News | ARLnow.com

Rosslyn ‘Corridor of Light’ Not Expected Until 2017

Published November 14, 2014 at 4:40PM

Artist rendering of Rosslyn’s Corridor of Light project (image via Arlington Arts)

The “Corridor of Light” public art project that’s been discussed for six years is not expected to come to N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn for another three years, at the earliest.

The art will consist of 68 sculptures, lanterns and light fixtures by Venice, Calif.-based artist Cliff Garten. The pieces will be placed from the Lynn Street Esplanade over I-66, through the Central Place development, to the Meade Street bridge over Route 50.

The project will be constructed in three phases. Phase I will be at the Lynn Street Esplanade — the two-part intersection with Lee Highway that doubles as a bridge over I-66 — with four, 20-foot tall “luminous bodies” on each corner of the intersection. This phase of the project is expected to be complete in 2017, in conjunction with planned safety improvements for the “Intersection of Doom,” at one corner of the Esplanade, Arlington Cultural Affairs spokesman Jim Byers said.

Phase II consists of four, 26-foot tall luminous bodies — different in form from the ones in Phase I — at the corners of the 19th Street N. intersection, plus four at the corners of the Wilson Blvd, and five mid-block on Lynn Street in the Central Place development. There will also be 16-foot lanterns all along the block and illuminated bike racks and benches. This phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2017 along with the Central Place office and residential towers.

Phase III is largely the same in scope and look of Phase I, except on the Meade Street bridge. The $5 million renovation of the bridge, intended to make it more modern and pedestrian-friendly, is expected to be funded in 2019 as a joint project among the county, the National Park Service, which owns part of the land for the bridge, and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Phase III is expected to be complete and funded along with the construction.

When complete, the project is intended to tie together Lynn Street in its complete run through Rosslyn. The luminous bodies — giant, stainless steel structures with environmentally friendly lights — will be able to be programmed for different colors, and change with the seasons.

The project will be largely funded by JBG Companies’ contributions to the county’s public art fund, which were part of negotiations for extra density of the Central Place skyscrapers. Garten has already been paid design fees for Phase I and III, Byers said, but how much he has been paid was not made immediately available.

Garten spoke to the Washington Post in 2008, when the project was already being planned, and said he estimated he would need $750,000 to $1 million to complete the project.

“The next level of public art has to move to embrace the city at a large scale, which means to work with the city’s systems and infrastructure,” Garten told the Post. “That could be dealing with water systems. It could be sewer. It could be lighting infrastructure, as it is here.”

Arlington Law Firm Issues Statement About Partner’s Stabbing

By ARLnow.com

Published November 14, 2014 at 3:30PM

The Courthouse-based law firm of Bean Kinney & Korman is confirming earlier reports that its managing shareholder, Leo Fisher, and his wife were stabbed in their McLean home on Sunday.

In a statement, the firm also confirms that one of the suspects, Alecia Schmuhl, 30, was an attorney at the firm. Her employment ended on Oct. 28, less than two weeks before the attack, Bean Kinney said.

Schmuhl and her husband, Andrew (both pictured), have been charged with two counts of abduction and two counts of malicious wounding.

The Washington Post, citing prosecutors and police, reports that Andrew Schmuhl entered the house after pretending to be a police officer, tied Fisher and his wife up and then repeatedly stabbed them. The couple were arrested after a car chase, and Andrew was wearing nothing but a diaper when he was taken into custody, the Post reported.

Both victims are still in the hospital. Their wounds were described as life-threatening.

The statement from Bean Kinney is below.

As reported through multiple media sources, Leo Fisher, Bean Kinney & Korman’s managing shareholder, and his wife were savagely assaulted and repeatedly stabbed in their home by intruders, identified as Andrew Schmuhl and Alecia Schmuhl, husband and wife. Alecia Schmuhl was an associate attorney with the firm from February 13, 2013, through October 28, 2014. As the matter is a subject of an active police investigation, the firm is unable to comment further on the circumstances of her employment and separation from the firm.

