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Four Mile Run Valley Draft Framework Available for Public Comment

Published February 8, 2018 at 4:45PM

The draft framework for the proposed Four Mile Run Valley area is now open for public comment.

The county is setting out to reshape the Four Mile Run Valley area — centered around the Shirlington and Nauck neighborhoods — while balancing the commercial, residential, historic, environmental and industrial needs of the community. This is the latest step in a process which began June 2016.

The plan includes the redevelopment of Jennie Dean Park, with the goal of maximizing the park’s open green space. It also includes the potential establishment of an arts district — with a clustering of studios, theaters and maker spaces — though the idea has received some criticism from groups that want more green space or playing fields.

Proposed park amenities include educational stream overlooks, improved access to the stream, and commissioned public art pieces or sculptures, per the framework.

Changes to the Shirlington Dog Park seem to be limited to minor changes to improve erosion and water quality issues. That follows a public outcry about a potential reduction of the dog park’s size.

Among environmental considerations, the document states that the “area’s history of [industrial] development suggests that there may be soil contamination in soil locations.” Further sections note that excrement from the dog park is another significant soil and water contaminant in the area. The need for “an eye toward environmental remediation, stormwater management, and stream protection” is cited in numerous sections of the draft.

Residents have until Friday, Feb. 16 to comment online. The plan is expected to be presented to the Arlington County Board this spring.

Plastic Pipes from I-395 Bridge Washed Away into Four Mile Run

By Anna Merod

Published February 6, 2018 at 5:30PM

Several plastic pipes washed away from a construction project on the I-395 bridge into Four Mile Run after a downpour of rain Sunday.

The I-395 project between the Shirlington interchange and Glebe Road currently uses 35 plastic pipes to redirect water in Four Mile Run away from the work area. The rain’s movement of the pipes did not harm the construction project, said Jennifer McCord, a Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson.

Workers are currently moving the pipes out of the creek by hand and should be done with the removal sometime today or tomorrow, McCord said. She added that she is unsure if the pipes will be put back into place as they may no longer be needed for the project.

The project costing $7.2 million should be complete by November 2018, she said.

Photos by Mark Wigfield

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 2, 2018 at 9:05AM

Arlington Tree Canopy Increases — “Arlington’s tree canopy increased slightly from 2011 to 2016, according to new data, but remains below levels of a decade ago. A total of 41 percent of Arlington’s acreage was filled with tree canopy when evaluated last year, an improvement from the 40 percent from the last time it was studied.” [InsideNova]

Police: Drive Safely This Weekend –Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter, and the Patriots and Eagles will be facing off in Super Bowl LII on Sunday — both are occasions for the Arlington County Police Department to remind residents to drive safely. [Twitter, Twitter]

Arlington During the Sit-Ins — A Buzzfeed photo essay on the sit-ins features several photos from Arlington. [Buzzfeed]

Green Color in Stream Explained — A dye used in fire department training activities turned part of Four Mile Run bright green yesterday. [Twitter, Twitter]

Thank You to Quantum — Staff from Clarendon-based recruiting firm Quantum Search Partners helped ARLnow’s team move some heavy furniture as we expanded into a new office yesterday. Thank you for lending a hand!

Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman

Police Charge Three Teenagers in Four Mile Run Trail Stabbing

By Chris Teale

Published January 23, 2018 at 11:55AM

Arlington County Police announced today (Tuesday) that three teenagers from Alexandria have been charged in a stabbing yesterday on the Four Mile Run Trail.

Police said the suspects, all aged 16 and 17, were each charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Gang Participation.

Officers responded to the 3400 block of S. Glebe Road at around 4:50 p.m. on January 22. They found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was transported to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The man was walking on the trail when the suspects approached him. After an argument, the suspects assaulted the man before fleeing the scene. As they are juveniles, the suspects’ names will not be released at this time.

Police: Three Arrested for Gang-Related Stabbing Along Four Mile Run

By ARLnow.com

Published January 22, 2018 at 8:20PM | Updated January 23, 2018 at 11:56AM

Update at 11:55 a.m. — Three suspects, all teens, have been arrested and charged in the stabbing. Police say the incident was gang-related.

Police have charged three Alexandria, VA juveniles for their involvement in a stabbing on the Four Mile Run Trail on Monday evening. The suspects, ages 16 and 17, were each charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Gang Participation.

