Vernon Miles | ARLnow

Lawmaker Who Wants to Return Arlington to D.C. has I-66 Reverse Toll Bill Rejected

Published January 30, 2020 at 9:15AM | Updated January 30, 2020 at 4:04PM

A proposal to add new “reverse tolling” on to I-66, put forward by a delegate who suggested that Arlington should be returned to D.C., has been struck down in the House of Delegates.

The goal of HB 677, the bill proposed by Del. Dave LaRock (R), was to toll rush hour traffic heading both eastbound and westbound on I-66, instead of just tolling those heading in the peak direction.

News

Urgent Care Facility at VHC Carlin Springs Campus Closes as Demolition Nears

By Vernon Miles

Published January 28, 2020 at 5:05PM

The Virginia Hospital Center’s Carlin Springs Road location is closed for good and demolition is on the way.

The closure has been a long time coming, with Arlington County acquiring 601 S. Carlin Springs Road as part of a land swap with the hospital. VHC, in turn, received land from the county that it’s now using for the expansion of its main campus.

Around Town

Long-Delayed Bowling Alley Hopes to Roll Into Crystal City in June

By Vernon Miles

Published January 28, 2020 at 9:05AM

Bowlero under construction (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Bowlero — a bowling alley, arcade and restaurant — is hoping to roll into 320 23rd Street S. in June.

That’s according to a staff report to the Arlington County Board. The Board approved a renewal of the site’s use permit at its Jan. 25 meeting.

News

Senior Arlington Staff Get Pay Raise With Contract Renewal

By Vernon Miles

Published January 27, 2020 at 4:45PM

Several senior Arlington County employees left the Saturday, Jan. 25, Arlington County Board meeting with renewed contracts and some notable pay bumps.

The County Manager, County Attorney, County Auditor and Clerk to the County Board all had their contracts unanimously approved in a 5-0 vote with no discussion.

Feature

Artificial Intelligence Company in Crystal City Plans Expansion After Big Investment

By Vernon Miles

Published January 27, 2020 at 12:00PM | Updated March 18, 2021 at 4:31PM

Editor’s Note: Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

Scoutbee, a tech company based in Crystal City, is looking to scale up after scoring $60 million in a fresh round of funding.

News

Inside Yesterday’s Rescue at the Courthouse Metro Station

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2020 at 5:00PM | Updated January 24, 2020 at 6:30PM

Chief Matt Herbert (left), Ryan Denelsbeck (center) and Captain Kevin Troiano (right) (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) When medic Ryan Denelsbeck heard the call come in, for a person struck by a train at the Courthouse Metro station, he assumed the worst.

But yesterday evening, Denelsbeck and Arlington County Fire Department were able to rescue the woman who fell under a Silver Line Metrorail car — and she’s expected to survive.

Around Town

Rite Aid in Crystal City Shops to Close Next Month

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2020 at 10:00AM

Rite Aid in Crystal City Shops closing in 2020 (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

If the shelves are looking a little bare in the underground Rite Aid at 1671 Crystal Square Way, it’s because the store is set to close next month.

A sign at the front says the pharmacy is scheduled to close Monday, Feb. 17, and staff at the store said the full store is planned to close sometime later that month.

Around Town

A-1 Cleaners in Clarendon is Closing and Can’t Promise You’ll Get Your Clothes Back

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2020 at 9:05AM | Updated January 24, 2020 at 9:38AM

A-1 Clarendon Valet (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

(Updated at 9:40 a.m.) Staff at A-1 Arlington Clarendon Valet — a dry cleaner at 3110 Washington Blvd. in Clarendon — said a financial dispute has led to the store closing next month.

The store is closing because a person who purchased the business was defaulting on their payments, an employee said. The original owner is now back running the business, but planning to close it, we’re told.

Events

Arlington to Advance Vision Zero Action Plan’s Development with Open House Next Week

By Vernon Miles

Published January 23, 2020 at 4:45PM

Crosswalk on N. Glebe Road

Arlington is planning to host an open house to mark the start of the development of the county’s Vision Zero Action Plan.

Last July, the County Board directed County Manager Mark Schwartz to develop goals and an action plan for a comprehensive analysis of traffic safety in Arlington as part of the County’s Vision Zero goals — the name for a series of initiatives aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities.

Around Town

Hard Work and Tight Knit Community Keeps Bakeshop in Clarendon Thriving 10 Years On

By Vernon Miles

Published January 23, 2020 at 2:30PM

Bakeshop in Clarendon is celebrating its 10 year anniversary (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

In some ways, Justin Stegall has a hard time recognizing his bakery — Bakeshop at 1025 N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon — today, given how it started.

When the shop opened, in 2010 during the middle of the Snowpocalypse, it was just him in the kitchen and a guy working in the front. Over the next ten years, that staff grew and each of them left their mark on the bakery. A tableau of printed pictures on wall is a silent testament to the years of memories.

News

Rosslyn Marriott Redevelopment Still Moving Forward, but Some Want More From the Project

By Vernon Miles

Published January 23, 2020 at 9:10AM | Updated March 25, 2020 at 10:47AM

Rendering of the formerly proposed buildings for the Key Bridge Marriott site (via Arlington County)

A plan to redevelop the Key Bridge Marriott is moving forward, but some Arlington officials have lingering concerns about parking and impervious space at the site.

At a Transportation Commission meeting earlier this month, project representatives laid out plans to demolish a portion of the existing 582-room hotel and redevelop the 1401 Lee Highway site with three residential buildings and a smaller, renovated hotel space.

News

Arlington’s State Senators Make Gun Control Push

By Vernon Miles

Published January 22, 2020 at 3:55PM

Virginia Capitol in Richmond (staff photo)

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) With a new Democratic majority, Arlington’s state Senators have doubled down on earlier efforts to pass gun control reform and make progress on other issues — like marijuana decriminalization — that made limited progress under a Republican majority.

Some of these proposals have already faced substantial pushback, particularly from a crowded gun rights rally on Monday that drew national headlines. Democrats notched a gun control victory today, however, with the state Senate narrowly passing a “red flag” gun law that allows guns to be taken away by those judged as dangerous to themselves or others.