Author: ARLnow.com

Board OKs Townhouse Plan — County Board members on Saturday voted 4-0, with JD Spain, Sr., abstaining, to approve the proposed 47-townhouse Waverly Ridge development at 2134 N. Taylor Street in Waverly Hills. The 2.8-acre site is located just south of Langston Blvd. and currently is home to several unoccupied single-family homes. An abandoned earlier plan had called for a senior-living facility on the site. —Scott McCaffrey

Apartment Stairwell Robbery — “The male victim was in the stairwell of a residential building when the two male suspects entered the building. One suspect approached and struck the victim with what appeared to be a firearm… The suspects then assaulted the victim further, threatened him with the firearm and demanded his clothing and personal belongings before fleeing the scene.” The incident was reported in the 900 block of S. Buchanan Street Thursday night. [ACPD]

Clarendon Offices For Sale — Two Clarendon office buildings at 3001 and 3003 Washington Blvd have hit the market as owner KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III winds down. “They’re winding down this REIT vehicle, and they’re returning their proceeds to their investors,” a Newmark exec told the Washington Business Journal. [WBJ]

Boulevard Opens on Wilson — “A polished American restaurant named Boulevard opened this spring along Wilson Boulevard, complete with a separate rooftop bar that’s giving a Tulum-meets-Mykonos vibe.” The 8,000-square-foot space at 2915 Wilson Boulevard, the former Wilson Hardware, features bao bun sliders, pasta, sushi rolls and a third-story rooftop bar called Solset. [Eater]

Plane Pizza Party — Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight delayed at National Airport got an unexpected treat: the pilot “stepped off the plane, ordered pizza for the entire flight, then served it to each passenger himself,” the airline said. [Fox 5]

Douglas Park Garbage Faceoff — “Garbage standoff in Douglas Park: American Disposal faced off with Bates on the right to [s]ervice Randolph [Street].” [Amac/Bluesky]

Beyer Welcomes F.C. Return — “I was grief-stricken to lose Falls Church! I am very happy to have the opportunity to represent this wonderful community again,” U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) told the Falls Church News-Press. The April 16 redistricting referendum moves Falls Church back into Beyer’s 8th Congressional District, which spans “from Arlington to Yorktown” under the new map. [Falls Church News-Press]

Spanberger Signs Assault Weapons Ban — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain semi-automatic firearms, prompting immediate lawsuits from gun-rights groups.” The law, which takes effect July 1, makes it a misdemeanor to buy, sell, transfer, import or manufacture an “assault firearm,” defined to include semi-automatic rifles or pistols accepting magazines of more than 15 rounds. The NRA and U.S. Department of Justice have both filed or pledged legal challenges. It’s one of a number of bills signed by Spanberger last week. [WTVR, Virginia Mercury, WDBJ, WTOP]

Trump’s Heroes Garden Planned — “President Donald Trump plans to build an exhibit of statues featuring prominent Americans in a tightly regulated park along the Potomac River, potentially opening a new legal fight over whether his administration is ignoring the approvals process that typically governs Washington’s monumental core.” The National Garden of American Heroes would be built in West Potomac Park. Survey work has also begun at the proposed triumphal arch site between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. [Associated Press]

World-Record Fireworks Eyed — “Trump allies want to smash the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest fireworks show, planning over 30 minutes of pyrotechnics in D.C. this July 4.” Breaking the record — set in the Philippines in 2016 — will take more than 810,904 fireworks. The day has been declared a National Special Security Event, with the Secret Service taking the lead on coordinating security. [Axios]

Single-Stair Plan Advances — “This week, the state’s Board of Housing and Community Development advanced a proposal to allow single stairways in four-story buildings, setting it up for potential adoption in the next state code requirements.” Backers say the change could unlock housing on smaller lots, while firefighters have raised safety concerns. [Virginia Mercury]

Commercial Space Rebounds — “Commercial space across Greater Washington continues to fill up as companies move beyond remote work.” CBRE’s Ian Anderson said regional office, retail and industrial occupancy has risen for three consecutive quarters, totaling 3 million square feet, with the gains mostly concentrated in Northern Virginia. [WBJ]

Homelessness Ticks Up — “Homelessness in the D.C. region ticked up slightly from 2025 to 2026, according to a new report from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.” The region reported 9,790 people experiencing homelessness, up 131 or about 1% from 2025. D.C. saw the largest numerical increase, and Montgomery County saw the largest decline (down 26%). [WTOP]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 95 today, with southwest winds 1–10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph. Overnight will be mostly clear with a low around 72. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.

