News

Opower Staying in Arlington, Gov. McAuliffe Announces

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Publicly-traded energy tech firm Opower is staying in Arlington, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) announced at a press conference this morning, marking some good news for a county beset by the departures of large government agencies.

McAuliffe and County Board Chair Libby Garvey were among those making the announcement at Opower’s current headquarters at 1515 N. Courthouse Road in Courthouse, which President Obama visited in 2010, when the company was still a startup.

Opower will be moving down the street to a new office building at 2311 Wilson Blvd in Courthouse. The building — already approved by the County Board — is set to be constructed over the next two years, replacing a row of restaurants. Developer Carr Properties had been calling the 8-story building the “Clean Technology Center,” which seems consistent with Opower’s sustainability and energy conservation mission.

Virginia and Arlington County had been fighting to keep Opower, which was being courted by the District and by The Wharf, the massive new development on the Southwest D.C. waterfront.

“Keeping Opower in Arlington County has been a high priority of my administration,” McAuliffe said. “This high-profile energy software company is growing rapidly and making a major impact on global challenges, and we are committed to further strengthening this important corporate partnership. The technology industry is booming in Virginia, and wins like this expansion help us continue to build on the momentum in this important sector.”

“Arlington has watched Opower grow from a startup venture to a thriving leader not only in the region, but in the entire clean technology industry,” Garvey said. “Arlington’s highly-educated workforce and easy transportation access were things Opower was looking for as the company continues to grow, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them for a long time to come.”

McAuliffe helped arrange a $1 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to help Arlington keep Opower.

“Arlington County will match the state funding with a performance-based local economic development incentive grant,” the county notes in a press release. “Arlington will provide an additional annual performance grant through the remaining years of the lease term subject to job and occupancy requirements. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.”

Opower plans to invest about $10.5 million in its new, 63,000 square foot headquarters and expects to add 70 new employees within three years. The company will also retain 357 jobs that currently pay above the region’s prevailing wage.

“Opower has been with Arlington since the beginning,” said Victor Hoskins, Director of Arlington Economic Development. “The company is a model for the fast-growth technology companies we’re hoping to attract to Arlington, and we simply could not be more pleased that Opower has decided to continue to be a part of Arlington’s business community.”

The building at 2311 Wilson Blvd will have a total of 150,000 square feet of office space plus ground floor retail spaces when it’s completed.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Unmeasurable snow (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Snow Emergency Routes to Be Enforced — For future large snowstorms (not for today’s flurries) Arlington County will begin enforcing towing on snow emergency routes, after more than two decades of non-enforcement. County Board Chair Libby Garvey also said Arlington’s snow clearing effort can use a bit of improvement. “There are clearly some things we need to do better,” she said. [InsideNova]

Substance in Potomac Found to Be Fuel Oil — The oily sheen on the Potomac is fuel oil, tests have determined, ruling out that it’s jet fuel or fuel from a car. The U.S. Coast Guard and Arlington authorities are still trying to find the source of the leak. They spent much of Monday inspecting storm drains in Arlington. [WTOP, Washington Post]

Highline RxR Celebrating First Anniversary — Crystal City after-work watering hole Highline RxR is celebrating its first anniversary starting at 5 p.m today. The celebration will feature live music, food and drink specials and “some weird and rare craft beers on draft.” [Facebook]

Rock Climber Pleads Guilty in Arlington Man’s Death — Thirty-three year-old David DiPaolo of Bristow has pleaded guilty to the gruesome Dec. 28, 2013 killing of 68-year-old Arlington resident Geoffrey Farrar at the Carderock Recreation Area in Montgomery County. An argument in the parking lot led to an altercation while the two men were rock climbing, and during the struggle DiPaolo struck Farrar in the head with a claw hammer multiple times. Farrar died from massive head injuries. DiPaolo pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. [NBC Washington]

Delivery of Yard Waste Carts Begins — Some 33,000 homes in Arlington will receive their new yard waste carts over the next 6-8 weeks. The county’s new yard waste collection program begins March 14. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Kenmore Street Closed in Nauck Due to Flipped Convertible

By ARLnow.com
1/10

Part of S. Kenmore Street is temporarily closed to traffic due to a flipped vehicle.

The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. near the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Initial reports suggest a driver in a blue Ford Mustang convertible lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a parked pickup truck.

