Alleged iPhone Thief Picks Wrong Day to Run Through Ballston
A man accused of stealing an iPhone in the Buckingham neighborhood on Sunday is probably regretting his decision to flee toward Ballston.
Police say the suspect, 19-year-old Chauncey Myers of D.C., grabbed a victim’s iPhone on N. Glebe Road in the Buckingham neighborhood, then took off in the direction of Ballston. The alleged crime happened around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, and the 22 officers who were providing security at the Taste of Arlington festival in Ballston were notified that the suspect was heading their way.
Numerous officers fanned out from the festival, and the suspect was arrested at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Vermont Street, three blocks from the Ballston Metro station.
Myers was shirtless, out of breath and cursing at officers at the time of his apprehension, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. He was charged with robbery and “failure to ID.”
The officers working at Taste of Arlington were paid by festival organizers, Sternbeck said.
File photo
One Arrested After Stabbing in Buckingham
A man suffered a serious but non-life threatening injury this morning when he was stabbed in the Buckingham neighborhood.
The incident happened just before 7:00 a.m.
Police say the victim had been drinking all night and was making noise outside of a garden-style apartment building on the 4200 block of 2nd Road N. An angry resident came out and confronted the man about the noise, and a verbal altercation ensued, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
During the argument, the resident pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in the left torso, below the armpit, Sternbeck said.
The victim was transported to George Washington University Hospital and is expected to be okay. The suspect is in custody and is being interviewed by police.
Photos: Car Fire in Buckingham
A car caught fire in the parking lot of the Buckingham Center strip mall Monday night.
The fire was reported just before 6:00 p.m., in the lot located on the northeastern side of the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Pershing Drive. The Honda CRV’s engine compartment was fully engulfed with flames, though it’s unclear what actually caused the fire.
The fire was eventually extinguished before it could spread to the rest of the car.
Photos courtesy @Hightweetts and “Tim”
Gas Leak Shuts Down Roads in Buckingham
Update at 1:35 p.m. — The “all clear” has been given. Road closures are now being lifted.
Earlier: A two square block area in the Buckingham neighborhood, near the Gates of Ballston apartment complex, has been closed to vehicle and pedestrian vehicle due to a gas line rupture.
Construction workers ruptured a 2 inch gas line outside an apartment building at the corner of 4th Street N. and N. Thomas Street, according to scanner traffic. Washington Gas is on scene making repairs while firefighters stand by.
Police have shut down 4th Street between Glebe Road and George Mason Drive, and N. Thomas Street between N. Henderson Road and N. Pershing Drive.
The road closures may soon be lifted, however, as Washington Gas has reportedly shut off the gas to the ruptured line.
File photo
Grand Opening Planned for Henry Wright Park
A grand opening is planned for one of Arlington’s newest public parks.
Henry Wright Park, located at 4350 4th Street N. in the Buckingham neighborhood, is holding a grand opening celebration from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The free event will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony and a moon bounce and face painting for the kids.
Construction on the park, named after the chief architect of the Buckingham Village I garden apartments, began late last year. The oval-shaped park has a fenced-in playground for two to 12-year-olds, picnic and game tables, two grassy areas, a number of benches, and a sign commemorating the history of the Buckingham Village Garden Apartments.
New Park to Open Soon in Buckingham
The new Henry Wright Park will soon open in the Buckingham neighborhood, now that the County Board has authorized a resubdivision plan and maintenance agreement.
The county has been working with Paradigm Development Company to develop the 2.3 acre public park. The property is known as Buckingham Commons Village I, and a portion purchased by the county for $14.8 million in 2009 will be dedicated as Henry Wright Park (4350 4th Street North), as well as a new county street.
Paradigm Development Company will be responsible for ongoing maintenance at the park, as part of the public/private partnership. The county will maintain the new portions of North 4th Street and North Upton Street once they are dedicated. The measures were finalized by the County Board’s unanimous vote at its meeting on Saturday (July 21).
“Henry Wright Park brings much needed open space to Buckingham Commons Village I,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes. “Through a public/private partnership with Paradigm, the county has found a cost effective way to ensure that this beautiful park is well taken care of so that generations of Arlington children have a safe, attractive place to come together, exercise and play.”
