Ballston

Local Cycling Safety App Planning An All-Volunteer Car Violation Tracking Event

By Airey

(Updated at 1:10 p.m.) The “How’s My Driving” cycling safety app is planning an event in Arlington tomorrow to collect data on bike lane violations.

App co-creator Mark Sussman told ARLnow that a team of about 40 people are gearing up to hit streets in Crystal City, Ballston, and Rosslyn on Thursday to count the number of times vehicles block bike lanes. The volunteers will track the bike lane violations on S. Crystal Drive, Fairfax Drive, and N. Lynn Street by reporting blockages through the app, which will share the data through a live dashboard.

“Crystal Drive and Lynn Street are just consistently blocked,” said Sussman. “The problem is that we don’t understand the size and the scope of the problem.”

Video recently posted to Twitter shows multiple stopped vehicles blocking the Crystal Drive bike lane. An Arlington County Police tweet from this summer showed a similar violation on Crystal Drive leading to a traffic ticket.

Sussman and his partner and co-creator Daniel Schep, a software engineer, are hoping data collected by volunteers tomorrow during the morning and evening rush hours and lunchtime can help fix that.

https://twitter.com/hmdappio/status/1184076346332471297?s=20

Currently, only app users in the District can report violations through the app and see how many other violations the driver has racked up on that vehicle — courtesy of a bot that fetches the DMV data. But Susan and Schep have been eyeing expansion into Arlington for months as the app gained popularity and people began reporting violations across the Potomac, too.

The pair say they’re hoping Thursday acts as a demonstration of what kind of real-time data officials could have access to if they contract with “How’s My Driving” in the future.

Volunteers are also out collecting bike lane blockage data today in Pittsburgh. Previously, people helped with a data collection day in D.C. which yielded 700 violations, and another one for bus lane blockages that tracked 300 violations.

“When you get that amount of data, patterns really start to emerge. You can use that data in aggregate both for enforcement purpose and transportation planning,” said Sussman.

However the app creator emphasized that these data collection days are not designed for enforcement purposes, and act as more of a proof of concept.

“No one is getting citations. No one is reporting to authorities,” said Sussman. “The data is only reported in aggregate in a presentation to the county. It would never be used to call out for specific vehicles.” 

“The overall effort is not to shame or expose particular violators,” he added. 

Photo by Sal Ferro

Lebanese Taverna Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Lebanese Taverna is bringing its LEBTAV quick-service restaurant concept to Ballston.

The new eatery will be located in the former Taylor Gourmet space at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Quincy Street. Signs are now up on the doors and construction is well underway inside. Workers this morning were also removing the remaining “Taylor” lettering outside the front door.

There was no initial word on when LEBTAV might open in Ballston — the signs only say “opening soon.”

Arlington-based Lebanese Taverna has existing sit-down restaurants in Westover (5900 Washington Blvd) and Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street), as well as a market at 4400 Old Dominion Drive, across from the Lee Heights Shopping Center.

LEBTAV, which offers a smaller but similar menu to the full-service restaurants, has existing locations in Rockville and Silver Spring, and is opening another in a former Taylor Gourmet space in D.C.

Hat tip to Henry G.

We, The Pizza To Open in Ballston By The End of October

By Kalina Newman
1/3

We, The Pizza’s second Arlington location is set to open in Ballston Exchange by the end of the month, after some delay.

Original signs up at 4201 Wilson Blvd first indicated the pizza chain would be open by fall 2018. That later turned into an expected September opening this year.

The restaurant is now expected to open at some point “by the end of October,” according to Micheline Mendelsohn, Deputy CEO for We, The Pizza’s parent company, Sunnyside Restaurant.

A media preview has been organized for Oct. 21 and 22, and “Now Hiring” signs have been posted to the window. Inside, the restaurant appears to be mostly built out.

