News

County seeks public input as Gulf Branch restoration project design nears completion

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

In 2025, Arlington County will embark on a major project to rehabilitate the Gulf Branch stream.

Planning for the project began in 2019. The project was paused during the pandemic due to budget constraints but remained in focus due to the stream’s poor conditions today.

“Gulf Branch is a high-priority stream resilience project because of active erosion, infrastructure concerns and habitat degradation,” the county said.

After a two-year pause, Arlington resumed design work and had 60% complete designs by last October. Now, the county’s Dept. of Environmental Services is seeking feedback on the designs.

Final design work, permit acquisition and procurement are all expected to happen this this year. Construction would then start in 2025.

Arlington County aims to combat future erosion and ensure the stream can handle surges of water during storms. The extent of erosion today can be seen in a county video, below, walking through the most recent project updates.

As part of the project, the stream corridor will be replanted and stone and log structures and step pools will be added behind the Glebe Park tennis courts and near Broyhill Forest Park and the Gulf Branch Nature Center.

Also near Broyhill Forest Park and the nature center, stream beds will be raised to bury exposed sanitary sewer pipes. This is intended to prevent sewage from seeping into the stream and stave off emergency repairs, according to a project webpage.

Excess sediment will be reduced to meet regulatory requirements for what flows into the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay, the website said. The work also includes habitat enhancements for the local wildlife and increased public access to the stream.

During earlier feedback periods, some community members urged DES to take a more proactive approach to tackling erosion, according to an online survey. In response, the county says it expanded the project scope to include a dry stream bed that is west of the Nature Center, running the width of Glebe Road Park.

Additionally, residents were concerned about noise and equipment traffic during construction. To limit these impacts, the county decided to create separate temporary construction entrances to the main stem of Gulf Branch — from Broyhill Forest Park and Military Road — according to DES spokeswoman Katie O’Brien.

DES says it also heard from several people concerned about runoff closer to the stream’s source. In response, it proposed four “green street” rain garden projects in the watershed, downstream of Military Road.

The locations are as follows:

  • The N. Piedmont Street cul-de-sac
  • The corner of 36th Road N. and N. Nelson Street
  • The corner of N. Nelson Street and N. Oakland Street
  • 36th Road N. near the stairs to the Gulf Branch trail

The county began meeting with people neighboring the proposed green street projects in the fall of 2022 and has since continued that engagement as well as design work.

Construction on the green street projects is expected to begin in mid-2024.

Residents could start moving into two nearly complete apartment towers in Crystal City next month

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

Two new apartment buildings in Crystal City are almost ready for residents to move in.

Construction started on the two residential towers at 1900 Crystal Drive in 2021, nearly one year to the day after JBG Smith received approval to redevelop the aging office building previously there.

Now, JBG Smith tells ARLnow it expects residents can starting moving into the buildings — a 3-minute walk from Amazon’s second headquarters — this February. The developer has already begun receiving partial certificates of occupancy for certain floors of one tower, dubbed “The Grace.”

JBG Smith said it expects to wrap up construction by the third quarter of 2024.

The 583,000-square-foot north tower, The Grace, and a 567,500-square-foot south tower, called “Reva,” are each 300 feet tall and, across them, have 808 rental units and about 40,000 square feet of street-level retail. A pedestrian-friendly street bisecting the towers will connect 18th and 20th Streets S. and a not-yet-built park.

The Crystal City Sector Plan envisions this park space as the largest in Crystal City, at about 74,000 square feet. The plan says it “would allow for a wide variety of uses, such as passive recreation, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, cafes, some temporary kiosk retail, and evening outdoor movies” among other uses, says Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Jerry Solomon.

JBG Smith granted to the county a public park easement of approximately 45,000 square feet to establish this open space, dubbed “Center Park.” The county received the easement understanding that the rest of the proposed public space would come as part of a future development, Solomon said.

JBG Smith also contributed $300,000 for the park’s master planning, a community engagement process where people will weigh in on programmed elements and other features.

