News

Fmr. School Board member expected to replace Katie Cristol on the County Board

By Jo DeVoe
Tannia Talento in 2019, when she was Vice Chair of the Arlington School Board (courtesy photo)

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Former Arlington School Board member Tannia Talento could be tapped to finish out the term Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol vacated early.

Cristol stepped down from her position on the Board on July 4 to lead the Tysons Community Alliance, a booster organization for the area. State law requires the Board to fill her vacancy within 30 days of her departure, per a county staff report.

On Saturday, the Board is slated to nominate Talento for the position. If appointed this weekend, Talento will be sworn into during the Board’s next meeting, on Tuesday, July 18. She would serve until Dec. 31 of this year, leaving at the same time as Board Chair Christian Dorsey.

The November general election, which includes two Democrats, a Republican and an independent, will determine their replacements.

Talento has lived in Arlington with her family for nearly two decades. She served one term on the School Board from 2017-2020. If appointed, she would also continue in her current role as the regional director in the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, where she manages his Vienna office and leads outreach work.

“Ms. Talento is an Arlington resident, born and raised in the DMV, that has worked as a community leader and public servant,” a county report said.

Before joining the School Board, Talento worked in corporate law for 15 years as a legal secretary and assistant.

“She used these skills to support the Arlington Public Schools, students, and young professionals through committees, commissions, and related organizations,” the report said, listing the half-dozen school committees she worked on during that time.

Talento co-founded Arlington Schools Hispanic Parents Association, which became a vehicle for increasing Covid vaccination rates among Latinos. It also informed her advocacy for a more cautious school reopening plan during the pandemic and county oversight of AHC Inc. after deteriorating conditions at its affordable housing property, the Serrano Apartments, came to light.

In 2021 and early 2022, she joined the boards for various local organizations, including Arlington Free Clinic, Aspire! Afterschool Learning, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington and the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.

She also filled her time participating in the Arlington County Civic Federation Task Force in Governance and Election Reform, which studied whether to adopt ranked-choice voting and other changes to the size and structure of the County Board and School Board.

Arlington to chip in about $15,000 for a helicopter noise complaint system

By Jo DeVoe
An Army helicopter flies over Boundary Channel near the Pentagon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington County and neighboring jurisdictions are taking over ownership of a complaint system for reporting noisy choppers.

That means residents can continue to report loud aircraft noise to the U.S. government as it works to lessen noise by raising helicopter altitudes and altering flight paths.

These changes, announced in April, respond to years of resident complaints to Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) Two years ago, he called on the federal government to study noise levels in the D.C. area and come up with recommendations.

One of these was the PlaneNoise, Inc. platform — consisting of an automated phone line, website and smartphone application — that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set up last year to track issues.

The system collected data that informed plans from the FAA and the Helicopter Association International to fly helicopters on new, higher paths. When this plan was announced, local officials announced the pilot complaint system would become a permanent feature and municipal coffers would pay for it.

This weekend, the Arlington County Board is slated to approve a Memorandum of Understanding among Fairfax County and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church about sharing the costs of the platform.

Through the agreement, Arlington would pay $15,052 to Fairfax County, matching what Fairfax and Alexandria are paying. Falls Church is contributing $1,500. This will maintain the system through April 30, 2024.

During an April press conference, Arlington County Board Vice-Chair Libby Garvey said the county is “very pleased” the helicopter noise complaint platform would become a permanent feature.

“We are especially pleased that our residents could participate meaningfully in this process, and now will continue to,” she said. “In a democracy, it is crucial that people have a voice in how their government affects them.”

VDOT seeking public feedback for possible Glebe Road improvements

By ARLnow.com
Glebe Road study area (via VDOT)

Changes might eventually be coming to the busy stretch of Glebe Road between Columbia Pike and I-66 in Ballston.

The Virginia Dept. of Transportation today kicked off the public engagement process for a study of the state-maintained stretch of arterial roadway.

The study, which will take about a year and a half, is part of a VDOT program to “develop comprehensive, innovative transportation solutions to relieve congestion bottlenecks and solve critical traffic and safety challenges throughout the commonwealth.”

A new public survey for the study is open through Thursday, July 27. It notes that Glebe Road is a “major north-south travel corridor for Arlington County, and the segments in the study area are in the County’s High Injury Network.”