We, The Pizza is located on the west side of Ballston Exchange alongside a new CorePower Yoga and the existing Dunkin’ Donuts.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sietsema’s Dining Guide Includes Arlington Spots — Out of 77 restaurants on Washington Post food critic’s prestigious  annual Fall Dining Guide, four are Arlington-based or have Arlington outposts: Thai Square on Columbia Pike, Sfoglina in Rosslyn, Jaleo in Crystal City, and Buena Vida in Clarendon. [Washington Post]

Dance Flash Mob in Ballston — “Flash Mob in #Ballston! Volunteers and @BMDCdance treated @marymountu’s Ballston Center students to an impromptu performance at the Fall Wellness Fair! #LifeisFull” [Twitter]

Man Arrested for Sexual Abuse of Child on Metro — “Patel was stopped by MTPD officers shortly before 6 p.m. after a juvenile male victim reported that the suspect sat next to him and then groped him aboard a Yellow Line train traveling between Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza stations. The train was in the District of Columbia at the time of the offense.” [WMATA]

ACPD Encouraging ‘See Something, Say Something’ — “While the overall crime rate is down regionwide, in 2019 there’s an increase in the number of people calling police in Arlington, Virginia; and the police chief thinks it is because people are becoming engaged with law enforcement. And that’s a good thing.” [WTOP]

‘Trail Rage’ Incident in Arlington — “At approximately 4:50 p.m., the victim and a friend were riding their bikes along the Custis Trail when they had a brief exchange with the suspect who was traveling by bicycle in the opposite direction. The suspect later caught up to the victim on the trail, became aggressive and struck the victim’s bike with his tire, before the victim was able to ride away. The suspect again caught up to the victim, attempted to grab his personal belongings, before the victim kicked the suspects’ bicycle and rode away.” [Arlington County]

Lee Highway Planning Meeting Today — “From 12-3:30pm: Lee Highway-area residents, business owners, community members and other stakeholders are encouraged to attend the Plan Lee Highway: Open Design Studio.” [Twitter, Arlington County]

Nearby: Rabid Raccoon in Falls Church — “On October 4, a sick raccoon was euthanized by City of Falls Church Police in the area of Lea Court and S. Spring Street. On October 9, the Fairfax County Health Department confirmed that the raccoon was suffering from rabies. In this case, there was no human exposure to the animal, however, the community should be cognizant of the rabies threat at all times.” [City of Falls Church]

Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak

Poké It Up Opening Soon in Ballston

By Kalina Newman
1/3

Poké it Up’s second Arlington location is set to open soon in Ballston.

The poke restaurant is opening at 4401 Fairfax Drive, occupying the ground floor of an office building currently undergoing a revamp. The restaurant will seat up to 38 guests, per a zoning permit filed earlier this week.

Poké it Up established itself as Arlington’s first dedicated poke eatery at the beginning of last year, when it opened it up in the food court of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. It features a variety of seafood, vegetables, rice, and sauces, ordered Chipotle-style at a counter.

Another new neighbor has popped up next door — Zoup! Eatery is all but ready to go, with an Oct. 21 opening date, according to franchise owner Jim Beverly.

“The guy behind Poké it Up said he would be opening at the same time as me,” Beverly said. “It’s kind of a friendly competition between the two of us. I think he’d like to beat me to opening.”

There’s still no word on an opening date for Zoup’s neighbor — Poké it Up did not respond to several requests for comment at the time of publication.

A New 240-Room Hotel Could Be Coming to Ballston

By Airey
1/3

(Updated at 10:30 a.m.) A new hotel with several hundred rooms could be coming soon to Ballston.

Vienna-based developer Schupp Companies recently submitted plans to build a 10-story hotel with 240 rooms at 501 N. Randolph Street and 4019 5th Road N., according to the Arlington County website. Previously, the lot was home to celebrated Italian restaurant Tutto Bene before it closed in 2014, after 26 years in business.

The description on Schupp Companies’ website indicates that the developer purchased the land in 2015, and touts the “over one million visitors” to the nearby renovated Ballston Quarter mall and the Medstar Capitals Iceplex.

A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to requests for more information about the project. On Tuesday UrbanTurf reported that the plans had recently changed and now called for 180 rooms, though that could not be immediately confirmed.

The county’s Site Plan Review Committee is scheduled to discuss the plan in two weeks, on Thursday, October 24. The public meeting will be held from 7-9 p.m. in the Bozman government center building (2100 Clarendon Blvd) in Courthouse.

