Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Neighborhoods, SPRC, Clement Say NO to Crystal City Mega-Development

Hi Yupette,

Site Plan Review Committee met on Monday at the Aurora Hills Community Center to debate Vornado's site plan for its Penn Place mega-development. About 150 residents attended.

The overwhelming sentiment by the community members of the SPRC was that the Penn Place site plan imposes too much traffic, density, and urbanization on the site, which is near the Pentagon City Metro station. Even the Zimmerman-appointed SPRC members (who approved previous poorly-planned mega-infill projects) agreed that community benefits are conspicuous by their absence from the site plan.

The Green Party's County Board candidate Audrey Clement attended and expressed solidarity with Crystal City, Pentagon City, Aurora Highlands, and Arlington Ridge residents. Crystal City resident and Republican County Board candidate Matt Wavro did not attend, nor did South Arlington resident and Democratic County Board candidate Libby Garvey.

It was again disconcerting to see how many people who live outside Arlington have so much influence over what gets developed here. If retired Planning Commission members want to make Arlington their second home they should get involved in planning activities in the state where they currently live.

Karen, Aurora Hills

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

NO Tysons in Arlington NO !!

Audrey Clement said...

Thanks, Yuppette, for your support of my candidacy. If elected to County Board, I promise to scrutinize future development plans for environmental impacts and demand that developers pay their fair share of infrastructure costs. Shimmering office towers atop crumbling thoroughfares is not my idea of Smart Growth.

10 Year Lyon Park Resident said...

I resent retired Planning Commissioner Carrie Johnson being appointed to so many SPRCs. She made poor planning decisions when she was on the Planning Commission, including many that have seriouly degraded the quality of life in her own neighborhood. She moved to Montana a few years ago. Why can't Arlington residents who are pushing strollers who are going to be living here for at least the next 20 years be appointed to the advisory commissions?

Anonymous said...

Because Arlington is a corrupt regime, that's why.

Anonymous said...

County Board are all well over 50 and five years from retirement.

Anonymous said...

They talk smart growth, they plan another Tysons.

Anonymous said...

How did we get to the point where 20 foot by 20 foot plazas outside chain retail stores become 'community parks'?

Anonymous said...

Time for the entire County Board to retire.

Anonymous said...

Larry Mayer, who lives in Florida and is over 70, is a sometime resident of Lyon Park, and also on the Penn Place SPRC. Give us 30-somethings a break already.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget to mention 60-somethings Inta and Nancy.

Doug Park Dude said...

Hey, Y'all, Zimmerman's neighbors say he doesn't live in Arlington anymore. Lights are on in his home every night but no one's there.

Anonymous said...

New York-based Vornado's legal counsel is Baltimore-based Venable. It gets worse, everyone else having anything significant to do with this site plan also lives outside Arlington.

Anonymous said...

Time for Chris Zimmerman and Jay Fisette to retire from the County Board. At least 80% of Arlington's problems would end once they retired. Ten Year CIP is a joke, more $$$ for more of Fisette's and Zimmerman's special interests.

C.Z. said...

Macho, Macho, Man.

I Wanna Be A Macho Man.

Anonymous said...

NO TYSONS IN ARLINGTON NO

NO TYSONS IN ARLINGTON NO

NO TYSONS IN ARLINGTON NO

Anonymous said...

Time for real journalism here also. That skank so-called "journalist" $cott McCaffrey should retire from being the Chamber of Commerce's Arlington flack to the family compound in $ara$ota and practice his PR skills with the sheeple there.

Anonymous said...

Agree regarding McCaffrey. Mr. Status Quo as Usual Forever.

Anonymous said...

Ten Year C.I.P. what a charade.

Anonymous said...

Been to Tysons lately? What a disaster.

Anonymous said...

More corporate welfare for Vornado.

Anonymous said...

County put street paving on a bond referendum. Do the bond rating firms ever check out how the County spends money?

Anonymous said...

Matt Wavro? You mean ACRC's Mr. Tea? Wasn't Mark Kelly bad enough?

It's a Neighborhood, Not a Redevelopment Opportunity. said...

For-profit blogs are the worst and the worst of the bunch is ArlNow, where trolls from Arlington Planning Division and Economic Development Office hang out.

Anonymous said...

Yes, arlnow.com does have a cozy relationship with county staff in exchange for exclusives and anonymous tips. Staff and elite citizens troll in the comment section to give the impression of wide public support for various initiatives. The site has some good points, but journalistic integrity is not one of them. The bias and manipulation is rampant.