Crash involving overturned vehicle on N. Glebe Road
(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) Both directions of N. Glebe Road were closed near the I-66 ramps north of Washington Blvd, in the Ballston area, due to a crash.
The crash happened around 1 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Glebe and involved a pickup truck and a sedan.
Traffic camera video shows the truck merging into the car’s lane suddenly and without signalling, running into its side and causing it to flip on its roof.
Passersby and other motorists could be seen rushing to help the driver immediately after the crash. She was helped out of the overturned car and loaded into a waiting ambulance.
The pickup driver drove across Glebe to the I-66 ramp after the crash but then stayed on scene.
“Both drivers remained on scene,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Alli Shorb confirmed to ARLnow. “Officers remain on scene investigating the crash and as part of the ongoing investigation, will determine if charges will be sought.”
The northbound and southbound lanes of Glebe have since partially reopened as of 1:50 p.m.
Video of the crash and the emergency response is below.
Thirsty Bernie is turning into Ocean Shack (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated on 9/5/23) Local watering hole Thirsty Bernie is becoming Ocean Shack.
The former home of the neighborhood bar and restaurant at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Langston Blvd is being turned into a cajun seafood restaurant, a spokesperson said.
Ocean Shack is from the owners of Ocean Crab in Chantilly. That restaurant serves crab, fried oysters, scallops, fried baskets and other seafood. Ocean Shack will be a different concept, we’re told, but have a somewhat similar menu.
Construction is underway in the 1,767-square-foot space at 2163 N. Glebe Road. The plan is to open in late November or early December, depending on how quickly Arlington County processes the required paperwork, according to the spokesperson.
Thirsty Bernie closed back in May after about 15 years of serving pints at Glebe Lee Shopping Center. Co-owner Gobind Ghai told ARLnow then that sales were not high enough to make it financially viable to renew the lease.
The Adagio Ballet School of Dance was also once open in that shopping center before closing in May 2020. It has since rebranded and reopened as the Virginia Dance Conservatory on Little Falls Road near Rock Spring Park.
Utility truck on scene of N. Glebe Road crash (staff photo)
Arlington police car blocking N. Glebe Road after crash (staff photo)
A portion of N. Glebe Road was closed for more than an hour during the evening rush due to a serious crash.
The crash happened shortly after 5 p.m., on the steep hill between Military Road and Chain Bridge.
“At approximately 5:11 p.m., police were dispatched to the 4500 block of N. Glebe Road for the report of a two-vehicle crash with injuries,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Three patients, all adults, were transported to the hospital — 1 with serious injuries and 2 with non-life-threatening injuries.”
The roadway reopened around 6:30 p.m., after the crash was cleared and crews inspected potential damage to utility lines.
Changes might eventually be coming to the busy stretch of Glebe Road between Columbia Pike and I-66 in Ballston.
The Virginia Dept. of Transportation today kicked off the public engagement process for a study of the state-maintained stretch of arterial roadway.
The study, which will take about a year and a half, is part of a VDOT program to “develop comprehensive, innovative transportation solutions to relieve congestion bottlenecks and solve critical traffic and safety challenges throughout the commonwealth.”
A new public survey for the study is open through Thursday, July 27. It notes that Glebe Road is a “major north-south travel corridor for Arlington County, and the segments in the study area are in the County’s High Injury Network.”
Crash with overturned vehicle and multiple injuries on N. Glebe Road in April 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Earlier this year ARLnow reported that an intersection in the study area, S. Glebe Road and 9th Street S., was on tap to get some safety upgrades — potentially to include a traffic signal — in response to community concerns, particularly among cyclists.
VDOT said on its survey page that the study will only result in proposals and will not automatically lead to construction.
“This STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study… will consider and develop potential safety and operational improvements for all users in the study area and develop cost estimates for the preferred alternatives,” the department said.
“The study will not set construction dates for any of the alternatives,” continued VDOT. “The purpose of this study is to develop proposed improvements that localities can pursue for funding, and to consider including in their comprehensive plans.”
The portion of Glebe Road being studied has been the scene of numerouscrashes in recentmemory, including a crash in the Ballston area that injured multiple people in April 2022.
More, below, from a VDOT press release.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking feedback on a STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study assessing potential safety, multimodal and operational improvements for over two miles of Glebe Road (Route 120) between Columbia Pike (Route 244) and I-66. Glebe Road averages about 29,000 vehicles a day within the study limits.