“The current [Capital Improvement Plan] envisions the design of Center Park to begin in FY 2025 with construction to begin some time in FY 2027,” she said in an email. “In July 2024, the County Board will be considering the FY 2025-2034 CIP which may contain changes to the potential timelines and funding for public space development within the Crystal City corridor.”

While residents of The Grace and Reva can start moving in February, it is looking like a summer opening for at least some of the six announced businesses move into the ground floor retail spaces.

Per window dressings and Arlington County permits, 1900 Crystal Drive will be home to new outposts of Tatte Bakery & Cafe, a the ice cream shop Van Leeuwen, D.C.’s Chinese-French fusion restaurant Bar Chinois and Cuban café and bar Colada Shop, a nail salon called nailsaloon, and New York City-based botox spa Peachy.

Nailsaloon recently opened a location in Chevy Chase and aims to move into Crystal City this summer, a spokeswoman said.

Colada Shop is also targeting a summer opening, a company spokeswoman said.

The other businesses did not respond to requests for more information about when they might open.

JBG Smith says it still has some retail space to fill, so additional announcements may be coming.

Suspect in custody after reported sexual assault on Metro train near Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com
Metro Transit Police SUV (file photo)

A woman was sexually assaulted Monday night on a train near the Virginia Square station, according to Metro.

“At approximately 10 p.m. [Monday], Metro Transit Police responded to a report of a sexual assault aboard a train near Virginia Square Station,” a Metro spokesman tells ARLnow. “An adult female victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A male suspect was stopped by MTPD officers at Metro Center Station a short time later.”

The incident was first reported online by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter.

The suspect was identified by Metro as 18-year-old Saiquan Jackson of Northeast D.C. He’s expected to be charged with attempted rape and strangulation, the spokesman said last night.

A man of the same age, name and quadrant was reported missing by D.C. police last month. The report noted that he “may be in need of medication.” He was also reported missing as a teenager in 2018.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Flags flying in the wind at Arlington County’s justice center in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Flyover Planned This Morning — From AlertDC: “The US Military will be conducting a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday January 10, 2024, at 9:05 AM.”

New Popeye’s at Mall — From Chris Slatt: “Building permit filed for a new Popeye’s at Pentagon City Mall, if that’s your kind of thing.” [Twitter]

Buzzer Beater Against YHS — A McLean High School student’s winning half-court buzzer beater in overtime against Yorktown High School is up for the “National Play of the Week in high school boys basketball,” which is decided by an online poll. [Sports Illustrated, Instagram]

De Ferranti to Chair NVTC — “Arlington County Board member Matt de Ferranti will chair the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for the coming year.” [Gazette Leader]

New Eagle Scouts Honored — “Seven members of Boy Scout Troop 638, sponsored by Little Falls Presbyterian Church in Arlington, ascended to Eagle Scout rank during a court-of-honor ceremony held Jan. 7 at the church.” [Gazette Leader]

Exhausted Bat Rescued — “A wildlife center in Arlington announced Monday that they rescued their first bat of the year last week by sharing a video. Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) said the big brown bat arrived at their Wildlife Resource Center after it was found crawling across the street in a local neighborhood. When the bat was found, officials said he was dehydrated and exhausted.” [WUSA 9, Twitter]

It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high of around 49 degrees accompanied by a breezy west wind blowing at 17 to 22 mph, and gusts reaching up to 39 mph. As for Wednesday night, the sky will be mostly clear with a low temperature of about 32 degrees. The southwest wind will be blowing at a speed of 5 to 13 mph, and gusts may reach up to 18 mph. [Weather.gov]

Theft suspect who fled into Metro tunnel charged with trespassing, fare evasion

By ARLnow.com
Pentagon City Metro Station on Dec. 13, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A man fleeing from officers after a theft in Pentagon City ran into a Metro tunnel, prompting service to be shut down in the area, police say.

The incident happened Monday morning, as police responded to a shoplifting call on S. Hayes Street.

