Ballston

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Westover Market Appeals Zoning Decision — In spite of efforts by the county’s zoning enforcement office to limit its occupancy and its entertainment options, Westover Market’s Beer Garden is still a place where neighbors can gather to watch football and baseball games on a crisp fall day. The market has bought itself some time by appealing the zoning decision. In the meantime, the market’s mom and pop owners are trying to round up the $25,000-50,000 that will be needed to install new, code-compliant bathrooms. More from TBD.

Conservative Writer Says Murray Has a Chance — Conservative writer Jim Geraghty is impressed that incumbent congressman Jim Moran is “only” up 13 percent against challenger Patrick Murray. Blogging for the National Review Online, Geraghty said that in light of the numbers from the internal Murray poll, he’s picking the retired Army colonel as his “special crazy insane upset pick” in the upcoming mid-term elections. More from NRO.

Last Ballston Farmers Market of the Year — Today from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. the last Ballston Farmers Market of the year will be held in Welburn Square. (That is, if it’s not canceled due to rainy weather. “Rain or shine,” organizers now say.) More on the market from the Arlington Kids blog.

District Taco Has a Secret Admirer — The Arlington-based food cart District Taco was the subject of an ad in Craigslist’s missed connections section. DT’s secret admirer, it seems, is a movie star who’s in town working on a big Hollywood film. More from DCist.

Flickr pool photo by Chaita_1

Glebe Road Shut Down Due to Pedestrian Accident

By ARLnow.com

A serious pedestrian accident has shut down all lanes of Glebe Road between North Carlin Springs Road and North Henderson Road, near Ballston Common Mall.

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on Glebe Road and was taken to a local trauma center, according to Arlington police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal.

Update at 4:20 p.m. — The northbound lanes of Glebe Road have reopened. Traffic heading northbound from Glebe and from North Randolph Street is being allowed to enter the Harris Teeter parking lot.

Update at 4:30 p.m. — An accident investigation is underway. Police with surveying equipment are taking measurements and detectives are taking photos of the striking vehicle, a large commercial Chevy pickup truck with Maryland tags.

Witnesses tell ARLnow.com that the victim was a younger man, possibly a young father, who had just left Harris Teeter with a bag of diapers. The man’s injuries appeared to be life-threatening, witnesses said. Multiple witnesses said the man may have been trying to cross the intersection of Glebe Road and Randolph Street against the light.

Update at 4:50 p.m. — The striking vehicle has been taken away by a tow truck. One southbound lane of Glebe Road has been reopened.

Rustico Ballston Update

By ARLnow.com

Update on 10/20 — Rustico will open for lunch and dinner starting on Oct. 26, according to spokesperson Amber Pfau.

A tentative opening date for Rustico’s new Ballston location has been set.

Assuming all the necessary permits go through, Rustico is expected to open its doors on the 4000 block of Wilson Boulevard on Monday, Oct. 25, according to a Rustico employee we spoke to at Saturday’s Oktobeerfest in Alexandria.

UPDATED: Pedestrian Struck in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) A pedestrian was struck by a car at the intersection of North Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive just after 1:00 this afternoon.

Bystanders who witnessed the aftermath of the accident say the victim was an older man. He was bleeding from the face when police arrived on scene, but was conscious and was able to sit up before being loaded onto an ambulance, they said.

After the man was taken to the hospital, emergency personnel hosed down the road to wash away the blood.

There was no visible damage to the striking vehicle, a red Toyota. It’s not clear whether the man was crossing the street in a crosswalk when he was struck. A police officer was taking photos of the scene about a half-hour after the accident.

This is the second pedestrian accident on that particular block of Fairfax Drive so far this week. A pedestrian was injured in a two-car accident that also knocked down a light pole on Tuesday.

BREAKING NEWS — Falling Light Pole Hits Woman After Crash

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:50 p.m.) A two car collision sent a pedestrian to the hospital and knocked down a light pole near the entrance to I-66 on Fairfax Drive.

The crash apparently happened while one car was turning into the entrance to the Holiday Inn. The accident caused one car to slam into the light post, which fell over and hit a woman, a bystander told ARLnow.com. The woman was taken to the hospital. Her injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

A moped that was chained to the light post was also damaged.

Committee to Discuss Proposed Ballston Hotel Tonight

By ARLnow.com

In due time, the big hole in the ground next to Ballston Common Mall will be filled with development and the view from the soon-to-open Rustico will be even less rustic.

Founders Square, located across Wilson Boulevard from the Liberty Center development (also owned by the Shooshan Company), will consist of two high-rise office buildings, one high-rise residential building, a large hotel, and a smaller building reserved for retailers.

Among the Founders Square office towers, one will be a secure building with a single tenant: the Defense Advanced Research Projects agency, which is relocating from Virginia Square. DARPA signed its lease more than a year ago. The other office building is still leasing.

The hotel, meanwhile, is expected to be a Residence Inn, at least according to architectural sketches. It was originally intended to be a residential building, but its use has since been switched to a hotel by the developer. The change still needs to be approved by the county.

The county’s site plan review committee will discuss the hotel proposal at a meeting tonight in Rooms 109/111 at Courthouse Plaza (2100 Courthouse Road). The county board is expected to take up the site plan amendment necessary for the hotel’s approval in December.

Developers argue that the Ballston area is in need of more hotels.

All told, Founders Square will consist of 1.1 million square feet of office, residential, hotel and retail space. The development could be ready for occupancy as soon as 2012.

