INSIDE: Preservation battle could become test of wills • Page 3 8 17 ARLINGTON W-L SERVICE CLUB COACH WORKS TO AID WINS YOUNG READERS 300th Sun Gazette ARLINGTON’S SOURCE FOR HOMETOWN NEWS SINCE 1935 VOLUME 86 NO. 7 JAN. 28-FEB. 3, 2021 Inoculation Effort Descends Into Chaos Lack of Vaccine Statewide Causes Arlington Officials to Revamp Plans on the Fly SCOTT McCAFFREY Sta Writer As many as 10,000 Arlington residents who thought they had a conrmed appointment for a COVID inoculation now nd themselves back in various stages of limbo, as Virginia’s, and the nation’s, vaccination rollout con- tinues to hit supply headwinds. “It’s beyond frustrating – it’s downright scary,” the county government’s director of public health, Dr. Reuben Varghese, ac- knowledged on Jan. 23, just hours after the county’s existing vaccine- distribution plan was tossed out and a new one substituted in its place. The county government had contracted with Virginia Hospital Center to provide vaccinations on a large scale at Walter Reed Com- munity Center. But given new mandates from the Virginia De- partment of Health, that arrange- ment is out the window and, for now at least, the hospital is out of the vaccine-distribution business. What happened? As the state government continued to roll out vaccination efforts statewide, it became increasingly clear that supply would be no match for de- FLYING THROUGH THE AIR WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE ... mand across Virginia. So the state government opted to stop supply- Washington-Liberty High School’s Grace Chen executes a twist in front of the judges during her oor exercise routine at a Jan. 23 competition at Yorktown High School. Washington-Liberty won the meet. 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Ruth Boyer O’Dea Sheri Grant 703 338 2277 703 405 1016 [email protected] www.boyerodeagrant.com 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22201 703 745 1212 2 January 28, 2021 sungazette.news Preservation Battle Could Become a Test of Wills County Attorney Says Rouse Estate Owners Would Likely Prevail in a Court Battle SCOTT McCAFFREY close the ultimate demolition of the district, the matter then goes to the Plan- Sta Writer building,” he said. “[Virginia] courts are ning Commission and County Board, very private-property-owner oriented. bodies that can only move as fast as state Even if Arlington government leaders The heavy hand of the government is not law covering legal advertising permits. get behind the effort – and that remains looked upon with favor when they try to Both bodies are required to hold public a big “if” – efforts by preservationists to restrict a property owner’s desire to do hearings, although conceivably they could save the Rouse estate on Wilson Boule- something with it.” be combined into one meeting. vard from the wrecking ball may simply As a result, McIsaac predicted: “A The question then may boil down to: run out of time. property owner who’s intent on demoli- Does the county leadership actually want “What you have going on is a race,” tion . will likely prevail.” The Rouse estate to get involved at all? The answer, if the County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac told The Jan. 23 discussion came a week The Arlington Historical Society tea leaves are being read properly, appears County Board members on Jan. 23, a race after there was confusion whether the board of directors on Jan. 21 sent a letter to be “no” – at least in terms of purchas- between owners of the estate demand- county government indeed had issued a to the County Board, encouraging preser- ing part or all of the parcel with taxpayer ing the county government approve a demolition permit – something that, as vation of the home. funds. demolition permit on the one hand, and of yet, has not occurred despite one be- “Over the past 15 years, Arlington has “We don’t have any money to acquire preservationists seeking to have the site ing applied for. If the county government lost many historically and architecturally the property at this point,” said board designated a local historic district on the drags its feet on issuance, the Rouse trust important buildings to the wrecking ball. member Takis Karantonis. He was echoed other. could go to a Circuit Court judge to force Let’s not let another gem go unprotected,” by board chair Matt de Ferranti, who said And since the county government action. organization president Cathy Bonneville the projected cost of “tens of millions of would have to go through a set of pro- The issue has become something of a Hix said on behalf of the board. dollars” would be prohibitive at a time cedural and regulatory steps that could local cause-célèbre, with more than 1,000 Despite the downbeat assessment of county ofcials are predicting budget take at least weeks before imposing his- people signing a petition in support of MacIsaac, preservationists can point to shortfalls. toric-district status against the wishes of preservation efforts related to the 9-acre one success on the issue even after County Another point that may weigh on the trust that owns the property, “I would estate, located at the corner of Wilson Board members in December seemed to them: Should the matter end up in court, hazard a guess you could obtain a demo- Boulevard and North McKinley Road. throw cold water on their undertaking. County Board members also might nd lition permit” faster than the designation “The eyes of history are rmly xed The Historical Affairs and Landmark themselves on the stand, something no could be approved, MacIsaac said. upon you,” said Tom Dickinson, who for Review Board (HALRB) is now set to elected ofcial relishes. As he was when the issue was brought nearly a year has pushed for preserva- take up a proposal to designate the site County Manager Mark Schwartz com- up in December, the county attorney re- tion of at least the century-plus-old main as historic at its Jan. 27 meeting. That’s pared the Rouse estate to the Reevesland mained downbeat on the ability of the house, if not the entire grounds. months earlier than the commission had property near Bon Air Park. Around local government to mandate that owners “This is a once-and-forever oppor- expected to act on the matter. 2001, the county government purchased maintain properties against their will. tunity,” Dickinson told County Board If the HALRB recommends the parcel “Historic preservation doesn’t fore- members. for inclusion in a self-contained historic Continued on Page 19 Our Counseling Services: Our Counselors LIFE• Family PULLING Behavioral Issues YOU INMatthew TOO Ryan, MANYMA, LPC, NCC DIRECTIONS? • Learning Disabilities ADD/ADHD,OUR COUNSELORS Anxiety, Depression & Sports Performance The• Adjustment right Disorders Matthew holds a B.A. in Psychology from George Washington DUFFY • Behavioral Diagnosis University, a M.A.MATTHEW in Clinical Psychology, RYAN, and MA, is a LPC, graduate NCC of COUNSELING • Sports Performance Georgetown PrepaADD/ADHD,ratory High Anxiety, School. 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