County Board | ARLnow.com

County Towing Fee Could Increase to $135

Published January 27, 2014 at 1:30PM

Tomorrow, the Arlington County Board is expected to authorize a public hearing on a proposal to raise the trespass towing fee from $125 to $135, which is the maximum allowed under state law after the General Assembly raised the limit last year. The fee is charged by local towing companies that are contracted to tow vehicles from private parking lots.

The county raised the towing fee from $115 to $125 in 2011 by a 3-2 vote, with Walter Tejada and Chris Zimmerman — who will be voting tomorrow in his final meeting as a Board member — opposing the increase. Tejada said at the time the increase was “a very significant hit” for those on fixed incomes. Current Board Chair and Vice Chair Jay Fisette and Mary Hynes voted in favor of the increase along with now-state Sen. Barbara Favola.

News

County Board Approves ‘Blue Goose’ Redevelopment

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 27, 2014 at 10:45AM | Updated January 27, 2014 at 1:31PM

Rendering of the upcoming development on "Blue Goose" site

The Board unanimously voted to redevelop the 1963 building, allowing the developer The Shooshan Company, in partnership with Marymount University, to build a nine-story office building and a 15-story, 267-unit residential building with 11 dedicated units of affordable housing.

The entire site will sit on three levels of underground parking, with 317 office spaces and 264 residential spaces. There will also be 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 27, 2014 at 9:55AM | Updated November 22, 2016 at 2:59PM

‘The Springs’ Affordable Apartment Complex Approved — The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved “The Springs,” a 104-unit affordable apartment complex in the Buckingham neighborhood. The $38 million project was partially funded with a $7.82 million loan from the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund. [Arlington County]

Don Beyer to Run for Moran’s Seat — Former Virginia lieutenant governor Don Beyer, co-owner of the local car dealership chain, says he will enter the race for the Congressional seat of the retiring Rep. Jim Moran (D). Beyer, a Democrat, recently served as a U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. [Washington Post]

News

New Noise Ordinance: Loud TVs Could Lead to Steep Fines

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 23, 2014 at 2:00PM

The Arlington County Board will review the draft noise ordinance at its March meeting.

Among the updates to the ordinance are prohibiting anyone from playing music or TVs loud enough to be heard by a neighbor as close as 20 feet away in an apartment building or 50 feet away across a property line. From the draft:

Opinion

The Right Note: You Have Been Assessed

By Mark Kelly

Published January 23, 2014 at 1:00PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Some may argue that the rise in assessments is good news because your home is now worth more. While true, and certainly helpful whenever you decide to sell your home, we all know that we pay these taxes while we live in our homes. So, the tax increase is effectively a tax on your income, which is one of the reasons you can deduct it from your federal tax return.

News

County Mulls $88K for Farmhouse Repair Project

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 23, 2014 at 11:15AM

The Arlington County Board is likely to approve $87,950 at its meeting on Saturday for a contractor to come up with a plan for stabilizing the deteriorating house and to removing lead-based paint on the building’s exterior. The sole source contract is on the Board’s consent agenda, meaning it’s scheduled to be approved without discussion.

“This design services contract will provide the construction documents needed for the initial work to restore the Reeves farmhouse: to stabilize the foundation, provide a full depth basement and recommendations for the abatement of lead based paint on the farmhouse exterior and adjacent soil,” the staff report says.

News

Higher Bids Push Cost of New Playground to $579K

By ARLnow.com

Published January 22, 2014 at 2:30PM

A new playground is coming to Glencarlyn Park, pending Arlington County Board approval on Saturday.

The playground, for children 5-12 years old, will complement an existing tot playground at the park for 2-5 year olds. It will feature a “treehouse” log play structure, a swing set, seesaw, a dry creek bed adjacent to a sand/boulder play area, benches, interpretive signage and cattail spinners.

Around Town

County Staff Pulls Back on Proposed Patio Restrictions for Velocity 5

By ARLnow.com

Published January 22, 2014 at 10:00AM

In December, county staff recommended that Velocity 5’s popular outdoor patio be forced to stop serving food and drink at 11:00 p.m., in response to “community concerns about noise.” That’s despite a report from the police department saying that noise complaints were down by 50 percent.

The owners of Velocity 5’s Courthouse location, which changed hands in early 2013, rallied supporters via social media after learning of the staff recommendation. Dozens showed up at the Dec. 17 County Board meeting where the proposal — part of the renewal of Velocity 5’s live entertainment permit — was under consideration. The Board ended up deferring the proposal until January to allow staff more time to work with the owners.

Around Town

Staff Recommends Revoking Pines of Italy Entertainment Permit

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 21, 2014 at 11:30AM

The restaurant/nightclub/hookah bar was approved for the permit in March 2013, but, according to the county staff’s report, its owner never scheduled a meeting with the Arlington Heights Civic Association, which was a requirement of the permit. In addition, the restaurant was allegedly operating with live music on Thursday nights, which was not allowed by the permit.

The permit was scheduled for review in March, but because of the lack of compliance, as well as issues with the police and the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, staff recommended the Board review the license two months early.

Opinion

The Right Note: Talk is Cheap

By Mark Kelly

Published January 9, 2014 at 3:00PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

In it, I commented on the false choice Chris Zimmerman often offers to Arlingtonians. If you have listened to his speeches, he often paints a picture that people either believe the government is capable of doing good things or nothing at all.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 8, 2014 at 8:45AM

Fisette Staying Out of Confederate Name Issue — Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette said he has too much other business to worry about in the coming months to get involved with the request to remove the name “Jefferson Davis” from Arlington roads. Fisette says he’s sensitive to the reasons behind the request to remove the Confederate leader’s name, but the process for removal is laborious and has to go through the state. [Sun Gazette]

Burst Pipe at Reagan National Airport — Trader Joe’s in Clarendon certainly wasn’t the only business affected by a burst water pipe during Tuesday’s cold weather. Some pipes burst at Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon and flooded the area near the baggage claim terminals for American Airlines and United Airlines. [DCist]

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 3, 2014 at 9:15AM

Campaign to Remove Confederate Name from Roads — An Alcova Heights resident has asked county officials to remove the name “Jefferson Davis” from Arlington roadways. He says its tie to slavery and segregation is offensive. County officials, however, point out that the removal process is complicated and would require state approval. [Sun Gazette]

Will Board Candidates Support the Streetcar? — There are questions regarding what will happen to the Columbia Pike streetcar project now that one of its biggest supporters — Chris Zimmerman — is stepping down from the Arlington County Board. So far, no candidates vying for his spot have come forward as outright supporters of the project, although two — independent John Vihstadt and Libertarian Evan Bernick — have voiced opposition to it. [Greater Greater Washington]