Columbia Pike

ACPD: Intoxicated suspect punched officer responding to reported stabbing

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police used a Taser to subdue a man over the weekend after an officer was allegedly punched along Columbia Pike.

The fracas happened around 10 p.m. Friday near the intersection of the Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive. The incident that drew the police response was initially reported to be a stabbing but later turned out to just be a dispute.

More, below, from today’s ACPD crime report.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-08110270, 2800 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 10:04 p.m. on August 11, police were dispatched to the report of a possible stabbing. The arriving officer located three male subjects matching the descriptions provided by the reporting party and gave them commands to stop in order to conduct their investigation. Subject One was detained without incident. Subject Two assaulted the officer by punching him and was taken into custody with the assistance of an additional arriving officer. Subject Three refused to comply with the officer’s commands and, following the deployment of a Taser by the officer, was detained. Subject Three was evaluated on scene by medics and, following the investigation, was released on scene. The investigation determined a dispute had taken place but no stabbing had occurred. Subject One… 23, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Public Intoxication. Subject Two… 27, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police and Public Intoxication.

Also this weekend, police responded to a pair of armed robberies — one Friday night in Pentagon City, the other early Saturday morning in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood.

From ACPD:

ROBBERY, 2023-08110255, 1300 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 8:46 p.m. on August 11, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male and female victims arranged to meet Suspect One, who is known to them, at this location. When the male victim and Suspect One made contact, Suspect Two exited the vehicle, brandished a firearm and struck the male victim with it before stealing the victims’ bags containing clothing, electronics and personal belongings. Suspect One then brandished a firearm and took the female victim’s purse from her possession. Both suspects then fled the scene in their vehicle with the victim’s stolen property. Officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results. Warrants were obtained for Robbery (x2) and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. The investigation is ongoing.

ROBBERY, 2023-08120066, 1700 block of 26th Street S. At approximately 6:31 a.m. on August 12, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect was inside of a parked vehicle with the three male suspects when one suspect threatened the victim with a firearm and demanded his belongings. The suspects stole electronics, jewelry and a wallet containing credit cards, personal identification cards and an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene in the vehicle. The victim then requested assistance from the reporting party who called police. No injuries were reported. Officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results.

Portion of Columbia Pike blocked after rental truck runs over curb and up embankment

By ARLnow.com
U-Haul crash on Columbia Pike

The westbound lanes of Columbia Pike are blocked near Arlington’s western border after a crash involving a U-Haul truck.

The crash happened around 5:20 p.m. near the intersection of the Pike and S. Jefferson Street. That’s about three blocks from a U-Haul rental location.

Initial reports suggest that the rental truck collided with two vehicles and then mounted a curb, went over a sidewalk, and ran partially up a steep grassy hill. One or two minor injuries were reported.

A tow crew is on scene cleaning up debris from the roadway and trying to figure out how to get the box truck safely down from the embankment.

Arlington County police investigating another carjacking

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Yet another armed carjacking has been reported in Arlington, this time in the Columbia Forest neighborhood.

The carjacking happened in the early morning hours of Saturday, on the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street just south of Columbia Pike.

“At approximately 4:36 a.m. on August 5, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery,” said today’s daily Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the victim stopped his vehicle in a parking lot when the suspect vehicle, with four occupants, approached. One suspect then exited the suspect vehicle, brandished a firearm and demanded the victim’s vehicle.”

“The suspects then fled the scene in the suspect vehicle, a black SUV, and the victim’s stolen vehicle, a 2019 black Toyota Camry,” the crime report continues. “The victim’s stolen vehicle was later located unoccupied in Washington D.C.”

Several carjackings and an unsuccessful carjacking attempt were reported by ACPD in July. More than a dozen carjacking have been reported so far this year, by ARLnow’s count, many involving BMWs carjacked in the Crystal City area.

Illegally parked cars at Penrose Square causing traffic jams and safety concerns, neighbors say

By Matt Blitz
Illegally parked cars along S. Barton Street and 9th Road S. (screenshot via Twitter/@ArlingtonAF)

Some neighbors and nearby businesses are fed up with drivers illegally parking near the Penrose Square Starbucks.

