Glebe Road | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published February 19, 2015 at 9:00AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:32PM

School Board Says No to Wilson School Historic Status — Any hope preservationists had of salvaging pieces of Rosslyn’s Wilson School are likely dashed. The Arlington School Board voted last night, during an abbreviated meeting, to reject the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board’s proposal to give the Wilson School, built in 1910 at 1601 Wilson Blvd, historic protections. It has been renovated in the interim, and school officials contend the renovation diminishes its historic value. [InsideNova]

Cops Looking for Crime-Fighting Cabbie — Arlington police are trying to find a cab driver who helped them make an arrest in Pentagon City Tuesday night. An officer was trying to chase down a man suspected of stealing from a store in Pentagon City mall when the cab pulled up and the driver told the officer to hop in. The cab drove up to the suspect and the officer got out and made the arrest — but the driver left the scene before police could thank him and pay the fare. [WJLA]

Happy Hour Advertising Bill Passes — Both houses of the Virginia General Assembly have passed a bill that would allow Virginia bars to list the names of drinks they’re offering when advertising happy hour specials. Current ABC laws prohibit ads that use language like “beer and wine specials” or “discounted margaritas.” Even under the new legislation, however, bars would still be prohibited from listing the actual prices of happy hour specials in their advertising. [WTOP]

Rollover Wreck on Washington Blvd — An SUV reportedly ran into two parked cars and then rolled over on Washington Blvd last night. [Twitter]

History of Glebe Road — Why is Glebe Road so named? The road, which dates back to the mid-18th century, is not, as one might think, named after a person. [Ghosts of DC]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin

Glebe Road Shut Down After House Fire

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 2, 2015 at 2:45PM | Updated February 2, 2015 at 3:30PM

Emergency crews have shut down a portion of N. Glebe Road this afternoon after responding to a small fire in a single family house.

The house on the 2500 block of N. Glebe Road, just a few blocks from Marymount University, caught fire at about 2:00 p.m. today. Smoke was coming from a room in the front of the house when fire crews arrived on scene. The flames were quickly extinguished.

There is evident, albeit relatively minor, damage to the exterior of the house near where the fire appeared to have originated.

No injuries have been reported and the cause is under investigation.

Both directions of Glebe were blocked as of 2:30 p.m., with the northbound lanes expected to reopen shortly and the southbound lanes expected to remain blocked off until around 3:00 p.m. or later.

Glebe Road Partially Blocked Due to Water Main Break

By ARLnow.com

Published January 15, 2015 at 6:15PM

Southbound Glebe Road is closed between Lee Highway and 22nd Street N. due to a water main break.

The road closure is expected to last until around midnight, as crews complete repairs, according to an Arlington alert.

Authorities are also concerned that the water on the roadway may turn to ice as the temperature dips below freezing overnight.

File photo

Glebe Road Colombian Store Closes, to Reopen As Mexican Restaurant

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 21, 2014 at 3:30PM

El Encanto Grocery Store, which has doubled as a Colombian restaurant, closed three days ago but is planning to reopen.

Going in its place at 85 N. Glebe Road, according to workers at the storefront this afternoon, will be a Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant. A sign hanging where the El Encanto sign used to be says “Jarochita #2 Mexican Grill, Panadería & Carnecería Coming Soon.”

The new shop will still have a grocery store and is not changing ownership, the workers said. They could not provide an estimate as to when the storefront would reopen.

Hat tip @TheMadameMeow

New Apartments Planned for Glebe Road in Ballston

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 13, 2014 at 3:30PM

The Ballston development boom doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon: a developer has submitted plans to Arlington County for a six-story, 175-unit apartment building on N. Glebe Road.

The Penrose Group has purchased parcels of land on which the Prestige Certified Motors and Macy’s surface parking lot sit, between N. Carlin Springs Road and 7th Street. It also has a contract to purchase the Exxon station at 660 N. Glebe Road, according to Penrose Group Founder and President Mark Gregg. The Washington Business Journal first reported the development.

The building, called 672 Flats, will have 4,400 square feet of retail on the ground floor facing Glebe Road, next to a 725-square-foot bicycle storage area, a lobby, “club room” and fitness center. Andrew Gregg, Mark’s son, told ARLnow.com the number of parking spaces is yet to be determined — the county hopes for 175 while Penrose is angling for fewer — but there will be an underground garage.

Mark Gregg said he expects the site plan process to conclude with County Board approval by spring 2015, and for construction to begin later that fall. Gregg expects the building to be complete in 2017. Along with the building, Andrew Gregg said Penrose plans to put on-street parking along N. Glebe Road for “off-peak hours only,” and build a right turn lane on 7th Street.

“We want to make that intersection safer,” Gregg said. He added there would be no parking in a proposed alley between the building and the townhouses along N. Carlin Springs Road and Tazewell Street, but there could be street parking along 7th Street. According to the WBJ, “The Bluemont Civic Association in February offered its conditional support for the project,” with the conditions including traffic and pedestrian safety improvements.

The Penrose Group is also building the Latitude Apartments in Virginia Square and Pike 3400, coming at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. Latitude should deliver in 2016, Andrew Gregg said, and Pike 3400 could begin leasing by the end of this year.

