The Buckingham Herald Tribblog

As crews rip out trees and prepare to knock down buildings along Henderson Road, the time is right for a recap of the plans for Buckingham Village 1. (Plus, inquiries have made it to me, and I realized I do not have a post that ties it all up in the way I hope this one will. –ST)

First, a layout of the land is in order. Take a look at this map:

Village 1 is the home of current tree removal across from Barrett Elementary School. It’s the largest of the three villages, and when completed will have over 500 rental units in two large buildings, about 70 townhouses along N. George Mason Drive, and a small county park.

Village 2 is the only divided village. The road down the middle of the village along with the red rectangle showing the approximate placement of the George Mason Apartment complex (which is not part of the original Village 2), separate the other two thirds of the block. The blue dot shows where the townhouses have been built and are under construction. The green dot locates the fenced-in field along Thomas Street. Dozens more townhouses are planned for both sides of Village 2. This village is developed “by right” meaning that Paradigm Construction need not seek county approval for changes, so long they stay within current zoning rules.

Bought by Telesis Corporation just months ago, Village 3 will change little on the outside, preserving the two-storey buildings and the garden-style setting. Some additions will be added to the backs of buildings, and a building of some sort will cover the entrance to an underground community center. This village is protected as a county historic area and falls under the oversight of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, which will regulate any external changes to the property. All of the units (about 140) will be affordable to people of various levels of income. Some of the units along N. Pershing Drive will be part of a condominium.

Village 1 will undergo the most changes, and for more details on that, peruse the illustration:

Although future plans can change, Paradigm is locked into the current arrangement of buildings in Village 1, given contracts signed with the county. Here are a few details:

The county is set to issue $43 million in bonds, with $14.8 million going to purchase property on Village 1 that will become a street and park, between N. Pershing Drive and N. Henderson Road, west of N. George Mason Drive (the four-storey Madison at Ballston Station apartment building is there). The vote comes this Saturday at the county board's monthly meeting.

As part of the 2007 agreement between the county and Paradigm Development Company, the owner of the property, the county would buy road and park space on the Village 1 property.

The road will extend N. 3rd Street from N. Henderson to N. Pershing and would build a park, about the size of a football field, on N. 4th Street just west of N. George Mason. According to county documents, Paradigm will complete the road and park; the money spent includes those improvements.

According to the county manager’s report, “Under the terms of the purchase agreement, closing on the acquisition is dependent on the developer’s completion of certain site work, including demolition and removal of above and below ground structures and site grading. This work is anticipated to be completed later this fall, with closing and settlement of funds to occur on the acquisition shortly thereafter.”

These bonds are not part of the “general obligations” fund but the “annual appropriations pledge” and therefore will likely carry a “double-a” rating, and therefore higher interest. They might also be issued under the “Build America Bonds” as part of the federal stimulus package, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” the report said.

“Estimated annual debt service in [fiscal year] 2010 on the bonds totals $0.9 million. Approximately $0.2 million will be paid for from the Transportation Investment Fund and is attributable to the portion of the Buckingham Village 1 acquisition related to the public street extension. The remaining $0.7 balance will be paid for from the General Fund and is within the County’s adopted FY 2010 budget,” the report states.

Federal stimulus money will also go to Carlyn Springs apartments for energy improvements. The board is set to approve up to $151,120 of “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” money to Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing for the apartments at 4318 N. Carlin Springs Road (on the corner of Carlin Springs and N. Thomas Street). The complex, two buildings, is a mix of market-rate and affordable units.

Union Jack’s Pub in the Ballston Commons Mall is looking to expand its outdoor café from 20 to 54 seats, and the plan they have puts tables and chairs at the boundary of the right-of-way along the Glebe Road sidewalk. County staff, according to the manager’s report, felt it required a site plan amendment to make sure chairs and tables do not encroach on the walkways. The report says that Ashton Height’s Civic Association was notified and no comments were made. The restaurant must maintain a six-foot, barrier-free walkway between any fencing that corrals their tables and chairs, and the “tree pits” that run along N. Glebe Road, according to the report. Citizens may comment on this item at the recessed meeting Tuesday July 14, 6:30p.m. (see the comment, below).--ST

Public comment starts 8:30a.m. July 11 at the county board meeting room, third floor of the county office building, 2100 Clarendon Blvd.--ST

Buckingham Villages Update (June 2009).

Labels: ballston, Buckingham, county board

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 4:38 AM 1 comments

June 13: Assault/Indecent Exposure, 900 block of N. Irving St. At 3:30a.m. a woman was walking when an unknown man grabbed her behind. When the victim turned around, the suspect then exposed his buttocks to her before fleeing the area. The suspect is described as an African-American male in his early 20s, 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing a light colored t-shirt and dark pants.

