News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
First level retail under construction at 1900 Crystal Drive in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

DCA Expansion Effort Fails — “The House on Wednesday evening voted not to expand flights at the airport closest to the U.S. Capitol building, a fight that has featured dueling op-eds from warring airlines, each with bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers aligned with their side. The provision, which would have expanded flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by 14 per day, is a win for United Airlines, American Airlines and lawmakers local to the Washington, D.C. area that opposed the flights.” [Politico]

State Police Chase Wanted Man — From Dave Statter: “Man reported wanted on felony charges by @ArlingtonVaPD stops for @VSPPIO this afternoon & then pulls off. A 3.5 mile chase on I-95S in Prince William ends after a crash into another vehicle.” [Twitter]

County Employee Discontent — “Employees in the Arlington County government’s cultural-affairs office face ‘harassment, retaliation and racism’ that is accepted by higher-ups, County Board members were told July 15. ‘A hostile work environment has been created by management,’ said Charlotte Malerich, an office aide in the county government’s library system who is active in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.” [Gazette Leader]

‘Innovation Fund’ Approved — “The Arlington County Board voted on July 18, 2023, to approve the framework for the Catalyst Grant Program of the newly created Arlington Innovation Fund (AIF). The $1 million AIF, part of the FY 2024 Adopted Budget, is designed to encourage the growth and success of technology startups by providing access to capital and to enhance the local tech ecosystem through the sponsorship of unique initiatives and programming.” [Arlington County]

New Donation Center for Lions Club — “With a new home having been secured, Lions Clubs from across the region aim to build on past success in recycling eyeglasses… Several weeks ago, the new facility opened at 919 South Monroe Street in Arlington. Donations can be dropped off there 24/7.” [Gazette Leader]

Local Swim Team Undefeated — “Highlighted by bookend road victories to start and end the regular season, the Dominion Hills Thunder Ducks finished 5-0 to win this summer’s Northern Virginia Swimming League Division 8 championship.” [Gazette Leader]

Ebbin Gets GOP Challenger — “[Sophia] Moshasha, an Alexandria resident, qualified for the ballot in June against [State Sen. Adam] Ebbin… Moshasha is the co-host of the Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Association’s podcast and the association’s local lead. If elected, she will advocate for policies that encourage entrepreneurship, such as tax incentives for small businesses and streamlined regulations, the campaign said.” [Gazette Leader]

GOPers Line Up for Kaine Challenge — “Hung Cao, a retired U.S. Navy captain who entered the political spotlight last year with an unsuccessful bid to unseat Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), announced Tuesday that he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Sen. Tim Kaine (D) in Virginia’s 2024 elections. Cao’s announcement adds to an increasingly crowded field of GOP candidates in next year’s nomination contest, with at least eight contenders so far.” [Washington Post]

It’s Thursday — There’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, despite a predominantly sunny day with highs around 88°F. Showers and thunderstorms are more likely at night. [Weather.gov]

Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jul 19, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jul 19, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

⛈️ Thursday’s forecast

There’s a likelihood of showers and thunderstorms, starting from the afternoon with a 30% precipitation chance. Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures peaking near 88 degrees, and light winds turning southward around 6mph. As the evening progresses, showers and potential thunderstorms are more likely to occur between 8pm and 2am, with a 70% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy with low temperatures near 71 degrees and a southeast wind blowing at speeds of 5 to 8 mph. Rainfall may range from a quarter to half an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure… but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”
– Francis Chan

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Sponsored

Listing of the Day: 6223 Langston Blvd

By ARLnow.com

Address: 6223 Langston Blvd
Neighborhood: Lee Ridge
Type: 3 BR, 2 BA single-family detached – 3300 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,299,000

Noteworthy: City living with tailored country surroundings/two-car garage

A timeless North Arlington Cape Cod, lovingly maintained and thoughtfully upgraded by the same owners since 1995.

This home features three upstairs bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Set behind a handsome stone retaining wall, the home enjoys wonderful privacy and quiet, thanks to its solid one-foot-thick stone construction. Large windows on every side invite natural light to spill across the high ceilings, solid wood floors, and custom built-ins found throughout both levels.

The kitchen is a chef’s delight, complete with a gas cooktop, granite countertops, and a suite of thoughtful additions including a microwave with convection capabilities. Surround sound enhances the first floor, ceiling and wall speakers in the sunroom, dining room, and living room, and SpeakerCraft ceiling speakers in the kitchen. Bright recessed lighting runs throughout the home, while the basement shines with upgraded fixtures that bring exceptional brightness to the space.

