Hello Ms. Yupette,
I moved from a condominium near Shirlington to the Williamsburg - EFC neighborhood several years ago to escape the traffic from the Shirlington re-development and so my kids would have a back yard and so we would live on a quiet street.
What is happening now regarding the Bishop O'Connell athletic field conversion is the same thing that happened when Shirlington was redeveloped. A committee was formed to supposedly represent everyone's interests. The majority of the committee is composed of a Walsh-Colucci lawyer, parks and recreation employees who don't live in Arlington, and people connected with Bishop O'Connell. Also, it appears that several persons who supposedly represent the interests of EFC and Williamsburg will 'rubber stamp' anything the Walsh-Colucci lawyer puts in front of them.
Worse by far is, as 'County Staff' tells me, Barbara Favola has been working on imposing this on us from her offices at Marymount and at the County Board. Reportedly she is paid $100,000 a year to be Marymount's chief lobbyist.
Another 'Shirlingon' is in the works. Thought you'd like to know.
Robert
17 comments:
Former County Manager Mike Brown stated several times that EFC is going to be another Shirlington.
When Shirlington was redeveloped the majority of all the "citizens" committees who had whatever input the County Board and County Staff allowed were composed of people who lived nowhere near Shirlington (e.g., Signature Theater's representatives). The so-called "community leaders" from Fairlington were (and still are) more interested in micromanaging restaurant music and seating in Shirlington Village than improving the crumbling infrastructure here.
What Walsh-Colucci lawyers and the REITs they represented did, together with the County Board and so-called "planning staff", was to construct a redeveloped Shirlington with almost no open space. So, surprise, surprise, Fairlington has become a recreation area for Shirlington. Did I mention that Fairlington already has more than 7,000 residents with another 7,000 living in adjacent condo communities?
It will be much worse in EFC because the parks and other open spaces will be overwhelmed by redevelopment around the EFC Metro station and the thousands of people who will drive to EFC to use the O'Connell playing fields.
That's what happens when elected officials turn community after community over to the REITs, developers, and special interests.
Arlington County is a government of the REITs, by the REITs and for the REITs. Crystal City was given to Vornado. Shirlington was handed over to Federal Realty Trust. Thank you Yupette for blocking the trolls employed by these and other REITs from posting phony urban village testimonials on your blog.
Long-time Arlington developer Preston Caruthers contributed the funds that built the recently opened Caruthers Hall at Marymount. What goes around comes around. Wonder which developer is paying for the O'Connell playing fields?
Barbara Favola has repeatedly lied when this has come up on the consent agenda, as an item for deferral, at recent County Board meetings. She is totally involved in promoting O'Connell as a sports arena for Marymount...for which she is paid and employed by Marymount.
The out-of-state REITs and so-called "planners" who don't live in Arlington counted traffic islands, street medians, and similar parcels of land as "open space" in Crystal City.
Did you see the Post Metro Section today? Fairfax County is going to be spending tens of millions building bicycle infrastructure so we can all ride bicycles to Tysons Corner to shop when it's 20 degrees and snowing.
Thirty years of Yuptards and it's getting worse every year.
Martin and Nan Walsh, who control Walsh Colucci, live in McLean by the way. Neither has ever shown that he-she in any way respects the quality of life in Arlington's residential neighborhoods.
Barbara Favola has a massive and illegal conflict of interest with Marymount. Something the VA Attorney General should be investigating.
Fairlington has NO public open space, with the exception of a kids' playground at the Community Center. Everything on public land is dedicated to some special interest group or activity. The entire Utah Park is an on-off leash dog exercise area. This is what the DPRCR bureaucracy has done for us. Of course none of THEM lives in Arlington.
"Crumbling infrastructure"? Take a look at where the REITs' biggest media booster, Sarasota Scott McCaffrey lives in Fairlington. Third world streets and third world street lighting. Constant cut through traffic from Shirlington. Scotty's very concerned - about the buffet Federal Realty Investment Trust sets when there is some promotional event in Shirlington Village.
Time for a total moratorium on any development whatsoever in EFC-Williamsburg.
Here's what to expect in EFC:
Phase 1 - Lots more traffic and parking.
Phase II - Lots more "traffic calming".
Phase III - Fisette and selected 'Community Leaders" tell everyone to ride a bicycle.
Sometimes Barbara spends a week or more full time at the County Board offices working on one deal or another that benefits Marymount.
Don't expect anything from the NeoCons. If there's one thing they favor more than corporate welfare it's taxpayer assistance to private and parochial schools.
This issue will be decided by the County Board on January 22nd. There will be several meetings after January 1st regarding this issue. Check out the County's Web site.
Important - the next, and apparently the last, meeting of the so-called "working group" will be held at Bishop O'Connell HS on Monday.
Post a Comment