Yoga in the Park
2021-11-21 17:00 - 18:00, 2021-11-28 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Virginia Highlands Park – Hearts Field, Joyce & 15th Streets, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Sundays @ 5pm through November
FREE class provided by a neighborhood volunteer. But $5+ tips are appreciated.
Classes are held in the large grassy “Hearts Field” softball field at Virginia Highlands Park – near the corner of Joyce & 15th street, and across from RiverHouse.

Zumba in the Park
2021-11-22 18:30 - 19:30, 2021-11-29 18:30 - 19:30 | Virginia Highlands Park – Hearts Field, Joyce & 15th Streets, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Mondays @ 6:30pm through November
Join Colton for his famous Zumba class that is suitable for all ages and abilities, but is heavy on dance coordination. So if you have TikTok moves, you’re all set. If not, that’s OK too, maybe you’ll pick up some moves. No equipment needed – just your body.
FREE class provided by a neighborhood volunteer. But $5+ tips are appreciated. Colton donates all profits to charity.
Classes are held in the large grassy “Hearts Field” softball field at Virginia Highlands Park – near the corner of Joyce & 15th street, and across from RiverHouse.
Weather permitting. Follow @AuroraHighlands for cancellations.

Fort Scott Invasives cleanup
2021-11-27 09:00 - 11:00 | VA
Happy autumn! Finally, some cool weather for our time in the woods. Please join us this Saturday for our monthly invasive plant removal event at Fort Scott Park.

Where: Fort Scott Park, 2800 Fort Scott Drive, Arlington, VA 22202 Meet in the parking lot area, or if you are late, look for our large volunteer sign which will be visible from the parking lot.

When: Saturday, November 27, 2021 from 9am to 11am

Bring:

Appropriate clothing, including covered, sturdy footwear, long pants and long sleeves.
Drinking water.
Garden gloves, if you have them. If not, we will provide them.
Tools if you have them: weeders, clippers, loppers, small saws. No worries if you don’t have tools — we will have extras on hand.

Questions? Contact Terri McPalmer at terri.mcpalmer@gmail.com

Ready to commit? Sign up here: Remove Invasive Plants: Ft. Scott (signupgenius.com) Signing up is not absolutely necessary, so just show up if you have the time. Unable to attend this month? This is a recurring event every 4th Saturday of the month so maybe you can join us at our next event.

This is an Arlington County RiP and ARMN approved project.

Leaf Collection
2021-12-01 - 2021-12-04 | VA
Leaving your leaves on the ground provides many environmental benefits — they enrich the soil as they decompose and provide habitat for birds, mammals, amphibians, and caterpillars. If you want to get rid of them, the County vacuum truck will be making several passes. Or leave them in your biodegradable–not plastic–bags or in the yard waste cart.
The County’s vacuum leaf passes are:
Aurora Highlands: Nov 10-12 and Dec 1-4
Arlington Ridge: Nov 17-20 and Dec 8-11
https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Recycling-and-Trash/Residential/Organics-Waste/Leaf-Collection/Leaf-Collection-Schedule

Miracle on 23rd Street
2021-12-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Melwood, 750 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Melwood will be hosting its annual Miracle on 23rd Street holiday event again this year. Each year Melwood invites more than 400 neighbors and families from across the area to kick off the holiday season with Miracle’s festive community tree lighting and pictures with Santa Claus. Arlington Fire Department will escort Santa and Mrs. Claus to the tree lighting, and there will be activities that feature hot chocolate, snacks, crafts and a poinsettia sale. This year Miracle on 23rd Street will take place on Friday, December 3rd, from 7 pm to 9 pm.

Melwood is looking for organizations or companies to sponsor this fun community event.
Your support allows Melwood to provide employment, job training, life skill improvement, supportive and recreational services to more than 2,000 people with disabilities in our community each year. Please contact Marchesa Whittington mwhittington@melwood.org.

