Katie Pyzyk | ARLnow

Board Likely to Defer Latitude Apartments Consideration

Published July 10, 2013 at 9:50AM

The matter before the Board is a request to consider the proposal for the Latitude Apartments at 3601 N. Fairfax Drive. It involves rezoning the property from commercial to residential and approving a site plan for 265 apartment units, more than 3,000 square feet of retail and more than 2,800 square feet of cultural/educational use. There is also a request to allow an encroachment into a public street and utilities easement in order to add balconies along the N. Monroe Street side of the building.

Residents at the nearby Monroe Condominium (3625 10th Street N.) and others in the neighborhood have voiced opposition to the proposal, claiming the plan has progressed without adequate community input. The largest concern appears to be with rezoning the space to residential, which the residents note violates the Virginia Square Sector Plan. Opponents have also raised concerns about the influx of new residents from the apartment complex causing congestion at the Virginia Square Metro station.

News

Board to Consider Additional Funding for Long Bridge Drive

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 9, 2013 at 3:30PM

Arlington County is preparing to complete the long-awaited reconstruction of Long Bridge Drive, but first the County Board needs to approve a request for an additional $750,000 for the project.

The transformation of the former Old Jefferson Davis Highway involves converting approximately 2,750 feet of pockmarked roadway — from 12th Street S. to just south of Boundary Channel Drive — into what’s described as a safe, efficient multimodal transportation corridor. Improvements include bicycle lanes, sidewalks, bus shelters, landscaped medians, new gutters and a drainage system.

News

AAA: Furloughs May Ease Traffic Congestion

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 8, 2013 at 4:45PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 3:24PM

In Virginia alone, nearly 72,000 DoD employees are affected by furloughs, which require one unpaid day off per week for 11 weeks. The state is expected to be particularly hard hit by the cuts due to the Pentagon being housed in Arlington.

It’s too early to definitively claim furloughs will ease traffic congestion, but AAA believes fewer people on the road could lead to less gridlock and fewer accidents. In fact, the organization suggests commutes could resemble those of July and August, when the region experiences its lowest traffic volume and rate of accidents.

Around Town

Pines of Florence Closes, Water and Wall Preps Begin

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 8, 2013 at 2:30PM | Updated July 8, 2013 at 4:58PM

As anticipated, Pines of Florence has closed in Virginia Square. The owners of a new restaurant going in at 3811 N. Fairfax Drive have wasted no time in preparing to transform the space.

Tim Ma and Joey Hernandez, known for Maple Ave Restaurant in Vienna, are bringing Water and Wall to Arlington. Ma said Pines of Florence moved out the last couple days of June and the Water and Wall folks brought in designers and engineers right away on July 1.

News

Board to Consider Decreasing Speed Limits

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 8, 2013 at 11:45AM

The Department of Environmental Services conducted studies to examine the viability of changing speed limits on several streets. Information was gathered regarding factors such as vehicle speeds, collisions, traffic volumes, pedestrian and bicyclist activity and development patterns. Studies were performed in the following areas: N. Meade Street from Arlington Blvd to Marshall Drive (formerly Jackson Avenue), Clarendon Blvd from Washington Blvd to N. Oak Street, Wilson Blvd from Route 110 to Washington Blvd, and N. Sycamore Street from Washington Blvd to 17th Street N. and N. Roosevelt Street from 17th Street N. to the county line.

The studies indicated that speed limits along N. Meade Street, Clarendon Blvd and Wilson Blvd could be decreased from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour. The N. Sycamore Street/N. Roosevelt Street studies indicated the speed limit could be lowered from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour.

News

ART Buses Return to Service After Investigation

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 8, 2013 at 9:35AM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:39PM

The county pulled all three of its electric-natural gas hybrid buses from service after one of them suffered an apparent brake failure and rolled backward down N. Barton Street, directly into a car.

A statement from ART reads: “These three buses were thoroughly tested at the Altoona Bus Testing and Research Center before delivery to ART. Braking performance of all three buses was recently retested in varying conditions – and proved excellent… The knowledge acquired from recent testing and data has been applied in a retraining program for ART operators, to insure that safety, mechanical and operational aspects meet our expectations for service quality.”

News

Police Arrest Peeper, Seek Additional Victims

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 2, 2013 at 3:45PM

Police have arrested a man accused of several recent peeping incidents, and they’re asking other potential victims to come forward.

On Sunday afternoon, 48-year-old Michael Tomlin allegedly hid in a stall of a women’s restroom in a movie theater and was caught looking over the stall at a juvenile victim. Tomlin reportedly fled when the girl’s father confronted him. The father immediately contacted authorities with a description of the suspect, and the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit found Tomlin yesterday in the 4300 block of N. Carlin Springs Road.

News

County Regulations, Safety Tips for Fireworks

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 2, 2013 at 12:30PM | Updated July 2, 2013 at 12:55PM

Although ACFD notes that the safest way for residents to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public display by a trained professional, it recognizes that many people will purchase their own. To avoid facing prosecution for illegal fireworks, use the following guidelines listed in the county code:

ACFD also refers residents to the following general safety tips for handling fireworks, compiled by FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration:

News

Ebbin Aims to Repeal Hybrid Vehicle Tax

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 2, 2013 at 10:15AM

Ebbin and Del. Scott Surovell (D-Mt. Vernon) both plan to introduce bills to get rid of the tax during the 2014 legislative session.

“Hybrids already pay gas taxes and the mileage of both hybrids and non-hybrids vary significantly,” said Ebbin. “There are gasoline-only autos that get better mileage than some hybrids, and some hybrids, including SUVs, that do not get mileage as good as many gas-only powered cars. The punitive annual hybrid tax was not well thought out and hastily passed.”

News

Storms Bring Outages, Flooding

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 28, 2013 at 4:45PM | Updated June 28, 2013 at 6:08PM

photo via @Rock_Thrower

(Updated 6:10 p.m.) A short lived, yet strong, string of storms left patches of destruction and power outages after it whipped through the area this afternoon. Although all parts of the county sustained some damage, the worst reports seem to be coming from South Arlington.

According to Dominion Virginia Power spokesman Chuck Penn, as of 5:45 p.m. there were about 6,500 Arlington customers without electricity. Most of the 33,000 Dominion customers currently without power are in Alexandria. However, Penn noted that “this is a very dynamic, unfolding situation” so numbers are changing almost by the minute.

News

Northern Va AIDS Ministry Ceasing Operations

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 28, 2013 at 3:50PM

The non-profit organization is based just over the Arlington border in Falls Church, and has been in existence since 1987. It serves Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties, along with the City of Alexandria.

NOVAM offered a variety of services including HIV testing, prevention education for local youth, support for gay youth and transportation services for medical appointments.

Weather

NWS Issues Severe Thunderstorm Warning

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 28, 2013 at 2:25PM | Updated June 28, 2013 at 4:13PM

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) The National Weather Service has upgraded the Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Arlington and surrounding areas to a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. It is in effect until 4:30 p.m.

From NWS: