News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Dense Fog Advisory This Morning — “A Dense Fog Advisory has been issued for the DC/Baltimore metro areas, including portions of western MD & eastern WV. Use caution driving early this morning, and allow extra time to reach your destination. The fog should dissipate by around 9am.” [Twitter]

HQ2 May Look Like HQ1 — “Amazon.com Inc. has enlisted a trio of firms deeply involved with the development of its Seattle campus to help shape the plans for its second headquarters, an early indication the two campuses could share some common design elements.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Marks Older Americans Month — “As we enter the month of May, Arlington is joining the nationwide observance of Older Americans Month. We’ll be recognizing the positive impact older adults have in and around our community and highlighting the many programs and services we offer them.” [Arlington County]

Write-Up for Hot Lolas in Ballston Quarter — “Two new shops experiment with heat levels and global inspiration for new wave fried chicken sandwiches.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Beyer in the News — “Rep. Don Beyer was South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s first Congressional endorsement, and he said Wednesday that he ‘deeply’ believes there needs to be a woman on the Democratic ticket ‘either as president or vice president.'” Also, Beyer is calling for the resignation of Attorney General William Barr. [CBS News, Twitter]

Nearby: No Tax Rate Hike for Alexandria — “The Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted a $761.5 million budget Wednesday without raising taxes or cutting services, adding more money for schools, early childhood education, additional firefighters and a new $100,000 fund to provide lawyers for residents facing deportation. The property tax rate, for the second year in a row, will stay at $1.13 per $100 of assessed value.” [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Eric

Crime Report: Man Mugged in Buckingham Bathroom

By ARLnow.com

A man was robbed in a bathroom in the Buckingham neighborhood this past Sunday night.

Police say three men told the man he had left some belongings behind after leaving the bathroom of a local business, on N. Glebe Road just north of Route 50.

“When the victim reluctantly returned to the restroom, the suspects followed him, assaulted him and stole his personal belongings and an undisclosed amount of cash,” police said.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

ROBBERY, 2019-04280253, Unit block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 8:42 p.m. on April 28, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was inside a business and had exited the restroom when he was approached by three male suspects who engaged him in conversation. The suspects convinced the victim that he had dropped something when he was in the restroom. When the victim reluctantly returned to the restroom, the suspects followed him, assaulted him and stole his personal belongings and an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspects fled the business on foot prior to police arrival. Arriving officers canvased the area and a K9 track was initiated, and subsequently the victim’s belongings, with the exception of the cash, were located nearby. The victim suffered minor injuries. Suspect One is described as a black male, 18-25 years old, 5’11”-6’3″ tall, with a thin build, 150-180 lbs., with short, black hair, wearing a black shirt or hooded sweatshirt, and dark jeans. Suspect Two is described as a black male with short dreadlocks, 17-20 years old, 5’11”-6’0″ tall, with a thin build, approximately 150 lbs. and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt. Suspect Three is described as a black male, 17-20 years old, 5’11”-6’0″ tall, with a thin build, approximately 150 lbs. and wearing a red hooded sweatshirt.

The rest of the crime report is below.

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County to Increase Inspections After Sewage Saga Costs Madison Manor Residents Thousands

By Airey

Arlington County has pledged to inspect the Madison Manor neighborhood’s sewers more often after sewage flooded homes last month for the third time since 2001.

“Typically, our maintenance program calls for inspections of our sewer pipes every four years; however, we have more aggressive schedules of 1, 3 and 6 months for known problem areas,” said Jessica Baxter, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Services.

“Given the most recent blockage on April 7, 2019, Water Sewer Streets crews will now be monitoring, inspecting and cleaning this location on a six-month rotation,” Baxter added.

Sewage flooded five homes on N. Powhatan Street on April 7, which required crews to work through the night to address the underlying blockage, ARLnow previously reported.

“Three houses on the street were flooded with county sewage both in [2008] and in 2001,” wrote three Madison Manor residents in a letter to ARLnow this week. “On April 7, when the county sewage system failed us for a third time, five houses were affected.”

