County Board | ARLnow.com

Published June 24, 2015 at 2:15PM

Last May, the county proposed a plan to move the fire station from Lee Highway to a county-owned green space near Marymount University on Old Dominion Drive. The Old Dominion Civic Association said it was “blind-sided” by the plan, and raised an outcry that prompted the county to reevaluate.

The Arlington County Fire Department wants to relocate Fire Station 8 further north in order to achieve their goal of four to six minute response times throughout the county. Arlington County studies conducted in 2000 and 2012 both indicated that while response times in most of the county met this goal, the northern part of the county was underserved and would benefit from having a fire station closer by.

Around Town

Photos: Envision Courthouse Plans for Open Spaces, New Buildings

By Heather Mongilio

Published June 18, 2015 at 6:45PM | Updated June 18, 2015 at 7:36PM

A rendering of a bird's-eye view of Courthouse Square, from 2015. (Courtesy of Arlington County)

Open spaces, new buildings and wider sidewalks are all part of Envision Courthouse Square, Arlington’s draft plan to create a lively square around the county courthouse.

Arlington residents were invited to the neighborhood Wednesday to see the plans for the area as well as to take a walking tour that highlighted several large changes that could come as a result of the plan.

News

County to Hold Hearings on Western Rosslyn Plan as Residents Protest Loss of Park

By Heather Mongilio

Published June 17, 2015 at 7:05PM

The county is considering trading part of the tiny park to a developer in exchange for a new fire station as part of its Western Rosslyn Area Plan Study (WRAPS). Board members unanimously approved the advertisement of public hearings on the plan during the meeting.

“Once this land is gone, it’s gone. The land will always be worth more than the fire station. So let’s hold onto the land and do what is right for the community,” said Michael McMenamin, an independent candidate for County Board. Independent candidate Audrey Clement also spoke out against the plan.

News

County Board Denies W&OD Trail Connector

By Heather Mongilio

Published June 17, 2015 at 3:10PM

County Manager Barbara Donnellan and her staff had recommended the Board approve the connection, which would link N. Carlin Springs Road with the W&OD rail trail.

The proposed connector would have been an eight-foot-wide, 220-foot-long trail that could be used by pedestrians and cyclists to reach the W&OD from N. Carlin Springs Road. The county was seeking the permit as part of a partnership with Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority.

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County to Hold Public Hearings on Affordable Housing Plan

By ARLnow.com

Published June 17, 2015 at 10:00AM

Arlington County will hold the hearings on Sept. 8 with the Planning Commission and Sept. 19 with the County Board.

“Ensuring that Arlington has housing affordable to folks at all incomes in all stages of life is one of the most important challenges facing our community,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said. “Whether we are seeking to attract businesses, helping Arlingtonians age in place or ensuring that residents who rent have the opportunity to grow roots, the preservation and creation of affordable housing is a necessary component of our long-term sustainability and vibrancy.”

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 17, 2015 at 9:15AM

County to Seek Ballston Mall Partnership — Arlington County is moving quickly to try to come up with a public-private partnership for the redevelopment of Ballston Common Mall. County Board members said Tuesday that they believe the redevelopment will bring important economic benefits. “To not reinvest is to watch the death, I think, of Ballston,” said County Board Chair Mary Hynes. [InsideNova, Arlington County]

Crash Near Kenmore Middle School — A five-vehicle crash occurred around 5:30 yesterday evening on S. Carlin Springs Road, just south of Kenmore Middle School. Scanner reports suggest a driver mistook the gas pedal for the brake at an intersection, leading to the multi-vehicle wreck. [Twitter]

News

Cussing Law Fears Are Bullshit, Say Arlington Police

By ARLnow.com

Published June 16, 2015 at 12:15PM

As ARLnow.com previously reported, the County Board on Saturday considered — and approved — an update to its public drunkenness and profanity ordinance.

The update, meant to bring Arlington in line with a Virginia law that’s on the books throughout the Commonwealth, replaced “drunkenness” with “intoxication” so that police could charge someone who’s under the influence of drugs, rather than just alcohol. It also made the crime a Class 4 misdemeanor, upping the maximum fine for the first and second offense from $100 to $250, but reducing the maximum fine for each subsequent offense to $250 from $500.

News

County Board to Hold Public Meetings on New Plan for Rosslyn

By Heather Mongilio

Published June 15, 2015 at 6:30PM

The map of the the Rosslyn Coordinated Redevelopment District

The County Board is considering adopting the Rosslyn Sector Plan, but first it is seeking out residents’ opinions.

The Rosslyn Sector Plan is the county’s long-term goal for the neighborhood, including a new Metro entrance, updated parks and a new pedestrian bridge. The County Board authorized two public hearings — one before the Planning Commission on July 6 and the other before the County Board meeting on July 18 — for residents to speak and ask about the new plan.

News

Group Protests Sale of Reevesland Farmhouse

By Heather Mongilio

Published June 15, 2015 at 11:45AM

A group of Arlington residents held signs and sang before a County Board meeting to protest the decision to sell Reevesland farmhouse.

The residents were unhappy with the Board’s decision as well as what they described as a lack of transparency surrounding the hastily-called vote to sell.

News

Debate Over Lighting Williamsburg Synthetic Fields Resurfaces

By Mariah Joyce

Published June 15, 2015 at 10:30AM | Updated November 16, 2016 at 1:34PM

The debate over lighting the fields at Williamsburg Middle School is making a comeback.

At its meeting ~~tomorrow (Tuesday)~~ in July, the County Board will charge a working group with leading a community process to evaluate whether or not to light the Williamsburg synthetic fields.

News

Residents to Make Noise at Board Meeting Over Bracket Room Entertainment Permit

By Heather Mongilio

Published June 12, 2015 at 1:00PM

The sports bar applied for a live entertainment permit to have up to two acoustic music players in the bar from 8 p.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday, according to the County Board agenda. County staff recommend that the permit be approved with a review in November.

Residents who live in the Lyon Place at Clarendon Center apartment building, which has rooms above the bar, and across the street at Station Square want the Board to deny the permit. Residents are claiming the additional live music will bring more guests and more noise, which is already a problem, neighbor Joe Morrell said.

News

Cristol, Dorsey to Focus on Housing Affordability in Upcoming Election

By Heather Mongilio

Published June 10, 2015 at 8:05PM | Updated June 10, 2015 at 9:45PM

Both Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey, who received the Arlington County Democratic Committee nominations last night after a tight primary race, ran a campaign with it as one of their platforms.

ACDC Chair Kip Malinosky sees their nominations as a sign that housing affordability is becoming the trending topic in the county.