News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn skyline from above (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Busy Weekend for ACFD — The Arlington County Fire Department responded to a couple of big fires over the weekend. Two firefighters were injured while battling an apartment fire on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike; a resident tells ARLnow.com that the fire started when a resident fell asleep while cooking. Also on Saturday, Arlington firefighters assisted on a mutual aid call to battle a raging inferno at a McLean mansion owned by the United Arab Emirates. [WUSA 9, Connection Newspapers]

Carpool Bartender Profiled — “In an era where craft cocktails, celebrity chefs and ‘artisanal’ everything dominate the D.C. dining scene, it’s hard to find a watering hole where comfort comes in the form of a bottle of Bud, a basket of onion rings and a bartender who knows your name. But at Carpool in Arlington, Virginia, that is exactly what’s on the menu — at least for a few more weeks.” [WTOP]

County Board Pay Raise Proposed — The Arlington County Board this weekend will consider a proposal to raise its own pay by 3.5 percent. That would bring the salary for the County Board chairman to $56,628 and the salary for County Board members to $51,480. [Arlington County]

School Board Pay Raise Bill — The Virginia General Assembly has approved a bill that would lift the state-imposed $25,000 salary cap on Arlington School Board members. If Gov. Terry McAuliffe signs the legislation, School Board members will be able to raise their pay in 2021. [InsideNova]

Police Impound Lot Changes — The Arlington County Police Department has updated its procedures for people retrieving vehicles from the impound lot in Shirlington. [Arlington County]

Remembering Steve Buttry — Journalist Steve Buttry has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 62. As Director of Community Engagement for TBD.com in 2010, Buttry had an outsized influence on ARLnow.com in its early days. He was a champion of local news and a tireless “advocate for and teacher of digital journalism and media innovation.” [The Buttry Diary]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Pedestrian Struck By Car Near Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

Scene of Presidents Day pedestrian crash (via Google Maps)Arlington County Police investigated a serious pedestrian accident Monday night in the Clarendon-Courthouse area.

A person was struck by a car near the intersection of 10th Street N. and N. Barton Street, just before 9 p.m.

The victim was transported to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to ACPD.

Police remained on scene for several hours to investigate the collision.

Image via Google Maps

UPDATED: Police Investigating House Party Homicide

By ARLnow.com

Jason Allen Johnson (photo courtesy ACPD)(Updated at 2:50 a.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating the county’s second reported homicide of the year.

A shooting happened around 3:20 a.m. Sunday at a home on the 6300 block of 29th Street N., near Bishop O’Connell High School, according to police.

Authorities say a 23-year-old man was shot during an argument at a house party and later died at the hospital.

TV station WJLA described the party as a housewarming party attended by a group of several dozen friends.

Police are now searching for the suspect, 37-year-old D.C. resident Jason Allen Johnson, who they say should be considered armed and dangerous.

More from an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Jason Allen Johnson, 37, of Washington, DC. Johnson is wanted for Murder for his role in this morning’s homicide in the Williamsburg neighborhood. Johnson is described as a black male, approximately 5’5″ and weighing 145 pounds. He was last known to be heading towards Maryland.

At approximately 3:22 a.m. on February 19, 2017, Arlington County Police responded to the 6300 block of N. 29th Street for the report of shots fired. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began performing CPR. Arlington County Fire Department medics transported Michael Gray, 23, of Manassas, Virginia to Inova Fairfax Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The initial investigation revealed that this shooting resulted from a dispute that took place during a party at a residence in the 6300 block of N. 29th Street.

Johnson is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911 immediately and not approach the suspect. If you have additional information regarding this investigation, contact Detective J. Trainer of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4185 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

A bike tire is all that remains of a bike parked in Shirlington (Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley)

Albino Squirrel Sighting — There has been another sighting of an albino squirrel in Arlington. Video of the snow white squirrel was posted to Arlington County’s social media accounts. [Facebook]

‘Day Without Immigrants’ Hits DoD Food Court — Yesterday’s “Day Without Immigrants” strike resulted in multiple restaurants being closed in the Pentagon food court and long lines at the restaurants that remained open. [Fox News]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

New Apartment Building Proposed in Crystal City

By Tim Regan
1/5

A new apartment building could rise from a lot in Crystal City.