Schupp previously engaged in a lengthy legal battle with Clarendon’s now-closed Kitty O’Shea’s in 2011, where the owner accused the company’s owner of forcing the bar out to make way for a new hotel. (The planned hotel eventually did open in 2016.)

If approved, the hotel would sit near another proposed redevelopment project: the Ballston Harris Teeter on N. Glebe Road, where developers are planning to build a new Harris Teeter space underneath a new, 732-unit residential building.

Images 1-2 via Google Maps 

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pedestrian Struck on Crash-Prone Stretch — “A pedestrian was struck on Washington Blvd in front of Washington-Liberty HS around 10 a.m. this morning. The victim was transported to a hospital with minor injuries, per scanner traffic. This stretch has seen numerous pedestrians struck by drivers over the past few years.” [Twitter]

Local Leaders from Wa. Coming to Talk Amazon — “How do you prepare for Amazon.com Inc. when the company plans to drastically grow in your city? That’s what city officials from Bellevue, Washington, hope to learn from our own Arlington, as they send an envoy to meet with county leaders Thursday. The communities… each expect to house more than 4,000 Amazon employees by 2022.” [Washington Business Journal]

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Approaching — “On Saturday, October 26, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 18th opportunity in nine years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. This disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.” [Arlington  County]

Special Burial and Flyover at ANC — “A pilot who died during WWII was finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Air Force Major Donn Young’s remains were recovered decades after his B-25 bomber crashed in Papua New Guinea… The burial happened, in part, because of an adventurous entrepreneur.” [WJLA]

Another Wohl, Burkman Press Conference — Conservative provocateurs Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl held yet another press conference outside Burkman’s Rosslyn area townhouse to accuse another Democratic presidential candidate of sexual impropriety. The press conference was disrupted by a bagpiper, a process server and a man in a corn suit. [Twitter]

Congressman: Congress Must ‘Do Something’ About Trump — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) tweeted yesterday: “President Trump just said out loud that it’s OK to betray our Kurdish allies and allow the release of 11,000 ISIS fighters because ‘they’re going to be escaping to Europe.’ He’s out of completely out of control and Congress has to do something about it.” [Twitter]

Photo courtesy Catherine Ladd

JUST IN: Video Game Reference Shouted During Movie Led to Ballston Active Shooter Panic

By ARLnow.com

A mass panic of a mass shooter in Ballston last month was not caused by a criminal act, Arlington County Police say.

A weeks-long investigation determined that the panic was caused by someone misinterpreting an outburst at a screening of “IT Chapter 2.”

“During the playing of the movie IT Chapter Two, a juvenile within a group shouted a video game reference to the effect of ‘Pennywise has sharpshooter activated,'” police said in a press release Wednesday afternoon. “This statement was misinterpreted as a possible active incident, however, the investigation revealed that at no time were references to an active shooter made inside the theater.:

No charges are being sought. Arlington’s outgoing top prosecutor said the incident is a reminder that there may be “unintended impacts” of otherwise innocent actions due to “today’s climate of heightened awareness around active violence incidents.”

More from an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department has completed a weeks-long investigation into the September 14, 2019, false report of a possible shooter at the Ballston Quarter movie theater. A review of the facts and circumstances by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office determined that there was no evidence that any crime was committed, nor did anyone enter the theater with the intent to cause public harm or concern. As a result, no charges will be filed.

To summarize this incident, at approximately 8:38 p.m. on September 14, police were dispatched to multiple emergency calls reporting a possible shooter inside the movie theater at the Ballston Quarter located at 4238 Wilson Boulevard. Upon police arrival, the theater was placed under shelter in place status while a systematic search of the entire Ballston Quarter was initiated. The search concluded with negative results and no evidence of a shooting or any victims of a shooting were located.

Following the incident, detectives conducted a thorough investigation which included the review of surveillance images, witness interviews and the identification of the involved parties. The evidence determined that during the playing of the movie IT Chapter Two, a juvenile within a group shouted a video game reference to the effect of “Pennywise has sharpshooter activated.” This statement was misinterpreted as a possible active incident, however, the investigation revealed that at no time were references to an active shooter made inside the theater.