Arch Contract Shortcut — The Trump administration planned to begin work at the proposed Triumphal Arch site at Memorial Circle by using an existing, unrelated White House engineering contract — a move that would bypass competitive bidding, the Washington Post reports. The arch site, near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, sits on National Park Service land. [Washington Post]

Car Carrier Crunch — “Four car carriers at once this morning,” Dave Statter wrote, after auto haulers blocked bus lanes and a bus stop outside the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. He called the recurring scene a daily indictment of the county’s $11 million safety investment in Army Navy Drive. [Dave Statter/X]

Summer Travel Season — “More than 19 million travelers are expected to take to the skies” at the region’s airports between May and August, MWAA said. Reagan National’s new arrivals include Busboys and Poets near the D Gates and Colada Shop near the C Gates, while Dulles is preparing for new nonstop service to Taipei in late June. [MWAA]

Busboys Lands at DCA — “Busboys and Poets is now open!” the airport announced. The restaurant is located near the D Gates and open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. [Reagan Airport/X]

ACPD Marks Police Week — The Arlington County Police Department is observing National Police Week, which began Sunday and honors officers who died in the line of duty. VHC Health staff stopped by evening roll call to deliver snacks and thank officers for their service. [ACPD/X, ACPD/X]

East Potomac Design Reveal — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum unveiled the proposed design for the East Potomac Golf Links renovation, calling for “championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates” from Fazio Golf Design. The course’s future remains in limbo amid a lawsuit over the Trump administration’s takeover and lease termination. [Fox 5, Secretary Burgum/X]

Bus Fare Policy Backlash — Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 condemned WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke for a “despicable and callous decision” to require bus operators to quote fares to all passengers, reversing a 2017 policy the union says has reduced operator assaults. The new fare-quote policy takes effect May 24. [PoPville]

State Revenue Beats Forecast — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced that April revenues grew 6.9% compared to the previous April, and Virginia’s general fund revenues are running 7.3% ahead year-over-year through the first 10 months of Fiscal Year 2026. “Revenues for Fiscal Year 2026 are ahead of expectations,” Spanberger said, while warning that national uncertainty and federal workforce cuts remain concerns. [Press Release]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 72 and northwest winds around 12 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 53. [NWS]

Bike to Work Day Tomorrow — Tomorrow (Friday) is the regional Bike to Work Day, with BikeArlington hosting morning pit stops in Ballston, Columbia Pike and Rosslyn from 7-9 a.m. Riders who register get a free t-shirt. Additional Arlington pit stops are planned at Met Park, National Landing Water Park, Lyon Village and the National Guard HQ. [BikeArlington]

Rosslyn BID Relocating — “The Rosslyn Business Improvement District is moving its offices a few blocks south ahead of the demolition of its longtime home.” The BID will occupy a new, roughly 7,300 square foot office at 1100/1101 Wilson Blvd by the end of May. Developer Penzance plans to raze the two 12-story Rosslyn Gateway buildings to make way for One Rosslyn — three residential towers totaling some 800 units, rising as high as 29 stories. [WBJ]

ART Earns Energy Award — “The Arlington Transit (ART) Operations and Maintenance Facility has been named a 2026 Better Project Award Winner by the U.S. Department of Energy.” The new facility reduced energy costs by 83% through strategic upgrades, including 817 solar panels that offset annual energy consumption by 67%. The award was presented this week at the Better Buildings & Better Plants Summit in Crystal City. [Arlington County]

Notable Library Events — Among other Arlington Public Library programming this weekend, Courthouse Library will host “Descenes and Discord” on Saturday at 2 p.m. — a lecture on the late 1970s and early ’80s DMV punk scene (registration full, waitlist available). On Sunday at 11 a.m., Columbia Pike Library hosts Native Hawaiian author and journalist Sara Kehaulani Goo for an author talk on her memoir “Kuleana.” [APL, APL]

Airports Authority Names Chief — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has selected Police Maj. Joseph Kluh as its new police chief, with his appointment set to take effect Sunday.” The 28-year department veteran is the first chief appointed from within the agency’s ranks. The MWAA police department has more than 230 personnel covering Reagan National, Dulles International and the Dulles Toll Road. [Patch]

Bridge Construction Closures — “The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will implement temporary lane closures on the I-395 NB HOV Bridge for concrete deck replacement work.” Alternating left and right lanes of the bridge over the Potomac will close from 9:30 p.m. Friday to 4:30 a.m. Saturday for barrier relocation. Exit ramps to I-395 NB and 14th Street will also close. [AlertDC]

Spanberger to Veto Union Bill — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger intends to veto a bill that would expand collective bargaining powers for public employees after the proposed law received bipartisan pushback, according to lawmakers.” Some officials worried the bill would significantly increase local government expenses. The governor initially tried to amend the bill to delay its effective date until 2030, but that was rejected by the legislature. [WJLA]

It’s Thursday — Mostly sunny skies and breezy conditions are expected today with a high near 65 and northwest winds at 9–13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 51. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.