Crystal House Apartments Investors filed a preliminary site plan for an infill development that would construct a new apartment building called “Crystal House III” near the corner of S. Eads Street and 18th Street. The proposed construction site is adjacent to the existing Crystal House apartment buildings, which are two 12-story residential towers that were built in 1961.

Under the proposed plan, the developer would build a new five-story building on a parking lot next to those towers with 252 new residential units. The plan also calls for a two-level underground parking lot with space for 424 vehicles and the construction of a new public park, streetscape improvements and public art.

“Through the proposed development, the applicant will be providing new residential units in a building with high-quality architecture and within walking distance to many community amenities, such as the Crystal City Metro station, Pentagon City Mall and 23rd Street retail businesses,” the filing reads.

The new filing is a revision of a former plan that called for the construction of two four-story residential buildings and a parking garage. That was never built, however.

The proposal is listed as preliminary, pending a final filing, on the Arlington County projects and planning website.

Second photo via Google Maps

BREAKING: ACFD Battling House Fire in Columbia Forest

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington firefighters are battling a house fire in the Columbia Forest neighborhood, between Columbia Pike and Wakefield High School.

The blaze was reported at a residential property the 1000 block of S. Dinwiddie Street just after 4:15 p.m.

The Arlington County Fire Department tweeted that it is dealing with “heavy smoke and fire” on the property. The fire broke out in the rear of a two story home and, as of 4:35 p.m., has been extinguished, according to scanner traffic.

Police have closed S. Columbus Street at Columbia Pike due to the large number of fire department vehicles in the area.

https://twitter.com/LincolnACFD/status/832347662548615168

Firefighters Extinguish Dumpster Fire in Pentagon City

By Tim Regan

Chevy's restaurant in Pentagon City (photo via Google Maps)Arlington County firefighters fought and extinguished a dumpster fire at 1201 S. Hayes Street in Pentagon City earlier this morning.

The fire broke out in a garbage bin full of mulch and cardboard sometime before 8:45 a.m. today, according to scanner traffic. Firefighters pulled some of the material from the dumpster to hose it down.

Though the fire was contained to the dumpster, smoke from the blaze wafted into a nearby Chevy’s Fresh Mex restaurant.

That restaurant has had a tough week, it seems. On Tuesday, it was evacuated after higher-than-normal carbon monoxide levels were detected in the eatery’s kitchen.

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn skyline and birds (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

Restaurants Closed for ‘Day Without Immigrants’ — A number of restaurants in Arlington will be closed for the pro-immigration “Day Without Immigrants” strike. Among the expected closures: Jaleo, Busboys and Poets, Pupatella, Capitol City Brewing, Circa and Sweetgreen. [Washingtonian, Twitter, Facebook]

New Photos of Bank Robbery Suspect — The Arlington County Police Department has released additional photos of the suspect in last Friday’s Navy Federal Credit Union bank robbery in Ballston. [Twitter]

Arlington Rapist Charged in D.C. Case — Ronald Berton, who was convicted of raping a woman in Lyon Village in 2010, “has been charged with kidnapping and raping a woman in Northwest Washington in 2007, according to police and court documents.” Berton is only serving 10 years in prison for his Arlington rape conviction, after the initial conviction was overturned and he was retried for the crime. [Washington Post]

Resolution Commending Wardian — A joint resolution in the Virginia General Assembly commends superhuman Arlington marathoner Michael Wardian for his World Marathon Challenge record, which he set last month. [Virginia Legislative Information System]

Facilities Committee Goes on a Ride — Last Saturday morning, Arlington officials and the county’s Joint Facilities Advisory Committee boarded an ART bus and went on a tour of sites that “could help the County Government and Arlington Public Schools resolve pressing capital facilities needs.” [Arlington County]

Nearby: More Potomac Paddling — “The National Park Service said it plans to expand public access for kayaking and rowing on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia’s Georgetown neighborhood,” according to the Associated Press. “The agency said in a statement this week it has approved a plan for the phased development of 42,000 square feet of facilities near the confluence of Rock Creek, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.” [WTOP]

Flickr pool photo by Jeff Sonderman

Crime Report: Man Assaults Rideshare Driver in Clarendon Over Pickup Location

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsA man punched a rideshre driver in Clarendon this past Saturday night after an argument about where he was being picked up.