Crash with overturned vehicle and multiple injuries on N. Glebe Road in April 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Earlier this year ARLnow reported that an intersection in the study area, S. Glebe Road and 9th Street S., was on tap to get some safety upgrades — potentially to include a traffic signal — in response to community concerns, particularly among cyclists.

VDOT said on its survey page that the study will only result in proposals and will not automatically lead to construction.

“This STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study… will consider and develop potential safety and operational improvements for all users in the study area and develop cost estimates for the preferred alternatives,” the department said.

“The study will not set construction dates for any of the alternatives,” continued VDOT. “The purpose of this study is to develop proposed improvements that localities can pursue for funding, and to consider including in their comprehensive plans.”

The portion of Glebe Road being studied has been the scene of numerous crashes in recent memory, including a crash in the Ballston area that injured multiple people in April 2022.

More, below, from a VDOT press release.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking feedback on a STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study assessing potential safety, multimodal and operational improvements for over two miles of Glebe Road (Route 120) between Columbia Pike (Route 244) and I-66. Glebe Road averages about 29,000 vehicles a day within the study limits.

VDOT invites residents and travelers to take an online survey regarding corridor priorities. This feedback will be used to help develop improvement alternatives that will be evaluated and presented during another opportunity for public comment scheduled this fall.

The survey, which has a translation tool for Spanish and many other languages, is available at virginiadot.org/GlebeSTARS through July 27. Comments can also be sent to [email protected] or to Mr. Bobby Mangalath, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.

The study is expected to be completed this winter. It does not set construction dates for any improvements but develops proposed improvements that localities can pursue for funding.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT Civil Rights at 703-259-1775.

Baseball field in Halls Hill set to be named for coach and community member

By Hallie LeTendre
1/3

A baseball field in the Halls Hill neighborhood may soon pay tribute to Alfred Forman Sr., a native Arlingtonian and respected coach.

The Arlington County Board is set to approve the new name, “Alfred Forman Sr. Field,” during its meeting on Saturday. The field is located in the historically Black neighborhood of Halls Hill, also known as High View Park, between N. Dinwiddie Street and N. Cameron Street.

It would be a fitting tribute to the man whose name already graces a longstanding tradition that takes place in the park: a football game called the Alfred J. Forman Sr. Turkey Bowl.

Forman grew up in the neighborhood and attended Washington-Liberty High School, then Washington-Lee, a county proclamation said. He served Arlington for 25 years, organizing youth and adult sports teams at the Langston-Brown Community Center and sitting on the county’s sports commission.

The Arlingtonian coached youth basketball, winning over 10 county championships, the proclamation said. He also volunteered at annual community events, including dressing up as Santa Claus for the Breakfast with Santa celebration.

He died of brain cancer in 2014. His family still lives in Halls Hill today.

The High View Park/Hall’s Hill Historic Preservation Coalition, a group of residents dedicated to highlighting the local history of the neighborhood, initially asked DPR about naming the baseball field for Forman, a county report said.

“They indicated their disinterest in considering other potential options for names,” it said. “Furthermore, if the park could not be named for Alfred Forman Sr., then the Coalition would not seek to name the currently unnamed field and would withdraw the request.”

The Park and Recreation Commission backed this request. Board approval is necessary to name or rename any park facility in the county, the report said.

Members of the neighborhood coalition worked with county staff to apply for a Historic Preservation Fund Grant to pay for a banner and sign naming Forman and explaining his significance to the neighborhood. Both will be installed if the field’s proposed name is approved this weekend.

The currently unnamed baseball field was built after the community said the area needed additional amenities in the 1965 Neighborhood Conservation Program (now known as the Arlington Neighborhoods Program) per the county report.

Today, the three-acre park has picnic areas, charcoal grills, a playground and two basketball courts with lights, bleachers and an amphitheater, in addition to the baseball field. It is surrounded by single-family and small-scale multi-family homes.

Days Inn developer tees up planned apartments for County Board approval

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

A midcentury modern-inspired apartment project, heralded as the “gateway to Lyon Park,” is headed to the Arlington County Board for approval.

The 8-story, 251-unit building, with nearly 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail, would replace the Days Inn motel along Arlington Blvd, once a 1950s-era roadside motel named the “Arva,” a portmanteau for “Arlington, Virginia.”

