News

Potential affordable housing development in Aurora Highlands nears initial milestone

By Jo DeVoe
1/7

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) A land-use study teeing up an affordable housing redevelopment project in Aurora Highlands has generated significant interest as it nears completion.

Melwood, a D.C. area nonprofit that provides services to and employs people with disabilities, is looking to redevelop property it owns at 750 23rd Street S., two blocks west of “Restaurant Row” in Crystal City.

It has picked nonprofit developer Wesley Housing to replace its aging building — from which it offers job training and placement, among other services, to people with disabilities — with 104 units of affordable housing.

Many units would be for households earning around 60% of the area median income. Some units would be set aside for very low-income households and up to 30 units could be set aside for people with disabilities. Melwood would continue using the site to provide services to people with disabilities.

“This collaboration with Wesley Housing has the power to transform the lives of people with disabilities and support Arlington’s continued leadership in building an inclusive community,” Melwood President and CEO Larysa Kautz said in a statement. “We appreciate their support in helping people with disabilities find a place to call home.”

Should everything go to plan, work could be underway in about two years.

“While we’re still very early in the planning process, we hope to seek tax credit financing in 2025 and to break ground shortly thereafter,” a spokeswoman for Melwood told ARLnow.

First, Melwood needs the site’s land use designation changed from “public” use to a low-density residential use, for up to 36 housing units per acre. It can request this change through a Special General Land Use Plan (GLUP) Study process.

This May, the county’s Long-Range Planning Committee recommended studying this change because the county has no planning guidance for the site, and its “public” use is at odds with its private ownership and commercial zoning status. Still, members had concerns about building heights and transitions, density and how the project could impact adjacent Nelly Custis Park.

This fall, county staff studied the site, its potential 4- or 5-story buildings, and other topics, including transportation. Last week, staff briefed the Long Range Planning Committee on its findings as well as the results of a recent online survey.

Staff said a 4-story building would be slightly taller than existing churches nearby and would provide more space for programming. A 5-story building would allow for more open space and a better transition to Nelly Custis Park. It determined the existing transportation system could handle the influx of residents but more study would be needed.

As for the survey, 240 people participated, mostly nearby homeowners. Some 38-42% of respondents said building tall was fine — given the mix of buildings and Metro station nearby — and expressed enthusiasm for more affordable housing.

Many were concerned the development is too big and would introduce too much density. One respondent who lives across the street said the county “has not done its due diligence in studying impacts to traffic, pedestrian safety, or ecosystem impacts” and the building “is not consistent with the sector plan or neighborhood.”

(more…)

Around Town

NEW: Nepalese restaurant in Ballston appears to be replacing the last remaining Booeymonger

By James Jarvis
Booeymonger in Ballston (staff photo by James Jarvis)

(Updated at 9:15 p.m.) Booeymonger in Ballston will be replaced by a new full-service Nepalese restaurant this spring, according to the incoming tenant.

Booeymonger, known for its sandwiches, wraps, bagels and salads, closed its doors at its two locations in D.C. this year, including Friendship Heights and Georgetown.

The storefront at 1010 N. Glebe Road was the well-known local deli chain’s last remaining location.

While the closure date for Booeymonger in Ballston remains uncertain, there are active plans for the deli to return to its former home in Friendship Heights, according to Booeymonger’s current owner, Rumana Chodry. She confirmed to ARLnow that the delicatessen will reopen with a new owner.

The new tenant in Ballston, Dipar Magar, told ARLnow he plans to open a new restaurant called Thakali Bhatti sometime between February and May. He owns another restaurant, Himalayan Wild Yak in Ashburn.

As of now, Magar has applied for a liquor license and the restaurant is still in its early stages of development.

“It’s going to be Nepalese food… similar to the food we have right now,” Magar said. “It’s gonna be pretty small, like 50-60 [seats], not more than that. It’s a pretty small space.”

Sponsored

Halls Hill native recalls making history with Civil Rights-era lawsuit over voting in Arlington

By Scott McCaffrey

As a 23-year-old voter in still-segregated 1960s Virginia, Portia Haskins was convinced she had followed all the rules in order to cast a ballot in Arlington.

Election officials disagreed, saying she had failed to pay the appropriate poll tax still required in the Old Dominion, maintained in part to disenfranchise Black voters.

Haskins took the county, and state, to court. She won, with her case ultimately being folded into the landmark 1966 Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Haskins was an unusual legal combatant, committed to seeking unity.

