Ranking site Niche recently released its new and APS topped all others in the Commonwealth with an A+ ranking. Falls Church City Public Schools was No. 2, Loudoun County Public Schools was No. 4 and Fairfax County Public Schools was No. 6.

APS received an A or A+ grade in the six major categories evaluated by Niche: academics, teachers, clubs and activities, diversity, college prep, and health and safety.

User reviews also gave APS high marks. One recent review, which Niche says was posted by a high school senior:

I have grown up in Arlington my entire life. This small town has taught me how to love home football games and holiday-themed parades. Every school, elementary, middle, and high school, has provided me with tools to grow as a student. The faculty has laid down the stepping stones for me to become a successful woman, and I cannot thank them enough.

Among , Fairfax County schools dominated the top 10 in the state, while Arlington鈥檚 Washington-Liberty ranked No. 13, Yorktown ranked No. 17 and Wakefield ranked No. 51.

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An elderly man who lives in Arlington鈥檚 Williamsburg neighborhood was rescued by an attentive mail carrier, neighbors and first responders after falling at home and not being able to get up.

The man reportedly survived on his kitchen floor for five days by drinking Coca-Cola that was within arm鈥檚 reach.

Jared Agnew, a neighbor, said a mail carrier who goes by 鈥淓鈥� was the first one to notice something was amiss Aug. 2 on N. Trinidad Street.

鈥淪he asked if anybody had seen [the resident],鈥� Agnew said. 鈥淗is door had been open for a couple days and E noticed that the mail hadn鈥檛 been moved.鈥�

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Agnew said after E asked around, one of the neighbors called the police, who responded to investigate the open door. Officers found the man on the floor and called for paramedics, who took the man to a hospital.

According to the Arlington County Police Department:

At approximately 12:45 p.m. on August 2, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances after a neighbor observed the door to a residence left open and mail piling up. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male in need of medical assistance inside the residence. The male was transported to an area hospital by Arlington County Fire Department medics.

Residents are most well-acquainted with what may be uncommon or unusual in their neighborhoods and communities. Suspicious circumstances can be reported for police investigation by calling the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222.

Agnew said he was told by police at the time that the man had fallen on Monday and, unable to get up, had survived by drinking Cokes on the floor near him.

Captain Ben O鈥橞ryant, a spokesman for the Fire Department, said the man was in relatively good condition when he was taken to Virginia Hospital Center.

The man was not at home when an ARLnow reporter visited his house on Tuesday, but a bottle of Coke could be seen on the floor inside the house.

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Fair-goers can get up close to butterflies later this month thanks to a traveling enclosure for the creatures from Florida-based company . are $3 a piece.

鈥淐hildren and adults alike will enjoy the wonder of being surrounded by nature鈥檚 most delicate, beautiful creatures,鈥� fair organizers wrote on the .

The exhibition will be open every day of the fair:

• Wednesday, August 14, from 5-8 p.m.
• Thursday, August 15 from 5-8 p.m.
• Friday, August 16 from 2-8 p.m.
• Saturday, August 17 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Sunday, August 18 from 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.

The county fair itself will be open from Aug. 14-18 and will feature carnival games, food trucks, and live music, in addition to . The fair鈥檚 full聽 has not yet been published on its website.

This year the fair will also host a pie-eating contest. On Saturday, Aug. 17 participants will chow down on blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry pie, and everyone will receive a 鈥淎rlington County Fair Pie Eating Championship鈥� t-shirt.

Pre-registration for the event, which is free, is sold out. However, fair organizers noted on that there will be space for some same-day signups. The contest begins at 1:30 p.m. and participants are asked to stop by at 1 p.m. to register and check in.

Contestants will compete based on their age category:

• Ages 2-4
• Ages 5-8
• Ages 9-12
• Ages 13-16
• Ages 17-109.5

The event is organized together with local bakery 聽and young adult event organization .

Several carnival ride favorites are set to return to the fair this year, including the , the , and the 聽from the .

The fair is free to attend but ticket prices for amusements range from $1 for a single ticket to $20 for 24 tickets.

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An Arlington, Virginia, couple has gifted $1.5 million to 聽county officials hope will help veterans.

Ron and Frances Terwilliger donated to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) to help fund the redevelopment of Virginia Square’s American Legion Post 139.

The aging building is slated to be demolished and rebuilt into with a preference for veteran tenants.

