News | ARLnow.com

Parkmobile Now Available Throughout Arlington

Published October 10, 2014 at 1:30PM

The rollout of Arlington’s smartphone parking system is expected to be complete by the end of the weekend.

Metered parking has been gradually adopting the Parkmobile system — which allows users to download the Parkmobile app and use the app to connect to their credit card and pay the meter, including sending notifications when a session is about to expire — neighborhood by neighborhood. It launched in Crystal City and Shirlington in July, in Clarendon and Ballston last month and in Courthouse, Rosslyn and Columbia Pike in the last two weeks.

According to county Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Jessica Baxter, the final phase of the system will be done by the end of the weekend, meaning all meters run by the county in Arlington will be eligible to be paid via smartphone. The kiosks and coin-operated machines are still functional, if motorists prefer to pay with other methods.

Baxter said the system had 34,000 transactions in September. Initially the rollout of the service was expected to stretch into 2015, but due to the widespread use of the system, the county accelerated the app’s deployment. Last month, Columbia Pike had been targeted for a winter expansion of Parkmobile.

Numerous Road Closures for Army Ten-Miler

By ARLnow.com

Published October 10, 2014 at 11:40AM

The 30th annual Army Ten-Miler race will be held Sunday morning, and numerous local roads and highways will be closed for the event.

The race begins at 8:00 a.m. The course runs from the Pentagon, across the Memorial Bridge into D.C., and back to the Pentagon via the 14th Street Bridge.

More than 30,000 runners are registered for the race.

Arlington County Police and U.S. Park Police have announced the following road closures for Sunday.

Memorial Avenue, Memorial Circle, and Arlington Memorial Bridge will be closed from 5:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., including all entrance and exit ramps.
Route 110 between Rosslyn and Crystal City will be closed in both directions at 5:00 a.m. (Use the George Washington Memorial Parkway as an alternative)
I-395 HOV northbound from Crystal City to the 14th Street Bridge will be closed at 6:00 a.m.
S. Eads Street from Army Navy Drive into the Pentagon/ northbound I-395 HOV lanes will be closed at 5:00 a.m.
I-395 southbound HOV exit to S. Eads Street / Pentagon south parking lot will be closed at 5:00 a.m.
Route 27 in both directions from George Washington Memorial Parkway to I-395 will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Army Navy Drive from S. Eads Street to S. 12th Street from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
S. 12th Street from S. Eads Street to Long Bridge Drive from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
A single traffic lane on Long Bridge Drive will be open from S. 12th Street to Long Bridge Park for access to the soccer fields and area residents from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The southbound GW Parkway ramp to the Pentagon North Parking Lot will be closed from 5 a.m. until 12 p.m.
The Memorial Avenue ramp to Route 110 southbound will be closed from 5 a.m. until 12 p.m.
The Route 110 northbound ramp to Memorial Avenue will be closed from 5 a.m. until 12 p.m.

Those participating in the Ten-Miler are being encouraged to honor fallen servicemembers through a social media campaign called “Run to Honor.” The campaign calls on those taking photos at the race to post them to Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #RuntoHonor.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 10, 2014 at 9:30AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:46PM

County Government Open on Columbus Day — Even though it’s a federal holiday, Arlington County government offices will be open for Columbus Day on Monday. Courts, DMV offices, the Sheriff’s Office and other state-related offices will be closed. Arlington Public Schools will be closed for a teacher work day. [Arlington County]

Antique Plane Fly-Over — About 30 World War II-era planes will be flying over the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery around ~~12:30 p.m. today~~ 11:55 a.m. Saturday. [WTOP]

Higher Charges for DCA Passengers? — Reagan National Airport is expected to have its traffic increase by another two million passengers next year, while overtaking both Dulles and BWI in passengers by the end of this year. To help keep up with the growth, and perhaps encourage use of the recently-upgraded Dulles International Airport instead, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is considering an increase of the passenger fee at DCA from $4.50 to $8.50. [WTOP]

Metrorail Ridership Continues to Slide — Ridership on Metrorail is continuing its five-year-slide. Ridership has slipped from a high of 225 million annual trips in 2009 to just over 200 million annual trips now. A shrinking federal workforce, increased telecommuting and increased bike and bus commuting are said to be the main drivers of the decrease. [Washington City Paper]

Office Buildings as Schools — Converting older office buildings into schools is increasingly being eyed as a two-fold solution to office vacancies and a school capacity crunch in Northern Virginia. In Falls Church, a five-story office building was converted into an elementary school — although a full gymnasium has yet to be built. [Washington Post]

‘Historic’ Garage Move Considered — Arlington’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board will meet on Wednesday and consider a proposal to move a “historic garage” from county property onto the now privately-owned Fraber House site in Cherrydale. Preservationists might not be thrilled about the move, which would also require the removal of an oak tree. “Historic preservation advocates had wanted the county to draw the historic district line around the garage so that this wouldn’t have to happen… oh well,” one tipster told ARLnow.com. [PDF]

Photo courtesy @ClarendonScene

Police: Cyclist Seriously Hurt After Car Runs Red Light

By ARLnow.com

Published October 9, 2014 at 11:30AM

A cyclist was seriously hurt when a car ran a red light on Route 50 and struck her in the crosswalk last night, according to police.