“I’m the type of person who wants to bring everyone together,” the Halls Hill native said at a weekend presentation sponsored by the county library system and hosted by the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.

After her efforts to vote were rejected at the local level, Haskins enlisted support from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to challenge the ruling. She traveled several times to the U.S. District Court in Richmond, then watched as the case and others like it moved to the Supreme Court.

Her reaction at the final outcome? “I was so happy,” she said.

The 6-3 ruling in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections effectively outlawed requiring poll taxes for state elections in those few states, like Virginia, that retained them. The poll-tax requirement for federal elections had been eliminated with ratification of the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1964.

Lessons from the struggle are still valuable today, said Haskins, now 83.

“Everybody has to come together and fight” when they see injustice, she said. “You have to get together.”

Historical photo of Portia Haskins (via Black Heritage Museum of Arlington)

Haskins is among the Arlingtonians profiled in the “From Barriers to Ballots,” an exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Several versions of the exhibition are on display across Northern Virginia, with one at Central Library running through Nov. 4.

The Arlington Historical Society partnered on the exhibition, and was excited about the Haskins presentation, former president David Pearson said.

“She is someone we really wanted to learn about,” he said, pointing to a renewed effort to “really get out the stories of the complete history of Arlington.”

Haskins has been a member of Mount Salvation Baptist Church near the Glebewood neighborhood since 1951, and in the community she has promoted “the spirit of community and empowerment,” said Scott Taylor, president of the Black Heritage Museum.

Haskins lamented that much of the history of the civil-rights movement is being lost in the public consciousness.

“We went through a lot, but people today don’t know,” she said. Young people in particular, she said, “don’t care because they don’t know.”

Her request to today’s youth? “Let everybody know how you feel” and use the ballot box to create change.

“Voting is important. That’s what everybody really needs to do,” Haskins said.

News

Arlington nonprofits achieve Giving Tuesday goals, but donor participation concerns linger

By James Jarvis
Arlington Free Clinic on Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Nearly a dozen Arlington nonprofits surveyed by ARLnow reported meeting or exceeding their fundraising goals for Giving Tuesday this year.

But there’s a catch.

Several nonprofit leaders have expressed concerns about rising costs and a decrease in donor participation potentially impacting their ability to meet increasing demands for assistance across the county.

“Inflation is our greatest challenge as it is raising our expenses faster than our income is coming in,” the director of the strategic partnerships at PathForward, Liz Norah, told ARLnow in an email. “The cost of goods and inflation have caused many families to make difficult decisions regarding their charitable giving, and we have seen the impact of this.”

On Giving Tuesday — the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — PathForward, which provides housing support for homeless individuals and families, raised about $8,000, says Norah.

While that is comparable to last year, she underscored that the organization is still uncertain corporate and individual support will match previous years.

“We are still seeking [corporate] partnerships for 2024, so it’s a bit early to say if this is going to impact us,” Norah said.

PathForward’s experience mirrors national trends. During Giving Tuesday, the United States saw a modest 0.6% increase in donations from last year, totaling approximately $3 billion, according to data from the global philanthropy organization GivingTuesday.

The data also shows a 10% drop in participating adults, from around 38 million in 2022 to 34 million.

Arlington Free Clinic Executive Director Nancy White said there is no denying that nonprofit fundraising is down.

She argued, however, that nonprofits are also comparing their 2023 fundraising figures to the higher-than-normal amounts raised during the pandemic.

“I think that everybody’s seeing some of the impact because people were so generous, particularly toward safety-net nonprofits, during the pandemic and really reached deep to be able to support us,” White said. “So relative to that, a lot of nonprofits are seeing a decrease.”

This decline in donor participation comes at a particularly challenging time, when Arlington nonprofits are experiencing a growing demand for their services.

Linley Beckbridge, director of Communications and Advocacy at Doorways, which provides shelter to survivors of domestic violence, says the number of adults and children they have checked into the shelter has doubled within the last five years.

“Domestic violence is on the rise,” Beckbridge said. “As Arlington’s only provider of safe housing — emergency shelter for survivors and their children in imminent danger due to domestic violence — it is critical that Doorways expands our capacity to meet the growing need.”

During this year’s Giving Tuesday, Doorways raised about $4,000, primarily from Arlington supporters. Beckbridge says this is consistent with last year but not enough amid inflation.

“As the need for our services escalates, and the cost to provide those services rises, we will need more support from our community in this pivotal time of year,” she said.

Costs are rising not only for nonprofits but also for families, driving more households to lean on assistance. Within Northern Virginia, South Arlington, for instance, has one of the highest concentrations of families who cannot afford basic needs and childcare.

