Columbia Pike

Speed limit reductions may be coming to more high-traffic roads in Arlington

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) A handful of main roads in Arlington may be getting speed limit reductions.

At its meeting this Saturday, the Arlington County Board is slated to vote to advertise a potential reduction in the speed limit on four arterial streets, per a staff report.

The reductions would target road segments with high volumes of pedestrians walking to and from transit stations, schools, apartment buildings and commercial areas, the county says. Among them:

The segments also have more serious and fatal crashes than other roads, the report said.

The selected segment of Washington Blvd, south of Clarendon, sees lots of foot traffic due to the public transit stops on both sides of the road connected by controlled and uncontrolled marked crosswalks, according to the county.

The corridor had 39 crashes in a 5-year period, and is one of the roads in Arlington’s Vision Zero High Injury Network, which accounts for 78% of all serious or fatal crashes. North of Arlington Blvd, the speed limit on Washington Blvd is already 30 mph.

S. Joyce Street, in the Pentagon City area, also has “steady” pedestrian activity due to a transit stop. The county says more people will walk, cycle and scoot along the road — which passes near the Air Force Memorial — once Columbia Pike is realigned to expand Arlington National Cemetery.

Lower speeds here “are essential” for lowering the risk of severe collisions, since the lane widths are limited and have no shoulders, per the report. To improve walkability on this stretch of S. Joyce, the county widened sidewalks and installed new lighting in 2013.

The Dept. of Environmental Services also recommends lowering speeds on the segment of Columbia Pike from S. Dinwiddie Street to the Fairfax County line to account for increased walking and transit use associated with new transit stations. Columbia Pike, with 85 crashes in a five-year period, of which six involved pedestrians, is also part of what has been designated the “High Injury Network.”

Continuing east on Columbia Pike, the speed limit is currently 30 mph.

Meanwhile, a high volume of people walk and cycle across Lorcom Lane to go to and from Dorothy Hamm Middle School, per the report. The school also has foot traffic outside school hours and on weekends, for events such as the Cherrydale Farmers Market, which started last year, despite complaints from some neighbors.

This road saw 18 crashes in six years, and of those, speeding contributed to three crashes.

The county considered, but decided not to lower speeds on segments of S. Walter Reed Drive, S. Four Mile Run Drive and Wilson Blvd from N. Glebe Road to the Fairfax County line — where the limit is currently 30 mph.

At its upcoming meeting, the Board is also expected to enact some speed reductions in Courthouse and Glencarlyn, which were advertised last month. The planned speed limit changes are:

  • Fairfax Drive from Arlington Boulevard to N. Barton Street (30 mph to 25 mph)
  • 5th Road S. from S. Carlin Springs Road to the Fairfax County line (35 mph to 25 mph)

More Honda airbag thefts and a bizarre brandishing along the Pike

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

Just days after the last reported series of airbag thefts in Arlington, police are investigating another.

Arlington County police say a thief or thieves smashed windows on and stole airbags from three Honda vehicles on the 900 block of S. Rolfe Street, near Towers Park.

Dozens of similar thefts — mostly involving Hondas and Acuras — have been reported so far this year, including a series of four less than a week ago.

From ACPD:

LARCENY FROM AUTO (Late, Series), 2022-09050059, 900 block of S. Rolfe Street. At approximately 6:41 a.m. on September 5, police were dispatched to the report of a late larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined between approximately 11:30 p.m. on September 4 and 6:41 a.m. on September 5 the unknown suspect(s) smashed the driver’s side windows of three vehicles and stole the airbags. All vehicles involved are Honda models. There is no suspect description at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

Also in the latest ACPD crime report, police say a man pulled out and loaded a gun inside a business along Columbia Pike — and then walked away without making any threats or demands.

The odd situation played out Friday night on the 2900 block of the Pike, which is home to a Domino’s Pizza and a CVS, among other businesses. Arlington police typically do not reveal the identities of people or entities that have been the victims of crimes.

More via ACPD:

BRANDISHING, 2022-09020220, 2600 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 8:49 p.m. on September 2, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 8:43 p.m., the unknown male suspect entered into the business, approached the counter, removed a firearm and magazine from his waistband and loaded it before fleeing the scene on foot. The suspect did not make any demands or threats. No injuries were reported and no items were reported stolen or damaged. Responding officers canvassed the area yielding negative results.

New family-owned Peruvian chicken restaurant is hoping to open soon on Columbia Pike

By Matt Blitz
1/2

A new family-owned Peruvian chicken restaurant is opening on Columbia Pike.

