Falls Church

Office-to-residential conversion, new tenant-relocation guidelines on County Board agenda

By Scott McCaffrey

Approval of another office-to-residential conversion, amendments to tenant-relocation guidelines and possible changes to towing rates will highlight this month’s County Board meeting.

A public hearing on just one item will be held before adoption during this Saturday’s meeting. All 33 other items slated for action that day are on the Board’s consent agenda, but individual items could be pulled off public hearings on the recessed meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 21.

Items on the agenda include:

Latest office-to-residential conversion slated for approval: Board members are expected to approve a developer’s plan to convert the 13-story office building at 4100 Fairfax Drive to residential use.

The plan calls for 296 residential units while retaining ground-floor retail uses, including Bronson Bier Hall, and the building’s five-level underground garage.

County staff support the change in use. The Planning Commission voted 11-0 to recommend approving the application.

The building is located one block east of the Ballston Metro station. It was constructed in 2000 as part of a redevelopment plan for the block bounded by Fairfax Drive, 9th Street N., N. Stafford Street and N. Randolph Street.

The office building and an adjacent apartment building were completed, but an office building planned for the IHOP restaurant site on the parcel has yet to move forward.

New tenant-relocation guidelines set for approval: Board members are also expected to update tenant-relocation guidelines.

The proposal would change the amount of payment that displaced tenants receive, and add more information to be collected from tenants. Another change provides more flexibility for the county’s Tenant-Landlord Commission in overseeing the relocation process.

The Tenant-Landlord Commission, which has vetted proposed changes over the past year, supports the package.

Developers planning new projects are not required, but are strongly encouraged, to follow the local guidelines. In addition, projects involving federal funds are required to follow the Uniform Relocation Act to support those displaced.

The last version of the guidelines was approved in 2018.

Advertisement for changes to towing rates: Board members are slated to advertise, for a future public hearing, changes to allowable towing rates for vehicles removed for allegedly trespassing on private property.

Information on specifics of the proposal had not been placed on the agenda in advance of this article. A public hearing will precede setting the date for future consideration at the Oct. 18 meeting.

Income levels revised for free ambulance service: Board members are slated to increase the income levels that would qualify someone for free Arlington County Fire Department ambulance service.

County officials began charging for ambulance transport in 1999, and shortly after implementation, a maximum household income of $25,000 was set for a waiver of fees. That figure has not changed since.

Under the policy change, fees in future would not be charged to households earning less than the federal Section 8 median income, and would be adjusted as that figure changes. Maximum income levels would range from $34,450 for a single-person household to $64,900 for a household of eight or more individuals.

Ambulance-transport fees typically are not applicable to those with private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, as those programs reimburse the county government on a contract basis.

Funding set for N. Sycamore Street stormwater improvements: Board members are slated to award a contract worth up to $1.41 million for stormwater-infrastructure improvements at N. Sycamore Street and Langston Blvd.

The project would include installation of a parallel storm pipe and associated manholes next to an existing sewer line.

The existing and new sewer lines would convey runoff from approximately 170 acres in the upstream portion of the Crossman Run watershed to the south side of Langston Blvd.

The contract is slated to be awarded to Milani Construction LLC.

New fire agreement with Falls Church to be signed: Board members are expected to ratify an updated contract with the Falls Church city government and Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department.

The upgraded agreement would impact the terms of Arlington’s fire and ambulance services within the 2.2-square-mile city. It will run through 2030 with the option to renew through 2035.

Arlington officials expect the new agreement to bring in approximately $500,000 in additional annual revenue.

Arlington has staffed a fire station in Falls Church since the department’s establishment in 1940. The current station, located on the border of the jurisdictions in East Falls Church, serves residents of both localities.

Private school’s use permit to be renewed: Board members are expected to renew the use permit for the Sycamore School at 1550 Wilson Blvd for three years.

A year ago, Board members had authorized the school to operate with a maximum of 140 middle- and high-school students, an upper limit that will be continued.

After approval, the site plan no longer would require Board review, but would receive a staff review after the three-year term expires.

The school occupies the third floor of a Rosslyn office building.

