Author: Dan Egitto

Dan Egitto is an editor and reporter at ARLnow. Originally from Central Florida, he graduated from Duke University and previously reported at the Palatka Daily News in Florida and the Vallejo Times-Herald in California. Dan joined ARLnow in January 2024.

News

New Gateway Park redesign options envision greener, more dynamic Rosslyn park

By Dan Egitto
A rendering from the "Potomac Stitch" option (via Arlington County)

County staff are seeking feedback on competing visions for a more verdant and multi-functional Gateway Park in Rosslyn.

Following an initial round of community feedback on the recreation area at 1300 Langston Blvd, which the county hopes to overhaul several years earlier than expected, a new presentation outlines three possible paths forward. All of them involve keeping popular features including Gateway Park’s lawns and dog park, while adding more greenery and new areas geared toward a variety of activities.

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News

A Lyon Village home comes with a new restriction: no Missing Middle

By Dan Egitto
Stock photo of house keys (via Maria Ziegler/Unsplash)

A $1.2 million Lyon Village home has gone up for sale with a planned condition — it can’t be redeveloped as a multi-family residence.

“Prior to settlement, the seller will put in a covenant to restrict the property to a single family residence,” reads the Redfin posting for the four bedroom, two bathroom home built in 1954.

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News

Pentagon City Sector Plan, overturned by state court, is returning for County Board vote

By Dan Egitto
The existing RiverHouse apartments at 1111 Army Navy Drive (staff photo)

The Pentagon City Sector Plan, which the Virginia Court of Appeals voided last month due to insufficient public notice, is heading back to the Arlington County Board for another vote.

However, county staff have indicated that they do not intend to make any substantive changes to the plan, suggesting that the construction of several controversial apartment towers at the RiverHouse property is still likely to proceed.

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News

Clarendon UPS Store closes, citing redevelopment plans for office building

By Dan Egitto
The closed UPS store on 3033 Wilson Blvd (courtesy of Paul Showalter)

The UPS Store in Clarendon has closed its doors ahead of proposed changes to the building.

A series of tipsters have contacted ARLnow in recent days about the store’s closure at 3033 Wilson Blvd, next to the just-opened Láylí Mediterranean restaurant.

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News

Missing Middle advocates see Democratic primary outcome as a win

By Dan Egitto
Poll workers check-in voters at the David Brown Planetarium polling site for June 2024 Democratic primaries (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Missing Middle advocates are celebrating a win after the Democratic nomination of JD Spain Sr. for Arlington County Board.

Spain was one of two Democratic contenders supporting the Expanded Housing Option in a race partly defined by debate over housing policy. He and the other candidate defending Missing Middle, Tenley Peterson, together captured 56% of first-choice votes in the primary last week.

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News

County staff recommend sharpshooting to cull deer, despite some criticism

By Dan Egitto
Deer grazing in the forest (via Arlington County Dept. of Parks and Recreation/YouTube)

Arlington County staff are recommending hiring professional sharpshooters to reduce local deer populations.

The Dept. of Parks and Recreation’s draft recommendations on how to prevent white-tailed deer herds from causing further harm to Arlington ecosystems, released last week, follow a new consultant report on potential deer management methods.

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News

Third-party candidate announces bid for Arlington County Board

By Dan Egitto
Forward Party candidate Madison Granger (via Madison Granger for County Board)

A new third-party candidate has announced a bid for Arlington County Board.

Madison Granger, a fitness professional and entrepreneur, is running with the endorsement of the Forward Party. She joins Democratic nominee JD Spain Sr., Republican candidate Juan Carlos Fierro and independent candidate Audrey Clement in the race for a single County Board seat in the Nov. 5 general election.

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News

Melwood files site plan for affordable housing project in Aurora Highlands

By Dan Egitto
The proposed Melwood affordable housing development at 750 23rd Street S. (courtesy of Wesley Housing)

Melwood has formally submitted a site plan application for a 105-unit affordable housing project near Crystal City.

New renderings depict a five-story building with an 18,000-square-foot footprint at 750 23rd Street S., Melwood’s facility in Aurora Highlands, which it acquired after its 2017 merger with Linden Resources.

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News

Nearly $1M EPA grant to fund efficiency upgrades in disadvantaged parts of Arlington

By Dan Egitto
Workers installing solar panels (via Arlington DES)

Arlington plans to develop a new tool to encourage energy-efficiency upgrades among disadvantaged communities.

The Arlington County Board last week approved a $980,350 grant award from the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Grant Program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With the money, the county plans to build a tool to model green improvements in building types common to low-income disadvantaged communities (LIDACs).

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News

Shaky AIM finances left former employee with $15K in personal debt, nonprofit says

By Dan Egitto
Arlington Independent Media staff at work in former times (via Arlington Independent Media)

Arlington Independent Media’s floundering finances have left a former employee with significant personal debt.

Linda Lawson, AIM’s former head of production, obtained a credit card to help cover operating funds at the struggling nonprofit in the second half of 2023, AIM Treasurer Amanda MacKaye said in an email to members last week. At the encouragement of AIM’s former executive leadership, according to the email, Lawson racked up a debt of about $15,000.

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Schools

APS students may get a second five-day weekend in November

By Dan Egitto
The proposed school calendar for November 2024 (via Arlington Public Schools)

Arlington students could be getting an additional five-day weekend this November.

Proposed changes to the 2024-25 calendar would give Arlington Public Schools students off between Nov. 1 and Nov. 5, shortly before another five-day weekend for Thanksgiving the last week of November.

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Schools

Elementary school relocation, APS debt debated as School Board approves $570M CIP

By Dan Egitto
The Arlington School Board discusses the 2025-2034 CIP (via Arlington Public Schools)

Impassioned discussion surrounded a split Arlington School Board vote on Thursday to approve a $570 million Capital Improvement Plan for the next decade.

At issue in the 3-2 vote on the 2025-2034 CIP were disagreements over Arlington Public Schools debt service as well as a plan to relocate the Montessori Public School of Arlington (MPSA) to the current Career Center building.

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