The Arlington County Board has agreed to trade public access to the “View of DC” observation deck in exchange for a $14 million investment in a nearby park.
The deal unanimously passed yesterday (Monday) despite concerns from some community members about deprioritizing views in Rosslyn, as well as a 5-2 vote from the Arlington Planning Commission asserting that the decision is not in accord with the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
Kinhaven School is set to return to its original home on Fairfax Drive following the Arlington County Board’s approval of a childcare center permit.
Formerly housed within Central United Methodist Church in Ballston, Kinhaven moved in 2017 to St. George’s Episcopal Church at 915 N. Oakland Street in Ashton Heights after its original site was redeveloped into a 144-unit affordable housing complex. That complex, at 4201 Fairfax Drive in Ballston, officially opened earlier this year and includes a new space for the church and room for a childcare center.
Indecent Exposure Suspect Tased — “The female victim observed the suspect outside a business exposing himself. A responding officer located the suspect on scene and made contact with him, during which the suspect became non-compliant with the officer’s commands and fled the scene on foot. The officer located the suspect again in the 2800 block of S. Quincy Street and issued additional commands. The suspect remained non-compliant and the officer deployed their Taser.” [ACPD]
Ballston Booster Gets New Job — “District Dogs founder Jacob Hensley has tapped the former longtime head of the Ballston Business Improvement District to step in as CEO of his doggy day care business. Hensley officially hands the leash to Tina Leone on Monday, though he plans to stay on as the company’s owner and be actively involved in the business and its franchising operations.” [Washington Business Journal]
RAMMY for Local Restaurant — “While six Arlington restaurants were nominated for awards this year, only one brought home a Rammy. Clarendon’s Colada Shop was named the Hottest Sandwich Shop in the DC region. CEO Daniella Senior founded the Cuban sandwich chain in 2016, growing it to five locations around the DMV.” [Patch]
Award for County Official — “Samia Byrd, director of the Arlington County government’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, has been named recipient of the 2024 Moeser Outstanding Service Award from the Virginia chapter of the American Planning Association.” [Gazette Leader]
Olympic Specials and Events — “We can’t all fly to Paris to vie for gold medals during this summer’s Games, which run from July 26-Aug. 11. Arlington-area organizations and restaurants understand. They’re offering opportunities for athletes of all ages and abilities to compete locally in mental and physical gymnastics — or at least to enjoy good food and drink while rooting for the true Olympians.” [Arlington Magazine]
Local Team Is Second in State — “The Arlington Senior Babe Ruth age 13-16 All-Stars finished second in the recent state baseball tournament, losing to Manassas, 9-0, in the championship game.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Tuesday — There is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 pm, with otherwise mostly cloudy skies and a high near 89, accompanied by southwest winds at 3 to 5 mph. Expect a 70% chance of precipitation on Tuesday night, with showers and thunderstorms. The night will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 74. New rainfall amounts of a quarter to half an inch. [NWS]
Certified recovery residences with up to eight people might soon be allowed in single-family Arlington neighborhoods.
With limited exceptions, the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance currently allows no more than four people to live in a single-family home unless they are “related by blood, marriage or adoption.” But a county staff report recommends changing county code to provide explicit support for recovery residences, which offer drug- and alcohol-free housing to people with substance abuse disorders.
More than 2,500 homes and businesses were without power Monday afternoon in parts of Pentagon City and Crystal City.
Reports of the outage started coming in around 3:20 p.m. Firefighters have since been dispatched to numerous buildings in the area for reports of stuck elevators.
A developer is seeking to build fewer parking spots at a Clarendon apartment building, despite objections from two civic associations.
A requested site plan amendment for the Joyce Motors project would remove a portion of a planned parking garage, reducing the number of residential parking spots from 155 to 119. Developer Orr Partners also seeks to build 10 fewer residential units — 231 as opposed to 241 — but increase the project’s gross floor area by 1,629 square feet.