VDOT invites residents and travelers to take an online survey regarding corridor priorities. This feedback will be used to help develop improvement alternatives that will be evaluated and presented during another opportunity for public comment scheduled this fall.
The survey, which has a translation tool for Spanish and many other languages, is available at virginiadot.org/GlebeSTARS through July 27. Comments can also be sent to [email protected] or to Mr. Bobby Mangalath, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
The study is expected to be completed this winter. It does not set construction dates for any improvements but develops proposed improvements that localities can pursue for funding.
VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT Civil Rights at 703-259-1775.
Arlington County police are looking for a pair of suspects in a serious assault yesterday evening.
The incident happened Sunday just before 6 p.m., at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and N. Pershing Drive in Buckingham. According to scanner traffic, the victim was beat up by two men and, while he was down, kicked in the head.
The victim was found on the ground, reportedly bleeding from the head. The suspects fled the scene but a witness told police that he had video of the attack.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-06040185, N. Glebe Road at N. Pershing Drive. At approximately 5:51 p.m. on June 4, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was pushed to the ground and assaulted by the two male suspects. The suspects fled the scene on foot and were not located by responding officers. The victim was treated on scene for serious, non-life threatening injuries and refused transport to the hospital. Suspect One is described as Hispanic male, approximately 25-35 years old, 5’5”-5’6”, wearing a white shirt and white pants. Suspect Two is described as a Hispanic male. The investigation is ongoing.
Also in today’s crime report, a woman allegedly threatened a male victim with a knife along Columbia Pike early Saturday morning.
From ACPD:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING (Late), 2023-06030223, 2900 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 7:45 p.m. on June 3, police were dispatched to the late report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 1:30 a.m., the known female suspect became involved in a verbal dispute with the male victim and a witness. During the dispute, the suspect allegedly approached the victim and brandished a knife before being separated by witnesses. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.
A new pet urgent care is opening in Buckingham (photo courtesy of Urgent Animal Care of Arlington)
A new pet urgent care is opening in Buckingham (photo courtesy of Urgent Animal Care of Arlington)
A new pet urgent care is hoping to open this weekend in Buckingham.
Urgent Animal Care of Arlington at 249 N. Glebe Road hopes to start caring for furry best friends by the weekend, per co-owner Kayleen Gloor. The business claims it’s the first “sole dedicated [animal] urgent care in any capacity within Arlington,” though others like Bond Vet in Clarendon bill themselves as combination urgent and primary care for pets.
The veterinarian urgent care is from the team behind Clarendon Animal Care, which has locations in Clarendon and on Columbia Pike.
ARLnow first reported the pet urgent care was making its move to Buckingham back in January. It’s in the space once home to a SunTrust Bank branch, which closed more than four years ago. Following the style of the shopping center, the clinic is topped by art deco neon signage that glows at night.
While initially the opening was planned for the winter, the need to upgrade power led to a push.
“Delays were due to increased power needs due to the equipment we have (new HVAC and X-ray machine), so we were waiting on the power upgrade in order to get final inspections,” co-owner Natasha Ungerer told ARLnow via email.
An urgent care clinic for a pet differs from an emergency room in terms of the severity of the issue and what can be treated. The clinic is intended for “pets in stable condition that cannot wait to see their regular veterinarian,” per the website, with issues “that fall between a primary veterinarian practice visit and an emergency.”
The conditions that can be treated at a veterinarian urgent care include:
Serious cuts
Vomiting and diarrhea
Trouble walking
Difficulty urinating
Prolonged low appetite
Limping
Mild injuries
Ear and skin problems
The clinic is appointment-based but walk-ins are often still available. The hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays with weekend hours running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The hope is to go to seven days a week, so adding Tuesday and Wednesday hours, starting in mid-July, Ungerer said.
Police vehicles seen on a traffic camera at N. Glebe Road and Williamsburg Blvd
(Updated at 2 p.m.) Arlington County police searched last night for a man who fled a traffic stop on foot.
The incident happened near the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Williamsburg Blvd, in the Old Glebe neighborhood.
Initial reports suggest that around 10 p.m., an officer tried to pull over a vehicle associated with someone who is wanted out of Maryland, but the vehicle was driven down the driveway of a home at the intersection and at least one person ran off.
Numerous ACPD units responded to the scene scene, helping to look for the suspect.
The search was ultimately called off and, as of Wednesday afternoon, the driver was still at large, with charges pending.
