A Winter Weather Advisory was just issued for Arlington and other D.C. area jurisdictions. Forecasters are currently calling for 1-3 inches of snow locally, mostly falling on Friday.
The advisory is in effect from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow. It cautions of slippery road conditions caused by the snowfall.
More, below, from the National Weather Service.
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 7 PM EST FRIDAY…
* WHAT…Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches north of US-50/I-66 with amounts around 1 inch to the south.
* WHERE…Portions of central and southern Maryland, The District of Columbia and northern and northwest Virginia.
* WHEN…From 4 AM to 7 PM EST Friday.
* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will impact the morning commute.
Snow arrives late tonight-Fri. AM. Winter Weather Advisories have been issued for 1-3" of snow across most of the region. Locally higher amounts up to 4" are possible north of I-70. The steadiest snow arrives between 6am-12pm Friday. Highest snow totals over the mountains. pic.twitter.com/KZTY4Y2t7H
Sunset sledding at Bluemont Park (Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler)
Ballston Towing Standoff — “There was a mini standoff at the Advanced Towing lot in Ballston today, with the company blocking a vehicle whose owner tried to drive off without paying. Per ACPD, ‘the incident was determined to be civil in nature and the parties resolved their dispute. No arrests were made.'” [Twitter]
Cost of County’s Lawsuit Defense — “Arlington taxpayers will be on the hook for fees ranging from $300 to $750 per hour under an agreement signed by the county government with a law firm that will support local leaders’ defense of Missing Middle housing and zoning policies. Following a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act by Arlingtonianis for Our Sustainable Future, the Arlington government released correspondence conducted between Dec. 29 and Jan. 2 with the law firm Gentry Locke.” [Gazette Leader, Fox 5]
Protest at Sec. of State’s Home — “There was another protest outside of [Secretary of State Tony] Blinken’s house on the Arlington/McLean border yesterday. He was out of town at the time but ACPD responded to help Diplomatic Security disperse the 15-20 demonstrators.” [Twitter]
Local Teacher’s Role in AP Class — “Today, many are learning—about the first African American aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces and more—thanks to Waters, who was one of two public school teachers on the original development committee for Advanced Placement African American Studies (AP AfAm). Last year, 60 U.S. high schools piloted the course, including Waters’ Wakefield High School, in Arlington, Va.” [neaToday]
Resident Faces Fraud Charge — “An Arlington resident was charged on Friday with falsely posing as an immigration lawyer and defrauding her clients of about $700,000, according to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury.” [Patch]
Pair of Water Main Breaks — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services yesterday: “Crews are working on an 8-inch water main break at 4817 31st St S. Some 250 customers in a low-rise building could be affected… Crews are working on a 6-inch water main break at 5047 25th St S. Some 100 customers could be affected.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Region Suffering Office Glut — “Office vacancy rates in Greater Washington hit new highs at the end of 2023 as vast swaths of space were added to the vacancy rolls, according to new market reports from commercial real estate brokerages. Nearly 80 million of the region’s 364.8 million square feet of privately owned office space is now sitting empty, per CBRE, a commercial real estate service giant. That’s more than 12 times the size of the 6.5 million-square-foot Pentagon.” [Washington Business Journal]
More Snow Accumulation Likely — “After going two years without one inch of snow in a calendar day, we could do it twice in one week, but that’s not a lock. Wednesday’s brutal wind chills will ease a bit Thursday ahead of our next chance of snow Thursday night and Friday. We anticipate less snow than the last storm, but it could be enough to cause some delays and cancellations Friday.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly cloudy day with a high around 37 degrees and a gentle south wind between 3 to 6 mph. Snow is likely Thursday night, especially after 1am, as the temperature drops to about 28 degrees. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation. [Weather.gov]
Address:2607 Washington Blvd Neighborhood: Lyon Park Type: 3 BR, 2 (+1 half) BA single-family detached – 1920 sq. ft. Listed: $1,274,900
Noteworthy: Beautifully updated brick colonial in the heart of Arlington!
This charming 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home perfectly blends classic character with thoughtful modern updates. The handsome brick exterior and flagstone retaining wall create exceptional curb appeal, enhanced by professional landscaping and private off-street parking for three cars. Inside, wood floors flow throughout both levels, complemented by fresh modern paint and abundant natural light.
The renovated kitchen showcases granite countertops, painted paneled cabinetry with brushed nickel hardware, a marble tile backsplash, pendant lighting, spacious pantry, and stainless steel appliances including a Bosch dishwasher, LG refrigerator, and five-burner gas stove. The adjoining family room features a cozy wood-burning fireplace with brick hearth and wood mantel, plus a sliding glass door leading to a large deck overlooking a fully fenced backyard with lush landscaping and a storage shed.
