grocery store

Columbia Pike Development May Include New Grocery Store

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A smaller-format grocery store is now part of the plan for the redevelopment of the Westmont Shopping Center.

The strip mall, at the busy corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road, is set to be torn down and replaced with a six-story mixed use building with 250 housing units and 22,500 square feet of retail space. The redevelopment plan was approved by the County Board last fall.

The project’s developer is coming back to the Board this weekend to request modifications that would allow a grocery store to occupy the retail space.

More from a county staff report:

The use permit allows the construction of a six-story structure containing 250 multi-family residential units, approximately 22,500 square feet of retail, and two levels of structured parking. The Applicant is pursuing a grocery store tenant to occupy the ground floor tenant space of the building, and these amendments are necessary to accommodate the grocer’s delivery trucks. The grocery store’s delivery model requires the use of large, 53-foot delivery trucks, which requires the alley’s egress and proposed public access easement area to be widened east of S. Glebe Road and results in an undergrounding of the existing at-grade transformers. The proposed underground utility vault and ventilation grates will encroach into the proposed widened public access easement.

Given the smaller size of the retail space, one could expect a grocery store more along the lines of a Trader Joe’s, as opposed to a full-service supermarket.

The new grocery store would be located between the Giant at Penrose Square and the new Harris Teeter at the Centro development (Columbia Pike and S. George Mason Drive).

County staff is recommending the Board approve the requested changes. The staff report does not specify when work on the project is expected to begin.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Allocates More Money for Rent Relief — “The Arlington County Board today approved using an additional $1.125 million from the County’s COVID-19 contingent account to fund eviction protection through December 2020 for those affected by the pandemic. The Board’s action brings the total amount allocated for eviction prevention in Fiscal Year 2021, which began July 1, 2020, to $3.5 million.” [Arlington County]

AWLA Pushes to Extend Eviction Ban — “The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is pushing for legislators to extend Governor Northam’s original eviction deadline of September 7, to prevent animals from being surrendered by people who can’t afford them. AWLA says they’re here to help tenants during these trying times and also urge landlords to cut back on animal restrictions and limitations.” [WDVM]

I-66 Lane Closures This Weekend — “Single-lane closures on westbound I-66 just before the bridge over Lee Highway (Route 29) at Exit 72 will occur (weather permitting) between 9 p.m. Friday night, Aug. 28 and 5 a.m. Monday morning, Aug. 31 for road repairs, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.” [VDOT]

Arlington-Based Lidl Expanding — “Discount grocery Lidl, whose North American headquarters is in Crystal City, Virginia, will open 50 new stores by the end of 2021, including 10 new locations in Maryland, and seven new stores in Virginia.” [WTOP]

Nearby: Rabies Warning in Falls Church — “The City of Falls Church Police and Animal Warden remind residents about the risks of rabid wildlife spreading rabies to pets. Police recently responded to a report of a sick raccoon in the 1200 block of Lincoln Ave. The raccoon was euthanized and later found to have rabies.  In this case, two dogs were exposed to the raccoon and are now in quarantine.” [City of Falls Church]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sheriff Appoints New Corrections Director — “Arlington County Sheriff Beth Arthur has announced the appointment of Major Gretchen Foster as the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office Director of Corrections, effective Monday, June 22. Foster is the first female Director of Corrections in Arlington’s history.” [Arlington County]

Route 50 Blocked By Police Activity — A portion of Route 50 was blocked near Rosslyn yesterday afternoon after police conducted a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle. The car had been reported stolen by a rental car company, a police spokeswoman said. [Twitter]

Grocery Stores Running Out of Coins — “‘Grocery continues to be an environment where consumers prefer to use cash, with roughly one out of every five transactions being paid with cash,’ said Greg Ferrara, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based [National Grocers Association]. ‘Independent grocery serves many communities throughout the U.S. that are underbanked or unbanked, and without availability of coinage, these customers are going to be hardest hit.'” [Progressive Grocer]

ARLnow Launches New IG Series — On Monday ARLnow launched a new Instagram story series featuring a local good news story each weekday evening. The #ARLGoodNews series is sponsored by Arlington Community Federal Credit Union and will run for the next month. [Instagram]

BREAKING: Grocery Store Fight Leads to Suspect Stop on Route 50

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) A fight in the Penrose Square Giant led to a series of events that closed portions of two major roads and prompted a massive police response.

Police were dispatched to the grocery store around 2:30 p.m. for a report of a disturbance in the store, potentially involving a weapon. After arriving, an officer was nearly struck by a fleeing vehicle.

