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Morning Notes

Published December 9, 2011 at 8:36AM

Vote Set for Sign Changes — The Arlington County Board is scheduled to vote Saturday on a set of significant changes to the county sign ordinance.

Conte’s Now Freshbikes — Last month the Conte’s bike store in Ballston (3924 Wilson Blvd) quietly changed its name — and outdoor signage — to “Freshbikes.” We’re told the store, along with a Bethesda location, split from the Virginia Beach-based Conte’s franchise in order to free itself of the requirements that come along with the franchise agreement.

Traffic

I-66 Sign Sports a Misspelling

By ARLnow.com

Published December 6, 2011 at 9:27AM

Amid the fanfare of the opening of a third lane on westbound I-66, it appears at least one detail was overlooked. Someone apparently forgot to use spell check on an interstate sign.

The auxiliary lane between Fairfax Drive and Sycamore Street opened last night, but a sign marking the exit to Sycamore Street is spelled incorrectly.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 23, 2011 at 8:30AM

Bomb Threat in Rosslyn — A bomb threat called into Argosy University (1550 Wilson Blvd) around 6:00 last night prompted a large police response. Traffic issues were reported in the Rosslyn area while authorities cordoned off the building and investigated the threat. Eventually, the all-clear was given and the building was reopened.

Arlington’s Top Employers, Past and Present — Arlington County has seen significant turnover in its list of the top local employers over the past decade. Companies like MCI/Worldcom, Qwest and The Hecht Co. made the county’s top 20 employers list in 2002. In 2011, those companies are off the list, while companies like Boeing, The Nature Conservancy and Booz Allen Hamilton are now on the list. [Washington Business Journal]

Opinion

Morning Poll: Citizen Sign Cops?

By ARLnow.com

Published November 22, 2011 at 9:30AM

Proponents for citizen sign enforcement have spoken up during past Board meetings, but with little to show for it. Now, however, with the county advertising proposed changes to its sign ordinance, three out of five Board members seem willing to seriously consider the idea.

One argument against the idea is the conflict it could create between business owners and the citizen sign enforcers.

News

Board to Advertise Hearings on Sign Ordinance Changes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 17, 2011 at 10:46AM

The Arlington County Board is expected to advertise two public hearings on changes to the county’s sign ordinance on Saturday.

The proposed changes, which have been in the works since the beginning of the year, include:

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 15, 2011 at 9:41AM | Updated November 15, 2011 at 10:54AM

Ben Affleck Flick Filming in N. Arlington? — Local residents are telling us that ‘Argo,’ a new Ben Affleck-directed political thriller, is currently in production in the area near Overlee pool. [Forums]

New Restaurant Coming to Shirlington — A new Mediterranean restaurant called Medi is coming to Shirlington. The eatery will offer “uniquely blended flavors, healthy ingredients, and great value,” according to The Village at Shirlington Facebook page. [Shirlington Village Blog]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 1, 2011 at 8:28AM | Updated November 1, 2011 at 9:27AM

Obama to Visit Key Bridge — President Obama will make an appearance on the D.C. side of the Key Bridge tomorrow to “highlight the need for infrastructure investments.” The Key Bridge, the Memorial Bridge and the 14th Street Bridge are all structurally deficient and in need of immediate repair, according to a report released last month. [Washington Post]

CivFed Wary of A-Frame Signs — Arlington County Civic Federation delegates are wary of the county’s plan to allow A-frame — or sandwich board — signs on the sidewalks of commercial districts. The federation will vote tonight on a resolution that asks that the number of A-frame signs be limited, due to the potential for the signs to impede the mobility of the elderly and the disabled. [Sun Gazette]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 19, 2011 at 8:36AM | Updated October 19, 2011 at 9:09AM

Board Approves Penrose Square Public Plaza — The Arlington County Board last night formally approved a $2 million public plaza at the Penrose Square apartment complex on Columbia Pike. “This flexible, vibrant public square is an important part of the community vision for Columbia Pike… a place for people to relax, gather and host events,” said Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman. The plaza is expected to open next fall. [Arlington County]

Board Green Lights Boeing HQ — After more than 3 hours of discussion, the County Board — somewhat reluctantly — approved a plan by aircraft maker Boeing to build a new, 450,000 square foot regional headquarters on a plot of land between Crystal City and the future Long Bridge Park. ARLnow.com will have a full recap up later today.

News

County to Install Wayfinding Signs Along R-B Corridor

By ARLnow.com

Published September 30, 2011 at 2:30PM

The signs will be placed “along bicycle and pedestrian routes throughout the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.” The first phase of the multi-phase project will include the installation of about 50 signs.

“These wayfinding, or directional, signs will help cyclists and pedestrians more easily navigate Arlington’s 100 miles of multi-use trails, on-street bike lines and designated bike routes, and its commercial districts,” the county said on the project’s web page.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 6, 2011 at 8:06AM | Updated September 6, 2011 at 9:42AM

Rain streaks on a window overlooking the monuments in D.C. (Flickr pool photo by Brian Allen)

Businesses Encouraged By Action on Sign Ordinance — Business owners are hopeful that the new, proposed changes to the sign ordinance will dramatically “streamline” the time-consuming, costly process for getting signs approved in Arlington. [Washington Examiner]

DJO Student’s Dry-Cleaning Research Makes Headlines — It’s not everyday that a high school sophomore’s science project makes it into an peer-reviewed academic research journal, but that’s exactly what happened to Bishop O’Connell High School student Alexa Dantzler. The 15-year-old’s research on chemicals that remain on clothing after dry-cleaning, conducted with the help of the Georgetown University chemistry department, was formally published last week. [Washington Post]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 31, 2011 at 8:26AM

Car on Fire on I-395 — A car caught fire on southbound I-395 near Boundary Channel around 9:30 last night. The car was fully-engulfed by the time firefighters arrived on scene. No injuries were reported

Sun Gazette: Thumbs Down to Board’s ‘Walmart’ Action — The County Board’s last-minute, unannounced vote at the end of its final meeting before the summer recess is getting a “thumbs down” in the opinion pages of the Sun Gazette. The Board voted to advertise hearings on a zoning ordinance amendment that would prevent large-format retailers like Walmart from building a store without prior Board approval. “County staff so far have been unable to explain what the rush is – they want to get this approved by the County Board later in the month – and exactly what problem they are trying to solve,” the paper opined. [Sun Gazette]

News

County Releases Draft of New Sign Regulations

By ARLnow.com

Published August 24, 2011 at 1:30PM | Updated August 24, 2011 at 3:18PM

After holding sign workshops and promising more business-friendly regulations, the county has come up with a long list of changes to the existing ordinance. The changes are designed to “make the [sign] ordinance earlier to understand and use, and easier to administer and enforce,” while incorporating “best practices in sign regulation.”

Among the proposed changes, the county would allow sandwich board — or A-frame — signs on sidewalks, in direct contrast to the current ban on such signs, which are popular with shop owners in other urban areas. Sandwich board signs would be permitted so long as it doesn’t reduce the clear sidewalk width below six feet. Staff notes that “consideration is also being given to alternatives in areas where a six-foot clear width is not possible.”