Cabaña Restaurant is looking to start serving roasted chicken and other Peruvian food at 4815 Columbia Pike, perhaps later this month.

Management is just waiting on the county to do its inspections and issue licenses, co-owner Soledad Marreros told ARLnow. The restaurant is also waiting on approval of its liquor license from Virginia ABC.

Marreros owns the restaurant with her brother. Together, they also both run Restaurante El Salvador located only a few doors down from its new restaurant. That eatery has been open for about 30 years, she said, and will continue to operate along with the new restaurant.

Cabaña Restaurant will be its own restaurant with a new menu and a different type of cuisine, Marreros said.

With the population increasing along Columbia Pike, particularly residents originally from Central and South America, the time felt right to open another restaurant, Marreros said.

Plus, with so many other restaurants closing over the last two years due to the pandemic, space became available close to their original restaurant. Prior, 4815 Columbia Pike appears to have been home to Ginger Beef.

Cabaña Restaurant is nestled between a cell phone store and an Ethiopian market in the Barcroft Shopping Centre at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Buchanan Street.

Grand opening set for Black Heritage Museum and Columbia Pike Partnership’s new space

By Matt Blitz
1/3

The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and the Columbia Pike Partnership are nearly ready to open the doors to their new home.

The two Pike-centric organizations will host a joint grand opening celebration on Sept. 16 from 4- 6 p.m., on the first floor of the Ethiopian Community Development Council building at 3045B Columbia Pike. Local officials are expected to attend and the public is welcome to attend with an RSVP.

“The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington is excited about the grand re-opening of our museum in a new space!” the museum’s president Scott Taylor said in a statement. “We are so thankful to so many of you, who have been with us every step of the way so that this day would finally come again for us to display information and be a voice to many unsung Arlington heroes who have certainly a hand in making Arlington the great county/city it is today.”

We reported in May that the museum and the Columbia Pike Partnership (CPP) had found a new home a few blocks from their former one at 2611 Columbia Pike. Both were forced to vacate — along with all of the businesses at the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center — due to the impending demolition and redevelopment of the shopping center.

It took about four months to settle into the space, CPP’s deputy director Amy McWilliams told ARLnow, but now they are ready to start welcoming the public. Their new home was originally intended as retail, not an office space, but with a majority of employees still working from home often the reconfiguration isn’t a big deal, said McWilliams.

Part of the office will be taken up by a display of photos from the Columbia Pike Documentary Project.

The Black Heritage Museum will be taking up a large chunk of space for its displays, exhibits, and artifacts. Museum president Scott Taylor said this allows the museum to display a few new artifacts and a couple of newer displays, including vintage items from an old drug store as well as photos of Arlington-raised singer Roberta Flack.

“A new space and change is always good,” Taylor wrote ARLnow in an email. “We still have some of this same items that we’ve always had in which is okay because there are still a lot of people who have not experienced us yet.”

Taylor told ARLnow in May that the museum was still hoping for its own space. With the county acquiring 3108 Columbia Pike, there remains a possibility the museum could go back to the building it occupied several years ago.

For now, the museum is once again sharing space with CPP and taking advantage of what they do have.

“Unfortunately we still don’t have as much space as we would like to have but we are making the best of what we do have and I can’t wait for everyone to see!” said Taylor.

Beemer BBQ behind Columbia Pike Chinese restaurant

By ARLnow.com
Vehicle on fire behind Mrs. Chen’s Kitchen

A car is fully engulfed in flames behind Mrs. Chen’s Kitchen restaurant on Columbia Pike.

Firefighters are currently on the scene, on the 3100 block of the Pike, working to extinguish the vehicular inferno in the rear of the long-time Chinese eatery.

No injuries have been reported. The vehicle is said to be a gray BMW.

An “American fine dining restaurant” is set to move into P. Brennan’s old space on the Pike

By Matt Blitz
2910 Columbia Pike, the soon-to-be new location of Stella Restaurant and Lounge (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
2910 Columbia Pike, the soon-to-be new location of Stella Restaurant and Lounge (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

An “American fine dining restaurant” is filing the old P. Brennan’s space on Columbia Pike.

A family-owned eatery is looking to open by the end of the year at 2910 Columbia Pike. From 2010 to 2017, that address was the home of P. Brennan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. However, the cavernous, two-level space has remained business-less for the last five years.

That’s changing, as ARLnow first reported back in April. The wife-husband team of Griselda Giselle Fernandez and Raheel “Ray” Khan are opening an “American fine dining restaurant” in the space that they are calling Stella Restaurant and Lounge.