When complete, the motel’s historic sign and lobby will be recreated. There will be protected bike lanes on both sides of N. Pershing Drive and N. Wainwright Road — a vestigial frontage road for the motel — will become a 12-foot multi-use trail with a bike “fix-it” station.

Applicant and owner Nayan Patel, doing business as Arlington Boulevard LLC, is making monetary and in-kind contributions to an on-site public space project that the Dept. of Parks and Recreation will design.

There will also be seven committed affordable units on site: 1-2 bedroom units with either a loft or den attached, as well as two three-bedroom units. The developer intends to plant 25 new, healthy trees to replace the 28 unhealthy ones that will be removed.

Although the project — dubbed the Arva Apartments — could clear the finish line this weekend, some Arlington Planning Commissioners had quibbles with the project or dug into criticisms levied by the public speakers related to tree planting and other community benefits.

The tree plantings, for instance, are “clearly an improvement, but the bar is so low to begin with,” Planning Commissioner Leonardo Sarli. “We still have to aspire to something.”

Lyon Park resident Anne Bodine, who has spoken in other meetings as a member of the slow-growth group Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future, says she was underwhelmed by the on-site affordable housing provision and tree planting plans.

She asked the Planning Commission to reconsider how it weighs community benefits.

“If we see these at-cost, we can better assess these trade-offs,” she said.

She said she felt the county effectively told residents it was too early to advocate for benefits during a special study of the site — completed in advance of redevelopment proposals and adopted in 2021 — but it was too late once the public review process began for this project.

Planning Commissioner Jim Lantelme had a different view.

“I do want to commend the staff and developers for how closely they did work with Lyon Park, which did participate at every phase in every meeting and they were very vocal,” he said. “They were very much involved. Their input was heard and responded to, so I think this project did evolve in response to that community process.”

Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission Chair Joan McIntyre said this project relies too heavily on fossil fuels for its HVAC and water systems, though she was heartened to see these systems could be converted to electric in the future.

A project architect said that the method selected, counterintuitively, would emit less carbon than a fully electric system, based on an analysis of “where the electricity is coming from.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Blue skies to the north reflected in the glass at 4200 Wilson Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Home Prices Still Rising — “Average sales prices in all three segments of the Arlington real-estate market nudged up in June from a year before, and sales were almost on par with what had been a cooling June-of-2022 market. The overall average sales price of $827,143 didn’t reflect it – because fewer single-family homes were in the overall mix in June.” [Gazette Leader]

Pedestrian Change Near Pentagon City — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Tomorrow though mid-October: Columbia Pike east end pedestrian-bike path shifts to west side of S Joyce, from Army Navy Drive to the Pike. Part of Cemetery expansion work. Look for signs.” [Twitter]

Local GOP Touts Candidate Slate — “Proud of our GOP candidates in Arlington. Every Arlington voter will be able to vote for Republicans on your ballot. Juan Carlos Fierro, County Board… David Henshaw, State Senate (District 40)… Sophia Moshasha, State Senate (District 39).” [Twitter, Arlington GOP]

It’s Thursday — Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 95. South wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. [Weather.gov]

NEW: Arlington police announce additional arrests in anti-fentanyl push

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A week after announcing an arrest for a 2022 fatal overdose, Arlington County police have charged two more people in another deadly opioid overdose.

A 19-year-old Arlington man and 19-year-old Fairfax woman are facing manslaughter and other charges in connection to a March 2023 overdose in the Courthouse area. A man died after being found unresponsive in a stairwell; police say he was sold drugs containing fentanyl by the suspect, Shan Mehmood.

A LinkedIn page suggests that Mehmood was a 2021 Washington-Liberty High School graduate. He now faces manslaughter, drug, and gun charges, while the female suspect faces a charge of Accessory After the Fact to Manslaughter.

ACPD said in a press release, below, that it “remains committed to thoroughly investigating narcotics incidents and holding accountable those who traffic dangerous and deadly narcotics into our community.”

The Arlington County Police Department’s Organized Crime Section is announcing two arrests following an investigation into a fentanyl overdose death. Shan Mehmood, 19, of Arlington, VA is charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, Distribution of Fentanyl, Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and Possession of a Firearm while Possessing Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute. He is currently being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility. Eliana Ayelen Mendoza, 19, of Fairfax, VA is charged with Accessory After the Fact to Manslaughter and was released from custody after posting bond.