Green Valley farmers market use permit to be renewed: Board members are expected to renew, for a year, the use permit for the Friday open-air farmers market at John Robinson Jr. Town Square in Green Valley.

The market debuted in April, with its 2025 season slated to run through early November. Staff identified no problems needing Board discussion prior to approval of the extension.

The market is operated by Community Association of Resources, Education, Enrichment & Economics (CARE) Inc.

Legislative priorities for 2026 General Assembly session to be revealed: At the Board’s recessed meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, staff will present the draft 2026 General Assembly legislative package.

There also will be a chance for the public to comment on the package, although typically the annual legislative documents draw little community feedback.

Falls Church has twice as many restaurants as Arlington on new Washingtonian ‘100 Very Best’ list

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Falls Church may be pint sized compared to Arlington, but the Little City next door has the county beat handily in a new list of the region’s best restaurants.

Three Arlington restaurants appear in Washingtonian’s just-released 100 Very Best Restaurants list. Twice as many Falls Church restaurants appear in the same pages.

That’s despite solid Northern Virginia representation on the “Very Best” list.

“Some of the year’s coolest spots — Joon in Tysons, Ellie Bird in Falls Church, Kirby Club in Fairfax — debuted in the Virginia suburbs,” the magazine noted in its introduction. In all, 21 Virginia eateries were listed.

Those in Arlington are:

  1. Cafe Colline
  2. Ruthie’s All Day
  3. Padaek (which recently opened in Arlington and has another location in Seven Corners)

The six in Falls Church are:

  1. Ellie Bird
  2. La Tingeria (formerly an Arlington food truck)
  3. Nue
  4. Pho Ga Vang
  5. Rice Paper
  6. Thompson Italian

An ‘old-school American butcher’ serving locally sourced meat is coming to Falls Church this month

By Madisson Weyrich
Brick House Butcher in Falls Church (via Brick House Butcher/Instagram)

A new butcher shop is set to open in Falls Church within the next few weeks, giving Arlingtonians more options for high-end, locally sourced meats.

Brick House Butcher, owned and operated by brothers Afsheen and Arash Tafakor, will be located just off of W. Broad Street, next to Dominion Wine & Beer, which they also own. They aim to open the shop by the end of January.

The shop at 109 Rowell Court will offer an array of beef, poultry, pork and seafood products and a variety of homemade items — like crabcakes and meatballs — that are ready to cook or eat. It will additionally feature different types of compound butter made and sold in-house and will serve OddFellows Ice Cream.

The two butchers working at Brick House, Mike and Emma Ferguson, have a combined 23 years in the hospitality industry, including fine dining and livestock management, according to the shop’s Instagram account.

Butchers Mike and Emma Ferguson (via Brick House Butcher/Instagram)

Afsheen says Brick House Butcher has a “farm-to-butcher-to-table” concept and will source meat from Virginia farms. The butcher will also find ways to use the whole animal, rather than focus on specific cuts.

“We’re a whole-animal butcher shop, so we’ll break down a whole animal,” Afsheen said. “We don’t just get, like, loins of ribeye. We have a lot of the parts of the animal that we gotta use.”

The brothers decided to open Brick House Butcher after noticing a lack of “old-school American butchers” in Falls Church, Afsheen said. The closest option is The Organic Butcher in McLean, a perpetually busy shop that serves many Arlington clients.

Afsheen and Arash grew up working at Georgetown Square Wine and Beer, owned by their father. In addition to Dominion Wine and Beer, they own Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg and have plans to open a restaurant called Stratford Gardens elsewhere in Falls Church.

The butcher will eventually provide meat to Dominion Wine and Beer’s in-house, second-floor restaurant, as well as to Stratford Gardens, according to the brothers.

Meat from Brick House Butcher (via Brick House Butcher/Instagram)

UPDATED: Suspect arrested after dog fatally stabbed in Falls Church

By ARLnow.com
File photo

(Updated at 12:35 p.m.) Police in Falls Church have arrested a man suspected of fatally stabbing a dog last night.

The incident happened on the 300 block of W. Broad Street around 9:15 p.m. No motive for the attack was given.

This morning, Falls Church police said the suspect, a 25-year-old Loudoun County resident, was at large. In an updated press release (below) issued around 12:15 p.m., police said the man is now in custody.

