Hello,
Thank you for your blog.
I'm a 2nd-Generation Arlington Latino and Walter Tejada is a disgrace to Arlington's Latino and Latina community. This guy is a big nada, does nothing for us as a community or individually. Did you see what happened to the Casa Blanca bakery and coffee shop on the Pike? It went out of business. What Nada Tejada is really good at doing, besides traveling around the USA and the World at taxpayers' expense, is demanding 'contributions' for facilitating use permit renewals for restaurants and also for grant applications that come before the County Board. These are not restaurants like Casa Blanca, they are night clubs and have lots of problems. Almost all the organizations that are looking for grants from the County are worthless, except they pay their leadership big salaries. If you are one of these groups you have to make a 'contribution' to Senor Tejada to have your use permit or grant or whatever 'facilitated' by the County Board.
Just wanted to give you a perspective about what is occurring in the Latino and Latina community.
Tomas
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
County Board to Taxpayer-Fund Stormwater Management for New Site Plans
Hello, Yupette,
After meeting for weeks behind closed doors Arlington's non-resident managers, non-resident planning staff, non-resident developers, non-resident REITs, and their non-resident attorneys have agreed to allow developers to continue submitting site plans that evade the EPA's 2014 standards for stormwater treatment and management.
Key players in the decision making were County Attorney Steve McIssac and County Manager Barbara Donnellan, who are residents of Fairfax County, and several out-of-state REITS who stand to gain tens of millions in 'corporate welfare' if on-site stormwater is treated at the County's wastewater treatment plant, paid for by taxpayers. Assertions by several County residents that they are being asked to pay for new infill development stormwater management and treatment under new EPA regulations when no stormwater from their homes is entering the County's stormwater system are being ignored by County planning staff.
2100
After meeting for weeks behind closed doors Arlington's non-resident managers, non-resident planning staff, non-resident developers, non-resident REITs, and their non-resident attorneys have agreed to allow developers to continue submitting site plans that evade the EPA's 2014 standards for stormwater treatment and management.
Key players in the decision making were County Attorney Steve McIssac and County Manager Barbara Donnellan, who are residents of Fairfax County, and several out-of-state REITS who stand to gain tens of millions in 'corporate welfare' if on-site stormwater is treated at the County's wastewater treatment plant, paid for by taxpayers. Assertions by several County residents that they are being asked to pay for new infill development stormwater management and treatment under new EPA regulations when no stormwater from their homes is entering the County's stormwater system are being ignored by County planning staff.
2100
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
County Board to Continue Pushing Gentrification Agenda
Hello, Yupette,
Thanks for covering the County Board's environmental hijinks at the July 12th meeting. But you should also check out the video of Jay Fisette's presentation of 2010 Census demographic data compiled by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. Jay (and Chris Zimmerman and Mary Hynes) were actually gloating about the removal of Latinos, Latinas, and other minorities from Arlington into the outer suburbs and the gentrification of the "core areas" in and around D.C.
What was surprising about Jay's presentation is the household size in Arlington averages 2.09 persons and 41% of Arlington's households are occupied by one person. So why the push to tear down small homes and replace them with McMansions?
Of course Jay's never let an opportunity go by to build upscale housing and demolish affordable housing. What affordable housing that does get built is only affordable if you earn 60% of area median income.
Oh, Jay wants to hold a "community meeting" to discuss the import of the County Board's 15-year gentrification program. Minorities need not bother to attend.
Check it out at arlingtonva.us, 3 PM session of the July 12th meeting.
Terri
Thanks for covering the County Board's environmental hijinks at the July 12th meeting. But you should also check out the video of Jay Fisette's presentation of 2010 Census demographic data compiled by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. Jay (and Chris Zimmerman and Mary Hynes) were actually gloating about the removal of Latinos, Latinas, and other minorities from Arlington into the outer suburbs and the gentrification of the "core areas" in and around D.C.
What was surprising about Jay's presentation is the household size in Arlington averages 2.09 persons and 41% of Arlington's households are occupied by one person. So why the push to tear down small homes and replace them with McMansions?
Of course Jay's never let an opportunity go by to build upscale housing and demolish affordable housing. What affordable housing that does get built is only affordable if you earn 60% of area median income.
Oh, Jay wants to hold a "community meeting" to discuss the import of the County Board's 15-year gentrification program. Minorities need not bother to attend.
Check it out at arlingtonva.us, 3 PM session of the July 12th meeting.
Terri
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Favola, County Board, County Staff Were Briefed About New EPA Stormwater Regs Before Pike Charades
Hello, Yupette,
I was told that County Staff and the County Board were briefed about the new and hugely expensive EPA stormwater regulations for the Bay weeks before the Dover, Kohl Pike Charades began (on June 24th). There was a high-level EPA briefing on June 16th. Not only is Barbara Favola serving on a COG environmental committee but her husband is a career EPA employee.
Arlington taxpayers paid at least $550,000 for Pike infill planning during FY 2011, including $250,000 for the Pike Charades from June 24-30. But the County Board, County Staff and planners knew that managing and treating stormwater from a massive increase in Pike corridor density was going to be very expensive. Nevertheless, the County Board went ahead with the Pike Charades and is going to be considering major in-fill site plans in September with (apparently) no heed paid to the EPA's 2014 stormwater treatment and management regulations.
How's that for 'governance'?
