Non-Resident Arlington Decision Makers: "Party's Over There, in Arlington"

Hey Yupette,

Don't you just love our non-resident decision makers organizing all the wonderfully noisy festivals and events, like wonderful "Rolling Thunder" this weekend? Our County Manager and Chief of Police live in lovely Clifton. County Staff also live elsewhere, at the end of cul de sacs in classic Fairfax County, Prince William County, Loudoun County neighborhoods, not off Route 50, Route 66, and I-395 in Arlington. Thanks for featuring the wonderful non-residents who make all our decisions for us. Summer begins again in Arlington. Duh.

Peter, 22205

VIP 'Planners' Enjoy Suburban Life in Fairfax County, Impose Massive Urbanization on Arlington

Hey, Yupette,

Driven out to McLean lately? That's where the planners and VIP decision makers who are imposing total urbanization on Arlington County live. No bicycle lanes, no bicycles, no bikeshare stations, everyone drives everywhere. Thousands of acres of fallow farmland available for McMansions (that horse boarding farm a mile up Chain Bridge Road from Arlington is still for sale, by the way).

Ever attended McLean Day? Massive traffic. What a mess. McLean VIPs who are imposing massive urbanization on Arlington love it. Check out the McLean blogs that covered this event on Saturday.

For the record, Arlington's County Manager, Economic Development Director, and Planning Director live in suburban Fairfax County. So do the planners, attorneys, and other key 'decision makers' who are urbanizing Arlington.

What have they learned from the Tysons mess? Massively urbanize a suburban area and then tell everyone to ride bicycles. LOL.

Ken, 22204

Economic Development Staff - Arlington Will Be the Next Tysons

Hello, Yupette,

I wanted to know what the long range plans are for Arlington. So I asked a woman who's on the Economic Development Division's staff. She confirmed that "Arlington is going to be the next Tysons. It's going to be done neighborhood by neighborhood over the next ten years. They're going to pack as much density into this county as possible. Arlington is going to be like Tysons is today. Next big thing is urbanizing residential neighborhoods between the state highway corridors."

So if people are concerned about the planning for Crystal City they should be. Because that's the future planning for the entire County.

Thanks for your blog.

Mary

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

Residents Will Not Participte In Bicycle Events Until Streets are Repaired

Hello, Yupette,

Regarding "Bike to Work Week" we have been invited to participate in this event but the streets in our neighborhood are simply too broken and potholed for us to consider riding bicycles until the streets are fixed. We've e-mailed messages to the Arlington County Board and Arlington County Manager asking them to fix the streets first, before any more is spent on sports, recreation, and entertainment.

Best,

Ted

22204

Bomb Reportedly Removed from 9-11 Memorial Near Pentagon, Detonated

Hello, Yupette,

What was the explosion everyone heard about 4 PM yesterday afternoon while a 'suspicious package' incident near the Pentagon was being investigated by several police agencies? Appears the suspicious object was, in fact, an explosive device and either detonated while being moved in an explosion containment vehicle or was detonated at a secure site in South Arlington. I can't determine which. Suspicious object was not a box full of discarded trash as has been reported elsewhere. Police were very concerned about the possibility of a second bomb hidden near the first.

Rob 22204

Arlington's $568 Million Wastewater Treatment Plant - A Disaster Waiting to Happen.

Hi Yupette,

Despite what you may have heard from the County's PR Team at the last County Board Meeting about the County's "marvelous" new wastewater treatment plant, the plant's operators are barely able to keep up with alarms and major-league malfunctions at the plant. These range from bad odors, to sewage overflows, to near-explosions of toxic gasses (like chlorine) used to treat raw sewage. My neighbor works at the wastewater treatment plant and he's pretty scared that the Plant and half of South Arlington are going to blow sky-high.

Thanks for your blog, the only honest blog in Northern VA, in my opinion.

Peter

Fi$ette's Friendships With Fossil Fuel Polluters Preventing On-Site Renewable Energy

Hey, Yupette,

Every wonder why the pace of on-site renewable energy installation in Arlington is so glacial? One big reason - Jay Fisette's friendships with the fossil fuel polluters. Yep, like other VIP Democrats Jay is best buds with the anti-renewable energy National Rural Electrification Cooperative Association, which is currently at war with the EPA. In fact, Jay's domestic partner's corporate consulting firm, Healthy Companies International, recently gave NRECA a big corporate makeover. Of course, NCREA also supplies the Arlington Democratic Committee with 'free' meeting and event space.

Jay's also good buds with anti-renewable energy Dominion and Washington Gas. Jay's so-called 'Citizen Energy Task Force' was another big charade. How big? Check out what's going on elsewhere in the Northeast. There is a massive move on to install on-site solar in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Here's a photo of a Giant supermarket in eastern Pennsylvania where a 250 kilowatt solar array was installed a couple months ago. ALL the Giant supermarkets in Pennsylvania and Delaware are having big solar arrays installed.

Meanwhile back in Arlington, the County Board is still approving LEED Gold buildings that are energy pigs. Why are we still electing and re-electing turkeys like Jay Fisette?

Terri

Planning Commission Says NO, for Now, to More Bonus Density for Increased LEED Scores

Hey, Yupette,

Planning Commission met tonight. County Board sprung a Spring surprise on the P.C. in the form of a complex corporate welfare bonus-density-for-LEED-score deal that was only sent to Planning Commission members yesterday. Planning Commission said - let's think about this. And they are the County Board's hand picked pro-development "facilitators". Obviously, Arlington County is nothing more than a development and redevelopment opportunity for any developer gang wanting a corporate welfare steal from the County Board, as the Arlington Yupette blog has stated many times.

2100

Arlington's Fiscal Future - Train Wreck or Major Yearly Tax Increases

Hi Yupette,

Seen how the Arlington County Board intends to spend tax revenue over the next five years? About $550 million for the Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcar systems. At least $100 million more for Long Bridge Park. Minimum of $250 million for school construction. Then there is an unknown but extravagant amount for new sports, recreation, and entertainment projects. Perhaps another $100 million. That adds up to $1 billion. All new capital construction projects.

Where's the money for maintenance and improvements of existing infrastructure? Where the money for treating stormwater (a big source of Potomac River pollution)? Where's the money for affordable housing that's truly affordable?

Appears we're headed for some big real estate tax increases and fee hikes over the next few years. There is no way the County Board can pursue its own extravagant agenda and keep the County operating without significantly raising taxes.

Thanks for your blog.

Ken 22204