County Board

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Redevelopment Proposal Near Rosslyn — “The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) is moving forward with a proposal it previewed to redevelop part of the Marbella Apartments. APAH has filed a zoning application to replace 72 units across a pair of low-rise apartment buildings at 1300 and 1305 N. Pierce Street (map) with two 12-story buildings, delivering a total of 561 affordable units.” [UrbanTurf]

Vision Zero Plan Approved — “Arlington County Board approved a five-year Vision Zero action plan over the weekend, joining other jurisdictions throughout the region that are trying to curb traffic fatalities. The county’s goal is to reach zero traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Currently, Arlington has about four traffic fatalities per year and about 55 severe crashes.” [GGWash, Sun Gazette]

Trump Aides Are Still Working in Arlington — “Taxpayers are still footing the bill for Donald Trump to pay aides, Business Insider reported Monday… For Trump, accepting public money has meant employing 10 transition aides in Palm Beach, Florida — where Trump has been living since he left the White House — and another seven aides in an office building in Arlington, Virginia.” [Raw Story]

Metrobus Service Changes Planned — Adjustments are coming to numerous Metrobus routes starting Sunday, June 6. Service is being restored to a number of routes, but one notable pandemic-era service reduction will stay in place: the 16Y, a limited-stop service route which once connected Columbia Pike stops to McPherson Square in D.C., will remain out of service. [WMATA]

Longtime Arlington Judge Honored — “Its presentation was due to the pandemic, but Arlington Circuit Court Chief Judge William Newman Jr. on May 11 was honored with the 2019 Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award by the Judicial Council of Virginia. The award is presented annually to a Virginia jurist who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in court administration while exhibiting the traits of integrity, honest, courtesy, impartiality and wisdom.” [Sun Gazette]

YHS Dominating in Boys Lacrosse — “Pick one: Stingy defense; a potent, high-scoring offense; scads of talent, especially at midfield; depth and experience with 17 seniors; versatility; and a willingness to work hard, achieve and improve. That describes this season’s undefeated Yorktown Patriots high-schoolboys lacrosse team, which began the week with a dominating 6-0 record. The Patriots’ accomplishments include a shutout and outscoring opponents 96-18.” [Sun Gazette]

Fire Station No. 8 Project Receives Additional Funding

By David Taube

A fire station project in Arlington is getting an additional $2.88 million to add environmental-friendly upgrades and more.

The County Board approved the budget increase Saturday, bringing the total project cost — including contingencies — to $27.92 million. It covers the new Fire Station No. 8 at 4845 Lee Highway, in the Hall’s Hill area, and a temporary facility to allow firefighting operations to continue during construction.

“The new total project budget is $27.92 million which includes: $19.98 million in hard construction costs; $1.21 million for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E); $3.26M in soft costs (design and construction administration fees, County staff time, and permits and inspections); $2.51 million in land acquisitions, and $0.96 million for contingencies,” notes a county staff report.

The fire station will be the first county building to have a “green” (vegetated) roof and solar power, thanks to panels atop the building.

The budget increase approved by the Board covers the solar panels for the 20,522 square-foot facility, placing utilities underground in front of the station along Lee Highway, and other additions, Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesman Peter Golkin said in an email.

The additional cost will be covered by a 2020 bond premium, the county said.

To rein in costs, a value engineering process found savings to the tune of $1.43 million, according to the county. A Public Facilities Review Committee meeting in November detailed those changes, which included reducing the amount of glass used and other adjustments.

Golkin said groundbreaking on the new facility is slated for this fall after the temporary facility is complete.

Photos via Arlington County

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

County Board Approves Bonus for ACPD Officers

By David Taube

Arlington police officers are getting bonuses with the help of state money.

The County Board approved $229,961 for the one-time bonuses on Saturday from funding through the 2020 state budget bill signed into law in November. It’s part of approximately $7.5 million distributed to police departments across Virginia.

“The purpose of this bonus is to focus on the retention of qualified employees along with acknowledging the outstanding work these sworn personnel perform for the residents of Arlington County,” a county staff report said, echoing comments from the state Department of Criminal Justice Services director.

The money, which will help fund a previously-approved $900 bonus for each officer, is to be paid out by June 30 to all sworn employees of the Arlington County Police Department. As of May 5, the department had 336 employees eligible for the bonus, according to the staff report.

Sheriff’s Office personnel received a similar bonus in December.

In proposing the bonus funding, state lawmakers said it would show support to officers amid police reforms and the pandemic.

Arlington Acquires Land in Potomac Yard for Planned Upgrades to Park

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

Arlington County has taken another step toward developing a county-owned and maintained waterfront park in Potomac Yard.

On Saturday, the County Board approved an agreement with the Arlington Potomac Yard Community Association to accept a gift of three parcels of land within the boundaries of Short Bridge Park. The park is located across Four Mile Run from the Potomac Yard shopping center, along Route 1.

The property “is used by the public as an open space but is privately owned and maintained,” according to a staff report. “[It] has concrete paths, landscaping, a public ‘tot lot,’ open grass, trees, and irrigation.”