We are shocked and horrified by the facts of the matter as presented at this morning’s bond hearing for Ms. Schmuhl, and entirely support the decision to deny her bond. Our hearts go out to a wonderful colleague and his beloved wife. We are doing everything possible to support them through this ordeal and pray for their recovery. We are confident in the ability of the judicial process to achieve a just outcome and will fully cooperate with the Fairfax County investigative authorities to assure that those who have committed these unspeakable offenses against good people are fittingly punished for their actions.

Photos via Fairfax County Police Department

More Arlington Residents Walking and Biking to Work, Researcher Says

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 14, 2014 at 10:00AM

The way Arlington residents commute continues to change, with more working remotely than at any point in the last decade, according to a new study.

The study, tabulated in infographic form (left) by county-funded transit research organization Mobility Lab, used 2013 data to analyze the commuting habits of of 131,300 working Arlington residents and the 180,300 who work in the county.

According to the study, 7 percent of all commuting trips by Arlington residents are either on foot or with a bicycle, and 4 percent of Arlington workers report either walking or biking to work. While 7.4 percent of commuting trips were biking and walking in the previous study, conducted in 2010, Mobility Lab Research Director Stephen Crim told ARLnow.com that he believes the 576-resident sample did not represent the county’s changing commuting patterns.

“We looked at this in comparison to census figures, and the census is showing really strong growth [in walking and biking] between the 2013 community survey and the 2010 community survey,” Crim said, “so we think there is an increase, but the sample didn’t pick that up.”

The longer term trend is clear: in 2004, only 4 percent of county residents biked or walked to work, and only 2.8 percent arrived at their jobs in Arlington via bike or foot.

The number of Arlington residents that drive alone to work is virtually unchanged — from 55 percent in 2010 to 54 percent last year — and hasn’t decreased significantly over the last 10 years, despite local officials’ emphasis on the “Car Free Diet.” Crim said that transit advocates should not be discouraged, however.

“A few percentage points over that period I’d say is real progress,” he said. “For Arlington residents, it’s a kind of hard argument to make because a lot of them are not going that far to work. Satisfaction across all the different modes is about the same. It’s that much more difficult sometimes, to make the argument, when someone still owns a car to not use it for work. They might have to drive a short distance or not get on a crowded interstate, so it’s a real challenge for all of Arlington’s programs.”

Compared with other jurisdictions around the region, Arlington’s residents lag behind only the District’s in alternative modes of transportation to driving. The regional average for those who drive alone to work is close to 70 percent, but only 38 percent of D.C. residents drive solo to the office.

Arlington residents’ use of Metrorail took a slight dip, from its peak of 27 percent in 2010 to 26 percent last year. The number coincides with the region as a whole; according to Mobility Lab, Metro’s ridership has been in decline since 2009.

The biggest statistical shift in working patterns comes from employees teleworking. In 2004, only 13 percent of Arlington residents said they teleworked at any point during the week. In 2013, that number is 30 percent, with the respondents teleworking on average 1.3 days per week. In addition, 19 percent of Arlington residents said they can’t telework at their current job, but “could and would” if the option were available to them.

Image courtesy Mobility Lab

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 14, 2014 at 9:25AM

Wizards Look at Crystal City, Ballston — Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is reportedly narrowing in on three sites — in Crystal City, Ballston and in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood — as the potential location for the team’s future $40-50 million practice facility. [Washington Post]

New Cultural Affairs Director — Michelle Isabelle-Stark has been named Arlington County’s new Director of Cultural Affairs, overseeing Artisphere and the county’s art programs. Isabelle-Stark most recently held a similar position in Suffolk County, New York. [Arlington Economic Development]