Tree roots blocking the sewer main caused the first two floods, Baxter said, with debris in the sewer main causing the most recent backup. The county lined the pipes in 2002 to protect from intruding tree roots, she said. It also added a second pipe segment downstream in 2008 to improve flow.

Each flood of raw sewage cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars, according to copies of bills and insurance claims reviewed by ARLnow.

One neighborhood resident, Anne Riley, said her home was flooded all three times, with the latest flood costing $18,000. She wrote in an email that she is submitting a claim to her homeowners insurance but will have to foot her policy’s $2,000 deductible.

“Three times in 20 years is ridiculous,” Riley said. “We don’t even know all we lost.”

Another neighbor, Dave Oaks, said he couldn’t supply receipts for the flood damages to his home in 2001 and 2008 because they were stored in boxes in the basement — which were destroyed in last month’s flood.

Oaks noted the damages from this year’s flood will “run into the tens of thousands” and shared the costs he’s incurred so far:

  • Remove the filth, damaged furniture and contents, salvage and store remaining contents, de-water, dry and disinfect, remove the bottom 3 feet of drywall, all flooring, doors, and baseboards, haul off all the debris (initial estimate ~$8,500)
  • Rebuild walls, doors, baseboards, flooring, re-set bathroom fixtures, paint (initial estimate ~$11,500)
  • Replace washer, dryer, water heater (estimate ~$2,800)
  • Replace contents (no idea since we haven’t finished our inventory)
  • $500 insurance deductible

Neighbor Karen Lewis cited similar costs for the April flood. She told ARLnow that she spent $9,900 so far to inspect the furnace and remove her basement’s contaminated drywall, carpeting, downstairs shower, and hot water heater.

“Our homeowners insurance company estimates the rebuilding costs will be at least $16,000, before even beginning to replace our destroyed or contaminated furnishings and possessions,” she said.

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Small Biz Focus: Arlington Celebrates Business Appreciation Month

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This article was written by Marian Marquez, Director for Global Markets & Retention at Arlington Economic Development.

Did you know Arlington is home to almost 10,000 business establishments, including thousands of small and independent businesses and four Fortune 1,000 companies?

Each year during the month of May, which is Business Appreciation Month, we try to find as many ways as possible to showcase our local businesses and highlight their contributions; after all, studies have shown (and our data supports) that existing businesses are responsible for roughly 80% of job growth in an economy.

So, it is only fitting that we should make an extra effort during this month to recognize those companies whose success and innovation have made the Arlington economy what it is today.

But this work of highlighting our local businesses is not confined to just one month per year. We carry out year-round business engagement activity at Arlington Economic Development (AED), otherwise known as our Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) program.

While BRE activity doesn’t often make headlines, it’s an important part of our economic development strategy, and we spend a lot of time and effort finding creative ways to engage local companies in ways that add value.

What constitutes “value add” is not the same from one company to the next. For companies seeking connections to potential customers, partners or decision makers we offer networking events such as the Arlington Premiere, executive lunches, industry roundtables or, simply, introductions.

For smaller companies, or those that may not have the bandwidth or in-house expertise, we offer a variety of marketing and promotional activities including ribbon cuttings, media promotion and award nominations. Similarly, AED’s business intelligence team performs ad-hoc research on everything from real estate options to demographics for companies looking to move or expand.

What remains constant is that our team is always focused on what might help our companies grow and succeed and we build our work plans based on what companies tell us they need. We are a small but nimble team with a solid track record of trailing recommendations into new programming by leveraging our creativity and our strategic partners.

We are always eager to hear new ideas, let us know yours!

UPDATED: Man Stabbed Outside Crystal City McDonald’s

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County Police responded to a stabbing outside the McDonald’s at 2620 Jefferson Davis Highway in Crystal City this morning.

The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. Police say a man was stabbed with a knife by another man in the restaurant’s parking lot, following a verbal dispute. The victim was treated by paramedics and rushed to the hospital with reported non-life-threatening injuries.