After running into a Metro tunnel at the Pentagon City station, the man emerged and was arrested at the Crystal City station, police say. In addition to a theft charge, he has also been charged with trespassing and fare evasion.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

PETIT LARCENY (Significant), 2024-01080073, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 10:16 a.m. on January 8, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise, allegedly left the store without payment and fled into the Pentagon City Metro. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect in the Metro and gave him commands, which he disregarded, and fled onto the train tracks. Metro service in the area was temporarily suspended and the suspect subsequently exited the train tracks at the Crystal City Metro station where officers took him into custody. The preliminary investigation determined the suspect did not pay a fare upon entering the Metro. No injuries were reported. [The suspect], 37, of Washington, DC was arrested and charged with Petit Larceny, Trespassing on a Railroad Track and Failure to Pay Fares.

Some of the response to the incident was captured on video.

Scooter and e-bike operators leave Arlington amid micro-mobility industry woes

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) Arlington County is losing a pair of scooter operators this year.

California-based Veo — which operated both scooters and e-bikes — is leaving the area due to market conditions while LINK, the service from Boston-based Superpedestrian, is shutting down all of its U.S. operations.

“It was Veo’s pleasure to serve Arlington County,” Veo told ARLnow in a statement. “However, current market conditions led us to make the decision not to seek a permit renewal in Arlington and Alexandria.”

Veo says it will continue to provide transportation options in D.C and in College Park, Maryland.

“We commend Arlington County for its commitment to advancing sustainable and accessible transportation and look forward to serving the community in the future should circumstances allow,” Veo’s statement continued.

The company has recently expanded into some municipalities, including San Antonio, Texas, and limited access in other areas, such as the Bronx in New York City, where scooters would reportedly end up in the river. Also this year, Fort Wayne, Indiana, ended its 4-year partnership with Veo over alleged negligent behavior by riders.

Superpedestrian is out because it shut down its U.S. operations on Dec. 31 and has been auctioning off its 20,000 bright-yellow and silver electric scooters.

In February 2022, Superpedestrian introduced 333 bright-yellow and silver standing scooters and 50 seated ones to Arlington, its second U.S. market after debuting in Baltimore. Its time in Arlington was short-lived, however.

After getting into micro-mobility in 2020 and raising $125 million early on, Superpedestrian was in a lurch by late 2023, pinning its hopes on more funding and a potential merger that never materialized, TechCrunch reports. The outlet attributed the demise of Superpedestrian — and the death of “the shared electric scooter business as we know it” — to “unfavorable city regulations, high operational costs and hiring bloat as a consequence of VC funding.”

Scooter operators that still have permits to operate in Arlington, Spin and Bird, were not immune from slumps this year. Spin began exiting several European and American cities in 2022 before fellow operator Bird acquired it in September.

Bird, once valued at $2.5 billion, filed for bankruptcy this December after a rocky 2023: Its founder and CEO stepped down, it was removed from the New York Stock Exchange for overstating its revenue and was beginning to pull out of dozens of cities.

Financially, Veo seems to be doing better. This year, it started selling a scooter via online retail.

Arlington’s other authorized operator, Lime, also defied the dismal fates of its competitors, reporting profitability in the first half of 2023, Verge reports. The company ended 2022 with plans to go public on the stock market but remained privately held.

The application for scooter operators is currently available on the Arlington County website. The county allows up to 2,000 e-scooters and 1,000 e-bikes at one time. The companies leaving Arlington, meanwhile, are expected to take all of their scooters and e-bikes with them.

“Departing contractors are required to remove their devices, but if anyone sees a device left behind, they can send a message to the Shared Mobility team at [email protected],” said Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors.

This article was updated to correct where Veo is based and remove a reference to a different tech company by the same name.  