Since 2015, the county has had a public access easement over the property, the report said. When the land is turned over to the county, it will cost about $44,000 to maintain annually.

Acquiring the land gets Arlington closer to turning Short Bridge Park into a county park. Although the 3.5-acre open space was created through the Potomac Yard Phased Development Site Plan, adopted in 2000, it remained privately owned by the association and the Eclipse on Center Park condominiums.

That process includes two phases of construction to realizing the vision of the Short Bridge Park Master Plan, adopted by the County Board in January 2018.

(That was also when the name changed from its informal moniker, South Park.)

The existing park amenities were constructed by a developer.

“These improvements were intended as interim improvements until Arlington County funds were available to develop a Park Master Plan and implement permanent park improvements,” the master plan said. “The developer-constructed improvements are minimal and lack typical County park amenities such as trash cans, seating, signage, and Americans with Disabilities Act accessible pathways.”

It will take a few years, however, before the master plan’s vision for the park is implemented.

“The first phase includes a trail connection that links Richmond Highway to the Four Mile Run trail and is estimated to begin construction in late 2021,” a county staff report said.

The trail project is funded through a federal grant and 20% county match, according to the report.

“The second phase of the park master plan will construct the rest of the park and is dependent on Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funds,” the report said.

As of now, the adopted CIP plan — which schedules out county projects through 2028 — identified construction funding for phase two “in the out-years” or the 2023-24 fiscal year, the county said.

According to the master plan, this phase includes a dog run, a riverfront overlook and an “interpretive plaza.”

Image via Arlington County

County Looks to Experiment With Expanded Tree Maintenance Program

By David Taube

A pot of money for free tree plantings could soon branch out to another use.

Arlington County’s Tree Canopy Fund helps people, places of worship and others get free trees, but there’s been little money made available for maintaining trees due to stringent requirements — so stringent that only three trees in Arlington are currently eligible.

The County Board is slated to adjust those restrictions at its Saturday meeting.

“This will be a huge win for our tree canopy because we want to plant more trees but also maintain more trees,” said Elenor Hodges, executive director of the nonprofit EcoAction Arlington, which helps to administer the program for the county.

Hodges said the maintenance could help with issues ranging from pruning to pest control.

The fund was started in 2007 as a way for developers that were unable to meet tree planting requirements to make a financial contribution instead. Over 2,000 trees have been planted through the program.

As of December, the fund had about $693,000 in it, according to a county staff report.

“While Arlington County staff regularly receive requests for assistance in the maintenance of large mature trees, the stringent eligibility criteria for the Tree Canopy Fund has only allowed for support of three trees in the County,” the report said. “To date, only two maintenance applications have been awarded funding: a Champion Green Ash in Lyon Park and a Champion Southern Red Oak on private property.”

If approved by the Board, 10 trees — selected by a committee — would be eligible for up to $5,000 in maintenance, as part of “an exploratory project.”

The measure also calls for 1% of the fund to be set aside for possible marketing and advertising efforts each year.

“Proper tree maintenance can add decades to the life of a large canopy tree, and all the environmental services it provides,” county staff wrote, explaining the rationale for the project. “However, tree maintenance can be expensive, and even homeowners who would like to care of their trees may not have the resources available to do so, or may choose to remove a tree to avoid longer-term maintenance costs.”

“A Tree Canopy Fund Maintenance Program would be an opportunity to conserve existing canopy while still planting future canopy trees,” the reports adds. “The County is looking to invest in mature canopy trees that are going to survive for many years to come.”

For individuals and groups seeking free trees through the existing planting program, the deadline for applications is June 25.

County Slated to Buy East Falls Church Property for Flood Relief

By David Taube
1/3

Arlington County is planning to buy a vacant home in East Falls Church that was damaged in the July 2019 flash flooding.

The county intends to demolish the home at 6415 24th Street N. and use the property to make improvements “that would help alleviate or reduce the severity of localized flooding,” Stormwater Communications Manager Aileen Winquist tells ARLnow.

The county acknowledged it doesn’t have to buy the property to make the upgrades, but these kinds of purchases could give it flexibility with solutions.

After the July deluge, county staff evaluated flood-prone areas to find properties that the county could buy and use for stormwater infrastructure improvements, according to a staff report. This property, valued at $683,800, is one of the four high-priority locations that the county identified.

“The agreement is the first negotiated acquisition to be considered by the County Board as part of this program,” the report said.

The County Board is slated to approve the purchase from the home’s owners during its meeting this Saturday.

Winquist said the locations of the three other properties, whose owners were currently not interested in selling, are available via a public records request.

The Department of Environmental Services has not yet settled on the mitigation approach it will take on the 24th Street N. property, which has not been repaired since the flooding, Winquist said.

“The County is still analyzing projects to reduce flood risk in this watershed, which may include upgrading that section of pipe or storm drain,” she said. “The County is exploring the use of this property for infrastructure, detention, or overland relief as part of a larger-scale solution.”