June 20: Attempted Sexual Assault, 900 block of N. Taylor St. At 3:45a.m., a woman was walking when an unknown male approached her. He forced her into some bushes and attempted to remove her clothing. She fought him and yelled “Fire.” Witnesses ran to the area and the suspect fled. He is described as a white Hispanic male, 20 to 30 years old, wearing a button down shirt, dress pants, dress shoes, and a dress belt.

June 30: Assault and Battery (Arrest), 200 block of N. Glebe Road. At 11:45a.m., a woman attacked an adult and three juveniles while on a bus. The suspect was located by police. Angela Orji, 26, of Arlington, was charged with four counts of Assault and Battery. She was held on a $4,000 bond.

June 30: Disorderly Conduct (Arrest), 200 block of N. Glebe Road. On June 30 at 11:45a.m., a man interfered with the investigation of the above assault and refused to leave the area. Santos Cabrera Gonzalez, 44, of Arlington, was charged with Disorderly Conduct. He was held on a $1,000 bond.

June 19 (From a press release): The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a critical pedestrian accident that occurred on Wilson Blvd.on Friday evening.

Shortly before 11 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2009, a pedestrian was struck by a white Ford F-150 truck. The accident occurred at the intersection of North 10th Street and Wilson Blvd. A pedestrian was crossing North 10th Street when he was struck by the vehicle. The driver of the striking vehicle stayed on scene and was interviewed by police. The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Mark Planisek, 49, of Washington, died on on Wednesday, June 24, 2009.

The Arlington Police Department asks that any witnesses to the accident contact Det. Richard Conigliaro at 703-228-4159. Det. Conigliaro can also be reached via email at Rconig@arlingtonva.us.

Click the icons and lines for more information. Red=Person-to-person crime; Yellow=person-to-structure/vehicle crime; Blue=stolen vehicle; Purple=vehicle-to-vehicle crime; Aqua=miscellaneous. A dot in the icon indicates more than one suspect or victim. Click here for a larger map

Labels: arlington forest, ashton heights, Buckingham, Crime, Police

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:49 AM 0 comments

The man who accosted several Swanson Middle School students at a bus stop in Buckingham yesterday afternoon has been held under a mental detention order, but has not been charged with a crime.

He is known to police and has a history of mental disorder, said Arlington County Police Detective Crystal Nosal, the public information officer for ACPD. The incident occurred on the 4100 block of N. 3rd St., according to an email sent from Arlington Public Schools.

Police do not believe that the person was attempting abduction, as was first feared, but he may have tugged on the shirt of a boy, which is “scary for a 14-year-old,” Det. Nosal said.

He might be charged with assault and battery for the shirt-tugging, but police are waiting for a health evaluation before proceeding, the detective said. They are not releasing his name at this time since he has not been arrested and because police do not want to run afoul of the Health Information Privacy Act.

The email from the school thanked police for quick action and commended the students for following some basic safety tips such as walking in groups and telling adults quickly so that appropriate action could be taken.

May 4: Robbery, 4200 block of Wilson Blvd. At 4:45p.m., a man was walking when two unknown men approached him from behind. The suspect pushed the victim into a wall and demanded money. They then ran from the area. Both suspects were tall, muscular, African American males in their late teens. They were wearing sweatshirts with scarves covering their faces.

May 1 (delayed reporting to police): Robbery, 4300 block of N. Henderson Road. At 11p.m., a man was standing in front of a building talking on a cell phone. Two unknown men approached him, assaulted him and took his cell phone. The suspects were both African-American men in their early 20s. They were wearing dark clothing.

May 1 (delayed reporting to police): Attempted Robbery, 4300 block of N. 4th St. At 8:30p.m., a man was leaving a laundry room and two unknown men attempted to rob him. The suspects were unsuccessful and fled the area. Both suspects were African-American males in their 20s wearing dark clothing. The victim did not report the incident for six days.

May 9: Destruction of Property, Drunk in Public (Arrest), 900 block of N. Kenmore St. At midnight, a person witnessed a man damaging windshield wipers on several vehicles. Police apprehended the suspect. Kevin Chan was charged with Drunk in Public and held until sober.

May 10: Assault and Battery, 200 block of N. Glebe Road. At 9:45p.m., a man entered a store and assaulted an employee. He attempted to get the employee to leave the store to fight with him in the parking lot and left. The employee called the police. The suspect is a bald African-American male in his 40s, 6 feet tall with a heavy build. He was wearing dark jeans and a checkered patterned long sleeve shirt.

May 19: Filing a False Police Report (Arrest), 3800 block of N. 7th St. At 4:30p.m., a woman reported that her ex-boyfriend abducted and assaulted her. During the investigation officers found the event was fabricated. Leyla S. Kampman, 19, of Arlington, was charged with Filing a False Police Report. She was held on a $1,000 bond.

Click the icons for more information. Red=Person-to-person crime; Yellow=person-to-structure/vehicle crime; Blue=stolen vehicle; Purple=vehicle-to-vehicle crime; Aqua=miscellaneous. A dot in the icon indicates more than one suspect or victim. Click here to view larger map.

