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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Lee Highway Planning Update — “Arlington county staff have produced different future land use scenarios for five sections, or neighborhood areas, of the [Lee Highway] corridor. These scenarios offer different visions for the route that note anticipated intensity and uses of land as well as potential future transportation and public space improvements. Ultimately, the initiative will culminate in an area plan that will guide future development along the corridor over the next 30 years.” [GGWash]

Postal Flexibility for Route 29 — “To borrow from a phrase of Barack Obama: If you like your Lee Highway address, you can keep your Lee Highway address. Arlington County officials say they do not expect the pending renaming of the 5.2-mile stretch of U.S. Route 29 in the county to impact delivery of mail addressed to the old ‘Lee Highway’ address when the roadway becomes ‘Langston Boulevard.'” [InsideNova]

Blood Drive in Courthouse Today — “Fire Works American Pizzeria and Bar… is working with INOVA Blood Donor Services to host an Arlington Community Blood Drive with an INOVA Bloodmobile, which will be located near the intersection of Clarendon Boulevard and North Adams Street, on Monday, June 21, 2021, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.” [Press Release]

A-SPAN Buys Westover Apartments — “This eight-unit apartment building, originally built in the 1940s for Pentagon workers, looks modest. But it’s the centerpiece of an ambitious pilot program from the Arlington-based non-profit A-SPAN. ‘This is for people who have too many housing barriers, [meaning] felonies, no credit, no rental history, immigration status,’ says A-SPAN’s director of development Scott Miller.” [DCist]

Police Pride Event at Freddie’s — “In recognition of Pride Month and the significant contributions of Arlington’s LGBTQ+ communities, the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) will host Pride with the Police… on Friday, June 25.” [Arlington County]

Last Week: Protest Outside Boeing HQ — “Supporters of Palestine demonstrate outside of Boeing’s office building in Crystal City, 6/16/21.” [Instagram]

Trump Official Trying to Sell D.C. Condo — “The condo was then taken off the market, and re-listed in April at the same price. In mid-May, the listing was withdrawn for a second time, and it remains off the market. [Stephen] Miller, meanwhile, has reportedly moved to Arlington with his wife, Katie Miller, another former Trump administration official.” [Washingtonian]

Reminder: This Week’s Arlies Vote — There’s one day left to vote for your favorite Arlington food truck. [ARLnow]

County Board Drills Into AHC About Serrano Apartments Conditions

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

County Board members demanded AHC Inc. answer for the deteriorating conditions at the Serrano Apartments and to convince them it will actually fix things during their meeting on Tuesday.

The discussion happened as county staff outlined the flurry of work at the property. Separately, the Board voted 5-0 to enter into an agreement allowing AHC to refinance its loan for the apartments through a new lender before its current loan expires in less than two months.

This loan agreement is urgently needed, according to a staff presentation. If in two months lenders foreclosed on the property, the bank would repossess the Serrano, lifting the affordability restrictions and displacing residents. But some people are worried that preventing AHC from defaulting runs counter to the need to hold the organization accountable.

Elder Julio Basurto, a member of the Arlington Schools Hispanic Parents Association, said he has watched the building at 5535 Columbia Pike crumble under AHC. He urged the county “to stop feeding the monster that AHC has become,” a monster that “sucks the life out of the ones they vowed to help.”

Former school board member Tannia Talento read the signs residents brought — pleas to be heard and protected.

“Don’t forget about us,” she said, saying it again in Spanish. “No se olviden de nosotros.”

Board members explained that allowing AHC to refinance will lock it into a new agreement and force it to make improvements.

“The easy way out for AHC would be to be in a position where they defaulted on a loan and ended up with a foreclosure,” Board member Christian Dorsey said. “They could wipe their hands of it and move on, they could walk away leaving in their wake devastation and despair, leaving people in limbo. Accountability is being engaged with the long-term process to return the Serrano to the level of quality the residents expect.”

AHC has two loans to pay off: a primary loan to a private lender and a subordinate loan to the county through the Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The new lender requires AHC to agree to prioritize repaying the private loan before the county loan, something that required a county vote.

This loan acts like a bridge until 2024, when AHC intends to use Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to finance a full renovation of the property. The county says it will work with AHC to develop a renovation plan.

