CPHD Homework Issues Delay Smart Growth In-Fill

Hi Yupette,

If you checked out the County Board's agenda for Saturday you'll note that the Smart Growth in-fill of the Rappahannock site and site plan for the pencil building at 2000 Clarendon Blvd. are being carried over to the June County Board meeting, because of CPHD "homework issues". Berkeley Apartments gentrification may or may not be deferred to the June CB meeting because of numerous quality of life issues that surfaced when the site plan and rezoning went to the Planning Commission last week.

Oh. Latest about Crystal City is Vornado is changing its business plan and may dump all the properties it owns in Crystal City. How much has the County already provided Vornado in corporate welfare?

We need Erik Zimmerman Gutshall on the County Board like we need Hillary as President. Time to dump Smart Growth and everyone connected with Smart Growth and move on into the 21st Century.

Thanks for this blog.

2100-2

Arlandria Smart Growth Redevelopment Abandoned in Favor of Neighborhood Modernization

Hey Yupette,

Latest that's happening in Alexandria since Allison Silberberg became Mayor is City Government has taken a hard look at New Urbanism aka Smart Growth. Consequently, plans for massive Smart Growth redevelopment of the area of Arlandria around My Organic Market (MOM) will be shelved indefinitely and the current shopping plaza will be modernized instead. My Organic Market will be renovated and expanded.

The original Mount Vernon Village Smart Growth mixed-use redevelopment called for replacing the current shopping plaza with two massive six-story buildings with 480 apartments (28 to be "affordable"), 53,000 square feet of ground floor retail, and on-site parking for 940 vehicles. However, given the proximity of redeveloped Potomac Yards the mixed-use redevelopment of Arlandria would not, apparently, be economically viable for a developer.

This is another indication that allowing neighborhoods to deteriorate is a deliberate strategy and is an essential element of New Urbanism "revitalization".

You can read all about it in the Alexandria Times on-line edition, at alextimes.com.

Alex