Labels: arlington forest, ashton heights, Buckingham, Crime, Police

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:36 AM 0 comments

I live in Arlington Oaks and I'm a big fan of your blog (I particularly liked your article about Ballston Station, even though I think it's ridiculous they didn't call it Buckingham Station). I just started blogging again after something like a seven-year break, and was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking a look and giving me some feedback? I'd like to trade links as well if you're interested.

The URL for my site is http://www.bewealthygethappy.com

Thanks!

Keith McClellan
Buckingham

Labels: blogging, Buckingham, BV1, letter

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:20 AM 1 comments

A reminder that the Bethel Church (it's the small stone church located on the northeast corner of George Mason Drive at Arlington Blvd.) is holding a community forum this Sunday. Read the full notice here.

The Arlington County Democratic Committee is holding its candidate forum next Tuesday April 21, at the NRECA building on the corner of N. Glebe Road at Wilson Blvd. This is a chance for people to hear from the five Democrats running for the 47th House of Delegates seat. Incumbent Al Eisenberg (D) is not running for reelection. The Democratic primary is set for June 9.

Josh Reubner is running on the Green Party ticket. Chosen by his party a couple weeks back, he does not have a primary to run.

The Republicans have yet to field a candidate, but could do that as late as June 9.

I have quite a few links here.

The annual Arlington Teen Summer Expo takes place Saturday, April 18 from 11a.m. to 1p.m. at the Arlington Career Center, 816 S. Walter Reed Drive. The Expo is an excellent opportunity for teens to get a jump on a summer job, internship or volunteer opportunities. For more information go to www.arlingtonteensummerexpo.com.

On Sunday, April 19, Bethel Church is hosting a “Buckingham Neighborhood Open House” from 10a.m. until 2p.m.

At 11:30, Patrick Hope, President of the Buckingham Community Civic Association, will give a presentation on “Changes in Buckingham.”

This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to learn more about the future of our neighborhood – and to meet our neighbors. Many neighborhood organizations have also been invited to attend and will be available to answer questions and provide literature about their services.

All are invited to attend Bethel’s 10:00a.m. Worship Service, with special music provided by the 16-piece “Strings Ensemble,” followed by a Neighborhood Welcome Reception at 11:00a.m. and the presentation at 11:30.

Bethel Church will also offer tours of the building, which is designated as an Emergency Shelter for the Buckingham neighborhood.

Bethel Church is located at 4347 Arlington Blvd. (Northeast corner of Arlington Blvd & George Mason Dr). Free parking is available in the Red Cross parking lot next door (access to lot off Trenton or Arlington Blvd). Church driveways are reserved for those with special needs. Bethel Church is handicap accessible. (Those who park in the Arlington Oaks Condominium lot next door to the church will be towed.)

For more information about the event, call Bethel’s main office at (703)528-0937. Please plan to attend and bring your neighbors.

Labels: BCCA, bethel, Buckingham, church

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:17 AM 0 comments

Happy new year, and thanks for continuing your work with the Tribune. Customer service at the [Buckingham] Post Office seems excruciatingly slow to me, and I share your frustration why a vending machine can't be installed. There is certainly space for it (the lobby area is cavernous) and a machine must cost less than adding another employee.

Chris Donahue
Buckingham

The writer is referring to "A Couple Thoughts on Christmas" --ST

Labels: Buckingham, Buckingham Station, Post Office

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 8:09 AM 0 comments

Just when it looked like things in the Buckingham Shopping Center plans were coalescing, they are not.

Recall these are the plans in which the Glebe Market, and El Paso/Popeye’s buildings would be razed and a four-storey mixed use building of ground floor retail and apartments would rise in its place.

Call it a difference in philosophy, but elected county officials did not want a drop-off prescription window near the busy, urban intersection of N. Glebe Road at N. Pershing Drive, and the CVS pharmacy, which was to fill much of the ground floor of the new building at that corner, sees the store as suburban, and CVS’s suburban stores have drop-off windows.

So the philosophy of urban development versus suburban killed plans for the CVS.

“That space…will now be a multiple of stores,” said Bob Moore, a principal of the potential developer Georgetown Strategic Capital. They have been pursuing this project for well over a year.

Although the HALRB will consider Georgetown Strategic’s certificate of appropriateness for that corner at the Wednesday Dec. 17 meeting, neither side is expecting much success.

“Staff isn’t recommending approval of it at this point,” said Rebecca Ballo. “The ground level is really different than what we’ve been dealing with for the past year.”

For his part, Mr. Moore said, “We’re not going in for a vote.” This is just continuing what has been a “collegial” discussion he said, adding, “What we’re trying to do is to update them on all these possibilities.”

But his company, which has been drawing plans and adjusting them to try and fit the wishes of the HALRB, is near the point of pulling out altogether.