Reyan Hassan Ibrahim, 25 years old of Broadlands, Virginia, was arrested by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police Department during a traffic stop near Dulles Airport at 11 a.m. today. He is being transported to the Loudoun County detention facility, and is expected to be extradited to face charges by the City of Falls Church for stabbing a dog that resulted in the animal being euthanized.

“Our hearts go out to the family of this dog,” said Acting Police Chief Jiwan Chhetri. “Pets are members of the family, and we grieve along with them. We give our thanks to our colleagues at the MWAA Police Department for their swift action. We also thank the community members who took down the license plate Information when they saw this heinous attack — it was a critical piece in catching this suspect.”

Around 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, January 14, near the intersection of W. Broad Street and S. Maple Avenue., a suspect fatally stabbed a dog that was being walked by its owner. The dog was euthanized later as a result of its injuries. There were no injuries to humans.

Witnesses reported the suspect’s license plate number to the police, which is registered to Ibrahim.

On social media, the dog was identified as a 12-year-old shepherd mix named Lucy.

The dog and its owner, an older man, were driven to a local vet but the dog did not survive.

Falls Church to host inaugural restaurant week this month

By James Jarvis
The Falls in Falls Church (courtesy of Proxima Communications)

Falls Church is gearing up for its first-ever restaurant week later this month.

Starting on Friday, Jan. 19 and concluding on Sunday, Jan. 28, over 40 Falls Church eateries, including The Falls — sister restaurant to Clarendon’s Liberty Tavern — along with Thompson Italian and Borek-G, plan to offer discounted dishes and three-course meal deals.

“Its goal is to promote and increase visitors to restaurants and businesses within the City of Falls Church and increase awareness and consideration of Virginia’s culinary experiences,” according to a press release.

Below is the current list of participating restaurants.

While The Little City is planning its first restaurant week, neighboring Arlington has, of course, had one for awhile — most recently held this past October.

The event is sponsored by the Falls Church Economic Development Office, Virginia Tourism Corporation and the American Rescue Plan’s Tourism Recovery Program.

Suspect heading to court in cross-jurisdiction vehicular mayhem case

By Jo DeVoe
Falls Church carjacking suspect (courtesy City of Falls Church)

The case involving the man who allegedly went on a carjacking and assault spree through Falls Church and Arlington is moving forward.

Last week — eight months after his arrest — he was identified as Garrett Reeves, of Lorton, according to Susan Finarelli, a public information officer for the City of Falls Church Police Department.

He has been charged with carjacking, malicious wounding, destruction of property with intent and felonious charges of failure to stop at an accident and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, per court records. He has hearings for these charges on Jan. 4 and 10, 2024.

Falls Church police arrested Reeves in March. According to police and a surveillance video aired by NBC 4, Reeves struck a pedestrian near the Beyer Volvo dealership and crashed into several cars, while driving a carjacked Jeep.

He fled and allegedly ran to a nearby shopping center, where he attacked a man and stole his car. He drove into Arlington and was reported to have rear-ended a woman driving on Langston Blvd. This stolen car was later found in Fairfax County, police said at the time. Two days later, he allegedly carjacked another car in Falls Church.

Between his arrest and now, however, he has spent most of his time in a state psychiatric facility because he was not deemed fit to stand trial. Statewide, this is an increasingly common finding that has strained state hospitals, the Virginia Mercury reports.

Falls Church police conducted two investigations before obtaining warrants for Reeves’ arrest, Finarelli said. He was arrested on multiple charges, including carjacking, and taken to the Arlington County Detention Facility — where Falls Church arrestees are jailed — though he was uncooperative and did not reveal his name.

“During his first arraignment, the Courts deemed him not mentally competent hence his transfer to the Western State mental hospital,” Finarelli said.

Last Tuesday, the Falls Church police department learned that the man was identified and transferred back to the Arlington County jail. There, Finarelli says, he was served with additional warrants and held in jail without bond.

The Arlington County Police Department is not seeking charges for the hit-and-run in the county — considered a misdemeanor — because Reeves faces felony charges for the hit-and-run and carjacking in Falls Church, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.

