Audrey Clement Impressed AGLA, Republicans, at NRECA

Hello Yupette,

The Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance held its monthly meeting at National Rural Electrification tonight as did the Arlington Republican Party. The AGLA candidates' debate didn't happen because Patrick Forrest didn't show up and AGLA decided to call the debate off and socialize with the candidates. County Board (except for Zimmerman) showed up and a lively discussion occurred among the candidates and AGLA leadership. Unfortunately, only a few of the AGLA rank and file attended.

Audrey Clement made a good impression on the AGLA leadership, who are on a first-name basis with the County Board. Audrey then stunned AGLA and the County Board by moving next door to the ACRC monthly meeting and addressing and taking questions from Republicans. She received loud applause for her fiscally conservative positions against wasteful spending by the County Board. It was one of the most impressive performances I've ever seen by a candidate for public office.

NO doubt in my mind. Audrey Clement is fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible and will be an excellent County Board Member.

Tom

Many Dems Fed Up With 'Old Guard'; Considering a Young Dem for County Board

Hello, Yupette,

I'm a 30-something Arlington Democrat and former ACDC precinct chair. Like many younger Democrats I'm fed up with the way the 'Old Guard' runs the Party and Arlington County. I'm voting for Audrey Clement in November. I've had it with Walter and Mary. Yes, in fact the developers run the County.

FYI, younger Democrats are looking for a Young Democrat to run for Barbara Favola's seat if she should move on to state senate. Two names that are mentioned are Stephanie Clifford and Kim Klinger. We do not want Libby Garvey or any other member of the Old Guard who has been around forever running for County Board. It's also time for Chris Zimmerman and Jay Fisette to move on.

Former YD

Deja Vu Reconstruction - Carpetbaggers are Ruining Alexandria

Hello, Yupette,

Thanks for your blog.

News from Alexandria isn't good. The out-of-state Carpetbaggers are ruining Alexandria, aided and abetted by local pols and absentee property owners who have allowed their properties to deteriorate while they luxuriate..in places like the Gold Coast of Florida, and Hawaii. It's like Reconstruction after the War Between the States.

Developer, Consultant, Planner, Lawyer Carpetbaggers are drawn by BRAC like flies are drawn by sugar to the West End of Alexandria, where they're trying to inflict Club Hedo on hardworking middle class Virginians who are maids at Mark Center, salespersons at Landmark, and attendants at the yuppie health clubs. More than 2200 affordable market-rate apartments are going to be eliminated via mixed-use yuppification, forcing workers to commute 40 miles one-way from the outer-outer suburbs. More 'Smart Growth'.

This is what we get from electing a Mayor who's not only pro-development, he's a GD developer! Another 'model minority' who appears to hate minorities. Like...guess who? Barack Obama.

Oh, forgot to mention, there's a couple more Club Hedo marinas planned for the waterfront in Old Town and the present GenOn generating station site.

Alex.

Time for Scott McCaffrey to Move On

Hi Yupette:

The new Sun Gazette Web Blog is a mess. It's difficult or impossible to post comments. It seems the blog's software bugs aren't going to be fixed and Scotty doesn't care. He (apparently) is no longer allowed to run the SG's news blog, and the SG's newsroom, as he pleases. All he CAN do is post press releases from the County Manager's Office, Arlington Chamber of Commerce, real estate sales reports, etc. This is the guy who who awards 'C' grades to any candidate for County Board who doesn't go along with the County Board's status quo dumb growth program. Well, his current grade is 'F' in Journalism 101. Time for Sarasota Scotty to move on...to Sarasota.

Donna

County Residents Expressed Widespread Dissatisfaction with County Board on September 17th

Hello Yupette,

I viewed the public comments at the opening of Saturday's County Board meeting and it appears that's there's widespread dissatisfaction with the way County Government is operating. County residents from across the social, economic, ethnic, and political spectrum expressed dissatisfaction with the County's bureaucracy which is apparently not capable of addressing longstanding problems and opportunities (homelessness, code enforcement, traffic, moderate income tenants facing eviction, renewable energy, library operations) but is focused on sports, entertainment, recreation, and helping out-of-state developers fast-track mega-redevlopment projects no matter what the consequences for nearby communities.

Tom

Arlington Republicans Will Nominate Kelly for County Board if Favola Wins

Hi Yupette,

News from my neighbor, who is a member of the Executive Committee of the Arlington County Republican Party, is that Mark Kelly will be the party's nominee to run in a special election next year if Barbara Favola wins her race for Virginia State Senate. The decision was made at ACRC's Executive Committee meeting last Sunday.

ACRC also decided not to endorse Audrey Clement for County Board. My neighbor, who is a moderate, said the neocons who control the ACRC had a laundry list of reasons for not endorsing her, most having to do with environmental issues.

ACRC's young tea partier neocons are eager to make a special County Board election a referendum on the County Board's fiscal and social priorities.

Thanks for your blog.

Moderate

Closed Door Deals by Non-Residents to Facilitate Big Box Retail in South Arlington

Hi Yupette,

The Planning Commission deferred and County Board on September 17th will defer amendments to Zoning Ordinance Sections 19, 26, and 27A regarding limits put on developers who want to build big box retail stores in Arlington. Like a proposed 120,000 square foot WalMart store proposed for the Rosenthal vehicle storage lot at I-395 and Four Mile Run.

