News | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published September 20, 2017 at 8:30AM

Residents Irked at App-Directed Traffic — Residents who live just west of Crystal City are upset that map apps like Waze keep directing cut-through traffic down S. Fern Street as an alternative to S. Eads Street or Route 1. A resident who spoke at Saturday’s County Board meeting said her complaints to Arlington County staff have not resulted in any action. [InsideNova]

Army Ten-Miler to Close Roads Next Month — A number of roads around Crystal City and Pentagon City will close on Sunday, Oct. 8 for the annual Army Ten-Miler race. [Arlington County]

Board Rejects Ballston Condo Owners’ Plan for Restricted Public Courtyard Access

By Chris Teale

Published September 19, 2017 at 3:45PM

The courtyard's N. Stafford Street entrance (via county presentation)

Efforts by residents to remove a requirement for a public courtyard behind their Ballston condo building was unanimously rejected on Saturday by the Arlington County Board.

Members of the Berkeley Condo Association (1000 N. Randolph Street) applied to remove the requirement for 24-hour public access to the courtyard, citing concerns about safety and public nuisances.

Man Stabbed ‘Multiple Times’ Along N. Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

Published September 19, 2017 at 1:30PM

Police say someone approached the victim from behind along N. Glebe Road in the Buckingham neighborhood, just south of Ballston, and stabbed him multiple times. The man was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital with what were described as “non-life threatening injuries.”

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

Gas Station Targeted By Credit Card Skimmers Again

By ARLnow.com

Published September 19, 2017 at 12:00PM

Police say a skimming device was found inside a gas pump on the 4000 block of Old Dominion Drive yesterday afternoon, after customers of the gas station “reported fraudulent activity on their bank statements.”

The Arlington County Police Department is encouraging residents to take precautions when pumping gas, noting that new credit card skimmers are more sophisticated and “are undetectable without opening the pumps.”

Working Group Split on Report’s Recommendations for Shirlington Dog Park

By Chris Teale

Published September 19, 2017 at 11:00AM

Members of the Four Mile Run Valley Working Group

A report on the future of the Shirlington Dog Park did not recommend reducing its size, but still left members of the Four Mile Run Valley Working Group with plenty of questions.

The report, prepared by a committee of five group members over the summer, made various recommendations for the park’s short, medium and long-term future.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 19, 2017 at 8:00AM

Arlington Kicking Off Budget Process Early — Normally it is a conversation that starts later in the year, but for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2019 budget process Arlington County is holding “an earlier-than-ever-before series of roundtable discussions on budget priorities and challenges.” The first is scheduled to take place at Westover Library on Friday, Sept. 29. [Arlington County]

More Renovations for Crystal House — The second phase of an extensive renovation process at the massive, historic Crystal House apartment complex in Crystal City is complete: “Some of the amenities include two rooftop ‘sky decks’ with billiard tables, rooftop grilling and dining areas, and a fitness center with a yoga studio. There is also an Olympic-sized swimming pool, new lobbies with Wi-Fi, a clubroom, and a conference room.” [Curbed]

Bed and Breakfast Plan Denied for ‘Pershing Manor’ Mansion

By Chris Teale

Published September 18, 2017 at 3:30PM

3120 N. Pershing Drive (screenshot via Zillow)

The Arlington County Board nixed a plan for a huge Lyon Park mansion to be used as a bed and breakfast at its meeting Saturday (September 16).

On a 3-2 vote, the Board denied a proposal for the home at 3120 N. Pershing Drive to operate as a bed and breakfast with at most five guest rooms, with some of those to operate as suites using more than one bedroom. The 13,700-square-foot house contains nine bedrooms, and would have been the county’s first bed and breakfast.

County Board Delays Decision on Lighting Williamsburg Turf Fields

By Chris Teale

Published September 18, 2017 at 1:15PM

The Williamsburg and Discovery site, with the fields on the left side

The Arlington County Board pushed back a decision on lighting athletic fields near Williamsburg Middle School, so plans can be studied further by county staff.

The Board’s unanimous 5-0 vote came after almost six hours of public testimony and discussion by opponents and proponents of the lights, with many opponents wearing matching green shirts. It means any decision on lights will be delayed to next year.

Arlington Allocates $100,000 for Legal Aid to Immigrants Facing Deportation

By ARLnow.com

Published September 18, 2017 at 11:00AM

“Arlington is leading the way by being the first jurisdiction in Virginia to create a specific funding source for legal representation for its immigrant residents facing deportation proceedings,” said the center’s Rebecca Wolozin, in a statement following the vote.

Over the past few years, Arlington County has repeatedly branded itself as a welcoming community for immigrants of all legal statuses, though it has also cautioned that it is not a “sanctuary” jurisdiction that can shield undocumented immigrants from federal authorities. By one recent estimate, there are around 17,000 undocumented immigrants in Arlington.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 18, 2017 at 9:00AM | Updated September 18, 2017 at 9:23AM

County Board Approves Construction Contracts — At its meeting Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved a pair of contracts: a $2.5 million contract to build phase two of the Washington Blvd Trail project and a $6.6 million contract to remove an elevated roadway through part of Crystal City. [Arlington County]

Firefighters Save Kittens — “A passerby heard the kittens crying from a compost box and saw one of them with its neck stuck between the posts. The Good Samaritan flagged down a nearby firetruck and the firefighters were able to free the kittens. Animal Control was then called to the scene to help locate all of the kittens and bring them to safety.” [WJLA]

Alexandria Man Gets 32 Years in Prison for Rape on Four Mile Run Trail

By Chris Teale

Published September 15, 2017 at 4:15PM | Updated September 18, 2017 at 6:47AM

Elmer Umberto Lopez-Velasquez, 39, raped a 23-year-old woman near mile marker 44 in Arlington County on July 3, 2012, according to Arlington County Police.

He was sentenced to 50 years with 18 suspended for the charge of rape and five years for the charge of strangulation. The two sentences will run concurrently.

DEVELOPING: The Track Is On Fire Outside of the Rosslyn Metro Station, Again

By ARLnow.com

Published September 15, 2017 at 12:10PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 10:55AM

File photo

Initial reports suggest there is an arcing insulator somewhere in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom stations — a seemingly persistent problem that has not been resolved by Metro’s extensive SafeTrack maintenance catch-up program.

Since a woman died on a Yellow Line train that filled with smoke near the L’enfant Metro station in 2015, ACFD sends the cavalry — a full “transportation incident” response — every time there is a report of smoke in a tunnel or fire on the tracks.