“A thorough and complete investigation revealed no evidence to support that any crime was committed,” said Theo Stamos, Commonwealth’s Attorney. “In today’s climate of heightened awareness around active violence incidents in public places, this incident serves as a reminder about the unintended impacts otherwise innocent actions might have.”

“While we’re fortunate this incident was a false alarm and no significant injuries were reported, responding officers acted quickly and dutifully to ensure the safety of the public and mall personnel,” said M. Jay Farr, Chief of Police. “I am proud of the actions of our responding officers and the detailed detective work conducted to bring this incident to its final disposition.”

Marymount President Wants to Double School’s Size, Establish Itself As “Arlington’s University”

By Kalina Newman
1/4

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Marymount University President Irma Becerra isn’t slowing down.

With the 2019-20 school year underway and 455 students moved into the new upscale apartments at the newly-acquired “Rixey” building in Ballston, part of a $250 million investment in Marymount’s expanded Ballston presence, Becerra is continuing to push her Strategic Plan to double the Catholic university’s in size by 2024.

Becerra and Marymount are in the beginning planning phases of a project to repurpose buildings on the main campus to add capacity for an additional 3,000 students. She is also working on a capital investment plan to increase the university’s endowment nearly sixfold — from $43 million to $250 million.

Eventually, Becerra said, Marymount will have to build additional buildings for student housing if the university wants to reach its eventual goal of 10,000 enrolled students. As of last fall, there were 3,418 students in both graduate and undergraduate programs.

“Some of the growth will be fully online, and others will be through hybrid programs that will require less physical time on campus,” Becerra said. “We don’t anticipate an issue, but more buildings will probably come in the latter part of the next five years.”

As for the cost that comes with doubling a university size, Becerra said funding “would come through a combination of initiatives from corporations and private foundations and the launch of a new capital campaign and government funding.”

Within the next few years, she hopes the school will establish itself as a top producer of highly-competitive talent for all Arlington businesses, from Amazon to local startups.

With Amazon’s HQ2 being staffed up, there is a particular focus on technology at Marymount. Earlier this year Marymount recently hired tech-oriented entrepreneur Jonathan Aberman as interim dean of its business school. And a new artificial intelligence curriculum is being incorporated into every major “from arts to biology.”

Marymount will have competition in that regard: George Mason University and Virginia Tech also working on major local expansion plans with a tech focus.

In addition to doubling the university’s size, Becerra is seeking to raise its national profile. That effort is bearing some fruit, particularly with Marymount jumping more than 20 spots in its U.S. News and World Report rankings. At the same time, she wants to maintain the school’s local feel and connection.

“We’re Arlington’s only headquartered university, and we’d like to think of ourselves as ‘Arlington’s University,'” Becerra said. “There’s a significance to be headquartered here, and between [being] instrumental  to changing the Ballston experience, we have a number of proposals of how we’re going to work with local employers in the area and how we can help support the workforce needs in the community.”

Taco Bamba Owner to Open New “All-Day Egg” Restaurant in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Victor Albisu, the chef and owner of the popular local Taco Bamba chain, is planning to open a new restaurant concept in Ballston.

The fast-casual restaurant, which is expected to open this spring, will be called “Huevos.” It will offer egg-based dishes for every meal of the day, alongside various types of coffee and a “modest” bar serving up craft beers, mimosas and Bloody Mary.

Huevos will be located in a 1,500 square foot space at 4000 Wilson Blvd, replacing the shuttered Mike Isabella restaurant Yona.

“There is nothing more versatile and delicious than eggs. My biggest challenge with this concept will be figuring out where to stop,” Albisu said in a press release. “I could eat eggs all day, and I do, so the menu possibilities are endless. While eggs are the star, the dishes will be as surprising and craveable as anything from Taco Bamba. We’re opening an all-day spot here. Eggs were never meant just for breakfast.”

The full press release is below.

Award-winning chef, Victor Albisu, announces plans to bring all-day egg concept, Huevos, to The View at Liberty Center in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Va. this spring. Located at 4000 Wilson Blvd., Suite C (entrance on N. Quincy St.), the 1,500-square-foot fast-casual will serve original yolk-busting versions of nature’s most perfect food, along with coffee and bar programs to complement the menu.