The 26-year-old woman was crossing Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at N. Irving Street just after 6:00 p.m. when a driver in a westbound Honda Accord blew through the red light, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The woman was struck and thrown a distance, landing on the westbound lanes, Sternbeck said. She was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital with “significant and critical injuries.”

The driver, identified only as a 46-year-old Arlington man, remained on scene. He’s facing several charges, Sternbeck said.

Rush hour traffic was “significantly impacted” during the accident investigation. All but one lane in each direction was closed for about two hours, according to Arlington Alerts.

File photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 9, 2014 at 9:00AM | Updated May 12, 2017 at 12:53PM

Tallula, EatBar Closing — Tallula and EatBar, which first opened in 2004 in Lyon Park, will be closing on Sunday, Oct. 26. The restaurants’ owner says they were “unable to reach an agreement with the landlord on renewing Tallula’s lease.” [Eater, Facebook]

Civ Fed Skeptical of Housing Effort — The Arlington County Civic Federation’s revenues-and-expenditures committee released a scathing critique of the county government’s “Public Lands for Public Good” affordable housing effort. The committee’s report said Arlington “couldn’t, and shouldn’t, try to solve all the region’s problems on its own.” It also said that “the county appears to be placing greater weight on the desires of non-residents who wish to move to Arlington ahead of the needs and wishes of its own citizens.” [InsideNova, PDF]

E-CARE This Weekend — Arlington County will hold its biannual Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) on Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event allows residents to “safely dispose of household hazardous materials, bikes, small metal items, shoes, clothing and other recyclable items.” [Arlington County]

Pop-Up Dinners in D.C. for Ballston Restaurant — Before it officially opens in Ballston early next year, Pepita — a new “Mexican cantina” from former Top Chef contestant Mike Isabella — will be holding a series of “pop-up dinners” to test its menu. The dinners will held starting Oct. 30 be at Isabella’s G Sandwich restaurant at 2201 14th Street NW in D.C. [Washington Post]

Former County Controversy, Now Hardly a Blip — In 2008, Arlington was roiled by a long political fight over accessory-dwelling units, or “granny flats.” The County Board was considering whether to allow homeowners to build ADUs, which often house elderly family members. The Arlington Civic Federation opposed it, with critics warning that ADUs could turn quiet neighborhoods into overcrowded slums. The County Board ended up voting to allow ADUs by permit, but set a limit of 28 approvals per year. Since then, “less than a dozen” have been built. [InsideNova]

Roosevelt Bridge Inspections — The District Department of Transportation is conducting inspection work on the Roosevelt Bridge today and tomorrow. Route 50 drivers can expect some short-term lane closures during non-rush hour periods while the inspections are performed. Work vehicles associated with the inspections will be parked along the GW Parkway.

Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber

Construction to Start This Month on New Crystal City Apartments

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 8, 2014 at 4:30PM

The high-rise apartment building that will replace the former Post Office on S. Eads Street expects to have shovels in the ground by the end of the month.

The building, at 1720 S. Eads Street, is being developed by Kettler and will be called m.flats, the same name of a recently opened Kettler apartment building on K Street NW in D.C.

The development, which was approved by the Arlington County Board last February, will be 11 stories tall with 198 units, comprised almost entirely of one- and two-bedroom apartments. There will be 176 spaces of underground parking, a “gaming area, fitness center, street entry bike room, and an all-season landscaped courtyard with fire and water features.”

“Our m.flats apartments are meeting a growing demand for living spaces within walking distance of work, shops and entertainment,” Robert C. Kettler, chairman and CEO of Kettler, said in a press release. “The thought process around m.flats recognizes the fact that many young people are forming families later in life. As a result, they not only want to enjoy the vibrancy of city life, but live in an apartment that has many conveniences and amenities.”

The construction is expected to be complete in October 2016. There’s no firm date yet on when construction will begin, according to a Kettler official, but the company is “pushing to begin work by the end of the month.”

The building was the first approved under the Crystal City Sector Plan, and Kettler agreed to keep 16 units at affordable rates and achieve a LEED Silver rating. The other 182 units will be marketed as “smaller, luxury units catering to single renters, young professionals and couples looking to share an apartment,” according to Kettler’s press release.

Kettler is currently in construction on the 411-unit Acadia building in the Metropolitan Park complex in Pentagon City.