In recent weeks the county has conducted 150 code violation apartment walkthroughs, put up people in hotels and shared information about various resources they can use, said Housing Director Anne Venezia.

AHC is also keeping busy and finding ways to repay tenants, according to a letter from the Board of Directors.

It is waiving certain fees and returning security deposits for those who relocate and, for those who have been displaced, providing $200 gift cards and waiving utility payments. It reduced July rent by $200 for all tenants.

Board Chair Matt de Ferranti reiterated the responsibility he feels for the conditions of the Serrano and apologized to the residents who were signed up to speak but had to go home due to the late hour — caused in part by an hour-long discussion about a new farmers market’s start time.

De Ferranti called for another update next month and told AHC it, not the county, should bear the brunt of the hotel stays and relocation costs.

“I would submit that we would not be in this situation if care had been taken over the past two years,” he said.  “The right thing to do is that the large majority of relocation costs should be covered by AHC and not by the county.”

Some Board members expressed frustration that this conversation mirrors similar discussions over the past two years with AHC. Dorsey said he met with AHC in 2019 about the same problems at the Serrano and, at the time, heard similar remedies.

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RCA Redevelopment in Rosslyn Gets Green Light

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

The Arlington County Board unanimously approved a major redevelopment project in Rosslyn on Saturday.

McLean-based developer Jefferson Apartment Group now has the green light to demolish the 13-story, 1960s-era RCA building at 1901 N. Moore Street and build a 27-story, 423-unit apartment building in its place. The structure will feature two levels of retail and 286 parking spaces spread across parking on the third and fourth floors and underground.

“It is a beautiful project,” Board member Katie Cristol said. “I am very excited about this number of units. To site more housing so proximate to transit and in a neighborhood that could really use and be enlivened by residential as well as office [uses], it is the right place to put this number of residential units.”

The aging office building is about one block from the Rosslyn Metro station. As part of an agreement with the county, the developer will remove inner loop roads around it, as well as the skywalk connection between the RCA building and the Rosslyn Gateway building.

The developer will also donate $2.2 million toward improvements within Rosslyn, such as for Gateway Park, and dedicate 4% of its spots for electric vehicles. Another 18% of the spots will be “electric-capable,” meaning they could be converted down the road if demand increases.

The planned 260-foot tall building is composed of a north and a south tower joined at the base and at the rooftop with an “amenity bridge.” The fourth floor will feature a landscaped terrace and the roof will also have garden elements.

JAG is agreeing to provide $1.5 million to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund as well as 12 on-site committed affordable units. It will also make a number of transportation improvements, some of which responded to pushback from cycling and pedestrian advocates, including:

  • Buffered bike lanes on 19th Street N.
  • Protected bike lanes on N. Lynn Street
  • Bike lanes on Lee Highway
  • Colorized asphalt for bus lanes in the travel lane of N. Moore Street
  • A new intersection where 19th Street N. and N Lynn Street meet
  • A new intersection where 19th Street N. and N. Moore Street meet
  • Relocation of the red-light camera at N. Lynn Street and Lee Highway
  • A new Capital Bikeshare station, including the costs to maintain it for two years

Advisory commissions that provided feedback along the way generally supported the newest version of the project. Representatives did mention a number of environmental issues that Board members latched onto as possible, larger-scale conversations needed for future projects: more assurances regarding bird-friendly glass, more electric vehicle charging stations and the possibility of electric-powered HVAC.

“The need for bird-friendly glass comes up all the time, the need to electrify buildings comes up all the time, and the need for more electric vehicle charging stations comes up all the time,” Board member Libby Garvey said. “That’s a larger conversation I’d love for us to figure out how to work through a little more as a government.”

Jefferson could increase the percentage of spots for electric vehicles beyond 22% if need be, representatives said.

Board member Christian Dorsey said that is good news, but the county should avoid pushing developers to make commitments exceeding market demand.

“On balance, this is pushing the ball forward in a lot of ways which we can all be thankful for and support, and I’m pleased to vote for it,” he said.