(more…)

Announcement

Dorst MediaWorks Ranked Nation’s Top Instagram Marketing Agency

By Dorst MediaWorks

Washington, DC, February 3, 2023-The rankings platform Clutch has named Dorst MediaWorks #1 among more than 12,000 “[Top Instagram Marketing Agencies](https://clutch.co/agencies/social- media-marketing/instagram)” nationwide in its updated rankings.

“This is a significant achievement,” says Creative Director, Steve Dorst, who credits the explosive rise of TikTok in shifting the video marketing landscape: “In the past few years, Instagram (and other platforms) have tweaked their algorithms to favor short videos. That plays to our strengths.”

Go to Dorst MediaWorks Ranked Nation’s Top Instagram Marketing Agency Read more
Events

‘Wreaths Across America’ event returns next week

By ARLnow.com
Wreaths on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 24, 2019 (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The annual Wreaths Across America event is returning to Arlington National Cemetery next week.

The event will take place next Saturday, Dec. 16, starting at 8 a.m. Members of the public are invited “to lay wreaths at headstones and columbarium niches throughout the cemetery to honor and remember our nation’s service members this holiday season.”

Some 30,000-40,000 people were expected to attend last year’s event. The crowds make getting to the cemetery a bit challenging and preclude parking at the visitors lot for most people.

More on the event and how to get there, below, from an Arlington National Cemetery press release.

Arlington National Cemetery is privileged to invite the public to lay wreaths at headstones and columbarium niches throughout the cemetery to honor and remember our nation’s service members this holiday season.

On Saturday, Dec. 16, the annual Wreaths Across America (WAA) event will be held at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery (SAHNC). ANC will open to visitors at 8 a.m., and SAHNC will open at noon.

“We are honored to uphold this beautiful tradition by providing the public with an opportunity to lay wreaths at the graves of those laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery this holiday season,” said Executive Director of Army National Military Cemeteries and the Office of Army Cemeteries Karen Durham-Aguilera.

Our top priority is the safety and security of our visitors and employees during this event. Visitors should anticipate large crowds and difficulty driving vehicles in the vicinity of Arlington National Cemetery due to road closures. All visitors must pass through the cemetery’s security screening process before entering the cemetery.

No vehicular traffic will be permitted inside the cemetery on Dec. 16, and there will be no vehicle parking for the public in the ANC Welcome Center parking garage except for handicapped and family pass holder visitors (see below). We recommend visitors use public transportation or a ride share service for travel to and from the cemetery.

“To ensure the safety of our visitors on this special day, we encourage those attending to plan ahead to ensure a seamless visit,” said Superintendent Charles “Ray” Alexander. “Visit our website and follow us on social media for event updates and more information.”

Event Details

  • The Arlington National Cemetery entrances – Memorial Ave., Ord & Weitzel Gate, Service Complex Gate (located on Columbia Pike near the Pentagon) and Old Post Chapel Gate (DoD ID cardholders only) – will open to the public at 8 a.m.\
  • All visitors must pass through the cemetery’s security screening process before entering.
  • Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH) will be accessible to DoD ID card holders only; however, parking will be limited to the Tri-Services parking lot located across from Spates Community Center.

Using Metro to Access the Cemetery

Visitors are encouraged to use metro transportation to access the cemetery. The Arlington Cemetery metro stop will take visitors to the main Memorial Ave. entrance. There are additional access points via the Rosslyn or Pentagon stations. It is an approximately 15-minute walk from these locations to one of the cemetery entrances.

  • For those exiting the metro at the Rosslyn stop, please enter the cemetery through the Ord and Weitzel Gate.
  • For those exiting the metro at the Pentagon stop, please enter the cemetery through the Service Complex Gate.

Visitors traveling by Metro are encouraged to purchase fare ahead of time. To avoid lines, the best option is SmarTrip mobile pay: https://wmata.com/fares/MobilePay/index.cfm.

(more…)

Announcement

Romantic Singing Valentines

By A barbershop harmony quartet

Let the Arlingtones surprise your friend or sweetie this Valentine’s Day with a barbershop quartet singing love songs in four part a cappella harmony! Choose from a small selection of songs in our repertoire to surprise your special someone.

$75 for two songs delivered to a place of your choice by a live, in-person quartet. Includes a classy tin of chocolates, fresh red rose and personalized card. Small mileage surcharge for >5 miles outside Arlington VA.

Go to Romantic Singing Valentines Read more
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