Image courtesy Kettler

Man Wanted for Firing Gun at Ex’s Home

By ARLnow.com

Published October 8, 2014 at 11:30AM

A D.C. man is wanted for a shooting in Arlington’s High View Park neighborhood.

Police say 23-year-old Jeffrey Gaskins showed up to his ex-girlfriend’s house on the 1900 block of N. Culpeper Street around 9:35 p.m. this past Sunday. He tried to kick in the front door, police said, and when that didn’t work he went to the back of the home, took out a gun and allegedly fired four shots at the house.

The ex-girlfriend, her two young children and an adult male were inside the home at the time but were uninjured. The man fled the scene after firing the shots and remains at large, according to a crime report.

“Warrants for four counts of attempted malicious shooting, shooting into an occupied dwelling, attempted burglary with the intent to commit murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and misdemeanor assault were issued” for Gaskins, police said.

Police: Man Exposes Self at Middle School

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 8, 2014 at 10:40AM | Updated October 8, 2014 at 11:20AM

(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) A man exposed himself outside Gunston Middle School (2700 S. Lang Street) last Tuesday, police said.

The incident happened just before 7:00 p.m. Police say an unknown suspect exposed himself at the water fountain outside the school, near the athletic fields.

“The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his thirties, approximately 5’3″ tall and 140 lbs,” according to an Arlington County police crime report. “He was wearing a bright red shirt and blue jeans at the time of the incident.”

There’s no indication that any children saw the man’s genitalia, police told ARLnow.com. WJLA reported that the fields were likely in use by community groups at the time.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 8, 2014 at 9:30AM

Civ Fed Votes Against Tall Buildings — The Arlington County Civic Federation has voted to urge the Federal Aviation Administration to adopt stricter rules regarding skyscrapers around airports. Such a rule, intended as a safety measure in the event a plane suffers an engine failure on takeoff, could impose a moratorium on future tall buildings in Crystal City and Rosslyn. [InsideNova]

Walk and Bike to School Day — Arlington Public Schools participated in International Walk and Bike to School Day this morning. Students and parents across the county ditched their cars and made their way to school on foot. [Arlington Public Schools]

Man Steals Skinny Jeans from Mall — A 33-year-old D.C. man has been charged with stealing numerous pairs of skinny jeans from the Hollister store in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. The alleged crime happened Tuesday afternoon. [NBC Washington]

Slow Start for Gay Marriage in Arlington — Only five same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses in Arlington in the 24 hours following the Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Virginia and a number of other states. Among Virginia jurisdictions, Arlington grants the third-most marriage licenses per year. [InsideNova]

Fairfax Approves Streetcar Design Funds — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved its $4.2 million share of design and program costs for the Columbia Pike streetcar on Tuesday. The Board voted 7-2. Arlington County already approved its share of design funds. The Pike streetcar will run from Pentagon City to Bailey’s Crossroads in Fairfax County. [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Medics and Patient Get Stuck in Elevator

By ARLnow.com

Published October 7, 2014 at 5:00PM

Arlington County paramedics encountered an added difficulty on the job when they became stuck in an elevator with a patient suffering a medical emergency this morning.

A crew responding to a medical emergency at the Whitmore apartments (4301 Columbia Pike) attended to the patient, who needed to be transported to the hospital. But they got stuck in the elevator on the way to the ambulance. A second engine crew initially was called to assist, but the crew already on scene managed to free the people in the elevator.

ACFD deputy fire marshal Brian McGraw said the impact to the patient was minimal because the stuck elevator delayed the medical workers for less than five minutes. He said medics were equipped to continue caring for the patient inside the elevator while they waited to be freed.

“It’s not a frequent issue,” said McGraw. “But from a patient care perspective, whenever we put a patient in an elevator, we have sufficient personnel and resources to render the care they need inside the elevator.”

McGraw would not comment on the nature of the patient’s medical emergency, but scanner traffic referred to the patient’s status as “priority 1,” which typically indicates someone with a life-threatening condition. The person was transported to Virginia Hospital Center.

Motorcyclist Dies in Crash

By ARLnow.com

Published October 7, 2014 at 2:15PM

Virginia State Police is investigating a crash that killed a motorcyclist early Sunday morning.

Police were called to Washington Blvd near I-395 at 2:20 a.m. for reports of a single-vehicle crash. When police arrived on the scene they found the victim’s motorcycle, but not the driver. After a search, 27-year-old Joel A. Morales of Woodbridge was found in a nearby wooded area. He died at the scene.

Police believe Morales was driving westbound on Washington Blvd from the I-395 off ramp when he apparently struck a jersey barrier. He was thrown from his motorcycle and landed below the overpass in the wooded area. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

Arlington County police assisted VSP with traffic control and security when the road had to be shut down to investigate the accident scene. VSP continues to investigate the cause of the crash.