County, Developer Envision Days Inn Site as ‘Gateway’ to Lyon Park

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

Arlington-based Shooshan Company is looking to redevelop the mid-century Days Inn Motel across the street from the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

The site, at the intersection Arlington Blvd and N. Pershing Drive, has development potential as “the de facto neighborhood gateway,” wrote Jonathan Kinney and Matthew Roberts, land-use lawyers representing Shooshan, in a letter to the county.

Shooshan set its sights on the motel in 2019.

“The hotel is nearing the end of its useful life and is increasingly becoming functionally obsolete,” the lawyers said.

If redeveloped, most of the hotel would be torn down to make way for a mixed-use development that will likely include apartments, townhouses and retail, with open space and underground parking

But making these changes require a study of the site and surroundings to see what level of development would be appropriate, a study that just concluded. The resulting Pershing Drive Special General Land Use Plan study views the land as a “highly visible gateway node” that can support higher density and provide needed open space and trail connections, meaning Shooshan may soon be able to take the next steps toward redevelopment.

“The amendment is critically important to the effective redevelopment of the site and completion of the ‘gateway’ entrance into the Lyon Park neighborhood,” a report on the study said.

This study recommends rezoning the land for office, apartment and hotel use with a maximum height of eight stories or 90 feet along Arlington Blvd, with shorter maximum heights of three to six stories, or maximums of 50 to 70 feet, where the building transitions into nearby apartments and single-family homes. The document envisions a building with all-underground parking, “welcoming” ground floor retail and open space.

The open space would be on the northwest corner, along N. Pershing Drive. Along the southern edge, where the hotel faces the Washington & Lee Apartments, the document recommends the site should “present an inviting façade with three to four-story buildings, individual entrances, trees and landscaping…rather than turning its back on its neighbors.”

This area will have a shared street that pedestrians and bicyclists can use to access the Arlington Blvd Trail.

The study also recommends preserving the sign and lobby, described as iconic examples of mid-century modern design, and incorporating them somehow into the redevelopment. Before becoming a Days Inn, the hotel was called ARVA Motor Hotel, a name created by blending together “Arlington” and “Virginia.”

“The original shape and design of the blade sign should be rehabilitated to capitalize on this unique community landmark, while allowing for the sign to be reused to advertise the name of the new development, business, etc.,” the document said. “The lobby area could, in fact, serve as a trail-oriented retail space or cafe.”

The motel used to be the ARVA Motel, a portmanteau of Arlington, Virginia (Via Arlington County)

Overall, according to the staff report, participants during a community engagement process — mostly neighbors — said they are in favor of redevelopment and reinvestment along this segment of Arlington Blvd, preferably with new apartments, restaurants and retail. Respondents to a survey stressed the importance of a casual-use open space, connections to the Arlington Blvd Trail nearby, more tree canopy and better sidewalks.

“There is general support for the recommendations outlined in the Study Document among Long Range Planning Committee and community members,” the report said.

This Saturday, the County Board is set to decide whether to approve future public hearings to consider adopting the special study and to consider changing the zoning of the site, per the study’s recommendations. The adoption of the document could come on July 17 or 20.

New Renderings Show JBG Smith’s Vision for National Landing

By Jo DeVoe
1/12

New renderings from JBG Smith envision Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard as a lush urban core with glassy high-rises and connected by a surface-level Route 1, along with Metro and commuter rail.

When all of the developer’s projects are delivered, that is.

JBG Smith released an investor relations video explaining its plans for the area — known collectively as National Landing — which include building a number of new apartment and office buildings and partnering with local and state governments to improve transit and technological infrastructure.

“We’ve been incredibly busy during the pandemic, teeing up growth opportunities, delivering new assets, we have a lot of exciting growth in the next 18 months,” JBG Smith CEO Matt Kelly said in the video.

He said about 15 million square feet are under development in National Landing, two-thirds of which are multifamily residential — apartment buildings, mostly. Other big projects include the first phase of Amazon’s HQ2, which the video said is on track to be done in 2023, and the second phase, which includes the proposed Helix building.

“All of these developments are on vacant land or replacing out-of-service buildings,” said Chief Development Officer Kai Reynolds.

One of those is the former Americana Hotel, which JBG Smith purchased in December for more than $27 million, Executive Vice President of Real Estate Development Kristi Smith said.

