INSIDE: APS ramping up summer construction • Story, Page 4 6-8 Opinion 10 Schools 3 16 10 Police SPECIALIZING IN WALK-TO-METRO VOLUNTEERS SWIMMERS 11 Real Estate URBAN LIVING FOR OVER 35 YEARS! LAUDED FOR WIN IN 16 Sports COMMUNITY DIVISIONAL 703.276.1200 20 Classied americanrealtyarlington.com INVOLVEMENT COMPETITION 23 Crossword [email protected] Sun Gazette ARLINGTON’S SOURCE FOR HOMETOWN NEWS SINCE 1935 VOLUME 84 NO. 33 AUGUST 1-7, 2019 No Rush in Search for Superintendent HEADED TO THE WORLD SERIES! Timetable Will Remain Same as Laid Out in July SCOTT McCAFFREY Sta Writer The Arlington School Board’s search for a new superintendent will contin- ue to move at its own pace and not be rushed, School Board Chairman Tannia Talento says. “Our goal is to nd a highly qualied leader who will sustain our positive cul- ture of learning,” Talento said in prepared remarks School Board Chairman Tannia opening the July 25 School Talento has said that nding the right new superintendent Board meeting. is her top priority for the com- The new superintendent ing year. will “carry forward our mission and build on our bility” during any transition strengths,” Talento said. period. Though billed as an up- Talento, who on July 1 date, the timetable laid out succeeded Reid Goldstein by school ofcials on July as board chair, promised 25 was the same that had that input from staff, fami- been enunciated earlier in lies and the community will the month: be encouraged as school • An interim superin- leaders work to nd a suc- tendent will be appointed cessor to Patrick Murphy, by Sept. 3, the start of the who announced in June he school year. was leaving in September • A search rm will be to take the superintendent’s selected by “early fall” to post in Berkeley County, recruit and vet candidates. W.Va. • The search itself could How much of a role in- Left-hander James Tallon threw a no-hitter in one of the victories for the Arlington Senior Babe Ruth 15-under All-Stars take several months, with put from the community to help the baseball team win the Southeast Region Tournament in Lewisburg, Tenn. Arlington now heads to the Babe the interim superintendent Ruth World Series, starting Aug. 7 in Bismark, N.D. See coverage in Sports. PHOTO BY ROSS ASHLEY being asked to “provide sta- Continued on Page 14 ONLINE www.sungazette.news l On Facebook: sungazettenews l On Twitter: @sungazettenews @sungazettespts Local Postal Customer Postal Local Whether you’re in the market to buy your first home or yourWhether fifth you’re home, in the market I can to buyhelp your you first homefind or it your faster! fifth home, I can help you find it faster! Meet the Right Realtor for• Over 38 yearsthe of experience Whether you’re in the market to buy your first home or your fifth home, I can• Lifetime help member you find of NVAR it faster! Top Producers Whether you’re in the market to buy your first home or your fifth home, I can help• Knowledgeyou find it and faster! integrity • Over 38 years• Buying of experience or Selling I could help! 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Check out my latest listings online at CENTURY 21 New Millennium caroleschweitzer.ismyreagent.com 6641-A Old Dominion Dr, or call me directly! 703-525-7568 McLean, VA 22101 ZIP Code 22202 Is at Epicenter of Amazon’s Impact on Real Estate Market Across N.Va.’s Inner Suburbs If there is a bull’s-eye when it comes which tracks real-estate data across the gle-family homes. estate agent and buyer is experiencing is to the impact of the pending Amazon ar- Mid-Atlantic region. As in much of Arlington, recent sales due in part to Amazon,” said Natalie Roy rival on the local real-estate market, it is From the moment Amazon announced activity in 22202 has been down, driven of Keller Williams Realty Metro Center. ZIP code 22202 in the Crystal City area. plans to bring its HQ2 to the Crystal City/ largely by the dearth of available proper- And it is not just in 22202. Listing prices are up signicantly. Pentagon City/Potomac Yard corridor – ties on the market. As of July 25, there “Every ZIP code in Arlington has been When available properties can be found, and even before – the market in 22202 has were just 14 homes on the market in affected by Amazon’s announcement,” that is. reacted, in part due to speculators gob- 22202: six single-family properties, two Roy said. “Whether it is prices, invento- “This severe lack of inventory in 22202 bling up properties at ever-higher prices: townhouses and six condominiums. ry or demand, all things real estate have could be the result of homeowners waiting • The median listing price for homes in Betsy Twigg of McEnearney Associ- been impacted, from Day One of the an- for their property values to peak as the of- November 2018, right after the announce- ates noted that, in all of 2018, 236 proper- nouncement. Numerous people are delay- cial opening of HQ2 grows closer,” said ment, was $1,369,900 – up 76 percent ties sold in 22202 ZIP code – 77 single- ing selling now, in the hopes that values Chris Finnegan, vice president of market- from a year before. family properties, 27 townhouses and 132 will increase signicantly in the next few ing and communications for Bright MLS, • By June of this year, the median list condominiums – or about 19 per month. years.” price of $1,599,000 was its highest ever. So far in 2019, there have been 75 proper- Inventory has tightened signicantly While the relatively small number ties sold – 25 single-families, four town- across Arlington, with the 245 properties of sales in any given ZIP code during a houses and 46 condos – working out to on the market at the end of June down EHO month provides a caution not to read about 10 per month. more than 55 percent from the 553 prop- PUBLISHER’S NOTICE too much into the data, there appears no Twigg calls the current situation “a erties available in June 2018. The number We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity doubt that properties – particularly sin- classic economic conundrum,” akin to the of new listings coming on the market dur- throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and gle-family homes – that have been put on eternal question of which came rst, the ing the month was down about 27 percent support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of the market since the HQ2 announcement chicken or the egg. from a year before. race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, have been priced at a premium, Finnegan “There is very low inventory in the That shortfall is impacting sales totals: familial status or handicap. said. 22202 ZIP code, and it is selling faster and The 267 Arlington residential properties All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “These higher prices could be the re- at high prices (varies among housing type) that went to closing in June represented a “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because sult of homeowners looking to benet than in 2018,” Twigg said. “However, is drop of 20.5 percent from a year before, of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderli- ness, familial status or handicap or intention to make from the prospects of future appreciation the low inventory a result of Amazon and according to gures reported July 11 by any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” in the area,” he said. demand for houses, or is the low inven- MarketStats by ShowingTime. This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertis- The 22202 ZIP comprises about 4 tory a restricted supply, caused by people Despite higher average prices, the total ing for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings square miles – about 15 percent of Ar- waiting to sell until Amazon has a bigger sales volume for June countywide stood advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal lington’s total geography – with 15,500 impact on prices?” at just under $197 million, down 9.6 per- opportunity basis.