At approximately 4:50 p.m. on January 22, police were dispatched to the 3400 block of S. Glebe Road for the report of a stabbing. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from multiple stab wounds and immediately began performing life saving measures. The victim was transported by Alexandria Fire Medics to George Washington University Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The investigation determined that the male victim was walking on the trail when he was approached by the suspects. Following a verbal altercation, the suspects assaulted the victim before fleeing the area. Arriving officers established a perimeter and located three suspects matching the descriptions provided by witnesses.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective Henretty of the Arlington County Police Department’s Gang Unit at 703-228-4110 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Earlier: Arlington County Police are investigating a stabbing along the Four Mile Run Trail.

The stabbing happened around 4:50 p.m., along the trail near the county’s water treatment plant. Police say a man was stabbed after some sort of altercation with a group of suspects.

Other trail users came to the victim’s aid. He was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital and is expected to survive.

An ACPD spokeswoman said the investigation is “ongoing” and that police talked to witnesses at the scene, but thus far no arrests have been made. As of Monday evening there was no description of any of the suspects nor any word of a motive for the crime.

UPDATE: Victim’s condition has been updated and is considered non-life threatening. The investigation is ongoing.

— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) January 22, 2018

No charges have been filed at this time. The investigation is ongoing and we ask that anyone with information related to the incident contact police at 703-558-2222.

— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) January 23, 2018

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 17, 2018 at 9:45AM

Garbage Truck Crash — Among a number of other potentially weather-related crashes this morning, a garbage truck ran into a utility pole on the 4600 block of 27th Street N., near Marymount University. Dominion crews responded to the scene for a report of downed power lines. No injuries were reported.

Four Mile Run Valley Meeting Cancelled — A meeting of the Four Mile Run Valley Working Group, scheduled for tonight, has been cancelled. The cancellation is due to county staff reviewing “key pieces of the 4MRV transportation analysis,” the county wrote. “Staff will provide an update on the process schedule and timeline at the next scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6.” [Arlington County]

Lee Highway Planning Moving Forward — “Funded with two county grants, donations and sponsorships, the Lee Highway Alliance is now back on the front burner of Arlington’s planning agenda, said county board Chairman Katie Cristol, who promised forward movement in the next couple of months.” Meanwhile, businesses along Lee Highway are generally supportive of redevelopment, according to the alliance. [Falls Church News-Press]

ACFD Helps Battle Fairfax Fire — Arlington County firefighters assisted Fairfax County on an apartment fire near Tysons Corner early this morning. About 34 residents were displaced by the fire. [Twitter, Twitter]

Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick

Commission Chairs Criticize Four Mile Run Valley Group’s Arts District Plan

By Chris Teale

Published December 1, 2017 at 10:45AM | Updated December 1, 2017 at 11:06AM

(Updated at 11 a.m.) The chairs of the Park and Rec and Sports Commissions have criticized the Four Mile Run Valley Working Group for focusing on a planned arts district, comparing it to the push that led to the creation of the since-closed Artisphere.

In a letter to working group chair Charles Monfort, Caroline Haynes and Shirley Brothwell said they are “disappointed” to realize the working group’s outcomes “may not be as transformative as they could have been.”

The pair specifically critiqued the group’s key focus on a two-block area west of S. Nelson Street near Jennie Dean Park, which has been suggested as the location for a new arts district. Some group members wish to repurpose the properties as an arts district, which could include traditional arts activities like painting and sculpting, among others, as well as businesses to build up nightlife nearby.

That plan has already come under scrutiny from working group members and others in the community, and they said that more planning may be needed if this continues.

“Because of these issues, we believe the 4MRVWG runs a very real risk of missing the target altogether and doing a disservice to the County Board and residents,” Haynes and Brothwell wrote. “The Board may get a clear vision of what some members of the working group prefer for a tiny portion of the study area, but constituencies in the surrounding neighborhoods and in the parks, recreation, and sports communities already have challenged and rejected that vision.”

Instead, the pair urged any land acquired in that area be used to expand Jennie Dean Park — especially if purchased with bond funds intended for parkland acquisition — and that the group develop more specific information about how arts are supported in the county.

“When bond funds voted on by Arlington taxpayers and designated for park land acquisition have been redirected toward arts purposes in the past, the results have not been positive; specifically, $4 million of such funds were redirected to build out the Artisphere,” the letter said. “We note that the arts were pulled out from [the parks department] after it became apparent that the Artisphere was financially unsustainable.”