JBG Smith views this site, planned for an apartment building, “as one of the best development opportunities in National Landing,” given its proximity to HQ2 and its visibility from Route 1, she said.

The video provided updates on the following residential developments, which collectively would add thousands of new apartments to the area:

Construction started on 1900 Crystal Drive in late March and could be completed in 2024, according to the video. Meanwhile, the earliest start date for 2000 and 2001 S. Bell Street, which received County Board approval last month, is later this year.

Both 2250 Crystal Drive and 223 23rd Street S. have a potential start date of 2023, the video said.

The developer also plans to build 750,000 square feet of office space at 2525 Crystal Drive in the form of two V-shaped towers, according to the video.

Reynolds highlighted the pending changes to Route 1, which could result in lowering the highway to grade and transforming it into more of an urban boulevard. The changes are part of an incentive agreement between Amazon and Virginia to invest $5 billion in important infrastructure improvements, he said.

“Amongst the most critical was the lowering of the elevated sections of Route 1, which currently runs north-south within National Landing,” he said. “The new road will feature a modern cross-section that will be pedestrian-friendly to improve walkability within the submarket.”

As for other transit improvements, Reynolds said the second Crystal City Metro station entrance, a public-private partnership between Arlington County and JBG Smith, could be completed between 2023 and 2024.

Meanwhile, progress could move forward on a new Virginia Railway Express station in National Landing, as the state recently finalized a $3.7 billion plan with CSX, Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express.

The new station will be built on land owned by JBG Smith. It will also serve as a connection point for the planned pedestrian bridge to Reagan National Airport, renderings of which are seen in the video.

The Bethesda-based developer also has plans for increasing technological connectivity, too.

Adam Rashid, the Senior Vice President and Co-Head of Smart Cities for JBG Smith, said the company aims to deploy “ubiquitous 5G in National Landing, with the goal of making National Landing the U.S.’s first 5G Smart City at-scale.”

Photos via JBG Smith/Vimeo

UPDATED: Large Fire at Shirlington Apartment Building

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) Firefighters from Arlington and surrounding areas battled a large fire at an apartment building this morning.

The fire broke out at The Citizen at Shirlington Village apartment building, on the 3000 block of S. Randolph Street, around 6 a.m.

“[I] was woken up this morning by the small of smoke,” said Lucie Melahn, a Shirlington resident, who described “seeing huge flames.” She said the fire department arrived about five minutes after she was woken up by the smoke.

A tower of flames could be seen coming from the apartment complex’s roof, and the resulting column of smoke could be seen from a distance away.

The Arlington County Fire Department described the blaze as “a large attic fire.” It was brought under control by firefighters by 6:35 a.m. No injuries were reported.

One resident said the fire appears to have started in an air conditioning unit on the third floor of the building.

ACFD says several dozen residents may be displaced as a result of the fire. A heavy fire department and police presence remained on scene as investigators try to determine the cause of the blaze.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, which is based nearby, said it is caring for the pets of some of the affected residents.

More from social media:

A Flurry of Activity at the Serrano Apartments After Residents Decry Conditions

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

After residents spoke out about poor living conditions at the Serrano Apartments, county officials and building owner AHC Inc. say they are committed to making changes.

“It is the highest priority I have right now, in part because we are in a different place with vaccines,” Board Chair Matt de Ferranti tells ARLnow. “This is a health and safety issue I will take responsibility for.”

AHC said it is working with county officials, Arlington’s Housing Commission and community organizations to ensure residents’ concerns are heard and addressed.

“Over the past few days, Serrano’s new management company Drucker & Falk has completed more than half of its 100% inspection of the property (except for the apartments where residents have not provided access) to document and remediate all identified issues through systemic improvements given Serrano’s age,” AHC spokeswoman Celia Slater said. “We are now moving forward with the repairs and encourage everyone to visit our website for updates about the steps we are taking to ensure that all Serrano residents have safe and healthy homes.”

Earlier this month, residents and community leaders told ARLnow about the dire state of some committed affordable apartment units at The Serrano (5535 Columbia Pike). Problems include rodents eating through food and leaving droppings, mold growing on walls and white dust permeating HVAC conductors.

