Good morning, Arlington. Jo here. It’s Thursday, September 16: National Guacamole Day and Nick Jonas’ 29th birthday.

Morning Status

• Today’s Weather: ⛈ Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83.
• Tomorrow’s Weather: ⛈ A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 82.
• Sunrise:  6:47 a.m.
• Sunset:  7:09 p.m.

What We’re Covering Today

Morning Notes

• Pentagon City Metro Elevator Update — From Arlington Transit: “On Sun., Sept. 19, the bus stop serving ART 42, 74, 84 & 87, Metrobus 7A & 22A, and Fairfax Connector 599 (AM) will temporarily be relocated south on S Hayes St. due construction of Pentagon City Metro second elevator.” [Twitter]
• Huffpost Calls Arlington GOP Tweet ‘Racist’ — “In a racist tweet Monday that was promptly ratioed into the shame museum, the Arlington County Republican Committee in Virginia suggested that two Democratic congresswomen of color should retire and go work as lobbyists for the Taliban… ‘This tweet isn’t about race ― it’s about the Squad’s constant support for anti-American sentiment abroad,’ the Arlington GOP tweeted.” [Huffpost]
• ACFD Responds to Courthouse Gas Leak — “Arlington County Fire and Rescue crews said a gas leak reported just before 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Courthouse area was fixed about an hour later.” [Patch, Twitter]
• Local Nurse Lauded for Covid Candor — “An Arlington woman who continues going above and beyond to help her community throughout the pandemic is being nominated for a community hero award from her fellow neighbors.” [WJLA]
• Arlington Students Make ‘Merit’ Semis — “Sixteen high school students from Arlington have been named 2022 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, taking the first step in securing a scholarship in the competitive program.” [Patch, Arlington Public Schools]
• Restaurant Recs for Those With Kids — “Going out with kids is complicated enough — finding dishes for picky eaters, hoping they will sit still long enough to finish their food and not terrorize other tables, praying you can relax for five minutes… These restaurants are going out of their way to create a welcoming, inclusive and safe dining environment for families, with outdoor dining and child-pleasing choices.” [Arlington Magazine]

The following are previews of stories we’re planning to cover later today. Note that some stories may be pushed back, depending on the day’s news. 

Arlington Resident Wins NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest: Arlington native Neffy has won National Public Radio’s prestigious Tiny Desk Contest for her song “Wait Up,” inspired by her return home to the Green Valley neighborhood. ARLnow spoke with Neffy about how her community inspired her, what it means to be a musician, and what homes means to her.

ACPD to Assist Capitol Police: The Arlington County Police Department has been asked to assist U.S. Capitol Police with security during a planned pro-Trump rally this weekend, being held in support of those arrested after the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol. The National Guard has also been asked to be ready to send troops, if necessary. Arlington police in riot gear previously assisted at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

County to Choose New Logo: This Saturday, the County Board is set to pick a new logo and consider a timeline for replacing the existing logo and seal with it. Four finalists (below), voted on by the public and selected by the Logo Review Panel, will be presented to the Board for consideration. Earlier this year, the Board put off choosing a logo after a first round of submissions in response to resounding community dislike of the options.

Park Improvements: The County Board is slated to approve contracts for a few projects requested by the Department of Parks and Recreation. These include renovations to the playground at Towers Park, upgrades to Marcey Road Park and the conversion of the upper field at Thomas Jefferson Community and Fitness Center to turf.

And in case you missed it, here’s what we covered Wednesday but didn’t plan in advance: 

Man Rescued from Scaffolding in Rosslyn: Around 4 p.m., the Arlington County Fire Department responded to reports of a worker dangling from scaffolding in Rosslyn. By 4:30 p.m., firefighters had successfully brought him down to the ground. The incident happened at an office building near the Safeway store on the 1500 block of Wilson Blvd.

Power Outages Across North Arlington: Nearly 5,500 homes and businesses were without power Wednesday afternoon as a result of a widespread power outage. A Dominion outage map showed the affected area included portions of Courthouse, Clarendon and Virginia Square, as well as residential neighborhoods to the north, extending into McLean. Around the time of the outage, Arlington firefighters were dispatched to a report of a blown transformer and to smoke from buildings in the area.

Reporter’s Notepad

This week, the County Board met with the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development and the Planning Commission to get a sense of the work being done and the work ahead.

One Planning Commission priority immediately rose to the top — one that I’ve covered twice this summer.

Chair James Lantelme asked Board members and staff to consider changing the way townhouse and duplex renovation applications are handled to make it easier for homeowners to make changes to their properties.

Single-family home owners can typically renovate “by-right,” and if their project proposes something not allowed by the zoning code, can go to the Board of Zoning Appeals. But due to some code quirks, folks renovating townhouses and plexes often have to use the Site Plan Review process, mostly used by developers proposing apartments and shopping centers.

“We think we really need to deal with this,” Lantelme said. “It’s a waste of the Planning Commission’s time, a waste of staff time… It’s not appropriate, and in fact, it’s contrary to what our comprehensive plan is advocating for for affordable housing — for housing period — and for equity.”

This summer, I talked to two people whose projects embody what he’s talking about: Marjorie Tarantino, the owner a townhome in a “legacy district” used for a few developments in the 1970s, and Les Garrison, the owner of a duplex on a smaller-than-standard lot grandfathered into a zoning district in the 1950s.

Both proposed increasing their house square-footage to lot ratio, sending them on the Site Plan Review path, which requires land-use lawyers, experts, and Planning Commission and County Board approvals.

Instead, Lantelme wants these projects go through the Board of Zoning Appeals.

But CPHD’s plate is already full, something I’ll cover this week, so whether this becomes a priority for the department remains to be seen. Meantime, Lantelme’s comments indicate these projects, which seem stand-alone on their face, are part of a pattern — one commissioners are keen to see end.