“A dispute between known individuals occurred inside a business in the 2500 block of 9th Road S.,” said Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “A responding officer, who was on foot, attempted to stop the vehicle in the parking lot. The driver refused to comply, drove through a parking gate and fled the scene.”

More from Wednesday’s ACPD crime report:

A lookout was broadcast and officers located the vehicle at Arlington Boulevard and 10th Street N. A traffic stop was initiated and the subjects were detained without incident. Victoria Lawson, 26, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Felony Eluding, Felony Destruction of Property, Assault and Battery, Felony Child Abuse and Neglect (x4) and Possession of Marijuana.

The eastbound lanes of Route 50 near Courthouse were blocked by the vehicle stop, which involved nearly a dozen police cars.

“Looks like they arrested someone from a car… then it looked like there were some kids pulled out from the car as well,” a tipster told ARLnow.

While responding to the fight at the grocery store, one officer in a marked police SUV was involved in a crash on S. Walter Reed Drive, which closed a portion of the street for a period of time.

“While responding to the incident, an officer was involved in a crash at S. Walter Reed Drive and 16th Street S.,” Savage said. “The officer was evaluated on scene by medics. The driver of the other vehicle was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. The crash remains under investigation.”

Clarendon Trader Joe’s Closed Again As More Local Store Employees Test Positive

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Two weeks after the Trader Joe’s in Clarendon temporarily closed due to a COVID-19 case, it has closed again.

The store at 1109 N. Highland Street is closed today after an employee, who was last at the store on Monday, tested positive for the disease, according to a sign on the door.

“We are temporarily closing the store for precautionary cleaning and sanitation because a Crew Member has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19),” the sign says. “As soon as the store has been fully cleaned and restocked, we plan to reopen.”

“The Crew Member was last present at the store on April 13, 2020,” the sign continues. “Our focus remains on doing whatever is necessary to safeguard the health and safety of our Crew Members and customers and [to] best support our communities.”

Trader Joe’s is not the only store in Arlington where employees have tested positive for coronavirus, though it may be the most forthcoming with customers.

The Washington Business Journal reported yesterday that at least two employees at the Pentagon City Whole Foods have also tested positive and are currently in quarantine. The store “performed an additional cleaning and disinfection” after the cases were confirmed, a spokeswoman told WBJ, though it apparently remained open during regular business hours and did not post signs to notify customers.

The paper’s reporting seems to confirm a tip received by ARLnow on April 1, which we were unable to confirm at the time.

“I have a friend… whose roommate works at the Whole Foods in Pentagon City,” the tipster said. “There have been reports of two employees. diagnosed with COVID-19. This information was held from some employees and possibly from the many customers shopping at this location.”

Another store in Pentagon City may also have at least one COVID-19 case among its employees. On Friday, ARLnow received a tip that the neighborhood’s Costco store notified employees of a coworker who tested positive after last working on March 20.

“Costco Pentagon has an employee that has tested positive for coronavirus,” the tipster said. “Last day work was March 20… they just let their other employees know today, April 10.”

As of publication time Costco had not responded to a request for comment from ARLnow.

Grocery stores and other stores offering consumer staples have been deemed essential and allowed to remain open. After the coronavirus crisis prompted a crush of customers in stores many, like Costco, have started limiting the number of people in the stores at any given time and have instituted other social distancing measures.

In Maryland and across the country, a number of grocery employees have died after contracting COVID-19.

Coronavirus Cases in Arlington Now Above 250

By ARLnow.com

There are more than 250 known coronavirus cases in Arlington.

The county has 254 reported cases, according to Wednesday’s data from the Virginia Dept. of Health. That gives Arlington the second-highest per-capita rate of infections in the state (107.24 per 100,000 people), and the highest per-capita rate in Northern Virginia, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

It has been a month since the first confirmed coronavirus case in Arlington.

Statewide, there are now 3,645 reported COVID-19 cases, 615 hospitalizations, 75 deaths, and 30,645 people tested. Of the fatalities, 23 have been in Northern Virginia.

Local, state and federal officials are continuing to urge people to wear masks to slow the spread of the disease. The virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets, which masks help to mitigate. Even those without symptoms may have and be spreading the disease, making it more important for everyone to wear masks while out.