With the Rosenthal Mazda dealership on the other side of 7th Street N. from 672 Flats also in line for redevelopment, Gregg said the plot of land is one of the last remaining redevelopment opportunities in Ballston.

“I think that it’s conveniently located for the Ballston area. It’s a block and a half from Metro, and it’s across from the mall” which will be redeveloped, Mark Gregg told ARLnow.com today. “We think the whole Ballston area along Wilson and Fairfax and Glebe will be an area people want to live in.”

Image, left, courtesy The Penrose Group. Photo, right, via Google Maps.

Video: Furniture Fire on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

Published August 4, 2014 at 1:30PM

Arlington County firefighters battled a furniture fire on Friday night (August 1) that sent up plumes of smoke near Glebe Road and N. Pershing Drive.

They were called to 218 N. Glebe Road, where furniture placed next to a dumpster had caught fire around 8:15 p.m. An ACFD spokesperson says it took longer than usual for responders to get to the scene because they initially received the wrong address.

Firefighters easily extinguished the flames once they arrived on scene. Nobody was hurt.

The fire marshal is investigating the incident to determine if the fire was an accident or if it was set intentionally.

Video courtesy of Eric Davis

Motorcycle Wreck Seriously Injures One

By ARLnow.com

Published July 17, 2014 at 12:30PM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:44PM

A single-vehicle wreck involving a motorcycle sent one person to the hospital with significant injuries this morning.

The accident was reported around 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Little Falls Road. Witnesses say the motorcyclist hit a curb and then hit the pavement, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani.

Medics responded and transported the biker, who suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Marchegiani said.

Glebe Road was shut down in both directions for part of the morning commute while police investigated the crash. It’s suspected that the motorcyclist was driving under the influence, according to Arlington police spokesman Lt. Kip Malcolm.

File photo

Maserati Dealership Coming to Arlington

By Ethan Rothstein

Published June 2, 2014 at 3:30PM

A Maserati dealership appears close to opening in the former M. Slavin & Sons Seafood site on S. Glebe Road, just south of I-395.

“Maserati” is already displayed on the side of the building, at 2710 S. Glebe Road, and the business says it’s just weeks away from opening the doors of the dealership (and the Italian sports cars inside.)

The dealership has not returned phone calls from ARLnow.com, but the Washington Business Journal reports that it is planning to open by the end of the month, and plans to renovate the 18,000 square foot building within the next year. The dealership will be an affiliate of Maserati of Washington in Sterling.

“For us to have a location on 395 and South Glebe is perfect, so they don’t have to drive all the way out here,” Maserati of Washington General Manager Alex Macatuno told the WBJ.

The building has been unoccupied since M. Slavin & Sons closed in 2011.

Hat tip to Thomas Block

Cyclist Collision Sends Two to Hospital

By ARLnow.com

Published May 7, 2014 at 10:10AM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:45PM

Two cyclists collided in North Arlington last night, leaving one in serious condition.

The collision happened around 7:40 p.m. near the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Old Glebe Road. Though the circumstances of the accident are unclear, both cyclists involved were injured and transported to the hospital, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani.

Both cyclists were described as adult males. One was transported to Virginia Hospital Center in “stable” condition.

The other suffered what was initially described as a “serious head injury.” Marchegiani would only say that he suffered a “serious traumatic injury” and was transported to a local trauma center.

Though a connection could not be immediately confirmed, the intersection is on the route for the popular Freshbikes Tuesday Night Ride Series, which kicked off for the season last night at 7:00 p.m.

Photo via Google Maps

UPDATE: Two Killed in Nauck House Fire

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 15, 2014 at 5:05PM | Updated March 15, 2014 at 7:15PM

(Updated at 7:05 p.m.)Two people were killed in a two-alarm blaze that engulfed a house on the 1900 block of S. Langley Street this afternoon.

The Arlington County Fire Department confirmed on Twitter that two occupants of the Nauck two-story house who had been unaccounted for more than an hour after the fire was reported were found dead. The investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing.

According to fire officials, the Arlington County Fire Department received multiple calls for a fire at approximately 3:39 p.m. Firefighters responded to the scene three minutes later to heavy fire and set up high-caliber streams to begin knocking the fire down. Some residents were outside the house and reported that there were occupants stuck inside when the firefighters arrived.

“Units made an aggressive push to search for occupants upon arriving on scene,” Deputy Fire Marshall Brian McGraw told ARLnow.com. “It took probably a good 12 to 15 minutes to knock the fire down just because of the size of the fire.”

“One firefighter was transported to MedStar Hospital with minor burn injuries on his hand, McGraw said. The fire is still under investigation and, as of 4:50 p.m., firefighters were still working through the house putting out “hot spots.” Firefighters from Alexandria and Fairfax County assisted ACFD with the emergency response.

Crime Report: Cars Spray Painted

By ARLnow.com

Published March 14, 2014 at 4:05PM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:53PM

File photo

Police are looking for someone who vandalized five vehicles with red spray paint Sunday morning.

The incident happened on the 2900 block of S. Glebe Road. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (series), 140309025, 2900 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 9:55 am on March 9, an unknown subject(s) sprayed the side of five vehicles with red spray paint. There is no suspect(s) description.

The rest of crime report, after the jump.

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