this first phase of HQ2.
“The thought is that we expect major development to mitigate its impacts to the extent possible,” said the organization’s founder and Arlington Transportation Commission chair Chris Slatt.
“They are going to be doing construction there anyway, and doing additional construction is much cheaper than mobilizing a contractor from scratch,” he said. “As long as they are pouring concrete and moving dirt and making changes to the streetscape anyway, we think part of it should be upgrading that bike lane to a protected bike lane.”
Currently, the stretch of 15th Street S. bordering the future headquarters features an unprotected bike lane, meaning there are no buffers between vehicles and bikes except the line of paint demarking the lane. Slatt said this is especially dangerous on 15th Street considering Virginia Department of Transportation estimates that an average of 16,000 cars drive along the street every weekday.
Sustainable Mobility is also calling for upgrades to the existing protected bike lane on S. Eads Street, and for the county to install floating bus stop “islands” on 15th Street to prevent buses from pulling into the bike lane to pick up riders.
“What we mean by protected is something that will slow down or stop a car… and eliminate bus-bike conflict,” said Slatt.
Last month, the Arlington County Board approved a street safety resolution to end bicycle and pedestrian deaths — although some criticized the measure for lacking a specific plan.
Eric Balliet, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Services, declined to comment on the bike lane proposal, citing the ongoing review of the site plan. A spokeswoman for Amazon also declined to comment.
“Members of the community who are interested in the Met Park proposal should continue to provide comments as part of the upcoming Site Plan Review Committee meetings on Sept. 23 and Oct. 14, or submit them to Mr. Schulz,” Balliet said, referring to county planner Peter Schulz.
Amazon is expected to eventually hire some 25,000 employees for HQ2, prompting some fears of Arlington experiencing Seattle’s traffic woes. Virginia and Arlington wooed Amazon with the promise of millions in nearby transportation updates, but Slatt says a protected bike lane outside HQ2 could also encourage bike commuting, thus reducing the number of car trips and helping to ease traffic.
“It will help,” he said. “The tough thing about building a network is the impact of each little piece is often small, but without each little piece the overall [bike] network isn’t enticing.”
Earlier this year, the county called for 75 miles of bike infrastructure to be added to Arlington over the next 20 years, however only 2.5 miles of that is currently slated to become protected bike lanes.
“I think the new bike plan is very clear that our goal for every part of our bike network is that it be low stress and for all ages and abilities,” Slatt said, “and that the new bike plan is very clear that we look for an opportunity to make that happen with every new development.”
(Updated at 10:15 p.m.) If you are someone whose home or business was damaged in the July 8 flooding, Arlington has launched a temporary Local Recovery Center (LRC) to help get your life back together.
The center helps connect residents with a variety of resources — like senior services or a table detailing what to do if you find mold in your home — but the main feature of the LRC is the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which is offering flexible, low-interest loans for those impacted by the floods.
The LRC is located on the second floor of the Arlington County Trades Center (2700 S. Taylor Street). The Center is scheduled to operate for the next week:
Today-Thursday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Monday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (SBA loan center only)
A similar center will operate in the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike) in Fairfax County.
Locals who experienced flood damage in Arlington, Alexandria or Fairfax County may be eligible for SBA loans.
“Our qualifications are not as stringent [as a bank loan],” said Julie Garrett, a public affairs specialist for the SBA. “You must demonstrate that you can pay back the loan, but it’s very flexible.”
There are three categories of loans available:
Business Physical Disaster Loans — These loans are for businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, like merchandise and machinery, though the loans are also available for non-profit organizations. Businesses of any size can apply.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans — These loans are aimed at helping small businesses or agricultural cooperatives make up for lost revenue from days that they were closed. Garrett said these can be especially important for mom-and-pop businesses that operate on monthly or quarterly cycles that may have difficulty paying their bills.
Home Disaster Loans — These loans are for homeowners or renters to repair or replace flood-damaged homes or property, which can range from clothing to cars.
All applicants are required to have a credit history and must be able to show that they can repay all their loans. Garrett said there is no collateral required for loans under $25,000. If the loan is approved, Garrett said the applicants have 60 days to decide whether they want to accept it.
Many of those whose homes or businesses were impacted by flooding have already started work on repairing their property, and Garrett said loans can also be applied to damages paid for out-of-pocket. Those who have already paid to fix their damages are required to have receipts of their purchases and photos of the damage.
“We loan based on the amount of damage,” Garrett said. “Most insurance offers a depreciated value [for property], but we look at replacement value.”
The loans may also cover damages to fences, decks, garages, tree removal and property considered in the “immediate vicinity” of a house.