At approximately 6:45 p.m. on March 7, 2023, police were dispatched to the 1200 block of N. Scott Street for the report of a medical emergency. Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive adult male in the stairwell of a residential building suffering from an apparent fentanyl overdose. He was transported to an area hospital and, despite lifesaving measures, passed away on March 8, 2023. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined cause of death to be acute fentanyl intoxication.

During the course of the comprehensive investigation, detectives assigned to the Organized Crime Section identified Shan Mehmood as the individual suspected of supplying the deceased with controlled substances. At the time of his arrest, narcotics and a firearm were recovered.

The Arlington County Police Department remains committed to thoroughly investigating narcotics incidents and holding accountable those who traffic dangerous and deadly narcotics into our community. This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are numerous resources available through the Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative. For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.

This year, Arlington County and Arlington Public Schools have been undertaking a number of measures to combat the opioid crisis after a spate of local overdose deaths.

Owners of razed Broyhill estate seek new owner-developer for site, touting up to 36 Missing Middle units

By Jo DeVoe
1/10

In a new twist, the now-razed Broyhill estate in the Donaldson Run neighborhood is again on the market, billed as a development opportunity for anywhere between six and 36 homes.

Less than a year after its last sale, for $2.55 million, the estate near the Washington Golf and Country Club is once more on the market — this time as a 1.43-acre vacant lot, coming in at a cool $10 million asking price.

The agent, Leesburg-based Serafin Real Estate, says in a listing it “is pleased to present what is perhaps the single largest land offering to come available in Northern Virginia’s most desirable North Arlington (22207) within the last two decades.”

A brochure notes this property is ready for “streamline development” with up to six single-family residences — the way of the Febrey-Lothrop estate — or up to 36 Expanded Housing Option housing units, across two parcels, 11,145 square feet and 51,062 square feet in size.

Neither the agent nor the owners responded to a request for comment.

A video tour of the property at 2561 N. Vermont Street shows that construction fencing remains, as do some remnants of the former 10-bedroom home: brick steps, a wrought iron gate, and a small building corner.

It’s a far cry from the home husband-and-wife duo Mustaq Hamza and Amanda Maldonado told ARLnow they would build after buying the property earlier this year.

Shortly into demolition, they were fending off at least one vigilante preservationist who nicked pieces of the home on his way out. They also had had sharp words for neighbors they said alleged the duo would take advantage of the freshly-passed Missing Middle zoning code updates.

“They don’t believe two minorities can buy a lot for $2.5 million and build another single family house,” Maldonado said at the time. “They believe we’re going to flip it and build a bunch of condos.”

Donaldson Run Civic Association President Bill Richardson says a lingering concern for neighbors is how much of the property will be covered with an impervious surface, with elements such as a house or a driveway.

“Members are very concerned about that, generally, and as it relates to this property,” he said. “It applies whether it’s [developed with] single-family or Missing Middle… Nobody really knows. it’s being marketed for either purpose.”

(more…)

Drivers may be required to stop for longer while pedestrians cross the road

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

In a bid to increase pedestrian safety, Arlington County may require drivers stay stopped for longer at crosswalks.

The Arlington County Board is set to consider on Saturday changing its code so that drivers will have to stop when a pedestrian enters an adjacent travel lane and heads their way. Currently, drivers need only yield right of way when a pedestrian enters their lane.

The change follows on a revision to state law that went into effect on July 1. The local change is another way Arlington aims to eliminate serious and fatal crashes — particularly for pedestrians, who made up one-third of serious or fatal crashes between 2018 and 2022.

“Pedestrians are one of our most vulnerable road users because their bodies are not surrounded with a metal frame and airbags,” a county report said. “It is critical for 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.”

In Arlington, the change would apply to local and state roads, says Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien. This includes major arterials that see the county’s highest concentration of serious crashes, such as Arlington, Langston and Washington boulevards and Glebe Road.

The county says the intent of its ordinance change is to reflect wording changes in state law.

This March, the state put a finer point on what drivers are required to do when they see a pedestrian looking to cross.

Before, drivers were required to “yield right-of-way to pedestrians by stopping” when pedestrians are crossing in front of the drivers.

Now, state code says drivers “shall stop” when a pedestrian is within the driver’s lane or within an adjacent lane and approaching the driver’s lane. Drivers are required to stay stopped until the pedestrian has passed their lane.

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

Staff intends to inform the public of the new law via a press release, emails, and social media posts on NextDoor, Twitter and Facebook, per the report.

