Zimmerman, County Board, County Staff Push Pike Redevelopment, Gentrification

Hello, Yupette,

I attended this morning's Pike design charette. It's a charade all right. Zimmerman and the County Board were supervising County Planning staff who were facilitating the community leaders. Community leaders were given brown, red, orange marking pens to make changes when allowed by County Planning Staff. No one was allowed to deviate in any significant way from Dover, Kohl's yuppification / gentrification plans. Dover and Kohl are a couple of good old boys who live in yuppie enclaves outside Miami and specialize in-fill redevelopment "planning" that conforms to the wants of local elected officials, e.g., Zimmerman and the County Board.

Oh, some participants want double deck hybrid buses on the Pike rather than streetcars, but they were ignored. These charades will cost Arlington taxpayers $216,000. For what? For citizens to make very minor changes to a massive redevelopment that was approved months ago behind closed doors at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

Robert

Clement Blasts County Board Pike Redevelopment as 'Reckless', 'Irresponsible'

Hello,

I was able to obtain a statement from County Board candidate Audrey Clement regarding Dover, Kohl's plans for Columbia Pike redevelopment. Here are her conclusions:

"With rounding for inflation the total cost of redeveloping the Pike is $160 million for the trolley (2010 estimate) + $290 million to subsidize affordable housing = $450 million. This doesn't include the cost of additional infrastructure improvements like schools and streets to accommodate three times as many people. Unless the Obama Administration agrees to pay for the trolley, the total cost is going to be absorbed by taxpayers throughout the county, not all of whom equate densification and gentrification with Smart Growth.

Tripling the density of the Pike when the schools are already overcrowded is irresponsible. Committing the County to pay for an unneeded extravagance to draw more people in is reckless. Although Dover, Kohl has provided an invaluable service in reporting the true cost of redeveloping the Pike, I oppose the total urbanization of Arlington County by the Arlington County Board to serve the wants of out-of-state REITs, developers, and planners.

Enough is enough. We are a tiny suburban County, not a major urban 'redevelopment opportunity'. Please join me in halting overdevelopment and recycling middle income people out of this county. Support my campaign for Arlington County Board."

Foxcroft Heights Gentrification-Facilitation Charade June 23rd

Hello, Ms. Yupette,

The Foxcroft Heights gentrification-facilitation charade will take place tomorrow, Thursday, between 7 and 9 PM at the Walter Reed Community Center, more than two miles from Foxcroft Heights. Why not across the street at the Sheraton where the other Pike charades will be held? Because then many more Foxcroft Heights residents would show up to protest the gentrification of their middle-class neighborhood. Zimmerman and his pet planner, Dover, Kohl, can't wait to redevelop Foxcroft Heights, to replace the uppity middle class with acquiescent yuppies and their passive servants. Oh, forgot to mention, the police will also be there.

It just kills the County Board, County Planning Staff, the County's pet developers, REITs, lawyers, and media boosters that any affordable middle class housing still remains in Arlington. All the hedo elite who are running and ruining Arlington are concerned about is building more hedo infrastructure.

George