Hey Yupette,
Thanks for your blog. Last week I was visiting my daughter and her family, who live in a typical in Dumb Growth suburb far away from Arlington. Here's a couple photos of the shopping plaza where she and her family shop. It's about 35 years old, same vintage as the Safeway on Wilson Blvd. Had a nice makeover about 4 years ago.
Can you find the Dollar Store in the photos?
L.K.
24 comments:
County Board today will address the size of street trees the REITs can plant-and-forget in front of new buildings.
Thanks, for the photos, sure beats looking at burned out vehicles.
County Board can't allow infrastructure to be attractive, then the out of state REITs, their out of state architects, out of state planners, out of state developers, etc. wouldn't be able to characterize the infrastructure as "blighted".
Safeway wants to sell out to the REITs -- will be happy to see its customers drive out to Mclean, Seven Corners or Baileys XRoads for groceries. That's smart growth for you!
Wilson Blvd. Safeway? It's been a mess for years. About 2/3 of the County is the same. Nothing is ever made over, fixed up, landscaped, etc., until it's torn down.
County Board wants all neighborhoods urbanized and essential services relocated leaving only upscale apartments, upscale condos, upscale retail, and upscale restaurants.
I believe there are three hardware stores left in Arlington, all in North Arlington.
'Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization' is an oxymoron. All it, and the out-of-state developers it serves, do is point to some shabby infrastructure as the next tear-down opportunity.
All of Arlington south and east of Old Dominion and Lee Highway is one big tear down opportunity.
Take a look at the streetscapes of what's been redeveloped over the past 15 years. Start to deteriorate the minute construction is completed. Never maintained. When will the brick public sidewalk in front of 2100 Clarendon Blvd. be replaced? In about 5 years, after the brick plaza is renovated?
Look at the artists renderings of what the Pike is supposed to look like if Zimmerman has his way. Another Charade. In reality the Pike will be a canyon with crumbling sidewalks and dead and dying trees, just like today. CPRO won't water the street trees in front of its building during a drought.
Courthouse Plaza is a perfect example of the results of "Smart Growth" urbanization. Dirty ugly buildings, infrastructure that isn't maintained until it crumbles and has to be replaced. Poor outdoor lighting. Street trees that are left to fend for themselves.
Ballston is looking shabby, if you haven't noticed. Many of the buildings and condos approved when Zimmerman and Fisette first came onto the County Board are more than 15 years old.
For years Robert Atkins has complained about the deterioration of Bluemont, County Board meeting after County Board meeting. So what's been done? Oh, Bluemont is the next Smart Growth mixed-use redevelopment.
Yup, CB gave their corporate and wealthy non-profit buds another gimme tonight. Now instead of planting medium size trees that will die from neglect they'll plant smaller trees that will die from neglect.
L.K., where your daughter lives it's a great middle class shopping plaza. In Arlington every shopping plaza is a "redevelopment opportunity".
Did you see where, at the beginning of tonight's County Board Meeting, 3 of Zimmy's pet 60-something advisory commission ward heelers are cutting and running for the dumb growth suburbs?
Just like "Nanny Nancy" Hunt last year.
Last rat to leave 2100 Clarendon Blvd., please turn out the lights.
Look at the Pike. Especially where new development has taken place. Basically all that's done is install trees in planters. Sometimes with ornamental grass. Hopefully the trees will be watered during droughts.
Last night they allowed their corporate and non-profit benefactors (Fisette's domestic partner makes tons of money offering consulting services to Boeing) to install smaller trees that are more drought susceptible. It was purely a welfare for the wealthy gimme.
I also believe many Arlington resident insiders who made the "Smart Growth" planning decisions are heading for the exits at 2100 Clarendon Blvd., on their way to retirement in dumb growth communities.
At least 3 County Board members will be retiring from the County Board within the next 4 years.
Several Arlington residents who are real good at obtaining signatures on petitions are looking at a recall petition drive directed at Chris Zimmerman.
Why did Bill Gearhart resign as Transportation Commission Chair?
Then there are the decision makers who live in the dumb growth suburbs.
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