The convertible flipped on its roof in the middle of the street. The man who was driving was reported to be bleeding from his forehead and was transported to a local hospital.

It’s unclear how exactly the crash happened. The parked pickup truck wound up perpendicular to the street, with its drive shaft partially detached and resting on the ground. The owners of the truck, apparently nearby residents, came out with a wheelbarrow to remove items from the pickup’s bed.

Arlington County Police are investigating the crash and documenting the scene before the car is towed away. Kenmore Street is closed between 19th and 22nd streets.

FiOS Service Coming to Fairlington As County Continues Comcast Negotiation

By ARLnow.com

Sign about FiOS meeting in FairlingtonFairlington will soon get Verizon FiOS TV and internet service.

Fairlington is the last neighborhood in Arlington to be wired for FiOS, according to Rob Billingsley, Arlington County’s Cable Administrator.

Under an agreement with Verizon enacted in June 2006, the company agreed to complete a county-wide implementation of FiOS service within 10 years. The initial service build-out took place mostly in north Arlington, before Verizon’s fiber optic lines were brought to other parts of the county during a second phase of the project.

The final phase, in Fairlington, is expected to wrap up this summer, Billingsley said.

One unanswered question — which is one of the subjects of a scheduled Feb. 10 Fairlington community meeting — is how Verizon will get service from the fiber optic lines that run along the street to the thousands of condo units that make up the World War II-era neighborhood.

It’s a straightforward process for single family homes, for which the home owner also owns the surrounding lot. In historic Fairlington, however, various condominium associations own the land and control changes to the property.

Verizon will need to strike agreements with each condo association to outline how it will get service from the street to each unit. It’s theoretically possible that FiOS could fulfill its contractual obligations to the county by laying the fiber lines without actually providing any residents with service, Billingsley noted.

While FiOS is widely available to homes in the county, many apartment buildings and condo complexes still lack the infrastructure to support FiOS service.

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Dem Challenger Calls for Stepped-Up Lee Highway Planning Process

By ARLnow.com

Lee Highway at N. Glebe RoadDemocratic County Board candidate Erik Gutshall would like to see further progress on the planning process for the future of the Lee Highway corridor.

Gutshall, a small business owner who serves on the Arlington Planning Commission, warned in a statement (below) that Lee Highway could experience “crazy-quilt development” if not for “a thoughtful, community-led planning process.” He called on the County Board to prioritize long-range planning for Lee Highway this year.

Gutshall is challenging County Board Chair Libby Garvey in the June 14 Democratic primary.

Erik Gutshall called today for the Arlington County Board to make development of a long-range plan for Lee Highway a priority for the County Manager for the coming year.

Gutshall, who is challenging the incumbent Board Chair in the Democratic Primary, congratulated the Lee Highway Alliance, a collaborative effort of all neighborhood civic associations abutting Lee Highway from Arlington’s North Highlands community along the Potomac River to the Falls Church line, noting, “…the Lee Highway community has shown uncommon leadership in developing a vision for the future of Lee Highway.”

Gutshall called on the County Board to appoint a citizen-led task force quickly to undertake the development of a Lee Highway Plan, provide the task force with significant staff support and outside expert resources, and develop a scope of work that allows the task force to think big about the Lee Highway of the future. “Lee Highway,” Gutshall said, “is the last major unplanned commercial corridor in Arlington. Similar plans for the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor have been a central reason for that area’s great success.”

Gutshall, as a task force member, was engaged in the development of today’s plan for Clarendon.  “Without a plan,” he said, “we can expect crazy-quilt development along Lee Highway; changes that aren’t the result of a thoughtful, community-led planning process are much less likely to meet Arlingtonians’ needs and are likely to detract from, rather than add value to, surrounding neighborhoods.”

Gutshall noted that long-range plans are extraordinarily valuable to the community and have underpinned much of Arlington’s standout prosperity. These plans are a concrete expression of the community’s hopes for the future and provide property owners with the policy guidance needed to encourage thoughtful, responsible and responsive development. “Unfortunately,” Gutshall said, “County Board leadership looks at the County’s long-term plans as merely advisory, something that can be easily dismissed. In my view, these plans are a compact between our elected representatives, developers and the community and embody the collective vision for the neighborhoods where we live, work, learn, and play.”