A suspect was arrested and later identified as 61-year-old Anthony Jones. He was charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Stab while in the Commission of a Felony and held without bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City BID Proposes Expansion — “The Crystal City Business Improvement District has submitted its proposal to Arlington County to officially expand its borders into Pentagon City and the county’s portion [of] Potomac Yard as Amazon.com Inc. prepares to establish its second headquarters in the area collectively branded as National Landing.” [Washington Business Journal]

County Planning More Housing Initiatives — “Even by its own estimation, the Arlington County government’s success rate in stemming the exodus of affordable housing in Arlington has been hit-or-miss, and the local government at times has been viewed as unimaginative and overly bureaucratic by those who want to see more aggressive efforts at building and retaining housing accessible to lower- and middle-income residents.” [InsideNova]

Twilight Tattoo Begins Tonight at Ft. Myer — “Our 2019 Twilight Tattoo season is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, and run through Wednesday, July 31, with exception to July 3 and July 10, 2019… Twilight Tattoo is an hour-long, live-action military pageant featuring Soldiers from The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and The U.S. Army Band ‘Pershing’s Own.'” [Military District of Washington]

Stressed Out Judges at Crystal City Immigration Court — “One of the most backlogged immigration courts in America is in Arlington… 7 on your side witnessed and heard of additional tense exchanges in court from multiple judges stressed with the ever-increasing caseload.” [WJLA]

Nearby: ‘Woodchuck’ Scam in Falls Church — “The City of Falls Church Police are investigating a “woodchuck” scam that has cost a victim thousands of dollars. Police caution City residents to be aware of predatory services, especially for tree removal, landscaping, roof and chimney work, and other home services.” [City of Falls Church]

ACPD’s 2018 Crime Report Reveals Falling Crime Rates, Except Drunkenness

By Airey

(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) Arlington County’s crime rates have continued to fall for seventh straight year, with a few exceptions, according to a new report from the police department.

The new data comes from ACPD’s annual crime report which the department released today (Tuesday). The 37-page document reports falling crime rates between 2017 and 2018 for many offenses, including burglary, kidnapping, assault, embezzlement, prostitution, and forcible sexual assault.

The county’s murder rate held steady, with four murders reported in both 2017 and 2018. However, the data also shows some increases in offenses for drunkenness, and bribery and extortion.

ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage noted that bribery and extortion charges can result from online or phone scams, and that both were “prevalent in 2018” which caused the department to lead several community awareness campaigns.

Chief M. Jay Farr noted that by May of last year the department was suffering from a staffing shortage with only 320 “functional” full time officers out of the 361 the county budgeted for.

“Our Department has a dedicated pledge of serving the community with duty, honor, and commitment,” Farr wrote in a statement in the report. “While we have experienced challenges this year, our sworn and civilian staff have risen to the task each day and embodied our pledge through their actions.”

Drunkenness

The biggest crime increase noted in the report was for offenses related to “drunkenness” charges: in 2017, 273 offenses were recorded related to drunkenness charges, compared to 622 last year.

Savage told ARLnow one reason the number is so high could be an issue with last year’s data.

“The number of drunkenness arrests appear to be underreported to the state in 2017 due to a data processing issue,” she said. “Our Records Management Unit is currently working with Virginia State Police to rectify the issue.”

Another reason could be ACPD’s crackdown on “nightlife safety.” In addition to increasing patrols around Clarendon bars last year, the department also partnered with restaurants to train staff in responding to emergency situations and report them to law enforcement:

In recognizing the importance of training to support effective standards, the police department’s Restaurant Liaison Unit has collaborated across county agencies to provide a thorough ARI training program for restaurant staff. These trainings include responsible alcohol service, fake identification detection, understanding their civil liability, public safety expectations, CPR, and Bar Bystander sexual assault intervention training.

The report noted that as part of ACPD’s “Restaurant Initiative” it trained 28 restaurants and 260 employees in the health and safety protocols.

