Hello Yupette,
What was the purpose of tonight's joint meeting of the Arlington County Board and the Planning Commission? Nothing less than a session of 'lessons learned' about how to and how not to 'facilitate' Arlington's citizens into accepting whatever development the County Board and the developers choose to inflict on neighborhoods and communities.
Of course, nothing was said in County Staff's recommendations (and most of County Planning Staff don't live in Arlington County) about the quality of their planning, and quality of the development and re-development they inflict on us.
If you want a copy of County 'Planning' Staff's 'lessons learned' call the County Board office at 703-228-3130 and ask for 'Review of Arlington's Planning Processes' dated December 3, 2010.
Lisa
13 comments:
I have a copy. It's pretty appalling. NO ONE on the Planning Staff who wrote the recommendations lives in Arlington.
Some comments about EFC "planning" from county "planning" staff who don't live in Arlington (e.g., Richard Tucker):
"There was no decision making along the way in East Falls Church. It is important to agree on the first step before proceeding. If there is a problem it needs to go back to the County Board."
"EFC - rejecting membership to the other civic associations was a mistake."
"East Falls Church should have been a staff report with task force input. The problem was that the planning was geographically restricted from the start asnf certain areas were off limits. There is a middle-ground between creating a new Ballston and doing nothing in the single family areas, though there are historic preservation concerns. Single-family homes across from Metro is not Smart Growth. The result of this process so far has been essentially a Neighborhood Conservation Plan."
Nowhere in the the Planning Staff's "Review of Arlington's Planning Processes" is there an admission that Arlington's "Planning Staff" ever made a mistake, let alone that they are a bunch of total f-ups who depend on the County's "Development for the Sake of Development" for a steady paycheck.
"Development for the Sake of Development" is exactly right.
Developers + County Board + Planning Staff + Advisory Commissions = Lose, Lose, Lose, Lose for Arlington citizens and taxpayers.
Citizens who disagree with County 'Planning Staff' who don't live in Arlington are viewed as nuisances.
Awesome blog! I've included it on a site I've created, which is a compilation of some of the best blogs in the city.
Best of Blogs Arlington
http://bestofblogsarlington.wordpress.com
Last night they started in on a Rosslyb Sector Plan.
It's obvious that what county 'planning' staff wants to do is push whatever 'development' they think is appropriate over the objections of the people who live in or near the affected communities. We in EFC are just a pain in the a-- to the so-called 'planners'.
Robert Brosnan, Chief of the Planning Division, solicited the comments from planning staff and what appeared in print reflected comments from Brosnan's immediate subordinates.
NONE of them lives near East Falls Church and they won't have to suffer the consequences of "development for the sake of development" they are pushing on us.
County Board does not live near EFC, planners do not live near EFC, lawyers do not live near EFC, REIT executives do not live near EFC, developers do not live near EFC.
Citizes to County Board - fire Robert Brosnan.
Post a Comment