Shirlington-Nauck to be Redeveloped into Another Shirlington Village

Hi Yupette,

I attended thd Four Mile Run Valley Working Group meeting last night at the County's Trades Center. Surprise. Surprise. The done-deal is for Shirlington-Nauck to be redeveloped into an performing arts corridor, with a 500-seat theater and many other types of spaces for the performing arts (e.g. dance) and affordable live-work housing for performing artists.

Making the pitch for a performing arts corridor was the cultural affairs division of Arlington Economic Development, which has done little or nothing over the years for the commercial and industrial owners of older buildings in the corridor. Not only will Shirlington-Nauck be completely de-industrialized but there are no plans to construct long-needed community amenities for Nauck-Shirlington and South Arlington (e.g., a hardware store, a consumer electronics store, a shoe and leather repair shop, and so on). So future residents will not only have to drive miles for auto maintenance but for basic needs like cordless phone replacement batteries. And providers of essential services, like HVAC maintenance, will be forced to drive to Arlington from places like Stafford County.

County Board brought in Dover-Kohl for the usual design charettes (pronounced "charades"). Same Dover-Kohl responsible for gentrification planning for Columbia Pike and Lee Highway. As usual, the working group is packed with "community leaders" who go along with the program, yellow dog Democrat "facilitators", and performing arts group lobbyists.

Another older neighborhood, another Smart Growth redevelopment opportunity.

Fairgirl, 22206

Public Not Sufficiently Informed About Tonight's Alexandria-Arlington-Falls Church Joint Work Session

Hey, Yupette:

Turns out three imporatant topics will be discussed at tonight's Alexandria - Arlington - Falls Church joint work session, to convene at the Durant Arts Center, 1605 Cameron Street in Alexandria, at 7 PM.

(But first there will be a closed dress rehearsal meeting by the County Board at 3 PM).

So, the topics to be discussed tonight are all important:

Staff presentation about multi-modal transportation and land use across jurisdictions, focusing on the Route 7 corridor;

Planning for a future multi-jurisdiction 9-1-1 connunications system; and,

Short term residential use (e.g., accessory dwellings, bed-and-breakfasts, and so on).

The staff reports for the meeting only appeared this morning on the County Board's Web site at arlingtonva.us

Nothing seen on the local media.

Media may report tomorrow what decisions were made without public input or a public hearing

Thanks for your blog.

2100

County Board Hires Another County Auditor. Does It Matter?

Hey, Yupette,

After months of searching the County Board finally hired another County Auditor, Dr. Chris Horton, from the Fairfax County Public School System. Concomitantly, the County Board is energizing a citizen fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.

But does it matter? Dr. Horton will be constrained as to what he can investigate and audit by the County Board's Democratic Majority. Complaints made to the citizen fraud, waste, and abuse hotline will be passed on to a committee composed of Old Guard Democrats for 'evaluation'.

Will the massive long-time fraud on taxpayers - hundreds of students attending Arlington public schools when neither parent lives in the County - be investigated? Will the County Board's pet car tax decal program - a complete waste of tax dollars - finally be ended? It's possible, but not likely.

After all, the way Libby Garvey and the rest of the Democrats on County Board get elected, and re-elected, is by buying votes with tax dollars, no matter how illegal or wasteful the program.

Thanks for your blog.

Charles, 22206