Residents and advocates say they are glad the plight of those living in The Serrano is getting attention but are also frustrated at how many people and walkthroughs it took to get the county and AHC, an affordable housing nonprofit, to act.

The most recent walkthrough was last Friday, when about 40 people, including county officials, Del. Alfonso Lopez, as well as AHC and management representatives, looked at units and talked to residents.

“There were a lot of people there who were supposed to be there a long time ago,” community organizer Janeth Valenzuela said. “Finally, they could experience this with their own eyes and listen to families.”

Former School Board member Tannia Talento said she was frustrated to disrupt the lives of families once more, while not knowing if changes would actually happen.

Ashley Goff, a pastor with Arlington Presbyterian Church, was critical of AHC’s lack of responsiveness to an issue that was many months in the making.

“Look at all the people that had to turn out to get AHC to pay attention,” she said. “They were shamed into taking action, absolutely.”

(An Arlington NAACP newsletter from November, providing an update on its advocacy about conditions at the Serrano, said that the “exhausting battle by the tenants and their allies” — the NAACP and Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) — had been ongoing since at least the fall of 2019.)

Conditions provoke strong reactions 

The Serrano has 196 committed affordable units and 84 market-rate units. After walking through about a dozen apartments, officials said the conditions were unacceptable and needed to be fixed, quickly.

“I long ago lived in a place that had a problem with rats and no one can actually relax in their home when they’re worried that there could be mice there,” de Ferranti said.

Some problems will be more difficult, but no less essential, to solve due to the building’s age, he said.

“The medium-term solution for holding AHC accountable is getting a clear and specific schedule of what must be done at the Serrano,” he said. “I could envision taking the form of a short, specific Memorandum of Understanding. That is a step over the coming month or two that we are likely to take.”

(more…)

Phase Two of Construction on Red Top Cab Site Set for Fall Pending More Approvals

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

(Updated on 10/21/21) Construction on the final phase of a long-awaited residential redevelopment in Clarendon could begin in the fall if the county approves new changes from the developer.

Five-and-a-half years ago, the Arlington County Board approved a three-building mixed-use development called Clarendon West from Arlington-based developer Shooshan Company. It will replace the old Red Top Cab headquarters and dispatch center, and two small commercial buildings.

The developer tells ARLnow there is a timeline for construction for what Shooshan calls “Building 1,” the second phase of the project. Shooshan and co-owner Trammell Crow Residential completed the first phase — the second and third buildings with a total of 333 units — in the spring, and the pair of buildings were sold in July. (An earlier version of this article incorrectly flipped the order of the two phases.)

“We expect to start construction this fall and anticipate the project to deliver in 2023,” CEO Kelly Shooshan said.

The timing emerged after the County Board approved public hearings that could allow Shooshan to change the appearance of the last of the three apartment buildings. The Planning Commission and the County Board are slated to hold the hearings during their respective meetings in June.

Shooshan’s revised building is shorter but it now exceeds tapering requirements for the Clarendon Revitalization District, according to a county report. The developer is requesting the map of the area be modified to fit the new specifications of the building.

The approved building height was set to start at 55 feet, stepping up to 75 feet and ending at 103 feet. Now, Shooshan is proposing a maximum height of 94 feet with a step down to 74 feet and then 55 feet. The length of the two steps has also been adjusted.

“These proposed changes create more gradual height transitions with the surrounding neighborhood and do not increase the total gross floor area” of one of the buildings, the report said. “Staff generally supports the proposed reduction in height and modified taper.”

The changes will also result in more units being added to the building, according to a staff memo. Filings indicate the number of units would increase from 247 to 269, DC Urban Turf previously reported.

When asked why the company is making the changes, Shooshan said “we are simply adjusting the height as part of our design development now that we are focused on the final phase of the Clarendon West project.”

Members of the Long Range Planning Committee expressed support for the proposed amendment, according to another report.

Shooshan also returned to the County Board in 2018 to request a decrease to the proposed parking ratio. At the time, the Lyon Village Civic Association expressed concern about how spillover parking would be mitigated.

The May report summarizing the Long Range Planning Committee meeting indicates the civic association maintains those concerns.