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rain in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Garvey Talks Crime — “Board chair Libby Garvey didn’t go for the jugular, but in a Jan. 2 roundtable between County Board members and the Arlington County Civic Federation, managed to make her point: The county’s relatively recent catch-and-release approach to crime and punishment, she said, must end… Garvey made clear that the five-member County Board had no statutory authority to instruct prosecutor Parisa Dehghani-Tafti on how to run her office – ‘we cannot tell the commonwealth’s attorney what to do’ – but hinted that there was more to come on the issue.” [Gazette Leader]

Changes Mulled for B Live — “Changes could be coming soon to B Live, the live entertainment space that replaced longtime restaurant Whitlow’s on Wilson in Clarendon in May 2022. Husband and wife duo Mike and Crystal Bramson are considering plans to rebrand the roughly 4,000-square-foot space at 2854 Wilson Blvd. — perhaps to something like B Live Bar and Grill — to better convey to prospective customers that it’s not just open for live shows on the weekends.” [Washington Business Journal]

Boeing Stock Nosedives — “Shares of [Arlington-based] Boeing tumbled 8% on Monday as investors digested the news that the Federal Aviation Administration had ordered airlines to ground dozens of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for urgent inspections. The FAA issued the order on Saturday after a door plug blew out in the middle of an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday when the nearly brand-new aircraft was flying at around 16,000 feet.” [CNBC]

Union Kitchen to Nix Union? — From Washington Business Journal’s Dan Sernovitz: “Union Kitchen employees, citing picketing [and harassment], vote to break from @ufcwlocal 400. The vote followed an initial push over the summer to break from the collective bargaining union.” [Twitter]

First Bill for New Delegate — “For new-in-2024 Del. Adele McClure (D-Arlington), House Bill (HB) 157 likely always will hold a special place in her heart. That’s the first piece of legislation that was dropped into the hopper by McClure for the 2024 session. It focuses on eliminating exemptions from Virginia’s minimum-wage requirements for two groups: those employed as farm laborers and certain temporary foreign workers.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Tuesday — Heavy rain is expected with a high near 60, accompanied by strong east winds increasing from 10-15 mph to 23-28 mph in the afternoon, gusting up to 39 mph. A 100% chance of precipitation is anticipated, with 1-2 inches of new precipitation possible. Tuesday night, rain mainly persists before 1am, with a low around 44. Windy conditions continue, as the southeast wind shifts to southwest at 16-21 mph after midnight, and gusts could reach up to 47 mph. There remains a 100% chance of precipitation and an additional 1-2 inches of rainfall. [Weather.gov]

UPDATED: Police search building near Route 50 after sound of gunshots heard

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 8 p.m.) Residents were asked to stay inside Monday evening as police searched part of the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood following reports of gunfire.

The initial call for gunshots heard along the 1700 block of Arlington Blvd came in around 5 p.m. Police verified with nearby Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall that no firing drills were underway at the time before starting to search the area.

The U.S. Park Police Eagle helicopter was called in to assist amid more reports of shots being heard, but has since left the county after not finding any suspects, according to scanner traffic.

“ACPD is investigating the report of shots heard in the 1700 block of Arlington Boulevard,” Arlington police said around 5:45 p.m. “At this time, no injuries or property damage have been reported. A police helicopter is assisting with an aerial search of the area. Expect continued police activity.”

The search appeared to be focused on one particular building.

“Community members are asked to avoid the area as police continue to investigate the report of shots heard in the 1700 block of Arlington Boulevard,” ACPD said around 6:20 p.m. “If you are in the area, go inside and stay inside.”

Police also closed the N. Rhodes Street bridge, near where the search was taking place, according to Arlington Alert.

Shortly before 8 p.m., the search was called off.

“A search of the building has concluded,” said ACPD. “No evidence of a shooting was located and there is no apparent ongoing threat to the community. We appreciate the community’s patience during the investigation. The avoid the area/stay indoors has been lifted.”

More, below, via social media.

 

ACPD: Boy robbed twice in successive days by same suspects

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating after a boy says he was robbed twice by the same group of suspects.

The first robbery happened around 7 p.m. this past Thursday in Rosslyn, while the second happened around 7 p.m. the next day in the Courthouse area, according to police.

Police say the boy knows the three male suspects, one of whom brandished a knife during the first robbery.

More, below, from the latest ACPD crime report.