During the 2019 storm, some nearby homes in the neighborhood experienced flooding, “but not to the extent of this property,” Winquist said.

The county will demolish the structure starting at least six months after the sale, expecting to spend some $200,000 to $250,000 to do so. The sellers plan to allow the nonprofit Second Chance to salvage materials from the home ahead of demolition.

Property owners can contact the county to have their property considered for the program, but the county will have to consider such acquisitions carefully given the complexity of the flood mitigation solutions, Winquist said.

Although voters approved a $50.8 million bond in November for various stormwater projects, the county said the money for the property purchase wouldn’t come from that.

Photo (3) via Google Maps

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…)

Ragtime in Courthouse May Get Big Rent Break Thanks to County Board

By Matt Blitz

Ragtime in Courthouse may be getting a huge break on rent thanks to the Arlington County Board.

On Saturday (May 15), the Board is expected to vote to amend the county’s lease with the long-time local restaurant that would reduce Ragtime’s rent during the on-going pandemic “to a level that it can afford to pay.”

Ragtime is located at 1345 N. Courthouse Road, on the ground floor of an office building purchased by the county in 2012. It leases the 5,000 square-foot space, now owned by the county but previously owned by a private landlord.

Ragtime first opened in 2001 and is owned by Vintage Restaurants, which also runs Rhodeside Grill on Wilson Blvd and William Jeffrey’s Tavern on Columbia Pike.

Ragtime’s business has declined “precipitously” during the pandemic, the county staff report details. In April 2020, sales were less than 10% of normal. Although business has increased in recent months, it remains 50% below normal, the report says.

Due to the drop in sales, Ragtime is unable to pay rent at the rate called for in the current lease, which was signed in 2013 and expires in 2026, according to the county.

“When sales decline substantially below normal, inflexible overhead like employee salaries and utility charges does not decline to the same degree, and accordingly absorbs a greater percentage of sales,” says the report. “This leaves a smaller percentage of sales that can be applied to rent.”

As a result, an agreement was struck that would reduce Ragtime’s rent to the equivalent of 9.5% of its gross sales (as long it doesn’t exceed its base rent rate, which is approximately $19,000 a month).

“As a rule of thumb, restaurants can afford to devote roughly 10% of sales to the payment of rent,” the report notes.

That rate would remain in effect until the restaurant has two consecutive months in which 9.5% of gross sales exceeds its base rent, or for one year after the lease amendment is signed, whichever happens first.

The reduced rate is being backdated to April 2020, and Ragtime is being allowed to hold off on paying back rent.

“Ragtime will begin paying the discounted back rent (based on 9.5% of gross sales) when their sales return to normal,” the staff report says. “This discounted back rent will be payable monthly over a one-year period. The actual revenue impact to the County in FY 2021 and FY 2022 is dependent upon Ragtime’s gross sales as well as the timing of when their sales return to normal.”

“The total estimated revenue shortfall compared to budgeted amounts in FY 2021 and FY 2022 is approximately $100,000,” the report adds.

ARLnow has reached out to Vintage Restaurants for comment, but has yet to hear back as of publication.

There’s also another tenant in the 2020 14th Street N. building that the county owns: Courthouse Deli.

When asked if the county is working on a similar arrangement with that business, a county spokesperson declined to comment specifically due to confidentiality.

“We have worked with all County tenants that have requested relief due to pandemic-related hardship,” wrote a county spokesperson.

Photo via Ragtime/Facebook

Boston’s Northeastern University Plans Southern Expansion into Rosslyn

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

Looking to be closer to the government and defense fields, Boston-based Northeastern University is eyeing some space in Rosslyn.

The university is looking to convert the 14th floor of Arlington Tower (1300 17th Street N.) into a teaching space for graduate-level classes and a research space that will house The Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security.

Matthew Weinstein, a land use attorney with McGuireWoods who represents Northeastern University, said in a letter that the university “seeks to establish an operation at the property as a central location for mission-driven programs including defense-based programs, benefitting from close proximity to government customers.”

Arlington County’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development has determined the research use still classifies as office use, according to a letter included in a staff report. To use the other half of the 14th floor, totaling 8,500 square feet, for teaching, NU needs the approval from the County Board.

The County Board is scheduled to review the school’s request during its regular meeting this Saturday.

Currently, the 18-story, 411,679-square-foot Arlington Tower is zoned for commercial uses, not including higher education, according to the staff report. But converting the space will only involve minor interior renovations, according to the county.

“No objections from the community nor staff have been expressed,” the report said. “As the proposed conversion is not located on the ground floor, it does not remove any retail spaces nor have any impact on the exterior appearance of the building.

The report added that the offshoot of Northeastern will bring “new visitors to the Rosslyn area during off-peak hours, potentially creating new customers for Rosslyn-based business.”

Most of the classes will be held Monday through Friday evenings and Saturday mornings and early afternoon, according to the county.

The 14th floor of Arlington Tower was most recently home to former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign office, which was temporarily shut down last summer due to a coronavirus outbreak. Trump previously bragged that the lease on the office space “was a steal.”

Image via Google Maps

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