Outdoor living is equally as inviting with a rear stone patio and exterior lighting with carriage lamps and multiple spotlights that showcase the grounds beautifully. The primary suite is a true retreat with custom built-in cabinetry featuring granite countertops that flow seamlessly into the walk-in closet and bathroom.

Recent updates include exterior and interior painting (2024), a fully renovated lower-level bath (2024), and roof replacements over both the house and garage (2017). An oversized detached two-car garage with storage plus a driveway accommodating four or more cars provides exceptional convenience. This residence offers easy access to Georgetown, downtown DC, Airports, and Metro.

Listed by:
James Corry – James Corry Real Estate Services
[email protected]
(561) 389-3111

News

Water main break closes several Arlington County facilities

By ARLnow.com
Water main break (2018 file photo courtesy Arlington DES)

A water main break near Route 50 caused water pressure issues for a large swath of Arlington today, prompting some county facility closures.

The water main break happened on N. Irving Street, just north of Route 50, on the border of the Ashton Heights and Lyon Parks neighborhoods.

While the water main being repaired just served the surrounding neighborhood, crews had to “isolate” a nearby transmission main.

“It is a 6” water main that is being repaired,” Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Kathryn O’Brien tells ARLnow. “We’ve isolated a 30” water main nearby to allow crews to repair the break.”

“That has caused low water pressure for a number of customers in the area,” she noted.

While most the water pressure was restored around 2 p.m., the lack of water prompted closures of several county facilities, as far away as Fairlington.

The Arlington Dept. of Human Services offices and Arlington Public Schools offices at Sequoia Plaza were both closed.

“Due to a water main break near the Syphax Education Center, staff have been asked to leave the building and telework,” APS said in an email to families today. “As a result, phone communication with staff at the Syphax Education Center may be delayed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Additionally, the Fairlington Community Center was closed due to lack of water.

“Messages have gone out to all summer camp participants to let them know that all programs are closed as of 1:30 p.m. today. All campers will need to be picked up immediately as the building will also be closed,” the county said in an email. “All Enjoy Arlington classes at Fairlington Community Center are also canceled for the rest of the day.”

Repairs on the six-inch main are expected to wrap up around 5 p.m.

News

Arlington seeks $1.9 million federal grant to plant trees on school grounds and in less-leafy neighborhoods

By Caroline Gage
Trees in Glencarlyn (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Arlington County is seeking $1.9 million in federal funding to plant trees on school grounds and in neighborhoods with less tree canopy.

The funding will help maintain 4,400 trees, plant 400 additional trees and treat 138 acres of invasive species, a county report said. If the county receives the funding, tree planting could begin as soon as next summer.

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board retroactively approved an application county staff filed with the federal government last month. The funding would come from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, via a grant program supporting local efforts to address tree canopy and green space shortages in underserved communities and mitigate the effects of climate change.

With the grant, the county says it is “seeking to improve the livability of neighborhoods with historic and current tree equity deficits.”

While Arlington has an overall tree canopy level of 41%, it varies significantly by neighborhood, according to a 2017 county report. More urban and historically disadvantaged neighborhoods tend to have lower canopy levels, some below 20%, while wealthier, less dense neighborhoods had levels exceeding 70%.

A 2023 citizen-funded study suggests these canopy levels could be even lower.

Tree canopy cover by civic association in Arlington in 2017 (via Arlington County)

Last year, the local nonprofit EcoAction Arlington embarked on a multi-year effort to tackle these inequities. The county says the federal funding would boost this effort while also halving the current 16-year turnaround time for pruning and maintaining its 19,500 street trees.

“This turnaround time is too long to proactively reduce risk from tree or branch failure, which often affects lower income residents more,” the county report said.

“Plant healthcare will prevent or delay tree decline, particularly of trees at risk from invasive species and the impact of climate change,” it continued. “It will help save mature trees, which have significant embodied carbon and provide the greatest ecosystem service to our community.”

Plantings will target neighborhoods with an “equity score” below 100, according to the forest conservation group American Forests. The nonprofit has a map showing Arlington’s varying tree canopy levels and how that maps onto other indicators, such as socioeconomic diversity.

The county will also focus planting efforts on school properties, which have low tree canopy levels owing to black tops and large buildings. It says Arlington schools have an average tree canopy level of 23%, while green space makes up less than 25% of land.

Tree canopy gaps in Arlington (via American Forests)
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