Ron Terwilliger grew up in South Arlington and attended聽Barcroft Elementary School and Wakefield High School before joining the Navy and attending Harvard Business School. Terwilliger retired as CEO from the housing developer in 2008, and has since donated millions to causes and .

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鈥淎s a child, my father worked two jobs to make sure that we had a safe, stable home right here in Arlington,鈥� said Terwilliger in a statement.

鈥淗is sacrifices gave Bruce and I the chance to attend good schools and pursue our dreams,鈥� he said of his brother and his upbringing. 鈥淭oday, the high cost of housing puts that dream out of reach for too many families. Projects like this are essential to helping people of all incomes and backgrounds continue to call Arlington home.鈥�

The Terwilliger Family Foundation is an Atlanta-based nonprofit that has donated around half a million dollars every year since 2011 to medical charities and other causes, according to .

The nonprofit鈥檚 donation to the American Legion Post is the largest private contribution to APAH yet, officials said Monday. APAH CEO Nina Janopaul said the organization was 鈥渉onored鈥� to receive the donation and will name the new building after Ron Terwilliger鈥檚 parents, Lucille and Bruce Terwilliger.

鈥淭he redevelopment of Legion Post 139 into the Lucille and Bruce Terwilliger Place is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, and could serve as a model for other Legion posts interested in responding to the changing needs of the communities they serve,鈥� said Janopaul.

The Arlington County Board approved the project in noting it was an opportunity to aid the county鈥檚 . Since then, APAH and聽Virginia Housing Trust Fund have a combined聽$13,700,000 to the project.

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A found the Arlington County Fire Department has been regularly exceeding its overtime budget while putting firefighters at risk of fatigue and injury.

County Auditor Chris聽Horton staffing shortages and a lack of payroll controls for the department exceeding both its overtime budget and personnel budget over the last three years. He noted that the overtime costs ranged from聽$5.2 million to $6.2 million per year, despite being budgeted at $3.2-3.4 million.

Officials are expected to discuss the 40-page report during the County鈥檚 Audit Committee public meeting Thursday at 5 p.m. in Room 311 in county government headquarters, 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

The department requires that firefighters work no longer than 60 hours in a single shift, and must take at least a six-hour break before starting new shift. However, the audit found that supervisors could override that requirement.

鈥淭he purpose of hours worked restrictions is to reduce responder fatigue, and improve safety, performance and quality of life,鈥� read the report. Horton recommended the department stick to its hours 鈥� as well as study whether firefighters may require more rest time between shifts.

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鈥淭he commute for some personnel could be one or two hours each way,鈥� wrote the report, noting that many firefighters live well outside the area. The report also noted a high level of sick leave could be caused by firefighters using their paid time off to catch up on sleep.

The audit issued 23 recommendations to address the time off and overtime problems, including that they create an 鈥渙verarching departmental policy鈥� on how to better monitor time off.

ACFD responded that they agreed with 20 of the recommendations. When it came to commissioning a staffing study, establishing better interagency communication and budgeting for more overtime, Fire Chief David Povlitz disagreed with the need for additional resources, writing that ACFD could address those needs internally.

One reason the audit found for the unexpected overtimes expense was a lack of controls and efficient systems for payroll, which Horton noted, 鈥渃reates cumbersome and inefficient processes and impairs overtime management.鈥�

The department was within its overall $59.8 million聽budget during the last fiscal year, but the audit found that the unexpected overtime expenses caused the department to exceed its overall budget in fiscal year 2016 and 2017.

Horton said ACFD鈥檚 high attrition rate and recruiting struggles have contributed to the high overtime costs.

鈥淎t the core of the budget management issues are staffing challenges ACFD experiences through the department, including significant attrition in ACFD Operations,鈥� he said. 鈥淎CFD continues to face struggles with deploying adequate staffing even with recent budget increases to fund additional recruit classes.鈥�

Last year, firefighters joined police officers in , some saying the low starting pays made it impossible to live in Arlington, with its rising . The county has responded to the demands by awarding 6% budget increases to ACFD for the last two years to raise wages and fund recruiting, but retention remains a problem: Horton noted the department loses an average of two employees every month.

Now, the county is aiming to hire 36 more firefighter and EMTs by 2022 to alleviate the workload of the department鈥檚 remaining employees.