The permit actually lists Nightbird Restaurant and Lounge as the name of the business, but Kahn said that was only a fill-in until they settled on a permanent name. As for why Stella, Khan said that was his wife’s call.

While the menu is still being finalized and the owners are still working to hire an executive chef, the plan is to serve steaks, lobster, crabs, and other high-end dishes, Khan told ARLnow.

It was about nine months ago when they took over the property, but it took awhile for plans to come together and permits approved by the county. Construction is starting next week, Khan said, with the hope to be completed in three to four months and for the restaurant to open in mid-December — an aggressive timeline, compared to other restaurant build-outs in Arlington.

When Khan and his wife first toured the space, next door to Rebellion and across the street from the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, they were ecstatic.

“It’s really hard to find such a big space in Arlington,” he said. “With parking underground and being such a well-known space, we loved it.”

The plans are to gut the interior while making some changes to the exterior, including adding sliding windows to provide some alfresco seating since there’s no outdoor patio.

This is the couple’s third D.C. area restaurant, including one location in Oxon Hill, Maryland and Heat Lounge on Lee Highway in Fairfax.

Group from Chicago arrested after catalytic converter thefts

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

A trio of catalytic converter theft suspects, all from Chicago, were arrested early this morning.

Arlington police say they were able to track down all three suspects after they tried to speed off in a car, which they then crashed in the Penrose neighborhood. They were later arrested in the northern portion of the neighborhood, near Sequoia Plaza and Butler Holmes Park.

The arrests, which come amid a rash of thefts of the valuable car part across Arlington, ultimately happened thanks to an alert resident who reported a vehicle break-in along 13th Road S., near the Arlington Village condos, around 2 a.m.

More from an Arlington County police crime report:

VEHICLE TAMPERING, 2022-08310022, 2700 block of 13th Road S. At approximately 1:55 a.m. on August 31, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tapering in progress. Responding officers located a parked vehicle on Walter Reed Drive at S. Randolph Street matching the description provided by the reporting party and observed three male suspects enter the vehicle. Officers activated their emergency equipment and attempted a traffic stop but the driver fled from the scene at a high rate of speed. Additional officers responded to the scene and located the unoccupied suspect vehicle crashed in the 2600 block of 2nd Street S. Officers established a perimeter and located one suspect at 1st Place S. and S. Barton and the other two suspects were located in the 100 block of S. Wise Street and taken into custody. A search of the suspect vehicle resulted in the recovery of two catalytic converters and power tools.

The three suspects, who range in age from 29 to 34, are facing a number of charges, including Eluding, Tampering with Auto, Larceny with Intent to Sell, Possession of Burglarious Tools and, in the case of one suspect, Hit and Run.

Asked by ARLnow about whether the suspects were previously known to ACPD or suspected in other catalytic converter thefts, police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said the investigation is still underway.

“Detectives will continue to investigate to determine if the suspects are linked to any other reported thefts,” she said, adding that “Virginia law prohibits the disclosure of someone’s prior criminal history.”

ACPD: Alexandria man arrested after off-duty officer witnesses vehicle tampering

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A 54-year-old Alexandria man is in jail after police say he broke into and stole items from two cars and tampered with five others.

The arrest happened last night around midnight, in a pair of neighborhoods along Columbia Pike.

The man was caught, police say, after an alert off-duty officer spotted him trying to break in to several parked cars, then detained him until on-duty units arrived.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

VEHICLE TAMPERING (Series), 2022-08250293/08260015, 2500 block of 9th Road S./1100 block of S. Walter Reed Drive. At approximately 11:56 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tampering. The investigation determined that an off-duty police officer observed the suspect attempting to enter into parked vehicles in the area before making contact with him and detaining him until the arrival of additional units. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect allegedly entered into and tampered with seven victim vehicles and stole personal items from two of the vehicles. During a search of his person incident to arrest, drug paraphernalia was recovered. [The suspect], 54, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Vehicle Tampering (x4), Petit Larceny from a Vehicle (x2), Grand Larceny from a Vehicle, Credit Card Theft, and Possession of Controlled Paraphernalia. He was held without bail.

Lane closures coming to section of Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
Crossing Columbia Pike at S. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A section of Columbia Pike will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting next week.

The lane closure, which is set to start Monday and stretch into January 2023, will run about a third of a mile from S. Wakefield Street to S. George Mason Drive. It will help make way for latest phase of the Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements project.

“Drivers — especially those commuting along Columbia Pike — are encouraged to use alternate routes and expect delays,” Arlington County said today in a press release, noting that prep work is starting this week. “Bus stops will also be temporarily relocated to accommodate work.”