Drugs

Arlington has seen the number of people seeking treatment for opioid addiction skyrocket in recent years. However, data shared in today’s report indicates that while the number of opioid-related incidents reported to 9-1-1 last year (153) remained close to 2017’s number (157), the number of overdoses decreased (53 in 2018 compared to 74 in 2017) and fatal overdoses also fell from 19 in 2017 to 11 in 2018.

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Arlington Native Lands Beyer Chief of Staff Job

By ARLnow.com

Arlington native Tanya Bradsher has been tapped as the new Chief of Staff for Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).

The move comes as longtime Chief of Staff Ann O’Hanlon leaves the top staff post in Beyer’s office.

Beyer issued the following statement about the change in leadership.

While I am saddened to lose my longtime Chief of Staff, Ann O’Hanlon, who is leaving to pursue new opportunities, I am thrilled to welcome Tanya Bradsher, who will start after Memorial Day.

First, a word about Ann: She let me know earlier this year that, after five years by my side as both chief of staff and campaign manager through three elections, she was ready to pass the baton. She has been indispensable to me in in winning elections to Congress and building the exemplary team that serves the citizens of northern Virginia. She is sending another child off to college this fall and, for her, this summer seemed to be the right time to take a break and start exploring the next chapter of her remarkable career that has had outsized achievements in journalism, women’s rights, and community leadership.

Tanya, who retired from the U.S. Army in 2013 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, was the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security from April 2014 to August 2015. Her Army career included service in multiple locations throughout the United States, as well as Iraq, Haiti, and the Republic of Korea. She is a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star for significant achievement and distinguished service.

Prior to joining the department, she held several positions at the White House, including as Assistant Director, Office of Public Engagement, where she was lead for Veteran, Wounded Warrior and Military Family Outreach. She also served as Assistant Secretary for National Security & Defense on the White House National Security Council and as spokesperson for the Department of Defense, Asia, Africa, Western Hemisphere, counter-terrorism, and detainee policies. From 2009 to 2011, Ms. Bradsher was a Defense Press Officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs at the Pentagon. Ms. Bradsher is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

She currently is the Chief of Communications for the American Psychiatric Association. She is a native of Arlington, Virginia, and lives in Lorton, Virginia with her husband and three children. She holds a B.A. in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MPS from George Washington University.

County Continues to Narrow Lanes on Columbia Pike Near Penrose

By Airey
1/4

The county is moving forward with long-held plans to narrow lanes and widen sidewalks on Columbia Pike near the Penrose neighborhood, but not everyone is on board.

County staff presented an updated version of the plan last week to the Penrose Neighborhood Association. It calls for narrowing the lefthand travel lanes on the Pike east of S. Wayne Street down to 10 feet, and narrowing the righthand lanes, next to the sidewalk, to 11 feet.

The project is slated for the section of the Pike between S. Garfield Street and S. Quinn Street, staff told ARLnow, and the total Columbia Pike right-of-way width is expected to remain 56 feet width.

It’s also part of a years-long plan to improve the Pike and add more room for pedestrians and bicyclists. However, attendees at the meeting said they fear tighter lanes could mean trickier turning and more accidents for cars.

“The goal of the project is to make Columbia Pike a safer, more accessible route for all users by creating a balance between pedestrian, bicycle, transit and vehicle spaces,” said county transportation spokesman Eric Balliet in an email Monday.

Even after the presentation by the county, some local residents remained skeptical.

“No satisfactory or convincing reason was offered by the county regarding the plan to reduce the lane size,” said one man. “It is quite concerning that a main hub such as Columbia Pike is expected to suffer significant lane reductions that will likely create traffic backups and accidents.”

“At the meeting we discussed many scenarios, like could a school bus pass a garbage truck, could a Giant delivery truck make the turn into Adams Street, could an 18 wheeler pass a bus on the left,” Penrose Association President Maria “Pete” Durgan said, adding that county staff agreed to look into the questions.

Bailliet said the plan is based on “urban street design guidelines from the National Association of City Transportation Officials,” which “recommend that lanes should not be greater than 11 feet as they may cause unintended speeding and assume valuable right of way at the expense of other modes.”

