(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) Arlington has more to do to make the county friendlier to small businesses, particularly those with brick-and-mortar storefronts.
That was one of the messages sent by Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey during her State of the County talk this morning.
According to initial reports, someone phoned in multiple bomb threats to the Noodles and Company restaurants at 2011 Crystal Drive in Crystal City and 1201 S. Joyce Street on Pentagon Row.
The restaurants have been evacuated, we hear, and bomb-sniffing dogs from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency are en route to sweep the area.
Historic Designation May Not Stop Westover Redevelopment — It’s probably too late to start the process of designating a soon-to-be-redeveloped garden apartment complex in Westover as a local historic district, county officials said in response to residents who want to stop the development. By state law the county can’t stop a by-right development, so the only option for preserving the garden apartments would be for the county to buy the property, said County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac. [InsideNova]
Zara Now Open in Pentagon City Mall — The fashion retailer Zara is now open in the expanded portion of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. [Patch]
Update at 5:15 p.m. — Residents of the Avalon Clarendon apartments at Market Common Clarendon are being told they should consider booking a hotel room, as power for two of the three buildings is not expected to be restored until Wednesday. Management sent the following email to residents Tuesday evening.
Dear Residents,
A 12-story, mixed-use development with a possible grocery store in Ballston received the Arlington County Board’s endorsement over the weekend.
The board Saturday unanimously approved a proposal by developer Saul Centers Inc. to construct the building on the former Rosenthal Mazda dealership site at 750 N. Glebe Road, which is three blocks from the Ballston Metro station. The dealership closed in April, in advance of the redevelopment.
The crime happened on the 3900 block of 4th Street N., in the Ashton Heights neighborhood, according to a police press release. The Arlington County Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect.
From ACPD:
A mother and her 7-year-old son were transported to the hospital after being struck by a car in Penrose this morning.
The crash happened around 9:30 a.m., on 2nd Street S. near the intersection with S. Fillmore Street.
Courthouse, Columbia Pike Developments Approved — At its Saturday meeting, the Arlington County Board approved a 90-unit condominium building at 2000 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse. The Board voted 4-1, with John Vihstadt voting against, after hearing objections from residents of the nearby Odyssey condo tower. Also on Saturday, the Board unanimously approved a 105-unit condo building on the Rappahannock Coffee site on Columbia Pike. [Arlington County, Arlington County]
Plans Filed for New Affordable Complex in Rosslyn — The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing has filed preliminary plans to redevelop the 39-unit Queens Court apartment complex into a new, 12-story, 250-unit affordable apartment building, with underground parking and a 9,000 square foot public park and playground. The redevelopment was included in 2015’s Western Rosslyn Area Plan, or WRAP. [Washington Business Journal]
The second round of closures related to Metro’s yearlong SafeTrack maintenance plan is slated to take effect today, with big impacts to Blue Line service in Arlington.
The assault was reported around 3:30 p.m., on the 2600 block of Arlington Blvd. Initial reports suggest that a man reached up the teen’s skirt and touched her inappropriately, before fleeing on foot.
The suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his late 40s, who was wearing work pants, work boots, a white hat and a white t-shirt at the time of the attack. Police are currently searching for the suspect.
The sexual assault was linked via evidence to two attempted abductions in Arlington in 2007, according to Arlington County Police. A renewed investigation into those cold cases led to the arrest of 34-year-old Justin Poe.
Poe has not yet been charged in the May sexual assault.
The crash happened around 9:15 a.m. at the intersection of N. Quincy Street and 20th Street N., three blocks south of Lee Highway.
“The pedestrian was conscious and alert on scene and was transported to George Washington University Hospital,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.”