‘Our Man in Arlington,’ local historian Charlie Clark, dies at 70

By Jo DeVoe
Charlie Clark holds his book, ‘Hidden History of Arlington’ (via Charlie Clark/Facebook)

Charlie Clark, a dogged chronicler of local life in Arlington, has died at the age of 70.

He was known locally as the author of “Our Man in Arlington,” a weekly column in the Falls Church News-Press, and as the author of several books on local history.

His quickly declining health came as a surprise. Last month, Clark published his most recent book, the “Life and Times of the Falls Church News-Press,” documenting the paper’s role in reporting on development clashes, school quality fights, political races and scandals.

He also interviewed philanthropist David Rubenstein at the Arlington Historical Society banquet about his donations to local historical exhibits, including Arlington House, the domicile of a descendent of George Washington as well as Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Shortly after, the local writer was hospitalized and diagnosed with a rare neurological condition, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He passed away at home while receiving hospice care; a memorial for him will be announced at a later date, according to his obituary.

Clark had a 50-year journalism career that began at Yorktown High School’s newspaper, The Sentry. After landing a job with Time-Life Books in Alexandria, he went on to work as a reporter or editor for The Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly and National Journal, among other outlets. He retired as a senior correspondent at Atlantic Media’s Government Executive Media Group in 2019.

The retired journalist was a prolific local historian and a board member and volunteer for the Arlington Historical Society.

He has published three books on Arlington County history — “Arlington County Chronicles,” “Hidden History of Arlington County” and “Lost Arlington County” — as well as the first full biography of Arlington House’s first resident, George Washington Parke Custis, who he called the under-sung “child of Mount Vernon.”

Clark, a native of Arlington who grew up in the Rivercrest and Cherrydale neighborhoods, had a long memory of how the county once looked. His columns often included vignettes describing its changes, from renamed schools, to larger homes, to local landmarks that have come and gone.

In one recent column, Clark took a pensive turn, reflecting on the youthful injuries he and his schoolmates suffered, after watching his grandkids accumulate scrapes, bruises and broken bones.

His conclusion makes a fitting farewell to his survivors: his wife, Ellen, daughters Elizabeth McKenzie and Susannah Matt, his grandchildren, Caroline and James McKenzie, and his siblings, Thomas Clark and Martha Franks.

“So what is the deep and wise message I bequeath to my grandchildren?” he wrote. “As you struggle through the pain, the uncertainty, the anxious stints in the waiting room — and the vital rallying of family — please know that you are undergoing an experience that, in later life, you likely will remember.”

Photo via Charlie Clark/Facebook

Driver smashes through bank drive-thru in Falls Church

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A bank drive-thru has been heavily damaged in the City of Falls Church after a driver smashed through a brick wall.

The incident happened shortly after noon at the M&T Bank branch at 133 S. Washington Street. Arlington County firefighters responded to the scene to evaluate injuries and, if need be, rescue anyone inside the vehicle.

(ACFD provides firefighting services to the city under contract.)

The driver, who appeared to be an elderly man, was reportedly able to get out of his Subaru on his own power and did not suffer any serious injuries. The drive-thru, however, was not so lucky — the brick wall that was demolished was holding up the roof, which came down on the front of the hatchback.

After four decades in Arlington, Rick’s Tattoo is moving to Bailey’s Crossroads

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

Rick’s Tattoo on Langston Blvd is moving at the end of the month.

The long-time Arlington tattoo parlor, self-described as the oldest in Virginia, was established in 1980 at 4818 Langston Blvd.

Manager Amy Barrow, who is overseeing the move after 16 years at the tattoo shop, says leaving Arlington — the shop is moving just over the county line to Bailey’s Crossroads — is bittersweet but there were more options, for less money, outside the county.

“Finding a place that meets our needs for as big as we need was difficult,” she said. “There was not much available.”

Rent was expensive and, anticipating plans to redevelop in a few years, some property owners are only offering shorter leases. Barrow instead wanted to find a new location for years to come.

She settled on a storefront in a shopping center in Bailey’s Crossroads at 5916 Leesburg Pike, up the road from a large shopping center where Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike intersect. The new digs are on the ground floor and have ample parking — both steps up from the current second-floor studio with limited parking spots shared with other businesses.

