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Morning Notes

Published May 1, 2019 at 7:30AM

Crystal City BID Proposes Expansion — “The Crystal City Business Improvement District has submitted its proposal to Arlington County to officially expand its borders into Pentagon City and the county’s portion [of] Potomac Yard as Amazon.com Inc. prepares to establish its second headquarters in the area collectively branded as National Landing.” [Washington Business Journal]

County Planning More Housing Initiatives — “Even by its own estimation, the Arlington County government’s success rate in stemming the exodus of affordable housing in Arlington has been hit-or-miss, and the local government at times has been viewed as unimaginative and overly bureaucratic by those who want to see more aggressive efforts at building and retaining housing accessible to lower- and middle-income residents.” [InsideNova]

ACPD’s 2018 Crime Report Reveals Falling Crime Rates, Except Drunkenness

By Airey

Published April 30, 2019 at 3:35PM | Updated February 28, 2020 at 10:49AM

Arlington police car (file photo)

(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) Arlington County’s crime rates have continued to fall for seventh straight year, with a few exceptions, according to a new report from the police department.

The new data comes from ACPD’s annual crime report which the department released today (Tuesday). The 37-page document reports falling crime rates between 2017 and 2018 for many offenses, including burglary, kidnapping, assault, embezzlement, prostitution, and forcible sexual assault.

Arlington Native Lands Beyer Chief of Staff Job

By ARLnow.com

Published April 30, 2019 at 1:30PM

Arlington native Tanya Bradsher has been tapped as the new Chief of Staff for Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).

The move comes as longtime Chief of Staff Ann O’Hanlon leaves the top staff post in Beyer’s office.

County Continues to Narrow Lanes on Columbia Pike Near Penrose

By Airey

Published April 30, 2019 at 11:00AM

Diagram of proposed lanes on Columbia Pike near Penrose (courtesy of Arlington County)

The county is moving forward with long-held plans to narrow lanes and widen sidewalks on Columbia Pike near the Penrose neighborhood, but not everyone is on board.

County staff presented an updated version of the plan last week to the Penrose Neighborhood Association. It calls for narrowing the lefthand travel lanes on the Pike east of S. Wayne Street down to 10 feet, and narrowing the righthand lanes, next to the sidewalk, to 11 feet.

WeWork to Open New Rosslyn Co-Working Space in June

By Airey

Published April 30, 2019 at 10:00AM | Updated April 30, 2019 at 10:28AM

(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) WeWork will soon open its newest Arlington co-working space, the company says.

“Our new Rosslyn location at 1201 Wilson is slated to open this June,” company spokeswoman Nicole Sizemore told ARLnow on Monday. The company is also now listing the new Rosslyn location on its website with an option to call for information about pre-opening rates.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 30, 2019 at 7:30AM | Updated May 7, 2019 at 10:09AM

Brush Fire in Park Near Columbia Pike — “Firefighters were called to Alcova Park a little after noon today to put out this small fire. No word on cause, but it’s an early season reminder to fully extinguish smoking & BBQ’ing materials before safely discarding them in a metal container & leaving the area.” [Twitter]

‘Walk for the Animals’ Tickets on Sale — “On Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., AWLA invites you to Walk for the Animals and celebrate our 75th anniversary of improving the lives of animals in our community… $35 Early Bird registration until May 1 (includes Walk registration and t-shirt)” [Animal Welfare League of Arlington]

JUST IN: Amazon Has Started Hiring in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published April 29, 2019 at 2:35PM

Amazon is starting the hiring process for its HQ2 in Arlington and expects the first employees to move into temporary office space in June.

That’s according to a corporate blog post today:

Virginia Hospital Center Announces New Partnership to Handle Mass Casualty Emergencies

By Vernon Miles

Published April 29, 2019 at 11:00AM

Virginia Hospital Center has announced a new partnership with local first responders to more effectively handle mass casualty incidents like terrorist attacks or active shooter situations.

Arlington’s new Hospital Response Task Force is “believed to be the first of its kind in the nation,” organizers say. It was formed in response to lessons learned from mass casualty situations elsewhere, during which wounded would flood emergency rooms and overwhelm hospital staff.

County Board Approves Public Space Plan, Rejects Last Minute Mountain Biking Appeal

By Vernon Miles

Published April 29, 2019 at 10:00AM

Cyclist in Bluemont Park (Photo via Flickr pool/ ennis Dimick)

Arlington’s sometimes controversial Public Spaces Master Plan was approved in a unanimous vote by the County Board on Thursday (April 25).

The idea of the update is to provide a framework for the county’s plans to preserve natural resources and public activities as part of the broader comprehensive plan. However, the meeting launched discussions over whether the county relies too much on paved public spaces, and how sports fields and mountain biking fits in.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 29, 2019 at 7:30AM

Big Trees Fall on Cars — In two separate incidents during Saturday’s windy weather, trees fell on cars near Pentagon City mall and near the corner of Lee Highway and N. Harrison Street. No serious injuries were reported. [Twitter, Twitter]

Coworking Space Coming to Courthouse — Courthouse is getting its first coworking space. Industrious, which recently opened a new coworking space in Ballston, is planning on opening a 25,000 square foot space at a recently-built office building at 2311 Wilson Blvd. [Bisnow]

Amid Primary Campaign, Defense Attorneys Sign Letter Opposing Prosecutor

By Airey

Published April 26, 2019 at 1:30PM | Updated May 7, 2019 at 10:09AM

(Updated at 3 p.m.) Dozens of local attorneys have signed a blistering letter criticizing the tactics of prosecutors in Arlington.

The letter — signed by criminal defense and civil rights lawyers — comes as Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos, the county’s top prosecutor, is engaged in a primary election battle.

County Unveils ‘Housing Arlington’ Initiative To Tackle Affordable Housing Woes

By Airey

Published April 26, 2019 at 11:00AM

A new county initiative aims to help find ways to solve Arlington’s affordable housing shortage.

County Manager Mark Schwartz introduced “Housing Arlington” during Thursday night’s Arlington County Board meeting. Billed as an “umbrella initiative” for the county’s existing affordable housing programs, Schwartz said it will help officials and the public brainstorm solutions together.