In just the past couple of weeks there has been a notable uptick in mask wearing among customers in local grocery stores, ARLnow has observed.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

VHC Has Supplies, Extra Beds — “Virginia Hospital Center officials said not all of their 394 beds are full at the moment and that the hospital could expand above 400 in the case of a surge… Melody Dickerson, chief nursing officer at VHC, said thanks to changes such as extending the life of personal protective equipment (PPE), under new CDC guidelines, they expect to have enough for at least next month, assuming shipments continue as expected.” [Washington Post]

Bayou Bakery Owner on CNBC — While working to give away food to those in need, Bayou Bakery is facing its own challenges. Chef and owner David Guas appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box Tuesday morning and discussed his decision to close and lay off all of his staff, while also working to apply for loans and eventually reopen. [CNBC]

Pile Driving Starting Soon at HQ2 Site — “Clark Construction Group, the lead HQ2 contractor, is planning to start a particularly noisy bit of work this week… It does have a solution, of sorts, for those nonessential workers who are sheltering in place. ‘They have provided us with ear plugs to help us deal with the noise, knowing that many of you are working from home,’ Aura management wrote.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Grocery Store Changes — Harris Teeter and Giant stores will be limiting the number of shoppers in their stores, in the interest of social distancing. Giant is also implementing one-way aisles. [Washington Business Journal, WTOP]

Beyer Wants Temperature Checks at Airports — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today wrote to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf urging the adoption of stricter measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at American airports… such as enforcing social distancing, implementing temperature checks for travelers, providing guidance on how to self-quarantine for exiting travelers, and protective equipment for staff.” [Press Release]

‘Virus Vigilantes’ on the Lookout — ARLnow has been getting a deluge of emails, tips and tweets from locals concerned about other people not maintaining social distancing. Surreptitious photos of teens on sidewalks, construction workers at jobs sites, and even unsuspecting people in parks have been sent our way. It’s apparently part of a national trend of “virus vigilantism,” as people take it upon themselves to enforce health guidelines.

Glebe Elementary Choir Performs Online — Barrett Elementary got a shout out from Sir Elton himself for its staff dance video, but Barrett is not the only Arlington school creating music videos. Glebe Elementary made its own video recently, featuring the school’s fifth grade choir together performing “We Want to Sing” from their homes. [YouTube]

Clarendon Trader Joe’s Closed After Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus

By ARLnow.com

The ever-busy Trader Joe’s store in Clarendon was closed this morning, with a sign on the door saying an employee had tested positive for COVID-19.

The store is now closed for a thorough cleaning and restocking, according to the sign, after which it plans to reopen.

The sign says the employee was last in the store on Sunday. The full text is below.

TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR CLEANING

We would like to notify customers of this store that we are temporarily closing the store for precautionary cleaning and sanitization because a Crew Member has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). As soon as the store has been fully cleaned and restocked, we plan to reopen.

The Crew Member was last present in the store on March 29, 2020. We encourage customers who have health-related concerns to review CDC and local health department guidelines and to contact their healthcare providers with any questions. Our focus remains on doing whatever is necessary to safeguard the health of and safety of our Crew Members and customers and best support our communities.

Photo courtesy Peter G.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Resources to Assist Those in Need — Arlington County has created a list of food, financial and medical assistance that is available for neighbors in need during the coronavirus outbreak. [Arlington County]

Vihstadt Stands Up for Farmers Markets — “At Saturday’s County Board meeting, former board member John Vihstadt rapped the state government for lumping in farmers’ markets – of which Arlington has nearly a dozen operating throughout the week – with restaurants (which for the most part are now closed to dine-in service and in many cases are shuttered completely) rather than treating them as supermarkets (which remain open and running at full strength).” [InsideNova]

Giant Adjusting Store Hours — “Effective Friday, March 27, most Giant Food stores will adjust hours of operations to be open from 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m… The first hour of operations, 6:00-7:00 a.m. is reserved for senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals, including pregnant women and caregivers shopping for the immunocompromised, so that they may shop and practice safe social distancing.” [Press Release]

Va. Liquor Stores Limit Hours — “The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) will reduce operating hours at all of its stores statewide beginning Friday, March 27, due to the expanding nature of the COVID-19 outbreak… stores across the commonwealth will be open from noon to 7 p.m., seven days a week, starting Friday, March 27.” [Virginia ABC]

County to Help Hospital with Bond Sale — “Continuing a 42-year tradition of collaboration, the Arlington County government will assist Virginia Hospital Center in issuing bonds to support new construction. County Board members on March 21 authorized the government’s Industrial Development Authority, or IDA, to issue up to $300 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds to support the effort.” [InsideNova]

