addiction

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington No. 6 on Highest-Income List — Arlington County is the No. 6 highest-income county in the country, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. Three other local counties — Loudoun County, Howard County and Fairfax County — were Nos. 1, 2 and 3 respectively. D.C., meanwhile, was one of the only urban centers in the country to see a decline in its median household income. [Washington Post]

Local Oktoberfest List — A Reddit user has created a master list of local Oktoberfest celebrations and German restaurants. Among the events on the list is the annual Capitol City Brewing Oktoberfest in Shirlington, scheduled this year for Saturday, Sept. 30. [Google Docs, Reddit]

Arlington Ladies Auxiliary Van For Sale — For $3,500, you can be the proud owner of a 1967 Dodge van that once was used as the Arlington Professional Firefighters Association Ladies Auxiliary coffee wagon. [Craigslist]

Arlington Combating Opioid Epidemic —  Arlington County is reminding residents that opioid addiction remains a significant problem in the county and around the U.S. “Opioid use and cases of overdosing continue to rise,” the county said, on a webpage that lists resources for those trying to overcome addiction. [Arlington County]

Mobility Lab Director Touts Success — “We calculated that on a typical workday, our services in Arlington County helped shed about 40,000 trips from vehicles into biking, walking, et cetera,” says the Managing Director of Arlington County’s Mobility Lab, in an interview. “That’s equivalent to seven lanes of urban highway.” [Arlington Magazine]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Fairlington Named ‘Top Value Neighborhood’ — Fairlington and Shirlington are together the No. 3 “top value neighborhood” in the D.C. area, according to real estate website Trulia. No. 1 is University Park in Maryland and No. 2. is Kingman Park in D.C. [Curbed]

Market-Rate Affordable Housing Disappearing — In 2000 there were 19,740 homes in Arlington affordable to those making 60 percent of Area Median Income. That dropped by 86 percent, to 2,780 units, by the end of 2016. [Washington Business Journal]

Police Focused on Opioid Abuse — Yesterday the Arlington County Police Department “participated in a discussion on regional law enforcement efforts aimed at reducing the growing heroin/opiate epidemic.” There are at least three addiction treatment facilities in Arlington and ACPD “strongly encourages substances users and their family members to seek assistance.” [Arlington County]

Native Plants Return Thanks to Management of Invasives — “Native plants are on the comeback trail in Arlington – particularly along the W&OD Trail in Bluemont and Glencarlyn parks. Last month Dominion Energy mowed green space beneath powerlines along the trail, helping the County manage invasive plants like Japanese honeysuckle and multiflora rose.” [Arlington County]

Amazon Buying Whole Foods — Arlington’s two Whole Foods stores, in Clarendon and Pentagon City, will soon be owned by Amazon.com. [CNBC, Wall Street Journal]

Construction Underway at Courthouse Apartment Complex, Addiction Recovery Facility

By Chris Teale
1/3

Ground has been broken at the site of two new residential buildings and a rebuilt substance-abuse recovery facility in Courthouse.

Approved in 2015 by the County Board, Gables Pointe 14 at 1307 N. Rolfe Street by developer Gables Residential will have 370 apartments in two buildings, underground parking and an 8,000-square-foot shared park.

As of Tuesday, crews were in the early stages of clearing ground for the new development. A pick-up point for school buses is located close to the construction zone, which is fenced off to the public. Cars are still able to park on both sides of N. Rolfe Street, with dump trucks and other construction vehicles also using it as an access road.

The buildings will be six and 12 stories in height, respectively, and include studio as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Thirty-nine of the units will be committed affordable housing and the developer also has the option to install a $75,000 work of public art on the site or donate to the county’s public art fund as a community benefit.

“The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is a highly desirable area,” Gables Residential regional vice president Jorgen Punda said in a prepared statement distributed to multiple outlets. “Our site involved the assemblage of thirteen lots, owned by both private individuals and Arlington County. It was a successful collaboration and we believe it is a great opportunity to deliver a ‘best in class’ apartment home community, with unparalleled amenities within walking distance to the Courthouse and Rosslyn Metro stations and a variety of dining and entertainment options.”

Also on the 2.7-acre site will be a new building for Independence House, a transitional living facility for those recovering from substance abuse.

The Independence House would be rebuilt, but not expanded, because more residents might limit the program’s effectiveness. The new building will have 14 single-occupant units.

The project is set to be completed in winter 2020.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Statue at Marymount University (photo courtesy Noah Kaufman)

Next SafeTrack Surge Begins Tomorrow — Metro’s ninth SafeTrack maintenance “surge” will begin tomorrow and will result in single-tracking between the Vienna and West Falls Church station on the Orange Line through Oct. 26. Riders should expect longer wait times on the Orange Line; in Arlington, the East Falls Church station is expected to experience the worst delays. [DCist, NBC Washington]

Fire Dept. to Donate to AWLA — Arlington County fire stations collected more than 650 pounds of pet supplies and food during ‘Operation FirePaws.’ The items will be donated to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. [Arlington County]

Additions for Phoenix House — Following a successful capital fundraising campaign, substance abuse rehabilitation facility Phoenix House, in Ballston, will be adding a new fitness and health center and expanding and renovating its adolescent boys program.

A History of the Balls — ‘Our Man in Arlington’ columnist recounts the history of the Ball family, local landowners since the Revolutionary War and the namesakes for Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood. [Falls Church News-Press]

Photo courtesy Noah Kaufman

Phoenix House Lauded for Rehab, Job Training Work

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D) visited the Phoenix House at 521 N. Quincy Street last week to highlight the nonprofit’s addiction recovery and job training work.

The Ballston-area facility is one of numerous Phoenix House-branded treatment centers in 10 states across the country. It offers intensive residential substance abuse treatment programs for men, women, and teens, along with counseling and job training programs. The facility serves more than 900 adolescents and adults annually, and more than 150 on any given day.

Last Wednesday, Moran toured the Phoenix House and talked with some of the individuals who have been utilizing its services. Moran said their battles with addiction, and their struggles finding jobs after recovery, demonstrate why programs like Phoenix House are important for society.

“That’s why I’m here, to make the case for why we should support programs like Phoenix House,” Moran said. “We have to show people this this works, and then we need to replicate it across the country.”

Moran said he was struck by how one bad life decision could eventually lead down a path to addiction.

“There but for the grace of God go I,” he told the small assembled group of treatment center clients.

According to statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse cited by Moran, every dollar invested in an addiction treatment program yields a return of between $4 and $7 in reduced drug-related crime, criminal justice costs, and theft. When health care costs are added in, the savings can exceed 12 to 1, according to Moran’s office.

Moran, who directed $250,000 in federal funding for a vocational training program at Phoenix House in fiscal year 2010, promised to work to help get more funding — even though, he said, securing such funding has become more difficult as a result of the defacto ban on earmarks in the House of Representatives.

Moran’s visit was part of his event series, “Investing in Northern Virginia: Building our Community through Smart Federal Spending.”