Fort Myer Heights | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published January 24, 2012 at 8:45AM

Fmr. CIA Officer Charged — Former CIA officer and current Arlington resident John Kiriakou, 47, was charged yesterday with repeatedly leaking classified information to journalists. Kiriakou is best known for his 2007 interview with ABC News in which he described the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah, a suspected al-Qaeda operative. [Washington Post]

Cigarette Tax Bill Dies in General Assembly — A bill proposed by Del. Patrick Hope (D) that would have raised Virginia’s cigarette tax from 30 cents to the national average of $1.45 has died a quick and unsurprising death in a House of Delegates subcommittee. [Sun Gazette]

News

Board Approves New Apartment Building Along Rt. 50

By ARLnow.com

Published October 17, 2011 at 10:31AM

The planned 104-unit building will have a distinctive red brick facade, to match the adjacent Wakefield Manor, Wakefield Annex and Courthouse Manor garden apartments. The existing, three-story buildings — designed by the late, notable architect Mihran Mesrobian and given Arlington County’s highest historical designation — will be preserved “in perpetuity” as a result of the development.

The Arlington County Board voted unanimously on Saturday to approve the development and preservation plan. The new apartment building will be constructed at the corner of N. Troy Street and Fairfax Drive, overlooking Route 50. Currently, a surface parking lot sits on the future construction site.

News

Angry Bees Swarm Apartment, Sting Man

By ARLnow.com

Published September 22, 2011 at 9:54AM

A swarm of angry bees in an apartment building injured one man and kept police and firefighters at bay last night.

The man was apparently trying to get a bee hive out of a second-story apartment in the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood when he was stung multiple times. The man reportedly suffered some sort of allergic reaction, and was attended to by Arlington County paramedics.

News

Residents of Building Near Construction Collapse Scramble to Find New Homes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 31, 2011 at 1:29PM

What started on Aug. 7 as a construction site mishap — the failed retaining wall, the muddy landslide, the threat that the apartment building might collapse — has gone from bad to worse for the Swansen residents, who say they were being told as late as Aug. 23 that they would be able to move back in to their Rosslyn-area apartment building.

That all changed on Aug. 26, residents say, with an email from landlord Mark Swansen.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 25, 2011 at 9:06AM

Aftershock Felt Across Region — A 4.5 magnitude aftershock jolted some residents out of bed just after 1:00 last night. The epicenter of the aftershock was five miles south of Mineral, Virginia, epicenter of Tuesday’s 5.8 magnitude quake. [U.S. Geological Survey]

Arlington Was Krupicka’s Waterloo — In the three-way primary battle for the 30th District state Senate seat, Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka picked up nearly half of the vote in his hometown. But he garnered a measly 14 percent of the vote in Arlington, allowing Del. Adam Ebbin to press his local advantage and claim victory. “Ignore Arlington at your peril,” says the Sun Gazette. Meanwhile, Krupicka says his political career may be over. [Sun Gazette, Del Ray Patch]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 21, 2011 at 8:09AM

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Lime Fresh Signs Clarendon Lease — Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, from the company that brought you Ruby Tuesday, is officially coming to Clarendon. The restaurant is opening one of the first locations outside of Florida in the Clarendon Market Common storefront once occupied by Comfort One Shoes. [Washington Business Journal, Clarendon Culture]

Same-Sex Couples in Arlington — According to the latest U.S. Census numbers, Arlington is home to about 6 percent of Virginia’s same-sex households. There are 1,165 same-sex partner households in Arlington — 835 male and 333 female. The number of same-sex male households has grown 3 percent since 2000, while the number of same-sex female households has grown 16 percent. [Associated Press]

News

UPDATED: Firefighters Battle Blaze in Ft. Myer Heights

By ARLnow.com

Published July 18, 2011 at 1:32PM | Updated July 18, 2011 at 2:41PM

(Updated at 2:40 p.m.) Firefighters battled an apartment fire on the 1600 block of N. Queen Street in Ft. Myer Heights this afternoon.

A resident reported fire on the second floor of a garden-style apartment building just after 1:15 p.m. Firefighters arrived and found flames and smoke. A second alarm was called as a precaution, due to the hot weather. Firefighters on the scene were given plenty water; some had their blood pressure checked.

News

BREAKING NEWS — One Killed in Ft. Myer Heights Fire

By ARLnow.com

Published May 27, 2011 at 10:55AM | Updated May 27, 2011 at 1:20PM

Fire broke out in a third floor condo around 11:20 p.m. Firefighters arriving at the scene reported heavy smoke and flames. One victim was found in the apartment and transported to George Washington University Hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze relatively quickly, said ACFD spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. There was significant damage to one apartment and some smoke damage to nearby units.

News

Board Approves $4 Million for Affordable Housing Purchase

By ARLnow.com

Published May 16, 2011 at 2:32PM | Updated May 16, 2011 at 3:57PM

The Marbella Apartments (via silverwoodcompanies.com)

The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) plans to use the loan to help purchase the Marbella Apartments (1301 N. Queen Street) in the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood. APAH is in the process of securing about $10 million from the Virginia Housing Development Authority to complete the $13 million purchase.

The Marbella Apartments include 120 existing committed affordable units, but the restrictions that keep the units affordable are set to expire in 2018. With its purchase, APAH will keep the units affordable for at least another 60 years, and will convert the complex’s 14 market rate units to committed affordable units.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 9, 2011 at 8:39AM

Water Woes Continue in Ft. Myer Heights — Some Ft. Myer Heights residents were without water last night as crews worked to repair a persistent water main leak. Workers installed some temporary piping as they worked deep below the surface to repair the leak. [Ode Street Tribune]

Libraries Will Offer Self-Checkout — As part of a host of changes set to take place next week, Arlington Public Libraries will now be offering self-checkout at its Aurora Hills, Cherrydale, Columbia Pike and Glencarlyn branches. [Library Blog]

Around Town

Water Main Break in Front of Quarterdeck Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

Published January 14, 2011 at 2:31PM

The Quarterdeck Restaurant in Fort Myer Heights is no longer landlocked. There’s now a small river flowing down Fort Myer Drive, past the 31-year-old seafood restaurant.

As if the Quarterdeck hasn’t had enough troubles as of late, crews will start tearing up the road in front of it later this afternoon to repair a 6 to 12 inch water main break.

Around Town

Quarterdeck Restaurant Gets a New Lease on Life

By ARLnow.com

Published December 9, 2010 at 5:01AM

The Quarterdeck Restaurant has been saved.

Owner Lou Gatti, who suddenly announced last month that the 31-year-old seafood restaurant would be closing, now says the Fort Myer Heights institution will, in fact, remain open.