The oval park has a fenced in playground for two to 12-year-olds, picnic and game tables, two grassy areas and a sign commemorating the history of the Buckingham Villages Gardens Apartments.
Construction began last fall and is nearly complete. If all goes according to plan, the park will open next month.
New Apartment Building Coming to Buckingham
A new apartment building is coming to the Buckingham neighborhood, near Ballston.
Earlier this year, the Dittmar Company demolished an older, existing three-story garden apartment building near the corner of N. Henderson Road and N. Thomas Street. In its place, we’re told the developer is building a new four-story, 66-unit apartment building with underground parking.
The building will have the address of 4301 N. Henderson Road. No word on when the construction is expected to wrap up.
Morning Notes
Rosslyn Outdoor Movies Start Tonight — The season of weekly, political-themed outdoor movies in Rosslyn starts tonight with the 1999 Matthew Broderick/Reese Witherspoon flick “Election.” The movie is scheduled to start at dusk.
Anti-Harassment Ads at Metro Stations — WMATA has placed anti-sexual harassment public service announcements in 28 Metro stations. In Arlington, the ads can be found in the Ballston and Clarendon Metro stations. [Stop Street Harassment]
Opening of Refurbished Affordable Apartments — Community members, local elected officials and affordable housing advocates gathered Wednesday to celebrate the preservation and renovation of Buckingham Village 3 — now renamed “Buckingham Gardens” — as committed affordable rental housing. Ninety-two apartments have been renovated and a new community center has been built as part of the project. [Arlington Mercury]
Margot MacDonald to Play Encore -- Arlington’s own singer/songwriter Margot MacDonald will be performing at Encore Stage, a local youth-oriented theater. The performance will take place this Saturday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre (125 S. Old Glebe Road). “Join us for an evening of Margot’s own eclectic rock and favorite covers,” Encore says on its website. “Recommended for ages 10 and up.” [Encore Stage & Studio]
Board Approves Loans for Buckingham Homebuyers
At Saturday’s meeting, the Arlington County Board approved a measure to help low to moderate income Buckingham residents become homeowners.
The board’s unanimous approval will make $500,000 in Moderate Income Purchase Assistance Program (MIPAP) funds available to seven or eight first-time homebuyers who qualify. The loans will be made available to residents at Buckingham Village 3, and other Buckingham neighborhood families, to help with down payments and closing costs on homes.
County Board Chair Mary Hynes explained that there has been a plan in place to help Buckingham residents who had been displaced by development.
“We had intended to create a homeownership option in Buckingham Village 3 — but, as the economy changed due to the recession, that option became prohibitively expensive,” Hynes said. “The board is fulfilling the spirit of our commitment to these residents, who might not otherwise have been able to stay in our community as homeowners.”
Last month, the county scrapped a plan to sell some of the units at Buckingham Village 3 as condos. At that time, county staff was instructed to find new ways to help lower income residents buy homes.
To be eligible for the loans, Arlington residents must earn less than 80 percent of the area median income, which is listed as $86,000 for a family of four. They also must not have owned a home in the past three years. Buyers can qualify for a subordinated loan of up to 25 percent of the purchase price, with a maximum loan amount up to $90,700.
Homeowners are not required to repay the loan until the home is either refinanced or sold. At that point, the owner must repay the loan to the county, plus up to 25 percent of the difference between the purchase price and the appreciated sales price.
Currently, about $3.6 million in MIPAP funds has been used to help about 236 borrowers purchase their first homes in Arlington.
County Nixes Condo Plan for Buckingham Village
The original plan, as approved in 2009, was to take 48 units of the 140-apartment Buckingham Village 3 affordable housing community and sell them as condos to moderate-income households. Last night, that plan was officially scrapped after the Arlington County Board was told that the condos would be a tough sell.
Buckingham Village 3, a series of 16 low-rise apartment buildings along the 300 block of block of N. George Mason Drive, was purchased by the county for $34.5 million in March 2009 as part of its ongoing effort to increase the supply of committed affordable housing in Arlington.
The initial goal for the community was to renovate the buildings, lease 92 apartments to households earning below 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), and sell the remaining 48 units to households making 60 to 80 percent AMI. The condo component was part of a county initiative to increase home ownership among moderate income households.
