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Higher Costs Halt Approvals of Neighborhood Improvements

Published April 18, 2017 at 3:30PM

No new projects to improve pedestrian safety — such as sidewalk fixes or streetlight installations — will be approved until at least December after a vote last week by a citizen committee.

The Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee voted April 13 to suspend its spring funding round due to “anticipated increases in construction costs for projects that have already been approved by the County Board,” neighborhood conservation program coordinator Tim McIntosh said in an email.

NCAC represents 48 of the county’s 57 civic associations and leads the development of neighborhood plans. It also recommends neighborhood-initiated improvements for county funding, like sidewalks, street beautification, pedestrian safety projects, street lights and parks.

The NCAC’s decision does not affect existing projects already approved by the County Board. McIntosh said design work and construction on several plans will continue this year, but that the committee “wanted to reserve a portion of its 2016 bond to cover any cost overruns which may occur later this year for projects going out for competitive bid.”

“The focus will be on continuing design work for approved projects and making sure sufficient funding is on hand to complete them prior to approving new ones,” McIntosh said.

In an email, an anonymous tipster was critical of the NCAC approvals process and said more must be done to help improve pedestrian safety.

“Clearly, the NCAC system isn’t working as a method to help improve pedestrian safety,” the tipster wrote. “These projects are getting conflated with beautification projects and are now shut down due to poor project controls. The queue of vital pedestrian safety projects, many in the NCAC process for years already (projects that have neighborhood endorsement) is growing rapidly as Arlington traffic increases and there is now no way to address these problems.”

McIntosh said no decision has been made about the fall round of funding, set to be voted on in December.

“[Neighborhood Conservation] staff and the NCAC will evaluate whether or not to have the December funding round later this year,” he said.

A Look at the Building Replacing CarPool

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 18, 2017 at 2:30PM | Updated April 19, 2017 at 10:44AM

(Updated at 10:45 a.m. on 4/19/17) CarPool only has been closed for two weeks, but we’re now getting a closer look at the building that will replace the long-time Ballston establishment.

Developer Jefferson Apartment Group has released new renderings and information about the structure that will occupy 4000 Fairfax Drive.

The 22-story luxury high rise will have up to 330 residential units and 264 underground parking spaces, along with a rooftop swimming pool and sundeck. The ground level will house 8,260 square feet of retail. Plans for the surrounding outdoor area include a landscaped plaza with seating.

Penzance originally had been the developer for this project when the County Board approved it in 2015, but it sold the site to Jefferson Apartment Group, who has partnered with Mitsui Fudosan America.

The property will be built and maintained to LEED Gold standards. The developers expect to break ground late this year.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 18, 2017 at 9:15AM

Video of Weekend ATV Riders — For the second consecutive weekend, dirt bike and ATV riders took to county roads. This time, there’s clear video of the riders taking up all lanes of traffic on Route 50 and performing stunts. [WJLA]

Operation Firesafe in Full Swing — Arlington firefighters are hitting the streets for Operation Firesafe, which is the annual free door-to-door smoke alarm and fire safety canvassing program. Firefighters travel throughout the county on Saturdays from April through October to check residents’ fire safety and to install smoke detectors. Arlington residents can request a free smoke detector online. [Arlington County Fire Department]

Teen Leadership Program Applicants Wanted — The Leadership Center for Excellence is looking for motivated rising high school juniors and seniors for its summer Leadership Arlington Youth Program. [InsideNova]

County Hails Transitway Impact One Year After Launch

By Chris Teale

Published April 17, 2017 at 4:30PM

One year after it began service through Arlington, the Transitway appears to have picked up steam, and thousands of riders each day.

Metroway operates between the Braddock Road and Pentagon City Metro stations via U.S. Route 1 through Potomac Yard and Crystal Drive in Crystal City. It opened last April after collaboration with the City of Alexandria but ran into construction delays and cost challenges.

According to statistics provided by the county’s department of environmental services, there have been an average of 3,805 boardings and disembarkings at all stations in Arlington every weekday.

County staff said there have been an average of 474 weekday boardings and disembarkings at the S. Glebe Road station, just north of Arlington’s border with Alexandria. The station has the most riders in Arlington by that metric.

County staff estimate that riders starting their journeys at S. Glebe Road saved two-and-a-half minutes on their journeys with the dedicated bus lanes, compared to when they rode the Metrobus’ 9S service, which was replaced.

The Transitway also played a role in providing alternate transportation routes for Arlingtonians during Metro’s SafeTrack surges that affected Metrorail’s Blue and Yellow lines.

