Maybe you saw and heard several unhappy Arlington residents at yesterday's County Board meeting express their displeasure with Vornado's mega-infill planning for the PenPlace redevelopment.
Well, that was nothing compared to what was said at the Arlington Ridge Civic Association meeting on January 23rd, which was held at the Aurora Hills Community Center.
About 150 Arlington Ridge, Aurora Highlands and Crystal City residents blasted Arlington County Board Chair Walter Tejada, Past Chair Mary Hynes, Vornado (including Vornado's CEO, who apparently owns a home on Arlington Ridge) and Arlington's Planning Staff. The neighborhood's consensus position is that the proposed PenPlace development isn't 'Smart Growth' and will result in negative consequences for nearby communities - traffic congestion, inadequate public services, and pollution. The development will require a massive change in zoning.
Civic association leaders stated that they are willing to make reasonable accommodations to Vornado's plans, but County Planning Staff will not discuss any changes when Vornado's site plans are discussed during site plan review committee meetings.
According to planning insiders at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, County Government (including the County Board) is totally controlled by real estate trusts to the point where elected and appointed decision makers can do little more than serve as facilitators for mega-development deals.
David, 22202
49 comments:
These mega-infill deals have completely corrupted County Government. Too many County employees retain their jobs and enhance their job security by destroying Arlington's quality of life, neighborhood by neighborhood.
And by demonizing, defaming, slandering, and rumor mongering about Arlington residents who want to preserve something resembling a residential quality of life in their neighborhoods.
I loved the part of the meeting when Al Gore's neighbors told Tejada to stop driveling.
I loved the part when the Ridge's longest resident told Tejada and Hynes they are despicable for transferring development rights density from park land to Vornado in return for Vornado contributing $20 million for the Longbridge Park, Aquatic, and Recreation complex aka the Boeing-Vornado Employee Spa and Fitness Center.
"The fix is not in..."
LOL. It's been a done deal for years. Vornado didn't have to camp out at the County Board offices like some developers, Vornado-Charles E. Smith OWNS the County Board offices.
Longbridge? Arlington residents who live nearby will have to reserve whatever space is available 'cause Boeing et. al. have first priority for weekday use from 6 AM to 6 PM.
Per Saturday's C.B. consent agenda, another upscale residential building is being planned with a rooftop swimming pool.
If Arlington's 'community' centers are any indication significantly more non-residents than residents will be using Longbridge.
Then there are the tourists and the special events, e.g., swimming competitions of various kinds.
Hi, Yupette. County's 'planners' and Vornado will be holding a design charette (pronounced 'charade') for us 22202 residents on Thursday at the Aurora Hills Community Center, between 7 and 9 PM.
Oh, are the non-resident planners and Vornado going to spread Vornado's plans across tables, give us crayons, and allow us to choose the color of the buildings, like the form-based charade on Columbia Pike?
If you are seen writing "too much density" on the plans you get slandered by County Planning Staff for being opposed to the "Arlington Way".
What does it matter? County Board will rubber stamp Vornado's plans, just like EFC, just like Lee Hwy., just like they are doing now in Ft. Myer Hts.
How many Arlington Planning employees are engaged in part-time Smart Growth 'consulting' like Zimmerman?
Speaking of "consulting" I wonder how much Jay Fisette's domestic partner is billing Vornado for "consulting services"?
I thought Vornado's CEO Michael Fascitelli owned a huge mansion on the Connecticut shore with a replica of Stonehenge in his backyard.
He does. Google Michael Fascitelli's House
Motto of Yuptard America - "We Play, You Pay"
List of Fisette's domestic partner's consulting clients is 404 on the Healthy Companies International Web site.
Fi$ette and his domestic partner have made millions from "pay to play" while Jay's been on the County Board.
Obama's Ivy League buds are inflating the next Yuptard bubble, sucking the sheeple into the stock market.
Who is the developer the County Board has chosen to redevelop the Reeves Farm site in return for restoring the farmhouse?
FYI - Appropriating $733,315 for Tuckahoe Park's playground renovation and reconstruction was a consent agenda item at last Saturday's County Board meeting.