Images (1, 4-5) via Arlington County

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Sentenced for Drunken Gunfire — “The Weedsport [New York] man arrested for publicly firing a gun in the Washington area days before the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was sentenced April 28 in Arlington County Circuit Court. Moses Geri, 39, was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year and eight months suspended… His sentence was issued days after the court rejected a previous plea agreement that would have made all 12 months of Geri’s probation unsupervised.” [The Citizen]

VHC Now a Level II Trauma Center — “Virginia Hospital Center (VHC), a community-based hospital providing medical services to the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 75 years, is proud to announce that it has received a Level II Trauma Center designation from the Commonwealth of Virginia, filling a critical community need.” [Press Release]

County Hosting Virtual ‘Healing’ Conference — “The Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) announces Building Healing Communities: Conversations on Mental Health, Resilience, and Equity… The free, four-day virtual community conference — offered with simultaneous Spanish translation throughout — kicks off on Thursday, May 20 at 6 p.m.” [Arlington County]

New Apartment Tower Now Leasing — “Leasing has begun at Aubrey, the first of three high-rise residential buildings at the Highlands, a mixed-use development in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in Arlington, Va. Under development by Penzance, the 23-story-tall Aubrey building at 1788 N. Pierce St. includes 331 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Evo, the second apartment tower, is anticipated to begin leasing this summer. The third tower is the Pierce condominium, which is selling now.” [Washington Post]

Big Motorcycle Rally Back On — “Things are coming together for a major Memorial Day weekend motorcycle rally. It now has an official starting area and it looks like more bikers could be coming. ‘At the very last minute, the mayor came through for us,’ said Joe Chenelly, executive director of AMVETS. The veterans service organization is arranging the ‘Rolling to Remember’ event, which is the successor to ‘Rolling Thunder.'” [WTOP]

JBG Smith Brings Two Residential Towers to County Board for Approval

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) After months of public review, a proposal for two mixed-use towers in Crystal City from JBG Smith is slated for County Board approval this Saturday.

The 2.4-acre site is located at the intersection of Richmond Highway and 20th Street S., just north of the Crystal Plaza Apartments. As part of the project, initially filed in 2019, the Bethesda-based developer proposes demolishing an existing office building and surface parking lot, and shifting S. Clark Street to the east to create a new S. Clark-Bell Street.

It its place will be two towers with more than 750 residential units.

JBG Smith has made some changes in response to criticism from members of the Crystal City Civic Association, as well as a few transportation and pedestrian commission members.

In January, some criticized the width between the two buildings, separated by the new S. Clark-Bell Street, for being narrower than the width called for in the Crystal City Sector Plan. Residents also said a proposed — mostly cement — pedestrian plaza should include more “trees, gardens and benches,” and worried that a proposed underground garage would have interfered with a network of tunnels known as the “Underground.”

Some plans have changed since then.

The pedestrian plaza “took a great step in the right direction to become something much more green, much more biophilic,” said principal planner Adam Watson during a Planning Commission meeting earlier this month.

As for the “Underground,” JBG Smith is now proposing a “fully enclosed, fully undergrounded, climate-controlled connection” from 12th Street S. to 23rd Street S., Watson said. A previous iteration had the tunnel open up when it connected with the garage.

The final proposals for the above-ground plaza and underground tunnel “evolved over the course of the public community engagement process,” Watson said.

The space between the two buildings, separated by the new S. Clark-Bell Street, still falls a few feet short of the Crystal City Sector Plan but the county is giving this deviation a pass.

“Staff finds the proposed street segment will provide sufficient functionality to support all modes of transportation,” according to the county.

JBG Smith is proposing a space of 76.5 feet between the two buildings, compared to the sector plan’s recommendation of 80 feet. Although 3.5 feet narrower, the street will accommodate two travel lanes southbound, one travel lane northbound, and a buffered bicycle lane in each direction.

S. Clark Street would shift east and — south of the buildings — tie into the existing S. Clark Street, according to the county report.

“The northern end will align with S. Bell Street, north of 20th Street S. and create a new four-way signal-controlled intersection and remove the existing intersection with 20th Street S.,” the report said.

The density of the towers has also decreased slightly. While they are the same height, both have less ground-floor retail space and fewer residential units.