Original intent was to limit additional retail development to a maximum of 50,000 square feet and 200 parking spaces. This made the County Board's developer friends and campaign contributors very unhappy.

Consequently, the County Board instructed the County Manager (a Fairfax County resident), Economic Development Director (also a Fairfax County resident), Planning Director (also a Fairfax County resident) and County Planning Staff (almost all live outside Arlington) to come up with revised zoning to enable out-of-state big box retail to build stores in Arlington. Did we mention that attorneys and consultants who aren't Arlington residents are also involved in the closed door negotiations?

So where does that leave Shirlington, Fairlington, Nauck, etc., residents? Totally ignorant of whatever deals are being concocted to benefit everyone but them. Stuck with another mess, on top of previous development messes. When will it end? When there's total gridlock in South Arlington, in about 5 years. At which point the persons responsible will be retired and living on a rancho deluxe in Montana.

Zimmerman Tells DES, Planning, to Ignore Flooding Potential From Pike Redevelopment

Hi Yupette,

As you may have heard, there was significant flash flooding in the area along the Falls Church-Arlington border last night and also flooding along Four Mile Run and on streets and roads throughout Arlington.

You may not have heard that County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman told DES and Planning to ignore concerns expressed by DES and Planning employees about the potential for major flooding resulting from Columbia Pike redevelopment.

At this point Mr. Zimmerman just wants to get his trolley through the planning process and any concerns expressed by anyone on County Staff about massive flooding on the Pike resulting from massive in-fill redevelopment are simply not allowed. It's reached the point where several members of the DES engineering staff are considering finding other employment rather than sign off on the Dover, Kohl in-fill plans.

DES Guy

County Board to Build $45 million Multipurpose Activity Center Next to Aquatic Center

Hello, Yupette,

Talk here at PRCR is that the County Board gave Parks and Recreation the go-ahead to build a 90,000 square foot (2 acres of floorspace) multipurpose activity center next to the Aquatic Center.

As presently planned, the building would contain basketball courts, squash courts, racquetball courts, a free weight room, a Nautilus room, exercise rooms, yoga rooms, saunas, and so on. Plans are still being discussed with the County Board. Mr. Tejada wants the building to be considerably larger to allow indoor soccer, and he's making promises to the Latino community that they will be able to play soccer year-around if he's re-elected.

The projected cost of a 90,000 square foot activity center is about $45 million. The Aquatic Center will cost another $50-55 million. About $35 million from the 2004 bond issue has already been spent on Longbridge Park. So figure $130 million or so for everything. And add another $20 million if Mr. Tejada gets his way.

This will be discussed with the County Board at a CIP meeting after November 8th, so nothing is final.

Parks and Rec Dude

Civic Federation's Grade for Candidates' Forum: D

Hi Yupette,

Nice to see the Sun Gazette stopped awarding letter grades to candidates at the CivFed debates based upon elocution and started reporting what the candidates actually said.

But how well did the Civic Federation perform at last night's debate? Not very.

This year the CivFed debates are relocated to Washington and Lee High School Auditorium due to renovation of the Hazel Auditorium at the Virginia Hospital Center.

Candidates who appear at CivFed debates are expected to be prepared and follow the rules. But the Civic Federation was NOT prepared to host debates at W-L High School. There was insufficient parking, directions to the W-L Auditorium were not posted inside and outside the school, the debate's moderator was often confused, audio quality was poor, only a handful of CivFed delegates were allowed to ask questions. Many of the questions asked by delegates were parochial and did not reflect well on the delegates or the Civic Federation. Two Arlington police officers were stationed outside the auditorium, allegedly to intimidate minorities from attending - the Civic Federation is almost entirely white, upscale, middle aged and elderly.

With all that's expected of candidates at these debates there's no excuse for the Civic Federation's leadership to mess up the basics. I'm not holding my breath expecting the October 4th debates to go any better.

Former Delegate

Cost of Pike Streetcar System, Street Improvements to Exceed $260 Million

Hello Yupette,

I hope you've been following developments in the Pike streetcar system planning process.

As things stand now, the cost of the Pike's street improvements will approximately equal the cost of the streetcar system. That is, the streetcar system will cost $130 million for 10-14 streetcars. Improvements to the Pike to support the streetcar system will cost $70 million and the Washington Blvd. bridge will cost $60 million.

Only a few months ago, we were told that the total cost of the Pike streetcar system would be $160 million.

Apparently the County Board will pay for all this from the surtax on business real estate, which provides the County Board with about $40 million annually to be used for new transportation projects.

Whether other pressing transportation needs are addressed remains to be seen. The County Board has committed to building another streetcar system in Crystal City.

Mark, 22204

Irene + Isabel = Stop Paving Over Arlington County

Hello, Yupette,

We were indeed fortunate that Hurricane Irene tracked away from the Potomac River last week. Instead, Irene tracked up the Hudson River and caused severe damage from 8 to 13 inches of rain in the Hudson Valley and in Vermont.

Hurricane Isabel tracked up the James River in 2003 and dumped 8 to 12 inches of rain onto Richmond, which also caused severe flood damage.

Question has to be asked: What would happen if 8-12 inches of rain fell on Arlington in 24 hours? Next question: Why is the County Board so fired up about paving over Arlington without any comprehensive analysis of what would happen here if a hurricane like Irene and Isabel tracked up the Potomac?

Terri, 22204