Kathy
I was told that County Staff and the County Board were briefed about the new and hugely expensive EPA stormwater regulations for the Bay weeks before the Dover, Kohl Pike Charades began (on June 24th). There was a high-level EPA briefing on June 16th. Not only is Barbara Favola serving on a COG environmental committee but her husband is a career EPA employee.
Arlington taxpayers paid at least $550,000 for Pike infill planning during FY 2011, including $250,000 for the Pike Charades from June 24-30. But the County Board, County Staff and planners knew that managing and treating stormwater from a massive increase in Pike corridor density was going to be very expensive. Nevertheless, the County Board went ahead with the Pike Charades and is going to be considering major in-fill site plans in September with (apparently) no heed paid to the EPA's 2014 stormwater treatment and management regulations.
How's that for 'governance'?
Kathy
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Favola - Stormwater Upgrades May Cost $500 Million
Hello, Yupette,
Did you hear Barbara Favola's statement about the cost of stormwater management and treatment at Tuesday's County Board meeting? It's going to be very expensive. Barbara stated that stormwater management and treatment upgrdes mandated by the federal government and State of Virginia may cost more than $500 million.
So why is she and the County Board promoting higher density along the Pike and elsewhere that will generate large amounts of additional stormwater?
Ken
Did you hear Barbara Favola's statement about the cost of stormwater management and treatment at Tuesday's County Board meeting? It's going to be very expensive. Barbara stated that stormwater management and treatment upgrdes mandated by the federal government and State of Virginia may cost more than $500 million.
So why is she and the County Board promoting higher density along the Pike and elsewhere that will generate large amounts of additional stormwater?
Ken
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Political Parties Tell County Board to Fix Artisphere's Problems
Hello Yupette,
I am happy to see representatives of the Democratic, Republican, and Green parties were all exasperated with the management and operation of the Artisphere and spoke out at last evening's County Board meeting.
Republican Robert Atkins denounced the waste of tax dollars used to subsidize the Artisphere. Green Party Candidate for County Board Audrey Clement asked County Government to provide financial data to indicate when the Artisphere would become self-sustaining. Democrat Peter Owen criticized the Artisphere's lease agreement as censoring performing arts groups.
Response from the County Board was "Don't worry, be happy, we'll work it out, etc."
So even when all three political parties speak to the County Board on an issue, the County Board doesn't listen. Typical of every County Board meeting. It's obviously time for all the County Board incumbents to retire.
Joan
I am happy to see representatives of the Democratic, Republican, and Green parties were all exasperated with the management and operation of the Artisphere and spoke out at last evening's County Board meeting.
Republican Robert Atkins denounced the waste of tax dollars used to subsidize the Artisphere. Green Party Candidate for County Board Audrey Clement asked County Government to provide financial data to indicate when the Artisphere would become self-sustaining. Democrat Peter Owen criticized the Artisphere's lease agreement as censoring performing arts groups.
Response from the County Board was "Don't worry, be happy, we'll work it out, etc."
So even when all three political parties speak to the County Board on an issue, the County Board doesn't listen. Typical of every County Board meeting. It's obviously time for all the County Board incumbents to retire.
Joan
Monday, July 11, 2011
County Board to 'Shirlington' Bergmann Cleaners Site, Neighborhood
Hello, Yupette,
Another older neighborhood off a major arterial, another major redevelopment to 'Shirlington' the area. Latest is Bergmann's Cleaners on Lee Highway and the neighborhood around Bergmanns.
Proposal by the same County Planning Staff responsible for Shirlington and same law firm responsible for Shirlington is...yet another Shirlington. Did I mention none of them live in Arlington?
This followed many closed-door meetings among non-resident Economic Development staff, non-resident CPHD staff, non-resident development attorneys, and an out-of-state REIT. The North Highlands neighborhood was targeted for gentrification after the usual Arlington County 2-step process - do nothing to help middle class neighborhoods along arterials revitalize, then point to the neighborhoods as 'deteriorated' and in need of massive mixed-use redevelopment.
In fact the County Board and County Planning Staff want to exactly duplicate the 12 story Shirlington hotel-apartments-supermarket-parking complex on and around the Lee Highway Bergmann's site. Even Dover, Kohl, the County Board's pet planners, stated that Shirlington was 'poorly planned'. How much more dumb growth are they going to cram into Arlington?
K.B.
Lyon Village
Another older neighborhood off a major arterial, another major redevelopment to 'Shirlington' the area. Latest is Bergmann's Cleaners on Lee Highway and the neighborhood around Bergmanns.
Proposal by the same County Planning Staff responsible for Shirlington and same law firm responsible for Shirlington is...yet another Shirlington. Did I mention none of them live in Arlington?
This followed many closed-door meetings among non-resident Economic Development staff, non-resident CPHD staff, non-resident development attorneys, and an out-of-state REIT. The North Highlands neighborhood was targeted for gentrification after the usual Arlington County 2-step process - do nothing to help middle class neighborhoods along arterials revitalize, then point to the neighborhoods as 'deteriorated' and in need of massive mixed-use redevelopment.
In fact the County Board and County Planning Staff want to exactly duplicate the 12 story Shirlington hotel-apartments-supermarket-parking complex on and around the Lee Highway Bergmann's site. Even Dover, Kohl, the County Board's pet planners, stated that Shirlington was 'poorly planned'. How much more dumb growth are they going to cram into Arlington?
K.B.
Lyon Village
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