Cyclist Struck, Injured on GW Parkway
A bicyclist was struck and injured this morning on the George Washington Parkway.
The accident happened in the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway just south of Memorial Circle, in an area that has seen tragic accidents and close calls between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.
According to U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Brooks, the cyclist was conscious and breathing after being struck by the vehicle, and was transported to a local hospital via ambulance. No charges have been filed against the driver, Brooks said.
According to Brooks, cyclists and pedestrians are “required to stop and make sure the roadway is clear before crossing” the section of parkway where today’s accident occurred.
“It’s a confusing area and unfortunately we have a lot of accidents involving bicyclists and motorists and joggers,” he said.
County Working on Automated Water Meter Installation
You may not have even realized it, but your water meter will get a makeover soon, if it hasn’t already. The county is about half finished with its efforts to install new automated meter reading (AMR) systems on residential buildings.
The new meters allow employees to easily gather water use information without physically having to access meter boxes. They are equipped with a radio transmitter than sends each meter reading to an employee who slowly drives through the neighborhoods.
“The meters tend to lose accuracy as they age, so one of the benefits is the increased accuracy of the reading,” said county engineer Mary Strawn.
AMR will reduce errors now that employees will not have to manually enter meter numbers. It’s also viewed as a safety measure, considering workers won’t have to scramble in some places with hard to reach meters.
Residents can expect to see fewer “estimated reads” on their bills, due to the efficiency of the new meters. Previously, if county workers were unable to find a meter due to factors like snow accumulation, they would estimate a customer’s monthly water use.
The county began installing AMR equipment on commercial and multi-family residences in 2007. Now, the project has moved on to the 30,000 single family residences. Workers are about halfway through that task, and hope to finish by early 2013.
Notifications are being sent out to residents before work on their meters begins. Installation only takes about five minutes, so most people probably won’t even notice that work has been done.
Sometimes, after the meter has been upgraded, residents may temporarily notice a burst of air or rust colored water. This is not harmful, and briefly running the cold water should clear this up.
Real Estate Tax Deadline Approaching
The first installment of Arlington real estate taxes is due in 10 days, on Friday, June 15.
Payments not received or postmarked by that date will be considered late. Penalties will be the same amount as the tax if less than $10 is owed, $10 if between $10 and $100 is owed and 10% of the tax amount if more than $100 is owed.
Real estate taxes are split into two installments, and the deadline for the second installment is Friday, October 5.
Payments can be made by mail, in person or online. Anyone who hasn’t yet received a bill should contact the Treasurer’s Office right away, at 703-228-4000 or treasurer@arlingtonva.us.
Ask Adam: Arlington Swimming Pools
Editor’s Note: This periodic sponsored Q&A column is written by Adam Gallegos of Arlington-based real estate firm Arbour Realty. Please submit follow-up questions in the comments section or via email.
Question: I’m moving to Arlington and would like to find a neighborhood with a pool. Do you have any advice?
The majority of single family home neighborhoods in Arlington do not have a homeowners association (HOA), and therefore do not include amenities like swimming pools. I’ve found that this can be a letdown for families moving from Fairfax and Loudoun Counties.
The good news is that there may be other pool options available. The bad news is that it may take a few years to work your way up the local pool’s waitlist. Who knew pool memberships were in such high demand in Arlington?
I’ve put together the following guide to help you out. The information provided is deemed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. Please reach out to the individual pools you are interested in to learn more about the waitlist process and the cost details.
Overlee
6030 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA
http://www.overlee.org/
Waitlist: Currently there are 666 families on the waitlist. The estimated wait is 3-5 years. You must be a resident of Arlington, Falls Church or McLean to join.
August passes are available for non-member at a cost of $325 / family.
Cost: A non-refundable initiation fee of $2,000 (as of February 2011 — this amount is subject to change), plus $1,000 construction fee is required. In 2012 the annual dues are $700.
TRAFFIC ALERT: Washington Blvd Closed for Gas Leak
Update at 12:20 p.m. — Firefighters have cleared and drivers can now get through on Washington Blvd. Washington Gas remains at the scene.
Earlier: Drivers should avoid the area of Washington Blvd near N. Highland Street, where a gas leak is causing traffic trouble.