“We’re just raising the bar, getting to code, and getting ready to ride out another 15 years in a new location,” she said.

Everything entailed with moving — finding contractors, getting permits and dealing with supply chain issues — has prolonged the move. Barrow began looking for a new place in April 2022.

“It’s been challenging,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot [about] how to build a business from the ground floor.”

As for Rick Cherry, the owner of the eponymous shop, he lives in Florida now, traveling the country to tattoo expos and demonstrating his handmade tattooing implements, according to the website for the business.

Over the years, his establishment has racked up recognitions, which hang on available wall space, greeting customers. That reception is a far cry from the cool treatment Cherry got from Arlington when he opened, however.

For the first five years, the county would not let him have a sign outside the door, says Barrow.

“Arlington County did not want him in town,” she said. “He kept them in court for five years. Finally he was able to put a sign on the door. And here we are.”

Hat tip to Buzz McClain

Carjacking suspect in custody after vehicular mayhem in Falls Church spills over into Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Falls Church carjacking suspect (photo courtesy City of Falls Church)

A man accused of going on a days-long assault, vehicle theft and property destruction spree that extended into Arlington is in custody.

City of Falls Church Police said the man, who is uncooperative and has not revealed his name, was arrested Sunday after leaving a multi-jurisdictional trail of injury and destruction in his wake.

The incidents started around lunchtime Friday, when the suspect made a U-turn on the 1200 block of W. Broad Street, near the Beyer Volvo dealership. Driving a Jeep that had earlier been carjacked in Fairfax County, the suspect struck a pedestrian and crashed into several cars, according to police and a surveillance video aired by NBC 4.

The suspect then allegedly ran to a nearby shopping center, where he attacked a man and stole his car.

“Witnesses say the suspect ran into a parking lot, hit an older man over the head and stole his vehicle,” NBC 4 reported.

The suspect subsequently drove into Arlington, according to police, and rear-ended another driver along Langston Blvd.

“At approximately 1:19 p.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to Langston Boulevard at Spout Run Parkway for the report of a hit and run,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was traveling eastbound on Langston Boulevard and slowed to make a turn when she was struck from behind by the suspect vehicle. The driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop and fled the scene following the crash. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.”

Falls Church police say the stolen car was later found in Fairfax County. Two days later, the suspect went looking for another car to steal, just blocks from the first crash, police said.

“On Sunday, March 19, at about 3:45 p.m., police responded to the 1000 block of W. Broad St. for report of an assault and attempted carjacking,” Falls Church police said. “One victim was transported to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.”

Scanner traffic at the time suggested a “severe” assault.

A witness told NBC 4 that the suspect walked up to a man loading his car, slammed him to the ground and tried to take his keys, but good Samaritans intervened and helped lead police to the suspect, who was taken into custody.

“Exact charges are pending, and the man’s name and photo will be released once available,” Falls Church police said.

The full police press release is below.

City of Falls Church Police announced that the individual arrested on Sunday is the same person wanted for a stolen vehicle, carjacking, and hit and run on Friday. Exact charges are pending, and the man’s name and photo will be released once available.

“I want to thank our officers and dispatch who persevered through the numerous incidents,” said Police Chief Mary Gavin. “And a big thank you to the community members who stopped to help the victims and called in tips. The ‘See Something, Say Something’ mantra helped us immensely with this arrest.”

(more…)

DEVELOPING: Police on scene of stabbing at Eden Center

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Falls Church police and Arlington medics responded to a stabbing at the Eden Center just before noon today.

One person was stabbed in the back in the rear of the shopping center, according to initial reports, and the suspect is currently at large. The circumstances leading to the stabbing, where exactly it took place in the complex, and the condition of the victim are unclear.

The Eden Center is located on the 6700 block of Wilson Blvd, near the border with Arlington County.

Falls Church Police released the following statement about the stabbing Thursday afternoon.

 At about 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, January 5, 2023, City of Falls Church Police responded to 6795 Wilson Blvd. for a report of a stabbing at the Eden Center.

One victim was stabbed and taken to a local hospital. Victim is stable.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Gandionko at 703-248-5284 (TTY 711) or [email protected].

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