They say improperly parked cars are leading to traffic jams and a loss of business, while blocking a public space and causing safety hazards.

Recent posts on social media have highlighted traffic jams near the intersection of S. Barton Street and 9th Road S., along Columbia Pike. The posts show several parked cars with hazard lights on, partially blocking traffic on the pedestrian-oriented roadway that connects the Pike and a parking garage for the retail center.

It’s also happening near Penrose Square, a park that features outdoor seating and dining as well as a splash pad for children, as Twitter user @ArlingtonAF points out.

There are currently only a couple legal parking spots along S. Barton Street due to a number being replaced by a Capital Bikeshare docking station a few years back. But a public parking garage is just around the corner.

Cars running stop signs and pulling unsafe driving maneuvers are also common along that short stretch of road, according to the pseudonymous Twitter account.

Neighbor and president of the advocacy group Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County Chris Slatt agrees that this has become a problem at Penrose Square.

Slatt told ARLnow that illegally parked cars have become an “extremely common” thing ever since Starbucks opened at that location in 2015. Drivers who park illegally can restrict traffic flow, block pedestrian access, and get in the way of bike lanes.

“We didn’t see these issues much with the previous tenant,” he wrote in an email.

Starbucks’ next-door neighbor also some complaints. Zak Mancini, the owner of Mancini de Paris Salon, told ARLnow that he sometimes sees three or four cars lined up in the middle of the street with no one in them. All the drivers, he said, are in Starbucks, picking up orders.

Mancini said cars are sometimes blocked from turning onto S. Barton Street from the Pike by those illegally parked in the middle of the street. When that happens, the honking starts.

“It’s a big mess, especially on weekends,” he said. “[Customers] come to me pissed off, saying they are going to find a new salon because of the noise and honking.”

Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street (via Google Maps)

Mancini said he’s seen disputes nearly turn into fistfights and has had to call the police a few times. Slatt believes that the county needs to do something about this.

“Arlington should also strongly consider increasing the fine for illegal parking,” said Slatt, who also chairs the Arlington County Transportation Commission.

What also really concerns him is the persistent running of a stop sign and unsafe driving seen at the intersection of S. Barton Street and 9th Road S., particularly due to the proximity to a splash pad.

“This is dangerous, especially in large vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs which tend to pitch struck pedestrians under the vehicle rather than onto the hood, which tends to happen with sedans,” Slatt said.

“This is especially egregious given the direct adjacency to a park filled with happy but unpredictable children,” he continued. “We desperately need Arlington County PD to prioritize enforcing laws that are supposed to prevent unsafe behavior like this.”

The Arlington County Police Department confirmed to ARLnow that the section of S. Barton Street in question is indeed a public roadway and, therefore, enforcement is the responsibility of ACPD. Spokesperson Ashley Savage said that police patrol the area and ask the community to report any transportation safety issues.

“ACPD has previously conducted parking enforcement in the area and educated the businesses and patrons along S. Barton about the parking restrictions,” Savage wrote. “As time and resources permit, ACPD will continue to conduct random rotating enforcement and education in the area with the goal of compliance even when police are not present. Community members can report ongoing transportation safety concerns to police using our online form.”

ARLnow has reached out to Starbucks media relations staff for comment but has yet to hear back as of publication.

Westmont Apartments opens on Columbia Pike, as Five Guys and another eatery plan to move in

By Matt Blitz
Westmont Apartments (photo courtesy of Matt Hagan)

The long-awaited Westmont Apartments on Columbia Pike is now open and ready for move-ins, with a pair of restaurants setting up on the ground floor.

Developer Republic Properties Corporation announced last week that the 258,000-square-foot mixed-use building at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road had opened its doors. The project was first approved about four years ago.

The new construction sits on the former site of the Westmont Shopping Center, which was demolished in late 2021. Apartments are “now available for lease with immediate move-ins available,” reads the press release, with monthly rental rates starting at $2,345.

