Hello Yupette,
I live in a townhouse near Shirlington Village off Walter Reed Drive. I attended yesterday's meeting at the Shirlington Library about the parking and traffic problems resulting from Shirlington being poorly planned (no affordable housing, massive parking, existing streets inadequate, etc.).
Doing the County's presentation was none other than Terry Holzheimer, Arlington's Director of Economic Development. Who is Terry Holzheimer? He was formerly Loudoun County's Economic Development Director. Like many who make important planning decisions that affect our quality of life Holzheimer lives in McLean.
When questioned by a meeting participant he admitted that Arlington Economic Development is engaged in a major national campaign to market Arlington's neighborhoods as "redevelopment opportunities".
A look at the PR produced by Holzheimer's Economic Development Office indicates that the staff is indeed engaged in a massive attempt to totally urbanize Arlington. Holzheimers's presentation was nothing more than warmed over smart growth drivel, and the basic message aimed at residents yesterday was don't worry, be happy.
Warning to Arlington residents - Your neighborhood is a potential gold mine for developers, as mine was and is. Arlington County Government is focused on totally urbanizing Arlington. Anyone who complains about the traffic, parking problems, noise, degradation in quality of life, etc., resulting from urbanization is a 'troublemaker'. And the out-of-state REITs and developers (like Federal Realty, which redeveloped Shirlington) are laughing all the way to the bank.
Kathy
25 comments:
Holzheimer's office is marketing small affordable Arlington homes as tear-downs and older market-rate affordable apartment buildings as investment opportunities to McLean residents.
Why is Holzheimer promoting tear-downs of Arlington's affordable single family homes by his wealthy McLean neighbors as investment opportunities? When people who live in apartments want to start families they are looking for small affordable homes.
"Smart Growth" means Fairfax County residents who make the planning decisions for Arlington get to live in McMansions surrounded by plenty of open space and board their polo ponies down the road a mile from Arlington.
Someone ask Wayne Kubicki whether his REIT, Akridge, has been chosen to redevelop East Falls Church in return for his sham FY12 budget recommendations. His e-mail address is Wayne at Civfed dot org.
You can ask Wayne yourself at tonight's Civic Federation banquet. Featured speaker is one of the dynamic duo (along with Jay Fisette) who created the Shirlington mess, Paulie Ferguson.
Don't leave out McLean residents Martin and Nan Walsh of Walsh, Urbanization, Gentrification, Yuppification, Colucci, et. al.
Why do you think Barbara Donnellan won't move to Arlington? Why do you think Barbara Favola had the 31st District redistricted so she would have a plausible reason to move to McLean or Great Falls once she gets elected to the state senate?
How about Jim Moran. Hasn't lived in his own congressional district in years. Lives in McLean in the neighborhood where Ted and Robert Kennedy once lived.
Did someone mention gold mining? Gold mines are environmental disaster areas that no one wants to live near.
Paulie and Jay got the gold mine all right. Paulie's wife and Jay's domestic partner made tons of money for her law firm and his consulting firm as the result of favors owed Jay and Paulie.
What's the difference between Terry Holzheimer's development of Loudoun County and his redevelopment of Arlington County? Loudoun County is a dumb growth planning disaster. Arlington is a smart growth planning disaster.
Terry Holzheimer is despicable. He has a bloated staff dedicated to paving every square foot of Arlington County. After making a total mess of Loudoun County.
Arlington's pols and community leaders (Paulie Ferguson, Carrie Johnson) made a mess and moved on. I wonder what gated retirement community Terry Holzheimer will more to?
You do not understand. Reitsminister Holtzheimer is acting under the direct orders of our beloved Reitsfuhrer.
If re-development stopped to protect citizens then outside of public safety, transportation and sanitation functions half of the Arlington County jobs could be eliminated. Just think what that would do to the unemployment rates in the outer counties.
I live in a residential community, not a full employment program for Northern Virginia and not a redevelopment opportunity for every out-of-state REIT in America.
Redevelop McLean's 55 year old strip shopping centers. Build affordable homes in McLean. Build a lighted NCAA-approved team sports center for Marymount and O'Connell in McLean. Put mega-infill mixed used redevelopment on the several thousand acres of vacant land in McLean.
Obviously, all they all want is to make as money as they can paving over Arlington then retire to some great place wealthy people retire to.
Leaving us 30-somethings to deal with the consequences.
What Arlington Government has become is a bunch of gold miners (whether the prospector type or the commercial type) who could care less about the environmental disaster they leave behind.
Move the Artisphere to McLean.
They have been doing the usual Arlington 2-step with our neighborhoods and infrastructure for years: Step 1 - allow the neighborhoods and infrastructure to deteriorate through neglect, and Step 2 - proclaim the neighborhoods, public infrastructure, etc., are in a deteriorated state and need to be demolished and replaced.
Don't forget inside-the-beltways's biggest urbanization-gentrification boosters - the Post, Sun Gazette, Falls Church News Press, etc.
Arlington Government 2-step? Margaret, you wouldn't be referring to the Planetarium and Lubber Run outdoor theater, would you?
Next mega-redevelopment opportunity is the middle class neighborhood on Lee Highway near Bergmanns dry cleaners.
Holzheimer has a team of Latinos and Latinas in his office to 'facilitate' the gentrification of the Pike.
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