The years-long project to improve Columbia Pike’s streetscape, enhance transit infrastructure, replace aging water and sewer mains and bury utility lines has previously closed lanes on other stretches of the Pike and even resulted on the occasional rogue utility pole.

In addition to the lane closures and bus stop relocations, road crews will also be implementing turn restrictions and a reduction in the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph.

Columbia Pike between S. Wakefield Street and S. George Mason Drive (via Google Maps)

More on the lane closures, the plans and the project from the county press release, below.

(more…)

JUST IN: Arlington officer arrested after alleged off-duty assault

By ARLnow.com
Police on scene at the Siena Park Apartments on Friday morning (photo courtesy John Antonelli)

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) An Arlington County police officer has been arrested and charged with seriously injuring a woman while off duty.

The alleged assault happened early Friday morning at two separate locations along Columbia Pike in Arlington. The police department says the 34-year-old officer and the woman knew each other, though their exact relationship was not described.

The incident started when the pair left a “nightlife establishment” and drove to an area near Towers Park, where police say the off-duty officer, identified as William Hahn, threw the woman to the ground and smashed her phone following a verbal dispute.

They then drove to an address that likely corresponds to the Siena Park Apartments where, according to police, Hahn struck the woman in the face in the building’s parking garage.

Hahn, who was hired by ACPD in June 2020, has been placed on leave without pay and is facing charges of Malicious Wounding and Destruction of Property.

More from a police department press release, below.

The Arlington County Police Department has arrested and charged an off-duty Arlington officer following an assault investigation. William Hahn, 34, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and Destruction of Property. He was held without bond.

At approximately 5:08 a.m. on August 5, police were dispatched to the 2300 block of Columbia Pike for the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, officers located the female victim outside a residential building suffering from injuries considered serious but non-life threatening. She was transported to an area hospital for treatment and subsequently released. The suspect was located inside a residence in the building and taken into custody.

The investigation indicated the suspect and victim, who are known to each other, left a nightlife establishment and drove to the 800 block of S. Scott Street where they became involved in a verbal dispute. During the dispute, both parties exited the vehicle and the suspect allegedly took the victim’s phone and broke it. The suspect then threw the victim to the ground and physically assaulted her. Following the assault, the parties reentered the suspect’s vehicle and drove to the 2300 block of Columbia Pike. While inside the residential building’s parking garage, a second verbal dispute occurred, during which the suspect struck the victim in the face. The suspect and victim then exited the vehicle and were waiting for the building’s elevator when they encountered the reporting party who contacted the Emergency Communications Center after observing the victim’s injuries.

“I want to assure the community these serious criminal allegations reflect behavior that is unacceptable by any member of our agency and these actions are in direct contradiction to our role as professional law enforcement officers,” said Chief Andy Penn. “We are committed to holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards while remaining transparent to ensure the public’s trust and will complete a comprehensive criminal and internal administrative investigation into this incident.”

Hahn was hired by the Arlington County Police Department in June 2020. He has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the criminal and internal administrative investigations.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Ballston at twilight with storm clouds looming (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Issues at Court House Station — Noted in a new Washington Metrorail Safety Commission report on the maintenance, cleaning and inspections of automatic train control systems: “For example, at Court House Station on the Orange and Silver Lines, a technician noted racks that were dusty and covered with black soot and noted that an electronic-friendly vacuum cleaner was required for proper cleaning, but no work order was opened. The records also showed missing manuals and reference documents, but no work order was opened.” [WMSC]

Anniversary of Pentagon Officer’s LODD — “Pentagon Police Cpl. George Gonzalez died in the line of duty one year ago today. At the Training Range named for him, members of his Pentagon Force Protection Agency platoon honored Gonzalez again on Tuesday.” [WJLA]

School Board Race Fundraising — “For the period through June 30, independent James ‘Vell’ Rives IV outraised Democratic endorsee Bethany Sutton by $14,286 to $13,132, according to figures from the Virginia Department of Elections. But from those figures you have to subtract the $7,000 loan that Rives gave his campaign, and also chop off a couple of thousand dropped in by Sutton family members to hers, when parsing the data.” [Sun Gazette]

Light Pole Knocked Down on the Pike — “Scanner: Columbia Pike temporary shut down at S. Wakefield Street after a vehicle ran into a county light pole, knocking it down. Driver reported to be injured, but not seriously.” [Twitter]

It’s Friday — After a stormy Thursday night comes another hot day with rain and strong storms in the evening and overnight. High of 91 and low of 76. Sunrise at 6:15 am and sunset at 8:17 pm. [Weather.gov]

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