As you may know, Arlington is planning a very large construction project under the playing fields at the Cardinal Elementary site. It will be a joint project of APS and the County.

Attend this virtual meeting to learn about the construction of the stormwater detention vault that is proposed to be installed under the athletic fields at the new Cardinal Elementary School.   At this meeting, County and APS staff will review plans for the vault construction and answer questions from the community.   Learn more about the project and view previous meeting presentations on the project web site.

Co-sponsored by Greater Westover’s four civic associations:  Highland Park-Overlee Knolls; Leeway Overlee; Tara-Leeway Heights and Westover Village.

Cardinal Elementary School Stormwater Detention Vault Public Meeting

The Presidents of the Leeway Overlee, Highland Park/Overlee Knolls, Tara-Leeway Heights and Westover Village civic associations have written a letter supporting the stormwater detention vault scheduled for construction under the Cardinal school playing fields. The attached letter explains the necessity for the project and requests that APS work closely with neighbors to minimize disruptions from what will be a very substantial project

Wednesday, July 28th.  7 – 8 PM.   Attend this virtual meeting to learn about the stormwater detention vault that is proposed to be installed under the athletic fields at the new Cardinal Elementary School.   At this meeting, County and APS staff will review the 90% designs for the vault, discuss plans for safely managing the vault construction while school is in session, and answer questions from the community.   Learn more about the project and view previous meeting presentations on the project web site.

Co-sponsored by Greater Westover’s four civic associations:  Highland Park-Overlee Knolls; Leeway Overlee; Tara-Leeway Heights and Westover Village.

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting on July 28^th

Or call in (audio only)

+1 347-973-6905,,16676531#   United States, New York City

Phone Conference ID: 166 765 31#

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Event link:

Cardinal Elementary School Stormwater Detention Vault Public Meeting

Cardinal Stormwater Detention Vault Project Page:

Dear Neighbors: As you may know Arlington will be building a really large stormwater detention vault under the old Reed playing fields. Cardinal Elementary will still open in August, but construction on the detention vault will begin a few months later.

Wednesday, May 26^th.  6:30-7:30 PM.   Attend this virtual meeting to learn about the stormwater detention vault that is planned to be installed under the athletic fields at the new Cardinal Elementary School/Reed Fields.  

At this meeting, County and APS staff will review the 65% designs for the vault, discuss plans for safely managing the vault construction while school is in session, and answer questions from the community.   Learn more about the project and view previous meeting presentations on the project web site.

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting on May 26^th.

Or call in (audio only)

+1 347-973-6905  

Phone Conference ID: 397 633 566#

Update on Vaccine in Arlington

On Saturday, the County Board received a lengthy and detailed update on COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Arlington. We know not everyone has time to watch a weekend Board meeting, so here are a few key bits of info. Watch the full segment on the County’s YouTube channel.

• “I know it’s beyond frustrating and downright scary for many of us – including me – about the change and uncertainty in vaccine availability.” – Dr. Reuben Varghese, Public Health Director.
• Within a week and a half of entering Phase 1b, the state informed the entire Commonwealth it was shifting to a per capita allocation by health district region. The primary reason for the sudden change was 1) Virginia is only receiving 110,000 doses per week for the whole state and 2) in a span of just two weeks, all of Virginia moved into Phase 1b.
• Currently, the per capita allocation for Arlington is roughly 2,700 doses per week. “Arlington County has the capacity to do at least 1,000 per day, but obviously without the vaccine we’re unable to do more.”
• “Through Jan. 23, Arlington County has received 5,100 first doses from Virginia. And as of Jan. 22, we have used 4,560 doses, close to 90%, which is what we were aiming for, so we always have supply to start the next week.”

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Arlington County Rescheduling VHC Appointments

Arlington County is working to reschedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments canceled by Virginia Hospital Center. Affected individuals include people 75 years and older who were scheduled to receive their first vaccine dose after Jan. 26, 2021.

What to Know: 

• Individuals who already got a first dose of the vaccine at the VHC-managed clinic at the Walter Reed Community Center will still receive their second dose as scheduled. 
• Residents 75+ will be contacted directly by Arlington County to reschedule as vaccines becomes available. The goal is to reschedule the canceled appointments in the order of their original appointments. 
• Arlington asks for the community’s patience as it works to incorporate the 75+ group to its plans within the existing vaccine supplies.

Find additional information in our Vaccine FAQ, under the “VHC Vaccine Appointment Cancelations” section.

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First Case of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 Variant Identified in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced that the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 has been identified in a sample from an adult resident of Northern Virginia with no reported recent travel history. The B.1.1.7 variant, which first emerged in the United Kingdom in late 2020, is associated with increased person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.

“Viruses change all the time, and we expect to see new strains as disease spreads,” said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA. “As our state public health officials closely monitor the emergence of the B.1.1.7 variant in our Commonwealth, it is important that all Virginians continue following mitigation measures.”