“If [the HALRB] just really can’t adapt to this change, then we’re not going to want to pursue it any further,” Mr. Moore said. “I think they don’t know what they want.”

Some of the changes include a police substation, slightly lower heights, and fewer apartments. Mr. Moore said he has been talking to Sam Chon owner of the Glebe Market, and it looks like he will return to the new building with a smaller store.

One positive note: the poor economy has been driving down construction costs, especially for the underground parking.

“It’s making it a bit more affordable,” Mr. Moore said.

The current plan would rebuild the northwest corner of the intersection first and then wait for the CVS to run-out its lease before razing that building and redeveloping it.

The county is zipping their lips on alternative uses for the patch of green space outside the Ballston Commons Mall parking garage. Staff has been pursuing the idea that the triangle at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street will house a “world-class” mini-golf course. The main reason staff has said is that it fits with the pedestrian nature of the area and is an activity that can be pursued much of the year and by people of all ages.

For months however, county staff from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources; Arlington Economic Development; and Community Planning have been meeting to consider alternate uses for the 20,000 square foot site, especially after some citizens in the area voiced concerns about the lack of input from people early in the planning process.

"We're still working internally to develop these [ideas],” said Scott McPartlin, the lead planner on this project. The committee that is researching will let the public know, “Hopefully really soon."

Rich Dooley, a senior land use planner, said the different ideas are still going through internal vetting, but that the research and discussion is not necessarily tricky.

“There’s nothing unique about this” process, he said.

For a just-posted letter on this subject, click here--ST

Ashton Heights readers may be interested to know that item #14 among the “consent items" on tomorrow’s county board meeting asks the board to accept two deeds that will allow sidewalk and storm water drainage work along N. 4th Street at its intersection with N. Irving Street. The board generally votes on consent items en masse, unless the item is removed from the consent list to be discussed at the recessed meeting next week.

As always, you can scroll down to see all the recent stories, or simply click the links below (if the link doesn't work, scroll down to find the story, and email to tell me what's busted: heraldtrib@gmail.com --Steve Thurston).

Today's Headlines:

Letter: Choose Gardens Over Mini-Golf (For a history of the Glebe/Randolph plans, click here, and scroll to see many stories.)

Police Notes

Headlines from Earlier in the Week:

Santa Visits Lubber Run!

Last Week's Police Notes

Summer Flashback: About Arlington with Deb Byrwa

Labels: Buckingham, buckingham center, mini-golf

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 12:34 PM 0 comments

Nov. 5: Burglary, 3800 block of N. 6th Rd. Between 10:30a.m. and 1p.m., an unknown suspect entered an apartment and stole several items. There is no suspect description.

Nov. 4: Destruction of Property (Arrest), 400 block of N. Thomas St. At 8p.m., an intoxicated man argued with his roommate and police were called. The suspect threw property on the floor in front of police, damaging it. He then jumped out a window and fled. He was later apprehended. Ramiro Lopez, 35, of Arlington, was issued a summons for Destruction of Property.

Nov. 3: Malicious Wounding, 4100 block of N. 4th St. At 12:30a.m., police were called to the hospital for a man with a knife wound. The victim claimed he was walking when an unknown subject walked up to him and stabbed him for no reason. The victim did not want police involved, and his story changed multiple times.

Nov. 2: Larceny from Auto (series), 400 and 600 blocks of S. George Mason Dr. Between midnight and 1a.m., police observed four suspects break into several vehicles and steal items from inside. The suspects were apprehended and charges are pending.

Nov. 2: Burglary/other charges (Arrest), 4500 block of N. Carlin Springs Rd. At midnight, officers responded to a fight. Once on scene, police found that a man had repeatedly thrown various items through a neighbor’s windows. The suspect had also entered the house. Kyle Martin, 46, of Arlington, was charged with Burglary, Destruction of Property, Attempted Malicious Wounding, and Drunk in Public. He was held without bond

Nov. 1: Assault and Battery, 600 block of N. Randolph St. At 1p.m., a man and a woman had a verbal disagreement. The man later approached the victim in her vehicle, and struck her several times. A warrant for the suspect was obtained.

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Labels: Buckingham, Crime, Police

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 6:14 AM 0 comments

About a dozen people were in line when Buckingham precinct polling officials arrived at K.W. Barrett Elementary School yesterday morning at 5a.m. Within hours, the line snaked out of the door, around the back of the building, and along the perimeter fence, stopping just short of the gate near the parking lot where party volunteers handed out materials, officials and voters said.

Alan Swanson, the chief of elections at the precinct, guessed the line to be close to a quarter mile at its longest.

“It’s a lot different than previous elections,” the veteran poll worker said.

Few glitches with the machines, speedy computerized voter registrar books, and about 20 poll workers (a record) kept the line moving throughout the morning.

By about 8a.m., the line was about one-third the length, ending on the basketball courts behind the building.

