February 19, 2013 | ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2013 at 3:45PM

Donnellan’s recommendation, if approved by the County Board, would raise the overall tax rate to 100.3 cents per $100 in assessed value for residential property. It would be the first time since 2001 that Arlington’s residential tax rate has crossed the $1 mark.

Donnellan is expected to tell the Board tomorrow that the county is facing increased expenses as a result of more public school students and more county facilities — like the Arlington Mill Community Center — that must be staffed and programmed. At the same time, county tax revenue is flat as commercial property assessments feel the effects of BRAC, which has resulted in numerous Department of Defense offices moving out of Arlington.

Opinion

Peter’s Take: The Dangers of Stricter Virginia ID Laws

By Peter Rousselot

Published February 19, 2013 at 3:00PM

Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column published on Tuesdays. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Remember those long lines many of you experienced in Arlington in last year’s presidential election? The easiest and cheapest solution to lines like those: no-excuse absentee voting for all voters — or even for some categories of voters like those 65 years and older. But, Republicans in the Virginia legislature have blocked every effort to pass such laws.

News

Board to Consider Long Range Plan for N. Quincy Street

By ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2013 at 1:50PM

The current Harris Teeter supermarket and Mercedes-Benz dealership near Ballston could eventually be replaced with high-rise buildings under a new land use plan that’s up for County Board consideration this weekend.

On Saturday, the Board will consider an addendum to its 1995 North Quincy Street Plan. The amendment modifies the plan for the area around the Mercedes dealership and adds a plan for a parcel of land bounded by Carlin Springs Road, Glebe Road, N. Thomas Street and the Hyde Park Condominiums. The latter parcel includes the Harris Teeter store and its surface parking lot.

Events

Columbia Pike Restaurant Week Has Started

By ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2013 at 12:05PM

The seven-day event, which runs through Sunday, features a dozen restaurants offering a fixed price menu of $10 lunches and $25 dinners.

“This is a great way to get to know the restaurants on the Pike and a reason to revisit your favorites,” said the Columbia Pike Restaurant Week website.

News

Six Arrested After Road Rage Incident in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2013 at 10:55AM

The incident started at around 4:00 p.m. near Costco. Police say two cars were turning left on 15th Street S. from S. Fern Street when, for some unknown reason, tempers flared and horns started beeping. The two vehicles, a 2008 Chevrolet Impala and a 2004 Mercedes-Benz S450, made the turn and pulled to the side of the 500 block of 15th Street S.

A 16-year-old juvenile and an adult got out of the Impala and started arguing with a man who got out of the Mercedes, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The juvenile punched the Mercedes driver in the face, then both parties returned to the Impala, he said.

News

ACFD Battles Weekend Fires

By ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2013 at 9:45AM

The Arlington County Fire Department battled at least three fires over the long holiday weekend.

On Saturday, firefighters extinguished a fire in a detached shed behind a home on the 2900 block of 7th Street N. in Lyon Park. The smoky fire spread to an adjacent fence and caused minor damage to adjacent sheds, but otherwise did not damage any houses, according to ACFD spokesman Gregg Karl.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2013 at 8:30AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:42PM

Wakefield Captures District Championship — On Friday, the Wakefield High School boy’s basketball team defeated Mount Vernon 69-60 to become the National District champions. Wakefield is now competing in the Northern Region regional tournament. Yorktown, which fell 42-82 to Wakefield in the National District tournament, is also competing as a lower seed in the Northern Region tournament. [Northern Virginia Sports]

Neighbors Want Security Guard at New Homeless Shelter — Residents of the Woodbury Heights Condominium in Courthouse are pressing Arlington officials to place a 24-hour security guard at the county’s planned year-round homeless shelter at 2020 14th Street N. Residents say they’re worried about an increase in crime as a result of the shelter moving next to their building. A resident’s Freedom of Information Act request revealed that there have been just under 6 police responses to the existing shelter per year, on average, between 1994 and 2011, mostly for alcohol-related incidents. [Arlington Mercury]