The condo plan, however, eventually became the victim of grim market realities, according to a staff report. As determined by two market studies commissioned at the request of the county, selling the condos to households in the target income range would have required “significant price reductions” due in part to the onerous affordability restrictions that would come with such a purchase. Also hurting sales: the difficulty in securing a mortgage for households in the income range. In the end, the market research suggested it could have taken up to four years to sell all 48 units, with a county subsidy of nearly $230,000 per unit.
Last night, the County Board reluctantly but unanimously voted to keep the 48 would-be condos as committed affordable rental apartments.
“This is not the outcome the Board had hoped for when we set this project in motion in 2009,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. “However, the Board’s action today ensures that these 48 Buckingham 3 units will be preserved as affordable rentals for decades to come.”
The Board also directed staff to find new ways to help lower-income residents to buy a home.
“We also have given staff clear direction to devise a funding strategy to help qualified, low- and moderate-income, first-time vested Buckingham home buyers the chance to buy — either in the Buckingham neighborhood, or elsewhere in Arlington,” Hynes said.
Man Shot In Buckingham
(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) A man was shot in Arlington Friday night by a suspect who remains at large.
Just before 8:00 p.m. on 4200 2nd Road N., in the Buckingham neighborhood, an unknown assailant wearing black clothing and a ski mask approached a man and shot him two times. The victim is described as a Hispanic male with gunshot wounds to the thigh and abdomen. He was reported to be in critical condition after the shooting. As of Saturday afternoon, police said he was still in the hospital.
The assailant, who is still at large, is described as a 5’8″ black male. He’s said to be armed and dangerous. Police say they’re not sure if the suspect knew the victim or if it was a random act of violence. As they continue to investigate the incident, police are encouraging anyone with information about the suspect to call them at 703-558-2222.
Photo courtesy Brendon L.
Two Family-Friendly Neighborhood Events This Weekend
Two family-friendly, Latino-oriented neighborhood events are planned for Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, the Smithsonian Latino Center and Arlington County’s Tell Arlington’s Story initiative are sponsoring a “family afternoon” at the Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th Street S.).
The afternoon will feature “hands-on activities inspired by Central American ceramis, Mayan dance presentations, live music, storytelling and talks by archeologist Favio Amador about Central America’s indigenous civilization.” The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, a Buckingham community street festival will be held from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. on N. Pershing Drive between Glebe Road and Thomas Street.
The festival will feature music, food, games, raffles, kids activities. Scheduled performers include Amla Boliviana and Luz De Luna.
The event is being organized by the community group BU-GATA, along with various county agencies including the Arlington County Police Department.
Scooter Accident in Buckingham
A scooter rider was injured after a crash at the intersection of N. Thomas Street and Pershing Drive in Buckingham, just south of Ballston.
Initial reports suggested the scooter ran into a car, but our photographer didn’t spot any damaged cars. There was, however, some road work and rough pavement in the area.
The scooter rider’s injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening.
Photo courtesy Addison H.
Man Falls in Apartment Laundry Room
(Updated at 4:00 p.m. on 10/6/10) Correction: This incident was initially reported to be an assault. The man appeared to have injuries to his face consistent with an assault. However, police now say the man was drunk, implying that this was likely an accident.
It happened Tuesday afternoon on the 4300 block of North Henderson Road, two blocks from Ballston Common Mall.
The man was ultimately able to walk out of the apartment building on his own power. His face bloodied and swollen, he was put on a stretcher, placed in an ambulance and taken to the hospital.
Crime Report: Fighting Back Edition
Occasionally, victims fight back and give the bad guys what was coming to ‘em. Such was the case early Sunday morning when a man approached two women who were walking home in the Buckingham neighborhood.
Police say the man lifted one woman’s skirt and touched her inappropriately. Then, the woman punched him, and two men chased him off.
More details on the suspect from this week’s Arlington County crime report:
SEXUAL BATTERY 09/05/10, 4200 block of N. Pershing Drive. On September 5 at 2 am, two women were walking on the sidewalk when an unknown man approached them. He lifted one woman’s skirt and touched her under the skirt. She punched him, and two men chased the suspect off. The suspect was a white Hispanic male in his early 30’s, 6’ and 180 lbs. He was wearing a blue and white plaid shirt with black jeans and black shoes.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump.