Three months ago, Horton also found that the Arlington County Police Department for the last three years. The auditor found that ACPD reported $5.46 million in overtime last year 鈥� twice the amount allocated in the department鈥檚 budget.

Povlitz noted that because 鈥渢here are some similar findings between the Police and Fire Department Overtime Audits, all public safety agencies are planning process changes by utilizing a newly staff public safety time and attendance administrator position.鈥�

County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a statement Thursday that 鈥渢he real message here is that we need a better and updated financial system.鈥�

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This article was written 太子探花鈥檚 news partner and republished with permission.

Amazon鈥檚 designs for a聽 need to do more to become true landmarks for the Pentagon City skyline, said members of an Arlington County planning committee.

At the first Site Plan Review Committee for HQ2 Monday night, Amazon and ZGF Architects the new 2.1 million square foot project in Pentagon City. The meeting, held in Shirlington, primarily focused on the design and architecture of the buildings, with聽 about Amazon鈥檚 arrival saved for future meetings.

Amazon鈥檚 proposal involves the construction of two new office buildings at the corner of 15th Street S. and S. Eads Street 鈥� almost the perfect midway point between the Pentagon City and Crystal City Metro stations. The project is part of the for Amazon鈥檚 permanent offices opening in Arlington.

Metropolitan Park Phases 6 and 7/8, as the project is dubbed in reports, consists of a pair of buildings with outward-facing retail and restaurants, and the Amazon headquarters portion of the building facing inwards towards a central park.

Brian Earle, the project architect with ZGF Architects, said the focus of the design was integrating the building into the neighborhood.

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Design evolution, color revolution

There are no rooftop signs planned for the project, and the exterior design is terracotta masonry and glass 鈥� an inoffensive design that will feel familiar to anyone who has seen the new in Ballston or The Wharf in D.C., Amazon鈥檚 architects said.

The project drew the most praise where it stood out, and most of the criticism was focused on where the project seemed unambitious. Earle played up the modernist and art deco influences of other buildings on the block, such as The Gramercy and The Bartlett, but to the untrained eye, they seem to have the same tan and dark glass facade.

鈥淭hese are the tallest buildings in the area,鈥� Planning Commissioner James Lantelme said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 handsome, but I鈥檓 wondering if more can be done with the crown. Some buildings don鈥檛 have a formal crown but a distinctive top. This is just a continuation of the block going up. Is there anything that can be done to make it a centerpiece of this area?鈥�

Committee members were mainly impressed with the polychrome glass planned for the building, with colors ranging from fuchsia to teal across the buildings.

鈥淚鈥檓 always excited for colors,鈥� said Planning Commissioner Nancy Iacomini. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been beige or grey. Rosslyn is a sea of grey and it鈥檚 just as bad as Ballston beige. I鈥檓 happy to see the terracotta as grey but a lot of polychrome.鈥�

鈥淧eople are getting tired of seeing the same beige building,鈥� Lantelme agreed. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping this is the start of a different design trend away from the beige. We may have an emergence of a colorful district.鈥�

Retail tensions

Plans for ground floor retail in the Amazon buildings was also a focus of some excitement 鈥� and concern. Brick and mortar retail is , ironically in no small part due to the building鈥檚 primary tenant, and committee members expressed concern that the project could have too much ground-floor retail that it wouldn鈥檛 be able to fill.

Earle said the idea is to have a 50-50 split between restaurants and community-serving retail, such as barbershops and pet stores, on the ground floor.

鈥淥ne of Amazon鈥檚 strategies is they design the in-house food service [to serve] only 25% of the lunchtime traffic to encourage employees to go to other restaurants,鈥� said Earle.

Commissioners also couldn鈥檛 resist little jabs at the Amazon-versus-retail tension, particularly the the company鈥檚 physical bookstores have gotten so far.

鈥淎 would be great there,鈥� said Planning Commissioner Jane Siegel, 鈥渨ith their book store.鈥�

The next meeting for the project is planned for Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Parks Operations Building, 2700 S. Taylor St.

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Arlington County鈥檚 zoning office is undertaking a study to find new ways to encourage affordable housing growth in the county.

The study aims to update the聽聽鈥� a document which lays out measures to preserve units of affordable housing in several, specially-designated areas across the county.