“At approximately 9:55 p.m. on May 23, police observed a vehicle whose registered owner was showing as wanted out of Maryland and attempted a traffic stop at N. Glebe Road and Williamsburg Boulevard,” ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb tells ARLnow. “The driver pulled into the yard of a residence in the 3600 block of N. Glebe Road, exited the vehicle and ran from the scene. Officers established a perimeter and searched the area for the driver yielding negative results.”
“Officers made contact with the four remaining vehicle occupants, three adults and one child, and, during the course of the investigation, determined two were wanted out of other jurisdictions,” said Shorb.
A 32-year-old female suspect from Culpeper, Virginia and a 38-year-old male suspect from Radiant, Virginia “were taken into custody and held on the outstanding warrants,” Shorb continued. “Charges are pending for the driver of the vehicle. The investigation is ongoing.”
A rendering of the proposed Goodwill redevelopment (via Arlington County)
Renderings of the proposed Goodwill redevelopment (via Arlington County)
An aerial view of the site of the proposed Goodwill redevelopment (via Arlington County)
Goodwill at 10 S. Glebe Road (via Google Maps)
Goodwill at 10 S. Glebe Road (via Google Maps)
Goodwill of Greater Washington and AHC Inc. are teaming up to build affordable housing above a new second-hand store and donation center on S. Glebe Road.
The national nonprofit has not embarked on something like this before, writes land-use attorney Andrew Painter, in application materials filed with Arlington County.
“The proposed redevelopment would be the first such project for the organization as it seeks to further its nonprofit mission and values,” Painter said. “The proposal will also deliver a modern and efficient retail store and donation processing center for a successful nonprofit organization that provides important services and benefits to Arlington County’s disenfranchised populations.”
The nonprofit proposes to demolish the existing store at 10 S. Glebe Road in the Alcova Heights neighborhood and build a five-story, mixed-use building. There will be a Goodwill retail store and child care center on the ground floor, a donation processing center on the second floor and 128 apartments above that.
All of the units will be offered to households earning between 30-60% of the area median income for a period of 30 years, though the exact unit mix will be finalized during the financing process. About three-quarters of the affordable apartments consist of 2-3 bedroom units.
The units units will be available for a single person earning up to $63,300 and a family of four earning up to $90,420, according to the county.
AHC, which Painter says is Arlington County’s largest non-profit affordable housing developer, is its joint development partner and will oversee the apartment side of the building’s operations once construction is done. AHC will also choose the operator for the child care center.
“AHC hopes to replicate the success we’ve had in other communities,” AHC spokeswoman Jennifer Smith tells ARLnow. “That means bringing a mission-aligned childcare partner to the new Goodwill site, with priority enrollment for onsite residents and Goodwill Greater Washington employees, then availability to the larger community.”
Parking for residents, childcare, employee and overflow customer parking will be located in a 152-space underground garage. Retail, visitor and future resident parking will be in a 16-spot surface parking lot.
In preparation for the temporary closure of the S. Glebe site, Goodwill is currently negotiating a lease for an alternate donation drop-off location close by. That is expected to open in 2024.
Meanwhile, Painter says, Goodwill encourages its customers to shop or donate at its 20 other area locations, including a store on Columbia Pike.
The 15-year-old local watering hole, at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Langston Blvd, will serve its last pints on Sunday (May 21), co-owner Gobind Ghai confirmed to ARLnow. Sales have slowed since the pandemic, which led ownership to decide not to renew its lease at the Glebe Lee Shopping Center.
“I wish we could continue, but we had a great run. It’s just our time,” Ghai said. “Sales were not high enough to continue but weren’t low enough… where we had to close right away. We could wait out the lease.”
He says there are no plans to open elsewhere and does not know what will come next to 2163 N. Glebe Road.
Last summer, rumors began circulating that the sports bar might be closing come mid-2023. Those in charge denied it at the time, but it ended up being true.
Thirsty Bernie opened in 2008, with its signature Saint Bernard mascot, as a sports-centric hangout. The current ownership took over in early 2017 after whispers of a format change.
Ghai said what made Thirsty Bernie special is the diverse mix of customers.
“We had customers and patrons from all walks of life… different cultures, different communities, different races. Everyone just sitting together,” he said. “It was such a special place. A melting pot.”
Ghai called Thirsty Bernie a “family-friendly” sports bar, a rarity in Arlington, with plenty of parking. He said his staff and regular customers were “family.”
“We are sad to go but happy for the time we had at Thirsty Bernie,” Ghai said.