Local Catholic Schools Embrace Distance Learning — “The Catholic Diocese of Arlington’s Office of Catholic Schools announced the successful stand-up of distance learning in all 41 parish schools and high schools in the Diocese. Distance learning is now in place, offering interactive, personalized instruction to students through the remainder of the academic year.” [Press Release]

Local Leaders Urge Rent Leniency — “There are new calls for landlords to freeze [rent] payments to help mitigate the economic fallout of the pandemic… ‘We need them to show compassion on the front end, and we’ll work to make sure they’re made whole on the back end,’ said Arlington County Board member Christian Dorsey.” [Washington Business Journal]

Tomb Sentinels Are Still Guarding — “There is a sacred duty not even a pandemic can stop: a rite of continuity still carried out in Arlington National Cemetery even as much of the country shuts down. The sentinels who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier recently marked more than 30,000 days of constant watch over the remains of unidentified U.S. service members — a streak persisting through the pandemic.” [WUSA 9]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

More on Arlington’s Drive-Through Testing — “Arlington County and the Virginia Hospital Center launched a coronavirus sampling site Wednesday, but a short supply of test kits and limited lab processing ability are forcing them to be selective with who they see.” [WAMU]

Grocery Stores With Senior-Only Shopping Hours — “Some DC-area grocery stores are offering or plan to offer special shopping hours for senior citizens, and in some cases other vulnerable people, during the coronavirus crisis. [Washingtonian, Twitter]

County Asks Landlords for Leniency — “We ask that you consider now what you can do to ease burdens for tenants who may have difficulty paying their rent in the coming months because of illness or financial hardship related to ongoing business disruptions and closures.” [Arlington County]

Cristol to Commercial Landlords: Don’t Fire Cleaners — “These men and women are the unsung heroes of the Coronavirus pandemic and they can least afford to lose wages and benefits during this crisis. At the same time that cleaners and security officers have stepped forward to do their jobs during this outbreak, they are now being threatened with layoffs and reductions.” [Press Release]

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Questioned — The Celtic House on Columbia Pike is closed now, but it was one of the only local bars to stay fully open on St. Patrick’s Day. Some are questioning that decision as governments and medical professionals urge people to stay at home and maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of the deadly disease. [Facebook, Twitter]

Some Restaurants Decide to Close Completely — Galaxy Hut in Clarendon, which initially stayed open for takeout meals, is instead “shutting this puppy down.” [Twitter]

Arlington Musician Takes Shows Online — “Singer and songwriter Justin Trawick’s livelihood as a stage performer who did more than a dozen shows a month ground to a halt recently as the coronavirus pandemic shut down his concert venues.” [Reuters]

County Permit Office Closed — “The Arlington County Permit Office is now CLOSED for in-person customer service. Many services remain available online.” [Twitter]

Arlington Grocery Stores Packed as Residents Stock Up

By ARLnow.com
1/5

The most consistent advice regarding the coronavirus, besides frequent hand washing, seems to be to practice social distancing — stay at home, avoid crowded workplaces or events, and generally just hunker down.

In apparent preparation for long stays at home, Arlingtonians have been flocking to local stores and picking aisles clean of toilet paper, cleaning supplies, canned soup and even bananas.

The past two nights, in particular, have seen huge crowds at local grocery stores.

At the Ballston Harris Teeter last night, people waited in line to check out for upwards of 45 minutes and had to navigate aisles of empty shelves. Cleaning supplies, toilet paper and paper towels all were in low supply, if at all.

Elsewhere in and around Arlington, readers reported:

Last week we reported that most local grocery stores, drug stores and hardware store were completely out of hand sanitizer and face masks.

The hoarding may have some negative effects, as one reader noted in an email to ARLnow Friday morning.

“I popped into Harris Teeter on George Mason last night and was greeted by barren shelves of produce and meat… What impacted me the most from my trip, was while I was disappointed that I couldn’t grab chicken for tonight’s dinner (there was none) I saw an older lady — perhaps in her 70’s doing her shopping,” the reader wrote.

“I saw her searching the empty shelves for groceries and was struck by the realization that the people who are hoarding resources are also bringing undue risk and hardship to those with the most need,” the reader continued. “I have no idea how difficult it was for this woman to get to the grocery store, but I’m sure her effort was more than mine. To think she may have to go without as a result of others panic broke my heart.”

There is some good news: shelves are getting restocked overnight. At the Shirlington Harris Teeter this morning, there was plenty of toilet paper, plus bleach and Lysol-based cleaners.

Ashley Hopko and Jay Westcott contributed to this report

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