ROBBERY (late), 2024-01050225/2024-01060032, 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard/15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street. At approximately 3:47 a.m. on January 6, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery by force. It was determined at approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 4, the juvenile male victim was in the area of the 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard when he was approached by three male suspects, who are known to him. Suspect One brandished a knife and made threatening statements while Suspect Two assaulted him and demanded his electronics. The suspects then left the scene with the stolen property and the victim did not require medical attention following the incident. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 5, the victim was in the area of 15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street when he was approached by the suspects from the incident the day before and approximately seven additional subjects. Suspect Two demanded and stole the victim’s personal property and caused damage to his electronic device before the group left the area on foot. No injuries were reported from the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Wild fight near Clarendon caught on camera

By ARLnow.com
Fight near Clarendon caught on camera (courtesy Dave Statter)

An early morning fight near Clarendon was caught on camera over the weekend.

The brawl happened around 2 a.m. Saturday along the parking-lined section of Fairfax Drive at the western end of Clarendon. The video shows one person being knocked to the ground and a car ramming the side of another car, amid a fight that appears to be between two groups of people.

Police arrive on scene near the end of the video.

According to public safety watcher Dave Statter, one of the people to post a photo of the fracas on social media, it’s just the latest in a series of fights over the past month or so associated with Clarendon nightlife.

In addition to fights that take place outside, “there are also multiple police calls each weekend night for fights inside the bars in the 3100 block of Wilson and Clarendon,” Statter wrote last week.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Arlington National Cemetery flyover, as seen from the Courthouse area (staff photo)

Pacers Owner Keeps Streak Alive — “Chris Farley is a runner who, for nearly a quarter-century, had finished a marathon or otherwise run 26.2 miles every year in under three hours. But in November, Farley, the owner of the Pacers Running stores in the D.C. area, was pretty sure his streak was over. He ran the New York City Marathon in just over three hours, a disappointment to him and his wide orbit of friends and supporters. He was ready to call it quits and say the streak was behind him — until his friends stepped in and told him they’d help him achieve his goal.” [Washington Post]

Renovations for Monroe Park Playground — “Get ready for some fun, the Monroe Park Playground is being redone!  Share your feedback to help inform upcoming renovations for the playground area of Monroe Park, which requires replacements according to Arlington County’s facility lifecycle process. No new amenities are planned for this project, which is funded by the Capital Improvement Plan.” [Arlington County]

Robbery in Va. Square — “The female victim was in the area when she was approached by the two juvenile female suspects. One suspect allegedly struck the victim, causing her to fall to the ground. The suspects then took the victim’s personal property and demanded the victim’s cellphone before fleeing the scene on foot with the stolen items. Responding officers canvassed the surrounding area, located the suspects in the Rosslyn Metro and took them into custody. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.” [ACPD]

Ranked Choice for General Election? — “It wasn’t the whiff of waffles you might have caught lingering in the air. But perhaps it was waffling.Intentionally or not, Arlington County Board members in a Jan. 2 confab with the Arlington County Civic Federation left some ambiguity whether they planned to enact ranked-choice voting for the 2024 general election. ‘It hasn’t been decided yet,’ County Board Chairman Libby Garvey said in response to a federation question, although she said upcoming meetings slated for Jan. 20 and 23 are ‘when I expect we’re likely to take it up.'” [Gazette Leader]

Hot Start for DJO Hoops — “A strong start to the season continued for the Bishop O’Connell Knights in recent days with more significant victories. First, the boys high-school basketball team (12-2, 2-0) finished 3-0 to win the Traditional Division of the annual Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach. Next, host O’Connell defeated Gonzaga, 65-57, in a big Washington Catholic Athletic Conference showdown in Arlington.” [Gazette Leader]

Strong Storm Expected Tuesday — “Weather models are unusually aggressive in simulating the potential for widespread 50 to 60 mph gusts as far south and west as the Carolina Piedmont. Major cities including Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York all could see gusts over 50 mph. The combination of high winds and saturated soils could topple trees, meaning power outages are likely.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with highs near 45, and a northwest wind at 5 to 9 mph that will become a light westerly breeze in the afternoon. Clouds will increase during the night, with lows around 32. [Weather.gov]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by coworking provider Industrious. ARLnow has been based in an Industrious office — one of several in Arlington — for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about stocking an office. 

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