Sunrise Senior Living at 2000 N. Glebe Road in Arlington’s Glebewood neighborhood (via Arlington County)
(Updated at 11:10 a.m. on 5/17/23) Two years after indicating interest in redeveloping its property in the Glebewood neighborhood, Sunrise Senior Living is almost done with early-stage procedural hurdles.
Meanwhile, the way the process has unfolded so far has confused and alarmed some neighbors.
Arlington County is mulling changes to the land-use plan governing the site to allow for greater density and to allow for elder care uses through a site plan process at 2000 N. Glebe Road. The Arlington County Board authorized public hearings on these changes on Saturday.
The designation changes, if approved by the Board, would tee up a rezoning request by Sunrise to facilitate the actual redevelopment down the road. Documents filed with the county indicate Sunrise is considering a rezoning request that could also allow “one-family detached, duplexes, semidetached, multiple-family, and
townhouses” to be built by-right.
County staff studied adding elder care as well as apartments to the site over the last year, which perturbed some neighbors who say there should be language ensuring any future development is geared toward elder care only.
Last week, during a Planning Commission meeting, county planner Margaret Rhodes said residents should not worry.
The result of the study, which the Arlington County Board is poised to adopt on Saturday, includes “a guiding principle stating the preference strongly for elder care use.”
“In terms of the conversation about the confusion over… a potential multi-family development, because this is a General Land Use Plan high level study, we need to evaluate all different land uses,” she said.
Beyond this confusion, however, neighbors had other concerns about the impact on quality of life. They predicted the building would dwarf nearby homes, contribute to tree canopy loss, flooding and traffic.
Catherine Ginther, who lives across the street, said in the meeting that she chose her home in part for the quiet street and is “frankly a little concerned about how the plans could change all that.”
“Since moving here, I have noticed there are some issues with Sunrise that will likely worsen if this plan would move forward,” she said. “Children and adults walk down [20th Street N.] throughout the day and the walkability of this neighborhood is at risk if Sunrise is allowed to grow in size and create a garage entrance on 20th Street N.”
Some Planning Commissioners acknowledged these concerns but said they are being raised at the wrong stage in the process.
“It’s very much inside baseball. It’s very frustrating to the neighborhoods,” Commissioner Jim Lantelme said. “I’ve walked that neighborhood — it’s a great neighborhood — but you’re right about the topography, the trees, where the loading needs to be, the sidewalks. All those things absolutely have to be addressed.”
Commissioner Nia Bagley said she has been through lots of planning processes as a former civic association leader.
“I recognize that this is not your expertise and many of you have busy lives and this becomes like a full time job on the side,” she said. “Don’t be discouraged tonight but please hang in there.”
Some speakers, however, supported the redevelopment project.
“This facility is toward the end of its operational life and needs additional renovation for its continued operation and this project would allow for a significant increase in the number of units available to seniors,” said Arlington Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Manager John Musso.
Cynthia Schneider, with the Commission on Aging, said this project addresses a shortage of elder care rooms in Arlington. The county and the region are predicted to see an increase in the number of seniors living in the area over the next two decades.
She advocated for more dedicated affordable beds on-site, which a representative of Sunrise said would not be possible.
The company has also put forward a redevelopment project in the Alcova Heights neighborhood, at 716 S. Glebe Road, which Arlington County is reviewing. The representative said affordable beds could be added there to meet requirements for both facilities.
(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) An Arlington police officer went above and beyond the call of duty earlier today, after a crash involving a food delivery driver.
The crash happened around 12:30 p.m. at the busy intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. Initially it was reported to be a hit and run, but the second vehicle was then found in a parking lot a couple of blocks away.
According to scanner traffic, one of the vehicles involved belonged to an Uber Eats driver, with a warm order from sub chain Jersey Mike’s awaiting delivery to an address nearby, along S. Glebe Road.
The officer radioed dispatch that he would be completing the task himself and, at 12:45 p.m., reported a successful food delivery — presumably to a somewhat surprised recipient.
“Lunch has been delivered,” the officer said.
Arlington County police confirmed the incident Friday morning.
“At approximately 12:33 p.m. yesterday, officers were dispatched to Columbia Pike at S. Glebe Road for the report of a hit and run,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The incident was determined to be a minor crash and both drivers were located near the scene. As officers were assisting the drivers with paperwork, it was determined one of the drivers was in the process of making a food delivery. The delivery address was determined to be nearby and the officer delivered the food.”
