Alex Koma | ARLnow

Former Salt Dome Site Could Someday Become Home to New School, Park

Published January 9, 2019 at 2:45PM

The former home of the salt dome, at the intersection of 26th Street N. and Old Dominion Drive (via Arlington County)

County planners are now kicking off work to chart out the future of the former home of Arlington’s “Salt Dome,” the site of so much community consternation this past summer.

A task force convened by the County Board to study the 7.6-acre property, at the intersection of 26th Street N. and Old Dominion Drive and adjacent to Marymount University’s campus, is planning a “community roundtable” on the matter Saturday (Jan. 12). The meeting will be held at Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street), starting at 10 a.m.

News

Arlington Democrats Warn GOP to ‘Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way’ in New Legislative Session

By Alex Koma

Published January 9, 2019 at 1:45PM

State Sen. Adam Ebbin (left) with Dels. Patrick Hope (center) and Alfonso Lopez (right) (file photo)

After years facing powerful Republican majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, Arlington lawmakers are accustomed to harboring only modest ambitions for each legislative session.

But as legislators return to Richmond today (Wednesday), members of the county’s all-Democratic delegation say they’re ready to flex their muscles a bit over the new, 45-day session.

News

Metro Will Shut Down Three Blue, Yellow Line Stations for Lighting Updates This Weekend

By Alex Koma

Published January 9, 2019 at 10:45AM

Metro is shutting down three Arlington stations on the Blue and Yellow lines this weekend, in order to allow for some major lighting improvements set to make each station substantially brighter.

The Pentagon, Pentagon City and Crystal City stops will all be closed both Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 12-13), WMATA announced last week, work that is sure to create substantial disruptions on both lines.

Around Town

Old Dominion Pizza Company Opens Along Lee Highway

By Alex Koma

Published January 9, 2019 at 9:45AM | Updated January 9, 2019 at 10:01AM

Old Dominion Pizza serves up one of its first slices (via @verycleverproducts)

Lee Highway officially has a new pizzeria.

The Old Dominion Pizza Company opened its doors in the Lee Heights shopping center last Thursday (Jan. 3), owner John Rodas told ARLnow. The restaurant replaces Upper Crust Pizzeria, which shuttered in the space at 4514 Lee Highway back in July.

Around Town

Hair Salon, Dry Cleaner Shut Down in Market Common Clarendon

By Alex Koma

Published January 8, 2019 at 4:45PM

Nolas Salon in Market Common Clarendon, which has closed.

A pair of businesses in the Market Common Clarendon development have shut down in recent weeks.

Signs posted at Nolas Salon and the Georgetown Valet dry cleaners, located in the same building at 2700 Clarendon Blvd, inform would-be patrons that the shops have now closed permanently.

News

County Officials Could Soon End Forest Glen Parking Restrictions, Angering Some Residents

By Alex Koma

Published January 8, 2019 at 3:45PM | Updated January 8, 2019 at 8:20PM

(Updated at 8:15 p.m.) Arlington officials are gearing up to erase parking restrictions on several streets in the Forest Glen neighborhood, angering some residents there but meeting the demands of others in nearby Arlington Mill.

The County Board is set to consider a resolution later this month ending zoned parking restrictions along the following the roads, per county spokeswoman Katie O’Brien:

Schools

Plans for Education Center’s Transformation into Classroom Space Begin to Take Shape

By Alex Koma

Published January 8, 2019 at 2:45PM

Plans to transform the old Arlington Education Center into a new wing of Washington-Lee High School are taking shape, with early designs calling for 24,600 square feet of classrooms in the renovated building.

Arlington school officials hope to someday add space for 600 high school students on the site, the former home of the Arlington Public Schools offices at 1426 N. Quincy Street. But first the School Board needs to sign off on a full renovation of the building, in order to welcome students in time for the 2021-2022 school year.

News

Beyer Urges Trump to Strike Immigration Deal With Democrats, End Government Shutdown

By Alex Koma

Published January 8, 2019 at 1:45PM

Rep. Don Beyer (file photo)

As President Trump weighs the extraordinary step of declaring a national emergency to unilaterally build a wall along the southern border, Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th District) is urging Trump to return to the negotiating table and put federal employees back to work.

Like any member of Congress representing the D.C. suburbs, Beyer is no great fan of government shutdowns, which threaten the livelihoods of thousands of constituents in his Arlington and Alexandria-area district. But this latest, 18-day shutdown (now the second longest in the country’s history) is testing Beyer’s patience more than most.

News

UPDATED: Firefighters Extinguish Northwest Arlington House Fire

By Alex Koma

Published January 8, 2019 at 10:30AM | Updated January 8, 2019 at 11:23AM

A house fire on the 3700 block of N. Vernon Street.

(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) Firefighters extinguished a house fire in Northwest Arlington this morning.

First responders were called to a home along the 3700 block of N. Vernon Street around 10:20 a.m. today (Tuesday) in the Old Glebe neighborhood. Smoke was seen coming from the home, prompting firefighters to ask for a “Rapid Intervention Team” to be dispatched to help quickly bring the fire under control.

News

Hope Swears Off Campaign Cash from Dominion, Calls on Fellow Democrats to Follow Suit

By Alex Koma

Published January 7, 2019 at 4:45PM

Del. Patrick Hope (D-47th District) is swearing off campaign contributions from Dominion Energy and calling on his fellow Democrats to do the same, becoming the latest in a line of state lawmakers to reject money from one of Virginia’s only regulated monopolies.

Hope announced at his annual pancake breakfast Saturday (Jan. 5) that he’ll now stop accepting campaign cash from the electric utility, according to a video posted by the Democratic blog Blue Virginia. Hope has accepted $9,500 from Dominion since he was first elected back in 2009, but decided to stop doing so as he gears up to run for a sixth term in office this fall.

Events

Arlington Agenda: January 7-13

By Alex Koma

Published January 7, 2019 at 3:45PM

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

News

Parking Emerges as Key Concern as Virginia Square American Legion Redevelopment Advances

By Alex Koma

Published January 7, 2019 at 1:45PM

A rendering of the planned redevelopment of Virginia Square's American Legion post (via Arlington County)

As plans advance for the redevelopment of the American Legion post in Virginia Square, neighbors are raising a familiar question for developers in Arlington’s densest areas: what about parking?

The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing hopes to eventually buy the 1.3-acre property at 3445 Washington Blvd and transform the current home of American Legion Post 139 into a building with 160 affordable apartments. The nonprofit would set aside space on the ground floor of the development for a new Legion post, and it even plans to reserve half of its homes for veterans.