Westmont is also set to have six ground-floor retail tenants in addition to 250 apartments, a spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow. That includes a now-national burger franchise returning to where it started.

ARLnow reported back in March that Five Guys Burgers & Fries was set to return to near the site of its original location. Five Guys opened its first very small location at the Westmont Shopping Center in 1986. Close to four decades later, there are more than 1,700 restaurants doing close to three billion in sales across the world.

The new Five Guys on Columbia Pike will take up about 2,400 square feet and will be located near the Glebe Road intersection. An opening date for the burger spot has not been finalized yet, per a Republic Properties spokesperson.

While the spokesperson declined to provide any other information about the other five tenants, a recent leasing brochure obtained by ARLnow provides clues to at least two other businesses moving in.

An Allcare urgent care clinic appears to be coming to the S. Glebe Road side of the development. This would be the fourth Allcare clinic in Arlington, with the latest opening in Rosslyn earlier this year.

And two doors down from Five Guys on the Columbia Pike, it appears that a Jersey Mike’s Subs will be opening in a small 1,141-square-foot space. This would be the sub shop’s first location in Arlington.

There remains a 2,164 square foot space, 1,756 square foot space, and a much larger 10,630 square foot space, per the leasing brochure.

A smaller-format grocery store was initially supposed to fill one of those spaces, but it’s currently unclear where that stands.

Arlington County considers senior care-related zoning changes in Pentagon City and on Columbia Pike

By Jo DeVoe
The RiverHouse apartments at 1111 Army Navy Drive (staff photo)

Arlington County is considering changes to its zoning ordinance to encourage the construction of more senior care facilities.

The proposed changes include increasing the maximum building heights for elder care facilities in Pentagon City and allowing the construction of elder care facilities along the Columbia Pike corridor, per a county report.

The report says these changes are needed to ensure the existing zoning code supports the vision of the Pentagon City Sector Plan, adopted last year. During an initial review of proposed redevelopment projects, staff said they identified inconsistencies between the two related to building height codes for elder care facilities.

To address these issues, staff have proposed an amendment clarifying where elder care facilities can be built in areas of Pentagon City that are zoned for multifamily uses — and how tall these buildings can be.

The amendment targets the part of the neighborhood within a “coordinated redevelopment district” within the boundaries of 16th Street S. to the south, S. Lynn Street to the west, Army Navy Drive to the north and S. Eads Street to the east.

This appears to map onto the site of the RiverHouse complex, which is set to be redeveloped with new apartments, including senior housing. The report does not mention this planned redevelopment specifically but it does note that recent redevelopment plans revealed the inconsistencies staff are trying to resolve.

The Pentagon City Coordinated Redevelopment District and where RiverHouse is located within it (via Arlington County, edited by ARLnow)

Doing this analysis, staff discovered that existing ordinances excluded the construction of additional elder care facilities along Columbia Pike, per the report.

To resolve this issue, the report says the amendment also “introduces assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, nursing homes, and continuing care retirement communities as allowable forms of residential use” on Columbia Pike.

The amendment comes several years after the county initially proposed the possibility of opening up some areas zoned for multi-family and commercial buildings to senior centers in 2019.

Some members of the Zoning Committee of the Planning Commission and Crystal and Pentagon Cities Council expressed concerns about whether increasing the height of elder care facilities would complicate evacuation in the event of an emergency, according to the county report.

Other members argued there are a wide range of examples of high-rise elder care facilities, as close as Tysons Corner.

Staff said any new construction would still need to comply with “appropriate” building and fire code standards. Staff did note in the report that they plan to conduct a comprehensive analysis of permitted heights for elder care facilities in other zoning districts and special planning areas.

“Clarifying zoning language… will ensure buildings with elder care uses can be properly considered throughout the County and redevelopment in [multifamily]-zoned properties and property owners/developers can propose uses consistent with recommendations adopted in earlier planning efforts,” the report said.

These changes are set to be discussed during a public hearing by the Planning Commission on Sept. 11 and the County Board on Sept. 23.

