County Board | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published April 24, 2012 at 8:59AM

New Indian Eatery Coming to R-B Corridor? — The Fairfax-based Indian restaurant Curry Mantra is scouting out real estate along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in hopes of opening two new “Curry Mantra Express” carryout restaurants by the end of the year. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Shuttleworth Recruits Republicans — Bruce Shuttleworth, the Arlington businessman who’s challenging long-time incumbent Rep. Jim Moran for the Democratic nomination for Congress, is recruiting Republicans to vote for him in the June 12 primary. The Democratic blog Blue Virginia posted video of Shuttleworth asking for the vote of members of the Falls Church Republican Committee. [Blue Virginia]

News

Board Approves Loans for Buckingham Homebuyers

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 23, 2012 at 3:15PM | Updated April 23, 2012 at 3:53PM

The board’s unanimous approval will make $500,000 in Moderate Income Purchase Assistance Program (MIPAP) funds available to seven or eight first-time homebuyers who qualify. The loans will be made available to residents at Buckingham Village 3, and other Buckingham neighborhood families, to help with down payments and closing costs on homes.

County Board Chair Mary Hynes explained that there has been a plan in place to help Buckingham residents who had been displaced by development.

News

Crystal Drive to be Converted into Two Way Street

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 23, 2012 at 10:45AM

During its meeting on Saturday, the County Board voted unanimously to award the $1.9 million contract to Ardent Company, LLC. In addition to the street conversion, the three phase project will improve intersections along Crystal Drive with new traffic signals and ADA compliant ramps and crosswalks. A southbound bicycle lane will also be added.

The new design is expected to make the street safer and easier to navigate, as well as preparing the area for future development and a streetcar.

News

New Budget Includes Tax Hike, Add’l Housing Funds

By ARLnow.com

Published April 22, 2012 at 4:18PM

The Board voted unanimously on Saturday to pass the budget with a 1.3 cent increase in the real estate tax rate for Financial Year 2013. The county tax rate will now be $0.971 for every $100 in assessed real estate value. The tax hike will be partially offset by a $32 decrease in trash and recycling fees, to $294 per year. Taking into account rising real estate assessments, the overall tax and fee burden for the average Arlington homeowner will increase by 2.4 percent, or about $155 per year, according to the county.

County Manager Barbara Donnellan had recommended the tax rate increase be limited to 0.5 cents in her $1.03 billion proposed budget.

News

Board to Consider Westover Farmers Market Proposal

By ARLnow.com

Published April 20, 2012 at 11:19AM

The farmers market has been in the works for a couple of years. If approved, it will be the seventh weekly farmers market in Arlington.

Organizers are asking the County Board to approve a market that will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sundays along the 1700 block of N. McKinley Road. The street location is temporary — organizers are hoping to eventually hold the market on the adjacent Walter Reed School property, but are still awaiting approval from Arlington Public Schools.

News

Changes Coming to Hayes Street in Pentagon City

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 19, 2012 at 3:19PM | Updated April 19, 2012 at 3:46PM

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) If the County Board approves the construction contract, work could start soon on a major road improvement project near the Pentagon City mall.

An agenda item is on the table to award a contract to Milani Construction LLC for the work along S. Hayes Street from S. 15th Street to Army Navy Drive. There will also be improvements made to the Pentagon City Metro station plazas. The contract is worth more than $9 million.

Around Town

Tea House Coming to Lee Highway

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 19, 2012 at 2:00PM

The store’s website highlights the calming tea house atmosphere, in which customers can enjoy tea, snacks and sandwiches. Interestingly, spa services will also be offered, with the signature treatment being an aromatherapy foot soak.

So far we only know of one other retailer that’s coming to the building: a Subway sandwich shop.

Around Town

‘DARNA’ Restaurant Wants Live Entertainment

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 19, 2012 at 10:45AM

This location has had live entertainment permits dating back to 1994. According to the county staff report, when Costa Verde’s permit came up for review in February, it was discovered that the restaurant no longer existed. At that time, staff members learned that DARNA was looking at continuing the permit. The county zoning office confirmed that the new restaurant is not currently providing live entertainment.

DARNA requested to have entertainment and dancing from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday. But reviewers raised concerns about the hours, and the owner has agreed to modify the times to 8:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 8:00 p.m. to midnight on Wednesdays and Sundays.

News

Ballston Building Seeks Permission for Lighted Sign

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 18, 2012 at 4:50PM

AES Corp. requested the permit to put a 63-square-foot lighted sign on the eleventh floor of the cylindrical tower portion of the building. It would consist of the company’s logo, along with the letters “AES.”

The sign will not directly face any residences and there have been no complaints from nearby neighborhood associations. Reviewers found the request to be in accordance with the county’s current sign regulations and proposed changes to the regulations, and recommend approval of the permit.

News

Board Expected to Defer Pines of Italy Permit Request

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 18, 2012 at 2:30PM

Due to concerns from police and the Arlington Heights Civic Association (AHCA), the recommendation is to defer the permit request until the board’s September 15 meeting. Police note previous violent incidents at this site, and suggest future trouble could arise based on the history with the property’s management. AHCA opposes the permit due to the potential for crime and noise to impact neighbors.

A letter from the AHCA president says representatives met with the three partners of the property to address resident concerns. The property apparently is divided into a restaurant, a hookah bar and a night club and has one partner for each entity. The partners reportedly said the entertainment permit was not needed for the restaurant or hookah bar to do business, but wouldn’t specifically say it was for the club.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 18, 2012 at 8:45AM

Students Welcome Shuttle Arrival — Students at St. Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington welcomed the arrival of space shuttle Discovery yesterday by lining up in the school’s parking lot in the outline of a space shuttle.

Budget Proposal Includes Tax Hike, Pay Raise — At a work session yesterday, the Arlington County Board agreed to raise the real estate tax rate for its new budget — set for adoption on Saturday — by 1.3 cents above the current rate. That’s well above the 0.5 cent tax rate hike in County Manager Barbara Donnellan’s proposed budget. The new budget includes increased funding for schools, libraries, housing and employee pay raises — including a 2.8 percent pay raise for County Board members themselves. [Washington Post]

News

Board to Address Permits for William Jeffrey’s Tavern

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 17, 2012 at 11:40AM

The entertainment permit would cover the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day of the week. However, restaurant owners indicate they only intend to provide live entertainment and dancing during late evenings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and for brunch on Sundays.

Although the restaurant is in a mixed-use building, county staff points out it is not directly adjacent to any housing, and would therefore not disturb residents. Permit reviewers also believe allowing William Jeffrey’s Tavern to have live entertainment would assist in achieving the county’s goal of revitalizing Columbia Pike. For these reasons, the recommendation is to allow the permit.