Hey Yupette,
I had a talk with one of Arlington Economic Development's so-called 'planning staff' about what's in store for my neighborhood on Lee Highway, not far from the East Falls Church. As you may be aware, there are quite a few older single family homes in my neighborhood and AED is looking to tear many of them down for expensive townhouse redevelopment.
The topic eventually came around to Westover Village, and AED and CPHD are planning Smart Growth mixed-use redevelopment, along the lines of Clarendon - 6 story apartments buildings with ground floor restaurants and retail.
As with Lee Highway, a Westover redevelopment committee will be formed within the next year and packed with Smart Growth boosters. So you can expect Westover Market will be transformed into something very much like Sehkraft Brewing in Clarendon. Italian Store may remain as-is since the owner just spent massive amounts of money renovating the old 7-11.
As for the older garden apartments in and around Westover they're going to either be redeveloped into unaffordable-affordable housing by APAH or demolished for expensive townhouses by developers.
So that's the Smart Growth 'plan' for Westover.
Barbara, 22205
44 comments:
Not surprising. Another neighborhood that hasn't had upgrades for decades, except for the Italian Store.
Only one neighborhood bar..and a neighborhood beer garden....no pub crawl opportunities.
Arlington Government Smart Growth Three Step -- allow a neighborhood to deteriorate, point to its deteriorated state, invite out-of-state developers to "save" the neighborhood through Smart Growth mixed use redevelopment.
How did the Italian Store's owner get a waiver from Smart Growth America for a complete makeover of the old 7-11 convenience store?
Ask Smart Growth America VIP Chris Zimmerman.
The first new committee that should be formed next year is "The Committee on Arlington's Livability in 2040".
Yeah, I thought Smart Growth America had to approve makeovers of older restaurants and retail. Westover Italian Store obviously was ignored by whomever is in charge of the mixed-use gentrification process.
No more wood fires, outdoor gas fireplaces like Sehkraft.
Westover Market is a big turn-off to pub crawl Millennials who have Top Secret clearances. Too counterculture.
Yes, pub crawl millennials can't get totally faced at Westover Market, after blowing away a wedding party aka suspected terrorist training camp with a Predator strike in Afghanistan, like they do in Clarendon
We're on the third generation of Yuptards, first generation is approaching retirement. Thirty five years of Yuppies is enough.
Re: Smart Growth 3-Step - It gets worse. BIDs go right along, and are part of the Smart Growth deterioration-followed by-gentrification process.
When is the last time you saw families taking their toddlers to vibrant Clarendon?
Smart Growth is all about allowing older communities to become deteriorated to the point where they are worth more dead than alive to mixed-use gentirfication re-developers and REITs.
Mixed-Use Gentrification "planned" by County Staff who won't live in Arlington no matter how many promotions they receive and how much they are paid.
What's appalling is Arlington residents allow themselves to be massively brainwashed by Smart Growth adherents who don't and won't live anywhere near Smart Growth.
Or, to put the politics of Smart Growth colloquially, Smart Growth pols allow Arlington's neighborhoods to become roadkill then invite in vultures from out-of-state REITs to redevelop.
No no no no no! Westover is wonderful AS IS. Please, residents, BID, don't let this happen. We don't live there, but make a point to shop and eat there, preciously because it is MUCH more family friendly than Clarendon. We cannot let Arlington be taken over by idiot millenials who don't STAY. They have Clarendon- leave us Westover!!
I blame the destruction of our livable suburban neighborhoods on the local media who are beholden to the developer / real estate industry for advertising revenue.
To put it bluntly the people who make the so-called 'planning' decisions in Arlington Government are non-residents and obnoxious jerks besides. Every livable suburban neighborhood is a Smart Growth redevelopment opportunity. The BIDs and Chamber of Commerce go right along. Smart Growth is an Ideology which is becoming a Cult. Anyone who opposes Smart Growth is ignored, belittled, and the object of malicious rumors. Even discussing, much less evaluating, the consequences of a decade more of Smart Growth on our neighborhoods is completely off-limits.
Westover? Wait until you see what the idiot millennials do to Bluemont.
Vibrant food trucks parked across the street from Westover Market and The Italian Store? AED will soon pack a committee with food truck owners from Fairfax County and the committee will vote for 4 hours of food trucks per day, and possibly on weekends.
Smart Growth redevelopment of Westover is on the agenda for the Recessed County Board Meeting on January 1st.
What recessed County Board Meeting on January 1st?
The traditional New Year's Day Recessed County Board Meeting.
Traditional New Year's Recessed County Board Meeting is held at Rob's and Jay's home on New Year's Day in the afternoon.
The Civic Federation and civic associations are also Smart Growth Believers.
Hi Yupette,
I live in a small city in a nearby state that has a thriving middle class and has so far escaped Smart Growth. I work in the city's planning department and everyone from the Mayor on down wants no part of Smart Growth.
A Smart Growth developer visited here a couple years ago and first thing they did was try to bribe our Mayor. Bad move. He's an Elder in his Church.
Your County is corrupt. I cannot believe with all the Federal law enforcement in and around Arlington your County government hasn't been investigated for corruption.
A Board of Supervisors meeting in a Supervisor's home? Around here that behavior was outlawed 40 years ago.
Thanks for your blog. Good to know how fortunate we are here.
Ted
I wonder how many Smart Growth developers will sign up for 'healthy company' lessons from Rob on New Years Day.
This year County Staff demanded Wegmans gift cards fro developers, 'cause they all live out where there are Wegmans stores.
Bribery and Corruption in Arlington VA? You must mean another Arlington. No bribery here.
Local Media are also corrupt...focused on ad revenue from Smart Growth when they aren't brainwashing and scaring the Sheeple.
Feds aren't interested. We're in Year 14 of a Thirty Year War Against Terrorism.
I no longer watch the local news on television. Almost all "scare stories". Ads brainwash us into buying junk we don't need.
We are paying millions in taxes to be brainwashed into accepting our suburban neighborhoods becoming Smart Growth 'roadkill' by County Manager's PR Team, AVN, AIM, WERA-FM, Citizen newsletter, and cable Government Access channels.
TV local news producers typically interrupt their stream of scare stories with an occasional feature about a family re-united with their lost puppy.
Nothing much will be done by the feds about local government corruption until the War on Terrorism is over.
I would like to know who in Arlington's Smart Growth Planning Division was responsible for allowing the old 7-11 to be renovated into The Italian Store and whether he or she was disciplined by the County Board in one of their closed meetings?
Livable community? Try just across Quaker Lane from incoming County Board Chair Libby Garvey's home.
Incoming Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg lives across Quaker Lane from Libby.
It will get worse...every neighborhood with buildings constructed over 20 years ago is on their agenda.
Bluemont's older homes between Glebe Road and George Mason Drive are the next expensive townhouse "redevelopment opportunity".
It seems like they are trying to make all the neighborhoods look the same along the metro line. Why does that have to be? Westover should be allowed to retain it's character regardless how sleek and modern and boring the cookie cutters of Clarendon, Ballston, etc have become. Smart "growth" should not be robotic growth.
Once Katie Cristol is on the County Board the County Board will have blanket immunity from the Feds.
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