Fighting Intensifies Over Open Space Repurposing

Hey, Yupette,

Stay tuned to Saturday's County Board meeting for another neighborhood demonstration about saving existing open space from development and/or repurposing..

Meanwhile, it's been 6 months since Abingson School planning began and APS is still engaged in fighting with Abingdon neighbors about paving the open space at Abingdon for more parking and vehicle turn-around space...to the point where the County Board is again getting involved. As the County Board had to get involved with Williamsburg, Ashlawn, and McKinley school construction.

At the School Board meeting this week almost nothing was said about education at Abingdon, discussion was all about traffic and parking.

How did we get to the point where we are spending a fortune on school buses that are almost empty, and another fortune building parking lots and turn-around space for SUV soccer parents who refuse under any circumstances to allow their child or children to ride a school bus?

More reason for a complete moratorium on New Urbansim before we are overwhelmed by in-fill.

fairgirl - 22206

Non-Resident County Staff Approve More A-Town Mayhem

Hey Yupette,

Agenda for next Saturday's County Board meeting is posted on the County's Web site. Hottest item on the Consent Agenda is the use permit renewal for A-Town. Non-Resident County Staff have pre-approved renewal of A-Town's use permit, although the mayhem related to A-Town's operations continues, reduced only by the apparent demise of pub crawls in the B-R corridor.

Since September, Arlington Police have been dispatched 3 times for loud noise complaints at A-Town, dispatched 6 times for public intoxication, dispatched twice for disorderly conduct, and dispatched 5 times for assault-related incidents. The Fire Marshall has responded twice for the restaurant being over-capacity. Nearby residents have repeatedly complained about noise and oveserving of alcohol.

So what does County Staff propose to do? Re-impose the same old laundry list of site plan conditions on A-Town for another 6 months. Oh, BTW, the recently-hired Assistant County Attorney, who's a Falls Church resident and signed the Staff Report, is rumored to be Steve McIssac's replacement as County Attorney when he retires.

Thanks for this blog.

22201