Washington Blvd is shut in the eastbound/southbound direction at N. Highland Street, and in the westbound/northbound direction at N. Garfield Street, while firefighters investigate a reported leak in a four-inch gas line at a construction site. Washington Gas is also on the scene.
Police are helping to direct traffic at the scene while workers fix the problem. It’s recommended that pedestrians also avoid the area until the leak is fixed.
Indecent Exposure Suspect on the Loose, May be Repeat Offender
Two indecent exposure incidents were reported in Arlington over the weekend, and one of the subjects may be a repeat offender.
One incident happened around 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, on the 2700 block of S. Lang Street in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood, where spectators had gathered to watch a soccer game. One of the attendees was an intoxicated male, who allegedly made inappropriate comments to a female victim in the presence of her daughter. The woman says the man proceeded to urinate with his back to her, then turned around to expose himself to her and her daughter.
The woman called police and they were able to locate 45-year-old Saul Aparicio, of no fixed address, in the vicinity. He was arrested and charged with indecent exposure and being drunk in public. It appears he targeted the woman and her daughter, and didn’t expose himself to others at the soccer game.
The second incident happened last month, around 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, but was reported to police several days later. A man sitting on a restaurant patio in the 3200 block of Wilson Blvd in Clarendon allegedly exposed himself to a woman sitting at a nearby table. The woman says the man had been staring at her and tried to get her attention several times. The man, who was reportedly wearing very short shorts, then exposed himself to her underneath the table. When the woman alerted her friends and they turned around, the suspect left the scene.
The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-sixties, with shoulder length white hair. At the time, he was wearing black shorts, a green polo shirt and sandals. It’s believed this may be the same suspect who was caught masturbating while watching children on a nearby restaurant patio last month.
“He does meet the description of a previous suspect,” said Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. “It’s not 100 percent certain it’s the same individual, but the descriptions are very similar.”
Sternbeck says the woman did the right thing by contacting police, but the delay of several days has made it difficult to track down the suspect.
“If you are a victim or witness something of this nature, please contact police immediately,” Sternbeck said. “The chances of us locating this individual days later significantly decreases.”
Anyone who encounters this man, or any other person, performing an indecent act in public should call police, but not try to confront the person. It’s unknown if he may try to inflict harm.
Lunchtime Concerts Start Today in Rosslyn
Starting today, Rosslyn is beefing up its summer entertainment lineup with free lunchtime concerts.
The concerts all begin this week and will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and and Thursdays from 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Tuesday concerts, held at Freedom Park (17th Street over Lynn Street and Wilson Blvd), will run through July 31. Wednesday concerts are held at CentralSpace (Wilson Blvd and N. Moore Street), and will continue through August 29. There will be no concert on Wednesday, July 4. Thursday concerts take place at the Farmers Market (Wilson Blvd and N. Moore Street), and will have a longer season, running through October 25.
This week, Vaughn Nark & Panorama will play today, Harry Wilson will play tomorrow and Rick Franklin & Friends will play on Thursday. The full schedules of performers for the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtime concerts can be found online.
With decent weather predicted for this week, it may be the perfect time to take in the music. Last year, extreme heat forced cancellations for some of the concerts.
ZOM Development in Clarendon to Begin Soon
Construction on a new apartment building at 1200 N. Irving Street in Clarendon is expected to begin soon.
Developers ZOM Inc. and USAA Real Estate are planning to begin work on the 187-unit apartment building within the next 30 to 45 days, according to a letter sent to local residents. The developers will be holding a community meeting next Monday, June 11, to discuss the project. The meeting will be held at the Lyon Village Community House (1920 N. Highland Street) at 7:30 p.m.
Representatives from the Lyon Village, Lyon Park, Ashton Heights, Clarendon Courthouse and Ballston-Virginia Square civic associations have all been invited to the meeting, as have local business owners and property owners.
ZOM first bought the site at the corner of Washington Boulevard and N. Irving Street in 2006, but it has remained fallow as the developer struggled to find financing for the project. USAA bought the property in 2011 and is developing it together with ZOM.
The building has been dubbed “The Waverly at Clarendon Station” — though it’s unclear if that name will stick once the project is complete.