“There is nothing more versatile and delicious than eggs. My biggest challenge with this concept will be figuring out where to stop,” said Albisu. “I could eat eggs all day, and I do, so the menu possibilities are endless. While eggs are the star, the dishes will be as surprising and craveable as anything from Taco Bamba. We’re opening an all-day spot here. Eggs were never meant just for breakfast.”

The Huevos menu gets its Latin accent from sibling restaurant Taco Bamba – 2019 winner of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Favorite Fast Bites award. Look for instant classics like bacon, egg and cheese empanadas, brisket chilaquiles, and egg salad topped with caviar (more eggs!) and served with salt & vinegar chips.

More adventurous menu items include green eggs and jamón, featuring a 63º egg, jalapeño whipped potatoes, and crispy ham, as well as a crispy egg roll, with soft scramble, ground chorizo, poblanos, Monterey jack, chipotle ketchup, and pineapple sweet & sour sauce.

This isn’t another taco shop, but Albisu plans to stuff large flour tortillas with a selection of braised and barbequed meats, roasted vegetables, shredded bacon, and smoked fish, topped with his own egg-based “Huevos yellow sauce.” A range of sandwiches, with everything from smoked salmon to roasted portobellos to crab cakes, will be stacked and stuffed into soft, warm torta bread, tightly wrapped and neatly sliced to enjoy at the counter or on the go.

During weekend brunch, look for airy, sweet souffléed pancakes similar to the short stack you used to find in a cast iron pan on Del Campo’s bunch menu. Eggs also make sweet treats and will always be available in the form of Albisu’s signature flan.

Nature’s most perfect food will be served alongside its most addictive drink – coffee – hot, cold, with milk, and black as the night is long. A modest bar will serve a concise list of craft beers, mimosas and Bloody Marys.

(more…)

A Sign of the Times: Ballston BID Unveils New Branding

By Kalina Newman
1/7

The Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) has rebranded to reflect the changes in the rapidly changing neighborhood.

Signs with the new black, white and orange logo — which includes a lowercase “B” in a map-pin shape — have been popping up around the neighborhood — along Fairfax Drive, Glebe Road and near the Ballston Metro station. More signs will be installed this week, a BID spokeswoman said.

The BID unveiled its new look during last week’s “Ballston Street Bash and Mega Market” festival. In some of its new marketing materials, the new BID logo is followed by its new slogan, “Life is Full.”

“‘Life is Full’ was strategically created to reflect the premier neighborhood’s significant growth as a true hub of the best of what the region has to offer for businesses and residents alike,” said the spokeswoman.

Over the last 18 months, the neighborhood has seen the opening of the renovated Ballston Quarter and Ballston Exchange retail centers, along with numerous new restaurants and other new businesses. New nightlife spots like Bronson and the future Quincy Hall, meanwhile, are helping to turn Ballston from a place where people mostly just live and work to a going-out destination, as well, local leaders say.

“With all the new developments and the completion of Ballston Quarter and Ballston Exchange, Ballston is now a 18-hour neighborhood,” said Ballston BID CEO Tina Leone.

According to the BID, there are currently 60 restaurants and 15 fitness studios in Ballston, and 2,400 new apartments under development.

“Since we launched [the BID] seven years ago, we have been a rapidly developing neighborhood in one of the most thriving, sought-after cities in the U.S.,” said Leone. “It is time for our brand to reflect all that Ballston has to offer and to communicate that ‘life is full’ right here.”

In addition to the new signs, the BID’s new branding is now adorning the rear ad panels of Metrobuses that service the neighborhood.

The BID operates as a nonprofit, funded from a commercial property tax surcharge, serving Ballston businesses and residents via everything from community events to park maintenance. Upcoming projects proposed in the BID’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2020 budget include:

  • Establishing a digital business resource center in coordination with Arlington County and Arlington Economic Development.
  • Exploring collaboration opportunities between Ballston Quarter and the Washington Capitals.
  • Coordinating a Ballston holiday market.
  • Developing a landscaping and signage proposal for the Route 66 gateway on Fairfax Drive.
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