AHCA December Meeting / Social
2021-12-08 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
>> Register Now for December AHCA Meeting <<<

Agenda:

TBD

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Register Now for December AHCA Meeting <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

Aircraft Noise Mitigation Study Community Meeting #3
2021-12-13 18:30 - 20:00 | VA
County Meeting:
The third community meeting for the Arlington County / Montgomery County joint Aircraft Noise Mitigation Study for communities north of Reagan National Airport (DCA) will be held virtually via Facebook LIVE on Monday, December 13, 2021 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. The study team will provide a status update on the overall study, present draft recommendations for departure procedures and take questions and comments from community members. Check out the Arlington County Facebook page for the live meeting at that time.
https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/CMO/Airport-Noise

Christmas Tree Collection
2022-01-10 - 2022-01-21 | VA
Due to weather-related safety issues during the week of Jan. 3, special Christmas tree pick-up is now slated to begin the week of Jan. 10. Trees collected by the County the first two full weeks of January are turned into mulch available from County facilities. https://bit.ly/arl-xmas-pickup

Comments due: Aircraft Noise Mitigation Study
2022-01-12 | VA
Comments due January 12. The third community meeting for the NowGen project, the Arlington County / Montgomery County joint Aircraft Noise Mitigation Study for communities north of Reagan National Airport (DCA) was held virtually on Monday, December 13, 2021. The study team provided a status update on the overall study, presented draft recommendations for departure procedures and addressed community comments and questions. Watch a recording of the conversation [https://bit.ly/aircraft-noise-meeting3] and review the presentation [https://bit.ly/aircraft-noise-slides3]. Send comments by January 12 to noise2020@arlingtonva.us. The NowGen website is at https://dca.nowgen.net/. County information on airplane noise is at https://bit.ly/arl-airport-noise.

AHCA January Meeting
2022-01-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Register Now for January AHCA Meeting <<<

Agenda

Pentagon City Plan Update
Matt Mattauszek, Pentagon City/Crystal City planning coordinator with the County Planning Division, will give us a final overview of the Pentagon City Sector Plan. The Plan will be considered by the County Board in March. See the AHCA website for details.

Melwood GLUP Study Proposal
Larysa Kautz, President and CEO of Melwood, will introduce the proposed development of their site on 23rd Street, and answer our questions. See the January newsletter article for more details on the proposal.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Register Now for January AHCA Meeting <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

Eads (12th to 15th) Complete Street Meeting
2022-01-13 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
Online Engagement for S. Eads (12th -15th St S.) concept design. This project will provide complete streets upgrades along the northbound side of South Eads Street (East side) between 12th Street South and 15th Street South to improve travel conditions for all road users. The southbound side of the street will receive improvements as part of the Met Park Phase 6-8 development. Improvements being investigated include adding physical protection to the existing bike lane, reconstructing and realigning sidewalks, adding street lighting, and making necessary utility modifications and upgrades. Revised plans in this online engagement are based upon online community feedback from several months ago. See https://bit.ly/eads-complete-12th-15th

South Eads Street Complete Street – 12th Street S to 15th Street S

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETING

Join the project team for a community meeting to cover the concept design for this segment of S. Eads Street.
Date: January 13, 2021
Time: 7pm
Learn More and Join the Meeting

CCCA Meeting: Route 1
2022-01-19 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
January 19 (7-9 PM). The Crystal City Civic Association is hosting an update on the Rt 1 Study [https://bit.ly/vdot-route1], with VDOT and reps from our Livability22202 working group [https://bit.ly/L22202-rt1] responding with neighborhood residential reaction and comments. Preregistration required at https://bit.ly/ccca-jan2022.