Zoning staff are currently considering several new 鈥渮oning and financial incentives,鈥� like:

• Allowing developers to add more units to a building, or construct a second building on a property, if the developer reserves some units for affordable housing
• Changing some zoning rules about setbacks or maximum building heights to make it easier to replace older affordable housing buildings
• Adopting tax benefits for properties with affordable housing

The 12 areas in Arlington that include聽Leeway Overlee,聽Glebewood, Waverly Hills,聽Spout Run/Lyon Village,聽North Highlands,聽Westover,聽Lyon Park,聽Penrose,聽Shirlington, and聽Long Branch Creek.

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The original draft of the HCD in 2017聽聽developers from tearing down older homes in favor of new townhouses.

Earlier this year, the county announced a new 鈥溾�� initiative to help the county meets its goal of creating聽15,800 affordable units by 2040.聽At the time, staff noted lower-income residents face a housing squeeze given that the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $3,000, and Arlington lost聽17,000 market-rate housing units since 2005.

The new study is expected to be completed by early 2020.

County staff are also currently undertaking a study about ways to make it聽easier to build new , such as allowing developers to build the facilities in more places around Arlington than currently permitted via zoning.

Image (top) via Arlington TV

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Earlier this month, the independent coffee shop at 4807 1st Street N. in the Arlington Forest Shopping Center submitted an application to Virginia ABC to serve wine and beer on premises.

Owner Kim Seo said the cafe was still awaiting an inspection and that she doesn鈥檛 expect to receive a permit decision until early August, but that hasn鈥檛 stopped her and her sister from planning ahead.

Seo is hoping to cater to an after-work crowd, potentially staying open in the evenings (the cafe currently closes at 3 p.m.) for a happy hour and light appetizers.

鈥淥nce we get the license we will work on our actual menu,鈥� said Seo.

Seo said she and her sister, Kay, decided to rethink the hours of operation after taking note of how many people visit the shopping center in the evening, after Sense of Place closes for the day.

For now, A Sense of Place will continue with its usual hours of operation: from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

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Clarendon could be getting a new coffee shop by the end of the year.

A staff member at Kaldi鈥檚 Social Club told ARLnow in a social media message that the business is hoping to open an Arlington location by December.

Wrapping outside a ground floor retail space at聽 building at聽3110 10th Street announces Kaldi鈥檚 is 鈥渃oming this winter鈥� and features an image of people sharing dishes with cups of coffee interspersed between the plates.

Kaldi鈥檚 flagship location in Silver Spring first opened in 2013.

In addition to coffee, the Maryland cafe offers American fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and serves cocktails and beer. Staff did not immediately respond when asked if the Clarendon menu will be the same.

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鈥淭he name Kaldi comes from an Ethiopian legend about a goat herder named Kaldi who first discovered the power of the coffee bean,鈥� owner Tsega Haile wrote on the business鈥檚聽 noting that聽the D.C. area is home to the largest group of Ethiopian people outside the continent of Africa.

A year after opening, the Silver Spring shop . Since then, it鈥檚 聽and recently bought the .

The new cafe in Clarendon will have plenty of coffee competition, including , , , , , , , , Starbucks and the .

Image 1 via , Image 2 courtesy of Alex Koma.

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It seems like summer break just started, but some local organizations are already pitching in to help at-risk students prepare for the upcoming school year.

Arlington-based and Verizon Wireless retailer TCC are two of the organizations that are setting up drives for backpacks and other classroom necessities in Arlington.

TCC鈥檚 program, School Rocks聽Backpack聽Giveaway, first started in 2013. The program has donated聽950,000 backpacks stocked with school supplies since its founding. TCC asks that on July 24 from 1 p.m-4 p.m. community members drop off backpacks and supplies at participating , including a store at聽3141 Lee Highway

Offender Aid and Restoration, which works to improve the聽lives of the incarcerated population through educational programs, community service opportunities and reentry services into society, is also organizing a backpack drive.

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Until August 12, sponsored by OAR, will collect school supplies for children and deliver them with a note of encouragement from their incarcerated parent.

鈥淚t is so crucial to maintain strong family bonds while a parent is incarcerated for both the child and the parent,鈥� said OAR鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淚ncarceration not only affects the person going through the system, but everyone closest to them as well.鈥�

Anyone interested can also donate to the Project Backpack cause聽. Community members may also drop off items physically or mail them to OAR鈥檚 Arlington office at聽400 N. Uhle Street, Suite 704, Arlington, VA 22201.

