New Streetlamps on 7th Street

2022 Meeting Schedule

Meetings are virtual during the pandemic. Normally meetings alternate between
Alice West Fleet Elementary Library
and the
Public Montessori School of Arlington Library.
Meetings start at 7:00 PM.

Please check the newsletter for details.

by Jay Jacob Wind -- July 15, 2000

Streetlamp Locations

<==North      Map is not drawn to scale.
Locations are approximate and subject to
final determination by County engineers.
-----------------+---------------
           626   : South Fillmore
                *:
           2915  : 7th Street
                *:
           627   :
                *: 
-----------------+---------------
           626   : South Garfield
                *:
           3007  :
                 :
           3011  :
                *:
           3015  :
                *:
           627   : 
-----------------+---------------
     *  *  632   : South Highland
                *:
           3105  :
                 :
           3109  :
                *:
           3115  :
                 :
           3119  :
                *:
           3123  :
-----------------+---------------
           3201 *: South Irving
                 :
           3205  :
                *:
           3207  :
                 :
           3211  :
                *:
           3215  :
       0---------+ South Ivy
          #  #   :
           3219 *:
                 :
           3233  :
                *: South Glebe
-----------------+---------------

    In the map on the right,
*  indicates locations of new lamps 
#  indicates locations where old Coach-style lamps will be replaced by new Carlyle-style lamps

In 1999, after receiving petitions from the residents of 7th Street, the County Board approved Carlyle-style streetlamps on 7th Street, Highland Street, and Ivy Street, under Arlington's Neighborhood Conservation program.

On Thursday, Arlington County staff identified the exact locations where the new streetlights would go.  On 7th Street, you will see white circles identifying those locations. 

The selected locations incorporate both the expressed desires of neighbors and County standards:

You can see examples of the new lamps on 200-500 blocks of South Irving Street and on the 3000 block of 6th Street South.

After the new lamps are installed, Virginia's Power's existing "cobra" lamps on the south side of 7th Street will be removed.  The new streetlamps will be owned and maintained by Arlington County itself.  The contractor has pre-positioned a backhoe at 7th and Ivy and a porta-john and conduit lines at 7th and Highland.  Digging for the conduit begins next week.  The new streetlights will be installed in about three weeks.

To avoid any contact with utility lines, County staff carefully marked gas lines (yellow), sewer (green), water (blue), and fiber optic tubes (orange).  The white lines mark where underground powerlines will go.  I have made County staff aware of the disaster on January 18, 1999, when e-Spire's contractor Fishel Construction broke through two water lines, resultin in two flooded basements, and improperly re-opened a shut-down gas line, resulting in a neighborhood evacuation. 

County staff assured me they will proceed with utmost caution.  e-Spire's work was performed under a permit granted free by the County and then subcontracted to Fishel.  this project, on the other hand, is under contract directly from the County, and will be supervised directly by County staff.