Police say the incident happened around 7:40 p.m. on the 2700 block of Clarendon Blvd, near the Whole Foods store.

“The victim was a rideshare driver and, following a verbal altercation over the phone regarding the pickup location of the fare, the suspect assaulted the driver,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

More from this week’s ACPD crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2017-02110254, 2700 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:40 p.m. on February 11, officers responded to the report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that a male victim rolled down the window of his vehicle to speak to the male suspect, when the suspect began assaulting the victim through the driver side window. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. Medics arrived on scene and treated the victim. Warrants have been obtained for malicious wounding. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

IOTA Club Building to Be Demolished Under Market Common Clarendon Redevelopment Proposal

By Tim Regan
1/7

The new owner of Market Common Clarendon is proposing major changes to the sprawling development.

Regency Centers has filed a preliminary site plan to rezone and redevelop a group of buildings along the 2800 blocks of Clarendon and Wilson Blvds. The affected properties include an office building, IOTA Club and Cafe, the former A&R Engravers storefront and the Baja Fresh restaurant.

The redevelopment would mean the partial demolition of the building that holds IOTA and the former engraver’s shop, while preserving and restoring the shop’s “historic facade.” The work would likely force IOTA — a well-loved cafe, outdoor bar and live music venue — to close its doors or relocate.

When asked about the plans, IOTA co-owner Jane Negrey Inge said she did not expect the renovations to happen “any time… soon.”

Over the years we’ve seen a lot of excitement around us. In our first couple years Arlington County sold the public alley behind us to the owners of the Sears Building and we became landlocked! It was disappointing but we worked things out and over the years we’ve maintained a spirit of cooperation with our neighbors and various land-owners. As far as we know changes are coming again with new owners but I don’t think 2832 Wilson will come crashing down on our heads any time real soon. Spring is going [to] spring into gear, and we’ll be glad to re-open the IOTA Back Alley for the season and enjoy good weather, good beer, good friends — which sounds like a good development plan to me!

Additionally, under the plan, the renovation would add a fourth floor and approximately 26,784 square feet of additional space to the office building at 2801 Clarendon Blvd. Regency seeks to upgrade the office building’s facade, redesign the first two floors for office or retail use, add new storefronts on the ground floor and possibly use the basement for public self-storage.

The plan also calls for improvements to the open space at the corner of Clarendon Blvd and N. Edgewood Street, new private outdoor roof terraces and the installation of a “partial green roof.”

“The design and condition of the existing office building, which predates Market Common Clarendon redevelopment by many years, is not consistent with the remainder of the development,” the preliminary site plan filing says. “With the improvements proposed by the Applicant, the office building will be more effectively integrated into Market Common Clarendon and will allow for the much-needed repositioning of the vacant office space in order to attract new commercial tenants.”

“This [proposed redevelopment] creates newly competitive office and retail space in a building with high-quality architecture within easy walking distance to many community amenities in Clarendon,” the filing adds.

A representative for Regency Centers didn’t immediately provide more information about the proposed redevelopment, which is still in its early stages.

To move forward, the plan must be reviewed by the Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC), then be presented to both the Arlington Planning Commission and the County Board.

Vehicle Runs Off I-395 Overpass, Lands on Pentagon Entrance

By ARLnow.com

Rescuers work to free driver from SUV that fell off the side of a I-395 overpass near the Pentagon (courtesy photo)

(Updated at 11:45 a.m.) A vehicle ran off the side of an I-395 overpass last night and landed on S. Rotary Road at S. Eads Street, a main entrance to the Pentagon reservation.

I-395 overpass at S. Rotary Road (photo via Google Maps)The incident was reported around 12:40 a.m. Arlington County firefighters responded and worked to extricate the driver, who was trapped inside the vehicle.

Once freed, the driver was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital for “further evaluation,” according to ACFD.

The vehicle — described as a hatchback or hybrid SUV — was heavily damaged in the 25-50 foot fall from the highway to the roadway below. It also took out a “large light pole” on the way down, according to a fire department Facebook post.

No other vehicles were reported to be involved.

Courtesy photo (top), photo (middle) via Google Maps

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