File photo

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Over 1,000 residents have reported damage to their homes, and several tons of debris was collected after last week’s that caused widespread flooding in Arlington, Virginia.

The deadline for residents to report initial damages to their homes was Friday. On Monday, officials told ARLnow that a total of 1,029 people filed post-storm damage claims.

The damage reports describe a range of problem from minor (clogged drains) to major (completely flooded basements), said Hannah Winant, a spokeswoman with Arlington鈥檚 Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management department.

Winant said the reports will help Arlington County鈥檚 recovery and flood mitigation efforts.

鈥淔irst, reports help us determine what neighborhoods have been impacted by weather. For example, we may learn if someone needs a safety inspection after electricity loss,鈥� she said.

鈥淪econd, damage reports help us better convey our needs to the state when requesting potential resources to assist with recovery efforts,” Winant added. “The more clearly we can articulate how many people have been impacted鈥� the better we can advocate for our community and potentially collaborate with state and federal partners to help.鈥�

As for the destruction to public property, such as pedestrian bridges and public parks, Winant said the county is current estimating about $4.1 million in damages 鈥� up from last week of $3.5 million.

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The department鈥檚 director clarified during Saturday鈥檚 Arlington County Board meeting that these reports are used for the county鈥檚 state and federal aid applications, and that affected residents will have another change to summit damage claims later.

Crews hauled away 60 tons of debris 鈥� from rolled up carpets to soggy books to water-damaged furniture 鈥� during special collections from Wednesday to Saturday, according to Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O鈥橞rien. That doesn鈥檛 include聽the ruined parts of people鈥檚 homes that dotted curbs around Arlington, waiting to be collected on regular trash pick-up days.

O鈥橞rien said that county crews are scheduled to continue helping residents affected by the floods clear debris this week. The department for a contractor who cited some flood-stricken residents 鈥渇or improper trash preparation.鈥�

Solid Waste Bureau special collection trucks have picked up 60 tons of debris from last week’s storm on top of refuse removed during regular weekly contractor rounds. The County continues to monitor and provide special service for hard hit neighborhoods.

鈥� Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES)

惭补苍测听, shops,聽聽and pieces of聽 were damaged by last Monday鈥檚聽 鈥� leading County Manager Mark Schwartz to 聽in a bid for state or federal aid two days later.

鈥淥ur community experienced a rain event on Monday the likes of which no one who lives in Arlington, or who has lived in Arlington, has ever seen,鈥� said County Board Chair Christian Dorsey at the board鈥檚 weekend meeting, during which members unanimously voted to finalize the declaration. 鈥淭he violent storm that turned the daytime sky as dark as night in a matter in minutes.鈥�

Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management Director Aaron Miller told the board that the county met the $3 million minimum damage threshold needed to qualify for state aid, and that the Small Business Administration (SBA) is sending inspectors to Arlington this week to verify the damage reports. The SBA could offer grants or low-interest loans for residents to rebuild.

Miller said additional aid hinges on a tangle of bureaucratic red tape among FEMA and larger emergency declarations that can only happen at the federal level when certain damage thresholds are met.

Dorsey added that he hoped that Virginia or the federal government will be able to give 鈥渟ome sort of help鈥� but that the majority of costs are likely to fall on homeowners and business owners.

Several members of the public urged the board to re-examine its storm water management system in .

Board member Erik Gutshall proposed that the county start thinking about for more resilient buildings and infrastructure.

Dorsey praised county staff for their work over the past week but noted that, 鈥渨e do have to up our game鈥� in face of future potential impacts from climate change.

鈥淚t is quite frankly a blessed miracle that no one was killed or even seriously injured with the events of this past Monday and for that we are profoundly grateful,鈥� Dorsey said.

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Ballston restaurant SER is hoping a will keep the business afloat after 聽damaged the locally-owned eatery.

鈥淭he water apparently came through faulty drains in the building鈥檚 third floor balcony, spread through the third and second floors, and then seeped into every corner at SER,鈥� owner Javier Candon wrote on the GoFundMe page. 鈥淲e are at a loss about the physical and emotional toll this has taken on us and our entire SER family.鈥�

The Spanish restaurant has so far raised more than $2,500 after launching the campaign Thursday. The current fundraising goal: $65,000.

Candon noted that this is the fourth time SER has flooded since聽 in 2015. 聽Last July the restaurant had to temporarily close when the after the roof collapsed.

