Townhomes in the Green Valley neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A less restrictive process for home improvement projects at older townhomes and apartment buildings could be coming to Arlington.
By default, townhomes and multifamily properties in Arlington currently can’t receive any “interior structural alterations” unless they are in full compliance with the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO). If property owners want an exception to conduct partial renovations like remodeling a kitchen or finishing an attic, they often have to seek approval from the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
An accessory-dwelling unit by Backyard Homes in North Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Falls Church is eyeing possible changes to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
The city, which has not granted an ADU permit since 2000, has released a draft framework for potential amendments to its zoning ordinance. Scheduled for a City Council vote in February, proposed changes would make it possible to build detached ADUs within city limits and would set dimensional standards for floor area, height and setbacks.
“The show frolics in jewel tones, with movement, dance, ingenious prop use and piquant stage business” –The Washington Post
“Fuses acrobatics, mime, design, and music to provide a rich and novel re-interpretation of a classic tale.” –DCTheaterArts
Synetic Theater invites Arlington audiences to experience an evening of bold, inventive storytelling with its Teen Company’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac, paired on select evenings with a pre-show performance of The Boy Who Cried Wolf by the Pre-Teen Ensemble. With just six performances, this limited run offers a rare chance to see the next generation of Synetic artists in action. (more…)
Southbound I-395 near Pentagon City (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
APS Phone Pouch Pilot Update — “Though too early to draw any conclusions on the effort, School Board members did discuss it at a Sept. 5 meeting…The pouch pilot is slated to run all year. What happens after that, nobody can tell, but Kadera did opine that any discussion of whether to expand it countywide, or not, should occur when parents and students are engaged.” [GazetteLeader]
Flyover Scheduled Today — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Naval Air Force will conduct a military flyover in the National Capital Region over Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 11:15AM.”
Arlington Org Helping GGW — “In January 2023, Greater Greater Washington tried to hold training sessions for newly elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners… We’ve partnered with the Arlington-based, libertarian-leaning Institute for Justice (IJ), who know the contours of free speech better than most, to make sure this sort of gagging of free speech doesn’t happen again.” [GGW, Twitter]
Inflation a Mixed Bag — “Some Americans do see prices as settling down. Tisha Deloney of Arlington, Virginia, said she was initially miffed when her company provided a smaller cost-of-living adjustment for this year of about 3%, down from the 8% she remembers when inflation was peaking. But when her rent rose two months ago, it ticked up by a much smaller amount than it had in previous years.” [Associated Press]
Local Renewable Energy Enthusiast — “When the power goes out in Arlington, Virginia, people often gather at Scott Sklar’s house… That’s because Sklar’s home and detached office never lose power. He generates clean energy using a mix of several technologies – solar panels, solar roof shingles, a wind turbine, and a hydrogen fuel cell. And he stores excess power in a bank of batteries.” [Yale Climate Connections]
Political ‘Speed Dating’ — “It’s the political equivalent of speed dating – called ‘candi-dating’ or ‘candidating’ (take your pick) – and the League of Women Voters of Arlington & Alexandria City is hosting a chance for Arlington residents to get to know candidates for local office without the long-term commitment of a full-blown candidate forum. The event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6.” [GazetteLeader]
Healthy Eating on the Pike — “EvolveAll and Columbia Pike Partnership have teamed up to profile several local restaurants and ask our fitness team for recommendations on what to eat. We hope this will provide helpful guidance so that you can enjoy a night out with friends without compromising your healthy living goals.” First up: Sabores Tapas Bar. [EvolveAll]
Subscription Law Change — “In Virginia, the new law, which took effect in July, requires companies to notify consumers of their option to cancel within 30 days of the end of the trial period… About half a dozen other states have enacted similar laws this year.” [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Tuesday — Scattered showers and cloudy skies are expected with a high near 70 and an east wind of 6 to 9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 40%. Tuesday night will see scattered showers and potential thunderstorms after 2 am, a low around 65, with a 50% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Is your summer camp calendar still open? Consider Art House 7 for your kids, a creative, well-loved space with a fabulous range of quality summer camps for ages 5-14. Your kids will love the imaginative themes and fun teachers. We’ll be making pottery, painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpting. Among our camp themes: modern masters of art, “green” art, animals, fairytales, and folk stories. Our weekly camps are morning or afternoon, Monday-Friday.
Art House 7 is near the Lee Harrison Shopping Center in Arlington. We have a 2-story studio and free parking.
Scattered showers and cloudy skies are expected with a high near 70 and an east wind of 6 to 9 mph; the chance of precipitation is 40%. Tuesday night will see scattered showers and potential thunderstorms after 2 am, a low around 65, and a 7 mph east wind, with a 50% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” – Neil Gaiman
The Women’s Crawl is coming to Falls Church on May 9, 2026!
Hosted by the team behind the Shrinks on Tap Podcast and presented by Expand Psychology, this one-of-a-kind event is more than a night out—it’s a movement.
Generals led 46-0 at halftime of county rivalry game
The result wasn’t unexpected, but the blowout margin of victory was a surprise to many when the Washington-Liberty Generals hosted and defeated the Yorktown Patriots, 46-16, in this season’s annual all-Arlington clash between the neighborhood high-school rivals.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Less revenue coming directly from airline operations is being more than offset by tangential revenue – from parking, concessions and the like – at Northern Virginia’s two commercial airports.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on Sept. 18 reported that year-to-date revenue from aviation operations totaled $582 million through August, up 2.9 percent from the year before and 7.1 percent higher than budgeted.
Shucktoberfest in Shirlington in 2022 (courtesy of Shucktoberfest)
A seasonal celebration of craft beer and oyster shucking in Shirlington has been canceled for the second year in a row.
For logistical reasons related to a change in ownership last December, Copperwood Tavern’s Shucktoberfest won’t be returning in October, General Manager Jody Hessler told ARLnow.
War Memorial Stadium at Washington-Liberty High School (file photo via APS)
Sports facilities at Washington-Liberty High School were vandalized ahead of a big football game over the weekend.
The vandalism happened overnight Friday into Saturday, before W-L was set to face cross-county rival Yorktown. A tipster tells ARLnow that the school’s track was damaged.