Ft. Scott Invasives Removal
2022-01-22 10:00 - 12:00 | VA
During COVID, registration is required. Pre-register at https://bit.ly/ft-scott-restore

PenPlace SPRC #3
2022-01-24 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
The next phase of Amazon’s HQ2 between Army-Navy Drive and 12th, and Fern and Eads had its 2nd Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) meeting in December, addressing feedback from SPRC#1, Architecture, and Landscape Design. [https://bit.ly/penplace-sprc2-dev]. The project has replaced the prior approved PenPlace street grid with a large, park-like area that has a separate PenPlace Park Master Plan that just completed a second public comment period in December. Stay tuned for revised plans and further discussion perhaps. The January 24th 7pm SPRC meeting will be critically important because the topics will include transportation and community benefits. Please plan to attend. For more details, see https://bit.ly/penplace2021.
Notice from the County:

A virtual Site Plan Review Committee meeting for
PenPlace (Amazon HQ2)
will be held on January 24 at 7 pm
The Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) will host a virtual public meeting to review a proposed site plan for Amazon’s HQ2 known as PenPlace.
The project website hosts important information about the proposed project, such as:

Project background and details
Previous community engagements
Staff presentations

How to Participate

Arlington County is piloting a new site plan review process that will enable the review and exchange of ideas while expanding participation to broader audiences in an online environment. As part of the pilot, Planning staff will continue to work with the Planning Commission, applicants, and the community to improve upon the process and ensure it reaches timely and effective engagement that is essential to Arlington’s site plan review process. Due to the COVID-19 emergency, at this time, all meetings will convene virtually.

Site Plan Review Committee Members will receive a direct invitation to the Microsoft Teams Meeting. A public link will be posted to the project web page.

For additional information about the SPRC process and for information about MS Teams, please visit this page.

Questions? Contact Matthew Pfeiffer: mpfeiffer@arlingtonva.us, 703-228-3525.

Long Bridge Drive to S. Hayes Street Design Meeting
2022-01-26 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
public meeting, January 26, 7 pm; Jan. 24-Feb. 13 Online Engagement. The proposed design for Phase 1, along northern Crystal Drive and Eastern 12th St., part of the much larger Transitway Extension Project from Potomac Yards to Pentagon City [https://bit.ly/arl-pc-transitway].

Pentagon City Study "Virtual Listening Session"
2022-02-07 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
From Arlington County:
“Please join us for a final virtual listening session on the Pentagon City planning study before the Pentagon City Sector Plan goes to the Arlington County Board later this month.
Since staff completed public engagement on this study, we have continued to hear input and questions from the community. The planning study team is tracking input from the community and continues to finalize comment matrixes and documents that will be provided to the Board for its consideration. To ensure that information presented by staff fully encompasses all perspectives, we’re inviting you to share your input at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7.”
Also from the County:
“In each one of our public hearings over the last week, staff has received additional recommendations from the Transportation, Planning, and Housing Commissions for further revisions that are now under staff review and may be incorporated into Sector Plan. Similarly, with respect to Monday night’s meeting, staff will be looking to hear if any other items either 1) remain outstanding, or 2) have not been clearly addressed in the latest (4th) version of the Plan or its accompanying comment/response matrices. Identifying and confirming whether such issues exist will prove quite helpful as we finalize any remaining adjustments to the Sector Plan before the County Board acts on it.”

AHCA February Meeting
2022-02-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Use this link to Register <<<

Agenda

School Walking Bus Proposal
Neighbors Andrea Walker and Lauren Hassel are proposing an Arlington County/APS pilot project in which Arlington 55+ volunteers will walk to school with a groups of students. See the article in this newsletter and join us Wednesday night for a presentation of the project.

Route 1 Working Group Update
Eric Cassel, President of the Crystal City Civic Association and head of the Route 1 Working Group, will talk about the major changes being developed for Route 1. The Virginia Dept. of Transportation has proposed bringing to grade all crossings of Route 1 south of 12th St. This would eliminate the existing configuration of 18th St., which allows traffic, bikes, and pedestrians to cross under Route 1.

LAC Community Studios & Event Space
LAC, formerly the Lee Arts Center, closed in 2020 after more that 40 years of providing quality art studio space for Arlington artists. SaveLAC.org is trying to revitalize this valuable resource. Local artist and art professor David Carlson will present the project.