 

ICYMI: ‘Trump Vs. Bernie’ Debate Coming to Arlington Drafthouse

By ARLnow.com

A mock Donald Trump vs. Bernie Sanders “comedy debate” will take place at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) next week.

“Trump vs. Bernie: The Debate Tour 2016” is scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, Feb. 18-20. Tickets are $20.

Mock Donald Trump vs. Bernie Sanders debateThe show stars comedians Anthony Atamanuik as Trump and James Adomian as Sanders.

“It’s Republican Billionaire vs. Democratic Socialist fighting over the issues before the 2016 presidential election,” trumpets the Drafthouse website. Arlington is the second to last stop for the “unsanctioned debate” on a multi-city tour.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

"Bluemont Glacier" (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Authorities Still Investigating Oil Sheen on Potomac — In an effort to find the source of an oily sheen on the Potomac River near the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, the Coast Guard, state authorities and the Arlington County Dept. of Environmental Services will be conducting a “dye test.” Non-toxic dye may be seen in the river today. At least 23 birds were were sent to a wildlife rescue organization for cleaning as a result of contact with the oil. [U.S. Coast Guard, Facebook, WJLA]

Two Displaced By Fire Near Clarendon — A structure fire Friday night on the 1200 block of N. Kirkwood Road, near Clarendon, has left two residents displaced. No one was injured in the blaze. The residents are being assisted by the Red Cross. [Twitter, Twitter]

Nauck History Project Seeks Contributions — As part of Black History Month, Arlington County is encouraging residents of the Nauck neighborhood to donate images and stories to the Nauck/Green Valley Heritage Project. The project has an online archive dedicated to preserving the community’s rich history. [Arlington County]

Arlington Makes AARP ‘Healthy’ List — Arlington County is among the top “medium population cities” for those ages 50+ to stay active and healthy, according to new rankings. [AARP]

Clement: Support Governor’s I-66 Plan — Frequent local candidate for elected office Audrey Clement is encouraging Arlingtonians to support the McAuliffe administration’s plan for tolling I-66 inside the Beltway. That plan, which calls for widening I-66 only as a last resort, is preferable to the call from outside the Beltway lawmakers to widen I-66 as soon as possible, Clement says. [Campaign for a Greener Arlington]

Arlington Woman Has Purse With $10K Cash Stolen — Police are looking for a suspect seen stealing a purse with $10,000 cash inside from a Fairfax County Dunkin’ Donuts. The purse was accidentally left behind by an Arlington mother who had saved for years to pay her 18-year-old daughter’s tuition at Penn State. [NBC Washington]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Where Can You Watch the Super Bowl in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com

Super Bowl 50 logoWhere can you watch the Super Bowl in Arlington, Virginia?

If you typed that into a search engine, we have a simple answer: pretty much anywhere that serves beer and has a TV. It’s a safe bet that if you walk into any bar in Arlington County at 6:30 p.m. Sunday — the time that the Super Bowl festivities are scheduled to start — the big game will be on.

There are, however, a couple of options in Arlington for those who are looking for a more unique Super Bowl experience.

Mad Rose Tavern in Clarendon (3100 Clarendon Blvd) will be hosting Capital Riot, the D.C. area Carolina Panthers fan group.

“Mad Rose graciously hosted a subset of fans during Snowzilla and would love to welcome us back!” the group wrote on its website. “They will feature happy hour food and drink specials and the famous blue Panthers Punch shot!”

Mad Rose will also be hosting Broncos fans, but in a different wing of the bar.

There is no official Denver Broncos gathering in Arlington that we’re aware of — the big Broncos events are both in the District — however, if you’re a fan of either team and want to watch the game on the biggest possible screen, the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) has an event for you.

The Drafthouse’s Super Bowl viewing event is free and begins at 4:30 p.m.

“We will be offering regular table side service offering a full restaurant menu with full bar service,” the Drafthouse said on its website. “And of course our huge digital sports screen!”

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Backpack Mail’ at Arlington Public Schools Going Paperless

By ARLnow.com

Students going back to school (file photo)Arlington Public Schools will soon no longer be sending paper flyers home in students’ backpacks.