Candon told ARLnow he was 鈥渨eighing his聽options鈥� on how best to聽move forward.

鈥淲e are all devastated,鈥� he said via email. 鈥淲e have been closed all week impacting not only our guests and the parties we鈥檝e had to cancel, but our hard working staff. Everything was damaged in the restaurant as water seeped in everywhere鈥� the furniture, our bar, our ceiling tiles, equipment, etc.鈥�

鈥淲e want to remain in the building as this feels like home to us and to all our loyal guests,鈥� he said of the numerous issues the restaurant has faced. 鈥淲e are hoping to continue to work closely with the landlord to resolve the water issues in the building鈥� The safety of our staff and our guests is paramount to us and we are hoping the landlord will resolve the water issues in the building once and for all.鈥�

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Candon said he is filing insurance claims but there鈥檚 uncertainty about what will be paid and when. In the meantime, SER is facing mounting costs and will use the GoFundMe proceeds to 鈥渢o get the restaurant open ASAP.鈥�

鈥淯nfortunately, we don鈥檛 have the luxury to wait for the claims to begin reconstruction,鈥� he said.

Two and a half days after Monday鈥檚 storm dumped over three inches of rain across the region in an hour, Arlington County a state of emergency. Since then, at least 200 and 15 business owners have filed claims for aid with the county, .

The county鈥檚 emergency declaration opens up the possibility of state and federal aid, but the declaration still needs to be finalized by the Arlington County Board 鈥� and even if approved by state and federal authorities it鈥檚 not clear what would would qualify for aid and how much.

SER isn鈥檛 the only business raising money online for post-storm recovery.

A resident raising money for flooded聽 blew past a $25,000 fundraising goal in less than a day, stretching the goal to $100,000 to help cover the damage caused and merchandise lost when flood waters filled basements and knocked out power.

As of 11 a.m. this morning, the Westover聽聽raised about $55,000 to support the damaged shops.

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The County is considering a major project to replace water main along 23rd Street S.

The Arlington County Board is set to consider starting a water main replacement project along the street from Fort Scott Drive in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood to S. Eads Street in Aurora Highlands.聽A to the Board notes that the existing water main is 92 years old and corroding.

鈥淭he water main replacement is part of the efforts to replace the old unlined cast iron pipes which are subjected to internal and external corrosion that causes rusty water and reduces the fire flow fighting capacity,鈥� the report wrote.

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County Board members will consider awarding a聽$1,562,350 contract to the Loudoun-based聽A&M Concrete Corporation for the work during their meeting this Saturday, July 13 in Courthouse. The contract would also earmark an additional聽$312,470.00 in case of unexpected costs during the project.

鈥淭he overall goal for the proposed 12-inch water main is to improve the fire flow and provide adequate capacity to support demand in the neighborhood,鈥� the report notes. The residential neighborhoods near Crystal City have seen an in real estate since the announcement of Amazon鈥檚 nearby HQ2.

If members approve the project, it could cause some water service interruptions in the neighborhood but is not expected to significantly impact traffic, per the report.

The contract for the project is currently listed on the County Board鈥檚 for their Saturday meeting, a place usually reserved for items expected to pass without debate.

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A pedestrian tunnel under Route 1 in Crystal City is too difficult to maintain, county officials say, so the Arlington County Board is considering a plan to close it.

The closure has been for several years. County staff, VDOT, Arlington police and local business owners are all in support of closing the tunnel, citing 鈥渕aintenance costs, underutilization, loitering, perceived safety concerns, and the realignment of 23rd Street per the Crystal City Sector Plan.鈥�

That鈥檚 in addition to complaints that the tunnel is 鈥渁esthetically displeasing,鈥� infrequently used for its intended purpose, and often confused for a Metro station entrance.

At its Saturday meeting, the county board will consider approving with VDOT that would lead to the tunnel being permanently closed and dismantled, at a cost of about $300,000 to the county and $87,500 to VDOT.