The future of a judicial and public services agreement between Arlington and Falls Church is on tonight’s Arlington County Board agenda.
The Board will weigh the renewal of the agreement, which outlines how the jurisdictions use and share the costs of the county’s Emergency Communications Center, certain judicial offices and other items.
For the second time this month, the Shirlington Circle south rotary bridge over I-395 has closed for construction.
The bridge — which connects southbound lanes from I-395 and Shirlington Road to North Quaker Lane at Exit 6 — is set to remain closed until just before midnight this coming Sunday, July 28.
A Maryland man has been sentenced to 45 years behind bars after pushing a woman out of a moving vehicle near Ballston, causing severe injuries.
Willie James Clements Jr., 61, was sentenced to 35 years for aggravated malicious wounding, as well as the maximum 10 years for hit-and-run, in Arlington County Circuit Court last week.
Statements on Biden News — From Rep. Don Beyer: “President Joe Biden is a great American. Today he made a hard decision few others could have made, showed his character, and put his country first. I am proud of my support for Joe Biden, and proud of his patriotism.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Scam Warning from Police — “SCAM ALERT: ACPD is warning the community about a common and reoccurring nationwide scam circulating in Arlington. Several community members have reported receiving calls from an individual claiming to be an Arlington police officer wanting to discuss an urgent legal matter.” [Twitter]
Daughter Breaks Mom’s Record — “Like her mother before her, Abigail Hartman is following, and doing better in some cases, in those footsteps. So far, the summertime swimmer for the Overlee Flying Fish and Washington Golf & Country Club Lightning has broken team and pool records in the girls 8-under age divisions for the Arlington squads, some marks that her mother previously held at one of the pools and at the same age group.” [Gazette Leader]
Crash Caught on Camera — From Dave Statter: “A two vehicle crash on Old Dominion at Williamsburg in North Arlington at 8:40 this morning.” [Twitter]
Crystal City Cafe on TV — “Good Morning Washington woke up with some Brij coffee on Thursday! Owner and founder Skyler Kelley joined Roxanne and Brian to show off her small business. She pointed out their unique medium blend and their custom pastries full of flavor.” [WJLA]
Road Improvement Project on Agenda — “Arlington County Board members on July 22 are slated to approve a $2.07 million project to improve a roadway in the Ashton Heights neighborhood. The project, recommended by the Neighborhood Complete Streets Commission, would add three blocks of missing sidewalk and curb-and-gutter on North Oakland Street from Pershing Drive to 6th Road North.” [Gazette Leader]
Kudos for N. Va. Wineries — “While most Virginia wineries are in the state’s southern part, near Charlottesville, there is a growing number of producers in the state’s northern half. Some may be less focused on quality than others, but I found engaged and talented winemakers making good wines.” [Wall Street Journal]
It’s Monday — Expect showers and thunderstorms mainly before 5pm, with otherwise mostly cloudy skies and a high near 83°F. Southeast winds will be between 3-8 mph, with a 70% chance of precipitation and potential rainfall amounts between 0.75-1 inch. For Monday night, showers and thunderstorms are also expected, with a low temperature around 72°F. The chance of precipitation is 60%, and rainfall amounts between 0.5-0.75 inches are possible. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
A new trail connecting Columbia Pike to the Arlington Cemetery Metro station could come later than anticipated due to unexpected environmental assessment requirements.
A request to have Arlington County assume control over a portion of the Arlington Memorial Trail project — previously known as the Arlington National Cemetery Wall Trail — is scheduled for consideration at an Arlington County Board meeting on Monday.
Proposed expansions at VHC Health are returning to the Arlington County Board after community concerns led officials to postpone making a decision last month.
A requested site plan amendment would allow for the expansion of several units in the hospital, including the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and Cardiac Cathlab. In a presentation last month, VHC Health particularly highlighted the benefits of increased ER capacity as well as improvements to behavioral health care.