Former journalist who lived on Columbia Pike pleads guilty to child sexual abuse material possession

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Arlington resident James Gordon Meek, formerly a prominent television news producer, has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced the plea this afternoon. Meek, 53, faces a minimum sentence of 5 year in federal prison and a maximum sentence of several decades.

The FBI raided Meek’s apartment on Columbia Pike in April 2022, as photos first published by ARLnow — taken by local resident John Antonelli — showed. Speculation about the raid swirled in the ensuing months, in part due to Meek’s job as a prominent producer for ABC News and his former role in counter-terrorism for the House Committee on Homeland Security.

In the end, Meek was being investigated for possession of child sexual abuse material on his phone and on other devices. He pleaded guilty today and is set to be sentenced in late September.

More, below, from a U.S. Dept. of Justice press release.

An Arlington man pleaded guilty today to transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, while visiting South Carolina in February 2020, James Gordon Meek, 53, used an online messaging platform on his iPhone to send and receive images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to discuss his sexual interest in children. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12, including an infant being raped. Meek brought the iPhone containing the child sexual abuse material back with him when he returned to Virginia. Additionally, Meek possessed multiple electronic devices containing images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Meek is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment for each charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr, Assistant Attorney General. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Kramer are prosecuting the case.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department.

This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

It’s finally tee time for Columbia Pike’s Par Citi

By Matt Blitz
1/5

Today is finally tee time at Par Citi Golf on Columbia Pike.

The virtual indoor golf facility at 3102 Columbia Pike is opening today, per a press release. It’s located inside of the old LoanMax building and next to the combination Baskin Robbins/Dunkin’ Donuts.

As a spokesperson told ARLnow back in May, the independently-owned Par Citi is set to be similar to Five Iron Golf in D.C.

“Our state-of-the-art facility is equipped with the latest technology, allowing you to simulate a round of golf on some of the world’s most renowned courses,” a press release reads. “Our simulators provide an immersive and realistic experience, allowing you to practice, compete and improve your game all in a climate-controlled environment.”

The complex will also feature a cafe and bar, though it’s unclear if the bar will be opening immediately with the Virginia ABC license still pending.

It was back in September when ARLnow first reported that Par Citi was set to take its swings on Columbia Pike. Initially, the plan was to open that fall and then in May, but it appears permitting delays pushed it back a few months.

On first look, Par Citi’s location may seem like a bit off the green. It’s occupying a building that once housed a car title lending company and is next to a Shell gas station-slash-donut shop.

But a spokesperson said that Columbia Pike’s eventual redevelopment with new condos, apartments, and mixed-use buildings provides lots of “potential” and a future source of golf-loving customers for the indoor virtual simulator complex.

“This is a golfers paradise built by avid golfers,” a press release notes. “We have thought a lot about the details we would want to find in a place where we will spend a lot of time playing and practicing.”

Expansion plans are already in the works for Par Citi with another facility planned for D.C. “in [the] coming months.”

NOW: Police searching for pursuit suspect near Air Force Memorial

By ARLnow.com
Police vehicles seen near the Air Force Memorial amid a search for a pursuit suspect

Virginia State Police, assisted by Arlington County police, are searching the area around the Air Force Memorial for a suspect who fled a pursuit and crash.

Initial reports suggest that state police gave chase to a suspect seen driving the wrong way in or near the Pentagon south parking lot. That suspect then crashed his vehicle at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Joyce Street, but fled on foot.

Police have established a perimeter and have called in the Fairfax County police helicopter to try to track down the suspect, according to scanner traffic and a flight tracking website.

The search was still in progress as of 11:45 p.m.

Celtic House planning to expand with lower level whisky bar

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Celtic House on Columbia Pike wants to expand, but it will have to go through the county’s historic review board first.

The pub confirmed to ARLnow over the weekend that it wants to add a whisky and bourbon bar, in a lower level space previously used by a now-closed dry cleaner. The original pub and the whisky bar will be connected by a staircase.

In addition to providing another bar for the popular and well-reviewed pub, the new downstairs area will also serve as an event space, we’re told by a spokesperson.