The West tower (2000 S. Bell Street) now has the following specifications:

  • 367,040 sq. ft.
  • 338 units
  • 12,244 square feet of commercial or retail space
  • 250 feet tall

The East tower (2001 S. Bell Street) now has the following specifications:

  • 334,061 sq. ft.
  • 420 units
  • 10,006 square feet of commercial or retail space
  • 200 feet tall

There will be 247 parking spaces for residents and 10 visitor spaces, along with 45 spaces for retail users. Additional parking will be available in existing garages.

(more…)

Rodents, Mold, Shoddy Maintenance Plague Affordable Apartment Building

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

Units in the Serrano Apartments, a high-rise housing complex on Columbia Pike, have three things going for them: they are spacious, have nice views, and are affordable.

“But if you go inside those units, the reality is totally different,” said Janeth Valenzuela, who has been advocating for better living conditions for Serrano tenants for two years.

Mice and rat infestations. Balconies with broken glass and rust. Dirty HVAC units with water damage underneath. Shoddy maintenance.

These are just some of the problems inside the 280-unit apartment building at 5535 Columbia Pike, not just according to Valenzuela, but also the Arlington NAACP, immigrant and tenants’ rights group BU-GATA, interfaith clergy group VOICE Arlington, and the Asian American Pacific Islander Civic Engagement (ACE) Collaborative.

“It’s sickening,” said NAACP President Julius “JD” Spain. “This is a dereliction of duty and someone needs to be held accountable.”

Two weeks ago, Spain and the NAACP Housing Committee Chair Kellen MacBeth walked through a handful of apartment units, taking pictures of the conditions. They wrote a letter to County Manager Mark Schwartz detailing the conditions and asking Schwartz to assign staff to work with tenants, rehabilitate the units and rewrite policy so all residents have safe, decent and affordable homes.

“We observed severe problems that suggest a culture of deferred maintenance and underinvestment in the property during our walk-through,” the letter said.

The walk-through, however, was a tipping point after two years of work behind the scenes to help tenants.

“We are tired because there’s no light at the end of the tunnel,” Valenzuela said. “It’s pure injustice.”

Under new management

The Serrano Apartments are owned by AHC Inc., an Arlington-based affordable housing developer, which acquired the building in 2014 in partnership with Arlington County. Since then, the nonprofit has spent millions of dollars making improvements. The building has 196 committed affordable units and 84 market-rate units, according to AHC.

AHC is aware of the issues raised by the community organizations and has been working hard on them “for a while now,” said spokeswoman Celia Slater. One of its most recent changes was to hire a new management company, which “is very good at customer service and has an excellent track record.”

According to county spokeswoman Erika Moore, the county required that switch based on the conditions at the property.

Elder Julio Basurto, who has worked with Valenzuela these last two years, said the management change is the result of advocacy.

“It’s not something AHC has done on their own,” he said, adding that “there are a lot of things that are still not right.”

The management company, which started in February, told AHC it will take about six months before the building’s issues get in order, she said. Already, Slater tallied 586 work orders, of which 39 had to do with pests like bugs and rodents.

“We’ve made a lot of progress since they’ve started, but we know there are still issues to address,” Slater said.

This month, 100% of the vents and convectors will be cleaned again by the end of May, she said.

“Many tenants appreciate the new management but they believe that just because there’s a new management it does not mean the root problems are solved,” said Maryam Mustafa, a community organizer with ACE.

Saul Reyes, executive director of BU-GATA, said the Serrano is an old building with lots of issues exacerbated by deferred maintenance.

“We’ve been working with residents, resolving their individual issues with management, making sure work orders get done to tenant satisfaction,” he said. “Part of the problem is that the issues are so extensive and take so long to resolve that residents get frustrated.”

While the new management company works to get things under control, Slater said AHC is working to build trust with residents. The organization established an on-site residents services office with a bilingual manager, started distributing more than 100 meals a week, and has hosted a pop-up vaccination clinic.

“We care about the people in the community and we want to do all we can to make sure their living environment is up to our standards,” Slater said.

But a big problem is communication, she said, alleging that residents are not telling AHC what is going on.

(more…)

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