Major Renovations Proposed for Colonial Village
The historic Colonial Village apartments (the portion owned by Wesley Housing Development Corporation) will be renovated and most of the units converted to low income housing, under a plan that’s up for discussion at a county hearing next week.
The proposal calls for renovations to begin around March of next year, according to a leasing agent. Renovations would proceed several at a time. Tenants will be “relocated” during the renovation process.
The details about the low income housing conversion are a bit sketchy at this point, but initial reports suggest all but two dozen or so apartments will be designated low income housing under the plan, which could force some existing tenants out.
Colonial Village was among the first garden-style apartment complexes in the U.S. when it was built in the 1930s. Wesley owns 162 apartment units, which are home to about 400 residents.
A county housing counselor told ARLnow.com that more details will be revealed on Wed., Sept. 8, during an Arlington Tenant-Landlord Commission hearing. The hearing will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Azalea Room (lobby level) of 2100 Clarendon Boulevard.
One Colonial Village resident we heard from was upset that there have only been two “resident meetings” about the plan leading up to next week’s hearing.
Today’s renovation news follows our report earlier this week about major renovations at the 1020 North Quincy Street apartments in Ballston.
Multiple calls to Wesley Housing Development Corporation’s main office in Alexandria went unanswered throughout the afternoon.
Metro Introduces ‘Next Train’ Real-Time Arrival Info Via Phone
You can now place a call and find out exactly when the next Metrorail train is expected to arrive. Today Metro is rolling out its ‘Next Train’ phone service, to complement the existing internet and mobile web-based services.
To access the real-time system, riders call Metro’s customer service line at 202-637-7000, say “Next Train,” then say the station name after the prompt. The automated system utilizes voice recognition technology.
“Up-to-the-minute information is key to the convenience of transit; the easier it is to know when your train is coming, the easier it is to manage your schedule,” said Arlington County board member Chris Zimmerman, who also sits on the Metro Board of Directors.
After the jump: Metro released a video demonstrating how the system works.
Hazmat Response at Lyon Village Shopping Center
Arlington firefighters and the hazardous materials team responded to the Lyon Village Shopping Center around 12:20 this afternoon for a strong chemical odor. Several people in the Starbucks reported feeling ill as a result of the odor.
Firefighters went up to the roof and came down with a bucket of epoxy that was being used for some sort of roofing work.
A building inspector and a health inspector are on their way to the shopping center to evaluate the situation.
The Starbucks appeared to be closed, but all other stores in the shopping center — including popular lunch spots The Italian Store and BGR The Burger Joint — are still open.
Update at 12:55 p.m. — The building and health inspector are on the scene, and fire crews are packing up.
New Stickers on Farmer’s Market Parking Meters
Less than two weeks ago we warned you about the misleading parking meters in front of 1400 North Uhle Street, which seemed to suggest that you could park there on Saturday mornings. Which you can — until 5:00 a.m., when your car gets towed and you get fined (the result of parking restrictions for the Courthouse farmer’s market).
In any event, it seems that someone was listening. The meters have new stickers on them that indicate that parking is enforced Monday through Friday. The new stickers originally said there’s free parking on Saturday and Sunday, but the “SAT.” is crossed off.
Question: Is that enough? Or should there be a sticker on the meter itself indicating that parking is restricted and towing enforced on Saturday mornings (in addition to the “reserved for farmer’s market” signs on either side of the building)?
Update on District Taco’s Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant
We’re hearing that the planned opening for District Taco’s forthcoming brick-and-mortar restaurant has been pushed back a month, to October 1. (Update on 10/14: The opening is now said to be set for the first week in November.)
The storefront at 5723 Lee Highway is now being used to prepare ingredients for the District Taco cart, following some changes to the existing kitchen (once used by the former occupant, the now-defunct Restaurant Vero). Tables and chairs are ready to go, we’re told, but there are still additional interior details and regulatory hurdles to be taken care of.
The county granted approval for a change of restaurant ownership yesterday.
Arlington’s First Capital Bikeshare Station Being Installed
Arlington’s first Capital Bikeshare station is scheduled to be installed this morning in Crystal City. The station will be installed at 27th Street and Crystal Drive, with another station set to be installed at 18th and Bell Streets immediately afterward.
The Capital Bikeshare system will feature 1,100 specially-designed bikes that visitors or commuters can rent. Mechanics have started assembling the bikes in a local warehouse.
“History in the making,” said Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox on today’s installation.
Photo via CommuterPage blog.
Morning Notes
Trio of Editorials Against HOT Lane Lawsuit — Arlington County’s $1 million lawsuit against the planned I-395 HOT lanes project is getting more bad press from local newspapers. Letters to the editor in the Sun Gazette and the Washington Post have both panned the county’s decision to add a federal highway employee to the lawsuit in his professional and personal capacities. And an editorial in the Washington Examiner called the lawsuit a “peevish jeremiad to block HOT lanes on Shirley Highway.” Ouch. All three have been published in just the past 36 hours.
Metrorail Operator Caught Texting in Arlington — Unsuck DC Metro published a photo that purports to show a Metrorail employee texting while operating a Blue Line train in Arlington. The incident happened Saturday morning, a tipster told the site.
T.A. Sullivan and Son Monuments Profiled — You know that rickety old building on Washington Boulevard in Clarendon? The one across from Lyon Hall with all the blank gravestones outside? According to TBD the site is worth $538,800 but the 71-year-old, cigarette-smoking, Skoal-chewing owner says business is good and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99