Backup QB Leads Yorktown into Playoffs — Charlie Tiene, a top lacrosse prospect who skipped football for the golf team last year, will lead the Yorktown Patriots in the their first-round playoff game tonight. Tiene was named the team’s quarterback after starting QB Joe McBride went down with an ACL injury. [Washington Post]

Signature Developing Two New Musicals — Shirlington’s Signature Theatre is developing two new musicals: Midwestern Gothic and the Christmas-themed Silver Belles. [Playbill]

Snow in Arlington — Reagan National Airport reported a trace amount of snowfall overnight. [National Weather Service]

Flickr pool photo by Starbuck77

Lyon Park Residents Divided Over Community Center Funding Plan

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 13, 2014 at 5:10PM

The Lyon Park Community Center is set to break ground on its million-dollar renovation next weekend, but the community is divided about plans to pay for the construction.

Last night, 265 Lyon Park residents attended a meeting of the Lyon Park Citizens Association — a record, according to LPCA President John Goldener — to vote on whether the community center should take out a $600,000 line of credit to help fund the renovation.

Put up as collateral for the bank: the park and community center itself.

After a spirited debate, 121 voted to let the Lyon Park Community Center Board of Governors take out the line of credit, with 114 voting to proceed with the renovations, funded only by donations. The LPCA has been fundraising for five years, according to treasurer Bill Anhut, but they have raised $450,000, far from the organization’s goal.

“It’s been apparent the costs were going to come in higher than we expected, and fundraising was lagging because the process was taking so long,” Anhut said. The LPCA has been discussing renovating the Lyon Park Community House, built in 1925, for more than a decade. “People were wondering if we were ever going to get to the point where we put the shovel in the ground.”

A group of residents has circulated a flyer in the last month asking residents to vote in the motion against taking out the line of credit. The flyer reads, in part:

“Repaying the loan will cost $680,000-$800,000, primarily from new donations, from YOU or else LYON PARK COULD BE LOST TO FORECLOSURE … the community center risks default and the bank could take over operations.”

Goldener said that scenario is “impossible.” In the deed to the park and community center — which is owned by the LPCA, meaning it’s owned by the residents of the neighborhood — it is stated that the property can only ever be a park and community center, Goldener said. Cardinal Bank, which approved the line of credit, knows that and has no intention of foreclosing.

Even if the LPCA can’t repay the loan, Anhut said, a few residents have volunteered to be guarantors on the loan, meaning if something changes with LPCA leadership and the association decides to stop making payments, the residents would step in to cover the expenses.

The only reason the bank asked for collateral, Anhut said, was to protect its investment and prevent the LPCA from getting more money from another bank.

“The bank proceeded with the loan and understands they can’t look to the property to satisfy any default,” Anhut said. “The bank knows that if they were to foreclose on this property, the deed has a stipulation that it will forever remain a park. It cannot be changed.”

The flyer passed out also suggests undergoing a more modest renovation with the cash on hand, asking “why can’t a sunroom be built in a second phase?”

Goldener dismissed the notion that the renovations are more than the facility needs.

“There’s a misperception that the cost of this is a gold-plated facility and it’s not,” he said. “The reason it’s expensive is because we have to do completely redo all the plumbing, electrical, ADA accessible entry, exits and handicapped bathrooms, and the kitchen’s a commercial kitchen, so all of the costs are essentially triple what they would be for a home renovation.”

Goldener said the community has run a number of financial models, and the LPCA anticipates “easily” paying back the sum of the loan, with interest, within 10 years. The citizens association will also continue to fundraise during the renovations, and the organization will only dip into the line of credit when it runs out of cash on hand, Anhut said. When the renovations are complete, donations and rental fees will combine to go toward paying back the credit.

Lyon Park is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovations on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 4:00 p.m. The community center is located at 414 N. Fillmore Street. The renovations are expected be complete by next summer

Photo courtesy John Goldener

Arlington Snow Crews to Plow Trails This Winter

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 13, 2014 at 3:45PM

Starting this winter, Arlington County says it will be the first jurisdiction in the D.C. metro area to have a comprehensive policy of clearing some mixed-use trails during snowstorms.