One man, moving off after voting, said that it took him about 90 minutes, but he had gotten in line near the ball field. Others inside, within 20 people of voting, said they had waited just short of an hour.

“When we had that mass, everyone was working really hard,” Mr. Swanson said. With the record turnout of volunteers, people were able to take breaks and stay fresh, he said.

After the morning rush, most of the day was a steady trickle of voters, but the turnout was “phenomenal” overall Mr. Swanson said.

Near 4:30p.m., Buckingham had logged about 2,600 voters, 1,700 on-site, and about 900 absentee. The official numbers are not available on the county’s web site yet, but the percentage might be in the 70s.

If these numbers prove accurate, they dwarf the voting in the last two national election cycles. In 2006, when Jim Webb raced for the U.S. Senate against George Allen, about 1,500 of the 3,300 registered voters, about 45 percent, went to the polls. In the 2004, Bush versus Kerry race, about 1,000 of the 1,800 registered voters, or 60 percent, went to the polls. Both were heavy turnouts for the precinct.

“This is a very active precinct,” said Carter Moore, the Democrat Precinct Captain for Buckingham. The precinct roughly spans from Arlington Boulevard to Interstate 66 between George Mason Drive and Glebe Road. Mr. Moore said the precinct has added about 15 percent more voters since 2006.

Yet for those people who arrived late in the day, it felt almost uneventful.

Mauricio Trujillo of Arlington Oaks, said rather than feeling historic, his vote just before 5p.m. felt the same as others.

“There was, like, no line,” he said.

Karin and Joel Paque also said the emptiness of the Barrett gym felt unhistoric.

“I definitely would have voted anyway,” even if it had not been an election in which either an African-American or a woman would enter the White House for the first time, said Ms. Paque, but she and her husband were hoping to find the spirit at an election night party they were planning to attend.

One first time voter who refused to give his name, said the atmosphere did not feel historic, but, “The whole election has seemed like it is to me….I got caught up in all that was going on this year.”

The county is reporting that nearly 51 percent of registered voters in the county voted:

Arlington County Election Results 2008.

Buckingham Precinct Notes 2007. (What a difference a year makes!)

Precinct Notes 2006.

Labels: Buckingham, election, vote

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 7:24 AM 0 comments

The voting lines may have been long at the Barrett School when you were there early in the morning, but by 10:30 a.m., they were gone. People were walking in and voting with written ballots or on the touch screen machines without any delays at all.

The lines may reappear later this afternoon.

Bernie Berne
Buckingham

Labels: Buckingham, election, vote

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 3:22 PM 0 comments

Oct. 24: Robbery, 4300 block N. Wilson Blvd. At 3 p.m. a man was leaving a garage on his scooter when an unknown subject jumped in front of him. The suspect assaulted the victim and pushed him off the scooter. The suspect also stole property from the victim. The suspect was an African American male, 25 years old. He was last seen wearing jeans, a long dark jacket, and a pullover.

Oct. 26: Robbery, 4200 block of N. 2nd Rd. At 11:30 p.m., a man was walking home when two unknown men knocked him down and assaulted him. The suspects fled on foot with the victim’s wallet. The suspects are described as tall, thin, African American males wearing black hooded sweatshirts.

Oct. 27: Stolen Auto, 800 block of N. Randolph St. License tag #NY DNA8075. The SUV is a 2006 black Ford Escape.

Oct. 28: Death Investigation, 800 block of N. Greenbrier St. At 3 p.m., a man was working inside a dirt trench at a residential construction site. The trench collapsed, trapping him inside. Pablo Gonzalez, 59, of Falls Church, was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.


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Labels: arlington forest, ashton heights, Buckingham, Police

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:19 AM 0 comments

Well, I am back to teaching, and I must say this working stuff stinks. I much prefer sabbatical, but what is one to do?

The other, rather unexpected, twist to this hiatus was that I am, no longer, a Buckinghamster.

I am now an Arlington Forester. This is my fourth home in Arlington since moving here in 1995, and moving into this house close to the Lubber Run Amphitheatre was the greatest distance I have moved: six blocks. Actually, the apartment that my wife and I first rented is about halfway in between here and the house we just left. We love this area, and now we have a garage. Honestly, we would have stayed in Buckingham, but there are just not that many single-family homes that become available, so we had to change neighborhoods.

People who know of the move have asked if I am changing this site, and I have said no. I have covered many issues of interest both to Buckinghamsters and Foresters, so I will continue along that vein. Now it is just a little longer walk to get to some of the best parts of Buckingham.

I am changing my main posting day from Wednesdays to Fridays, or maybe Saturdays. And I still have a lot of work to make up at my day job—not the least of which is a report on my sabbatical project (also known as The Buckingham HeraldTrib). I am tempted to email a link of the site to the muckitymucks and call it a day, but I might find myself on permanent sabbatical after that.

Despite being in our new house, we still have not sold our other house, and boy do we want to!

