Winnie’s favorite things are: Eating food, getting pets and exploring!
Her special talents are: Learning new tricks, climbing stairs and her ability to FLOP anywhere!
Her perfect day would be: Getting a nice breakfast in the morning followed by a quick nap. After that, she would like to spend the rest of the day alternating eating hay and sleeping. Once you get home, she loves to run around the house for a bit then enjoy some fresh veggies for dinner.
Important facts about Winnie: Winnie loves kids! She is fully litter box trained and is very tidy. Winnie also tolerates being pick up (most rabbits don’t love it!)
Is Winnie the rabbit a perfect match for you? Has she finally found her forever home?
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.
Pentagon City Metro Station on Dec. 13, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Pentagon City Metro Station’s second elevator is still under construction (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Pentagon City Metro Station’s second elevator is still under construction (staff photo by James Jarvis)
The Pentagon City Metro Station’s second elevator project is now facing yet another delay and a request for more funds.
At its meeting this Saturday, the Arlington County Board is set to discuss adding another $4.4 million in local funds to construct a second Metro elevator on the west side of S. Hayes Street.
If approved, the project’s total cost would jump from $12.8 million to $17.3 million, marking the second budget amendment in less than two years due to construction delays, per a county report. The project is backed with federal, state and local funds.
The new funding is projected to extend the project’s duration by six months. During this time, the county plans to review the construction contract and seek to “recover liquidated damages” for the continued delays, the report said.
The Pentagon City Metro station has one of the highest ridership rates in Northern Virginia, the report says. To access an elevator, however, pedestrians need to cross six lanes of traffic to access one on the east side of S. Hayes Street, opposite the Pentagon City mall. The project aims to provide a safer alternative for pedestrians, particularly those with mobility issues.
Awarded the contract in February 2021, Maryland-based W.M. Schlosser Company began construction on the second elevator later that year. The initial project estimate was $6.4 million and was scheduled for completion in spring 2022.
In November 2022, unforeseen site conditions and supply chain issues prompted the county to increase the project’s budget to $12.8 million, following a request from W.M. Schlosser to extend the deadline to this summer.
Just over a year later, W.M. Schlosser is again seeking to extend its contract to October 2025. The company predicts the construction could be finished by October 2024 but is asking for extra time and funds to cover potential further delays.
County officials, however, allege that the contractor has failed to provide adequate evidence justifying an extension beyond six months, per the staff report. Without adequate justification for further delays, the county says it has notified the contractor of its intention to seek damages for the late completion.
So far, the county has invested about $8 million, which could increase to about $12.4 million if a six-month extension is granted.
W.M. Schlosser disputes the county’s allegations, per the report. The company did not respond to a request before publication.
While construction is set to continue, the county says it will limit its use to a “minimal amount of contingency” funds as the county attorney reviews the terms of the county contract with W.M. Schlosser.
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.
A whiteboard depicts the threshold for being the Democratic nominee for the Arlington County Board (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A spreadsheet on display when votes for Arlington County Board were tabulated on Friday, June 23, 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Ranked-choice voting could soon become the default for Arlington County Board primaries in Arlington.
This weekend, the County Board is set to approve the voting method, in which residents rank candidates in order of preference. If approved, next year — when one County Board seat is up for grabs — participants in the June primary will fight to secure a 51% threshold to secure a nomination.
Voters got a taste of the voting method during the County Board primary this June, which featured a full slate of candidates jockeying for one of two nominations from Arlington Democrats. The nominees, Susan Cunningham and Maureen Coffey, were the first to secure 34% thresholds after six run-off rounds that eliminated bottom vote-getters.
In an election seen as a referendum on the Missing Middle zoning policies, local elections buffs pointed to the results as proof ranked-choice voting, or RCV, could better reflect a divided electorate, with Cunningham more opposed to it than Coffey, though both had criticism of its roll-out. Both women went on to win their campaigns this November and will be sworn in next month.
Still, County Board members were not totally on board. A month after the primary, after praising Arlington’s Dept. of Elections for how it handled the roll-out, Board members punted on adopting it for the general election. They expressed concerns about how votes are counted when two seats are up and the quality of outreach to voters about the new system, particularly people of color, renters and young people.