County staffers say the tunnel, which links either side of busy Route 1 at the 23rd Street S. intersection, costs Arlington about $20,000-25,000 to maintain annually. The maintenance costs include pressure washing areas where people have urinated and repairing 鈥渙ccasional vandalism.鈥�

鈥淭he 23rd Street merchants and the Crystal City BID have routinely complained to county staff and the county board concerning loitering, public urination, and the unattractive nature of the 23rd Street Tunnel and canopy,鈥� the staff report says. 鈥淥bservations by county staff showed over 95% of users cross at grade as opposed to using the tunnel.鈥�

鈥淭he tunnel is generally avoided by pedestrians due to the perception of it being a public safety risk,鈥� the report goes on to note. 鈥淢erchants believe that this is having a negative impact on their business district.鈥�

Not everyone is in favor of closing the tunnel, however. From the staff report:

The Aurora Highlands Civic Association submitted written comments requesting that the tunnel remain open with increased cleaning, improved lighting and signage, and added聽security. The Chair of the Pedestrian Advisory Committee also expressed reservations about closing the tunnel unless improvements to the at-grade crossings were made at the same time. As an additional note, there have been two reported pedestrian/vehicle crashes in the past five years at the intersection. Both were classified as 鈥渘on-incapacitating injury鈥� crashes.

Despite pushback from the nearby neighborhood association, officials say planned improvements to the intersection over the next few years, detailed below, will further negate the need for the tunnel.

DES has identified some minor improvements to the at-grade crossings that will be implemented during the construction of the 23rd Street capital improvement project between Richmond Highway and South Eads Street, scheduled for late 2019.

• 23rd Street will be narrowed between South Eads Street and Richmond Highway to decrease crossing distance at the intersection with Richmond Highway;
• The crosswalk on the west side of Richmond Highway at 23rd Street will be upgraded to current standards: asphalt and high-visibility thermoplastic markings; and
• Curb ramps will be upgraded on the west side of Richmond Highway at 23rd Street to be accessible per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Additional improvements will be made when 23rd Street between Richmond Highway and Crystal Drive is reconstructed, scheduled for 2022.

• The Crystal City Sector Plan anticipates the realignment of 23rd Street to the south, creating a shorter crossing distance at the intersection of Clark Street and Richmond Highway;
• New pedestrian respite areas will be installed in the median of Richmond Highway;
• Curb ramps will be upgraded to be accessible per ADA standards at all crossings (not previously improved by phase 1 above); and
• New traffic signals will be installed per the new roadway geometry and include pedestrian push-buttons at each ADA ramp location

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Arlington officials estimate that caused $3.5 million in damage to county infrastructure, particularly bridges and local parks.

As of Monday night, an Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman said the department was aware of 鈥渁t least six pedestrian bridges adjacent to the Four Mile Run stream and one storage building at Bon Air Park鈥� that have been washed away.

Restrooms, playgrounds and picnic tables along local streams also sustained damage and 鈥渁 few community centers experienced minor to moderate flooding,鈥� though the community centers all remained open with 鈥渘o major operational impacts,鈥� ARLnow is told.

鈥淲e anticipate finding additional damage to its infrastructure as crews continue to assess the rest of the park system,鈥� said DPR spokeswoman Martha Holland.

Photos and video also shows damage along Lubber Run, near the amphitheater. A torrent of muddy water can be seen rushing through the park; pedestrian bridges were washed away, though the amphitheater itself was spared.

鈥� Brandon Jnes (@btj)

Foot bridges along even tiny babbling brooks were no match for raging floodwaters. One such wooden bridge connecting Chesterbrook Road and N. Vermont Street in the Old Glebe neighborhood was washed off its foundation and blocked off by caution tape this morning.

A couple of Arlington libraries were also impacted.

鈥淭he auditorium at Central Library sustained water damage and all programs are canceled this week,鈥澛燗rlington Public Library spokesman Henrik Sundqvist told ARLnow. 鈥淐entral Library opened up on schedule today.鈥�

鈥淐herrydale Branch Library closed early yesterday due to flooding and power outages,鈥� Sundqvist added. 鈥淲e expect to open on time today.鈥�

Arlington County has closed two roads that suffered damage to the road surface as a result of the flooding: until repairs can be made, 18th Street N. is closed between N. Lexington and McKinley streets, while 20th Street N. is closed at George Mason Drive.

Due to surface damage from today’s flooding in High View Park, 20th Street North at George Mason Drive is closed for repairs.

鈥� Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES)

Due to surface damage from today’s flooding in Westover, 18th Street North is closed for repairs between North Lexington Street and North McKinley Road.

鈥� Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES)

鈥淭here鈥檚 no other significant damage to facilities at this time, but assessments are ongoing,鈥� said county spokeswoman聽Jennifer K. Smith.

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