Aaron Miller, director of emergency management for Arlington County, said the County has received just over 1,000 reports of damages from people and businesses across Arlington. Garrett said only 26 individuals had applied for home disaster loans so far, but more are expected as people learn of and visit the LRC.
Applicants requesting a loan for physical damage are required to file by Oct. 7, while filings for economic injury have a deadline of May 7, 2020.
Meanwhile, Miller said the County is working through financing its own flood recovery — a process that could take months.
“We are continuing to go through assessments for public assistance,” Miller said. “That’s everything from emergency repairs to the longer recovery process.”
Rendering of new development at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn (Image via Arlington County)
Rendering of new development at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn (Image via Arlington County)
Rendering of new development at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn (Image via Arlington County)
1820 N. Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn (Image via Google Maps)
1820 N. Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn (Image via Google Maps)
The Arlington Temple United Methodist Church, on top of a Sunoco gas station, in Rosslyn (Photo via Snell Properties)
(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) A developer is proposing to demolish the Ames Center office building in Rosslyn, at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive, and replace it with almost 800 housing units and retail space.
Building owner Snell Properties has long planned to replace the aging office building, which formerly housed the Art Institute of Washington, with the two residential towers. Newly-submitted plans indicate Snell plans to build a 31-story tower with 424 units on the south side of the property and a 30-story tower with 364 units in the north side.
Plans indicate that the south tower will have 411,338 square feet of residential space, and the north tower will feature 382,608 square feet of residential space. Together, the two will offer 8,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level.
Currently, more than half of the Ames Center is vacant, with the remaining leases to expire before construction begins, according to a letter filed by an attorney for the developer.
The Ames Center property, which includes a church built over a gas station — once dubbed “Our Lady of Exxon” — was one of the earliest developments of it kind in Arlington, credited with kickstarting the redevelopment of Rosslyn as a commercial center in the 1960s. It was designed by the noted Czech-American architect Vlastimil Koubek.
This extended 18th Street corridor would bisect the Ames Center property, and Snell is proposing to build a walkable plaza between the two towers to incorporate the path.
Snell and nearby property owner Monday Properties previously clashed over the plan for the 18th Street corridor, with Snell saying Monday’s original plan for the 1812 N. Moore could have moved the corridor northward and disrupted the Ames Center plan. Today, a lawyer representing Snell told ARLnow today (Tuesday) that the firm is happy with the corridor.
In the meantime, Snell’s plans also indicate several “interim” changes to the streetscape surrounding the site, including:
Removing one parking lane and one travel lane from N. Nash Street (between 19th Street to Wilson Blvd) and adding 6-foot-wide bike lanes with 3-foot medians on both sides the street. Additionally, the developer is asking to widen the sidewalks from 12 feet to 16 feet wide.
Removing one travel lane from Fort Myer Drive and replacing it with a 7-foot-wide parking lane, and a 5-foot bike lane.
Removing two travel lanes from N. Fort Myer Drive and replacing them with a parking lane and a bike lane.
Snell also plans to build a four-story parking garage on site, with around 650 spaces for cars — equivalent to 0.81 spaces per residential unit — along with 10 dedicated spaces for retail, and 4 additional spaces. The developer is also planning space for tenants to park 317 bicycles.
Storms Expected Today — “Strong to locally severe thunderstorms are in the forecast Tuesday afternoon and evening, and the potential exists for this to be a significant severe weather event.” [Capital Weather Gang]
ACPD: Expect Police at Fair — “As in years past, the [Arlington County Fair] will have dedicated police staffing and resources and fairgoers can expect to see a visible police presence… There are no known threats to Arlington County, however, the public is encouraged to remain aware of your surroundings at all times.” [Arlington County]
Local Volunteer Firefighting Legacy — “Tucked inside the Clarendon fire station on N. 10th St. is a special closed-off room. By long-standing arrangement with the county, it is dedicated to honoring the station’s decades of reliance on volunteer firefighters. Today’s professionally staffed Fire Station 4 deploys ‘no active volunteers, but retains a volunteer presence.'” [Falls Church News-Press]
Hotel Near HQ2 Sells For Big Bucks — “Host Hotels & Resorts sold the Residence Inn Arlington Pentagon City, a 299-room high-rise property at 550 Army Navy Drive, for $99.1M in a deal that closed July 1, according to Arlington County property records.” [Bisnow]
Deer Rescued from Fence — “Last week, Officer Solano and several neighbors were able to safely untangle this juvenile deer from a soccer net in a resident’s backyard. The deer immediately ran away, uninjured, back into the woods nearby.” [Twitter]
Man Brings Loaded Shotgun to Pentagon — “A Kentucky man taken into custody at the Pentagon last week had a shotgun, ammunition and a machete in his pickup truck, according to court documents… While speaking to the officers, [the man] made ‘incoherent statements about being in the area for ‘liberty business.”” [Fox 5]
(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) A man suffered life-threatening injuries after being stabbed near Columbia Pike over the weekend, according to police.