The County Board ultimately decided to adopt ranked-choice voting for County Board primaries only. This was an unpopular opinion among the 2,278 people who shared their thoughts on RCV with the county.
Only 7% said it should be reserved for primaries, compared to 47% who said it should be implemented in every election and 32% who said no elections should use the method.
Overall, most county survey respondents — about 70% — said their experience with RCV was either “positive,” “exceptional” or “fair,” while 29% said it was “negative.” About 75% reported having heard about it and being familiar with how it worked, and those who did report familiarity overwhelmingly said they learned about it through the news.
(An unscientific ARLnow poll found that 75% of readers reported not being confused by RCV.)
Making the change will cost $2 million, as the county intends to buy new ballot machines that allow voters to rank more than the three choices they can rank today. The current machines will be used in the the June 2024 County Board primary but will be switched out in the 2025 fiscal year.
Should the County Board decide to use ranked-choice voting for a general election, it must formally adopt its use at least 90 days before the election.
Is home ownership a goal of yours in 2023? Now is the time to make it happen! Grab a (virtual) drink with the area’s top Real Estate experts, learn all about the home buying process and on how you can get $1,500 towards your closing costs immediately!
Did you know the average Arlington renter will spend $150K in 5 years of renting? Stop paying down someone else’s mortgage! Join us for a Rent vs. Buy Happy Hour on either Wednesday, April 12th at 6 p.m. or Wednesday, April 19th at 6 p.m. via Zoom. If one of these times don’t work, we also are offering times convenient for your schedule!
A cyclist rides in front of the under-demolition RCA building in Rosslyn this past spring (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Arlington County Board will consider accepting a $7.1 million grant to encourage people to plan more trips without their cars.
Nearly $5.7 million of the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program grant comes from federal funding, with $1.4 million coming from the state. Arlington County is not required to match funding.
“Funds will be used to provide educational and promotional support to… efforts to help facilitate and market alternative commute options such as transit, biking, walking and shared ride options,” per a county report.
The grant would fund efforts by Arlington County Commuter Services to encourage private-sector employers to provide commuter benefits to employees who commute using transit or vanpools. This county agency was formed to reduce traffic congestion, decreasing parking demand and promote driving alternatives.
The funding would also pay for events designed to promote the use of alternative travel modes, such as carpool and vanpool. Lastly, it would help employers, commercial property owners, schools and individuals provide information on telework, parking management strategies and alternative transportation benefit programs.
The cash infusion emphasizing commuting alternatives comes as, regionally, more people are working from the office at least part-time and more people are driving alone.
This year, the remote work rate in the D.C. region dropped to 25% from a high of 33% in 2021, Axios reports.
Meanwhile, the region ended 2022 with 78% of commuters driving alone, a 14% increase from 2019, according to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board of the Metropolitan Council of Governments
Despite the uptick in single-occupant trips, Metro ridership continues recovering from a pandemic-induced hit. Revenue, however, has not seen the same growth, compounding the budget shortfall WMATA faces, which could trigger significant service cuts.
Locally, Arlington Transit (ART) ridership saw a 50% Covid-era drop, though it was insulated from deeper declines because many essential workers continued taking the bus during the pandemic. Going into 2020, ridership had already been declining, however.
Last year, Arlington County contributed to a regional effort, backed by state funds, to launch a campaign to generate interest in taking transit.
In another bid to encourage ridership, county staff intend to apply for $400,000 in regional transportation funding to increase bus frequency on ART Route 75.
Currently, two buses per hour travel between the Shirlington Transit Center and the Ballston and Virginia Square Metro stations. The grant application, if endorsed this weekend by the County Board and later approved by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, would bring that to three buses per hour.
Art House 7‘s spring session begins the week of April 10th and there’s still time to register to join in the creative fun! This week is your last chance to sign up for our full session classes and open studios without missing any class days. Make sure not to miss out on our Spring 2023 offerings in a wide range of art mediums for all ages, from 4 years old to adults. Our schedule includes classes in a variety of skill levels in ceramics, embroidery, drawing, and of course, painting – including watercolor, oil, and acrylics.
Is Winnie the rabbit a perfect match for you? Has she finally found her forever home?