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COVID-19 News & Notes

• Central Library Holds Pickup service will reopen Tuesday
• The County’s ability to inoculate those eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is limited only by the availability of vaccine supply
• Columbia Pike extends Buy a Nurse Lunch program through winter 2021
• Read: Northern Virginia Regional Commission’s Letter to Governor Northam Regarding Vaccine Distribution

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At our meeting on January sixth, 2021, despite the distractions then taking place downtown in DC, HPOK heard a presentation on the planned stormwater detention vault under the Reed School fields from Aileen Winquist, Demetra McBride, and Liz Thurber of the Department of Environmental services. The presentation is attached below.

Starting in November of 2021, after the school is open, Gilbane will begin building a 540,000 cubic foot detention vault under the existing ball fields. The new school’s playgrounds will be unaffected, but residents should expect significant construction and associated noise and traffic. The concrete vault will require an excavation approximately 14 feet deep: it will fill when the existing seven foot pipe is at at capacity and drain as that pipe drains, via gravity.

When completed the vault will remediate 85% of the excess capacity expected in a ten year storm. Arlington continues t explore other options for stormwater remediation in the Torryson Run watershed.

The topography of the fields will be restored when the vault is completed, including the sledding hill.

For your new calendars:  HPOK General Meeting
Topic: Construction of the Stormwater Detention Under Reed Field
Speakers from Department of Environmental Services 

• Wed 6 January, 7-8pm 
• Zoom link https://jamasoftware.zoom.us/j/4181369268

The County provided the informational graphic below

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Letter from 4ca Stormwater task Force regarding detention vaults at Reed Site, Dec. 10 2020

Dear Chairpersons Garvey and O’Grady,

This summer our four civic associations wrote to you urging the County to undertake construction of a substantial stormwater detention vault under the playing fields at the Reed School site to protect the Westover commercial district from the kind of devastating flood that hit our area on July 8, 2019.  Since then staff from both Arlington Public Schools and the County’s Department of Environmental Services have been working together diligently to evaluate this approach.  Recently County staff alerted us that an agreement on such a project has been reached at the staff level, and they have provided us with a general outline of the contemplated detention vault.  We are very encouraged by the direction of this project.

In particular, the current plan significantly increases the capacity of the detention vault compared to the initial plan that was under consideration, a critical step that will clearly enhance flood protection in the Westover area as well as in downstream communities along Four Mile Run.  We also understand the need to break this project into two phases.  While we would like to see a solution for the flooding problems in Torreyson Run as soon as possible, we appreciate the importance of completing the new Reed School on schedule, which the two-phase approach is intended to accommodate.

Our understanding is that the County will be initiating a public engagement process on this project at the beginning of 2021, which we fully support.  This will allow the community to understand more about the specifics of the project and work with County staff on any implementation issues that may arise.  Our group would be happy to help with community outreach for this project through its four civic associations.

We further understand that the County Board will be considering an interagency funding agreement for this project at its upcoming meeting.  We strongly support favorable action on this agreement to maintain momentum on the construction of critical stormwater infrastructure, which is needed in our watershed and will further improve the County’s ability to address flooding risks across the whole County.

Finally, we want to commend the efforts by the staff in the Department of Environmental Services and Arlington Public Schools for their cooperative efforts in reaching this agreement.  This project represents a significant, and precedential, step toward practical implementation of “dual-use” strategies for the use of Arlington’s limited public lands for both recreation and stormwater management, an approach that is increasingly necessary for the County to protect and enhance our neighborhoods.

Sincerely,

Mark Greenwood, Chair Torreyson Run Task Force
Lilith Cristansen, President Westover Village Civic Association
John Ford, President Tara Leeway Heights Civic Association
Kathleen Trainor, President Highland Park Overlee Knolls Civic Association
Mike Weinstein, President Leeway Overlee Civic Association

Letter from 4CA to Arlington Public schools regarding naming of new school at Reed site, Dec. 16 2020

Dear Members of the School Board and Dr. Durán,

We are delighted to see the steady construction progress at the Reed School site and look forward to having a new elementary school in our community. We are pleased that the planning unit in which Reed sits is now zoned for the school and that other walkable units will be con- sidered for inclusion in the boundary process in 2022. Neighbors also appreciate the offer of liberal grandfathering for those who wish to remain at Tuckahoe.

We understand that APS traditionally convenes a naming committee for new schools that in- cludes various stakeholders. Our four civic associations, which surround the school, each look forward to participating on the committee. We see this as a great opportunity to meet with all involved to possibly reaffirm a name or consider other names that reflect APS’s core values and may relate to Virginia.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Trainor, President Highland Park Overlee Knolls Michael Weinstein, President Leeway Overlee
John Ford, President Tara Leeway Heights
Lilith Christiansen, President Westover Village