“It remains unclear how the proposed arts hub would be financed or managed over time to become self-sustaining,” said the letter writers. “We do not want to repeat a costly mistake.”

Photo No. 2 via Google Maps.

Board Approves Another Loan to Redevelop Affordable Housing Complex

By Chris Teale

Published November 29, 2017 at 4:45PM

Rendering of the new, proposed Berkeley Apartments

The Arlington County Board approved an additional loan Tuesday night to help redevelop an affordable housing complex near Four Mile Run.

The Board loaned $13.5 million from the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund to the Berkeley II project at 2900 S. Glebe Road to help with the cost of construction.

Approved in 2016, the project will redevelop the Berkeley Apartments into two new buildings, known as Berkeley I and Berkeley II.

The Board approved a $7.4 million loan for the Berkeley I building to nonprofit developer AHC, which owns the property, earlier this year from AHIF’s FY 2018 budget. This latest loan is from the FY 2019 budget.

When built, the buildings will have more than 250 committed affordable apartments. Currently, the Berkeley has 138 units, and Board member John Vihstadt said the redevelopment will be a “huge boost and a lift up to that community.”

Current tenants will be relocated during construction, with AHC required to adhere to a relocation plan approved last year. Tenants on the Berkeley I site received 120-day notices to vacate in July and August, and those on the Berkeley II site should receive their notices this fall.

“AHC’s goal is to find housing for all eligible Berkeley residents at either AHC sister communities in close proximity to The Berkeley or at other nearby rental properties,” county staff wrote in a report on the loan. “Any existing Berkeley resident who is in good standing and who meets the income qualifications will be given first priority to apply for an apartment in the new buildings.”

At the County Board meeting, AHC officials said they expect ground-breaking to begin in April on the new buildings.

Police Investigating Death Near Bike Trail

By ARLnow.com

Published October 16, 2017 at 11:15AM

A man was found dead Sunday morning near the Four Mile Run bike trail and the intersection of S. Glebe and W. Glebe roads.

The bike trail is heavily used by those connecting from Shirlington and the W&OD Trail to the Mt. Vernon Trail that runs along the Potomac River. Arlington County Police are investigating the death but do not currently believe it to be suspicious.

“At approximately 11:40 a.m. on October 15, police responded to the area of S. Glebe at West Glebe Road for the report of a deceased male located near the bike trail,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The police department is conducting an active death investigation and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause of death.”

“The preliminary investigation does not lead us to consider this death suspicious,” Savage continued. “This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the community.”

Any idea what happened here? @ARLnowDOTcom pic.twitter.com/AmhmVW1zFC

— Jeff (@NoWayProducts) October 15, 2017

Four Mile Run Valley to Host First Ever ‘Valley Fest’

By Chris Teale

Published September 26, 2017 at 10:30AM

A new street festival this fall will celebrate the Four Mile Run Valley’s businesses and artists.

“Valley Fest” is set for Sunday, November 5 from 12-5 p.m. on S. Oakland Street, and will include live music, local art on display and food trucks.

New District Brewing Company (2709 S. Oakland Street) is also offering two packages that include commemorative Valley Fest cups and beer tasting tickets.

Admission is free, and entrance to the festival is available from S. Oakland Street’s intersection with S. Four Mile Run Drive in the north, and from next to the Shirlington Dog Park in the south.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 25, 2017 at 9:00AM

Middle School Redistricting on Tap — Following a number of meetings and other processes designed to solicit public feedback, the Arlington School Board is expected to approve new middle school boundaries in December, to take effect for the 2019-2020 school year when a sixth county middle school is set to open. Past school boundary change processes have often proved controversial. [InsideNova]

Four Mile Run Restoration Project Complete — Local elected officials and community activists celebrated the completion of the Four Mile Run Restoration Project on Saturday. The project, which was years in the making, revitalized the shoreline of Four Mile Run from just south of I-395 to the Potomac and included trail improvements and public art. [Arlington County, WTOP]

New Beneficiaries for Turkey Trot — The annual Arlington Turkey Trot 5K has some new nonprofit beneficiaries. Organized by Christ Church of Arlington, the race will no longer benefit Doorways for Women and Families — “in light of Doorways’ projected success to meet its current goal to raise $10 million to strengthen and expand its services” — and will this year benefit Offender Aid and Restoration and Christian group Young Life of South Arlington. That’s in addition to repeat beneficiaries AFAC, A-SPAN, Arlington Thrive and Bridges to Independence. [Arlington Turkey Trot]