Crime Report: Man Touches Teen Girl on Shoulder, Gets Tased

By ARLnow.com

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 09/23/10, 2000 block of S. 27th Street. On September 23 at 6:30 pm, a man touched a teenage girl on her shoulder without her permission. The man fled the area when confronted by another adult. The suspect was located by police. A tazer was deployed because the suspect was uncooperative. Alton Dixon, 46, of no fixed address, was charged with Assault and Battery and Fail to Identify to Law Enforcement. He was held on a $1,000 bond.

Also on the crime report, a drunken brawl broke out inside Bailey’s Pub in Ballston early Wednesday morning.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING 09/29/10, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. On September 29 at 1:30 am, a group of intoxicated males was in a fight inside a bar. One male was hit in the face. Police received reports that another man had been cut on his back, but that could not be proven. The suspects are unknown.

The rest of the report, including an especially frightening attempted robbery near Ft. Myer, after the jump.

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Other County Board Actions Last Night

By ARLnow.com

It was a long night for the county board, which didn’t adjourn its recessed meeting until a few minutes after midnight. In addition to a controversial resolution regarding the Secure Communities program, a briefing on next year’s budget projections and the passage of the Crystal City Sector Plan, the board took a number of other significant actions.

The board heard a presentation by County Manager Michael Brown regarding staff research into the proposed development plan for East Falls Church. Details are available on the county’s web site.

Funds for the design of a better Ballston beaver pond were approved unanimously. The $471,842 contract calls for a new design that will allow the pond to do a better job of treating stormwater while still providing a habitat for wildlife.

A plan to renovate 162 apartments in Colonial Village was approved unanimously. The board looked into concerns about parking and trash expressed by neighboring residents, but otherwise made no alterations.

After another somewhat lengthy discussion about outdoor patios, the board voted unanimously to renew Hard Times Cafe’s outdoor seating permit. The board specified an allowance of four tables and eight chairs on the North Highland Street sidewalk during dinner time.

The board voted 4-1 to advertise a steep fee increase for restaurant and food vendor licenses. The board was careful to emphasize that the fee hike, from $100 to $285, was mandated by the state and already in place in neighboring jurisdictions. The fee would apply evenly to brick and mortar restaurants and mobile food vendors.

At the very end, the board approved some sort of settlement with the owner of the long-delayed Bromptons development in Cherrydale. Update at 11:15 a.m. — The settlement deals with a dispute between the owner and the county over utility undergrounding. Under terms of the settlement, Bromptons owner R15, LLC will pay $255,000 to a utility fund.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

ART Route 75 Expands on Monday — The ART 75 bus route will add stops at the Shirlington Transit Center and the Virginia Square Metro station on Monday. More from the Arlington Transit Blog.

New Ballston Burger Joint Coming Soon — Brgr:Shack (4215 Fairfax Drive) will feature grass-fed beef, home-made buns, and a selection of wine and beer. The 30-40 seat restaurant is expected to open in early November. More from TBD.

Shirlington Oktoberfest Map — It’s not as highly-anticipated as Clarendon Day, according to our informal poll, but the 10th annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest in Shirlington next weekend is sure to attract another huge crowd. The good news is that there will be plenty of stations serving beer, so getting each of your 4 oz. samples hopefully won’t take too long. Shirlington Village Blogspot has a map of all 79 vendor booths.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

Police Investigate Death at Kettler Capitals Iceplex

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a death that occurred at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston just before noon today.

A man in his 20s or 30s suffered some sort of a medical emergency in the complex. Paramedics performed CPR on the man, believed to be a youth hockey coach, and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The incident happened while the Washington Capitals were practicing in an adjacent rink. Police have confirmed that they’re investigating a death, but have not released any other details.

Detectives were on scene taking statements from witnesses earlier this afternoon.

Update at 5:30 p.m. — As first reported by DCist, the man who died has been identified as Kettler Capitals Iceplex hockey director Brian St. Louis.

St. Louis has also been serving as a youth hockey coach for the Washington Little Capitals.

The following has been posted on the Little Capitals web site:

The Washington Little Capitals, the Kettler Capitals Iceplex and the DC hockey community lost a great person today when Brian St. Louis passed away unexpectedly in Arlington, Va.

The Little Caps organization and the Kettler Capitals Iceplex extend their deepest sympathies to Brian’s wife, Emily, and his surrounding family and friends.

Coach St. Louis spent eight years with the Little Caps organization as a player, team captain, assistant coach, head coach and hockey director. Two years ago Coach St. Louis made a career transition when he became the hockey director at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Brian’s passion for the sport of hockey and the people involved will long be remembered in this area.

Funeral arrangements and other information will be passed along when finalized.

Is North Quincy and 9th Street a Dangerous Intersection?

By ARLnow.com

To be sure, the intersection at North Quincy Street and 9th Street in Ballston is challenging, for both cars and pedestrians. But is it dangerous?

The intersection is a two-way stop, with stop signs on 9th Street but clear sailing on Quincy. Those on foot crossing Quincy must trust that fast-moving cars are going to obey the law and yield to them in the crosswalk. Those behind the wheel on 9th Street during rush hour must play a real-life game of Frogger, dodging pedestrians and cars in their effort to make a left or cross the street.

“I wrote to Arlington County [a]while ago about this intersection and they mentioned that it did not need a traffic light or four-way stop,” one concerned citizen tells us. “However, it is still extremely dangerous and should have something to make it safer.”

In an email viewed by ARLnow.com, a county traffic engineer insists that “an all-way stop condition is not recommended at this location.” The engineer said a “yield to pedestrians” sign had been installed to “raise awareness of pedestrian activity at the intersection.”

“I guess someone has to get hit for them to do something,” our concerned citizen said.

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