Phoenix Bikes to Celebrate 10th Anniversary with Ball, New Location

By Chris Teale

Published April 17, 2017 at 3:30PM

It promises to be a busy few months for local nonprofit Phoenix Bikes as it celebrates 10 years since its founding.

The organization — which lists its mission as promoting bicycling, building community and educating young people — marks its 10-year anniversary today.

It will celebrate on Thursday night from 6:30 p.m. with its Makers’ Ball at 1750 Crystal Drive. The evening will include music, food, drink, an auction of art and other hand-made craft, a bicycle showcase and more.

Later this year, Phoenix Bikes will take center stage once again as it hosts this year’s Youth Bike Summit on October 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

The summit is geared toward youth, bikes, education, advocacy and leadership, and it features a number of workshops and seminars as well as keynote speakers and networking.

“By creating a space where voices of all bicyclists can be heard, the Youth Bike Summit fosters an inclusive national dialogue that addresses the issues, rights, and concerns of all bicyclists,” Phoenix Bikes posted on its website.

Phoenix Bikes currently is located in Barcroft Park, where it provides its community bike shop to help recycle, mend and repurpose used bicycles. But before the end of the year, the organization will relocate to the ground floor of the Arlington Mill Community Center. Such a move has supporters very excited.

“It is an exciting step for Phoenix Bikes, the youth they serve and our Arlington community,” County Board member Libby Garvey, also a Phoenix Bikes board member, wrote in an email to supporters.

Photos via Facebook

Call for Families to Foster, Adopt Children

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 17, 2017 at 11:30AM

Arlington County needs families to foster and adopt children, and it’s holding an information session tomorrow for those who might be interested in opening up their homes.

The children in need of foster care come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and can no longer live in their homes because of abuse, neglect or severe family issues. Fostering is a temporary arrangement, but in some cases it can lead to adoption.

Families willing to take in teenagers, sibling groups and children with special needs are in particularly high demand.

The county has the following qualifications for becoming a foster parent:

Able to accept a child who needs a lot of patience, understanding and love
Over the age of 21
Married or single
With or without biological children
Employed inside or outside the home
Living in a house or apartment in Arlington County or the surrounding Virginia area

Staff with Child and Family Services will hold an information session from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The location will be sent to those who RSVP to [email protected].

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 17, 2017 at 9:30AM | Updated April 17, 2017 at 9:51AM

Candidates Largely Favor Land Swap — During a debate, Democratic County Board candidates generally indicated they want the county to move forward with a land swap agreement with Virginia Hospital Center. VHC has offered the county various pieces of land in exchange for a 5-acre parcel of county-owned land on N. Edison Street, just north of the VHC property. [InsideNova]

Impact of Pike Streetcar Cancellation — There’s speculation that the county’s 2014 cancellation of the Columbia Pike streetcar plan may have contributed to stalling revitalization efforts in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County. [Washington Post]

New Assistant County Manager — Arlington County has named Samia Byrd as a new assistant county manager. Byrd has more than 20 years of planning experience and will serve as a senior adviser to County Manager Mark Schwartz. [Arlington County]

Historic District Proposal — Next month the County Board will consider a proposal to designate “The Hermitage,” a home at 4025 N. Randolph Street, as a local historic district. [InsideNova]

DEVELOPING: Virginia State Police Seeking Missing Senior

By Chris Teale

Published April 15, 2017 at 10:30AM | Updated April 15, 2017 at 8:51PM

Update 8:50 p.m. – Olga Price was found safely in Washington, D.C. earlier this afternoon, after being declared missing on Saturday morning.

Earlier: The Virginia State Police issued a senior alert earlier this morning on behalf of Arlington police, who are looking for a missing woman.

Olga Ann Price, 84, was last seen on April 14 at 8:30 p.m. at 1910 N. Randolph Street. She is 5-foot-4 and weighs approximately 180 pounds.

Police believe she is wearing a gold wedding ring, a gold necklace and a red Washington Nationals baseball cap.

Anyone with information is asked to call Arlington police at 703-558-2222.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 14, 2017 at 9:30AM

County Board Candidate Forum Recap — The four Democrats hoping to win Jay Fisette’s seat on the County Board addressed issues such as infrastructure and a real estate tax increase at a candidate forum Wednesday night. [InsideNova]

APS Principal, Teacher Finalists for Honors — An Arlington Public Schools principal and a teacher both are finalists for Washington Post awards. Swanson Middle School Principal Bridget Loft is a finalist for the Principal of the Year Award, and Wakefield High School Teacher Michelle Cottrell-Williams is a finalist for the Teacher of the Year Award. [Washington Post]

Local Student Serves as Speaker — Wakefield High School senior Wisam Mustafa served as the speaker for the 2017 Virginia Model General Assembly program. The three-day session in Richmond included 550 high school students from across the state. Mustafa got to meet Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and House Speaker William Howell (R). [InsideNova]

Closings for Easter — Libraries will be closed on Sunday for the Easter holiday, as will county community centers. Parks will remain open.