The so-called backpack mail for parents of elementary and middle school students is being phased out in favor of an electronic system, following a successful pilot program, according to APS spokesman Frank Bellavia.

The system, called Peachjar, is specifically designed for schools. It sends electronic flyers to parents’ email inboxes, thus cutting costs and staff time that would otherwise be spent making paper copies and distributing them.

The new system is being rolled out to all elementary and middle schools “over the next few weeks,” Bellavia said.

Families can request that they keep receiving paper copies and paper flyers will be posted on school bulletin boards. Otherwise, there are a number of options for electronic delivery.

“Parents can access the flyers via weekly email notifications they receive, by checking the school’s website, or accessing flyers on the APS Mobile App,” said Bellavia. “Families like the Peachjar option because electronic copies stay online for at least 30 days, and are linked directly to the organization’s website where they can access more information or directly sign up for programs electronically, which is more convenient than keeping track of paper copies and following up on advertised services.”

The pilot program took place at six elementary schools and one middle school last fall and of the families surveyed about it, 86 percent said they wanted to keep the new system instead of returning to backpack mail, according to APS. Nonprofit organizations and PTAs also participate in backpack mail and APS received an enthusiastic response from them.

“More than 100 nonprofit organizations who participate in our backpack mail program were surveyed, and only one respondent indicated a desire to return to backpack mail,” said Bellavia. “APS, schools and PTAs can use the service for free, and nonprofit organizations pay a nominal fee that is less costly than making copies, to distribute their flyers electronically to families. Our PTAs are excited about the service because they can use it for free to distribute their flyers, saving time and the expense of printing paper copies.”

“This program supports the APS commitment to its core value of sustainability, and many families, community members and staff have urged APS to find a paperless (environmentally friendly) alternative to backpack mail,” Bellavia noted.

High schools do not have backpack mail and thus are not slated to get the new system. After the jump, a video about Peachjar.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Penrose Square bicycle racks (Flickr pool photo by Bekah Richards)

Mt. Vernon Trail Unplowed After Snowzilla — The National Park Service did not plow the Mt. Vernon Trail, a major bicycle commuter route, after the January blizzard. The snow-covered trail was, however, used by cross-country skiers. Cyclists would like the park service to consider changing its no-plowing policy. [Greater Greater Washington]

Va. GOP Does Away With Loyalty Oath — The State Board of Elections has approved a request from the Republican Party of Virginia that the state discard the loyalty oath the party originally wanted voters to sign during the March 1 presidential primary [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Agencies Investigate Oily Sheen on Potomac — A number of federal and local agencies investigated an oily sheen spotted on the Potomac River yesterday from Gravelly Point down to Alexandria. The source of the oil has not been determined but efforts to contain it were deployed. [Washington Post, Patch]

No Local News in Washington Post App — Steve Thurston, founder of the defunct Arlington Mercury local news blog, isn’t pleased with the Washington Post’s decision last year to leave local news out of the official Washington Post iPhone and iPad app. Post subscribers who want to read local content via an app now have to download a separate “Washington Post Classic” app. [ipadreporter]

New Novel from ‘Beast of Barcroft’ Author — Arlington author Bill Schweigart has a new novel coming out. “Northwoods” is Schweigart’s sequel to supernatural thriller “The Beast of Barcroft.” Both books feature Arlington-based characters and other local references. The 277-page Ebook is being published by Penguin Random House on Feb. 16. [Penguin Random House]

Crystal City Office Complex Up for Sale — The so-called Polk and Taylor office buildings in Crystal City are up for sale. The Department of Defense is leasing the 912,000 square foot office complex along Crystal Drive and 26th Street S. until 2025, but owner Beacon Capital Partners is seeking to sell before the lease expires. The buildings are assessed at $351.2 million. [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Bekah Richards

ACFD Responds to Smoke Reported in Pentagon City Metro

By ARLnow.com
1/14

(Updated at 8:20 p.m.) Firefighters were dispatched to the Pentagon City Metro station for a report of smoke in a Metro tunnel earlier this evening.

Emergency crews found an insulator fire on the inbound side of the tunnel. Trains bypassed the station while firefighters investigated the problem, according to ACFD. By 8:10 p.m., the fire had been extinguished and firefighters began leaving the scene.

According to Metro, trains are running as usual but “residual delays” may continue in both directions.

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