Bailliet says the new lane widths have also already been rolled out in other parts of the Pike, including on the sections between:

  • Four Mile Run and S. Wakefield Street
  • S. Oakland Street and S. Garfield Street
  • Washington Blvd and Columbia Pike interchange

The plan was listed in the the bike component of the county’s Master Transportation Plan, which the County Board updated last week. In it, the county said it intends to build “wide multi-use trails, or wide sidewalks, along at least one side of Columbia Pike in the areas east of S. Wayne Street and west of Four Mile Run” for bikes and pedestrians to share.

“It is tackling a tough question,” the Penrose Neighborhood Association’s website said of the revised lanes. “With only a limited amount of right-of-way, how should that space be allocated? Turn lanes? Street Trees? Wider sidewalks? Bike lanes?”

The reason to widen the sidewalks, Bailliet said, was in part to allow a more vibrant and business-friendly streetscape, but also partially to provide a way for cyclists to connect with the designated bike boulevards that run parallel the Pike.

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WeWork to Open New Rosslyn Co-Working Space in June

By Airey

(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) WeWork will soon open its newest Arlington co-working space, the company says.

“Our new Rosslyn location at 1201 Wilson is slated to open this June,” company spokeswoman Nicole Sizemore told ARLnow on Monday. The company is also now listing the new Rosslyn location on its website with an option to call for information about pre-opening rates.

“Amid federal agencies and corporate giants, WeWork’s shared office in Arlington is a powerful locale to put down roots,” reads a description on the company’s website. “Several floors in this modern building are converted workspace, featuring comfortable lounges, bright and airy conference rooms, and sleek private offices.”

The final lease includes 83,294 square feet of space across four floors near the top of the 31-story CEB Tower, according to a December press release. The Washington Business Journal reported that the coworking space will have more than 1,400 desks and will “target large, ‘enterprise-level’ corporations — government contractors, trade associations and the tech sector.”

WeWork’s move comes as several major companies and other coworking and meeting spaces are opening up shop in Rosslyn, including Cerner, Nestle and its subsidiary Gerber, Spaces, Convene and Eastern Foundry this past year.

WeWork said Monday that it had filed to go public on the stock exchange, which will test its $47 billion private valuation.

Photo via WeWork

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Brush Fire in Park Near Columbia Pike — “Firefighters were called to Alcova Park a little after noon today to put out this small fire. No word on cause, but it’s an early season reminder to fully extinguish smoking & BBQ’ing materials before safely discarding them in a metal container & leaving the area.” [Twitter]

‘Walk for the Animals’ Tickets on Sale — “On Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., AWLA invites you to Walk for the Animals and celebrate our 75th anniversary of improving the lives of animals in our community… $35 Early Bird registration until May 1 (includes Walk registration and t-shirt)” [Animal Welfare League of Arlington]

Traffic Enforcement in Clarendon — Arlington County Police conducted “high-visibility pedestrian enforcement at the intersection of N. Highland Street and Washington Boulevard as part of regional @COGStreetSmart campaign” yesterday afternoon. [Twitter, Twitter]

Arlington Resident Wins Lottery — “An Arlington man is $100,000 richer after playing a Cash 5 game he purchased at a store in the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood near Rosslyn recently.” [Patch]

Ebbin, Levine Endorse Parisa — State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) and Del. Mark Levine (D) have endorsed Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Democratic candidate for Commonwealth’s Attorney of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. They join several other elected officials, including former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former County Board member Walter Tejada, in endorsing the challenger in the Democratic primary. [Facebook, Blue Virginia]

Stamos’ Recent Endorsements — Earlier this month Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos announced endorsements from Arlington’s firefighter union and county treasurer Carla de la Pava in her bid for reelection, in addition to a litany of endorsements from other elected and former elected officials. [Facebook, Facebook]

Nearby: Aldi Coming to Bailey’s Crossroads — An Aldi grocery store will reportedly be replacing the former Babies R Us store at 5700 Columbia Pike, while a nearby Safeway store is said to be closing. [Annandale Blog]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

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