So, for the first time in the more-than-two-year history of the Buckingham HeraldTrib, I am running an ad, my own:

--Advertisement--
Three-level, three bedroom, two-full-bath townhouse in north Arlington. A nice walk to the Ballston Metro, on many bus routes, and a scant five minute drive to the Washington Monument (you can actually see the July 4 fireworks from the bridge over Arlington Boulevard a half block from the house). Walkable to everything you need: post office, salons, dry cleaning, groceries, pharmacy, restaurants, shops! Our community center has an exercise room and a party/meeting room.

TONS OF STORAGE SPACE, washer/dryer and deep freezer included.

The fenced-in, private, back patio, shaded by mature oaks, opens onto a one-third-acre back courtyard (these open grassy spaces are what make Buckingham, Buckingham). We taught our kids to ride their bikes on the sidewalk that encircles that courtyard, and have played many games of croquet and bocce out there, too.

Renovations: both bathrooms were renovated recently and have very new fixtures and modern looks. The dining and living room sport newly refinished hardwood flooring (the original parquet from the 1930s!). The stairs to the top floor and all three bedrooms have brand new carpeting. The kitchen floor is also new. New paint just about everywhere.

THIS PLACE IS MOVE-IN READY.

Arlington Oaks Condominium Association. $482,500. The $449 monthly association fees (one of the lowest in Arlington) covers, water, heat, outside maintenance and repairs as well as many inside repairs and needs.

For the full listing and to contact my agent, click here.
--Advertisement over--

Between house sales and moves, and a report that must be written, I am not exactly sure how regularly I will be posting to the site over the next month or two. After that, about the time of the holidays, I expect to be a little more operational (next summer, I am hoping to have interns!).

For now, I have but one piece to set your blood to boiling:

As always, you can scroll down to see all the recent stories, or simply click the links below (if the link doesn't work, scroll down to find the story, and email to tell me what's busted: heraldtrib@gmail.com --Steve Thurston).

Today's Headlines:

Who Needs More Mavericks?

Labels: arlington forest, arlington oaks, Buckingham, realty, sales, townhouse

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:32 AM 0 comments

Two big stories top the news this week: School Board candidates answered a survey by the HeraldTrib just in time for the elections later this week (Terron Sims got his response in earlier today. I'll post it tomorrow morning. --ST). The county jail, on a daily basis, has 75 to 90 inmates who are being held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most are from elsewhere, but Arlington holds its own, too. [Mr. Sims' response has been posted, May 1. --ST] (Scroll down for the links.)

Arlington made a big splash late last year with a resolution stating that the county would follow all state and federal laws regarding immigration, but was still immigrant friendly while other Virginia counties were cracking down on illegals.

At the time, the county said that our police department would not be tracking down illegal aliens and asking about citizenship for every minor offense. What is less known is that under certain circumstances, the police will ask.

In fact the sheriff’s department must, by state law, ask about citizenry every time they book someone in their system. See the link to the story, below.

I have no plans to endorse a candidate in the school board race. I really have no plans to vote later this week when the Democratic party “endorses” its candidate. (I might change my mind, but we'll see.)

But I thought it was important to get the views of school board candidates, so that’s what I did (see their responses to the HeraldTrib survey, below).

Since political parties cannot nominate individuals to run for school board, they can only “endorse.” They do this by holding elections, open to everyone, and whoever gets the most votes (this year it is the top two vote-getters) wins the “endorsement.”

What stinks is that anyone who wants a shot at the “endorsement” must sign a statement saying that they will not continue to run if they lose the “endorsement.” It is a silly system both that the state will not allow a party to nominate and that the Democratic leadership plays along.

The winner of this election goes on to win in November, generally, since most of the field has been cleared out by the idiotic statement they signed. (The last question in the survey asked if any of the people planned to continue running if they lost—I was hopeful that one of them would write, “Hell Yeah!” but of course that did not happen).

I do not like the Tammany Hall feeling of the process. It’s an endorsement, or it is supposed to be. I believe it was yesterday that the governor of North Carolina endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. With his endorsement he did not say, “Now Obama MUST exit the race.” An endorsement should not carry that kind of weight.

Face it, the person who gets endorsed most likely will win, even if everyone could stay in the race (though I am sure some would bow out). Let the process run.

I have been meaning to report on this just a bit. You’ll notice Delancie has left the Arlington Oaks truck and is depositing mail in the box outside the El Paso Cafè.

A few astute readers have told me (and I believe it even came up at the Buckingham Center forum a couple weeks back) that the mailbox is too far from the curb!

It would have been just far enough to be a good practical joke if it weren’t permanent. Readers have told me they cannot reach the slot from their drivers' seats.

Normally I say, “Get out and walk for Pete’s sake, it won’t kill ya.” Yet the entire point of this box is that it keeps people from having to walk up to it. With luck, crews will move the box.