The county announced today that it will start clearing 10 miles of trails at the same time as priority arterial roads. The Department of Parks and Recreation has cleared trails around the county before, but this will be the first time the highly-used trails will be plowed during and immediately after snowstorms.

The trails that will be cleared are:

5.2 miles of the Custis Trail, from the W&OD Trail to N. Lynn Street
2.25 miles of the Four Mile Run Trail from Reagan National Airport to Shirlington Road
1.25 miles of the Bluemont Junction Trail from Fairfax Drive in Ballston to the W&OD Trail
and 0.4 miles of the Route 110 trail from the Iwo Jima Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery

The county does not own two of the most highly-used trails in Arlington — the W&OD Trail and the Mount Vernon Trail. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority owns the W&OD and the National Park Service owns the Mount Vernon Trail. For updates during snow storms on the status of those and other trails around the county, cyclists and walkers should refer to the BikeArlington forums, the county says.

The county’s Dept. of Environmental Services is also starting a pilot program this winter to clear the county’s protected bike lanes of snow using specialized equipment. As more protected bike lanes come to the county — such lanes are in the design phase for S. Eads Street in Crystal City — DES is requesting more funding for the program for future winters.

According to WashCycle, a protected bike lane could be also coming to Wilson Blvd between Rosslyn and Courthouse. The bike advocacy blog says the cycle track is “in design and evaluation right now.”

Residents can monitor the progress of snow removal from roadways around the county by visiting Arlington’s snow and ice website, which has links to view the 83 traffic cameras around the county, and posts updates during snow removal processes.

DES received a $300,000 budget boost from the County Board this past spring, earmarked to allow trail plowing, according to the Washington Post. Cyclists represent about 1 percent of those who commute to or from work in Arlington County, survey data shows.

Arlington County has 92 drivers and 46 trucks among its snow-clearing resources. The drivers received computer-based simulator training to prepare for this winter season and potential safety hazards, the county said in a press release.

This winter, weather forecasters are predicting colder temperatures and more snow than normal.

File photo

Crime Report: Armed Robbery in Ballston, Stabbing in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published November 13, 2014 at 11:45AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:17PM

File photo

This past Saturday afternoon, a convenience store in Ballston was robbed by a man with a gun, according to this week’s Arlington crime report.

From the Arlington County Police Department:

ARMED ROBBERY, 141108035, 900 block of N Stafford St, On 11/8/14 at 1510 hours a male subject entered a convenience store and displayed a handgun while demanding money. The suspect, described as a black male, 20-30 years of age, 5’07” 160 lbs, wearing a beanie or watchman’s cap underneath a black hoodie, red polo shirt with white stripes, and a black varsity jacket with red trim, black sneakers with white toe tip, and a black backpack with pink trim.

On Tuesday evening, a man was reportedly stabbed in the neck near the Rosslyn Metro station.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 141111045, 1800 block of N Moore St., On 11/11/14 at 1852 hours, a male victim told police he was stabbed in the neck by an unknown male. The suspect is described as a white male wearing dark clothing, dark sunglasses, and carrying a backpack. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. All named suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

(more…)

Video: Dad, Daughter Talk About Fatal House Fire

By ARLnow.com

Published November 13, 2014 at 10:15AM

Arlington resident Bill Barkes and his 11-year-old daughter, Sarah, are now talking about the house fire they survived last week — the fire that claimed the lives of his wife and her sister.

Barkes told NBC4’s Pat Collins that he tried tried to save Mary and Emily after climbing a ladder and saving Sarah, who is now recovering from severe burns, but the fire was too hot.

“I felt helpless… I didn’t want to leave them,” he said, sobbing, in Sarah’s hospital room. “I wanted to jump in but I figured if I did and I didn’t get out she’d be an orphan.”