ACPD: Armed Robbery Last Night May Be Connected to Other Crime

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 13, 2017 at 11:20AM

A store on Columbia Pike was robbed by armed suspects just before midnight last night, and police believe there may be a connection to a similar robbery over the weekend.

Police responded after two masked men — one with a gun — robbed a store on the 4900 block of Columbia Pike, which is across the street from the Arlington Mill Community Center. Police did not specify which business was robbed, but that spot is home to a 7-Eleven.

The suspects fled the scene in a car that had been parked nearby. They got away with an undisclosed amount of cash and valuables.

Police say the circumstances of this armed robbery are similar to Saturday’s store robbery in Virginia Square. “Due to the many similarities we are not only actively investigating each robbery individually, but also from the prospective likelihood that they are related,” says Deputy Chief Daniel Murray.

Although police do not name affected businesses, they confirm both incidents involved the same type of commercial establishment. The suspects’ descriptions, included below in an ACPD crime report, also bear a resemblance to the Virginia Square robbery.

ARMED ROBBERY, 2017-04120301, 4900 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 11:53 p.m. on April 12, officers responded to the report of an armed robbery that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined two masked male suspects, one brandishing a firearm, entered a store and demanded cash and items of value. The suspects then fled the scene in a nearby parked vehicle with an undisclosed amount of cash and items of value. The first suspect is described as a black male, approximately 6’0″ tall. He was wearing dark jeans, a black hoodie, a black mask, and white gloves. The second suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’5″-5’8″ tall. He was wearing olive green pants, a black hoodie, a black mask, and white gloves. The investigation is ongoing.

Record Attendance at Democratic Straw Poll

By Chris Teale

Published April 13, 2017 at 10:15AM

State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30) speaking for Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam

County Board member Christian Dorsey speaking for Justin Fairfax

Elizabeth Perriello Rice speaking for former Rep. Tom Perriello

A record number of people turned out for last night’s Democratic Party straw poll, where County Board candidate Erik Gutshall and School Board candidate Monique O’Grady were some of the victors.

Hosted at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse by Del. Alfonso Lopez (D), more than 120 people cast ballots for Democratic candidates for Arlington County Board, Arlington School Board, lieutenant governor and governor. The attendance set a record for the event, now in its third year.

Lopez said the event raised around $12,500 from ticket sales, which he said will be funneled to Democratic candidates in other House of Delegates races across the commonwealth. Lopez added that getting people excited about the upcoming races was a big point of emphasis, as opposed to focusing purely on the straw poll results from a limited voter pool.

“I think what’s wonderful about it is people are so fired up,” he said in an interview. “They’re coming into the room fired up, excited about the campaigns, they’re excited about the candidacies, they’re excited about their friends running for office.”

Gutshall won the County Board poll with 38 percent of the vote, ahead of Vivek Patil with 30 percent, Peter Fallon with 22 percent and Kim Klingler with 10 percent.

Gutshall, who won the straw poll last year in his unsuccessful bid for a County Board seat, said creative thinking is required to solve problems like school overcrowding and housing affordability.

“We’ve got a wonderful county here that I’m proud to be a part of,” he said. “But we can’t stay the same.”

In her remarks, O’Grady cited her “experience keeping our school system strong,” as well as being co-chair of last year’s successful $138.83 million school bond campaign.

O’Grady won the School Board straw poll with 46 percent of the vote, ahead of incumbent James Lander with 36 percent and Maura McMahon with 18 percent.

In the statewide races, current Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam won the straw poll for the governor’s race against former Rep. Tom Perriello with 67.5 percent of the vote. Speaking on Northam’s behalf, state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) said Northam is a “fighter for our progressive values” and has advocated tirelessly for women, children and ethnic minorities.

“We can count on Ralph to be with us as the 73rd governor of Virginia,” Ebbin said.

Justin Fairfax took victory in the straw poll for lieutenant governor with 64 percent of the vote, ahead of Susan Platt with 20 percent and Gene Rossi with 16 percent. County Board member Christian Dorsey, who spoke on Fairfax’s behalf, praised his grueling campaign schedule and his long-term view on solving problems.

“The question is, who has the skill and the will and will fight for you?” Dorsey said. “In this regard, I am so impressed with Justin Fairfax.”

The Arlington County Democratic Committee holds its caucus for County Board nominee and School Board endorsement on May 9, 11 and 13. Statewide primary elections will be held on June 13.