The plan is on the agenda for tomorrow’s (June 21) Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board meeting, since the strip retail center in which Celtic House is located is part of a historic district. Celtic House is proposing to add a small vestibule onto the rear of the building at 2500 Columbia Pike, to serve as an entrance to the new space.

“The Arlington Village Shopping Center is contributing to the Arlington Village National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Historic District, which was designated by the National Park Service in April 2003,” notes a county staff report. “The applicant proposes to install a one-story, front gable-roofed vestibule addition near the southeast corner of the rear elevation.”

“The vestibule door will also be a new ADA-compliant wood and glass door with sidelights, and adjacent to the door and sidelights are simple pilasters with new exterior lighting,” the report adds.

The proposal is on the historic board’s consent agenda, implying that it is non-controversial and expected to pass.

The Celtic House spokesperson told ARLnow that the new bar should open at some point this fall, as long as the approvals are granted as expected.

Celtic House opened in late 2014 and has since established itself as a community staple and gathering place. It is hosting the Arlington Democrats primary watch party tonight, for instance.

Matt Blitz contributed to this report. Hat tip to @SRtwofourfour.

While redevelopment is paused, Columbia Pike strip mall owner steps up cleaning and security

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

Growing community concerns and a visit from county code enforcement have prompted a local property manager to clean and secure its vacant storefronts on Columbia Pike.

Some retail bays at the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center, on the 2600 block of the Pike, have stood empty for a year as the strip mall awaited redevelopment. That includes the former spaces of Atilla’s restaurant, apparel store Legends Kicks and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.

The retail strip was set to become an apartment with a ground-floor grocery store — rumored to be an Amazon Fresh — as well as a new location for the existing CVS, which is still open. When the grocery tenant pulled out in December, developer Insight Property Group struggled to secure loans for the project. The work is paused until economic conditions improve.

The vacant storefronts attracted break-ins, graffiti and vermin — adding insult to the injury of millions of dollars spent on the project so far, according to Harald Mangold, a representative for the property owner. These conditions led the code enforcement division of Arlington County to condemn the buildings earlier this month.

Mangold tells ARLnow they got to work in response to the neon orange notice stickers.

“We hired someone to clean out all the old buildings,” he said. “They’re empty and clean versus empty and dirty — and boarded up properly.”

When the tenants moved out last May, Mangold said they were not required to clean out their storefronts completely because they were set to be bulldozed soon. As a result, flammable items were left inside, including furniture and old kitchen equipment.

People began breaking in and some slept inside the buildings sporadically, prompting the owners to hire off-duty police officers to keep watch over the property.

After work over the last week, Mangold said, the issues raised in the condemnation notice are “essentially resolved.”

“There’s nothing dangerous,” he said. “We just need to keep people from getting in and breaking in.”

While, Mangold says workers have been washing away graffiti — only for it to return a few days later. Although it is a chief complaint for some neighbors, he disputes the notion that it is worse here than other parts of the Pike or the region.

Penrose Civic Association Alex Sakes has been following goings-on at the shopping center closely and fielding concerns from neighbors about the blighted conditions.

He says he is meeting with leadership at the Arlington County Police Department, county staff and the Columbia Pike Partnership leadership to discuss the “State of the Pike,” particularly as it relates to buildings defaced by spray paint along the corridor.

The meeting will “get everyone up-to-speed on this ever-evolving situation and work together to put together an actionable game-plan and next steps regarding the 2600 block and graffiti mitigation,” he said.

As for the future of the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center, Sakes says local leaders are still brainstorming whether to fill the buildings with pop-ups. With the condemnation notices, that would depend on the buildings being deemed safe, he said.

“Regarding the funding mechanisms, maybe the county can step in and help subsidize alongside various nonprofit entities like [Columbia Pike Partnership] and others,” he said. “But, again, that’s all in the brainstorming phase at the moment, first step would be getting the building deemed fit for occupancy.”

Mangold says the owners are working on that.

“We’re trying to find solutions,” he said. “It’s not ideal but we are committed to the neighborhood and we remain good neighbors.”

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