Upstairs, the expansive primary suite offers a deep walk-in closet, additional custom-organized closet, and a luxurious private bath with double sinks, granite counters, new lighting, and upgraded hardware. Two additional bedrooms with ceiling fans share an updated hall bath featuring a granite vanity, ceramic tile floor, and tub with tile surround.
Additional highlights include a newer Carrier gas furnace, State water heater, LG front-load washer and dryer, central vacuum system, and double-pane windows. Ideally located just blocks to Clarendon Metro and minutes to downtown D.C., the Pentagon, National Landing, and local parks and trails—this home delivers a rare combination of comfort, convenience, and timeless charm.
Expect a mostly cloudy day with a high temperature around 37 degrees and a gentle south wind at 3 to 6 mph. Snow is likely to arrive after 1am on Thursday night, accompanied by a low temperature of about 29 degrees and light, variable winds. There is a 60% chance of precipitation, with possible new snow accumulation of less than half an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
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Renderings of the proposed 8-story apartment building that will replace the Red Lion Hotel in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood (via Arlington County)
Renderings of the proposed 8-story apartment building that will replace the Red Lion Hotel in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood (via Arlington County)
Renderings of an apartment building proposed for the Red Lion Hotel site at 1501 Arlington Blvd near Rosslyn (via Arlington County)
Renderings of an apartment building proposed for the Red Lion Hotel site at 1501 Arlington Blvd near Rosslyn (via Arlington County)
Renderings of an apartment building proposed for the Red Lion Hotel site at 1501 Arlington Blvd near Rosslyn (via Arlington County)
Existing conditions at the Red Lion Hotel site (via Arlington County)
Red Lion Hotel in Rosslyn entrance in 2017 (Photo via Eric L.)
A redevelopment project near Rosslyn is teed up for Arlington County Board approval this weekend.
Reston-based Orr Partners proposes to build an 8-story apartment building with up to 446 units on a 2.2-acre site in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood.
The site at 1501 Arlington Blvd is currently home to the Red Lion Hotel, formerly the Best Western Iwo Jima hotel, which opened in 1958, as well as the Ellis Arms and Williamsburg apartments, which were built in 1954. It is bounded by Fairfax Drive to the south and the Parc Rosslyn Apartments and Belvedere Condominiums to the north.
The proposed building would add 418 net new units while still coming 62 feet under the height maximum allowed in this area, county planner Adam Watson told the Planning Commission last week. Its construction would eliminate surface parking lots and result in underground utility lines, new streetscapes and accessibility improvements.
Orr took over never-realized plans to build a 10-story condo tower and a 12-story hotel on the site, which the County Board approved in 2019.
After going through the county’s public review process, Orr changed the building’s form and design in response to staff and commissioner comments, says Watson. The developer made changes to the building at the corner of N. Pierce Street and Fairfax Drive to improve circulation on the sidewalk below, near a planned bicycle storage room.
It also added visual interest to gates along Fairfax Drive at the pedestrian level, intended to screen transformers from view and made design changes to give the lobby more prominence, he said.
Orr will replace existing market-rate affordable units with 24 on-site committed affordable units set aside for households earning up to 60% of the area median income. The units — seven 1-bedroom, 16 2-bedroom and one 3-bedroom — add up to 42 bedrooms, the same as currently exists.
Members of the Planning Commission urged the developer to consider trading some of the proposed 1-bedroom units for 3-bedroom ones.
“This would be a really great opportunity, as we rarely see 3-bedroom held market-rate affordable units that come before us,” said commission Chair Sara Steinberger last week. “You found one [3-bedroom unit]: I’m asking you guys to see what you can do to find one or two more. I do see some consensus in this body that that’s something that we would appreciate.”
Ryan Orr, the senior vice president of development, said his company is “happy to explore adding more 3-bedrooms in lieu of one or twos,” noting this would require “a holistic look” at the floor plans.
Representatives from the nearby Belvedere Condominiums owners association and the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights Civic Association expressed concern that the project will displace existing tenants of the market-rate affordable units.
Company chairman David Orr said he has heard these concerns from these neighbors since the kickoff of the project review process.
“We took that to heart. My son has met with every resident there — two didn’t open their doors — and we talked to them about their plans,” he said. “Some have had personal issues. Some are delinquent. We are not enforcing the leases and we are working with them in every way to bring them back to community.”
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