O’Brien says new signage will be also added.

“We are working on plans to make signage and marking changes to be in compliance with the new code,” she said.

The law also lets localities require pedestrians and cyclists to stop before crossing a highway at crosswalks without signals or face a fine of up to $100.

Astro Beer Hall and its donut robot hoping to start serving next month in Shirlington

By Matt Blitz
1/2

Astro Beer Hall is aiming to finally debut its donut robot next month.

The long-planned, two-level bar and coffee shop in Shirlington is hoping to open sometime in August, a spokesperson tells ARLnow. While no specific date is set as of yet, the 14,000 square-foot, space-themed Astro Beer Hall expects to open its doors in a matter of weeks.

Part of that space will be taken up by a take-out shop featuring a robot making “fresh fried to-order donuts right in front of our customers,” as co-owner Peter Bayne told ARLnow earlier this year.

The initial hope was to start serving in May, as a banner wrapped around the building noted in the spring before it was removed.

The spokesperson said construction and permitting delays — a common refrain for Arlington restaurants — pushed the debut back a few months.

Back in December 2021, it was announced that Astro Beer Hall was moving into the former home of Capitol City Brewing Co. The large space at the corner of Campbell Avenue and S. Quincy Street had been vacant since 2018.

Astro Beer Hall is part of the restaurant group Tin Shop DC, which also owns a number of local bars and restaurants including Highline RxR in Crystal City, and Quincy Hall in Ballston.

Along with a donut robot, the establishment will feature a large rectangular bar with a moveable glass wall opening to a sidewalk patio, two pool tables, and a section filled with arcade games. The artwork, murals, and color scheme are expected to match the venue’s space theme.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Vending machines in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Local Groups Weigh in on Deer — “The Animal Welfare League of Arlington has come out swinging against a county-government proposal to kill deer in the county… The animal-welfare group is urging its members to inundate county leaders with comments promoting alternatives to deer kills…A local advocacy organization, the Arlington Tree Action Group, also is weighing in on the topic. The organization didn’t directly support culling efforts in a recent e-mail to supporters, but said something needs to be done.” [Gazette Leader]

ACFD: Don’t Drive into High Water — From the Arlington County Fire Department: “TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN! On July 7th our Water Rescue Team responded for multiple vehicles stuck in high water. Many underestimate the force and power of water, but incidents like this can be avoided! Don’t risk it!” [Twitter]

County Jail Getting New Tech — “Where staff once had to manually track inmate activities and movements on paper, ACDF deputies and supervisors will now be deploying SPARTAN 3, the ultra-rugged Android from GUARDIAN RFID running Mobile Command software. The ACDF is also deploying hardened RFID tags strategically located throughout the facility to automate a wide range of data collection and reporting, including security checks and cell checks, headcounts, meal and recreation offerings, and a wide range of other inmate activity logging at the point of responsibility.” [Arlington County Sheriff’s Office]

Local Lawmakers Voted for Porn Bill — “Angered that easy access to one of the world’s biggest pornography aggregators has been taken away from Virginians? The local legislative delegation shares some of the responsibility. It turns out all of Arlington’s state legislators – three senators and four delegates – earlier this year voted in support of a measure that requires many pornography-based Websites to verify that those viewing from Virginia are of legal age.” [Gazette Leader]

Free ‘Paint and Sip’ in Pentagon City — “On Thursday, July 13 at 5 p.m., art enthusiasts of all levels are invited to join in an evening of fun, creativity and self-expression at matchbox, the center’s renowned bistro. Experienced instructors from local studio Sip & Paint DC will guide participants through the process of creating their own D.C.-themed masterpiece.” [Event Calendar]

Outdoor Drag Show Tomorrow — “Rosslyn LIVE is back this summer with our first show featuring Shi-Queeta Lee and her all-star cast of celebrity female impersonators! Join us at Gateway Park for a 90-minute revue of the world’s top pop culture legends, and enter the magical world of illusion as your favorite divas dazzle right before your eyes.” [Rosslyn BID]

Air Quality Alert for Today — “COG forecasts Code Orange air quality for sensitive groups for the D.C. region tomorrow due to ground-level ozone pollution (not Canada wildfire smoke).” [Twitter, NWS]

It’s Wednesday — Sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind becoming west around 6 mph in the morning. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 7 mph. [Weather.gov]

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