Mary, Bill’s wife, died after running back in the house to try to save Emily.

An online fundraising campaign for the family has so far raised more than $66,000.

#house fire

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 13, 2014 at 9:30AM

Property Assessments Expected to Rise — Arlington property owners may be on the hook for $330 to $440 in additional taxes next year, if rates stay the same. That’s because initial estimates suggest that assessments of single-family homes and condos in Arlington County will rise 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively. [Washington Post]

New Construction Coming to DCA — Reagan National Airport will be getting a new regional jet concourse, a new parking garage and larger security screening areas, as part of a just-approved $1 billion capital construction program. Security screening will be relocated to the ticketing level, which will open up the “National Hall” shopping and dining area to all security-screened passengers. The airport served 20.4 million passengers in 2013, a figure that’s expected to rise to 22 million soon. [MWAA, Greater Greater Washington]

County to Receive Breastfeeding Program Grant — Arlington County is set to receive a nearly $30,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Health to support a breastfeeding counselor program for lower-income residents. [Arlington County]

APS Thanks Voters for School Bond — The Arlington School Board is thanking Arlington voters for approving this year’s $105.78 million school bond. Among the six projects to receive bond funding are $50 million for either a new elementary school or two elementary school additions, $29 million for an addition and renovation to Abingdon Elementary, and $5 million for improvements at Washington-Lee High School that will add 300 seats. [Arlington Public Schools]

Cold, Snowy Winter Outlook — This winter is expected to be colder and snowier than usual, according to forecasters. [Capital Weather Gang]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Arlington Law Firm Rocked by Partner’s Stabbing

By ARLnow.com

Published November 12, 2014 at 5:50PM | Updated November 14, 2014 at 11:18AM

The Courthouse-based law firm of Bean Kinney & Korman has been rocked by a violent crime in McLean.

A married couple, Andrew and Alecia Schmuhl, are accused of stabbing a man and a woman in their McLean home, after knocking on their front door on Sunday. The victims, both 61 years old, suffered serious injuries, according to Fairfax County Police.

The law blog Above the Law reports that the victims were Bean Kinney managing partner Leo Fisher and his wife. Alecia Schmuhl (pictured) was a Bean Kinney attorney who was fired on Friday, a source told the site. Her profile on the firm’s website has since been taken down.

A representative of the firm has thus far not responded to a request for comment from ARLnow.com.

Update at 11/14/14 — The Washington Post has additional details about the crime, which was described as a “torture session” by a prosecutor.

Glencarlyn Park Could Soon Get $400K Upgrade

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 12, 2014 at 5:00PM

The southern end of Glencarlyn Park — next to the intersection of the W&OD Trail and Columbia Pike — could soon see major improvements, like a “learning loop” path for beginning cyclists and a bike repair station.

At its Saturday meeting, the Arlington County Board will vote on whether to approve a $395,930 contract for the park improvements, with a $39,593 contingency. The improvements were approved by the County Board back in 2009 as part of the Neighborhood Conservation Program for the Barcroft Civic Association, but the project has been delayed to accommodate the Columbia Pike Undergrounding and Streetscape Improvements project.

If the Board approves the contract with Avon Corporation, construction could begin shortly thereafter. When completed, the new portion of the park would have:

A bicycle learning loop separate from the W&OD Trail
A bike repair stand
A “playful plaza” with picnic and game tables and a sand play area
A separate plaza with bike parking, benches and a water fountain
Additional plantings of native trees and grasses
A rain garden to help in “reuse and absorption” of stormwater on the site

The original cost of the park renovations was projected to be $468,000, but in the five years since its approval, the total price tag has jumped to just over $680,000, including the need to install a new sewer after it was revealed the existing line was deteriorating.

The difference is being accounted for with savings from previously completed Neighborhood Conservation projects that came in under budget, according to county staff.

Image (top), via Arlington County. Photo (bottom) via Google Maps