Jo DeVoe | ARLnow

Arlington helps lead statewide push for new law combatting ‘swatting’

Published December 8, 2022 at 10:55AM

Police outside Yorktown High School after a false report of threats, February 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

In February of this year, a hoax call about an armed suspect inside Yorktown High School holding hostages triggered a lockdown, evacuations and a massive police response.

That incident is now informing one of Arlington’s legislative priorities for the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session. The Arlington County Board and School Board are calling for a law that specifically names and criminalizes false calls to police, describing a life-threatening situation, with the intent to trigger a police response. It is widely known as “swatting” because of the SWAT teams it sometimes elicits.

News

Residential investors are especially interested in these five areas of Arlington

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 7, 2022 at 3:55PM

Construction on a large home on N. Dinwiddie Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

In Green Valley, resident Portia Clark says she and her neighbors are bombarded with calls and letters from realtors and potential investors about buying their homes.

“We were once a very stable community of homeowners who bought our homes to live here and pay them off,” she said. That increasingly seems to be changing.

News

Mormon-owned apartment and church in Potomac Yard adds dental office

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 7, 2022 at 11:45AM

The Clark entrance (via Vimeo)

A dental office at the base of an apartment building owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Potomac Yard is gearing up to start seeing patients next month.

This dentistry practice was one of the half-dozen retail-equivalent conversions in mixed-use apartment buildings that the Arlington County Board approved in 2022. Property Reserve, Inc., which owns The Clark building at 3400 S. Clark Street, received approval for the change in May.

News

Ballston Macy’s redevelopment project includes the most hotly debated left turn in a decade

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 6, 2022 at 3:55PM

A no-left-turn sign at the intersection of 7th Street N. and N. Glebe Road, where Insight proposes a left-turn lane to access a grocery store (via Google Maps)

A proposed left-turn lane off of N. Glebe Road in Ballston could be the smallest, yet most scrutinized traffic change in 10 years.

As part of the planned redevelopment of the Ballston Macy’s, Insight Property Group proposes to add a left-turn option at the intersection of 7th Street N. and N. Glebe Road. It will be for drivers going southbound on Glebe who want to turn onto a proposed private drive abutting the planned grocery store, which will be located at the base of Insight’s proposed 16-story, 555-unit apartment building.

News

County says Days Inn developer needs to play up hotel’s mid-century modern origins

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 6, 2022 at 9:45AM

Initial renderings of the proposed Arva Apartments, looking east at the mews and courtyard on N. Wayne Street (via Arlington County)

Arlington County planners say designs for the Days Inn redevelopment on Route 50 don’t pay sufficient homage to the motel’s mid-century modern bones.

Applicant and owner Nayan Patel — doing business as Arlington Boulevard LLC — proposes to replace the 128-unit, 2-story motel across the street from the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall with apartments and 3,000 square feet of retail.

News

Second leaf collection pass to start tomorrow after slight weather delay

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 5, 2022 at 3:30PM

Leaf collection in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After a slight weather delay, the second leaf collection pass will start tomorrow (Tuesday).

Arlington County initially posted the second vacuuming could start on Saturday, Dec. 3. Despite the delay, the county aims to finish sucking up dead leaves before Christmas.

Feature

Arlington resident launches low-carb, eco-friendly superfood brand

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 5, 2022 at 12:30PM

Aviate founder David Kolton (staff photo)

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that highlights Arlington-based startups, founders, and local tech news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring 1515 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn.

There is nothing Clarendon resident David Kolton loves more than hyping up the ancient Roman superfood legume, the lupini.

News

Buckingham apartment complex ‘The Cadence’ to hold grand opening tomorrow

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 5, 2022 at 11:30AM

The Cadence off of Arlington Blvd in the Buckingham neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

An affordable housing complex along Route 50 in the Buckingham neighborhood will officially open tomorrow.

The grand opening of The Cadence (4333 Arlington Blvd) on Tuesday, Dec. 6 caps off just over two years of construction. There will be remarks from project partners and local officials, followed by a ribbon cutting, community tour and reception, per the nonprofit behind the project, Wesley Housing.

News

Lorcom Lane upgrades aimed at improving safety for kids walking to school

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 2, 2022 at 10:45AM | Updated December 2, 2022 at 11:43AM

Lorcom Lane and N. Quebec Street (via Google Maps)

A stretch of Lorcom Lane on the northern edge of the Cherrydale neighborhood is slated to get pedestrian safety upgrades, particularly aimed at improving a school walking route for kids.

Between N. Quebec Street and Nelly Custis Drive, the county will install sidewalks where there are none, widen existing sidewalks and reduce pedestrian crossing distances. Kids walk this stretch of Lorcom Lane to get to Dorothy Hamm Middle School and Taylor Elementary School.

Around Town

Santa and his fire engine will roll through parts of Arlington near Falls Church ahead of Christmas

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 1, 2022 at 1:30PM

The Falls Church fire department SantaMobile (courtesy photo)

Just before Christmas, Santa Claus and his helpers are coming to town, on a fire engine instead of an eight reindeer-powered sleigh.

From Dec. 20-23, Saint Nick and his elves will visit Arlingtonians who live near the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department station, located near Fairfax Drive and Langston Blvd at 6950 Little Falls Road. He will be riding a decked-out reserve fire engine, dubbed the “Santamobile” and decorated by the department.

Schools

New parent group forms to boost family engagement at Kenmore Middle School

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 1, 2022 at 11:30AM

Kenmore Middle School moms who met on Wednesdays as part of an informal group to reach Latino parents (courtesy of Janeth Valenzuela)

Recently, a thriving, 200-plus Whatsapp group for Kenmore Middle School’s Spanish-speaking parents received unexpected membership requests.

They came from Ethiopian and Mongolian parents, who told the group’s moderator, Janeth Valenzuela, they could find ways to overcome the language barrier.

News

Free clinic this Saturday will help people who want their criminal record expunged

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 1, 2022 at 10:30AM

Gavel (Flickr photo by Joe Gratz)

This Saturday, Arlington County’s top prosecutor, its Circuit Court clerk and some attorneys will help people who want their criminal record expunged for free.

The clinic will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday (Dec. 3) at Arlington Presbyterian Church, located off Columbia Pike at 918 S. Lincoln Street. It will provide everything attendees need in one place to request arrests that did not result in convictions be removed from their record.