The Fix on PenPlace was in from the start, Vornado had conversations with the County when they bought the property in 2007 and were assured they that they could count on at least 1 million square feet of additional density. Vornado did all the negotiating they planned on doing in a back room at 2100 Clarendon, the rest of the Arlington Way is just for show.
Obvious from tonight's Vornado - County Planning Staff - Civic Association Charade at the Aurora Hills Community Center.
Facilitated by Civic Association "Community Leaders".
Thank you ARCA "Community Leaders" for so ably representing Vornado last night.
Was anyone who represented Arlington County and Vornado last night a resident of Arlington County?
Anonymous on Feb 1 mentions ARCA! NO, NO! It was an Aurora Highlands Civic Association event. ARCA (Arlington Ridge Civic Assn) has been opposed to the PenPlace development for 2 years. However, unlike the folks at AHCA, they actually had a membership vote on it. 99% opposed it.
Mention was made of transferring density from Long Bridge Park to PenPlace, I was under the impression that the density had already been transferred to the south of Crystal City for its development, as the land under Long Bridge is contaminated with PVCs and cannot be built on.
FYI, ONE and only ONE so-called "Community Leader" set the entire agenda when the East Falls Church redevelopment went through the so-called "planning process".
Huge joke at the time - his non-profit subsequently got stiffed by the County Board during the next fiscal year's gimme group beg-a-thon, aka County budget process.
Did you see the Post Metro Section yesterday? Three of Arlington Government's biggest mega-development facilitators got pay raises and more gimmes in their employment contracts. All three are non-residents. Not on the County Board meeting agenda, no discussion allowed.
I Googled "Michael Fascitelli's House". I wonder how long it would take the local cops and/or neighborhood armed security patrol to apprehend and arrest me if I stopped to tour the Stonehenge replica in Mike's backyard?
About as long as it would take the Arlington police to arrest two Latino kids from Barcroft Apartments for kicking a soccer ball in Douglas Park across the street from Reitsfuhrer Zimmerman's home.
Gimmes? The Gimme Era in Federal Government tax / borrow / spend ends on or about March 1st.
So, the five Urban Village Idiots on the County Board go on approving mega-infill re-development until a massive collapse occurs in the commercial / residential real estate markets? Duh.
Two squirrels get in a fight over an acorn in Douglas Park, Mary Beth Zimmerman calls the Police.
Cindy, FYI, Vornado is paying private investigators to track the activities of residents who oppose PenPlace.
I wonder how many neighborhood PenPlace boosters will be paid off in various ways?
Paid off in various ways? Surely you don't mean Arlington Ridge Resident, former County Board Member, and Vornado's legal counsel, John G. Milliken?
And you would know this how? Not that I doubt you.
Mike Fascitelli also apparently owns a 7,000 sq foot condo in New York City, complete with indoor basketball court.
Vornado utilizes at least twenty different 'security' organizations for various purposes. If you attend a public meeting where Vornado has an interest in the proceedings a video with audio of you and other attendees is on file somewhere within the Vornado organization. BTW, Kastle is supplying Vornado with state-of-the-art video and audio surveillance to track the movements of 'anti-Vornado activists'.
Two of Vornado's PIs were lurking in the back of the room during the January 23rd ARCA meeting.
Vornado claims it has a strict code of corporate ethics, as does AECOM.
FYI. Jason Beske, Arlington County's so-called "Planner" who lectured us about Vornado's mega infill proposal Thursday night lives in Ashburn and was formerly employed lecturing Loudoun County's Sheeple about the "benefits" of mega infill development.
NONE of the m-fers who are imposing massive urbanization upon us lives in Arlington County. Everyone who is over 50 who lives in Arlington and gets to rubber stamp the non-residents' urbanization plans has a retirement home way away from Northern VA.
Jason Beske is a very nice young man who is just doing his job. I rarely agree with what he is told to sell to our community, but I deal with him a lot and like him very much. I get so upset when the developer and the County staff make derogatory personal remarks regarding ARCA neighbors, so I don't think we should do it either.
Speaking of non-residents "just doing their jobs" the County Manager, County Attorney, and County Board Clerk - who just received sweetheart contracts for helping the County Board rubber stamp give away deals to out-of-state developers - are not Arlington residents.
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