As always, you can scroll down to see all the recent stories, or simply click the links below (if the link doesn't work, scroll down to find the story, and email to tell me what's busted: heraldtrib@gmail.com --Steve Thurston).

Today's Headlines:

County Jail Holds Detainees for ICE

Police Notes for Buckingham

Headlines from Earlier in the Week:

School Board Candidates Answer Surveys

Labels: aps, Buckingham, election, ice, immigration, school board, schools

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 8:09 AM 0 comments

Arlington County Police will not ask people they stop or arrest if they are United States citizens, in most circumstances, but the Arlington County Sheriff’s Department will. By Virginia law they have to. What might be most surprising is that the detainees answer. Truthfully.

“I would say 99.9 percent of the people will be honest in their responses,” said Maj. Susie Doyel, director of administration in the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office. She said those arrested probably think the sheriff will figure it out anyway, but that might not be the case. In fact, they are not really going to investigate it.

“If you say you’re born in Germany, but you’re a U.S. citizen, we won’t say, ‘Well, produce your passport, produce your papers,’” she said.

However, the “born in Germany” response would require the sheriff’s department to run the person’s name through Immigration Alien Query, a database, and send the name on to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement if the name is flagged.

At that point, another form would be sent to the state police via the Central Criminal Records Exchange, a warehouse of criminal data run by the state police. If ICE is interested in the person, they will ask Arlington County to hold that inmate for 72 hours.

On any given day, the county might be holding 75 to 90 inmates for ICE, Maj. Doyel said.

A snapshot look at the inmates from April 23, showed that the county held 82 inmates for ICE, with an average stay of 52.56 days. One person at that point had been held for 260 days, more than eight months, according to figures released by the sheriff’s office. But those numbers are a bit misleading as most of those inmates likely were neither arrested in, nor had been living in, Arlington, said Maj. Doyel.

Ernestine Fobbs, a public relations officer for ICE, said her agency often uses the Arlington jail as a layover space because it is so close to federal offices and courts.

“Our numbers [of detainees] have gone up since this whole immigration thing has gone up,” Maj. Doyel said, referring to the crack-down on illegal immigration in Prince William County and elsewhere in the state and nation. ICE is using Arlington more, partly because of the location, and partly because Arlington has space.

Although the jail must first be used for local incarcerations, it can be used for federal detentions, too. Arlington not only houses inmates for ICE but for the U.S. Marshalls Service at $91.62 per day per federal inmate. The state takes $26.83 of that money. That compares to about $8 per day the county gets from the state for housing local inmates (the state also pays other money such as portions of salaries).

On average, the county spends about $146 per inmate per day, but the average drops with each additional inmate, so long the jail remains under about 650 inmates, Maj. Doyel said.

“It’s [the federal money is] just helping to offset our costs that we’re going to have anyway,” Maj. Doyel said. “I think it’s definitely advantageous to the county.”

At a recent meeting in Buckingham, Arlington County Police Officer J. Mike Lutz, said he knew of three people who had been deported after being arrested near the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Pershing Drive. The only details available on this so far are that the arrests happened last year.

The county cannot release the names and most recent addresses of the inmates without approval from ICE, Maj. Doyel said. [That approval is in process. –ST]

So it is impossible to know at this point how many people in the Buckingham neighborhood have been detained for immigration reasons.

How anyone might have ended up being held for ICE is a bit complicated. The Arlington County Police Department will not ask people about their countries of birth, generally. “We don’t stop everyone and ask everyone what they’re immigration status is,” said John Lisle, a spokesperson for the police. Police will not enter a person’s name into the IAQ database for routine traffic stops and other minor offenses.

But they will enter the name when people are arrested for violent felonies, for suspected human trafficking, for violent gang activity, and for terrorism or some other major crimes.

(Generally, Arlington police handle patrolling the county, arresting people and investigating crime. The sheriff’s department handles incarcerations, prisoner transfers, and works with the court system. The sheriff also handles civil matters such as evictions.)

If the person self-identifies as having been born outside the United States, the police will run the name through the database.

Anyone who is incarcerated at the county jail will be asked about their country of birth, and the names of people who say they were born outside the United States will be run through the various databases by the sheriff’s office at the time of the person’s booking.

But what happens if the inmates do not identify themselves as from another country?

“That’s the sticky question right now,” Maj. Doyel said. “If you don’t speak one lick of English, we have to report that.” And if police find a passport from another country, the person must be reported. There is little else to go on. And probable cause for running a name through the database remains unclear, and skin-tone will not cut it, she said.

Once inmates have been flagged by the IAQ or other databases, the clock starts ticking. The county notifies ICE and the Virginia state police. The state police do little with the information other than catalogue it and send it on to ICE themselves, a spokesperson said.

ICE has 30 minutes to respond to the sheriff’s office. If the sheriff does not hear from ICE in that 30 minutes, and the local charges have been dealt with (for instance, the person has made bail), then the person can go.