AHCA Committees [Added Feb 6]
Many of our standing committees have lapsed in recent years. Stacy Meyer has offered to chair the Zoning Committee and will speak about the sorts of zoning cases that come before AHCA. David Litman will talk briefly about Neighborhood Conservation. Our treasurer, Ben Watts, will work on reconstituting a Budget Committee, to ensure our funds are well spent for the community.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Use this link to Register <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

PenPlace (Amazon HQ2)
2022-02-10 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
From Arlington County:
“Participate in the third virtual public meeting to review the proposed site plan for Amazon’s HQ2, also known as PenPlace.”

AHCA March Meeting
2022-03-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

Agenda

7:00 pm – County Presentation on Site Development Process
Elise Cleva and Erika Moore of the County planning office will give us a short presentation on the Site Design development process and how we can be involved, and what type of input we can provide specifically in the JBGSmith development of the River House site.

7:45 pm – Management of the Arlington Deer Population
Arlington Regional Master Naturalists

Other Business
Cherry Blossom Festival
Zoning Committee Report
Dominion Power digging locations

New Business

Adjourn

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

Special Meeting on Melwood Zoning
2022-03-14 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
At the regular March 2022 AHCA meeting on Wednesday, Zoning Committee chair Stacy Meyer presented the Zoning Committee report on the application by Melwood to the County for a Special General Land Use Permit (GLUP) Study for the property at 750 23rd Street South, commensurate with their desire to increase the zoning density available on the site so they may subsequently file an application for a five/six story building at this location. It is anticipated that in addition to maintaining Melwood offices and facilities, the building will house 104 affordable residential units ranging in size between one and three bedrooms, 30 of which will be for people with disabilities.
Zoning Committee memo re Melwood GLUP study
Zoning Committee memo re Melwood GLUP studyDownload
The AHCA members voted and passed a motion at the March 2022 meeting that there shall be a special emergency meeting of the AHCA membership on Monday, March 14 at 7 pm via Zoom. The purpose of the meeting is to give members time to review the Zoning Committee report and decide whether the report should be adopted and sent forward to the appropriate County representatives (County Board and/or County Staff and/or County commissions).

REGISTER HERE

Members are encouraged to read the attached report and attend the meeting ready to respectfully discuss the Zoning Committee’s findings and decide on the best way to proceed in the best interests of the neighborhood.
Further reading:

AHCA Zoning Committee Report on Melwood Request
GLUP application from Melwood
January AHCA recording of Melwood’s presentation
March AHCA recording of committee’s presentation

Arlington Acoustic Cafe
2022-03-15 19:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Arlington Acoustic Cafe Returns with Two Exciting Artists at Aurora Hills Community Center March 15
The Arlington Acoustic Café launches its Spring 2022 season with two exciting artists: singer/songwriter/guitarist Megan Ukoh and honky tonkin’ Christopher Colletta and State Secrets. For the Spring season, the café will be located in the Aurora Hills Community Center near Pentagon City in the Aurora Highlands Neighborhood.

The Arlington Acoustic Café is a program of the County’s 55+ Program. The Acoustic Cafe is Arlington’s quiet place to play and listen to music. Thanks to the Arlington Alliance for Senior Programs for supporting our artists. People of all ages and from any locality are welcome to attend.
Event: Arlington Acoustic Café
When: Tuesday, March 15 @ 7pm
Featured Artists: Megan Ukoh (solo); Christopher Coletta and State Secrets
NEW LOCATION: Aurora Hills Community Center – 735 18th St South, Arlington, VA 22202, near Pentagon City
Admission: Free and open to all.

The Artists.
Megan Ukoh plays a mellow Telecaster, writes her own songs, and performs those of her favorite artists, such as Sade, Bob Marley, Maxwell, Zap Mama, Fred Hammond, Lianne La Havas, Corinne Bailey Rae, Esperanza Spalding. Her music touches a soulful spiritual groove. She is at home in a range of musical styles: neo-soul, gospel, jazz, and Brazilian music. And she plays in religious settings as well.