The incident happened just before 3 a.m. Sunday, on the 4600 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive.
Arlington County Police say they were dispatched for a report of a dispute between two acquaintances. Officers arrived on scene, found the victim — who was suffering from multiple stab wounds — and “immediately began performing life saving measures,” according to police.
The victim was rushed to a local hospital and is considered to be in critical but stable condition, according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
The suspect, 30-year-old Arlington resident Jeffrey Melendez, “was arrested and charged with malicious wounding,” according to a crime report. He is being held without bond.
“The exact nature of the dispute and what directly preceded the incident remains under investigation,” Savage told ARLnow.
Savage noted that ACPD officers are trained to provide emergency aid to trauma victims in situations where they are the first to arrive on scene.
“Officers receive training in TECC (Tactical Emergency Casualty Care) and are issued trauma kits which enables them to initiate stabilizing care and immediate first aid before the arrival of medical assistance,” she said.
Linny Giffin hung 800 painted leaves up in Rosslyn as part of a new art installation (Image courtesy of Birch/Rosslyn BID)
Linny Giffin hung 800 painted leaves up in Rosslyn as part of a new art installation (Image courtesy of Birch/Rosslyn BID)
Linny Giffin hung 800 painted leaves up in Rosslyn as part of a new art installation (Image courtesy of Birch/Rosslyn BID)
Linny Giffin hung 800 painted leaves up in Rosslyn as part of a new art installation (Image courtesy of Birch/Rosslyn BID)
Linny Giffin hung 800 painted leaves up in Rosslyn as part of a new art installation (Image courtesy of Birch/Rosslyn BID)
Linny Giffin says she ran out of space at her studio to paint all the leaves (Image courtesy of Linny Griffin)
A monarch butterfly lands on the leaves as the paint dries (Image courtesy of Linny Giffin)
Commuters today may have noticed a new addition to Rosslyn — namely, 800 colorful leaves hanging in the Central Place Plaza.
The leaves are part of an art project commissioned by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) for the development at 1800 N. Lynn Street. The project was designed by D.C.-based artist Linny Giffin, co-founder of The Lemon Collective in Petworth.
Giffin told ARLnow that the BID wanted a seasonal design — and something colorful.
“I wanted to work with something new and challenge myself and threw this idea out there,” she said. “This was the one that stuck.”
The leaves themselves are plastic to withstand the weather. Giffin says she hung them all at slightly different heights from the grid supporting the plaza’s glass pergola so viewers can spot different details depending on what angle they stand at.
“I have a studio but I don’t have a studio where I could paint 800 leaves to dry,” she said, adding that luckily her parents in Baltimore were able to chip in space. “I shipped everything to their house and we had to figure out a process to lay everything out in the driveway and use a spray gun.”
The project has been in the works since October, and took about a month to complete this summer.
Previously, Giffin also designed gumball chandeliers and curtains made out of ribbons for Rosslyn’s putt putt pop-up and a 50-foot “rainbow cloud” of string for pop-up store The Alcove . But the leaves presented a new artistic challenge.
“I’m used to doing large scale projects, but inside — not having to worry about wind and rain and storms,” she said.
“Linny’s work supports our efforts to develop connections between people and public spaces,” said Rosslyn BID President Mary-Claire Burick in a statement last week.
Burick said art installations like Giffin’s are part of the BID’s mission to deepen a sense of place and community within the neighborhood.
“It starts when we enhance the experience in our public spaces where thousands of people walk every day,” said Burick.
The installation will be on display in Rosslyn for the next two months, Giffin said.
Arlington Is Top Destination for Young Adults — Arlington County is one of “the 40 places where young people are moving… based on the number of 18 to 34 year-olds who moved there in 2017 as a share of the total county population.” [USA Today]
Local Team Notches ‘World Series’ Win — “With their bats coming alive, the Arlington Senior Babe Ruth All-Stars improved to 1-2 in pool play Aug. 10 to win for the first time in the 15-under Babe Ruth World Series in Bismarck, N.D.” [InsideNova]
Arlington Firm Fined — “A military contractor has agreed to pay $4 million to settle an overbilling case. The U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey announced the settlement with Mission1st Group on Friday. The Arlington, Virginia-based company specializes in systems engineering, information technology and telecommunications.” [Associated Press]
Why the Crashed ART Bus is Still There — Updated at 9:25 a.m. — “The vehicle at Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive can’t be moved until the building structure is stabilized. Once repairs are made to the structure, the bus & the other vehicle pushed into the building will be moved and County Police will finalize their investigation.” [Twitter]
