Hello Yupette,
I had the opportunity to view public comment and discussion of Item 35 at the last County Board meeting - purchase of the building at 2020 N. 14th Street for a year-around homelessness mitigation program and for County office space. More bad planning and poor management by the County Manager's Office. The building is likely to cost $30 million to purchase and another $10-15 million to renovate. For $40-$45 million we could have gotten a brand new homelessness treatment facility and a brand new County Office Building custom-built on industrial property the County owns in Shirlington. The building at 2020 N 14th Street currently serves as a small-business incubator and generates $155,000 in real estate tax revenue. The purchase only makes 'sense' in the megalomaniacal world of Chris Zimmerman and County Manager Donnellan, who shares his 'vision' of totally urbanizing Arlington. Of course, Barbara Donnellan lives in Clifton, and most her staff are not disposed to live in the 'urban village' (an oxymoron concocted by Donnellan's PR / propaganda team who also choose not to live in Arlington). Then there are the ward heelers Zimmerman appoints to the Economic Development, Planning, Transportation, etc., advisory commissions who rubber stamp whatever 'smart growth' in-fill project is placed in front of them. When it comes time for THEM to retire they're outta here to live in a good old fashioned dumb growth community far away from Arlington.
Tom 22201
6 comments:
Barbara Donnellan stipulated that she could live in Fairfax County when she was selected to be County Manager. Many of her senior staff have done likewise.
It's all part of a $250 million redevelopment deal for Courthouse Plaza. Orchestrated by the County Board's corporate cronies and County Staff who live 30 miles outside Arlington.
Absolute worst are Arlington's Economic Development Office and the Economic Development Commission. They care for nothing except for more mega-infill deals.
Barbara Donnellan is another one who's 5 years from retirement. Buy her out now and spare us 5 years of massive urbanization.
Economic Development Commission? Guess who's on it? Zimmerman's County-Board designate Melissa Bondi.
Bob Brosnan and Terry Holzheimer, both Fairfax County residents, are also 5 years from retirement.
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