If ICE responds in the first half-hour asking that the person be held, ICE then has 72 hours to determine whether to press charges. Again, if that time passes and ICE does not respond, the person will be released so long local charges have been dealt with.

According to Ms. Fobbs, local jurisdictions can decide how they want to identify potential illegal aliens. But once ICE, as the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is notified, they will investigate, and if necessary will detain individuals on charges of immigration violations.

“We [ICE] make the final decision as to whether that individual is in the country illegally or has some status in the United States,” Ms. Fobbs said, adding that an immigration judge will rule in some cases.

For her part, Maj. Doyel said she thought ICE is much more likely to have Arlington hold them if the person is to stand trial.

“It’s much easier [to deport] them if they have been convicted,” Maj. Doyel said.

VA Law says Sheriff must ask about citizenship

Labels: Buckingham, Crime, immigration, Police

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:09 AM 0 comments

My wife and I just read with interest your survey about how to redevelop this corner [the corner of N. Glebe Road at N. Pershing Drive]. We're keenly interested because we live just three blocks away, and partially bought the house two years ago because of the convenience of the Glebe Market: We LOVE walking to the grocery store. (We like the El Paso, the dollar shop, the post office, etc., but the market is the most important by far.)

So, for our late two cents: YES, put in a grocery store, any grocery store. I'll help you twist [Trader] Joe's arm to get him to move in. We shop there (on Rt. 7) all the time, but are also afraid of the Rt. 7-like traffic it would bring. Keep it as small as possible!

And yes, we would love a hardware store; [a] non-Starbucks coffee shop [is] OK, but they're really all the same.

We don't like the idea of more high-rise housing: Who would want to live at such a busy intersection anyway? Why don't they just put offices above the retail? We don't like the idea of large shops or housing on Pershing that will bring more traffic to Pershing (we're just two houses from the corner, on Oakland). We want to keep Pershing as a residential street, and would like the speed limit to be 25 mph, like similar streets in Alexandria and Falls CHurch.

Thanks for reading our opinions!

Ken Moskowitz

PS: We've also considered retail attractions. We would like a DVD rental shop. If there has to be a coffee shop, make it Caribou [Coffee]. If there has to be chain restaurant, we would welcome Panera Bread.

Finally, The Survey Results

Labels: Buckingham, retail, traffic

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:59 PM 0 comments

Construction marks a lot of what is in the HeraldTrib this week. At the right, a crew from R.A. Burgess Construction was working just this morning on sidewalks along N. Thomas Street (Buckingham Village 2) at the intersection with N. Henderson Road. This week the HeraldTrib marked the end of demolition at the Buckingham Village 1 site, see the story link below.

I have a column in Arlington Connection this week. I must say that everytime I write something I see mistakes, and here was no exception. I called the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board a “Committee.” A stupid, if not huge, error. More importantly, I was writing about gentrification and how the Glebe Market might just go away to be replaced by a Trader Joe’s. I did not focus in my column how I have been contacted by a few people in the community who want the Trader Joe’s and how it’s pressure from many in the community, not just from developers who want to rent space, that drives some of these changes. I just thought I’d clarify that a little here.

Barrett Elementary also tops the list this week, as School Board Chair Ed Fendley spoke at the PTA meeting last night. The story is below. A lot is going at the school right now, so I’ll hit some of the highlights:

The PTA raised $718 from its Barnes and Noble day; that’s 15 percent of about $4,700 spent by parents and others at Barnes and Noble back in December. Way to go.

Barrett school started the year with about 440 students now has about 460, Principal Terry Bratt reported. Many of the new kids are first graders, so she was glad to have had the fifth first grade class (she thought about having only four at the start of the year).

Gym Night at Barrett is Jan. 18, come one, come all, organizers said. 6:30 p.m. to 8. For events, click here.

Finally, the Barrett PTA auction is revving up. Organizers are asking for potential auction goers to answer an on-line survey about what items people want to see offered at the auction. As with everything, volunteers are needed. Karen Hildebrand is asking for interested people to contact her. The announcement reads: “Meetings are NOT required and you can help as little or as much as you want. We have something for everyone!” Contact Ms. Hildebrand karen.hildebrand@visiant.net or (703) 528-1298.

I must say that I really like the remodeled Barrett Elementary School web site, too.

As always, you can scroll down to see all the recent stories, or simply click the links below (if the link doesn't work, scroll down to find the story, and email to tell me what's busted: heraldtrib@gmail.com--Steve Thurston).

Today's Headlines:

APS Chair Ed Fendley Speaks to Barrett PTA

Police Notes for Buckingham
Headline's from Earlier in the Week:

Photos of Santa's Visit to Lubber Run

Primary Demolition Completed in Village 1

Rabies Found in Arlington Forest It's been a heavy year for this.

Labels: Buckingham, buckingham villages, redevelopment

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 1:48 PM 0 comments