On January 23, the Land Use subcommittee of the Virginia House of Delegates considered two bills from Delegate Ibraheem Samirah (D-Fairfax) to remove the restrictions of single-family zoning from Virginia neighborhoods.
HB 151 would have overridden local bans on accessory dwelling units and HB 152 would have forbade local authorities from banning duplexes on residential lots.
It has been a great 10th anniversary week for ARLnow — thanks again to everyone who came out to celebrate Wednesday night.
The weekend is here and that means a look back at the most-read articles of the past week.
There is one thing I have found that my libertarian Republican and social justice Democrat friends can mostly agree on — it is high time Virginia passes marijuana reform.
It is my opinion that: 1) marijuana should be governed similarly to alcohol, legal at age 21; 2) doctors at hospitals or assisted living facilities should be able to administer prescriptions to anyone; and 3) we should create an automatic expungement process for people previously convicted over 21 and have a clear path to expungement for those under 21 for both marijuana and alcohol.
Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47) has introduced a bill: HB 817 to guide digital device use in Virginia public schools.
Teachers have been concerned about these issues. Petitions have been generated by community members — one to discontinue 1:1, another seeking a low screen track.
The School Board this week unveiled a long-anticipated proposal to start the school year before Labor Day this August.
The change comes after the General Assembly granted more flexibility for school districts last year, and it also comes despite low public support. In fact, according to the APS survey just 25% of parents, 24% of students and 39% of staff like the move.
It’s looking like a rainy night in Arlington — though those with evening plans that end before midnight should be fine.
Period of HEAVY rain possible overnight Friday into Saturday morning in DMV.
* Rain most likely between 1a and 10a, heaviest 3a to 8a
* A few areas of flooding not out of question
* 1 to 1.5 inches most likely
* Temps mid-40s to low 50s. No snow!https://t.co/1zWCDbPRMk
A three day weekend is here, meaning extra rest and relaxation for many, and no need to feed the parking meter on Monday.
Some snow and freezing precipitation may make for hazardous travel on Saturday — even though Arlington is outside the current Winter Weather Advisory — so be careful if you’re on the roads. The main event in Arlington on Sunday, other than the NFL playoffs on TV, will be the scheduled Martin Luther King Jr. tribute at Wakefield High School.
There is somewhat of a false dichotomy in our community right now about growth. Are you pro-growth or not?
Plainly, an economy does not succeed without growth. It is my belief, too, that for long-run economic success and stability, growth must be built on sustainable infrastructure.
The Arlington County Police Department is considering changing up the look of its dress uniform.
The “Class A” uniform — which differs from the standard navy patrol uniform worn by most officers in the field (the patrol uniform is green for K9 handlers) — is due for a change because its heather blue color is “increasingly difficult to obtain” from distributors, ACPD said.
For years, County Board members have talked green about Arlington’s environmental problems.
Those issues include preserving our mature tree canopy, slowing impervious-surface increases and protecting Arlingtonians from development-and climate change-related flood risks.
The “no longer a New Year’s Day tradition” Arlington County Board organizational meeting once again gave our elected representatives an opportunity to lay out their priorities for the year.
Much like cabin air on a flight, the speeches you receive at the County Board’s annual organizational meeting are in many ways recycled.
By Patrick Hope
Virginia continues to make strides to reform our behavioral health system. Too many Virginians, some of them children and adolescents, lack access to basic preventive care and emergency intervention services. Many end up in our criminal justice system rather than being provided the necessary treatment to avoid such occurrences.