Influenced by legends like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson and by newer blood like Charley Crockett and Justin Townes Earle, Christopher Colletta’s music is a mix of classic honkytonk country and Americana. His music career began in the streets of Paris, France, turning cafés into honky tonks and even playing for American expats at the U.S. embassy. “Unprecedented global events” brought Christopher stateside, and he recently began playing again in Washington, DC.

Performer links.
Megan Ukoh – https://www.meganukohmusic.com/
Christopher Coletta and State Secrets – https://linktr.ee/cccollettamusic

Acoustic Cafe links.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/acoustic.cafe.arlington
Instagram: @arlingtonacousticcafe

COVID Precautions.
Effective March 3, 2022, masks are optional for the public and most employees while inside Arlington County government facilities, as long as the County is in a “low” COVID-19 Community Level, per the CDC.

###

AHCA April Meeting
2022-04-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link<<

AGENDA
7:00 pm – Neighborhood Conservation Funding Proposal David Litman, our AHCA representative on the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Commission, has asked the Civic Association to support an increase in NC funding from $3M to $6M. We will discuss and vote on whether to send a letter of support. Please see article below for more information.
7:30 pm – Matt Ginivan of JBGSmith In response to neighborhood concern regarding the RiverHouse development, JBGSmith will hold a listening session to hear our ideas and concerns about the building massing, transportation issues, green space and community facilities. JBGSmith is not presenting a design at this time, but rather gathering input before doing the site design.
Other Business
Zoning Committee Report
New Business
Adjourn
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Check back for Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

AHCA May Meeting
2022-05-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

Agenda

7:00 pm – AHCA Zoning Committee Report on the Eads Street GLUP Amendment and Crystal City Heights Study Stacy Meyer, chair of AHCA Zoning Committee with present the committee’s most recent report. We’ll discuss and vote on whether to send the report to the County Planning Staff and Board. See article below for more information.
7:30 pm – Preparation for May 12 LRPC meeting on Melwood GLUP Study – Stacy Meyer will represent the AHCA at the May 12 LRPC meeting to review Melwood’s application to change the GLUP designation for their property. More information in the article to the left, on how to attend the virtual meeting as an observer.
8:00 pm – Army Navy Country Club Connector Trail Options Natasha Atkins will present the proposals for the ANCC connector trail, and get feedback from AHCA members on the proposed options. See article below for more information.
Other Business
New Business – Next Month: Senator Adam Ebbin will give us a legislative update and wants to know what interests/concerns us
Adjourn

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

AHCA June Meeting
2022-06-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Check back for Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

Agenda

To be determined

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Check back for Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

Community Yard Sale
2022-06-19 08:00 - 14:00 | VA
Got Clutter?

Mark your calendars for the annual Aurora Highlands Father’s Day community sale!

***SUNDAY JUNE 19th 8am – 2pm***

Sign up here to get your address on the yard sale map!

Maps will be distributed two days prior to the sale.

AHCA July Meeting
2022-07-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

Agenda

7:00 pm – AHCA Zoning Committee Report
7:10 pm – Update from the National Landing BID – Staff for the National Landing Business improvement district will join to share upcoming events and place-making as part of its expansion into the Pentagon City area.
7:50 pm – Americana Project – Staff for JBG will give a presentation and receive feedback on their new residential development proposal to replace the Americana hotel.
Other Business
New Business – Next Month: We will be off in August and restart again in September
Adjourn

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

AHCA September Meeting
2022-09-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

Agenda

7:00 pm – Capital Improvement Plan. County Planning Staffer Matt Mattauszek to discuss on projects we can expect in our neighborhood over the next decade.
7:30 pm – ACPD Update. Corporal Kenny Giles of the Arlington County Police Department will update us on recent trends in our area and how to stay safe.
Other Business
New Business
Adjourn

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.

AHCA October Meeting
2022-10-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

Agenda

Tree preservation Discussion with Classic Cottages

Friends of Mount Vernon Trail

Dweck Properties on Crystal Towers

2023 Officer Nominations

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar and avoid delays joining when the meeting starts.

>> Meeting Registration/Zoom Link <<<

If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer or email info@aurorahighlands.org.
