Katie Cristol | ARLnow.com

Rosslyn Opens ‘Parklet,’ Kicks Off Experiment in Adding Green Space to Urban Areas

Published May 31, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated June 1, 2018 at 4:40PM

County Board Chair Katie Cristol cuts the ribbon on Rosslyn's "parklet" (photo by Alex Koma)

Arlington’s first “parklet” is now open to the public, providing a small splash of green space amid Rosslyn’s urban landscape — and perhaps giving county officials a new tool for adding more open spaces across Arlington.

Rosslyn’s Business Improvement District teamed up with the county to design the mini-park, located adjacent to the Roti Mediterranean restaurant at the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and N. Oak Street. Starting today (Thursday), anyone can take advantage of the parklet, which is just 30 feet wide — about the size of two parking spaces.

News

County Board Plans ‘Big Idea Roundtables’ to Gather Feedback on Arlington’s Future

By Alex Koma

Published May 14, 2018 at 1:45PM

The Arlington County Board wants to hear directly from you about how the county should grow in the coming years.

The Board is convening a series of “Big Idea Roundtables” next month, in order to have “big picture conversations about our county’s future,” according to a news release.

News

Arlington Officials Fear Metro Funding Deal Could Imperil Ballston, Crystal City Station Projects

By Alex Koma

Published May 8, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 10:11AM

18th Street S. outside the Crystal City Metro stop (photo via Arlington County)

Funding to help WMATA keep running and catch up on maintenance may end up jeopardizing major projects slated for two busy Arlington Metro stations.

A new deal brokered by state lawmakers will send about $154 million to Metro each year, providing funding for badly needed improvements to the system — but Arlington officials fear the structure of the agreement could imperil planned Metro entrance projects.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 30, 2018 at 8:15AM | Updated April 30, 2018 at 8:46AM

Yorktown Grad Chosen in NFL Draft — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Yorktown High School graduate M.J. Stewart in the 2018 NFL draft. Stewart was working with his youth foundation at Langston-Brown Community Center when he learned that he was the 21st pick in the second round of the draft. [InsideNova, Twitter]

Amazon Speculation Boosts JBG Stock — JBG Smith Properties’ stock is up 13 percent in the past month on speculation that Amazon could build its second headquarters in the D.C. metro area. Many of the company’s holdings are based in Crystal City, which is seen as a contender for the site of Amazon’s new HQ2. [Washington Business Journal]

News

BREAKING: Gerber Moving Headquarters to Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published April 16, 2018 at 1:20PM | Updated April 16, 2018 at 3:30PM

Gov. Ralph Northam making Gerber announcement

(Updated at 2 p.m.) Baby food and products company Gerber is moving its headquarters from New Jersey to Rosslyn and creating 150 jobs, officials announced Monday afternoon (April 16).

The company, a Nestlé subsidiary acquired in 2007, will invest $5 million in the relocation.

News

Arlington GOP Wants More Info About County’s Amazon HQ2 Bid

By ARLnow.com

Published February 28, 2018 at 3:50PM | Updated February 28, 2018 at 7:41PM

Jim Presswood, Chair of the Arlington GOP, issued a statement Wednesday calling for the county to release “the basic framework” of its offer, arguing that “backroom deals are not the Arlington Way.”

The full statement is below.

News

County Removes Confederate Memorial Near Bluemont Park

By Fatimah Waseem

Published February 1, 2018 at 4:15PM

County officials said it was placed without permission.

Arlington County officials have removed a Confederate plaque marking the location of a lookout during the Civil War after discovering the stone memorial was placed without the county’s permission.

The bicentennial marker and a red oak tree were placed by the Arlington chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy at the intersection of N. Arlington Mill Drive and Wilson Boulevard near the Bluemont Park’s parking lot.

News

Feedback Sought on Childcare Options at Thursday Community Meeting

By Fatimah Waseem

Published January 22, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated January 22, 2018 at 3:27PM

Arlington County officials are seeking the public’s input on how to improve the accessibility and quality of childcare at a community meeting on Thursday.

The meeting is part of the county’s Child Care Initiative, which aims to promote the development of an inclusive, integrated child care system that serves Arlington County families, especially vulnerable populations.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 5, 2018 at 9:45AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:26PM

Arlington Chamber Seeking State Help — Possibly in response to the push for housing conservation districts, “the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is asking the General Assembly to ‘serve as a backstop and a safeguard’ against overreach by localities on planning and zoning matters.” [InsideNova]

Reminder: SmarTrip Change Next Week — As of Monday, Metro riders will no longer be able to run a negative balance on their SmarTrip cards. [WMATA]

News

Cristol Elected County Board Chair, Dorsey New Vice Chair

By Chris Teale

Published January 3, 2018 at 10:45AM

County Board chair Katie Cristol at 2018 organizational meeting

Katie Cristol will serve as Arlington County Board chair for 2018, with Christian Dorsey nominated as vice chair alongside her.

Both were nominated and unanimously voted in at the County Board’s organizational meeting (video) last night (Tuesday), where members lay out their agendas for the year. This year’s meeting avoided the political wrangling of last year, when Cristol was elected vice chair.

News

Financial Assistance, Zoning Changes Part of Plan to Improve Child Care Options

By Chris Teale

Published December 20, 2017 at 11:00AM

A draft action plan on child care in Arlington County has found that it must be more accessible to all income levels, have more spaces available and have better quality and safety for all.

Among other things, it suggested developing a financial assistance program to help families defray childcare costs, updating the county’s zoning ordinance to encourage more facilities and supporting more professional development for child care providers.

Around Town

Summer Water Safety Program Benefits 2,000 Children

By Chris Teale

Published August 15, 2017 at 3:45PM

Photo via Facebook

More than 2,000 local children benefitted from a summer program sponsored by the company that manages highway toll lanes in the region.

Transurban, which manages the high-occupancy toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and will manage the soon-to-be-extended I-395 HOT lanes, donated $18,000 to its Outdoor Kids Fund.