County Board | ARLnow.com

Apartment Development Approval Deferred

Published February 27, 2013 at 1:50PM | Updated February 27, 2013 at 8:38PM

Bozzuto Development Company had submitted a proposal for a large scale project in the 1600 block of N. 16th Street. It would involve redeveloping the five buildings that make up Pierce Queen Apartments; three of the buildings would be razed and replaced with a new 12-story apartment tower, and the other two buildings would be preserved and renovated. In total, the buildings would house more than 190 units.

The county’s Site Plan Review Committee raised several issues with the proposal during a January meeting. Problem areas included the proposed building bulk, lack of open space, above-grade parking, proposed locations of electrical switchboxes and the lack of a public art contribution. Additionally, concerns arose regarding the applicant’s request for Affordable Housing Investment Funds (AHIF) for the 76 affordable units and the anticipated request for competitive Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA).

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published February 27, 2013 at 8:55AM

Rabbit Closing — Just days after telling ARLnow.com he had reduced hours to lunch only, the owner of Rabbit Salad and Grill (3035 Clarendon Blvd) in Clarendon has apparently decided to completely call it quits. The restaurant will close on Friday to make way for Fat Shorty’s, a beer and sausage restaurant. The new restaurant is expected to open in early April. [Washingtonian]

Carlee Becomes Charlotte City Manager — Former Arlington County Manager Ron Carlee has taken a new job as the city manager of Charlotte, NC. Carlee had worked for Arlington County for 29 years, but left in 2009 for a job with the International City/County Management Association. Carlee’s new salary is reported to be $290,000 per year, a 15 percent increase over his predecessor’s salary. [Charlotte Observer]

News

Parking Changes Approved for Schools, Recreational Facilities

By Katie Pyzyk

Published February 26, 2013 at 11:30AM

Changes have been approved for parking regulations at the county’s schools and recreational facilities.

At its meeting on Saturday (February 23), the County Board voted unanimously to amend the Zoning Ordinance, which was necessary in order to modify parking regulations for elementary and middle schools and noncommercial recreational facilities. The amendments allow the Board to change the number of required parking spaces at the facilities, which it previously was not permitted to do.

News

Fees for Parks, Events Set to Increase

By ARLnow.com

Published February 25, 2013 at 4:05PM

Fees could soon be going up on bocce players, race runners and adult sports competitors in Arlington.

Along with advertising a property tax increase, the Arlington County Board on Saturday voted to advertise new parks and police fees. Among them:

News

County Board Advertises $1.021 Tax Rate

By ARLnow.com

Published February 25, 2013 at 3:05PM

By advertising the $1.021 rate, the Board will have the flexibility of raising the tax rate up to 102.1 cents per $100 in assessed real estate value. The Board can still, as it usually does, select a lower rate than advertised when it adopts its final budget in April.

Donnellan proposed a $1.003 rate — a 3.2 cent rate increase that would cost the average Arlington homeowner an additional $262 per year. The advertised $1.021 rate — a 5 cent increase from the current 97.1 cent rate — would cost the average homeowner an extra $356 per year (nearly $30 per month, a 5.3 percent increase) over the current tax rate.

News

Board Approves New Crystal City Apartment Tower

By ARLnow.com

Published February 25, 2013 at 12:05PM

The Board voted 4-0 to approve the building, at 1720 S. Eads Street. Developer Kettler has promised to reserve 16 of the apartments — 8 percent of all units — as dedicated affordable housing for the next 30 years, and will design the building to LEED Silver sustainability specifications. Sustainable features include a landscaped roof and electric vehicle recharging stations in the 176-space parking garage.

“This project, one of the first approved under the Crystal City [Sector] plan, fulfills the community’s wishes to see homes — including affordable units — built on this site, within walking distance of Metro and other public transit,” County Board Chairman Walter Tejada said in a statement. “I believe it will serve as a catalyst for redeveloping Crystal City into the more walkable, vibrant neighborhood that the community envisions.”

News

Pro-Streetcar Group Announces Formation

By ARLnow.com

Published February 25, 2013 at 11:15AM

Rendering of a streetcar along Columbia Pike (file photo)

The counterpoint to the anti-streetcar group Arlingtonians for Sensible Transit, Arlington Streetcar Now says the proposed Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcar systems will be a boon for residents and businesses along those respective corridors.

From a press release:

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 25, 2013 at 10:15AM | Updated February 25, 2013 at 11:32AM

SUV Runs Off Memorial Bridge — An SUV drove off the Memorial Bridge and plunged into the Potomac around 10:00 last night. The driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. A bridge barrier was damaged and the bridge was closed by police until the early morning hours. [WJLA, Washington Post]

‘Ballston Southern Gateway’ Plan Approved — The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved an addendum to its North Quincy Street Plan, which is designed “to transform the southern gateway of Ballston from an automobile-oriented area into a more pedestrian-friendly, great urban place.” The plan calls for higher residential and commercial buildings in the area around the Harris Teeters and the Mercedes Benz dealership. [Arlington County]

Opinion

The Right Note: Some People Just Can’t Help Themselves

By Mark Kelly

Published February 21, 2013 at 3:45PM | Updated February 21, 2013 at 4:21PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column by 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.

County Board members made it clear at the recent Arlington Civic Federation meeting that they were leery of cutting back on capital spending because they are getting such good deals on construction costs.

News

Proposed Budget: Tax Hike, Police and Fire Cuts

By ARLnow.com

Published February 21, 2013 at 1:35PM

Facing a $35 million budget gap, Donnellan said she did her best to strike a balance between cuts and tax hikes, given the budget guidance given to her by the County Board.

“It is not an easy thing to recommend an increase in the property tax rate,” she said in a statement. “We have tried to maintain services that Arlingtonians hold dear and to respect the values of our community. To do that, we are forced to ask our community and our staff to contribute to closing this budget gap.”

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 21, 2013 at 9:15AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:42PM

Arlington on a ‘Money-Hungry Crusade?’ — Arlington is on “a money-hungry crusade for increased revenue at the expense of neighborhoods and communities,” writes the Arlington Connection. The paper suggests that “residential neighborhoods are increasingly in the crosshairs of developers seeking larger and larger densities,” and the County Board is acquiescing to their demands in an effort to drum up more tax money. “This is a County Board that acts like Republicans even though they’re all Democrats,” one civic association president is quoted as saying. [Arlington Connection]

Governor Backs Bipartisan Transportation Deal — A bipartisan compromise on transportation funding in the Virginia General Assembly has won the support of Gov. Bob McDonnell (R). The deal, which will ultimately raise $880 million per year for transportation projects, replaces the 17.5 cent gas tax with a 3.5 percent wholesale tax on gas and a 6 percent wholesale tax on diesel. It also raises the state sales tax from 5 percent to 5.3 percent and imposes a $100/year fee on hybrid vehicles. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

News

Manager’s Proposed Budget to Include 3.2 Cent Tax Hike

By ARLnow.com

Published February 19, 2013 at 3:45PM

Donnellan’s recommendation, if approved by the County Board, would raise the overall tax rate to 100.3 cents per $100 in assessed value for residential property. It would be the first time since 2001 that Arlington’s residential tax rate has crossed the $1 mark.

Donnellan is expected to tell the Board tomorrow that the county is facing increased expenses as a result of more public school students and more county facilities — like the Arlington Mill Community Center — that must be staffed and programmed. At the same time, county tax revenue is flat as commercial property assessments feel the effects of BRAC, which has resulted in numerous Department of Defense offices moving out of Arlington.